Spirits Convene
Fire is burning; Casting a shadow; People are watching; Waiting for the fall; Whispers are creeping; Under the gallows; People are talking; We could lose it all – Lyrics from Gallows by Katie Garfield
It was early morning, birds chirping, and wildlife doing whatever they did right before the goddamn sun rose above the horizon. Cat sat up and ran to the bathroom. She dry heaved. Nothing like drying heaving to start my morning, she thought. I must be coming down with something. She splashed water on her face and looked in the mirror; yeah I must be getting sick I'm pale as shit. She crept back to bed and snuggled up against the solid form in their bed. He was warm and cuddly and…nope back to the bathroom, round two. She pulled her hair up in a ponytail because this time her stomach decided that lunch from yesterday was coming back up. She heard Beck shift around in the bed and call out, "Cat you ok?"
"Yep, just fine. My stomach decided that I needed to give offerings to the porcelain god here." More dry heaving.
"You don't sound fine…want me to call Cristoff?" He asked as he tried to come into the bathroom only to have the door slammed in his face and more sounds of vomiting came from the other side.
"No! Don't you dare call him! It's just a virus. I'll be fine promise. Probably ate some bad food. Hestor warned me not to order from that knock off Stellan restaurant." She said as she laid her head on the cool ring of the toilet.
Cat had been stuck in Beck apartment for seven weeks. Seven weeks she had basically been an inmate because of that stupid magic ban. She didn't dare leave the apartment for fear of being caught. It would have put not only her at risk but Beck as well. Lex would come visit her. It was great having to see her sister again. It was also great not having to sleep alone or never not having pleasure with Beck. That made up for more than being a self-imposed inmate. She was able to celebrate New Year's at home. Home she never thought she would be able to call Pelerno home again. Now she shared an apartment with her promised.
I think I know what's wrong with you…
"Shut up or you WILL go in the bead for a week." She warned Tito.
"Why are you telling Tito to shut up?" Beck call through the door. He abandoned it to get dressed.
"Because Tito is an ass. Do I really need a reason to yell at him?" She called back. "Are you going to the guild early since I woke you up?"
"Yeah, gonna go check the mama wolf that was brought in two days ago to see if she delivered yet. You sure you don't want me to call Cristoff?"
Cat tried to sound as nice as possible even though she was feeling like death warmed over, "Honey let me put it to you this way, if you call that scale less lizard man over here at five in the morning, you will be sleeping down there with the mama wolf and not with me. I feel like shit and look like shit. It's probably a virus. It will pass."
"Ooookkkk, someone is extra cranky this morning. I'd kiss you but I don't want whatever it is you have." His response was another dry heave.
Cat was hoping that she was finished long enough to do what she needed to do. She crawled over to the sink and pulled out the box of tampons that called it home. She opened the box and fished out the home pregnancy test that was in there. She hid it there because she knew that Beck would not look in her box of tampons for any reason. She read the instructions and opened the package.
You already know what it gonna say. Why bother? You've been in denial for like what? A week.
"You know I didn't ask for your opinion. Would you like to go be a squirrel again? I'm pretty sure I can arrange that smartass." She capped the test, set it on the sink, and waited.
After the recommended three minutes, Cat picked it up and stared at the bright blue plus sign on the test. She took a big breath held it and let it out blowing up into the hair hanging on her forehead. "Well mama wolf isn't the only one having puppies."
Oh god does that mean you're having puppies cause I mean you two have done it that way A LOT!
"Shut up asshole. Where is my phone?" Cat got up and shuffled out into the bedroom. She needed to call Lex. "Fuck I can't use my phone." Beck had gotten her removed from taking jobs for a while due to an 'injury' and Cristoff had signed off on it saying it was an extensive injury. It required weeks of healing and would require several weeks of therapy post healing, but that didn't mean she wasn't being watched. She sighed and started crying as she sank onto the couch in their modest living room.
Beck was down in the indoor pens checking on the mother wolf. He noticed that she was pacing and appeared uncomfortable. He felt that she was in labor. He had made sure last night that her pen had clean bedding, water and was secure. He tried to feel Cat through their link but the past week she has almost shut him out. She's been short tempered, moody and just over all in a lousy mood. He just chalked it up to her having PMS. He knew that wasn't fair to brush everything on her monthly visitor, but she wasn't talking. He also figured she might be getting a little stir crazy in their apartment. He sighed heavily. He wished he could take her out for dinner but with that damn ban in place, it was a no go.
