#CL JORDAN

[inopinatus-ea]

WELCOME

Welcome to the Kingdom of Annisgwyl ruled by King Branoc, father of Crowne Prince Emery

and Prince Raiden

The kingdom in embattled in an internal civil war and an additional war from a neighboring kingdom that wants to steal part of their land. To try and shore up their forces, King Branoc makes a deal with the Lord of another neighboring kingdom, Uchelgais, King Mavros. If Mavros will marry his only daughter, Princess Adelia

to Crowne Prince Emery and provide soldiers, then Branoc will promise mineral and ore rights to Mavros. However, things go bad from the time that Adelia and her guard, Drach

are introduced to the princes. Things only go downhill from there, leading to the possibility of Emery being replaced as heir. Will the contract and treaty fall through? Has Raiden got ulterior motives? What exactly does Drach know, and who about? And is anyone safe in the house of Branoc when the lights go out?

Coming soon to a blog near you.....

[the-andromeda-effect]

25

Chapter 24

Sometimes the worst prisons are in our own minds....

Caliban set his coffee cup down on the nightstand, and picked up his phone.  He had an idea that might help Adira to relax and feel more comfortable.  Scanning his thumb to unlock it, he turned his head to look over at his wife.  His. Wife.  He was coming to like the sound of it, even though right now it was just in his mind, more and more.  “How about we call your family to let them know that you’re really not dead?  I bet they’re devastated at what happened.  Hearing from you might help them feel better.”

Coffee spilled onto the nightstand as Adira’s cup clattered down hard.  Her breath was coming hard and fast, her heart trying to escape her ribcage as she all but launched herself across the bed to grab and throw Caliban’s phone across the room, where it hit the door with a loud thud.  “NO!”  She grabbed his shoulders and looked in his eyes, barely holding onto control of herself.  “NO!  You can’t. They can’t know.  They can’t ever know.  You can’t tell them, ever.  Promise.  Promise you’ll never say a word, not even a hint, especially to my father.  I’m dead.  I have to be dead.  Always dead.  DEAD.  Do you hear me?  Promise me!  Promise me, Caliban!  I’m dead!”  

Adira’s eyes were wild, she was hyperventilating, and tears were streaming down her face. Just the thought of her family, especially her father, finding out that she was alive sent her into the icy grips of terror and panic.  Memories assailed her as she warred with the urge to get up and flee from the room, no thought to where she would go, or what that would accomplish.

Even though they were sitting in the middle of a king size bed, Adira most resembled a frightened animal that had been backed into a corner by a lethal predator.  Why?  That, Caliban did not know, but her grip on his shoulders was so tight that he was quite sure that her short nails were drawing blood.  The woman who had been ready to die rather than go with him in the basement was no in such a frenetic state he wasn’t sure what the best way to handle her was.

In shock, Caliban continued for a moment to simply stare into her eyes, her pupils blown wide in terror as he tried to figure out how to react without making things worse.  This was a reaction that he had not in any way anticipated.  Trying to help her feel more relaxed had backfired in the most spectacular way imaginable.  Day three of a married man, and so far this one was going as sideways as the previous ones, three for three.  At some point they had to start getting better.  He really did want her to calm down, lest one of her guards or Theron decide to sedate him and whisk her off somewhere.

Gently he took hold of her arms finally, his hands running gently over them to try and calm her.  His eyes kept on hers while he breathed deep and calm in hopes she would match him.  “Adira, my love, calm down.  Breathe with me, darling.”  He kept his voice quiet and soft.  He took deep breaths with her to try and help her calm, gently pulling her towards him so he could hold her until she was calm enough for him to find out more.  Thankfully her grip on his shoulders lessened and she started to let him guide her and come out of her blind panic.

Before he could say more, both Lars and Marcin threw open the door to the room and were in the doorway looking confused and concerned.  “Hey, uh, boss, uh, and, uh, Adira.” Lars started, then paused as he looked around the room for whatever threat had caused the commotion they’d heard from below, “we, uh, heard something hit the door, then it sounded like Adira yelling or screaming.  Is, uh, everything okay up here?”  His eyes were studying the scene before him, and he wasn’t sure what was going on, but he could tell Adira was terrified, and Caliban looked utterly confused.  This wasn’t good. What had happened?

“Adira was just about to tell me why we are never going to let her family know she is alive.  Weren’t you, sweetheart?”  Gently Caliban maneuvered her to be sitting next to him with his arm around her, pulling close against him. His free hand took one of hers, the thumb softly caressing the back of her hand.  “I made a bad suggestion, and what you heard was the response.  Unfortunately, I still have quite a bit to learn about my new bride.”  He clarified without taking his eyes off Adira who was trembling and now had a death grip on his hand with both of hers.

All she could do was nod and swallow, clinging to Caliban like he was her tie to life and sanity. “I’m sorry…”  It came out not much louder than a whisper, and Adira felt her husband pull her tighter against him and murmur some kind of reassurance.  All she could really hear though was the rushing of blood in her own ears.  The thought of her father finding out she was alive, and where she was, had so terrified her that she was having trouble calming back down from it.  The feel of Caliban’s lips against her temple caused her eyes to close and a couple of deep breaths to fill her lungs, she could do this. 

“My father knows what life was like for me,” finally she stuttered out then paused, taking several more deep breaths, “I tried to run away once, to go home.  When he found me, he beat me even more than…Mir…Mircea..and drug me back still bleeding.”  Adira’s whole body shook as she started to cry.  Memories assailed her as she began to recount all the times that her father had added onto whatever “punishment” that Mircea had thought she had earned.  Then there were the times that her father felt disrespected and took his anger out on her.  Or the times that he thought he saw her do something that disrespected Mircea, but Mircea wasn’t around or didn’t see, so her father took it out on her.  If it hadn’t been for Caliban’s strong hold on her, the way he would run his hand over her arm or thumb over the back of her hand, and the soft kisses on her temple when she stumbled over words, she wasn’t sure she would have had the strength to keep going.  Knowing he was there supporting her somehow gave her the strength to face the nightmares of her past.

The whole time Adira was talking, the three men said nothing.  Caliban was trying to reassure and comfort her, while also trying to digest everything she was recounting to them.  It was painful to listen to all she had endured, so he could only imagine how hard it was for her to relive.  His mind was having a difficult time comprehending how a parent could inflict such abuse on their child, let alone condone what Mircea had done and add further to it.  He knew she wasn’t lying, but he was still struggling.  The one thing he kept focused on was making sure that she felt supported and cared for.  There was no missing how hard it was for her to talk, and he didn’t mind being her rock to lean on for it.

More than once Lars and Marcin looked at each other as they listened.  Both men had worked for Caliban for some time and had carried out operations for him.  They might have inflicted the type of abuse that Adira was recounting upon men, but never women.  They knew few in their sphere of influence who would, even if the woman had done something to cause them great harm in one way or another.  Even death was brought more swiftly and painlessly to women.  It was the way that things had always been done, so to hear her speak of her father backing Mircea and being just as brutal, it was uncharted territory for both of them.  While Caliban currently just looked stunned, they had a feeling that when he had properly digested all she was saying that he would have much to say on this, and probably some actions that he desired to take.

When she had finished, the three men looked at each other, matching expressions of rage burned in their eyes, but they remained silent.  Caliban was the first one to speak.  His calm voice belied how enraged he was at all he had heard.  Now was not the time for that, that would come later.  “Lars, would you please get Adira some water?  Also, bring me the first aid kit from the supply room off of the kitchen?   I need to rewrap her hand.  Then, if you gentleman will please leave us, I think my wife needs some peace to fully calm back after the upset that I caused her.”

Lars nodded then headed towards the stairs to get what Caliban asked for.  Marcin stepped into the room to grab Caliban’s phone that was on the floor, and place it on the dresser, then mirrored Lars’ movements.  Neither man particularly wanted to remain, they had no idea what to say or how to respond without it being awkward.  Best to leave things to Caliban until it was needed that they do otherwise.

