Chapter Thirteen - Part One: Indistinguishable From Magic

The ninja walked through her house with a familiarity as if he'd walked through the apartment a hundred times. She watched him, cautious but curious all the same. Even with her advanced hearing, he made no sound as he walked. It was almost as if he glided over the hardwood floors like a ghost instead of a flesh and blood man.

Leta held her still raw forearms to her chest. The attack had paused her forearm modifications, and her bones throbbed painfully with every heartbeat. It was like she'd been in the middle of getting her wisdom teeth pulled when suddenly the sedatives wore off.

'Gada, what was the status of the modifications before the attack?'

[MODIFICATIONS WERE AT 39% COMPLETION BEFORE BEING PAUSED.]

Leta groaned.

The ninja turned back to look at her, his eyebrows knitted together in a frown behind his facemask.

"Uh… sorry." Leta responded to his unasked question, "My throat is a little raw, you know?"

The figure nodded understandingly.

'Any way you can pick up the speed on that?'

[IN ORDER TO COMPLETE MODIFICATIONS WHILE CONSCIOUS, ALL NERVE SYNOPSIS BELOW THE HUMERUS BONES WILL BE TEMPORARILY BLOCKED. DURING THIS TIME, THE BRAIN WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY PAIN SIGNALS. HOWEVER, THE HOST WILL FEEL AN ITCHY, NUMBING SENSATION FROM THE ELBOWS DOWN AS WELL AS A SEVERE LOSS OF ARM AND HAND STRENGTH UNTIL MODIFICATIONS ARE COMPLETE.]

'How long will it take?'

[IF NO OTHER INTERRUPTIONS OCCUR, MODIFICATIONS WILL BE COMPLETE IN TWO HOURS, 40 MINUTES, AND NINE SECONDS.]

Leta nodded, 'Get it done. I don't like being out in the open like this right now.'

[CONFIRMED. MODIFICATION PROCESS REINSTATED. NUMBING IN PROGRESS.]

Leta immediately felt a tingling in her forearms as her nanites got to work blocking all feeling. It started just above her elbows with a sensation similar to when you accidentally hit your funny bone. Like water over rock it soon flowed over her forearms, down her wrists until everything from elbow to the tips of her fingers were numb.

She looked down at her hands and pressed her forefingers and thumbs together. In her head she could almost feel a ghost sensation of touch, but in actuality, only felt the whisper of pressure. It was like her arms had been dipped in novacaine - sensations perceived but not truly felt.

A soft click of a door opening had Leta looking up. The ninja had opened the front door, where the elder Eriene, Atreus, Affra, Koa, Ismene awake but bleary eyed in Allister's arms, and a man and a woman she didn't recognize.

The man was of African descent, with broad shoulders, a square jaw, and deep, fathomless black eyes that seemed to gaze into her and find all her secrets like scurrying roaches in her mind. He was dressed well in a collared shirt tucked into black pants and wearing a sports jacket that did nothing to hide the raw power he seemed to contain just below his skin.

The woman was petite, several inches shorter than Leta, with olive skin and wide brown eyes. Her head and neck were covered in a modest black Hijab and the long sleeved, dusty blue dress she wore was almost ethereal as she walked. She held a dignified sort of grace in each step, as if she bore a tremendous responsibility and so with the poise of a queen. Though she could not see her hair, the woman's face was so similar to Affra that it was obvious that they were family.

Ismene smiled from where she was held in the giant's arms.

"Hey guuuuuurl." She slurred in tired sleep. She held out one limp arm from her prone position, extending it to Leta.

In it was a post-it note. One of the same notes that covered the refrigerator in the penthouse with her prophecies.

Leta gingerly took the post-it note and read it.

"Behind a friend's blissful smile comes unwilling and unknowing danger."

Atreus surveyed the room, sword in hand before looking back at his companions and began issuing orders. "Koa, secure the area. Eriene, check the occupants and ensure that they are all sleeping soundly. Hayato, you will accompany her."

The ninja - Hayato - nodded and followed behind the older woman as she tiptoed into the first room, which happened to be Pilar's.

"Allister, you're with me and Ismene. You." He said, pointing two fingers at Leta, "Come with us. Let's get that beguiling off your friend."

Without even waiting, the red haired giant and the man in the leather jacket headed unwaveringly in the direction that Ismene was pointing with a limp hand.

