“Yet another night goes past with you as my jailor. Do you not bore?” Margery called, a small smile on her lips.
“Not as long as you haunt, witch!” Lucian retorted swiftly.
“Set me free, Lucifer, come now. Time has moved on. Surely, I’ve earned some respite?”
“I’ll never allow you freedom while evil exists in your heart, Margery,” Lucian replied.
“Damn you to hell, Lucifer!” Margery snarled, and her beauty twisted as she allowed her temper to overcome her. There was no denying the sheer evilness that existed in Margery. Maggie gasped and drew back, and Margery’s gaze flew to where she hid. Maggie held her breath as she felt Margery’s eyes trying to find her.
“Do we have an intruder, lover?” Margery asked.
“Think I grow weak? Appears you suffer from wishful thinking, witch!” Lucian taunted. Margery let out a gentle sigh, at odds with the hatred on her face.
“Until tomorrow, Lucifer,” Margery called. Maggie popped her head over the armchair as she watched Margery walk to her portrait, and then she disappeared. Maggie blinked and then collapsed back, gasping for air. Minutes ticked past before Lucian appeared before her. Without a second thought, Maggie leapt up from her chair and jumped into his arms. Lucian held her tightly as Maggie shook.
“What was that? How is she alive? What is happening?” Maggie demanded in a rush.
“It is a long story, Maggie. Do you have a warm drink?” Lucian asked as she burrowed into his chest.
“In my bag, yes, I have a flask of coffee,” Maggie replied.
“Come, you need warmth after seeing Margery. Everyone who has ever seen her felt chills down to their soul.”
Maggie allowed Lucian to lead her back into the bedroom she’d cleaned, and without thinking, Maggie pulled out a dressing gown and wrapped it around her. After yanking on thick socks, she climbed into the sleeping bag, pulling it up to her shoulders. She propped herself upright against the bedframe and stared wide-eyed at Lucian.
Lucian
Damnation, she looked lovely like that. Margery had given her a shock, but to her credit, Maggie was still standing, well, sitting. Lucian worried about how much to tell her and decided everything. This stubborn girl wasn’t planning to go anywhere unless she had the whole truth. He had some money, a few necklaces, and gems. Maybe he could reimburse Maggie for her monetary losses, and she could retain ownership and help keep people away. That was a pretty good plan! The more Lucian considered it, the more the idea settled.
“Where to start?” he mused.
“The beginning?” Maggie asked with a bite in her tone.
Lucian chuckled. “As far as my story goes, it started around five hundred BC…” Lucian spoke, and Maggie inhaled sharply.
“You’re telling me you were two thousand years old at the time of death?”
“No minx, listen and don’t interrupt,” Lucian chided. Maggie’s eyebrows came down, but she said nothing. “So, the tale starts in five hundred BC. When I say we, I mean my bloodline. My family home is built upon a cave system that can only be accessed by a secret door in our cellar. It leads into a set of caves with our ancestors’ names, dates of birth and death, and a few lines about them. Also, their kill record.”
Lucian saw Maggie’s mouth open and lifted an eyebrow as she mulishly shut it.
“Norton’s learn our records start from then and are accurate. At that time, the world was wild. Supernatural creatures could easily fit in and hide, and no one was around to stop them. My people were leaders of a small village, which was raided and ruined by a demon. The husband and two sons lived while his wife and three daughters were torn apart. We know the three men’s names were Rupert and his sons, Silas and Ajax. They hunted down the monster that destroyed their family and town.
“Legend says an Angel came across them after their kill and offered them a deal. They would become God’s Scourge and rid the world of evil creatures that found their way here. In return, Rupert, Silas, and Ajax would be given gifts to aid their endeavours. They accepted, not wanting others to suffer as they had. The Angel gave us the last name Norton. He claimed in his language it means ‘Allies of God’. And by giving us the surname Norton, he insisted we were blessed.
“The three Nortons created a small village and sought people who’d survived attacks. In time, Silas and Ajax married and had sons and daughters of their own. In those times, women weren’t considered warriors, but Rupert realised his granddaughters were precisely that. God’s gifts did not differentiate. The granddaughters were as fast, strong, and clever as their brothers. Because of their size, they were even more nimble and had excellent fighting techniques. Over their lifetime, they hunted many demons down and passed their skills down from generation to generation.”
“Wow,” Maggie said.
“The legend is carved into the cave entrance with detailed pictograms. Every Norton reads it before we even start to fight. Learn our destiny. We also examine the family trees that descended from Silas and Ajax. We see where the women married and what happened to their bloodlines, and we could track our bloodline worldwide.”
“That’s amazing,” Maggie whispered, clearly relishing the story.
“Nortons continued being blessed by God and the angels as we learned new fighting techniques and unlocked skills. Each Norton, from about three hundred BC, grew an ability to sense when evil was near. In one-fifty BC, we saw an aura around creatures. Because not all monsters are evil. Not every vampire was a blood-thirsty monster. Not every werewolf wanted to rip someone’s throat out. We understood the auras and stopped innocent individuals from being destroyed.”
“Vampires and werewolves? Honestly!” Maggie laughed. Lucian had seen the denial before; she didn’t believe they could they exist.
“They live, Maggie, whether or not you believe it. You didn’t think ghosts were real or hauntings, yet here we sit.”