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ethereals-call · 2 years

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The Runic Falls Part 11

The lights in the parking lot shine dimly as Juniper watches vehicles pull into the back row. When Elise, the coven mother, emerges from her SUV, Juniper pushes off from leaning against the hood and goes to her. “I take full responsibility for this failure, mother, my apologies.”

Elise’s flowing silver hair shines, accenting her aged complexion. “There is no need to apologize. We have gathered, and this will be concluded.” She places a comforting hand on Juniper’s shoulder, and Juniper tilts her head. “These visitors will know the consequences of their disrespect.” Elise turns to her company, “come! Let us gather.” Forming a small circle, she addresses the elders. “We all know why we are here. A sister has been taken from us, and mediation has been unsuccessful. Tonight, we will show these outsiders the power of the Descendants of Erebus. Regret and despair will be their companions this night. Go, and take your places….”

“STOP!” Everyone turns.

“Jeremy,” his mother calls out, surprised. “What are you doing?”

“Don’t do this,” he pleads as he approaches. “This is not going to work. What about Kyra? What if they….?”

“Enough, Jeremy!” his mother places her hands on his shoulders. “You should not be here. This is….”

“No!”

She sighs and looks to the circle, “my apologies. Please, continue; I will join you in a moment.” Elise nods, and the circle dispenses. “Jeremy, this is the only way. If your sister could return to, she would have. We cannot allow this to ….”

“There has to be another way! What if she is trapped inside and can’t…?”

“Jeremy!” his mother snaps. “Think about what you are saying. Your sister is the most powerful witch in the coven. Do you really think there is anything in that building that can hold her?” She holds his gaze, and he starts to accept what she is saying. “This is the only way. They have taken her somewhere, and we cannot allow this atrocity.”

Jeremy shakes his head, “she can’t be gone.”

“I am sorry, but I am afraid she is,” she hugs him. “Go home; this will be over soon enough,” she steps back and looks at him. “I know she would be proud of you for not giving up,” she smiles. Jeremy’s head drops as he nods. “We will talk when I get home,” she rubs his arm then turns to join the others.

He watches her disappear then looks at the tall tower of glass. “I know you wouldn’t just leave. You are in there, somewhere, and I am going to find you! I am not going to abandon you!”

*****

“Atticus,” Lazlo says as he sits down. “It is a little early for poker. Admittance is not scheduled to begin for another hour.”

Atticus leans back and intertwines his fingers. “Do you think I find your statement clever?” His gaze shifts between Lazlo and Micah, leaning against the desk. “Are you questioning my sincerity?”

Lazlo sighs, and his chair creaks. “There has to be some other arrangement that can be considered. What you are asking is not possible.”

“I see,” Atticus stands, and Micah jumps to his feet. “You will simply have to take her place.” When the lights flicker, Lazlo reaches under the desk for his sword. Atticus grins menacingly. “I think I shall enjoy this.” In a haze of movement, Atticus lunges for Micah. Lazlo swings his blade, and Atticus disappears in a puff of smoke. The lights beam, again and Micah curses.

Lazlo looks over and sees that his shoulder is bleeding. “Micah!” he calls out as he rushes to the minibar for first aid.

“It’s alright!” Micah snaps as he pushes up from the desk. “I was just grazed.” Lazlo walks over and presses a cloth against the bleeding wound. “It will be healed in a few minutes.”

Lazlo shakes his head, “I am sorry. It was not my intention….”

“I know,” Micah says as he holds the cloth to his arm. “I didn’t expect him to leave. Where do you think he went?”

Lazlo shakes his head. “I don’t know. Maybe he is returning with reinforcements.”

Micah nods, “Makes sense. Should we take this…?” The communicator beeps, and they both turn.

Lazlo taps on it, and Gatlin’s face appears. “Come to the bar. We need to talk.” He disappears before they can reply.

“What is that all about?” Micah asks.

“I don’t know, but we had better go and find out,” Lazlo says.

*****

“What happened to you?” Gatlin asks when he sees the blood on Micah’s shirt.

“Atticus,” Micah says as he approaches the bar.

“Atticus did that?” Jackson asks, then shares a look with his companions.

“What is going on?” Lazlo asks.

“We had an interesting visit,” Gatlin says, “from the coven.”

“The coven, again. What did they want this time?” Lazlo asks.

“They gave us an ultimatum,” Gatlin says.

“You called us down here for their ultimatum?” Lazlo asks, annoyed. He waves, interrupting Gatlin. “We don’t have time for that. We need to prepare for ….” Everything goes dark, and the red glow of the emergency lights blink on. “What the heck?”

“What is this?” Jackson asks.

“I don’t know. Maybe we just lost power,” Micah says.

“Do you honestly think that is what is going on?” Jackson snaps. “You cannot be that naïve. You come down here with a bloody wound, and a coven has threatened you! What are you going to do?”

“He is right,” Gatlin says. “We need to evacuate the guests.”

“Were we going to do that anyway, so….” Shattering dishes interrupt Lazlo.

“Jackson,” says a guttural voice. “Do you feel that?”

“Yes,” Jackson replies in a low growl.

“What is it?” Lazlo asks.

“Coven magic. They are casting a demonic possession,” the guttural voice says.

“No,” Jackson interjects, “it is a legion possession.”

“What does that mean?” Micah asks.

Glowing, yellow eyes begin to shine from the dining room. The kitchen door slams open, “Kim,” Gatlin calls out to a yellow-eyed figure. “What is…”

“They are possessed!” Jackson calls out. “Come, we will stop the coven!” Windows burst as three shifting werewolves leap.

“We need to go,” Micah starts to back away as glowing, yellow eyes begin to gather.

A beep sounds from Gatlin’s pocket, and he reaches for it. “Sir!”

“No time to explain. We have a breech! Arm yourselves and avoid engaging the patrons at all costs. Fall back to the armory!” Gatlin orders.

“What about….?”

“We are in rout!” he replies.

“Yes, sir!”

“Either of you have a jump crystal?” Gatlin asks as he hops the counter.

Lazlo groans. “They are in the room!” Micah exclaims.

“Guess we will have to do this the old-fashioned way!” Gatlin says. “It is fastest through the game room.” They both nod as Gatlin takes the lead.

*****

“I can hear them,” one of the werewolves calls out. “They are chanting something!”

“Split up,” Jackson calls out. “Interrupt their circle, and their control will end. They will be in pairs; the caster will be guarded.” They separate, and Jackson follows the voice resonating in his ears. He knows who it belongs to, and he intends to take retribution. She has crossed the line using humans as weapons. He bounds through the wooded portion of the hotel grounds and finds her, chanting with her arms out while Juniper stands guard.

She spins when she feels his eyes on her. She flings her hands up in defense as the massive beast skulks towards them. “I wouldn’t,” she calls out. “This does not concern you.”

Jackson stands, letting his towering height loom over her as he approaches. She holds her ground and begins to whisper an incantation. “End this!” Jackson is barely understandable.

“You are on the wrong side,” Juniper tells him.

“I am not on a side. I am only concerned for the humans. Now, end this or….” He dodges when a burst of power streaks by him.

“No harm will come to the humans. The Fae have brought this on themselves!” Juniper calls out as she sends more blasts of power at him. Trees fall to the ground, and dirt sprays in his wake as Jackson springs away. He avoids her volley of fire as he charges at her. He stands up, reaching out to swipe at them. He swings and almost topples over when he feels nothing under his claws. He looks, and their image waves away. He curses then roars in frustration. He should have known what he was looking at. He lifts his nose in the air and sniffs.

*****

Jeremy stands in the middle of the dark lobby. He looks around, trying to decide which way to go. He can feel the power of the coven as they begin to cast, and he knows he does not have much time. He reaches into his pocket, takes out her phone, and then pings her tablet. “Top floor,” he mutters. “That is as good a place as any to start.”

He looks for the elevator, and yellow eyes begin to appear. They hiss, “coven,” as he walks past.

Stopping in from the double doors, he sees that the arrow lights are out. He curses since he didn’t think about how the power outage would affect the elevators. His eyes follow the red glow of the exit sign. “The stairs it is, then.” He opens the door and looks up at the winding spire of steps. “You are so going to owe me when I find you.”

*****

Gatlin opens the door to the game room and stumbles backward. “What is it?” Lazlo catches him.

He looks up when Micah curses over his shoulder, “vampires.” They look behind them at yellow-eyed figures closing then red-eyed figures in front of them. “Anyone have any ideas?” Micah asks.

“Weapons?” Gatlin asks.

“There are none!” Lazlo says. Micah grits his teeth as he watches shadowy figures rushing at them. He reaches into his pocket. “No!” Lazlo calls out. Micah grips the medallion and snaps it in half. They cover their eyes as a gush of wind spins around them. “What the heck!”

A soft light burns, and they drop their elbows. The shadows hesitate as a massive two-headed crane flaps its wings in front of them. It squawks as its heads move about. “What is that?” Gatlin asks.

“Aliyah called it a Gandaberunda,” Micah says.

“What does it do?” Gatlin asks.

“I am not sure,” he says. He looks at the crane, “clear a path.” The crane squawks and flies in the direction of red eyes. The vampires screech and cringe as it jets by them, and the three of them share a look.

“Go!” Lazlo yells. They hurry through the maze of poker tables and slot machines. Micah stumbles when a vampire lunges over a table. The crane appears and it falls, seething in pain.

Gatlin looks over his shoulder at yellow eyes closing in, “Faster!”

The crane breezes by, and the yellow eyes hiss, “legion!” They reach out to grab at then cry out in pain.

The crane squawks. “What is that smell?” Micah asks.

“Keep moving!” Lazlo barks. “We are almost there!” Gatlin crashes through the next door into a narrow hallway. They run to the end and jump down the flights of steps, pivoting from landing to landing. They barrel through the last door into the underground armory and slam to a stop.

“That was impressive,” Atticus says as he tightens his hold on one of the other Fae.

“Let her go,” Lazlo tells him.

He grins and lowers his mouth to her neck. “Why would I do that? She smells delightful.”

“Just go,” another Fae calls out, then winces.

“There is no need for heroics,” Atticus says. “We can negotiate a trade.”

“What do you want?” Lazlo asks.

Atticus grins, “hand me your prince, and you are all free to go.” The door crashes open, and the crane radiates a blinding light. The vampires writhe in pain and retreat into small, burning lumps.

“What the?”

“Let’s go!” Gatlin orders. They bolt out of the room and down the hall. “Roll-call!”

“All are accounted for! Orders?”

“Retreat! The outpost is overrun!” Gatlin calls out. “Fall back to the portal!”

“But!” Micah tries to protest.

“No buts! I am calling it! We will return and assess! This is over!” Gatlin barks.

“He is right!” Lazlo says as he holds the door open. Micah pauses and looks back as everyone files through. “I will deal with Liam.” Micah grits his teeth and shakes his head as they traverse the final set of stairs.

*****

Jeremy buckles over to catch his breath. “This better be worth it,” he mumbles. He stands and starts down the hallway. He swings the door open and fumbles backward.

“Now, now, my boy. Is that any way to greet an acquaintance?” Atticus asks. The door clicks, and Jeremy panics. He rushes to leave, but Atticus appears in front of him and ticks, “I just want to talk.”

“I am not interested,” Jeremy replies.

“You don’t even know what it is I am offering,” he says as he strolls the room. “I must say I am impressed with your coven. They have masterfully swung the pendulum in our favor, but I suspect that this structure is doomed for destruction.”

“What makes you think that?” Jeremy asks.

Atticus shakes his head. “So young, so naïve, so much to learn. I recognize the incantation.” Jeremy scowls at him. “They do not know you are here, do they?” He grins at Jeremy’s stern response. “This is ideal, then.” Jeremy cuts his eyes at him. “Join me,” Atticus reaches his hand out. “We can bring her home together.” Jeremy’s brow creases. “We want the same things. Let’s help each other. I can show you what real power is.” BOOM! He jumps as he watches smoke trail up the window. “The clock is ticking. There isn’t much time,” Atticus taunts. Jeremy looks around and rushes to the window. BOOM! The building begins to sway. “Go on then, fly. You must know how.” Jeremy’s jaw flexes, and he startles when he feels Atticus caress his neck. “Allow me,” he says as they launch from the window.

