CONTENT WARNING: Talk of murder and death, implied sexual intercourse (not shown, nor discussed in detail. It's literally just slightly touched on.)
Gideon
The journey to Volpe's mansion is short, yet full of grief for a man I barely knew, and barely had any respect for. We were both just fathers looking out for our children, in our own way, who would even go as far as to kill for them- only I'm still alive to look out for Daniel. I don't trust Elijah much- but to know a father and his child have been severed from each other- there's something about it that tears at me inside. It could have so easily been myself and my own sons.
Oskar's death ensured my son's freedom from Volpe's snare- and there is nothing more important than my boys. Wherever Oskar is now, I hope he is at peace after his long life. I owe him gratitude, at least, even if we were never going to see eye-to-eye in life.
Volpe paces across his living room back and forth, peering down at what I lay on the table- Oskar's cloak, his sword, and his necklace, all bloodied. The blood from his cloak had seeped onto my hands and my coat, which only made my cover story all the more believable. Volpe stood in the centre of the room, not taking his eyes off of me. It's impossible to tell the difference between approval and disapproval with him.
"If anyone could have had it in him to kill Oskar Nivelheim, it was you, wasn't it, Gideon? I'm almost proud of you. You accomplished in one night what hundreds of men couldn't accomplish in years."
"I don't give a shit about your false praise, Volpe. I kept my promise- now you keep yours. Daniel will never work for you again, and you will leave Josiah alone."
His laugh is like chalk scraping across a board. The sound alone makes me want to pick up the sword and slice him in half with it.
"Of course," he says, in a sly tone. "Daniel is no longer one of my witchfinders as from this moment, and I will not bother Josiah. Daniel was useless anyhow. I'll hire a young man who knows to respect authority, and who knows to not let his superiors get killed right in front of him."
"I want it in writing, signed," I demand. "I'm not taking your word for it."
"Do you really have to be so difficult still, Gideon?"
"You asked me to kill a man that no other man was capable of killing. I'm asking you to write a couple of words down on a page!"
Volpe sighs to himself, and retreats to his desk, returning after a few minutes with what I asked for. His handwriting is flowery and barely legible, but I can just about make it out. The bottom of the paper is illuminated with his family crest, the sly fox.
[ Volpe's statement ]
I, Lord Eduardo Volpe, hereby promise that, in return for Gideon Reyes' assassination of notorious witchfinder hunter Oskar Nivelheim- his son Daniel Reyes is, from this date forward, no longer a witchfinder under my hire. Neither Daniel nor Josiah Reyes will, from here on, be expected to work for me in any manner in future.
[His intricate signature is at the bottom of the page.]
"Satisfactory, I hope?"
"Fine. If you break anything outlined here, I'll break you in return. Is that clear?"
Volpe sneers at me as he leaves the room. "You can certainly try, Gideon- but without Oskar decimating my workforce, you'd have a hard time."
"Your workforce couldn't kill Oskar, and I could," I reply. "Take that as a warning."
Daniel
I wake up groggy, dry-mouthed and nauseous from an accidental nap. It's already night-time. Someone keeps calling my name. I blink a couple of times and realise it's my father.
"Sorry to wake you, Daniel. I have good news, and I have bad news..."
"Okay. So what's the good news?"
He takes a deep breath; he looks pained. "The good news...I made a deal with Lord Volpe. You are no longer expected to be a witchfinder."
I want to be relieved. I want to be glad that I no longer have to deal with him, and that I know I never have to kill anyone now...but I don't know what he's done to allow that to happen- or even if Volpe will keep to his word.
He sounds as if he's about to cry. "He asked me to kill Oskar Nivelheim..."
"What? Father! I told you not to-"
"-but I didn't do it."
I want to believe him. I want to...
"I admit, I was going to, only to free you from working for Volpe...but when I found Oskar, he'd fought almost one hundred witchfinders and was dying from his wounds. He gave me his cloak, his sword and his necklace as proof that I 'killed' him...and he asked me to leave him."
Oskar wouldn't want pity, and Father isn't like he used to be, I know it. He'd never do harm to someone who couldn't fight back- not now. But to know that Oskar is dead...Eli must be devastated.
And, dare I say it... I don't have to breathe a word of this to Eli, not now that I'm no longer under Volpe's command. I can put this in the past, can't I?
