Roleplay City
Infusco => DOMICILES => INFUSCO: Enter The Shadows => Parlor in Purgatory => Topic started by: Harlequin on March 18, 2019, 08:07:25 AM
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When the druid and the policewoman agreed to meet Sabrina at the Parlor after picking up Wren's things, Sabrina couldn't help but notice, and appreciate, the look of confusion on Lacy's face when she provided the address. The old hotel on Belleview? that look said, I thought that dump was abandoned. But she was gracious enough to keep it to herself. The last they saw of the witch was her carrying Siobhan away cradled against her chest.
When they arrived, they'd find the exterior of the hotel festooned with scaffolding, in the midst of repairs. Perhaps not as abandoned as previously thought. The heavy oak double doors retained their message in bright orange spray paint, however: "IT WAS MORE FUN IN HELL."
When the pair approached, the doors opened of their own accord, giving them a view into the fully-restored lobby. Candlelight from the grand crystal chandeliers shone warmly off of mahogany side and coffee tables surrounded by velvet-upholstered furniture original to the jazz-age building. Sabrina herself was seated on a chaise just inside, bent elbows-to-knees over a coffee table. She stared intently at an elaborate tarot spread on its surface, but looked up and rose as the pair approached -- if they approached. Siobhan was nowhere to be seen.
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Wren had left his belongings in the vehicle in favour of helping Lacy, though he'd thrown on a shirt. She was back to her senses by this stage, by what he could tell, but still obviously overwhelmed. Neither of them had commented on the Parlor in Purgatory's external appearance, instead only exchanging a look with one another, and Wren was too awed by the inside because of the sensations it gave him. There were so many different types of magics zipping around it was like the building itself was sentient - an impossible idea. He wondered if it felt this way because Sabrina lived with a coven or perhaps because she was experienced in many different rituals.
It would be rude to ask without knowing her a bit better. It would also be rude not to begin with an apology. He'd leapt to the conclusion that Sabrina had been the caster of the undead horde. While it was a reasonable assumption, it would also be insulting to someone who'd specifically arrived to help.
He saw the tarot spread before he saw her eyes, and when he and Lacy drew close - walking hand in hand, fingers linked like lovers but only because of a different kind of shared intimacy - once again he felt their gazes connect like a bolt sliding home into its slot. He'd been so busy looking at everything and everyone at the cemetery that he hadn't had a chance to review that familiarity about her. He didn't understand it, but it was... pleasant.
"I'm sorry I tried to attack you. I'm glad the earth resisted." His words were direct and he'd wanted them to have resonance to convey his sincerity, but they sounded flat to his ears, as if the parlor had dampeners in the very air itself. "I appreciate your forgiveness and generosity."
He squeezed Lacy's hand a little tighter for security, but not painfully.
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Detective-Sergeant Lacy Velez (http://www.roleplaycity.com/forum/index.php?topic=7081.0) had taken the week off. She called it in as soon as the zombie crisis was averted. She had smoked half a pack of cigarettes out of sheer nerves, and she didn't think of herself as a nervous person. Then again, seeing that poor cat get killed and a knife going through her chest were hardly normal stressors. Or were they actually normal, and she'd been living her life under a rock. She had quickly called Aunt Daphne and told her that she was now a believer.
Oh my sweet girl. I am so proud of you and you're sister is proud too. She whispered it to me.
Lacy hadn't believed Aunt Daphne all these years she said she'd been talking to Regina. She thought that her good old Aunt was either deluding herself, or lying to be kind, but now she wondered if she really could learn to speak to her sister and channel her spirit. She would need to ask Sabrina about it. Wren had been a reassuring force since they'd met, and he seemed to need her as much as she currently needed him. A full blooded lesbian, she felt weird about seeking comfort from a man. Men were normally problems in her life; perps, pimps, politicians, or other such impotent losers who tried to keep her career from advancing. But this man seemed different. Maybe it was the magic he had. Maybe it was because they were both people of color, but she knew she could trust him.
The house of Sabrina was strange, but Lacy quickly got used to the strangeness of it all. It was far less crazy than anything at the cemetery. She saw Sabrina and used her free hand to wave, her face a mix of puzzlement, anxiety and determination. She wanted to catch blondie, whoever she was. She was here to learn more about magic, but also to learn how to track down that woman. She needed to be brought to justice. Lacy's eyes traveled from the tarot cards to Sabrina.
"Nice house. Sorry for trying to shoot you. I'm new to all this." She reaffirmed her holding of Wren's hand, tightening her grip as he did. It felt nice.
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Sabrina smiled benevolently, waving away their apologies, "Water under the bridge," she assured them.
Now that they were inside, they could see the walls of the lobby covered in chaotic, black-and-white murals depicting flora fauna; great beasts and towering trees of myth. The place smelled of fresh paint, furniture polish, and incense. In the tarot spread, Wren would see an awful lot of the suit of swords. The Devil also made an appearance, and The Tower.