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ethereals-call · 2 years

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The Runic Falls Part 10

Micah rides the elevator as it travels to the top floor. He reaches into his pocket and touches the edges of the medallion. He wants to feel hopeful that this could be the item that tips the scale in their favor, but the conversation with Aliyah keeps replaying in his thoughts. Did he make the right decision? He scoffs when he thinks about his conversation with Lazlo. His points were valid, but Micah had to do something. He is always playing it safe and waiting for someone else to take the risk. Not this time; he is taking action to do something. He becomes stern as a sense of resolve settles over him. “Good evening,” Micah jumps, and Atticus grins when their eyes meet. “Mind if I join you?”

“Is there any point in saying no?” Micah watches as the numbers change.

Atticus steps up next to him. “You were so deep in thought you did not notice my arrival.” The elevator pings, and the doors slide open. Micah gestures for Atticus to step through. “How considerate,” Atticus nods. I hope you have heeded my warning. Micah stops and grips the handle on the door. “Let’s talk about it. Shall we?” He swings the door open, and Lazlo looks up from typing. He is about to speak when he sees Atticus walk in. He stands, and his eyes shift to Micah. “We have company. We ran into each other in the elevator.”

“So good to see you again,” Atticus says as he sits in the plush leather chair across from Lazlo’s desk. “Since the female has not returned to her apartment, I thought I would stop in and inquire. I do hope there is a reasonable explanation.”

*****

Gatlin is working the bar as Juniper walks in. The dining room is moderately busy, and the bar only has three people with drinks in front of them. She steps up to the counter, and Gatlin looks up from his three patrons. Recognizing her, he gives them a courteous nod and walks over. Juniper notices their eyes as they watch him. She looks inquisitive since it is a full moon tonight, and they appear to be on the verge of shifting. “We meet again,” Gatlin says as he braces his palms against the counter.

Juniper smiles weekly, “we do.”

“Care for a drink?” he asks.

She shakes her head. “No, thank you. I am here to deliver a message.” Gatlin raises an eyebrow. “We do not wish violence or harm on any of your patrons, but we are done playing games. Return

Kyra to us tonight.” One of the men at the bar notes the change in his mood, “Gatlin, is everything alright?”

Gatlin glances over, “thank you, Jackson. I can handle this.” Juniper raises an eyebrow at his dismissive statement. “Like I told you before, I don’t know what you are talking about. It is not in your best interest to imply harm at any level. We do not take threats lightly. We will respond.”

Juniper nods respectfully, “I am sorry you feel that way.”

“Young lady,” she turns to Jackson. “Heed his warning.” Her eyes scan him and his company as they stand, and the sides of her mouth curl. “Have a good night.”

“What was that all about?” Jackson asks Gatlin as he watches her leave.

Gatlin shakes his head and sighs. “A Fae that was held captive by humans.” Surprise comes over Jackson, and Gatlin nods. “That is what all of this is about. The Enchanted of this realm thinking they can hold a Fae from her people.”

“I see,” Jackson says. “What has come of her?”

“She is home, recovering.”

“What do you make of the young lady?” Jackson asks

Gatlin shakes his head. “I don’t know. She is part of a coven. They have made several attempts to break in but have had no success.”

“Do you think her threat is genuine?” Jackson asks.

“I think their attempt will be genuine,” Gatlin smirks.

Jackson looks at him, unimpressed. “Your arrogance will be your undoing. Time and again, humans have demonstrated their ability. We are not afraid to embrace extremes when pushed.”

Gatlin nods, “it is the same with the Fae.” Jackson’s lips purse as he watches Gatlin greet his next customer.

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ethereals-call · 2 years

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The Runic Falls Part 9

Micah hears beeping from his pocket as he steps into the Crossroads. He reaches for his communicator and sighs when he sees it is Lazlo. He presses the pyramid-shaped crystal. “Hey, where are you off to? I tried to reach you on your cell, but it wouldn’t connect?”

Micah sees and vacant corner and steps out of the foot traffic. “I saw that we are out of tea.”

After a long pause, Lazlo asks, “you decided to get it yourself instead of sending someone?”

“Everyone is busy, and I am available,” Micah replies.

Micah can hear Lazlo shift in his chair. “Where are you going, then?” Micah considers if he should tell him. “Micah, what are you doing?”

“I am going to Dupont’s Apothecary,” he leans his back against the brick corner.

Micah can hear Lazlo’s chair scraping against the floor. “No! After what happened last time! She is not someone to trifle with. What do you hope to accomplish?”

“We have to do something! Wishful thinking is not going to deter the vampires. Liam doesn’t have the resources to help us, and we can’t give them what they want!”

“We will come up with a plan.” Micah hears his footsteps. “You need to come back.”

“We are out of options. We do not have the resources to hold the outpost. There is not enough time for an elaborate plan that will fail.”

“Micah, don’t do this. The cost will be too high.”

“The cost doesn’t matter. There is too much at stake to do nothing.” Micah taps on the crystal before Lazlo can reply. He looks around and steps back into the foot traffic.

When he rounds the final corner of a long row of shops, he jumps sideways. “Good morning,” Constable Easton says with a slight bow. “To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?”

Micah looks at him suspiciously as he straightens himself. “Just running an errand.”

Easton folds his hands behind him and nods. “Mind if I join you?”

Micah gives him a sideways glance. “There is no need. I am sure you have better things to do with your time.”

Easton shakes his head. “No, I believe that escorting royalty is a priority for me.”

Micah’s shoulders drop since his attempt at discretion has failed. “If you must, then.”

Easton nods as they walk together. “Where are we going?”

“Dupont’s Apothecary, for some tea.”

Easton’s brow creases. “That is an odd apothecary for tea. Are you sure you wouldn’t want to….”

“I am sure I wouldn’t,” Micah cuts him off.

“I see.” Easton pauses when Micah hurries his pace.

He stops and looks at Easton as he opens the door. “Thanks for the escort.” Easton narrows his eyes as he takes hold of the door and follows him in.

“Good morning,” a petite, young dark-haired woman says from behind the counter.

Micah glares at Easton, but he is oblivious. “Good morning, Ms. Brianne,” Easton bows his head.

She smiles, showing off her full lips. Bending her elbows and resting her chin on her knuckles, she attempts to be flirtatious. “Grandmother is expecting you.” Easton raises an eyebrow and turns to Micah. “I have tea, brewing for us, constable.” He shifts his eyes to her and notes her adoring expression as she watches Micah.

“Come, your highness,” a voice calls from the end of a hallway.

Relieved to be separated from the constable, Micah walks past the counter and shelves of herbs. He follows the hallway to a curtain of beads. Pushing them aside, he steps into a small, dark room with a round table. “Sit,” an older woman with long, gray hair gestures for the chair across from her. “Shall I light a candle for you?” She waves a hand before he can answer, and a small candle ignites in the middle of the table. Long shadows cast as the tiny flame burns. “I have forgotten the comforts of light.”

“Aliyah, I am here….”

“Yes, I know,” she interrupts him. “Your mate is correct. The cost may be more than you are willing to pay.”

Micah lifts his eyebrow at her. “Tell me the future, fortune teller.”

“The outpost is lost,” she says.

“Then what choice do I have?’ he asks her.

She smiles at him. “You can do nothing and let it fall.”

He shakes his head, “no. That is not something I can let happen.”

“As you wish,” she dips her head.

“What will fend off the vampires?” he asks.

She flicks her wrist, and a medallion appears on the table. Micah reaches across and picks it up. He slides his fingers over the engraved image of a two-headed bird. “Break the medallion, and the Gandaberunda will come.”

Micah nods, “thank you.”

“Your heir will be the one to bear the burden,” she says.

“My heir?” Micah looks astonished.

“Yes, your highness, in the not-so-distant future,” she says. Micah creases his brow at the thought. He has never considered the idea of children or heirs. He looks at the medallion again. “Would you like to reconsider?”

He thinks about what losing the outpost means to his people. He looks at her and flexes his jaw. This woman’s talents are renowned, and she predicts a child to come. That would mean the future is determined, somehow. Is that even possible? What to do? Deal with what is now and let the future work itself out or do nothing and risk any possibility of a future. The answer seems oblivious. “No, the cost is fair.”

She nods, “as you wish.” She snaps her fingers, and a parchment appears. She reaches across with a quill. He takes it from her and places the tip to sign. He winces when he feels a sting. The quill moves independently, drawing an emblem in his blood. When completed, he can feel it release its hold on him. He places it down, and the chair screeches when he stands. “It was a pleasure,” she says with an unnerving grin.

Micah cuts his eyes at her, and the motion of the beads announces him leaving. Walking down the hall, he frowns as Easton leans against the counter. All he wants to do is walk home in peace since he knows his irate mate is waiting for him. The idea of dealing with probing questions from Easton is not appealing. He attempts to charge past him in hopes that he will lose interest. “Have a good day,” Brianna waves and calls out.

Micah swings the door open and curses when he sees Lazlo approaching. “Ah,” Micah turns when he hears Easton behind him. “It appears you no longer need of an escort,” and he disappears in a flash of light.

Micah walks to Lazlo, who is looking very stern. “Come on, let’s go,” Micah says without stopping.

Lazlo reaches out and grabs his arm. “What did you do?”

“What was necessary,” he says. Lazlo’s jaw flexes in response to his defensive tone. “There is too much to lose.”

“You should not have decided this on your own. What did it cost you?” Micah pulls his arm free and starts to walk away. “She has been wanting to get her hooks into you, and now she has.” He rushes to catch up with him. “I would have been here sooner, but all of the jump crystals were missing.” Micah reaches into his pocket and hands him a crystal. “So, you are not going to talk to me?”

Micah stops and turns to him. “Let’s just go; we can talk later.”

Lazlo shakes his head, “Micah.” Frustrated, Micah snatches the crystal from him, and they both flash away.

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ethereals-call · 2 years

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The Runic Falls Part 8

“I must say,” Lazlo and Micah jump to their feet from the desk. Atticus leans back in the plush leather chair across from them. Pleased with their reaction, he grins and intertwines his fingers in front of him. “I am rather disappointed. I thought we could be civilized about this. Reaching out to those mongrels was unanticipated and juvenile. What do you think they will do?” He cocks his head and lifts an eyebrow. “Do you honestly think they will come to your aid? Silly Fae, they do not share your interests, and I have no intention of pursuing the humans. There is no need to take what is freely offered, so your patrons have nothing to fear from me or my kin. You,” he points a finger, “however, you have placed me in a predicament.” He sighs and snaps his fingers.

The lights flicker. Micah and Lazlo become tentative ready to react. Vampires fill the room when the lights beam again. “Tell me, Fae, what are your intentions? Should I allow my brethren a little taste?” Lazlo reaches under his desk, and Atticus laughs. “Do you really think that will save you?”

Micah narrows his eyes. “Do you honestly think the Fae won’t retaliate if you assault us? What do you think my brother would do? You are a fool if you assume that he will be idle and not respond.”

Atticus considers, “this can all be avoided by returning the female to Earth.” He snaps his fingers, and the vampires vanish. The leather chair creaks as he stands then walks to Micah. “No harm will come to her. She will live out her days. I will not deny you her company, but I will act if she is withheld from me. Do we have an understanding?” Micha’s jaw flexes as their eyes stay fixed on each other. “I see that we do. You have twenty-four hours,” he tilts his head with a condescending smirk then disappears in a puff of smoke.

Lazlo looks over his shoulder at the monitor. He curses as he watches him lift cards from the table. “We need options,” Micah says.

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ethereals-call · 2 years

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The Runic Falls Part 7

Rebecca jerks the glamour bracelet from her wrist as she storms out of the lobby. She scoffs when she sees Juniper by the car talking to Jeremy. Why is he here? She throws her hands up, “Well, that was a waste of time!”

Juniper sighs and drops her shoulders. “What happened?”

“That stupid Fairy bartender wouldn’t let me in.” She spins and flops against the car, crossing her arms. “I had that incubus eating out of palm, too.” She shifts her gaze to Jeremy. “What’s your deal?”

“I am looking for my sister, which is what you should be doing!” Jeremy snaps.

Rebecca rolls her eyes. “Your sister defected. She betrayed us. She probably got here and switched sides as soon as she was with others that were like her.”

“No, she didn’t!” Jeremy barks. “She is in trouble! She needs our help!”

Rebecca shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “You are so clueless. Let me enlighten you. We always knew this would happen. That is why no one ever trusted her. She was a walking disaster. You need to just forget about her and go home.”

“You don’t know her. She wouldn’t do that!” Jeremy thrusts his arms out. “You’re just jealous because you don’t have the talent she has.”

Rebecca is about to retaliate when Juniper jumps in between them. “Okay, that’s enough! Rebecca, we knew this was a long shot, but we had to try, anyway. Jeremy, your sister, is the reason we are here. We want to find her as much as you do.”

