Her crusade to punish those who had helped her mother and Lord Von hurt members of various clans—mostly her own had led her to some strange places. This place was however one of the strangest yet. She wasn't sure what she was hunting at this moment or whom. She only knew her sources had said that something bad had happened here. So, far many people had disappeared looking for lost loved ones. They had ventured into these sewers never to return.
Ever sighed pushing her bow back on her shoulder as she pulled her dark hair into a ponytail. She had no idea what she would find here. But, she was slowly learning more and more of her mother and her friends depravity than she wanted too. It colored her memories and was crushing any dreams she had of a mother who might have actually loved her. She was beginning to think Catalina Paxton wasn't capable of such things. She opened the grate and allowed herself to drop soundless to the ground. It might be said she should have brought back up but Ever wanted to do this on her own. She wanted to be the one who cleaned up her mother's mess. She owed the world that much. It was her after all that had begged for her to live all those years ago.
Calling forth a small bit of witch light her hand glowed green as she moved her eyes scanning for any sign of movement. The young witch made her way down the tunnel looking for signs of who or what might be lurking down in the darkness. She moved through the tunnels the bottom of her pants getting wet from the water that came to her ankles. She sighed why did everything always have to be so messy she thought to herself when the sound of singing caught her attention. It sounded like a hundreds of tiny voices coming from a distance. It was soft and sweet, the melody raising as if it was calling to her. She frowned if she was anyone else she might have simply fallen under its spell. But, Ever knew magic when she felt it. She also knew illusions when she was around them. Most spells that enticed were just that an illusion to make you believe that you would get whatever you wanted by following the sound. The promise of your deepest darkest dreams coming true.
She shook her head and pushed open a huge door stepping inside she glanced around. It appeared to be a den of some sort. She stumbled as her eyes adjusted to the faint light flickering from the candles on the wall to illuminate the world in front of her. Piles of bodies lay scattered around in various positions. It would appear that someone had stripped the flesh right off. The scent of death hung heavy in the air causing the young witch to place her hand over her nose and a frown to form on her lips.
The sound of screams caught her attention as her eyes darted to a woman who was being eaten by several small creatures. They bite and tore off pieces of her flesh as they feasted and Ever blinked trying to register the scene before her. The woman pleaded with her eyes and Ever knew that she wouldn't heal from the damage that was done to her and she took her bow and simply fired a shot. The only thing she could grant her was a death without pain. The arrow hit its mark as the creatures turned and squealed.
The sound was like nothing Ever had heard before. But, it was deafening and she covered her ears and watched as they jumped from the woman and more seemed to join them. Eyes in the shadows watching her. The tiny misshapen forms moving towards her. Ever keep her bow aimed towards them. The head's were to big for their bodies and were in some cases hair less in others had stringy hair that hung in patches. They hung on necks to small to hold the weight as they seemed to bobble back and forth. Their stomachs were bloated and they wore no clothes. They seemed to have no sex but there was a sense of connection between the creatures if they were talking to one another. They would form and reform. Some would attack others and eat them. Long red clawed fingers tearing into flesh as they opened mouths filled with razor-sharp teeth. Moving on legs that were more animal like than human and eyes that were as dark as the void itself.
They attacked each other at times and yet they seemed to move as one unit. Sometimes, changing shape and other time two joining to become one or one dividing into many. She had never seen such a creature and she had no idea what to do about the whole thing. One of them seemed to break out from the pack as it stalked towards her. Ever watched it for a moment not sure what to do when it spoke to her. The sound was like nails on a chalkboard. “Welcome mother. Did you come to feed us?”
Ever blinked at the words for a second as her eyes narrowed towards the creature. “Mother?” Perhaps, it thought she was Cat or that as Cat's daughter she was it's mother. Maybe her mother had used her DNA to create whatever creature these were before her.
The creature smiled at her teeth dripping with blood. “You don't know. That makes it more delightful. You didn't come to kill me did you mommy?” It spun around laughter echoing through the room. “You do know about the other. The one who shared my womb. I have never met my father. But, I was flawed not wolf enough to achieve the goal. One can't hide the truth if I am not wolf now can they.”
Dawning came to her as she frowned. Twins? Her son had a twin and they had turned her into this. She glanced around her powers searching for the truth. She knew it before she even asked the world. She was looking at her daughter who should only be about one but was older than her years. Whatever, had been done had changed her. “Why?” It was the only word that would form on her lips as she shook her head the weight of it coming down on her hard.
