13. Chapter 13
E den Miller, this is an order, you don’t get to disappoint this family, do you understand me? Eloise’s voice rang in her mind from her dreams the previous night. The memory was old, something she hadn’t thought about in years, that happened when she was no more than eleven.
Eloise, don’tcha think you are being hard on her? She is only a kid, only been with the family for four years, maybe just ease up on her a bit? A sixteen-year-old Bastien asked his sister as he peered at the younger version of Eden sympathetically.
No. You and I both know in order to survive we must eliminate; we must act first before they do. Eloise scolded harshly with a glare at her brother.
I-I can’t Mother… W-What if he is innocent? We don’t know for sure that they are all bad, what if there is some good in him? I don’t want to kill anyone.
Tears streamed down her face and her chest heaved as Eden looked at the wolf they had chased down and tied to a tree. Eloise had demanded she lift the revolver with a silver bullet inside at the restrained boy, Bastien had backed off when she pointed her own weapon at his foot.
You will not interfere, Baron. The Matron had walked up to her daughter, raised her hand and swung so quickly that the only thing that could be seen and heard was air followed by skin-on-skin contact. There was a dull thud as Eden’s body hit the cold and damp ground.
Do not test my patience again little girl, I am doing what is best for you, hell what is best for us! Why can’t you just do what is asked of you?
Eloise rubbed her hands together to stop the sting from the slap as the child sat back up. Eden brought her hand to her cheek and felt the heat from the slap along with something wet and slick. Pulling her hand down her amethyst gaze slowly fell to meet the color red. Unwillingly, from the pain and embarrassment tears started to find their way to her eyes. Underneath boiled anger, a deep anger she never quite understood. A frustrated sigh was the next sound to be heard from Eloise.
S top crying, emotions are a weakness we can’t afford to possess . Dry those tears and for the love of god, you have dirt on your face. You have a job to do and you need to be quick, quiet. This family doesn’t need to be on the radar anytime soon.
She shook her head to disperse the memory and pulled on her training clothes, black leggings and matching turtleneck shirt. Eden reached for her waist and adjusted the fit of her weapons belt with two holsters, one empty and one with a combat nine millimeter on her right hip with her peacock badge. Empty weapon bags on the left.
She peered around the room before she made her way out in case she had left something behind and as she did her eyes fell on the bundles of herbs she was drying above her bed. She stepped closer to discover mold trailing across her bundle of lavender and rosemary below it which caused her eyebrows to knit in frustration. Quickly, she walked over and pulled them down from the wall and threw them into a bag before she went downstairs.
“Dammit, that’s why I was having nightmares.”
Her light steps sounded louder, in the mostly quiet house as she went down the stairs. She moved past the family portrait and to the kitchen to throw away the moldy herbs before her gaze fell on the light wooden basement door, the sure sign that her mother had made it down before her. Without breakfast, she went to the door to meet Eloise and went down into the dimly lit area. She let her attention drift around the room until it fell on the three empty barred cells installed years ago against the far left corner of the wall.
Her gaze trailed over to the opposite wall, past the sets of charmed iron shackles and found her mother at the weapons cabinet while she pulled down two of the many various guns that sat inside. She was dressed in the same black pants and a turtleneck, paired with the belt Eden wore. Both their peacock crests sat on their right hips to show their statuses within the line of succession. The request of long sleeves meant one thing- Great, we’re training outside today.
She took a deep breath in preparation and approached the table with two blank bullets, two sets of throwing stars, and two smoke bombs. Her hand hovered over the choice of weapons before she picked up one of the sets of throwing stars and examined them closely. The metal flashed in the light from the few lights above and the sharp edges had been filed thinner at the request of the Matriarch, who was peering over at her with a hint of a smile.
“Ten minutes early, perfect.”
A small click reverberated around the room as Eloise cleared the barrels of two Glocks and joined Eden at the end of the table. She placed them down and picked up her own set of stars before she put them securely in a small bag attached to her belt. Eden followed suit and put them in one of the empty pouches to her left on her own belt. A slight sinking feeling filled her stomach as thoughts that hadn’t plagued her in years started to surface. These are designed to kill the very creatures that have started calling me a friend… More than a friend.
