Chapter 9: Skyfall
Mona Mayfair and Quin Blackwood arrive with ideas of their own, even as while Aserah has to brace herself for the horrors of dark family secrets she had to lay before them, bare. As Lasher's false sense of security is seen as what it is, the newcomers suggest that now, instead of later was the time to strike. The clock is ticking and with each minute Lasher grows more unstable and more powerful. They are told to escalate the inevitable confrontation and revenge against the Froggs. But not before Quin gives them information the Pack did not know. Star had used a darker side of magick to draw Micheal to her side, blind to all else and the consequences, against any chance he had to make the choice. His plan was to eliminate him as a threat if not turn him into an ally by demonstrating that his feelings for Star were something she had used a dark spell to bind him to herself. THough not liking it, the Boys like it alot better than risking Aserah as bate so they throw in with Mona and Quin who tell them it is time for them to reclaim their Cave Home openly and in the public eye, with updating that Aserah demanded, of course! With this all going on, Aserah must push Star futher into demntia, to get her to perhaps admit openly to Michael what she had done.
This is the end
Hold your breath and count to ten
Feel the earth move and then
Hear my heart burst again.
For this is the end
I've drowned and dreamt of this moment
So overdue I owe them
Swept away, I'm stolen
Let the sky fall
When it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together
-excerpt from Skyfall by Adele, that even a metal fiend like me has to admit was epic and lovely!
Aserah's POV
Back in her midnight blue sari she allowed Marko t ooffer an arm to her. She had food to make for six people. She had already deided on something quick and easy paired with a drink she was going to need for the tale she and Mona were going to unfold. Her sleep through days were over. She was going tohave to up the anti with Star and push things to a conclusion with the Froggs if she wanted to escape the curse of Lasher and have the power needed to end him for good! She couldn't hide that she was terrorfied of this fight. She had to make real for her Boys, especially Dwayne, just how dangerous it would be for them to interfere. Mona and she had to travel nigh unto the rip i the viel the Reawakening of the Taltos, use their power and blood to close it, throwing Lasher in before they did. And then they had to manage to come back. She would not have to lean on Mona's strength even as Mona depended on her sheer, raw power. All these thoughts ran through her head at lightning speed, as she moved around th ekitchen, not even having to call his name before she felt hi try to sneak up on her. She smirked, the efforts bringing her out of her dark thoughts.
"Are you even trying, Cherub?" she quipped, which got her swept to the floor with a softened landing said Cherub playfully living up to his nickname, teasing, vamped out to the T. "You know that is just a turn on, right?" she said in response. He wore a smirk that would make David proud. "You just topped the list of my favorite distractions, Marko." she said before using her ability with his to where he blurred back up on his feet. Laughter that was not their s put him on immediate guad whereas Aserah wore a goofy grin. "Are we interupting something, Babcy Girl?" she was on her feet in a flash dazzling her a moment before she squeeled and her and Mona jumped on one another. "Don't worry, you get use to that pretty fast, the enhanced senses and physical limits that no longer apply to you." Mona said. She turned to Marko, extending her hand. "What's up Curly? I'm Mona Mayfair. And I must confess you are a rather fine of speciman of man, if I weren't so taken..." Aserah giggled like mad, Marko gave her a wink and laughed and Quin simply put his head in his hands saying "Oh dear God!" but the tone was teasing and indulgment.
"Tall, dark and broody kill joy back there is Quin Blackwood." Aserah piped in. "If that is what Marko looks like what will the others be like?!" Mona whispered conspirtaly in her ear. A if on cue, she could hear them as they came to the door. "You're about to find out!" she replied with a smirk. The living room door opened and David's voice boomed. "And she cooks Chinese!" "She does, and she is entertaining guests at the same time, she's multi-talented, your girl!" she answered even as Mona began to step in behind her and start chipping. Long strong arms went around her waist from behind. "She certainly is." Paul's voice was playful but scratch the surface and it dripped pure seduction. She would have buckled if he hadn't been holding her up. Mona laughed causing Paul's attention to turn, thank God! "Oh do go on, I like to watch!" the red head said with a smirk, earning her a stomped on foot by an Aserah in heels. "Owie!" the other girl pouted as the room errupted with laughter. He removed one hand to put on Mona's shoulder. "Definate best friend potential" he said knowingly.