He pulled out his Lphone and called Lex. He knew that she always cheered Lex up and he generally got a delicious family secret meal out of it. Putting those two together brought out all kinds of clan traditions and cooking was a major one for them apparently. "Lex, how are you doing? Good. No, she's feeling sick. Says she ate some shady Stellan food last night. Thanks. See you tonight for dinner then? OK, bye." He finished the call and was happy that the mother wolf was secured. He was confident she would deliver on her own. He made his way to the guildhall.
Lex gathered up her spices that she kept in spice rack and some of her needlepoint she had been working on between jobs. Beck had come to see her several weeks ago and invited her over to his apartment one evening and to her surprise Cat was there. They had hugged and stayed up all night talking and catching up.
She knocked on the door and waited. Knocked again and no answer. "It's me Lex…" she started. The door opened but no one was there that she could see that opened the door. Lex figured she must be sick if Tito opened the door. Her sister was usually ecstatic when she came over.
Lex walked to the kitchen and put her oversized bag on the counter. "Cat? Where are you? Beck called and said you were feeling sick. You want me to call Crist…." She called out but was interrupted by a groan that came from the master bedroom.
Lex found Cat hugging the toilet in the master bedroom. Her hair up in a ponytail but she had strands stuck to her forehead and cheek. "Why does everyone think that I need to go see him?" She half whined half groaned.
"Fine, I won't bother him…yet. Would you like me to make you some tea and get some cracker for you?" Lex asked her ill sister.
All Cat could manage was to shake her head. She even let Lex help her up and walk her out to the couch. She wasn't sure if she should tell Lex or not about the pregnancy test. She knew she should so she wouldn't push seeing Cristoff. "Uh, Lex. I need to tell you something…"
Lex finished putting the water on the stove, pulled out two mugs, and sat on the couch with her sister. "OK you have my full attention. What do you need to tell me?" She smiles at Cat.
Cat sat up and started wringing her hands, "There is a reason I don't want to go see Cristoff about me being sick."
Lex tilted her and looked at her quizzically, "Oh please do tell. I'm dying to know…"
Cat ducked her head and pulled the little plastic stick from her bra where she was hiding it. She handed it Lex, "It's because I already know why I'm sick. I'm pregnant, Lex." She looked at her sister searching her face for her reaction.
"This isn't one of your pranks? You really are pregnant?" Lex had a smile spread across her face. "I'm going to be an auntie?" her voice was getting higher in pitch.
Cat was smiling back at her sister, "Yes you're going to be an auntie." They had grabbed either others hands and were shaking them and then hugging.
"Oh have you told Beck yet? Does he know?" Lex looked expectedly at her.
"No I haven't. I took the test after he left this morning. I'm nervous about how he'll react. We've been promised for less than a year and the ban…" the blonde looked away. She felt guilty for not telling him right away and scared of what will happen when she delivers the baby with the ban in place.
The teakettle whistled. Lex got the tea and crackers. "I'm calling Cristoff. You need to have an initial exam. Don't look at me like that. We have to make sure that both of you are healthy and get you on a schedule for checkups and vitamins…" the strawberry blonde prattle off a list of things.
Cat stopped listening. The reality of everything was setting in. They were having a baby! She opened up the shields that she had put up last week because she wasn't sure of what was happening. She grabbed Lex's phone off the counter and called Cristoff's number. It was still early and knew that he would probably be in the gym.
Cristoff's phone went off while he and Beck were finishing lifting weights. He recognized the number and took the call while beck put away the weights. Hestor was oddly in the gym. He had come down to speak with Beck. "Gods it smells like old gym socks down here." The celestial mage said as he wrinkled his nose.
Beck chuckled and wiped the sweat from his face, "Then why are you down here? There are no bay windows or hunky platinum blond mindbenders to stare at here." He grinned at the stellar mage. He started feeling Cat's emotions through their bond. He could feel her happiness and joy. He thought Lex must have cheered her up.
Hestor looked at the green haired man and pegged him with a hard stare, "How would you know…my secret, Beastie?" he whispered.
Beck whispered back with a smile, "Four words. Promised. To. A. Seith." He held up his right hand and wiggled his ringed finger at the man.
Hestor moved on with the conversation not wanting to get any deeper into his own secrets, "Yes, how could I forget that woman. Speaking of your promised, that is why I'm down here in this stinking pit of sweat. Kek-t wishes to see her and I don't know how to contact her."
"Boys I hate to interrupt but, uh, Lex…needs both of us to come meet her at your apartment." Cristoff looked at Hestor and then Beck. "I'll leave it you man if you want shorty to come with us. I'm gonna go shower first."
"I'm not short! I'm a giant among titans in Bosco!" Hestor called out after Cristoff as he left for the shower room.
