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Post by Ventia on Jul 28, 2022 21:03:42 GMT -5
Her clawed fingers did catch his hand, those claws pressing deep into his skin threatening to break through. Davion smiled, still not moving even as she yanked him up and over her. The vault was one of the largest he had seen, both in width and height, he was distantly amazed at the size of it and was quite relieved they would have enough room to flirt around.
Instead of being thrown off her, Davion maneuvered his body until he was sitting on her shoulders, his legs curling under and over her back, his fingers grasping the hand she still clung to and his free hand holding firm to the other that was still clenched in his shirt.
"Steady now, we don't want to hurt you." Davion hummed as she began thrashing around, trying to shake him off, but Davion had a solid hold on her. "I just need to check something and-" he paused when she threw herself against the vault's wall, the impact to his back was enough to steal his breath if he had any.
Davion let out a half growl half chuckle, "Stop you'll hurt yourself." he scolded her and proceeded to get to work, he had both her hands locked and thus his own were out of commission, no matter Davion thought as he bent down towards her right hand and forced her hand to be steady.
His lips closed around her large middle finger, her scent flooded his head again as he took in a breath, the taste of her furred skin should have not been anything and yet Davion found himself enjoying the feel and taste, his tongue danced out between his vangs twirling around the ring, then he bit down on the metal one vang reaching under. Using it like a hook, Davion tugged his head up-or tried to. The ring barely budged so his head stayed exactly where it was.
Frowning and ignoring the constant slams to his body, Davion tried again and again but only succeeded on sucking on her finger and nothing more. He chuckled, still sucking, and finally eased his teeth away from her finger and stood up straight.
His mind continued to race as much as she continued to trash around, finally decision made because there was nothing to be done at this point, Davion released her hands and jumped off her back in one smooth motion. She had been about to slam herself again against the wall and without him to get the worst of the blow, she was only going to hurt herself.
Davion reached out, wrapping his hands around her, one over the back of her head and the other around her waist, he was still tall and large enough than her even in this form. He lessened the impact by tugging on her to be flushed to him and letting his hand get the worst of the slam, before using the momentum to bring her down to the floor. His leg had kicked out, swiping hers and he had tugged her down, until she was below him on the carpet.
"You're quite feisty aren't you." He struggled for control over her hands again and after a fierce little struggle he got them and held them down above her head, his legs pressing down on hers, his weight and power holding her down.
"Forget the ring I want you now that-" he paused, his body instinctively breathing on its own, a scent like no other now begging for attention. Sweet metallic called for him and Davion found himself staring down at her with a puzzled look, even more so than the one he had when he finally realized the ring wouldn't budge from her finger.
"Are you bleeding?" he asked, definitely smelling blood now, his eyes raked down her but he couldn't find any obvious wound. There was something about that scent, something that called to him in more ways than one, something he only knew from stories and those lucky enough around him.
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Post by Thea on Jul 29, 2022 3:44:31 GMT -5
With every slam against the wall she became more angry. It was evident that he was hard as stone, not moving a single inch and seemingly unbothered by her attempts to dislodge him from her person. Her growls rose in a crescendo with every passing second he was on her back. And when she felt his lips around her finger where the ring was she fought valiantly for her hand back.
She was going to lose the ring, she thought, feeling his fang hook between her skin and the metal band. She tried futilely to turn her hand into a fist so that she could keep it on as much as possible, but he had her hand in such a way that the most she could do was curl her fingertips.
Hallie was panicking at this point. Archard said not to let it out of her sight, and she told her dark knight that he could only have it over her dead body. With the way she was starting to breathe hard, she knew that she was still very much alive. She was the last line of defense. And she was losing.
She had been so busy trying to get him off that at first, she was confused why he wasn't getting it off. She felt his head tug up, but the ring wasn't budging. Then, his teeth left their spot to be replaced by his lips; the she-wolf felt the sucking sensation of his mouth, his saliva wetting her fur and the skin underneath. Her growls eased up, taken aback by this man. It wasn't a horrible feeling, having his mouth on her this way. Then the logical part of her gave her a slap of reality.
This man ambushed her home and put her family at great risk for the Eye of Solomon. She should not be wondering whether she was turned on by his mouth on her finger.
With one last growl, she prepared herself for another wall slam, this time tilting her head back to drive it home. At the last moment, he detached himself from her. She couldn't stop herself from hitting the wall - everything was going too fast for her. Stars burst in her vision from the impact, though his hand had deafened the blow some. Her world was being turned upside down. Her stomach flipped at the sudden speed and action. There was nothing she could do to counteract him pressing his full weight against her, then when he won their struggle she tugged her wrists once to see how tight he was holding onto her.
She was well and truly trapped.
Hallie had no quip or comeback for him, only snapping her jaws once in irritation. Her head hurt, her vision was blurry. With how he had her hands extended over her head, her shoulders screamed at the uncomfortable position. She knew she wasn't going to be able to hold this form for long. It seemed that after it was hurt her wolf side wanted to retreat to lick its wounds. She would gladly turn back now if it wasn't for the fact that she would be stark naked. And while she had images of being so around him back at the club, that didn't mean she wanted to be so vulnerable now. Not to mention, the vault door could open any time. She did not want her father to see her that way.
"Forget the ring?" she demanded, finally remembering that he hadn't taken it off her. Her fingers curled into fists, the warm metal rubbing against her fur as if to reassure her that it was still there. Why hadn't he taken it off? He had ample opportunity. Confused was an understatement for how she was feeling. And when the latter part of his words registered in her mind her heart seized -
"Am I?" was her response, watching him above her as he took stock of her prone body. This was a good time to get out of his hold. Through her haze she jerked her hands once more. Bucked up against his hips. She could feel that she was lying on her tail awkwardly. Still, he held steadfast. Just how strong was he? "I can smell it. My head, probably. Why? Are you going to drink from me?"
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Post by Ventia on Aug 3, 2022 0:22:59 GMT -5
"I am tempted to do many things with you, my lovely wolf. Does that scare you?" Davion's voice darkened into a low purr as pleasure seared through him at both the scent of the exotic blood in the air and at the feel of her under him. Her resistance made his cold blood feel icy hot, he could feel almost all of her in their position on the floor, and when she bucked and jerked, he pressed and rubbed.
Swallowing his desires, Davion had to remind himself the possibility of who this woman was and how his behavior today would surely ruin any future plans of having even a chance of getting her to cooperate with him. If he was right, and seldom was Davion wrong, his mystery woman could very well take him to places he would never be able to reach by himself.
She was the final piece to the puzzle that he needed and thus demanded the respect any other wise vampire would give her once they realized who she was. What she was to them. Still...Davion paused, watching her from under his body, feeling soft and hot with her eyes still showing that mutual interest even if he knew she was furious with him.
Davion eased down, he could feel himself hardening his grip on her wrists tightening, he liked seeing her below him and already his mind flashed to when she'd come to him willingly, naked and soft, wet and wanting...
His ears caught a sound from outside that stalled his thoughts, he sighed softly getting one last good look of her, one last good feel, before giving her a smile. Tonight was going to be a long one.
"I apologize for my actions tonight, I saw a chance and I took it. I ordered my men to not kill but they were young, though I think your family came out just fine. Archard will live as well." He began loosening his grip on her, his eyes briefing leaving her face to glance at the ring still on her finger.
"As much as you may not like it, you will be pulled into the vampire world once The Court learns that you're the new Eye of Solomon's bearer. You will need a ally for there are many enemies lurking in the shadows, I hope to be that ally, despite what occurred today. With time, you will forgive me and take me as your betrothed."
His smile was both wicked and charming, pools of red and gold filled his gaze with only a hint of something more, then as the vault doors began to open, he gave her a little wink even as a hand shot out grabbing his hair and pulled him back. The room began to fill, voices speaking all at one, and the feel of a sharp blade began to pierce through his back.
"I should kill you right now." Nathaniel's voice was cold filled with anger as the scent of Hallie's blood filled his nostrils.
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Post by Thea on Aug 3, 2022 18:48:24 GMT -5
Hallie couldn't stop the little humming sound that came from her throat, her body giving away the fact that she was very much attracted to him. "I don't scare easy," she responded haughtily, the promise of a challenge lighting her yellow gaze up. Tonight was an exception, what with the threat of death looming over her family. "I dare you to do your worst."
Every response he had to her trying to break free from him was both unexpected and welcomed. On one hand, she was very conscious about her wolf form, hated as it was but could very well be fear-inducing to the right person. At the very least, it should give someone pause before taking her on. Him? Not only did he take her on but acted as if it wasn't a grotesque form. As if he saw right through this skin to her soul hiding within. Looking back, she would give him credit for her eventual appreciation of her shift. Right now, even through her anger at him, she wanted to devour him and to be devoured in return.
Fuck. Was that...?
Her ear flicked toward the sounds that were coming from outside the vault door. Her family was on the other side. She kept her gaze on him, seeing the resignation etched on his face as he gave her a heart-melting smile. Those butterflies she had experienced earlier had a rave in her stomach, and the rest of her body lost its fight. Hallie had a feeling that his apology was genuine, though wasn't sure if it was the tingles that she felt ricocheting from his touch that had her thinking this way or if he truly was sincere. And she knew that deep down her family was full of survivors. Warriors. They would be okay. Hearing it, even if it was from the man that had instigated an attack on them, made a difference.
As he continued to speak, ice started to fill in her veins, and confusion fogged up her mental process. Reality came crashing down on her, heavier than her dark knight's weight, reminding her of how she ended up in this position. Hallie knew that this ring had to be important. After all, Archard told her to protect it with her life and the man on top of her wanted it so bad he had her home invaded. Yet, she didn't know just how important, it seemed. Being pulled into the vampire world? Enemies? Allies? This all seemed to be out of a fantasy book she once read for an English II book report. And while she knew that she herself was a supposed myth, it was hard to believe what was coming out of his mouth.
Indignation had her choking on his last words. She will forgive him? Take him as her betrothed? The audacity! And she was just about to let him have it when the door opened and the sounds from the outside world started filtering it. Before her father pulled him off her, she felt one of his hands let go of her wrists and pull her into a sitting position by the back of her head. She had hissed at the pain and her dizziness came again in retribution before it subsided for the most part. She saw Archard and Dimitri making their way to her, her brother reaching out for her to help her to her feet and their butler taking the crested blazer he usually wore off to drape it around her shoulders as her body finally started its shift back to her human skin.
