Lost Bloodlines Ch. 08

"Aqua!" she yelled jubilantly, which would have been much sweeter if it hadn't been right in my ear. The mischievous turquoise-haired girl and I shared a knowing look as we were pressed close against Victoria's generous chest.

"Are you trying to send me back to the hospital, you big goof?" Aqua managed to squeak from the tight double embrace, and I heard Victoria gasp before we were both dropped quickly back to our feet. The Amazonian teenager began running her hands worriedly over the siren as if searching for damage, but Aqua batted her off playfully. "I was kidding! I'm okay, I promise."

"It's good to have you back to normal, Aqua." I spoke. I reached up a hand and ran it lightly along the soft skin of the siren's neck. "Is everything really working alright?"

Aqua nodded quickly. "I think so. I haven't tried the singing thing, but I feel the same as I was, you know, before..." she swallowed heavily before continuing, her eyes shining as she looked at me. "Thank you, Lilith."

I tilted my head. "For what? Barbas did all the work."

The siren shot me a look. "For keeping your promise, stupid." I just wordlessly accepted her thanks with a guilty smile, and hugged her lightly again.

"Ahem." Someone coughed discreetly behind me, and I reluctantly separated myself from Aqua. The two figures beside Aqua that I had completely ignored in my rush to get to her were waiting expectantly. Elena, bedecked in her nondescript black robe and wielding her wooden staff, stood next to Cyri, the newly transformed werewolf watching our reunion happily.

"If you're done with the pleasantries, I did bring you all here for a reason." Elena said with a wry smile. Her robe swished past me as she walked purposely towards the center of the room. I shared a shrug with Aqua before turning to follow the witch, and she was immediately swarmed again by Victoria, this time with Sam and Draco joining in happily.

I felt a nudge to my shoulder as I followed behind Elena, and turned my head to see Cyri falling into step with me. Her cascading wave of brown ringlets partially concealed her face, but the hesitant smile and the swift wagging of the tail behind her demonstrated her feelings clearly.

"Hey." She said softly.

"Hey." I replied with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

She beamed a look of happiness my way. "Amazing. Almost can't believe I'm back to the old me." Her fuzzy ears twitched on top of her head. "Well," she continued abashedly, "mostly."

I nudged her shoulder back. "Old Cyrilla wears werewolf girl way better, if you ask me."

She blushed lightly, and just said "Thanks," in a small voice. She seemed to want to say something else, but a small shadow fell over her expression, and she just left it at that.

Before I could question the hesitant werewolf about that little tell, Elena's booming voice rang out. "Gather around kids, I don't want to have to shout this whole time!" Dutifully, my group of monstrous friends formed a half-circle around the witch as she settled in the rough center of the open floor, one of squat marble plinths directly to her left.

"Kids?" Sam questioned. "I'm thirty."

The witch's return stare was withering. "And I just hit two hundred and three last August, you're all kids to me." At our skeptical looks, she just cackled. "I know, I don't look a day past a hundred. The miracle of daily demonic rituals and yoga." In truth, the woman looked to be in her fifties, and seemed fit and active even for that age. Well, we had already basically guessed that the wizards could get supernaturally old, I couldn't say it was too much of a shock.

Elena continued. "And since I'm such a kind and knowledgeable old witch, I figured it best that I teach you all a thing or two about the mess you've all just landed in. Magic."

"Pretty sure we already got a handle on that, Glinda." Aqua butted in. She crossed her arms and tossed her hair dramatically. "We've been through some shit already, if you didn't know."

Unperturbed, the witch replied smoothly. "Indeed you have, and you all have taken steps to understanding your natural abilities. Very admirable, even if I understand it was often under less-than-ideal circumstances." That was a bit of an understatement. The frantic testing of the CDC and the battles at the camp and on the highway didn't leave much room for choice on figuring out what the hell we could do now. "But that is all it was. Your first steps. To be frank, you're still practically infants compared to a natural-born member of your species." Elena's eyes flashed. "You've got a lot of catching up to do."

"Alright, we get it." Victoria said. "You're the master, we're the students. Teach us your wise ways, oh great one."

