Chapter 55: Monsters Lurking Temptations

--- Micki Harrison ---

“Do you guys get how big this is?!” Cory asked as they walked through the high school hallways. “There are actual magical fairies in the park!”

“Yeah, you’ve said that a couple times now.” She pointed out with a wry grin, because while she loved how excited her best friend was, she’d lost her own excitement around the fourth or fifth retelling of things.

“Heh, yeah…” Miles nodded, looking exhausted. (Though he’s been looking worse and worse every day.)

She didn’t know what it was, and he’d brushed her off the few times she’d asked, but she was starting to get worried about him. (Maybe it has something to do with his coma… If it does I’ll have to talk to his mom…)

“If fairies are appearing in the park, then it’s possible other magical creatures will start appearing too!” Cory continued, not noticing either of their reluctance on this topic.

“Like all the Creeps we keep getting alerts about?” She frowned, unable to help but connect the cute magical creatures with the dangerous ones, even if she hadn’t seen the latter outside of one or two news reports. (All of this started when the sky cracked so…)

“What about zombies?” Miles wondered, the note odd enough to pause even Cory’s excitement.

“Zombies?” She found herself repeating. “Where have you heard about zombies?”

Miles winced while rubbing at the back of his neck. “Um, uh, fairies are magic and Creeps are monsters and, uh, the undead are a type of magical monster?”

She couldn’t help but give the boy a flat look, even as (sweet naive) Cory seemed to buy what was obviously an on the spot excuse.

“I don’t think there’ll be any undead.” Cory admitted after a moment of thought. “They’re a different type of magic than what fairies are attracted to, and Creeps are… Honestly, it’s a very broad summary term for the different kinds of creatures that come through the Rifts. Technically, depending on your definition, fairies could actually be considered a kind of Creep if they weren’t fairly benign and actually good for any ecosystem. Undead are a completely different branch of magic.”

“Right…” She was just going to trust the magic nerd on that one. “So I’m guessing your magic lessons with your dad are going well?”

“Oh, yeah!” Cory smiled beautifully as her fingers ran over the necklace she was wearing. “He’s only really letting me focus on my affinity stuff for now, but once I get that down he was going to see about teaching me some of the enchantments he and mom worked on together.”

“That’s great.” She smiled back, knowing how important any connection to her mom was to Cory. (Wish I had that kind of bond with mine…)

“Hey, uh, Cory… I remember you saying something about different schools of magic or something?” Miles asked after a moment. “Like how there’s enchanting, affinities, and… stuff?”

“The different magic arts?” Cory checked before listing off. “There’s Magical Theory of course -which is all my dad let me read until last week- then there’s Enchanting, Potions, Alchemy, and Contracting like that lady tried to show us at the convention center.”

Her side throbbed at the reminder of that mess, phantom pains from when she’d been- (Don’t think about it.)

“What about things like… Necromancy?” Miles continued. “I’m pretty sure I’ve heard about that somewhere, but that’s not one of the ‘magic arts’?”

She couldn’t help but give him a side-eye at that as she wondered, (where’s his head at?)

“Necromancy is a dark art.” Cory explained before elaborating, “That doesn’t mean it’s evil magic, just that it's super dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Like I know my dad dabbles in it on some of his cases to try and figure some stuff out, but I also know that the ‘seeing death’ isn’t the nicest thing. Honestly, movies and books give Necromancy a really bad reputation, since it’s easy to say ‘death magic is evil’. Even when Miles and I prove it’s not!”

“We do?” Miles jumped, his eyes wide.

“Yeah, remember we found out at the convention that we’ve both got a Death Affinity.” Cory reminded them.

“Right, I almost forgot we did those.” She nodded before trying to remember, “What was mine again? Um, Metal Light Guardian or something?”

She wasn’t as big on the magic stuff as Cory, but it was still a kind of cool thing.

Cory smiled her way. “Something like that. Honestly, it’s kind of nice knowing I have an overlapping affinity with both of you… sort of anyway.”

“What do you mean?” Miles frowned.

Their friend shrugged. “Well you and I both have a Death affinity, and while it’s not one to one Micki and I both have ‘creation’ type affinities with my Life and her ‘metal creation’ or however that one works.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“Guess, that’s her influence on us?” She chuckled as she elbowed Miles.

“Maybe…” Miles wryly grinned before wincing and putting a hand to his head.

“Uh, you okay?” She asked, trying to keep him steady. “I didn’t hit you that hard did I?”

--- Miles Kennedy ---

“No, it’s not you…” He assured Micki.

(“Quit ignorin’ me boy.”) Kriminel growled.

(I’m not ignoring you.) He tried to argue.

(“Yes, ya are. Yer askin’ yer lass questions ya shouldn’t be.”) The baron warned him once more. (“I don’t care if she does know magic, I don’t need ya gettin’ dragged into the mess of other practitioners. That’s how yer predecessor got his ass killed ya know.”)

