Epilogue

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Epilogue: November 26th – New York – Morning

                Joseph has one more score to settle before he can go to Canada to either go back home to Montreal or back to Vancouver. He hasn’t thought about what he’s going to do, he hasn’t heard from Cassandra recently and all of his attempts to contact her have been blocked by her not picking up her phone of no response on her facebook and e-mail. Joseph is confused by her attitude lately, she must understand this job requires everyone to be on call 24-7 just in case the worse happens. Both of them are “married” to this job, so a relationship would’ve never worked out between the two even if Joseph didn’t feel disjointed and broken on the inside. This is all a moot point of his visit with Natalie doesn’t turn out well, this all depends on how well she can take bad news or not.

                Joseph isn’t surprised that Natalie’s shop is open today. It’s about nine-thirty in the morning, the norms are just starting their workday and Natalie is already in her shop preparing for Joseph to pay his end of the bargain which allows her to transfer five years of his life and add it onto hers. It wasn’t a fair trade and at the time it felt like the case really needed the extra leads. Joseph of course has a plan, he always had a plan when dealing with people in magic, especially for someone like Natalie Le Fay. He walks into her shop, her door chimes letting her know that she has a visitor and like a can waiting for breakfast, she is out in the small and tight greeting room ready to receive Joseph.

                “Why hello stranger, why don’t you come in? I’m almost done.” She didn’t wear her show getup, the outfit she puts on for tourist and rich people. She didn’t look like a stereotypic gypsy but instead an attractive twenty-something year old with a t-shirt and sweatpants, a magical intense spell like the one Natalie is hoping to perform requires a lot of effort and meditation, and that’s hard to do with your midriff is exposed and your tits feeling like they’re about to fall out. Joseph didn’t move though when Natalie invited him, instead he remained still.

                “Got some bad news for you Natalie, you won’t like it.” Joseph said, he was cautious and took a step back. Natalie is one of those odd witches who don’t have a particular style, she’s just good at everything. Unlike Paul O’Healy who can follow and cast spells, he doesn’t have the ability to make something happen just by willing it, where Natalie does. She pays a price for performing and doing things like that, what they are is unknown to Joseph.

                “Oh and how is it bad news? I told your future and gave you visions of what’s to come and based off of those visions you made choices that led to you finding the Angel of Death, isn’t that the deal? I honoured my part, why aren’t you honouring yorus?” Natalie said, her eyes flashing red for a brief second at Joseph. Objects around the small waiting room such as books and figurines wobble a bit, Joseph knew this is just a scare tactic, so he jumped giving Natalie a little show making her feel like she’s in command, in power and control of the situation.

                “Oh please stop with that, you know you’re not allowed to be using your magic this way, right Natalie?” Joseph asked, trying to get her to calm down. A calm witch is easier than an angry one.

                “So what? I don’t care. You ripped me off of our deal, we had a contract that said when you get him into custody you will come here and give me five years of your life!” She looks very pissed off that she is tricked. She walked closer towards Joseph, but he walks backwards. Finally she waved her hand and the trembling of figurines and books on the shelves in her store stopped. She walks in a circle around Joseph getting a sense of his fear, tasting it with her lips every time she breaths in. She walks back to the entrance to the reading rooms.

                “Explain yourself Joseph. How is this not your fault? Tell me, how did you not rip me off? Why shouldn’t I kill you right here and right now? Did you not find the angel?” She asked, angrly.

                “Yes, but he was never apprehended, he was never arrested. He was shot and killed, never in custody. That was the deal, when the Angel of Death is in custody, then I will pay you. Since he never was in custody and instead was shot, I don’t have to fulfill the deal because the terms were never met. Hey, this hurts me too. I didn’t get credit for the arrest, no one did.” Joseph says with a smirk on his face. His hands reached into his pockets though, he grew nervous. Natalie swiped her finger down in the air. The temperature in the room just went freezing, his body is cool and twitching from the sudden decrease in the room’s temperature, he could see his breath every time he breaths in the room now. Natalie appears to be fine, standing still looking at Joseph from her side of the small room.

                “Be honest, you knew that would happen? That he would be dead. Right?” She spoke slowly, her tongue speaking twisting words. She wanted to know all of the details of Joseph’s little scam. She didn’t take it lightly that people are willing to scam her. Joseph shook his head.