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[battlegroundofdreams]

7

Chapter 6

Morpheus goes to find out what is going on in the Dream Ward...

The ride back down to the Dream Ward solidified Morpheus’ plan of action in his head.  He had to get into the Ward, no matter what it took.  So, when he exited the elevator back on the Dream Ward floor, he didn’t even slow as he approached the guard that was between him and the actual ward where agents went into the semi-sleep that allowed them to enter the dreams of mortals.   The male stepped in front of him, telling him once more to stop and the instructions that no one was to enter the Ward were repeated; they were ignored as was the declaration that he was not authorized to be on the floor or the Ward.  

He knew what he was about to do was most likely going to end his career.  However, from what he’d just heard from Agent Rua, he wasn’t sure that Melinoe was going to be able to handle things alone, and get Agent Lorien out of whatever dream he’d been stuck in.  It had been his wounded pride and ego earlier in the day that got her into this mess, now he would do whatever was required to get her out of it.  Then he’d take the time to apologize properly and hope that she’d still agree to team up with him.  What happened with Krios and Andromeda, well that would be left to be seen and handled at some other time.  As far as he was concerned, they were bothbureaucrats that could fuck off and stay out of the way of the agents who did the real work of the bureau. 

When Morpheus reached a few feet from the automatic door into the Ward, the guard fully blocked his path.  One hand came up into the middle of Morpheus’ chest to stop his forward movement, and the other to his weapon; it was clear that he had been warned that Morpheus did not accept “no” as an answer often. This was one of those times, and the guard should have drawn his weapon if he really wanted to stop Morpheus.  The agent had three inches on the guard, and was far more trained heavily in hand-to-hand combat.  Morpheus hardly even paused his stride before slamming his fist into the side of the guard’s head so hard there was an audible crunch as something broke.  The first impact sent the guard stumbling sideways, but it was the second one that had him completely unconscious and crumpling to the ground with a definitive thud. Morpheus did naught but give him a firm kick ot make sure that he wasn’t going to have to deal with him again before he ascertained what the fuck was going on inside those doors.. 

When the doors before him opened, Morpheus strode through with a determined look firmly in place on his face and his hand shaking to try to get the sting out of his knuckles.  The guard might not have been the smartest, but his head was still hard. Upon taking in all that was before him, Morpheus came to a complete stop.  What he saw was unlike anything he’d seen on the Ward before.   The only active agents in the room were Melinoe and Lorien.  The dream monitoring beds they lay on were shoved right next to each other, their hands joined with fingers intertwined.  Around them were more than normal medical staff, additional security staff, Krios, Andromeda, and far too many of the dream walking staff he knew were trained to pull agents out of dreams when things went ass over tits and they couldn’t get themselves out.  Other than the quiet beeping and whirring of the monitors for Melinoe and Lorien, the Ward was completely silent.  Too silent.  It was never this silent.

The sound of the doors sliding open had caught Krios’ attention.  At first he assumed it was a changing of guard, but when no one approached him or Andromeda, he started to suspect there was another reason for the sound that had breached the mandated quiet of the room. Barely making a move to turn his head, his eyes slid to the side, and there he spied Morpheus in a state that he had never seen the other male in before: stunned into silence.  There was a mild amusement at that, and a slight worry for the state the guard outside the Ward had been left in.  No doubt the guard was not conscious out in the hallway, hopefully he was still breathing.  Covering up a death in addition to whatever was going to happen to Melinoe and Lorien might be more than the agency was prepared to handle at the current.  

As he contemplated the current situation that they all found themselves in, Krios was actually surprised it had taken Morpheus so long to get onto the Ward.  He had to wonder what else the agent had been up to and where else he had been.  That was something that would have to be looked into, who else needing medical aid, other than the guard?

Lightly nudging Andromeda, Krios barely tipped his head to clue her in that Morpheus had finally arrived. They had known he would, but neither had been sure what he would do when he found out that they had two agents that the could not pull out of a dream.  It had not happened before, and after the way that things had gone earlier in the day, neither of them felt that was going to be something he accepted lightly.

Krios decided that there was no reason to delay the inevitable. Time to go and try not to provoke an outburst from Morpheus.  Judging from the expression on the agent’s face, he already felt some guilt, but there was anger too.  Explaining all that was transpiring without causing Morpheus to lash out in either of those two emotions was going to be a delicate balancing act, and one that Krios was not sure he was up to with the woman that he loved currently stuck in what sounded to be the most extremely violent dreamscape that anyone had encountered.

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[nightmare-magic]

1

And away we goooooo...

“You know I wouldn’t be calling if I had another option.” Vollrath growled as his teeth ground. He looked around, hating to even have to be there meeting with Morpheus. How did he even get himself into this position. He was a fucking Master Warlock. Shouldn’t he be able to vanquish nightmares? YES! Yet here he was having to ask for help from a being that he hated, and who he was sure hated him.

“Would you prefer to negotiate with Melinoe?” Morpheus smirked, knowing the answer to that. While Melinoe was less of an asshole than he was, she also had never had a run in with Vollrath before. The other three men who sat at a table near them, obviously hating this as much as Vollrath was, would make her no less pleased than dealing with the jackass warlock in front of him. “So, what did you fuck up to need my help, warlock?” His eyebrows rose in amusement.

“I didn’t fuck anything up. Someone is coming after my wife through her dreams. My brother, and both of the warlocks who serve under me have tried figuring out what’s going on, and neither can. I’m worried, Morpheus. Nothing we can do through our magic is working. The goddess is not helping and even Sylvan seems unable to vanquish whatever is coming to torture her dreams. The ancestors don’t seem to be able or willing to help, they are not communicating which. I’ve never run into anything like this.” His jaw clenched and his hand ran through his auburn hair as Vollrath admitted that he was powerless to fix the problem. Mahala was already afraid to fall asleep and even had to be drugged most nights. Her fear kept her from being able to relax enough to sleep, so it was either drugs or she’d stay away until she passed out.

Morpheus sat back as his eyebrows drew together. That was not what he’d expected. The last time that he’d been called by Vollrath, it had been a witch who’d called a nightmare demon and couldn’t vanquish it. Of course, Morpheus had been able to take care of the problem easily. This situation was a lot more personal and touchy though. Vollrath requesting personal help from him was something that Morpheus knew was not something that the warlock would do lightly. It was one thing to ask for help for someone in the coven, or to undo something that had been done by someone in the coven, but this was different.

“Of course, both Melinoe and I will be glad to help. We also have another team we work with, that we have personally trained. No one should be tortured by nightmares that sound that powerful and violent.” He could see the powerful warlock before him relax, as did the three others at the other table, when they saw Vollrath relax. “I need to know how long it’s been going on and any details that you are able to tell me. That will give my team an idea of what we’re up against and how we want to take it on.” Anything or anyone taking on the wife of a Master Warlock had to be pretty ballsy. To withstand the powers of four powerful warlocks, like the ones before him, meant that they were going to have to call in help from Lorien and Rua as well; which is why he mentioned them. Morpheus had a sinking feeling that they were once again up against something new, or dark.

“About a month ago, it just started suddenly. It was a random nightmare unlike anything that she had ever had before. Mahala, my wife, had problems waking up from it even with me trying to help her using spells. When she did, she was disoriented and unlike herself; and kept falling back into the same nightmare. It was as if there was a tether to her even when she was awakened that pulled her back into sleep and into the dream. I had to give her a potion to stay awake. Then, every night since then, whenever she falls asleep, she falls back into the same nightmare. It is violent and dark….” Vollrath began with how the nightmares started.