"It's pricy. I demand havoc being raised at all times!" she said evenly. He released Aserah and held out his hand to the red head. "Your price is agreeable." Mona sagely shook it. "And such was the beginning of the End of Days." David muttered but there was humor in his eyes. Quin simply rolled his eyes and made his way towards the larger group. "She does that." he said as if it explained everything. "So does Paul" Dwayne said with a roll of his eyes. "Unfortunately this is not a social visit. Lasher is being pushed by the latest events. While Aserah is still human, he puts the fate of the supernatural under his shadow. He will bring us all crashing down. All the Mayfairs and the entirety of the Talamasca and even the Hermetic Order of the Watchtowers are gearing up!" a growl so loud it shook the house got everyone staring as her Archangle suddenly had her in his arms possesively, yellow eyes now pure red! "Those bastards threw her out like so much trash, no way to get help from the Talamasca or any Mayfair knowing that THing hunts her, wants to violate her, use her for some horrible ends, and yet they expect her to go to ear against it, alone, so they can be safe?!" he demanded and she marvelled at hte ansering power he commanded in his rage.
Mona was as livid as he was! "War will come, whether they will have it or not! We'll stay, will help you take on the Hunter scum and see that Aserah is fully turned. Then only us, alone, this coven, will see Lasher destroyed. With your power unified with ours, we will destroy the rift and any chance of those things coming back. I will not stand back and watch it happen like it did to me. Not to my Baby Girl!" blood tears ran down Mona's face. "She needs you, Princess." he gently let her go. With a loyal exclamation like that, the Boys adopted Mona immediately. Aserah pulled her into her arms, wiping the tears. "I don't think you or Quin will be able to shake us now. Welcome to the Pack, Queeny Red." she whispered. "Yes, what our girl said! Now Pack War Council in the living room as soon as that epic King Pao and Lo Mein is ready." said Marko. She snapped out of her trance, making Quin snort. "You guys go sit. The two masters of Chinese shall continue. Shouldn't be long now." he turned to her, his face stoic but there was humor in his eyes. "You have learned well form me , young Grasshopper," the ice was broken. The others went gleefully with their new partner in crime.
As she showed Quin were everything was she said one word. "Spill!" He raised a dark eyebrow at her. "Don't even try it, first of all, even as a vamp you are a terrible liar, and second you are my best friend so I can read you like a book! Now lets try this again. Spill Blackwood!" he shook his head softly but laughed. "Alright, you got me. I did a little research on your Hunters with some help from an irate Summer Braydon whom they have been stalking non-stop in New Orleans. There is something you all should know about Michael Emerson and Star. I will tell you only this before we all talk. In the time of when those horrid things took place, Michael did not act out of free will. His will and desires were tampered with, and are still." Quin's words made Aserah's jaw drop! She definately did not expect that! "He has a glamour on him?!" the very idea infuriated her! The biggest no, no of the Arts was taking away someone's free will! "Did you follow the magic?" she demanded, feeling some sympathy for the nieve man for the first time. Quin gave her a look that made her laugh.
"Yeah, sorry. So where di the trail lead?" she asked. "The signature of Star's simpler gypsy magick is all over it, and has grown due to her unwillingness to let him go. She never gave him a choice." Aserah breathed deep but her rage reached out and everything in the kitchen was rattling! So focussed on trying to reel back the power she didn't notice till she felt her Archangel's arms back around her. "Shh, come now baby, focus on me, breath with me." Quin stood back, a worried look on his face. She forced herself to melt into one being. Deep breaths, his and hers. hearts morphed into one, movement. By the time she came to everything was fine, and she smiled at the look of awe Quin shot Dwayne. "The Constant Lovers, this life and all lives!" he whispered in shock. She looked up as Dwayne shot him a grin. "Yes, we are. What happened?" he asked. "That's to be revealed during the talk. But lets just say the biggest mistake a witch ever makes i the taking away of someone's free will. And the Emerson boy did not attack the Pack by his own active choice, though he was made to think so. He is still not under his own will. Aserah and Mona know that its like to have that stolen."
