The Awakening (16 page)

"Zac, please," she began to argue.

"You have a horrible history with Regulus, I
get it, but you can't choose who you fall in love with. Gabby needs us right
now. All of us. She doesn't need to be told how horrible the man she fell in
love with was. She needs her friends."

"I don't think I can, Zac. This has been my
whole life. How can I change that? How do I even begin to understand?"

He sighed, looking up at the stars and wondering if
that's where Aya'd really come from. "Why does anyone love anyone? It's
one of the great mysteries of the universe and fucked if I know how it
works."

"Who are you and what have you done with Zac
Degaud?" she breathed.

"Ironically, the thing I was looking for was
just under the surface all along. I was too fixated on being the monster and
getting rid of it, rather than making peace." Aya pressed her
forehead against his, her thumb stroking the edge of his jaw. "I was
always me. I just didn't know the way back."

He watched her thoughts play across her face and
for the first time, she didn't guard anything. Confusion, anger, love,
exhaustion. It was all there and he didn't even try to understand how anyone
could feel all of that at once.

"I know I need to make my peace," she
said after a minute. "I've started but…"

"The Romans are gone. Katrin is banished to
the other side. You had your chance to say goodbye to your family. The last
peace you need before we face Aed is with Gabby."

Aya pulled back and sunk into her hair. "I
know and I will. I think I should leave her be tonight."

What Zac didn't want to talk about was the fact
that they had nothing to use against Aed. No weapons, no secret plans, no spells.
Regulus was their only chance at killing the hybrid forever and now that he was
gone, they had a big fat zero. No one even knew how to bind him.

"What are we going to do now?" he asked
with a grimace. "We're screwed, right?"

"I don't know," Aya replied. "We
need Gabby."

"We do, but there's no one alive who knows
about the Tuatha other than the fairy stories. What about the Celestines? Isn't
there something in your history that could help?"

"Our answer may have something to do with the
Celestines, or it may not. Anything I have to contribute might just make things
worse. My power won't work against Aed. I just...I don't know."

"We'll think of something."

Zac hoped they would, because if Aya couldn't see
the way forward, he sure as hell couldn't. Their answers weren't going to come
all at once and this fight might take weeks, months or even years to end. That
was a thought too much to handle. He longed for home. He wanted to see Sam and
Liz, but until this was over he'd stay as far away from them as he could.

Aya left Gabby alone for three days. In fact,
nobody had seen her for that long. The witch had locked herself away in
Regulus' study doing god knows what and all of them were beginning to worry.

The Three had gone back to the apartment in Camden,
but she'd stayed behind with Zac, Tristan and Nye to look after Gabby and think
about their next move, which they sill had none. Aed had all but disappeared
for the time being and that was hardly a surprise. Perhaps he was mourning his
dead sisters.

Aya hovered outside of the study and after a moment
of hesitation, she opened the door and walked right in unannounced.
Gabby sat in the leather armchair, curled up in a rug, leafing through a
leather-bound book. Her grimoire, along with Alisandra's, sat on the desk,
unopened and untouched.

"Gabby?" Aya asked, closing the door
behind her.

The witch looked up and scowled when she saw who'd
interrupted.

"We're worried about you," she said.
"I'm worried."

"I'm busy," the witch replied.

Aya walked over to where Gabby sat and glanced at
the book in her hands. "It's a grimoire," she said, surprised.

"There's a whole case of them," Gabby
said, her voice betraying how tired she really was. "This is
Victoria's."

Aya frowned, looking again at the grimoire in
Gabby's hands. She had no love for the witch turned vampire who ruined Zac's
life, but found herself curious as to what was in that book. Especially since
Victoria was a cast off of the Coven.

"There's nothing in here," Gabby said
with a sigh. "I've been reading them all."

"So, there's nothing about the Tuatha, but
what have you learnt?"

"A great deal about other things. None of
which we need right now."

"That's not the point," Aya said, sitting
across from her in the other leather chair. "You've come a long way since
I first met you. Growing trees from nothing. Glamours. Glyphs. It's
impressive."

"So, now you pretend to care? Now you see how
powerful I really am, you come crawling back? After you refused to help him? I
can't believe you."

"I'd never use you, Gabby. You have to know
that I would never..."

"You'd used and abused for the greater good,
Aya. Don't deny it."

