Virginia 1834…
Grave came through the doors looking around at the men in the saloon some were playing cards others were fooling around with prostitutes. He didn't care though there was a time when he would have looked down on such things but that was a different time and a different life. He was so different now from the man Dyson knew so different from the man that Ciara loved that there was no point in trying to reconnect with his old life. Yes the man he was now had claim to the name Stefan that's how he saw it.
Grave took a seat at the bar signaled to the bar tender for a round as he put some gold coins down on the table. "So what's your story stranger? A man only comes to get stone cold drunk this early for two reasons a woman or he's itching to kill a man which are you?" The bartender asked out of morbid curiosity.
Grave let out a weak laugh "Both I guess. Ever have the world then wake up to find you've lost it all?" Grave asked before drinking the first shot.
"Yeah I was married to the best woman for over five hundred years then woke up one day to find she'd run off with another man. After that I decided to go to the new world had get smuggled with some humans but whatever gets you there right?" The Bartender explained laughing.
"Yeah tell me about I use to think me and Ciara were forever. Then I get sent off on a suicide mission and instead of dying an honorable death. I got brought back from the dead somehow. My memories are still a little fuzzy on that part all I remember was going crazy, jumping off a cliff and living like a wild animal for two hundred years. Then when I finally was able to pull my sanity together I learned my wife was in bed with and married to the man that sent me to my death." Grave didn't even wait to guzzle down the second shot.
The fae bartender was completely blown away by Grave's story so much so he could only say "Shit…"
"I know right!" Grave exclaimed "After I found that out I decided to leave my homeland. So I traveled the world taking whatever job came my way, hooked up with some pirates in the Caribbean Sea that was probably two or three centuries ago. I learned what the world is really like from the Captain it's not about honor glory it's about power that's what it all comes down to really who has the most power. Anyway eventually I became the captain and I tell ya those Caribbean girls know how to treat a man." Grave said with a sly smirk.
"I bet they do."
Grave nodded in confirmation "Any way I got into some trouble with the local Ash and Morrigan of the Caribbean so I abandoned my ship mates and went to Japan. Now that's a crazy country. I ended up getting branded a dishonorable scoundrel and banished forever by a Lord but not before losing my eye to a human samurai whose fiancé I held for ransom now there must be something special about that sword because that's the closest I've come to dying since I came back. What's more surprising is that apparently there are still some men willing to die for the sake of love."
"There sure are what a bunch of idiots." The bartender muttered.
"Damn straight. You know I should have killed the princess I'd probably be doing her fiancé a favor by sparring him the same pain I went through. Mind you I still have no idea how their story ended."
"Then how do you know it ended tragically?" A woman asked sarcastically. Grave turned his head and saw her she was stunning with black hair, green eyes, dressed in a gorgeous red dress.
Grave stared to laugh "Of course you'd say that you're a woman that lovey dove crap is wired into your brain."
She just closed her book and looked at him as she prepared to leave "Well I'll try not taking that into offense you being unable to not think with your dick first no doubt have a hard time even comprehending love." She gave him a sarcastic smile and walked right out the door.
"Who the hell was that?" Grave asked bewildered.
"That was the Old Man's daughter Anastasia." The Bartender explained. "By the way what do you go by?"
Grave paused for a second "You know it's funny it's been so long since I've been called by my name I can honestly say my old name doesn't really belong to me just call me Grave. Call me Beyond the Grave since that's where I'm from." Grave said as he raised his glass.
The Bartender smiled back as he raised his glass and toasted "Nice to meet you Grave. I'm Philip."
Bo's House Present Day…
Grave and Kenzi hurried through the door "Grab your things and fast. We have to be out of here before anyone else shows up."
"Look this is crazy let's talk to Trick or my friend Hale I'm sure they can help us." Kenzi pleaded trying to think of an easier way out of this mess.
Grave just shot an intense look at her before unloading everything "Can Trick and Hale stand against an army of fae from both sides? Do you realize that you pose such a threat to so many players that they will cross any line break any fae law just to see you dead? If not…" Grave took out a revolver loaded one bullet and shoved it in her hands "you might as well do their job for them."
Kenzi froze paralyzed by the sight and realization that he literally just offered her a way to kill herself. "Is that really how serious this is?" She asked a little freaked out.
"Yes Kenzi it is. This situation goes beyond the local Ash and Morrigan and elders there are people out there higher up the ladder that are threatened by you." Grave said without holding back.
"Alright I'll be fast can I at least leave Bo a note?"
"No it's safer for her if she doesn't know anything Kenzi now hurry."
Kenzi didn't even wait she ran for her room packing up everything she and Grave were almost out the door when Bo walked and Grave pulled out his gun. "Grave hold it this is Bo!"
"I don't care if she tries anything Kenzi she's dead."
"What the hell is going on Kenzi who is this guy?" Bo asked alarmed.
"I'm here to protect Kenzi, succubus. Now I'm sure you have a lot of questions but right now the safest thing you can do is just walk away."
"Bo please just do what he says!" Kenzi yelled terrified as they motioned themselves to the door.
"Grave that's your name right? You better not do anything to hurt her." Bo said trying to stay calm.
"Trust me I'm the only thing keeping her alive." Grave said as they walked out the door.
Police Station…
Dyson sat at his desk finishing up some last minute paper work when his phone rang it was Trick. "Trick is something wrong?"
"Dyson are you alright?" Trick asked frantic.
"Yeah why?"
"Some sort of virus is going around I don't know what it's making fae devolve into under fae or at least make them go rabid. I've never seen anything like it. Worse yet it doesn't seem to be to have a pattern or point of origin. It doesn't even discriminate fae who have long passed the dawning are even susceptible."
"When did it start?"
"This morning. At first it seemed like flu symptoms but now I don't even know." Trick answered his voice full of concern.
"Tell me where they all occurred." Dyson said as he took out a pen and some paper.
The Harbor…
Mathew drove into the port "So what's been going on while I slept Mathew?"
"A lot there's an unaligned succubus who I believe you just met and the Ash has been replaced twice. Oh yeah Evony is the Morrigan now."
"Evony? How did she get that job?" Grave asked finding it hard to believe.
Mathew just shrugged "Don't know all I know is that after he got promoted she did to."
"Well Evony has always been a little dense so I don't think she'll be a problem that crazy bitch can't see past her own ego anyway." Grave then looked at the sleeping Kenzi. "You know I still can't believe this is actually happening. I'd hope she'd have more time. Now that the seal is breaking her power is seeping out affecting all the fae in the city we need to get her to the island and fast."
"Yeah I know if we can't get her to there before her own dawning it's all going to go to hell."
The Police Station…
Bo rushed into the station "Dyson listen to me Kenzi is missing she got kidnapped by somebody named Grave."
"What? Bo look at this." Dyson said as he pointed to a map.
"Is that my house?" Bo asked shocked "What with all the red dots surrounding it?"
Dyson swallowed air nervous to answer her "Bo every fae near a five mile radius of your house is devolving into an under fae."
The Morrigan's Office…
Evony stood in the elevator the last few days had been for lack of a better word boring she actually planned to blow off work for a trip to the spa but decided against it. Nothing however could prepare her for what she was about to see her office being emptied out.
"What the hell is this?" She screamed.
"Ah Evony I'm surprised you're here weren't you fired?" A handsome man in a white suite asked her.
"I'm sorry who are you?"
"Oh where are my manners. I'm Philip the new Morrigan. Oh and in case you didn't hear right your fired Evony." He said smiling at her.
