[center][hider=Cast][center][img]http://i.imgur.com/50eMiVQ.jpg?1[/img] [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/316071861521874946/377989214773706772/coollogo_com-278371558.png[/img][/center][/hider][/center] [center][i][h3]Witch Hunt[/h3][/i][/center] [center][i][h1]A Mind to Know[/h1][sub]Part 2 of 3[/sub][/i][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/c3tJqmL.jpg[/img][/center] [center][b]Location: Heartford Residence – Suffolk County, Boston, Massachusetts Time: Afternoon, Day After Satellite Attacks[/b][/center] [hr] Amidst a mass of dense greenery the party emerged, basked in the blue light of the Ambassador’s magic, a glimmering spectacle that slowly faded as their bodies gained permanence. On all sides stood coniferous giants, separated only by low shrubbery and the occasional dirt path that told of midnight strolls and communions with the spirits therein. Aside from the cobbled, concrete path leading to and from their destination, there were no visible nor audible signs of civilization, no passing vehicles, no voices from neighbors, only the sounds of the forest to keep them company. Marie led her party of four further into the thicket, the canopy overhead thinning as they neared her childhood home. Solar-powered lights in the style of Victorian street lamps jutted from the ground on either side of the stone path, just enough space between them for shadows to take hold of a passerby, if only for a moment. Long hours were spent moving up and down the drive leading to her home during Marie’s childhood. She often chased small wisps of light that fluttered through the trees and hid behind the lamps. Was it pretend, she wondered, or perhaps just mischievous spirits she had not yet learned to see? The first signs of modernity, a pair of family-sized vehicles parked neatly outside the garage, shattered the illusion of the old world. The group stood just in view of home, an exceptional three story, Victorian manor seated neatly in the forest clearing atop a verdant and well groomed lawn, large stepping stones acting as a path to the front door and backyard. Marie turned to Odette, making a gesture with both arms as if presenting the house. [color=ffe4b5]”Welcome to my humble abode,”[/color] she said sarcastically, smiling at the house as if having seen it for the first time. [color=ffe4b5]”Would you believe that I live in a studio apartment in Lost Haven?”[/color] Odette smiled largely in spite of herself, she couldn’t [i]not[/i] appreciate a beautiful home, she liked her homes to be old, refurbished, and property filled with history down to its soil. “[color=thistle]You living in a studio apartment in a city like Lost Haven? Believable. You came from comfort and luxury, I can see a rebellious streak in moving to the city and away from your parents.[/color]” Really, Marie was making it far too easy to read her like a book. Something she’d have to work on with her. She hung back as Marie walked ahead, Odette leaned to Bach - whom had resumed his invisibility. “[color=thistle][i]Bach,[/i][/color]” She began in Common Fey, whispering. “[color=thistle][i]I want you to sabotage the house while we eat. Keep it small, reasonable to explain away. I want to test something.[/i][/color]” Bach nodded, “[color=darkseagreen][i]As you wish, My Lady. I was planning to snoop while you ate but I can sabotage as I go.[/i][/color]” Odette gave a slight nod, saying nothing more. Aware of a particular pair of ears that could understand what they were saying. Sure enough, Holt sauntered past in his truest form, masking himself in an ethereal veil through which only Marie, Bach, and Odette could see. He turned an inquisitive eye toward the whispering duo, their words unknown but their intent clear, to Holt at least. Carrying a duffel of only Marie’s essential tools, Holt made sure to pass too closely to the pair, alerting them to his knowledge of their scheming. Marie turned back, waving them all forward. Just beyond the garage was a stone path leading up to the front door, decorated by more Victorian lamps and hedges, a tall, dark, menacing frame set in the immaculate masonry. Unbeknownst to her parents, Marie had taken the liberty of warding every entrance, every corner, of their home when last she made her stay. Such wards were in constant need of maintenance after long periods of time, but Marie could feel their presence, knowing that they had gone untampered for quite some time. [color=ffe4b5]”I was particularly attracted to protective charms and talismans a few years ago,”[/color] Marie called back, avoiding the doorbell for a few moments longer, [color=ffe4b5]”Misfortune, foul weather, malevolent spirits. Nothing against the Good Folk, though, so Bach should be just fine.”