54: A Stroke of Luck – Pt. 2

*Warning: Rushed and clunky (I think...I don't know) I didn't have time to proofread (I'm sorry, seriously hectic schedule). Any errors will be fixed in the morning.*

“Advanced healing spell,” Victoria read aloud as she thumbed through the pages of her family’s spellbook. It had a strange list of ingredients but the possibilities were remarkable. She earmarked the page and continued flipping. She was looking for someone or something that fit the description given by their client Aidan Byrne. But what she didn’t realize, ‘tall’ and ‘furry’ covered a large spectrum of supernatural creatures. Everything ranging from ogres, werewolves and even centaurs.

Victoria looked up as she listened to her partner’s constant clicking on his keyboard and sighed. The thought of spelling him or using magic to cure his spine had crossed her mind a time or two. But she also knew there would be consequences to using that kind of healing spell. Personal gain spells were the most damning in the eyes of light magic and the balance of nature. It could mean she would suffer severely for attempting it. It could also mean someone somewhere else in the world would have to give up their ability to walk in order for Mike to have his mobility back. The prospects of watching him up and about again far outweighed any guilt she’d feel about a total stranger…at least she hoped it would.

“What are you doing over there?” she asked, as his fast fingers snapped her back to the present.

“Looking at this website about your other world. Did you know there were about 100 different theories about every mythological creature thought to be in existence? Witches for example. It’s said that your type got their start hundreds of years prior to the Salem trials while another site claims that was when magic was first used on a more recognized basis.”

“Interesting,” Victoria replied, turning her attention to the book in front of her. They’d been at it all morning long. Researching, theorizing and hoping they were at least close to the right trail. Aidan Byrne called to check in ten minutes after they walked in the door and the desperation in his voice became their motivation to get busy; plus, they really didn’t want to disappoint their first client ever. This kind of business THRIVED on positive word-of-mouth. “A-ha!” Victoria exclaimed and popped up from her seat. “A Fawnling.”

“A what?” Mike asked as she sat the book down in front of him with it turned to the page. An image of a horned creature had been crudely sketched and beside it was a detailed description. 

“A Fawnling is a type of mythological woodland creature with the upper torso, and arms of a human, the lower body of a horse-like animal and the head of a deer. It gets its name from the resemblance it has to a baby deer. The creature walks upright like man, but has the instincts and ferociousness of a lion. It is as quick as a rider-less horse, as strong as a grizzly and as cunning as a fox. There are few other supernatural types the Fawnling gets along with, Dryads, Nymphs and Centaurs being highest on their natural enemies list. Fawnlings have for centuries fought for control over the rights to inhabit the forest.”

“Ok…well, it certainly fits the description of ‘tall and furry’ but are you sure this is the right um…person?”

“I don’t. I’m hoping Mr. Byrne can I.D. him for us.”

“I don’t know. Our client didn’t seem very inclined to help us.”

“Well he’s going to have to get inclined, and soon. We have two days left to recover his stolen property if he ever wants to get home again,” she responded, glancing at the clock on the wall. “And I guess that will have to wait until tomorrow. According to his account details, he doesn’t accept phone calls after 5. So. I guess we keep hitting the books, find a few more possible suspects and take them to him in the morning.”

“Sounds good.” Mike thought for a moment, shutting the book to its worn leather cover before glancing up at Victoria again. “Where did you get this thing? There’s no way a library would keep something this…ragged. It looks hundreds of years old.”

“It’s…”

“Don’t tell me, your family’s grimoire?”

“Wow, Mikey, I’m impressed.”

“I told you, I’ve been doing my research. I will reserve a little cynicism. But it would take a complete idiot not to believe after that little show you put on in my living room.”

“Well, as long as you know knowledge is power, a healthy dose of cynicism isn’t all bad,” she smiled, softly rubbing his shoulder as she closed up the book and carried it towards her desk. “See you in the morning, partner.”

“Goodnight, Vik.”