Wyatt’s goofy smirk crossed her mind, then Octavius and Rosalyn who had seemed to be getting closer the more she watched them. Remi and Celia who seemed to have their own thing going on and what that could be. Lastly, Aron and Lennox, the final face of the woman who left her as a defenseless baby, the one who seemed to have moved on so easily and wore the mask of selflessness. Her right hand balled into a fist, her nails dug into her palm and her ears went hot. Eloise cleared her throat which caused Eden to bring her attention back to the moment.
“Today we are going to be going over stealth in hand-to-hand combat. We will be going out into the woods on the farthest side of the lake, off school grounds, and playing cat and mouse. The rules are, you can only use the weapons on the table and there will be no magic use from either party.” She stopped for a moment to watch Eden’s reaction.
She nodded in agreement and picked up one of the Glocks. The chamber slid open easily to confirm it was empty; she took one of the blank bullets to load. Two of everything, one for each of us. Quickly, she finished with her weapon and put it in the empty holster on her right hip.
“No outside weapons, no magic.” Eden confirmed and pulled her regular weapon from her hip, released the clip and placed it on the table.
“Good, pick up the rest, and let's head out to the woods.” Eloise attached the other Glock and the smoke bomb to her left hip and started to make her way back toward the basement stairs. Doing the same, Eden followed her up the stairs and out of the house.
The dawn illuminated the road that attached all the Elder homes together. Each was almost an identical copy of the other with only a few slight modifications. Made out of the same field stone as the fraternity and sorority houses, only this time with red, blue, or the odd yellow door at the end of the street. The brisk morning air bit at Eden’s face and gray clouds loomed overhead to mark the impending snow. It’s October, and we are training outside hours before it’s supposed to snow? She hid her annoyance at the thought as the two women walked in silence, at least until they reached the woodline that ran along the lake behind the last Elders house.
“Eden, we need to discuss what happened in yesterday's meeting.” Eloise turned to her with her usual serious face, and watched her over the rim of her glasses.
Nervously Eden ran her thumbnail across her fingertips, she peered back at her mother. “I know I shouldn’t have let myself say the things I did.”
“No, Eden dear. I’m proud of you.” She told her softly and only briefly allowed a small smile to show.
“You are?” Eden’s eyes widened.
“It showed you can hold your own one day as the head of this family. I saw your strength, Eden. I have the trust that one day you will make a great Miller Matriarch.”
Eloise raised her hand and placed it on Eden's shoulder as they made their way along the lake woodline. She allowed herself an appreciative smile directed at her mother, pride filled her chest as she had won her approval even if only for a while. After Eloise dropped her hand, Eden felt the cold air blow her hair from her face, birds flew overhead to make their way from the grounds for the coming winter. The two fell into a conversation over what had happened after Eloise took Richard from Club Crossroads, she discovered more of what had happened that night.
“He had overheard you telling Bastien about our conversation. Your grandfather decided to take matters into his own hands without telling anyone.”
“You mean he didn’t know about Lennox being my birth mother?” She asked.
“No, the only one I told once I found out was Stacey. She sees you as a great leader one day. You could bring the Miller family to places even we never dreamed of. Richard on the other hand didn’t see it that way that night. As you know he can get very eccentric when it comes to the unknown. His distaste for demons is a lot more extreme since he got back from that mission in Peru with Lucifer’s two assistants that got to Arthur.”
“Lumina and Silas? They are on Earth? They never come here unless Lucifer sends them.” She took a moment to consider the situation, though to many this wouldn’t be too concerning to the Millers it was definitely something she would need to keep an eye on.
“They couldn’t figure out why they were here, but they got ahold of Arthur and for some reason were asking where this school was. By the time Richard got there, Arthur wasn’t in the greatest shape. So when they got back and he heard you, it sparked something that seemed to scare him. He seemed to think that the two were coming here for you once he heard one of them discuss a human girl on the campus.”
Momentarily she considered the theory, Richard could have been onto something despite the off hand comments. Though she had no demon blood in her, that might not stop two demons from the high ranks of hell from thinking just as he had. She always knew she was different from the rest of her family, though they could use magic it never came across like hers. It was stronger and easier to access for her and she could learn new skills quicker. They were looking for the school and using a Miller to try and find it. Everything points to it… Her stomach sank in her as they fell back into quiet as they approached a very small clearing on the other side of the lake.