[/color] Bach nodded, “[color=darkseagreen]You’re too kind.[/color]” He spoke through the veil of his invisibility. Holt appeared at Marie’s side, dropping the bag at her feet. [color=ffe4b5]”Thank you, Holt.”[/color] Marie thanked her familiar with a smile. Holt nodded. [color=90ee90][i]”Shall I assume a more inconspicuous form?”[/i][/color] Marie shook her head. [color=ffe4b5]”No, I don’t think you need to be present for dinner. Take a look around, wander the house, do as you please.”[/color] Holt nodded again, making the slightest turn toward Bach and Odette before fading from sight completely. “[color=thistle]As you know I am rather fond of wards myself. There’s an art form in them.[/color]” Odette commented her hand trailing just above the edge of the door frame, feeling the purity in the wards, their ingredients and good intentions. Never tainted by anything. She removed a bottle of wine from within her purse. “[color=thistle]Let’s not linger outside, Marie.[/color]” She reached past the witch and rung the doorbell. Not a moment after the doorbell’s deep chime did the front door swing open with force enough to suck the two of them inside. Two tall, fair skinned, dark-haired, slender frames stood in the doorway, the most menacingly happy smiles painted onto their faces. “Marie!” they cried in unison, reaching out for their daughter and pulling her in for an extended embrace. Marie was caught off guard, but hugged them affectionately once she regained herself. [url=https://imgur.com/v99GGnl]Eliza and Stephen Heartford[/url] bore a certain resemblance to their daughter. Eliza’s strong, high cheekbones, straight, black hair, and lithe frame were reflected in Marie’s, and Stephen’s strong shoulders and engaging stare were similar to her’s as well, but one would be remiss to believe that she inherited such features from this pair. Above all, Marie held Gwyneth’s likeness, for she and Gwyneth were one and the same. “How are you, my girl?” Stephen boomed in a boisterous and impossibly deep voice. “And how in the hell did you get here?” Eliza interjected, her voice deep and melodic, yet highly expressive, the faintest hints of a Bostonian accent peeking through at the end of her words. “You didn’t walk from the bus station did you? It’s dangerous for you two to be out after dark in the city. Oh God, don’t tell me the car broke down on the way, or did you get into an accident, is that why you didn’t call me for three weeks last month?” [color=ffe4b5]”Ma,”[/color] Marie spoke up, [color=ffe4b5]”I’m fine, we’re both fine. The car’s fine. We took the train and got picked up by a mutual friend from Maine. And speaking of,”[/color] Marie took a step over, allowing Odette to be in full view. [color=ffe4b5]”This is Odette Favre, my friend from Lost Haven. And before you say anything to her, Dad, for the love of God don’t start doing that abysmal French accent.”[/color] “Oh, she’s right, honey,” Eliza agreed, placing a hand on Stephen’s shoulder, “It really is awful. You spend one summer in Paris and you think you’re a savant.” Stephen’s face turned a deeper shade of red. “Fine, I’ll take a vow of silence.” “Don’t be so dramatic,” Eliza teased, reaching out a hand to Odette. “Pleased to meet you, Odette. I’m Eliza and this is my husband, Stephen. Who, apparently, is now a Buddhist monk.” On with the show. “[color=thistle]Ah, it is [i]so[/i] lovely to finally meet the both of you. Your home is absolutely beautiful.[/color] Softly, daintily she shook Eliza’s hand wearing a winning smile, her accent a bit more pronounced as her voice rose an octave. “[color=thistle]Please, Monsieur Heartford I would love to hear all about your summer in Paris. I was born and raised there before moving to America.[/color]” Conspiratorially she leaned in with a hand to the side of her face, “[color=thistle]I could give you tips on improving your accent to even fool a native Parisian.