The Veritas

by Wendy Saunders

  The Burnetts, her adopted parents, were long gone now having been older when they took her in as part of their family. She’d spent a good part of the last decade patiently waiting for Theo to catch up with her. They’d been good years; she’d lived, she’d loved, she had good friends and a good life.

  All that changed the night of the awakening and it wasn’t just the torture she’d endured at the hands of the demon Nathaniel. It had been easy to let the others think that, but although the torture had been no picnic, she’d survived. Even though she still bore the long-term scars and injuries, she’d learned to live with them.

  Mac’s betrayal had stung bright and painful at the time. She’d been so hurt when she’d found out he’d lied about being a former member of the Veritas that she’d run out of the apartment like a teenager, caught up in the drama instead of facing up to the truth like a woman. Instead she’d run straight into the arms of Nathaniel who plucked her like a ripe fruit. That had been her own damn fault.

  She would have forgiven Mac for lying to her. In truth, she had forgiven him, months ago. It was easier to let him believe that him lying to her was the reason for the breakdown of their relationship, but it wasn’t. It was unfair to him, she knew but she couldn’t tell him the real reason, couldn’t tell any of them.

  They wouldn’t understand.

  Only Mac knew what she’d done that night, the life she’d taken. She’d expected to feel guilt. She’d waited… and waited… but the guilt never came. Instead she felt… good. When the realization first dawned on her, she’d loathed herself. What kind of a monster did it make her that she’d enjoyed taking a man’s life? A darkness had taken root in her that night and it had begun to grow.

  But there was power in the darkness.

  She’d felt the flickers of it under her skin; her own awakening had brought with it an unintended side effect. Magic. Dark magic, running through her veins. It felt good, it felt powerful and she’d embraced it. She’d spent every moment since that night sourcing every book of dark magic she could get her hands on.

  Her visions had dimmed, and in their place the deeper magic had pulsed and grown. Even now she could feel the crackle of electricity beneath her skin. The more she embraced this new found power the more her old life seemed hollow and meaningless.

  Being the Mayor of Mercy was no longer a joy. When she’d first taken up the job, she could see now what she’d been looking for was the power, the prestige. She’d wanted to be seen; she’d wanted to matter.

  Now she’d tasted true power and everything else paled in comparison. The only thing she truly missed, was Mac. She’d tried to shut him out, she’d tried to move past what they’d shared but it was no good. It was still there, a tiny little pinprick of light pulsing inside her, as the darkness tried time and again to envelop it. But she couldn’t have both. That much she knew, and she was torn.

  She looked up at the polite knock on her door as it swung open and her assistant Audrey appeared, her round face glowing and her swollen belly huge. Heavily pregnant with her second child, Tammy knew she wouldn’t be working for her much longer.

  ‘Mayor Burnett,’ she smiled, ‘Corinne Coleman is here to see you.’

  Tammy’s eyes flickered but she held her carefully sculpted smile in place.

  ‘Thank you, Audrey,’ she replied cordially, ‘please show her in.’

  Audrey nodded and stepped aside as a tall slim woman with ash blonde hair walked into the room.

  The door closed quietly behind her as she walked over to Tammy’s desk and took a seat opposite her. The two women stared at each other politely until one of them finally spoke.

  ‘Corinne,’ Tammy greeted coolly, ‘I’d heard you’ve been staying in Mercy. What brings you to my office today?’

  ‘I thought it was high time you and I had a discussion,’ Corinne smiled smoothly.

  ‘About?’ Tammy lifted one brow.

  ‘Why about your job of course.’

  ‘What about it?’ she replied casually.

  ‘About the fact you are up for re-election soon,’ she smiled again, but her eyes glittered with something else. ‘I thought in the interests of fair play I would spare you the indignity of losing your re-election campaign and let you know I will be taking over your job.’

  Tammy leaned forward across the desk and grabbed Corinne’s hand. Gripping tightly, she pulled the sleeve of her silk blazer up to reveal a small serpent coiled ankh branded into her skin.