(No, I don’t.) Anytime he’d tried asking about the man, Kriminel would sidestep or dodge the question. (Besides, Cory knows more about magic than me and her dad is a cop if you really want to find out what’s going on with those cracks in the sky like Samedi said then she’s our best lead.)

(“No, our best lead would be ya listenin’ to me when I tell ya what to do like a proper horse!”) The baron disagreed. (“Unless I need to remind ya who’s in charge again?”)

(I’m good…) He grimaced, not needing another reminder of how easily the baron could off him.

“Miles?”

He blinked before turning his attention back to the girls as he realized they’d been talking while he was distracted with Kriminel. “Sorry, what was that?”

Micki and Cory glanced at each other before Cory asked him, “Are you sure you’re doing okay? You’ve been… spacing out a lot lately and… we’re starting to worry about you?”

“That’s…” Not something he could really explain, because even if Cory’s family was all up in magic he wasn’t sure he wanted to drag her or Micki into his mess with voodoo Caine. “Look it’s, it’s nothing.”

“You sure Mi?” Micki frowned, crossing her arms. “Because with the way you were in a coma…”

“I’m fine.” He insisted, not needing another reminder about his death and resurrection. (Not when I’ve got the asshole in my head reminding me every day.)

(“I know ya know I can hear ya.”) Kriminel dryly admitted.

Another thing he didn’t need a reminder on.

“Miles…” Cory touched his shoulder and he pulled it away.

He couldn’t help but wince at her hurt look, a feeling that wasn’t at all helped by Micki’s glare. (Damn it…)

“Sorry I just… I’ve got to get to class.” He lied as he turned to leave.

“We’ve still got half an hour on lunch!” Micki called after him, never one to flinch from a fight.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t feeling up for one not after fighting Kriminel so much over his whole ‘possession’ thing. The only reason those fights hadn’t escalated was because any time he went by the graveyard again, the baron would sense the gravekeeper and warn him off from ‘practicing’ any more.

(“Thinkin’ of that, we’re really goin’ to have to find another place for ya to train.”) Kriminel told him. (“Especially now.”)

“Fuck…” He cursed once he was sure he was out of sight from the girls before leaning against a wall and letting out a sigh. “What is it now?”

(“Ya know those monsters that be rampagin’ all over?”) The baron asked.

“The Creeps?” He frowned, half in confusion and half because of the bad feeling he was getting. “What about them?”

(“Well, normally they’d be what I’d call ‘not our problem’.”) Kriminel assured him, making that feeling worse. (“But it seems one be followin’ ya.”)

He spun on his heel, his eyes darting all over the hallway. “What? Where?”

(“Not here, but that’s what I was tryin’ to tell ya earlier when ya was ignorin’ me.”) The baron explained his head appearing before Miles like it had in the graveyard. (“Somethin’ was watchin’ ya, something’ that ain’t human, and with a body count worth rememberin’.”)

“So there’s a Creep nearby… one that’s killed a lot of people already?” He swallowed, instinctively reaching for his phone before wincing when he realized the signal was still off. “Shit. I need to call Sanctuary so they can deal with it.”

(“Ah, ah. Don’t be doin’ somethin’ so hasty now lad. This is an opportunity.”) Kriminel smiled in a way that was more sinister than anything else.

“What kind of opportunity?” He slowly asked, knowing full well that it wasn’t going to be one he liked.

(“Well, if ya goin’ to be huntin’ killers for me ya goin’ to need to get ya hands a bit bloody from time to time.”) The baron warned him, never losing his smile. (“And since this beasty is a killer but not a human, that should make it an easy first blood for ya.”)

“That’s…” He grimaced.

(“Come now, lad. Don’t be getting cold feet on me, you knew what ya were gettin’ into when ya chose me to be ya baron.”) Kriminel reminded him. (“Unless ya were willin’ to let yer dear old daddy’s killer get away with it?”)

He froze.

(“We both know what ya goin’ to do when ya find the one who did lad…”)

He swallowed.

(“So wouldn’t it be easier to make sure ya don’t flinch when the time comes?”)

He took a deep breath before letting it out.

“Where is it?”

--- Coraline Hawkins ---

“Come on, don’t be so down.” Micki tried to reassure her. “It’s not your fault Miles is being a dick.”

“And it might not be his fault either.” She reminded her best friend. “We’ve no idea how his coma could’ve affected him! I mean, I know we were pretending like nothing really happened but… something did happen…”

“I know…” Micki sighed, running a hand through her hair. “It’s just… I don’t know what to do… I mean, we can talk to his mom since she’s a nurse but… will that actually help anything?”

She didn’t know. “Whatever we do we’ve got to talk with him… we can’t keep ignoring this.”

“I know…” Micki nodded.

“Miles is our friend, we need to do what we can to help- oh!” She stumbled back as she walked into someone. “Sorry.”

“It’s not a problem.” A pale boy with pitch black hair assured her his eyes solid white as he smiled in a way that seemed off.

(He’s dangerous…)