***
Keterlyn yawned as she lingered in the park, slowly walking towards the fountain where she had said she would wait. As she strolled leisurely she became aware of soft, hesitant footsteps approaching. It was a nice enough park, but given the size of it, she didn't doubt for a moment that it would be the perfect site for trouble. She stole a discrete glance over her shoulder.
The footsteps accompanied a man, in his late thirties dressed in an unseasonable heavy, long overcoat. He also looked haggard. Not the sort of haggard from living rough so much as stress, or emotional disturbance, like a weight hung from his slumped shoulders. He was jittery too, his steps nervous. Keterlyn noted to some irritation he was making efforts to conceal something behind the length of his arm. Experience told her it was a knife, not that it alarmed her, it was just another thing on her list of exasperating things to deal with.
The man must have noticed that she had glanced back, because he sped up until he was right behind her.
"You got the time girlie?" came his insincere request.
Keterlyn sighed before responding accusingly. "No. I don't have cash either."
The man jumped in front of Keterlyn, causing her to stop. Brandishing the knife with little confidence. "Sure you do. Hand it over." he demanded. Keterlyn wondered if he had even done this before.
"You so have the wrong person."
"I said hand it over."
Indignant, Keterlyn squared him. "No. Whatcha gonna do? You really going to knife me for a few dollars?"
"I got needs." he stumbled.
Needs? She thought. An odd word to use but she wasn't going to quibble the issue here and now. She placed her hands behind her. She knew she should avoid any dramatic displays, but there wasn't anyone else around and it wasn't like he was going to tell. Besides, it wasn't going to take a lot of energy to do what she needed to. Better warn him anyway she decided. "Yeah? Well a need for self preservation is clearly lacking. So show me...how are you planning on making good on your threats. I have some pent up frustration happening. I could actually use a good fight. Or obliteration in your case."
Behind her, Keterlyn's hand sparked blue electricity which built into small balls of dancing light.
Nervous, the man glanced from side to side, before doing the entirely unexpected. In an anxious flurry he threw his overcoat open. The only thing that caught Keterlyn's eye other than the sheen on his forehead and the shine of the knife in the moonlight was that the would be attacker had his pant open under the coat, with his member on full display. For the first time on an easy hundred years, Keterlyn was rendered speechless. Once the initial shock wore off, Keterlyn rolled her eyes before shaking her head.
Just then a figure familiar to Keterlyn arrived stealthily behind the flasher. Keterlyn almost smiled, which the flasher misinterpreted. For a shaky moment he relaxed that was until he felt the cold breath on his neck and realised Keterlyn was looking over his shoulder not at him.
Swinging around, the man yelped and snapped his coat shut. Keterlyn's friend, Violet stood a commanding sight, tall with olive toned skin and a mass of red curly hair demurely showcased by her dark jacket and dark pants.
"See that's just wrong." Violet directed accusingly to the man, who now stood shaking in part due to the unexpected company, in part to her encroaching on his personal space. "You have to have something," Violet continued stepping so close he had to take a step backwards. "to actually offer a lady if your going to do something like that."
"Violet!" Keterlyn exclaimed, happy to see her friend after so many years. Violet winked back at her.
"I was so pleased to hear that you called, Ket. When Viktor gave me the message, I came straight away. And just in time to save you I see."
In a scramble, the man fled.
"You had dinner yet Vi?" Keterlyn asked ignoring the insinuation she would have to be saved from anything.
"Not yet." there was a darker, knowing tone to Violet's silken voice.
Facing the escaping offensive flasher, Keterlyn let loose an energy charge rom her palm, that whipped around him causing him to fall face first, before slowly dragging him back to the two women. He clawed desperately at the ground.
Violet gave Keterlyn a confused look. "Should you be doing that?" she asked.
Keterlyn shrugged. "It's lower level magic tricks. He won't pick up on it. Besides, I hate flashers. It's just rude."
As the squirming man came to a stop in front of them, Violet put her boot on him to stop him squirming to get away. “I know what you mean.” She concurred with Keterlyn. Violet leaned down to the man as he sobbed, and turned his head to face her. “Do you understand doing things like that puts me off my food? Do you?” Violet accused before she paused to grin at him. Two fangs protruded from her lips, growing as the man halted his breath, eyes becoming large circles of fear. The man shrieked and started praying. Violet looked up at Keterlyn with feigned disappointment. “Bit like pulling the wings off a pinned butterfly.” She commented before standing up to regard her friend again.