By the time they had made their way to the training spot, the sun was shining brighter, making the cold air warm every so slightly. Frozen dew on the trees and surrounding grass glimmered in the morning light. With a quick step in front of Eden, her mother's expression returned to neutral while Eloise’s eyes darkened. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and the unspoken start to the session commenced. The rules were simple enough, the game they were playing was nothing new to her, now it was a question of who was chasing who.
“I want to know if you can keep up the strength from the other day, as the prey.” Eloise’s left hand rested on the handle of her gun as she answered the unspoken question. “Run little mouse.”
With the three words, she took a few steps back so as to not take her eyes off the woman and made her way toward the tree line. Eloise soon did the same on the other side of the clearing so they would both enter a different part of the forest. Finally she turned her back, Eden picked up her pace and searched for higher ground. Occasional twigs under her feet broke as she stepped lightly, being careful to not make too much noise she followed the path that the various animals had created over time. The moss that covered almost half of the ground and up rocks helped to keep her steps quieter. I need to leave enough evidence to lead her where I want her.
She reached up to a branch above, she pulled down on it which caused it to snap loudly. Birds flew from the treetop in her area and she turned, running to the right. Quickly and quietly she scanned the area and found a nearby fallen tree with a large three-foot pit where it was torn from the earth. The roots stuck high up from the ground and provided enough cover if Eloise was to pass by on the other side but left her front open. In seconds she decided to use the cover until she knew where she was, Eden ducked into the pit, her back against the damp roots.
The morning woodland was eerily quiet as she listened for footsteps in response to her breaking the branch. She took in her surroundings for a place to lead Eloise until the glint of iron caught her eye. About ten feet to her right stood a mostly standing stone arch with four panels of iron gates that hung from the arch precariously. That’s odd, I thought the school only had the gates around the campus. Before she moved Eden’s eyes darted around her before she stood from her spot. As she did, a sudden warmth washed over her in the morning light until to her left a sound of something flew beside her ear.
A yellow and brown speckled moth fluttered by her head and landed on the gate. Her eyes followed it as well as her feet as she moved branches aside and approached carefully. She squinted as she caught a glimpse of a white shape on the back, the skull distorted with the graceful movements. A Death Head Hawk Moth… The grounds have magic all around, this could be some sort of trap. Completely in the open, she tried to be as quiet as she stepped over a few long fallen branches, damp with the frosted moss. Adrenaline flooded her system and suddenly the training session felt much more real, like the only threat wasn’t Eloise. Was this set up by Mother? Eden paused and considered her options, the sudden lack of cold air sent nervous shivers down her spine, and the feeling of someone behind her pulled her attention away from previous concerns.
Eden remained motionless for a breath, then she moved in one fluid motion to face whatever could have been behind her, gun in hand pointed at the source of the energy. A man with charcoal black hair stood almost ten feet away, dressed in black pants, a deep purple button-up with a moth the same as the one that had passed over her head seconds ago where his tie would have been. He watched her with upturned clear water eyes. His thin, almost angelic face calm, unmoving to the threat of a weapon trained on him. What are you? Eden took in his features quickly as she went over her creature studies to decipher how much danger she was in. The man let a small smile cross his face as their eyes locked for a few moments before he put his hands up and showed no fear of the weapon in her hands.
“I didn’t come here to hurt you, I have come to help.” His deep velvet voice echoed among the trees.
“Why would I believe you?” Eden challenged.
“You have no reason to, but I have no weapons.” The man slowly put his hand in his pockets and pulled them inside out, after he lifted his pant legs to show there was nothing there. “I know you don’t trust many people so I know I’m asking a lot, however, it’s about your family.”
Eden still stood frozen in her spot between the trees, gun still pointed at him. Why is he so interested in my family? With a quick adjustment of her grip, she waited for him to change tactics, however he only looked back at her and allowed the silence to join them. Curiosity started to overwhelm her as she attempted to make sense of the situation at hand.
“First tell me who you are and maybe we can talk.” She demanded with a raised eyebrow to play off her nerves.
The man smiled again, “I am Xemos. God of elemental magics, curse breaking, academics, and necromancy. I am here to offer you answers and a deal.”