Father hands me a letter- it's a statement written by Volpe himself, in his flourished, fancy Tartosan handwriting. It's true- Oskar really is dead, Volpe genuinely believes Father killed him, and neither he nor his witchfinders will ever target me or my brother. Tears come to my eyes. I'm finally free of all of this mess.
I can finally put it all behind me. It does mean I have to find another job, but to know that I don't ever have to think about Volpe ever again- it's a weight off my shoulders- at least, one of them. The other one is the weight on my chest of knowing that Eli must be devastated by all of this. And to know that Oskar didn't bother fighting my father, even after he'd injured him and come after him with the intention of killing him. He helped my father fake his murder to free me. Granted, he probably did it for Eli's sake, but this is all in partial thanks to Oskar.
I fall into my father's arms in endless tears. I'm so glad that he didn't kill Oskar.
"Thank you, Father- for everything."
"You don't need to thank me, son," he says, in a soft voice. "You and Josiah are the most important things in my life. I'd do anything for you both. I'm just glad I didn't have to kill Oskar on top of everything."
"Poor Eli. He must be in so much pain right now." When I look at Father, I realise how lucky I am to have him, every single day. Both Josiah and I are lucky to have him, and today, knowing Oskar was killed, I feel luckier still.
"Dan, don't breathe a word of this to Eli. Act like you know nothing of Oskar's death. You understand?"
"I understand, Father," I say to him, running out of the door before he can tell me it's too late to go and see him. With the Volpe situation behind me, I can finally show my face around Eli again- though I don't know how well it's going to go down considering I haven't seen him in so long. It might not go well, but I have to- someone has to be there for him with his father gone.
Reynold
The voices become clearer. I can hear a few voices talking about moving, stirring, and my sister's tearful voice pleading for me to wake up. A deep voice is praying. I blink a little. The world around me is blurry, but I think I'm in the old refuge room of the monastery. I can smell the archaic stony scent, and the coldness seeps in just as quickly.
Everyone around me looks concerned and frightened, all except Elias, who is praying to the Watcher for my life. Once my vision clears, I see my sister leaning over me. Her face and eyes are red with tears.
"Brother... I thought I'd lost you."
I feel sick to my stomach, and my forehead feels like it's on fire.
"Son- it's okay. Don't fret. You're safe here."
"Welcome back to the land of the living," Susana chirps. "I'm so glad you're okay. We were all terrified we'd lost you."
My entire body aches. I manage to lift a shaky hand onto Clem's. Her hands are freezing and trembling.
"Don't cry, sister... I'm still here."
I try to get up, and a cry of pain escapes my lips. I can barely move without it being agonising, and can hardly breathe on top of it. My vision wavers between clear and blurry.
"Take it easy, son," Father says, in a soft voice. I notice Clem's stare narrow as he speaks. "You've been out cold for four hours."
Four hours? I can barely remember what happened. I remember the witchfinders, and I remember casting a shield around the monastery- and it cuts off there. A sense of dread fills my chest. Now everyone in Withernham knows I'm a witch.
"I've endangered everyone...haven't I?"
"Wrong," Elias interrupts, in the happiest voice I've ever heard him talk in. "You saved people by putting your own life on the line. You knew the witchfinders would target you if you showed them who you truly were, and yet you did it anyway- you successfully chased them off."
If the lunar shield was that strong, I'm very sure they were less chased off, and more that they were likely disintegrated.
"The Watcher is greatly proud of you, Father," Julian adds. "You really are a father to your people."
I manage to lift myself up slightly, in spite of the pain. Lunvin- did She save my life? What did She mean about being trapped in a maze of existence? Did she mean between human and beast? Between Peteran and Lunvinchenaîné? She mentioned that my 'pack' would help me out of it...Or was that all just a meaningless dream?
"Clem...what happened?"
"I think you were overcharged," she tells me. "Your eyes went completely white, you could barely speak. You bled from your eyes, nose and mouth. Then you fell unconscious."
I can't imagine how horrific that must have been to see happen. I've heard about overcharge, but it's not terribly common in people born with magic- then again, I've been out of practice, I suppose. Not to mention how powerful a shield over an entire building must have been to pull off.
"Then this wolf turned up outside, next to you. I didn't think the werewolf myths were true!"
...Werewolf? Next to me? I look towards my father, who gives me a knowing look in return. What had turned him into a wolf, I wonder? Unless he was fighting off witchfinders before he got to me...