“This is no butterfly honey.” remarked Keterlyn.
Violet took her foot off the man and he scrambled away. “You’re right, I think I might look for something a little more upmarket.”
In delayed reaction, Keterlyn rushed towards Violet and threw her arms around her. Violet’s fangs retracted and she returned the embrace.
“Oh Vi.” Keterlyn nearly sobbed. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
Violet looked her friend over with concern. “What happened Ket?”
Standing back, Keterlyn sighed. “Marianne broke the circle early. She used magic, in public– but she couldn’t help it. Something happened, she had to save her daughter. Matters of the heart always lead to… issues.”
Violet smiled sympathetically. She had never shared Keterlyn’s fear of opening up to others, of caring. She tried not to sound pitying though. “Yeah, but its fun. Loving people. You should try it.”
Frustrated, Keterlyn gave Violet a look that said she should know better. “I tried that, and it got me in this mess. What am I going to do? I thought I had at least another twenty years before I had to find another coven. Now I only have two weeks before the full moon.”
“It will be fine.” soothed Violet.
Keterlyn arched a brow. “Two weeks to find and bring 12 individuals together and bind us all together in magic?”
Violet linked her arm with Keterlyn’s and led her for a stroll. “There are some upsides to living in this time. There is less need for secrecy, more witches willing to identify themselves.”
“More weirdos too.” Keterlyn said, causing Violet to smile again.
“Maybe not, maybe they are just less secretive now too.” reasoned Violet. “But you can do something you couldn't last time - advertise. It’s been what, 25, 26 years since you last recruited?”
“And I thought I would get at least forty or fifty years out of them. I am unprepared. Last time I had a chance to find a group with special needs, time to romance them a little into it.” Keterlyn thought back to her last recruitment phase.
“The sleep clinic people? Talk about weirdos.” Toyed Violet.
In the 1960s Keterlyn had had a brief meeting with a man by the name of Uther. Uther was no ordinary soul though, and seeing as supernatural beings could detect eachother through the energy they emitted, he had tweaked Keterlyn’s interest the moment she saw him posting flyers at the local supermarket. Once upon a time he had been human too, just like her. She could tell.
When she followed him, her curiosity getting the better of her, Uther had known, yet he played anyway. He was in his late 40s, stocky, with a pleasant and trusting face. Turned out he was just as trustworthy to know as well. Uther had been born a human much like herself, and had been wandering in various groups, cults and organizations for even longer than Keterlyn. Uther had been blessed with an indefinite life span when he helped an underling, a supernatural creature of a lower order, esc
ape capture. The deal was that as long as he didn’t harm another paranormal creature, he could live his life as long as possible. A gift that came of course with the inevitable curse of watching those you cared for die, get sick, or leave you. For that reason, Keterlyn and Uther had enjoyed a short but understanding friendship.
In the time Keterlyn knew Uther he had opened her eyes to compassion she wished she could share if she wasn’t so busy looking over her shoulder. Uther had decided to try to identify weaknesses in humans that made them vulnerable to psychic attacks, possession and the like. The idea was to identify commonalities such as genetic pre-disposition, or personal experiences that triggered the changes which attracted creatures such as wraiths and leeches that could use them. Uther planned then to try to manipulate the variable to extinguish the behaviour, or alternatively build them up so they could be more consciously accessed. At first he had tried to tap the skills, to help them defend themselves, after a time he had become less focused on finding out how their skills worked, and more bent on suppressing them. After his number one student Rachael had been taken, he had changed entirely, becoming darker, disillusioned and he had grown far more desperate.
Keterlyn had seen it of course, saw the signs, and felt the Wraith coming for Rachael. As such, she had said her goodbyes before Rachel was taken, before the beginning of the end for Uther. Keterlyn often thought back to the last day she spent with Rachael. She had considered telling her or Uther that the Wraith was going to take her, but Uther knew, he felt it as did Keterlyn and perhaps she could have warned her, but why alarm the girl. She could at least teach the kids in her school, carry on with her wedding plans without knowing what was going to happen. Rachael had been taken, possessed by the Wraith that stalked her on the eve of her wedding. Keterlyn had been gone by then, but had left Rachael a ring in honor of their friendship. Truth was there was always a chance of running into each other again, and Keterlyn had hoped the ring might somehow remind Rachael of the friendship they once had, or of who she used to be. Once taken by a Wraith, the host failed to be able to act or exert themselves unless voluntarily abandoned. From what she had heard in the rumblings of the creatures she did encounter though, it seemed Uther had been killed after all. And in her gut, Keterlyn suspected Rachael would have been the one. Always his soft spot – Rachael, his favourite.