  ‘You’ll be taking over?’ Tammy replied coldly. ‘Or do you mean the Veritas will be taking over?’

  Corinne’s eyes flashed dangerously as she yanked her hand roughly from Tammy’s grasp and smoothed her sleeve.

  ‘What does it matter?’ she replied smugly. ‘It amounts to the same thing.’

  Although Tammy had already made up her mind some time ago not to run for re-election as Mayor of Mercy, it wasn’t common knowledge and wouldn’t be for a while. She had no intention of remaining the Mayor, but she’d be damned if she was going to let the Veritas waltz in and set up camp in the highest office in town.

  ‘That’s simply not going to happen,’ Tammy replied as she leaned back in her chair comfortably.

  ‘Oh, I think it is, I have friends in very handy places. Let’s just say that being instated as Mayor of this town is merely a formality. It doesn’t matter who runs or what the vote actually is.’

  ‘The Veritas is going to rig the election?’ Tammy’s eyes narrowed.

  ‘I thought I’d save you the embarrassment,’ she smiled again. ‘Step aside or you’ll be sorry.’

  ‘Really?’ Tammy replied dryly, ‘first you tell me that the vote will be fixed, now you’re threatening me?’

  ‘It’s more of a friendly warning,’ Corinne dropped all pretenses as she stared at Tammy. ‘You’re out of your depth here. It makes no difference if you run or not, you won’t win but… I can’t deny you’re popular with the locals. My superiors would like my transition into the office of Mayor to be as seamless as possible. After all I need to win the trust of the dear residents of Mercy, a task that will be made harder if I had to fight your popularity.’

  ‘And why the hell would I want to make anything easy for you?’

  ‘Because if you don’t, I am prepared to make things very difficult for you.’

  ‘You don’t scare me Corinne and neither does the Veritas, so you can take your threats and your overly ambitious plans, and I don’t think I need to tell you where you can shove them.’

  ‘Tammy,’ she tutted slowly, ‘so quick to judge. Let me make myself very clear. Not only are you going to quietly step aside but you are going to endorse me as your personal choice to replace you.’

  ‘I don’t think so,’ Tammy answered flatly.

  ‘Oh, but you are. You’re going to be by my side, smiling and waving the whole way through my campaign to win the hearts of the good people of Mercy.’

  ‘And why would I do that?’

  Corinne sat smiling serenely as she held Tammy’s gaze. After a moment she lifted her expensive designer purse onto her lap and reached inside, retrieving her phone. Tapping the screen a few times, she slid it slowly across the desk.

  Tammy looked down at the screen; it was a video file. Picking up the phone she tapped the screen and watched as the smoky trees and woods came into view. Simon Flores was standing at the edge of the shot, although you could see it was clearly him, part of his arm was out of the frame. Suddenly there was a shot and blood dribbled from his lips as he collapsed to the ground, revealing Tammy clearly standing behind him holding the gun. Mac approached her slowly and the camera zoomed in on her face.

  ‘I killed him…’

  ‘It’s okay, it was my gun, we’ll just tell them I did it…’

  The camera cut across to Mac’s face and then Tammy’s before cutting out. The way the video was edited it didn’t show that Simon Flores was holding a gun trained on Mac, nor did it show him threatening to kill Mac.

  �
�I think you’ll agree that if this was to be released to the relevant authorities and the press, it wouldn’t look good for you.’

  ‘That’s not what happened that night and you damn well know it,’ Tammy whispered her eyes filled with anger.

  ‘But what matters is perception,’ Corinne smiled. ‘What matters is what you can prove. The video clearly shows the Mayor of Mercy shooting an unarmed man in the back and not just any man, but Simon Flores, the governor of Massachusetts who has been an open missing person’s case for over two years. It also shows the Chief of the Mercy Police Department, whom you appointed and had a public relationship with, covering up murder.’

  Tammy stared at her, her eyes brimming with hate.

  ‘Simon’s body has never been recovered. Just what would happen if the authorities start digging up the woods near dear little Olivia’s house? What would they find buried near the tree in the hollow? Hmm? Maybe the body parts of the murder victims from 2015? Those cases were never solved you know, just conveniently shelved by the very same Chief of Police who helped you cover up a murder. I’m sure we could get his friend Jake implicated too, just for good measure.’

