she never stepped away from the door. She was not planning on letting Grace inside; this was all to taunt her. "you need my help?"
"please..." grace said softly. she was knew she was screwed but her legs would not let her just walk away.
"the only way to kill is witch is to burn; I advise you to stock up on lots of matches and gasoline." she said with a smile as if that was the answer Grace was looking for. Grace tried to stay stoic. "like your father before you; YOU do not belong here." with that Fiona slammed the door in her face.
Inside the house a girl looked through the window. "who was that?" asked Zoe, a teen student of Fiona. She was new so her heart was not as corrupted as the others.
"daughter of a warlock." Fiona answered.
"a warlock?" Zoe, had no idea male witches even existed. "warlock, sorcer- they have many names; but the point is-they are not welcome anywhere near this school. end of conversation." Fiona walked away.
Zoe saw the sadness in the girl's face. She knew this incident would come back to haunt them.
Grace went back home. She went to the back to check on the animals; there was a pen of demonic looking chickens, and one cow. Chickens looked creepy as hell, but they were actually very docile. She gathered eggs. Even if the tasted horrible at least they would not take long to cook.
As she went back in to the house she heard a loud crash. while trying to wash the dishes Jed collapsed, hitting his head on the sink with a sickening blow, loosing consciousness immediately. There was blood all over the sink, as if the side of the sink had manages to cut him.
Blood oozed from his eyes, nose and mouth as he lay there, seemingly dead.
Grace dragged her hand through the blood. It was dark, almost black and felt ice cold. then with an abnormal level of strength she dragged his body to the bedroom. She could feel his breath against her skin as she moved the body. But there was something chemically toxic about his breath; his energy was calling out to her. She kissed his forehead, and then slowly moved in to kiss his lips. she held the kiss longer then any girl should kiss her father's comatose body. she felt a rush of energy and now her eyes were open.
the feeling in her head lead her to look though his books, something could be of use. She found a spell for a golem; the ancient monster who could be commanded through a piece of paper.- sounds useful.
she also found a talisman. it was a handmade emblem that could alert someone to the presence of powerful magic. This would be VERY useful.
She went back to the city with the talisman hooked on to her watch band. she walked the streets of New Orleans for hours. she knew she was going to find something. and the new force inside her would not let her stop until she did.
This is how she met Marie Laveau. From a distance the famous voodoo practitioner spotted the talisman. this talisman was an heirloom passed down from witches for hundreds of years.
"I never thought I would see that so soon." She said walking up to Grace. "come in, child. you look like you've had a long day." She opened the door to her salon and offered Grace a cup of coffee from the back room.
"thank you." Grace said. she actually did feel better now.
"this was your father's." Marie said in a statement rather than a question. "I've heard the stories; your father was the rightful heir to the school. I have nothing against men who practice magic, and perhaps under his command my relationship with the school might have been different."
Grace then pulled the page about golems out of her pocket. "can you help me with this?"
"of course."
Grace should have been suspicious when Marie asked for no payment. She also did not even ask Grace to make an appointment for a later date- no, they went back to the house less then an hour later. Why was this woman so accommodating? Did Marie already know her father?
"How long will this take?" asked grace, who was slowing loosing her courage.
"you have to be in the room" Marie answered; knowing the girl's real question. she proceeded to cut off Jed's clothing, revealing a body that was covered in bruises, scars, and ink colored blood. But now there was no doubt in Grace's mind; he was still breathing.
"his body will die, but his soul will stay behind; he wants to see." Marie said as she drew a series of symbols on the floor.
What the hell did she mean by that?! As Marie started the prayer, Grace knelt next to the bed. she stroked her hand over her father's wrist.
"the pain will be severe, but take comfort; after this he will never feel pain again". said Marie as she finished the prayer. but those words did not even begin to describe what Grace saw.
Elements from the house started to float around them in a fog. Wood, stone, metal, attaching to his skin, absorbing to his flesh, shutting down his internal organs one by one.
first his liver, kidneys, intestines- all grinding to a halt. Any screams would have been muffled by geyser of black blood he vomited uncontrollably from his mouth. Grace's hand stroked over his fingers, and perhaps more disturbing then anything else; she felt him trying to hold her hand. "I'm so sorry daddy."
The fog burned out his eyes, reducing them to black slime before coating his hair a silvery white and his skin, a metallic golden color.
Lastly his heart was still beating. Marie leaned over the body and touched a blade to his lips. she dragged the blade from his lips to his chest where she made a large dramatic cut. She reached in a touched his beating heart, gently caressed it - then lifted it out, still attached to the body by various tendons and arteries.
"I have fulfilled my end of the bargain." As Marie said those words, the heart detached itself, forming a perfect black blood covered heart.
"and per your request, she will now learn of our bargain." Marie continued. She held the heart over Grace's head. Grace, naturally looked up. blood fell in her eyes. she screamed then immediately fell in to a deep sleep.