Victoria got home and made herself a small dinner. She tried distracting herself with a little television, hoping to help calm the niggling voices in the back of her head. But it didn’t take long before she was face first into her research once more; this time, Derrick was the topic of interest. She sat going over the pages of information Cole had been able to secure from various law enforcement databases. During the mid-17^th and early 18^th centuries, the ‘Monster of Manchester’ was headline news in several countries including England, France, Egypt, and Spain. Countless bodies had been attributed to this merciless serial killer, the number rounding the high 500s. There were varying descriptions about his appearance but the one thing eyewitnesses seemed to agree on were his bright, red eyes. 

“Oh my god,” she gasped reviewing the photographs of several crime scenes. Aside from the expected gory exhibitions and small puncture wounds on their necks, Victoria’s eyes fell on another, less obvious connection that each seemed to have. According to the homeowners’ inventory on the 3^rd page of the police reports, the victims’ were all in possession of supernatural artifacts that went unnoticed by investigators at the time. A Chalice of Torment was found at the Whey household, a Torc of Embitterment in the Ridgedale household and a Griffin Head at the Abbotts.

Pulling up her internet, Victoria did a quick search of the items.

The Torc of Embitterment was worn by Atlantean priestess-judges during the sentencing of criminals that had offended the god-kings of Atlantis. As any discretion against the rulers was punishable by execution, the Torc quickly became a symbol of death.

Griffin heads, usually fitted on bronze cauldrons or drinking vessels in archaic Greek art, served as talismans to ward off evil spirits.

And finally, The Chalice of Torment was used to collect the spilt blood of sacrificial virgins. Once the blood had been collected, the chalice was used as a mixing vessel where other herbs and powders were added to turn the liquid into a psychotropic fluid used by Atlantean priestess-judges to invoke spirit journeys.

“So two cases of Atlantean and another of Greek origins. But all with a connection to the Cult of the Damned,” she spoke aloud, rereading the names on the list in front of her. Abbott, Whey, Ridgedale, she continued repeating the names in her head before a light went on; these were the names of the men she and Derrick recovered the three talismans from. “Son of a bitch!” Hades’ barking caused her to jump and she watched him dart through the living room towards the front door. “What is it, boy? Something out there?” Briefly she considered opening the door to let him outside. But if it turned out to be some cute, innocent bunny, she’d never forgive herself for letting him harm it. “I’ll be back.”

Grabbing her sidearm, Victoria stepped out into the warm spring air to take a look around her front yard as Hades continued barking behind her. She could see headlights approaching from the corner before turning off the street but other than that the night appeared still. Starting back to her front door, she paused suddenly.

The rose bush beside the garage rustled and the lack of wind indicated something or someone was hiding back there. Her hand gripped the handle of her weapon tighter and, at the sound of the hammer falling into place, a dark figure popped up, hands raised. “Don’t shoot!”

“Jesus, Derrick! What the hell are you doing skulking around my yard?”

“I wasn’t skulking! I do not skulk! I was merely watching you secretly from the shadows!” he smirked.

Victoria folded her arms into her chest and sighed. “What are you doing out here?”

“I just wanted to make sure you were ok…after last night.”

“Then pick up the phone, Derrick! Or better yet, come inside the house. Hades was going nuts!”

He smiled to himself and glanced over her shoulder towards the front door. Hades was pacing frantically in front of it, waiting for his Master to return, or anxious to get outside to see what was happening. “I grabbed your mail,” Derrick replied, handing it over.

“Thanks,” she responded slowly, mouthing an ‘ow’ as she adjusted the envelopes in her hands. “Wanna come in or are you gonna camp in the tree tonight?” Again he smiled but this time he started after her as Victoria returned to her front door. “Hey, Boy, it was just Derrick,” she grinned and rubbed Hades’ head as he jumped excitedly into her arms.

Derrick shut the door behind him, and gave Hades a warm welcome before dropping his bag to the floor. “So what are you two up to tonight?” 

Victoria walked over to her coffee table and shuffled around a few files, concealing the pages on Derrick as she responded. “Well I am hard at work on this missing gold case and Hades is squirrel watching. He seriously drives me crazy barking at them constantly. But it’s a reminder to buy new blinds this weekend. What about you?”

“Nothing much; I kinda needed to get out of my head. Went for a walk and ended up here.”

“You went for a walk?” Victoria asked motioning towards the duffel he’d brought with him “You packed an overnight bag to go on a walk?”