[/color]” She winked. Bach shrunk in size stepping through their feet and scurrying away. When he was clear of the Heartfords he resumed his normal size he crossed the foyer heading to a set of stairs, planning to start from the top of the house and work his way down. The stairs audibly creaked with weight. The older home betraying Bach’s movement. Odette internally winced at the noise, “[color=thistle]I brought you a gift for inviting us over for dinner.[/color]” She offered up the wine in her hand, “[color=thistle]A classic [i]Cabernet Sauvignon[/i] for the hosts.[/color]” Eliza and Stephen’s eyes lit up, thought Marie was unsure if it was by Odette’s good manners, or the sight of a fine wine. [color=ffe4b5]”Trying to ply my parents with alcohol to learn their secrets?”[/color] Marie joked. “Oh by all means, keep it up,” Stephen spoke up, abandoning his retaliatory silence, “by the end of the night you could lead us around on leashes,” “Stephen,” Eliza protested, smacking her husband’s shoulder. Marie put a hand over her face. [color=ffe4b5]”Dad . . .”[/color] “I’ll uh, I’ll just take this into the kitchen.” Stephen replied sheepishly, taking the bottle of wine and moving through the house. Odette laughed good naturedly, thinking to herself. [i]What an awkward man. . .[/i] Maintaining her smile. Eliza motioned for the both of them to step inside, moving toward the kitchen herself. “I’m gonna go with your dad, make sure he doesn’t mess something up. We’ve got plenty of catching up to do, but why don’t you show Odette around the house? We’ll call you down for appetizers once everything’s ready.” With that, she trailed off behind Stephen, leaving Marie and Odette to their own devices in the foyer, a long rectangular room adjoined to the library, living room, dining room, and conservatory. The walls were all wood paneling, all richly stained in dark earthen tones, lined with display cases, potted plants, and paintings of various subjects. Her parents had added a few new additions since her last visit, including a small model of Buckingham Palace, and some sort of carved whale bone. “[color=thistle]A tour! Please lead the way, Marie.[/color]”She said brightly, uncharacteristically looping her arm with Marie. “[color=thistle]There must be a ton of nooks and crannies in a house this size.[/color]” Whispering, “[color=thistle]Full of secrets.[/color]” Waiting to make sure her parents were out of earshot, Marie turned to Odette. [color=ffe4b5]”Laying it on a little thick, aren’t we? But sure, there’s plenty to see. We’ll start with the library . . . ugh, I feel like such a tool saying that.”[/color] “[color=thistle]A bubbly and charming young lady passes through a great deal of social scenes with minimum effort, it only seems thick because you’ve seen behind the veil.[/color]” Odette remarked, smirking. Marie led them to the entrance to the library, a modest sized room with a collection of differently sized wall and floor bookcases, all filled to the brim with texts, small labels placed between shelves as a rudimentary form of organization. The library also joined to an enclosed porch, accessible through a set of sliding glass doors slightly obscured by large, ornate drapes. [color=ffe4b5]”Before my parents moved in, this used to be another sitting room, but my mom insisted that they have a library in a house this size. Classical literature, poetry, historical texts, books on trades and skills like sewing, at least seven copies of the Constitution, honestly I think they just bought books to take up space.”[/color] “[color=thistle]My library at home is around this size, Bach’s collection takes up a fair amount of space. I keep a fairly large collection from over the years, old books - singular editions are rather valuable bargaining chip to the Gentry. Uniqueness values highly.[/color]” Odette commented, walking with her hands behind her back skimming the spines. “[color=thistle]When you regain all your memories and power, would you spend time reading through a library?[/color]” Marie thought on it, walking over to a round table in the corner of the room, sitting down on the cushioned bench nestled into the corner. [color=ffe4b5]”Well, from the looks of things I was fairly well armed with knowledge of the craft, and ever since I was young, from what I can remember, I kept learning for both the joy of knowing, but also out of a feeling of necessity, if we’re talking about magic, that is. I read and learned to test myself. But I enjoyed some of the old stories I’ve read, the myths and legends, trial records, tales of witches and the Fey. Barring any serious threat to me, I don’t see why not. Why?”