Chapter V: The Memory Stalker.

"Don't cry for stupid people, Moonchild."

The words rang in her head like an alarm clock. The words are so distant yet we're close to her.

It was not the first time Devereaux Rosalind had told her those words before. She remembered it like it was her very broad daylight. She had transferred from her old school in Ebyra Fell and started middle school in Thebes spring academy- Middle school.

Her first day was a tragedy. She had sat on the wobbling chair and had fallen face flat on the ground. Children that age were insufferably cruel, they laughed and jeered at her. Her face burned and tears filled her eyes at the humiliation. Then came, like some kind of fallen angel she saw him.

It was a strange sight, to see a boy that young but was big enough to topple you. He had cut his auburn hair incredibly low at the time, he had much more childish features but he still rocked that same frightening stoic expression on his face. Most of the children their age were terrified of him.

He had stretched out his hand and lifted her up from the ground. He told her, "don't cry for stupid people, little girl."

She was startled at being called a little girl from a boy her age. He didn't speak to her after that. He simply left and sat at the back of the class as usual. Roland then came into her life, he apologized and yelled. "Anyone else who laughs will get a beating!" Roland was young as well, a blonde boy with the most brattiest character.

Ayo leaned her head against the wall and continued down her memory lane. Her eyes had eye bags underneath it and her disheveled hair was tied into a ponytail.

"Are you dear, Ayo?" The voice of her father snapped her from her thoughts and made her look up at him with dull hazel eyes.

"Huh?" She looked confused before recollecting why she was here. Her eyes wandered around her surroundings.

Oh. She was here. This was the Lockhart Mortuary. The Lockharts were witches at their coven, bodies of their dead witches were handled by the Lockharts. Marisol Lockhart was the head of their family, she single handedly raised her four children after she cursed her abusive husband to die continuously in his prison.

Robert frowned at his daughter, placing the back of his hand on her forehead. "Are you okay dear? You look tired, is it because you had to get up early today? I promise we won't be here long."

She nodded, and forced a simple smile. "Of course." Was her only reply.

Robert only frowned more but decided against saying anything more when he knocked on the door of the forlorn house of the Lockhart family.

It opened almost immediately. The person who opened the door was a young teen. He looked younger than Ayo with shoulder length cream blonde hair, his eyes were a mix of one eye being white and the other being blood red. He was lithe with the body build of a strong swimmer. He was tall as well with tanned skinned and freckles peppered on his childish face.

Upon taking a look at his mixed eyes Ayo knew who this was. The abomination; Luis Lockhart. This was the last child of Marisol Lockhart, he was the only child who had his father's traits. See, Abraham Lockhart was not only an abusive husband but also a rogue Werewolf. The two had fallen in love even though they weren't mates. Apparently Abraham ran mad years later, whispers were someone cursed him with madness.

Luis Lockhart was the only child who had his father's Werewolf abilities along with his Mother's witch powers. Luis was a rare hybrid born very few times in a century.

Ayo was shocked upon seeing Luis. The boy was like a myth. It was not everyday one saw a pureblood hybrid. Marisol kept Luis hidden, he didn't school, he wasn't a part of the coven because of his Werewolf abilities and he wasn't part of a pack because of his witch powers. He was…. An Abomination.

"Good morning, Mr. Moonchild," he greeted in a bored tone. "Wasn't expecting you so early." He added before moving out of the way.

The boy didn't bother with Ayo, and with the careless look he gave Robert, Ayo could tell it took the boy everything to even acknowledge her father.

"Where's your mother?" Robert asked as they entered the house which was bursting with whimsical designs and colors.

Luis yawned. "I told you. We weren't expecting you this morning. She's not here, but you can still check the body."

The body…. The mutilated body of Elder Conan Jameson.

"Are you sure your daughter can do it? The body is a pure mess." Luis said as they reached a door, down, down into the basement.

Do what? "This isn't Ayo's first time memory stalking." Robert answered plainly.

Luis shrugged before giving Ayo a once over. "This is the first time I'm seeing a Memory Stalker." Luis commented.

Ayo shifted her eyes from the ground to the younger boy. She squeezed the handle of her cross-bag and said. "I'm not a memory stalker."

It was a shame for a witch to be labelled a memory stalker. Memory Stalkers were wretched witches, witches that were too committed to black magic. These witches were all classified as Black witches. They tapped into rotten and the blackest of magic, granting them powers that defied nature such as; resurrection, summoning demons, and 'memory stalking'.

Memory stalking was outlawed for witches. It went against the will of nature and broke the rules of balance. Memory stalking involves removing one's soul from their body and injecting it into the memory of their victim. With Memory stalking one could see secrets, things better left in the dark.

It broke the balance of the past and the present because when one entered someone else's memory it was like relieving the incident, the victim's mind would relive the day again.

"Shame." Luis said before opening the door.

Ayo was one of the few witches that was granted the gift of defying a few rules without consequences. She was not a Memory Stalker but she had the power to Memory Stalk or more like she could borrow the power.

She was a witch capable of ancestral magic. A magic that allowed her to draw the powers of a dead witch. Including a Memory Stalker.

Ayo entered the Mortuary. It wasn't as eerie as she thought it would be but it did have a certain stench that lingered in the room.

She quickly placed her hand over her mouth upon seeing the body of Elder Conan. It was stitched together with many essential parts missing. The fingers and eye of the dead Elder was nowhere to be found and a balled chunk of meat was placed next to the body. She assumed that was the destroyed heart.

