~Magic, love and betrayal~
Lisa Cartwright's mundane life, as a demon-killing shadowhunter, was shaken at its foundations by a series of mysterious murders. As she starts her quest, determined to find the cause of these assassinations, she finds th...
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"Mors certa, vita incerta." -Philip K. Dick
The wound has healed completely, she could wake up any moment now. It seemed as if she heard the familiar voice in a dream.
I'm awake, she wanted to shout out, but her whole body was numb. She couldn't even open her eyes to see whose voice rang in her ears.
I don't know what's wrong with her, Marianne. This doesn't seem to have any ties with her injury.
"Well, there must be something, right? Is there really nothing you can do for her?" That was clearly Marianne's voice, she sounded as if she was at her wits' end. Lisa fought the numbness and opened her eyes, blinking at the light. She was lying in her own bed, the sun shining through the window. How long had she slept? Images from the previous night flashed by, the Hydra, the Brownie's wicked laugh. Anna's screams, the dagger sticking out of her back. Even the nauseous feeling returned to her, she could feel her stomach turn.
Marianne was talking to a Silent Brother. The burning sensation in her back was gone and she felt normal again. Lisa got out of bed, causing Marianne to startle and walk over to her. Her red hair had come loose from her bun, her voice sounded tired as she spoke, "Lisa! How are you feeling?"
Lisa was pushed back onto her bed. "I'm fine," she snapped. It was true, she felt a sudden burst of energy and got up again.
"You gave us quite a scare." Marianne scratched her head. "It didn't look so good for you."
"What happened? Does it have something to do with that dagger?" Lisa turned to the Silent Brother, whose voice she had recognized.
I'm afraid I can't say much about that, Lisa. She frowned, how could he not say more than that? Keep me posted, if there are any changes, he said to Marianne. Lisa wanted to protest but felt too dizzy.
"Rest," she said, "you can always give a shout if there is something." Lisa nodded and with that Marianne left her room.
*
As if she was just going to rest the whole day, she felt good. Lisa stepped out of her room. She didn't remember much from yesterday, just some blurry images. She walked to Anna's room and entered without knocking. Her friend was not there, Lisa's eye fell on the brown belt bag that laid on her bed. She picked up the bag and took out the book and the pocket watch. She remembered buying it at the Shadow Market yesterday. There were other items in there, Anna's sketchbook, stele, and another book she knew from somewhere.
She immediately saw which book it was when she took it out of the bag. It was a book with the latest runes - like breathing underwater - by Clarissa Fairchild. She was Anna's idol, thanks to the high amount of angelic blood running through her veins, she could create new runes. Lisa put everything back and walked out of Anna's room. She knocked on Jonathan's door, but he didn't answer. So he wasn't in his room either. She even went to knock on Arthur and Olivia's door, neither of them answered.
"Isn't anyone glad I'm still alive?" she whispered. Suddenly she heard footsteps behind her. She turned and immediately regretted her words. It was Lotte, who came running towards her with open arms.
"Lisa!" She considered running away, but it was too late. Lotte jumped more than three feet into the air and landed on her neck. "You're finally awake!" She almost strangled Lisa with her small, strong arms. She took Lotte in her arms and placed her back on the ground.
"What do you mean "finally awake"?" she asked concerned.
"You slept all day long yesterday, even a Silent Brother had to come!" Had she really slept all day? "Are you better now?" Lotte looked at her with a big smile.
"Yes, Lot, I'm well again." She ran her hand over Lotte's hair, she was one of the few who was allowed to do so. "Do you know where your sister is, Lot?"
"Probably swimming in a pool of ice cream." The girl shrugged and walked back from where she came.
Lisa went back to her room. She looked at herself in the mirror, she was still wearing her gear, which was torn at the back. There was dried blood under her fingernails, and when she looked more closely at the healed wound, she saw that the veins on her back were green. Maybe it was a side effect of what the Brothers had given her? Or maybe the dagger had been poisoned after all. Lisa took a quick shower and as usual, she felt a lot better afterward.
*
Eventually, she found Anna in the hallway near the elevator. When she saw Lisa, she came straight to her. Lisa was afraid for a moment that she would jump at her too.
"Lis!" Anna hugged her gently, though it wasn't necessary, her back didn't hurt anymore. "Thank the Angel, you're all right." She was inundated by a cascade of questions from Anna, while her own remained unanswered. She assured Anna that she was feeling well and would not pass out again. No one seemed to understand what had happened. Anna hesitated, "I think that stupid Brownie put something on or in that dagger that made you pass out."
"Do you still have that dagger?" she asked worriedly, she wanted to get to the bottom of this. Anna nodded absently.
"I took it with me, it's in your study. I thought you might want to examine it," she said with a faint smile. Lisa returned her an encouraging smile, she always knew exactly what she wanted. Anna looked nervously at her watch.
"Do you have somewhere else to go?" Anna shook her head in frustration. Her eyes widened in surprise when she heard footsteps, Anna cursed in silence and dragged her into the first room she saw. "When is everyone going to stop dragging me along?" said Lisa in frustration. But Anna signaled that she should be quiet. She looked through the crack in the door, the footsteps belonged to Olivia, who was stepping into the elevator. When the elevator doors closed, Anna opened the door again. "Why are we hiding from Olivia?" Anna pressed the elevator button three times.
"Olivia has been texting someone for two days now." Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Think, who would she be texting?"
She didn't understand what Anna was trying to get across, so she answered against her will. "Her brother?"
Anna snapped her fingers. "Correct my dear Watson." She got into the elevator and Lisa jumped in while Anna told her story. "Today she got a text saying: Meet me at 1 pm."
Lisa shook her head and sighed, "Are you stalking her?" Anna looked at her, deeply offended.
"What? Pff, no, that's crazy talk." Lisa continued to stare at her. "Maybe a little!" When the elevator doors opened, she lowered her voice. "I just want to know what she's up to. If she really is going to meet with her brother, that is prosecutable."
"Hah, what are you going to do then?" She crossed her arms. "Report her?" Anna shook her head firmly.
"I just have a gut feeling she's going to run away with him. I want to save her from doing stupid things."
Lisa frowned. "Anna, if she wants to run away so badly, you can't stop her."
"Just trust me on this one." She looked at Lisa with eyes that begged for confidence. She felt a twinge in her chest. They had reached the door and saw Olivia just round the corner.
Lisa bit her lip and then turned to her friend. "All right, but then I'll come with you." She picked up her coat as Anna looked at her thoughtfully.
"No, you must rest." She wanted to protest, but Anna's will is the law. Without further ado, she started following Olivia. She looked like Sherlock Holmes with her long brown coat, turned-up collar, and an annoying urge to pursuit. Lisa decided she might as well make herself useful and went to her study.
*
Olivia had boarded a bus, Anna managed to throw herself between the doors just in time. She took a seat all the way in the back, hoping she wouldn't notice her. Anna had never been on a mundane bus and shuffled uncomfortably as a man on his phone sat down next to her. In retrospect, she felt guilty for pursuing Olivia, but it was too late for that now. She got off a few stops later, Anna believed they were now in Deurne. Olivia wore a black jacket and pants, which caused her to lose sight of her a few times. The girl turned into a few blocks and finally she stopped in an alley. She seemed wary, but her concern visibly dissipated when a black-haired boy emerged from an apartment building.
______________ Did you like the chapter? Be sure to let me know in the comments!
Who is that mysterious boy? Could it be Olivia's brother she wants to run away with? Find out in the next chapter --> Also remember: don't trust anyone
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