Demona's strange request started pestering Detective Maza from the moment she left the castle and continued throughout the day. Demona was among Elisa's least favorite topics to ponder and, most of the time, she was easily able to ignore her existence, even while interacting with the rest of the clan. Goliath made efforts to avoid them seeing one another unless necessary and the clan rarely spoke of her to Elisa unless she specifically asked, which she rarely did. But from the moment she had seen them, the image of Goliath kissing Demona so passionately had become a poisonous presence Elisa couldn't seem to push her from her mind. Now, after being confronted by her and asked to take part in her plot, ignoring her was virtually impossible.
Elisa dreaded the thought of what Demona intended to do to Jason Canmore in order to break this alleged curse. All sorts of horrific scenarios came to mind, and the fact that Demona was unwilling to share her scheme with Goliath suggested that horror was not at all unlikely. What puzzled Elisa the most, was the fact that Demona had chosen to confide in her and ask for her help. Surely, even in her demented mind, she realized that Elisa would never agree to go behind Goliath's back, even if she could be convinced that Demona wasn't planning something bloodthirsty and evil. Elisa thought about it all the way home to her apartment, and it continued to gnaw at her as she showered and prepared for what should have been a peaceful sleep before she had to head to her shift.
She found she couldn't sleep though. What if Demona was telling the truth about a curse, and the clan's safety really did depend on it being broken? Elisa knew that it was far more likely that Demona had made up this motive, and merely sought to use Jason as a means to lure his bloodthirsty brother into her own vengeful trap, but the idea of a curse still bothered Elisa.
She thought of Jason, with whom she had shared a brief, but intense friendship. He was a good man. She was sure of that. He had proven himself to be loving, loyal, and brave. It was incomprehensible to her that the man she knew could be as consumed by hatred as he had been. He had told her that it had been his grief for his father that had caused his sickness, but was it possible there was more to his obsession? Dozens of his ancestors had waged that same war against gargoyles, and surely they weren't all overcome with grief. Jason had told her that several of them had never managed to encounter a gargoyle, despite searching for Demona all their lives. What if Demona was telling the truth, and the Canmores were all indentured into a generational curse?
But Jason and his sister had beaten it, Elisa reasoned. They had stopped hating gargoyles and given up the hunt, of their own free will. How could they be under a curse? But then Elisa considered Jason's brother, who had taken the hunt over, in full force. Was the curse satisfied as long as there was always one Hunter? Was Jason only free to abandon the hunt because his brother had taken his place?
Elisa sighed, glancing at the alarm clock by her bedside. She had only a few hours left to sleep. She hadn't heard from Jason in some time. After his injury, he'd remained in New York for a couple years, receiving surgeries and therapy at the best hospitals. Elisa had been a frequent visitor at the rehabilitation hospital where he stayed for months, and the apartment he'd kept for some time after. Then one day, she realized she hadn't heard from him in a while, and she went to visit him when she was in his neighborhood, only to discover another tenant had moved into his apartment. She had called his number a few times, to see how he was, but had received no answer.
Elisa picked up the cellular phone that Lexington had given her. It was her main form of communication when dealing with the parts of her life that were "not police business." Jason's number was still in the directory. She had not yet deleted it, still holding on to hope that he would want to talk to her again. Not really sure what she hoped to gain, she dialed the number, and was surprised when she immediately heard his voice stating his name and to leave a message.
She had a brief moment of panic, as she realized that she hadn't expected the number to be good anymore and hadn't really prepared what to say. Quickly, she stuttered out a greeting and told him that she had been thinking about him and wondered if he was still in town or not. Unable to come up with anything else to add, she left a return number and hung up.
Quite surprised and a little bit regretful, Elisa lay the phone back down on her nightstand. She had initiated contact, and though she wasn't at all confident that she would receive a response, she hoped to be more prepared if she did.
She got in a couple hours of troubled sleep before preparing for her shift. It was a long evening after having very little rest, but as soon as she was off the clock, she headed for the castle to speak to Goliath.
Elisa found him in the courtyard, already having a discussion with Xanatos. Goliath was not at all happy to hear that Demona had attempted to involve Elisa in her newest plot, but was greatly disheartened to learn that she sought to do so behind his back.
"Goliath, is this curse even real?" Elisa asked him, "Or is she making it up as an excuse to seek revenge on the Hunter?"
Goliath seemed to hesitate before giving his answer, while Xanatos studied him curiously.
"I believe that she believes it is real," he replied diplomatically.
"Another self-delusion?" Elisa groaned in reply.
"Not necessarily," Goliath explained, "She hasn't really told me what reason she has to believe this curse exists but I have seen some evidence that suggests it may."
"Like what?" Elisa asked with a hint of concern. She hadn't really expected to hear that Goliath was taking Demona seriously and after what she'd witnessed the previous night, the idea unnerved her.
"While we were with her on this quest, Adelpha received aid from several individuals," he told her, "And they all seemed to act as if they believed there was merit to her mission."
"Who?" Elisa demanded, "And how would they know?"