"Please, sit." She gestured to the loveseat across from where she'd been sitting; a cozy red velvet and hardwood affair, with a matching side table and stained-glass table lamp, "Can I get anything for either of you? A stiff drink, perhaps?"
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Wren led Lacy to the loveseat but released her hand once he sat, so that she could make herself comfortable. They would be sitting quite closely together.
"Perhaps a glass of water, please?" Wren politely requested before looking at the policewoman. His focus shifted to the images on the walls behind her, which helped make him feel more comfortable in spite of the acrid smell of paint. He let his gaze travel along the artwork naturally until it ended back at Sabrina and onto the tarot cards ahead of her. He wasn't skilled in reading them as runes were more his thing, but the spread before her still filled him with dread.
It was the only thing in the room he didn't like.
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Siobhan had never felt so drained before in her life, her head felt muffled in cotton wool and her magic was so quiescent within her it was like she had none. Her naturally born talent would return with more rest but the rest, the rest would only come to her with work and practice. For years she had repeatedly drawn upon the power inherent within her bloodline and simultaneously suppressed and denied it. It had built up in her like an unattended pressure cooker, letting out barely controlled bursts of power when the pressure was too much, until tonight when it had all finally escaped. Such power would not come so easily to her call again, she would need to embrace all that she was, accept all that she was and prove herself worthy of such power first.
Her bare footed steps were quiet as she approached the parlor and the stairs that led to the bedroom Sabrina had kindly given her for the night. She was making her way back from the kitchen where she had just made a herbal tea to help with her headache and mental fogginess. The scent of the tea was fragrant but delicate with tones of honeysuckle, mint and raspberry. She was dressed in a pair of clean, faded blue jeans and a grey t-shirt that once started out life as a solid black color. Her long curling hair tumbled around her and fell loosely down to her waist. The clothes had been provided by Sabrina and had once belonged to tenants who had long since left.
As she came around the corner of the hallway near the stairs, she spotted Wren, Lacy and Sabrina and stopped. She hadn’t meant to intrude and although Sabrina had made her feel welcomed and had filled her in on what has happened after her collapse at the cemetery, she still felt embarrassed and guilty about her lack of magical control and her violent use of her powers. These feeling were amplified when she looked at Wren and unable to meet his gaze from her feelings of shame she quickly glanced at Lacy and offered her a quick smile of welcome, glad at seeing that she was indeed alive and well after all.
Unsure if her presence would be welcome amongst the group however, she decided to continue towards the stairs and the direction of her room.
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Lacy's eyes traveled all over the room, her police training taking over and defending her against all the real things she was feeling and thinking. She didn't mind her hand being released but also liked that her friend was still close at hand. When Sabrina asked if she wanted a drink, the Detective sighed relief.
"Tequila, with limes. If not, just Tequila."
She looked at the spread too, wondering if this was for her, Wren, or something else entirely. Her Aunt Daphne did Tarot but preferred to case the runes. She wondered what the big difference was.
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The young witch wasn't getting away that easily.
Siobhan!" Sabrina called, turning in her chair to look at her newest charge as she crept toward the stairs, "Come, join us, I insist."
Turning back to her other guests, she smiled, "Water and tequila. I can do that. Limes are...well, we'll see." She didn't elaborate on what was to be seen.
She waved Siobhan over again, "You three chat for a minute while I run to the kitchen. Let me know if any of you see anything but doom and gloom in this mess." She flicked a hand toward the tarot spread on the table, "OR feel free to gather them up and put them away. I'm tired of looking at them." A simple carved oak box rested on the far corner of the coffee table, presumably their home. "I'll be right back."
She rose a nd retreated to the kitchen -- back the way Siobahn had come -- with long, lazy steps.
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The tarot spread made Wren uneasy so he scooted forward on the loveseat, perched on the edge and reached to scoop all the cards together. He made them into a deck even as he watched Siobhan approach, and absently shuffled them, mostly to give his hands something to do. Without thinking, he took a card out of the pack and looked at it.
The Hermit. Upside down.
Not liking what he saw, he shoved it roughly back into the deck the right way up and shuffled them some more.
"Hello," he said to Siobhan. "I'm Wren Maddoc," he said, and looked at Lacy for her to introduce herself. When she did, he pulled another card out of the deck and looked at it.
The Hermit, and it was upside down again.
He hastily put it back into the pack and put the deck onto the table. He pushed himself back into the cushions of the chair, settling himself beside Lacy and mostly withdrawn from their conversation - however full or scattered it might be. He heard them speaking, but he wasn't listening.
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Lacy watched Siobhan approach and remembered she was the one who healed her. She gave her a welcoming eye, and introduced herself after Wren.