From there, he gave details of how the nightmares involved witches that seemed to come from ancient times, chanting in ancient language that she didn’t understand. They were doing rituals that she did not understand, burning her, cutting her, poking her, hitting her, and even warlocks taking place trying to rape her. Vollrath had to pause at times, obviously becoming overcome by emotion at what his wife had gone through, the obvious emotional and physical toll it was taking on her. He did mention that he was always able to wake her up at least before the rapes took place. She would start screaming to please not rape her and he knew that is what was starting. He was afraid, though, that one day he would not be there, and that the emotional trauma would be too much. At times tears made slow rivers down his face, his hands fisted, he shook, and his voice cracked as he recounted all that had been taking place.

The more that Morpheus listened the more disturbed that he became at what he was hearing. His eyes scanned all four Warlocks and it seemed that they all shared the same emotions regarding the situation, which meant that most likely all had tried to help regarding it and failed. This wasn’t the situation that he had wanted, but rarely were you handed one you did.

There had to be some kind of tie in with Vollrath’s history, or that of Mahala. Maybe something in the past of their family, or of the coven. With them both being strong in power and married to one another, there could be no coincidence in what the nightmare was showing them. It didn’t mean that the dream agents couldn’t help her, but it would be more complicated than if it had just been a nightmare assassin of the normal kind that they dealt with her. He was sure by the end that all four of them as a team would be best, if for no other reason than to watch one another’s back.

“We will find out what is going on. All four of my team will help. We will end this. I vow it. We may have our differences, Vollrath, but no one should suffer like that. We begin tonight. I’ll go back and round my crew up. I’ll call you when we’ll meet again so everyone can become acquainted and you can learn what we’ll need from the four of you.” Morpheus was resolute, his voice firm. Whatever was going on with Mahala, he had no doubt that he and his crew could handle it. He just hoped that they were in time to prevent any lasting damage to Mahala.

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[cljordan-imperium]

14

Chapter 13

“You know we might want to get in there pretty soon, kitten.”  Kase’s voice sounded a little hoarse to his own ears before he chuckled.  He had a pretty good idea that was partly because of the thoughts and emotions he was having at the moment, the ones that had led him to a spur of the moment decision he was hoping she wouldn’t make him regret anytime in the near future.  As much as he wanted to stay in the garage and keep kissing her, or talking about what this meant for the two of them, he knew that they were being waited on.  It was better to end the moment now, than have his partner, or Spencer, interrupting.  Not to mention that there was an eye in a cooler down next to his leg.

“Not that I want to let you go.” He added, one side of his mouth lifting.  Why did his timing have to suck for shit like this?  He could have waited till he took her back to her car after the examination of the eye.  But, as Kase knew all too well, some moments never happen again and he wasn’t wanting to chance this being one of them.

As Serena nodded, she couldn’t take her eyes off of his sparkling crystalline blue ones.  As she felt drawn into him, she wondered if he realized how open his emotions were in that moment.  It was like his feelings were flowing through his expression.  She didn’t regret even a second of what happened, but they both knew that it was going to complicate things for them.  At the moment, she was not really caring about that, but they would have to talk about it eventually.  Now, however, was not the time.

“I don’t want you to either, but I think you’re right.”  Finally Serena answered, her voice soft as the butterflies in her stomach took flight again.  “There’ll be time later, Karsten.  All the time we want.”  That both excited her and scared her.  How did she end up in this situation again?  Abandoned by Rob, only to now be torn between Keegan and Karsten.

Giving him one last, quick and soft kiss, her hands slid down his back as she pulled away.  She was dreading going into the morgue, and dealing with things; but it could only be put off for so long. The faster she got to work with the examination of the eye, the faster that they would be done and able to focus on other things. Now it was time to get to work.

“Look alive!  Boss lady and your partner incoming!”  Spencer called out with a laugh as he spun his chair away from the monitor, then stood to start to get everything organized for the examination of the eye.  Things would have to be done with meticulous attention to detail and documentation. Everything would have to be recorded via video, audio, and written records, backups of backups made. No detail of the exam would be too small to be recorded in the record.  For the next few days, Spencer and Serena would be a team working in tandem to accomplish only one goal: to ascertain as much information from that one small eye as they could.  Technically there had been no breach in protocol, and as long as no one ever looked at that security tape, there would be no questions regarding the chain of custody and transportation of the eye.  Even then, the eye was never really out of sight or reach of the ME and the lead detective, even if they were paying absolutely no attention to it for a few minutes.  Spencer was certainly not going to be the one to make mention of it.  Sometimes you just knew to employ discretion.

“I will avoid embarrassing your boss, but I’m going to bust Kase’s balls over that one.”  Declan pointed at the screen where he could see Kase and Rena heading in.  There was no way he could pass that up.

“Just don’t cause a fight in the morgue and I honestly don’t give a shit.  He needs to have them busted for taking so long.”  Spencer chuckled then grew serious.  “Time to look like we’ve been doing something other than standing and watching what they were doing.”  He gave a brief chuckle then hit the button that started the video and audio recording in the room for evidentiary purposes, “beginning recording of examination of the human eye and attached partial ocular nerve that was delivered to the offices of the Cook County Assistant District Attorney Colin Masterson’s office….”  Spencer went on to record all the pertinent case information and details as he laid out the surgical instruments that Serena would need to perform the post mortem on the eye.  There was a great deal of procedural information that had to be recorded in just the right order and with just the right verbiage that Spencer could almost do it from memory except for the parts that changed.

When he heard the click of Serena unlocking the door to her private suite where the eye autopsy was to take place, he made a note of the time to the second, and paused the recording so that any chit chat wasn’t about to become public record. 

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[behindthesemasks]

19

Chap1er 18

Things don't go smoothing when the team makes it back to the hotel

Back in the hotel, Erik paced the room as he waited for the unconscious Andreas to come around again when the door to the room was almost taken off his hinges as it slammed open.  His head snapped to look over and he barely had time to register there was male crossing the room before his face exploded with pain.  Next came the blow to his throat and then his gut, pain exploding throughout his body.  Falling to the ground, he coughed and wheezed, trying to draw in breath, before he was flipped onto his back and a fist slammed into his face a couple more times.  With the beating he was taking, he was pretty sure it was Oglesby’s men who’d found them, and was sure he was going to die.  Each blow raining down on him caused the pain to increase exponentially, then the world went black.

It took Case, Nic, and Gabe to be able to finally pull Klaus off of his brother who was trying to pound Eric into the carpet of the floor.  Ambrose was immediately in the large man’s face, rage written on every line and curve of his face and the steel grey of his eyes almost glowing with the fires of rage.  The threats and promises of pain that were expressed were enough to keep Klaus from going after Eric again, but everyone knew if they didn’t get Klaus out of the room that it was only a matter of time before his resolve would weaken and it would become chaos again.  

No one had heard from or seen Melania.  The group who had been at the hospital were now also missing, and knowing that Oglesby was at least the money behind the attacks, if not the brains as well, put everyone on edge.  If finding out that Andreas was involved in the threat to Alexander hadn’t been enough of mind fuck, now having Erik threaten Mel was definitely one for everyone.  Things were going sideways faster than anyone could adjust and compensate, and that was not a good thing.  For men whose entire lives were adjusting to ever changing circumstances, not being able to find solid footing was not something that put them in a good mood.

“GET.HIM.OUT!” Ambrose bellowed at the men restraining Klaus, his jaw ticking as his teeth were clenched.  He didn’t turn his attention back to Erik until they had succeeded in getting him out of the room.  If they hadn’t been able to, he was ready to shoot the German asshole himself to accomplish it.  His patience was completely gone and he was ready to start dealing out pain to accomplish his orders to those around him.  That  Klaus had surprised him as soon as the lock had clicked on the door had pissed him off to begin with, the condition that he’d left Eric in only made it worse.

“Restrain him like his cousin.  Make sure they’re both still alive and able to talk when I’m ready for them.  Come get me when they are.  I’m done with the bullshit, I think they believe the old man has gone soft.  I’m about to show them differently.”  Ambrose gave instructions to Cam and Donovan before following the others back out of the room.  He could hear cursing down the hall in the direction of the suite.  Time to go talk with his team and calm down enough not to kill anyone, yet.