They retreated, the she-wolf heard Thea say in the link, exhaustion and pain evident in her tone. Hallie was instantly worried about her eldest sister. Followed them all the way to the edge of the property. One of them got me good though.
There was so much going on. Hallie was so overwhelmed. Even bloody and torn as it was Hallie wrapped Archard's blazer around herself like a shell to block out what was happening right now.
Luc, go get Thea. I see her at the tree line, her mother's voice filtered through, hardened with anger and fear for her eldest. Thea had a tendency to go overboard, her mother has said multiple times before. If she worked out too hard she agitated an old wound that almost cost her leg. Already, Hallie knew Thea would have to walk with a cane for the next couple days. Tell Maddox to help you. Bring her inside.
Hallie really wasn't paying attention to the dialogue in her head, though. Her eyes had never left her mate, who was still smiling despite her father's arm wrapped around his throat and the blade at his back. Her feet suddenly moved, and wobbly as she was she made quick work to stand by her father's side, hand on the arm that wielded the blade. "Dad, stop! Please. He's ... my mate."
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Post by Ventia on Aug 3, 2022 21:06:23 GMT -5
"What's stopping you then?" Davion said easily even through the pressure of the man's arm tightly around his neck, if he were human the pressure would have been enough to choke him. The blade dug deeper breaking skin at his remark and Davion chuckled darkly, his eyes still on his woman she was shifting back her bare skin exposing itself from below the blazer's length, long slender legs and cute little toes. He smiled in appreciation but his attention sagged to the wetness in his palm and that intoxicating scent again.
He raised his hand and saw blood covering his left palm, the same hand that had been on the back of her head, stains of her blood covered his skin and Davion felt his vangs ache with the need to taste it. Even as the blade began sinking deeper into his back and as pain flashed through him, Davion felt himself drawn to the bright red blood, as if nothing else existed. Before his hands could be detained, he wasted no more time in bringing his palm to his lips and raking his tongue out and across.
A shot of fire seared through down his throat as he swallowed, tasting her blood for the first time, all night long a part of himself has been nagging at him to do just that, he had his suspicious before and now once again he was proven right. Sweet and exotic unlike any other he tasted before, exactly to his taste, made for him and him alone. His mate.
Shock and pleasure all at one filled Davion, for centuries he had searched for his mate only to give up all hope of ever finding her. Now she stood in front of him, catching his gaze once more and holding it as she had ever since his eyes first caught sight of her. She really was a enchantress. With so little effort she managed to slip straight under his defenses and make him crave her in ways more than one.
Davion eased his hand down, watching his mate hurry to his side, her words filling his ears and his heart, he smiled again, remembering the shock of her first touching him so she had known back then...Davion envied the tingles shifters felt once discovering their mate, if he had known sooner-no Davion stopped himself, he would have still ordered the attack on the estate and ultimately find himself in the same situation.
"What?" Nathaniel had half the dagger into the vampire's back, he wasn't planning on killing him just yet, needing information but his daughter's words made him falter. He turned to face her, already suspicious why the vampire wasn't making a effort to flee, and felt his eyes narrowing almost even glaring at Hallie before he realized what he was doing.
Taking effort to relax, Nate tried again. "Hallie, he-" he paused from telling her that she couldn't be mates with a vampire, because despite being her father he didn't have a right in telling her who she could or couldn't love. He remembered finding his own mate, though despite how horrible it turned out to be, in the beginning all he had was hope of finally finding the love he had always wanted. Now it was his children's turns to go down their own paths, whether there was heartache or love at the end of the road could only be told with time.
"Alright. But we will be restraining him until I get some answers about this mess. Until then, I don't want you near him, mate or no mate. Understand?"
"Archard is there anything on the estate that can hold a vampire?"
"Yes Archard, is there?" Davion hummed, he could fight his way out of the estate it would be hard but not impossible. Yet, Davion turned up to look up at Hallie...he smiled, liking her name, liking everything about her thus far, he would have to stay for her, to mend what he ruin, Davion was confident he could now especially that she cared enough for him to stop her father from hurting him. She was sweet, he would have to spend the rest of his life making this up to her. It didn't bother him at the least.
"You shut up." Nate barked and tightened his grip on him, not pushing the dagger any deeper but also not removing it yet. He didn't like the cocky tone the man was speaking in, especially since he had a feeling he was responsible for tonight's raid.
"How will I answer your questions if I cant talk, father?"
"Don't call me that."
"Why not? Hallie is my mate, you will soon be my father in law, shouldn't we get close?"
"You put my family in danger you think you'll get away with that just because you're my daughter's mate?"
"They were only meant to be a distraction, your family was never truly in danger-"
"Why is this Eye of Solomon so important anyway."
"I doubt you'll believe me, so why don't we have Archard explain it all, including the part where you all carry the Old King's bloodline."
-
Back on the yard, Lucian had busied himself throwing the still remaining corpses' into the wall of flames. There was a graveyard out back but he wasn't keen on burying his enemies with his family members and quite frankly didn't want to see the corpses littering the grounds. He kept glancing at his mother, who stood wearily looking out over once everything was over.
When she told him to go to Thea, he did one last trip to the fire before jogging down the path, he didn't see Harley anymore despite knowing she had been there a moment ago and finally caught up to Thea. "Hey, that doesn't look good." He grimaced, concern and worry filling him in for his sister, he wanted to find whoever did this to her and make them pay, but if Thea got this hurt then his own injuries would have been double.
Careful to not hurt her, Lucian supported her from her good side and began the slow walk back home.
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Post by Thea on Aug 4, 2022 4:26:36 GMT -5
There was something about seeing her mate taste her blood. Something so intimate. Hallie's ears tinged pink with a blush, finding it so wrong for her brother, father, and butler to be in the same room as they were. Watching him lick his palm, eyes closing as he seemed to be savoring the taste, had heat pooling in the bottom of her belly. She couldn't help but swallow, mimicking how his throat sent her essence through his body.
Gods damn him. Hallie shouldn't care that her father had a blade halfway through his back. She should be angry and vengeful and call for his head to be sent back to this ... court of his as a warning not to mess with the Constantines and the d'Guillory Estate. But she did care. If he died tonight she knew she would mourn at the loss of what could have been.
When she told her father who he had a hold of, she said it almost sheepishly. Hallie hadn't planned on saying anything. Not until she saw where the night was heading. It wasn't really like it slipped out. She just saw her father's arm around her mate's neck, with such a murderous intent in his gaze that she's never seen before. He had always been sweet with his family, a doting husband to her mother and the fun uncle her cousins always wanted to hang with. Never once raised his voice in anger. She knew, though, that he could be lethal in their training sessions. Just ... it was different seeing it in action.
And she had to stop him somehow.
The glare he sent her way had her wanting to hide behind Dimitri, like she was still a pup getting in trouble after both her parents explicitly told her not to do something. Despite the desire, she straightened her shoulders and set her jaw, looking at the yellow gaze she inherited. Something within those orbs caught her attention, and she narrowed her own eyes - not to glare, but to make sure what she was seeing wasn't a figment of her imagination. Was there ... purple in her dad's eyes?
His words broke her trance, causing her grip on him to loosen before she finally let him go and stepped back. "I understand." As soon as she did, Archard took her hand and bent to look at her middle finger. Specifically, what was on it. The ring seemed to wink, catching the light that came from the library before refracting in the opal's glossy finish. The butler frowned in thought, nostrils flaring at the heady scent of fresh blood in the air. Hallie wasn't scared of Archard, not even as his eyes went black with blood lust. He's been in her life since she was a baby. She had a picture of him holding her on his hip, her fingers in his mouth to showcase his fangs, sitting right on her vanity back in the pack lands. She knew where his loyalty lied, and he's proven tonight that he would die for her family.
"I'm so sorry, Archard," she murmured in a rush. What she was sorry for, she wasn't really too sure. Wearing the ring? Shifting even though there had been a possibility that she could have broken it? Her bleeding? Already, her healing ability kicked in, her skin stitching itself back together. Regardless, he wasn't in the best shape, needing more blood; she felt like she was teasing him.
The old man shook his head, negating her apology silently, as he raised his free hand to her finger. Deliberately, he tried to pull the ring from its place once, twice, three times. None of those times did it move even a millimeter. Hallie saw the look of shock on his face, as if he had seen a ghost. She felt her chest tightening painfully, foreboding descending down her like a shroud, even as Archard's cold lips pressed a quick reverent kiss to her middle knuckle.
There was so many questions that Hallie wanted to ask. Answers that she needed to know. Her father echoed one of them; Archard moving out of her sight had her watching the exchange between her mate and father. If she wasn't so overwhelmed with everything right now she would have laughed.
Archard waited patiently for the bickering to end, bloody hands folded neatly in front of him. He was tired. Hungry. Already wanting this night to end. But there seemed to be no end in sight. A sigh escaped his nose, jaw set in an irritated fashion before he spoke. "Ser Taylor has restraints that are fit to incapacitate Prince Davion -"
"Wait, did you say prince?" Hallie's voice cut in, disbelief and alarm fighting for their place in her tone.
"Oui," Archard replied, nodding once before continuing. It was surprising that she didn't ask about Maddox's title too. This was the first time he ever acknowledged him in this way. "They are in his house. I'm sure he would be more than happy to get them for you, Monsieur Constantine." Then he took a pause, as if he realized something for the first time, then scoffed. "I should have known. You have the same last name.
"The Eye of Solomon has been passed down and around among the vampires for a very long time, though its origins go back to Biblical times, during King Solomon's reign over Israel. How it ended up with the vampires now, I'm not quite certain, though there is a theory about one of King Solomon's descendants becoming the first ever vampire, and thus the clans were formed.
"The ring is important because of its ability to aid its bearer see into the past and future as well as warn of any imminent danger. King Solomon is touted for his wisdom, and one story comes to mind of two women coming to him claiming they were the mother of a particular child. He in turn told one of his guardsmen to cut the baby in half and give a part to the two women. Of course, the baby was alive and well, going home in the arms of its actual mother because she would have rather it go to the imposter than for it to perish. Rumor has it that his decision to cut the baby in half was due to the ring. While I'm not sure about that, I have seen it in action.