Three of five people in this room know my secret. All I've been doing is keeping secrets from people, and rarely have those secrets done the people I care about any good. I have to at least tell Susana and Elias the full truth about me. Mother Joyce told me years and years ago that they'd have to know, eventually.
"Susana, Elias- there's something I promised Mother Joyce that I'd tell you, eventually."
Elias scoffs at me, and shoots me a scornful look. He's always been suspicious about me, hasn't he?
"We already know you're a witch, Reynold. I knew it all along. How else would you have gotten to Nebelstadt so fast that time?"
"I'm more than just a witch, Elias," I tell him. "I'm...a werewolf."
I can hear Susana's nervous gulp from over here.
"Wait. You? You're that 'dreaded wolf' I keep hearing about? You're way too docile to be a werewolf, surely!"
"Not the one you saw outside," I tell them, my voice shaking with both nerves and exhaustion. "But, yes. I am a werewolf."
"The one outside was me," Father says, in a gruff voice. "Clementia doesn't have magic in her blood. She isn't a werewolf like we are."
For once, Elias is stunned into complete silence for a moment. "I had always assumed you had magic, but- a werewolf? So...that's why the church was always closed for one or two days a month. You weren't sick. You weren't working on important matters. Were you?"
I can almost feel the immediate loss of respect Elias has for me- if he ever had any for me to begin with, that is.
"No, Elias. On the days of a full moon, I'm overcome with a rage that's hard to keep down. That's why I isolated myself on those days. I didn't want to say anything to you that I couldn't take back. As for the transformations, I used to be able to hold them off for some time- but it isn't possible now, nor is it healthy to do so."
"And what are we supposed to do if you spot us in werewolf form?" Elias yells. "What if you just forget that we're your 'people' and devour us?"
"I don't have any awareness of what happens in wolf form, but rest assured, I wouldn't hurt any of you. You're my friends."
Elias fires question after question at me. "So how many werewolves are there around here, then?"
"Just myself and my father," I tell him. "Most of us were wiped out in hunts long before the witch-hunts. The last of us were wiped out in a war about forty to sixty years ago. For all I know, myself and Alistair could be the only ones left here- or anywhere."
"And the witchfinder murders. Those were you?"
Elias's stare could cut through steel, but it certainly doesn't cut through me.
"Yes."
I can't even pretend to have sympathy for them. Naturally, Elias is furious at the revelation- I expect nothing less from such a devout Peteran.
"You've killed people, and you feel nothing? Reynold, witchfinders may be evil people, but it isn't Peteran to take a life! Killing evil people will only let evil into your own heart! You're a priest! You should know this!"
"Elias-"
"Stay out of this, Jacoban. This doesn't concern you."
"Enough."
Father's low and dark tone silences the whole room. It always worked on Clem and I when we were children, and even now, it's no less daunting.
"Yes, my son has killed witchfinders. It's more than likely that a lunar shield powerful enough to protect an entire monastery disintegrated those witchfinders upon contact alone. Everyone that has died to my son's lunar magic has been to protect other people. Reynold hasn't killed a single innocent person. Do you really think Peter never bloodied the Angel's Talon to protect his own people, Elias?"
Clem forms clawed hands around her arms. I can't imagine how painful it must be, still, knowing Father would go so far to defend me given all that's happened to her- and given the little he's done for her.
"The Book of Peter says never to raise your fist or sword- only your shield."
"And that book is over one thousand years old. Times have changed. You don't have to trust me if you don't want to, Elias. You're more than welcome to walk away from the monastery if you don't like this revelation- but all I've ever done has been to protect my family, my friends, and the good people of Henford. "
"I made a promise to every single one of you upon my ordination to look after you, no matter what. That's exactly what I've been doing- and that's what I'll continue to do."
"You know, Reynold, we all wondered what Mother Joyce meant when she spoke about you arriving on her doorstep and finding your own way out of the darkness. She knew about this?"
"She did," I reply, "since the day we first met. Now, if you'll excuse me..."
It takes all of the little energy I gave to walk a few steps across the children's area before everything goes black. I find myself in my sister's arms. She tells me not to move. My whole body feels as if it's made of stone. There's something blue and hazy in my vision, that almost looks human.
"Take it easy, brother," she whispers. "Yesterday took its toll on you, and tomorrow is a full moon."
