Diligo Est Amicitia
Chapter 26: Truth's A Bitch
Peter bent down and swiftly pecked Delancey shyly on the cheek before sitting down beside her.
"Oh, hey." Her grey orbs brightened when she saw who it was.
He gently smiled at her. "Hey."
She cocked her head to one side as if observing him, her eyes tracing over every part of his face. "Are you okay? You look a little… tired."
"That's because I am." He admitted.
A flicker of sympathy showed as she grimaced at him. "Anything I can do about it?"
He shook his head. "No, but thanks."
Delancey merely nodded, sparing another worried glance in his way before returning to her lunch. Before she could completely focus on her chicken and cheese sandwich however, her attention had been snagged by something else.
Two girls had just walked into the cafeteria and Delancey recognized them immediately as Lilith and Jamie whom Peter had often spoken about but he had given no specific details. There had been times when she had wondered about exactly what kind of relationship they had between them but Peter had distracted her, sending her farther and farther away from those disturbing thoughts. Now however, the question resurfaced in her mind and Delancey observed yet another interesting fact; the redhead wasn't with them.
"Your friends look tired." She started.
"Mmm?" Peter's eyes darted over to where Jamie and Lilith sat with the Sons of Ipswich. None of them were eating and all of them looked apprehensive. Two tables away, Sarah and Kate sat together but neither were talking nor touching their trays. They were too busy glaring at Jamie and Lilith and their boyfriends. Or ex-boyfriends, depending on how you looked at it.
"And I don't see Fin." This time, Delancey was looking at her boyfriend and she thought she saw a look of sadness come over his face but when she blinked, it was gone; disappearing as fast as it had come.
"She's uh… sick." Peter said casually. "But she'll be better soon."
"Oh." Delancey nodded. Then she beamed up at him. "If there's a shooting star tonight, I'll wish for her."
Peter smiled softly, placing a hand briefly on Delancey's cheek before taking it away. Delancey loved the skies at night, especially when the stars were shining their brightest. She had once told him that she had wanted to fly past stars and feel the night wind ten thousand feet above the ground. Someday, he thought, I'll bring her up there. But not right now.
-
Lilith chanced a glance at the couple seated happily a few tables in front of them. She sighed contentedly when she saw Peter reach to touch Delancey's right cheek. Well, at least Peter's got someone. She thought. Her eyes then scanned over the faces of the five people seated at the table with her. Everyone looked glum and serious.
"What… was that we saw in the forest?" Tyler.
The Sons of Ipswich had brought her to the basement of the old Colonial house, the headquarters of their little covenant. Lilith had sensed the magic and in normal circumstances, she would have gotten pretty excited but right now, her best friend had just been abducted and she had absolutely no urge to go about asking them details about their own brand of magic.
"Who was that dude who took Fin?" Pogue.
"Who are you?" Reid. So many questions.
It had been only yesterday when Fin had been taken, yet without her presence the minutes seemed to turn to eras. The Lycan Lord had understandably panicked when informed of the situation under which Sun had been abducted. He had raged, he had yelled and he had had fits. The Pack was now turned into a search party, to sleep at sunrise and hunt the Rebellion down the minute the sun had set.
He hadn't been as angry at the four Chosen Ones as he had been before Tyler's birthday party but still… Lilith knew they hadn't been as close as before and that William was trying to do his best for the three of them but with the Council arriving in less than a week, with the Ascension nearing, with the Pack starting to get restless, he had hardly any time to spend with them personally.
"Fin's name… it's just a moniker for Phoenix. And even then, it isn't her real name…"William had given Fin her new name when she accepted her place in the world as an Archos.
"She was born Natale Donata Valerio to Italian parents who moved to America when she was five. But you already know that."
Jamie had covered Deadwood last night with Peter by her side but still nothing. Peter had told her; Jamie had been so frustrated that there wasn't a single clue as to where the Rebellion had taken Fin that she had screamed, a great dragon-like roar that had echoed for what seemed like an eternity around the dense forest.
-- Flashback --
"The Phoenix was the only one of her kind. She lived for eternity and she was the strongest amongst us all."
"You all?" Caleb echoed.
Lilith paused, unsure of what she had just given away before deciding that she would tell the truth, all of it. She was so tired of lying – they all were.
"Look, guys… it's not gonna be what you wanna hear but… just hear me out."
She waited until each of them gave their silent consent before she launched into an explanation, answering every question that had plagued their minds and painting them a bigger picture of the world that they had ever dreamed about.
"So… four thousand, forty-four---"
"Four thousand, four hundred and forty-four years ago." Lilith cut in.
Caleb glared at her but let the correction stand. "Right… and they're all… real?!"
"Uh-huh."
"So, wait… that werewolf we saw in Deadwood that night---" Tyler was finally getting it and so was Reid.
"Wait a minute… what werewolf?" Pogue looked confused.
"Yeah… just something Jamie forgot to clean up." Lilith looked slightly embarassed.
"Jamie?" Reid's forehead creased in perplexity as he tried to figure out how she was coming into the picture. Suddenly, his head shot up. "You were there." He accused. "You and Jamie."
Lilith offered them a small smile. "The Rebellion were hunting and if you didn't Use, you wouldn't be able to See them. Me and Jamie merely intervened."
"But how?" Reid pressed. "I didn't see you… I didn't see either of you."
Lilith stared at him for a moment, and then in the blink of an eye, she had vanished.
"Lilith!"
An empty glass jar suddenly flew across the room, crashing against the wall as if someone had thrown it across the room. Glass shards fell to the floor, raining down on the dusty floor. Lilith reappeared beside the shelf of which the glass jar had once rested.
"Now Use." She commanded before disappearing.
