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  I almost smiled. “Good points but still there’s something missing. Byron is alive, Aaron. I had Tim do some works for me. The body we found didn’t match with Byron’s. What makes you think he wasn’t the one who did this? I hate to say this but Valentine doesn’t like him that much. What if he was tired of being the second best? What if he was losing his powers over everyone? That can make him snap.”

  “So we have two suspects.” Aaron smirked, noting it down. “One is a psychopath and another takes care of that psychopath. We always get the golden cases.”

  “At least it isn’t like the Verona case, how’s that going?” Between this one and the murder of a rich heiress, we really didn’t have time to think about anything else. I was running on insulin, he was running on caffeine and this precinct was running over by the media.

  “Did you see the number of cameras out there?” He shuddered in disgust, bloody actor. He loved being the face of the press.

  “Don’t act shy now. You’re always ready for a press conference. The camera loves you.”

  There was a smug smile on his face. “Because one: I actually wear something else other than always dark suits; two: that red hair doesn’t suit you, I’d page you as more of someone with light colored hair that matches those blue eyes; and three: my ma gave me an impeccable gene to die for.”

  “Very funny.” However, before I could ask more about the Verona case, my phone started to ring. Without seeing who it was, I picked it up. "Hello?"

  "I mulled over something recently." The familiar soft voice of the caller had me grip my desk. "I have given you freedom, I never asked anything but I need this favor."

  Staring out of the window, I swallowed hard. “W-What favor?”

  “Just come home, son. I miss you, she misses you.”

  Fuck, it wasn’t the time to have emotional baggage. “I can’t-”

  “You promised.” Her tone changed, now stern. Shit, she wasn’t messing around. “She doesn’t come home anymore. Most of the time I find her drunk in bars. It’s ruining her. Please, Vermon.”

  "I'll be there." I promised before throwing the phone in my pocket. Fuck, it wasn’t supposed to happen. I thought she was getting better. I thought...I turned to look at Aaron who was looking at me with questions in his eyes.

  "Plans changed. I need to go back home." I knew the answer surprised Aaron as he opened and closed his mouth in shock. It's not like I enjoyed hiding things from him but telling him the truth would open a flood gate I didn't know how to close.

  "Wait, what? What Happened?"

  “Emergency.” That’s the only way I could stop him from asking questions. “I’ll let Chief know that you’ll handle things or I’ll work from home. But I need to go.”

  He looked at me in disbelief. “Just emergency? Oh, come on, man! You flinch at the name of home like I flinch at the mention of me in the gang. You haven’t gotten home in eight years and now you tell me, it’s just emergency?”

  "It's something we don't talk about, remember? We just pretend that I'm not from there. Can you blame me for not telling you?" I shrugged, making Aaron's face fall. We both knew Aaron would never understand why Natchitoches was a sore subject.

  "Don't bullshit me, I'm not stupid, Hernandez." His jaw stiffened by the way he was trying to hide his anger. "Something happened today. I have never seen you that rattled when you got this call. Not even when you took a bullet for me."

  Damn it, why did he have to bring that up now?

  "It's not that-"

  He didn't let me finish. "Why the hell are you going back then? I thought you left home for good, man. Like there was nothing left for you to go back. You told me so."

  He wasn't wrong, I left when I was getting a promotion. It was either I left for Memphis or stay in Natchitoches. I chose Memphis in a snap.

  "I thought so too." I sighed, thinking of what I was going back to. "You're right. There are things happening that I can't tell you, explain it without sounding like a lunatic myself. But I need to see my family, man and I can't do that until I know you'll trust me completely..."

  Even Aaron could detect the shakiness in my voice.

  “Fine. I’m coming with you then.”

  What? That was the exact opposite of what I wanted.

  “No, you can’t-”

  “I got a text when you were talking. Looks like you were right. Someone found Byron’s prints in Natchitoches. A little too much of a coincidence but it doesn’t hurt to cover the area and see where he’s been.” He gave me a pointed stare before wandering over to get his suitcase. “Vermon Hernandez. You do not get to call the shots alone anymore. We’re partners, we solve everything together. Besides, I think it’s time I finally meet your deranged family.”

