“Why do you have a black eye?” harshly questioned Marly. A quick shushing noise made her face red, and whether that was because of embarrassment, anger or whatever else Marvin didn’t know, but he found it hard not to laugh at the heterochromatic’s plight non the less.

“It’s-it’s nothing. I barely feel it.” reassured Marvin, strangely at peace.

Sure he was terrified, for one because he didn’t know what to say. He was so certain that he’d figure it all out the day before. He was certain that once he saw her that he’d make it. Magically say the right things so as to not mess everything up.

“Fine. I’ll believe that for now.” she responded quietly.

Now, nearly a day later, they were sitting in a library trying to figure out the meanings to at least some of her tattoos. And he still had no idea what to do.

He supposed he should wait. Finding out what happened to her and what those tattoos stood for, that should be his priority at that time. After all, they had a dozen books they were looking over in order to figure everything out. The heptagram in the middle made it clear that it had something to do with magic, but that didn’t make much sense to the dark haired teen.

Magic was something that could be used only by pure humans, meaning vampires and werebeasts didn’t have a use for it. So, assuming James Mallory wasn’t enough of a prick to lie to his own granddaughter, what could that spell possibly do that they’d want it preserved. Maybe it was meaningless, but at this point he really couldn’t rely on being that lucky.

Still, based on that, and the vague recollections he had from studying, these symbols probably had something to do with immortality.

“Hey. Isn’t this one of the symbols?” Marly’s thoughtful voice broke him out of his thoughts.

An image depicting a snake eating its own tale. Ouroboros. Reading the pages dedicated to it, he saw that it had a few meanings across the world. But two stood out to him specifically. The interpretation of immortality is first among them. It seemed to be the one bearing the closest resemblance to a vampire’s nature.

But there was a pattern that he noticed. Ouroboros was a symbol that represented the cyclical nature of everything. Life, death and rebirth. A thought popped into his head, but it was impossible. Or was it?

What if James Mallory did lie to Marly? What if the spell in her back was placed there by the Association. And it was a way to end the vampires for good.

Life, death, and rebirth.

I heard that even if you chop off it's it's head, a vampire will regenerate it. It may take months, or even years, but they will grow it back.

That was what Adam said. Word for word. It was engraved in his memory as another thing that would make it all but impossible for him to stop Amdis. Eobard and Kara made no effort to correct him so he had assumed it was true.

But magic didn’t come without a cost. The backlash to something like that. To kill something that was immortal-it wasn’t possible. Even in that world.

Still, Kara once told him that everything he did was by breaking the universe. To throw everything he knew out the window. Should this be any different? After seeing something like Caelum Terra, he had to wonder what exactly were the limits of magic. As long as his-or any sorcerer’s-mind and body kept up, could they do anything and everything?

That didn’t really matter now. What mattered was that, if he was correct on the purpose of Marlu’s tattoos. Of course he would have to wait until they had everything they needed for the answers.

But could he tell her that? Tell Marly that he believed her grandfather-who she apparently trusted without fail was lying to her? Because of a hunch?

“You do know I’m here right?” said Marly with a pout, as if on cue. “I may not know magic, but you can at least fill me in. That’s why I brought you here.”

“I was just thinking that-actually never mind. I have a question for you. Why me?” asked Marvin before he could stop himself.

It was a question that he hadn’t even asked himself and yet he found that, all things considered, it was a valid one. He’d spent so much of his time self-loathing, constantly questioning every single thing.

He was slowly but surely reverting to the person he was before he transferred to Jeene High. And that person was a lot of things. Alone was chief among them and he didn’t want to go back to that. He’d left it all behind, he had a better life there. He’d never have thought that the biggest obstacle to actually living that life would be himself.

Marly sighed in response. “When I first saw you, I noticed your leg. And your scars. After a while I realised that you-you understand. You understand what it’s like to have something like this. That’s why I gave you the ring. I-I kind of hoped we’d end up talking to each other more. I don’t care if a stupid vampire wanted you there or whatever. You’ve supported me this whole way. I meant it when I said I was going to make you keep your promise.

“But don’t expect me to be this mushy all the time. I’ll still kick your ass at training. And don’t think you can get complacent in other areas as well. If you’re going to stand at my side, you’re going to pull your weight!” said Marly, pointing at the dark haired teen.

“But I don’t deserve that. I kept the whole Amdis situation secret from all of you. As well as my vision of Ava. And now-”

“And now-” said Marly, while also hitting the side of his head. “-I am beginning to think that this is completely empty. You had legitimate reasons for those things. Hell I won’t lie and say that I’m not mad, but I think it was for the best.”

“But-but-” This was going horribly. Marly’s speech did help him a little;knowing that she felt a connection to him that she didn’t with the others was reassuring, but it still left him unable to tell her the truth. “But I don’t deserve it. I’m still keeping secrets from you. Big secrets. Important ones.”

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“Then tell me. What are they?”

The whole Circle of Trust came to mind. As did Adam’s confession about Ava and James Mallory’s apparent apathy to life that wasn’t related to them.

His own jealousy, self-doubt and shame, with his encounter with CB.

“I-I can’t!” said Marvin. A shushing noise led to him having a similar reaction to Marly’s blush earlier. “They aren’t my secrets.” he explained, deciding to forgo any mention of his unpleasant thoughts.

He was technically keeping them a secret, but it was one that would never be found out. One that, no matter how much it hurt him to keep, he couldn’t voice.

“Well then you shouldn’t tell me. My grandfather once told me that he wouldn’t take charge of a unit if he can’t trust every single one to the point of walking to hell with them.” she said with pride.

“The Mallory House is built on loyalty. On trust. If you honestly think I’m someone that would hate you for keeping a promise-because that’s what we are talking about here-then get out right now.” she said, a fire in her mismatched eyes he hadn’t seen outside of combat.