The four of them complied without hesitation. They Saw her, moving towards the fire as if she had never vanished. "Lilith…" Reid called out softly.
She looked him straight in the eyes. "Do you See me? Do you really See me?" But before they could express their uncertainty in the matter, Lilith had taken action. Push it, a little voice in her head had told her. Push it just a little. Let them See who you truly are and let them behold you in wonder and awe, such as has never been known for more than fourty centuries.
Before their dark and horrified eyes, Lilith morphed. Her skin paled until it became a frightening albino white, her human-like fangs lengthened and sharpened itself pressing against her bottom lip and her eyes turned into the same colour as theirs.
And then it was gone and against their will, their Power faded back into the souls awaiting for when it would be needed again. It was like a vision; Lilith was suddenly standing before them and she was back to normal… creamy skin, sparkling blue orbs and a normal set of teeth, no different from theirs.
Her face looked much graver than when she had demonstrated herself and she seated herself upon the wooden crate in the corner. "The thing is," She spoke softly and softly. "Phoenix… is neither on the side of good… or bad. She's a neutral being and anything can sway her over." She paused, her breaths coming in short gasps.
Then she shuddered, willing herself to calm down. "The past three generations have managed to keep themselves on the good side. It's the price for being powerful, I guess. Having to balance yourself lest you turn down the wrong path."
"But…" Caleb hesitated. He was still absorbing all of this in; unsure whether it was all a bad dream or… his life was really that screwed up. First, Chase and now… "But if they were all immortal – as you said – and they were all-powerful… why'd they need successors?"
"Because of the humans." Lilith answered. "The world was changing… it was becoming more modern by the minute and the humans were exploring… they knew one day they'd stumble upon the land where they dwelled - there'd be humans who had the Sight and they'd be facing a worldwide exposure. Guess what? They can't have that. We can't have that."
"So… that's when you formed your little… coven?"
"Uh-huh." Lilith nodded enthusiastically. "They chose to place their spirits inside of human beings so that their legacy could continue. It started with the dragon Extraxi… she guarded the Underworld."
"Jamie…" Caleb guessed.
"Yeah."
"And then there was the Vampire Warrior, strongest of it's kind. Used to be royalty but the title isn't used anymore."
"Lemme guess… you?"
"Right again. Then our predecessors approached Phoenix. She was a spunky little spirit as I remember…" There was a far-off look on her face but only Reid managed to catch on to what she was saying.
"As you remember? Lilith?"
The blonde teen suddenly shook her head wildly as if trying to shake something off. "Uh… yeah… sorry. Look, what I'm trying to tell you is our past… and how important it is for us… for us all to Ascend safely together. Jamie might be the strongest one of us all when Fin's under control but if she ever… goes that way…" Lilith trailed off, leaving the consequences up to their imagination.
"We'll find her, Lils." Pogue reassured his friend. "It'll be okay."
-- End of Flashback --
"My Lord, Minister Maudin requests to have an audience with you." Soren's quiet voice pierced the silence in the deserted courtroom.
William looked up at the lycan, waiting a moment before speaking. "Permission granted."
Soren, relieved, nodded and rushed off. Moments later, the doors burst open to reveal a man, no older than forty, dripping wet from the torrents of rainfall outside. "Honorable Sire…" He began but William put a hand up.
"Save it. Have you found her?"
Maudin had the grace to look embarrassed. "No, my Lord. But a few moments ago, the commander of one of your search parties came back with a message dropped by a Rebellion."
William's head shot up from the scroll of parchment in his hand, which he hastily tossed to the side. "Where is it?"
Maudin produced the sheepskin from his coat pocket, presenting it to the Lycan Lord not without hesitance as if afraid of his reaction. William quickly unrolled it. Inside were written two words, painted in what looked frighteningly like blood but it wasn't what bothered William.
"SHE KNOWS" He read silently. Suddenly angered, he tore up the sheepskin into pieces. Maudin didn't wince.
"Find her! Find Phoenix and bring her back to me!" William yelled.
-
"Phoenix… we meet yet again. How long has it been... three, four hundred years?" Gryphos' cruel lips curled into a smile as he looked down on the proud figure standing on the dirty stone floor of his courtyard.
"Gryphos…" The young woman, known to Ipswich as the very lovely Fin Gray, cast an almost insane look on the griffin lycan with her eyes, now turned a inky black.
"So which young victim have you chosen to carry on that wretched line of yours?" He derided.
"Now that's none of your business." Phoenix spat. "Why don't you just walk out of here, Gryphos? Me against you? Your wouldn't stand a quarter of a chance."
"I absolutely agree. In your current state, which I admit I found impossible until I read the prophecy, you are… the greatest force in the universe."
Phoenix smiled lazily at him. "As much as I love all that suck-up attitude you're giving me, I remain a very busy woman."
She turned with every intention of walking away but his next words stopped her, sending a chill down her spine.
"Does the child know?"
"Know what?" Her voice was low. She knew he was trying to get at something; desperate to keep her there.
"About William."
This time, both Phoenix and Fin worked as one, turning around to face the Rebellion Leader. "What about William?"
"Don't you know?" This time, both his voice and his facial expression were so convincing that Phoenix considered for one moment that Gryphos was trying to tell her something – something true.
"About what?" She forced an edge into her voice and Gryphos visibly winced though he quickly covered up so that his daft minions wouldn't see how much she was intimidating him. "Gryphos!"
"William was the one who hired James… the lycan who seduced Elizabeth Chapman."
A/N: Aah... finally. I've gotten the story back on track. Sorry if this is going at a rather slow pace. There were a lot of characters I had to take into consideration like the development of the relationship between Peter Lycan and Delancey Lane and there was also Jane White but finally Chapter 26 is finished. Add a smiley in your review if you liked this one.
Crickes