Lily let out a light bubbling laugh, her eyes closing briefly with the accompanying smile, only catching Finn’s eyes once more before she turned back around into her chair. She hoped it would work out. It had to.

At the knock on the door, Lily was standing as rigid as a board as she waited for her father to answer the door. Her eyes trained straight forwards and her breathing manually controlled, focusing on not hyperventilating. Hands balled into themselves, a way to exert some of the tension that was rippling through her body. The presence of Finn beside her could only accommodate to relieve some of the anxiety as she heard quick footsteps approaching the door.

Callisto stood beside Alma, spine straight as an arrow. His three piece suit had been reassembled to achieve the antiquated look that Kieran expected upon his arrival, the prodigal child of Veles returned to the land of the living. His chest rose and fall in a steady rhythm, tuning into the same foot falls that had made Lily’s breathing hitch.

In a swift motion, Kieran had swept open the opulent front door, a grin plastered onto his face as his dark eyes immediately locked themselves onto Callisto. His lips parted to begin whatever long-winded welcoming speech he had prepared that day when his gaze slid over towards Alma and he froze on the spot. Staring at her for the longest second, his lips falling from their poster board smile.

“Alma.” He breathed out with the lungful of air he had prepared to speak with, eyes hardening as he remembered the mess he had been left with after her and Taz’s departure, their abandonment. “Ah-” Kieran’s head tilted to the side as he spotted the tallest figure among them, standing out significantly if not for his height but for the large bright wings splaying out from his back. “You brought him as well.” His voice was laced with irritation and distaste beneath the professional tone.

Lily’s breathing had stopped as Kieran opened the door, her eyes widening as she took in his smile. So many times she had laughed with him, put on little fashion shows and singing performances when she used to wear cutesy little dresses with a missing tooth. She thought he had loved her. That she had meant something to him, what father wouldn’t love their child through everything.

Despite her mother’s indifference, her dad had always been there for her. A shoulder to cry on and a beacon of hope in times of darkness, someone she could go running to if things went wrong. Now, all Lily could think about was the fact that each time she played with him, shared stories or cried, what thoughts were flowing through his mind? Annoyance? Frustration that he had to deal with her emotions, that he just wanted to send her to Veles? Her eyes began to prick with a familiar sensation as they took on a glassy appearance, fighting not to let it over take her as she stood strong behind Alma. Shoulders squared, overriding the well of overflowing emotions with the beginning of anger. Anger that he could conceive a child and pretend to love it for 23 years, to deceive an innocent child into thinking it was loved, that it was safe.

Callisto cleared his throat as Kieran’s eyes landed on Finntello, commanding the attention back to himself. “Kieran.” He dipped his head the tiniest amount. “They are here because Veles desired. The man was the original dowry, now he demands more.” With that he gestured with an open palm towards Alma. “The blasphemers will make a most wonderful wedding gift.” Callisto forced his lips to split in a complacent smile, his words unshaking as he spoke, ensuring that he didn’t let his facade falter.

Kieran looked over the unexpected duo with scrutiny before he slowly nodded his head to Callisto. “If our lord desires, that we shall provide.” That sickly smile rose to his lips again, now his gaze landed on Lily. There was no flicker of emotion in his eyes before he spoke. “He was pleased with her?”

Callisto’s eye twitched minutely. “Yes. He was pleased. However, the ritual was incorrect. Tonight we amend that.” He stepped backwards and gestured to the side, encouraging Kieran to begin leading them away.

Kieran gave a soft grunt of approval before closing the door behind him, flicking a key into the lock as he began to walk down the winding white stone path to the main street. As he walked past Lily, he deliberately brushed past her, nudging her shoulder but saying nothing. Lily’s head remained staring straight ahead, lips pressed into a thin line. Ever so slowly, she turned and began to follow him reluctantly.

Lily almost jumped out of her skin at the touch to her shoulder, forgetting for a moment that she was in fact there with other people. Her head tilted to glance at Alma, feeling her hands relax from the balls they had been bundled up into. She didn’t miss the corrective nudge she administered Finn, preventing his rather obvious distaste for Kieran from being detected.

Her father led them out onto the street, pacing his way along the pavement at a leisurely pace. Callisto was walking just ahead of Lily, maintaining a constant gaze on Kieran’s back, just in case.

“Really, we should have sent her from this location to begin with. However, we had a small, well, incident there before hand and couldn’t use the site.” Kieran chattered away, wanting to make himself seem as useful as possible to the apparently very favoured Callisto, upping his chances of being put in the good books. At least in his own head. Callisto merely hummed in acknowledgement, giving barely anything back to Kieran as he continued his idle small talk the entire way down the street.

“She was always destined for Veles, you see, he wanted someone of your blood, Callisto.” They had reached the end of the street by now and Callisto’s eyes flashed in interest. “Her mother, rest her soul-” Kieran paused to give a pointed look over his shoulder towards Finntello. “Was your relative. She was the perfect choice to make in order to produce an appropriate bride.” His tone was as though he was talking about a business transaction, not a child.

Lily’s eyebrows creased together, eyes flicking down to look at the pavement as she walked behind Callisto. Each passing minute seemed to suggest that her suspicions were correct, she was only meant for this exact task. Raised for slaughter.