“Now we know who hired the assholes at the mansion.  That’s one question answered.” Nic was saying as Ambrose walked in.  A quick head nod to his grandfather and he continued. “How the fuck could he NOT know who was financing this fucking dig?  Oglesby is far from stupid, that’s the only reason he’s still alive.  He’s never crossed us, never crossed the wrong person before.  For him to be this careless and foolish now seems a misstep that is unlike anything he’s done before.  I think there’s still something we don’t know about this.”

“We can figure this out later.  We have three missing team members, my granddaughter is missing, and the asshole that orchestrated this is out there as well.  Priorities, gentlemen.  We can assume that Cade, Alexander, and Dez are all still together for now.  Hopefully that will make them easier to find.  Case, Nic, and Gabe, get out there and find all of them.  No excuses for failure.  AM. I. CLEAR?”  Ambrose’s voice was calm but there was no missing the undercurrent of rage in it.  None doubted that he was barely controlling the desire to hurt, maim, and possibly kill someone in the near future.  All the men’s heads nodded as they rose to leave. “What am I supposed to do? Fucking sit on my ass while they’re out there?”  Klaus bit out at Ambrose in frustration.  Eyebrows raised on the other men as everyone froze.  No one wanted to be between the other two if they were going to go at one another.  Was this really the time to piss off Ambrose more? He was never known to suffer fools lightly. 

“That’s exactly what you’re going to do.  You’re a loose cannon, Klaus, I can’t have you out there possibly blowing up at an innocent person, and bringing the Serbian authorities attention swinging around to us. We’ve got two men tied up in here, and a couple dead bodies in a burned out car out in the woods near the excavation site.  You think we want attention on us?”  Ambrose’s head tipped to the side, his lips thinning as his cold blue eyes pinned Klaus with a hard stare. His voice was cold and almost emotionless, something that rather worried the others in the room, who exchanged quick glances.  He was like a volcano that had been smoking and suddenly stopped, an eruption was imminent.

“Someone needs to see if they can locate the GPS tracking devices on the cars, run their credit cards, see if there is ANYTHING that can tell us where the four have disappeared to.  And sweep this fucking room!  How the fuck did she get out of here and leave no trace?”  Now, now there was anger, lack of sleep or coffee was showing in Ambrose’s demeanor.  Just a crack, not a full explosion, but if Klaus pushed him again, there was no telling how big it could get. “Now, you all have your tasks.  Do them.  I’m going to handle our guests here, and find out what the fuck is going on.  I’m sick of playing catch-up.”  Ambrose turned and headed out of the room with no further comment.  He was about to shoot someone, and he’d prefer it to be one of the two assholes down the hall rather than one of the team that he still needed. As Gabe prepared to slip away, he looked over at Nic and Klaus.  Both men looked utterly defeated and worry was etched deeply into their strong features.  Now it wasn’t just Mel that was missing, but the other three who had been at the hospital, at least as far as anyone else there at the hotel knew.  He was the only one who knew that none of them were in danger and they were all together.  There was a little bit of guilt that gnawed at him over that, but not enough to stop him from what he planned on doing.  No, his loyalty did not lie with anyone in the hotel where he now stood.  He was going to those with whom he felt the most loyalty.

“Guys, try and look on the positive side.  Maybe the others have found her, and that’s why they’re not answering.  Case and Cam said that they had called the guys more than once before they had gone out looking too.”  Gabe tried to give some reassurance, if only to relieve his own guilt. “Yeah, I’m sure they’re all kicked back and drinking coffee in some posh shop while we have been looking for them and worrying.” Nic bit back, sorry afterward that he had been quite so harsh.  “Oglesby has got to be close, Mel is a bargaining chip and Alexander is a target.  It’s not safe to assume anything at this point.”  This time exhaustion and worry was clear in his tone and words. Gabe nodded curtly and headed out the door behind Case.  He felt a vibration in his pocket and swiped to open his phone while they waited for the elevator.  It was the 228 number again.  ::Omni #955.  Package is tired::  It was all he could do not to laugh, someone had clued her in on the lingo.  As soon as he could be, he’d join the four that were there, then they’d have to figure out how to deal with the boss.

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[whileyouwait-dm]

4

Chapter 3

A new day dawns...

The morning after her arrival, Miriana awoke and looked through the closet.  She was surprised to find a wide variety of clothing, and all of it in her size.  There were some that weren’t quite her style, but most of them seemed like something she could at least make work.  Shoes lined the floor as well, once more in sizes that would fit her.  The dressers contained everything else she’d need for outfits.  From the amount it looked like she was going to be Djall’s guest for a while.  She guessed if he was going to provide for her like this, it wouldn’t be all bad.  How he, or someone he’d hired, had known her sizes was a mystery, but then maybe when you are the Lord of Hell, somethings are just known.

After dressing in something comfortable, she opened the door to the hallway, and found herself facing a large and rather imposing male across the hall.  She guessed this was some kind of guard, meant to keep her from just wandering around in the mansion aimlessly.  “Good morning.” She attempted a smile, but wasn’t sure how convincing it was.  “Umm…I really don’t know where I’m supposed to go or what I’m supposed to do.  Are you supposed to take me somewhere, or is Djall going to show up?”  Her face scrunched up and her shoulders rose as she talked, her voice also a bit strained as she looked down both directions of the hallway before back at the man’s face.

This apparently amused him a bit, as he chuckled before answering.  “Miss Miriana, I can take you to Djall.  No worries.  You don’t have to be so nervous.  He’s let us all know you’re here, and to help you out while you are.  You may be in Hell, ma’am, but you’re in the boss’ house.  It’s a lot different in here than it is outside.”  He gave her a wink and slightly jerked his head in the direction they were going to go.  “Follow me.”

The guard’s manner made Miriana relax and she thanked him, with a far more genuine smile, before falling in line behind him.  They made their way through the beautiful mansion into what almost seemed like an office building from the way that it was decorated.  Her brow creased as she looked at everything.  Was Hell a corporation?  It kind of made sense. What could be worse than spending your life in a cube farm being endlessly tortured by customer service calls?  It was almost enough to make her shudder at just the thought.  Please don’t have him plan on making her work at a phone bank!

When they stopped at the end of the hallway, it wasn’t hard to tell that the office before her would be Djall’s.  The door was a dark and heavy wood, intricately carved with scrolls, fleur de lis, and faces of many kinds along with a handle that was shining brass.  It was stunning to look at and the detailing was exquisite.  It looked like something that would be more at home in a regal castle than in an austere corporate hallway.  Hell was certainly much different than she had expected.

The guard knocked and when Djall’s voice was heard from inside, the guard opened the door and gestured for her to enter.  As Miriana did, she was as awestruck by the interior of his office as she was the door.  It too could have been from some fairytale like castle rather than a corporate office.  Dark, intricately carved woods adorned everything, a spiral staircase in the corner led to a second floor, floor to ceiling bookcases, plush leather furniture set in seating areas, two small meeting tables with four and six chairs respectively, and at one end was Djall’s massive desk with a beautiful leather chair behind it. Behind that were the two story windows, the first floor in clear glass and the second in stained glass with nature scenes.  She almost forgot to walk down to where he was, she got so focused on taking all of the details of his office in.

“I’m going to assume that my office is to your liking?”  Djall asked with an amused smirk on his lips.  “Altaire, please have the kitchen send breakfast, coffee, and tea in now.” He nodded to the guard who returned the nod and left the room.

“I’ve never seen anything like this in real life.  I’m sorry if I’ve been rude.”  Miriana’s cheeks flamed a bright pink as she walked down to where he was still standing behind his desk at the other end of the room.  Her eyes couldn’t quite meet his, she felt embarrassed for being caught gaping at everything.  “Thank you for everything in my room, Djall.  I feel spoiled.  You really didn’t have to give me quite that much.”  The pink darkened and her eyes dropped to the floor, her smile did not falter a bit however.  

