March 27, 2005
Frank nodded. He was disappointed with himself that his friend was able to read the truth on his face, but considering the situation, where Coralis was likely to be executed, he wanted to be able to talk about it with his best friend. He hoped that Coralis wouldn't be mad, but he also wanted her to be mad at him, because thinking about it that way meant she'd be back to him and wouldn't die in jail.
"SERIOUSLY?" said Mark.
Mark was about to bring his beer to his lips, but stopped his movement and stared at his friend. Frank looked down for a moment and finished his beer.
"Yup," said Frank, grabbing another bottle.
"Is she one of the so-called witches who've also been imprisoned in there or is she the Blue Thunder everyone is talking about, with that Alejandro guy?"
Frank stared at his friend while taking a long sip.
"Oh shit, REALLY?" said Mark, in disbelief. "Dad said his friends heard that name mentioned a few times. They said she's a female one based in the UK, but none of them ever saw her… oh wait… she lived in London when we met her…"
"She's making everyone in her community and line of work believe she still lives in London to protect me. Only her close circle knows she doesn't live there anymore."
"For how long have you known? Is she even a witch like the CIA and other governments are saying she is? I know the supernatural isn't all false, I guess I'm struggling to see her like what we hear in the press."
"She told me everything 3 years ago when I asked her if she'd move in with me and no, she isn't the monster many governments are portraying her to be. A lot of what has been published about her isn't accurate and based on falsified reports from people who want her dead. She's a supernatural, yes, but she isn't a demon-summoning witch."
"What is she, then? And what about the others jailed with her?"
"She's a mage. Alejandro Salinz is a mage too, but I don't know about the others jailed with them. The others are kept separate from them, so even Coralis doesn't know if they are witches, humans or else."
"Oh wow," said Mark, drinking his beer and thinking about what he heard from his father. "My dad said his friends know some of those listed as most wanted by reputation. They're part of a sub-organization specializing in the strange stuff. Blue Thunder is a name they heard a few times but never as the bad guy, but they never heard about the other guy jailed with her. They're all confused by the witch-hunt coverage."
"She never was the bad guy, on the contrary, neither was Alejandro. I have a lot of respect for your dad, but please, don't tell him what just I admitted to you. My family knows about her and we're all keeping her secret. I can't have everyone know who and what she is, very dangerous information to spread around. I trust your dad, but can't say the same about the people he talks to."
"I get it. I want to tell my dad, to be honest, but I won't. He doesn't need to know. Is she as old as his friend thinks she is? Wait… Seb works with her, right? Is he like her? And what about Vic? They went to school together. If she isn't, does she know?"
"Seb and Vic are like her, yes. Seb is keeping me updated on what's going on. He can't talk to her directly, but we know someone who can. Here is the thing. Coralis never speaks much about herself. When she does, she omits a lot of details, but the baseline of what she tells people is the truth. She's the same age as us and yes, she was recruited into her line of work when she was a teenager."
"How do you know what's said about her is false? I know you love her and I can't honestly see her like what I see in the press, but is it because she told you it's false or because you were around when that happened?"
Frank told Mark how he knew stories published about her were false. Sebastian showed him the video of her glowing zombies the next day it happened and he knew why she was there. He was around when she cleared her name for Massina's murder, it was after they got engaged, but the name of his murderer never was mentioned anywhere. He told him about what truly happened in Clear Valley, how a CIA agent risked his job and life to try to rectify what was reported, and why her name was removed from the UK's lists.
"Look, bro, I'm struggling with all of this, I'm not gonna lie, but damn, everything I know about her makes so much sense now. I remember very well what she said on your wedding day last year. I'm starting to believe she meant, literally, every word she said at the altar, and if that's the case, she can't be bad for you. I mean, I still want to find a woman who'd burn down the world if something happens to me."
"Everyone around her knows she meant it literally. If you only knew what she'd done when Audrey went missing, and trust me, she's extremely protective of me. I find that hot, if I'm honest."
"Audrey?"
"She's one too."
The next day, Sonylla spit out her coffee when watching the witch hunt coverage on her holographic monitor, followed by a statement from High Elf Yalor. She hadn't watched the news in a few days, not since Coralis and Alejandro had been captured. She didn't have the time for it, nor the desire to watch it. She knew more about what was truly going on than the reporters would ever know.
She was wondering if she should mention to Coralis what she heard on the news when she felt her left arm burning.
"Holy gods from above!" she cursed out loud before reaching out to Coralis when the burning sensation stopped. "What in gods world are they doing to you, girl? Are they trying to play with fire on you?"
"They are getting desperate. They want me to admit I've done all these things their newspapers told them I did. They aren't done. Want to see and hear? It's getting funny and pathetic at this point."
"Yeah, I do. Fine if I at least heal your internal burns? Hell, I'm a fire mage, I'm not even supposed to burn. We need to thank your man for making Panjik train us with fire, it makes it easier to handle the feeling of burning."
"Agreed. Sure, don't heal surface burns, but yes, below the skin, sure."
"You see," said the guard standing in her cell, holding a gas torch, "these secret service agents are telling us you aren't a Satan-worshipping witch, that you didn't kill any innocent people. We don't know how you fooled them, but you aren't fooling us."