Kieran let out a sigh as they rounded a corner to another unassuming house, it was just as large and gaudy as his own home and flicked his wrist towards it. “Here.” He presented as though it were the best thing since sliced bread. “Unassuming and perfectly suited to your needs.”

Kieran blinked in surprise that the others had dared to speak before Callisto, turning his head to meet the pair with a curious glitter in his dark eyes.

“Of course, they are waiting for you.” He offered a shrewd smile along with his words. With that he produced a silver key from his pocket and turned to hold it out for Callisto, who diligently took it from his grasp and held it tightly. “That will work for the front door, I have informed the others that this is something that you must do alone. However, I would not be surprised if there were onlookers lurking on the grounds.” Kieran gave a short survey of the area around them before meeting Callisto’s gaze again.

“They will be facing the wrath of Veles if they intervene.” Callisto lowered his voice, the beginnings of a growl in the back of his throat before he pushed past Kieran and began to make his way up the pavers to the front door.

“Enjoy the celebration.” Kieran chimed, as Lily walked past him his eyes flickered down to scan over her form. There wasn’t a hint of further emotion, mere consideration for her appearance and dislike of it. She did not look up.

Callisto pushed the key into the lock and twisted it, with a soft click, the door opened and he stepped inside. Waiting for the rest of his group to follow into the dimly lit foyer before firmly closing the door behind them and locking it.

“He is insufferable.” Callisto muttered, irritated by the short interaction. Lily on the other hand had finally lifted her gaze, but remained eerily silent. Making absolutely no effort to hide the fact she was trying to control herself, either from crying or lashing out in anger, that was up for debate.

Lily’s eyes danced across towards Alma as she began her rant about her father, feeling a small surge of comfort at the presence of people that actually seemed to give a damn about her. In the short days that she had been around both Alma and Finn, they had provided more genuine connections than she had ever experienced. That thought alone was intimidating, considering she was about to enter a situation where they could both be lost.

Her eyes moved down for the briefest second as she felt Finn’s hand fit firmly into hers, dragging her attention up to his face. A small smile began on her lips before her attention was fixed on Alma again.

“One of which was my mother.” She commented idly, returning the small squeeze she had been given. “Thankfully.” Lily huffed out, shifting ever so slightly so her arm was brushing Finn’s.

Callisto was staring down the hallway, tunnel-visioned in his concentration as he tried to pick out if there was anyone lurking in the various rooms. Slowly, he shook his head, they were in the clear.

“He said the one at the end of the main hall.” His feet had begun to move before he had finished speaking, drawn down the dark hallway to the double door that led to their apparent ritual chamber. How on earth this place went under the radar, he had no idea. It screamed cult house.

Reaching the doors, he pushed them open to reveal a rather gothic style room with red and dark wood spread across the entire space. A lavish red carpet lay in the middle with permanently scorched marks in the middle, forming a circle of runes that he recognised from that book he found all those years ago. It was sickening.

On a long table on the other side of the room, the two replica daggers lay side by side next to the book. The stupid book he had found when he was alive before. After they came back, that thing was being burnt to a crisp.

Taking long strides across the room, Callisto picked up the two daggers and felt the weight in his palms. “He was not lying.” He commented, holding out the daggers. “The issue is, there are only two. We have to go in two pairs, meaning we get to watch each other stab ourselves.” Callisto’s voice dripped with sardonic excitement.

She had seen this building before, but she was always the one waiting around the circle for the sacrifices to be brought out. When she was brought her, her head had been covered the entire time. She had not seen anything until the final moments when the bag was ripped from her head and her father had thrust the silver dagger into her torso relentlessly.

Lily’s stomach almost turned at the memory and she clung to Finn’s hand in order to keep herself from blessing the floor with the contents of her stomach.

Callisto let out a sigh at Finn’s question. “You never pay attention.” He flicked his own dagger back into his own palm with practiced skill, holding the hilt firmly. “The dining hall, the bar. That is where we are meeting.” He glanced towards Lily and felt the pull of sympathy as she stared with slightly bulging eyes, only half paying attention to the conversation as she nodded.

He tried to offer a smile, but once again it was crooked and lacked emotion. “Pay attention.” Callisto glanced at Finn. “All you need to do it strike yourself somewhere eventually fatal. No little arm scratches or slashes. It needs to be deep and strong.” He kept his voice level as if he wasn’t talking about essentially gutting himself. “Do not ask me how we come back to living bodies after we essentially kill them, I have no idea.” With that he strode into the circle and took in a breath.

–

Veles had been pouting in his lair, bored now that his sacrifices and plaything were gone. Idly entertaining himself by fingering through an old tome he had read many times over. His eyes lifted up over the top of the hardback book in surprise as he heard Xevon’s voice drifting into the room from the hallway. He had been laying splayed across the bed, but quickly righted himself and tossed the book aside.

“You painted the walls red down there is what you did, darling.” Veles’s smile was feline, sharp and cruel in its nature. Pleased that his companion was taking beautiful strides to the guard dog he desired him to be.

“I am perfectly fine.” He purred, stepping up towards Xevon and offering an arm towards him. “You must be exhausted. Come, come.” Veles took his arm gently and began to lead him towards the plush lounge to the side of the room.