Detective Craig had called for backup and ensured that Theodora and Mairead wait above ground with her, until the arrival of the other units. They went outside to the car. Myrddin however, went down the steps after Detective Berg.

He saw Summer Jones and four others, arranged in a grisly dance of death at the foot of the stairs. She and two other apparently female victims were dressed in white shifts. Two male bodies wore loin clothes. All of them were covered in what appeared to be cuts. Their facial features were perfectly preserved — frozen in looks of abject horror. Detective Berg had seen this before with the other bodies he had found. Perhaps being drained of fluids somehow preserved the rest of the body, a type of mummification process.

Myrddin threw up again. "Do-do we move them?" he asked when he was sufficiently recovered.

"No. We need to wait for forensics," Detective Berg responded with sadness.

"There's-there's something you need to know. I-I didn't know what they were doing. I swear I didn't...but I-I think I may know who's behind some of this."

He told them about the fake job interview with Caleb, leaving out the more damning details about his uncle. He spoke about how Con had driven them both out to a temple near here, and how he had been told that his services were required as High Priest. He explained that he had found himself submitting to the idea, without quite understanding how, after having drunk the Elixir.

"You actually drank it?" Detective Berg was revolted.

"Do you think I would have, had I known what it was? They must do something to it, magically. It was...pleasant, addictive even. I'm ashamed to say I wanted more of it."

Myrddin looked as though he would pass out and Christian Berg felt sorry for him. He suggested they go back outside and wait with the others, but Myrddin wanted to explore the tunnel. He wanted to find Rosemonde.

"I don't think she'll be down here, Mate," Detective Berg reasoned, as he helped Myrddin back up the steps. "They would either have to drive into the homestead or through the area where we are searching, further down the road. They wouldn't get passed us. No, she's somewhere else. Tell me, who is this Caleb Mort?"

"He is the General Manager of the Du Malum Model and Talent Agencies, in Australia."

"Du Malum? THE Du Malum Corp. is involved in this?" The detective nearly fell over. Du Malum was a corporate giant with branches not only in Australia but also the USA, Asia and Europe."

"I think so, yes. At least Mort is!" Myrddin shook his head as if trying to clear it.

"All right." Berg quickly regained his composure. They were now at the top of the stairs. "I understand why he approached you for the Seven campaign, but why pick you for their High Priest? Why give you such an honour?" He all but spat the last word.

"He was friends with my uncle. Apparently, my uncle was a member of The Children of Azazael. He was their hierophant."

"Meaning?"

"A hierophant is a priest, who interprets sacred mysteries or esoteric principles. According to Caleb, when my uncle made me his sole heir, he also assumed that I would be involved with the children. He said I had been groomed for the purpose, even though I didn't know it.

"As a teenager, I got a tattoo. I had wanted a Welsh dragon, but I was talked into getting a snake. Caleb told me that the tattoo artist was one of their priests, and with the full knowledge of my uncle, I was tattooed, or as he put it marked as one of Azazael's chosen. They would have me believe that the symbol is somehow magical and that by my being so marked I completed some sort of initiation ritual. This all occurred without my knowledge, I can assure you."

"Would you show me this mark of yours?" Detective Berg asked.

Myrddin stripped off his T-shirt. "I nearly forgot to mention, Con has the same tattoo in miniature between the thumb and index finger on the top side of his left hand," he said.

Myrddin and Detective Berg began to walk back towards the others. They gave them a brief account of what they had been discussing.

Mairead had called Drew to check in with him, and to ask if the hospital had any information on how Rosemonde could simply vanish from her room. She now faced Myrddin with the anger of a lioness protecting her cubs. She leaned in towards him and whispered so that no one else could hear, "You are one of them? You had better pray that Rosemonde is all right, otherwise, I'll cut off your balls and force them down your throat. Do you understand me?"

"Believe me, Mrs Wilson. I had no idea what they were really doing. I care very deeply for Rosemonde and I will do everything in my power to get her back safely," Myrddin replied.

"See that you do." Mairead turned her back on Myrddin and stood as far away from him as she possibly could.

Alternatively, Theodora moved closer and examined Myrddin's tattoo. She gasped and called out to the detectives. "I am hopeless with measurements, but you really need to take note of this snake tattoo. I am pretty sure it's to scale. It's the exact shape of the tunnel beneath the homestead. I'm sure of it!"

The moment she had finished speaking, Myrddin fell to the ground and began to convulse. His eyes became a solid black, and he cried out with a voice that was not his own, "MY TEMPLE IS ONLY OPEN TO THOSE WHO ARE CHOSEN. IT WILL REMAIN CLOSED TO YOU NOW, AND TO ALL THOSE WHO BETRAY ME!"

