Chapter 9: Chapter Nine

“Roxie,” the voice on the wind whispered.

“Roxie!” The voice was louder this time, and male.

“Roxie!” Sol called again, his hands gripping my shoulders as he shook firmly.

I opened my eyes and saw that I was slumped over on the couch and had dropped my cup of tea.

“What happened?”

Sol was frowning as he replied, “I was about to ask you the same thing. One minute you were fine, then you just collapsed.”

I bent down to pick the teacup and saucer, and as I straightened, my gaze met with Cassa’s. Her eyes were still milky white, but I knew she was watching me closely.

“What was in that tea?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

“It was a mixture of verbena, datura and artemisia,” Cassa replied simply, as though I should know what those things were.

I looked at Sol, who shrugged helplessly. “I never studied herbalism.”

“What do those things do?” I asked Cassa.

“They allow me to see things others can’t,” the old woman said, enigmatic as ever.

Knowing I was unlikely to get any more sense from her, I said to Sol, “I had visions, similar to when I touched your sword earlier. Only, it wasn’t about the history of your weapon – I think it was my history. I saw that celestial I resemble, and I saw my childhood, and—” Remembering the end of the vision, I trailed off and shivered all over.

“I saw visions too. They were of my childhood, and Bernard inviting me to join the Order,” Sol replied, and I knew by the tone of his voice he’d seen memories of whatever had happened to his parents.

It seemed we were both holding things back.

I glanced at Cassa. Had she seen what we’d seen? Did she know about the parts of the visions Sol and I hadn’t told the other about?

“What does all this have to do with Morgan?” Sol demanded. “Do you know where he is or not?”

“He’s here, in the Underground,” Cassa replied, a slight smirk on her face. “You passed him earlier.”

“What? Where?” Sol was on his feet and heading to the door.

“The market stall as you first entered the Underground,” Cassa said, as I scrambled to my feet and followed Sol.

“The one with all the food and stuff?” I was surprised. I’d hardly even taken notice of the owner of the produce stall – they certainly hadn’t looked like an arcane specialist or anything like that.

“That’s correct, Angelus. Now go with your Fortium. I’ve seen all I can for the moment,” Cassa said, but I hardly paid any attention to her words as I raced after Sol.

Sol hurried out of the caravan and I had to jog to keep up with him as he backtracked through the narrow pathways of the Underground, once more passing Marguerite’s ramshackle home, and then coming to the T-junction where Sarah had departed.

Finally, we were back at the stairway that let up to the mausoleum, and there were the rows of stalls, the first few selling recognizable food items, while the stands further back had more unusual wears.

Sol marched towards the stall selling fruit and vegetables, where a nondescript man, in dark clothing, with a hood covering his face sat on a rickety old stool, as he juggled an apple.

“Morgan!” Sol barked.

The hood fell away from the man’s face to reveal a guy in his mid-twenties, with dark stubble that contrasted with his bleached silver hair. He had countless piercings in both ears, and a septum ring in the cartilage between his nostrils.

The apple burst into flames, and Morgan juggled the fireball instead, as a smirk covered his lips.

“Alright, Sol. I wondered how long it’d take for you to find me.”

“What are you doing here?” Sol demanded.

“Right now, I’m watching the stall for Mr. Davies while he’s topside buying more supplies. In exchange he makes sure I get my five a-day. You know it’s important to eat all your fruit and vegetables, Sol.”

Sol huffed out an exasperated breath. “I mean here in the Underground. Where have you been? Why are you back?”

“Oh you know, here and there,” Morgan replied with a nonchalant shrug. Then he shifted his gaze, and his bright green eyes met mine. “I’m back because of her.”

My throat went dry and I took a step sideways, so that I was standing next to Sol. He reached out and took my hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.

“Roxie is under the Order’s protection. If those vows still mean anything to you.”