"Áine and Róisín...I hope they're safe."
"Wherever they are, Reynold, I'm sure they're fine," Clem says to me. "I don't think anything could stop Áine if it tried."
Eli
I've seen sat here in complete silence and reflection since I got home from Violeta's. I keep waiting for Oskar to burst in, telling me dinner's ready. I still haven't eaten. I stared at him for an hour, and he didn't move at all- and yet I'm still not entirely convinced he's gone.
There's a knock at the door. I tell them to go away at first...until I see who it is.
At first, I feel a fiery rage. Where's he been all this time? Why now, of all times, to pop up out of nowhere?!- but, in reality, maybe I'm better off with company right now. Luckily for him, I'm too swamped in grief to care where he's been all this time.
I can hardly look at him at first.
"Eli...I know it's been a while-"
"Save it. I'm not in the mood to hear it. I don't care where you've been right now."
He sits beside me on the sofa, with a surprising amount of casuality considering this is the first time he's spoken to me in months.
"What's wrong, Eli? Why are you sitting here in the dark?"
"Dan...Oskar's dead. He was killed by witchfinders."
I feel like I'm lying as I tell him that. I don't want to believe he's dead. How could he be? When we first met, I was comforted by the then-truth that he'd never die.
"Eli, I'm so sorry. I know how much you cared about him- how much he cared about you."
I collapse onto Dan's lap, feeling like an idiot the moment I do so- but he puts a hand on my back and the other on my head, running his hand through my hair and trying to soothe me in a soft voice. Anything could have happened in those months of silence- but right now, I just want the hollow pain in my chest to go away. There's a loud grumble from my stomach.
"You haven't eaten, have you?"
"Oskar always wanted to be the one to cook dinner for both of us," I tell him, tears streaming again. "I was waiting for him to come home. I didn't want to eat without him."
I lift myself off of him. Being that close to him, the intensity of my old feelings for him come flooding back.
"I just- I don't know what I'm going to do about work, either. It'll collapse without him. He was what made us so much money, not me."
"That's not true, Eli," he tells me, with a little desperation. "I mean, look at the carving behind you. You did that when you were fifteen."
"I know- but soon enough, Oskar's influence will disappear, and nobody will want anything I-"
"Eli, I don't think it's worth worrying about that right now. It's all still fresh in your mind, okay? We can worry about work later."
Lying next to him like that, the grief disappeared for a moment. I don't want sympathy and I don't want advice- I just want comfort.
"Dan, do you think you could stay tonight?"
* * *
The minute we get upstairs, a wave of guilt crashes over me.
"Urgh, I'm sorry, Dan. I shouldn't have asked you to stay. I'm just being selfish-"
"You're not being selfish, I promise," he replies, in a soothing voice.
"I'm sorry I haven't been around. I've had a lot going on- but I'm here now. I know that we didn't talk for a long time, but my feelings for you haven't changed, okay? You still mean the world to me."
'A lot going on' could be anything, couldn't it? I guess it isn't my place to pry. He scoops me into his arms, and his warmth reminds me of how close we used to be.
The coldness in my chest begins to melt away, but I find my feelings growing in intensity the longer I remain in his arms. I don't want him to let go of me. I can only manage a whispery voice, but I ask him if he'll come to bed with me- as awkwardly as I'd asked him the first time.
"Are you sure you're in the mood for it, Eli?"
I give him a solemn nod. I just want to feel something other than crushing bereavement for the rest of the night. I want to be as happy as I was when Dan and I spent more time together with each other.
"Okay, I'll tell you what- we won't start with that. We'll work our way up to it, and then we'll see how you feel. Alright?"
He wraps his arms around me, and our lips meet for the first time in months. He keeps loosening his grip around me a little, seeing if I'm okay- but I keep urging him back. The way I'm feeling right now, I'm not sure if it's the sign of something good, or something bad.
He slowly edges me towards the wall, pressing me right up against it, and pressing himself right up against me, chuckling a little at the breathless moan that escapes my lips.
Oskar always told me that, for him, time was nearly meaningless in terms of how long it had been since you last saw someone. If you go for a long time without seeing someone you love, and the moment you see them again, you're immediately hit with that same feeling you had from before- that was a sign of something solid and meaningful. It was the sign of true friendship, or true love.
Maybe that break was meaningless as well. Maybe, we can pick things back up where we left off.