Jeremy shakes his head and turns away in disbelief. “You don’t care about her. None of you do. You never have. I am not leaving without her.”

“Awe, her little brother, is going to come and rescue her,” Rebecca says mockingly.

Jeremy cuts his eyes at her. “That’s enough!” Juniper snaps.

Rebecca rolls her eyes. “This is such a joke. Just go home. You will only get in the way. I bet you have homework to do.”

“Rebecca, why don’t you wait in the car?” Juniper’s patience is wearing thin.

“Whatever,” Rebecca turns and flings the door open, then slams it shut.

Juniper looks at Jeremy, “there isn’t anything you can do here that we aren’t already doing.”

“What are you doing?” Jeremy asks. “What are you going to do now?”

Juniper sighs as she considers. “I am not sure. I have their number; maybe the best thing for us is to try and work with them or make it appear that way. We just need to get our foot in the door. If we can build some trust with them, we may be able to make some things happen.”

Unsatisfied with her answer he asks, “do you think that will work?”

Juniper shrugs, “I don’t know. I am open to suggestions. We have tried to sneak in twice and have gotten nowhere.”

Jeremy runs his fingers through his hair. “If we had more people.”

“If we had more people, what?” Juniper challenges him. “We could go in blasting. Then what? How many people get hurt in the process, and how do we stay inconspicuous?”

“Why do we have to be inconspicuous? We don’t have anything to hide,” Jeremy drops his hands to his side.

“Hasn’t history already answered that question for you? Society is not likely to welcome us with open arms. We need to stay discreet. Now, unless you have some other suggestion that would be helpful to our purpose, you need to go home. Barging into their place of business and making demands accomplished nothing tonight,” she turns and walks to the driver’s side. She pauses and looks at him just before opening the door, “goodnight, Jeremy. I will let your mother know when to expect you home.”

Jeremy grimaces and clutches his helmet, holding it to his forehead. He curses in frustration as they drive off. He turns to walk to his bike and stumbles backward when he sees Atticus appear. Atticus tilts his head to the side as he sizes him up. “We appear to have a mutual interest.”

Jeremy creases his brow. “Who are you?”

The corner of Atticus’s mouth curls. “Tell me, what is it like?”

Jeremy narrows his eyes at him, “What is what like?”

Atticus squares his shoulders and begins to pace a circle around Jeremy. “Standing in the shadows of others. Not being appreciated for your talents?”

Jeremy becomes pensive. His sister never dismissed him and always apricated what he could do, but she is missing. No one seems to be doing anything about it. His jaw flexes, “do you have a point?”

Atticus smirks and steps up behind him. Jeremy flinches and jumps away when he feels fingers stroke his neck. “My boy, the point is I have something you want.”

Jeremy gives him a sideways look, “how do you know what I want?”

“It is very easy to see,” Atticus is slow to say the words. “I can help you get that which you have lost.”

“And how would you do that?” Jeremy’s eyes study him, noting his slow gate and confident posture. He fumbles again when Atticus moves like an appreciation and emerges in his space.

Atticus chuckles as he peers down his nose at him. “Shall I show you?”

Jeremy finds his footing and sneers at him. “I think I will pass.” He turns and starts for his bike. Feeling a vibration in his pocket, he takes out his phone. He curses under his breath when he sees the word ‘mom’ flash across the screen.

“I will be waiting,” Atticus calls out to him. Jeremy glances over his shoulder as he puts his phone to his ear and walks away. His head lops to the side as he listens to his mother fussing at him in his ear.

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ethereals-call · 2 years

Text

The Runic Falls Part 6

“Jackson!” Micah calls out from the bar when he arrives. Jackson raises his hand in greeting and pulls out a stool to sit. “What will you have tonight?”

“Whatever is on tap is fine,” he replies. Micah nods and retrieves a glass. “How is it going tonight?”

“Pretty steady,” he replies as he tops off the glass.

“Hey, Jackson,” Gatlin calls out as he walks in from the kitchen.

Jackson nods in acknowledgment as Micah slides his drink across the counter. He looks over when he sees two enchanted enter, and watches Gatlin buzzes them in. “Business seems to be doing well. What is the item of interest?”

“A grimoire,” Micah replies as he braces his arms against the counter.

Jacksons looks over the rim of his glass and furrows his brow. “That’s an interesting item to part with. Is that a wise choice?”

Micah shrugs, “it has no value. We had the spells evaluated, and they appear to be innocuous.”

“Who did this evaluation for you?” Jackson asks.

Micah smirks, “an expert in the field.”

Jackson looks unimpressed by his statement. He shakes his head, “just because you don’t know what it can do; doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous.”

Micah is about to reply when Atticus struts in. Jackson leans back in his stool and grins when his smug expression changes. “Jackson,” he says in a low tone as he leans against the bar. “The hounds have decided to come out and play tonight.”

“Just stopping in for an evening beverage. How about I buy you a drink,” Jackson sips on his beer. Atticus scoffs and looks at Micah. “No? Nothing on the menu appeases your pallet?”

“Vulgar,” Atticus mutters under his breath. “Micah, should I assume this is your response to our earlier meeting?”

“Oh no,” Jackson interrupts. “This is me visiting a very human establishment. Just checking in with my business associates.”

Atticus narrows his eyes, and he turns his attention back to Micah. “This affects nothing. You will return to me what is rightfully mine. Your little pets mean little to me.”

Micah is about to respond when a motorcycle helmet slams on the counter, and he looks over. “Where is my sister?” Jeremy snaps, and Micah curses under his breath. “I know she is here! I want to see her!” Micah looks at Gatlin, and he nods.

“I cannot help you,” he says to him. “I don’t know where she is.”

“You are lying! I am not leaving until I see her!” When he raises his voice, two large men start to approach.

Micah shakes his head, “like I said. I cannot help you. I don’t know who you are talking about or where she is.”

“Tell me about her,” Atticus interrupts.

Jeremy turns to him, and their eyes meet. He blinks, then his speech slurs, “her name is Kyra. She is a witch, and she was sent here by the coven. She is part F….”

“That is enough!” Jackson says as he stands in front of Jeremy, blocking Atticus’s influence.

Atticus grins, sadistically, and steps into his space. “It would not be wise to involve yourself in this, mongrel. The boy is enchanted and is not subject to human amenities.”

“I will decide who I protect,” Jackson’s eyes flash, and a baritone growl emanates from his chest.

“Is that so?” Atticus looks down his nose at him.

“Why don’t I buzz you in,” Micah interjects.

Atticus glares at him, and his eyes move, between the two of them. “Mind your manners, mutt; otherwise, I may feel the need to put a collar on you.”

Jackson sneers, “we will see who’s wearing a collar when the sun comes up.”

When Micah sees them squared off with each other he blurts out, “Atticus!” There is a long moment between them as he scowls then steps around. Jackson watches him with a stern expression as he disappears into the backroom.

“What the heck?” Jeremy holds his head. “What did you do to me?”

Micah sighs and waves for security. “Your sister is not here. I am going to ask you to leave.” Jeremy’s head whips back and forth. When he is about to say something, Micah puts up a hand. “Don’t! It will not work out like you think. You need to go. She is not here.” Jeremy looks to Jackson, who is shaking his head, slowly.

Overwhelmed with frustration, he snatches his helmet from the bar. “This isn’t over!” he yells as security escorts him out.

“What was that all about?” Jackson asks.

Micah shakes his head. “A very long story that you won’t care about. Thank you for stepping in.”

Jackson sighs, “I couldn’t help myself. He is the same age as my son. I don’t know what you have gotten yourselves into with Atticus, but he is relentless. He will not be deterred.”

“I hear you, but I can’t give him what he wants. It isn’t as simple as just handing it over and walking away.” Micah points to his empty glass, “You want another?”

Jackson puts up a hand, “no, I am good. I think I may be a regular for a little while, though. I might bring a few friends with me, too.”

“Thanks, I think having you here will be helpful.” Watching Jackson go he cocks his head when he sees Isaac with a pretty young lady hanging off his arm. “Hey, Isaac, how are you doing tonight?”

“Pretty good,” he replies. “Let me introduce you to you, Becky. Think you can make an exception for us tonight?”

“An exception?” Micah asks as he starts mixing his drink.

“For Becky, here. She’s going to be my lucky charm for the night,” Isaac grins.

Micah narrows his eyes at her. “Sorry, Isaac. You know the rules.”

“Come on, Micah. I am one of your best patrons. You can bend them a little, can’t you?” Isaac pleads as Micah fills the glass.

Micah grins and leans against the counter. “I’ll tell you what. If she can recite the Lord’s Prayer, then she can enter.”

Isaac looks at Becky, who is clutching his arm. “Okay, Hun, go ahead. You can do it.” She purses her lips and attempts to look bashful. “Come on, now. You said you wanted to have a good time.” Micah smirks and raises an eyebrow as he watches her fidget. When she realizes that she has been discovered, she huffs and stomps out. “What was that all about?”

Micah shakes his head. “It wasn’t you, Isaac. We have been having issues with one of the local covens. Go on; I’ll let you in.” Dejected, Isaac picks up his drink and proceeds. Micah looks down at his wrist when he feels his watch vibrate. When he sees a message from Lazlo, “Gatlin, I got to go upstairs. You got the bar.”

The door opens, and Lazlo looks up from speaking with Liam’s hologram. Liam follows his gaze and looks indifferent as Micah walks over and leans against the desk. “Liam is just checking in. He is looking for an update. How are things downstairs?”

Micah relaxes his posture and crosses his arms. “Well, Jackson stopped in just in time to see Atticus. They were having words when Kyra’s human brother showed up.” Micah shakes his head, “Atticus started compelling him, then Jackson stepped in. He is going to be a problem; we may have to deal with.”

“What do you suggest?” Lazlo asks.

“I don’t know, but Atticus noticed him, and I don’t think that is a good thing,” Micah’s eyes shift between the two of them. “Jackson was there to stop him this time, but he may not be there the next time.” Lazlo becomes pensive and nods. “Then,” Micah rolls his eyes and flings a hand in the air, “someone from the coven tried to sneak in with Isaac. That was easily averted.”

“Will the werewolves be able to deter the vampires?” Liam asks.

Lazlo leans in and intertwines his fingers on the desk. “Their alpha is reluctant to get involved, but he will not allow harm to come to the humans. We can use that to our advantage, for now. We will continue to look for allies.”

Liam nods, “good; I do have news for you. The female is awake.” They both perk up and become more attentive. “Her injuries are slow to heal, so the doctor wants to take her to the healing pools.”

“You have to let her!” Micah interjects.

Liam gives him an irritated glare, “of course, Micah. That is not her biggest obstacle.”

“What do you mean?” Micah asks.

“She is not eating,” Liam tells him.

“But why?” Micah asks.

Liam glowers at him, “I don’t know.”

“Well, have you asked her?” Micah’s arms flop to his side.

“I have more to do than to worry about a female!” Liam snaps.

Micah holds his temples and shakes his head. “I am coming home!”

“No! You are needed there!” Liam barks. “The doctor has her care well in hand. You need to stay focused on the outpost. You cannot let it fall to the enchanted of Earth. That would be detrimental to our people.”

“The outpost can spare us for an afternoon; besides, we have her clothes. She is going to need them,” Micah says flippantly.

“I will send someone to collect her things. Stay where you are. Deal with this situation!” Liam’s image vanishes before Micah can retort.

“What is his issue?” Micah snaps.

Lazlo stands and walks around the desk to him. He places a consoling hand on his shoulder. “I am sure we can arrange for one of us to deliver her items without him knowing.”

Micah nods with a defeated grain. “I just don’t understand him. He values his political agenda more than he does his own feelings. You saw how he was with her. We know what it is like. It has to be agonizing for him right now. Why is he fighting it so hard?”

“I don’t know,” Lazlo tells him. “What I do know is that she is safe, and she is being cared for. If she were here with us, we would have already lost the outpost and possibly her too. We need to figure out a way to deal with Atticus.”

Micah nods in agreement. “Do you have any other ideas? The werewolves might work out for us.”

Lazlo shakes his head, “not right now. I am still working on it.”

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ethereals-call · 2 years

Text

The Runic Falls Part 5

“Send him up,” Lazlo says as he hangs up the phone. He looks to Micah from across his desk, “Jackson Ulrika is here. He is on his way up with Gatlin.”

“You called Jackson?” Micah places his beverage down and sits across from him in a plush leather chair.

Lazlo sips his drink, “yes. I thought he might be able to give us some insight about what was on the female’s computer.”

Micah raises an eyebrow, “does he know why you called him?”

