Paradise Hill jutted out through the thick fog, serving as a beacon for Althea. She fought against the growing winds and warily eyed the distant flashes of lightning that lit the storm clouds coming over the ocean. Her spell was working better than planned but it was no match for the incoming storm.
The harpy circled over the hill that once was her home, satisfied to see the old monastery now in ruins. To the side, she spotted an old well. The water used to be free-flowing, emerging up from the hill as if by magic, and spilling down its side into a small pond surrounded by flowers and trees. That pond no longer existed, now covered by the stone path that climbed around the hill. Only a few old and withered tree stumps remained. It was at this pond that she and her sisters used to pray to the gods above. Althea glared at the moon. What good did praying ever do? For all their devotion, they let mankind run amok and wreak havoc.
She landed by the well and peeled the fabric from the object Charles had tossed her, revealing a splendid silver basin. The basin was engraved with symbols, a remnant of the witches of old. It took them months to find such an object, the only benefit to working with the general was his network. To think they were almost ambushed by the leather-clad humans when retrieving it.
"Remove the iron grate," She commanded to the rider who had now caught up to her. At least he was of some use.
Without a word, he did as he was told and tossed the grate to the side. Althea dipped the basin into the well and filled it with water. Carefully, she took the basin to the old ruins and centered it atop an old stone slab that was once a table. Althea looked up to the moon, now brighter and larger than ever. "The first full moon of spring. The cold dark days of Hekate are truly over."
She uttered a spell and cast a purple glow onto the basin. The winds bellowed around them, as though protesting, and threatened to spill the water, only to suddenly still, leaving a perfect reflection of the moon.
Althea then pulled out a bottle and poured the iridescent silver liquid into it. She handed the empty basin to the horseman while keeping the corked bottle clutched to her side. Though his face remained shrouded in darkness, she felt his eyes boring into her. A cold chill rippled through her feathers. She had a horrible feeling about him. Working with humans was already humiliating enough. Sly and malicious creatures, she didn't trust any of them, but this one exuded the same menacing presence of the general.
"We'll await Charles where our paths divided. Let's hope he doesn't fail."
Charles was drawing near the castle and spotted a patrolling guard by the wall. He hurriedly unmounted his horse and loosely tied it by the tree. He snuck up to the guard and smacked him across the temple with his gun. The guard slunk to the floor and Charles quickly removed the guard's armor and uniform which he used to disguise himself. He then easily crept into the castle and made his way to Maybelle's room.
It was empty. Charles began to rummage through her items when he heard people approaching her door. He hid behind the wardrobe.
"Let me know if you hear of anything," he heard his sister say.
"Of course, have a good night miss." He was sure that was Cecile. What was Maybelle talking to her for?
Maybelle closed her door and hurriedly walked over to her vanity. She began to undo her updo when she saw his reflection standing behind her and screamed in terror.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
He removed his visor, "Is that any way to greet your brother?"
"Charles?" Maybelle tackled him with a hug, almost sending them down to the ground. "What are you doing here? Have you come back home? Just look at you—you lost weight!" She inspected his face, rubbing her thumb over his growing beard. "And what is it with that beard? Please tell me you've returned!"
He pulled her hands from him. "No, I can never return. Not until this castle is mine. I need your help tonight."
"H-help? With what—what do you mean?"
"Does Maria have the pearls?"
She drew back. Comprehension was clear on her face. "You just can't let it go, can you? Just leave her be, she's done nothing—"
Maybelle flinched as Charles grabbed her by the arms and shook her. "Where are the pearls? I need them or else I will die!"
"No—No, Charles, come home! We can protect you, I promise!"
His strangled laugh mocked her. "And have them lock me away again? You've grown daft. A shame really, for I wish I could speak more proudly of my sister.
"It's her last year, isn't it?" He asked, a slither of menace in his voice. "It'll be at Princely again, as her first year," Charles murmured to himself.
"What are you talking about? Just leave them be! They're not worth it!" Maybelle cried out. "Please don't do this. We have plenty of money, we can leave! We can go anywhere! Stop this, they're not bad people!"
He was disgusted, how could his once-proud sister now stoop so low as to defend the very people they promised to destroy together?
"You've disappointed me enough." He released his hold of her and pushed her away. He ran out of the room. Maybelle wailed and tried to follow. She knew in her heart that catching him was the only way to keep him alive. The thought that this may be her last interaction with him, coupled with his disappointment in her, shattered her heart. She took another route hoping to find a guard or someone who could help her stop her brother.
Her broken cries drew David's attention who was currently making his rounds of the castle. Soon he intercepted her path. "David! Please, you must catch Charles! He's here dressed as a guard. I think he's headed towards my uncle's study."
As Maybelle predicted, Charles was ransacking Coeur's study. He pulled out a drawer and shouted in triumph as he clutched the item he was looking for.
"What do you have there, boy?" Coeur barked from the door.