"Grab your keys prickly. I'm sure Lex has something to soothe that thorny attitude of yours. See you upstairs where the air doesn't offend your delicate nose." Beck said as he followed Cristoff.
Lex had fixed some snacks for Cristoff. She knew his bottomless dragon gut. She had baked her sugar cookies that the dragon slayer loved. In fact, he and Vander would fight over the cookies when they were younger. She had asked them once if Mr. Elan ever made them sugar cookies. They told her 'yes' but there was just something about hers that tasted so good. She told them it was a secret family ingredient. She had gotten Cat settled on the couch with a cup of ginger, raspberry leaf and spearmint tea with crackers. Thanking the Gods and Goddesses that she was keeping things down.
Cat felt her anxiety building as she felt Beck getting closer. When she heard his voice mixed with others outside the door, she thought she was going to hyperventilate. Thankfully, Lex came over, sat by her, held her hand, and soothed her.
Beck opened the door first letting the other two men through the followed in behind. He snagged a cookie from the plate of them before Cristoff demolished them all. He made his way over to Cat, sat down beside her, and pulled her close. He kissed her temple, "You look like you're feeling better. I like when you're not hanging over the toilet singing the praises to the porcelain god."
Cristoff sat there eating the plate of cookies. He offered one to Hestor. Mostly to keep the man occupied for a moment. Lex had told him on the phone why he needed to come over and not to say anything. He watched Lex elbow Cat in the ribs to get her to talk. He knew this was going to be great watching Beck receive this news. He was happy for him, both of them.
"Ow Lex! Stop it!" Cat whined as she rubbed her ribcage.
"Do it or I'm going to do it." Lex warned.
"What are you two arguing over?" Beck looked at both of them. He was used to them arguing but Cat was too submissive in this to be some silly argument. That was like her. She was normally a wildcat in everything they did.
Cat took a deep breath and slowly let it out, "Beck, sweetie, I wasn't exactly honest with you this morning about eating some bad Stellan food…shut up Hestor…I'm…well…uh…I'm pregnant." She said the last part softly.
Beck sat there and process what his promised had told him. He knew that when he brought her home almost two months ago they had been very passionate. He was shocked at first but as the shock wore off, he was…overjoyed. He was going to be a father. He pulled Cat onto his lap and kissed her. "You're having my baby…our baby. I'm so happy right now I can't think straight." He was smiling so big his cheeks hurt. He cradled her in his lap and held her.
Cristoff came over and congratulated the happy couple. He examined Cat while she sat in Beck's lap. He told them she was fine. She was about five weeks and two days with the normal morning sickness. Otherwise, she was healthy and the baby was healthy. That news took a lot of stress off the couples mind. The other was the seith ban. Cat was still in Bosco illegally.
Lex cleared her throat, "Cristoff, I have a question for you before you go. Can she travel? I need to take her to Daevale in Stella. And are you available to take us? I don't want anyone else in the room to know that she is in Bosco."
Hestor spoke up first, "Why would she need to go to Daevale? Neither of you are celestial mages." His normal gruff was gone. He honestly didn't know why two Boscan women needed to go to a Stellan town.
"Well Hestor when you want to share your secrets with me, I'll share my secrets with you. Just remember that not everything in Stella is related to celestial mages. You are just descendant of one of the founding families. And you seem to like those cookies a great deal. Why do you think those cookies taste so good?" Lex giggled.
"Lex, are you sure she needs to Stella?" Beck asked. He wasn't too thrilled about his now pregnant promised being far from him. Let alone in Stella, but then he look around the apartment. He felt awful about how she's been cooped up all this time. "Never mind, take her to Daevale. It will be good for her to get out of her." He kissed Cat again.
Kaleb sat at the Magical Council trying to hold his smile back. They had just lifted the ban on seith magic His father, Arman Pradesh, had just told him through the family link that information to take down the corruption in the Steel Council was validated along with the memories he had shared to only his father of the horrible ordeal Cat and Vander had went through. Kaleb was also given the ordeal that Presca had suffered by losing his wife infant daughter, and rest of his family.
Vander and Presca had provided them each with copies of video, files, and voice recordings that incriminated three members of the Steel Council, Captain Grendace and several other of corruption, coercion, blackmail, treason.
Arman was able to get the government to repel the seith ban in Bosco. He was happy this meant that when Bixlow and the rest of the missing Fairy Tail member were found his son could return home. He was disgusted by what they had done to Sylvia's granddaughter. He had watched her grow up smiling and bubbly, always joined at the hip to Vander. He was anger with the Steel Council for essentially kidnapping Vander into their ranks as well. Vander was a prodigy for the Sudehpah Order. He was supposed to have stayed and grown among their order. Vander was tight lipped about happened while he a recruit.
