Bleeding Tears, Crying Blood

As soon as Wolfram practically pushed me into his house, a sense of relief filled me. I hadn’t realised that I had been feeling tense, my muscles tight and ready to flee or fight, since we left the museum. Now I was I the old gothic house of Wolfram, I felt safe. The Brides couldn’t get me here if they came back.

Still holding Leroy’s hand, I went into the lounge, sensing someone there. I stood at the door, observing three people I was quite surprised to see. One was Alfie, who simply gazed at the floor, not even daring to look at me. Cassandra sat quiet and poised, giving me a happy smile when she saw me. I really wasn’t expecting Kenny to be there though. He stood behind Cassandra with bruises covering his face and arms.

“Mistress Alma.” Cassandra welcomed and glanced behind me when Wolfram swept into the room.

Cian had remained outside, sitting on the porch. I wasn’t sure why, maybe he was just relishing the outside world. I didn’t blame him. He had been trapped underground for four hundred years. If he wanted some time to himself then so be it.

“How is Leroy’s mother?” Wolfram asked.

Leroy stirred. I felt panic and rage flutter within him.

“She sleeps, unharmed. Donald and Errol are watching over her.”

“What’s happened to my mother?” Leroy demanded savagely. “What have you done to her, Cassandra?”

He took firm steps forward, tugging his hand out of mine, but couldn’t shake Wolfram’s grip when his hand latched onto his shoulder.

“Nothing has happened to your mother, Leroy.” Wolfram said calmly.

“Cassandra betrayed us! She let her sons take me as bait and handed Alma over to Gabor!” He snapped.

“She had no choice, Leroy.” Alfie said sadly.

Leroy was about to turn on him, to let insults fly from him, but he stopped when I stepped forward.

“I sense no lies from Alfie.” I titled my head in intrigue. “What happened?”

Alfie remained quiet. Cassandra was the one who spoke.

“The Brides came to us, before Leroy returned home. They are older and faster than any of my boys. Before I could prevent it, one had gained access to Meg’s room. They threatened to kill her if we resisted so we stopped fighting. I was then tied with chains and my sons were forced into compliance. If they did not help capture you, both myself and Meg would be slain. While I would’ve refused if it was just my life on the line, I couldn’t with Meg’s. I had sworn to you that I would protect her and keep her safe.” She glanced up at Wolfram. “I asked my sons to do as they were told and put all my faith in Wolfram. It was only he who could stop you from being taken away.” She smiled at him. “I am pleased to see that you didn’t fail me.”

Wolfram shrugged. “I had some help.” He mumbled, breathing out a cloud of smoke.

Leroy calmed down a little but rage still filled him, bubbling away quietly. My eyes slid to Kenny though. Why was he here? Why was he hurt?

“One of the Brides, Gabriella, said that a human boy was causing trouble. Was that you Kenny?”

Kenny scratched his cheek, wincing when his face hurt to touch. “Yeah.” He mumbled.

“You fought a Bride?”

“I wouldn’t say fight. I ran most of the time. I saw what had happened, that Cassandra and Meg were in trouble, and intended to go get Wolfram. One of the Brides saw me though and chased me. I took a few punches when she caught up though.”

Leroy stared at his friend, only now registering the dark bruises on his body. This didn’t appear to help him calm down at all. If anything it only made his mood worse.

“How did you survive?” White asked, making his voice heard for the first time in a while. “You should be broken if one of those Brides intended to kill you.”

Kenny shrugged and seemed to close up a little.

“We intend to leave tomorrow evening.” Wolfram announced suddenly. “I will need your Branch to either keep the Brides from tracking us or create a decoy.”

Cassandra’s expression became sombre. “We will do that.”

“Leroy,” he looked up at the Warlock, scowling still. “You can move her here. I will place wards around the house, making sure no immortal can enter. You’ll both be safe and won’t be used again.”

Leroy’s scowl deepened. “I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re staying. This is becoming too dangerous.”

“I am coming. I want to help.”

Wolfram glared and sighed in despair, knowing how stubborn Leroy could get. “Fine. Then you’ll need to find someone in the village who will look after your mother while you’re away. I won’t be allowing any immortal to enter this house when we leave.”

Leroy nodded once and quietened.

“Where will you be going?” Alfie asked.

“I won’t tell you. Its better you don’t know. You won’t have any information to give in case they trap you.”

Alfie nodded in understanding and Cassandra stood. She shuffled over to me and gave me a long sad look.

“I am sorry I put you in danger, Alma.” She said softly.

“I am just happy you protected Meg.”

She smiled and patted my head lovingly then looked to Wolfram sharply when he spoke to her.

“I have one other task for you.” He said. “We have the body of one of the Brides. I will need you to take it to your Head.”

She bowed faintly. “I will take care of it.” She promised. “Keep on guarding our young mistress.”

Wolfram nodded and then she left. Alfie followed but not before hesitantly embracing me and muttering his apology.

“Leroy, go with them. Meg will need you.” I said quietly to my friend.

He hesitated only for a brief moment. “I will be back tomorrow evening.” He promised then darted after them.

Wolfram glanced across at me then ducked out of the room, muttering about the wards and getting started on them, leaving me alone with Kenny and White. I stared at him, sensing he had words he wanted to say. White was quiet, giving the impression he wasn’t there at all. I sat heavily on one of the large soft chairs and indicated for Kenny to sit.

“I don’t understand why you stand wounded.” I stated as I watched him sit gingerly.

“It is less painfully, weirdly.” He muttered.

I waited for him to speak at first but realised he was too nervous. So instead I asked my own questions. “Why did you visit the Branch so late at night?”

He glanced at me and played with one of the tears in his shirt. “I woke up and something didn’t feel…right. I wondered around for a while and just found myself there.”

