The Things We Fear

Back at Cassius’ house, Marcus was soon wrapped up in a blanket and forced into a chair. It felt a little overkill since he’d already returned to normal, but it was kind of funny to watch his father fuss. Theo had been strangely silent, standing close but not doing much. It was almost as though the two had swapped personalities; he was almost tempted to check.

He still felt cold. Not temperature, but inside. An icy chill he couldn’t shake. He gratefully took the hot chocolate Theo handed, smiling at how the boy had tried to make it the same way his dad did. It wasn’t quite the same, but the thought alone was enough to fight away some of the lingering sensations. Sipping the sweet drink brought a smile to his face.

Cassius kept looking at him strangely, as though he wanted to shout more, but wanted Marcus healthy enough to appreciate he was being told off. He may have let out a stilted groan, acting like he was in pain to keep the coming reprimand at bay.

“The colour is coming back to your face. I’ll have Marie make you and sandwich and soup. When you’re feeling better, come to my office. I have something to show you.” He made to take his leave, but stopped near the door, opening his mouth before closing it again.

Cassius looked Marcus over again, as though checking the boy was still there and definitely safe.

“Don’t do anything like that again,” he finally said before leaving.

“Dude, I hate to agree with him, but if you ever do anything like that again, I’m locking you in the basement.”

Marcus scoffed, leaning into Theo’s side. Not saying anything, but trying to comfort the other.

“He was genuinely scared for you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like that. As much as he likes to remind us he is your father, that was the first time I’ve ever seen him act like a dad.”

Marcus hummed around the cup. Not sure what to say. A part of him always thought the worst of Cassius. Experience had taught him to always hold a cautious level of distrust where the man was concerned. However, it would be pointless to act like that when only he and Theo had been there to see it. There was no point in acting where they were concerned.

After everything he had learned this past week, the extra information about his childhood memories, hearing how Cassius had helped protect the community, and the man welcoming a newly turned vampire into his home to ensure Marcus’ comfort. Because it hadn’t taken him a few days, but why would a witch allow a new vampire to live in his home if not for being his son’s best friend? Marcus had no idea what to do with this information, but he was considering maybe it was time to meet his father halfway? Maybe. He’d wait until after Cassius had stopped worrying and see how he responded then. Marcus knew the man was going to tear him a new one once he got over the concern of his child nearly dying (again).

He wolfed down the food placed in front of him, smiling at the maid who worked in his father’s home. She was a nice woman, and had confessed she was some type of fae, but there were millions of fae species, so the information hadn’t narrowed down what she might be.

“Honey addicts?”

The woman laughed, shaking her head as she left the room. It had become a game; him trying to guess what fae specifically she might be by asking random questions. So far, he’d ruled out her ability to change size, which meant she wasn’t a pixie or a childe. Other than that, he hadn’t narrowed it down any further, but for some reason, he kept thinking banshee. His magic or intuition hinted to look in that area of mythology to discover her specific subspecies.

Theo helped Marcus to the office. Still a little shaky on his legs. Newborn lambs could have made him jealous. He soon sat in the chair across from Cassius once more. Theo took a chair from the side of the room to sit at his side. His arm ran up and down Marcus’ back. Marcus didn’t need the extra comfort, but suspected Theo needed to do it, to assure himself Marcus was safe.

“After seeing the creature first-hand, and sensing its aura, I believe I now know what the creature is,”

Producing a book from a shelf, Cassius flicked through the pages, before finding the one he had dog-eared. If you ever wanted to know who was a sociopath, it was the people who marked up books, Marcus had decided. Maybe not the most accurate scale, but a book that looked this old with a fold at the top should be considered a crime. When Marcus held the books, he purposely straightened out the page before paying attention to the information Cassius was sharing.

“It seems to be some sort of cross between a demon and a reaper. In fact, I think these things are where the idea of demons originally came from. Creatures from another dimension which feast on fear and kill their victims. There is also a reference to taking the light from the body,” he pointed to the highlighted text.

It took everything in Marcus not to scream at the garish yellow line in the beautiful old book. Sociopath. Cassius was a sociopath. Marcus had always known this, but he was now holding proof of this fact. Screw what he had been thinking a few minutes ago. The man was a monster. No, he was not overreacting. It was a perfectly acceptable response to such a travesty.

“Which was an ancient reference to the soul. There isn’t an excessive amount of detail, but there are several corresponding notes. A few are from Babylonia and Egypt, but the details are intermittent. The common thread is a creature of changing shape that is able to take a physical form in our realm by feasting on emotions.”

Marcus looked at the black blob that turned into a shadow creature and then into an animal in the next image. He assumed this was the writer’s way of trying to show it changed shape. The words might have said it, but he had no idea what language they wrote in it to know what the text was saying.

It looked creepy even on the page. Marcus almost wanted to turn to the next page in order to avoid staring at the thing. His throat ached at the memory. His magic had already healed most of the damage and the hot chocolate and soup had aided the rest, but the memory of what had just happened caused a twinge. The need to swallow caused him temporary pain.

“They call it the Seimetriuma, which translates to serpent-spirit, but the serpent was a renowned species in both Egypt and Babylonia, so I think it is more they were impressing its grandeur and importance, or it may have repeatedly taken the form of a snake as many people fear them than having anything to actually do with snakes. If it didn’t predate Christianity, I’d think it was a link to the devil, but again, I think this creature informed that mythos, not the other way around.

