The Shadows from Beyond

5 ~ Apartments

Annika brings me to her apartment with Scarth. Darius opts to stay at my apartment for the night, to make sure no one else tries breaking in. And if they do, well, they will face Darius in his wolf form.

Scarth looks up at me and Annika as we walk in. Scarth smiles at her roommate, but when she sees me, confusion crosses her face. "What's happened? Are you  —"

She stops talking when she sees the tattoo on my skin. Her hands cover her mouth and her eyes widen in horror. Scarth is suddenly right in front of me.

"Who did this to you!!"

"Magnus," Annika answers for me.

"How ... is she... oh, Ancestors! What the fuck?"

"Can you please tell me what this fucking symbol means?" I demand.

Scarth sighs.  "It's a... a death omen."

"Yeah, and uh .... Aggie had one. Just like it."

"Then she died," says Scarth.

My heart stops. I sit down on the nearby love seat. Annika sighs shakily and rubs her hands on her jeans. She begins to pace, and Scarth sits down on the edge of the couch across from me.

"Uh, Aggie had this? And she died?"

Both of them nod.  "I'm so sorry, Wren. But yes, she did have the tattoo. Given to her by the same warlock who gave you that."

Aggie .... I never truly met her. But somehow, she knew me. I didn't ever ask how she'd died. Mom never told me. And now.... now, I am going to die. Just like she did.

"How .... how did Aggie die?" I whisper, mouth dry.

"Her official cause of death was a mystery, so the local humans said that the cause was a heart attack," Scarth murmurs.

"But in reality, she got the death omen tattoo the night she met Magnus," says Annika. "And when she got it, she ..."

"Her mind deteriorated. Fast," says Scarth.

"So I'm fucked."

"No," they say in unison.

"I've been researching the death omens," mutters Annika. "I know things are different than they were with Aggie, but uh, I just.... I've been looking up ways to reverse this thing. And I think I figured it out."

"Figured what out?" I ask.

"It's simple, really.  We have to destroy the omen. The best way to do that is a spell. And some bloodletting."

"So, uh, you're just gonna cut it off?" I ask, shuddering.

"No," says Scarth. "No, we won't." She glares at Annika.

"No, we aren't going to cut it off. But you will have to bleed in order for this to work."

Scarth shakes her head.  "Alright. So, what do you need, Ann?"

"The black and purple candles. Matches. A dagger. Salt. An offering of honey and cake, and maybe wine. And I think maybe some bandages for Wren here." Annika winks at me as Scarth jogs off into the apartment.

"Um, what are all of these doing?"

"The candles and matches are for the ritual. Dagger and bandages for your wounds. The offers are for the Spirits. And the salt is for extra protection."

"Okay," I say.

Annika nods. She then looks at my new tattoo and sighs. "I will do my best to make sure that this isn't going to kill you. I won't lose anyone else like this."