Until Kaleb had told him the news that Catrina had found her soulmate with Beck Fashion, he had wondered if the two were somehow meant for each other. Alas, it was just a friendship forged in mischief, pranks, and sugar cookies. He laughed to himself as he made his way out of his office. He had one hell of a day of negotiating.
The Magic Council was about to conclude when Hestor entered the meeting. "What is the meaning of this? This is a closed meeting of the Magic Council. An audience is not permit…" the President of the Council started to demand.
Hestor was joined by four other mages. They were trying to stop him. They were all in Beck and Cat's apartment enjoying the happy new about the pregnancy when Hestor abruptly decided that he NEEDED to go for a walk. None of them could stop him. Not even Cristoff with his sleep magic. When he tried, Kek-t appeared and threatened bodily harm. The petite spirit was beautiful yet deadly and made Cristoff think twice about her threats. She told him that her master was on a task and was not to be stopped. So the four mages followed him to the Magical Council.
"Silence, I am here to convene the Hall of Truth. There have been wrong committed on some that the spirit realm demands justice." Hestor said in a voice that was hollow. His steel blue eyes burned as he looked at the Magic Council. He made no movement nor answered any questions. He stood there and swayed.
Kaleb had seen this happen once or twice in the past. The Hall Two of Truth was calling him. It needed to right a wrong in the celestial laws. He hated when this happened. It knocked him out for a few days. He was trying to think why this was happening. Kek-t appeared in front of him. Her eerie red eyes peered into his pale lavender ones.
"My master told you of the contract that he has with Catrina, yes?" Kaleb shook his head. "He told you that I asked what the price was for the souls that she has provided me and my sister. Catrina assured him that there was no price for the snacks, so he entered into contract with her without knowing that SHE was the one paying the price for the rewards we reaped. I have shared with you her memories of being raped, beaten, and isolated from her soulmate and sister for years. Now you and your family have lifted this ban that will allow her to live freely with her mate. Free to raise their family. We wish to pay her back putting those that have hurt her and others for years for their own greed and power on trial. My master will have no recollection of this. You know that. He is merely a vessel for us to bring the Hall of Truth to the mortal realm to repay my friend for her sacrifice."
Before the president of the magic council was stopped by the magic of the Hall of Truth an alert went out to the Knights and the Blood Hunters that there was a disturbance at the council. General Tesso and Captain Grendace along with knights and a few blood hunters arrived in time to see the magic council transform.
Granite and sandstone began to curl out from where Hestor and Kaleb were located. Slowly the Hall of Two Truth revealed itself to mortals that should witness. Pillars with ancient writing scrawled in gold rose up creating a semi-circle with a large golden scale sitting in the middle. The sisters of Ammit and the brothers of Ma'at appeared around the scale. Libra appeared in front of the scales.
Libra's voice rang out in the Hall, "We convene the Hall of Two Truths to pass judgement. The accused, please Abraxis and Eshaq bring them forward so that that the charges can be read."
The two brothers looked at each other and grinned as they marched forward and grabbed not to gently yanked Captain Grendace forward. The fashioned him to one of the pillars. Abraxis made sure that his vines were especially tight on the sputtering man's wrists.
Grendace cried out, "What is the meaning of this? I'm not subject to YOUR laws. I'm neither a celestial wizard nor a spirit…"
"Silence mortal! I'm getting to what you are charged with if you would just shut up." Libra demanded.
Kek-t appeared in front of the tall man. She wasn't the least bit afraid of the man. She looked at Abraxis and then back at the man, "Brother, let me rip out his tongue that will silence him." Her red eyes glowed with bloodlust. She knew this was the man that put Catrina through so much hell.
"As much as I would love to let you Kek-t, I can't allow it and you know that." His jade eyes matching the same blood lust as her own.
Libra lifted a finely sculpted eyebrow, "Are you two done discussing dismemberment so that we can get one with this? I have other things to do today."
Grendace was horrified over what the two spirits were discussing on doing to him. He struggled against the restraints that caused only more pain.
"Ok then," Libra continued, "Captain Grendace you are hereby charged with threatening a minor norn of Freya, and three of the last descendants of the Hltose family. Also you are charge with the responsibility of the rapes, multiple beatings, isolation and forcing of a sacred Stellan Seith to murder people for your own power and greed. Sir, your charges are so long that by the time I am done reading them the mortals here would be nothing but bones that not even the time stopping power of the hall has." She paused, smirking. "Basically what I'm saying is that you are a nasty little douche bag."