                “No, never! I didn’t shoot him. Paul O’Healy did! I can’t control him, you know how he is.” Joseph is trying to reason with her, it wasn’t his outcome to decide but Paul O’Healy. Natalie thought for a moment, raising the room temperature back up to normal with a small lift of her finger. Paul O’Healy had been a thorn in her side for years, the so called Vigil of Humanity oppressed her kind, and now in their dying days the order will be torn asunder by the Le Fay.

                “That’s great, I’m just going to head out now. Thanks again Natalie, talk to you soon.” Joseph was being sarcastic, he didn’t want to speak to the witch again. He just wanted to leave her studio as fast as he can. He opened the door and head down the streets.

                Inside of Natalie’s studio, Natalie smirked shaking her head thinking how easy it was to fool Joseph Pierre into getting what she wanted. When she found out she wasn’t going to get the extra years of life from Joseph she took the next best thing that he kept in his apartment the whole time, the clip of Paul O’Healy using not only a forbidden spell, but a spell that’s been banned by the council of witches for years. Resurrection of the soul. If she sends it to the right people in the Order, the same people who micro-manage and babysit her use of powers, perhaps she can get some leverage in the organization. Either way the days of Paul O’Healy as a force in the magic community is over.

                Joseph thought he got away with it. He didn’t have to pay Natalie back for anything she did for him because the angel was killed. The evidence that he lost feature Paul O’Healy casting a spell is still missing and no one knows where it is. Originally they thought Thomas may’ve taken it, but after searching his van it was nowhere to be found. Paul O’Healy even said Thomas probably wouldn’t be smart enough to figure what was evidence against him or for another crime.

                Joseph walked down the street, he was even with Paul O’Healy for helping him out on the Devil’s Cabal Case two years ago, Natalie is square for not only helping him but not being charged for it, and the world seems just back to normal. Joseph walks down the street, loud notification sound rings from his pants pocket, alerting him that he has mail. Joseph pulls his phone out of his pocket, swiping the screen and checks his e-mail app. Things had just gotten better for him as Cassandra finally decided to reply to him.

                Joseph stops walking and reads the e-mail wondering what she had to say. He reads it in his head.

                Hey Lover,

How is it going? I’ve waited to hear from you but you never called, texted, or even come find me after you had to help your friend out at the bar. I felt insulted, lied to, and well hurt. I mean I wouldn’t blame you, she is beautiful and smart and charming when she has a bit too much to drink, but her taste in lovers? Not that good, after all she dated you and slept with me. That’s a poor choice on anyone’s list. Hope to hear from you soon, love Antigone.

PS: Rawr.

                Joseph was confused at first on why Antigone would have her e-mail address. The e-mail came attached with a picture, Joseph opened the picture. The picture displayed Cassandra naked on a white bed with feathers covering the sheets indicating some sort of struggle. Cassandra’s naked body is white-white, paler than usual and two bite marks are shown on her neck with blood dribbling down her neck. Joseph choked up, he re-read the e-mail again and saw the picture. Everything was clear to him, back in Vancouver the guy who he caught trying to rape Cassandra while she’s on duty wasn’t the Vampire Killer, he was just an imitator, the real vampire killer is Antigone.

                Joseph drops his phone, letting it hit the pavement. The phone didn’t break but Joseph was in shock. How did he not see this before? No he couldn’t have. That’s the issue. Antigone was hitting on him, not girls. Joseph’s body wobbles to the nearby wall, he is confused and emotionally drained. Like a big sack of bricks smashed his face in. That’s why Cassandra wasn’t answering his calls or Facebook messages, Antigone killed her. She’s the Vampire killer. She’s a real vampire.

                Joseph couldn’t breathe. His hands grasp at his chest like his spiritual self just shattered again. He used Cassandra’s love for him as an anchor and what she believed to be humane as a way to conduct himself in public. After the trip in Abaddon his whole reality and sense of self shattered, she helped him and now she’s gone, taken away from him. Joseph paused, breathing deeply. The choice of where he is going has been made for him, and he knows what he needs to do. Joseph picks up his phone and starts walking back to his hotel, he has to pack up and leave.

                There are those that think they’re monsters, those who believe they’re the nightmares of society, they name themselves and claim to be evil like Thomas Worthington, The Angel of Death. Then there are those who believe they’re monsters without hope or redemption, who try and cling onto what humanity they have in fear that it’ll be ripped from their hands like Joseph Pierre. Then there are real monsters, ones we only believe don’t exist, the ones who people don’t wish to talk about, the ones we think are long gone like Antigone. But the truth is, no matter how you perceive yourself as there is always something else lingering in the darkness.
 


            To Be Continued in… “Joseph Pierre’s Vampire This Mourning.