Chapter 10: History's murder
3RD JANUARY 2011
It was early afternoon and Astrid hadn't found her.
Davina Claire, a girl who was basically her own daughter was missing.
She was supposed to be here in the café right next to her as they were about to head towards the hospital for a check-up since it was that or they get the police involved, and they were on the same level of annoyance and hate as the mayor.
They had to pop in as someone practically dragged her inside since there was a vampire that seemed to be hopped up on something.
But one thing led to another, and he was swiftly staked and transfigured his grey body into butterflies that fluttered out of the back door.
But that was all a ploy, as the witches were desperate.
They had cursed a nightwalker who liked to sit upstairs in Les Brassage Des Sorcières and watch the day pass through the window.
The moment the last butterfly left the building, Astrid's neck was snapped along with everyone in the café and the only one left alive was Davina.
She didn't stand a chance
There was so much death in the air, it was hard to lock on to Davina's bright and fiery spark of magic.
It got to the point where she left any and all bystanders to be compelled and marched into the Abattoir, where every single vampire took one look at her and quickly moved out of her way as the toxic green mirrored with her darkening midnight ringlets was a very deadly combination which was notoriously followed by rivers of blood and bodies.
They all remembered that sight when...
Nope. No one even wants to think about that.
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Marcel Gérard was not having a good day. And that was putting it lightly
It started out well-ish.
He woke up with Sophie Deveraux next to him bathing in the warm glow of the morning light, she even let him feed off of her with euphoria thundering inside both of them.
But his good mood ended, the moment the King was called to his office and told that one of his nightwalkers had been staked in his favourite coffee house.
The King of the quarter was even on his way to Les brassage des sorcières to make sure his favourite magic user and long-time true friend wasn't hurt, not knowing she had been killed temporarily and her daughter taken, until her deadly calm British accent entered his ears.
Speeding down to the courtyard, he saw something New Orleans wouldn't be able to survive.
Astrid Sirius Potter-Black was on the Warpath!
Marcel walked up to the immortal Wixen, who didn't have any blood on her which was good as there was a chance however small it was to try and stop her from whatever she was about to do.
This however wasn't the case as Astrid was panicking.
The strongest, brave, and calmest woman in the French Quarter was on the verge of a meltdown. Yes, she was ready to kill the next thing that moved if it helped in locating Davina. But her toxic eyes, which glowed with silver stars filled with pain.
Marcel didn't even hesitate before wrapping his strong arms around her small physique.
He loved the fact Astrid was this small woman with the power to level the city, his city.
And right now, he soothed her by rubbing rhythmic circles on her back. Her body was easily smothered by his larger one.
"I can't find Davina" Astrid confessed; her normal strong and commandingly soft voice cracked
The lights in the compound all exploded in a myriad of dancing fireworks as her trembling magic thrashed in the air escaping her mortal body
"I've checked her home and only found a coven member" Astrid couldn't help the sadistic smirk grace her face when she told Marcel "May he be happy with the ancestors"
"I'll send all my daywalkers out" Marcel soothed, as he kissed her forehead
Pulling out of their embrace, Astrid wiped the few traitorous rage filled tears away from her youthful face. She nodded tiredly, yet her glistening eyes shone like the morning sun
They walked over to the crowning jewel of the courtyard, sitting down on the cold stone, Marcel asked softly "Have you tried the cemetery" Only to pause momentarily as even to his ears it was stupid. An apologetic frown was seen as he muttered "Sorry"
Astrid however still answered, at least they were eliminating where Davina wasn't. That was until her mouth seemed to catch up with her brain, a hurricane of thoughts finally stilled
"I'm an idiot" Astrid exclaimed, "How could I be so stupid"
"You're not making any sense" Marcel cautiously said softly as if she was readying to explode
Astrid didn't even acknowledge the dark-skinned vampire as she carried on speaking her thoughts "The Harvest, it has to be"
"Call Andromeda" Marcel demanded one of his brave undead subjects that were milling around on the balcony
"I mean, it's the only explanation" Astrid questioned with her head titled like a puppy towards her concerned long-time friend
"Call. Her. Now"
"I have to go." Astrid stood abruptly, placing her hands on his shoulders, "When night falls, be at the cemetery"
"What?!" Marcel screamed in shock, as she raced towards the exit of the historical building
"Nightfall" Astrid reiterated, shouting over her shoulder
Pulling out her warded phone, she searched her contacts "Soph. The Harvest. It's tonight."