She was still angry. About being tricked and posessed, her and Mona, by one of Lasher's fellow Taltos entities. "Shh, I've got you. Nothing and no one can touch you, Princess! We'll make him pay, I swear to you!" he said gently rocking her. Making her feel safe, loved, wanted! "every second little one! Just being near you makes me crazy!" but his silent voice was heard and Quin wore his dorky big brother smile. I am glad you found them Baby Girl. That you have mates that know you so well that love you that much." Dwayne was touched by the words. He looked up again to Quin. "I swear I will never, ever let her go and I will not let her die! She is Pack. As you are now, by the way. No more wandering for the Shakesperian couple. Time to set roots away from that toxic fold. Welcome home." she couldn't be more happy to hear those words! Quin shook his hand. Good to be here, but we really do need to take back the cave." he responded. "Updates!" she said in a demanding whisper that made them both chuckle.
The timer went off and Aserah went for the plates, grabbing chopsticks and ordering both men out of the kitchen. WHile heating the saki the news about Michael sunk in. So did that calculating look on Quin's face as he spoke. Her adopted brother obviously up to something! She sent out a silent call to Marko to help and blushed when he entered and smiled at her, remembering every touch, every worshipful glance, calling her name with such reverence it was as though she had been Isis enthroned! On cue he walked up and kissed her. He briefly rested his forehead on hers. "I'll never touch any other again. They'll never measure up to you, my Goddess." she gave him a shy smile. "And none will ever be you, my Cherub." the genuine smile he wore would make Satan himself melt! "Alright my dear, I need a hand with this." she said, gesturing to the artfully made up plates and the warmed up cups of saki. "You are that scared?" he asked softly, knowing why the Saki was chosen. For either her or Max. Mona and I have terrible secrets, what we have to tell you. Alot of blood comes with the Mayfair name, and it all has a single root." she said. "And that root's name is Lasher." he finished for her.
She nodded. The first plates went to David and Paul who seemed to almost enjoy her hands on mothering. The next went to Max with one of the other taller Saki cups. She knew he was going to need it as much as she did! She couldn't help but be amused by the fact that Mona already turned those so-called bad boys into putty. "It's amazing, you have them house trained and everything! I applaud you!" Mona tried to lighten the atmosphere before their heavy burden became the burden of the entire Pack. Nightmares that were all to real. David raised an eyebrow at her. "Between you and Paul, I think it's going to be you two monkey that are going to need the training." he said with his best pokerface while Paul elbowed him in the ribs. "You are just giving him evidence, Playboy." Aserah commented. "You say that now my little minx but I bet I could make you eat those words when alone." his eyes flashed ark but the comment was only partly a joke and she hid well the lump in her throat and rose to the challenge. "I bet you could!" she purred out making a show of bending over right in front of him and licking her lips before giving Dwayne his plate, knowing he couldn't react how he or she, really, wanted him to react with Max right there.
"I swear, soon my sex Kitten, soon" his promise sent a pleasurable shiver down her spine. Mona looked at her with pride and a wicked smile. "I think I may be scarred for life!" Max commented. "I'm with you on that one!" Quin made a show of shuttering in horror. The girls laughed with glee. "Did we break your concentration?" Aserah asked in her best Samuel L Jackson voice. That sent David into hysterics and Aserah made a mental not to introduce the rest to Pulp Fiction as soon as possible! Her and Mona hive0fvied before she finally took her seat and began to mentally prepare herself for what she had to do. Mona grabbed her shaking hand and held it with her own. "It is time for you all to understand the burden we carry. A burden bore by every child-bearing female of the Mayfair line." as Mona spoke all laughter died. "Before the evolution of human kind there were other intelligent beings. They called themselves Taltos, and they wre telepathic beings. They were taller than humans, made of cartilidge rather than bone, and the smallest of them reached 7 feet. They reached adult maturity minutes after exiting the womb." her words brought up unbidden images of Mona wasting away after the departure of Morrigan and her cousin's hand tightened around hers.