"I'm innocent. I didn't do any of those things to that little bitch or her grandmother. Seth did that to keep her little ass in line. If she wasn't such a mouthy cunt and did what she was told Seth wouldn't have had to beat her. I did tell him that she wasn't his property!" Grendace broke trying to sway the celestial spirits.
There was a loud growl. Beck had heard enough he tried to charge the man tied to the pillar. He wanted blood, but he found that he wasn't able to move. All he could do was stand there and watch. He knew cat didn't like to talk about what happened and he never pushed her, but to hear it out loud in a public setting like this angered him.
"Shut up! This isn't up for debate. You're guilty. Ammit you may take his soul and place it on the scale. Ma'at, your feather please."
Ammit walked over to the struggling man and placed her hand on his chest. Her eyes glowed golden as her hand slammed onto his chest. Grendace feel the pain of the spirit's smack onto his chest but that was not what made him scream. He felt the inside of his chest burn as she pulled out a dark black flame. She held the small flame in her hand and looked at Libra, "Lady Libra, do we really need to weigh this soul against Ma'at feather? Its dense and dark and heavy like a black dwarf star."
"Ammit, rules are rules. Just…put it on the scale." Libra glared at Ammit.
The golden scale almost tip over when the black soul was placed on the empty plate of the scale. It had dropped so quickly. It was so heavy when it hit the ground; it made a resounding clunking noise. The sound echoed through the Magic Council Chambers. None of the spirits were surprised. Ammit just rolled her eyes and looked at Libra with an 'I told you so' look.
"The scales have spoken Captain. Your soul is so dark and filled with evil acts…" Libra started.
Kek-t was impatient. The scales had spoken. She knew this man let all the horrible things happen to Catrina, her only mortal friend outside her Master. She dashed to the scale, snatched the black soul off the plate on the floor, and waltzed up to the squirming man where Abraxis was standing. The two exchanged looks and devious smiles. Her eyes narrowed on the man as she came face to face to Grendace. "I have never had a soul so…filled with evil or malice as this one. Catrina is my friend and has paid dearly for what? For you to get puppets in political seats of power? Line your bank accounts with more jewel? I know you know she has killed children for you. This whole hall knows that she did." Kek-t looked at Cat, "We never devoured those innocent souls instead we gave them to Anubis to guide to the afterlife." She turned her attention back to Grendace. "A quick death is not good enough for you. You have hurt too many."
"Kek-t are you saying you don't want to devour his soul?" Abraxis asked looking at her with a puzzled face.
Kek-t felt oddly conflicted. She really wanted to eat the soul but this idiot needed to suffer. She looked at Abraxis with the confliction written clearly on her delicate features. Jade eyes softened on red. He turned to Ammit who nodded her head. Beneath the pillar, the floor opened to the lake of fire. The lake of fire was reserved for souls that none of the sisters felt were deemed too evil to consume by them. The souls never really died but burned for eternity.
Kek-t hugged her sister, took that black soul in her hand and slapped it back into Grendace's chest. Abraxis let the vines go. The man fell to the lake of fire to be forever stuck in a state of undead. Never truly living and never dying. Forever tortured in the unrelenting flames of the lake.
Libra sat there and watched the brothers and sisters dole out the punishment. She had her head in her hand and shook it, "Ok well, your punishment has been decided burn forever in the lake of fire…Why did you guys bring me again? Never mind, I know. Look I'm out." She disappeared in a shimmer of stardust.
The Hall of Two Truths disappeared. Hestor collapsed where he stood. Kaleb caught him. Cristoff moved to the two men to check over Hestor. Kaleb told him he was fine he would be awake in either a few hours or a few days and asked for him to take them home.
Cat sagged against Beck. She felt all the memories that she thought she had buried long ago come racing forward mixed with the rage and hurt that her mate felt. She never wanted him to truly know what Seth did to her while she was a recruit. She hoped that the memories died when Vander finally killed him. She buried her head in his chest and started crying.
Beck held her. He felt her emotions. They were all over the place. He felt relief, happiness, sorrow and distress. "Shh, Cat. It's ok. It's ok. Let's go home. We can talk there where it's more private." He started leading her out of the Magic Council. Lex followed them. She knew that they both would need her and both would have questions about what the spirits had said in there.
Lex knew more than she let on because unlike Cat, she would listen to Grammie when she talked about their clans history, magic and generations. That's why she told Cat she would need to go to Daevale now that she was pregnant. She smiled at her sister and brother in law. There were more things coming at them than they knew.