"Told you it was gruesome." Luis spoke.

A hand fell on Ayo's shoulder. "It is fine if you can't do it." Her father muttered.

She shook her head. "No, the Witch Elders will give me shit if I don't-"

"You don't have to worry about the Witch Elder-"

"I can do it dad." She closed him off.

Robert blinked before nodding and taking a step.

Ayo dug into her cross-bag. She brought out a bunch of tied dread broomsticks. She closed her eyes and breathed through her nose. A pair of magenta eyes opened and she breathed. "Ingis." Magenta flame lit on the tip of the broomsticks.

She blew air into the magenta flame on the broomsticks and half of the broomsticks caught fire. "Solita, the first of two worlds. The witch of darkness and the witch of light. I call upon your power of Memory stalking." She whispered into the flame.

Within the purple like flame a figure was born. The figure was faint in the flame and all that could be identified was the eyes of the figure which were dark blue, the eyes moved and the moment they jammed with Ayo's magenta eyes the purple like flame became a huge fire that enveloped the entire roof of the Mortuary. The flame bathed the ceiling, and the flame formed a figure the shape of a woman.

The flame woman screeched before descending down at Ayo. Ayo pulled out a red thread from her bag, and wrapped it around the broomsticks. "Yield." She whispered as the flame descended.

The flame instantly extinguished as it fell face to face with Ayo. All that remained was a smoke, a smoke that gathered at once and formed the faint figure of a lithe female with dark blue hair, a pure face and innocent dark blue eyes. The woman stood behind Ayo and raised her hand, Ayo as if being controlled raised her hand as well.

Ayo touched the body and one of her eyes turned dark blue while the other remained magenta. Like a powerful vortex had enchanted her, she felt herself being sucked by something.

".... Our position as pillars may be challenged…." Ayo heard the aged voice of Elder Conan.

"Kill… runt…" Ayo frowned, trying to plunge farther, trying to hear more and see something but…..

As she tried a strong force slammed against her soul and pushed it back into her body.

The faint dark blue haired woman gasped. "Forgive me little one. There is no memory in this one." The woman whispered in a ghastly voice before disappearing like broken glass.

Ayo's eyes turned hazel and dark red liquid rolled from them as well as her nostrils. Blood.

Arms wrapped around her. "Are you okay? Ayo? What happened?" A concerned voice asked.

Ayo blinked, feeling her vision a bit blurred from the blood rolling from her hazel eyes. "I'm fine," she drawled. "But… but… there's no Memory in him dad, something stole his Memory."

"His memories?"

She shook her. "No, just the Memory of his death."

Robert pursed his lips and nodded. "Thank you for doing this, Ayo. I'll get you water, you need water?"

She nodded. Robert released her. "Where's your kitchen kid?" He asked Luis, who seemed entranced by what was happening.

Luis blinked from his entrancement and nodded. Showing Robert the way.

Ayo released a breath and leaned against the table holding the mutilated body. Her phone rang, making her jolt a bit. She reached into cross-bag and picked the call.

— .... Hello… are you there?

Ayo shifted away from the table, suddenly broken from her fatigue. Her mouth ran dry for a moment. She knew that voice even though it didn't release words much.

"De-Devereaux?" She hadn't meant to stutter but she was taken by surprise and she didn't check who had called and just picked the call.

— you could tell from my voice?

His voice sounded effortless, gentle, and most of all lazy. He drew his words with a lazy stain in his voice. It made her fingers twitch.

"Uh… I guessed?" She felt like she was losing brain cells with each moment she spoke to Devereaux Rosalind.

— hmm. Great guess. How's your schedule for today? I'm free.

She froze. The first thing she went to do was sniff the top she had thrown on. She hadn't taken her bath yet…..

"It couldn't…. It isn't that you're coming over right?"

— Hm.

Was his casual response. She was tempted to rip her hair out at his simple response when she was panicking. "What? I'm-I'm not home now."

— …. Delicious.

Her eyes widened. Her chest burned and warmth crept into her stomach hearing the way his voice had turned deep and rough like a…. Did he just growl?

—…. Fuck that's good…. Mhm…

She couldn't help the airy chuckle that left her mouth. Did Devereaux call her to tempt her? To make her hot and bothered? Because she was. Her treacherous cunt was beginning to feel warm and her legs instinctively rubbed together, the lips of her cunt rubbing together which was not helping her from moaning into the phone.

— My mistake. I'm eating with Lay. Did you say I should come over?

She was still a bit clouded by the sound of his growl and quiet moan so she replied as she could. "Hm." It was the most casual response she could give with relinquishing the whimper that was stuck in her throat.

— Good. Bye Moonchild.

Huh? She blinked when the calm disconnected. What had he just said? Come over? Over…. She placed her fingers on her lips.

She hadn't taken her bath yet. If Devereaux reached her house before her and he saw her in this state…..

"Dad! Let's go home!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

°°°

An auburn haired boy stared at his ceiling with black eyes. Hoisted himself to sit down with his elbows, revealing the deep long lash injuries on his back. There were red angry lash marks that tore into his back but with the blank expression on his face it didn't seem like he was in pain.

"Isn't that cute Lay?" He asked as he dropped his phone onto the bed.

Lay, who was eating from a chocolate cake, paused and responded with a mouth full. "What is Dev?"

He glanced at Lay and shook his head. "The cake." He simply replied before getting up from the bed and opening his walking closet.