“How long will this take, how much can I go through, my heart my soul aches, I don’t know what to do, I bend but don’t break, and some how I’ll get through,” Crawl (Carry Me Through), Superchick, Rock What You Got.

Chapter 2: The Purefectionists.

Ethal’s POV

“Please, why are you doing this?”

“Because I was hired to, knowledge may be power, but it can also lead to your death.” I replied calmly.

“So you know about my research regarding magical creatures.” She said voice small and eyes wide.

“Yes, and if you go public with that information, we go extinct. Simple as that. Which is why Ren hired me, he knows first hand what it’s like to almost lose everything.” I said, finally realizing who my employer was.

Minerva’s POV

This is bad, really bad. Where is Artemis? He said that he’d be here to help me.

As if cued by my thoughts, he stepped out of the shadows to my left. “Leave her alone.”

“Finally, things are getting interesting.” The shadow said, pulling out another weapon and twirling it in her fingers. Written clearly on the handle were the initials ES.

“Wait a minute, you’re the murderer ES?” I asked, going pale. “But who are—?”

“Who are SWRS, TSS, DLSRS, FBS, and MS? My family, of course.”

From out of the shadows to my right, three figures emerged. I recognized none of them, but ES tensed at the sight of their baby blue robes. “Leave Minerva alone, little shadow. She is the key to a new era, one in which all magical creatures are extinct . . . starting with you, Ethal Shop.”

“Purefectionists,” Ethal hissed, falling into a fighting stance. “Matilda, why are you doing this? Why are you here?”

“We’re here to help her, and harm you, of course.” Matilda replied, “You and your family have killed too many humans to allow you to live.”

“And the Purefectionists have murdered hundreds of magical creatures!” Ethal shouted.

“Enough! Benedict, Maria, you know what to do.”

Together Benedict and Maria lashed out with their weapons, which looked a lot like lengthened bead necklaces. Benedict’s wrapping around Ethal’s torso, Maria’s binding her hands and causing her to drop her weapons.

Falling to her knees, Ethal screamed, shuddering. Her hair lengthened, and facial features appeared on her face.

“You don’t deserve to use a human face, Ethal,” Matilda snapped.

 In a pained voice Ethal hissed. “The Purefectionists are hypocrites, they kill those with magic, yet they wield magic which they use to murder us.”

“It’s not murder, we’re purifying this world.” Matilda said.

“That’s a lie; humans were descended from magical creatures, just like Solaella and Lunaella’s children descended from humans who encountered magic.”

 “Ethal! Dinner is ready, you need to come home now, please,” a thirteen year-old girl said, skipping down the alley, followed by a bored looking sixteen year-old girl.

Turning her head, Ethal’s eyes widened. “Telb, get out of here, the Purefectionists are back, spread the word.”

“Ethal!” Telb shouted, worried, as she tried running to her side.

Matilda smiled and brought out her own weapon, which snared itself around Telb’s wrist.

Upon the contact, Telb screamed.

“Hold on,” the sixteen year-old called, rushing to Telb’s side. Her nails lengthened, and she used them to cut through the weapon, freeing the young teen. Picking the protesting Telb up, she ran out of the alley.

“I pray that the twin goddesses may forgive me for my bad actions upon this Earth, and that I may look over my family after my death. I am a daughter of Lunaella and Solaella, and I believe in their justice.” Ethal said, a tired look on her face as she collapsed, no longer a member of the living world.

Some other stories by Lydia Tall:

• D Is For Dead
• 9/11/01
• C Is For Conviction
• B Is For Betrayal
• Code Red Creations

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