Goliath hesitated. He knew he could not tell his friend about much of the voyage, without betraying their promise to Cato.
"Titania was one, amongst others," he replied finally, "And though our sister can be very cunning and charming, I highly doubt she has the power to deceive the Queen of the Fairfolk.
"I guess you've got me there," Elisa admitted.
"While she was on Avalon," Goliath continued, "She had to face a trial in order to prove she was worthy to wield a source of magic that she believes she can use to break the curse."
"And did she?" Xanatos prodded.
"She received the magical gem stone, but she hasn't told me how she intends to use it or what exactly it will do that will break the spell. The fairy that gave it to her, is known as 'the Healer' though. Perhaps she believes his magic can heal the hatred that exists between herself and the Hunter?"
"I know Owen has been helping her as well," Xanantos added, "I've asked him what he was up to repeatedly, but all he tells me is that his aid is necessary."
"Do you know anything about this curse?" Elisa demanded of Xanatos, not particularly optimistic about his willingness to answer honestly. .
"I don't," he replied, "At least no more than Goliath has already explained. I had no idea about the magical gem stone and I have no guess of what exactly she intends to do with it."
Goliath sighed.
"You think we should let her meet him, don't you?" Elisa asked him incredulously, "Goliath, who knows what this gem will do? She could kill him! And don't you think it's at least a little strange that this whole time, she hasn't told you what she intends to do with this magic? Her surprise endings don't have the best track record."
"You are right, of course," Goliath agreed, glancing from her face to Xanatos', "I will speak with her and try to find out what she is planning. You can attempt to contact Jason Canmore, and see if he is willing to come, but before Adelpha will see him, she has a lot of questions to answer!"
Goliath wasn't able to question Demona about her intentions before their patrol, because she was with Angela and the two other female gargoyles, waiting for Angela's egg to be born. Now that Angela had her mother to watch over her, Broadway was comfortable leaving her to patrol with the others while his mate rested and waited. Only one watcher was necessary, and Demona assured Ophelia and Linnet that she would call them on the radio if Angela began her labor. The two young ones were torn, for they were fascinated with the new city and particularly, the new warriors they had just met, but they found themselves drawn back to the rookery.
"Lexington and Brooklyn took us for a glide around the island," Linnet informed her leader with a slightly self-conscious smile, "They were very kind. I think we are going to be good friends."
Despite her apprehensions about introducing her charges to the clan, Demona had to smile along with Linnet and share in her happiness. She and her two brothers had been the only young gargoyles in their clan in Scotland and she was glad that Linnet was finally meeting other gargoyles her own age. Ophelia and Angela, on the other hand, had grown up with no lack of peers to play and quarrel with, but always yearning for elders of their own kind to guide them. All three, she realized, had been deprived of younger siblings to bond with, so it shouldn't have been a surprise to her that they were drawn to Angela's side at this time.
"I was so worried that you weren't going to be here in time," Angela confided in her, before falling asleep, "I never had any older sisters to learn from, so I have no idea what to do when the time comes."
"You do know what to do," Demona assured her daughter, "You just don't know that you know yet."
"We were raised by human parents," Ophelia explained, "They loved us and they did their very best with what they had, but I worry that I never learned what I should have about caring for eggs and children."
Her worries brought on a wave of sentiment for Demona, as well as compassion for the three young ones.
"Even surrounded by clan elders and my older sisters to guide me, I remember I once felt the same as you," Demona confessed to them.
"When I was young, our clan held a tradition when young females came of age. It always occurred at the end of the summer that marked the last of our childhoods. This was always a rookery summer for the older brothers and sisters of the clan, and by the end of it, the rookery was crowded with a new clutch of eggs as well as a group of older hatchlings, still too young to be allowed far from the rookery. This arrangement provided a perfect chance for instruction and one later-summer night, our older sisters came and fetched my sisters and me from our combat training and took us into the rookery in order to teach us to care for our clan's children.
For several nights, we left our brothers at sunset and stayed among our older sisters, playing with and caring for the rambunctious and endearing hatchlings. It was a joyful occasion for us, but I couldn't enjoy it completely as I was burdened with worry.
You see, I knew that aside from learning to train and care for the little ones properly, we would be expected to nourish them as well and I was afraid that I wouldn't know how. I was accustomed to being praised as a warrior, usually regarded among the first of my sisters for strength and cleverness. But mothering children was not going to be accomplished by my own will or intellect, but by instinct and nature, and I anticipated that if I failed in this regard, I would be shamed for it and never considered a proper, grown member of the clan. I even feared that if I could not be counted on to care for our clan's children, I might not be allowed to choose a mate at all, which was a thought that devastated me.
My anxiety only increased as I watched many of my sisters gather a distressed hatchling under their wings to comfort them, and as naturally as a bird takes to the air, they soon had them at their breast. But still I couldn't understand how I was to do the same. My older sisters comforted and encouraged me. They assured me that nursing these older hatchlings would be easy as, unlike the newborns, they were already strong, healthy, and well accustomed to it. They showed me how to hold the little ones properly, and several of the hatchlings tried in vain to draw milk from me, but when none came for them they quickly gave up and went to another.
