71. Life After Death

Last chapter…

Pili took Raet and Nafi out to see how the new yard was coming along; they all agreed the view was nice and stuff, and Nafi volunteered to come help decorate, and maybe Anubis will have to live there also because he fights a lot with Kebs.

Back in the village Horus and the kids watched Nubbins and Kebs go at it (not like that…yet), and Hattie told Horus he’d be a pretty good stand in until she was old enough for a hostile takeover or something;Nafi’s twins gave zero fucks.

Vampire Pili and his roomie Khaf finished building a temple in some forest, and then Khaf was suddenly like “okbai” and jumped on a magic Well (should be fine, turned out okay for everyone else so far, right?); Pili was sad.

Also, some Waldo guy with a red shirt met a sticky end after losing his glasses and stumbling allergies first into a toothsome monster lady.

Onward!

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Persephone

By the time they arrived at Primrose Pennyroyal’s home, the terrible prickling had escalated into full blown currents of dread.

It had been an age since a strong premonition had assaulted her senses in this way, and she chastised herself for not recognizing it immediately…had this unexpected journey through time diminished her so greatly after all?

Perhaps it was the ill conceived age regression; she wasn’t surprised, really…there was always a price for magic of that sort.

Regardless, as her feet touched the grass the bubble of urgency popped, and Persephone knew she was too late; the feeling of dread gave way to a terrible sadness.

“Mother…I think I heard someone scream–?”  Orion didn’t seem very pleased to have come after all.

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“Wha–?”

“It came from the kitchen…”

“SOMEONE HELP, PLEASE!”

“THERE’S SO MUCH BLOOD!”

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…

“I’ve set my sons to cleaning the…room,” and she would inspect their work personally to see to it that no traces of violence remained, “did Holly come?”

“She did; her and Kalvin took Bella and Callie home…Prim’s locked herself in the study though,” Cassie’s sadness filled the air between them, “she won’t respond to anyone, not even Balsam…”

“I will remain here and keep watch over her, of course,” the weight of responsibility lay heavily in Persephone’s chest; if only she’d come sooner, “you should take your daughter home, Cassandra…”

“…she grieves for her friend,” the fairy glanced over to where the youngsters stood, “and I believe, also, that your son is beginning to spark in this light–”

“Figures that that’s the one vampire thing he’d get right,” sighed Cassie.

“I don’t suppose she saw anything that might point to the party responsible for this horror?”

“A man, she said,” an undercurrent of hatred seeped over Cassie’s aura of sorrow, “tall and dark haired…I’d bet my life it was Anubis.”

“Your son’s Sire?  But why would he do such a thing?”

“Because he’s evil of course!”  Cassie fairly snarled with the accusation, “evil people don’t need a reason for what they do, they just go around ruining everyone’s lives for the pleasure of it!”

“M-mother,” the boy cut in sheepishly, still clutching his weeping sister, “ah, I am beginning to feel–ah…rather combustible?”

“I will not keep you any longer,” the scent of lightly seared flesh wafted past her nose, “but I promise to keep you abreast of any further developments.”

A small twinge of concern settled in her mind over the woman’s fixation with this vampire…but what harm could she do on her own?  Perhaps none, but it bore setting one of the boys to watch her, just in case.

Cassandra’s glare was a palpable thing, “you’d better.”

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Cassandra

Artemis’s grief was…unexpected.

“Oh sweetheart,” she settled herself down next to her youngest child, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you’d take it so hard…”

Was this only an outpouring exacerbated by hormones?  Had they been closer than she’d thought?  It didn’t make sense, but many things didn’t make sense, lately.

Mosi arguing with her…Artemis weeping…Selene dressing like, well, Artemis.  It occurred to Cassie, then, that perhaps she didn’t know her children as well as she’d imagined.

“Or maybe everything is changing.”

The light filtered down from above and caught the facets on her wedding band, and as she held her sobbing child, something within her finally came undone.

“He did this,” she murmured, “he ruined everything,” Oly and Perseus, Mosi…Pili; it was all that monster’s fault!  Everything had been so wonderful before he’d come along with his smirking and his threats.

“Don’t you worry, my love,” she whispered, eyes still fixed on her sparkling ring, “mommy will make him pay for what he’s done to us…”

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Celina

Celina wasn’t certain when the melancholy had set in.

Was it before, or after she and Colton had gotten the wonderful news that they were expecting a fourth child?

Perhaps after.

Had it come on gradually?  Or had it suddenly appeared one morning and taken her this long to notice?  Celina couldn’t say for certain, but she felt as though it had been sudden.

Once upon a time she’d enjoyed her morning walks with Spud, but even on a lovely day, the sun seemed dim and cold.

Each morning the birds chirped outside her window as she sat at her vanity to ready herself for the day…but their songs were more irritating than uplifting.

Everything was grey…but what did she have to be sad about?

Grace and Kevin were bright, beautiful children…and for all their energetic ways, they were studious and thoughtful, and always minded their manners.

Ryan was what one would generally call an ‘easy’ baby; not overly fussy about meals, a willing napper, and happy to be passed around with a smile always ready on his lips.

Colton was a kind, hardworking man, and a devoted husband and father; he brought her flowers for no reason, always remembered important dates, cleaned up after himself, and still looked at her like she was the sun in his blue skies.

But no amount of sweet smiles could warm her.

The days passed in a gloom, and Celina’s heart grew ever more burdened.

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Cassandra

Kalvin had made surprisingly little fuss when Cassie had shown up on the Blackthorne doorstep asking to see his mother in law…

…though he’d warned her neither witch was in any frame of mind to receive visitors.

Distantly, she noted that she should feel sorry for them, but there was no room in her heart for anything else at the moment; the grief of her friends would have to wait.

“Cassandra…?”  Belladonna’s voice was hoarse; Cassie had never seen her eyes so full of defeat.

“Bella, I need to speak with your cousin Jerry.”

If they could not have back what they’d lost, at least they would have satisfaction.

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Footnotes:

Admit it; you didn’t think I’d kill Oly (to be fair, Oly probably didn’t think so either).  Well, now everything is just a horrible mess!  But that’s good, because it means we get to untangle the mess, and that’s always a hoot, right?  Right.

Cassandra tho; what’s that broad up to? O.O

/Runs away to hide in case pitchforks incoming 😬

HAPPY SIMMING!?