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The sky darkened even further, to the point only the stars' glow of the moonless night aided in Astrid and Sophie's efforts with blasting Lafayette's gates open; it was their last option
The lit torches led the pair of thunderous magic users towards The City of the Dead
Echoes of chanting seemed to follow them; Sophie even had to cover her ears from the noise.
They were shouting in hope and rage as they saw Abigail Landry in a white dress standing in front of the whole coven "No! Stop! Bastianna, stop! You have to stop, Bastianna! Please don't do this!"
However, a male witch wraps his arms around Sophie's torso to restrain her and covers her mouth with his hand so the wayward Deveraux couldn't intervene further
At the same time, Astrid didn't even hesitate to create a wall of fire and scream over the toxic liquid flames "Either you stop. Or die."
Unfortunately, another witch who will be meeting their ancestors by the end of the hour came up behind Astrid and injects her with herbs to make it agony to do magic, in favour of snapping her neck.
This would have increased the height of the waving flames.
This particular lesson was taught the last time she died in the cemetery years ago. But that didn't stop a mother from protecting her child biological or not, as blood started to drip from her ears and eyes the flames stayed just as strong
Bastianna Natale took the commotion as a distraction and asked the Water witch "To be born, you must sacrifice. Do you have faith?"
"Say no, please say no" Astrid pleaded over the howling wind's efforts in silencing her "Run, hit her do anything but agree Abi"
Despite having the feeling of doubt fluttering around in her stomach, Abigail still nods determinedly. Which earns her proud smiles from her family who were watching by their family crypt.
Holding her left hand out for the blood sacrifice, readying for the sharp sting and throbbing ache from the sharp blade. Instead, Bastianna had no emotion on her face and slits Abigail's throat, and the young witch falls to the ground.
There was a moment of silence, not out of respect but out of shock.
However, ended abruptly as the other three girls rightfully start to scream in terror, but fellow witches also restrained them so they couldn't run
Davina's mother stares straight ahead as her daughter screams, ignoring how terrified she is. Astrid took pleasure in killing her.
Unfortunately, her magic was giving her a headache that could rival Tommy boy's visions, so she pulled out her twin daggers she received as an 18th birthday gift from her family.
They were made from goblin metal, which she had impregnated with Basilisk venom from the fang that nearly killed her when she was 12. Furthermore, there was an inscription on one side of the new family Moto: Toujours pur de cœur et d'esprit, pas de sang
The handle was a complete juxtaposition to the blade, as they were decorated with delicate lilies atop soft dragon hide, Norbert's Hide.
The next witch, Cassie Morel, is pushed forward, and Bastianna slashes her throat with the knife as well, despite her protests of heart-wrenching sobs and tears streaming down her face
Davina had her own rivers of hot salty tears running down her face as she pleads with everything she has "No, no!"
Bastianna didn't care for it, as she announced "Monique Deveraux"
"NO. NO. NOOO!" The young and traumatised Claire witch, pleaded as she struggled in the arms of the elder male witch. Thought it all fell on deaf ears as a man who has a tight grip on Monique forces her forward toward Bastianna to be sacrificed next
In the chaos of death, Sophie Deveraux managed to get the male witch off her and screamed at her elder sister "What is wrong with you!?"
Jane-Anne didn't reply, though her eyes betrayed her worry, but in the end, does nothing as this was a way for the coven to thrive. Even if it means her daughter's death, no matter how long that may be. Jane-Anne was positive she would be fine, her powerful daughter would be with the ancestors.
Everything would be Just. Fine.
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Astrid was trembling. All control she had learnt in her chaotic life, the burning ice of her silver core, melted.
Everyone felt the pulse of killer green, the warm hand of death.
Everyone standing dead and alive was at her mercy
No witch in their right mind would use magic on Lady Black. Even in her current state, a demonic state of blood dripping down staining her clothes, looking tired.
She was lethal.
With or without magic and the carnage she was creating was just utter proof.
But The Ancestors didn't care, so they focused on making the pressure reverberate in her head.
They just needed one second, one chance.
And unfortunately, they did.
This gave a vengeful witch time to grab her right hand with the venomous blade within and slit her throat, letting her potent blood seep into the blackened cobbles
Astrid woke up, the moment her body fell to the cold ground.
She heard her name being called; they were pleading for a miracle.