“I may have implied something about increasing the marketing budget for the hotel,” Lazlo puts his glass down.

Micah chuckles, “do you think it is wise to provoke the werewolf pack leader?”

“I don’t intend to provoke him. I just want to know if he has any insight,” Lazlo leans back in his chair.

“Oh, I am sure he will have some insight,” Micah quips.

They both look over when they hear a click. Gatlin swings the door open, and a clean-cut professional with a cool expresso complexion walks in. Micah and Lazlo stand to greet him. “It is good to see you,” Micah says as he reaches out and grips his hand.

“It is good to see the both of you,” Jackson replies as he shakes Micah’s hand then reaches for Lazlo. “How have you been?”

“Doing well,” Lazlo replies. “How is the family?’

“Doing great! I think Kyree is going to make varsity this year. He is really excited. It will do good things for his college application,” he replies as he sits.

“Oh wow, that happened fast,” Micah replies as he reclines back.

“Tell me about it. One minute they are dressing up as their favorite superhero for Halloween, and the next, they are asking to borrow the car. I don’t even know how that happened. His sister is right behind him,” Jackson shakes his head. “We will be empty nesters before you know it. So, you are thinking of expanding on marking. There are definitely some avenues we can explore. There is still some untapped potential on social media platforms, and your website could use some sprucing up too.”

“That sounds great,” Lazlo says to him, “but ah, let’s table that for the time being. Send us a proposal, and we can review it.”

Jackson narrows his eyes at him. “You didn’t call me here for marketing, did you?”

Lazlo intertwines his finger on the desk and leans in, “sorry but, no, not really.”

Jackson leans back in his chair and gives them a sideways look. “Should I assume this has to do with the Enchanted?” He rests a temple on a bent elbow when they reply with silence. “We have talked about this,” he says with a frank tone. “The wolf pack will not be involved with anything having to do with your business dealings regarding the enchanted.”

“We know, and we understand,” Lazlo tells him. “I would like your input about another topic.” He taps on the keyboard, and the large monitor behind him lights up. Images of parchment, the crest, and Kyra’s notes fill the monitor. “I was hoping you would be able to tell us what you know about any of this.”

Jackson groans and shakes his head. “What is this all about?”

“We have no intention of getting you involved,” Micah tells him. “We just need information.”

Jackson’s eyes shift between them. “I will look and see what you have, but that is all.” He stands from the chair and walks to the monitor. He adjusts his glasses as he focuses on the information. “Where did you get this?”

“It came from an acquaintance of ours,” Micah says.

Jackson looks over his shoulder at him, unimpressed by his response. “The translation for the parchment is pretty correct. This crest is associated with an old family, a very powerful family. Whoever the vampires have claimed is bound to be subjugated by them.”

“What else can you tell us about the translation?” Lazlo asks.

Jackson shakes his head and turns to them. “It is an old legend that the vampires have been chasing after since before the existence of the werewolf. It is said they are the children of the demon Lamia cursed to walk the night and live off the essence of others. Legend states that their eternal night will end when they drink the essence of the one who is blessed with the divine touch. Whatever that means.” Lazlo and Micah share a look. “Apparently, you know what that means.”

“No,” Micah says to him. “It is just our associate has a unique ability that may appear to others to be a divine blessing.”

Jackson crosses his arms and furrows his brow. He points to the monitor, “this is nothing to be messing with. If the vampires have claimed your associate, they will not be able to escape them. Atticus is not someone to take lightly.”

“You know him?” Gatlin asks from the couch.

“I recognize his crest. He and I have crossed paths. We have the understanding to stay out of each other’s way,” he says. He notices when Lazlo and Micah become pensive. “Should I assume that you have had recent dealings with him?”

“We have a conflict of interest,” Lazlo tells him.

Jackson rubs his chin, “what is the conflict?”

“He wants something that we will not give him,” Micah tells him.

Jackson shakes his head, “he is not one to challenge. It would be in your best interest to end your conflict with him.”

“We agree with you,” Lazlo tells him. “We just don’t know how to do it.”

Jackson sighs and walks back to his seat. “How many humans does this hotel accommodate?”

“We have 150 rooms,” Micah tells him.

Jackson’s lips purse as he considers what to do. He looks them both in the eye. “The werewolf pack is sworn to protect humans, and Atticus knows this. I am not prepared to involve ourselves in this situation, but I will remind Atticus of our mutual understanding.”

“That could be a beneficial deterrent,” Lazlo says.

“I suspect he has been visiting?” Jackson asks.

“Yes,” Gatlin interjects. “He usually arrives around nine.”

Jackson nods, “okay then.” He stands, “I will be by later for a drink at the bar. On the house.”

Micah smirks, “of course.”

“I think I will be going,” he waves his hand for them to stay seated. “I know my way. I will see you later tonight.”

“Thank you, Jackson,” Lazlo says as he watches him go.

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ethereals-call · 2 years

Text

The Runic Falls Part 4

Micah sits on the couch scrolling through Kyra’s tablet in Lazlo’s office when he feels Kim nudge his arm. He looks over and sees a laptop is being handed to him. “Here, it’s done. You have access.” Micah nods and takes it as Kim stands and places items in a bag. “I have to go. I have class.”

“Thanks,” Micah places the tablet on the coffee table and shifts his attention. He smirks when he sees the Elders Scrolls screen saver. He notices four folders on her desktop: Fae, Vampire, Coven, and Freelance. To appease his curiosity, he clicks on the Fae folder. Thumbnails images of parchments and old paintings fill the monitor. “You were trying to learn more about us, huh.” He shakes his head and closes the folder.

He clicks on the coven folder and scoffs. “What the heck?” Thumbnail images of grimoires, old relics, and enchanted beings appear. He groans when he recognizes some of the beings and the items. The door clicks, and he looks up.

“Find anything interesting?” Lazlo asks as he walks to his desk.

“I would like to know how she came to be in the service of this coven. She was working with some other than reputable individuals,” Micah closes the coven folder and clicks on the vampire folder. “Whoa!”

“What is it?” Lazlo asks as he sits behind the desk.

Micah looks up at him. “She knew about the crest.”

Lazlo looks at him in disbelief. “What?”

“I’ll put it on the big screen,” he says as she clicks to share. Lazlo spins in his chair as images of the crest from under her bed fill the display. “Look, there is more.” He clicks on a picture of parchment with lettering on it.

“What does it say?” Lazlo asks as he leans in.

“I think this is some of her notes,” he clicks on a word document. “Quench the blood hex of Lamia’s offspring bound to the night and shunned by the light. Touched by eternity’s stillness, forsaken from heaven’s blessings. Seek the celestial progeny and drink the seraph’s essence to break the shackles that bind the posterity to obscurity.”

“What does all of that mean?” Lazlo asks with a baffled look on his face.

“That she knew what they wanted,” Micah replies.

Lazlo turns to him, “is there anything else?”

“Some information about Atticus and other vampires. It looks like she was tracing their lineage and trying to learn more about them,” Micah replies as he scans through images and documents.

“Why have they staked a claim on her?” Lazlo asks as he rubs his chin.

“We have a problem!” They both whip around when Gatlin bursts into the room. He picks up the remote on Lazlo’s desk, and video of Kyra’s parked car replaces the images from her laptop. They watch as two women try to break into it.

Micah puts the laptop to the side and walks over. “Who are they?”

“I don’t know,” Gatlin replies. “Coven, maybe.”

“Detain them,” Lazlo tells him. “Find out what they know.”

Gatlin nods, then flashes away when he snaps a crystal in half. He appears next to them, places his hand on their shoulders, then disappears before they have time to react. “What the heck?” One of them says when they appear in a white room void of windows or doors.

“Have a seat,” Gatlin says as he pulls out a chair from behind the table. They both look at each other and stay standing. “Suit yourself,” he says as he folds his hands on the table. “Would you like to tell me what your interest is in the car you were attempting to jack?” The taller of the two with chestnut skin and short pink hair purses her full lips and looks as if she is considering what to do. Gatlin leans back in his chair, “I have nothing but time.”

“That vehicle belongs to a friend of ours. We are looking for her. When we saw it, we thought there might be something inside that could tell us where she is,” she says.

“Does this friend have a name?” he asks.

“She does, but you may not know it,” she replies.

He smirks at her cryptic cleverness. “If she was a guest, then we could help you out and look her up in the directory.”

“This is ridiculous,” her brunet scoffs.

“Rebecca,” the other whispers.

“No, Juniper!” she growls. She cuts her eyes at Gatlin. “He is wasting time; we know she is here!”

“If you knew that, then why try to break into her car? Why not just call her?” Gatlin says smugly.

Juniper sighs, “we just need to find her. Would you be able to help us?”

Gatlin shakes his head. “Do you have a picture of her?”

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her cell phone. She flips it around for him to see. “I don’t recall seeing her here.”

Rebecca rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. “You’re lying! Next, you are going to try and tell us you are not Fae.”

“Fae?” Gatlin raises an eyebrow at her.

She shakes her head and turns away. “Yeah, okay, like I believe that! Explain how we flashed in here, then.”

“How are you connected to this person?” Gatlin asks.

“She is a fellow associate. She was working to acquire an item of interest,” Juniper tells him.

Gatlin nods, “And what would that….”

“Just stop!” Rebecca barks, and Juniper cuts her eyes at her in a warning. “We are witches in a coven. She is part of our coven, and she was here for the grimoire.”

“That’s enough, Rebecca!”

“No, I am not doing this cat and mouse crap!” She slams her fist on the table and looks Gatlin in the eyes. “She was here, working with another coven to acquire the grimoire. We lost communication with her, and we want to know where she is. If you have her, hand her over.”

Gatlin narrows his eyes at her. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Don’t mess with us!” she growls.

“That’s enough!” Juniper grips her arm. “You are speaking out of turn!” Rebecca looks at her then scoffs then spins away. She crosses her arms and leans against the wall, glowering.

Juniper pinches the bridge of her nose and shakes her head. “I apologize for my associate, but everything she said is true. We need to find her.”

Gatlin spreads his arms, “sorry I can’t help you.”

Juniper nods, “okay then. What now?” Gatlin sighs and considers her question. “How long do you intend to keep us here? If we came looking for her, how many do you think will come looking for us?”

“What makes you think we have her?” he asks. “The only thing you have seen is her car. There is any number of scenarios that could have transpired for her contact with you to be interrupted.”

“This is true,” Juniper agrees with him. “We intend to continue investigating until we know what has come of her or until we find her. So, I ask you again. What now?”

Gatlin crosses his arms and rubs his face as he considers. “I cannot allow you to remove a vehicle that is not your own from the property.” Rebecca scoffs and rolls her eyes. “We will assist you where we can with helping you find your associate. My number is in your phone for you. Call, and we can arrange a time for us to aid you with your investigation.”

Juniper looks at the contacts in her phone. “Gatlin?” He nods in affirmation. She purses her lips since this is not what she had intended. “Okay then, thank you. Can we look inside her car?”

“I am afraid not,” he says. “You say that is your associate’s vehicle, but it could very well belong to another guest. I will need more than your assumption.”

“I see,” Juniper replies. “Well, if that is all, we should go.” Gatlin waves a hand, and the door clicks. Juniper smirks when she sees the exit appear. She lifts her phone, “I’ll be in touch.”

“I am looking forward to it,” he replies as he watches them leave.

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ethereals-call · 2 years

Text

The Runic Falls Part 3

The hotel bar is overflowing with people and enchanted beings, waiting for service. Gatlin is ping-ponging between drink orders and backroom admittance. The other two bartenders zip around to assist, but neither can engage with the enchanted since their sight is spelled to gloss over them. “A little busy?” Micah quips as he jumps in.

“Nice of you to join us,” Gatlin says as he pulls down on a beer tap.

“Hey, he’s back,” one of the other bartenders calls out.

Micah replies with an appreciative head nod as he reaches for vodka. “How did it go?” Gatlin asks as he slides two beers across the counter.

Micah starts to mix a drink. “We got her stuff and her car, and found her laptop, too.”

Gatlin gestures to a customer for their drink order, “I will let Kim know.”

Micah maneuvers past Gatlin, “we found something weird.”

Gatlin reaches for the whisky, “yeah, like what?”

Micah nods and presses a button to let in an enchanted “a crest.” Gatlin gives him a sideways look as he grabs a coaster. “Yeah, have no idea what that is all about.”

Gatlin places a bottle on the coaster. “There is nothing about this female that makes any sense.”

Micah nods as he reaches for some glasses. “A human claiming to be her brother interrupted us.” He reaches for bourbon.

Gatlin grabs a lime. “What happened?”