“You can continue to look around the room if you like, you’ll be spending quite a bit of time in here with me. That is, if you accept my offer.” Djall’s smirk did not fade either.  His eyes were keenly on her as her expression changed to one of surprise; and was that a touch of fear?  “And, you are welcome for all of your clothing and needs.  If there is anything missing or lacking, you have only but to ask.  It appears you will be here a while and I do want you to be most comfortable. Getting you what you want and need is not an issue.” Once more he was struck by her beauty, the way the morning light came streaming through the windows and made her light brown hair sparkle. Thankfully he did catch himself before he reached out and touched it, his hand lightly fisting at his side.

“Thank you.” She said again, feeling like her cheeks were on fire.  He was studying her, something people rarely did and it made her self conscious.  “What is it that you are offering that would keep me in your office?”  She decided to ask, since he hadn't elaborated and she felt a strong need to change the subject before she said something to embarrass herself.

“I am the Lord of Hell, which is just a fancy way of saying I’m the administrator.  I keep it running efficiently and make sure that we have no issues.  I’ve looked into your life on Earth.  You were very good at managing and assigning manpower.  I could use that skill.”  He gave her a smile, still studying every detail about her.  “Normally, the algorithm that decides where souls go after they die does not fuck up like it did with you.  Souls destined to be here are delivered to a holding area, and there is a meeting once a day where they are divided up amongst my Overlords for their eternal damnation and torture. Following so far?”

Miriana nodded.  “Sounds pretty logical.  So what is it that you would like me to do?” Her head cantered as she listened to him, taking in all the details.

“The Overlords are not always happy with my choices.  They end up having another meeting and discussing who they have been given and what they think should be done with them, then end up trading.  I have a lot on my plate with running an entire realm, and I would like you to become my assistant.  You will help me handle the Overlords and my two Warlords.  Determine their strengths and styles then assign the souls to the Overlords, new demons to the Warlords.  Do you think you can help me with that? Anything you need, anything at all, you can have it.  ” Djall’s brows rose as his head slightly tipped to the side.  He could already see her turning it over in her head.  Good.  Come on little human.

Spending the afterlife doing HR?  This was not exactly what she had anticipated, but there were worse things to do.  She was in Hell after all.  She’d be safe, she’d be in this amazing office, and she could ask Djall for anything she wanted.  There really wasn’t a downside that she was seeing.  “Okay, yes. I think that I can help with that.  I accept your offer.  You have yourself a new assistant.”  She gave him a smile, still a little unsure.  She was, after all, making a deal with the literal Devil.  Miriana didn't add that spending the day where she got to look at the hot Lord of Hell was also a nice bonus to the position.  She didn't want him to rescind the offer, or get angry with her for flirting.

“Splendid!”  Djall grinned as he snapped and a smaller version of his desk appeared perpendicular to his at one end.  A leather chair matching his but smaller was behind it.  A laptop appeared on top, but instead of an apple logo, there was a little demon head.  Miriana had to fight a laugh at the detail.  “There are office supplies in the desk, but if there is anything you need, we have an intranet page for ordering office things.  Also, Amazon delivers, you’ll already be logged into our account.  Feel free to order any hair and makeup things I didn’t think of or that you prefer a different kind.” He inclined his head, smirk firmly in place at her wide eyed look. “I prefer to gift jewelry myself..call it a personal touch.” He winked.

“This is all real, right?  I’m not just in a coma or something?”  Miriana asked, still feeling a bit disoriented by it all. 

Djall walked around the desk, standing before her, and taking her upper arms lightly in his hands before leaning his head down towards hers so he could look directly in her eyes.  “I know this is a lot to take in, but it is real.  You are dead. This is Hell.  And you are now Hell’s HBIC, my darling.  It will take a while to all sink in.  Unfortunately, you’re going to have a crash course in Hell life, because my job never stops.”  He gave her a reassuring smile as he inhaled the slight scent of her perfume that lingered from before she had come to his realm.  He was putting the scent to memory to order more for her, a personal gift.  There was a feeling in him that working with her was going to be a pleasure, and he might just miss her when she was gone. 

Miriana nodded, so far life in Hell didn’t seem too awfully bad, but then again she was the guest of the ruler, so she had a feeling that helped.  Blowing out a breath, “okay, where do we begin?’  She gave him a rather nervous smile and shrugged.  Might as well get started, after all, it wasn’t like she had any other plans.

“That’s my girl.”  He winked at her with a grin, and maybe a little flirtation.  Just a little though.  She was going to have to leave and nothing could happen between them, such a shame really.  He had a feeling that he was going to enjoy having her around, and having someone to keep him company and help with the workload would always be welcome.

[bendingthelaws]

13

Chapter 12

Waiting for Karsten & Serena

“Did he just…?”  Declan leaned over Spencer’s shoulder as they watched the security camera that covered the loading dock.  They’d been waiting for Karsten and Serena to arrive, watching the feed to see when the Detective’s truck pulled in.  So, they’d seen the whole situation unfold between the two in the carpark, every second of it.

“Yep.  He did.  Like you’re really shocked?” Spencer chuckled and looked up at Declan.  He wasn’t surprised in the slightest that it had happened.  The only thing he was surprised about was how long it had taken Karsten to get up the nerve, and possibly he picked that day of all days to do it.   Anyone with eyes could see the romantic tension between Karsten and Serena for some time.  Even before Rob left, there had been a way about how Karsten looked at Serena that said he wanted to be the one that made her smile. 

“That his balls finally dropped?  A little.”  He smirked and shrugged with a chuckle.  How long had Declan been hearing about Rena and her douchey ex, Rob?  It seemed any time that Karsten had felt Rob was out of line, Declan had heard about it.  That was more than long enough he knew this was coming, especially after Rob left and the conversations started taking a slightly different turn when it came to the beautiful doctor.  “Should we interrupt them, I mean they have the eye?”  Declan was all but laughing now, he had to hand it to his boy, he’d finally grown a pair and made his move.  When rumors had started about Keegan and Serena, he’d started to doubt Karsten would do anything, but it seemed those rumors were overblown.

As heavy as the day had been, it felt good to laugh and Spencer sure as fuck was at Declan pointing out the obvious.  They both needed it too.  “I doubt the eye minds!  Hell, it is probably the most positive thing to happen around it in a while.  It’s kind of like a romantic vacation before we start poking and prodding it again.”  You got a warped sense of humor working in the morgue.  Sometimes Spencer forgot that not everyone was as comfortable joking about death and body parts and bodies, which he realized as Declan looked at him a bit horrified before he busted out laughing too.

“You have issues Tidwell, you know that?”  Declan shook his head and laughed, continuing to watch his partner and Rena on the monitor.  The little lab rat was strange, but the cop still liked him.  Few could handle what Karsten and Declan saw on the regular, both Spencer and Serena were two of those people, and they were both still pretty sane.

“You have no clue, O’Malley.” Spencer grinned maniacally at him before both men broke out laughing again.

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[magical-mistakes-vm]

20

Chapter 19

Reality is setting in for Mahala

“Vollrath, what is really going on here? With you? With us? With all of you?” Mahala’s voice seemed small and frail. She was terrified suddenly of him, of them, of everything. Nothing seemed to be making any sense, and she so desperately wanted it to. While she had slightly lied that she didn’t trust or forgive Baldur or Elmar, the only one she trusted implicitly was Vollrath. She couldn’t even have explained why she did, but she knew without a doubt that he would never hurt her.

