Morrigan walked slow, fast enough to fool him into thinking she was leaving, but too slow to get anywhere in a reasonable amount of time. When she felt it was safe, she brought her hand up, leaned against a tree, and condensed the smallest amount of static to her hand.
She felt the urge to move, to run from the park and seek shelter behind her wards at home. She hesitated, her body refusing every command until finally, she managed to snap her fingers. The pulse shot out, the static revealing the park. The park was slowly emptying as the sun crept over the horizon, leaving only a gust of wind and the presence she felt since cutting her date short.
Morrigan followed the map in her head. She snapped again, the static bursting from her to paint an image of the threat. She saw nothing in the pulse but felt a void, a massive dissonance in the only source of vision she had.
She realized her mistake. Whatever it was, it sensed the static and followed it. It now hunted for its source. She stopped cold, smelling blood as the creature neared, an intoxicating scent.
Despite its heavy step, she struggled to measure its pace. It stood at a fair distance, but as fractions of a second ticked by, it seemed much closer. She caught the sound of rushing wind, the massive form forcing air aside as it darted across the park.
Morrigan hid behind a tree, her back leaning against the trunk. It whispered her name. Morrigan's memory stirred then failed, twisted by the passage of time and horrors best forgotten.
"I smell you," it teased. Its voice blended that of a woman and a beast, a growl polluting an otherwise beautiful tone. Morrigan's breath shook as she tried to keep her breath still and calm. Her eyes widened when she pieced together what the creature was.
She didn't have cane. She couldn't fight it even she did. A tear crept down her face, its trail drying in a sudden rush of wind that blew by and faded in the span of a single second.
The whisper came again, spoken inches from her ear "Hello sister."
The creature was humanoid, but its form was impossible to see in the static. When the static interacted with it, the image came only half formed like a puzzle missing crucial pieces.
This monster, this impossible thing, was a mask. Called The Red Mantle, it was an avatar of Morrigan's goddess. The mass of shapes that served as an image folded back on itself, an endless weave of formless terror. Skin tore and bones cracked. The creature twisted, transforming into something much more palatable. Morrigan often wondered if it was like removing a mask or putting one on.
The creature was gone, revealing the woman behind the beast. She was frail, old, and dressed in blood-red robes. "Aren't you going to defend yourself? I never thought you, of all people, would give up so easily." The old woman raised her voice, "I was actually excited about our next meeting. The confrontation was supposed to be biblical in scope, you assured me as much."
"Gemma," Morrigan began, pressing herself against the tree. "You know better."
"You're still faithful? After all this time." Gemma began as she inched closer.
"Faith has little to do with it," Morrigan replied. "It'd be a waste of time."
Gemma sighed, staring at Morrigan for several moments before speaking, "I talk to her every day. I wonder when the goddess last spoke to you?"
Morrigan shouted as if anger could dry the tears, "Can I help you? Is there a reason you and I happen to be in the same place? I was pretty clear I wanted nothing more to do with you."
"I'm not here for you. I was well on my way home before I felt the static."
"Why were you here in the first place? It's a big world out there, and you happen to be here?" Morrigan asked.
"Burial. You slaughtered a few of our own in the attack. I enjoyed the show." Gamma said, revealing a tone of pride and admiration. "Immortality hasn't helped your attitude, but that display was astounding. Rose would have been proud."
"Fuck you."
"I was trying to give you a compliment," Gemma said.
Morrigan snapped. "You've tracked me down. You know where I am. What now?"
"Again," Gemma said, "I'm not here for you."
Morrigan scoffed. "I don't believe you."
"Should I care?" Gamma replied. She was silent for a moment, then spoke again, "It's a new moon, you have work to do, I assume. There's a new man in your life, after all."
Morrigan's nostrils flared. Her jaw clenched as she shook her head. "That is none of your business."
"How can you expect to be forgiven when you are unwilling to give the same?"
"I don't expect forgiveness," Morrigan said with a smirk on her face. "I expect you to die. All I need to do is wait. After what you've done, death would be a mercy."
Morrigan heard the sounds of flesh tearing and twisting as Gemma's body transformed once more. The beast emerged and swiped at Morrigan with a long, slender arm. When the blow landed, Morrigan flew back, breaking the tree in two and rolling to a stop.
Morrigan screamed in pain, only growing louder when she tried to move. Her screams went unheard. After a moment spent anticipating another assault, Morrigan realized Gamma was gone.
She struggled to move. She reached out and touched her arm, felt the warm flow of blood pouring from an open wound, and winced as she felt the bone protruding from her skin.
She harnessed the static, casting it over the area around her. The blood gravitated toward her, seeping back into her veins steadily as her bones snapped back in place. She crawled until her body healed enough to stand, a process that persisted well after leaving the confines of the park.
It took hours to reach the steps leading up to her apartment. Her body needed rest, but with Gemma nearby, she refused to sleep alone. She felt herself dozing off but forced her eyes open.
She considered calling Tyler, then quickly dismissed the idea. Too many questions and not enough energy to explain. She could try Damon, but it would take a few hours for him to arrive.
She entered her apartment and reached out to find the far wall. She felt along the wall until reaching her bedroom. She collapsed on the bed, landing on stacks of books and clutter. Despite the pain, Morrigan shifted, knocking things to the ground until she felt comfortable enough to rest.
She retrieved her phone from her pocket and felt the crack on its screen. She held her breath, letting it out only when it was clear the phone still worked. She dialed a number, one of the few she cared to remember.
A woman answered, "Morrigan?"
"Beatrice," Morrigan began.
"What's wrong?"
Morrigan spoke, but the conversation was a blur. She grew lethargic, the call of sleep too loud to ignore.
As always, your writing is wonderful. Few small things: "Morrigan called, then, waited for..." This is the kind of comma usage I forgot about last time. The double commas around then are in the style of what would happen when you use the word "however" or do some fancy stuff with your conjunctions. It should be "Morrigan called, waiting for..." if I can properly imitate your tense. That also makes it feel less clunky. I like the context on both the character and the magic system as well as the shorter length of the chapter. Though, there are still a few terms that you leave dangling for the reader so I'm curious as to where you're going to describe them in full(unless I'm blind and missed it like your description of the Static).
Yeah, my spell check flagged that comma. It didnt make sense to me either, its wrong. I like that. I shall change it. Most exposition will come in the coming chapters. I wanted to get the plot going and then fill in the blanks but this is my first novel. Idk if that is best. Thank you good sir, and I'm glad the smaller chapter length was appreciated.