“Of course they mean something to me. I wouldn’t be here if they didn’t,” Morgan replied, his flippant tone changed to one of genuine hurt. He looked at me again and smiled. “Roxie, nice to meet you, Love. Good to finally have a name to go with the face.”

I was disarmed by his friendly demeaner, and honestly kind of charmed by it. If I’d met Morgan under different circumstances, I might have thought he was flirting with me. I felt my cheeks flush and caught Morgan smirking.

Sol seemed completely unaware and forged ahead. “Start explaining. How do you know Roxie and why are you back here? Are you returning to the Order?”

Morgan snorted. “Let’s not go that far, but yeah, I suppose I’m gonna have to come back to H.Q with you. The Old Bear will want to hear what I have to say. I can’t leave until Mr. Davies gets back though, and before we head topside you’re gonna want me to do a little shopping.”

Sol’s eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed. “We don’t have time for your games Morgan.”

“Believe me, you’re gonna wanna make time. What I need to acquire directly effects Roxie here.”

Sol’s eyes moved from Morgan’s to me, and then he sighed. “Fine. We stay. How long is Mr. Davies going to be?”

Morgan shrugged and started tossing the apple-turned-fireball from hand to hand. “I’ve got no idea, Mate.”

I covered my mouth to stop the laugh escaping. Honestly, I’d been expecting Morgan to display some formidable force, similar to the power I’d seen Catherine exert over the Farley Cosmetics employees at the gala. Instead, he was actually quite fun!

“So, how is everyone?” Morgan asked, in what I could tell he hoped was a casual tone, but really wasn’t. It was clear by everyone he actually meant Jenn.

I watched Sol closely as he pressed his lips together, and took a deep breath before he finally said, “How do you think she is? You abandoned her. I don’t know why you left the Order, but walking out on Jenn was on a whole other level.”

Morgan bowed his head, and for the first time, he looked something other than smug or mischievous. Was that genuine regret I saw in his eyes?

“I know, but I couldn’t stay. You know I never asked for all that.”

“It’s not me you need to explain yourself to, it’s her. Give Jenn your excuses, not me.”

Morgan frowned. “So that’s it? You’re just here because of Roxie, nothing more? I thought we were brothers, Sol.”

“Brothers don’t abandon each other without so much as a note, Morgan. Whatever we were you destroyed that the moment you walked out of the H.Q.”

Sol turned away, busying himself by checking over his sword, while Morgan continued to toss his fireball from hand to hand.

“Well, this is awkward,” I said, trying to break the tension.

Even though I hadn’t known Sol for long, I’d known him long enough that I could read his body language, and knew he was lying. He was still hurting over Morgan leaving the Ancile, and it would take a long time for the former brothers to reconcile.

I idly wondered if Morgan would stick around long enough that he could even start making amends to the people he’d hurt. Or was he planning on upping and leaving again as soon as his role in all this was over?

Finally, Morgan’s attention snapped towards the staircase, and I turned in the direction he was staring to see a small man … wait, no … was he even a man? He had cloven feet like a deer or something and was that horns I saw poking out through his mop of curly hair. And if his appearance wasn’t strange enough, this tiny man who was about half my height, was carrying a huge crate on his back.

Just as he had at Cassa’s, Sol rushed forward. “Here, let me help.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful, thank you,” the man said, pausing so that Sol could lift the crate off his back and carry it over to where Morgan was still sitting, juggling that damned fireball.

“Move will you,” Sol barked, and Morgan leaped out of the way.

“Morgan, are these people friends of yours?” the tiny man asked, and as he approached the stall, I saw that he had furry legs to go with his cloven feet, and a little tail sticking out from under the hem of his jacket.

“They’re here from the Order, Mr. Davies,” Morgan replied.

Mr. Davies frowned has he removed his green farmer-style jacket to reveal one of those aprons grocers wore underneath. “You’re not in trouble, are you?”

