Daughter of Magic
Chapter 3 'Practically Useless Magic'
Zatanna looked at the two for a moment before she realized that it was Dick and Damian standing there. It was natural that they where there. After all it was a robbery in Gotham, and Batman did patrol every inch of it. She waited for Dick to say something, but instead she watched as her daughter who was in a foul mood and cursing to a degree that even John would have turned a weary eye toward her.
"What in the 'ell do you think that you two tossers are doing dragging use 'round 'ere? I've got 'alf a mind to curse the shite out of you both!" Zarana exclaimed.
"What are you doing in Gotham Meta?" Damian said before Dick had a chance to chime in.
"Meta? I'm not a bloody meta! I'm a magi, and according to my mum I'm a quarter demon, but that's neither here nor there wanker! I asked you what the grand idea was dragging me around behind here!" Zarana shouted.
Before Damian could snap back Dick quieted him and then turned his attention to Zatanna.
"What are you both doing here?" He asked.
"I was going to buy her some clothes, and we happened to find a robbery in progress. She stopped them without much help at all." Zatanna said.
"This talk has been had before. Don't under-mind me or mine." Dick growled before he launched the grapple.
"That goes double for you." Damian said to Zarana with a smirk.
"Why you little…" Zarana started before Zatanna grabbed her shoulder and held the girl back.
"I should curse 'im! Upstart little wanker! You 'ear me you little tosser!" Zarana shouted.
"Cool it, it's not going to do any good to start something with either of them. Believe me even without magic, or powers of any kind they are extremely resourceful and willful. Besides… That the nicest that I've seen Robin treat anyone." Zatanna said.
"That was nice? If I 'ad balls I would say that he was trying to bust them!" Zarana said.
"Okay… Another rule… Work on the cursing. I understand the occasional slip of the tongue, but you don't have to curse every second of the day. You are not your father." Zatanna said.
"I'll curse if I bloody well…. Ohhh…" Zarana said as she began to wobble on her legs a bit.
Zatanna caught her and helped her walk toward the car. Clothes shopping, running into Batman and Robin, and dealing with robbers seemed to have sapped the little energy that her daughter had. Together they made it to the car and climbed inside. Zarana groaned and leaded back a little. Her eyes closed and she began to drift off to sleep.
(In the shadows of the car)
The dark being smirked as Zarana slipped off to sleep. It stretched its shadowy hand toward her. Gently its fingers slipped into her skull and it began to sense the turmoil inside of her mind. The life she had, the friends, birthdays, loving family, and then it was all ripped away. Grinning the demon found her dreams.
"Now little one dream, dream of the darkness that resides inside of your darker half, dream of death, destruction, and all things that lead your soul closer to me." Hesaid as he watched her squirm.
(Zarana's dream – Archer home)
Zarana looked at the house that had been devastated by the horseman before he traveled to the school. She ran from the living room into the bed room to see the woman that had raised her, who was her mother for so long, lying on the floor. Her entire body looked as if she had been mummified and drained of everything leaving only skin stretched on her bones. She moved slowly toward her and touched her 'mother's' cheek.
"Mum." She said softly.
Suddenly the woman's head turned toward her and a look of pure hate appeared on her face. She began to move to stand up and the sound of bones creaking and leather stretching could be heard.
"You ungrateful little bitch. You killed us. You killed me and Henry your father! After we took you in! After we swore to love you, and what did you to do repay us? You sent the angel of death to our door! I hope that you rot… I hope that you rot in the deepest bowels of hell you little fuckin' cunt!" The mummified version of Mary Archer said in an acidic tone.
"Mum… I didn't do it! I swear I didn't do it!" Zarana cried out.
(Real world – Zatanna's Car)
Zatanna had long since stopped the car and was trying to calm Zarana down. The girl was screaming in her sleep, crying, pleading, and trying to say that she didn't do it. She finally hugged the girl to herself and rocked her back and forth.
Oh God… What have you seen to give you nightmares like this? Zatanna thought as she held the child.
(Gotham – Narrows – Jason Blood's Apartment while in the states)
Jason growled as he walked back and forth for a few moments. There was something going on and it was bothering him. He could feel the spiritual pressure of a demonic force at work, and he knew that it wasn't Etrigan. This was something different. He walked toward the closet and pulled out a long black trench coat with hidden runes sewn into the fabric. With the magic cast on the coat it was better than a bullet proof vest, and it protected against forces that could tear his soul apart. He walked toward the door and opened it to find a blond headed girl with smoke gray eyes standing there.
The girl lifted a cigarette to her lips and took in a deep drag before she lowered it and blew the smoke into his face.
"Jason Blood I presume?" The girl said in a thick British accent.
"Yes, but who are you?" Jason asked.
"Maria, Maria Constantine, and I've come to give you a piece of advice. Go and seek out your magi girlfriend. Help her daughter, and then place a protective charm over her." Maria said as she turned and began to walk away.
"I smell a demon on you… Why would you want to help the girl?" Jason asked in a similar accent.
"Because she's family, and because no one, but no one will have leverage over my father. A war between the two highest archdukes in hell can't be afforded right now." Maria said as she turned and walked.
Jason watched her as she walked away. The girl was easily only seventeen or eighteen, but she carried herself as if she was a woman of the world. Her walk was seductive, full of purpose, and directed. Easily she could be someone who would be a danger if she so chose to be. Instead she had 'aided' him in a sense and claimed that it was because of a blood connection to the girl. To be honest Jason doubted that was the true reason, but he left it at that and left the building. The moment he reached the street outside he pulled out a small black crystal and held it up.
"Zatanna." He spoke the word fully, and purposefully.
The crystal began to glow and it started to lift toward the north. Without a question he headed in the direction it was pointing.