"Detective Sergeant Lacy Velez," she introduced to the girl, and then looked at the cards as Wren finished with them. Her friend didn't look happy at what she saw, but Lacy grew curious and picked a random card. A woman, cloaked in robes and holding hard hand high, stared back at the officer. The card read, THE HIGH PRIESTESS. Lacy grew curious and held on to the card, not sharing which one she'd drawn just yet. She wasn't too talkative, but did say to the girl, "thank you for healing me. I remember you doing that somehow."
With that she went quiet, staring at the card.
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Wren watched Lacy draw a card and then continue to hold onto it. He shifted, rocking on his seat to try and take a peek at it. She moved it away and he smiled apologetically at her, not wishing to cause her distress. He hadn't shown his card to her after all. But then she offered him a quick view of the picture, and his smile of apology broadened into one of relief. Lacy was in a calm place right now, in a location of safety and assessment. That card heralded good things for her.
"It's a good one. Sabrina will probably tell you more," he said. He was fairly sure The High Priestess was good. It would suck if Sabrina returned and contradicted him. "Go ahead and draw one, if you like," Wren offered to Siobhan, curious to see if she would. After his shitty drawing, he would prefer to see two good-news cards.
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Shiobhan approached and gave Sabrina a hesitant smile as she passed her. She was nervous, as outside of her family she hadn't met any other witches, occult practitioners, pagans or psychics. Hell she had denied the existence of most anything magical outside of the little bubble she had made for herself and the first time she did mingle with her "kind" she had lost control, violently attacked another witch, nearly killed Lacy by pouring such a large and unnecessary amount of power into her for the healing and then passed out before being able to help with the zombies.
Her cheeks were flaming scarlet when she joined them and sat down. "Shiobhan Williams" she replied softly in introduction after Wren and lacy re-introduced themselves. It had been a crazy and wild night, she wasn't surprised they didn't remember her name.
"You're welcome and I am glad to see you're okay." she smiled softly at Lacy. her eyes flicked towards Wren and she felt like she needed to apologize to him for her actions but he seemed lost in his own thoughts and so let it slide. She didn't know why he pulled at her but he did. She wanted to think it was his connection to the earth, it was very similar to the feel of her earth power but then there was also the image of him sitting in the back of the truck, half naked, his body gleaming with muscles flexing as he moved.
Her cheeks were once again bright pink as Lacy drew her card and she quickly took a sip of her tea in the hopes no one would notice. The tea was still hot and burned as it made its way down her throat and sarcophagus.
Umm okay" she replied hoarsely as she sucked in air in the hopes of cooling her innards. She put her tea on the table and reached for the cards. She closed her eyes as she gave them a quick shuffle and placed them back on the table. She picked the top card and flipped it over on the table for everyone to see. It was The Tower, again! At least it was upright this time instead of upside down like it had been every other time she had done a reading for herself lately.The Tower represented the breaking down of existing forms. In her case it was the tower she had built around herself, to keep her hidden, to keep everyone else out. It was a tower of lies and denial, of pain and grief and anger. Upside down it meant the tearing down would be done by outside forces. Her life would be changed whether she wanted it or not. Upright it mean the tearing down of her world was her choice, it would be hard and painful and life altering but it also meant a chance to rebuild anew, with a fresh start and a clean slate. The card represented a mind and life currently in turmoil and confusion.
She bit her lip and was tempted to flip another but the others had only picked one and so sat back. "It could be worse I guess"
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Lacy listened as the witch talked, and smiled at Wren as he told her the card had a good meaning. She wondered if it meant the other witch who wasn't here, Maria. She'd been some kind of high priestess. She never thought it could be her. She had no real magic. All she'd done is make Wren's magic stronger. Then she saw her healer's card. THE TOWER. Well, that card didn't look nearly as nice as her's did, but then again Lacy knew very little about Tarot, so for all she knew it was a good omen. Having no way to judge the truth of Shiobhan's statement, Lacy simply relaxed back into the love seat, sitting with her legs slightly open, and her overall posture was on the masculine side. She turned to Wren and tried speaking Spanish to him.
"What card did you get mister," she said, feeling hopeful that she had someone to speak in her native tongue with. If not she'd repeat the question in English. She wouldn't press him too hard though. She understood needing to hold your cards close to your chest, this time quite literally.
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Wren gave Lacy side-eye, understanding her question because he'd learnt some Spanish. Not as fluent in it as his ancient magical tongue, it was still one he'd found useful when travelling through South America before coming to her northern brother. He considered that Lacy might have thought him hesitant to speak of his card to anyone but her, and in that she was clever, but he didn't want to exclude Siobhan either. He hoped that neither of them understood the Tarot major arcana quite so well, but if they were going to know anything, it would be those central cards.