Myrddin screamed, now with his own voice. He tried to sit up but ended up face down in the dirt. He continued to shake. The others watched on in horror, as the snake tattoo appeared to come to life on his skin. The black ink serpent slithered up his spine and disappeared into his skull.

"OH, SWEET JESUS. HELP HIM!" Theodora began to pray. She didn't pray much anymore, but she still knew the Lord's Prayer and the line that pleads "deliver us from evil." She prayed that now. She motioned for her companions to join hands with her and they formed a circle around Myrddin. "It's the only prayer I can remember. Help me to help him!" Theodora appealed to all her companions, but she looked directly at Mairead. She knew that Mairead was blaming Myrddin for Rosemonde's disappearance. She didn't think that was fair.

Mairead exhaled and nodded. They all said the Lord's Prayer again, together,

"Our Father who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done on Earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
Forever and ever.
Amen."

Black ink bled from Myrddin's ears, mouth and nose, yet he seemed better. He had stopped shaking and was able to speak in his own voice. The tattoo could no longer be seen on his back.

"Th-th-thank you.... I have just enough strength left to...forgive me, but...perhaps I will make a better bird than man.... I am so sorry.... Please, tell Rosemonde, that I am sorry...that I have gone...to try...and find her."

The black ink that appeared to be bleeding from Myrddin become black feathers. His eyes became whitish, his body twisted, contorted, and then began to shrink. Before their very eyes, he had transformed into a raven.

"GROOOOOOONNNK I'm g-g-going to ffii fii find herrr kuk, kuk kuk," the bird called as it flew away.

They all stood open-mouthed, staring as Myrddin soared skywards.

"Umm...we did NOT just see that...did we?" Detective Berg asked of no one in particular.

"See what, Detective Berg?" Detective Craig asked. Her tone was defiant.

"It's um...nothing," he responded, passively.

"Andrea, you are unbelievable!" Theodora fumed. "After everything you have been exposed to, how can you deny the existence of the supernatural?" She took a deep breath. "But I...I can see your dilemma. I mean...what do you write in your report? 'One of the Children flew away?' Poor Myrddin though...they were trying to execute him by magic for helping with the investigation, I realise it's hardly something we can discuss openly, but..."

"He confessed his involvement and then fled, simple," Mairead spoke dispassionately.

"That works," Detective Craig said.

"NO! It does not. You can't say that! He had nothing to do with the murders. What if he comes back — er, as a man I mean? He was trying to do the right thing. We should be trying to PROTECT him!" Theodora was livid.

"He was devastated, when he was talking about it," Detective Berg said. "If he did take part in the murders, then he's a bloody good actor, but I don't think so. No, Dora's right! I believe him. He's distraught. He is in shock, and we should be concerned for his safety."

"Thank you, Chris," Theodora said. "I truly feel that we need to help him — if that's even possible. He's on our side. I'm sure of it!"

Detective Craig sighed, exasperated, "Well, I think we agree, that we can't tell anyone he flew away! We CANNOT reveal the involvement of this cult or coven or whatever they are, in any of this. Now that Rosemonde has gone too, we need to approach this thoughtfully! My inclination is to leave her disappearance out of the media altogether, particularly as she was a friend of Summer Jones. We do not want some gung-ho journalists poking around and figuring out the Satanic link. It may put everyone, including Rosemonde at even greater risk, if she isn't already de-"

"She isn't!" Both Mairead and Theodora answered simultaneously

"She isn't dead, I'd have felt it." Mairead qualified.

"We know what these creatures are capable of," Detective Berg said, quietly. "We keep details of The Children of Azazael to ourselves-"

"But my son, Andrew. He was with Rosemonde in the hospital. He needs to know!" Mairead was going to tell Drew irrespective. She knew that he would be deeply affected by her disappearance, particularly since he had gone with her to the hospital himself. Rosemonde had disappeared right under his nose. Mairead knew Drew would be blaming himself.

"Yes, I agree. Tell your son, but no one else. Understood?" Detective Berg knew instinctively, that he could trust Mairead, but people did not think rationally when emotional. Media involvement could greatly hinder the progress of this case. They couldn't risk a leak.

"Of course, detective, and thank you." Mairead finished speaking just as several emergency service vehicles pulled into the property.

"Alright, we are going with your version, Chris." Andrea Craig slapped her colleague on the back. "Let's do this, and we'll get someone to get you, ladies, home." Together they went to brief the newcomers.