Whispers in the Dark

Once Upon a Time

Eve was nearly finished making the last of her talismans. It wasn't as simple as putting symbols on paper; To make a talisman function, she had to imbue it with a certain amount of spiritual energy. Summoning this energy was hard enough - impossible for most people, in fact - and channeling it into an object was even harder. She had more of it than Luke, which is why she was the one doing this. The big guy barely had enough to cover his body. An advantage of this was his ability to masterfully control it. Even Kol wasn't that good at that. It was the one advantage either of them had on their boss.

Though she was trying to hide it, the fire at the farm had shaken Eve deeply. It brought back bad memories - things she would have preferred to keep from her mind. Her family had been one of mediums, just like Kol's was. The difference, however, was that hers had used their gifts to profit. It did not matter to them what consequences their actions lead to; Anything was fair in money making. They would look unto the other side, realize a person's soul was nowhere to be seen, then confirm that the client was possessed or haunted. They'd done anything to keep the clients coming back.

One day, the man who had walked up to them actually had needed help. Taking him with a grain of salt, her mother and father had angered an already unstable spirit of fire. In turn, the thing had burned the house down, killing everyone but Eve herself.

Eve slapped herself with both hands at once, squishing her cheeks. This was no time for a stroll through memory lane. Kol was in danger, and so were they. A witch was after them, and a grand one, too. Even a regular witch stood above most supernatural beings in the food chain, and a grand witch stood higher than the rest. Those were the ones who had been born with their powers, and then later enhanced them with something else supernatural. Olivia's tokens likely weren't made using her own power. Eve knew that was the advantage she had against the witch. Someone who relied on others to do the dirty work wouldn't be able to beat someone who did the heavy-lifting themselves. Tokens made by another could betray you, and Eve was counting on that.

Once she was done with the final talisman, she went to join the others in the living room. It appeared Natasha had made dinner.

"Can't expect you to do all this on an empty stomach. Go on. Eat."

Luke did it without much fuss; A man of his stature needed all the food he could get his hands on. Martin, on the other hand, didn't eat at all; He just sat by the window, staring out unto the street.

"You know you can just throw us out," Eve said to Natasha, then took her seat. "Your home's about to be attacked by a witch, all because we're here. If you kick us out, she might leave you alone." Eve did not trust her at all. No one her age would have taken in a bunch of strangers and expected things to go well for them; This meant Natasha was hiding something. Eve was sure of it.

The old woman poured her a bowl of whatever type of soup she had made. "I know a bit of what it feels like to be helpless." She gestured toward the painting of a young couple which hung on the wall. "My husband and I, back when we were young as you are. I looked so good back then. Well, if you could get past all the bruises and swollen eyes."

Luke didn't seem to get it, but Eve did. It was something women were taught to watch out for more than men. Natasha even seemed to have peaked Martin's interest, too. He was definitely listening.

"One day, I got tired of it all," the old woman continued. "His family had a history of heart disease. I messed with his pills a bit, and he croaked, right over there." She gestured toward the front door. "Dropped dead while heading for work. No one suspected a nice, polite wife like myself, of course. That no-good mayor has his doubts, and likes to keep me on my toes, but I pay him no mind. The man is a snake, but as weak as a lily. I've got my share of dirt on him, too."

"You sure seem well-connected," Eve replied, eyeing her soup. Luke wasn't dead yet, so she went for it.

"You have no idea, child. Sure as heaven, I know just about everything there is to know about this town. Except, of course, what happened between you and that Vaughn boy." She was speaking to Martin now.

He looked back at her. "None of your business."

She slammed her own bowl down. "Before war, the soldiers aren't just prepared physically and mentally; Their bonds are strengthened, too. Can't expect a man you know nothing about to risk his life for you. We'll be fighting off a witch together, boy. I've told you my darkest secret. It's your turn now."

He didn't say a thing, and looked out the window again.

Eve looked at Luke, who was nearly done with his soup. Their eyes met, and she nodded. He shook his head. She nodded again, with more vigor. He sighed, then set the spoon down.

"My mother used to beat on my brother and me when we were kids. By the time I turned fifteen, I was already pretty big. One day, she got a little more drunk than usual, and hit him with a bottle - hit him so hard, he lost an eye. I was more angry than I had ever been before, and lashed out at her. I still can't remember the details, but she died, and I went to juvy. Only got out because my brother ran into Kol, who sensed something about him. He paid for a good lawyer, and I got out. I'm still here, paying off the debt."

Natasha ate her own bowl of soup slowly.

"Where's he now?" Martin suddenly asked, surprising the group. When he realized what they were thinking, he looked back at the window. "Whatever."

"He's in a coma," Luke answered, growing stiff. "Got hurt in a bad case."

Eve was really impressed by her friend. Kol really had rubbed off on him. Luke had never been such a good liar before. Noting Martin's demeanor, she opened her mouth and told them her story.