Samantha King came into the living room and removed her heels before she walked over to hug Alex who sat with her daughter on the sofa. “Alexandra, so good to see you again.”
“Good to see you too Mrs. King.”
“How’s the project coming along girls?”
“Good mom, can we get back to it?” Nat didn’t want to make Alex too uncomfortable and have her make some excuse to leave. This project was too important, and they hadn’t worked much on it. They kept getting into arguments about their topic and had trouble focusing at school where their friends would also clash. A week had passed since the project was assigned. Earlier today in class Mr. Banks asked everyone for a progress report for extra credit points and while many had little progress, they at least thought about what their topic would be. Alex and Nat however had nothing to report and were punished by not being able to turn in their homework for a grade. Nat suggested they get away from school and their friends and come to her house to work.
“Sure, but Alexandra….”
“Please, it’s Alex.” Alex cuts in.
“Sorry, Alex, it’s been so long. What are you doing this Saturday evening?”
“Nothing,” “Mom, no.” Alex and Nat spoke at the same time which made Alex turn to Nat in confusion. Mrs. King just smiled.
“Great, you can be Natalie’s date to the mayor’s annual fundraiser. Which is myself and I can’t have my daughter go to another party with important figures dateless. It just wouldn’t look right. Please, do it for me, all those times I welcomed you into my home. You’re like a second daughter to me.”
Nat rolled her eyes so hard at the obvious guilt trip her mom was playing that they get stuck for a second.
Alex was visibly nervous but smiled awkwardly anyway. “Sure, why not.”
“Great, I’ll go order some pizzas for you two and leave you be. I have a phone conference in a few minutes. I’m suddenly a mediator for the Scorpion gang and the Vok’rati warlock clan.”
“You didn’t have to do that. I will tell her no when you leave.” Nat closed the book on her lap.
“She always made me feel welcomed and allowed me to run around her house and go everywhere with you guys even on expensive trips without wanting anything in return. Not many would do that. Anyway, my mom was going to the party and might have made me go anyway. We’ll just tell anyone who ask us questions we’re there as friends so that way you won’t have to touch me in anyway.” Alex marked some notes from her computer screen down onto the white board in front of them.
An hour later and they still hadn’t picked a topic, though they did narrow it down to their top three.
“Our best bet is working with the meteorites as you suggested earlier and see if we can put them back up in space and collide with a star, do a report on the meteorites, and results of impact.” Alex took one of the two meteorites and started packing her things. “Let’s do the meteorites first, I take one and you do the other then we can meet again when it’s done.”
“Alright, see you Saturday, I’ll send you the picture of my outfit.” Nat started cleaning up.
An hour later Alex found herself at the courthouse waiting for her mother. Flexing her nerves around her fingers as she watched the ball of fire disappear and reappear on her palm as she smiled to herself, the past three days had been better than she could have imagined it would. Having gone for a while living like a common human with no magical abilities seemed to make the rush of having her magic return even greater than she had expected it would.
“Miss Alexandra,” Nora called from the end of the hall as she waved her hand.
Alex put out the flame in her hand immediately and hurried towards her mother’s personal assistant. “You and my mom do understand I have better things to do than to be in a courthouse full of corrupt people.”
Nora smiled and wrapped her arms around Alex warmly.
“I relayed your feelings to your mother, but she felt you needed to see this for yourself,” Nora replied. “More so, since you’re planning on becoming a kick ass lawyer, you might want be at these court hearings once in a while.”
Alex scoffed and knew too well why her mother wanted her there; it was to show off on just how good she was at handling and winning cases. Her reputation as one of the best lawyers in the world only continued to grow and the woman always went for the hardest cases with the most enticing monetary offer if she was to stand for anyone, regardless of whether they were guilty or not.
Nora led the way and was about pushing open the court room door when Alex held her hand and stopped her. “Which of the world’s scumbag is my mother representing today?”
Nora smiled and took a second to maul through her mind for an answer. “Vladimir Kchikoff… I believe you must have heard of him.”
Alex shook her head but wasn’t in any way disappointed or let down upon hearing the name and knowing of the crimes the man himself had committed.