Aya grimaced. She had her there, but it was never
without regret or shame. "The Celestines legacy is my priority. I am
the last, even though I'm no longer complete. It's my eternity. You know it.
Zac knows it. I've always been up front about that."

"You only showed me your true form because it
was convenient for you," the witch snapped. "If Katrin hadn't of
revealed herself to you that night at Alex's, you would never have revealed
anything to us, let alone me."

"If Katrin hadn't cursed Zac, if the Coven
didn't…I wouldn't have revealed myself to anyone else but you. You know I can't
compel you to forget. I wouldn't even if I could. I doubt I would've told Zac willingly
and what does that say about me?"

Gabby eyed her suspiciously.

"I've never trusted easily," Aya said.
Casting her gaze to the ground she hesitated. She'd never had to explain her
motives to anyone before. Forever cold and calculating. "I've kept myself
secret for so long, sometimes I have trouble finding the right words."

"You think I'm a fool for loving him,"
she said. "You think I somehow changed sides. Betrayed you and the Five's
legacy."

"No, I don't. I don't claim to understand it,
but I don't think you are a fool."

The witch looked up at her like she was mad.

"My feelings towards Regulus will never
change. I cannot apologize for that and I hope you understand why. And my
feelings towards you will never change, either."

Gabby sighed loudly, shifting uncomfortably.
"And what are those?"

"You really have to ask?"

"I wouldn't ask unless I wanted to know the
answer."

"Respect," Aya said firmly. "Love.
Loyalty. We may disagree on many things in the future, but know that I see you
as a sister. Not because you're descended from Ismena. Not because my mother
gifted your line their power. Not because you are probably one of the most
powerful witches alive right now. It's because of who you are. Never forget
that." The witch's emotions were all over the place and she had a
hard time keeping it together as they washed over her. "I get it.
Love is a wonderful and terrible thing all at once. If I lost Zac…well, I would
understand how you feel right now. But we need you Gabby. I need you."

Gabby set Victoria's grimoire aside and sat up
straight. "I haven't given up," she said. "I've been trying to
find the way forward. I love Regulus. I don't make excuses for it and I will
not talk to you about it. I won't entertain any negativity from you about him,
so don't even mention his name around me."

"Understood."

"If you hadn't of turned up I would still be a
small town witch whose power could only light a candle. You've taught me so
much just by consequence. If you hadn't of shown up with your crazy as fuck
blood feud, I would never of found my grandmother. I would've come back
eventually, you know. I'm not the same witch anymore and I never will be. I'll
probably be sore at you for a while yet, but we have a problem that needs
fixing for the greater good."

"That I can understand," Aya said wryly.
"Truce?"

Gabby looked her up and down with a  shake of
her head. "No truce, Aya. We never needed one."

The hybrid smiled thinly at the witch and reached
out for Victoria's grimoire. "Then let's get to work."

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Gabby read over the letter that Regulus had left
her again like it was holding some secret message she'd been unable to find.
All it had contained was his wishes for her to inherit his assets and one word
that meant everything to her. He'd signed it '
Your Love, Marcellus'
.

Love. That was the word she'd wanted all along.

She ran her fingers over his spidery handwriting
with a sigh. He didn't want her to call him by his first name, but maybe he
would've in time. Sliding the paper back into the envelope she set it on
the desk and turned back to Aya. The hybrid
was sitting in one of the leather armchairs, a pile of grimoires
beside her and another in her lap.

Aya had soon come to the same conclusion that Gabby
had. There were no answers in any of them and they were out of options. Well,
save for one. She'd known it for days and had been trying to avoid mentioning
it at all costs. She was from the ether and could walk both life and death
if she chose. Gabby had done it once before with Aya and she could do it
again on her own.

"Gabby?" Aya asked, looking up.

The hybrid knew she was
struggling with something, she always did, so she just came out with
it. "I have to go to the other side and find Katrin."

Aya frowned at her, but didn't disagree.

"It's the only way forward," she said.
"Katrin is the only person who would know what to do next."

"She won't be very forthcoming."

"No, but what choice do we have?"

Aya sat up in the chair, putting the grimoire she'd
been reading aside. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head.
"I have to do this on my own."

Turning back to the desk, Gabby ran her fingers
over the envelope that held Regulus' letter. Picking it up, she held
it in her hands and stared at it for a few minutes, trying to figure out if it
was possible. She glanced at Aya, not sure if she had it in her to ask the
question.