"Your sarcasm won't be much of a help when you have to face down a battle-hardened flight of Valkyries, young lady." Elena chided, her eyes shifting to Draco. "And Satan help you if you were to fight a dominance bout with a full-grown dragon. Ancestor guidance or not, you'd both be dead in minutes." Sufficiently chastised, there were no more wise remarks from my friends as Elena paused dramatically.

"No more snide comments? Good, then let's begin." Elena's staff flashed with red light, and she rapped it twice on the marble tiles below us. Magical light blasted outward from the point of the impact, forming a circle around our small group. I took a startled step back, and my foot passed through some sort of hazy red symbol taking form just above the ground. Quickly, I moved out of the way. Dozens more of the little symbols were forming along the ring of the circle, simple stylized pictures. Some were obvious in the depiction: a skull, a tree, a lightning bolt, a wave. Others less so, being made up of swirling lines and indecipherable figures.

"Magic takes many forms," The witch began. "Though all magic is powered through a living soul, its manifestations and applications are many and varied." She gestured towards the ring of floating symbols. "The simplest form of magic is elemental. This involves tapping into a natural elemental force in the world and shaping it to your whim. Fire, electricity, life, death, and many more. The ability to channel elemental magic is innate, and cannot be taught, though natural talent can of course be improved. This form of magic is most common in human magi. Most have access to one or two elemental domains, but certain powerful figures have had considerably more."

She rapped her staff again on the ground and the symbols disappeared. Elena eyed us critically as we stared back curiously. "Don't go getting your hopes up about flinging around fire or growing trees, none save the dragon here have the capacity to channel elemental magic." She paused a moment to examine me in particular. "And to some extent you as well, Lilith, though through much different circumstances." I opened my mouth to question, but she cut me off swiftly. "We'll get to that later."

"What you know as your abilities are aspects of monstrous magic. These manifestations of power are unique to each species of monster, though you are not guaranteed to possess all of them." Elena stepped close to Aqua, tapping her staff again meaningfully on the ground. The siren gasped as swirls of red magic like waves rose and crashed around her body, interspersed with small musical notes and hearts that shimmered in and out of view. "For example, sirens have the capacity to produce music that can alternatively seduce or madden their victims. Some also have control over water, magical persuasion, and even flight. Aqua could have all of these abilities or just one, though the strength behind the magic depends upon the individual and their age."

Elena took a breath and waited for a moment, eyebrow raised as if waiting for a question. When it never came, her lesson continued unabated.

"Despite the name, monstrous power isn't actually limited to monsters, however. Certain humans are able to form a...bond, with a monster. This might come about from a contract, pact, ritual, or even love, believe it or not. Part of the monster's power is shared with the human, and they become able to channel magic within the domain of their bonded partner. These are known as ritualists: witches and warlocks colloquially." She smiled. "One such as myself. When not gifted with elemental magic, ritualism offers a quick path to magic for a human. Assuming they can find the right monster, of course. Bonds can be tricky like that."

Feeling rather stupid, I tentatively raised a hand. The witch quirked a brow but indicated that I could speak. "And...does this kind of magic need actual parts of monsters? With say...a succubus horn, for instance?"

Elene's eyes narrowed, and then she grimaced. "It...can, yes. Where did you hear of such a thing? Did the Firstborn tell you?"

I snorted. "Ha! No, she doesn't tell me anything helpful if she can't help it." She had actually been exceptionally quiet since her assistance with Cyri's transformation. I would have been suspicious if I hadn't felt so relieved to be alone in my own head for a little while. "No, I think I've run into some of these 'ritualists' before. Trying to enslave me. Honestly, I'm not a fan."

"Channelers," Elena spat. "A twisted mockery of my art. Rather than using a bond for power, some humans use artifacts taken from monsters as fuel for their spells. Whether the monsters consent to it or not." She eyed me speculatively. "Did Lord Lucifer explain the Pact to you?"

"The what?"

The witch sighed and ran a hand down her face, exasperated. "Of course he didn't. We don't have time to go into that right now, but suffice it to say, ritualists are divided into those who support monsters...and those who police them. The Channelers, and by extension, the Conclave of Magi, fall into the latter camp."