[/color] Odette turned to look over her shoulder at Marie, neutral expression broke way into a knowing smile. “[color=thistle]Curiosity, I’ve spent a good deal of thought on what I would do if I had all the time in the world. Reading through a library would be one of the ways.[/color]” She sighed dramatically, “[color=thistle]Alas! Us mere mortals are bound by time’s law. A shame really.[/color]” While Bach had run of the house to have fun, Odette made her own entertainment by baiting the likes of Marie. Marie turned a sideways glance at Odette. [color=ffe4b5]”You know, you have this really annoying tendency of reminding me that you know more about me than I do. I’m not totally oblivious. There’s some hint in there about Gwyneth somewhere, you’ve been dropping them since this morning.”[/color] Marie looked out the window, trying to conjure up some image of Gwyneth in her mind, something that might point them toward their goal or unravel the web spun by Odette. [color=ffe4b5]”Unfortunately, I don’t have any frame of reference, unless . . .”[/color] Marie stood up, walking quickly over to Odette. [color=ffe4b5]”This is something to do with Gwyneth splitting her soul, right? She was . . . giving herself more time for something?”[/color] Odette served up her best shrug, “[color=thistle]Who knows, seeing how I have this [i]annoying tendency[/i] to know everything except what Gwyneth’s grand plan was.[/color]” She said patronizing as ever always acting in favour of a petty remark. “[color=thistle]We’re searching for Mind, Marie. Use the hints I have already dropped. Gwyneth exercises a masterful stroke of magic to create illusionary worlds inside her possessions.[/color]” She held up one finger, “[color=thistle]She split apart her soul and her spirit survives, she suffered betrayals in life. What could a master of witchcraft - powerful enough to split their own soul have to warrant in their life?[/color]”Holding up three fingers, wiggling them. “[color=thistle]It’s a rather short list of reasons to guess at.[/color]” [color=ffe4b5]”A life she was desperately trying to extend . . . I was looking for immortality?”[/color] Marie guessed, an assumption which made plenty of sense. There is little reason to separate one’s spirit from the body if not to ensure its continued survival, unless, of course, her search was instead for power that a mortal form could not wield. In either case, immortality would solve both. [color=ffe4b5]”So all of this is part of a spell for immortality, is that it? Create a place where your spirit can reside until such a time that it can return to its original form, split it into multiple parts to ensure its safety, take control of your own fate instead of leaving it in the hands of those who would betray you. Gwyneth wanted to escape mortal shackles!”[/color] One question yet remained in Marie’s mind, why? Odette hadn’t painted Gwyneth as a power mad witch from old, nor did her own fleeting memories depict her in that light. Surely immortality wasn’t a means to amass power, but a way out, a rather spiteful way out. Odette nodded, continuing to walk on. “[color=thistle]As you can imagine it’s far more complex than that. Alas![/color]” She cupped a hand to her ear, hearing the tell tale footsteps of presumably Eliza coming down the hallway. She clasped her hands, her tone tooth achingly sweet. “[color=thistle]Appy’s have arrived.[/color]” She held up her exaggeration for a second then grinned playfully. Eliza turned into the library with a glass of wine in hand, unable to resist the call of an afternoon drink. “Hope you girls are hungry,” she said cheerfully, “we’ve got a five course meal all planned for a night of fun.” She turned to Marie. “You’re lucky you called me this morning else I would’ve had hell trying to whip this up. A couple of things might be store bought so don’t hold that against me.” Ushering them into the hallway leading into the dining room, Eliza turned around and addressed Odette. “Oh, I forgot to mention. Stephen’s going through his vegan phase this year.” [color=ffe4b5]”About every two years he falls into fad diets and healthy eating. We were vegetarians for about six months when I was eighteen. I guess now he’s upgraded to vegan.”[/color] Marie explained. “Will that be alright?” [i]If I have to work through a kilo of barbeque smothered tofu-[/i], “[color=thistle]Not at all, that sounds lovely.[/color]”