"Nothing you will miss, uncle," Charles sneered. "It has been a while, hasn't it?"
"You look worse for wear. One would think it'd been years." Coeur stepped into the room. "You've been maddened by your desperation and it's wasted your potential."
"None of it would have happened if you had just given me the castle, would it?" Charles spat. "You're so determined to give it to my pathetic cousin!"
Coeur angrily charged at Charles but was stopped short by the gun pointing at his chest.
"Keep your distance if you want to live long enough to see another one of your offspring marry a worthless Merryweather."
"Who are you working for?" Coeur growled. "I know your friends are too incompetent to have helped you."
Charles remained silent, his eyes darting between his uncle and the door as he inched towards the exit. "What does it matter. He has more to offer than you all ever did!"
"You bloody dolt, you don't even know who your master is do you?"
"Don't you dare speak to me like that! I am not your son!"
"No, you could never be," Coeur gloated.
"Oi, you stupid git!" David shouted, tackling Charles to the ground. Charles fumbled with his hold and pulled the trigger, letting out a loud and powdery blast from the gun. As he hit the floor, the impact sent the gun and the other object, a key, tumbling across the floor in opposite directions. After a second's moment of eye contact, they scrambled off one another. David rolled to grab the gun while Charles scrambled for the key. Kicking himself into the sprint, he pushed Maybelle out of the way as he ran out of the room.
"Uncle!" Maybelle ran to Coeur who was lying on the ground and breathing heavily. Blood oozed from his side through his thick leather armor. "David, bring help!"
David tore a small piece of parchment and quickly scribbled down a note. He ran out of the room, shouting for the servants and guards to find a healer, then ran to the mews. He burst in, alarming the sleeping hawks. Spotting Coeur's, David hushed the screeching bird and quickly tied the rolled note to the leather strap around its foot.
Stepping out, he cast off the hawk, commanding it to find Robin.
...oOo...
Maria and Sir Benjamin continued to watch by the window. Though the night passed on, they hadn't heard or seen anything amiss. All the more frustrating for Maria as the thick fog made it difficult to discern any activity outside.
A knock at their door startled the group. It was Dulac, he looked grave, and a hawk was perched on his arm. "Coeur's been shot."
"No!" Loveday cried out. "How is he? What happened?" Her shout disturbed Albert from his sleep and he began to cry. Jane hurried over to cradle the child.
"I don't know. Robin sent word to remain here and guard you all. Can we send Marmaduke to the castle?"
"Absolutely," Sir Benjamin said.
"I must go too!" Loveday said.
"It's too dangerous."
Loveday grabbed Sir Benjamin's arm. "My father's hurt! I must see him."
"The fog's bloody thick. We can't make out north from south. Sir Benjamin's right," Dulac tried to reason.
"Perhaps," Maria suggested, "We can take the tunnels." Sir Benjamin began to vehemently protest, but Maria's pointed look was a necessary reminder of their last discussion. He took a deep breath and motioned for her to continue. She informed them that Lizzy and Cat took a route that led to a De Noir crest the year before. It was a shot in the dark, but even if the route was a dead-end, Maria was sure it was near the castle and Marmaduke would be able to apparate within.
"How many men do you have outside?" Sir Benjamin asked Dulac.
"Twenty, the rest are at the gates and perimeter of your estate."
"Very well then, Dulac please escort them through the tunnels. I still fear they may be dangerous."
"Robin said to remain here—"
"—I'm sure his intention is for you to guard Maria who will be going to the castle. We'll be alright, I doubt they'd be foolish enough to come here after alerting us of their presence." Sir Benjamin then pulled Loveday into his arms, "Please, please don't do anything brash."
Loveday pecked his lips. "We'll be safe."
In a matter of minutes, the group embarked to the castle after stealthily evading Sir Benjamin's question about the location of the entrance. Neither Maria nor Loveday wanted Sir Benjamin to realize the entrance was through Maria's tower. They worried he would try to close it later on.
Maria pulled Loveday by the hand and they walked through, emerging at the De Noir library.
"Bloody hell," Dulac cursed looking around the library, but this was a matter for another day and he led them to Coeur's bedroom.
When they arrived, Robin was about to rebuke Dulac for leaving the manor when he spotted Maria. He sat back down next to his father and attentively watched Marmaduke join the healer. Fortunately, the bullet had pierced his side and given the width of the man and leather armor, the injury was not lethal. Marmaduke concluded his unconsciousness was due to blood loss and all they could do was monitor his health and wait.
Maria was sent to rest in a guest room while Loveday and Marmaduke remained with Robin to keep watch over him for the night.
However, the minutes passed by and Maria was far from sleeping. Throwing on her coat, she walked through the silent castle and into Mr. De Noir's room. Only Loveday was inside. She offered a sad smile to Maria and told her Robin had just left. Maria searched for him in his room, but it was empty as well.