“You’re speaking of the human hunter who not only eats them, but also uses their organs and entrails for dark magic? Do I know of him?” Alex sounded certain even while she asked sarcastically.
Nora laughed shortly and stopped immediately as a group of lawyers walked past them.
“Just be on your best for the both of us when you step in there will you? Please?” Nora pleaded with a warm smile.
Alex understood the consequence of shaming or even belittling her mother’s reputation in public. All hell would break lose, and hail and brimstone will fall upon anyone who dares do such a thing even if they were family or close companions.
“Sure Nora,” Alex assured her. “We both wouldn’t want the courtroom burning down, now would we?”
Nora laughed aloud and opened the door for Alex to venture inside, while she followed behind. The room was filled as expected, with many more interested in seeing how the well-respected and formidable Brenda Aurelius was going to convince the jury to set a confirmed and rather convicted killer in the frame of the Russian maniac free.
Alex could feel sweat trickling down her neck as she made her way to the reserved seats in front of the court and not far off from the judge. Eyes trialed her as she strolled past with Nora while the duo pretended as though they could not tell how much their presence had attracted endless murmurings and castigating looks.
“Is that her daughter?” one lady asked the man to her left.
He bobbed his head and frowned at Alex. “That’s the viper’s daughter.”
Alex stopped in her tracks, wore a frown and clenched her fists as she felt Nora stand in between her and the man whose voice had obviously infuriated her. Nora waved her hand slightly and tried to usher Alex forward, but the girl wasn’t in the mood to act passive when she had been labeled or her mother had been tagged with such despicable name.
“A viper?” Alex mumbled and made eye contact with the man who hurriedly looked away.
Nora smiled in the corner of her lips and whispered, “That’s what they call her, and she has quite grown fond of it if I must tell you.”
Alex had never heard her mom being regarded as such but in relation with how the woman acted, she very well conceded in belief that it just might be a soothing name.
“The trail is about to start, and we shouldn’t be lingering around,” Nora encouraged Alex as they left the man who was already cowering in his boots.
Two huge looking policemen escorted a chained prisoner into the courtroom and to loud whispers and endless mumblings that tore through the air immediately. Having heard of the maniac’s exploits all around the world but never seeing any image of him or having knowledge of what he looks like, Alex was more than baffled to reconcile the figure being led into the courtroom before her to the one people quaked in their boots about.
Thin and short to say the least, he didn’t seem imposing enough to be able to abduct teenagers or even adults, talk less of committing such heinous crimes against over six hundred people over the span of fifteen years. His calm demeanor and lack of presence made the man the least person anyone would expect to be a killer.
“How is mom going to win this sort of case when the entire world has heard of him to be a killer?” Alex asked before planting herself into a seat behind her mother’s
Nora shrugged before leaning closer to Alex and whispering, “This case is far more complicated than you can come to imagine.”
Alex felt a rush of anxiety riddle her entire system as her mother walked in majestically; donning her trademark body fitted black suit and high heeled shoe which did more to announce her presence in the court room from its knocks against the ground than anything else. Brenda walked past her daughter and Nora without so much as a smile in their direction; it was time for work and she had her best game face on.
“She is going to win, isn’t she?” Alex asked.
Nora nodded her head affirmatively as they both watched the court proceed within a few minutes.
“Your Honor,” Brenda Aurelius got to her feet to state her case with her arms tucked behind her back and her lips wearing a wicked smile as she approached the jury box.
Alex slipped her hands in between her thighs, nervously shaking in her boots as she wondered how her mother was about going through her client’s defense.
“My client has been labeled with ridiculous charges for which he pleads not guilty, unless there be any willing testifier or witness who can actually prove for a certainty that he is the Maniac they claim he is,” she spoke calmly. “They have been able to provide no evidence at best and nothing incriminating other than the words of a drunk prostitute who claims she had been lured to his house some months ago and made the discovery of human remains.”
Vladimir smiled and rested his elbows on the table before him while he obviously seemed satisfied by his defense’s proclamation of his innocence.