"El Ermitaño," he replied to Lacy, then he looked at Siobhan. "My card was The Hermit." He shrugged, like it was no big deal. It spoke of introspection, learning, knowledge and meditation. But it had been upside-down both times (and he'd put it right way up in the deck as well!) and he kept that to himself because it would give away his current status.
Exiled.
Such a thing was not desirous for any druid, to be banished from their circle. Considered the lowest form of dishonour. A druid without the support of their circle was weakened, all but useless, and he'd felt that when he'd plunged his hands into the earth to call out his magic to the undead... and had needed the help of a magic-illiterate to boost his signal. He had only a breath of his former power to play with. It was so much worse because he knew what real power felt like.
He could've rippled the earth and levelled entire cities, once.
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Shiobhan bowed her head and took a sip of her tea as Lacy started talking to Wren in what she guessed was Spanish. Even in her weakened state she could sense there was no malice meant by it. It was a way for two friends to speak privately among themselves in a mixed group without having to resort to whispering and or talking behind their hands.
When Wren replied in kind she cast her eyes around the table in the hopes of finding something to help her pass the time till Sabrina returned, her eyes falling instantly back to the tarot deck. She was about to reach for it when Wren spoke to her.
"Your card was The Hermit?" She asked softly, her tone was mildly curious but in her core she was shaking slightly "And your's was The High Priestess yeah?" she asked Lacy. "Maybe you could ask Sabrina to do a reading for you, using your cards I mean. It could be interesting"
Both of those cards had been showing up in her readings lately; those, and The Fool, The Magician, The Hierophant, The Star which at times was also Temperance plus a bunch of swords and wands, The Devil, Death and the upside down The Moon. Deciphering her own The Tower and the cards around that had been bad enough but the rest had just seemed like typical vague portent gibberish. Or maybe it hadn't been. She thought about saying something but changed her mind.
Hey I think your cards have shown up in my readings
Just sounded lame and pretentious, so instead she went with.
" I'm really sorry about your cat Wren, was it your familiar?" She flicked her gaze between them and bit her lip in hesitation before continuing. "And I'm really sorry about my behavior and lack of control at the cemetery too" Unable to meet their gaze any longer she looked down at the floor as she once again blushed in embarrassment.
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The cat’s death replayed in Lacy’s mind and then the knife once again slid into her chest. She cringed and blinked at both reminders, the laughing blonde woman invading her mind like a parasite. She didn’t even hear the young witch’s apology, but she didn’t need it. Lacy had been saved by her. Whatever else happened at least she’d kept her from dying. That was all that mattered. She also assumed the cat had been friends with Wren somehow and looked at him sympathetically as he answered. As he finished, she couldn’t wait any longer, and asked the two witches with her a question.
“Who was blondie? How powerful was she, and how do I stop her from terrorizing my city?”
She sounded impatient, like that tequila couldn’t come soon enough. She thought of how she’d hurt that bitch in the back of her van. That was good. She should be hurt for what she did to the lord’s children. She was happy these witches seemed to work with God, and not against him. That was what allowed her to be here. The other witch was clearly working for the devil. That’s what the bible told her anyway.
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"That's a good question," Sabrina said, walking up behind Siobhan with a silver tray in her hands before Wren had a chance to answer. She passed a salted high-ball glass with two fingers of tequila to Lacy, and a mason jar of chilled water to Wren before setting the tray dow on the table, and settling down into her seat. She’d gotten a glass of red wine for herself.
"No limes, sorry. They tend not to keep in my kitchen, for some reason." She smiled wryly at Lacy. That was mystery not even she could answer.
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"I don't know where the cat came from. He wasn't just a cat though, he was..."
Another druid?
A shape-shifter?
"...a person." He'd sensed the difference in the cat the same way he'd sensed the dark-skinned woman had something terrible inside of her - but not the blonde. He'd got the wrong impression of her completely and he found such a thing discouraging. Especially since he'd been drawn to her. He would keep that nugget to himself.
He drank from his mason-jar, gulping down most of the water in one go, relishing its coolness as it quenched its thirst.
"We should find out who's in charge of this city and make her their problem," Wren said, not wanting to involve himself any further than he already was. He looked at Lacy. "Not who's in charge of your people, but who's in charge of ours."
He had no idea he was sitting across from such a leader.
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Lacy laughed. "If I told my people what I saw, they'd fire me and lock me up in the loony bin."
She drank her tequila, raising her glass and smiling at Sabrina in thanks. She considered that the supernaturals had their own leaders. That much chaos needed some order, and she wondered how they decided who was in power and who was not. Was it a ranked system like the police? Was it a form of communism, where all the witches got their own plot of land. Or was it like monarchy and a king ruled over them all? All of these ideas ran through her mind.
"Well, I'm not waiting for somebody else to deal with her. I'm going to track her down and bring her to justice," she said, some of her natural grit and toughness returning.