"Before Prince Davion's parents took power, we had a king who was benevolent as he was fierce. Before he took the throne, there had been so much in-fighting and political intrigue one couldn't tell up from down. His reign, coupled with the Eye, brought forth an era of peace among the vampires. His name was Silvan Constantine, and he hailed from the Starlight Clan. Until tonight, I thought, like everyone else, that he was heirless. He had no wife. No child, legitimate or no. He had close friends, and I was lucky enough to be included in such a close circle. But it is obvious that there were things he had kept hidden."
"How did the ring end up with you, then?" Hallie asked once it was evident that he was finished speaking. "Is Silvan dead? And why can't you get it off my finger?"
"He is presumed to be dead, yes. He came to me one night and asked if I would take the Eye and hold it for safe keeping until the next bearer came along. That his time as monarch has come to an end. And so I did. It was the least I could do considering all that he has done for me. I went to Simon, of whom I bonded with during the Great War, and he gave me shelter and tied me to the estate so as to keep me and the Eye from danger. Every so often, the ritual has to be performed to strengthen the wards. This is why I badger your mother. I figured that someone would come for the Eye eventually, but it had been so long that I hoped that it had been forgotten." The old man bowed slightly, dipping his head even farther toward Nathaniel. "The attack is partly my fault. I should have said something sooner."
He straightened, then turned to look at Hallie with deep respect in his eyes. "As for you, the Eye chooses its next bearer. That said bearer, if not king or queen already, takes up the title 'prophet', and is hailed as higher even than the reigning monarch. They help make decisions and mold vampiric life for the better."
"But what if I don't want to be a- a prophet?" Hallie demanded, bringing the blazer closer to herself in defense. "Because I don't. I'm going to college in the fall, Archard!"
"I'm afraid you do not have much of a choice, my lady. Because once the Eye chooses, it will not leave your person until your death or when it decides to move on."
**
It had been so long since Thea's felt the thrill of a fight.
Of course, being a New Dawn Warrior, she had gotten into skirmishes at the borders with rogues. But this had been different. Like a dog running after its favorite tennis ball, she had followed the vampires until they had left the property, tackling one unlucky fellow to the ground. He fought back, and he fought hard with such ferocity. Adrenaline had fueled her fire; it wasn't until she ripped the vampire's throat out, nearly severing his head, that the rush left her and with it came the stings of her wounds. She had fought in her wolf form, but by the time Lucian came to retrieve her she was back in her human skin, blood trickling down her body in various places such as her back, ribs, and arms. Her face had three distinct scratch marks starting at the corner of her eye to her chin, and the base of her throat and upper chest already had gnarly bruises from when the vampire tried to keep her off of him.
"It sure doesn't feel good," Thea retorted, uncaring at the moment that she was nude from head to toe. Right now she was making sure that she didn't put any weight on the leg that she nearly lost during her time at the Arena. When she first got the wound, it had taken her healing ability weeks to heal it, going from wheelchair to cane to limping everywhere she went. Now, she had to make sure that she didn't go overboard with the training to make sure that she didn't agitate her leg.
She had been too caught up in the chase. And now she was paying dearly for it. "I see that you made it out alive, though," she continued with a grin, grateful that Lucian came to get her. And as they walked, she caught sight of a white feather perched lightly on the grass, in pristine condition and oddly out of place for her liking.
"Hey, where's Harley?"
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Post by Ventia on Aug 11, 2022 15:27:45 GMT -5
"This makes no sense." Nathaniel watched the room, from Archard's serious expression to Hallie's shock and doubting one, to Dimitri frowning in the back and Davion's relaxed smile, seeing that smile made him want to twist the knife closer to the vampire's heart but for Hallie, he stayed put.
After a long silence, Dimitri spoke up "I'll go get the handcuffs and see how everyone else is faring." He gave the room one last look before exiting through the open doorway.
"Would you be a chap and take the knife out, I promise to behave." Davion tapped the man's forearm, feeling quite uncomfortable half kneeling down with the blade between his back and the tight forearm around his throat.
"No."
"If I wanted to leave I would have, I'm quite content to stay right here and devise our next set of actions moving forward. Your daughter will need protection first and foremost, you did well today but that was against the lowest grade of vampires I own-practically newborns. Once news spreads that there's a new Prophet and it will despite how grand you try to hide it, all the Clans and their strongest members will be after her, some will try to kill her and take the Eye for themselves, some will try to use and manipulate her, either by marriage or blackmail, there may be some who would truly worship her but they'll have their own agenda-the possibilities are endless but only one thing will be certain. Hallie's life will never be the same henceforth."
"The Vampire World isn't a safe place for anyone these days especially a new Prophet. If Silvan were still here everything would be different, safety would be the least of her worries alas my parents rule and they...well they would rather kill her than deal with her." He had been watching Hallie the entire time, and as he gazed at her he wished he could turn back time and shield her from his cruel world.
"There is one silver lining, vampires take mates very seriously, enough that there are laws cemented in place to provide the upmost safety to the couple. I doubt all will abide by the law but it will cut down her enemies by half, and ensure the other half to pause and reconsider, giving us the time we need to strike first."
"You're talking as though we'll just allow this to happen and let you do as you wish, let's not forget you're the one who brought her into this mess." Nathaniel said angrily, still not able to decide what would be the best course of action, either to kill him and deal with Hallie's anger and sadness or allow him to keep flapping his lips and actually finding it making sense.
"You have no choice I'm afraid, she is the Prophet of the Eye, she can be Queen of the Vampires if she so wishes, she can choose the next rulers, she can change the entire Vampire World with just a few words and actions, she is priceless and royalty, but most of all vulnerable and ignorant. I didn't intend to ruin anyone's life but my own in tonight's conquest for the Eye. I was sincere in my apology Hallie, but I have a feeling even if I got to the Ring first it would have still chosen you."
"Destiny and Fate are written in the Stars, a long time ago I was told of a prophecy by The Old King himself, about a girl who would become the greatest Prophet the Vampire World would see in its lifetime, I never believed it since Silvan was my greatest role model and the best King to rule, yet since meeting you Hallie, all I could hear were his words. You are destined for greatness and I am destined as your mate to be by your side. I have waited years centuries for you, and now that I found you I will never leave your side. I will protect you, I will cherish you, and I will love you, not because you're a Prophet not even because you're my mate, but because since the second I saw you, I knew I would never be the same. Being my mate is as they say, the cherry on top same goes for the Eye. Together we can bring peace once more to my people, to your people, so don't be afraid you wont go through this alone."
"She's not alone-"
"You too are ignorant and unknowing to our kind, you didn't even realize the royalty in your bloodline how could you say you can protect her when you know nothing. I am her best bet of living a life that can be as close to normal as it was before. Don't let petty emotions such as anger and hatred for what occurred tonight to allow yourself to destroy her one chance of survival." With that, Davion rose to his feet the blade dug a fraction in and he could feel the man's strength trying to push him back down, but strength was something Davion had never lack.
He pulled the forearm out and away from his throat and pushed the man's arm aside, jerking away from his grip and walking towards the couch. As he walked, he moved to pull the knife out from his back, blood spilled but at least it wasn't pricking his heart as before. Placing the bloody knife down on the table, he let himself slump into the chair, smoothing out his hair and watching the room with curious eyes.
"I intend to educate you all with the help of Archard if he wishes about our ways and who to look out for the most in the Clans, the King and Queen will be at the top of that list. Shall we have some tea as we talk? Hallie you could come sit by me if you want to, I promise not to bite just yet. Now now, let's be civil father."
-
Having only a few cuts and bitemarks on him, Lucian would say he came out with the least injuries from the family, even his mother had taken a pretty nasty bite that he had been too slow to intercept. And he hadn't notice Harley getting hurt either, still he kept his eyes towards the front knowing mom would check Thea's injuries once they got close.
"I saw her a few minutes ago I don't know where she is now, besides for Mom and Maddox everyone should be inside." But as they grew closer to the house he could see Dimitri hurrying out.
"Everyone's okay?" Dimitri shouted to be heard across the yard, and winced when he saw the wall of flames still pretty high. He would have to grab another potion to ease down the flames but first things first, making his way around the flames and doing his best to ignore the smell of burning flesh, he jogged to where Maddox was.
"Hey, Archard said you had some cuffs that could hold a vampire? If you tell me where it is I can go and grab them."
-
Harley had been hit towards the end of the fighting, and unlike the few scratches she had gotten from flying in too close, the last strike had sent her falling down, her wing broken and screaming in pain. She fell towards the other side of the house a bit ways back, her golden eagle body falling hard on cement. The first few minutes she laid there stunned, too tired and in pain to even lift her head much less shift back, so she didn't waste any strength in trying.
Instead she tried to breathe evenly, knowing the pain would start to lessen soon enough, she could still feel the cool warmth from the center of her chest where the pendant waited on her other body, and soaked in the calm and strength Ludin's pendant always gave her. Even if she couldn't see or touch it, she knew it was there and it brought her comfort.
As time stretched the pain slowly drifted to the back of her head, still there but not overpowering as before. She started to change back, knowing she'd need to see the damage in her left arm before it completely healed. This time the shift took longer, the pain once again flaring into life, hiding her frustrations with hissing and groaning, Harley urged it to finish and once human again, huffed onto the cool cement. Grass tickling the sides of her arms.
When she finally opened her eyes and looked up, she noticed where she was...the d'Guillory graveyard a part of the estate that Harley had somehow always avoided. As her eyes drifted across the tombstone reading the words, the name, something inside of her began to pulse and her head started to pound not from pain but from sadness.
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Post by Thea on Aug 12, 2022 11:59:32 GMT -5
Hallie needed a drink.
That was what she was thinking as she rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand. At this point, "overwhelmed" wasn't the word she would use to describe how she was feeling. It was like someone had pulled a rug out from under her, revealing a trap door that led to a never-ending hole in the ground, and she was stuck trying to get her feet under her again despite the futility of it. Growing up, her parents always ensured she had a choice in everything she did. And that was how she came to be who she was. A sure-footed woman who wanted to pursue a career in fashion. Someone who fell in love with the night and all it had to offer compared to the daylight. A girl that was confident just as she was passionate.