The judge nodded, and spoke immediately, “In lieu of the charges levied against Mr. Vladimir, what evidence does the prosecuting team have in place to make their case?”
The opposing lawyer got to his feet and unbuttoned his suit as he approached the judge’s stand. He seemed rather nervous and could barely contain his emotions as he mumbled angrily at Brenda while both slugged things out at the judge’s desk.
“What is going on?” Alex leaned towards Nora to inquire.
With a rather odd smile growing on her face, Nora replied, “Just watch.”
Alex turned her attention back to the judge who shook his head and ordered both lawyers away from him immediately.
Ramming his gavel down hard and startling everyone in the court room, he sighed and declared his verdict, “Upon learning of the prosecuting team’s inability to provide a credible witness or any source of proof to back their claim against Mr. Vladimir, I have no other option but to call this trial a mistrial and apologize to Mr. Vladimir and his family on behalf of the court for whatever discomfort this might have brought them.”
Different from the expected cheers of joy that came with someone being discharged and acquitted of any wrong doing, the room fell into a graveyard-esque mood. Alex could hear her own breath, while she noted the cocky smile on her mother’s face too.
“We won,” Brenda smiled at her client and whispered.
Mr. Vladimir slowly got to his feet, clapped tenderly and smiled at the judge who couldn’t bear to look in his direction.
“You will get the remaining five million dollars as discussed sometime today,” he whispered to Brenda as she drew closer. “You truly are as they say you are.”
Alex couldn’t quite grasp how such a trial could be so brief and come to an end without any tussle. It did not seem right and by the looks of disappointment and anger on the prosecuting team’s faces, she could tell she wasn’t the only one feeling that way.
Brenda finally acknowledged her daughter with a stiff smile. “Cases are better won when you don’t need to say too much or go back and forth.”
Alex could tell the woman was trying to teach her a lesson of some sorts, but she wanted answers to what exactly had happened to the prosecuting team’s chances of winning. The woman had knocked them down hard and well without giving them any chance to jab back or even weigh any punches. Nora nudged Alex and motioned for them to leave, since most of the audience in the courtroom had walked out angrily.
Normally, loud protests would have been the case, but nobody wanted the sting from taunting or attacking the woman who continued to show why they had nicknamed her the “Viper.”
“What the fuck just happened in there?” Alex asked in a disbelieving tone.
“Your mother won as she always does,” Nora replied proudly.
Alex walked past the now empty seats previously packed with those wishing for a fair trial or at least a scintillating one, but whose hopes and expectations had been dashed by her mother.
“Congratulations mother,” Alex managed to smile and attempted a subtle hug with the woman but stopped upon seeing her hand held high and preventing her from coming close.
“You have no idea how badly I’m losing right now,” Brenda whispered in a discontented tone as she walked past.
Alex shared a brief gaze with Nora who shrugged and followed her boss hurriedly.
“Has he arrived?” Brenda asked as they exited the court.
“I managed to track him down and bring him in earlier this morning,” Nora replied.
Alex, lost and unsure of what was going on with her mother, tugged at Nora’s suit and raised her left brow. “Who is she talking about and what is going on?”
Nora remained without a response as the trio got into the awaiting limousine.
“How is the assignment I gave you with the King girl coming up?” Brenda asked.
Alex looked to the floor and felt the car move as she replied. “It’s slow but there is progress.”
There was no need to tell her how disappointed her mother was with the response. She wasn’t in the mood for failure or incomplete tasks.
“The time to get results is upon us Alex,” her mother mumbled while she looked out the window. “Gregory and his nut wife are moving fast, and I am barely ready to topple him as I plan.”
Alex felt her thoughts drift towards the one person whom her mother needed to make her plan in that regards come to fruition and it left her weakened within immediately.
Within minutes they arrived at their destination. Alex still didn’t know where or why but she followed her mother and Ms. Nora.
“What is the meaning of this?” a disgruntled looking Hamilton asked while flailing his arms in the air as Brenda approached with the two ladies behind her. “I have been waiting for the past three hours and you come in when you please?”
Brenda ignored him, snapped her fingers and the walls around them slowly began to melt away and get replaced by what looked like paddings made from a rather strange material.