Her eyes scanned the god’s face for lies, however, his expression didn’t change in the slightest. His ocean-like eyes bore into her own with confidence, his right hand outstretched to her as he motioned toward the forgotten gate behind her. The moth on the collar of his shirt fluttered its wings. It’s alive. Her breath caught in her chest and slowly the black-haired woman lowered her weapon, rendered speechless of where she had found herself. A god was something she had never been taught to deal with as Eloise didn’t believe there was more than one.
Xemos started to walk toward the gate while he allowed a small distance between them as he turned his back to her. He’s not even worried about a gun. If he really is a god, he might have answers… He might be my only shot. Cautiously she followed behind him and closed the distance between the trees and the gate. As they approached, the other moth took flight, circled the two of them, and vanished into the morning. Once he was close enough, he leaned on the remnants of the stone archway beside the distorted iron. Eden stopped a few feet from him and crossed her arms expectantly to hide the tightness she felt within her chest. Could he be working with Lumina and Silas?
“Will you give me a chance? A chance that you’ll trust me? I could give you some answers, though you may not like them”
The thing she craved the most, she shook her head. “I’ll decide when you tell me what you want with my family.”
A smile crossed his face as the moth flew to his shoulder. “Ever skeptical, Miss. Miller.”
“As a God, I’d think you’d know that.” Eden shot back.
“Oh, I do. I must admit I know more about you than I think you or Eloise would prefer… Before you were Eden Miller, you were Gemma Cade, daughter of Lennox Cade. Lennox, as you know, left you at the orphanage to later be adopted by Eloise Miller. Later she died due to a deal with a crossroad demon.”
Every muscle in Eden’s body tensed, flinched slightly at the name she was given at birth and her eyes went wide. “How the hell do you-”
“I am a god of academics. It is in my nature to know things about my devotees and their kin.”
The trees swayed in a sudden breeze and she felt bumps form across her skin despite the warmer air around her. The blue thread of magic pulled as her thoughts ran wild. The final few words caught her attention. He knows Eloise or Lennox, but Eloise doesn’t believe in the old gods so that only leaves Cade. Eden’s hand drifted to her belt where she remembered there was nothing more than training tools. Her gaze never left him as he seemed completely unperturbed by her action.
“You never wanted to be a hunter, let alone a Matriarch. If I recall correctly, you fought tooth and nail for years.”
“I did, but Eloise said sometimes it’s just harder to adjust, it was normal to have a period of time like that as a child.”
“Because, you were never meant to kill innocents, Eden.” Xemos lifted his head ever so slightly.
“You probably don’t even know what I’m meant for.”
“I don’t know the answer to that, Little Moth, because it is not for me to decide.”
Her nose wrinkled at the name. “Then whose is it?”
“Yours, the decision will always be yours. You just have to act on it.”
Eden rolled her eyes. “You know everyone says that. Besides, no one gets a say when their fate has already been decided.”
“Is that what you believe, Eden? Your life boils down to one path and there’s no way to change it? Maybe you’re not ready.”
His words struck a chord with her, and her hands went to her hips. Over the last few years, Eloise had said those very words to her which caused anger to boil up into her chest while her thumbnail ran across her fingertips.
“I’m never in control of my own life, why would I believe you could change anything?” She asked as suspicion took hold.
“Because I know you’re questioning your family’s values. You’re not getting the truth from Eloise and as a God of academics, I believe you should have all the facts before you decide where the rest of your life is going. You are next in line to become Matriarch, but you have another choice here. I believe the time is coming soon for your decision to be made.”
Eden laughed, his words echoed back in her mind. You have a choice here. For a few seconds the anger was pushed aside, replaced by disbelief. “No, I don’t, I owe it to Eloise to stay with the family, I’m the only one who can continue the family and if I don’t… I have a duty to the people who took me in. Besides, what other choice is there?”
“You could get to know Lennox and her friends, maybe even that boy Wyatt Steele. Your uncle seems more than happy around them.” The god clenched his jaw as he said Wyatt’s name, an obvious attempt to try and hide his distaste for the man.
“Are you sure about that?” She raised her eyebrow at him. “You don’t seem to like Wyatt that much. Did he follow you around like a lost puppy too?”