“You sensed danger.” I said. “Someone was becoming a threat to someone you care for.”

He nodded. “I saw Meg, terrified, with what looked like knifes at her throat. Cassandra was the same. So I ran to Wolfram.”

“And survived.” I observed him, noting the sudden unease within him. “What happened?”

He hesitated. “I don’t know. I never knew I could run so fast. It was insane. And then, just before she caught up, I could feel this power behind me, a danger. I managed to avoid her first attack on me because of that.” He stopped, confusion now swirling thickly.

“And then?” I coaxed.

“She came at me. She punched me, scratched me, kicked me. I took most but I still managed to avoid some. I could see where she was going to attack next. But, when I managed to punch her, I didn’t expect her to fly into the tree.” He flexed his fingers. “She was dazed by it and it gave me enough time to get to Wolfram’s. She ran when I got to close to his house.”

I watched him, sensing White go over Kenny’s account carefully as I did the same. Kenny looked up at me, looking bewildered and a little lost.

“What am I, Alma? Am I human?”

“I don’t think you are.” I said honestly. “White, what do you think?”

White hummed quietly to himself, pondering but coming to no conclusion.

“I have weird dreams.” Kenny muttered as the silence continued. “I dream of people I feel I know. I dream of battles and wounds. I dream of a woman. A single beautiful woman. She is always there, in different times.” He smiled warmly, a loving smile that said he was fond of this dream woman. “But there is also another dream. It comes to me most nights since I met you.” He paused and rubbed his mouth. “It’s another woman. I hate her. I absolutely hate her. Yet at the same time I feel a weird loss, as if I didn’t always loathe her. We’re fighting, not bickering, but actually fighting. We’re tearing each other to pieces and I know I am going to lose. But I keep fighting her. I want to protect someone whose there with me. And then she kills me. Her hands goes right through my chest.” He put his hand on his chest, his face twisted in pain. “It hurts so much but she’s smiling, laughing.”

“Memories.” White muttered. “Those are memories.” He said firmly.

“Memories?”

“Those dreams are your past memories, Kenny. You dream of those who once knew and loved, those you hated. Those who killed you. You also dream of one specific woman, a woman you have never met but love.” Kenny turned red furiously but didn’t deny it. “They are memories. You’re a jaguar.”

He looked confused now while I smiled in triumph. “Jaguars are big cats.”

“They are also the name of an immortal. A werecat. They can only live for one hundred years but have nine lives. They are reborn eight times, each time with their memories suppressed so they can live quietly until they’re strong enough to fend for themselves in the Old World.” He flopped his head to one side. “But you are too old. You should’ve remember everything by now. This human you should be overrun by the Jaguar.”

He looked scared for a moment. “What do you mean?”

“I mean the current you is a human and you personality has been moulded by the human world and how you’ve been raised. Once the Jaguar wakes up, this current you becomes no more than a memory to him.”

“So I won’t exist?”

“Technically, yes. But the Jaguar will be influenced by your memories. He will still be friends and enemies with the people you interacted with before he woke. He will still hold a love to specific places you grew up in.”

Kenny looked quiet uncomfortable by this. “So why hasn’t that happened?”

“I don’t know. I will look into it.”

“Or I could ask Cian?” I suggested. “He might’ve come across something like this before in his time.” I held my hand out for Kenny to take. “Come.” I said.

For a moment, that weird hated expression flittered over his face, before he shook it and put his hand in mine. Slowly we made our way to the front door and stepped outside. I only had to glance about once before my eyes clamped onto Cian. He was laying on the floor with his arms spread out. His eyes were fixed on the dark sky above that was covered in glittering stars and the glowing moon.

“Alma. What is it you want to ask?” He said softly.

“White thinks Kenny is a werecat.” I said as I crouched next to him.

Cian looked at me, smiling. “He is.”

“You knew?”

He laughed softly and let his eyes observe Kenny’s bruised face. “Yes, I did. I would recognise that cat anywhere, just like you recognise me.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Kenny asked.

“Because you’re not him right now.” He paused and suddenly looked sad. “And he does not want to show himself.”

“What do you mean?” I asked softly.

“He is in pain right now. A lot of pain. He doesn’t wish to wake up, to remember completely what he’s forgotten.” Cian said. “But time is against him. Kenny is remembering the memories by himself and his body and instincts are waking. That is a sign that the jaguar is stirring. He will wake up, it’s inevitable, but he will put it off for as long as he can.”

“What’s causing him pain?” Kenny probed.

“The true death of his mate. She didn’t make it into her next life and he knows this instinctively.”

Kenny’s face paled. “You mean that blonde woman I dream of?”

“Most likely. I hope that, when he does wake, he won’t be thrown into madness by her death.” He said solemnly. “It would be a sad death for one so loyal.”

“Can you give us his name?”

“No. If Kenny were to know it, he would wake. I would rather he wake when he was ready and not before.”

I nodded in understanding and stood to look at Kenny. His face was shocked, his eyes watery. Even the knowledge of this woman’s death was sorrowful to just Kenny. No wonder the jaguar remained hidden.

“I will take you home, Kenny.”

He shook his head. “No, I’ll go by myself. I’d like to think.”

I trundled over to him and squeezed his hand. “Both you and he will get through this just fine.” I said firmly.

He smiled and turned to leave but paused. Looking back at me he spoke. “There was one other thing, Alma. That woman who I dream murdering me, she looks just like you. Only older, less kind and with an insane glint in her eye.” He hesitated. “Sometimes when I look at you, I see her face only. It’s why I give you a hateful look sometimes.” He muttered then, with a quick farewell, the un-awakened jaguar fled into the darkness, leaving me a little shocked and wondering who on earth had killed him before.