“Why what? Why feed? We likes it. We needs it. We wants it. We want to make the world our playground. We ate your brother. He was good. Grandmother let us have him. He was naughty. But, we don't want naughty. We want it all.” They were moving closer to her as the one in front of her spoke.
Blinking the witch stared at the child. She could feel the power here but more than that she knew what was done she could not undo. She also knew they were in pain. Despite their words she could feel it. She had no idea how she knew but she just did and Ever had learned a long time ago to trust her feelings. “No, why would they do this to you. Family is suppose to be first.” She knew that not everyone practiced that. But, to do this to her daughter. To do this to their own grandchild. She had no words for the depravity her mother and Dallan's parents had sunk. And for what to make sure he married a wolf? If they were here right now she would rip them to shreds herself. Wait, what did she say about her brother. Dahlia had said her and Kyrell had a child and that Cat did something with it. She feed it to these things? “You ate my brother? Mother let you?”
The child thing spun and nodded as she looked at her. “Why not I care not.” The creature looked at Ever as if she had said the silliest thing. “Family is nothing. Pain in everything. To feed, to live, to relish in the pain of others, we are the stuff of nightmares.” It giggled and the others echoed as Ever glanced around.
Ever knew what was done had damaged their, bodies, souls, and the very fabric of what they were. She also knew she couldn't let them out of this room. She glanced around at the bodies of those around her. How many had her mother sent here to die? How many children had she turned into monsters. She sighed, resolve in her face. She knew what she had to do despite the fact she didn't want to. She might always question whether she could save them even though she knew on some level she could not. But, doubt would forever linger. And to Ever who valued family before everything else this was the hardest thing to do. They had robbed her of her child twice but one was still alright and while she had lost a small piece of his life she could do something for him. This child creature who was blended with so many other things she could do nothing for.
“Mother?” It tilted its head at her as it seemed to watch. One of the creatures reached out and jumped faster than she would have thought and tore a piece off of her cheek. Blood poured down her face Ever screamed in surprise. It felt like her face was on fire. She had other things to worry about as she shot the thing in the head when she knocked it away. Another moved and she fired another shot. Loading the arrows she fired shot after shot watching them fall as she moved towards the door behind her. She blinked in surprise at the silence there were no animals here not even bugs. She heard no voices other than the strange creatures before her.
“I can't.” She had no idea what she couldn't do maybe she was just speaking to speak. But, she continued to move. She watched as one after another they stood up again and again as she fired. There were so many of them it floored Ever's mind. She was running out of arrows and time. She needed to think of something.
“Mommy? Help me. Help us? Feed us?” The child moved towards her calling out as Ever bite down on her lower lip. She wanted to but she couldn't. She closed her eyes stealing herself against the voice which had taken on a more human tone in her mind. It might have worked on someone who didn't specialize in illusions herself. “Why do you hurt us? Don't hurt me.”
Ever glanced down at the ground her eyes darting towards the water under her feet. The door at her back. She frowned and bite down on her lip drawing blood. With a nod, she called lightning to the area. With a fluid motion the witch set the lightning across the room. Slamming the door shut behind her. The lightning crackling inside the tomb she had just created. Everleigh could hear the screams from the other side of the door and knew that she had found a way to kill them. She could smell burning flesh as the lightning struck and burned them or hit the water and electrocuted those who stood there. She closed her eyes trying to ignore the sound. “Mother! Mother! Please..Don't..I love you. Please mommy.” She could hear the calls echoing through her skull.
The sound of that voice would haunt her til the day she died. She slumped down the ground behind the door and stayed there for the longest time even after the last of the screams had died down. She might have stayed there forever if not for a voice in the darkness coming towards her.
Glancing up at the servant who had come to check on her. Her eyes darted towards the tomb of her own creation. She threw open the door to stare at the burnt remains. Moving towards the one that had called her mother. She kissed the top of her head. “I am sorry.” She let the tears fall down her cheeks as she called the wind and blew the pieces of ash away. The ashes covering the ground and making her cough. The servant looked around and the question was on his face. “My lady?”
She turned towards him and pulled out a piece of paper. Writing upon it: Father, I have changed my mind. With the exception of Dal, my son of course, and those to young to know better. Kill them all. She handed the note to the man. “Take this to my father.” The servant bowed and left the room. He knew enough to leave her alone. She turned and walked from the room closing the door behind her. She sealed it with magic. Let this be a tomb for all eternity she thought. “May you return to the grace of the goddess.”