Being told by Archard and her mate that she didn't have a choice in this? Her father knew she didn't take too well to being bossed around. She was headstrong. Strong-willed. Hallie had never been afraid of a little bit of confrontation, whether she started it or she had to end it. This was no different. She couldn't just roll over and take it. Destiny? Fate? Bullshit. It had to be because she couldn't be this ... prophet. She is sure as hell didn't want to rule over a bunch of people that would rather see her dead. She'd rather cut out her tongue.
During Archard's explanation, and as her dad and mate bickered some more with each other, not once did she look at Davion. She took extra care to keep her gaze off him when she found out about his title. And if the talk of her being queen was anything to go by, he was next in line for the throne. If the situation were any different, she would have been elated. Her mate, a prince? Wow. She hadn't been too far off with calling him a knight. However, with all of this talk about the Eye and kings and queens and prophecies and destiny and fate, somehow finding out that Davion wasn't just some regular Joe Schmoe tipped her over the edge.
When he acknowledged her, she lifted her head and looked at him, her yellow eyes meeting his golden gaze. Like back at the club, those twin suns seemed to pull her to him, promising to catch her from her falling and hold her close. His words, poetic as they were, had her feeling some type of way. The she-wolf wasn't stupid enough to think that he didn't have a few relationships throughout the "centuries" that he was supposedly waiting for her, but she had felt that the apology he did give a few minutes ago was sincere. When they fought over the ring, not once did he retaliate despite her every try to get him off her. Not once did he hurt her, going so far as to shield her from most of the damage she caused herself.
Despite the fiasco that was him trying to obtain the ring, not once did he prove to her that he was untrustworthy.
Then again, she didn't think that he was trustworthy, either. She wasn't naive. Poetic words and puppy-dog eyes didn't mean a thing. Hallie was no stranger to them. She could count with both hands and feet how many times she's been hit on within the last month and still need more fingers to do so. In the end, she was wearing a very important piece of vampire culture. What if she was nothing more than a pawn to be used? His use of the words "your people" in regards to the vampires did nothing to ease her worry.
It wasn't like her to not have anything to say, but she didn't. She might as well have been mute, she was struck speechless. Though she was sure if she did have anything to say, she would have been interrupted by her father, followed by Davion once more. As much as she hated to admit it, if anything Davion was saying was true (which to be honest she couldn't find a reason for him to lie), what would her family do? They managed to fend off a small army tonight, even though said army only had the objective of retrieving the ring. What would have happened if Davion told them to kill on sight? Seeing her mate break free from her father with ease and pull out the blade like it was nothing had her wondering how bad the night truly could have gotten. And Jasper and Jade were still missing.
Gods, she felt sick.
"Madamoiselle?" Archard's voice penetrated her foggy mind, causing her to turn to look at him. "Are you all right? You look as if you might faint."
"I'm fine," she said in what she hoped was a sure tone. The foreshadowing lump in her throat did nothing to bolster that hope. "I'm just going to ... go get dressed. Yeah. Then I'll come back."
With one last glance at Davion, she walked out of the vault slowly. It was hard to resist the urge to run. Yet, she managed, trying to look calm, cool, and collected as she did. Like she was out for a shopping spree instead of being told that life as she knew it came to an end tonight. She made it as far as the stairs, careful not to step on the occasional vampire carcass along the way before she finally gave in and sprinted up the three flights to her bedroom with the speed her shifter heritage granted her. All the while, tears brimmed her eyes, blurring her vision until she blinked them away. "Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuckfuckfuckfuck."
Hallie tore through her room blindly, for once in her life not caring what she looked like in her search for clothes. She had grabbed the first couple things she saw in her drawer: a Dark Paradise tee she had borrowed from Thea last summer when they came and a pair of lime green leggings that had been worn once and forgotten. In her haste she didn't bother with a bra or underwear. Though she did end up pacing the length of her bedroom floor for a few minutes, her heart pounding furiously and tears making tracks down her face.
Maybe this was all a fucked up dream.
**
Maddox was helmetless by the time Dimitri caught up to him, eyes filled with worry as he knelt by a heavily-breathing Birdie. Despite her being genetically modified to be a blood-thirsty beast, she was still a beast from nature. Along her side was a set of deep scratch marks that went from shoulder to hip, the wound deeper at the end because the vampire she fought with had tossed her off him like a rag doll. In a nearby tree, Vulcan screeched in pain, pacing back and forth in worry for both his right wing and the cat.
At Dimitri's question, Maddox looked up, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Are we taking one prisoner?" he asked before gathering Birdie up in his arms and standing. "That a good idea?"
Distantly, he heard Thea shout back to her younger brother that everyone was at least alive. Briefly, he looked toward her and Lucian, careful to not look at Thea's bare body as she shied away from the massive wall of fire. He set his jaw, righteous anger flaring through him before his scanning eyes landed at the massive she-wolf surveying her territory, tail drooping with tiredness and ears flicking occasionally toward any sound they picked up. "Right, then. The cuffs are locked in a voice-activated safe under the sofa. I'll have to unlock it but when I do I'll let you take a pair."
Wary that the vampires might come back, he started walking toward his cottage, careful not to jostle Birdie too much as he did so. He didn't bother to look back to see if Dimitri was following him. "The cuffs will be disengaged until you slide them on the target. Once on, they will tighten to fit the wrists and tell you the threat level the vampire is. If it's level four or higher the cuffs will suggest extermination. If you don't want the vampire to die say 'detainment'. They are indestructable and magic proof so you don't have to worry about that."
Once they made it to his cottage he let Dimitri lead the way in, barking out a command that instantly had his three hounds sitting perfectly at the door and waiting to be released. The knight let Dimitri move the sofa to reveal a patch in the floor that was slightly discolored compared to the rest of the wooden floor. Maddox tossed a box-cutter to the shifter after he set Birdie on his kitchen table and gave the direction to pry the cover off. It revealed a high-tech safe, the locking mechanism on the side showcasing a square-shaped, green-gridded screen with a light blue horizontal line.
"Beastmaster Maddox Taylor."
The horizontal line wavered with every syllable Maddox spoke; after a few moments it turned green, and a quiet snick could be heard over Birdie's labored breaths. "Turn the knob to the left. Great, now while you're in there toss me that vial of white powder. I'll be in shortly to see what your dad wants done with the vampire."
** The tombstone was simple in shape, color, and design. The name "Marie 'Lurne' d'Guillory" was written plainly across the top, followed by "birthday unknown - 21st September 1765". Underneath the tombstone lay nothing but a claw, deteriorating slowly from age but still considerable in size. It was enough to keep the spirit of the woman whose origins remained unknown beside her husband Bael, who shared the title "Beast of Gevaudan" with her.
Harley would feel her before she saw her. Ghostly hands would cradle her cheeks, chilly compared to the summer night of the French countryside, before a soft kiss lit her forehead up in goosebumps. "My soul sees yours," a voice would whisper in a language that wasn't of Earth but Harley would be able to understand on a deeper level. Then out of the corner of her eye, a dark shadow will flicker before taking shape of a woman, whose eyes were the only brightness in a sea of dark.
To some, the apparition would be terrifying to see. But Lurne didn't want to scare Harley, trying to convey that all she wanted was to see her daughter for the first time in over three centuries.
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Post by Ventia on Aug 12, 2022 17:07:43 GMT -5
Davion watched her go, similar to back in the club a few hours ago, he had the strangest urge to get up and hold her back, to stop her from leaving and disappearing from his line of sight. His chest fluttered as if he still had a beating heart and his stomach sank, he hadn't liked the horror that had been playing on her face as they all spoke, much less the way her skin pale from dread.
Yet he couldn't do anything, even if he wanted to comfort her, he doubted neither she nor her family would allow it so soon. It would be better the sooner she accepted her fate, though Davion also knew how hard it was to accept something that was thrown into his face at random. He would give her time, as much time as he could obtain while preparing both her and her family for what was to come.
When she finally vanished out of his line of sight, his eyes snagged on the bodies on the floor, his people deaths were on him and although he had a feeling he wouldn't be able to save everyone he could still save a few.
"I have a request fath-"
"Nathaniel, if you're going to address me without me wanting to kill you, call me by my name."
"Nathaniel then, I have no right to ask this I know, but if you could dig graves for as many of my people corpses I could raise them back from the dead as ghouls and," he paused, sensing the tension in the air, he chuckled lightly rubbing his jaw. "I would offer my assistance-"
"Who do you think you are?" Nathaniel's voice went cold again, without Hallie in the room to control his anger, it started to slip through his restraints like a tidal wave.
"I am only a man trying to bring peace to my people, as I have done for the last three hundred years."
"By creating chaos in my family's home? Threatening their lives? Trying to steal my daughter's future away from her all for your sick world? I don't care what happens with you vampires, I could watch you all burn, you should have never stepped foot onto this estate, should never had laid your eyes on my daughter, had I known this would have happened, I would have given you the ring the moment I knew you were after it. Yet you have the nerve to ask me to save the very people who attacked my family?"
"I can feel the pain of my wife and children, I know they are hurt, and you want me to ignore all that has happened?"
"I cannot change what has already happened, neither can you Nathaniel. If it wasn't me tonight, it could have been another tomorrow, and your family would have fared worst than they did today. Rumors of the Eye awakening have been whispered all throughout the Clans, its power once quiet could be felt wakening once more in time for its new Master. We have suspected for years that its been hidden here, with Silvan's most closest and trusted friend who had disappeared from the Vampire World shortly after The Old King himself."
"I am sorry it had to be this way, but if you do nothing from this point on, it would only get worst. I cannot stand by and allow that to happen, despite your feelings on me now, I will gain your trust and favor, for Hallie at least. If you do not want to bother with the corpses, then throw them off the estate property. My people are still waiting for me, I have told them of my plans and they won't breech the territory again. They will take the fallen and wait for my commands."
"Are you threatening me again, if I don't do this you'll send a second wave?"
