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𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 & 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐊𝐄𝐏𝐓

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Images were the first thing I saw when everything loaded. I surely didn't expect to find a bunch of random images of men when I opened Cage's computer.

But these were no ordinary men.

I recognized one easily, identifying him against the rest.

Victor Macabre was easy to spot amongst the group of men, graying hair and narrowed eyes and well, of course, his signature smirk. He was older than the other men pictured, the others looking as if they were in their late twenties, early thirties. Macabre was older, late forties at the youngest.

There were multiple pictures of the same men, all from different angles as if someone had taken them from a hiding spot. I paused on one of the photos, running the mouse of the computer over handsome features that I recognized.

This was the man in the photo I had found at the church, the one who had his arm around Cage like they were brothers. He was in multiple shots, some alone and some with the others. He was a different force, something about him was so hard to pinpoint, less like family but more like a friend. Yet, even then, less like a friend and more like a stranger, someone I had seen only in passing.

He had to be late twenties at the most, but he had aged eyes that resembled the sun reflecting through whiskey. The hazel in his eyes was remarkable. He was handsome, in an evil way, of course. It was the first time I'd really focused on him and it seemed like he was the only one I was truly interested in.

He was pictured in mostly suits, a businessman potentially. It wasn't hard to believe he could've been a killer because you could see it in his face, his eyes, his body, everything. He was hardened, cold, but smiling.

"He's handsome, isn't he?" a voice said from behind me and I yelped, spinning on my heel as my world shifted into colorless gray.

I half-expected to find Beatrice beaming behind me but instead, I found a surly looking woman with her hair pulled back into a tight bun, her lips pursed. She wasn't happy.

"Who are you?" I breathed, my heart hammering up into my throat. I hadn't expected her to be right behind me, looming over my shoulder.

She was an older woman, shorter than me but her presence seemed taller, grander. Her nose was crooked and she had long eyelashes and even longer fingers, bony and white. She wore an old suit, not modern but potentially from a few decades back. She didn't look happy to be speaking to me, much less be in the same room with me because when she spoke, her tone was laced with contempt.

"I'm the messenger."

"The what?"

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Are you really that dumb? I'm the messenger, I'm bringing you a message."

I swallowed, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. "Uh-what's the message, exactly?"

She walked around me and the desk and I was surprised to hear the click of her heels on the ground. "I'm assuming you're the necromancer, correct?"

I nodded. "So I've been told."

"Good, because the message is for you," she paused, inspecting the room and smiling at the broken frames. "Seems like you heard my call."

"You're the one who broke my pictures?" I snapped, watching her from my spot behind the desk. Something told me I didn't want to get too close to her.

"Had to get your attention somehow," she motioned with one bony hand towards the computer, "and also did that, thankful your father is just as dense as you are. Leaving his password out in the open?" She rolled her eyes, displeased.

"You've spoken to him before?" I asked, suddenly very interested in the message and who this lady was because if she knew Cage, only bad things could come of it.

"He's the one who told me to see you."

I frowned, irritated. "Well, what's he got to tell me that he can't say to my face?"

"You're in danger, blah blah blah."

"Yeah, I already knew that," I snapped back. Was this Cage's way of warning me again? Just as a refresher so I wouldn't do anything he didn't want me doing? Even from the afterlife, it seemed like he was still trying to control me.

The woman kicked the box sitting in the middle of the room, nudging it slightly. "Also said to open this sometime after your mother's funeral and no time sooner. It'll be able to help you." When she had moved the box, it sounded heavy, like books. I had a hard time believing Cage would've wanted me to hunker down and read a few dozen books to 'help' me disband the Morticianers.

"What about the computer? All the weird pictures?"

"Ah, yes," she smiled. Suddenly, she seemed very happy to actually tell me what the hell was going on. "Your father took those near the time of his death. It should help you identify the men behind that not-so-secretive group inside the Clandestine Church. Your father didn't want you walking around so blindly, you might not know who you'd run into."

"Can you tell me who they are at least?" I asked, opening my mouth again to ask if she could give me their names but she stopped me with a rude, "That's not part of the job I was instructed to do."

"Come on-"

She shook her head, "Not. My. Job."

I huffed, "Glad to know the messenger actually likes to help people."

She ignored my comment as she said, "Your father said if I did what I was told I'd get a free ticket to heaven, so times up, honey. Send me up."

I stared at her, how did she expect me to do something I didn't even know how to do? And a part of me didn't even want to help her, she didn't deserve it. Sure, she gave me a somewhat helpful hint into everything but attitude and total dislike of me had me feeling a different way.

"No."

"No?" she gasped, freezing in her spot to glare at me. "What do you mean, no?"

"It means I'm not going to help you," I snapped back.

Her demeanor changed from put together to a rage filled wreck as she snarled, "Excuse me?! They promised you'd help! They said you would send me up if I just helped out!"

"Not my job." I hid my smile that threatened to pull at my lips as I crossed my arms tightly over my chest. She was fuming and if it were possible, I'm sure there'd be steam coming out of her ears. "I feel like you're not telling me everything you should be," I started, hoping to call her bluff and get more information out of her before she vanished and I returned to the land of the living. "If you help me, I might just be able to help you in the future with your little...heaven problem."