"And that's just...allowed?" I sputtered. "Humans can just carve off pieces of dead monsters for magic? Or even kill them for it? The Seats allow that? Speaking of which, why the hell were they allowed to try to enslave me? Or the hundreds of monsters they took from the camps? Are the Seats doing anything about that!?"

Elena was unfazed by my barrage, but at least looked mildly apologetic. "I'm sorry, Lilith, but it's complicated. Technically, as neither you nor the Turned we claimed by a Seat...yes, the Conclave was well within their rights to seize you. But that is over now; the Turned have all been claimed by the Eight and the Conclave is none of your concern any longer."

I was fuming. Aqua was almost killed, and it's all just water under the bridge? Nothing to worry about? That smug cackle of the green wizard still keeps me up at night, and it's not my concern? I think Elena could see that I was very much not going to accept that bullshit on any level, and she raised her hands placatingly.

"My lady, it's all just very...political. If you truly seek recompense from the Conclave, then perhaps the Consuls may be able to help you." The witch did actually manage to crack a smile under tension. "I'm sure Lord Lucifer would do just about anything for you if you only asked nicely."

I sighed. "You'd be surprised. Alright, elemental, monstrous, ritual, what else?"

Elena seemed to at least appreciate my ability to move on swiftly. She gestured towards Sam and Victoria. "The only other major branch of magic would be divine. Used by the gods, their empowered followers, and their created monsters. Like these two." She chuckled. "Luckily for us, and unluckily for them, it doesn't exist anymore. There are some artifacts that can channel the remnants of this power, the Ark of the Covenant, Trident of Poseidon, Mimir's Well, et cetera, but those are thankfully rare and under the strict control of the Seats." She paused. "For the most part. Some magical rituals and symbols are still divine in nature and functional, but their use is pretty limited." I wouldn't say being trapped in a Seal of Solomon for eternity counts as 'limited use', but hey, what do I know?

Elena pointed again to the angelic duo. "That means you two will need to rely on your natural monstrous abilities, as divine channeling is no longer an option. Don't worry, you're still plenty formidable without them." She stamped her staff on the tile once more, and the red ring of magic collapsed. She rested a hand on the plinth to her side, and I noticed a few glyphs carved in its surface began to softly glow. "Magic of course is infinitely more complicated than this simple lesson. Soul manipulation, enchantment, artifice, divination, and much more fall into smaller subcategories of ability, but those can wait for another time. It's time we begin the actual training." With a few more staccato taps on the plinth, the glyphs on the pillar began to shine brighter, and the room began to rumble. I impulsively ducked as dust rained down on our heads from above.

"Are we training to survive a building collapse?" Sam yelled over the rumbling, but Elena just smirked at him.

"Hardly," she said, and within a minute, the rumbling had ceased. In its place, three rectangular sections of floor in the empty space had become highlighted in blue light. "Sam, dear, would you go stand within the light for me?" The angel grumbled and side-eyed the witch, but did as she asked. As soon as he stood expectantly within the marked area, however, Elena leveled her blackwood staff at him, the ruby at its top shining menacingly.

"Wait, what are..." I took a step forward, but Elena swiftly let loose a blast of magic from her staff, which streaked towards the shocked angel. He was rocked back by a massive explosion, and the room rumbled threateningly again with the force. I rushed forward to where thick black smoke had enveloped the area where Sam had stood, searching frantically for...whatever was left of him until my foot smacked into something. Reaching down, I felt a shoulder, and immediately extended my wings from the helpful slits in the back of my shirt, beating powerfully to clear the area.

When the smoke had dissipated, Sam was revealed. Completely unharmed, if sprawled on his ass. I spun to face the witch in anger, and she just looked pleasantly surprised.

"Oh good," she clapped her hands. "The enchantment still holds. It's been a few centuries since this floor saw any use."

Sam pushed himself to his feet. "What the hell was that for?"

"For training," Elena smiled. "This room has been warded to turn all attacks, spells, and abilities non-lethal. Standard practice for most training facilities. The Turned troops here will be getting quite a lot of use out of this one now that I've confirmed it's still active."

Sam shot me his best 'why did you get me into this mess' glare, but accepted my helping hand to his feet, immediately checking his wingtips for errant feathers. I turned a speculative eye over the revealed training arena. "So, what, you want us to beat the crap out of each other?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. You all need to practice using your abilities in combat situations, or even discovering new ones. They will be vital in the coming months; of that I am certain."

Within a minute, Elena had separated my friends into two groups, Cyri and Aqua to one side, and the winged trio on the other, giving each terse instructions before sending them in the direction of one of the training fields. I was left unexpectedly alone, with only Aqua giving me a suggestive wiggle of her brows and a little wave before flouncing off to the other side of the room. When Elena returned to face me, I was waiting with arms crossed.

"Is this the point where you tell me I need to defeat my friends working together against me to teach the lesson of independence?"

"Whatever gave you that idea? No, they will be sparring each other this afternoon. I merely wished to speak with you privately."

"About?"

Elena's grin was somehow both motherly and suggestive, in a manner that made me distinctly uncomfortable. "The rather, hmm...unique, nature of your own abilities, Lilith. I was informed that you have manifested both hellfire and a seduction aura, as well as summoned armor. Have there been any other developments we are unaware of?"

I didn't like that somehow everyone in this place already knew far too much about me. On some level I should have realized that I was being watched even back in the prison camp, but it just made me worried that the scrutiny would only increase now that I was in the lion's den. Nevertheless, both Elena's nonthreatening demeanor and her attempted assistance in Cyri's transformation told me that I could perhaps trust her with more information.

"Just one. Lilith, uh, the other Lilith I mean, taught me how to use my voice to persuade others. Magically. I haven't gotten to use that one as much as the others."

The witch nodded sagely. "Mystical persuasion usually doesn't have much of a combat application, but it can be quite effective elsewhere. Assuming that you have a flexible sense of morality, of course."

"Of course," I repeated in a mutter. The ethical implications of being able to talk someone into doing what I wanted were not lost on me. Along with the lust aura, it wasn't something I ever wanted to get used to using all the time. Despite the obvious temptation.

"And have you made the connection yet about where such a power in particular came from?" I could see the witch's gaze flick behind me for a moment as she spoke. Likely at a certain siren if I had to guess.

"Yeah, Lilith told me about that, though she wasn't exactly descriptive. She said something about it being connected to Aqua, about me having a piece of her soul? I'm still not entirely sure how it works."

"Which is why I am here. You see, the Firstborn had certain innate abilities, just like any monster. Hellfire, seduction, illusion, just like many of her succubi and incubi descendants. She had another, however, the one that allowed her to grow into a force to rival even the gods at the height of their power. The Firstborn was naturally adept at a skill I mentioned briefly before: soul manipulation."

I heard a yell behind me and the impact of flesh on flesh. I turned to see Aqua sprawled out on the ground, looking up as Cyri loomed over her, arm outstretched as if she had just delivered a blow. Both the girls seemed surprised, and after a brief pause the werewolf rushed to check on the siren she had just knocked on her ass, her ears drooping worriedly. I couldn't quite hear them from this distance, but I saw Aqua brush her off and bounce back to her feet, assuming some kind of makeshift boxing stance and doing her best to look threatening. I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

Elena seemed to share my mirth. "They'll get used to it. There's a vicious creature in both those girls, and here's a good place to let it out."

Doesn't mean they should have to, I thought. But that was just wishful thinking. I had seen clearly why they needed to learn. "Sorry, what were you saying? Soul manipulation?"

"Indeed. All succubi and incubi have some small talent with it; a way to grow their power and provide sustenance. They harvest a small portion of their sexual partner's soul for consumption, usually without too many noticeable side effects in their victim. It can, of course, be lethal if the demon takes too much, but that has been outlawed for a long time now. This use of their power is a reflection of the first succubus, Lilith herself. Not only could she take a portion of her partner's soul, she could also incorporate it into her own. If her partner was a monster or a magically gifted human, this would result in her developing one of their natural abilities. Such was the case with your tryst with the siren, and gaining her talent for mystical persuasion."

My mind flashed back to my first time with Victoria, that mental image of a droplet of gold falling into the sea, and the metallic glimmer I could still sometimes see in its waves. And her magical golden armor...