He sighed heavily, not even really knowing where to start without making her fear worse. Vollrath wanted to reassure her, to make her feel safe with him, but nothing he was going to say would do that. “My darling little witch, there is something wrong in the Coven. We don’t know what it is, but Baldur, Elmar, and I need to make a plan forward after what happened today to you from one of our own. Balor is the last person I would have expected to walk in here and be an ally, but he is. He is my brother and while we do not always get along, I do trust him to keep you safe. I would not let you go otherwise.” He gently kissed her forehead. “The prophecy, the one you’ve heard at least twice now, he knows it as well as I do but there are parts of it that we’re forgetting. So, what it means right now? I can’t say, I’m not hiding that from you.” He gently held her face in his hands as he spoke, his eyes never straying from hers. It was as if he was trying to memorize her in case this was the last time he saw her, a thing he did not truly want to imagine. “What started last night between you and me, we felt it from when we first touched. I’ve never had that with anyone. Already you are so special to me, and it scares me that someone could hurt you because of me. I don’t understand it all either, but we’re all going to figure it out together. Tonight though, tonight I need you to trust me, and trust Balor. Please.”

“Why would someone want to hurt me?” She was keeping her questions simple. It was her hope that she’d at least understand the answers then. Most of what Vollrath had just said was putting things she’d already heard in order to make sense of them.

“You are very, very, powerful, Mahala. They might want to keep me, or the Coven, from having access to your power. Then there is the fact that it is now known that you are special to me. There are many that know of the prophecy of our family, it would not take much for those that do, to figure out exactly who you are from that. I wish I could say that it protects you, but it makes you a target just as much as it offers protection.” Vollrath closed his eyes and brought his forehead to hers. An ache was starting in his chest, one he didn’t like. It was the reason he never let people close, it hurt. The thought of pushing her away already had that ache getting worse. He wouldn’t ever be able to do it, and he knew it.

“Who is going to protect you?” Vollrath’s eyes snapped open to meet hers again and she saw the worry in his. The beautiful hazel she was coming to adore shifting almost every second to a slightly different color with his warring emotions and thoughts. She had to wonder if he knew how open he was to someone who knew how to read them.

“I’m pretty good at protecting myself, Mahala. I also have Bal and El here with me. You’ve got my brother. Not an equal split, but I need both of them here with me, or I’d send Baldur with you. That and the humor in the two of them tripping over one another’s name.” Now one corner of his mouth ticked up in amusement. “Trust me, if they keep getting along, it may be the most amusing thing about this situation.” He tipped his head to kiss the end of her nose, then pulled her in tight against him and kissed the top of her head. The last thing he wanted to do was let her go and send her off with Balor; but the longer he waited, the later it would be when he made it back to the two of them.

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[inopinatus-ea]

2

Chapter 1

First meetings, and first impressions...

“Drach, do you think you can shift and we can fly away now? Do you think they’d risk shooting you down?” Adelia had a soft smile firmly in place, but inside she was dying from what she knew was going to be an arduous ordeal of diplomatic niceties. She did not want to be in Annisgwyl. She did not want to be meeting Prince Emery, let alone marrying him. In fact, all of this was the last thing she wanted to be doing. In two weeks she was supposed to have been marrying Duke Alaric, but instead here she was because of her father. Her wonderful father, the King. She hated him and had for years, since he had insisted her brother be the first to wed and kept putting off her own engagement.

“Darling, if I could get away with it, we would be gone. However, we both know they would hunt us both down. I’ve already had my wings clipped once, and did not enjoy it. They have finally healed after over a century, let’s save that fact, and the surprise that I can fly once more, for if we really need it. Shall we?” Winking slyly at the Princess, the Knight assigned to guard her kissed her cheek lightly. Drach had been assigned at her birth to guard her because of his special gifts that few knew of. Shifting into a dragon, breathing fire, and being able to consume humans whole being the paramount amongst those. A tight friendship had grown between the two and he was far more protective of the Princess than any other in her life, including either of her parents.

“If you insist, but if I truly hate him, will you at least promise to eat the Prince then we will both claim innocence and ignorance.” She looked up at him hopefully as her mother futzed with her bejeweled taffeta ballgown over by the lead car. Once more her mother’s vanity was giving her ample opportunity to get her own mask of regality in place. The two women couldn’t be more different, although it was not as if the Queen would ever have noticed.

“That I might be able to do, little one.” Another wink and Drach had to keep from laughing. He did enjoy his young charge’s spunk at times. She kept him on his toes. For a being as old as he, that took some doing.

The doors to the palace before them opened and an older stately gentleman appeared, joined by a woman who seemed to be his equal. Adelia curtseyed, Drach still lending her his arm bowed deeply. They could both hear her parents joining them from the side. Apparently her mother had finally gotten her gown and tiara in order. Small wonders never ceased. Both hoped that the introductions would be short and that they could find the liquor and a quiet corner, but doubted that either would be that lucky. Neither wanted to be there, for very different reasons.

It was shortly after the Kings and Queens had made their introductions that the Princes were called forward. Both Adelia and Drach were studying them. Enough intel had been sent to the castle for her to tell which was Emery and which was Raiden. At least they both were handsome, but from all accounts, that was as far as Emery’s positive attributes went. Raiden’s, from all accounts went much further, but alas he was the younger of the two brothers. Of course, she was cursed with this mating by her father after all.

Raiden was fairer, more conventionally handsome, and just slightly taller than his brother. His blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the sunlight as he smiled over at Drach and Adelia. She couldn’t help noticing that he was already trying to be charming; interesting. Emery on the other had looked more serious. His hair and eyes were far darker than his brother’s, and there was a brooding air about him that Adelia found slightly off putting. It wasn’t that he was unattractive, but his gaze was intense and his demeanor almost aggressive. She could see how just from looks alone he would be viewed as hostile, and she had yet to formally meet him.

“Ah, Crowne Prince Emery.” King Mavroc grinned wide as he stepped forward to greet his future son-in-law. “It is a pleasure to meet you.” He turned towards where Drach and Adelia were still standing. “Your intended, Adelia,” he gestured to her, and Drach began to lead her forward, “and her Royal Knight Drach who has been with her since birth, and will guard her innocence until your wedding night.” There was a slight sneer to his voice at the end of his statement.

“Now, Mavroc, I’m sure that won’t be necessary. My sons are both men of honor.” King Branoc insisted, his brows drawing together. He had not been informed of Drach becoming part of the pre-wedding arrangements. Why the other King would feel such a move necessary confused him.

“Is that why his former paramour Siara is with child on the coast?” Adelia’s mother inquired with a saccharine smile on her face and condescension dripping from her voice. She loved being able to surprise and verbally destroy those she considered lesser. To have such a piece of information at her diposal currently made those before her far lesser.

Raiden’s face went blank as he stared at Emery. What had his brother done? His eyes closed as he took a deep breath. The dishonor of it! Finding out now and from the other royal family only made it worse. At least his brother could have warned their parents.

Adelia gasped slightly and took a step back, her eyes going wide. Drach’s hand came atop hers on his arm to stop her from bolting back to the car. Let the Prince be the center of attention that he so rightly deserved. Oh, being a dragon was so fun when you could obtain information that was useful. This tidbit was the best so far, or at least he had thought so before he saw the complete look of shock and horror on the Prince’s face.

“EMERY?!” Branoc’s voice boomed off the stones around them all and seemed louder than should be possible. Everyone else winced but his eldest son stood still as Adelia’s eyes cut back and forth between father and son.

“IF she is,” Emery closed his eyes and cursed the gods above, “it is not mine.” His jaw clenched. He did not know whose it was, but on this he wasn’t lying. Now not only was he humiliated in front of his fiance-to-be, but his father was most likely going to literally beat him until he couldn’t breathe at the earliest convenience.

“How about we all go inside?” His mother’s voice was thin and strained, the smile on her face tight and not meeting her eyes. She looked at the King and Queen before her, trying not to lose more face than had already happened as she curtseyed and then gestured to the door behind her, Raiden thankfully having already moved to the side.

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[theimperiumchronicles]

Happy WBW! As I continue my reading saga of death and grief, tell me a little about the subject in your world. How is death treated and thought of? How do your characters-- or the world at large-- handle grief in relation to it?

Hi, Sweetheart!