“You needn’t whine Marcus.” Brenda warned. “At least, you shouldn’t in my presence if your tongue is of value to you.”
Alex looked at the obviously enraged vampire who seemed to be reconsidering his actions as they waited for whatever Brenda was doing to get completed. The room, previously walled with thick glass, was now nothing but padded wall with a large sized window to the right which stared into the ocean.
Alex recognized it for what it was; an illusion created towards the minds of the dwellers within it from being read or even tracked by anyone outside.
“We had an agreement, but I haven’t heard or gotten anything of note from you since we last spoke,” Brenda circled the nervous looking Hamilton with a wicked sneer on her lips.
Hamilton choked down hard on a bolus of saliva, before sneaking his hands into his pocket. “I have been busy, but even at that… I… I did deliver you the information about the scroll.”
Brenda stopped in her tracks, standing behind the nervous looking boy and signaled at Nora with a slight wave as the lady exited the room through the walls without fuss.
Brenda continued, “Your information was indeed useful, but there was no toppling that woman when my minions tried obtaining the scroll from her.”
Alex stepped closer to speak but her mother cut her short immediately.
“Ms. Aurelius…” Hamilton held his nerves while doing just about enough not to stutter. “The scroll is with my father now and it is going to get even more difficult to pull off what you’re thinking and get it from him.”
Brenda nodded her head in affirmation of the kind of mess things were dallying in. She rubbed her chin and continued to circle the boy, only to break her steps with brief pauses and continue until Alex could no longer take her mother’s odd actions.
“He has done well enough and they will kill him if they found out he is helping us!” the little Aurelius voiced her opinion.
Brenda waved her hand and rammed Alex into the wall behind her, pinning her there and preventing her daughter from speaking with a mesh of the padding stretching from the wall and covering her mouth immediately.
“The information was correct, but I still do not have the scroll, do I?” Brenda cackled and stopped. “Which brings me to why I had you brought here.”
Peeping through the corner of his eyes, he watched Alex continue to struggle against her mother’s restraints, causing him to gulp down some more bolus of discomfort, and clench his fist in fright of whatever she might intend doing to him.
“I need you to draw me a map of the fortress Gregory hides away in and also provide the exact location if you will,” Brenda finally stood face to face with the boy, smiling and running her slender fingers down the side of his face.
Hamilton felt the first trickle of sweat roll down his face, before subsequent ones began to race down the back of his neck as the witch continued to do everything in her power to make him falter.
“The fortress is impenetrable and even if I drew you a map, how will you get past the countless numbers of vampires fully trained to rip even the most formidable witches to shreds?” He asked, hoping to deter her.
Nora arrived immediately, announcing her return with a subtle cough and bowing tenderly as Brenda came to receive what she had in her hands. The object, wrapped in black clothing, looked no less than a jewelry box as Brenda unmasked it and gently laid it to rest at Hamilton’s feet, smiling awkwardly and watching the boy fret as he struggled to move his feet.
“I believe I might have started our conversation giving you the thought that you might have a choice,” Brenda chuckled. “Forgive me, but I have to rephrase and say, I want you to bring your father down for me this coming week and do it by whichever way I so choose.”
Hamilton looked towards Alex and hoped the girl would do something to assist.
Brenda slid open the box and revealed a thin silver blade, shining brightly even in the absence of ample light, as she picked it up and gently held it before his face.
“What… what… what is that?” he stammered while trying to look away from the blade.
Brenda inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly as she replied, “A little something I whipped from the venom of the one person who can actually bring your father to his knees.”
Hamilton’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he wondered how she came to figure it out. He shrugged and tried to move his feet but whatever held him in place wasn’t budging and it was becoming apparent that Brenda had purposely brought him to that room to restrain him.
“All you need to do is make sure this blade scratches your father,” Brenda whispered. “A painless and absolutely undetectable scratch and I will handle the rest.”
The sound of tasking him to murder his own father with his mother’s venom laced knife sounded preposterous
Alex finally broke through by biting at the restraint against her mouth. “Taking over everything from his parents is one thing but asking him to kill his own father is completely insane!”
