Dues' Lair

Grimma knew that deciding to not tell her father everything was stupid. But, she also knew that telling him would only cause him more stress. For the time-being at least, she could handle herself. Or, so she thought when she let her father go on his 'business trip' without saying anything. But,

"This isn't going to work." She said as she threw a book on the ground.

If she stopped practicing magic, then the traces that had led those two policemen to her house should disappear and she should be safe. That was the one possibility she was hoping on. But, if what she had read just then in a book of her father was true, she was doomed.

"What the hell!?" She contemplated with a frustrated expression that no one was around to see, "What should I do now?"

She had read in that book that once someone tries to use actual mage-craft for once in their life, even if they never do it again, they can still be found out to have done it once by the devices available. Technology was not on her side, not this time.

*****

Dues had lived for so many years but had never changed her lairs. She was in the same lair in 1856, the same when we visited her, and the same when Irium and Danny visited her. What attraction she feels to that place, I don't know. But regardless, for that reason, we visited that place – that lair of Dues ex machina.

*****

The group of four got off the elevator and entered into an area that resembles a classic fictional hideout, somewhat like Batman's Bat-cave. This place, aside from looking like a perfect hideout for people, also had a stage. All in all, it painted the picture of the person living there as rather … unique. And, the impression wasn't wrong. But,

"Where is that bitch!?" Trevor yelled at no one as he looked around and couldn't find Dues. "Tsk! And she had to disappear right now, huh?"

He was clearly irritated just by the fact that they had to ask her for help, so seeing that she wasn't even there made him even more irritated.

"She isn't here. Isn't that bad?" Jessica asked while turning to Grey.

"Yes, yes, that's very bad." he said while holding his chin and nodding.

"Do you two know anything other than that stupid sequence?" Trevor yelled at them.

"Yes!" they both answer at the same time with bright smiles and continued, "Would you like to see our-"

"Forget I ever said anything!" Trevor said as he turned and started to walk away. The couple tilted their heads, not understanding why he was so frustrated. Seeing that, their leader didn't really say anything as he was more focused on where Dues ex machina would be than the ramblings of the three of them.

The reason why Trevor was so angry and everybody else was also anxious is because Dues was capable of telling if a person were to come to meet her. If, despite being able to tell that, she wasn't there then, it could mean that she deliberately doesn't want to meet them. However,

"Oh my!" A female voice then came his way and dispelled all his doubts, "It seems like I have guests."

As they all turned that way, a woman of warm ivory skin with close-set hazel eyes, brown hair and concave nose on a diamond face came into their view. She looked athletic and was about 5'9 feet tall and had covered herself in a classic western clothing of the time. As they had all seen her before though, there was no confusion as to who she was.

"So you finally decided to show up, huh?" Trevor yelled.

"Stop yelling like a mongrel, Trevor." Dues casually brushed him off. He clicked his tongue and was about to retort but, "I just had to meet with someone very urgently. It couldn't wait so you all had to."

*****

She had to meet with 'someone', she said? That bitch! If I had used a bit of my brain back then, I could have figured out who that 'someone' was that she had to meet with. But, of course, I didn't. I DIDN'T!

*****

Knock! Knock!

Someone had come to their house. Grimma, as she opened the door, found out who it was.

"Hello Grimma!" The 5'9 tall woman said to the 5'4 teen girl who had opened the door for her, "I am Dues ex machina, your only savior in this entire fiasco."

"W-What!?"

Dues ex machina, a figure she had read mentions of in her father's notes, but to think she actually was standing in front of her was still mindboggling for her.

"Why are you here?" Grimma asked her with a slightly terrified expression. Her mother and Jason came to check who had come to their house and saw the woman standing at the door. They also saw the expression on Grimma's face and felt confused as to what was going on.

"Um, hello!?" Her mother said as she looked at their visitor with a smile.

"Hello, miss. It's so good to see you." Dues said with a smile as well, "Pardon the intrusion but I am a teacher at the school Grimma attends. I just came to check on her."

That was obviously a lie. However, hearing that, her mother who didn't know it was a lie got all excited and nervous at the same time as she said, "Oh, please come in, ma'am."

"Stop!" But as soon as she heard her mother say that, Grimma said, "What do you want, tell me or leave the house?"

Hostility emanating from her demeanor, Dues was, for just a moment, taken aback. However, seeing that, she soon smiled under her breath and said, "Forgive me for the intrusion, Grimma! I see that you are doing well and so I will go."

"B-But-" Her mother was confused as to what she should say but was cut-off by,

"Don't stop her, mom." Grimma said in a stern voice as she kept looking at Dues with hostile eyes.

Dues just smiled and leaned to bring her lips near Grimma's ears as she said, "I'll leave the address to my lair in your mind."

One of her fingers touched Grimma's head and, all of a sudden, it felt to her as if a bolt of lightning had struck that point. She fell down because of the pain.

"Grimma!" "Sis!"

The two immediately came to check on her.

"Oh my! It seems like the wound you got in P.E. class is acting up, Grimma." Dues said with a worried demeanor.

"Wound?" Her mother questioned.

"Oh, you didn't tell them, that's not the sign of a good girl, you know?" She said.

"Grimma, you-"

"Just get of my house, now!" Grimma yelled at Dues, leaving her mother and Jason in surprise.

Even so, Dues just calmly said, "Alright, alright! But if there's anything you'd like my help with, don't hesitate to ask, okay?"

*****