Her Name Is Murder

twenty-two

Murder was so excited. Grant was happy to see her so amped up. She was giddy like a child. She even told the NYPD-owned Ford good morning.

"I wonder if he's been eating enough?"

"Is this the longest you two have been apart?"

"Almost! One time we decided we needed to have a break. We'd been bickering for a month over petty things. He met a boy, I met a boy, and we booked separate vacations. We had planned to take a summer away. We lasted about twelve days before we were tracking each other down, both to make sure the other was okay."

Grant smiled.

Murder was suddenly bouncing in her seat. "These doors, Grant! Concourses E through G!" He was laughing openly and she shot him a dirty look. "Be nice Grant,'' she said, playfully. "Not even teasing is going to break my mood!" They waited a while on a bench before she finally couldn't stand not talking anymore.

"You know, back in the good old days, you could walk right up to the terminals and meet your friends and family right at the gate. Now they want me to buy a ticket. I can afford it... But it's the principle." She sat on the bench and fidgeted. Grant couldn't help but chuckle. No chill, no chill at all.

***

Levi peeked out of the window of the terminal. He wanted to see where Murder was sitting before he walked out. He knew neither had seen his glamour, and he intended to act creepy and stalkery and see if they figured it out.

He stopped, pretending to talk on his phone. He walked a few more feet and stopped. Stared right at them. They never looked his direction. He went and sat on the bench directly beside Murder. She looked the other way. Grant was standing by the bench with his hand on her shoulder. It was like he didn't see him either. He got worried. Am I invisible? He decided to speak.

"I've watched white people not make eye contact with black people on the streets for centuries but this is rid—" he couldn't finish his statement. Murder was hugging him too tightly, and he couldn't breathe. She let go.

"You saw me from the start, didn't you?"

She grinned, Grant shook his hand.

Murder laughed, "There isn't a glamour that could make me not recognize you."

"Yeah, and I wasn't going to be able to keep a straight face much longer," Grant added. They all laughed as Murder took the hands of her two favorite people and began skipping, forcing her two "manly" men to skip as well.

***

They arrived at the warehouse and everyone was already waiting. Ira had wanted to go with them to the airport but he wasn't sure he wouldn't be followed and expose the secret that Levi wasn't actually dead.

Levi dropped the glamour as he entered the warded building and Ira ran to hug him. They stood for a moment silently holding each other.

After greetings all around they set to work.

***

Murder didn't like that they had to slaughter an animal. She didn't like it when any living thing had to suffer. Edward had offered to do the deed since he'd grown up on a farm. She was happy to not have to do it at least.

There were ingredients mixed by Tress, words translated by Levi and Ira, and a mark placed on Levi's forehead.

Ira apologized again for the mark. "It's just temporary. I'll have custody of you as a creation of clay, only for The duration of the casting. It will keep you from reverting."

"You're sure, though? I mean completely sure?"

Ira kissed his forehead. "Totally."

Murder cringed as Edward bled the goat. The ones to be cast, (Protectors) stood in a circle in the dirt, the caster stood outside. The potion was passed around all to be cast. It smelled edible at least. It did not taste that good.

Murder was to read the incantation. It would only work for one of the Ageless. She looked at the goat. She closed her eyes. The words flowed and rhymed like poetry. So she sang them. She found that they lined up perfectly to the first tune she had ever mastered, Greensleeves.

She wondered if her father or his family had something to do with the spell's creation. Although, she realized Jengo was much older than she was.

Release a life

Bequeathed to me.

For none shall live in fallacy.

Through darkest night

And brightest day

I will allow you life

Of your choosing.

I separate you from me. In the hope you find happiness once you're free

I separate you from me. All I need is for you to agree.

They all nodded in agreement. The building was filled with light, and energy radiated in a bright blue wash out to the walls from the center of the circle.

"It is done." Murder sat with Levi.

Fifteen minutes passed. Then twenty.

Tress' phone rang. "They know." She looked at the phone as it rang again. Murder nodded. Tress had told them he wasn't violent, just cruel. She figured it couldn't hurt for the girl to have some closure.

Murder could hardly breathe she was so scared. She knew it was just a matter of time before Mary burst through the door. They had prepared. She wasn't sure if they prepared enough. She sliced her hand to make sure it would still heal. It did. Grant saw her distress and took her other hand.

Tress was speaking inaudibly in the background. She hung up and sat at the round table. "He says he's sorry it went so far," she looked across the room at Maxwell who came to sit beside her. "He asked if we could meet and talk. I told him I didn't know about that..." Maxwell took her hand. She embraced him and cried into his shoulder. She finally looked back up at him and whispered. "I'm finally free!" She smiled at him as she pulled him tighter.

Murder paced. Grant tried to get her to sit. To save her energy. He was sure they'd need it.

Ira's phone rang. Murder felt a cold chill. She knew who that was and she was petrified. She wanted to tell Ira to not answer it. But instead, she nodded for him to take the call. Grant saw her lip tremble.

"Hello?" A pause. The room could hear the woman on the other end yelling but they couldn't make it out.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't do anything." More screaming.

"Fine. I'll do it," he shook his head as he placed the phone on the table and pressed the speaker icon.

"So, Murder? Or is it Ashley this week? My favorite was when you went by Anne. Your mother never loved you, you were another failure. Another daughter, useless to her agenda. I cursed her because I thought you belonged to my husband. Imagine my surprise when the curse got you too... And then you came out looking like a Tudor! Scandal! I wasn't 'good enough' for court, but who did she send for when she was in trouble and needed to get rid of you? That's right. Poor little forgiving Mary. Also, she didn't make Levi, I did. It was supposed to make you feel unloved when he wouldn't touch you."

Murder was suddenly a little braver. Aunt Mary was just a sad bully who had never gotten her way. Murder wasn't around to see what her mother had or hadn't done. But she knew Levi was a blessing in her life.

"I'm sending you the location. Please come, I'm looking forward to applying the verb form of my name to your smug attitude." She hit send on the location and hung up.

Levi looked disheartened. Murder placed her hand on his shoulder. "She didn't make you. I don't know what really happened, but you have never caused me any heartache."

She slowly looked around the room at everyone there, "You can leave if you like. Now is your chance. If not, arm yourself and check your wards. Guns won't work here today. Swords and magic only. Sadly, Mary is as immune to magic as I am. So one of us will have to get close." Grant looked at the knife in his hand. He flicked his wrist as it glowed and grew into the broad sword from the dream walk.

Murder smirked.