There had been a positive side to the heartache though. Keterlyn had met many of her last coven based in the sleep clinic that Uther had run. All there in the hopes their nightmares, sleep disorders, visions or voices in their head would be exorcised from them. In them though, Keterlyn had found that the people she met in the clinic were already open to the possibilities of the other side, of magic, of mysticism, so enticing them by offering them power, control, self healing and knowledge made them one of the easiest groups she had brought together. Perhaps, Keterlyn considered, that was why she felt so very at odds about the fact that she was left unexpectedly putting together a new group now. She had had it so easy last time, she resented the extra work this time.
In the meantime Keterlyn tried to remind Violet of the advantages of the half walkers to her. “Because of their experiences Violet, they were open minded. They weren’t weird, they just had sleeping issues.”
“Mental health issues….” Violet counteracted doubtfully.
It was Keterlyn’s turn to look at her friend in sympathy. Keterlyn always thought Violet maintained this suspiciousness around people with experiences that did not quite fall in to a category she could acknowledge or label. People with a pre-existing connection with their talents were known of half walkers in their circles, and Violet was not a fan. The attitude had often, in Keterlyn’s point of view, sold her short of experiences. Perhaps it was because Keteryln had started out already exploring her skills in magic when she had been altered. Violet had always just been an ordinary girl until she had been changed in to a vampire, and the formidable creature she was now. Keterlyn had assumed it was the reason behind Violet rejecting what was affectionately termed in their world as half walkers as being unpredictable. In her world you either were, or you were not. It had been the subject of their meeting in Mercia many years before, and the first time Keterlyn considered the possibility she could change her fate. “Say what you want, but it helps to have a slightly bent view of the world when you’re asked to deal with things like us.”
“See, there you go again. Stop being so angry at what you are. Embrace it.” Violet quipped back.
“That’s fine to say when you don’t have Lormorian breathing down your neck.” Keterlyn paused, consciously aware of the sudden space created by her uttering his name. She tried to deflect. “The world we belong in....its...its.”
“I know.” Violet responded in comfort. There wasn’t really the need for explanation between them. “Come stay with me for a while. Has to be better than the nasty energy places you have to hide out in. Tell me crypt, cemetery or haunted house this time?” Violet was right of course. Keterlyn didn’t like it, but the fact was the safest places for her to hide were the ones already heavily teeming with spirits that could confuse her energy if anyone was looking close enough for her. Keterlyn deflected again not wanting to acknowledge openly to Violet that she would never put her in harm’s way just for a roof over her head. Keterlyn always went it alone. A painful lesson learned time and time again. Connect with others, and they were inevitably ruined or killed. Keterlyn was never going to let anything like that happen again. To see those she loved suffer, or feel the pain of loss. Not again.
True to herself though, that wasn’t the reason she gave for avoiding staying with Violet. “I somehow don’t think that Viktor would be such a fan. Does he know about us?”
Violet seemed surprised at the suggestion of Viktor’s discomfort, as if the very thought was unfathomable. “Us? You mean our time in France? That was so long ago, I don’t think Viktor would feel threatened by a little quality time between friends – albeit naughty as much as nice.” Violet giggled and drew Keterlyn’s arm closer.
“I think I’ll stick to the graveyards and crypts until I sort myself out.” Keterlyn insisted then.
Violet gave her a cynical tone, knowing better than to argue. “Lovely.”
“It does. I’m safe there – he can’t tell me from the spirits that live there. And its not so bad, just for a couple of weeks.”
As they walked Violet cocked her head, a thought occurring to her. “What if I knew of a place that would be safe. Somewhere already so well hidden with magic you couldn’t be found.”
Keterlyn attempted to hide the intrigue in her voice. “If such a place exists? Ideal – but how could you be sure?”
“It used to be owned by my niece, before she went AWOL. She is incredibly gifted, powerful, but she deserted us a long time ago.” Violet must have been speaking about Myria, Keterlyn considered. Although Keterlyn had never met Myria, she had heard a great deal about the half walker who was so able to access her powers you couldn’t tell the difference between her and an underling. “There is a catch though.” Continued Violet.
Keterlyn laughed. “Of course there is.”
