Lesbian Vampire Ch. 04 - That Which Haunts You

"Why?" he asked.

"Lucy had been to the lab before and let vampires in." Rhea sighed, "She sells magickal goods. Maybe she thought she could get some money for it." Or this whole thing is some sort of trap, she wondered to herself.

"And she let you see the body first?" asked Kivan. "And why give you a secret notebook that cost millions of dollars when she didn't have to let you know either even existed?" He spoke at a clipped, precise cadence. He had a point. "She might not be doing this for the good of humanity," acknowledged Kivan with a shrug of his shoulder, "but, for whatever reason, it sounds like she wants this guy stopped. Figure out why, you'll understand her better." Her body slowly relaxed with tension she had not been aware of, hearing Kivan was not immediately suspicious of the vampire.

Kivan opened his mouth to speak, then paused, as if he was choosing his words very carefully. Gently, he asked, "Do you...need to understand her better?"

"Lucy has been really helpful," said Rhea. "It's funny," she continued, "Lucy actually sort of saved me." She smiled. Kivan gave a clipped "Hmm."

"Parts have been challenging," she added, measured. Kivan had hearing like a bat and would seize on any faltering in her voice. She'd learned to recognize the scrutiny in his eyes whenever she was saying something he found questionable. A fly buzzed by Rhea's ear and she waved it away.

"What's been challenging?" he asked. She swallowed.

"A dead body that won't rot is a new one," she said. Kivan nodded slowly, "And I can't say personally I've heard of a fire tornado," he said, "But I've been around awhile and I know that nothing's impossible. And if it can be created, it can be uncreated."

Rhea trusted his hope.

"Lucy thinks the spell came from necromancy," said Rhea.

Kivan thought for a moment. His eyes, deep brown, softened as he considered Rhea's worlds. "It would make sense. But to take magick from the material world and apply it to one of spirit? That would take a lot of power. Although," he added, "that might explain why they stole the body."

"What do you mean?" asked Rhea.

"A binding spell would still need an earthly source. There's just no other way," explained Kivan. "And I bet the body is that material source."

"Of course," she muttered. The body was a magickal origin point; it was part of a spell. It's lack of decay was just a symptom of the greater magick.

"It has to be crucial to whatever they are doing," said Kivan. "Otherwise, why risk exposing themselves?" A fly again buzzed her, this time colliding with her eyebrow. Rhea flinched and waived it away. She must have left the window open in the bathroom.

"How did I not see this?" she said aloud, mostly to herself, and bewildered.

"You're distracted," suggested Kivan. Rhea froze. He continued, "You almost died. Which, I might add, we are going to tell Greta after this whole thing is settled."

Rhea nodded. "I guess, yeah--I've been distracted."

"Hmm," Kivan said again.

Rhea narrowed her eyes. "I guess it's just hard to accept a witch would do this," she said. She walked towards the bathroom, still holding the phone in front of her face.

"And see, that's what's going to mess with your head," responded Kivan. "Magick doesn't concern itself with right or wrong; it's intent and energy. When we use a binding spell to keep students from talking, the magick isn't concerned with the greater good or the morality of it. It's about enforcing our will on others."

Rhea paused and stood in the middle of the room, listening to Kivan intently. "We aim for integrity," he shrugged. "The students consent to the bind to learn our secrets. But that's a human decision-- our traditions come from generations of trial, error, and cooperation. Necromancy opens the door to enormous power, and our traditions are how we choose to use it. Our traditions keep us safe and how we keep others safe from us."

Like the tradition of eschewing vulnerability to vampires, thought Rhea. She winced.

"It's not the magick itself deciding who to obey based on some moral compass," said Kivan. "Abandon the idea that magick is somehow righteous. Imagine yourself, as the witch who did this-- still as powerful as you are but unbound by tradition. Try to understand why the killer wanted them dead." His plain words gave her hope-- this was ultimately the work of a witch, like her. Rhea could stop this. There was no other choice.

The fly buzzed by her ear again and she moved towards the bathroom.

"Would you feel better if someone from the island came out to help you?" he asked.

Rhea paused. "We're- The vampire and I are headed up to the mountain coven when the sun goes down. Trying to meet up might be tough with timing. Sunset and all." Rhea said.

Kivan looked at her strangely. "You're going out of town?"

"The witches in the mountains are the only ones who knew her." answered Rhea.

"And you'll be safe with the vampire?" asked Kivan. Rhea paused at the door, "Yeah, I'll be fine," she said lightly. Kivan nodded and said, "And you know I'm always here if you need me."

Rhea nodded as she walked into the bathroom and saw the open window. "Lucy said a ton of necromancers go up to learn sex magick," she added, gleeful.

"Oh?" he answered, eagerly.

"She wouldn't tell me anything," said Rhea, "but we'll see what I find out when we get there."

"Ok, well, keep me updated," he asked.

"Of course," said Rhea. She stood before the open bathroom window.

"Wait!" said Kivan suddenly. "if corpse was stolen for it's magick, why leave it in a hotel to be discovered in the first place?"

"Hmm," answered Rhea, "Maybe the killer was derailed somehow?" Rhea slid the window shut. "It just seems like endless questions, the more we push," she said.

There was a dead fly on the windowsill, lying motionless on it's back.

"Stay alert," said Kivan. "Last thing then I have to go; I know a researcher in Spain might have some information on what's happening with the body. Madrid is 9 hours ahead and I need to call him soon. And Marcella had another dream about the murder."

"Oh?" said Rhea.

"Nothing new," said Kivan, "except for the word 'cedar.' She said the word 'cedar' kept coming through."

"Ok," Rhea said with a smile. "And you're going to see what you can find out about the auction where that notebook came from?"

"Yes ma'am!" said Kivan, jovial.

"Thanks, Kivan. Love you lots."

"Love you too," he disconnected.

Rhea's eye caught the mirror; her reflection was bleeding from its eyes. The hair of Rhea's neck stood on end. Fine crimson streaks like tears poured down her face. Her eyes glazed in translucent white. The glass began to wobble and Rhea saw a hairline fracture. She ducked beneath the sink.

The mirror exploded out and shards of glass rained down over her.