"I will not, the choice is up to you, as you can feel your family's pain, I can feel my children burning and dead cold, I only ask as their sire to save the few remaining, bring them out of your territory and allow them a second chance at life. I will be your prisoner in their stead for as long as you'd like. You may torture me to your heart's content if that will ease your ire. Even if you were to throw me out as well, I would stick as close as I can to where Hallie is, I'm not going anywhere. The sooner you and your family accept that, the easier all of this will become."
-
Dimitri followed Maddox closely behind, he hadn't liked what he saw, his family was covered in injuries and blood, yet alive. Concern for them all, and for Maddox and his animals, he sighed and pulled lightly on his hair. Hating himself for taking a step back from the fighting, he bore not even one injury himself.
"Things are a bit complicated back there, supposedly he's Hallie's mate and she's a Prophet? Dad was going to kill him like the others but she stopped him." He didn't understand it, his feelings over having a mate had always been negative and now, that feeling only greatened. Just because someone was a 'mate' didn't give them the right to turn their lives upside down. Had he been in Hallie's shoes, he wouldn't have stopped his father, and watched as she passed.
Was that cruel thinking? Maybe but it was what Dimitri believed, he didn't want to have to open his heart to a total stranger just because fate deemed her his mate. He wouldn't kill her on the spot, but if she brought harm to his family, he just might have and not regret his decision with old age.
"Is she going to be okay?" He spoke regarding Birdie, moving the couch with ease and waiting till Maddox unlocked it, a little thrill of excitement went through him at seeing Maddox's safe, what boy didn't get excited over cool stuff like that, but his concern for them all overweighed it.
Passing the white powder bottle to Maddox, he wavered for a second thinking if he should wait and make sure she would be okay but then Maddox told him it was okay and that he'll be right behind him. Grabbing the cuffs, Dimitri hurried out of the cottage and back down the path to the house. He would prioritize getting this back to his father before hurrying back to help his mom.
-
With trembling fingers Harley pushed herself up to her knees, momentarily forgetting about the state of her left arm, she reached with her good hand out towards the tombstone. Fingers still trembling, she traced the name gently, her head pounding over and over again, pricks of wetness threatening to fall from her eyes.
When Ludin told her she had a past life as Colette d'Guillory, Harley had never denied it, a part of her feeling like it was true. Sometimes her mind felt fractured, bits and pieces coming and going, she knew things no one had taught her before, she said things that shook those around her without thinking, she had certain feelings that she couldn't explain.
But she never truly understood what it was that made her so different. Sometimes she found herself being scared of Colette, feeling like she'd never become that person that Ludin so loved before, a ghost of her past self that threatened to destroy who she was in this lifetime. Other times she felt so close to her past self, to the feeling she had of the woman she used to be, strange dreams and nightmares would fill her nights, she'd wake up crying feeling the lost, the heartache that Colette-that she-had to endure.
Still, Harley knew she wasn't completely there, that there were still big empty spaces in her memories, and yet just looking at her mother's name a piece came flooding back. She was caressing the wolf's claw, her tears streaming down her face, when she felt the ghost of a touch, cool fingers brushing away tears, at the touch of a featherlight kiss to her forehead, Harley sucked in a deep breath, having the urge to wail out and throw her arms around the space in front of her.
That soft voice triggered something somewhere deep within, Harley tried to blink back the tears, tried to see, tried to remember more, her head felt like it was going to break, her heart already felt broken, her fingers tried to touch the dark shadow in front of her, but it only seem to touch air.
"Momma?" Her voice sounded so young, the dark shadow in front of her should have brought fear into her brain, for it looked like something out of a horror book, with the eyes the only gleaming light in the mass shadow with only a woman's outline. And yet, and yet, Harley bit her lip, raising her hand and hovering it where her face should have been.
"I...I can't-its not.." she frowned, dragging her hand back only to press it to her own head, the fuzzy broken frames of memories taunted and teased her, she gritted her teeth, biting down on her bottom lip, as if that would make it come clearer.
She felt horrible for forgetting, for almost having that picture in her head, almost breeching and breaking the final wall to her last life, she could feel it was close, could feel that with every new experience and interaction she had with those from her old life was slowly but surely breaking the dam. Still it wasn't enough, only having these feelings wasn't enough, she wanted it all, wanted to completely remember all, she felt like she was missing such important things, that she still had things to do, people to see, she still needed to-
"I'm sorry Ma, I...I-I'm not all here, I'm not all here!" She sobbed, feeling the cold hands touching her face again, her heart clenched, the feeling so familiar and yet like she never knew it at all. She never knew her biological mother, only once heard the story of the whore her father slept with and tried to smother her to death, she only had Jewel since she was young, and although she loved her like a mother, there was still that piece of her that felt that she was missing out on a mother's love. Like Jewel was one of her own and not the other way around.
Yet here, with the cold touches, she felt as if she finally found that missing piece only to find more missing pieces right behind it. It made her feel like she was going insane and all she could do was sob her eyes out, while calling for her ma.
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Post by Thea on Aug 13, 2022 3:50:07 GMT -5
When it was obvious that it wasn't a fucked up dream, Hallie wondered if running away was an option she could take. An image, so tempting and tantalizing, of her jumping out of her bedroom window and stealing off into the night played through her mind's eye so vividly, it stopped her pacing for a good few minutes before she shook her head. No. She had a feeling that no matter where she would go her family would still be in danger. Not only that, but she was positive Davion would hunt her down and bring her back. With ease, if the past twenty minutes were any indication to his strength.
Maybe she could fake her death?
That would be selfish, the logical part of herself admonished. Her whole family would be heartbroken. If it kept them safe from the vampires, that would be one thing. But the more she thought of it, the more she realized that what happened tonight could be repeated, varying in degrees of bloodshed until she would have to come out of hiding. Images of her whole pack slaughtered, starting with her parents until it ended with her Uncle Andy and Aunt Ve, discarded and torn to pieces, overran her mind until she started crying again, this time bringing her down to her knees.
This is what would happen...
The whisper jarred the she-wolf. With a hiccup she looked all around her for the origin of it. Nothing seemed amiss in her room; for a brief moment she thought that she imagined it, until she looked down at her ... newly acquired piece of jewelry. There was nothing different about it. Her middle finger was warm from it, and the opal was still set firmly within the halo of filigree. Yet there was a gut feeling of hers that the voice came from the ring, like a Jiminy Cricket on the shoulders of Pinocchio.
Anger lit her up from the inside, the fire rising up to such heights and burning with the fury of Hell that it threatened to melt her guts. Well, let it, she thought, wishing she had never put the ring on in the first place. How could she have been so stupid? Trying to prove a point? Trying to be all macho? Oh, yeah, she sure showed Davion. Now she's the wearer of a stupid ring that told the stupid future and she was supposed to rule a whole fucking community that would rather see her dead alongside her fucking prince mate whose heart eyes made her feel like she was fucking walking on goddamn air.
She enveloped her right middle finger with all of her left hand and pulled. Hard. She pulled with as much strength as she could muster. Hallie didn't let up when her middle finger protested. Or even when it threatened to pop off her hand. It was only when she felt her knuckle become dislocated with a sick popping sound that she let go, shrieking in pain and anguish.
The ring never moved.
Slowly, as she breathed through the pain she caused herself, she lowered her forehead to the ground and cradled her right hand to her chest. Her chest rattled. More tears dripped down from her eyes, wetting the soft carpet beneath her as she took her time focusing on how her body healed itself. First came the swelling, then the knuckle moving back into place. With that, the swelling went down, and it was as if Hallie hadn't hurt herself in the first place. The act took all of five minutes. And when it was over, she stood and walked back down to the vault with a look of resolution on her face.
**
Maddox whistled low, casting a glance to the boy he's seen grow up into a man from a distance as they walked side by side. "What a revelation," he said. He knew a little of the mates phenomenon that came with being a shifter. How a sensation of tingles heralded the news to two particular individuals that they were each other's better half. Evanna's told him of it one night when she's called him inebriated, venting her feelings about it to him. He knew that she didn't feel it with him. Wished she did. Did that stop him from flirting with her? Trying to woo her? No. Because in the end, he believed in free will. And he'd be damned if he let static electricity stop him from getting what he wanted. Who he wanted.
In his house, he checked Birdie's vital signs with gentleness, speaking words of encouragement slowly all the while. At Dimitri's question, he shook his head before speaking. "Too soon to tell. She's lost a lot of blood." If the dark smears of the life-giving liquid on his glowing armor any indication. "The powder will either ease her passing or aid the healing process." It all just depended on her will to live. He could ask to see if Jewel would look at her, but now wasn't the time. And it wasn't like he could rush her to a vet. It would be hard to explain how he had Birdie, much less that she wasn't like any other lynx.
On the outside, his indifferent demeanor would put someone off. After all, Birdie was Maddox's pet. But it wasn't that he didn't care. With his line of work, especially in his specialty, it was common for animals to die. He followed the Beastmaster's path because he did care. He loved animals more than humans, excluding his sister Madison, and felt that they showed more compassion than most other people he's met. It was just a hazard of the job. And life ended at death, this he knew. Right now, all he could do for his beast was be there for her.
He would mourn later.
It took a few minutes to detach from Birdie's side. After he mixed a bit of the white powder with water to form it into paste and administered it to her wounds and against her tongue, he watched as Birdie's eyes closed and her chest rose a bit higher in a breath of relief. The effects were already starting to take effect. His heart swelled with hope. "You've still got some fight left in you. Don't give up just yet."
Then he set out some food next to her head, released his hounds from their command and ushered them into his bedroom, and walked toward the house, hand on the hilt of his sword.
**
Jewel watched two of her pups slowly make their way toward her, feeling more animal than human at the moment. She stepped aside quickly, the pain she felt from the bite on her shoulder nearly crippling her in the process. Still yet, she waited until Lucian and Thea passed her, brushing a cold nose against Thea's side in comfort.
"I'm fine, Ma," Thea said softly to the wolf, glancing down at her. She didn't have to look too far down, though, since in this form Jewel easily stood at chest level. "But when were you going to tell us about this?"
Jewel cocked her head in question, white eyes blinking once before whining as if to say "I'm not sure what you're talking about". This had Thea furrowing her brow, the scratch marks on her face twisting her features roughly.
"Ma," Thea tried again, reaching out the arm that wasn't around Luc's shoulders to pat the fur between her mother's ears. "You can switch back now."