She knew Dwayne had caught it as the gaze with which he held them shifted and there was an anger there that she was rather glad she would not be on the recieving end of! He moved closer and locked eyes with her. She had to will him to listen! "Everyone here knows the story of Atlantis. THe Taltos are it's embodiment. But a few made contact with the first witches of the world before the volcano claimed their island. Those who would go on to found the Bennett, the Mayfair, and the Ambrose blood lines. Instead of letting that race die out as they should have and fate directed, the witches helped them survive. If cut a rift in the viel, and as a consequence have been my family bane ever since. But there is a villain in this tale. Someone who began the corruption of their home. Who has raped, murdered, and killed Mayfairs of every generation! Using our wombs to support monsterous offspring. With every birth he grew stronger, every death gave him more power." Aserah continued, living the memories of those who walked before her. The nightmres that haunted her every single night of her existance.
She took the entirety of her first cup of saki like a shot as Mona continued where she dropped off." They first preyed upon the modern Mayfairs throuh our mutual bitch of an aunt, Rowan. Lasher can charm when he chooses, and not realizing her husband was of the same family line and with Lasher's magick, she concieved. The twins she bore tore out her womb. One, Emaleth, was an innocent, the only reason she lived while the other was Lasher, in the flesh. She went after him after her daughter's milk healed her. He caused the death of a dear friend of all of us who had not long before then married into the family, Aaron Lightner. Bitch killed her own daughter out of horror and revenge by the way. She was helped go after Lasher and his lackies by an ancient Taltos named Ashlar. THey never found Lasher, but she killed his henchmen. That's how powerful Lasher is! And with the three males alive sterile my and Aserah's wombs were his last chance. When Rowant became catatonic a spell weved by a family ghost caused me to sleep and concieve with my Uncle. The child was Taltos, a daughter named Morrigan that we did everything we could to protect from Rowan's wrath.
Thankfully, it was Ashlar that found her, not so fortuately my womb was ripped out and I needed Morrigan's milk to heal. Death was slow, but in dying I met my Quin and m a childer of the Brat Prince himself! But it has made things far more dangerous for Aserah She is the last link left. Now that she's half and he knows it, he will come for her on every paln of existence there is! It is time for you to push ahead with your plans, with the Hunter, pronto. She needs Star's blood to turn in your species of vampire." Mona eyeballed David. "I will not let anything happen to her. But what is it you are getting at?" he demanded. "Now that's what I want to see! I think it's time to take your real home back and your town, openly. How do you feel about a little bike shopping tomorrow?" there was a light in their eyes both gleeful and menacing. Paul grinned from ear to ear and Aserah cackled. She put one finger up. "About the cave. It's getting upgraded! It's the 21st Century, time you joined! Hell even Lestat has the internet! Can barely use it, but still! I'm thinking lab tops and light bulbs!" She pontificated on her soap box. "That is actually not a bad idea, especially if you let your enemies see you do it.
I think it's time you gave up on your spy idea." Quin said. "Oh? Any reason? What are you cooking up in that wonderfully warped mind of yours?" she asked him pointedly. He turned those dangerous blue eyes that melts all into putty within line of sight on her. "we may already have a rooster in the hen house with our Hunters." he said. David looked directly at him. "Oh?" the tone was semi hostile. Aserah knew where Quin was going with this now that she had the information that the man in question had a glamour on him. "Michael Emerson did not and has not been acting under his free will from the first time he and the gypsy met." Quin began. Now it was all of the boys eyeballing him. "You are saying he as under her control? I don't buy it!" Marko was immediately angry, as well he should, being one of the first victims of their honorless sneak attack durring the day. "There is a spell a female witch can put on a male, and depending on her feeling towards the male will determine how strong the pull is. It is called a glamour. It takes away a male's ability to choose, he will do whatever the witch asks, without questions or thoughts to the consequences. Ever notice he didn't even blink about putting his own kid brother in danger in order to save Star?
