Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Nathan crawled over to the heart as Gabriel held Annalise. Glancing back at them apprehensively, Annalise locked eyes with him and repeated, ‘Eat it, Nathan. It’s ok.’

He turned away from them to shield her from the sight and tentatively bit the beating heart. The immediate onslaught of visions from the dead witches made him choke and sway a little. He rocked back on his heels and braced a hand on a knee as his vision swam, then cleared. Don’t gag, don’t retch, or you’ll definitely vomit. He took a larger bite and slowly, methodically chewed as the visions and magic suffused his senses, eyes rolling up. He didn’t know how much to eat, so he slowly took bites until the visions stopped. Disoriented by all the the new stimuli, he lost track of time, and startled when he heard the voice.

‘Well done. It’s rare for a new heart eater to take on so much, so young.’ Nathan spun and half fell in the gore to peer up into the trees. Marcus straddled a limb, leaning against the trunk of an old oak. ‘Your aunt couldn’t keep her first one down.’

‘What the fuck!’ Annalise burst out. ‘You were there the whole time???’ Gabriel shushed her frantically and shoved the irate Fairborn girl behind him protectively. Nathan struggled to his feet, dazed still.

‘Of course. A test of some kind is the third gift, as is Edge tradition. He even landed a killing blow, for a normal witch. This one had done something to his body to protect against material weapons. But it seems Nathan didn’t need any assistance, with such companions.’ Marcus eyed them speculatively, eyes like gleaming obsidian and pearl. ‘Yours is a rare old gift, very unusual in a Fairborn. And one of Mercury’s pawns…risking his life for my son?’ He raised an eyebrow as he drawled sarcastically, which scarily reminded them of their Nathan. Annalise stiffened more in outrage and Nathan moved to their defense, not liking the tone, but Gabriel recognized the unspoken question.

‘He is ours, and we are his. Only his. I have left Mercury.’ He swore, staring down perhaps the most powerful, most dangerous witch in Europe. Shit, he might die now. Nathan and Annalise both froze and whirled to stare at him. ‘We are bound to each other.’ He finished quietly.

Marcus said nothing for a long moment, studying each of them. ‘I see. In that case, you have a lot more to learn. And time and strife will test you more than you can imagine.’ He looked down at Nathan and said, ‘I will find you when I can, but it’s clear that you need more training yet.’ He looked at Annalise’s wary face, ‘I did not realize our clans were bound when I came here to avenge my love, but I could not let her murder stand. I am sorry that yours suffers too .’

Annalise looked confused and worried. Marcus continued, ‘Life comes full circle though. But not today. Head back to the house. I owe a life debt for my son’s education and protection anyway, I suppose.’ Marcus suddenly transformed into a crow and flew away in the direction of Wolfhagen.

Gabriel gestured after him, ‘Is he always so fucking cryptic?’

‘Seems so—‘ Nathan answered as Annalise blurted out, ‘My dad helped kill your mum, didn’t she?’

Nathan looked down at their joined hands, wanting to avoid the question, but at her tug in his hand, he looked up sorrowfully and quietly said, ‘Yes.’

Annalise let out a sob, already nodding, and looked around miserably, ‘As far as they knew, she just had a baby—to kill her? I’m so sorry, Nathan. I can’t…what do I tell Niall? He’s never going to think it was possible for the dad we knew to be like this. He’s going to think we murdered him. Oh, God…When does this killing end?’ She twisted against their hands, body torn between fleeing and seeking comfort in her distress. Gabriel wanted to tug both of them into his sides and hug them fiercely. But he just watched them carefully, concerned if this new revelation would be too much for whatever this shared new relationship was. He tried to convey all of those feelings by squeezing Annalise’s other hand.

‘I dunno, but it fucking needs to stop,’ Nathan replied finally, feeling gutted at her pain and remembering the shared memories. ‘Ceelia said as much… Ceelia!’ He finished with a shout of realization. He took off for the house at a run, with the other two yelling his name in confusion.