Micah slides a filled glass across. “Lazlo enlightened him that she is not his sister, and he used magic to get away from us.”

Gatlin smirks as he mixes a margarita. “Bested by her little brother. It sounds like you two have gotten a little rusty.”

Micah belts out a laugh as he allows more enchanted to pass. “Your one to talk.”

Gatlin is about to reply when his gaze fixes on the next patron. People step aside and stare as a tall, stylish man approaches. His half-buttoned collared shirt advertises his well-defined features. He looks as if he just stepped off the beach with his light olive skin and gray eyes. “Atticus, it is good to see you again.” He dips his head in acknowledgment then uses his hand to move the layers of light brown shoulder-length hair from his face. People make audible gasps as they watch him. “Here for another round?”

Micah watches him as his gaze shifts to the booth where Kyra sat. Atticus turns his attention to Micah and smiles. “It is good to see you have returned, your highness. I trust your travels were uneventful.”

Micah narrows his eyes. “I don’t recall going anywhere of significance.”

The corner of Atticus’s mouth curls. “Your establishment appears to be in good standing.”

Micah cocks his head. “You appear to have developed a sudden interest.”

Atticus lifts a brow. “The interest is far from sudden, but I do appreciate a prime location.”

Micah grins and is about to reply when Gatlin interrupts. “Should I buzz you in?” Atticus cuts his eyes at him as if he had just been insulted. He dips his head and lets his fingers drag along the counter as he walks with his sight fixed on Micah.

Micah’s attention breaks away from watching Atticus when he hears someone clear their throat. “Evening Isaac. The usual?”

“That would be great,” he replies as Micah reaches for the vodka. “I wanted to ask you about Karen.”

Micah returns to the counter and starts pouring. “Who?”

“The woman you had just hired,” Isaac replies.

Micah has to think for a moment then he remembers. “Oh, Karen, yes, now I remember.” Isaac waits for him to elaborate. “Um,” he stutters, thinking about what to say. “She has to work a different schedule for personal reasons. Sorry, Isaac, she won’t be available.” He slides his drink across.

“That is disappointing,” Isaac replies. “She looked like a good time.”

“Buzz you in,” Micah has to bite back the growl that is starting to form. Isaac nods, oblivious to Micah’s tone. He turns to Gatlin. “Things look like they are slowing down. I’m going to talk with Lazlo.”

Gatlin nods, “I’ll call you if I need you.”

*****

Lazlo is watching the security screens of the game room when Micah walks in. “I see Atticus has returned.”

Micah leans against the desk next to him, and they watch, “yes. He made it a point to call me by my title, and he knew we were away.”

Lazlo looks at him and is about to say something when the small crystal pyramid on his desk beeps. They both turn and look just before Lazlo taps on it. A hologram of Liam’s face appears. “You two are looking grim.”

“There have been some interesting developments,” Lazlo says as he turns his attention back to the screen.

“Developments?” Liam asks.

“We hacked Kyra’s phone and tablet. We found out where she lived and went to her apartment.” Micah shifts his attention between Liam and the screens.

“And”

“We found a vampire’s crest under her bed,” Micah tells him.

“A what?’

“Do you remember who Atticus Severan is?” Micah asks.

“I do not focus on Earth affairs, so no,” Liam replies.

“He is an 1800-year-old vampire, and he is in the hotel,” Lazlo tells him.

“You think there is a connection, then?” Liam asks.

“It is quite the coincidence if there isn’t,” Micah says to him.

“That would be quite the coincidence.” Everyone whirls around when they hear Atticus’s voice. Micah jumps to his feet when he sees him sitting in one of the leather chairs across from the desk.

“Clever,” Lazlo says as he looks at the monitor and sees Atticus is still participating in the game.

“Children are so easily impressed,” Atticus crosses his legs and reclines in the chair. Micah and Lazlo share an unimpressed look. “It has come to my attention that we share a mutual interest.”

“And what would that be?” Lazlo asks.

“So coy,” Atticus quips. “It is adorable that you think you have the wit to match my own.” He mockingly puts his hands up, “youth.” His expression becomes more serious as he looks them in the eyes. “The female Fae.”

“You will have to be more specific. There is more than one female Fae,” Micah says to him.

Atticus smirks, “to shay. The one named Kyra. I believe you visited her apartment this afternoon.”

“What does a vampire want with a Fae female?” Micah asks.

“That is not your concern,” he replies.

Lazlo’s chair creaks as he leans back and intertwines his fingers. “We cannot help you.”

Atticus lifts an eyebrow. “It would be in the best interest of everyone if you offered your assistance.”

“We are Fae; our interests are our own,” Lazlo tells him.

Atticus rests his head on a bent elbow. “Do you know how this place came to be?” He continues when they respond with indifferent expressions. “I remember when your predecessors came and made their proposal with the enchanted of this land. The mutual benefits that were proposed and the payment that was offered. Payment has come due, and my good graces will come to an end should there be an implied debt incurred.”

“Nothing has been implied,” Micah says to him. “We are Fae, as is the female. The concerns of a vampire do not interest us.”

Atticus grins at him. Micah stumbles backward when Atticus appears in front of him. Atticus reaches out his hand to grab his neck, but Micah is just as fast. He grips his wrist and wheels to slam him against the wall. Atticus evaporates to smoke and takes advantage of Micah’s pivot. He materializes and slams him in the gut, sending him soaring across the room. Micah rolls on the floor, and Lazlo rushes to him with a sword in hand. He stands over him, ready for conflict, as Micah coughs and struggles to his feet.

Atticus stands proudly, tugging on the corners of his jacket. “The female has been claimed and should be returned, directly. The repercussions, should you choose to challenge the claim, will not play out favorably for you.” A sinister grin appears across his face as he watches Micah glare at him in challenge, then he disappears.

Lazlo helps him to his feet. “You alight?” Micah nods, trying to hide his embarrassment.

“Lazlo, Micah,” Liam calls out to them. “Our forces are stretched too thin for me to send you additional support. What do you recommend?”

“We are not giving her up,” Micah proclaims.

“Agreed, but this is far from over,” Liam replies.

“We can make some adjustments here,” Lazlo interjects. “We should consider a contingency plan.”

“Losing the outpost is not something we can consider. It is a crucial supply point for us. I am not going to let our people starve over a female,” Liam tells them.

“I won’t let you hand her over to them,” Micah barks.

“Then find a solution!” Liam barks back just before his face vanishes.

Micah slams his fist against the wall. “I can’t believe him!”

Lazlo returns his sword to the concealed location under his desk. “We need more information.” He looks over his shoulder and sees Atticus is still playing like nothing happened. Atticus looks up and winks at the camera as he puts a card on the table. “Why do they want her so badly?”

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ethereals-call · 2 years

Text

The Runic Falls Part 2

Micah waits with Lazlo in his plushly furnished office. Blinded by the late morning sun, he walks to the wall of polarized glass and dims the beaming light. They both look over when the door opens, and Gatlin walks in with Kim. “Do you have it?” Lazlo asks from behind his antique desk.

“I also have her tablet,” he places both items down before sitting in one of the leather chairs across from him. He gestures to his associate, “Kim has been kind enough to volunteer hacking into both of them for us.” Gatlin grins at his associate’s annoyed expression. “Why don’t you set up your laptop on the coffee table and couch while we meet.” With an eye roll, Kim retrieves the tablet and phone.

“Anything new to report?” Micah asks as he sits in the leather chair next to him.

“Not really. The auction for the grimoire is moving forward as planned. There was a last-minute addition that I did not expect.” Lazlo leans in with interlaced fingers. “Atticus Severan made an appearance.”

“The vampire?” Micah asks in disbelief.

“Yes,” Gatlin replies.

Micah and Lazlo share a curious look. “What did he do?” Lazlo asks.

“He played poker. He is on pace to be at the auction,” Gatlin tells them.

“What would Atticus want with a grimoire?” Micah asks.

“I don’t know,” Gatlin replies. “I almost didn’t let him participate but didn’t have a reason not to allow it, so I let him. He inquired about the both of you.”

“Us?” Lazlo asks in surprise.

“Yes, I found that odd as well,” Gatlin says. Lazlo leans back in his chair with a perplexed expression, rubbing his chin.

“Do you think this has anything to do with?”

“I don’t know,” Lazlo interrupts Micah as he shakes his head. “When we found her, she was being chased by a vampire hoard. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but now I wonder if there could be a connection.”

“Those scars,” Lazlo looks at Micah. “She said they were from vampire attacks.”

“What would they want with her?” Gatlin asks.

“I don’t know,” Lazlo replies. “It is not typical for vampires to hunt other enchanted beings. The consequences of that kind of action could insight unwanted repercussions. We just assumed that when we found her, it was a random act, but maybe it wasn’t.”

“But she is Fae,” Gatlin says.

“On Earth,” Lazlo reminds him. “Very much out of her natural element and away from her people. Working with a coven, which I still don’t understand.”

They all turn their heads when Kim announces, “I’m in!” Micah walks over and picks up the phone from the coffee table. “If you tap on google maps, it will tell you everywhere the phone has been.” Micah nods as he opens up the app and follows the directory to her timeline.

Lazlo notices his surprised expression. “What is it?”

“She is very well-traveled,” he says to him as he walks over.

“Where has she been?” Lazlo asks as he takes the phone. Looking at the screen, he answers his own question, “I see.” He taps on the device. “What the heck was she doing?”

“Here,” Kim hands Micah her tablet. “I have to go. I reset the lock screens, so they don’t need a code.”

“Thank you,” Gatlin says with a head nod as Kim leaves.

Micah sits and starts investigating the contents on her tablet. “She was looking for artifacts.”

“Artifacts?” Gatlin asks.

Micah nods as he flips the tablet for him to see, “yes. Her email is loaded with….” Micah chuckles to himself.

“What?” Lazlo looks up from her phone.

“She was quite the freelancer,” he shakes his head. “I made her an offer to work for us too.”

Lazlo smirks. “Her phone is loaded with missed calls and messages.” He turns his attention to Gatlin. “Has anyone unusual come around looking for her?”

“I don’t think so. If they have, they have not made themselves be known by asking questions,” Gatlin replies.

Lazlo nods as he taps on the screen again. “I found her address.”

Micah’s head snaps up. “Where is it?”

He looks a Micah, “near Little Switzerland. You want to go and check it out?”

“Yes,” Micah stands and places the tablet on the desk.

Lazlo nods and looks at Gatlin. “We should return in a few hours.”

*****

They pull into the parking lot of her apartment building. “That’s her car,” Micah says as he steps out of the passenger seat of the Tesla.

“We will bring it back with us,” Lazlo says as he closes the car door.

“She lived here?” Micah scoffs at the nondescript siding and basic structure.

Lazlo looks at her phone. “That’s what it says, and it looks like she was on the second floor.”

They walk to the entrance and magic their way past the lock. “That is a lot of curries,” Micah says as he rubs the burn from his eyes. Lazlo grunts in agreement as he leads the way up the narrow steps. He refers to her phone again when they are in front of her door. “Is this it?” Lazlo nods as he magics them in.

Shock comes over them when they see how small and basic the space is. Micah looks over when he notices Lazlo’s smile. “I can smell her.” Micah smiles and nods in appreciation as they both start exploring. It is so sparse that there is not much to look at. The white walls are bare, and the furniture is modest. “Reading through her texts, I don’t think she was going to be here much longer.”

Micah opens her fridge. “What did they say?”

Lazlo stands in front of her bedroom. “Something about moving into the coven house.”

“Fridge is empty,” Micah announces. “Food doesn’t appear to be a priority for her.”

“Micah,” Lazlo calls. He walks over and sees Lazlo bent over the bed. “We are not the only ones to have been here.”

“What do you mean?” He waves for Micah to help him. They reach under and grip the box spring. When they flip it over, they see a crest burned into the floor. “What the…?”

“That is a vampire’s crest. This space has been marked, so others know that she has been claimed.” Lazlo looks around for other evidence.

“How did you know?” Micah stares at the crest in disbelief. “Is this…?”

“I don’t know,” Lazlo tells him. “I don’t think the female knows either.”

“Kyra!” Their heads snap around when they hear someone call out her name. “I saw your car. I know you are here!” They rush to the door and tuck in close to the wall. “Mom is so pi….” Micah jumps out and grabs him as he starts to enter the bedroom. Jeremy tries to struggle and scream against his hold with no success.

“Calm down!” Micah tells him. “There is no point in fighting. We don’t want to hurt you.” Jeremy struggles some more until he realizes there is no escaping his grip. “Okay, we just want to talk. I will move my hand as long as you don’t scream. Agreed?” Micah feels his head nod and uncovers his mouth.