"Regulus died human and was reborn as a
vampire. Where his soul has gone, you cannot follow," Aya said with a
frown. "Katrin only died once and her soul was anchored. You should be
able to contact her. You certainly have the strength to do it now."

Gabby tried to hide her disappointment. Of
course that's how it worked. Forever was a very long time.

"I'm sorry, Gabby."

"I have to go now," she said with a sigh.
"We're running out of time."

Aya nodded. "I'll be here if you need me. If
you get lost…I can bring you back."

"A shock to the heart?" she asked with a
small laugh.

Aya held up a finger and gave her a lopsided grin.
"Only a little one."

Sinking down into the chair she'd claimed as hers,
she closed her eyes trying to fend off the weariness of the past
few weeks. Finding the edge between life and death came easier
this time. It was like turning the page of a book as her spirit brushed against
the edges, a coldness seeping into her bones. Her physical body would remain
back in the study with Aya looking over it, but she wouldn't be there. Not
really
.

The other side was an eerie representation of life.
The entire world was shrouded in a white mist, physical features mostly
indistinguishable. She was here to find Katrin and so her intent was shaping
the landscape around her, leading to where the witch resided in her
incarceration. Remembering back to when she'd severed the witch's anchor with
Aya's help, she knew that the spirits of the other Founding Witches would have
punished Katrin. Wherever she resided now was a prison.

Gabby's will was stronger than it had ever been and
she didn't quite understand it, but all she had to do was walk
forward and her destination would present itself. She didn't know how
long she'd been walking when she saw a shape emerging from the
mist. Blurry at first, but as she approached, it became more
solid. A tangible existence in an otherwise empty landscape.

Katrin was standing on a patch
of colorless grass, hands folded in front of her. She wore a plain
dress, faded like the color of a sepia photograph that hadn't stood up to the
test of time. Katrin's entire world was this spot, devoid and washed-out.
Lonely.

The witch looked up and her eyes met Gabby's.
Recognition flashed there for a moment and her lips curled into a
sneer.

"To what do I owe the honor?" Katrin
drawled, turning away.

Gabby wasn't here for small talk, so she got right
down to business. The founder's prison was already putting pressure on her
already weary soul. "The Coven has awoken a Tuatha hybrid."

The witch turned sharply. "What? How do
you
know?"

"Regulus."

Katrin looked her over and snorted. "I can see
he worked his wiles on you."

"It wasn't manipulation. He and I had a mutual
agreement."

"A mutual agreement?" Katrin let out a
laugh. "The only mutual agreements Regulus had were of his own
making."

Gabby's jaw tightened, but she wasn't about to
let the greatest betrayer of her kind to get under her skin.

"And if a hybrid is awake as you claim, then
why hasn't he put it down?"

"Regulus is dead." Her voice wavered
as she spoke the last word and the founding witch narrowed her eyes.

"Regulus is dead?"

"We faced the Tuatha and he was bitten."

"He faced it on his own? The fool," she
hissed, turning away. "It was his own stupid fault, then."

"What do you know of the Tuatha?"

Katrin's shoulders rose and fell with a sigh.
"As much as you, if Regulus told you everything he knew."

"He did."

"Then he told you about my heritage. The
Coven."

"Yes, he did."

The witch shook her head, biting her bottom lip as
if she was trying to stifle her anger. "If I had of known my secrets were
being handed out like candy to children, I would have ended him myself."

Gabby held herself high and looked the founding
witch right in the eyes. "What happened to Aoife and the Original
Witch?"

"Isolde. Her name was Isolde."

"Then, what happened?"

Katrin cast her eyes to the ground, the only
indication that this made her uncomfortable. "Aoife sealed the hybrids
away one by one. She then hunted down the witch she'd created and tried to
end her, but that didn't go so well."

"Isolde killed Aoife?"

"Yes, and so the Original Witch went on to
found the Coven. They wanted to find where the Tuatha vampires were hidden and
awaken them."

"But couldn't they glean that from
Aoife's blood?"

"Once she died, her blood was useless. For
that little trick to work, it needs to come from a live host. They had
nothing and spent the next three thousand years searching."

"And they wanted you to infiltrate the last
Celestines so you could find out?"

"That was one reason. But they didn't count on
my betrayal. My chance for revenge."