The giant wolf shook her head once.
Thea huffed out, a mix of worry and irritation in that puff of breath before she sent a quick message to Nate through the link, Nate, I'm sure you're busy, but I think Ma is having trouble shifting back. She's acting more wolf than normal.
**
The ghost of Lurne never showed any emotion. She didn't have a face, and therefore couldn't show the love and sadness that she felt in seeing her eldest daughter once more. Oh, how the ghost wished that she could hold the girl before her. For even though she was a whole new person in this lifetime, fully grown and loved by a large family, she still saw her as she was the last time they were both together. The visage of a red-haired girl of about 13 kept blinking in and out of focus, mirrored by Harley's expression of sadness and pain.
"It's no fault of your own," she stated softly, stroking one side of Harley's face with translucent shadow fingers. She could feel the warmth of the living woman in front of her. "But you're only hurting yourself in trying to remember. You aren't meant to. Please, stop."
She sensed the essence of Dotoh on her, the god of rebirth and renewal. But there was something wrong. Dotoh's work in sending souls back to the physical plane was foolproof, in which the soul never knew their past lives in their endeavors to become fully enlightened. But it seemed that regarding Harley, this was not the case. It was tearing her apart; fear for Harley's safety rose up, charging the air around them with energy. "Please, my sweet."
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Post by Ventia on Aug 14, 2022 15:14:05 GMT -5
The vault room was silent when Dimitri reentered it, he was surprised to see dad not holding down the vampire again and said vampire was sitting on the long black couch as if he owned the damn thing. Archard waited by the entrance while his father waited a few feet between Davion and the entrance. The air felt tensed, the smell of blood wasn't as thick as it was outside but still enough to make his nose scrunch up in disgust. He realized tonight that vampire blood had a significantly different odor than shifter blood. A fact he hadn't wanted to learn.
"How's everyone?" Nathaniel asked as his son walked in, wanting to get this over and done with so he could go outside and inspect everything himself.
"Alive. Everyone's hurt though, Thea the worst from the look of it, I didn't see Harley so I cant tell you what's up with her. Mom..." He thought to the large wolf that had been his mother, and his voice wavered.
"She's okay I think-" He paused, watching his father have that faraway look to his face whenever his attention was divided.
"Lock him up." Nathaniel said through clenched teeth and watched as Dimitri moved over to the couch, he moved with his son and gave the vampire a look.
"Hands behind your back."
"Is this necessary? I made it known I wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon."
"Behind your back."
Davion sighed and twisted his body on the couch, giving them access to his back, the part of his body that he rather not be vulnerable. Still his clothing and thick trench coat was still in tact, despite from the tiny tear in the middle. His scar wouldn't be shown and if this would allow his future in laws to be happy, then it was a small price to pay. He hooked his wrists together behind his lower back and waited until he could feel the cold steel locking in place along his wrists, tightening to his size.
A animated voice announced somewhere from within the cuffs, "Level Ten, extermination is advise. Activating in ten nine eight seven-"
"Are we really going to allow him to live?" Dimitri asked, watching the man who seemed too calm despite hearing the countdown to his death.
"For now, I promised Hallie."
"Six five four."
Dimitri could allow it to continue on, just three more seconds and he could eliminated the person who hurt his family. He almost had a mind to do just that. Yet his sister would never forgive him, he realized and that was something he couldn't have. This wasn't his decision to make.
"three two on-"
"Detainment." He ordered and the countdown paused.
"Detainment sequence initiated."
There was a moment of silence before Davion eased his back once again towards the couch and shifted his arms a little, testing out the restraints. It was snug against his wrists and he had a feeling even if he were to break his bones it would only tightened that much more. No sense in it, he didn't quite mind his newfound predicament. Once again, a small price to pay to gain their favor. Although...he met the brother's dark eyes and found himself smiling, now that was a vampire's ruthlessness in disguise.
"Alright out let's lock him in." Nathaniel urged Dimitri out and nodded at Archard, they all moved out of the vault's space and was about to close it when Hallie finally stepped into the library.
Nathaniel gave her a look before beginning the closing code, not giving her the chance to stop it. Once the vault doors slammed into place, he turned to face Archard.
"You can decide what to do with the remaining corpses, however we wont be burying any of them. You can decide whether or not we burn the rest or throw them off the property. I honestly couldn't care less. I'll look into getting some more blood for you once everything calms down."
He walked away and met Hallie by the library door, "Don't open the vault door Hallie. You should keep your distance from him as much as you can, at least for now, if you want to talk and get some answers, get them from this side where you'll be safe. If you can do this for me, we'll let you be alone in here. I need to go to your mother now."
-
It took a while for Harley to stop trying, no matter the pain she felt like she owed it to her past self to keep pushing on, yet hearing her mother's pleas and getting nowhere closer to the truth than she did before, Harley finally stopped thinking.
A sea of emptiness drowned her thoughts, she dissociated from everything she felt, both as Colette and as Harley, and just was. The soft strokes against her hair and face brought her back, her tears soon lost their vigor and after she had no tears to cry at least for right now in front of her mother's ghost, Harley wiped her face dry.
"Are you stuck here?" She found herself asking, finally lifting her head again to gaze at the shadow, at the grave, the graveyard...
Was any of this her fault? She had a feeling like it was or maybe she was still feeling too emotional. "Can I do anything to help you? Have you always been here? Can I come see you again or is this a one time thing because of the wards are acting up?" She had eavesdropped over the talks Archard had been urging her parents about, but didn't quite understand what it meant.
"Am I going to lose you the moment I found you again?" She sniffed, the urge to cry strong again, but she didn't let it pass this time. She wanted to spend as much time with her real mother as she could. "I'm asking for a lot aren't I," she smiled, watching the woman's outline, the warm light coming from her eyes, she couldn't help the endless questions not knowing when she'd ever get this chance again.
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Post by Thea on Aug 15, 2022 0:16:41 GMT -5
Jewel was slipping in and out of consciousness; the only reason why her body stood awake and watching was because the wolf within her, whom she had named Sapphire when she was a pup, held fast to the body. There was a battle of wills that they were fighting, but not human vs wolf like it had been since she came back from Drethinov. Her wolf was the only thing that kept Jewel from slipping into the shadowy depths of unconsciousness, a dark voice calling for her within.
Jewel...Come to me...
In her mind's eye, she clung to Sapphire, digging her fingers into the she-wolf's coarse fur, using her as an anchor to cling to the waking world. All around the grassy landscape of her inner thoughts, shadows crept in with reaching fingers, traveling across the ground and surrounding the wary duo.
Jewel's eyes scanned the scene, once so full of peace and tranquility, not seeing anything amiss save for the shadows that crept ever closer. But just as soon as she blinked, it was there.
A figure of unimaginable height stood at the edge of the clearing, its outline ever-changing with the shadows undulating from it. It had three canine-shaped heads, all six eyes staring straight into her core. It was unnerving, but she couldn't look away from it.
My Priestess...
Realization hit her like a freight train then. This was the figure that haunted her dreams when Sapphire let her sleep. It crept through her subconscious like a predator, those white-white eyes always searching. Jewel never knew what it was looking for. And until now, she was always able to slip away before it got closer. Before it spoke.
Now, she felt trapped.
**
Hallie met her father's gaze with a steely look of her own. Her family should know that when she got that look, her mind was made up, and there wasn't much that could be done to dissuade her from whatever decision she had made. Her mother liked to say that she got it from Nathaniel, but everyone knew that Jewel could have a hard head as well. When Nathaniel punched in the code to lock the vault, her lips thinned into a disapproving line, but she didn't say anything. She had a feeling she had been pushing her luck when she had revealed Davion was her mate. Locking him in the vault wouldn't be something she could negotiate.
She stayed just inside the library doorway, eyes going from her dad to her brother. He looked every bit as pissed off as a soaked cat. Hallie couldn't blame him, though, and hoped that he wasn't angry with her. Family came first, and Hallie held fast to that motto as much as her family did. She really did, though could see how stepping between her father and mate could be seen as a betrayal. Especially to Dimitri, whose devotion to his family was nothing short of epic.
The image of her family - all of her pack - utterly destroyed, eyes white and unseeing in Death's dark embrace, came back to her. Dimitri's face morphed into his death mask for a few brief moments before returning to normal. She ended up having to look away, her resolve coming back once more, fortified because of the ring's warning.
She looked to her butler then, who had been watching her keenly until Nathaniel addressed him. She did catch him looking at her, and when she raised a silent questioning brow he tilted his head in deference before responding to the head of the house, "As you wish, Monsieur Constantine. Though, searching for blood will not be necessary. I have a stock in my quarters."
Hallie's eyes went to her father when she noticed that he was walking toward her, hands turning into fists at his words. She didn't say anything at first, knowing that if she said what she really wanted to say then she more than likely wouldn't be allowed down here period. She still felt offended, taking her father's stipulations as him believing that she would free Davion from the makeshift prison he was being held in. Like she was a love-sick pup that would do anything for the vampire because he was her mate. It took a few moments of regulated breathing before her hands relaxed, and she nodded. Her father was not the enemy here.
But neither was Davion.
"I won't let him out," she said instead. "Trust me."
She stepped aside to let the three men through, eyes trained on the vault door and staring with such an intensity that one could believe that she was staring directly at the man that changed the course of her life and her family's tonight. Archard had been the last one out, waiting for Nathaniel and Dimitri to be down the hallway a ways before he touched three fingers to Hallie's elbow as a way of getting her attention.
"What did you see?" he asked lowly, concern etching into his old features.
Hallie wasn't surprised at his question but hesitated in her answer. She didn't want to tell him that she saw death and the destruction of her family. If she spoke it out loud somehow it would make it all the more real for her. "I saw the consequences of defying Fate."
Archard's mouth twisted into a rueful smile. "What a cruel mistress she is."
He left then, his words hanging in the air around her before settling on her shoulders like chains. At the library's door closing, she relaxed, shoulders drooping and head rolling around them. It wasn't until she got a satisfying neck crack that she made her way to the vault door and pressed the palm of her hand on the center of it.
"...Davion?"