  "I'm never getting in a flight with you."

  "I didn't know the hunger was going to hit that bad!" I deadpanned, wiping my mouth every five seconds. I already washed and scrubbed my face for good measure but there was a tiny part of me that could still smell that human's flesh.

  "Still." 5133 crawled out of a bush, God knew what she was looking for in the first place. But seeing that lopsided smile on her face, I guess she found it. "I can't save people left and right if you end up killing the whole humanity. People would notice, the Volkios-"

  "The Volkios would come to take my lil old soul, rip me apart, and throw me to that-what you call it? Ah, Sparkas, blah, blah, blah. I've heard it all. But when am I actually meeting them? Four years and still no words from them."

  "Hush!" She rushed to close my mouth, fear flickering in her gaze. "You should be glad that they didn't. The coven would send hundreds after you, you've no idea how far their contacts go. I've lived with one, trust me, I know."

  Damn it.

  "Fine. I won't deliberately land myself in trouble." If only I believed my own promise. "Now what are you doing?"

  Without waiting for me to react, she pricked my palm, letting a few drops of blood flow. A curse was already in order but I paused, watching her smear the blood around, mixing the crushed flower she just found with it.

  "What the fuck was that, 5133?"

  “I want you safe. Humor me." She murmured, brushing the same thing on her palm.

  "You mean, keep us safe." I looked around, noticing a visible barrier right before me. "Wait. This wasn't here before."

  "It was always there but only a witch can see it. Or someone who has a smell of witch on them."

  Fuck me. She was clever.

  "Ok. Now that I've all kinds of smells on me. Can we hurry? I'm starving."

  She looked at me like I lost my mind. "You just ate."

  "Not souls. I'm craving something greasy. Maybe a burger or pizza, I don't know." Or a soul, I wanted to add but that would be really pushing it.

  "Take this." She dropped a few cash on my other palm, seemingly thinking of something else. "Just-promise me you won't get in trouble?"

  "You're talking as if you're leaving me here..." I trailed off, noticing the look on her face. Dammit. She really was planning to leave me here.

  "Why?"

  She's been the one with me since the day I lost Zach. And, if I really wanted her with me, I could have heeded Fredah's words. There was a way to channel a witch, bind them to another with some kind of amulet. I wouldn't even have to worry about not being a witch then.

  Make the joke of keeping her on payroll true.

  But my moral compass was glitching lately.

  "Because he can’t know that I was with you." She sounded odd, like it's making her sad and if I was capable of feeling anything other than anger, I'd be too. "I just need you to know the truth. Be with your mother-"

  I wanted to scoff at her. Some mother she was. "Don't talk about her that way. Roth is the only one who raised me. Not some bitch that ran away from responsibility and never tried to look for me. She is the reason I'm in this mess right now. So, sue me, if I'm not interested in mother-daughter bonding any more than she is."

  "Fine, ok. If you say
so. But you've to control yourself out there. The moment you cross the barrier, you'll start to feel it. I don't want you to start the blood bath once again. Am I being clear?" I imagined how Mikhail would say the same thing. Albeit, with more brooding and glaring but 5133 despite being a carbon copy of him, was a saint compared to that.

  So, I dutifully nodded, already listing things I needed to do to control my hunger. "I promise. But if I need a witch-"

  "I am only a call away."

  Good.

  I could handle that. Maybe that's why I crossed the barrier without looking back or not stopping until I found a small cafe. Now what I said was true. I really was starving and if I was on a Reaper hunting, I needed to be on a full stomach.

  Entering the place, I looked sideways, waiting for anything unusual but it was a normal day with normal people going about their way. Feeling brave, I took a sit where I could see everyone, picking up a menu that was cheap and gather my thoughts in peace.