Several nights passed without my discovering the elusive secret and I was left so discouraged and humiliated that I was coming to the childish conclusion that I was unjustly being asked for more than I could give. An elder sister, who was known by the whole clan to have a sharp, candid tongue, found me sulking alone in a corner and said,
"Why do you hide back there? Are you not a member of this clan? Come here at once, then, and help feed your children!"
Embarrassed, I gave her an impertinent scowl, but she would not be dissuaded by insolence and she took me aside, telling me firmly that she meant to have me nursing a hatchling before the night was through. Feeling defeated and ashamed, I immediately let my frustration grow into a rage and I clapped back at my elder and insisted that any halfwit could nurse hatchlings and I had a much greater future than simply caring for children.
Clearly unimpressed with all my self-proclaimed greatness, she replied, "Is that so, my conceited little sister? Well, we'll have to see about that."
She went among a group of little ones gathered at the center of the cavern and selected a particularly energetic and portly little hatchling, who had not yet been fed and was squalling frantically as he wandered among the younger sisters, all of whom already held a nursing hatchling, and the older sisters, each of whom refused him.
"Have no fear, my dear ones," my older sister proclaimed as she fetched the fretful child and placed him in my arms, "This stout little lad could draw milk from a stone! I'm certain he can help us draw the mother out from even this incorrigible, cheeky lass!"
Indeed, there was little required of me as the eager child found his place in my arms, his tears of hunger still shining on his sweet face. He found his latch almost immediately, but quickly became just as frustrated as his brothers and sisters had. Lifting his face, he looked at me in sorrow and began to cry pitifully. I held him tight to comfort him and stroked his head and his wings, trying desperately to calm him. He tried to nurse again unsuccessfully, and became inconsolable. I felt my own eyes brimming with tears of helplessness as his wails seemed to tear at my heart.
"Don't give up," the elder encouraged me. She drew closer and though her words and expression were strict and resolute, her touch was gentle as she attempted to teach me.
"Won't you feed him?" I pleaded with her, "Don't you hear how the poor babe suffers?"
She told me, "He is only vexed because he has usually had both milk and meat by this time, and he is hungry. But he isn't suffering."
"How he cries!" I exclaimed anxiously, "Surely it would be better if you fed him first, and calmed him?"
"Nay, young one," she replied, "Those cries are meant for your ears. He'll get nothing tonight unless it comes from you."
Of course, this caused me terrible distress. It was as if the little hatchling was in pain because of my failure. My sister seemed unconcerned, however, as she settled close beside me and stroked my hair, speaking to me of my future and all that was expected of a grown warrior in our clan. I grew calmer as I listened, coming to understand the importance of the bonds that connected our people from generation to generation, allowing for the survival of our clan.
"There's no doubt that you have many gifts, Sister. It may be that you are, indeed, destined for great things. But may you never forget that, to a hungry or frightened child, a simple act of self-giving means much more than any great feat of courage, strength, or cunning. And so it is for a tired elder, a discouraged rookery sibling, or your own future mate. We are all bound to each other. That's what it means to be a clan."
At that moment, my sister's words were interrupted by the soft sigh of the child in my arms. I looked down to find his deep, curious eyes studying me as he was at last able to draw nourishment from my breast. He paused for a moment to smile at me and I was delighted to spy a dribble of milk on his face. Then his eyes closed sleepily as he continued."
Demona stopped her story for a moment, gazing into space, almost as if she'd forgotten about her three young listeners entirely. She had known such peace in that moment. She knew her role in the clan and looked forward immensely to serving it. She was promised to a lover in whom she had complete faith, and she was very soon to be made forever his. It may have been her last moment of perfect peace. For as soon as she was released from her training in the rookery, she was required to return to the service of the Archmage who, enraged at her absence, had an assignment waiting for her that was very crucial to his plans. It was this assignment that would bring her to the prophetic meeting with her future self. The visions she would receive would steal her innocence and forever marr her spirit with fear.
"We were so well loved, my sisters and I," Demona reflected softly, "How I wish you had known them."
The bittersweet moment was interrupted by the arrival of Broadway and a tray of food. He peeked around the doorway into the quiet room, as if afraid to wake his beloved, but smiled when he found them all sitting together talking.
"We're back from our patrol," he informed them as he laid the tray in front of Angela and settled beside her, "There's a whole supper waiting for you girls in the dining room. Brooklyn and Lexington are already there and they were hoping you would like to come up and eat with them. And Goliath wants to see you, Adelpha."
"Oh?" Demona replied, "Why does he wish to see me?"
"Not sure," Broadway replied, "But he caught me on the way down and asked me to tell you that he needs to talk to you before sunrise and he'll be in the library."
"Very well," she replied, rising to her feet. The others rose as well, both clearly pleased by the invitation, and they left Angela alone with her beloved.