For Deaths Mistress
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The Ancestors wanted power.
Plain and simple
They didn't care how, they just wanted it.
It all started 300 years ago, with the first and only ever Harvest. It was nothing like today; as it was so they could get away from their families.
The 4 harvest girls were all from the same coven, one which killed anyone and anything they didn't understand.
The 4 were ignorant of the way of the world until they met a Syphon, or more like needed a Syphon.
An abomination, yes. But they needed them to save the youngest of the 4's baby brother
When the bright 3-year-old was saved from a curse that was killing him, the coven instead of praising the young Syphon they began to plan their death.
After all, he was an Abomination
The youngest overheard the plans and told her friends and the young syphon immediately. They knew they needed to do something, so the quietest of the 4 looked in every Grimoire they had collected and wrote and found nothing.
Eventually, after sleepless nights they had done it, they found a way to stop their coven.
The 4 harvest girls had created the ritual themselves
They only knew about sacrificial magic, and if their coven slaughtered many supernaturals and humans alike, they would die too
In some twisted way, it was to repent.
To call on the elements that drive their magic, offer themselves willingly and come back with the aid of the blood spilt by the coven
They just needed someone to perform the ritual and the only one they could think of was the Syphon
New Orleans was founded in 1712, it was all over the papers.
They travelled there, away from the Covens' critical eyes.
The night of their arrival it was a new moon and the only white that night was the dresses they wore, only to be stained red with their blood.
The syphon took each of their magic, one by one until they looked like they were asleep under the stars.
He pushed the magic into the earth, and the earth gave them back to the girls
Wisteria Griffith, who was as intelligent as the air
Elizabet Rosewood, who was as calm as the waves
Rowan Bennett, who was as complex as the flames
Dorothea Claire, who was as strong as the earth
Lysander Parker, who was the abomination, made from his own family
They were The First Coven of New Orleans
After centuries, of being hidden, divided by their own descendants, locked away by the people who praised them.
They were finally getting even.
There was a reason why magic in the quarter was dwindling, and it wasn't because of the vampires. It was a witch, who loved a vampire, ruined be revenge
Céleste Dubois drowned in 1821.
Never consecrated, as she was alive, killing witches, destroying everything the first coven created. But in the end, she was just emulating them.
Whether she knew or not, but she had joined the first coven, and moulded the Ancestors into what people know and loath today
The First Coven never wanted the Second Harvest, but they could not interfere, they physically couldn't. While the living fought to help the new girls, they were fighting 2 hundred years of ancestors.
They were losing, until Death's Mistress arrived
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It's quite disconcerting seeing one's own body, and it was no exception for Abigail or Cassie.
Abigail awoke first. Her hands flew to her neck not even registering that she should be dead. Her Hazel eyes spotted the living, it was like she was looking through a mirror.
She tried to get up, yet her body was so lethargic
"Stop," she gasped as her lungs lost the ability to take in oxygen. "Please stop... stop!"
She was frightened or more accurately they were as Cassie joined her.
She was just like Abi, eyes wide, hands flying to her unblemished neck
The lines between the living and the dead were blurring as more and more of the cruel coven were dead. Abigail and Cassie vain attempt to use the magic they had been praised for, but they found they were unable.
They were just human
One second the pair of Wiccans were huddled together preparing for the ancestors to rip them apart, the next was a warm soft green vibrated through them. Like a crashing wave on the sand, all the looming ancestors disappeared back into the sea of the dead.
Hesitantly, the traumatised 16-year-olds stood, their eyes spinning around the blue-tinged cemetery landing on Margeaux Claire. Bracing for the attack, nothing came. Well, the screams did, but they weren't from them, no it was Davina's mother. She was clutching her head as 5 unknown Wiccans crept from the Shadows
When her screams calmed down, Cassie whimpered "Are you going to kill... kill us?"
They didn't get a chance to answer as Astrid appeared in front of them with venom dripping from her deadly smirk "Not if I have anything to say about it" Readying herself as guilt swarmed her at failing to protect more innocent teenagers, yet nothing happened.
