Ghostly Arrival

Absinth’s eyes narrowed as she observed the shift in the stranger’s demeanor, the sudden change, the flicker of her gaze between two distinct presences. Recognition crashed over her with a clarity that made her pulse quicken. A madwoman, fragmented, her soul split in two, shielding her mind from the unbearable. The scent of familiarity, a mix of distorted memories, flooded her senses, but she pushed these thoughts aside for now.

‘I don’t know. She hasn’t given me the pleasure of her name yet,’ Azrael continued, his voice calm but laced with amusement. He seemed to revel in the unfolding drama, eager to see where this tangled situation would lead. Absinth offered him a sideways half-smirk, her features alight with intrigue, though her questions remained unanswered.

She felt the tension in the silence before the woman, now showing signs of profound internal conflict, addressed her directly. ‘Sister,’ She said, and ’Hello, Absinth.’ Her name. The fur along Absinth’s spine bristled, her teeth bared, eyes narrowing dangerously. A low growl rumbled from her lungs, tail lashing behind her. Who dared to insinuate she was their sister? And how did she know this was Absinth’s home? Setekh’s name crept into her thoughts, like cold fingers tracing up her nape. Who the hell was this really? A plot, a trick?

“Ah, so we have a dual act.” Absinth said, her voice steady, a hint of amusement dancing in her suspicious emerald gaze. She would not play this woman’s game. She took a deliberate step closer, her presence commanding but not threatening, simply asserting the space she had earned through trial and tribulation. She had her own games she delighted in. She could see the strain in the woman’s posture, the flicker of something brutal in her eyes. Absinth’s lips curled into a knowing smile, one that promised secrets and revelations. Her gaze flicked to the little crow, dwarfed by Absinth’s own ravens lingering in the trees above, then back to the woman’s crimson eyes.

Azrael’s voice broke into the scene, playful yet probing. ‘You know this fae, Absinth?’ He asked, his eyes shifting between the two women, a mixture of curiosity and wariness in his gaze that Absinth could almost taste on the air. He remained vigilant, ready to intervene if things turned hostile. Absinth grinned wildly, a chuckle escaping her inky maw as she moved closer to the woman. Predatory as always. “I don’t know this woman. But I am curious as to how she knows me.” The fae purred, her shoulders rolling as though preparing for action, her attention fixed on the woman like a dagger poised to strike. “Melanth, was it? Or are you the other? The nameless protector.” To Absinth, it was almost akin to Sol and Khonsu, how one protected the other; her proof? The change in the woman’s voice when she spoke. ‘Seems our poor Melanth couldn’t handle the shock.’ Two-faced bitch. An ear flicking back to Azrael, she added, “Seems we’ve found ourselves a bit of a puzzle at our doors.” She could pull no memory of this woman to the forefront of her mind, but there was an uncanny resemblance between them she couldn't deny. But blood meant nothing if it held no history to back it up.

Absinth’s smile widened, her tone laced with challenge, the swell of her belly forgotten in the thrill coursing through her veins. “Let's talk simply. What the fuck has driven you to seek me out? Sister, stranger, I don’t know you. What reason have I to believe a damn word out of your mouth?” She let the silence hang, her emerald eyes locking onto the stranger’s, her every movement calculated and poised down to the sneer on her face.

Absinth’s stance was firm, her focus unwavering. The ravens overhead cawed once more, their calls echoing across the winter landscape.


wormwood