  ‘You’re bluffing.’

  ‘Am I?’ One of her perfectly plucked brows lifted.

  ‘If you were going to use that video, you’d have done it already.’

  ‘If it was up to me,’ she admitted, ‘yes, you’re probably right. I would love nothing better than to see you and the Chief in prison, and I would absolutely love to see Olivia West get what she deserves. After all she was the main suspect in the murders. It was very convenient that the old Chief was murdered when Mac showed up in Mercy. I’m sure with a little bit of persuasion, a jury would have Olivia behind bars, to keep you company and in her absence, it would be our duty to make sure her children were raised properly.’

  ‘The Veritas are getting nowhere near those children.’

  ‘We’ll just see about that,’ Corinne replied, ‘now, where was I? Oh yes, if it was up to me, that video would already be plastered over every news station up and down the East coast, but my superiors have other plans for you.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Tammy’s eyes narrowed.

  ‘Use your imagination Tammy, supporting my bid for Mayor is just the beginning. You and I are going to be working together very closely from now on.’

  ‘That’s never going to happen,’ Tammy hissed.

  ‘Oh, I think it is,’ Corinne shrugged. ‘If it was just your head on the block, I honestly believe you’re stubborn enough to call our bluff, but you’d never risk your beloved Chief Macallister or sweet little Olivia.’

  ‘You’re going to regret this,’ Tammy’s fists clenched as she stood slowly.

  ‘I really don’t think I am,’ Corinne rose slowly and elegantly from the chair, hooking her bag over her forearm. ‘It’s been an absolute pleasure Tammy, we’ll speak soon.’

  Tammy watched as Corinne deliberately turned her back and walked to the door, letting herself out with a final smile in Tammy’s direction.

  The moment the door was closed, and she was once again alone, she felt the fury whip through her veins like wildfire. Her skin crackled with electricity and the tiny hairs all over her body rose.

  Her eyes turned black.

  The fury churned beneath her skin, her heart pounding with the effort it took not to kill Corinne with her bare hands. Her gaze locked on the back of the door, and at first, she didn’t notice that every single item of furniture in the office had levitated, hovering a few feet above the ground.

  The desk, the chairs, the couch, the cupboards, the vases and picture frames, everything lifted as if it were no longer confined by gravity. They hovered for a few moments then touched back down with such force, the legs and supports of every item of furniture buckled. The couch split in half, the desk crumpled, the chairs folded in on themselves. It was as if, for a second, gravity hadn’t existed and it had all floated up, but the moment it returned it was twice as heavy, collapsing everything in the room as if it had been crushed by a giant invisible hand.

  Tammy turned and caught her reflection in the window and for a second, she hadn’t recognized the woman staring back at her with coal black eyes. She sucked in a sharp breath and blinked, her eyes returning to normal and her hands shaking as the adrenalin spiked through her body.

  She crossed the room, limping as quickly as her damaged hip and knee would allow her. She opened the door to the adjoining private bathroom. Even this room had not been spared. Although the toilet was mercifully intact, the white porcelain sink was cracked right across the bowl and the faucet was crushed at an odd angle, emitting a fountain of water which sprayed over the damaged sink and was beginning to pool on the floor. A huge deep crack had appeared in the wall running from the floor up diagonally behind the mirror to the ceiling.

  Leaning forward she cupped her trembling hands under the arc of water. Gathering a little she splashed it on her face as she looked up into the mirror. It was broken, like everything else, a deep dent at its center with cracks rippling outwards like a spider’s web.

  She stared at her reflection, the broken segments of the mirror making her face look distorted and pale. Her whole body began to shake and for the first time since that night in the woods, she was afraid.

  19

  ‘Where will you go?’ Olivia asked.

  ‘I’m not sure yet,’ Julien shook his head, ‘but there’s not much more we can accomplish here. Scarlett is more or less healed; she’s safe enough for the moment. Issac and I need to find out where Sam is, if he’s still even alive.’