Wolfhagen’s great hall:

Ceelia felt burning hot and frozen at the same time, and so heavy. Like she was thousands of years old, like she had turned into weather worn stone. Except her neck which burned like a welding torch…the pain radiating and branching across her body from there. Someone was pouring foul concoctions down her throat and chanting. Firelight flickered against her closed eyelids. She managed to crack her eyes open at last with a moan. She screamed.

Her scream was a weak, hoarse, gurgly shadow of cry because her neck was still knitting back together under his glowing hand. She could barely make a sound. Despite her convictions, Ceelia felt some of that old terror surge because she was face to face with the Wolf.

He looked older and more worn, the eyes in that handsome face no longer so malicious and dark with satisfaction. Even though his aura had changed, the power that he eluded was fucking terrifying. Her eyes must have communicated the gordian knot of fear, anger, and disgust that stirred up in her well enough, because the Wolf sighed and replied:

‘Fair enough, daughter of Bennett. Too much bloodshed, decent people lost because of hate and revenge. Your parents didn’t deserve their fate. Neither did my parents and entire clan. But I owe your line for your mercy towards mine.’ He held her eyes quietly, and Ceelia was reminded of her last conversation with Nathan on the boat. Still, she struggled against like recognizing like—she didn’t want to see the hurt, angry orphan in the eyes of her parents’ murderer. Some things are too great to forgive, still, for the heart to accept what the mind knew. But her heart had been wrong about Soul…

‘He…Not..You!’ She finally managed to bite out in messy wheezes.

‘Yes, blessedly so.’ He looked down, biting his lip. ‘Don’t let him lose his light too, yeah?’

She didn’t get a chance to reply because then she was grimacing and growling since Edge chose the next moment to shove some medicated moss in her neck wound. Bloody hell, that stung! He grabbed her hand and pressed it against the wound, ‘Keep pressure on that for at least 60 minutes, to be on the safe side. What is left of the Fairborn leadership was happy to look the other way with Soul’s rampage. I’m not sure even you should trust those sheep. Rest for now, Ceelia Bennett.’ Marcus Edge smoothly rolled out of his crouch and walked out of Wolfhagen then. Ceelia couldn’t say if she blacked out for a bit in relief, she was so woozy from blood loss.

Aching all over, trembling in shock now that her monster was gone, Ceelia leaned against the broken furniture and purposely tried not to think. She felt both dead and alive at the same time—her limbs so heavy, weak, cold—but she felt too much pain and adrenaline to be dead. Dimly, she heard a shout and running feet; suddenly, Nathan was there, embracing her.

His sobs vibrating both their frames brought her back to sharp focus, as he clutched her and wetly repeated, ‘You’re alive.’ over and over again. Ceelia felt warmer.

A second wordless cry minutes later, and Annalise was on her too. The silver haired alchemist stood watch silently, but lit a cigarette and nodded to her, relief in his eyes. All three were splattered with blood to varying degrees. Seeing the gore on the kids kicked in her senses, and Ceelia hoarsely gritted out, ‘We need to move.’

Used to following her lead, Nathan gathered himself and immediately helped her stand, gamely supporting her weight under one arm. Annalise to the other side. Their Blood Witch companion eyed them speculatively, and said, ‘One of the hunters’ cars? Until we can get another?’ He went to searching pockets as they hobbled their way out to the drive. They piled into the nearest SUV that beeped, and Gabriel turned back to the house’s threshold. Digging in his holsters, he produced glittery, ruby red pellets that looked like cinnamon candies. Unstoppering a vial with pink liquid, he poured some in, capped it, shook it quickly, and hurled it inside. There was a roar and flames exploded out the door. He hurried to the driver’s seat, and the other three watched that cursed place burn as they drove away.

‘Can’t say that I’m liking your family traditions much, Nathan.’ Annalise commented.

‘He did feel honor bound to save a Fairborn hunter—I’ve never heard of such a thing in a traditionalist.’ Gabriel countered. Annalise hummed and half shrugged a ‘fair point’.

Nathan said just stared out the window, trying to process his first real memories of his father. And the dead witches he kept seeing visions of—feeling like he hadn’t slept in an age. He glanced over to the other side of the backseat to see Ceelia was out cold.