It just so happens... I HAVE A POST FOR THAT!

Well, actually I have a post for how the Horsemen and their friends handle it anyway. It was written WAAAAAAAAAY back in 2016 and is in 1st person from Abriella's point of view. This was before she was the Horseman of Death and WAY before she was the Queen of Hell/Imperium. She was just a Nephilim Warrior all the way back then. In fact, she was also a roleplay character at the time as well as my writing stories like this one for her. The other chapters that go along with this can be found in my pinned post, The Imperium Chronicles section, under HISTORY if you want to check those out too.

My brain is still kind of fried from dealing w/2 actual deaths in my real life and now sitting in the path of a hurricane, so I apologize I have nothing for any of my other WIP's, but...I did for this one and I even got it out on the same day you asked!

<3

[casperiusandmartenique]

CHAPTER 3

“HORACE!” Casperius’s voice echoed off of the stone walls of the large manor house he lived in as he threw open both of the large front doors as he strode through.  Long steps took him across the grande entrance as he waited for his butler to show himself.  There were things to be done and plans to be made, and Cas wanted them started right away.

“Sir?” Horace appeared from a side room, not sure what had upset his master.  Not that Casperius was a calm demon, but he normally didn’t come in yelling and upset.

“Come into my study.  I have plans to make and I need you to organize the staff and household.  Changes are coming.”  His tone left no room for question and it was an order, not a suggestion that it would be done.

Horace motioned for someone that had been in the room with him to follow and quickly caught up with Casperius.  He would ensure that whatever it was that his master wished would be done, and done to perfection.  It was one reason that he was so trusted by his master.  While he was a servant to Casperius, he was also a trusted advisor to  the noble demon.

As soon as Casperius entered his office, he went straight to the massive mahogany looking desk that dominated the room and stood behind it, waving his hand to bring up an illusion of the manse and grounds in the center, and off to the side a floorplan of the top floor where the residence apartments were.  He also brought up one apartment up.  Leaning over the desk, he studied the center portion first.  Things would be taken in order. 

Horace was quick to enter behind Casperius and his brows knit together when he saw what his boss was leaning over.  What did the demon have planned?  Close behind him was Visalus, the valet for both Horace and Casperius.  He was trusted by both and if there was something serious and extensive that was going to need to be done, Horace had a feeling that his aid would be needed.  Both men felt a sense of dread when they saw the situation that they were walking into.  Horace closed and locked the french doors that lead into the large room walled with floor to ceiling bookcases then turned to his master, “what is it you wish of us, sir?”

“Come.”  Casperius beckoned the two males.  He was glad that Horace had brought Visalus without having to be told to.  “The grounds have been rather plain around the manor house of my property that are not wooded.  This needs to be changed.  I want gardens, hedge rows, flowers, ponds with fish, reflecting pools, fountains.  I want it to be as grand as the Palace of Versailles.  There is a nature sprite who will be coming to visit in the near future.  I want her to be impressed and for what we have to leave her in awe.  This is not a request, this is an order. Am I clear?”  His gaze alternated between the two before him.

Horace’s brows rose and he looked over at Visalus.  A female?  A sprite?  They were doing extensive landscaping just for a visit from a sprite?  “Yes, sir.”  Horace answered in a clipped and efficient manner with a head nod.  He would not question, regardless at the moment.  Later, when things were progressing he would inquire what had brought this about.

“Good.”  Casperius nodded in acknowledgement and moved to the floor plans next.  “This empty apartment next to mine is to be redecorated immediately. A door is to be put between it and mine.  The fireplace and chimney are to be inspected and readied for use.  Colors are to be muted and of nature. Linens are to be silken and creams, pinks, silvers, and bluish-gray.  I am going to need a tailoress fae immediately.  This is to be done in the next few days.  Questions?”

Once more Horace and Visalus looked at one another, there were lots of questions that both of them had, but neither of them were sure if this was the time to begin asking them.  Both men gave small shrugs, the questions would wait.  “No, sir.  I will summon the fae immediately.”  Horace responded.  

“Good.”  Casperius nodded and now finally looked up at the two men.  “I need the kitchen staff to research and learn what nature sprites eat.  In coming days, I want sampling menus.  I want some of our normal dishes to be altered in ways that might make them palatable.  Food needs to be available for our guest when she comes, she may be staying.” 

“Of course, sir.” Horace nodded.  “We will ensure your guest is taken care of and welcome.  However, if I may take a moment, are we to assume that the sprite will now be a resident of the manor?  If so, will she require staff as well, My Lord?”  The changes that Casperius was making were bold and drastic, not something that the demon was known for.  He did not change things for others, only for his own purpose and pleasure.   If he was changing things for another now, then something had happened and Horace wanted to be prepared and to prepare the others.

“If things go according to my plans, then she will be a permanent resident of the manner.  However, she will not require additional staff other than a permanent tailoress fae.  Find one needing long term employment and who can keep her mouth shut.  I want one with discretion.”  Horace was familiar with how lose lipped fae could be and he understood the concerns of Casperius.  He gave a curt nod in response to the request.  “She will be mine.” 

Horace’s mouth opened and closed like a fish, he knew he had heard Casperius right but the true meaning behind it he was unsure of.  “Yours?” He finally managed to get out in a tone and inflection that said it was a question of so much meaning.

“MINE.” Casperius stood erect and looked Horace straight in the face.  What about that declaration was so confusing to people?  Martenique had been confused by it as well.  That Horace did not seem to understand the stated and unstated implications of it displeased him and Casperius’ face reflected that.   Visalus stepped back some, unsure of what was going on, but not wanting to feel his master’s ire.  “She has agreed to court.”

“To court?”  Horace asked, clearly flummoxed and confused.  Had his master struck his head? He was not sure if demons could get traumatic brain injuries, but that would at least explain this sudden change.  Maybe the sprite was really a seductress of some kind and had him under some kind of enchantment.

“She is quite…unusual.”  Casperius picked the word that he thought would best fit her.  “She is unique and when she comes here I want her to be so enraptured with all that she sees that she will not want to leave.  You two will make it happen.”  A smirk formed on Caperius’s lips and the look on the rest of his face indicated to both of the males before him that failure was not an option.  Pain and torment would be the only rewards for not meeting his expectations.

“As you wish, sir.” Horace bowed slightly and Visalus mirrored it, both men now confused on what had caused such a change in their master.  If a female had indeed captured his interest, it could cause great change in the manor.  If she was of the same mind as Casperius, may Lucifer help them all.

[adrielandanna]

The Casket Girls of New Orleans & Birth of an Immortal

October 1735 - New Orleans, LA

Annabella Maria Elizabeth LeFebvre stepped off of the ship and onto the gangplank.  The trip from France finally over.  She and the other women on the vessel were embarking on a new life in New Orleans and the Louisiana territory, one that none of them were quite sure of.   They had been contracted to be brides of the merchants and trappers in the French colony.  Some were happy about this, many were not.  Annabella Marie was a little different than the others, she had been sent for a specific gentleman rather than to be inspected and selected like she was some form of chattel.

They were called Casket Girls for their luggage.  Depending on who you ask, their bags were anywhere from the size of a modern overnight bag to that of a steamer trunk, and then some claim they were the same height as the women.  They were “filles à la cassette” (women with suitcases).  “Cassette” morphed in time to “casquette” and then with the retelling of the story “casket” in English.  Paranormal fiction and folklorists have also not helped the case of the poor women conscribed to come to the mosquito ridden Louisiana shores and marry the men that the Catholic Church were sure to turn to lechery if upstanding French women were not sent over.  They have turned the contents of their luggage from petticoats and dresses into vampires and all other manner of creature.  They have romanticized what was most certainly one of the least romantic experiences for a woman of the time.  But it was one that Annabella LaFebvre was conscripted to by her family to try to gain status, and as a woman of the time, she had little choice but to go.