  ‘And how are you planning to do that?’ she asked.

  ‘I still have a few contacts in my old garrison.’

  ‘Do you trust them,’ she frowned.

  ‘Not entirely,’ Julien replied, ‘but we need to find Sam, which means taking a few risks and if I’m going to do that, I can’t be anywhere near Scarlett. I can’t risk leading them back to her, or you.’

  ‘Fine,’ Olivia sighed, ‘but be careful.’

  ‘If I may,’ Issac interrupted, ‘I’d like to speak with Scarlett before I leave, with regards to the rehabilitation of her wings.’

  ‘Sure,’ Olivia nodded toward the stairs, ‘she’s resting in the spare room.’

  Issac bowed his head politely in thanks and headed up the stairs as Olivia and Julien continued to speak in hushed tones. Now familiar with the layout of the quaint little house at the edge of the lake, he headed straight to what he thought of as Scarlett’s room and knocked quietly.

  When there was no answer, he opened the door quietly. She wasn’t sleeping as he’d expected but instead stood at the window, quiet and contemplative, as she stared down at the sparkling water of the lake.

  ‘Scarlett?’

  She pulled in a quiet resigned breath and turned toward him, her eyes dull and disinterested.

  Issac stepped further into the room, making sure the door was firmly closed so no one could overhear what he was about to say.

  ‘I’ll be leaving with Julien soon, there isn’t much time. Can we talk?’

  Scarlett shrugged.

  She almost turned back to the window and blocked him out completely. She couldn’t imagine he had anything to say that she would want to hear.

  The man she loved was gone. Even if by some miracle he’d survived, he’d have his memories back. Their time together had been a brief reprieve from the weight of the past and all the secrets between them, but with his memories came all the reasons they couldn’t be together.

  Olivia had been kind, as had the others, which was surprising under the circumstances but even so, she’d never felt so alone. Adrift and hopeless, watching as the world came to an end. What was there left to fight for? She was just so damn tired.

  ‘Scarlett?’ Issac approached her slowly, once again drawing her attention.

  ‘What is it?’ she finally answered.

  ‘There are some things you should know, about your heali
ng.’

  ‘And?’ she shrugged again. ‘You’ve already said I won’t be able to use my wings; you may as well have just ripped them away. At least I wouldn’t have to drag their dead weight with me.’

  ‘You don’t mean that.’

  Scarlett closed her eyes as much to stop the tears as to demonstrate her tiredness.

  ‘What do you want from me Issac?’

  ‘I didn’t say you won’t ever regain the full use of your wings. I just don’t know, but I do know if you want it Scarlett you have to fight for it. You think I don’t know how it feels to be mutilated by Thomas. Abused, humiliated, cast down into a strange world I didn’t understand, with no one? All alone?’

  She stared at him quietly.

  ‘You need to get mad Scarlett. Get angry, direct it at Thomas for what he did, direct it at me for saving you, anything… just don’t let the numbness take hold. I know it’s so tempting to just lie down and close your eyes, to give up on everything around you. You think you’re all alone and there’s nothing left to fight for, but Scarlett you’re wrong. You do have something to fight for.’

  ‘What?’

  He released a slow breath.

  ‘Your child.’

  ‘What?’ her response was a confused rush of breath.

  ‘You’re pregnant Scarlett.’

  ‘No,’ she whispered, shaking her head, ‘that’s impossible.’

  ‘You are,’ he replied gently. ‘I could feel her heart beating beneath my hands the whole time I was healing you.’

  ‘Her?’

  ‘Your daughter,’ he smiled softly.

  ‘It’s just not possible,’ she shook her head again.

  ‘I’m guessing Sam’s her father?’

  Scarlett stared at him, her eyes wide with shock and her breathing shallow.

  ‘Scarlett you have to understand, there has never been a blending of the species before,’ he told her seriously. ‘You cannot begin to understand how important she is. Your child is a sign of hope, a bridge between our two races. She is the first step in healing the rift and bringing peace to our people. She must be protected at all costs.’