Dr. Annika was still there when the ninja Hayato had left her, trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey. Her eyes were open and she was staring up at the ceiling listlessly. She didn't move when the strangers entered, but the moment that Leta entered the room her head snapped to the side, soulless eyes locking on her like a piranha scenting blood. Her body lurched, trying to lunge for her as if to finish the job.

"Ugh." Ismene groaned, one hand going to her stomach, "That is such a foul beguiling. Put me down, Allister. I don't want to be the cause of your next visit to the dry cleaners."

Allister lowered the Priestess to her feet, but the woman kept one hand tightly gripping his tree-sized forearm.

The Priestess pressed the back of her hand to her mouth as if to keep herself from being sick. "Jeez, that's awful."

"Can you tell what caused this?" Atreus asked, lips pressed in a firm scowl as he watched Leta's friend writhing like she was processed by some evil spirit.

"Ugh.. yeah, unfortunately. Hard to forget that stench once you've smelled it." Ismene grumbled, "Vampire. 100 percent positive."

"It thick, lass?" Allister asked with a genuinely concerned voice.

"Oh yeah. The layers of magic on this one are deep."

Allister and Atreus shared a look. The giant shrugged, "It's gotta be 'em. Ain't no vampire in these parts strong enough to leave a trace so foul."

Atreus nodded in agreement, then looked down at Ismene whose face was tinged a shade of green. "How hard is this going to be on you?"

"It's gonna suck, but I'll recover quick enough." Ismene answered with a tired smile, readjusting her shawl and flourishing her wrists like a conductor about to direct her orchestra.

Her hands raised and the lines of light that encircled her wrists and fingers glowed bright. As if with an invisible paintbrush, where her fingers traced the air she left glowing lines in its wake, drawing out strange symbols that resonated with power.

Each symbol she drew connected together like a chain, flowing forward to form a circle around the still squirming Dr. Annika. The moment the final symbol connected the chain and completed the circle, she began on another. Then another, and another.

Soon, multiple rings of symbols glowing a pale yellow were orbiting around her mentor like an armillary sphere.

As each ring clicked into place, Dr. Annika's back arched and a harsh moan escaped her lips as if someone were pushing on her diaphragm with sharp jabs.

When nine rings had been created, Ismene pulled her hands back like a witch setting loose a spell. She opened her mouth and out came a piercing note as sharp as a blade, high and strong.

Dr. Annika's mouth opened wide, jaw nearly unhinging as she gave a silent scream as Ismene's voice seemed to cause her physical harm.

[THE HOST HAS OBSERVED VOCAL SOFTWARE RECONSTRUCTION. VOCAL SOFTWARE RECONSTRUCTION CAPABILITIES HAVE BEEN UNLOCKED. THIS IS AN ABILITY WHICH CAN BE ACQUIRED THROUGH STUDY AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION. BE WARNED, VOCAL SOFTWARE RECONSTRUCTION IS A LEARNED SKILL AND NOT A SOFTWARE. IMPROPER APPLICATION COULD LEAD PHYSICAL HARM.]

Leta didn't have time to ponder this new development as the rings of symbols began to resonate with her voice like tuning forks. The air in the room seemed to grow thin as the rings vibrated, seeming to expand and contract as if spurred by a heartbeat.

Dr. Annika's back arched back, mouth open as her body seemed to lock into place as a haunting moan came from her throat. As the rings of symbols throbbed, a black mist so dense it almost looked like sludge evaporated from her body, drawn out by the glowing symbols.

With every passing second the mist was absorbed, the symbols glowed brighter until Leta had to raise a hand to shield her eyes.

What had been moments felt like hours until the sludge like vapor trickled to barely a whisper. The last strand of darkness seemed to last the longest, as if it were holding on stubbornly, unable to give up its prey.

At last, the final strand lost its strength and snapped, Dr. Annika's body fell limp onto the bed as the beguiling that had animated her against her will was cut short.

Ismene slowly brought her hands together, as if pushing something that was under a lot of pressure. The rings of light got smaller and smaller under her ministrations, the symbols vibrated madly.

What had first been meters wide grew smaller and smaller, the orbiting rings soon the length of her arms, then her hand, then a finger. When they were the size of a fingernail, it was more like a miniature star floating in her room.

Ismene held it aloft for several seconds, concentrating a moment before suddenly bringing her hands together in a loud clap that echoed off the walls as the tiny star shone bright before winking out of existence.