“Where is my sister?” Jeremy demands.

“She is not your sister,” Lazlo says in a flat tone. Jeremy tries to pull away then makes an audible wince when Micah twists his wrist. “She is Fae.”

“Where is she?” Jeremy snaps.

“She is no longer your concern,” Lazlo says in a condescending tone.

“Why did you think she was here?” Micah asks. Jeremy cuts his eyes at him, then to her phone sitting on the counter.

Lazlo follows his gaze and sighs. “Who else would be tracking her phone?”

“That is none of your concern,” Jeremy growls, and Lazlo belts out a laugh.

“Can you tell us why she was here, working with the coven?” Micah asks.

He looks at them like they said something stupid. “She is my sister. She was born here. Where else would she go?”

Micah sighs, “I don’t think he knows anything.”

“I agree,” Lazlo says. “We can….”

“Lux caeca!” Jeremy yells. A blinding flash of light floods the room. Lazlo and Micah cover their eyes as Jeremy grabs Kyra’s phone and runs out the door. After the light fades, they rush to the window and watch as he drives away on his bike.

“That could be a problem,” Micah looks at Lazlo.

Lazlo groans, “we will have to increase security.”

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ethereals-call · 2 years

Text

The Runic Falls Part 1

In front of the door of the royal study, the guard holds his hand up to deter Micah and Lazlo from entering. “The king is not ready for you.”

Micah stops and glares in response, “then he should not have called for us.” He barges past the guard and swings the double doors open to the lavishly furnished room. Lazlo groans as he follows since he already knows how this will go.

Liam is in conference with Demetri, the palace commander. He watches as his brother charges towards him. He narrows his eyes at him and nods to Demetri. “We can continue this later, thank you.” Noting the tension, Demetri gives a curt nod followed by a speedy exit.

“Micah,” Liam stands behind the executive-style desk to greet his brother. “Thank you for coming.”

“Spare me,” Micah snaps. “We are here. What is it you want?”

Liam looks to Lazlo, and he shrugs his shoulders. “Have a seat,” he says as he gestures to the plush leather chairs across from him.

“I think I will stand, thanks. Can we hurry this along?” Micah snaps.

“Okay, I will be direct,” Liam sits down and leans back in his chair.

“That would be ideal,” Micah replies.

Liam intertwines his fingers and locks his eyes on his brother. “The both of you need to return to your post.”

“No,” Micah challenges him.

“It is not a request,” Liam says firmly.

“My answer has not changed,” Micah replies.

Liam sighs and tries to stay civil. “Neither of you have been relieved from your duty. The duty, might I remind you, you begged me for.”

Micah crosses his arms, “things have changed. Gatlin is more than capable of managing the outpost in our absence.”

Liam’s jaw flexes in frustration. “While Gatlin is a competent leader, he is not the one who is assigned to be its commander. That, dear brother, is your mantle to carry. You need to continue until new leadership is assigned.”

“Then assign it, now,” he snaps.

Liam slams his fist on the desk. “There is more at stake than some female you found on Earth!”

Micah’s eyes bulge in reaction. “She is not just some female, and you know it! We are needed here, for her!”

Liam takes a deep breath and tries to compose himself. It is always like this with his brother. They are at constant odds with each other. He rubs his temples then speaks in a calmer tone. “The female is recovering. The royal physician is caring for her. What do you think you can do for her that is not already being done?” He looks him in the eye. “She sleeps, Micah, and will continue to do so until she has recovered. I need you to return to your post until I can find your replacement.”

Micah walks to him and braces his arms against the desk. He leans in with a challenging stare. “Why are you doing this? You know who she is to us, who she is to you. Why are you fighting it?”

Liam stands to meet his challenge. “I do not have the luxury of following whatever whim crosses my path. The current stability of the region is trepidatious, and I will not allow the influence of some random female to jeopardize the only hope we have for unity. Now, you will do as I have ordered, or I will have you thrown into the dungeon!”

They are at a stand-off. Lazlo walks over and places a hand on Micah’s shoulder. Micah shift’s his gaze to him. He gives him an empathetic look, and Micah reluctantly turns back to Liam. “Fine! We will go. But see that nothing happens to Kyra. Should any harm come to her, brother, it will be you I will seek retribution from.”

“Go, Micah,” Liam growls, “before we both say something we will regret.” Micah scoffs as he turns for the door.

Emotionally charged from their interaction, Liam walks to the window and looks out. He waits to hear the door click, then braces his hands against the sill. He is so selfish! Doesn’t he understand who he is, what he represents? He can’t just abandon his duty because he met someone new. Liam runs his fingers through his hair.

He gazes out the window to the starving foliage of the palace courtyard. Rain has become so elusive that it almost seems mythical. Natural resources are scarce. Outposts similar to that on Earth are their only reliable source for supplies. The blue horizon of the ocean is a tease since it is another natural resource that has been exhausted.

This female is a complication that he cannot afford right now. He is confident that her story is complex. How was she on Earth, of all places? Speaking with the doctor, she has experienced extreme levels of trauma, and something prevents her from healing as she should. She must remain a secret, or everything could fall apart. The timing for her arrival could not be worse.

*****

Micah flings the door open to their apartment. “My brother is an idiot!” he belts out as Lazlo closes the door. He begins pacing back and forth. “He has no idea what he is doing!” Lazlo leans against the counter and crosses his arms, watching him. “He is so stubborn!” Lazlo nods and waits for him to calm down. Micah spins to him. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

“I don’t know what to say,” he shrugs.

Micah becomes defensive. “What do you mean? Do you want to go back to Earth?”

Lazlo sighs. “The female is safe here. There is little to be done until she has recovered. We don’t know how long that will take or what to expect once she does.”

“What do you mean?”

Lazlo places a hand on his shoulder. “I would like to learn more about her. I think that can be best accomplished on Earth.”

Micah furrows his brow. He had not thought of this. He has many questions too. As he considers, his temper starts to subside. He looks Lazlo in the eye. “You are right. The answers to our questions aren’t here. Even if she were awake, I don’t think she would be forthcoming.”

“Let’s go back and see what we can learn. We can start with her phone,” Lazlo says as he walks to the counter.

“What are you doing?” Micah starts to follow him.

“Calling Gatlin to get a report. He will want an update as well.” He taps a small crystal pyramid, and a holographic image of Gatlin’s face appears. “Report,” he orders.

“Business as usual,” Gatlin replies. “Nothing new to report here. How is the female?”

“Resting, healing. She woke briefly then fell back to sleep. It will be several weeks before she fully recovers. We are en route to return. We are expected to be there in two hours.”

Gatlin raises a surprised eyebrow but decides not to comment. “Understood; I will have a full report ready and waiting upon your arrival.”

“See that you do. We have much to discuss,” Lazlo taps the crystal, and Gatlin’s face disappears.

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Prequel 33 (Conclusion)

I drift across the calm night sky. I close my eyes and embrace this freedom. The dampness on my skin and my hair whipping wildly behind me. It has been so long since I have felt in tune with my feral. She is wild and deadly. She is always there to protect me when I become overwhelmed or in danger. I lose myself to her, and she takes us away until we are safe. She scares the coven, so they have bound her and her powers from me. I can feel it trying to take hold and subdue us, separate us from each other so the humans will be safe.

Something is different; now, something changed. I think I know when it happened. The vision: when I saw the tree, it spoke to me. I don’t know what any of it means, but I have to find out. I will be in good company tomorrow night to investigate this. Archer said there were many artifacts at the hotel. I wonder if they have more than just artifacts stashed there. I will have to make finding out a priority.

Archer and his brother are both dead. Two humans became entangled with the enchanted. Of all of the humans that frequent that hotel, why them? It is too easy just to say two humans became ensnared by the enchanted; there must be more. I may never know the answer to that. I have to focus on why I am here, my next assignment. I smile since I get to sleep all day until game time.

*****

Gatlin approaches the concealed entrance of the hotel. “So, you are not going to give us an explanation?” one of his subordinates asks.

“No,” he says over his shoulder. “You know everything you need to know.”

“Sir, she is Ethereal. Why didn’t we go after her?” another asks her.

“And do what? Force her to come with us. Do you think that would work? She knows where we are. When she is ready, she will find her way here,” he says.

“But sir!”

“Enough!” he snaps as he swings the door open and looks at them. “Speak of this to no one. We have achieved our mission for tonight. Resume your normal duties, and we will debrief in the morning.” He doesn’t wait for their response. He walks inside and hurries through the narrow hall. His wrist beeps, and he turns it up, then taps on it.

“Report to my office,” he hears Lazlo’s voice.

“On my way,” he replies.

Lazlo and Micah are both waiting for him when he arrives. “What happened?” Micah asks as he leans against the edge of Lazlo’s desk with his arms crossed.

Gatlin closes the door and walks to them. Still on edge from fighting, he stands and cocks a hip with his arms crossed. “Both the ghoul and his human brother are dead. We have disposed of the bodies.”

“The female?” Lazlo asks.

Gatlin shakes his head. “She was there but then left. She was surrounded when we arrived, and we dispatched the ghoul. She is not like anything I have ever seen.”

Micah becomes intrigued and relaxes his posture. “What happened?”

“She burned Archer from the inside. She commanded lighting. She reached out for it, and it came to her.” Micah and Lazlo share a look. “There is something else.” Gatlin reaches into his pocket and takes out a keycard. “This was in Archer’s pocket.” He slides it onto Lazlo’s desk.

“Is this where she is?” Micah asks as he picks it up.

Gatlin shakes his head. “I don’t know, but it is worth looking into.” Micah nods in agreement.

“What of the others?” Lazlo asks.

“They have questions, but I have ordered them to stay silent.”

Lazlo nods, “Good. It will give us time to decide what to do next.”

Ethereal’s Call

https://www.etherealscall.com/

Chapter 1

I arrived an hour ago. I found the furthest corner of the hotel bar to hide in. Luckily, I am seated next to the window. I am doing everything I can not to be noticed….

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ethereals-call · 2 years

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Prequel 32

I can feel his grip tightening around my neck. His eyes are filled with rage. He is possessed with revenge, and he is going to make me his victim. My breath starts to shallow, and I whine against the gag. His grin is menacing as he watches me struggle while he clenches. “Robert,” his hold loosens when he hears Archer behind him. He looks over his shoulder as Archer walks in. “You have something for me.” He grins with delight when he sees me secured to the chair. Robert stands and goes to him. “How?”

Robert smirks and pulls my hotel keycard from his back pocket. “Her phone was not the only thing she dropped that night.”

Archer grins and takes it from him. He holds it and looks at me. “Thank you, brother. I will enjoy this.” Archer starts to step around him, but Robert grabs his arm. “What are you doing?”

“I want to make them pay,” he says to Archer in a low tone. “I want them to suffer as we have.”

A corner of Archer’s mouth lifts. “How do we do that?”

Robert cocks his head. “Make them watch.” Archer licks his lips in agreement and shifts his gaze back to me.

“They are almost here!” Everyone looks over when another ghoul appears at the door. His arms are braced, and he gasps like he is out of breath, then Archer curses.

“What is it?” Robert asks.

“The Fae are hunting us. We need to feed, but they are relentless,” Archer growls in frustration.

Robert nods. “We will go then. I will take her and meet you later.” He rushes to me and begins to loosen my bindings. The crystal he placed around my neck may restrict my ability to use magic, but it doesn’t keep me from transitioning to my feral form. My talons extend from my fingers. When my hand is free, I swing it through the air. He screams out in pain, cupping his cheek. I cut the chain from my neck and listen to it clank as the crystal rolls across the floor.

Archer runs towards me. My power returned; I waved my hand and sent him flying into the other ghoul. I can hear them crash down the steps onto the ground. I cut through the gag and other bindings. Robert curses at me as blood flows down his cheek. He struggles to stand, but I think little of him or his state.

I run for the door. I teeter at the top of the steps since I didn’t know how high up or steep they were. This cabin is on stilts. I watch Archer and the other ghoul gather around, and I prepare myself to confront them. My feral is itching to be set free, and my ability to hold her back is strained. I can feel her influence as I crouch down. I hear a guttural rumble from my chest. I grin because I don’t want to keep her locked up anymore.

“We will dine of Fae flesh tonight!” Archer announces. I am locked in on him, and I lunge forward. He tries to dodge, but I have let my feral loose, and he is too slow. I tackle him, holding him in his middle. He opens his jaw and bites into my shoulder. I roar when I feel him bearing down on me.

