Presence- The Marked

by L J Branch

  “Actually, I think she is. You’re going to need to take up that mantle,” Roy responded which surprised Abbie for a moment.

  “Well fuck me, it was an alias,” Abbie muttered to herself. “I really knew nothin’ about her.”

  “Don’t take it personally, she was a woman that held many secrets. Alice is a rank,” Roy explained. “She led people, like you, down the rabbit hole and showed them a world they didn’t know existed. She needed an alias, to be someone better. The day she took charge, Alice was born and Elizabeth Drake…” Roy trailed off as he gave Abbie a moment to process the true name of her first love. “…died,” Roy explained. “She saw a world that needed changing. Elizabeth didn’t rise to power by making people believe in her, but by making them believe in themselves. It won’t be easy, you need to boss a lot of people around and take charge of even the worst of situations. Do you have any experience in that? In being in charge? In being a boss?”

  “No, in fact, last time it was my turn to lead I failed spectacularly,” Abbie said honestly before memories of her time with the thieves flashed through her mind. Abbie thought of moments where she saw Diamond take charge of a situation whether it was for a heist or to run their club. “But I may have picked up a thing or two since then.”

  “Good enough for me,” Eric said with a shrug.

  “Well, like you said, everyone starts from somewhere, I guess. So, what’s the first move, Alice?” Roy questioned as he and Eric faced her.

  “That’s going to take some getting used to,” the newly dubbed Alice said to herself. “First things first, do either of you know a good tattoo artist?”

  CHAPTER 16: Divine Intervention

  Santa Monica, Duskhaven

  “You know, when I said I wanted to drink with you, I was hoping it would be a bit less depressing,” Crystal said with a concerned frown as she watched Diamond down her shot of tequila. At this point, even Crystal had lost count of how many Diamond had. For a while, Diamond said nothing as she simply eyed a sheathed knife that rested on the counter. When she looked up at Crystal, it was as if Diamond had just registered that she had been spoken to. “Think you might have had enough.”

  “What? Color me surprised, normally you would be trying to get me to drink more,” Diamond said with a slur as she placed a self-deprecating smile on her face.

  “Yeah, but that’s when you’re being too tense for your own good and need to loosen up,” Crystal said as she gestured at the empty club. “Also, the sun tends to be down and there is a party going on. This? This is just sad to look at, girlfriend,” Crystal said before raising an eyebrow. “Also, what’s with the knife?”

  * * *

  Hollywood, Midas Manor one week prior

  “How long are you going to keep pestering me?” Diamond asked as she gazed at a fuming Dominique. Diamond didn’t look annoyed by the seemingly never-ending rant from her self-proclaimed best friend but rather tired. Whether she was tired of the conversation or just everything in general, Dominique couldn’t tell and that alone made her heart break. Idly, Diamond noted she could count on one hand how many times she had ever seen Dominique truly angry, and not once did she ever see the French woman this livid.

  “How long?” Dominique repeated incredulously before she released a quick string of curses that Diamond didn’t even bother to translate. “Until I get some sense into that thick skull of yours! The throne is yours, not mine, it has been your dream since we were little girls!”

  “You’re correct,” Diamond said and for a moment Dominique had hope that she finally got through to Diamond. That hope, however, was crushed when Diamond continued. “It was a dream, and this is reality. I cannot ascend without my… I cannot ascend alone,” Diamond corrected unable to even utter the word that had plagued her nightmares for the last month.

  “Your mother ruled for years without her band!”

  “I am not my mother!” Diamond shouted which made Dominique flinch, startled by Diamond’s show of emotion. “I could never be that strong,” Diamond continued quietly. Diamond’s voice shook as she glanced at a portrait of her mother that hung in the hallway. “My mother was a fluke, a ruler that comes possibly once in an eternity. She did things I could never dream of, powerful enough to shrug off the loss of her band and still rule with an iron fist. So please, stop comparing me to her. If I was even remotely anything like her, my…they would still be here. To think I could ever escape a shadow as massive as hers was a pipe dream,” Diamond said and turned back to face Dominique with glistening eyes. “The Midas family has produced rulers that ranged from tyrants to saviors, it was only a matter of time before a failure was born. Fortunately, there are enough of their good traits in me to know when to step down, to give the Guild a chance with a Queen they deserve,” Diamond said firmly. “You’re strong Dominique, a better thief than I have ever been. If you have truly ever seen me as your Queen as you claim, then act like it and respect my decision.”