  "Excuse me." The waiter started, smiling. "Welcome to-"

  I glanced up, planning to order when the smile dropped faster than I ever counted and she was looking at me, horrified. After blinking a few times, she looked around in a frenzy as if she was checking if someone had seen us together. Something told me she would have screamed if she could find her voice. And she sort of did only it was above a whisper. "What on earth are you doing in here!"

  "I don't remember inviting you to my table," Irritated, I watched her take a seat in front of me. Good God, was there a single day where I didn't end up meeting people I didn't remember? There was some confusion clouding her face but as soon as I spoke, her eyes hardened.

  "Oh, cut the crap! You disappeared for years. Years, Emie! I thought you were dead, no one talks about you anymore. Do you know how I feel?" Emie? Now, who the hell was that?

  "I'm not Emie. Who are you again?"

  "You don't have to lie, your bounty's been lifted a long time ago. I know some would raise an eyebrow or two but if I talk to Mrs. Sullivan now, she'd surely let you in with open arms. I miss you, oh, Emie!" Before I could calculate her move, she was jumping over the table to offer me a hug. Huffing, I rolled my eyes as she cooed and almost sobbed on my shoulder.

  Dammit, 5133. Why didn't she warn me about this?

  When I was sure there was snot somewhere in my dress, she took her seat again, wiping her eyes and nose. On a typical day, I would ignore her hysteria but there was something in her eyes that I couldn't ignore.

  She knew me.

  Even if that sounded insane.

  "Ok," I said aloud. I wouldn't put it past me to not block some kinda memories. "This Emie, me. When did I disappear?"

  "Oh, Emie. Did you lose your memories? It's been five years already." Great. That's before my brain short-circuited. I couldn't be missing something from that time period yet I let her continue. "The last I heard from you...you called me, said someone named Hannah was teaching you magic, you sounded so happy, Emie and you promised that we would meet up soon. I called but you never picked up again."

  Out of all the things I could have said, I breathed out. "Oh."

  "Yeah. Do you need something to calm down?"

  "A soda would do," I whispered, ready to burst out with questions. The name Hannah was also a blur to me like I've heard it before. But where? "Actually, how did you know that I was Emie?"

  She frowned, laughing for the first time. "Don't be like that. I've known you since we were babies."

  "No, you didn't answer my question. What made you think it was Emie?"

  "Because you look like her?" She answered without thinking. "What's all this about?"

  Freaking hell. If it was what I was thinking...

  "What's my last name?" I asked, wishing it wasn't true. It couldn't be. I wasn't about to find another member of this narcissistic family. But she laughed again, now sounding almost nervous.

  "Sullivan."

  I took a deep breath, disappointed at the discovery. I didn't know any Sullivan but then again... "Am I adopted?"

  "Oh, now you remember that, and you don't remember me, Gema, your best friend." Her demeanor changed drastically as if she was hurt by it.

  "It's not like that." I smiled to show that I was harmless. I couldn't let her guard up now that I was this close to knowing everything. "It's just that this place hasn't felt like home for a long time." I reworded the things I used to hear in that sanatorium. Word by word. "I was so alone and sad. I just want to know if I have a family that loves me."

  She nodded, clutching my hands. "Emie, I know it hurts sometimes but we love you. Things might have been different if Mr. Sullivan didn't let the prophecy come true. Truth is…Someone left you near the clan, we found that out a long time ago. A Deshayes or something."

  Oh, great.

  ***

  I might have left the place ages ago but even now I could appreciate the solace that it gave me. That fresh smell of flowers, mud and the woodsy scent of my house still made me sigh. The one-story building surrounded by gardens like the others here had been my childhood home. This garden had been the place where I played as a kid, pranked my little sister, and had been exposed to a secret I had been carrying around for a long time.

  "You look so different." I heard a voice along with something dropping on the floor. Looking up, I had to clench my knuckles to not look surprised. When did she become so fragile? Despite my internal dilemma, I beamed at her.

  "Mama bear." I breathed out, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Two years in Pennsylvania and six years in Memphis. Eight years. It had been too long for both of us. "How are you?"