We fumble to the ground and are separated. We both jump back up to our feed. I look over when I feel the sting of air on the wound he inflicted. Blood flows as it closes and heals. I look at him when I hear him chuckle. Red runs down his face as he chews and swallows. “Delicious,” he says as he wipes himself clean with the sleeve of his arm. “You heal instantly. I will be able to savor your flavor that much longer then.”

I spin around when I hear hissing. The red eyes of the other ghoul surround me. I let my tongue run over the sharp edges of my fangs. The air begins to sizzle with electricity. My feral is eager and welcomes their challenge. I prepare myself for them to pounce. I have a hold of the power within me. Then, I take a step back.

One of them falls to their knees with a sword protruding from its chest. I watch the severed head of another bounce on the ground and roll to my feet. “NO!” Archer screams.

I whirl around, and he charges at me with an insane expression. His jaw is open, and I bring my arm back. When he is close enough, I thrust it forward. Lightning streaks across the night sky as I release the energy I pulled from the air into him. He cries out in pain as smoke billows and his body burns from the inside. He reels on the ground squirming and kicking to his end.

“Kyra,” I look over when I hear my name. The red eyes of the ghoul have been replaced with the calm expressions of two males, one female Fae and Gatlin. They have sleek swords in their hands and are dressed in gothic military-style clothing.

I feel a trance come over me, and they fade away. The image of a glowing tree appears, filling my vision. It is in a massive courtyard, and it looks ancient. It feels familiar to me, but I don’t understand why. A sense of longing comes over me. I want to be here, but I have no idea where or what this is. It feels safe and comforting, and I don’t want to leave. It feels so real, like a forgotten memory. How can that be? I have never been to this place. I think I hear a soft, feminine voice. “Come to me. Your seedling grows. You are the last, and then I will be set free. I will be waiting.”

“Home,” the word lingers on my lips as I whisper. I don’t know where the word came from, but it feels genuine and honest. It is impossible, though. Every memory I have is from Earth.

I am jolted from the trance when l something warm and wet splatters across my face. I blink and watch as Robert’s bloody body falls in front of me.

“Is she a?” I hear a voice say.

“Yes,” Gatlin replies.

“What in all of Danu is she doing here?” another voice says.

“We don’t know. That is what we are trying to find out,” Gatlin replies. My senses start to come back to me. My eyes shift around. What just happened? Gatlin can see my confusion when I put my hand to my head. I am feeling overwhelmed and need time to process all of this. I am about to fly away, and he rushes towards me. “Kyra, wait!” I leap into the air for my wings to take flight. Gatlin curses, and I know he is running after me as I gain altitude. “Kyra!”

I don’t turn around or look in the direction that he is calling from. I don’t know what I just saw, but I know I felt something change inside me. When the thought enters my mind, I scream out in pain. My leg feels like it is on fire. I grip my thigh where the coven branded me. I feel the air rushing past me as I fall. “Kyra!” I can hear the panic in Gatlin’s voice and the other Fae running to me.

I am not going to be caged anymore! Thunder booms and lightning flashes. The crackle in the air surges, and I push past the pain. I am in control! I am Fae, and I will not let the coven take me! I reach out as lighting streaks past me. I pull for its energy and drink from its delightful flavor. It feeds me, and the bindings that have been holding me back begin to fade.

A tree cracks and falls when the lightning impacts. I spread my wings and catch air. I fly as my feral in my right mind for the first time. I shake my head to focus and look over my shoulder. I see the Fae are watching me. They shrink in size the further away I fly from them. I don’t know what just happened, but I know this feels good and right. I won’t have to wake up on some mountain top because I am in control, and I like it.

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ethereals-call · 2 years

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Prequel 31

I sit in my car for a moment and think. My conversation with Easton did not turn out like I thought it would. All he did was give me an option; he didn’t give me any help. The choice he gave me is enticing, but I don’t know if I am ready to walk away from the coven or Earth. Would I be walking away, though?

I pull my phone from my pocket and stare at the blank screen. The conversations I had earlier today linger in my thoughts. The coven has an agenda for me. Unpleasant memories of past attempts to create hybrids move through my mind. I grimace and grip the phone in my palm. I drop it into the center console and rip out of the campground’s parking lot.

I feel a sense of resolve starting to generate in my core as I tear down the interstate. I may not know what I am going to do, but I do know what I am not going to do. I will finish what I started then I will deal with the coven. My mind was so focused that I almost missed the offramp to the hotel.

I pull in and park in front of my room. I huff because I still have not figured out what to do about this Archer situation. Maybe I can trap him somehow, or perhaps he won’t find me, and I can deal with this later. I don’t have much time. Game night is tomorrow; then, I will have a whole new set of issues to deal with.

Not wanting to think about it anymore, I make my way to the door. I swing it open and step inside; then everything goes dark.

The scent of something potent and strong overwhelms my senses. My eyes start to burn, and I have to blink to ease the sensation. My vision begins to clear, and I start to panic. Archer’s brother is only inches away from my face as he waves something under my nose.

I try to move but can’t. My wrists and ankles feel like they are bound to something. I want to speak, but I am gagged and can’t close my mouth. I look down and see that I am tied to a chair. A sense of dread starts to come over me as I pull and struggle against the bindings. “Shush…. Shush…. Shush….” He holds my chin in his fingers and makes me look at him. He shakes his head. “There is no need for all of that. You are powerless as long as you have this around your neck.” He lifts a crystal on a long chain and dangles it in front of me.

He drops it, and I cringe when I feel the tip of his finger caressing my cheek. “Are all the Fae as pretty as you?” I try to pull away from him, but it only provokes him more. He grins, and I hear him chuckle a bit. I can feel his fingers in my hair, and I jerk away when he touches the tips of my ears. “Oh, are they sensitive?” The gratified expression on his face lets me know I reacted just like he wanted. I begin to pant and try to flip my head away from him when he messages the edges. “You like that, don’t you?” His voice sounds maniacal, and it sends chills down my spine. “I can see why they are interested in you.”

He lets my ear go and slides his hand down, holding long strands of my hair. He inhales and takes in the scent. “I will enjoy seeing their faces when they know I am the one who took you.” I look at him, confused since I don’t know what he is talking about.

He grins then stands. He puts his arms out and spins. “This is where it happened.” I shift my eyes around. The walls are plywood, and there are four cot-like beds against the walls. The only light is from the window in the door. I think we are in a cabin somewhere. “Rock Creek,” he announces as he goes to one of the beds. “I would come here with my brother.” He sits then reclines back. “That was before everything. Everything changed when we started working at that hotel.”

“Archer worked the bar, and I was working in the warehouse. We just needed something to get us through the summer. We both go back to school or,” he scoffs. “Well, not now. Now, he is a monster. If we had known what that place was, we would have never gone there.” He shakes his head. “The types of things they let into that place. If anyone really knew what was going on there.” He sits up and looks at me. “I am going to make them know what it feels like. They took my brother from me. They let this happen to us.” His face becomes tense, and his eyes fixate on something in his thoughts.

“This is where we were when that thing came for us. We were sleeping in this cabin, and it attacked us. It went straight for Archer. It was eating him alive. The only reason it stopped was because I stabbed with one of their knives.” He cuts his eyes at me. “The Fae think we are stupid. I outsmarted them, though. I know where it is they keep their relics and weapons.” Pleased with himself, he smirks. “What they have isn’t like anything we have here on Earth. But you already knew that. Didn’t you?”

He glares at me, and I can see he is on an emotional rollercoaster right now. “I was able to kill that thing but not before,” he struggles to finish his statement. “Before Archer had been turned. I took him to them, but they wouldn’t do anything. They wanted to kill him. There was an alchemist that said he might be able to help him. He took him to someplace called the Crossroads. He was gone for weeks, and they wouldn’t take me to him. It didn’t matter, though. He escaped that place, and he came back here.”

His eyes shift up, and he scans the ceiling. “This is where I found him. There was blood everywhere. He was eating someone. He almost attacked me until he recognized who I was.” A tear rolls down his cheek. “He almost didn’t.” He wipes it away and bites back the sob. “That is how I knew he could be saved because he stopped and didn’t kill me. I made a deal with the Fae. Help me hide him in exchange for that key.”

He grins. “Like the stupid Fae that they are, they took it.” He sniffles and shakes his head. “But then he started turning others to be like him. Then!” He jumps up from the bed and marches over to me. He grips my neck and leans in close. I can smell the sandwich he last ate on his breath. “You came and ruined everything!”

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ethereals-call · 2 years

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Prequel 30

I step into the Crossroads with intense focus. My indignant state of mind is advertised all over my face and posture. I hope someone gives me a reason to pick a fight to dispense this pent-up feeling.

I am marching to the Magistrate’s office. I have never been allowed in, but I don’t care. I am not playing cat and mouse with Easton today. I will blow that place up if I have to. He will meet with me, and he will get me out of this situation with Archer.

I can see the towering building come into view, and I storm forward. I am rounding the final corner to the entrance then I disappear in a flash of light. I look over when I feel a hand on my shoulder. “Kyra,” Easton growls. “What are you doing here?”

“We need to talk!” I bark at him.

He looks surprised by my harsh, direct tone. “About?” He moves in the direction of his desk.

“Archer,” I growl at him. I want him to argue with me. Please, pick a fight. I want nothing more than for you to be difficult right now.

He leans on the edge and crosses his arms. His eyes are piercing as he notes my tone and delivery. “What about him?”

“I do not have time to clean up your mess! You are going to help me dispatch him!” I am demanding, and I have no desire to be reasonable.

Easton looks at me, unimpressed with my tone or state of mind. “My mess?” He sounds condescending, and it is fueling my emotional state that much more. “If you had followed direction, then there would be no mess, infant.”

I march up to him. I am inches away from his face. “You are the one who came to me!” I point at him. “I didn’t want to have anything to do with this. I told you that at the beginning. Now, I have a hungry ghoul hunting me because of you. Help me!” I snarl at him with an implied ultimatum.

“Or what, Kyra?” He is so smug, and I just want to slap him.

“Push me, and you will find out!” I hold a challenging gaze with him. Neither of us is looking away. We both know the first one who does will lose.

“Do not threaten me, infant!” The growl in his tone pleases me. It is the reaction I have been hoping for.

“Fix this!” I snarl back.

His eyes narrow. “There is nothing to be done. I cannot help you.” My eyes flash with power. The room vibrates in reaction. Picture frames fall and shatter. Furniture bounces along the floor. “Calm down!”

“Don’t tell me to calm down.” The words are barely audible through my growl.

Easton purses his lips like he is considering. “There is nothing I can do for you on Earth. It is outside of my jurisdiction. I can only act in the Crossroads. That is why I sought you out. You are at liberty to move freely without the complication of jurisdiction.”

I ground my teeth as I listen to what he is saying. It makes sense, but it doesn’t sate my mood or solve my issue. “But there are other Fae on Earth. Why come to me and not them?”

His jaw flexes. “They are another entity that does not answer to me or the office of the magistrate. We are professional acquaintances, and that is all.”

Fae politics, something I cannot even begin to fathom right now. “What if I brought him into the Crossroads? Would you be able to act then?”

“Yes, but he would have to be violating the law for me to detain him.”

“You said he stole a key and was transporting alchemic contraband. Why would you not be able to detain him if you know that is what he has done?” His expression is stern, and I can see his reluctance to answer.

“Because I cannot prove it, and I have nothing that connects him directly. The intent was for you to provide that proof by observing him. Instead, you became involved.”

I curse and spin away. He is infuriating. Everything is black and white with him. There is no middle ground. You either follow the rules or suffer the consequences. Circumstances mean nothing.

“The only thing I can offer you is sanctuary. Stay in the Crossroads and become a resident. Then jurisdiction will apply. As a resident, we will be obligated to provide a certain level of protection, even if it outside of these walls.”

I look over at him. I am a little shocked that he even mentioned this. I never considered being a resident in the Crossroads. I question the sincerity of the suggestion and the offer. “Don’t look at me like that. I am not putting a gun to your head. I am giving you an option. You can take it or continue as you have. I could care less what comes of you. But understand one thing. You are Fae living with humans. No good will come of that. There is going to come a time when you are going to have to decide which world you want to be a part of.”

Ugh! This male infuriates me! “We are done.” He walks to me and places a hand on my shoulder. We flash away and appear by my exit. “When you are finished being an infant, you know where to go.” He flashes away before I can respond. What is that supposed to mean?

