Salem's Civil War (Book Five of The Silver Society)

Chapter Twenty-Four

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

"Oh my Gods," Aideen said as she realized what had happened. "They were Figments?"

"I did not see that coming," Shooter mumbled.

"My family is perfect," Eliza said. "Absolutely flawless."

"Eliza's quite talented with Figmentation," Luigi explained. "She descends from Vishnu and inherited the very rare gift. She's quite a find."

"Why would you do all of this?" Arnie asked.

"Being twelve, Eliza needed a family to take care of her," Luigi replied. "An unaccompanied child her age would not go unnoticed. You see, she and her brother were turned immortal a couple of centuries ago. Their entire family was brutally slaughtered in front of them, but these two were gifted, and they survived. The ones who captured them gave them immortality in exchange for their eternal service. The two wonderful children killed their captors and set about the world on their own."

"Brother? What brother?" Aideen asked. "Her brother vanished with everyone else."

"I do believe you've met him. Tell them, Eliza," Luigi coaxed her.

"My name is Eliza Esposito. My brother was Raphael, and he was all I had left, but your father killed him," Eliza said, her tone still disturbingly sing-song.

"You're talking about Rafe? Courtney's creep of a boyfriend? The one who caused all of this trouble?" Aideen asked in disbelief.

"Yes, and now you have to pay. Your sister's the reason he's dead. A debt for a debt, a sibling for a sibling."

"I hate to tell you this, Kid, but I don't die all that easily. Ask the bleeding warlock over there."

"My family will destroy you."

"Your family's not real."

"Don't say that. I don't like to hear that." Eliza shook her head.

"I advise you to do as she says, Aideen," Luigi said. "She was too young to be turned immortal. It had a bad effect on her mind, I'm afraid. She's really quite insane, but she's so talented I couldn't bear to do the humane thing and destroy her."

"Allow me, then," Aideen replied. She was about to send a killing spell at Eliza when Luigi knocked her down.

"Don't!" He said. "Kill me instead, Aideen. She's just a little girl. You can't harm her."

"She's no little girl, and I will kill you, don't worry. Where is Arnie's mother, Luigi?" She demanded.

"She's locked in an empty office now. She's perfectly fine. Arnie would know if she wasn't. Just get it over with, Aideen. If you don't kill me, I'll bleed out anyway."

"You didn't do the humane thing when you found this insane little kid. Why should I?"

"You are a better person than I."

"True, but that doesn't mean that you deserve mercy." She was horrified that, upon realizing a child was suffering, Luigi had left her to it just so he could abuse her power.

Instead of a killing spell, Aideen cast one which left Luigi unable to speak. They didn't need to hear his mouth anymore. She also cast one which slowed the bleeding so that he would take longer to die.

"You can't kill me," Eliza said. "No one can. I'm stuck like this forever, and because of your father, I'm all alone. Even Raphael is gone now. He promised. He promised he'd never go."