  “C’est des conneries,” Diamond heard Dominique mutter and paused when she heard the sound of a blade being drawn. Diamond’s eyes widened slightly when she saw Dominique holding a knife that bore a black blade. “Do you remember this? This knife belonged to your mother, her graduation gift from Corday. She gave it to you for your own protection. She said that as long as you had it you would be protected, your prized possession,” Dominique said as angry tears fell freely. “You gave this to me years ago when my family’s curse started manifesting. I couldn’t stop the nightmares that came from the hellish visions I saw, cursed to see the outcomes of every decision I made. I was positive that I would fail as a thief, and especially as a boss no matter what I did. Every outcome of every decision I made seemed to end in failure. Yet you came to me, despite just losing your mother before your very eyes leaving you wrought with nightmares. You told me the same thing your mother told you, that no matter what happened I would be protected. That was the last time I saw you smile to your heart’s content before you were forced to wear that cursed glove and trap your emotions inside of you. My pain couldn’t ever be compared to yours yet you still went out of your way, sacrificing more on top of what you’d lost already, just to make me find my own strength. Do those really sound like the actions of a failure of a Queen?” Dominique asked rhetorically as she sheathed the blade. “I will always obey your orders, for you are my closest friend and will always be my Queen. That said, I’ll never respect this one. You don’t get to walk away from the Guild, not like this. Because of you, I am strong now, the nightmares are gone. You need this more than I do,” Dominique said before she tossed the blade to Diamond who barely caught it. “Au revoir, Your Highness,” Dominique said sarcastically with a half-assed bow before she left Diamond alone in the empty manor.

  * * *

  Santa Monica, Duskhaven

  “It’s just a knife, nothing more, nothing less,” Diamond answered. “As for why I’m here, I need an honest opinion on something. There aren’t many people left I can go to, I’m afraid. Not on a matter like this.”

  “Something you can’t even ask Dominique? Wouldn’t she be better? I mean I’m just a Guild server, never did the whole thief thing,” Crystal said as she mixed another drink.

  “No, she would simply tell me what needed to be said to get a positive response out of me,” Diamond explained. “You have always been real with me ever since we were kids.”

  “I see, well what do you need advice on?”

  “If it’s even worth it anymore.”

  “Is what worth it?”

  “Life,” Diamond answered which made Crystal pause. “I, like many thieves, was born for a purpose. Born and bred to take on the most crucial job the Guild had to offer, and in an instant, it was gone. I’m not like a civilian who goes day in and day out wondering what their purpose in life is. I don’t have that luxury. I’ve known what my purpose was since the day I was born and I failed it. So, should I just quit? End it all, and pray Juventas is merciful enough to let me into Elysium so
I can once more be with those I let down?”

  “That’s…that’s a hard question. A good friend would tell you not to give up, but in the end, your life is yours, isn’t it? You have to make that decision,” Crystal said with a heartbroken expression as she saw just how much Diamond had fallen. It was then Crystal frowned when she caught on to something Diamond had said. “Why would Juventas even have to be merciful? She would welcome you with open arms, and I’m positive your mom wouldn’t think you let her down.”

  “Please, look around you. I know you servers are her personal agents but isn’t it obvious that Juventas and her sisters have forsaken us? I don’t know what we did, but we’ve pissed them off and they have abandoned us. They’re supposed to always be with us, guiding us, yet they let Kat and Jack die! Fuck!” Diamond cursed as she wiped her eyes. “Now they’ve gotten me acting like a civilian.”

  “So much emotion, just how much are you hurting, girlfriend?” Crystal wondered. “Do you hate them?”