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Siobhan's eyebrows rose in shock and surprise at Wrens words.
"Wait. What do you mean a Leader in charge of us? Who? " As far as she was concerned the only person or people in charge of her was herself and maybe her Aunts. "as a witch I answer to myself and my family, or a Witch Queen if there was one, but they are no more" she finished softly with a slightly hesitant and uncertain tone.
She forehead furrowed slightly as she suddenly thought back to Flicks parting words. " Is this so called leader a wizard named Kerr? I have been told such a person has started a wizardry academy for vampires. Maybe they know Tess there"
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Can open.
Worms everywhere.
As her companions spoke, Sabrina could see she had a lot of talking to do. She cleared her throat and leaned forward, wrapping her big hands around her wineglass. Lacy's was easiest to start with; for now. She fixed her gaze on the Policewoman, "You nearly died, detective. You've entered a world you know nothing about. It's foolish to go in blind, without backup. I want to see her gone as badly as you do, trust me."
Next, Wren, "The City is divided into districts, each with its own rules governing its supernatural citizens and headed by its own leader. I run the South, so good job, at least one of the leaders has been alerted." Her words were light and teasing, and she smiled at him, "Though she would certainly appreciate your help."
Finally, Siobhan "Kerr is a Vampire--" She briefly checked Lacy's face for signs of disbelief, and, finding none, continued speaking to the other witch, "--and a dear friend of mine. If anyone with our friend's skill level or...proclivities, had made herself known at the Academy, he would have told me."
She leaned back, and sighed, taking a sip of wine, "Now, as far as I can tell, she's fairly standard New-England Satanist, maybe part of an old family; signed The Devil's book, that sort of thing. And not unskilled with Necromancy, as we've all seen. It's as good a place to start as any. If we're all willing to work together, I think we could make quick work of this."
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Guilt washed over Wren's face as he was humbled in Sabrina's presence when she mentioned an appreciation for his help. In truth, he'd have preferred to dump this knowledge on someone else's head to take care of and keep himself out of it. Now that he was already involved with one of the leaders, and staying at her house, he felt the heavy press of obligation on his shoulders.
Sure, he could ignore it, but that would not just appear as turning his back, it would almost be like thumbing his nose, too.
"You have my help," he said, though what good he could do in comparison to Siobhan and Sabrina herself, he did not know.
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Lacy wasn't about to speak last, and raised her glass. She liked the way this Sabrina had run the profile of the blonde witch. She could run that through a database. Maybe she'd get a name beyond Tess. After a name there could be an address, prior arrests, etc. It wouldn't tell her much about the witch, but maybe she could learn about the woman. There was wisdom in that.
"I can help investigate her. I can't really do any magic though," she said, looking at the Tarot card once more.
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Siobhan sank into her seat with her face downcast as she looked down at the floor, avoiding anyone else's gaze. the idea of potentially facing off against Lucifer unnerved her, the less that damned angel knew of her existence the better. Yet Sabrina had helped her, she couldn't repay that with ungratefulness and disrespect. However her innate magic was severely depleted, the magical gifts inherent through her bloodline denied her and her spell-craft skill set was rudimentary at best. What help could she offer? She was totally useless right now.
"I will help too, if I can, but I doubt I'll be much help" she admitted reluctently
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"My memory may be a little off," Lacy admitted, looking at her rescuer skeptically. "But didn't you stop the witch, heal me, and do some other crazy powerful magic? I mean, again I'm not an expert but you look like you'll be plenty helpful to me." It wasn't meant to be as supportive as it sounded. Lacy was just stating the facts. If this was a tactical raid, this girl would be the big gun. She looked at Sabrina and Wren now.
"Could either of you teach me magic," she asked. If she had the potential she should use it, and Wren's belief in her had awakened something. She grabbed her crucifix necklace out of nerves and ran her chewed nails across it in silent prayer. Could an agent of the lord also be a witch? What would that even look like? It Tess was a Satanist and had magic, then who were God's witches?
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If Sabrina sensed any misgivings in the ranks, she gave no indication of such. Instead, her smile widened, and she clasped her hands together, wine set aside and forgotten for the moment. "Wonderful!" she enthused.
"You'll be plenty of help, Siobhan," she admonished, "More hands makes less work at any task. And Lacy's right, you're no churchmouse."
As to the detective's question, "I can teach parts of what I do, but..." Sabrina's face took on a pained expression, "I find I'm a poor instructor, on my own." She eyed the way Lacy fingered her cross necklace. Maybe it was simply a comforting gesture, maybe she was a True Believer. Either way, better to get it out in the open. "My father was a Demon. It...influences my Magic."
She let that hang there for a moment, giving the policewoman a chance to digest it. Lacy had to know she wasn't normal, just looking at her. "If nothing else, I can introduce you to someone else." Her thoughts flashed to Astrid, the young but wildly competent witch she'd recently made the acquaintance of. She also didn't want to put Wren on the spot, and let him speak for himself.
