Eternal Souls

Chapter 9

"Officer Moretti, how are you today?"

"I am doing well."

"Have you got an update for us?"

"Yes and no, that is why I am here. I needed to talk to Gabrielle so I figured it would be best to come here and talk in person in a relaxed environment."

"Well come on in, we were in the kitchen just having a drink. You can join us if you like." He ushered him in as he showed him the way.

"Good morning Officer Moretti, I was not expecting to see you so soon. I hope you have got some good news for me."

"Please just call me Mario, and the news I have for you I would not exactly call it good news."

"Mario, would you like a cup of joe while you explain to us what you mean by that?"

"Sure, black will be just fine, thanks. Now as to the news. Last night, as you know, I asked Officer Whitfield to gather fingerprints." He continued with a worried look on his face. "I called the station this morning to see if they had come back, and the answer I received was not what I was expecting. After the phone call, I just went in, so I could talk to the technician and see for myself. I even had her run it 3 times to make sure there were no mistakes. The prints we pulled from your apartment were from a woman that had died 23 years ago. What I found even more strange, is that when I looked up, that woman, is that the night she died her body mysteriously disappeared."

"Let me take a wild guess at her name. Was it Jane Perdue?"

"Yes, how did you know that?"

"She was and is my mother."

"If she died 23 years ago, how did her fingerprints end up in your apartment? An apartment which is only 5 years old?"

Before she could answer her dreams flashed through her mind and gave him the answer he needed.

"Look before we go any further with this conversation, I think you should know the truth of why I came here and brought this to you on my day off." He was looking at both Gabrielle and James with such a serious look on his face to let them know he meant business. "I am a Fae, so I know that you are a Witch, and you are one of a kind Vampire. I know this just from being able to read your minds. That is one of my gifts that has proved very helpful in my line of work."

"I am sorry but you are a cop, you better than anyone should know that things like vampires, witches, and faes don't exist." James was looking Mario straight in the eyes as he was trying to override his memories and compel him to believe what he was saying.

"I am sorry James but your compulsion doesn't work on me. Nor on any other supernatural creature with telepathic abilities. You should know this."

"It was worth a shot, and it proved to me that you are a supernatural creature with that ability." He handed Mario his coffee and continued, "But you could be another creature with that same ability. Creatures such as dragons, angels, demons, and some rare witches and/or Warlocks are born with this ability."

"That is very true, we all have similar powers. I can prove I am not a dragon, angel or a demon. As you know both these creatures have wings, and when they are in their human form their wings basically disappear and form tattoo-like markings on the human's back. I can remove my shirt and show you that I have no such marking. If it will help our working relationship build trust?"

"I think that would be wise. At least then we will be able to know whether you are telling the truth or not."

Mario stood up and pulled his shirt over his head revealing his sculpted olive muscles on his back. Revealing no wing markings, only scars from what could be left behind after being shot. It was not so surprising seeing how he was a cop, who always got his perpetrator.

"See like I said no wings."

"Good, three down and one to go," James said looking at Gabrielle. "Now as to the Witch or in your case Warlock, Gabrielle will be able to give the answer to that."

"Yes, a Witch can always identify a Witch." Mario then looked at Gabrielle hoping she would be able to do just that.

"Actually, I can answer that now, and he is not a Warlock."

"How do you know that?" James had a curious look on his face.

"Do you see this crystal necklace that I am wearing?"

"Yes, it is quite lovely."

"Thank you, but my Granny gave it to me a little over a week ago. It is basically a Witch/Warlock detector. Whenever another Witch is around, it grows warm and starts pulsating. If Mario was a Warlock it would have activated the moment he came within a few hundred feet of me, and it has stayed dormant."

"Well, I guess that proves to you both then that I am what I say I am." Mario had a proud look on his face and continued. "And now that this is out of the way I should let you know that when I asked you how you knew how Jane Perdue's fingerprints ended up in your apartment. I could not help but see flashes of your mind. I try not to read into people's minds unless I have permission, and sometimes it cannot be helped. I get flashes without even trying. Do you mind filling in the blanks and helping me understand what I saw exactly? It would help a lot for me to know exactly how you knew that."

"Sure, well as you know I am a Witch, and as I found out I have the ability to see the past through dreams. I do not fully understand it myself. Last night I had a dream of what happened with the break-in. I saw my Mother who I thought was dead by the way, break-in and trash my house."

"If it is possible to do you mind if I hold your hand so I can see firsthand what you saw."

"Is holding her hand necessary?" James had a little bit of jealousy in his voice.

"It is that or I can stand behind her with both of my hands on the side of her head. Either one will give me the grounding effect that I will need to get a clear picture. Without one, all I will get is flashes and not a full picture. So, what will it be?"

"The head." James and Gabrielle both said in unison.

"Alright," Mario said, standing up and walking over to her. "Now what I need you to do is to clear your mind of everything except your dream. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, I think so. But you should know that is the first part of my dream. The second part might help solve a 23-year-old murder."

"Alright let's get started."

He places both hands on the side of her head as they both take a deep calming breath. She focused on her dream and let the image flow through her into him as they explored her mind.

"Wow, I was not expecting all of that. I know you told me that, that is what happened but I wasn't expecting it to be so vivid. Now let me ask you this. When your mother was trashing your home, did you happen to see her eyes?"

"No, I was too stunned by the fact that my dead mother was trashing my house."

"Why did you ask that? Did you see something she didn't? James asked.

"Unless I am mistaken, I believe her eyes were solid white, the skin around was gray, almost lifeless."

"Okay, what was your point?" Gabrielle asked.

"I think it is possible that your mother is actually dead. It is possible that a witch, if she had enough power, could reanimate a dead body and control it like a puppet."

"So, she really is dead?"

"Like I said it is possible."

Suddenly James spoke up. "If that is so, then is there a cure? With magic, there is always a cure."

"That would be true if we can prove it? Or better yet find the witch controlling her."

"I think I have an idea. If it was the same witch that killed Gabrielle's father then I know exactly who it is and where she resides."

"I'm sure we can safely assume it was the same person." Gabrielle said, "Even though I would love to kill the witch just for killing my father I don't want there to be any doubt in my mind. I think it is time we called my granny over and put all our doubts to rest. That, and she can possibly confirm everything that we have talked about.