Morgan threw back his head and let out a maniacal laugh. Mr. Davies stared at Sol and I in alarm, but none of us said anything until Morgan had stopped cackling.

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“Oh, you know me. Trouble follows me everywhere!”

Mr. Davies started hastily unpacking his crate, and from within pulled out a burlap sack that looked full to the point of bursting.

“Here’s your payment,” he said, offering the sack to Morgan.

“You keep it,” Morgan replied, and when Mr. Davies frowned, he added, “I won’t be needing food where I’m going. Give it to the poor kids or sell it. Whatever you want.”

Mr. Davies dropped the sack back down into the crate. “You’re leaving then?”

“Yeah, it’s about time I moved along. Thanks for keeping me fed and dry while I’ve been here though.”

Mr. Davies smiled sadly. “Despite your reputation, Morgan Jackson, I’ve enjoyed your company. I wish you well for what’s to come, and if you ever need a place to stay, or a bite to eat, you’re welcome under my roof.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.” Morgan flicked his wrist and the fireball in his hand turned back into an apple. He threw it gently, and it landed perfectly in the pile of fruits, sitting on top of a pyramid of arranged apples without disturbing the others.

“Erm yeah, thank you,” Sol said hastily, rushing to follow Morgan, who had left the grocery stall and was now walking through the rows between the others stores.

“Bye!” I called, rushing after the two men.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mr. Davies give an amused shake of his head.

As I caught up to Sol, he slowed his pace and said, “Before you ask, Mr. Davies is a faun, which I’m sure you’re eager to read all about when we get back to H.Q.”

Morgan paused and turned his head to look over his shoulder at me and Sol. “Roxie, you’ve been haunting my dreams for weeks. I never imagined you were a swot.”

If I hadn’t had so many questions, I would have insulted Morgan back for even suggesting I was a swot, but instead I blurted out, “You’ve been dreaming about me?”

Morgan turned so he was fully facing me, and his eyes trailed up and down my body, then he said, “Don’t worry, Love, it wasn’t in that way. No offence, but you’re not my type, and even if you were, I don’t move in on another’s territory.”

He gazed pointedly at Sol, who flushed a deep red.

What the hell was going on?

“Stop with the games Morgan,” Sol said, his voice sounding unusually high-pitched. “Where are you taking us?”

Morgan smirked, gazed between Sol and I, and then shook his head. “Don’t worry, we’re here now.”

I looked behind Morgan and saw that he’d stopped outside the stall that sold all the weird items that reminded me of the specimens in Lettie’s lab.

I couldn’t see anyone tending the stall, but that didn’t stop Morgan, as he picked up one of the creepy-looking leather-bound books, with titles written in strange languages I didn’t recognize, that I’d seen when we’d passed the stall earlier.

“This should have the incantation we need,” Morgan said, not sharing any more information about the tome.

“And what will you pay me for such a rare volume?” asked a hissing voice. Out of the shadows slithered what I can only describe as a snake-mermaid.

The top half was a woman, who wore a tight corset that covered most of her green and scaled skin. But instead of legs, the … creature … Shit. I felt terrible calling her that. She was obviously female, and with intelligence. She just didn’t have legs, and instead had a snake’s tail.

“Ah, Ophelia, how lovely to see you,” Morgan said, instantly turning on the charm. “I know you’ve long been interested in my vial of phoenix tears. How about we make an exchange?”

The half-woman-half-snake that Morgan had addressed as Ophelia smiled, showing off her fangs and said, “You have yourself a deal.”

Morgan reached inside of his long, battered, black trench coat, and from some inner pocket somewhere, produced a tiny vial with a golden stopper. For a moment, I thought the glass jar was empty, but then he turned it under the light, and I saw an iridescent liquid glimmering within.

My body grew warm and I saw the tell-tale haze of gold around me that meant my powers were activating.  I quickly closed my eyes and took a few steps away from the stall, so that I didn’t pass out.