I look around and take in the sight of the busy walkways and small shops. The idea of living here never occurred to me. What would that be like? Why have I never considered it before? What would the coven do? Would this place really protect me? He gave me something to think about. I do have some connections here. I don’t know. It sounds appealing, but it isn’t something I can decide right away. I have to think about it.

I turn for the exit. He surprised me, and now I have something to ponder. An option that I am actually considering. Oh crap! What am I going to do?

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ethereals-call · 2 years

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Prequel 29

I am sitting in my car in front of my hotel room. I am so exhausted. I am relieved to have my phone and car back in my possession. I sigh, I need to get out of this car, but the hotel door feels like a thousand miles away. I know it is right in front of me, but the effort it will take to get there is more than I have available.

When the phone flashes from the center console, I look down. The home screen opens when it recognizes my face. The number of unread messages and calls I have missed makes me groan. I lean forward and rest my forehead on the steering wheel. I don’t want to deal with any of it. I just want to lie down and sleep forever.

It is always like this when I use my Fae powers. It takes so much out of me. I will need days to recover, and I don’t have that kind of time. I sit up and muster up the energy to go inside. I want to fall over as soon as I stand up. I force myself to walk and push the door open into the room.

I plug my phone into the charger since the battery flashes 15% red. I don’t think those Fae were able to hack my phone. I keep it hexed for extra security. It doesn’t look like it has been tampered with. They probably figured out my name by watching the messages that appeared across the screen.

I don’t care right now. I look to the bed and fall into it. I kick off my sneakers and lie there. It feels so wonderful. It is like my own piece of heaven. I grip the pillow, curl up and let my heavy eyes close.

My mind starts to replay the crazy day. I wake up on a mountain. Swan dive back to the hotel. Easton barges in and tells me Archer is hunting me. I go to get my phone, and that is when things get truly weird. Was Gatlin being genuine about what he said? Why would they want to help me? What is in it for them? I am just some random Fae half-breed.

What were those men all about? They were distracting. The thought of them makes me smirk a little bit. They didn’t try to stop me, and they were not the least bit afraid of me either. They acted like everything was perfectly normal. If that had happened at the coven, everyone would have been running around in a panic. It would have been chaos, and I would most likely be the one blamed for it.

I yawn than the vision of the fire gleams through my thoughts. I bury my head into my pillow. What was that? It felt so real. It was like I was there.

Archer’s stupid sinister face was next to move through the mind. Ugh! I am going to have to deal with him. I won’t be able to focus on game night if he is out there, causing me problems. I roll onto my back and sprawl out. I can feel my leg dangling over the edge. What am I going to do about him? I sigh. I wait for an idea to manifest, but I am too tired.

Why did Easton get me involved with this thing? Then it strikes me. Easton! He got me into this mess; he can help me get out of it. I nod as an idea begins to form in my brain. I will need to plan another trip to the Crossroads.

I woke up still feeling tired and drained, but I am not afforded the luxury of sleeping in. I need to get to the Crossroads and find Easton. We have to come up with a plan to catch Archer, and I don’t have much time to do it. Game night is tomorrow, and I think I have an idea that will work. It is just a matter of getting Easton to buy-in.

I walk over to my phone and pick it up. The screen looks like connect-the-dots with all of the notifications. Well, I might as well get this over with. I tap on the messages and see that my mother has sent me the most. I am sure there is a stern lecture waiting for me. I walk to the bed and tap on her number. I sit and listen to it ring as I reach for my sneakers.

She picks up right away. “Kyra,” her tone sounds sharp, and immediately I know what to expect. “I have been calling and messaging you. Why have you waited until now to reply?”

“I lost my phone. When I found it, the battery was dead, and I had to charge it before I could call.” I pull on the laces to tie them.

“Aubrey said you lost control. You were noticed, and there was a scene. They were forced to check out. Is that true?”

I cringe. I had forgotten about that. “Uh, well, my eyes shifted, and I got noticed. I was glamoured, though, so they didn’t see my face or know who I was. My name isn’t attached to their room, so it’s not like they can connect us.”

“Kyra, this is important. You sound unfocused.”

“I am just tired. I will be fine. I am all set for game night.” I brace my arms against my knees.

“Tired? Did you use your Fae powers?” She knows my answer when she hears silence. “Kyra!” Oh great. Now, she is in full-on mom lecture mode. “You know what that does to you. It drains you. It takes you too long to recover after using those powers. You know what can happen when you lose control.” I stand and start to move about the room. I grab my keys, my lecturing mother, and my money. I go for the door while she continues. “You need to be in your best form tomorrow. There is too much at stake for you to fall flat on your face from exhaustion. This is not the time.” I toss her into the center console as I pull out of the parking spot. “I have been talking with the coven mother.”

That got my attention, and I whipped my head around to stare at the screen, “and?”

“We think it is time for you to return home. She is preparing a room for you in the main house.” I curse under my breath. This is the worse news ever. They want me under lock and key. “You are to present the grimoire to her directly; then, you will be under her care.”

I glare at the phone. “If I say no?”

“It is not open for discussion. You may be able to redeem yourself if you are successful, but Aubrey’s reports have not been favorable. The Coven mother thinks you need mentorship.”

I sigh. The last thing I want is to be in the same house as the coven mother. Mentorship my foot! “Okay, well, I have to go. Big night tomorrow. I’ll talk to you later.” I click the red button before she can say any more inspiring words. I groan; I don’t want to think about what a mentorship would be like. I like my freedom. Coven politics has no appeal, especially when everyone hates me.

I pick up my phone as I fly down the interstate and tap on Jeremy’s name. He messaged me a lot, too; I wonder what is happening in his world. He picks up the first ring. “Sis, where have you been? I have been trying to get a hold of you?”

“The short version. I lost my phone, and I just found it. What’s up with you?” The conversation with my mother has me in a pouting mood.

“What is wrong?” I grin a little. My little brother doesn’t miss much.

“Nothing, I just had another stellar pep talk from mom. They want me to go into the coven house when I get back.” Saying it out loud makes me cringe.

“That sucks!” I love how Jeremy is always on my side. “What are you going to do? You can’t stay there. You know what that means for you.”

“I don’t know yet. I need to finish this first. Maybe a brilliant idea will come to me before move-in day, and I can avoid it. Right now, I have other things to worry about.” I am talking to myself as much as I am talking to him—one thing at a time.

“How is your assignment going?” His tone sounds like he is implying something.

“Fine, I am clashing with the other coven, of course. Why do you ask? Have you heard something?” He makes an audible sigh. “What is it, Jeremy?”

“I don’t know that it is anything?” He sounds hesitant.

“Just tell me,” I growl at him as older sisters do to younger brothers.

“I overheard mom talking, and it sounds like they want to try some new method for hybrids. If they are making you go to the coven house, then that means they want to do it.” I can hear the regret in his voice. We both know what this means. Unable to hold back my frustration, I curse. “Sorry, sis. Don’t rush home. Drag this out as long as you can.”

I am so emotional right now that I can’t focus. “Thanks, Jeremy.” My tone is sharper than intended, but I trust that he will understand. “We will talk later.” I hang up.

My mind fixates on what he said. I can’t focus. I slam my palm against the steering wheel to try and alleviate my anger. I curse again. I close my eyes and hope another option will come.

Images of the Fae males blink through my mind. Were they being sincere with their offer? Can I trust them? Ugh, I know better! No one gives free handouts. There is always a catch. I just don’t know what their intentions would be. What’s in it for them? I shake my head at the thought. I have to get it together. I can’t fall apart right now. I have to hunt down a ghoul that wants to eat me for lunch and seduce an incubus. I don’t have time for a mental breakdown. I sigh as I pass the Poinsett Park traffic sign. Okay, Crossroads, here I come. Easton better not give me any crap today because I am not in the mood.

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ethereals-call · 2 years

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Prequel 28

Three stunning Fae males stand and watch as the black dodge charger peels out of the parking lot. “I can track her down,” Micha says with a guttural tone.

Lazlo places a hand on his shoulder and chuckles. “As you are now, you are likely to scare into hiding.”

Micah turns to him with an intense stare. “She is Fae. She should not fear us.”

“We need to take this inside,” Gatlin interrupts, and they turn to him. He looks over to the mass of humans invading the parking lot from the hotel.

Lazlo groans. “He is right. Let’s take this to my office.” He looks at Gatlin. “Bring Robert with you. I want to know everything that transpired.” Gatlin nods, and Lazlo takes hold of Micah’s arm. He is transfixed in the direction that he saw the car go. “We will find her. Do not lose yourself to this.”

He looks over and meets Lazlo’s eyes. “I have never felt anything like this.”

Lazlo nods. “The pull is powerful. I can feel it too. She doesn’t know it yet, but she will. She has no choice but to return. She can’t escape it any more than we can. Come, let us take this inside. You will scare the humans.” Micah cuts his eyes at him, indicating how much he cares about the humans. Lazlo laughs and tugs on him to go.

Micah goes to the small bar in Lazlo’s office and starts mixing a drink. He needs something to take the edge off and to keep him from hunting down that female. “I don’t know how you are not jumping out of your skin right now.”

Lazlo grins at him as he watches him from behind his desk. “It is simple. I have been through this before.”

Micah gives him a sideways glance with a flirtatious smile. “This feels different.” He sits across from him as he sips on his beverage.

Lazlo nods in agreement. “She is powerful. She was holding back tonight.”

“She looked strained to me. You could see the fatigue on her. Maybe it isn’t that she was holding back, but something was holding her back.” Micah slides down and reclines back in the chair. “We have to find her.”

“We will.” When Gatlin walks in with Archer’s twin, Robert, they both look over. Gatlin goes to the bar and begins to mix a drink for himself.

Robert stands in the middle of the room. “You can’t let her kill him!” They all look at him like the insignificant human that he is.

“Why is that?” Lazlo asks him as he leans back in his chair.

“This is not what we agreed to,” he snaps.

“Your right,” Gatlin walks to sit in the chair next to Micah. “We made a trade. We gave you a place to hide, and you gave us a key. I believe we have held up our end.”

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” Robert declares.

“What exactly was supposed to happen?” Micah looks at him over the rim of his glass. “This was inevitable. Do you think your people would have allowed you to go on killing to feed them indefinitely?”

“I just needed more time. The alchemist is close to finding a way to curb their need for raw human flesh!” He looks to the three males for sympathy but sees none in their eyes.

“You are naïve, human.” Lazlo leaned forward and intertwined his fingers. “They are ghoul. There is no changing that. Your brother is lost to you. You need to accept this and move on.”

“You are wrong!” Robert belts. He fights to hold the tears back that wants to burst forth from his eyes. “He is my brother! He is good. He doesn’t want to be like this.”

“He was your brother. He is not anymore. Now, he is a flesh-eating monster, and he is hunting a Fae that is of interest to us. We will end him ourselves should he cross our path or harm that female.” Lazlo speaks with a deathly calm.

Robert gasps for breath as he considers what Lazlo just said. “We should have never come to you.”

Lazlo raises a brow at him. “That is a very true statement. We are Fae and will not go against our nature.”

Robert glares at him through narrow eyes. “You will regret this,” he growls.

Lazlo slowly rises from his chair and squares his broad shoulders. Robert fidgets and starts to reconsider his threat as Lazlo dares him with his expression. “You should go, human. My good graces for you have been exhausted. Should you ever cross my path again, you will regret it.” Robert’s eyes shift around at their cold expression before he scurries out.

Lazlo watches him go then sits back down. They wait for the tension to dissipate before breaking the silence. “That female,” the ice clinks in Gatlin’s glass.

“Yes, what happened?” Lazlo leans back in his chair and looks at him. “You were supposed to offer her reprieve. Not make her a target.”

Gatlin sighs. “I was almost through to her. She is skittish and smart. Archer appeared and interrupted us. You were there for the rest.” He looks at Micah. “For a moment there, I thought you might lose control.”

“So did I.” Micah takes another sip. “I should track her down.”

“That would not be wise.” He cuts his eyes at Gatlin. “The humans would not take kindly to seeing you in your feral form. They would most likely shoot without asking any questions at all. I have no desire to report that to your brother.” He lets his gaze shift between the two of them. He knows he has to be the voice of reason right now. He can see they are struggling to fight the pull of this female. “If you want to help her. You need to hunt down those ghouls before they find her. Archer has decided to make her his next meal.”

Lazlo and Micah both become pensive as they consider what he is saying. They share a knowing look. “Gather a small team and start tracking them. You are authorized to dispense whatever force is necessary to illuminate this threat.” Gatlin nods at Lazlo as he stands. “Be discreet but do not let any of them live. The female is your top priority. If your paths cross, you are to use whatever means necessary to protect her.”

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