He sighed, realising that the loyalty her house is built on regarded only their own members. Not anyone else. If she figured that out, or rather when she figured that out, there were going to be some interesting changes-hopefully not for the worse, he added in his head.

But it wasn’t his place to tell her. That was Adam’s secret, and if there was one positive he had, it was that he wouldn’t reveal anyone’s secrets that weren’t his own.

And he sure as hell wasn’t going to walk out of here.

“I don’t have any concrete ideas on the tattoos yet. I’ve got a hypothesis at most, so we can keep looking if you’d like. Or even search those symbols online.” said Marvin, hoping that she would understand his determination to see this through without words.

“Nah, I’m too tired to keep going. As for the internet thing, I’m almost completely sure that the IDA can somehow track our internet usage-even if we try to hide it.” A faint smile appeared on her lips. “Now I think we need to eat something while I hear the story of that black eye.”

Groaning as he resigned himself to fate-or rather the blonde, heterochromatic teenage girl that had taken her place-he decided that he would tell her a more...innocent version of what happened between him and CB, while praying that all parties would come out in one piece.

But he was thankful for her presence. And he was sure he’d be thankful for the nice meal they were going to have. Because soon he’d have to train again.

In two days time he would face Amdis, and he needed a couple of hours of distractions.

Even if he didn’t want to go with her he didn’t have much choice. Adam, Trevon and Jacob were hanging out with a few other people that day-they’d invited him, but he didn’t want to intrude more than he probably already ahd, and he wasn’t in the mood for socializing. CB and he should probably not be together alone. He didn’t know where Eobard and Kara were.

Two days.

Two days and everything would change.

--

The smell of blood filled the air.

It had been five years since Eobard had been on a battlefield.

Of course things were different that time. He was on top of a building ninety percent of the time, away from the action, a sniper with a spotter next to him. He’d always scoff at that, and feel sorry for the poor chap that was forced to be his.

He’d relished the bloodshed, that smell, and he was proud of it-he’d never miss a shot, when he fired his target would fall. It was almost amusing how much things had changed.

He stood in a forest clearing at the frozen lands of Siberia, where it was so cold you’d be forgiven if you thought it was still winter, holding a sidearm and observing the cleaning of the battlefield. The Association losses appeared to be greater than their opponents’ in spite of the results of said battle.

If that wasn’t enough, he was supposed to be complaining about the warmth of Atlanta and worrying about his students. Not get to one of the coldest areas on Earth.

Still, it didn’t appear to be as large or deadly as the one five years ago, but he found that to be irrelevant. His whole body still shook from the sight and the damn smell.

“It is truly a shame. These were some of the finest men and women I’ve had battle under me. We may not be lacking in numbers, but it still pains me to replace them.” came the voice of James Mallory from behind him.

“A shame indeed. I can only hope they led good lives and someone to remember them.” said Eobard.

James Mallory was the one who ordered them to their deaths a week ago and only now bothered to send someone to pick them up. Eobard supposed that it could be thought of as considerate, but the older man certainly had another motive.

“This is what we are fighting to prevent.” He felt the man walk up to him and place his hand on Eobard’s shoulder. Turning around, the white haired man saw that a sword was sheathed on the commander’s hip. They held eye contact silently for a while, which was easy since they were the same height.

“And yet this happened on your orders.” Damn it. Kara would surely admonish him. He chuckled inwardly as he realised that he needed his comrade-in-arms more than he thought before. She helped keep him focused on what his goals were.

“That is why I called you here.” sighed James Mallory as he unsheathed his sword. Looking behind him, Eobard realised why.

Four werebeast, vampire hybrids that appeared to be half bears were charging at them. As James Mallory ran towards them Eobard raised his pistol, cursing himself because he didn’t bring heavier weapons.

The commander dodged the first hybrid’s attack and went beyond it, leaving the beast to charge at Eobard. The white haired man shot at it, the loudness causing his ears to ring although he didn’t have the time to care for that.

Shooting it once gave it momentary pause, so he shot again. And again. And again. He cringed as the sound of bullets fired echoed in his head.

The hybrid still pushed through, charging at him with only his prosthetic arm-for once he was thankful to the IDA and their money that gave him that arm-as a shield keeping it at bay. He could keep it at bay in its weakened state.

Fortunately he still had his knife sheathed in his hip, so he decided to drop his gun and unsheath said knife, pushing against the shot hybrid with all his might and stabbing it in its neck.

“For-new-order.” siad the beast as it coughed and gasped and fell with fear in its eyes. For a moment Eobard forgot all about age long conflicts and felt genuine regret at ending a life. Until that life’s words registered.

New order?

Any questions could wait however, as the white haired man had more pressing matters to attend to.

He saw James Mallory in front of him, dodging the assaults of the powerful beasts with ease, even thrusting his sword through one in a precise attack. Just when it looked like his sword was stuck in his opponent and he was done for, he abandoned it, letting the werebeast fall to the ground and dodging the attacks of the other two.

He might have been a sixty year old man, but as Eobard watched him fight he dreaded he wouldn’t have a guaranteed victory. It was then that the ground began to shake and Eobard made out the forms of dozens of hybrids making their way through the forest to the clearing.

“Fire!” shouted the commander as he ducked, Eobared barely managing to follow suit, as the beasts entered the clearing and were shot down immediately from the Association soldiers that were there.

It took a few moments for them to be done, but the ringing on Eobard’s ears made it look like it was an eternity.

Standing up he saw the fresh bodies on the ground and James Mallory getting up as well. Their eyes locked once more and Eobard understood what he wanted to say.

The war wasn’t coming, it had already begun.

The smell of blood filled the air.