Violet stopped walking to face Keterlyn, an excited undertone to her voice. “Actually, it might work out. It’s an apartment at a campus about an hour from here.”
Keterlyn almost cringed at the thought of yet more study, but she wasn’t about to be picky. “I’m listening.”
“The spell cast on it is valid for the whole building – not just the apartment, so you can sleep in peace. There are lots of graduates with lots of open minds – a prerequisite for you I believe. The place is fully set up with everything, we never got anything disconnected in case Myria ever came back there so there is access to the net so you can facebook or blog, or whatever you kids do nowadays, to your heart’s content.”
Keterlyn smiled in amusement. This might be the break she was looking for. “You always pull through for me Violet.”
“It’s settled then.
” Violet seemed happy with herself.
“But what happened to Mryia? She won’t mind me using her place?” Last thing Keterlyn wanted was to piss off someone with enough power to compromise her.
Violet grimaced. “Long story short. She became crazy stalker over my brother in law, bit off more than she could chew and now she’s busy coming to terms with being a member of the undead. She’s far to busy trying to hunt down the man who killed her and run her club then be worried about coming back here. The place is all yours.”
“You live the life don’t you Vi?” teased Keterlyn.
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” Violet recommenced walking, this time the two of them walking beside eachother a small distance between them. “What name will you use next?”
“I am thinking Caitlin.”
“Nice. Hey, what happens to the others now?” Violet had to ask the question Keterlyn was trying to ignore.
“Rena, Patrick and the others?” she spoke of her recent coven as though they were from a long abandoned memory. “The connection was lost with the members of my old coven when Marianne broke the circle, so I guess….hopefully Lor will leave them alone.”
“You think that’s likely?” Violet was dubious. She knew the stakes too well.
“Not so much.” admitted Keterlyn.
“You are going to help them then?”
“There’s nothing short of giving myself up that I can do. There will be too many people to protect, too many of the underlings coming for them.” Keterlyn offered by way of reason. Violet looked accusingly at Keterlyn who immediately went on the defensive. “There’s a reason I imposed the rule. Reveal yourself, and we can all be found. If I’m found, I’m lost. So I take the power back. That gives me until the full moon to find more people to disperse the power to. It isn’t like they didn’t get a good deal while it lasted.”
“But if he comes for them…they will only have their natural abilities to protect themselves…they will die.” Violet indicated, hitting home to Keterlyn the truth she tried so hard to overlook.
Keterlyn didn’t even try to hide her irritation. “Why do you do this every time?”
“Violet. I lived in absolute hell for so long. You know that. I’m not going back, and I can’t defeat him, so if I have to run, and keep running, so be it. I cast hope and anything other than the desire to live, aside long ago, I can't remember anything more. And don’t be so high and mighty – you wouldn’t go there again if you could help it either.”
Violet had to admit that. She herself had only recently been released from captivity in a dimension that had seen her tortured, flayed, beaten and near broken by the time she had been rescued. She wasn’t going to be casting any stones. Violet put her arm around Keterlyn. “Your life my sweet. I just don’t want you to be alone.”
Keterlyn sunk into Violet. “I’ve got you. Even if it is just for tonight. We do give a new meaning to friends forever.”
Violet chuckled as they walked away together, arm in arm once more. “You ever miss Mercia?” Violet asked.
“Never, except I’m glad I met you there.”
“Caused a stir didn’t we?” Violet recalled of their first meeting. Keterlyn had met Violet on a random visit as she tagged along with Lormorian. Violet had been bleeding dry the local artisans at a festival when Keterlyn’s curiosity had been tweaked. A violent fight had erupted between them nearly destroying the town. Keterlyn had not at that time needed to worry about revealing her supernatural abilities, and Lormorian had leveled the town afterwards anyhow, destroying any chance of people telling. Keterlyn had hated the killings, the waste of life, not that she hadn’t become used to it by then, but Violet, acting on her own, tethered to no one, had got her thinking. Until she had met Violet, Keterlyn had assumed that every changed being was tied to another, more powerful being that controlled them. By the time Violet and Keterlyn crossed paths again in France some centuries later, Keterlyn was a changed person, and the two had been best friends since.
“I don’t think the world was ready for us then.” mused Keterlyn.
“Well, ready or not, here we are.”
Violet and Keterlyn strolled away, Keterlyn clearing her mind in preparation for everything she was going to be driving forward in the next few weeks. In this she couldn’t fail, because to do so literally meant sacrificing her soul.