Fallen Sparrow

I could feel his skin on mine. We were still naked, enjoying each other’s warmth. “You are beautiful,” he whispered randomly.

“Oh, Detective Tanner, are you trying to get in my pants?” I winked and my him chuckle. Axel was laying next to me, resting on his elbow, while I laid flat on my back on the mattress with my hands on my stomach. I dare not touch him in case it woke the animal in me again. Looking down at the bed covers, he fiddled with the material.

“You can ask if you want,” I smiled reassuringly, “I’m sure you have lots of questions.”

“How’d you become a Ver?”

“You’re chosen, trained and off you go.” I was short and restrained from giving details.

“Sounds simple,” he commented. I think he knew it wasn’t that basic, but he didn’t push it. “And the love notes?”

“They’re from Chaos,” I saw a flash of fear in his eyes. Blood Knights were powerful beings. They weren’t made naturally but made by magic, dark magic. “We had a toxic relationship years ago, that he can’t seem to let go of.” Axel’s expression turned hard with jealousy, but it became calmer when I rolled closer to him.

“Have you seen him?”

I swallowed nervously. I admitted, “once. I told him unless he’s got a murder to confess to, he should fuck off.” He realised a single laugh, but his eyes still held betrayal.

“What about Beth? Does she know about all of this?”

Bethany Cannon was a young teenager when I met her. I helped her and her brother, Brennan, escape an abusive household. Brennan went off to a boarding school paid by his trust fund, but Beth stayed in Viridity City. We developed a mother-daughter relationship and I took her out of care until she was 18. She caused far too much trouble in foster care. Beth was living on campus at Viridity City University, studying Law. She wanted to be a detective.

“If you can believe it, she’s a white witch.” Axel was started for a moment.

“That explains so much,” he said to himself. “I knew that coffee cup didn’t move by itself.” I laughed, remembering when Beth use to move items around when she didn’t have to get up from the sofa. I made a small error of placing her with a family of black witches. She grew a rebellious side and began pulling pranks on unsuspecting victims: usually me or someone unaware of her abilities.

Black and White witches are very different creatures and they both pose very different problems for me. With a proud and traditional culture, white witches have stern principles. They tend to sort their problems in-house. This means that crimes go unreported and victims are silenced. They also have a history of performing arranged marriages and a lot of the time, they marry cousins to keep their genetics ‘pure’.

On the other hand, Black witches have a rebellious and passionate attitude. I’ve always thought of them as hippies in black and leather. They know what they want and are very vocal about their opinions, even if it’ll offend you. They celebrate life, sex and freedom. The White witches look down on them rudely, but Beth has formed her own opinion of both.

“I haven’t actually got any food for breakfast at the moment. How about we go get some breakfast?” He nodded and we both reluctantly got out of bed. Occasionally while I got dressed, I glanced in the mirror beside me, admiring the way his back muscles moved as he pulled his t-shirt over his head. I smirked when I caught him doing the same as I bent down to get my shoes.

Opening the door, I froze my keys still hanging from my fingers. I heard Axel’s footsteps approaching, “how about we got to that new caf-” He saw it too and cut himself off. Anxiety and anger made the veins in my head pulse.

I’ll see you again, my love, at midnight where we first met.

It was written in red with a picture of Maddie gagged and bound to the chair. I knew where he was referring to. It was the setting of mine and Maddie’s nightmares. I can’t believe he took her there, to that house.

“You’re not going!” Axel insisted. I could see how tense he was. He was trying not to snap. He knew however that beyond physical restraint there was no way of stopping me. He sighed and hung his head, “at least let me go with you.”

“No,” I glared seriously, “I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“That’s hypocritical,” he argued.

“He won’t hurt me, Axel. He will kill you.”

I held my knees tightly to my chest. Not one sob left me, only simple breaths. Exhaustion weighed heavily on my eyes making my vision blurry. When he stepped into the room, I swear I heard him sigh lovingly. Maybe he’s a police officer, here to take me away. If he was, I had accepted my fate. I killed them. Every last one. “It’s okay, my beautiful Sparrow. You did well.”