**
"In a way," the specter answered her daughter, the energy from her fear diminishing a tad when she saw Harley's face relax into ... well, it wasn't peace, but it wasn't pain either like from before. Not once did she stop caressing her face, drawing upon the essence of her old god she felt on the estate to keep doing so. "I stay by Bael, your father, even after in death. But until my remains are burned, I cannot leave this place. He can roam wherever he pleases, however, and has told me of your adventures."
Lurne had said the last bit with such a conspirator's tone, and if she had a face her expression would have a little bit of a mischievous smirk playing on her lips. If she knew the questions that were going through Harley's head, she would have been quick to shut them down. She wouldn't have Harley taking the blame for something that wasn't her fault, much less unavoidable. "I've always been here, my sweet. I haven't been able to take on this form until tonight, mind. And you can always come see me.
"The wards Simon has implemented has nothing to do with me. However, I do believe my form and our way to see each other has everything to do with Mahren." Lurne paused, searching for recognition of the Jealous God's name before laughing lightly. "You've never asked for a lot, even when you were a babe. And if I had anything to do with it, you would never lose me again. You can come see me any time. I will always be right here."
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Post by Ventia on Aug 15, 2022 1:59:49 GMT -5
The moment Nathaniel stepped foot on the outside grounds he felt as if something was wrong, very very wrong. It had nothing to do with the warzone that was laid out in front of him, the roaring flame, the smell of burning flesh, of blood and death in the air, corpses still littering the yard, not even the knowledge that his family was hurt, no this went deeper, his heart began going on overdrive, his palms becoming chammy, his worst fear finally began to show itself.
Without thinking Nathaniel began running, he didn't even bother to run around the wall of flames just jumped through it, ignoring the momentarily sting, until his eyes finally caught on the sight he's been searching for. Jewel. She still stood in the middle of this mess, Thea and Lucian standing close by with worried eyes, they seemed to be talking to her trying to get her attention but even from here Nathaniel could tell they weren't reaching their mother.
It was then that he realized it...his connection with her was frozen, they had a unique bond to begin with, not being original mates with a regular mate link had given them some issues in the beginning, but they had marked one another and forged a new link that was unlike any other just for the two of them. Deeper, stronger, filled with raw love and need, it bonded the pair in ways they still haven't fully learned the full extent of it.
Yet it was frozen, as if a barrier had formed from her end shutting him out, both he and his beast screeched in panic attempting to claw at the frozen wall, it chipped away slowly ice scraps falling to the floor, yet it felt endless. He was next to her now, attention fully on his wife, his chosen mate, his Jewel...
"Jewel?" He spoke softly at first, running his hands through her soft fur even matted in blood and dirt it was still a cozy feeling. Even if she did feel both icy cold and fiery hot. Even if she was somewhere far away from him, even if he didn't understand the full extent of what she had to go through back at Drethinov and how much that was changing who she was, she was and always would be his, no one else, and they would always find their way home to each other.
"Jewel Dahlia Constantine." This time his voice was sharp, he didn't only speak to her outside but inside her mind as well, inside their one of a kind mate link, his claws digging and digging into the frozen barrier, he didn't care how small the hole was, the very tip of his clawed talons was breaking through, getting somewhere, making it to the other side, his eyes began burning with yellow, hearing a distant echo, a different voice that was undoubtfully male, it flowed through the minuscule hole his talon had created, along with one singular emotion coming from his wife, fear.
He didn't know it but alongside the cavernous yellow grew the purple haze, and with it the power of the strongest and purest vampire King the Vampire World knew today. A piece of his soul flew along his mind, the mind powers of ancients awakening from their slumber, both his vampiric and shifter selves banded together to save their one and only and soon Nathaniel was slipping through the tiny crack to Jewel's prison.
He saw her from afar, clutching to her wolf as shadows threaten to swallow her whole, she was the last speck of light in this dimension, and that light was flickering out faster than it could grow whole.
"Where do you think you're going?" He asked sweetly, his body melding within the shadows, the only glow coming from his eyes, both yellow and purple in the sea of darkness. On one side of her was he and the other was the white eerie gaze within the shadows.
He walked towards her, even though this world with its shadows tried to stall his steps, tried to push him back out and past the frozen wall again, its attempts seemed futile and glided off of him as if he had his own barrier wrapped tightly around his body, protecting him from harm.
"My darling Jewel, I'm sorry I'm late, I'm here now baby, I'm here." He finally reached her tiny flickering out light and reached for her, petting both her lovely face and her wolf's soft fur.
"You are mine as I am yours. He can't and won't have you. You are protected. So don't be scared of him or the shadows, I won't let anything happen to you, you won't let anything happen to you. My strong girl. Mine. As I am Yours. No one, nothing, can ever tear us apart." He bent forward and pressed his lips to hers, when she accepted it, both his kiss and his words, his protective barrier stretched out lovingly and warmly to wrap around her as well, shielding her light from the shadows and allowing it to burn bright once more.
-
Once alone, Davion finally let his shoulders sag in defeat, this really wasn't what he wanted to happen tonight and although he was happy to have found his mate he couldn't help but feel horrible for the door he opened to her fate. Not only that but his nerves and emotions were shot.
The wound to his back felt raw, it's healing slower than any other wound simply for the fact that it had pierced his heart a fraction. Add that to his raw scarred back, old memories and old phantom pains shot through him, hearing the Knight's Order handcuffs counting down had also done a number on him, he knew what would have happened had it counted down to zero, he would have gotten injected with a special serum filled with enough variants to kill just about any mythical species. Or was it the fact he had stared into someone's eyes knowing full well their desire to watch him die, once again those old painful memories flared into life.
His mother's distant gaze as she watched him teether on the blink of death, with only a tint of excitement when she thought she'd finally achieve her goal, only for disgust to settle in when she realize he still lived. Or his father's crazed expression as he lashed out at him again and again, slicing and dicing through him his blood and flesh dripping everywhere, knowing better to cry and beg him to stop, doing his best to block the worsts of it.
He was lost in his dark past until he heard his name coming from her voice, like a light shining in the darkness she called for him, dragging him out of his hell filled memories and returning him to the present. He eased up from the couch, slightly unsteady from the tour down memory lane, but made it to the wall of the vault door.
"I'm here." He said softly and let himself kneel down, he was suddenly very tired and laid with his back to the wall, he pressed the back of his head there too and found himself relaxing.
"Did you get a chance to think about my proposal?"
-
"Has he?" Harley said with a small laugh, once again hearing the name of her past life's father struck a cord through her, the faintest impression of a large man holding her up high filled her before leaving disappearing within the void. This time, Harley didn't try to chase it and allowed it to be as it was. She was too tired, too in pain to even make a second attempt of turning her brain inside out.
"I wish I could remember more, I wish you could stay longer than today, even if it's selfish even if I'm not complete, I know you from deep down and I'm just so happy I got to see you again Mom. Even if it's through the work of a bad god, I wish you'll stay." Harley closed her eyes, leaning her face into her mother's caress, savoring the ghostly touches that would probably not come again for a very long time.
She found herself smiling genuinely, her mother's peace enveloping her like a warm snug hug, how could she have forgotten this? Why could she still not remember her face? "I don't know, I'm a little bit high maintenance." she teased gently before softening, "I will. I'll come so many times you'll probably get sick of me. Still I'll come even then. Dad can watch over me outside and I can tell you all my stories when I come visit."
She paused, hesitating before facing her mother's ghost, "I love you Mom. Thank you for giving birth to me as Colette and for watching over me as Harley. I'm happy in this life, I really am, I have a big family now, and I met Ludin again. This time around I'll be protected and wont die a early death. This time I wont let anyone have their way with us. I'll make sure of that. So give my love to Dad too and rest easy knowing your eldest daughter will be okay."
Harley smiled brightly at her and felt her heart clench as a image flickered for the barest of a second, illuminating her mother's real appearance, Harley bit the inside of her cheek, stopping the tears and kept smiling.
"Is there anything you want me to do? Anything I should know?"
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Post by Thea on Aug 15, 2022 4:45:10 GMT -5
Jewel's fingers started to slip from Sapphire's fur, arms and legs feeling lead-heavy the more the shadows around her moved. When her legs started to feel cold, she looked down for the reason. Had she the energy, she would have screamed, for the tendrils were getting bold, wrapping around her ankles before traveling up her body. Like snakes, they wound up her legs, slithering with incredible slowness. They had their prey, and they were taking their time with it.
Her head drooped to her animal counterpart's shoulder, feeling so tired. Just a little bit of sleep, she whispered to herself and the wolf. A whine came from somewhere distantly, full of worry for Jewel, but she couldn't bring herself to be assuring. She was fine. She just needed sleep. Just needed -
Come to me. My Priestess...
Suddenly, she heard her name. From somewhere behind her. She knew that voice. So full of warmth. She turned to it, searching, feeling starved for the sun after being cursed to walk in endless night for eons. Sapphire leaned into Jewel, crouching down to be used as a seat of sorts to prop her up. The shadows on her legs paused, as if they were stunned, before moving again with an urgency.
"Nathaniel?" Jewel's voice came out as little more than a whisper, breath coming out in a white puff. Her eyes couldn't believe what she saw: her husband's yellow gaze wasn't just yellow anymore. Swirls of purple intermingled with the Constantine trait, imperial in color and every bit as vibrant as everything else about him. Despite his eyes, strange as they were, being the only color she saw in the shadowy figure that made his way to her, she knew without effort, on a soul level, that this was her mate.
The one who wasn't originally hers, but their shared pain and fondness of each other grew into a love unlike any other mated pair. Their bond was unique, something that couldn't quite be replicated. She should have known that through it, no matter how cut off she felt from him at first, he would come to her, even in her darkest moment.
"Nathaniel," she said his name again, this time prayer-like as she reached out to him. Her fingertips had turned gray in the midst of fighting for consciousness, a clear sign that she would have very much become the shadows that surrounded them. But she paid no heed and she tentatively touched the shadow figure in front of her, eyes holding on to his gaze like a buoy out at sea. "I knew you would be."
His hands were so warm, a toasty campfire that fought off the chill of the night. She smiled, feeling his words more than hearing them. Mine, as I am yours, she repeated back to him, a mantra she held fast to as they kissed. The shadows around her legs disintegrated, being replaced by that barrier he extended to her. Her arms wrapped around his neck, feeling her strength returning to her, enough so that she jumped and wrapped her legs around his waist with ease, using that leverage to deepen the kiss. She was starving for him, his words of encouragement bouncing around her skull.
