Dead by December

A Dead Man's Knowledge

Lucifer had to jog to keep up with me as I strode forward. Decim's roars still haunted the hallways, black mist wafted past as I got closer, "Godum sone jou kotca defsu!" It wasn't a language I understood, which told me it was of the Ancients. I made a show of opening the door to the infirmary, practically kicking it open. "What is so dire?" I demanded, I stopped at the man who rocked on the bed, Marte shook in wrath,
"I should hang you for your crimes!" She spat, "You have betrayed the Council tenfold and you crawl back begging innocence!" Her anger was imposing and terrifying.

The man looked petrified, but also defiant, "I did what was necessary!" He weakly argued. His eyes found mine and he paused, staring at me, his eyes slowly enlarged, "It can't be..." He studied me as my brow furrows, "Leto Mors." This man knew me. "Who are you?" I asked, the man shook his head,
"Ah, a friend of the family, dear Leto." At the mention of my family, I perked up,
"What?"
"I knew your mother, charming woman, you're a spitting image of her."

His face was lined with age and he had a darker skin tone, he had a slight accent. "Who are you?" I asked defensively.
"I am Guntan, a seer, I trained your brother in the ways of a clairvoyant."
"Brother?"
"Yes, Salem Mors, I am aware of your lack of memories, it was a spell cast upon you, a hex. It locks your memories and powers away to prevent a relapse of the tragedy." Marte's voice was lower and more menacing than I had ever heard it,
"You will not say anymore on that matter,"
"You fool her-"
"We protect her, she will find in time, but flooding her all at once could cause her brain to shut down and her power intensity drive her to the brink of madness." Marte all but rose her voice. The mysterious man's lips peeled back in an indignant snarl, "You are an ignorant fool, Martem, the stakes are high enough as it is, our times of peace are ending, and you will suffer it the most."
"Is that a threat?" You could hear the outrage and disgust in her voice, the man's reply was low, "No, Martem, it is a warning of the dark times ahead." The man's crystal blue eyes turned to me, "and little Leto, be ready, my dear, Salem will need his big sister again when the battle comes. All realms will need your assistance, you will be the saviour." Marte's order to silence the man rung out before Decim clamped a firm hand over the man's mouth, "That is enough, I will not allow you to fill her head with worries." Decim's deep voice ordered, the man's laugh broke through the gloved hand, "Oh, but she deserves to know her fate,"
"It will not come to that!" Marte roared,
"But it will, Life-Giver, it will. It has already begun, you sent your best Dealers on a suicide mission," the man's eyes darkened, "and right about now Restram shall be battling them, he will kill the white haired one last and the youngest first." I gasped softly, he meant Silas and Quince.

As the reality dawned on me, I realised how sickened I was by the thought of losing the Dead Boys. "Decim, we have to go." I urgently said, Decim looked back at me, Marte nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, Decim, take Leto and find the Dead Boys, quickly now." She spun on the man, "Guntan I hope I can trust your word, the Council shall decide your fate afterwards."

I slipped my heels off as I ran after Decim. Today seemed to consist of running. I slid them into my bag and shrugged off my blazer, throwing it to one of the servants with quick commands to take it to my room, I unbuttoned the first two buttons on my blouse and three at the bottom, the pencil skirt would prove to be a pain, but there was little I could do about it. With a split second decision, I murmured goodbye to the skirt as I produced my knife and slit it up to a reasonable length. I had to stop to do that. Catching up to Decim, I gave him a glance.

He was tense in the shoulders as he marched determinedly, Lucifer scampered along beside me. "Leto, it astounds me how quickly a woman can go from looking like an average secretary to a badass." It sounded like he was trying to casually flirt and compliment, I was far from in the mood. I simply ignored the man's mixed priorities and muttered to Decim. "I wonder how Marte deals with his stupidity."
"He just acts stupid around women, it depends who he thinks a woman will like. His charm works on most, he's just grasping at straws with you because you haven't kissed the ground he walks upon." Decim replied, his voice icy.