Xemos chuckled. “No he did not. We just have a… Long history.”
“Well, this I have to hear,” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Another time. Eloise is drawing closer. Now tell me, do you like feeling like a dog on a leash?”
“Excuse me?” Red hot rage flashed in Eden’s eyes as the string of magic tugged for her attention.
“The Salvamari Compass? It’s basically a magical barbaric tracking shock collar.”
“I-” Eden paused as Xemos shifted his weight to the other foot and he motioned to his left wrist, where The Compass lay under her own sleeve. He was right, but she wasn’t about to admit it. “I am no one’s dog.”
“No you aren’t but why do they treat you like one? Send you away on little missions to gather things or sick you on a creature of the night. Yet somehow, you have seemed to catch the eyes of the one I least expected.”
“I’m aware. Maybe he should mind his gaze instead of being so focused on me.”
“Unfortunately it’s in his nature. Mister Steele is a very determined one. However, that's neither here nor there. What matters is what you want.”
“And what exactly do you think you can do to help me?”
“You have a choice and I can lead you toward the right paths, guide you to where you want to be. When your mother made her promise to me, she received powers that were also passed to you. I add to the power and assist in tapping into it. For your devotion and learning from my other devotees, I would be there when you need me. You don’t have to give me an answer, but I hope the information I gave you is enough to maybe gain a little bit of trust.”
Eden knew she shouldn’t agree to anything with a man she didn’t know in the middle of the woods. He seemed reasonable, he didn’t force a choice unlike anyone else in her life. Why is everyone bringing up Wyatt? What does he have to do with any of this? First Bastien and now this god? Before she could ask what was so special about Wyatt or answer, his eyes went to the treeline behind her, and he nodded before he suddenly vanished in a gust of wind. The heat sucked out of the air and sent a cold breeze directly into her face, which sent a shiver down her spine. Before she could move, there was a soft click of Eloise’s safety being switched off behind her right ear. Shit, I have to give myself enough time to get back to my gun.
Quickly, she reached behind her head, her right hand came into contact with the smooth fabric of her mothers sleeve. She gripped Eloise’s wrist, she pressed her fingers into the center and with a clatter of metal, it dropped the muzzle and dug itself barrel deep into the ground. Eden brought her other arm up, gripped higher up her mother’s arm and dropped to the cold wet dirt. She swiftly drove her weight to the ground and used the force of her action to make Eloise fall head-first over her. As soon as she could, she released her and put as much distance as she could between the two of them. There was no thud. See turned her head, she watched Eloise still on her feet and was already half way back the few feet she had created.
Suddenly, her feet stopped and a sense of confusion and anger swelled up into her chest. The lies Eloise told her about why Lennox had left her echoed through her head. Honey, she’s a demon now, if that tells us anything is that she’s selfish now and was selfish then. Her anger at the lack of information her mother was willing to share about her past started to take over. The long-asked questions of her family’s motives had planted the seed of doubt which had only grown over time, and blossomed this year. This created nothing but rage as she was looking Eloise in the eyes.
She drew in a sharp breath, Eloise had taken advantage of Eden’s emotional stumble. Her hand came into contact with her daughter's shoulder with a tight grip and a dark gleam in her eyes as she pushed her toward a tree. Her body shook as the magic fought to come out as red filled her vision. For only a moment, Eden opened her mouth to speak her thoughts. How could you lie to me? How is anyone going to trust me to lead the family when you kept so much from me? Who am I supposed to believe when I’ve been lied to all my life? The words almost came out, however, none would dare come out. Once again she silenced herself.
Eden moved as she had been trained, Eden forced her arm up into her joint and made the grip break once more. She reached up and grabbed ahold of her attacker's wrist again and forced her arm out to the side, and bent it behind her back. With all of her body weight, she shoved Eloise, who stood about three inches taller than her, forward. It was then Eden remembered the purpose of the training session was close combat, she had been completely distracted from the purpose she was here due to the interaction with Xemos. She attempted to regain herself and saw Eloise fall to the ground again with a smile on her face.
“That was a very poor choice standing in the open,” Eloise commented, moving to her feet as if they were done.
Eden’s chest heaved as she waited with her hand on her gun for her mother to stand. “It was a trap, and it worked.”