Derrick glanced down at the bag and shrugged. “You need any help with the case?”

“Of course I do. What little I know about leprechauns can be summed up in three words: Saint Patrick’s Day. Outside of the cute little men wearing green suits and hoarding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, I have no clue where to even begin on this thing. Mike had some ideas about using magic to track a rainbow so I’ve been coming up with spells to see how to get that to work.”

“And how is he dealing with this? The whole magic thing?”

“So far? He’s a working skeptic. He believes in what I can do but he’s pretty concerned about what else might be out there. The other day I saw him looking through old case files we worked, trying to find a connection to the supernatural world. Also, I think he knows about you.”

“About me what?”

“You know; the fact that you’re not human. Last night, he asked me how I got started into magic. I told him everything sorta fell into place when I met you. Being a detective, he started putting things together. How you are always around, never seem to sleep, never eat or drink or…breathe.”

“He said that?”

“Well the breathing part, yeah.”

“And what did you tell him?”

“I told him it wasn’t my place to say anything and since it wasn’t a ‘no, you’re crazy stop making stuff up’ he knows he’s on the right track. It’s up to you if you want to fill in the blanks.”

Derrick nodded and took a step further into the room. “What’s that smell?”

“What smell?”

“You’re bleeding.”

“Hmm? Oh yeah I cut my finger on a piece of mail. It’s no biggie though, just a paper cut,” she replied and dropped the envelopes to the sideboard near the kitchen wall. Derrick followed closely, inhaling the scent of her blood as he moved. Victoria smiled at him before undoing her hair and starting towards the stairs. “I’m gonna shower and relax for a little while. Wanna join me? Or you can get a movie started instead if you’d like; we can veg out on the couch.” 

He didn’t respond. Instead, he continued staring at the mail sitting beside the keys on the table, slowly working to silence the anxious demand of his hunger. He could feel his fangs lengthen on either side of his jaw; his mouth was salivating, eager for a taste. It was just as it had been the night he rescued her from Rowan. The smell of her blood taunted him as he walked her home; a constant reminder of what he was missing out on. Now here it was again, lingering in the air like a beckoning finger, pulling at his nostrils and drawing him into its seductive web. “Derrick?” Victoria called for him and waited. “Hey, are you coming to join me or not?” she asked with a smile in her voice.

Slowly, Derrick turned to face her. The veins near his eyes were both visible and throbbing. And his eyes she’d only seen this red with hunger on a couple other occasions and both times happened when he tried to control his thirst. A subdued gasp pierced her parted lips and she steadily retreated backwards towards the stairs. Rowan had gotten to taste her but she was his a fact made clear the night she broke open a vein and let her sweet flow of arterial goodness pour into his lips; and he was desperate for more.

“Derrick?” she whispered softly, her hands placed in front of her defensively. For every step she took backwards, he inched closer towards her. Victoria knew running was not an option, there was no way she could outrun a vampire. With his speed and strength he could overpower her in seconds and she would be helpless to stop him. 

She glanced up the stairs again. If she could just make it passed the halfway point and into her protection bubble, she would be ok. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, watching her eyes move about the room looking for an escape. “Do you really think you can make it up there before I have you pinned beneath me, sucking the life from your veins?” he asked, almost laughing. His voice was deeper than normal and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. “Go on, let’s give it a try. I don’t mind a little chase with my meal.”

His tongue licked across the sharp incisors and an amused smirk appeared on his lips as he continued moving forward. As if this was all a game. This wasn’t him. Victoria had never been face-to-face with the demon inside him, but now it seemed she was being forcibly introduced to the ‘Monster of Manchester’ himself; an introduction she could have lived without. 

Sensing her distress, Hades rumbled low behind her, creeping towards the object of his fury, but Derrick paid him no mind. “Derrick, please. Snap out of it! This isn’t you!”

“Oh? And I suppose you know me so well. You’ve always known what I am, Victoria, you just chose to overlook it.” He growled, his intimidating gaze piercing her to the bone. “Sorry to disappoint you, Love, but this is exactly who I am! Not convinced? Why don’t we give old Cole a ring, have him come over. Since the two of you have been conspiring behind my back.” He smirked at the shocked expression on her face, moving closer still. “I’m a vampire, Victoria, I could smell him all over you. You want to be with him so badly, I think I’ll leave your head on his doorstep for him to find!” 