Brenda roared in anger and jammed Alex further into the wall. “Shut it! I want to hear nothing from you, considering the fact that you are yet to fulfill the task I have bestowed upon you!”
Hamilton felt his stomach sink and his heart fail to function momentarily. His nerves felt like they were shutting down and he could swear the witch was in no mood to play around.
“He will not do it!” Alex yelled back at her mother with enough aggression in her voice to show she wasn’t in support of the plan.
Brenda shifted her gaze from her daughter to Hamilton whose silence meant he was desperately thinking of a solution to the current conundrum. Nora remained static as ever, refusing to show any emotion or even give her token of thought into the occurrence. It wasn’t her place to utter a word and it wasn’t her place to meddle in such businesses especially when she wasn’t granted the fluency to speak.
“If you so strongly feel he shouldn’t carry it out, then, how about a little convincing?” Brenda laughed and lessened her grip on her daughter before racing towards Hamilton.
Firstly, snapping waving her hand in the air and commanding Alex into a deep slumber, Hamilton watched on in loss as Brenda hummed and giggled excitedly. Next, she conjured a wild and rapidly growing fire in form of a ring around Alex, Brenda smiled at Hamilton and without words, gave the boy a conundrum he needed to solve. The test was simple; agree to carrying out the deed, or watch Alex burn into crisp and have the guilt etched into his heart. Hamilton could also guess there was the possibility he was going to be next once Alex was dispatched without mercy by the fire created by her own mother.
“Are you nuts!?” Hamilton asked.
Brenda shrugged and turned to Nora. “What a coincidence… someone else asked me the exact question today after I asked her to choose her freedom or get eaten by sharks in the pacific in hopes she wouldn’t testify against a client of mine.”
It finally dawned on Alex; her mother had meddled with justice once again and not for the first time, neither was it going to be for the last.
“Let her go!” Hamilton yelled.
Alex had begun to cough from the fumes that were seeping into her nose while her mother seemed to care less about her daughter’s suffering and pending death if she didn’t put out the fire.
“You know the magic word Marcus! All you need to do is say it and she will be set free!” Brenda cackled.
Hamilton couldn’t believe his ears nor his eyes. He had always assumed his mother was the toughest and possibly the most heartless woman he had come across, but obviously she was nowhere near the witch standing before him, giggling and looking unperturbed about roasting her daughter all for personal gain and power.
Defeated and drained of strength to ignore what the woman wants, Hamilton yelled, “Yes!”
Brenda leaned closer and confirmed with a subtle tone, “What did you say?”
Hamilton yelled at the top his voice as the fire neared Alex’s head, “Yes! I will do whatever you want!”
Brenda chuckled, stared at Brenda and winked from the corner of her left eye before quenching the fire growing wildly around her unconscious daughter. Alex slowly broke into consciousness, staring oddly at Hamilton who looked like he had just seen a ghost.
“What… what just happened? What did I miss?” a confused sounding and looking Alex asked.
Hamilton wished he could spill and explain the entire blackmail in detail, but any strength he had within him was to fuel his rage and hate against Brenda Aurelius and nothing else.
Brenda immediately waved away her daughter’s question with a soft chuckle. “You didn’t miss much honey. Hamilton here simply needed a little persuasion to agree to my cause.”
Alex swept her gaze away from her mother to the bothered looking vampire, who did well to look away immediately in fears he might show exactly how angry he was.
“Prepare our little partner for his deed, Nora!” Brenda commanded as she transformed the room back into its usual structure. “By the end of the week, I should have that darn scroll and Gregory’s head on a pike where I want it to be.”
Hamilton stared blankly at Alex upon watching the girl’s mother leave the room. He wondered if the witch had any idea or experience on how terrible her mother’s urge and hunger for power was. He also wondered if Alex knew she was willing to sacrifice her own daughter in the feat to gain what she wanted.
“We need to talk,” Hamilton voiced through his mind, hoping Alex would pick up the thoughts.
She nodded as she gently fell to her feet from the wall where she had been pinned and sighed exhaustively as Nora whisked Hamilton away immediately.