Reflections Of Angels

Haunts

"So where did you live before coming to America?" Alysha asked, sitting on one of the worktops in Rachel's workshop and swinging her legs like pendulums as she watched Rachel work.

"Hmm?" Rachel queried distractedly, looking up from her work.

"You had to have lived somewhere else before coming here." Alysha said. "You're not American in origin."

"France." Rachel said simply, with a smile. "And before that, Scotland. With some travel in between- I've been all over."

"Huh. And which was your favourite of these places?

"Here." Rachel replied simply, shredding ingredients into a pestle and mortar. She chuckled as she saw Alysha's puzzled expression. "It has more to do with the time we're in and the people I'm with than necessarily the location."

"I like some of the people." Alysha agreed. "Jury's out on the time."

"Not to your liking?" Rachel asked.

"Some of it is and some of it isn't." Alysha told her and said nothing further.

"Oh?" Rachel queried. "Why so curious, anyway?"

"You're my sister's mum." She smiled. "One of them, anyway. I like you, and I want to get to know you better."

Rachel couldn't help but return her happy expression. "That's nice. You're my daughter's sister; I want to get to know you better too."

"You can ask me anything you like."

"In that case, where do you come from? Where did you live before?"

Alysha paused to think about it, before finally speaking with a broad gesture of her hand. "Everywhere."

"Fair enough." Rachel nodded.

"I'm older than you."

Rachel chuckled, taking it in her stride whilst filing that nugget of information away for later. "Well finally, someone is."

***

"I'm going out for a drive around to see if I can find Nyx." Selene announced, putting on her shoes and taking the keys off the hook.

"Are you sure you're alright to do that?" Travis asked, an expression of concern on his face.

"Well, I'm not blind anymore..."

"Yeah, but we still don't know all the details about that- about your new eyes."

Selene huffed irritably, then turned to Alysha who was entering the hall from Rachel's workshop door. "Are my eyes alright to go driving?"

Eyes wide at being caught off guard, Alysha slowly shrugged. "I don't know, I'm not the one wearing them. If you are going, can I come?"

***

Sitting in the passenger seat besides Selene, Alysha stared out of the window, head resting against the glass as she scanned their surroundings with the evaluating gaze of a hunter.

"I know most of Nyx's favourite haunts." Selene said. "I figured we could check them out and hope she turns up."

"Good idea." Alysha agreed. "Where do we start- stop the car."

"What?!" Selene exclaimed in surprise at Alysha's severe tone.

"Stop the car. Pull it over, there or something- quickly!" Alysha hissed. Selene did as she was bidden, and turned to peer out of the window, trying to see what Alysha was looking at.

Her breath stilled in her throat. "That's a draugr." It was a draugr, the creature slinking between the shadows on the side of the road, alternating between walking upright and on all fours. Still and quiet, they watched as it wandered along, before turning to disappear into the brush.
Quickly Alysha unstrapped herself and scrambled to open the door.
"What are you doing?" Selene shrieked.

"Shh!" Alysha scolded. "Voice down! I'm going to follow it, see where it's going."

"But that's dangerous!"

"Don't worry, you can stay here. Or leave, even, if you want." Alysha assured her, climbing out of the car. "I'll be fine, I can take care of myself." Closing the door behind her, she strode away from the car after the draugr.

***

Evelyn Stormwalker's mansion had been reduced to ash and rubble; Alysha was awed by the absolute destruction of the building.
She knew Lilith and her cohorts had stationed themselves here, and with them had come the draugr. There were still clearly some hanging around now, like the one she'd followed here, even though the main building had burned; the fire perhaps even an attempt to destroy the rot.

She could see the creature now, roving around the perimeter; she had a feeling it probably had a sense she was there, but had elected for whatever reason not to go on the attack.
Suddenly, she spotted a second one, up in the trees above, crouching on a branch. It was definitely looking at her. As she stood there, she noticed more and more around the space, hanging around the treeline and scorched remains of the house. Feeling their eyes on her, she slowly began to back away.

Why were they hanging around the burnt out remains of the building? What had Lilith done to make them stay here even now?
Was it anything to do with Lilith at all?

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