Quickly thinking up a spell, Victoria began chanting, “Bind his movement, bind his will…” Derrick rushed towards her before she could finish. Closing his hand around her throat, he smiled sinisterly, enjoying the pure look of fear in her eyes as he held her. Squeezing her neck tighter to restrict airflow, he lifted her above his head and tossed her across the room. 

Hades attacked, running at Derrick full speed. The hell hound’s head split in two and a venomous beast arose from his body, growling and snarling at the vampire as it set its sights on his throat. Derrick was tackled to the floor as the Doberman came down on him with all its force. Vicious howling and barking rumbled from behind the couch as Victoria slowly pulled herself to her feet.

She started dragging herself towards the stairs again and heard Hades whimper seconds before the snarling stopped. She didn’t have to turn around to realize Derrick was back on his feet. Instead, she tossed herself at the stairs and scrambled up each one. Derrick’s hand closed around her ankle, pulling her back towards him. Victoria kicked violently, trying again to spell him. “Make him powerless, make him still…”

Her head knocked against the bottom step as she was jerked to her ass at his feet. Derrick smirked and reached down for her, again gripping her by the neck before throwing her against the wall. “Incendium!” she growled, and a large fireball bolted from her hands, hitting him in the face. Derrick fell back, brushing at his body to put out the flames and Victoria crumbled to the ground, rubbing her sore neck.

She hurried up the midway section of the stairs and finally completed her spell. “Confine his actions, ensure harm to none. Bound only by me and shall it be undone.” A bright light exploded around the vampire and he screamed as radiant ropes encircled his body, carving through his flesh. Derrick fell in a ball of blue light and remained there as it slowly dissipated. 

When she was sure the spell had worked, Victoria made her way down the stairs, stepping over Derrick’s body to get to Hades. She placed her hands over the dog’s corpse. “Innova,” she whispered three times. A purple flicker of light sparkled from her fingertips and filled his prone body. Hades stirred, weakened momentarily, but was on his feet in seconds after his spirit was renewed.

“Victoria?” she turned to look at Derrick, still resting in a fetal position at the bottom of her staircase. Hades growled and started towards him and Victoria soothed his ruffled fur, calming the animal before she moved to check on Derrick. She started to reach out for him and he promptly stopped her. “Don’t!” he shouted and slipped away from her. “Don’t touch me.”

“Hey, it’s just me, Derrick. Are you ok?” Derrick refused to look up at her. He sat with his back against the wall, clenching and unclenching his fist as his face ran a gamut of emotions. “Derrick?”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you, Victoria. I never meant for it…it never should have gone that far. I was trying to control it. I tried to keep it fed. I’m sorry.” Derrick lifted his eyes and finally looked at her. “Rowan was right. I have been fooling myself, Victoria.” Keeping his eyes on her, he caressed her face and slowly stood. “I can’t do this anymore,” He whispered and started for the door. 

“Do what, Derrick? I don’t understand, what is happening to you?”

“I’m sorry, Victoria. I can’t be around you right now.”

Victoria sat silently a moment, processing the words he spoke and a sharp pain shot through her chest. “What does that mean? A-are you b-breaking up with me? I thought…you said…you promised you wouldn’t break my heart.”

“I…know, Victoria! But he wants…I want to rip you apart! I can’t let myself hurt you again. I’m sorry.”

“Derrick, wait, I can help you! Please, just let me help,” Victoria cried, feeling her tears dry on her face as new ones rolled down her cheeks.

He turned around and faced her. “You can’t help me, Victoria. You’re the reason…just…stay away from me, please.”

“What? No! Please! Please, let me help you! Derrick, don’t do this to me,” she begged, starting after him. “Derrick!” He quickly shifted into raven form as he exited the door and disappeared from sight. Victoria slid down the wall to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

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*Author's note: Websites shown in this episode were From Kitki With Love, on Victoria's computer screen. And All Supernatural, from Mike's computer screen. The Fawnling depicted in Victoria's grimoire, courtesy of Moonskin.*

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