Walking through the main corridors, she finally came across a room from which light seeped through the open door. Robin was inside, straightening up the mess of his father's study. His movements were rough and jagged. He tensed at her presence, only relaxing when he realized it was Maria and resumed his work. He was clearly exhausted, but his eyes were alight with anger.
"How are you doing?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Robin—"
"—I know what you're going to say! I've heard it from everyone but words change nothing!" He didn't want to hear it, not from another person.
He looked like a caged bird trying to find an exit, pacing from one side of the room to the other while picking up various bits of paper. Maria wanted to comfort him, to make him believe that none of this could have been predicted. That he did his best, and it wasn't his fault...but she bit her tongue and instead began to help him clean up the mess.
After a while Robin's hoarse voice broke the silence, "Charles took the key, the one you surrendered to us when you first came into the castle. What do you think they're planning?"
"I... I'm not sure. The key was practically worthless."
"Somehow I doubt that." Robin crumpled the papers in his hand. He was sure they were forgetting something.
...oOo...
A few nights later, the distant howl of the winds tripped over and in between the trees, marking the passage of the clouds high above. Dark and cumulus, the winds tore them apart, letting the waning moon break through and light the forest glade below.
Suddenly, what seemed to be an empty forest now revealed the figures lurking amongst its remaining shadows. A rushing river cut through the glade. The river sounded panicked as if it couldn't get away fast enough. The light that reflected off the water bounced in all directions, faintly illuminating the surrounding trees and pushing back the darkness. Only one figure fought against the light. Stepping into the clearing, the moonlight that met Althea's golden feathers seemed to disappear, absorbed by the magic around her. She was joined by Charles who held the basin before him.
Althea looked around her. The look of distaste was sharp in her eyes. She had wanted to do this alone. Every inch of her protested being made a spectacle. Humans shouldn't be here; they didn't deserve to watch such a ritual. She ruffled her feathers, making herself seem larger. She wasn't happy, but she didn't dare protest.
He was watching. She couldn't see him, but she sensed him. Hidden from the moon's light in the darkness, he watched her from behind. Only the silver glint of his sword told her of his location. She hated that sword. Too many times she saw it cut down lives. It reminded her all too well of the sword that was used on her sisters.
Althea walked towards the river. There was a large stone rock with moss in the shape of a circle. She stepped into the water, unaffected by the cold, and placed the basin on the circle of moss. She took the bottle from Charles and poured its contents into the basin. The moon's reflection rippled in the center.
Charles' brow frowned. He looked up. The moon in the sky was waning, but the reflection on the basin was that of the full circular moon from a few nights ago. The hairs on the back of his neck pricked as he wondered once again if his uncle had survived the bullet. Charles then tossed her the key he stole from the study. Althea easily cracked it, removing the single pearl from its casing and dropped it into the water.
Althea looked up and stretched her magnificent winds. It was the beginning of Easter. A day filled with energy as the waning moon prepared to give its light, its magic to the earth.
She smirked, 'at least the humans won't understand this, she thought as she began to chant in an ancient language. "Blessed Moon above, I call upon you to once more light my path and lend me your powers. Heal that which was once whole. Fill the emptiness of the void."
The wind started billowing, the clouds moved swiftly over the moon, engulfing it in blackness. The forest once more became black, and the men gasped as those in hiding took a step back. The reflection of the moon in the basin remained. A wisp of dark purple smoke floated from the water. A growing dark orb encased Althea. The crack in her beak, left by Richard, was fixed. Her feathers seemed to shimmer gold for the briefest of moments.
From the basin, the water had seemingly disappeared leaving a single black pearl. The pearl glimmered purple as Althea picked it up between her talons. Its warmth faded fast into her touch.
A twig snapped behind her, breaking her from her reverie. Her feathers pricked, sensing movement around her. The general's men were emerging from the shadows. Astonishment and satisfaction clear on their faces.
Althea scanned the forest. She could pick out each of their presence through the flow of life that radiated out from their bodies. Everyone emitted an aura, everyone except the general. At first, she believed she couldn't sense his presence due to her weakening powers. Yet now under the full moon, she still couldn't sense him. On the contrary, it almost seemed as though he was absorbing everyone else's.
The general's claps reverberated through the forest. "Very well Althea, impressive as ever. Your ancient magic continues to exceed my expectations." He bared his teeth in a cold smile, sending a terrible chill down her neck, a reminder to never trust humans—that is, if he even was one.
Next to him, Charles wore a look of serious apprehension. Shockingly he did not look as gleeful as the rest of the men.
----
A/N: Note I am sick. I cannot guarantee I've edited this well. Let me know if you spot something iffy. Also in a previous version I had mistaken the British Military and Navel ranking, they are different apparently. The leader of Charles's new team is supposed to be a general. It will make sense later. I had called him 'captain' previously cuz it sounds cooler lol. History be damned apparently.
For those still in school, good luck studying for exams! <3 You're one year closer to being free! ^-^
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