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Wren watched the conversation move among the different players like it was a grand tennis match, and he wasn't doing anything for the team.
"I can show you a few things as well," he said directly to Lacy, thinking that it would be to her benefit to have multiple people instruct her in multiple magics to see what she took to best. "You have potency with earth magic, I could feel your power when we connected at the tree."
It was meant to be encouraging but he wasn't feeling it, possible because the Hermit card had thrown him so. He also felt humbled by Sabrina and even the house that he sat in; the room had a heavy presence and he'd initially found it comforting but now it felt stifling.
"What is our first move?" he asked of Sabrina. "Do we inform the other... district governers?" he asked, showing that he'd been paying attention to the demon-witch's explanation of how the city was run. Very unusually, if they'd chopped it up and divided it into parts. It sounded like something a parent did to a cake to appease competitive children.
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Siobhán didn’t know whether to smile or squirm in her seat with embarrassment; they were right. She wasn’t a church mouse and she wasn’t useless, and she had denied her power and her heritage long enough. She lifted her head and took a steadying breath, talking about herself, opening up and working with others wasn’t easy for her.
“I meant I don’t know how much help I can be because I won’t be able to do what I did at the cemetery. What I did was equivalent to a normal human woman lifting a car single handedly to save a loved one who was pinned beneath it.” She explained with a shrug. It wasn’t the most accurate explanation of why she couldn’t access that kind of power any time soon, but it was the easiest. “using and releasing so much uncontrolled power untrained and unprepared has come at a cost and as of right now I have as much magic as a limp dish rag.” She admitted with a small sigh of resignation before looking at Lacy earnestly “Magic is amazing, wonderful and life changing, but, ‘There Is No Such Thing as A Free Lunch’ as my Aunts would say. Everything has a price, magic especially so.” She offered as both explanation and warning.
Siobhán went quiet at Wren’s question, she wasn’t sure about going to others, bringing tales of Satan worshiping, necromancer, witch’s to those in charge usually lead to murderous hysteria, witch hunts and the inevitable burning stake.
“What do we even tell them? I mean right now all we have is “Keep a look out for a pretty blond woman, she can summon up an army of zombies and thinks Satan is her God’. We know she escaped but to where and what does she want? Or more to the point what has the lord of lies sent her to do?”
That was the real question. Was Tess doing this for kicks or was there a purpose? Suddenly her eyes opened wide as she remembered something from the cemetery.
“What is the Treacle?” She asked Sabrina
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Lacy listened as they all spoke, sipping her drink and getting close to finishing it. She didn’t think to ask for another. She might have three or four more at the local bar around the corner from the two bedroom she rented with her aging aunt. She figured Tia Daphne could be an instructor as well, especially on how to contact the dead. She had questions for certain people, and now that she knew she could get the answers she intended to ask them. Sabrina managed to shock her with the confession about her father. The detective had assumed based on her size alone she wasn’t human, but she wouldn’t have guessed demon. She’d been taught in Catholic school that demons served the devil. Her eyes would’ve gone wide for a moment, but then her expression relaxed.
This Sabrina had fought the bad necromancer, and had helped them heal the earth from the horrid death it had been sentenced to. She was not evil or an agent of Old Scratch. She was a good witch, and she lived in the south of the city. The wizard of Oz had a good witch of the south too. She felt silly for her momentary prejudice.
“Fathers, am I right,” she said half-joking. “No problems here as long as you don’t mind I’m a Catholic.”
She turned to Wren. “Yeah, teach me please. I felt something I’ve never felt before when we were… casting together?” She had no idea what the right terminology was. Lastly she turned to Siobhán. She heard first her words about magic, but then about next steps. The cop suddenly felt more useful.
“Actually, yes. Tell all those supernaturals in power who she is and what she’s doing. Even if they just spot her we can start to track her movements and where she’s going. As long as she can move through the city unwatched she’s likely to keep causing mischief. If we smoke her out, she might come to us.” Now she’d lay out how she planned to help. Lacy was a solution focused person. She hated wallowing in the problem.
“I’m going to run her physical description, the name Tess, and any crimes regarding grave robbing in connection with her. Also, Sabrina you mentioned she might be from an old, New England family. Bet I can find out which one. It might give us a full name.”
She waited to see what the others planned to do to catch the blonde witch.
-
Sabrina nodded at Wren's suggestion, "I'll inform the District Leaders and other players in the city, have them keep their eyes and ears out, though most of them likely know something is going on. Our friend wasn't exactly quiet about her coming out. I think that's as good a way to put it as any, Siobhan. They've all seen and heard much stranger things, trust me."