She tapped her foot irritatedly against the floor, the click click click filling the soundless void between us. Her arms were pressed against her sides, her hands curling into tight fists as she seemed to be in deep thought. When she let out a hard breath, she looked at me with a calm face and with sudden pure white eyes, she recited, "The tarot cards you receive will come with a price. Pray that the cards don't give you a worse future as the one I'm about to tell you. You're in grave danger, not just from the church but from ones you believe are allies. With the Morticianers on your back, you must be careful or you'll get assigned a fate worse than death. You will be tested and played, but you'll know what to do whether it's right or wrong. Use your gifts wisely and take into account the effects the cards will have over you, don't fight their truths. Be careful, Cage."

When she blinked, her eyes were back to normal and she was more relaxed, putting her weight on one foot as she glared. It wasn't what I expected, I'll tell you that much.

"Why couldn't he tell me this in person?" I asked.

"He's busy."

"Busy with what?" I laughed. "He's dead."

"Being a geata is hard work, as if you'd understand," she said snarkily, like she had an upper hand on me.

"Now, with that attitude? I'm not sure I'll want to send you to heaven or hell anytime soon."

Her eyes softened and her mouth fell open as she tried to rush out with, "I'm sorry-please forgive me-"

I held up my hand, finding a newfound confidence residing in me as I said, "Come to me another time, once I've had time to deal with what you've brought me. We can discuss your chances with heaven later, but until then? Leave me alone, I don't need you distracting me."

She wanted to protest, I could see that in her face, but she reluctantly nodded. She fully vanished only a moment later, color blinking back into the dark room. I gave the last of my attention span a moment to look over the pictures but I couldn't focus, I was exhausted and had a feeling my time with Madam Wrath in the coming days wasn't exactly going to be a pleasant one. Especially now with everything I'd learned and what was going to be happening when I had to go to the church for my mother's funeral. It seemed like I'd gotten myself into more trouble than I planned.

~

I smelled bacon.

I blinked the sleep from my eyes and sat up from the recliner, my neck sore from how I had slept. My blanket was tangled around my feet, like I had torn it from my body during the night. There were voices coming from the kitchen and I had nearly forgotten my friends had stayed the night. They had cleaned the area they had slept in, leaving it practically spotless.

A soft pang hit my heart as I stood, wishing more than ever that my mother was the one in the kitchen instead. That she'd be bent over the counter with a cup of coffee in one hand and the daily newspaper in the other. She would've looked up, given me a bright smile and had said something like 'hey, honey. I have the late shift tonight, so I won't be home in time for dinner' or even just a gentle 'I love you.'

There were so many unanswered questions with her, so many mysteries she unearthed before taking her life. I needed to know, who she had called that night and who might've told her to do this to herself. Maybe she was pressured, maybe she was killed, and maybe this was all some plot to get me riled up...to get me angry and out for blood.

I'd like to say they were right, that I was angry. That I was out for blood, just only from a specific man. And I'd have to find him...somewhere and somehow. Step one was just to figure out what he looked like, potentially identify him in the pictures on Cage's computer. I had an itching that most things that I needed would be in the sizable box sitting behind the closed office doors. But I wanted to honor my mother's wishes, even if I was being told so by Cage through a different ghost warning me.

"Blaire, you up?" Pandora called from the kitchen and I turned, fully awake now. She stepped out into the main hall with a smile, wiping her hands on a paper towel. "Hope you don't mind, I kind of raided your fridge."

I smiled back. "No problem at all, save me any?"

She nodded, looking over her shoulder before back at me as she said, "I have to head home, but we left you food on the counter."

"Thanks," I told her sincerely before adding, "See you at school?"

She nodded again. "Ace is in the bathroom, so tell him I had to head out, okay?" She threw her paper towel away and was grabbing her keys and bag from the kitchen counter. I unlocked the front door and opened it, watching her leave. But she only made it to the last step before turning and looking back at me. "We'll come up with a plan, maybe even try and see Wrath after school?"

"Sounds perfect."

I watched her car drive away through the small window next to the door when I heard the toilet flush and Ace leave the bathroom. When I spun away from the window to greet him, he had his car keys in hand.

"Did Pandora already leave?"

I nodded. "Just left, you headed out too?"

"Have to go grab my backpack," he told me, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. "You good with being here alone?"

"Got an hour to spare before school, I'm good."

We stood awkwardly before he gave me a small smile and stepped past me and towards the door. But he paused before opening it, hand on the door knob and frozen in action. He said softly, "I'm glad you believe me, that you don't think I'm crazy anymore."

I laughed, "Oh, I still think you're crazy. Just not that crazy."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," he said and I could hear the smile in his voice before he opened the door and let it close behind him.

And then, just like that, I was alone.

sorry this chapter is kind of on the shorter side but I hope you guys like it nonetheless !!

the last two r def like...building block baby chaps so justtttt y'all wait!!!!