“It carries many of the elements we now would recognise as a demon and a reaper or collector of souls. Whether it is actually consuming souls, I can not say-”

Marcus could. He was very much aware the thing was able to swallow your entire being, but the words lodged in his still-healing throat.

“But it appears to have been referenced several times as a shape-changing creature which is like a black mass and swirling appendages, which again, might be where the snake thing came from, that consumed people but left behind their bodies.”

Marcus and Theo glanced at each other, both unsure what to say, if anything. The monster was creepy, and whilst the history was interesting, it didn’t exactly help them with dealing with it now. As though reading their thoughts, Cassius pointed at a later section.

“It says here how to remove it. I’m not sure as the translation isn’t clear whether this will kill it or simply remove it from our plane, but either way, it should be enough. Unlike the way I’ve handled such issues previously.”

It reminded Marcus of the creatures eating the threats, understanding what Cassius was not saying.

“I don’t know if they would accept this beast. The Seimetriuma could even be of their realm,” he said it with such suspicion Marcuse sensed there was likely a story there, but now was not the time to ask. Though there was one thing which was still bugging him.

“Did we ever learn who let it through?”

Cassius sighed, taking his seat across the desk.

“No, and at this point, I fear we may never know. A creature like this one could have been walking the earth for thousands of years. There simply isn’t enough information to know. It may have been called here or it may have simply stumbled upon us and now has great feeding grounds, or the wards won’t let it leave again. Right now it’s all guesswork. I can say from the people I have spoken with, I don’t think they have colluded with the thing. However, knowing Rod and a few of the humans may have psychic abilities, we now can’t out rule any random human welcoming it inside.”

“Does anyone have control of the wards?”

“We built it with the idea it would last hundreds of years, so only someone supernatural could approve any other supernatural entering the area. It would have been too complicated to only grant specific people allowances if in twenty years, we had to pass their duties onto their children. We’d let people within the wards think it was only a select few, but now, obviously, they know otherwise. Which is something we’ll have to think about in the future,” he pinched the edge of his nose sitting sideways in his chair.

It was possibly the most undignified Marcus had ever seen his father. It almost made the man look human, approachable.

“This entire thing is such a mess,” the man muttered, more to himself than to his audience.

“So, in short, the monster could have come from anywhere. Anyone could have let it in. And it could actually be staying because it’s trapped, but also because we’re basically an all you can eat buffet to this thing. That right?”

“Pretty much,” Cassius sighed, taking the book back and scouring over the text once more.

Theo shifted beside him, the arm still touching Marcus made him aware of the others continued presence.

“Eh, dude, I mean, Mr Domm, Sir.”

Marcus had to smile at his friends awkwardness.

“You said there was a way to kill it, or banish it? Care to share with the class?”

Cassius looked up from the book, eyes blinking as though he had forgotten they were there, which rude, but Marcus didn’t have the energy to bristle at the mans behaviour.

“Yes. yes. It says here, about,” the man thumbed over the line, eyes squinting, Marcus could practically see his father’s brain rushing to translate the words before him. “We need to trap it in a salt circle. Which I is a well-documented way of trapping non-corporeal beings. I’m not sure what use it will be if the creature takes a physical form having eaten recently, but it may help weaken it somewhat.”

Marcus had heard from the vampires how Cassius sometimes guest lectured at the local universities, as the man began explaining things to them, he could picture Cassius being an educator quite easily. This wasn’t a compliment. Marcus was merely taking note of the fact.

“A cedar dagger, which I suspect means a stick with a pointy end. Another popular tool from the Babylonians. We might be able to use rowan wood if we aren’t able to get any in time, but better to use what they have recorded works. Now is not the time for experimentation.”

Cassius did not really aim the words at him, but Marcus nodded in acceptance all the same.

“Then there is a reference to blessed gold.”

“Like by a priest?” Theo asked.

Marcus shook his head, “No the text pre-dates Christianity, dousing your necklace in holy water at the local church isn’t going to work.”

“I wasn’t going to do that,” Theo protested,

Raising an eyebrow, Marcus waited for the other to elaborate.

“Mam’s got a gold cross, thought that might work.”

Cassius chuckled at the two. Marcus shot his head at his father, rarely hearing the other laughing, especially when it wasn’t to mock others.

“You’re both correct. Priests and priestess have existed long before the rise of the Abrahamic religions. Anyone who is in a position of spiritual power with the blessing of their gods could do it.”

“So, like the local reverend with his own coven?”

The man chuckled again.

“Just so, however, it takes a few days to gather the necessary ingredients. However, we do have access to some,” he looked at Marcus, “Does your mother still have your baby bracelet?”

Marcus nodded, recalling the little box that held momentums from his childhood. The little gold bangle which seemed far too tiny to have ever fit him.

“You blessed my bracelet?”

“You are my son,” Cassius said as though that answered any questions. In a way it did. “I had it made to keep you safe.”

Another reminder of the father Cassius might have been.

“Will your mum let us borrow it?” Theo asked.

“I was thinking more I should just take it and hope she never notices. Will it be destroyed?”

“It shouldn’t be, but a replacement is easy enough to arrange. One of my coven members is pregnant and we have an order it. Adding a second won’t be a hardship.”

Marcus nodded. “Okay, guess we’re heading back to mine. Or I am,” he said, remembering it was still dangerous or his friend to be out among humans.

“Not without protection you aren’t,” Cassius argued.

As though on cue James walked through the door.