Mystery's Choice (Vengeance Of The Fallen Book 1) (33 page)

“Ma’am, I” Sam stopped; he didn’t know what to say. They had nothing to go on, no witnesses, and no motive, which would not get them all locked up in an asylum. Nothing. So he dropped his head.

“That’s what I thought!” She stood and stomped out of the room.

Sam turned to Lily who just shook her head. God would this ever stop?

Cain ran a gentle finger down Raevanne’s sleeping body. He had forgiven her easily for her transgressions, as had his father, they understood her motives. She loved and had wanted to protect her child. Now Mystery had come home, and they no longer had to worry about having to destroy her, the Prophecy would come to pass, the Ascension would go off without a hitch.

He roused his sleeping wife; tonight was Roodmas, tonight was the first Roodmas they had spent with their daughter in almost twenty years, nothing would spoil their celebration. Tonight there would be no thought of nosy policemen or meddlesome witches, there would only be celebration of the christ’s death on the cross.

He chuckled as a pair of green eye’s twinkled at him. She smiled at him and leapt from their bed writhing in an ancient dance. Her lithe body moved with feline grace as she tapped out steps, which had been danced by hundreds of generations on this night. Cain smiled as he joined her in the dance. This was to be a glorious night.

Raevanne kissed her husband and put her cloak on. She smiled brilliantly at him as she went to awaken their daughter and to check on the guests of honor for tonight’s celebration. Everywhere throughout the aerie, her fellow Roodmasi, danced the ancient steps and hosannas echoed off the rock walls as they saw their Shivana.

With tears in her eyes she slowly opened the door to her daughter’s chamber. The candlelight from the hall, shone on her still sleeping form, highlighting her delicate features, accenting the highlights in her hair. Raevanne crossed the chamber quietly and stood for a moment watching her child sleep. She gently kissed her brow and whispered her name.

Mystery’s eyes flew open and when they saw her mother she smiled. Raevanne threw back the covers and handed her daughter her cloak. Mystery slipped it on.

“I will show you the dance we always perform on Roodmas. It is easy, and it will please your father to see you dance it.”  She waited until Mystery sat on the bed and paid attention to her feet. Raevanne slowly demonstrated the steps of the dance.

Mystery got to her feet and tried it. Raevanne glowed with pride when she did it effortlessly the first time.

Mystery smiled mischievously at her mother. “I took dance for several years.”

Raevanne laughed, and her eyes went solemn. “I must check on tonight’s guests of honor. Can you accompany me, or do you need to go help the others ready the altar?”

“I will go with you, Mother. It will show Father I am trying to adjust to the Roodmasi ways.”  She took her mother’s long slender hand. “I won’t lie to you and say this night will be easy for me, but I will enjoy the ceremony. And I promise not to humiliate you when it comes time for the feast. But I cannot promise to enjoy the feast. I barely eat animal meat, cannibalism will be hard for me.”

“That is what you don’t yet realize, my darling. You are not a human, you are Roodmasi, and we are more than human. Tonight’s feast should be no different than eating steak or chicken cordon bleu.”

“I will try to think of it that way. I will make my parents and the members of my coven proud.”

“I have no doubt of that, my precious one.” She stood and reached for Mystery’s hand, smiling when Mystery took it. “Come, we must make sure they are ready.”  Together they walked from the chamber. Each hoping Mystery would not fail.

Raevanne smiled as she stepped into the first cell. The beautiful redhead sleeping on the cot was her favorite she had fought the longest. She had refused to see her god; the false god had deserted her. Satan was waiting lovingly for her to come to him. She had inevitably given in and the Master would be delighted with this gift.

As Raevanne checked the remaining cells, with Mystery following quietly behind her, she found all of the girls sleeping peacefully. She went into the temple and was pleased to see the fetal fat candles being lit by her people. She stopped and explained to Mystery they only used real fetal fat candles on celebration nights, like tonight.

“Where do they get the fetal fat from?”  Mystery asked with horror showing plainly on her face.

“We get it from the bodies of babies who die while still under six months of age, which is why it is only used for special occasions. It is not easy to come by.”

“So, we get it from the gravesites?”

“Yes. Usually the night the infant is buried. We have a special spell for storing it, until we use it for the candles.”

“The smell is strong.”

“You will get used to it and we will also be using incense tonight at the feast.”  Raevanne smiled at the altar glowing from the new finish someone had applied. The ancient oak stump had run with blood since before her grandmother had led her first Roodmas prayer. The Roodmasi had Khatima to thank for it too. She would have to tell Raevanne the story of how her people came to America. But for tonight, she had to keep her awestruck child from feeling too overwhelmed.

Raevanne’s heart leapt with joy as all of her people slowly filled the temple. She looked lovingly at the familiar faces of senators, mayors, presidential aides, foreign diplomats, and even a king. She wished all of her people could live in the safety of the aerie, but she knew their work outside was very important. She took Mystery to the side and pointed out different dignitaries and diplomats as they filed in. Raevanne pulled Mystery upstairs and gave her a gentle shove toward her chamber.

“Finish getting ready, my darling. Tonight you should wear the purple robe to show you are royalty. Your father and I will be wearing purple as well.”  She hurried toward her chamber. “I will meet you here and the three of us will descend together, as a family.”

Once inside her chamber Mystery spritzed her body with her perfume, as the smell filled her nose, she thought of Ryan. “I am sorry, my love, but there is no way around my participating into tonight’s feast. I love you.”  She put on the purple robe and applied her makeup to match. She brushed her hair until it shone. Checking herself in the mirror one last time, she rose and went to wait in the hall for her parents.