Within a week of landing on the shores of New Orleans, Annabella had married Etienne Fahey, a French-Irish nobleman and wealthy merchant.  Her station was elevated from what she had in France, but it was not what she had expected.  New Orleans was not what you see today, but was a grouping of houses that expanded out from Fort St. Charles.  There was no French Quarter or Garden District.  Those would not come for some time.

While Etienne was wealthy by the standards of the area and their home was larger than most, it was far from the estates of France, or what the area would hold in the future.  In addition to this, Annabella’s husband was often gone for weeks and months at a time acquiring the goods he would sell to the plantations and other cities within the territory.  During these times, she was left alone to tend the home and raise their eventual children.  Etienne and Annabella would have 8 children, only 4 surviving infancy.

After 10 years is when the attack came in the night.  Even to this day, Annabella could not say what or who it was that slaughtered her family.  She could say that she fought with every fiber of her being to defend those she loved, but at the end of the night she was the only one breathing as dawn’s light crested the trees along the banks of the Mississippi.  It was then she saw Jean Pierre and Armaund.  They offered her a different kind of life, an immortal one, and a chance to keep what had just happened to her family from happening to others.  She took it.

In the following almost 400 years, New Orleans has changed a lot and Annabella has been there through it all.  Now owning an apartment in the French Quarter, a stately home in the Garden District, a plantation along River Road, and a home in Baton Rouge as well, she hunts and keeps those things in line that “go bump in the night”.  Able to search memories and pull out even the most buried of them, her gifts often help other immortals around the globe who do the same kind of work she does.  

Annabella was trained personally by Jean Pierre and his husband Armaund.  They helped her through the ritual with the Voodoo Queen and adapting to an immortal life and the powers that she had newly acquired.  Through the years, they became friends, then even closer to becoming family.  She calls them her big brothers, all of the rest of her family long lost to history.  Unlike the family that sent her to a foreign land to marry a man who neither loved her nor had ever met her, they have looked out for her over the years and helped her many times.  In turn, she has done the same and they now have developed a bond and rapport of true siblings, sometimes to the chagrin of other immortals that they work together with

Through the years, Annabella Marie has never had another serious relationship.  This is not because of some respect for Etienne.  She never truly loved him, but did love her children.  It is rather because she has never met a man who she was attracted to and respected enough to engage in a relationship with.  She had a loveless marriage once, and she will never go through that again.  This doesn’t mean, however, that she has been celibate.  She makes no apologies for how she lives her life and asks no one’s approval.  She may have been given no choice in her early life, but she will live her life now on her terms.

[cljordan-imperium]

Proud Tag

I'm using an Open Tag by @talesofsorrowandofruin

I haven't written a lot while being away, but I did this and I'm pretty proud of it. This is from @inopinatus-ea

Rules: Post a snippet you’ve written that you’re pleased by/proud of and tag some friends.

Branoc saw Adelia’s movements, but didn’t realize her intention until the crack of her hand impacting Emery’s cheek sounded like a gunshot in the room that had now fallen deathly quiet.  The look of righteous indignation upon her face caused Raiden to take a step back, and Emery, who was already battling confusion on why his father had just humiliated him, stood stunned into absolute silence.

“How dare you!  First a humiliation is unfurled at my feet upon arrival that my intended has impregnated another woman, but now you refuse me?  Look me in the face and explain yourself, Prince Emery.  Do not have your father do your bidding, you spineless coward!  If a way out of the betrothal is what you desire, then I demand an explanation for the humiliation and dishonor you have brought upon me with your rejection.” Fury was rife across her face as her dove grey eyes bored holes into him.

“I did no such thing!” Emery protested, still in shock from his father's announcement and now Adelia’s actions.  The flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye was just enough to be able to grab her wrist to keep her from striking him again. “This was not my choice, Princess.  It is not I who have rejected you.  That decision was my father’s.” He heard his father say something off to the side, but he did not break his gaze from Adelia’s.  Within her eyes he could see anger flaring, but there was something more as well that he could not yet define.

“Why should I believe you?  Your father is the one who desired me to come to be your betrothed as no other Princess Royal would have you.  Now you assert that he is the one who wishes me to be married to his second son, not his heir.  Why would I agree to such a degradation of my status?” She took a step closer to him, not giving an inch in her rebuttal of his words. Her arm.jerked against his hold, her face set in righteous indignation. Just like he could read her eyes, she could read his.  He wasn’t lying, which only confused her more, but now Drach’s instruction to confront him about the refusal of betrothal was making sense.  There was more going on around them, and she was but a pawn in the chess game Branoc seemed to be playing with his sons.

With one hard jerk, Emery had Adelia flush against him, looking down into her face that seemed to him like that of a dream, even in her anger.  “I would never ask you to degrade yourself, or reduce your status, Adelia.  Nor would I reject you for no reason, and I did not.” His voice lost the edge of aggression it had held before, and Emery prayed that she would believe him.  “I was delayed in returning from the errand my father sent me on because…” Here went nothing, or maybe it was everything.

“Because?” She asked, Adelia’s tone also softening, along with her expression. She detected that he indeed had a reason that he was unsure of sharing, which made her eyes narrow slightly. 

“My father had given me a ring to propose with that included a large diamond, gaudy and befitting a Queen in all ways.  However, it did not suit me.  I had returned to my chambers to retrieve the ring I wished to give you, in hopes that you would begin to understand me, and accept it, and me.” Emery’s free hand reached inside his suit coat to pull out the worn leather ring box from his inner jacket pocket.  Releasing her wrist, his fingers shook slightly as he opened it.  He knew it would enrage his father, and possibly insult Adelia, but he was following his heart in this. 

Nestled in the ivory velvet of the box was a ring that at first had Adelia’s brows coming together. It did not look like an engagement ring in the slightest. There were diamonds, but the main focus of the ring were three heart shaped pearls that were inlaid, with the diamonds then placed around them.  It was beautiful, unique, and unlike anything she had expected.  Certainly she had never heard of a Prince proposing a betrothal with such a ring, certainly not one that was the heir to the throne of the kingdom.

“My mother was not royalty,” Emery saw the shock on Adelia’s face that the Queen was not his mother, “but she was nobility.  Upon her sixteenth birthday this ring was a gift from my grandfather to her. It is now all that I have left of her after her death.”  Branoc’s voice seemed far away booming his name, which he ignored. “There is nothing I treasure more in this world than this ring.  Which is why I wished for the woman that I will also treasure unlike any other in this world to wear it as my vow of commitment to her.  Adelia, there is no chance that child is mine, I swear upon all I hold dear.  I vow that you shall be my beginning and my end of love.” Removing the ring from the box, he held it out hoping she would accept, but preparing himself for rejection. Emery had never been this raw with anyone, and now it may be his undoing.

“HOW DARE YOU!”  Branoc’s voice boomed louder, closer, and even more enraged than he had been in front of the Palace. There was no doubt in Emery’s mind that pain was soon to follow.  Then two things happened he did not anticipate, but was thankful for.

Tagging to share - @pheita @watermeezer @writingmaidenwarrior @zablife @cillmequick

My normal tag list if not above -

@saltysupercomputer @dreaminggoblin @abalonetea @toribookworm22

@crowandmoonwriting @mama-ivy @jadeglas @ashirisu

[palaceofimperium]

Before Abriella came into his life, Cruz avoided females for the most part. Never gentle or one blessed with tact, he found it the easiest way to do things. Even after finding his sister, she was the only one he mostly associated with. Now she is bringing her female friends to Imperium and Cruz is wondering if after 1500, this is what a brain tumor feels like.

[graeadalicia]

Grae glanced at the dress hanging against the door. He was trying to remember if he'd ever had such a thing hanging in his chambers. Adalicia was not the first female of any type to have taken up residence within them, but he could not remember anything nearly so frilly and feminine. Most of the other females had been more sexual and sensual, yet one more thing about the petite female that flitted about his presence that he found intriguing in its uniqueness.