Capítulo 17: Scent of Death
"Does the Temple of Oracles know the future?" Aisling asked.
She had heard of the Oracles from Ancient Greece but everyone thought they were a myth.
"It would be more accurate to say that they know things," Abaddon responded. "Their methods and information are always mysterious. They rarely offer direct details."
Aisling frowned. "So how did you know to look for me?"
"After the first two murders, the Temple sought me out and declared that the Prophecies indicated the bloodshed was just beginning. Only a banshee could prevent the end." He responded.
"The Prophecies?"
"Just some obscure poetry about an unknown future."
"How did you know I am a banshee?"
Aisling could not figure it out because only a few people knew this secret. Even her registration with the Sentinels did not indicate this. After all, she was not born a banshee. No one was.
Abaddon smiled a little. "I did not know. That is why I looked for you through various magical means. But it seems that you have some serious shielding spells on you."
Aisling waved a hand casually. "Just a little bit of this and that."
"I decided to look for you manually by learning about how banshees come into being. And I figured out your identity through the general information available. But it was still impossible to discover your location until the moment you lowered your shields." Abaddon looked at her meaningfully.
Aisling's face reddened a bit when she thought of all the spells and tricks she had used to conceal her location when she had discovered a certain shift in the air.
"I had an art show to hold." She explained.
"So I heard." Once again, there was a hint of teasing in his voice and eyes.
Aisling felt that certain thing that drew her to the demi-angel rise within her. The golden eyes also started to gain a red hue, heating up. The air became electrified as silence fell.
She looked away from the man with a frown.
There was something unusual about the feeling that she had when she was close to him, especially when she looked into his eyes. Her soul seemed to become a little unstable. She could not put her finger on the exact feeling.
"What is unusual about these murders? Why do you think that they are related to these Prophecies?" She asked, ignoring the tension.
"The Temple of Oracles would not provide the information if it was not crucial. They are quite self-serving." Abaddon grimaced. "Secondly, I have seen this type of murder before. Over three hundred years ago, two murders like these occurred in Phoenix." He explained.
"Was the culprit apprehended?" She asked with a frown.
"It was determined that one of the tiger changelings had given in to a strange madness and began killing. I had a feeling that something more was going on, but the changeling died in an apparent suicide before I could investigate."
Aisling nodded. She had dealt with murderers, but only a few would commit suicide. Usually, these criminals were those that committed a crime in a fit of anger. When they realised their actions, they would choose suicide rather than face the reality.
"How can I help?" She asked with clear eyes.
She had been ready to leave Farallon because she felt out of control. However, she also had a hunch that her initial intuition was right. She was needed in Panthalassa because something nefarious was in the air.
Abaddon looked at her and saw her strong will and desire to help and felt refreshed. The cynicism in his mind cracked a little.
"I know that you have assisted the Sentinels on occasion to find the most elusive murderers. You have a connection to death that no one else has. It would be invaluable for this case." He responded.
"I don't know if my skills will be helpful." She had indeed worked with the Sentinels covertly because she had a friend in the division. However, Panthalassa was different from the regular world.
"What do you mean?"
"My powers are not stable in Panthalassa as you well know." She pointed at the four-leaf clover on her forehead. "And contrary to what you might think, I do not talk to the dead."
Abaddon felt a little surprised. He had lived long, but he had never met a banshee. However, legend had it that they could communicate with the dead.
"What are your abilities then?"
Aisling tensed up at the question. She had diverse powers from her different bloodlines.
"Let us just say I am in touch with nature." She smiled. "The times I have worked with Sentinels, I merely followed the scent of death. And I talked with a couple of nature spirits."
"Why would these skills not work in Panthalassa?"
Aisling sighed. "Even if my powers were not unstable, the nature spirits in this place have advanced cognitive capacities. I am not sure that I can manage to convince them to provide useful information."
"The nature spirits I have heard before were like small children with simple thought processes, so I could just use a little trickery and bribery to get information. And these spirits are numerous and tend to move a lot, so finding the right ones can be challenging."
"What about following the scent of death?"
Aisling looked a little uncomfortable at the question before answering.
"The death would have to be pretty fresh. Except in a few cases, death energy does not linger as long as you would expect. And if we are talking about a remorseless killer without a personal connection to the victims, it would be difficult for me to detect the death energy from the murderer if a lot of time has passed."
Abaddon nodded. "So, you are saying that you cannot be helpful until another murder occurs."
"I am sorry."
Aisling felt a little guilty because she did have other skills which could be useful. However, she was not willing to try them. Her teacher had warned her to only use those skills as a final resort because the risks were high.
She did not know if Abaddon suspected that she was holding back, but he did not indicate dissatisfaction with her.
"It is not a big problem. I suspect that another murder will occur soon." Abaddon's eyes help a certain chill that seemed at odds with the fiery colour of his irises.
"What do you mean?"
"The first three murders took place over a year with a gap of six months. The fourth victim was found one week ago, about two months since the third victim was found. It is obvious that the killer is becoming more aggressive."
Aisling mulled over the information for a moment. "So, the killer is either working with a limited timeline or is enjoying the thrill of killing. Regardless, he will probably kill more people and faster."
"I also assumed as much. For now, you can get the case files from Lussa Drakon. She is one of the top Premiers. She works directly below one of the Counsellors."
"The Counsellors?" She felt like she had heard this before.
"Farallon, Phoenix and Farallon have a single demi-angel as a Ruler. The Ruler is assisted by two demi-angels who are called Counsellors. Each Counsellor has seven Premiers. Working below the Premiers are Principals, Paladins and Preceptors."
"The Preceptors oversee the soldiers who are classified as Topaz, Agate and Onyx. The Topaz group consists of high-level soldiers and Onyx, low-level soldiers. That's the basic structure of the Order. Of course, there are special task forces like the Guardians."
Aisling clapped a little with bright eyes. At that moment, she looked like she was a normal youthful twenty-two years old lady.
"Your one-minute crash course is better than Little Three's hours of lecture. Are you the Ruler in Farallon?"
Abaddon smiled with a certain superiority. "No, I am the King."
"What does that even mean?"
"I have authority over the entire continent. But on most days, I am a private citizen with a lucrative jewellery business." He seemed to be boasting.
Aisling mouth opened as she came to a realisation. She had heard about Obsidian from the little dragon called Mr Coatl. He had expressed his deep dislike about 'pretentious companies acting mysterious' and stealing his customers.
Aisling's eyes shone. "What is your friends and family discount on your finest jewels?"
She could not let a good bargain go. If she got a good price, she could resell the jewels at an exorbitant price after leaving Panthalassa.
Abaddon looked at the silver eyes which looked like diamonds and the money-grubbing expression.
"Do you want to be my friend or family?" His enthralling voice penetrated the deepest reaches of her soul.
Regalos
-- Regalo
recibido Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder