Someone is always watching

Chapter 20

Saturday

Nerissa left Wayne Manor around sunset, the painting session went better than lunch. Chas picked her up. Once they made it back to Crime Alley the sun had already set. John was sitting on her sofa bed reading in one of his books.

"What did you find?" Nerissa asked not wasting time and letting Thirteen out of her carrier.

"We know you were born in London, your hair helped find the exact house, but there's a ritual we need to perform there to find your true lineage." She looked like she was going to protest, she had no plans on leaving Gotham. "Don't worry love, you don't need to be there, I just need some of your blood."

"Yeah this doesn't sound creepy at all. There's no other way?"

"Love, I'm a master of the occult and the dark arts, trust me, that's the only way."

"Do you have a syringe? I'm not cutting my hand." she saw him reaching for a syringe and sat down. She lifted her sleeve and gave him her arm. She was worried she was trusting him way too easily, but Alec said he was the only one who could help. John didn't say anything when he saw the scars on her arm, he's seen them before, he just took the blood and brought her sleeve down.

"This ritual will take time to prepare and it needs to be done during a certain moon phase or on your birthday which is coming up soon right?" she hated her birthday.

"This Friday. When are you leaving?"

"Monday morning, but for now love, I need to teach you a trick or two" he gestured for her to stand up as he went to close the curtains, she did.

"Say what's the worst thing that could be revealed in the blood thing you'll be doing in London?"

"You're human, love, there's no doubt in that, but it will probably show us which line of witches you come from" when he said the word 'witch' Nerissa broke down laughing, she couldn't control it, John and Chas were looking at her confused.

"Sorry, it's just so funny really," she kept laughing, it was more like hysterical laughing than funny laughing, "my friend keeps calling me a witch because of the way I dress and my black cat, and you're saying I might be one, my aunt is trying to kill me, again apparently, the bat's been watching me and the devil's got a trick for me."

"Here love, let's just drink tonight alright?" said John handing her a glass.

They spent the night drinking and talking about everything he could teach her, from mind control to illusion casting to exorcism. Chas told her about John's punk band, she decided to make him sing, she played a few songs on her piano and he sang and they laughed. When it was time to sleep she let John sleep next to her, but she built a pillow wall between them.

On the rooftop in front of her building, Red Hood was standing watch, he couldn't see into her apartment since the newly installed curtains were closed, and since Constantine had cast a cloaking spell. He wanted to see her, he knew she was home because she kept the tracker, he wanted to apologize for putting it and for his behavior, even though he knew she would have pushed him off if she wanted to, but that was no excuse. The closed curtains were hint enough, she didn't want to see him.

Sunday

Nerissa, John and Chas spent the day in her apartment. John taught her some basic spells, it helped that she knew Latin. She practiced all day, trying to channel different types of energies to control her senses without Alec's locket.

"Hey do I get a wand? Ouhh I want a wand, like a creepy looking wand, something out of a horror movie kind of wand."

"Bloody Harry Potter, bloody rubbish"