Soul and Jessica had been so sure his father would want to kill him, insisting Nathan’s story would not have goodness. But Marcus hadn’t. And he didn’t need to help them, help Ceelia.

Maybe it IS that kind of story, a good one…in a bloody messed up way. Typical, thought Nathan.

Chapter Text

Ceelia woke, feeling like a lorry had hit her—very few situations had ever made that happen with even her Fairborn healing ability. Her eyes noted the cheap, white sheets of a motel bed first—-she must have fallen into a healing sleep in the car. She dimly recalled switching cars at least once, Annalise pillowing her head and wiping down her face and neck, coaxing her to drink some bottled water. Nathan cradling her against his chest, murmuring something.

Groaning, she saw a standard motorway motel bathroom lit through a doorway. She was stripped down to her tank top and tactical pants, her boots and clothing on the bedside stand. Her mobile with the SIM card beside it. She was a little impressed. Turning in the queen bed, she realized, to her surprise, that all three kids were intertwined in the other bed. Annalise was in the middle with each boy curled protectively around her, hands locked together and shins bumping each other. This was illuminating. A triad? Another very old practice that these three seemed to be involved in, yet again. But threes held great power, and they were going to need that strength, Ceelia mused.

She was still trying to wrap her head around Marcus Edge saving her life, when Nathan gasped and started awake, looking wildly around, chest heaving. His gaze locked onto hers, and he said in realization, ‘Nightmare, then.’ His breathing slowed as he calmed, scanning the room and finding no threats. He lied back down on his back, and a ringed hand ran up over his chest lightly.

‘Ca va?’ murmured its owner.

‘Yeah. What time is it?’

‘9 in the morning.’ Gabriel replied, propping himself up on an elbow, nodding at Ceelia. ‘We need to get moving again. How do you feel?’ He asked her.

‘I can manage.’ She replied, sitting up against her headboard.

Gabriel stretched. ‘It is too dangerous to pass you both off as Blood again. And Mercury will be hunting us as well as the Fairborn. We need to lie low.’

‘Neutral territory?’ She suggested.
‘Neutral territory.’ He agreed.

‘And why will Mercury be hunting us again?’ Ceelia asked casually. Gabriel tensed and Nathan looked much more alert, curious for an explanation too.

‘I directly disobeyed her by coming to Wolfhagen and stole blood for Nathan from the vault.’ He replied, staring off unseeing. ‘She tried to erase my memories of you.’ He said to Nathan quietly, ‘But I managed to remember when I saw your name written down.’ Nathan brushed his fingertips against Gabriel’s arms, lips and face tightening as he realized how close they came to losing Gabriel. ‘She doesn’t like when we try to leave her.’

‘Ahh, so the rumors are true.’ Ceelia said with sudden comprehension. ‘I thought you were a hired guide, but you belonged to her. You were one of her alchemist boys.’ Gabriel suddenly found his fingers very interesting.

‘What rumors?’ Annalise piped up, looking around, apparently also awake.

Ceelia cocked her head towards him and waited for Gabriel to elaborate. The younger teens looked from her to him expectantly. Gabriel started to look similar to a cornered animal.

Nathan recognized the desperation and felt for him, ‘Hey, you don’t have to tell us anything.’ Annalise nodded, moving to lean her head against his middle in a half hug. Immediately, his fingers started carding through her hair and he looked grateful for the contact.

‘No.’ Gabriel shook his head, ‘You need to know what she is. I… I c-c-can’t…go into detail, not yet, but you need some facts. Please don’t interrupt though, ok?’

All three nodded silently while Gabriel sat against the headboard and pulled his knees up, staring unseeing at his hand gripping one knee hard white knuckled while he loosely hugged Annalise one armed. He made the decision to plunge into it, or else he wouldn’t ever be able to say it. Pretend it happened someone else, he tells himself. He began in a low, bone-brittle voice:

‘Desperate witches give or sell their children to Mercury. Or sometimes orphans and the desperate find their way there. It’s well known that she has blood for giving ceremonies, so they think the children will have a better chance of survival there… But Mercury never does anything for free. She owns you, and does with you as she sees fit. She doesn’t have time for useless tools or disobedient ones. She particularly likes to collect boys who will probably become alchemists. She’s known for it.’