  "I've been good. But honestly speaking, I'm worried about you. You look..." The look on her face made me want to recoil from her. But I couldn’t. Not when Aaron was behind me, watching me interact with her with curiosity in his face.

  “Oh, who is this?” Mom was quick to catch on.

  “Mom, meet Aaron, my friend. And, Aaron, this is my mom.”

  “I think you mean best friend since forever. I’m the only one who’s stupid enough to still stick with you.” There was a playful smile on his face and surprisingly, it made it easier to focus on him rather than where I was. Maybe I did a good thing bringing him here. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Hernandez.”

  Mom nodded, looking at me for assurance. “Just call me Mandy. I heard a lot of things about you.”

  We didn’t talk a single day. But he didn’t need to know that. So I smiled, reverting his attention to me. “Come on, man. The journey was awful. Why don’t you freshen up? The guest room is upstairs, the second room to the left. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  “Works for me. See you around, Mandy.”

  We waited until he was out of earshot when mom snapped her gaze at me, the look on her face unforgettable. “You brought a human in here!? What’s wrong with you?”

  Shit. I knew this was coming. “I told you he wanted to tag along. Legally he has the right to tag along since a suspect may be hiding here. I didn’t have a choice.”

  "We have to be very careful then. No practice in the house, no name dropping, no accidental show of powers. Are you taking insulin daily?”

  “Yes.” I wasn’t diabetic by any chance but injecting it in my veins was the smartest choice we made. A human would have went to coma, I just felt my magic weaken to almost nothing.

  “Good. I just didn't think I'd ever see you, son. You made that pretty clear but I didn’t have a choice either." She sighed. The phone call had been both tensed and wary on both sides. I was pleasantly surprised when I was welcomed into this society with open arms again.

  "Since I am already here, there’s something I need from you. Some information." I could tell mom was curious to know as she stared back at me with an encouraging smile. "What do you know about the Deshayes bloodline?"

  The name dropped any smile she had from her face. Instead, her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with a choked gasp. I waited for mom to say a word but she still looked very much shock
ed.

  "Where did you hear that God-awful name?"

  Surprisingly, she was handling herself better than I thought when even I had trouble with all these secrets. Being a part warlock, we were a different breed that didn't believe in traditional magic. Among other powers, I had the best intuitions which helped me choose my career choice.

  That's the first reason I wanted to get out of this small town. People here didn't believe they could have a life outside of their community. My clan didn't like powers they didn't understand themselves. And after eight years of separation, I wasn't excited to make that bond again with the Red clan.

  "Son?" Mom tapped the table in anxiety. "Tell me."

  "From a diary."

  "And who's diary is that?" She grumbled, still refusing to look at me. Her shoulder was tensed, and that welcoming aura long gone from her body. For a second I debated if I should have said anything but I needed answers.

  "Lana. Do you know anyone with that name?" I could actually feel my appetite disappear with the graveness of reality. I was about to know everything.

  "No, but that bloodline...I never thought I'll hear about them again. Not after that girl escaped, I thought they were destroyed." She choked out and it took everything in me to not take my question back.

  "Destroyed...?"

  "The first of the bloodline Catherine Deshayes was executed for using witchcraft in her favor. She was a greedy little thing, used to lure men and women from villages. Then when she was done with them she would take their lifeforce into her which helped her to live for centuries. After she was hanged, her great-great-granddaughter started to show the same symptoms. That's why she was banned from using magic altogether. Our High Priest made up a lie to sacrifice her, everyone thought she'd be truly gone then." She laughed as if the idea was ridiculous.

  "Turned out she ran with her awakened groom. The last I heard about that bloodline was when there was a prophesy going around about a girl from the same bloodline. Rumors said that the girl has been killed by the king of Shadows but then again, I am not sure of the details. You were never close to the clan, always wanting to spend time with your grandparents. And we started to distance ourselves from the clan after you left. They weren't particularly happy with your father being human. It's only when the thing with Ivy..." She trailed off with a pained glance at the closed door.