“Was it? You seemed pretty distracted,” Eloise raised an eyebrow at her daughter.
In the blink of an eye, her hand moved back to the left pocket of her belt, and the flash of a silver star whistled past Eden’s head. It was a warning, she reached for her smoke bomb and pulled the pin off. A singular large white cloud filled the space between them just tall enough to hide her once more. She turned on the ball of her foot, and ran toward the trees once more. This is a test, this is all a test. Despite the thought, her heart raced as if in real danger.
She made it all the way to a patch of frost covered pine trees before the cloud dissipated. As she slid between the branches, needles brushed her clothes and face. In seconds she found the base of the large tree and took cover with her back to the bark. Her eyes darted around the branches, and she listened for Eloise to come through after her. The sound of the Matriarch’s cough could be heard as Eden assumed she had started to search for her once more.
Now was her chance to level herself before she started moving. She allowed herself three breaths before she turned her attention toward the sound of the footsteps that seemed to go back to the gate. She stepped out of the tree and saw Elosie’s back to her as she hunted. Eden approached from behind and pulled the Glock from its holster, aiming it at Eloise who was going to retrieve her gun from the dirt. If she gets her gun back I’ll lose . In quick succession, she took the safety off the sound which caused her to stop.
“Do I still seem distracted, mother?” Eden asked with victory in her voice.
“No, you don't, which is good,” Eloise turned around slowly, unlatched her belt, and placed it on the ground to prove to her they were done.
With a click the safety was back on and slipped back into her belt. She moved back to the gate and picked up the Glock still in the ground before she rejoined her mother. With a nod, Eloise picked up her belt once more and the pair started to walk back toward the house as people would wake around the grounds soon.
“I think you’ll be a fit Matriarch, Eden.”
The lightness of validation filled her, “Thank you, Mother. I just want to make you proud.”
The day passed uneventfully once they got home. The other members of the family were off on their own around the house as Eden made her way back down to the kitchen. She could hear Bastien and Stacey’s voices trail up from downstairs during their training session before she turned the corner. For the second time today she was met with her mother, this time she was cutting an apple into quarters. The woman didn’t look up at the entrance of her daughter, but instead put some of the pieces in a bowl and pushed it to the other side for Eden to take. With a soft smile, she moved to the bar stool in front of the bowl and gratefully had a piece.
The two women were silent as the muffled voices of the training session trailed up the stairs. Even though they weren't very loud, Eden could hear the frustration in Stacey’s voice who told her son off for another smart comment. Eloise picked her knife back up and continued to cut some honeydew with the smallest entertained smirk.
“Bas really has no concept of how to hold his tongue,” Eden shook her head as he retorted about how he threw the knives and how they still hit the target despite his wrong grip.
“He never has, that’s why men will never run the family.”
The two shared in the entertainment for a few more minutes as Eloise finished with strawberries and some bananas. They left the bowl on the center of the table for anyone in the house and she peered up at her through the thin wired glasses and deep amber eyes.
“Eden, there is something I think it’s time for you to learn how to create daemonium pugionem.”
She blinked in surprise, “You really think I’m ready?”
“I do, you’re stronger than you know. Eat some more and then meet me in my study.” Eloise instructed and went around the corner.
After a few more pieces of the apple, the black-haired woman stood from her barstool and made her way around the corner her mother had disappeared behind previously. As she moved down the hall, past the family portrait to the door on the far right corner of the hall. The door stood open for her and as she walked in, she found Eloise place three black candles in the shape of a triangle on the wood floor. The late afternoon sun streaming in the window was the only thing that illuminated the room aside from the flicker of the flames. On her desk sat five jars from the family’s supply of herbs, four of them with a small supply of the needed herbs for the spell. Pomegranate seeds, witchgrass, and wormwood with an herb that is related to the demon. She gazed at the other two jars she saw a single ivy leaf and a jar of mullen.
Eden noted the herbs and swiftly came to the conclusion of who they were for. Lennox and Aron. At the thought, something inside her sank into the pit of her stomach. If we are making these, that means it’s only a matter of time until we go after them. There’s so much I still have to find out. I have to find a way to talk to her before I kill her. And Wyatt… If he finds out. No matter what her mothers reason was when she left her at the orphanage, she was still angry deep down and needed to see Lennox prove that she wasn’t the monster she thought her to be. So far she hadn’t lashed out about the deaths inside her closest circle, but masks can only be worn for so long.