He takes another deep breath. ‘When I went to retrieve the blood for Nathan, she wouldn’t let me take it. She tried to force me to forget him.’ He swallowed hard as he heard the other teens react to that. ‘That’s why the book is so important to me. I try to use it to overcome the Night’s Breath, to let me know when memories have been taken. And other memory tools, habits. She has taken my parents from me, and so many others important to me.’

‘I don’t know my family identity. Apparently, many were alchemists. Christ, I’m not sure how much of my childhood I’ve lost. Sometimes dreams, nightmares, and flashbacks give me glimpses of what I’ve forgotten. To her, we are Toys. Tools. Ingredient sources to harvest from for profit. Commodities and goods to sell and barter until we are no longer useful or become a liability. And nothing angers her more than a tool that defies her. She makes examples out of them.’ He can feel their horrified faces watching him. It makes his skin itch and feel dirtier. Will he ever feel like Mercury’s touch is completely gone?

‘And she has often claimed that I was one of her favorites, so she is probably going to be especially angry.’ He shuddered, stinging eyes closed in remembrance. Nathan covered his hand with his own, and Gabriel suddenly realized the other boy had migrated to his other side during his confession. He seizes Nathan’s hand gratefully like a life line.

‘F-u-c-k.’ Annalise enunciated slowly, looking nauseated. ‘How do people allow this?’ Nathan was silent, stricken, and could only clutch Gabriel’s hand—he had instinctively recognized something was off, but this was way worse than he had imagined.

‘How young were you?’ Ceelia interrupted hoarsely. She was holding herself so still, like she might spook him.

Gabriel laughed bitterly, feeling a bit hysterical, ‘I have no idea. I guess my age to be around 19 now. I still had all my baby teeth so… 5? 6? 7?’ He shook his head. He turned to Annalise, ‘Because she knows and helps powerful people… where do you think hunters get information on Blood Clans from?’ He looked around, ‘How do you think the Bloods know Fairborn movements? She has spies everywhere. How witches get shady ingredients or services? Rare, precious items?’ He shook his head, ‘The conflicts between witches are very good for her business. She regularly feeds her opponents or owners of what she covets to the opposite force.’

‘It’s one reason probably why she was eager to get Nathan—only Marcus Edge has come close to unifying the Bloods.’ Ceelia commented quietly.

Gabriel shrugged. ‘Having a heart eater indentured to you… that’s a rare position of power too. Usually they are the mostly closely guarded treasure—and most powerful members—of a Blood Witch clan. Both the living memory of their ancestors and their future, traditionally.’

‘But Mercury. She is relentless and obsessive with her grudges. And—‘ he stopped himself short.

‘And?’ Annalise prompted, not one to let things go, ever.

‘It is nothing.’ Seeing their dubious stares, he gesticulated in frustration. ‘It’s a personal obligation…a promise I made.’ He declares sternly, ‘I don’t want you risked in it. I don’t want you anywhere near her.’

‘Mate…we go where you go. You are ours, and we are yours.’ Nathan reminds him earnestly, holding his gaze. Gabriel feels like his heart might burst. Annalise is nodding and squeezes his middle fiercely.

‘Tell us what this last bit is, Gabriel.’ Ceelia said firmly, but not unkindly.

‘There’s a child in Mercury’s house. He’s…he’s all alone…with her.’ Gabriel squeezes his eyes shut, and swallows hard. ‘I promised to come back for him.’

‘Well,’ Ceelia pulls out one of her knives and inspects it. ‘Sounds like this bitch is too dangerous and fucking rank to be looking over our shoulders for, let alone have custody of a child.’ The teens stared at her.

She amended, ‘But we have two 17 year olds new to their powers, and I frankly don’t know your level of combat experience, alchemist.’

‘Skirmishes and street fights?’ Gabriel offered, still stunned by her pronouncement.

‘Right, we need to get to a safe place and training to do.’