Sabrina was glad Lacy hadn't flinched at the news of her parentage. "There is no possible way I could care less," Sabrina assured her. She was really starting to warm to the young detective. "Thank you, that sounds perfect. I think we'd be wise to sit tight and remain on the defensive until we know more about our enemy, as she seems to know at least something about me."
Which brought her to Siobhan's question. The Treacle. Sabrina's passenger wasn't exactly a secret, and others in the magic community had certainly approached her about it before, but if any had wanted to separate her from it they'd kept it to themselves. Until now. "The Treacle is a sort of Ectoplasmic entity," Sabrina's mouth twisted to one side in a grin, "I believe Tansy called it 'Magic Venom'." Sabrina hadn't understood the reference, but Tansy's friends had laughed, and they were around Siobhan and Lacy's age, so maybe they would understand.
"It's a piece of a place I've only known as The Blackness; it's a plane just adjacent to ours that I sealed off decades ago. As far as I could tell, the Treacle spread from its source -- a summoning or spell gone awry, I suspect -- and killed everything there. It tried to infect me as well, but, well --" She extended a hand, palm up, and sticky blackness oozed from her nailbeds, coating her fingertips, "Something else happened. We're as bound now as a single being." When she flexed her fingers the Treacle moved with her, creeping up her wrist with wicked slowness.
-
Lacy’s ideas were really good ones and Siobhán was rather impressed by how the police officer was taking all this supernatural stuff in stride.
Sabrina's assurance that the other leaders could be trusted reassured her slightly. If it had been Sabrina alone she wouldn't have a problem. She didn't care who her father was, everyone had screwed up families and parents they weren't quite proud of and Siobhan so definitely no exception. S abrina's power might be dark but dark didn't mean evil and Shiobhan hadn't sensed any malevolence from her powerful, statuesque host.
At Sabrina’s explanation and demonstration of the Treacle her eyes opened in wonder and amazement and she completely agreed with Tansy, Magic Venom was the perfect name and discretion for it. As she watched the Treacle travel up Sabrina’s arm she felt a multitude of questions suddenly pop into her head.
“That looks totally cool!’ She said with a smile. “What does it feel like? Will it cover your whole body. What can it do, or what can you do with it?”
-
Wren looked at Lacy and nodded. They'd been casting together, boosting the spell to make their net wider. It had been a while since he'd performed a paired chant, let alone a group one. He was surprised at the pain in his chest from the lack of a circle. He looked around at the ragtag bunch with him now. His new circle, he supposed, though he was going into it reluctantly.
He caught Sabrina's eye when she spoke of the other leaders. There was another question on the tip of his tongue but it fell away when she answered Siobhan's question about the Treacle. He watched it with a combination of fascination and wariness, listening avidly when she described her relationship to it. He'd heard of such things but not witnessed them. This city was like a flame in a magical sky. No wonder the necromancer had come here.
It must have drawn her the same way it drew him. By instinct.
His gaze shifted from Sabrina to Siobhan and back again. Yes, he would like to know all these things as well.
-
Lacy was less enthused about the treacle than the other two. She thought it was interesting and worth knowing about, but boy did it give her the creeps. She didn't want to offend Sabrina, especially after she said it was a part of her. Lacy hoped it was a small part. She did mentally note that as far as a motive went for the necromancer that getting the treacle was probably it.
"Why does she want you it you think," Lacy added to the growing list of treacle related questions. She desperately wished she could smoke in here, but didn't think it was a good moment to ask.
"Also, if she worships the devil than isn't whatever she's doing his will? His instructions? Like, she sold her soul or something?"
Lacy was just grasping for leads in Tess's motives, but hoped the more knowledgeable people might be able to fill in blanks.
-
"It feels normal now, like breathing. It's sentient, after a fashion, and makes it's needs and wants known, but we've mostly come to an understanding." She turned her hand over, watching the inky substance creep over her elbow "It acts as an extension of my body, for the most part, though it can do a lot of things that I can't alone; like pull tissue together at a microscopic level, or throw a truck at somebody."
She shrugged, and the Treacle receded, back into her nailbeds with an uncanny speed. "It's powerful and valuable, and the only thing I know of like it."
Sabrina picked up her wineglass again and pondered Lacy's questions, "She's certainly struck some type of deal with Old Scratch to gain her powers, or to enhance power she was born with. There are a lot of iterations of the Devil out there making deals, though. This one feels perhaps...newer? New-world, certainly, and I try to stay away from that type of practice. It's too volatile, and those patrons tend to demand more from their followers."
-
Siobhán listened as Sabrina answered her questions and watched with fascination as the Treacle subsided back into her body. What must it feel like to share your body and perhaps your mind with a symbiotic creature? To know it was no longer your and yours alone? She shivered at the thought and looked at Sabrina with a new level of respect.
As she addressed Lacy's questions about Tess and Lucifer she sat back and just listened; she didn't want to get involved with a theological discussion about him but she also felt she needed to clarify something and so waited till Sabrina had finished.