  “I don’t even know at this point, I just want answers. They were there for my mother but abandoned me? Did they detest the idea of her loving an outsider that much? Is that it? I didn’t even do anything! It’s…it’s just not fair,” Diamond finally said and for a moment neither of the women said anything as a tense silence set in between them. Eventually, Crystal took Diamond’s shot glass and drunk it herself. Diamond watched in confusion as Crystal pulled out a flask and filled up the shot glass with an all too familiar golden liquid. After that, Crystal pulled out what appeared to be a small black pill bottle. Diamond remained silent as Crystal poured what looked like a single black seed from the bottle into her palm.

  “Do you know what this is?”

  “No.”

  “It’s a seed from an Apple of Discord,” Crystal informed her. “You thieves eat the fruit but never the seeds for it would mean certain death,” Crystal said before the seed plopped into the shot glass. Diamond watched, perturbed, as the golden liquid seemed to corrode into a bright green color as the seed dissolved before her very eyes.

  “Why do you even have something like that?”

  “You said it yourself, I’m a server, one of Juventas’ personal missionaries,” Crystal explained. “Everyone needs a drink, people of all types, and when someone Juventas deems a threat to humanity appears for a drink, one seed is enough to take them out. Odorless, tasteless, completely undetectable. The seed only reacts this way when it’s in contact with Juventas’ nectar.”

  “Why show me this?” Diamond asked only for Crystal to slide the glass toward her.

  “Even with Juventas’ nectar present, this mix will still kill anyone. Royal Blood is the only thing powerful enough to withstand this concentrated poison,” Crystal informed Diamond. “You see your mom as the perfect Queen yet none of you, not even your father, knows what she had to go through before reaching that point. The emotional turmoil of losing a band is life-threatening to any Midas, herself included. In her grief-like you- she wasn’t even sure she was fit for the throne. So, a server issued your mom a challenge. That if she could drink this and live, she would see for herself that she was a rightful heir. If not, well, the Guild wouldn’t have to worry about an imposter on the throne. It was a gambit, to see how far she would go for her peace of mind. Girlfriend, after all these years we’ve known each other? You have no idea how much it hurts my heart to stand before you and watch history repeat itself like this,” Crystal said solemnly. “Your father is a great man. His blood mixing with Royal Blood would only make it stronger. If I can see that, so can the Goddesses. You think that they have abandoned you even though you sit here and drink Juventas’ nectar? Even as Discordia placed her favorite Doll in your band?” Crystal asked and her voice continued to rise with each statement as Diamond looked at her in surprise. “Laverna even put a Frost in your band! A family of thieves bound solely to her! Do you have any idea how stupid you sound?” Crystal asked with narrowed eyes. “If you want to know so badly, to see if they have abandoned you then drink. If they have, you can die with the satisfaction of having gained truth, but if you live, then I hope you’re ready to bow your head, girlfriend,” Crystal said as Diamond looked between her and the glass. “You asked if you should end it and I said the choice was yours, whether or not you succeed is a different story altogether,” Crystal said as Diamond picked up the glass. She hesitated a bit and her hand trembled as she realized what she was about to do. However, it was that hesitation that made her heart break as she remembered how her hesitation resulted in harm to her band. Diamond took a deep breath and downed the shot. Her vision darkened as the corrosive liquid slid down her throat like burning glass.

  * * *

  Santa Monica, Tartarus Tattoo

  “You sure this guy is good?”

  “Have I ever steered you wrong?” Eric questioned only for his friend to give him a look that pretty much said that yes, he had, a lot. However, Eric just smirked in response and shook his head. “No, I’ve only steered Abbie wrong, most of the time by accident, sometimes just for the laughs,” Eric admitted as he wrapped an arm around her. “But hey, new beginnings, right Alice?” Eric asked as he led her into a tattoo parlor. “Hey, Leo! We’re here!

  “I’m in the back, brah!” a voice answered as the two made their way through the parlor. Alice’s nose wrinkled as she could smell what she decided must have been some drug or another. Immediately, Alice began to wonder if she had made a mistake.

