Undercity: Manifest

Chapter Twenty

Payden was in her lab, translating an old tome she had uncovered at the back of the archive room, when Val's voice spooked her. 

'A four-element witch, I've not seen one for years.' 

After recovering from her initial shock, Payden greeted the senator. 'Afternoon senator. I didn't hear you come in.' 

'After multiple centuries of living, one becomes apt in the art of surprise.' Val's voice was filled with the usual matter-of-fact calm. 

Payden chose not to comment, opting instead to share her latest finding. 'I've been looking into dark magic practices and stumbled across this text. I'm still in the process of translating it, but it seems to be describing the method The Adversaries used in order to create the first Mystic creatures.' 

'Yes, I'm familiar with the process. From my own studies.' Val quickly clarified, flipping through the pages. 

'I'm hoping this will provide some clues which will eventually lead us to whoever is behind the recent murders.'

'Indeed.' Val said, not taking her eyes off the book.

Payden decided to continue in the hope that Val would share some of her incite, 'It's a pretty grim process from what I've read so far. The witches used their own blood to form part of the spell. It requires a witch who has control of all four elements.' 

'That's how all witches manifested before the punishment.' Val told Payden what she already knew. 

'This is probably why the recent experiments are failing. There are no witches who possess four elements. My best guess is that somebody is using warlock blood as a substitute'. 

Hecate stripped all living witches of at least one element to weaken them following their abominable actions. The warlocks remained un-changed with the exception of the one conception rule. There were no warlocks known to have been involved in the experiments, so for the most part, Hecate pardoned them, choosing instead to exact the majority of her wrath on the female witch community. 

The senator contemplated this silently, moving only to remove her emerald-green jacket, and place it on the back of one of the empty stools.  

'So,' Val began, 'you're hoping that if you can find the source of the warlock blood, you will be able to track down the person responsible?' 

'It's a working theory, but yes.' 

'This is excellent work Payden.' 

Their conversation was interrupted by Sadie's footsteps. She was wearing sunglasses, it was already getting dark outside, and her usually neatly curled hair was thrown up into a haphazard bun on top of her head. She was wearing a black hoodie which hung down past her knees revealing only the bottom section of her blue gym leggings. In her hand she held a bottle of water. Is she...hungover?

It seemed to take Sadie a moment to notice Val's presence and she blanched slightly when she finally did. 

'Sadie, how are you?' Val's voice was sickeningly sweet. 

'Senator. Sorry I wasn't expecting you to be here. It's wonderful to see you again.' Sadie greeted. 

Payden had to hold back to urge to laugh at the awkward interaction playing out in front of her. Saide looked like she would rather be anywhere else than here. 

It was a small blessing when Val announced, 'I'll leave you ladies to your lesson.' Before collecting her jacket and leaving as quietly as she had arrived. 

Payden placed her hands on her hips and watched her friend fall onto a stool. 'Heavy night?' 

Her voice was laced with amusement.

'Urgh! It turns out even healing magic can't cure a hangover.' 

Healing magic had its limits like everything. It could be used to stitch skin back together or repair internal injuries, but it couldn't replace something the body was missing. In Sadie's case, hydration and reversing the toll of one too many drinks. They refrained from using it to heal superficial wounds as it raised too many questions if humans noticed the sudden disappearance of a cut or bruise. 

Payden stifled a laugh with a hand over her mouth. 'If you promise not to throw up in my lab, I want to go over the fundamentals of magical elements today.' 

Sadie removed her sunglasses and placed them on the side. 'Why didn't anyone tell me the truth about the initiation events?' 

Payden was not prepared for Sadie to ask that and faltered. 'I... err, look, with everything that's been going on, we didn't want to drop that on you too. The whole thing is archaic and I'm glad you won't have to go through it.' 

'Did you?' Sadie asked. 

Payden tried not to think about her own initiation. About how she thrust a dagger into the neck of a young, female shapeshifter in order to manifest. She shook off the memory as quickly as it formed. Rather than sharing that with Sadie, Payden pulled down the back of her lab coat and turned to reveal her mark which sat between her shoulder blades. 

She only gave Sadie a few seconds to take it in before she turned and let go of her collar. 'We all have our own experiences of it.' 

Saide seemed to know not to push the subject, and accepted Payden's answer. 

The lesson quickly moved on to what Payden had planned and before she knew it, an hour had passed. She was just about to wrap things up when she noticed Zach enter from over Sadie's shoulder. 

'You're early.' She stated. 

'Hey, Payden.' She noticed Sadie tense as Zach greeted her. 

Sadie seemed to be shrinking down in her seat the closer Zach got. She registered that neither one of them greeted the other. Weird.

He stopped just behind where Sadie sat. 

'Sadie and I were just finished.' Payden continued to watch Sadie fumble to pick up her things as she stood to leave. 

Sadie was forced to face Zach before she could make it to the lift.  

'Hey.' He said, pushing a hand through his hair in an awkward motion.

'Hey.' Sadie copied. 

'You okay?' Zach asked. 

'Yep. Totally fine. Got to go. I have a busy day tomorrow and need to get my beauty sleep.' Sadie didn't wait for Zach to reply. She ran to the lift like her feet were on fire, and practically dove in when it arrived. 

'What was that about?' Payden asked Zach a soon as the lift doors had closed. 

'You don't want to know,' Was all he offered in response. 

Not willing to let it drop she pushed. 'Well, clearly something is going on between the two of you.' 

Zach inhaled a deep breath before forcing it back out. 'She kissed me.' 

'Really.' Payden elongated the word more than was necessary. 

'Yeah, and I stopped it before it went any further.'

'Why?' 

'Because it wasn't the right time. She was hurting and I didn't want to take advantage.' He paused for a moment. 'I think I fucked it up Pay.' 

'No, you didn't.' Payden was resolute in her response. 'She's probably just needs time. She will see that you did the right thing.'

'I hope so.' 

Payden spent the next half an hour updating Zach on her research before they both called it a night.