Chapter Fifty Three: The Mind of Judith

Cedric had put Judith into sleep, he told them that she would need this unless they wanted her to go mad. Aiden and Lorraine had been talking when John came into the rooms and told her needed to speak to her about something. She glanced between Judy and Aiden with worried eyes. “If something happens, I’ll be sure to call you.” Bates was the one who spoke and she nodded her head. John told the others that they were going to be in the study. They all knew why John wanted Lorraine; he wanted to help her with her magic and that was something that she also wanted.

Once they left, Bates turned to Cedirc, “How long until you can do it?” His eyes gestured to the unconscious Judy.

“A couple of hours at max. From the glimpse I took, her head is a mess.” Cedirc mumbled then began walking up the stairs to his assigned room.

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Benjamin Huxley was sitting in his office, smoke was swirling in the air from the cigarette he had lit earlier. Eleanor sat in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest and a grimace on her face. “When is he going to be here?”

Benjamin huffed the smoke and took a look at his watch, “Any minute now.”

“I told Justin to stay on campus this weekend.” She informed him with a flat tone. It had been a concern for the both of them, that their son would come to town in the current situation. “This can’t keep on going. I…” The rest of her words died at the knock on the door. Father Wilmut entered the office greeting both of them.

“I don’t remember the last time you asked for my presence.” Wilmut started, then his eyes drifted to Eleanor. “It’s nice meeting you Eleanor.” The couple was never much of church-goers, but they kept up appearances in front of the town’s people, who were not highly religious, but went to the church every Sunday. Wilmut wondered sometimes if the entire town was trying to keep up appearances.

“Let’s not beat around the bush Gregory.” The mayor put out the cigarette in the crystal ashtray on the desk. “We know something has been cooking up in this town for a while now, we’re just not sure what it is.”

“And we’re sure you know.” Eleanor moved forward in her seat and straightened his back as she held his eyes, “Being a watcher and all, you must be updated with everything.” Her tone held a warning, even a threat, as she said, “We have more right to know what’s happening than many of the people around this town, even more than you.”

Wilmut let out a breath, taking a seat, “I understand your concern, but I can assure you that so far nothing represents a threat to you or your son.”

“We shouldn’t wait until there’s a threat.” Benjamin’s authoritative tone echoed in the room. “Tell us what you know, Gregory.” It was one of the terrible things about being a watcher, one of the main reasons he had tried to run away from it for as long as he could remember, everyone would try to use him for their own advantage. Earlier in life, when he was just a boy, he recalled his father telling him that their rule is an honor and their gift is a blessing, but it’s equally a curse.

*“We can know all there is to know, and knowledge is power. How you treat this power is your own decision. However, there’s one thing you ought to remember, son, you’re the only one allowed to decide how to use your powers, no one else is allowed to have it but you.”* Although it was such a distant memory from years and years ago, his father’s words rang in his mind as if they were a fresh memory from only a day ago.

He knew he needed to tell them something; they wouldn’t really let it go that easily. He let out a breath, “Have you ever heard of The Brotherhood of The Sun?” No, he wouldn’t tell them everything, but enough to know the dangers lurking in the dark. He decided to tell them about The Brotherhood and Victoria. That they are lurking around their town because they need to awaken their master, Erik. The mayor didn’t need to know about the Vancsura witch, about Cedirc being deathless, or about Bates. *“I am the watcher, I get to choose what I share my knowledge with.”* With that final thought he started talking.

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It was around Seven in the evening when Cedric decided to wake Judy and speak to her. All the while he could hear Lorraine and John in the other room practicing spells. He began to teach her offensive and defensive spells; the ones she could use if she were to be attacked. He didn’t understand how or why, but she seemed to be particularly good at those. “Whenever you’re ready.” Bates said from next to him, with his eyes focused on Judy, who held a dazed look on her face.

Cedric nodded and held Judy’s face between his hands, looking straight into her eyes. He saw a memory of her in The Tavern sitting at the bar, her eyes brimming with unshed tears and Mark approached her; he guessed it was their first time meeting. Cedric knew all about charming women, and Marks seemed to have played all the right tricks. He kept moving from one memory to another, seeing through her eyes every interaction with Mark. In the dark tunnel of her mind, he saw her in bed with Mark. “Lorraine is your friend, she trusts you, right?” Judy nodded her head, “Of course she does, who would ever not trust you. All you have to do is search her house for a book.”

Judy looked at him with confused eyes, “A book?”

Mark nodded his head with a smile, “Yes, darling. One that looks old, like really old.”

Judy shook her head; there was obvious reluctance in her eyes, “I don’t think this is right. I mean why would you want me to do that?”

Mark held her by the neck in a tight grip, stared straight at her eyes, “You don’t ask questions, just do as I say!” Fear displayed itself on her face for only a moment until Mark ordered her to not be scared and follow his orders. Cedric watched him order her to bring something that belonged to Lorraine’s mother in case she didn’t find the grimoire.

He swapped to another memory, one that had her and Mark once more. However, in that one he was feeding on her, brutally so. They were in a motel room, or so Cedric assumed, the same one in most of the memories they were in together. He tried to find anything that would give away the name of the place, but he was distracted when he heard Mark tell her to put on the scarf. “How good are you at making pies, sweetheart?” Mark had asked her with a sly smirk.

Judy scoffed, tying the scarf around her neck, “Pies? Are you serious? What do you take me for?” Her tone clearly indicated that it was something beneath her.

He held her by the back of her neck and growled at her, “You do as I saw. You’ll make a fucking great pie and you will give it to Gregory Wilmut.” Judy only nodded her head fearfully. Cedric pulled out of the memory and shuffled for others, seeing them as passing images.

He came across one that caught his attention, called to him in a way. He saw Judy hiding behind a wall, eavesdropping on another woman, who was talking over the phone. The woman held similar features to those of Judy, and Cedric assumed that she could be her mother. He wondered why she would spy on her own mother, so he delved into that memory. “Eleanor, we left them to avoid all of the drama that comes with who we are. Now, we have the same drama here. Benjamin has to do something; I don’t want to worry sSeven as of yet, but if something is happening, he needs to know.” He heard the worry lacing the woman’s tone.