Apart from the 5 Wiccans bowing their heads and eerily speaking "Mistress"
"That was unexpected" The blood splattered immortal Wixen mumbled, blinking in shock. She turned her head over her shoulder, seeing the 2 trembling girls in a similar state
"We are the First coven, Mistress" The only male ancestor spoke. The golden blond seemed to have a childlike air around him, it was easy to see as he rocked back and forth in his heels
"We will look after them" The woman furthest away from him told Astrid. She also looked quite familiar, perhaps it was her soft chocolate waves
Despite them showing all this diplomacy, Astrid wasn't just going to hand Abi and Cassie over like trophies, especially not just from a few pretty words. So, she announced quite plainly "I don't trust you"
"Neither do we" Abigail shouted quickly, as she and Cassie moved closer to the Wixen. Clutching to the back of her dragon hide jacket, like a child would do to their mother for protection
"Then trust our apology" The dark-skinned woman standing in the middle of the 5, mused. Her crooked lips pulled upwards making wrinkles appear next to her eyes "And our thanks"
Astrid was struck with the answer, as her jaw dropped "Bennett..." And awe coated her voice, as her eyes flicked over to the woman who spoke before "Claire"
The pair just smiled softly with amusement sparkling in their different coloured eyes at Lady Black's flabbergasted expression.
The Strawberry blonde whose hair was down to her waist gave Astrid a bubbly smile, informing the woman dressed for war "We will protect them from the others"
Just as Astrid opened her mouth with a threat on her tongue, the final woman spoke for her waving her hands around as she did "Or we will be banished." Tilting her head and making her long braids fall over her shoulder "One would think you would be nicer to me as we are family"
"Griffith" Astrid mumbled with a wet smile, as she placed her poisoned daggers back into their beautiful sheaths, one on her thigh and the other on her arm
"Finally," Wisteria grumbled, much like Columba does
Turning around, Astrid placed her rough blood sticky palms over their clean white dresses, "Go with them"
"Are you sure?" Abigail asked as her hands shook in fear, which stopped with one assertive word
"Yes"
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The moment Bastianna joined them in the small ancestral bubble in Lafayette Cemetery, she didn't stand a chance.
Since Astrid grasped onto her arm pulling her close and whispering softly in her ear "Goodbye"
Banishing her body from both planes
Unfortunately, neither did Monique.
Since Agnes Broussard snatched the sacrificial athame from Bastianna's dead hand. Slicing her throat with it with no emotion on her face, before rounding on the final Harvest girl.
Davina knew no one was coming to save her, yes there were more vampires than witches at this point, due to the magical woman who was more of her mother than the cold woman who brought her into the world, but that didn't mean she was just going to walk willingly to her death.
She was brought into the world covered in blood she was more than prepared to go out in someone else's.
And that was exactly what she did
"Let." Davina screamed hysterically, digging her heel into a wiccians foot, making his grip on her loosen slightly as he hunched forward
"Go." Allowing Davina to headbutt him, which made his hand fly to his bleeding nose
"Of." Giving her time to kick him between his legs
"Me!" And finally using magic to snap his neck
Once there were only the vampires alive as either they were dead or had fled into familial crypts, Davina took no time waving between the bodies of the dead until she found Astrid.
She fell to her knees in grief as her still-warm body was just lying there on the ground.
Marcel's heart broke with sympathy for Davina, he was in the exact same state the first time he saw Astrid's dead body or any time he saw her head body.
He goes over to her whispering soft words of comfort; it was the only thing he could think of. He let her grip onto him soaking his shirt in tears until she passed out from emotional mental and physical stress
Sophie had her own tears of despair as she knelt on the ground, holding Monique's limp body in her lap.
They only stopped falling as a golden light inside Monique leaked out of her body, skimming the earth and into Davina's outstretched hand
To Sophie and Marcel's amazement, Davina glowed like the morning sun as the magic from the 3 fallen girls settled within her limp form
Marcel saw the surprised look on Sophie's face, it scared him as the look of vindication and regret lit in her dark eyes. The King of the Quarter vamp-sped himself and Davina away before she ended up dead like the others
Marcel took an exhausted Davina to Narcissa to heal in the Ancestral House of Black.
Since Andromeda was with Columba and Teddy back in England getting any last-minute bits for the Last Lupin before he heads back to Hogwarts in a few days.
Marcel knew this was the best option for everyone. Primarily, so that when Astrid eventually returned to the land of the living, she wouldn't skin him alive followed by lighting him on fire with Fiendfyre
Also, the king of the quarter had nowhere else to place her as everywhere was too exposed.
Well, there was St Ann's Church, but he wouldn't make a scared child who was nearly killed right after her friends and coven members were, woke up in a dark place with a man who she has only met a handful of times
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