“You are always beautiful, but tonight my daughter, you shine. It will be my great pleasure to introduce you to our people as my child.”  Cain came to her and kissed her forehead. “Soon, your heart will not trouble you so much for your mortal boyfriend. It takes time to heal, but someday you will not hurt for him. I promise.”

“Father, you won’t harm him. I’m here and he is no threat without me to help him.”  Mystery begged.

“I know I lied to you about Seth. But I promise as long as the preacher man does not try to stop The Ascension, he will live. I promise this to you as your father.”  He kissed her again. “Now,” He turned and took his wife’s hand. “Let us show our people our beautiful child, my love.”

Once downstairs, Raevanne smiled as Cain showed the waiting crowd their daughter. Cheers rang out and the walls shook with the songs of joy the people sung as Cain took his place at the head of the altar. Raevanne took her place at his side and Mystery took her place at the foot of the altar.

All eyes were on Cain as he set forth the ceremonial fluids. Raevanne could feel the excitement and anticipation humming in the air. Cain reached a hand toward her and she gladly took it.

“Bring forth the Master’s gifts!”  She said as a triumphant cry went up.

Ten naked, dazed girls were brought before the cult; all smiled contentedly. Raevanne silenced the oohs and aahs by raising her hands. Instant silence went over the crowd.

“Since we have our daughter back with us, she will deliver the Roodmas prayer.”  All their heads bowed.

Mystery stepped forward, lowered her head and hoped she would remember all of the words and not embarrass her parents.

“Oh, Great and Most High Lord Satan, we your people gather here today to celebrate your triumph over the false god. We gather to celebrate The Christ’s death upon the Rood. We, thank you for the many blessings you have bestowed upon your children. We thank you for the bounty we share on this Roodmas Day. And we anticipate your ascension with longing! Nema, Natas Sevil!” she lowered her hands as fierce cheering rocked the room.

When they quieted, Raevanne spoke. “Only the leaders of each of the covens will be granted a chance to sample of each life organ.”  She raised her hands as exaggerated sighs broke the silence. “It would take all of the virgins in Colorado, if not the nation to feed our number.”  She smiled as laughter warmed the room. “Natas Sevil, we are blessed.”  Everyone repeated her words. “However, there will be plenty of the other organs for everyone to partake of the feast.”

Cain silenced the cheers this time as he called for the first girl to be brought to the altar. Hundreds and hundreds of naked bodies swayed as an incessant chant enlivened the fragrant air. Raevanne and Mystery dropped their robes and gave themselves over to the chant, it became a thing alive and they both shuddered as it grabbed their very souls. Raevanne stepped forward and handed Cain the Dagger of Dagon, its jeweled hilt glimmered in the light of a thousand candles. Cain set it on the altar next to the red-haired girl. She glared at Cain defiantly.

“Jesus loves me.”  She shouted. Her face caved in, in defeat as instead of the screams she’d expected, she was rewarded with one smothered chuckle Raevanne couldn’t stop.

“Very interesting, my child for your soul already belongs to Satan.”  Cain stared deep into her eyes and slowly her gaze grew blank. “Do you go willingly to your Master?”  He asked her in a clear, loud voice.

“Yes. I go willingly to my only Master.”  She smiled at Cain mindlessly. “Satan loves me, to him I go.”

Mystery raised an ornate golden bowl, filled with goat’s blood. Cain dipped his hand in it and with a feral growl marked the sign of the Beast on the girl’s forehead. Mystery raised another ornate golden bowl, this one filled with pig’s urine. Cain dipped his hand in it and sprinkled the girl’s sprawled body with it. He smiled at his daughter as she stepped back and placed the bowl on the altar. Smiling at Raevanne, he grasped the Dagger of Dagon and raised it above his head.

Mystery bit the inside of her lip and chanted to herself “I will not pass out or be sick” over and over again.

“Natas Sevil!”  Cain screamed as he plunged the dagger in the girl’s chest and split her open. He squeezed blood from the still beating heart into his mouth and sunk his teeth into it. Blood ran down his chin as he passed the heart to Raevanne. She sunk small feline-like teeth into the heart, ripping a bit off as she passed it to her daughter.

Mystery heard her mother’s sharp intake of breath when she just stared at the heart for a moment. Mystery raised her head, looked out at her people and sunk her teeth into the still warm heart and tore off a chunk. She chewed it as she passed it on to the coven head standing to her right. Mystery looked at her father and swallowed, blood ran down her chin, she licked at it, and smiled. Cain grabbed his wife and kissed her, he threw back his head and roared in triumph.

Cain parceled out the other organs and two men carted the corpse off, as two others cleaned the altar and two more brought forth the next girl. Cain smiled when she offered no protest. His eyes gleamed as Mystery stepped forward with the first bowl.

Ryan felt the connection between him and Mystery snap. He searched his mind for her frantically. When nothing came to him, he stopped stocking the shelf he was working on and ran to the bathroom. There he pleaded with God to protect her. He tried one more time to reach her and still there was nothing. Ryan wiped tears off his face and went back out to finish stocking before his boss got on his case for falling behind. He hated the job, as a stockperson in a department store, but it was all he could get. He had entered the priesthood at eighteen and he didn’t have any marketable job skills, so, it was the best he could do for now and he needed the money. He refused to touch the money, which had come to him from the settling of Seth and Mystery’s estates. He shook his head. If…when this was all over and Mystery, Jeremiah, and he went to start their lives over somewhere they would use it. Ryan went back to putting cans of dog food on the shelf and prayed for this to end soon.