She gave him a sideways glance and a knowing smile.
“The vision confused me. I know all the seers who are alive at this moment, but you? I do not know you. It came as a shock when you arrived here. You were hidden from me somehow until I was in such proximity, and that’s when the vision showed you to me.”
That made sense to him. He wasn’t the same as other seers as far as he knew, and he bore the mark of a demon. It had a funny way of changing how magic worked around him.
They reached the chapel, and she handed him over at the door. She reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand.
“I am Agrat. Maybe we will see each other again, but not for a long time.”
“Thank you for this,” Quinn said, gesturing at the box.
“It was the right thing to do, and you should always do the right thing, quintessence.”
She turned and walked away and he frowned, but the others seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as she left.
A couple of Council members waited for him and directed him to the circle that would send him to Earth. There were no kind words to wish him well. The ghouls performed the ritual without saying another word to him, and soon enough, he was back in the summoning circle inside the Abbey’s chapel. Secondo and his ghouls were waiting, along with a blonde-haired witch.
“Welcome back," Secondo said. “It is nice to see you out of those chains. So, shall we get this over with so that you can get out of the holding circle?”
Quinn nodded his agreement, and Water took his things from him. He didn’t know what to expect. He had never thought about being bonded to a human before, so he’d never really bothered to learn anything about it.
Secondo chanted a spell while the witch joined in and the feeling of being struck by lightning, or at least what he thought that would have felt like, hit him in the chest. He gasped for breath and staggered and as he looked at Secondo; he saw a look of confusion for a split second before he recovered. Was it a look of confusion, though? Or did he feel Secondo’s confusion? Because he could feel other things coming from him too, which probably meant the same was true of him.
Quinn quickly tried to close himself off. He wasn’t ready for that level of connection with anyone again yet. He had so much other shit to process first, so he hoped that he’d shut himself down before Secondo asked too many questions. Questions that he didn't want to answer.
The barrier of magic dropped, and he stepped out into the chapel. The other ghouls seemed to have mixed feelings towards him. He could feel their emotions more strongly now that they shared a bond, and they all seemed to be accepting of him, all except for Earth. Water came over and gave him a hug. He returned it briefly, but the unexpected affection had thrown him.
“So, what do we call you then? Quintessence?” he asked.
Quinn felt the stab of pain from Earth at the mention of that name and the big ghoul growled.
“No, it’s usually just Quinn. It’s been Quinn for a long time, actually.”
The others nodded, and Water smiled.
“Quinn it is then,” he said, and he looked to Secondo. “Should we take him to the lair to get settled in?”
“Si, that is a good idea. It is late, and rest is the most important thing right now. I will need to speak with you in the morning Quinn, someone will bring you to my apartment.”
He nodded and followed the other ghouls out of the chapel. He carried the wooden chest and Water carried his bag for him. They walked through the Abbey and up a grand staircase before making many twists and turns along various corridors. Fire must have seen his look of confusion.
“You’ll get used to it soon enough. The older part of the building is like a maze in places.”
They reached the lair and Earth strode off down the hall, entered a room, and slammed the door. Water sighed.
“Don’t worry about him. He’ll come around. Here, I’ll show you the free rooms so you can pick one. Fire and me are next to the lounge. You’ve just seen where Earth’s room is, and Air is over there.” He pointed to the door next to Earth’s. “The rest are free, so pick whichever you like.”
Quinn chose the room at the very end of the corridor. The one next to his was empty and he would be away from the others. Water looked disappointed.
“Oh, are you sure you don’t want to be closer to the others?”
Quinn shook his head. He could tell that Water was trying his best to welcome him, so he decided to tell him part of the truth. The part that wouldn’t make him look like a dick.
“I don’t like to be too close to others.” He tapped his temple with his fingers. “It means I have fewer visions. The more time I spend around others, the more visions I get, and I would rather not have too many.”
Water nodded and didn’t seem to be upset by that explanation. The rest of the truth was that he just didn’t want to get too involved with the others. He preferred not to mix too much with other ghouls. It was just easier that way and he didn’t have much interest in getting to know them well.
“Makes sense,” Water said. “Well, if you need anything, just ask one of us. Kitchen is there, it gets restocked regularly so just eat what you want.”
Quinn thanked him and took himself off to his room. He closed the door behind him and sank down onto the floor behind it as he looked around. It was fairly large, and it had everything that he would need and more. He placed the wooden chest on the floor next to him and took a minute to breathe before he set up the room to be how he wanted it.
There was a desk in-between the two arched windows and Quinn got up and moved the desk chair over by his bed. He unpacked his bag, placing his spare clothes onto the bed and the other items on the wooden surface of the desk. He had spent so long wandering from place to place that he didn’t have too much in the way of possessions. Everything he owned fit into the one bag.
It didn’t take him long to set up the makeshift altar. Quinn lit the small candle that he had placed in the centre before kneeling down on the floor in front of it. He bowed his head and thanked the Dark Lord for giving him this opportunity to prove himself, asking for the courage to carry on. He prayed for the souls of those that he had lost.
He could see the box out of the corner of his eye and he sighed. The longer he put it off, the worse it would be, so he went and picked it up and placed it on the bed. On the wall next to the door there was a plain wooden shelf with hooks underneath, he presumed, for hanging jackets from. The location of it was perfect, though, and the shelf was just the right size. He opened the lid of the box and gently took out the first skull, unwrapping the gauze that surrounded it. He could tell by the scent of them which one was which, and he placed them one by one, side by side, onto the shelf. Ashtoreth was in the centre with their kits on either side, Zaya on the left and Lyssa on the right.
He ran his fingers gently over the three of them, trying not to think of them, but it was no use. The memory of the last time he saw the three of them together, alive, played in short bursts in his mind. Flashes of pale hair blowing in the breeze. Turquoise eyes sparkling with mischief. The sound of their laughter as they played by the lake one last time before he had to go. The feel of his mate’s fingers teasing his hair as she kissed him goodbye. Insignificant things that he had taken for granted, blissfully unaware that they would become a collection of lasts that would haunt him until his dying day.
He growled in frustration. After all of this time, the memories cut just as deep. They were home again now, though. The vision he’d had when he first arrived at the Abbey had shown him that this place was it for him. There was a happy ending here somewhere, although the ether hadn’t seen fit to show him what it would be. He hoped that this wasn’t another trick of fate, though. The last time he’d allowed himself to be contented was that ultimate day with his family, and fate had snatched them away from him. 
He wondered what cruel twist it might have in store for him this time.