Sol was at my side in an instant and laid his hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?” he whispered; his breath hot on the skin of my neck by my ear.

My body flushed even more, but this had nothing to do with my latent abilities.

“Yeah, it’s just sometimes the magic gets a little overwhelming. Whatever Morgan had in that jar turned things up to a hundred.”

I glanced at Sol and saw him nodding in understanding. “Yeah, phoenix tears would have that effect on most paranormal beings, let alone one of your ancestry. Legend says that phoenixes and celestials were somehow related. That they were both born from the stars. I don’t quite remember, but it’s all there in one of the books back at H.Q. I just never took much notice, because well…”

“You never thought you’d meet someone descended from a celestial?” I guessed easily.

Sol laughed. “Right. And yet here you are.”

Standing with my spine a little straighter, I grinned up at him and said, “Yes, here I am.”

“Okay, lovebirds, break it up. I have what I needed; we can head back to H.Q.”

Sol glared at Morgan, but didn’t say anything else, as he took the lead and strode back through the narrow always, past various stalls, until we came to the bottom on the staircase.

We ascended, and when it started growing dark again, Morgan conjured a fireball in his palm to light the way. I watched, transfixed, as he tossed it from hand-to-hand, causing no apparent damage to himself.

When we stepped out of the mausoleum, I was surprised to see the sky was lightening, and quickly realized how long we must have been in the Underground for – it was almost dawn.

Sol led the way back to the parking lot and when we came to his huge SUV, Morgan laughed.

“I can’t believe you’re still driving that thing!”

“I can’t believe you failed your driving test three times,” Sol shot back, but there was no malice in his tone. It was the banter of old friends.

Morgan shrugged. “Who needs to know how to drive when you have magic?!” he replied, lifting himself a little off the ground.

My eyes grew huge and I blurted out, “You can fly?”

Morgan dropped down to the tarmac, his battered combat boots slamming onto the ground. “Nah, not really. Just levitate. You should see Jenn fly though, Gods, she’s amazing.”

“Jenn can fly?” I yelped.

Sol and Morgan chuckled, and then Sol explained, “Yeah, she has the ability to fly at subsonic speeds by using her voice to propel her through the air and ride via sound waves. Of course, if she’s flying, she then can’t use her vocal powers to attack. But it’s useful if she needs to escape a situation quickly.”

I shook my head as I climbed into the front seat, and mused aloud, “See, still so much to learn.”

Morgan watched me intensely for a moment, then smirked, shook his head and got into the rear seat of Sol’s SUV.

“Ah, I see how it is,” he commented, as he fastened the seatbelt.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Sol asked, as he settled into the driver’s seat.

“Well, you always used to let me ride shotgun, but it seems Roxie is the favourite now,” Morgan quipped.

Sol rolled his eyes. “You only rode shotgun because if I didn’t agree you’d whine like a baby.”

I watched the exchange with interest, observing not only the way the relationship between Sol and Morgan was slowly starting to thaw, but trying to work out if there was any truth to Morgan’s taunts.

Did Sol see me as something more than a friend and colleague?

My body flushed with heat just thinking about it, and I focused on the scenery as we made our way back to the H.Q.

Sol parked his SUV at the bottom of the steep incline. After getting out, the three of us started the long trek up the driveway and to the massive, mansion-like building that served as the Ancile’s headquarters.

I wasn’t surprised to find Bernard and Jenn waiting for us at the entranceway, although it shocked me to see Lettie was still awake, as the first rays of the sun were just piercing the horizon. However, to protect herself, Lettie was shrouded in black, including a veil covering her face.

“I waited up especially to know if Marguerite was okay. Did you give her the blood?”

“Yes, don’t worry, your sister is fine,” I said, taking Lettie’s arm and leading her inside, away from the harmful rays of the sun.

Just before we made our way upstairs, in my peripheral vision I caught a glimpse of Jenn slapping Morgan across the face.

It was going to be a long day.

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