"You wanted to destroy them." Regulus had
already told her this. Born into the Coven without any power, Katrin had been
forced to become a Founding Witch and had turned on everyone and created a
third side intent on destroying everything.

Katrin laughed, her eyes suddenly dark. "I
might've embraced the dark, Gabby, but I would never side with the Tuatha.
The
devourers of worlds
. The fact that my family worked to revive the hybrids
was their greatest folly. They could not bring an extinct race back to life. A
Tuatha made into a vampire? That is so much worse than turning humans. Aeriaya
is a perfect example of that and she's not an original. Imagine the horror
she'd inflict on the world if she was."

"She'd be exactly like Aed. Human blood was
the only thing that saved her from total insanity."

Katrin nodded. "In her full powers and those
of a vampire amplified ten fold? No remorse. No control. That is what your
Tuatha is. And that is the only reason I am entertaining this little
questioning session. My beloved Regulus is dead. You need your own Original.
Your Celestine hybrid cannot help you this time."

"Our only option is to make another
founder."

"The
only
option."

Gabby paused, not knowing how to go on. They needed
a human...

"I hope you have someone you can trust,"
Katrin said with a sneer.

"Who do you suggest?" Gabby asked, cocking
her head to the side.

"Someone pure of heart," she scoffed.
"Someone who understands control. Someone who has the stomach for a bloody
fight. Anything less and you'll have another monster on your hands."

Gabby swallowed hard, trying to keep her expression
even. They didn't have anyone. "We don't even have the spell," she
said carefully. Katrin had helped above and beyond what she'd been expecting
from the witch, but this might be pushing it too far.

"You want me to give it to you," the
witch said with a smirk.

"How else am I going to make another founder?
I thought you wanted the Tuatha hybrids gone forever. I'm here and I'm willing
to do whatever it takes to put Aed down for good."

"Finally we have a common enemy."

"And a little trust goes a long way."
There was no way of knowing if Katrin still gave a crap about what happened on
Earth and there was no way of knowing the spell she might give her would be a
trap. There was no other option to trust the founding witch and Katrin knew it.

"For me to give you the spell, you need to
find my grimoire in life."

"What happened to it?"

"When I died, it was before I was ready. I'd
made preparations that would take effect once I set foot on the other side. In
the process, I lost my grimoire."

"Someone killed you?" Gabby asked,
getting the witch's meaning.

"It didn't matter," she said, waving her
hand. "It was already too late."

"Did you ever find your grimoire again?"

"No. But it was useless to me
anyway. I wanted to pass it on to my daughter, but that never happened. She was
lost to me in the process and my grimoire was never found and I never bothered
to look very hard for it. It was a symbol of everything I'd suffered. Good
riddance."

Gabby didn't like the sound of Katrin's story, but
she wasn't about to ask for the gory details. The book was why she was here.
Grimoires were basically indestructible. They had multiple spells woven through
them to protect from all manner of harm. Katrin's would most certainly still
exist, but after so much time, it could be absolutely anywhere and anyone could
be in possession of it. Luckily for them, it took a certain amount of energy
and skill to cast most spells and if Gabby was as right about the one that had
created the Roman founders...there was only one witch alive she knew of who
could cast it.

"Tell me, Gabrielle," Katrin said with a
smirk. "Have you ever made your own grimoire?"

Gabby frowned, wondering what she was
getting at. Katrin's eyes sparkled and she stepped towards her.

That was the thing about spirits.
They weren't hampered by physical bodies and could move
incredibly fast if they wanted to. Before Gabby could step out of the way,
Katrin's hands cupped her face and everything went dark.

"Katrin, my child."

As Gabby's vision started to
clear, she heard the voice beside her and it brought her back into
clarity.

"Yes, Mama." Her voice didn't sound
right, but she realized that she was in a child's body. Katrin's body. The
founder had given her a vision and she was along for the
ride, whether she wanted to be or not. She felt herself melding with
the young version of Katrin until she was the little girl. Blinking, she looked
up at a woman with wild auburn hair and caramel eyes.

Her Mama was called the Matriarch and all the
other witches looked to her and she told them what to do.
Disobeying the Matriarch was forbidden. Those that did went away and
never came back. Those were the only witches she ever got to see outside of her
Mama's rooms. She said she was her secret shame and had to remain hidden. She
wasn't a witch like them, but she should have been.