Marianne strolled the cobbled streets of The Valley capitol with her hands stuffed into her coat pockets, dried orange leaves scraped the ground at her feet as her lit cigarette hung from her mouth lazily. Her night was only just beginning as she stopped in front of a tall wrought iron gate with spikes that protruded from the top.
"Patefio," Marianne murmured through her cigarette for the gates to unlock, opening wide to reveal the worn dirt pathway that wound between rows and rows of worn tombstones. She had always loved taking trips to this cemetery as a child, before Adelaide was born but now it was where she conducted meetings with Vanessa.
Marianne walked with purpose up the dirt path, stopping between each row of graves before she flicked the cigarette from her mouth and stomped on it with impatience. She brought her hand to her mouth, placing her index finger and thumb on her lips to slice the silence of the cemetery with a long whistle. She sensed movement down one of the rows, turning in time to watch a little blue transparent wisp of air fly in front of her, changing shape until a small pale boy materialized.
"Have you brought what I asked for, Horace?" Marianne asked of the little boy whose dark eyes that were half covered by his shaggy black hair, lowered to the ground. He held his hand out in front him revealing a black backpack.
"I would not advise touching the dagger ma'am, it has dark magic laced into its core," Horace advised as his eyes shifted from side to side.
Marianne's brown eyes narrowed at Horace's agitation and knelt down to be eye level with her oldest friend. He only acted this way when he had information he didn't know if he should share or not.
"Vanessa is already waiting for me Horace," Marianne reminded as she tapped her index finger to her wrist, "Time is of the essence."
"Lady Katherine and Massimiliano have gone to the human realm on Sophia's orders," Horace blurted out, bowing his head down, "Forgive me, ma'am I was too late to stop her."
Marianne pinched the bridge of her nose, her mother really knew how to fuck up her meticulously crafted plans. She had alternate courses of action and various contingency plans put in place but she had not anticipated Katherine being this much of a push over in their mothers presence.
"You are to retrieve them immediately, I need them back in this realm before midnight," Marianne commanded of Horace as she stood to continue down the path but Horace hadn't budged from his spot. Marianne gazed back at him waiting for an explanation of his insubordination.
"Lady Mabel has been provoking them both, trying to wake them," Horace continued, "She does not think your methods are wise for their future."
Marianne clicked her tongue, of course Mabel doesn't agree, she hasn't had to shoulder these burdens very long. Mabel only knows a fraction of what's going on, she barely woke up from her fog a few months ago, the moment Katherine's heart stopped beating. All Marianne wanted was for her sisters to be able to live their lives free from the targets on their backs, if that meant she had to get her hands dirty and be the bad guy, so be it.
"Focus on Katherine and Max, they are the priority for the time being," Marianne instructed as she started to walk away calling out one last time over she shoulder, "And do not under any circumstance, let them kiss!"
Marianne stood in front of the old vine covered mausoleum, that sat atop a lone hill that over looked the cemetery, with Katherine's black backpack in hand. She stepped in front of the thick marble doors as they slowly opened for her, spilling soft golden light onto Marianne's porcelain skin. She was greeted by young blonde woman, whose white ballet slippers silently moved in front of the other as her mink fur coat swept across the marble floor of the mausoleum. Her eyes that flittered between red and an icy blue beamed at Marianne as she held both arms out in front of her.
"My, my, Horace must have been chatty tonight," Vanessa blushed, fluttering her long eyelashes at Marianne, who removed her black coat and blazer laying them across Vanessa's arms for her to hang up on the coat rack.
Marianne ignored Vanessa's words as she took a pair of brown leather gloves from the back pocket of her slacks, wearing them before she rolled the sleeves of her white dress shirt. Vanessa shed her mink coat, her pearlescent skin was hardly covered by a little white dress that floated around her upper thighs as she silently made her way to the middle of the marble room to wait for Marianne.
"Has our guest decided to talk yet?" Marianne asked making her way to the center of the mausoleum where a man in a deep red suit sat tied to a wooden chair with a burlap sack over his head.
"I waited for you, Mary," Vanessa's soft voice rang out like strings on a harp, "After all we do our best work together."
Vanessa reached over the top of the man grabbing hold of the corners of the burlap sack and pulled it off like she was unveiling a piece of art. The man was barely recognizable, one half of his face was bruised in various shades of purple while the other side was severely swollen as if he was repeatedly stung by bees.
Marianne's mouth hung open for only a second before she closed it, setting her wide eyes on Vanessa who held her head up pridefully with a small smile.
"I thought you said you waited for me," Marianne asked with her arms crossed over her chest. Vanessa usually had some shred of self control but all bets were off when it came to the man in the chair.
"Its a rarity when daddy doesn't have Guards with him, with no one around to stop me I just couldn't help myself," Vanessa explained shrugging her shoulders putting her index finger to her mouth letting her long blonde hair fall into her face.
Marianne waved her hand in front of the man, then snapped her fingers. The swelling on his face started to recede and the purple bruises turn to blue and green as she sped up the healing process. The man gasped for air but Vanessa reached around his head and used a black cloth to cover his mouth to keep him from yelling out, tying it around the nape of his neck. Not that anyone would hear him. The Mausoleum had more protection barriers around it than Deighton Manor, Marianne had made sure of it.
The man in the chair thrashed his tied down arms and legs, his icy blue eyes darted around the mausoleum before they settled on Marianne. His eyes narrowed, his silver hair matted to his forehead with sweat and little spit bubbles formed around his mouth as he tried to yell profanities at her, but Marianne didn't move from her spot in front of him. She smiled wide and held her hand out for Vanessa, who giddily took it for Marianne to reel her in to be by her side.
"Welcome back, Nikolai."