"Tess hasn't sold her soul, or Lucifer hasn't claimed it anyway." She looked across at Wren "It was how she was able to fool us, she used the light of her soul as part of her glamour. Something she couldn't have done if she didn't have one any more. It's why we couldn't see through it, because it wasn't pure illusion."
She flicked her gaze back to Lucy. "You said that telling the other leaders would allow them to keep an eye out for her and track her whereabouts and that you could track her past through police records." She looked around the group and shrugged. " We could also try and track where she is now through a tracking spell. She has probably cast a counter spell to prevent magical tracking but if we had something of hers to tie to the spell she would have no defense."
She looked towards Wren "She crashed into in the back of the police car when we got to the cemetery, she was also sitting beside you." she raised an eyebrow and smiled, not in any innuendo but because the situation presented a chance of stitching up Tess for good. "She could have lost a strand of hair is what I mean; if the vehicular hasn't been cleaned that is. I could also check the clothes i came in with" she said as she looked at Sabrina.
-
Wren looked down at himself. He was still wearing what he had been earlier that night, except now he also had on a hemp shirt. He remembered how Tess had landed on him, the feel of her hands on his chest and legs when she'd pushed herself away with a smirk. Her hair had brushed against his neck and shoulders. He supposed a strand could have snagged on his beads.
He pulled his necklace up over his head and started inspecting each bead carefully, but even as he searched he felt as though it was futile. It wasn't long before he returned to the start without a strand of hair to show for it. He wasn't about to go through his pants looking for her hair.
"Sorry, I came up empty," Wren said with a shrug.
-
Lacy listened, but had trouble connecting with the whole tracking spell thing. That could be Siobhan's contribution. Lacy had plenty of her own angles to work. She would search the van though, and for sure thought physical evidence was important. She also doubted that evil hell bitch had a soul, but was no expert. If she did have one then Lacy hoped the necromancer would burn in hell for what she did at the graveyard. The image of the cat wouldn't leave her mind. The cop had seen much in her years on the force, but never something that horrid.
"I'll check the van," Lacy agreed. It was getting late and she needed to make that last round she'd been dreaming off. She rose up from her chair. "If I find something I'll bring it back in, but otherwise I think I need to head home. This whole thing was... a lot." She smiled weakly as she waited for permission to leave, and how best to contact this new little coven. She looked at Wren the most. She felt the most connected to him after the whole affair.
-
Siobhán rose to her feet as well "Actually I should be going as well. I need to open my cafe in a few hours. If you do find anything Lacy, I'll make a pendulum with it, if we don't find anything." she gave a shrug of her shoulders. " I guess it will be a waiting game,"
She turned and smiling warmly she went and wrapped her hands around Sabrina's, what she really wanted to do was hug her but she was unsure as to the tall woman's boundary's; she might not be a hugger. "Thank you, so much. For saving me, for looking after me"
-
As if sensing the younger witch's desire, Sabrina wrapped her arms about Siobhan, pulling her into a warm embrace. Their positions made the gesture slightly awkward, but this was tempered by Sabrina's size. Siobhan would find she smelled of jasmine incense and ozone. After a moment, she held the other woman at arm's length, beaming. "Think nothing of it," she said, and meant it.
Sabrina rose, then, and gestured toward the door, "You're both right; it is quite late. Let us meet back here in a week's time and discuss what we've found?" She caught each pair of eyes as agreements were muttered, and nodded, considering the matter settled. "Lacy, Siobhan, If either of you have any trouble with our friend, call for me and I'll come."
She turned her gaze to the Druid"Wren, as long as you call my home your home, you need not call." Another sweeping gesture, this time toward the check-in desk, "Now let's get you settled."
-
Wren nodded. He reached out to hold Lacy's hand and gave it a light squeeze with his 'I'll see you later' before giving Siobhan a polite smile and heading for the check-in counter, wondering what the rate was for staying. He wasn't comfortable staying for free but he didn't have a huge amount of cash to his name either - which was why he'd holed up in the Detour in the first place.
After some conversation with the rainbow-haired flighty woman (who he was amused and fascinated by), he went to his room and got himself settled for the night.
He wouldn't stay here long though - it felt like he was taking advantage, and that he didn't need the room as much as others might.
-
Lacy nodded her understanding and left several business cards on the table. She said goodbye to each person and added to Sabrina, "thanks for the drink." With that she headed to the exit. She gave Wren one last look as he spoke to Tansy, before heading out into the night. She searched the van and found no hair, but she did find a few fingerprints. She wasn't sure if they belonged to Tess or to another occupant, but she'd run them back at the station. Maybe old fashioned law enforcement was a way to catch this bitch. Her life had been changed tonight. There was no going back. She was a witch now, and the idea left her excited, but mostly frightened.