She turned her attention to the other items on the desk, she had witnessed the ceremony a handful of times and knew to check to make sure they had everything. Her eyes fell on the two different knives on either side of the jars. On the right sat her mother’s favorite knife for magical workings, the left two black-handled daggers in the style the family normally used when creating the weapon that would change within the flames to represent the demon they were made for. A set of small pieces of paper and pen was set off to the left corner of the desk. Once she was done with her checks, Eloise walked up behind her and pulled out a small black silk bag. “Do you know who they are for?” Eloise questioned and held it out to Eden.
“Yes… Lennox Cade and Aron.”
“Begin when you’re ready,” she coached as she stepped behind her desk to oversee the spellwork.
She opened the bag and moved to the front desk and opened each jar one at a time and poured a little into the silk pouch. She stopped and started with Lennox’s dagger with the addition of the leaf inside with the first round of herbs. She picked up the pen and quickly created a sigil for the demon with her full name written at the top. Lennox Esther Cade . Quickly, she folded the paper away from her and placed it among the other contents of the pouch tying it closed.
Eden turned towards the candles on the floor and concentrated on the use of her magic to ignite a small fire in the center. Sparks snapped after a few seconds and flames started less than an inch from the floor. The flames were so intense they burned blue and snapped as she held the mixture over it, heavy between her fingers. No going back. For the family, to protect others.
Without a sound it dropped into the fire, Eden turned on her heel and picked up Eloise’s knife and one of the black-handled daggers as she made her way back to the candles. Easily she placed the dagger into the flames and held her left hand over the fire. She took the knife and placed it in her palm. The blade was angled over the middle of her hand as she pressed it into her skin which left one long cut and caused her to grimace as she did so. As she waited for the blood to pool in her hand she shifted her focus on the face of the pink-haired demon. Her eyes so much like Eden’s she wondered how she never caught on, the little white crosses on her cheeks showing somehow she had escaped her deal with Val. The thought of her face made her hand shake in anger which caused her blood to start moving too much. With a breath she steadied herself and once there was enough blood she tilted her palm down and allowed the blood to fall into the flames.
When she was satisfied, she peered at her hand where a dim blue light illuminated the skin around the cut. Like water that flowed back together, her skin weaved itself back perfect, her magic automatically healed minor injuries. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the flames grow and turn a bright crimson color.
“Good, now reach in and pull the dagger out.” Eloise instructed.
With a nod, Eden reached into the fire with the help of her magic to create a barrier around her hand, and felt for the handle. Once her fingertips came into contact with it, she pulled it out and examined it closely. The metal had darkened from its previous silver to a light gray and there was lettering going down the center of the blade. The name Lennox was etched into the metal. Just above it was intricate designs of ivy as if carved into the steel which wound into the blade.
Eden took in her work, she knew it had worked, the feel of magic inside that buzzed in her hand. Once this comes in contact with her blood, it’ll be over. She turned to face Eloise and went back to the desk as the fire went out. She placed the knife down in front of her mother for inspection. Eloise picked it up and looked at it closely before she looked back at Eden and nodded. “Good, now for Aron’s.”
Pride swelled up in her chest as she moved back to the jars and picked up the next bag Eloise had placed for her while she worked. Easily she began to do the same steps from before though this time with the mullen and joined it with the herbs. She picked up the pen once more and started to write his name down.
“Stop. Write his true name.” Eloise interrupted as she slid a piece of paper over to her.
With a raised eyebrow she picked it up and read the name to herself. Her eyes widened as she read and her attention shot back to her mother. “He… He’s here? He’s Aron?”
“He is. Make the sigil for his true name,” she stated simply with a dark smirk.
“Yes, Mother.” Eden complied and quickly continued with the same ceremony as before.
This time the dagger that emerged from the fire was mostly black. On the pommel was a large metal rose with leaves and on thorn covered branches followed smaller roses twisted among the vines going down the grip. An elegant bypass crossguard connected the hilt to the blade where the true name of the demon was carved in elegant letters vertically down the fullet.