This will not be the last you see of me, said the three-headed being, pulling Jewel away from her shadowed husband for just a brief moment to look to it. She was no longer afraid, not with her husband by her side. If you will not come to me, I will go to you...
"Then I will be waiting," she fired back, head tilted up in defiance as she watched the shadow figure get smaller, smaller, smaller, then disappear within a puff of shadow.
She looked back to her man again, eyes blinking slowly before she gave a wry smile. With the shadows gone, his features were revealed. Everything was the same save for the purple in his eyes, dancing within the yellow. "That purple is new." And Sapphire seemed to agree, barking once before wagging her tail happily.
***
Hallie stood there for a few moments, worried a few moments when she didn't get an immediate answer that the stab wound was worse than what he let on. That he succumbed to it and he was dead. But then she heard his voice, muffled as it was through the vault door. Relief flooded through her like a dam had been broken. She felt herself doing the same thing as him on the other side, falling to her knees before maneuvering in a way to have her side pressed against the door, head resting against the cool metal. "I did," she replied. "And I will accept it on a few conditions."
She swore she almost heard a laugh, though wasn't sure if it had been him in genuine mirth or her subconscious leering at her. "First, I will still be going to college in the fall. That was the main reason why we were here in the first place, so that I can do the campus tour. I'm not going to stop my life because of some prophecy.
"Second, I will think about your offer of engagement. This is the 21st century, you can't just decide right then and there that you'll marry someone, especially not without their consent. Or even knowing them in the first place, Your Highness. We don't even know each other's favorite color, for pete's sake. It's maroon, by the way.
"And third, which I guess can tie into the second, if you want a relationship with me you will have to woo me. I am very much not easily wooed, either, and can be considered high maintenance. I demand at least one date night a week, for starters. And not any plain 'dinner and a movie' date either. I know my worth."
Slightly out of breath, she waited for his answer. Hallie knew these were ridiculous demands. She didn't expect half of this from her ex. But this was her future she was talking about. If she was to be with this man for the rest of her life, ruling over vampires with a ring whose power was of great importance, she wanted for him to know that Hallie was not some girl from a small town that would be happy with just the bare minimum. If she was expected to become a princess, she would get treated as one.
"And another thing!" she said, raising her finger in a grandiose fashion as if he could see her. She waited for a few moments, then lowered her hand and asked what was truly worrying her. "Are you all right? Dad had that blade in deep."
***
"Yes, he has! He is so proud of who you had become and is looking forward to being with you in this lifetime. You've ushered in three new generations of descendants that are stepping into roles greater than we could have ever imagined for even you. And only the Beyond knows what you are capable of in this life, too."
At her next words, Lurne made a "pah" kind of sound before kissing Harley's cheek. "Just because you cannot remember does not mean you are not complete. Who you were is still there. Like a coin, huh? You know there are two sides even if you cannot see one. And like I said, I will be here, waiting. I might not be able to have this form but I can still hear you. I will never get sick of you, I hope you know this."
Lurne was silent, watching Harley hesitate to say something else. Mahren's presence was slowly fading away from this planet, and thus meant her form as well. But she didn't say anything to Harley at first, not wanting to scare her. She was already afraid that they wouldn't see each other again. "You make sure of that, and I will hold you to your promises. I love you too, my sweet. Forevermore, even if I am somehow freed from this place and can reincarnate I will still love you. Because my soul sees yours."
The shadows that made up Lurne's form slowly dissipated, going with Mahren as he retreated from Jewel's mind. The brightness of the white orbs faded slowly. "Live your life to the fullest, Harley. And don't be afraid of the dark."
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Post by Ventia on Aug 15, 2022 18:16:57 GMT -5
Nathaniel clutched Jewel hard and tight, his heart finally relaxing again at having her in his arms, at coming in the nick of time to have her come home to him, to their family, to their precious life together. He kissed her feverishly saying her name over and over again through their link as if she were the only prayer he needed in life, the only being he would ever worship for the abundance of love he had for her.
He petted her hair, making sure every shadow had left her body, every grey numbness had vanished under their light, while she spoke defiantly towards the jealous god, his eyes gleaming with promise behind her, he watched the shadowy being, had watched as it stood higher than a mountain when he first come into this space only to shrink to that of a pebble when his power could no longer harm her.
He didn't care what came for them, either it be the vampires or jealous gods, or demons or angels, Nathaniel wouldn't allow anyone, anything, to have his way with his family, and even more, he would never let Jewel go, she was his, she belonged solely to him, he would fight for her until his last breath and even if he found himself dead and in a underworld, he would still fight his way, crawl through hell fire and brimstone, to make his way back home in Jewel's arms.
Now and forever, he vowed to always come back to her.
When she turned back to him, Nathaniel flashed her a toothy smile her favorite dimple flirting with her, his eyes warm and heady as he gazed at her. "You like it?" He knew she did from both her smile and wolf agreeing as one, he chuckled lightly knowing it had given him the chance he needed to come and find her, to bring her back. He would have to start experimenting what else he could do, what else they all could do, so they could use any and everything in their disposal for their fights to come.
"I like you. I love you even more." He grinned, shifting her weight holding her up with one arm so he could cup her cheek again, caressing her smooth skin he bent forward for a quick kiss and then pressed her into his chest, hugging her tightly, his hand stroking her hair for a second then bending down to stroke her wolf who snuggled up close to his legs.
His heart was hammering, his fear of almost having losing her hitting home, "You scared me, I thought I lost you." he breathed her scent in deeply, reassuring himself that she was still safe with him, "I'll never let you go Jewel, never, you're stuck with me for life, it's too late to change your mind," he smiled, squeezing her tightly, his gaze glancing around her inner chamber. Still bright though he knew where there was light, shadows crept and waited in the corners.
He raised his hand from petting her coat and urged a piece of his soul to splinter off, to wait and protect Jewel within her own mind and body, a feather flowed from his hand, rich in colors of dark browns and lighter whites, it flew through her inner mind, connecting with the land, becoming one, it waited perched in the grassy lands for when the next attempt on her soul would come and a piece of him would be here to protect her, always and forever.
"Let's go home."
-
Davion felt himself smiling softly to himself, she was quite the woman, giving him conditions like that, back at his home no one would dare to speak to him as she and her family has done today, and yet he didn't mind at the least.
"Reasonable and wise conditions. Although I do have my own set of requirements for you." Davion paused, pleasantly surprised by her concern, he could almost see her face in his mind's eye, her eyes betraying her showing him how much she was already starting to care. He felt his heart tingled, feeling as if he could feel her heart beating for his.
"I'll live, a few inches more and you wouldn't have me to darken your doorstep but I wouldn't have let it come to that. Now that I found you, there's a good reason to keep living. And I will do anything and everything to win your heart and your love."
A tender moment, or at least he thought it was tender, passed between them and after savoring the feel of it, of her, he continued on.
"I do think you can do better than that though, one day of the week for our dates? We need at the bare minimum three, and once we have our first date, you'll know me better than to even think I do anything plain. I am a man who has been alive for three hundred years plus some, and I have waited for you through all of it. I have thousands of date plans in store, although some had to be crossed out with time's passing, there is a huge world out there Hallie and I plan to show and share it with you."
"You may think and decide what to do with our relationship with all the time you need, however we must bind ourselves to each other I won't budge from that, you will be left too vulnerable if you do not bear my claim on you, even with it I will undoubtfully still be fighting off some who want to court you. Though I will have just cause to do with them as I may. Also what is mine is mine, I've never been the type to share and I will not start doing so now. I only ask that you respect that and while we are courting, you do not allow anyone besides from me to have the pleasure of getting close to you.”
"Should you choose to reject me once you have thought long and hard, I will not stop you, I will let you go and be with the person who has truly won your heart. Although I plan to be that man. You must also allow me to stay by your side and convince your family to allow me that as well. Until your position is stable within the Court, you may think of me as your Knight in shining armor, your bodyguard if you wish. Not only will I protect you, but I will educate you in our people's ways. Without it, you'll be as good as a newborn in those circles."
"I am a powerful ally Hallie, accept me even in name only, bear my mated mark, and I can allow you to live your life the way you seem fit. You may go to college and live your life pretending you’re normal, but know that you are anything but. There will be times your presence will be needed at Court, but in my protection none would dare to touch you so openly. We will bide our time until the stars align and if all goes the way I think it will, you'll be far more happy and fulfilled in life than you could ever dream. You wouldn't have to say goodbye to this life, to your family, or even me if that was what you wanted."
"Let me prove it to you, give us a real chance, and know no matter what I will always be on your side."
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Harley couldn't help it, no matter how hard she tried to pull them back, her tears finally broke free again. A wave of happiness and sadness filled her so deep, she felt like she was both drowning in it and rising above the surface filling her lungs in her happy air. "I will! I love you so much. I love you Ma." She tried to cling on to her, tried to feel her touches one last time, but as the shadows lost its darkness so did her ability to touch her.
Harley could only watch a brave smile on her face and tears falling down her cheeks as her mother Lurne finally dissolved deep down into the earth. She gasp feeling like needles were piercing where her heart rested, her reunion had come by so fast and left just as quickly, leaving her with mixed feelings, she smiled at the tombstone, having a feeling her mother was still there like she said she was.
"I love you. My soul see yours. I know we'll meet again soon. We all will." She caressed her mother's name, then wiped away her tears, she had to go and check on her family, and her mother had given her the strength to find herself on her feet.
Looking down she gave the tomb a little wave, "I'll be back soon, I promise." And she would, she had a feeling she would sit and lean against her parent's graves, talking about everything and nothing at all, until one of her family members would call her in to the house.
Don't be afraid of the dark. Her mother's warning would stick close to her heart, she would heed it well, she turned away and without looking back, made her way towards her family. The pain in her arm was quiet, another gift from her mother she suspected, she looked down, seeing the teared flesh and blood beginning to dry, it looked bad but didn't feel bad, she pressed her hand above it and felt a cool touch, her lip quivered as she took step after step forward.
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