  “I swear to God if this man is stoned,” Alice muttered as Eric laughed nervously.

  “It’s fine, trust me, he works better like this.”

  “Eric…”

  “Eric, my main man, how’s it been!?” Leo questioned as he made his appearance. He was a young man with sun-kissed skin and brown dreadlocks that he kept tied behind his head. His brown eyes were kind but unfocused due to whatever drugs Alice decided he was on. “And you must be the lovely lady, pleased to meet ya!”

  “Nice to meet you too,” Alice said, though Eric wasn’t sure if that could have sounded more forced if she tried.

  “So, my main man Eric here tells me you need something covered up. A bad tattoo?” Leo guessed. “Should have told her to come to me if she wanted to get inked!”

  “Hey, I was surprised too, I knew she wanted one but I never thought she’d do it,” Eric said as he raised his hands defensively. “Where did you get it done, anyway?”

  “Kat did it,” Alice said quietly and Eric winced as he realized that he might have stepped on a proverbial land mine.

  “Kat? Never heard of an artist by that name in the city,” Leo said before Eric pulled him to the side.

  “She was her girlfriend, she passed away recently,” Eric explained quietly. Leo looked at him in surprise and glance over at Alice who idly took note of some of the pictures of his work.

  “Bummer…” Leo said quietly. “…must have really loved her to let her ink her body. Trust me brah, nothing is more intimate than that.”

  “Yeah well look, this is the second time in two years this has happened to her. So, hook her up for me, will you?” Eric pleaded.

  “Of course, but first I need to see what I’m working with. Look at my canvas, you know?” Leo said before he called out to Alice. “Mind if I see what I’m covering up?”

  “Uh, no problem,” Alice said before she pulled off her jacket so he could see the mark on her shoulder. Eric’s eyes widened when he saw the mark while Leo let out a whistle of appreciation.

  “I won’t lie to you, this is not bad, not bad at all. Got a mystical feel to it, ya know? And these circles, Kat must have had one hell of a pair of hands on her,” Leo said as he walked toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “May I?”

  “Go ahead,” Alice said as he adjusted the strap of her tank top to get a better look.

  “Yeah, I can work with this, the question is, are you sure about this? I don’t know why but this feels special.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure, I like it too but it cau
ses me more pain than joy when I look at it now, you know?”

  “I feel you. Well look around, show me what you want and we can get started,” Leo said and she and Eric began to search through the possible tattoos. As time passed, they asked Leo questions about a few of his more interesting ones and bounced ideas off of each other. Alice had to admit, despite her first impressions it was clear that he was good at what he did, very good. Eventually she saw one design in particular that caught her eye. It was a sketch more than anything that was almost hidden away.

  “What’s this?”

  “This, is my best sleeve to date, that came to me in a dream,” Leo said as he pulled the sketch out. “It’s Cerberus guarding the gates of hell.”

  “Hell? It’s surrounded by roses, though.”

  “All flowers have a meaning, a red rose signifies enduring passion,” Leo explained. “If you ask me, it takes a lot of passion to guard the gates of hell alone for an eternity. Though when you think about it, it’s never really alone is it?” Leo mused as Alice looked at the image thoughtfully. “God, you have no idea how much I want to tat that on someone.”

  “So, why don’t you?”

  “People don’t want it. It either rubs them the wrong way, too big, or they want to make alterations. When it comes to ideas customers want to be tattooed on them, I have no problem. That said, I’ll never alter my own visions.”

  “I can respect that,” Alice murmured as she took in the image. “How big is it?”

  “The whole scene? Well on you to depict everything right it’ll be your whole arm up to your shoulder and maybe even a bit down the side of your torso, why?” Leo asked curiously before his eyes widened as he finally caught on. “Wait, like, are you serious!?”

  “If it covers up this tattoo, I’ll take it,” Alice said with a small smirk. “How much?”

  “If you’re serious about this then it’s on the house,” Leo said with a grin. “I’ll even set you up with an LED implant! As an artist, you’re doing me the favor here. Just tell people where you got it when they ask.”