Before that the brothers though they fought like most siblings, were extremely tight. Ever since Star entered his life, he barely has any relations outside of her and the Froggs, and even that is only on occasion when he fears for HER life! Her glamour is bound up in her one sided love for him, making the spell very binding and extremely strong. Break the glamour and we may loose Michael Emerson as a threat. In fact, if he is angry enough after learning what was taken away from him, he may become an insider for us. In return, we can give him access to the Order, to learn to use his modest abilities and develop them, and send him far away from here." Aserah spoke up. Not really liking it, but after having the knowledge she did, she did not hold Michael at the same level of fault as the others. To her it seemed that Star was the guiltiest out of all of them. She had schemed, played, and manipulated everyone around her to get what she wanted, regardless of the price payed by everyone else. She was worse than scum and she was going to deeply enjoy acting as the hand of Karma to bring that back stabbing bitch down! It injected new vigor into her efforts to drive the gypsy to the brink of insanity.
"That is my plan. You and Mona posess the abilities the rest of us do not have. You can break the glamour, and I can go and cultivate the boy. A little bit of truth and some enticement and we will have an insider that our intended victims all trust. I am aware none of you like this idea, and after what happened I don't blame you. But I would rather at least give this a shot instead of sending my Baby Girl into their den where anything can happen to her. It is worth a shot. And besides, Aserah has with her brilliance created a spell that makes sure someone's deeds catches up with them. What did you call that?" Quin turned to her. Her eyes lit up with the idea. "It's called the Loophole Curse. I contimplated one day how one could cause another harm that had wronged them in a horrific manner without breaking the Three Fold Law of do no harm. What I came up with was there was a loophole in this. Nothing ever said that someone's own bad karma can not come up to bite them in the ass. So this curse speeds up this process, makes all those bad deeds and the bad energy they have built up hit them at once. That way the witch is not at fault, because it was the person's own deeds that brought on what was happening to them but the witch is satisfied because the person has to pay for what they have done." her Boys stared at her in awe.
"I'm reminded again as to why I should never piss you off Princess, you are dangerous when you are pissed!" there was a small proud smile on Dwayne's face that she returned before breaking out into a delighted mad cackle. "I'm telling you, her and Mona are dangerous when they choose to be." Quin told them all. "I don't like it, I don't trust the Emerson boy as far as I can throw him, but I rather it be his ass on the line than Aserah's so I am willing to give it a shot. What do you say boys?" Max said slowly, she could practicly see the wheels spinning in his head and she downed her next cup of Saki. "I say yes, but if he so much as takes one step outside of the line, he is free game." David eyeballed Quin. "I will agree only if the mentioned Loophole Curse is used immediately after his usefulness is past due. I don't like the idea of him getting off scott free. He still bares some blame for his actions. And I won't have him be a constant threat to my witch should he decide he loved Star after all and comes for her out of revenge!" Paul stated through gritted teeth. She knew he hated the idea but he was not going to allow her to risk herself, so he would take any option that would get her out of Frogg clutches.
"My requirement is that after everything is said and done, he leaves this town and he never ever returns, and he takes a blood oath to never speak about the things that have taken place here, past or present." Dwayne said. It seemed to her Dwayne had always suspected the path the boy took. Though it was true that there was still blood on his hands, to Dwayne it never seemed like was in control of himself. It was something you could see in the eyes if you were trained to look for it, and in his human life, he had been trained to stare into men's souls. "I will not argue against the others. I will only say if you want to work with him, keep him away from me. I can't forget that night, and I will have my vengeance if I catch him alone. I don't like it, and he is just as likely to backstab us as Star. He may choose to reject the information given. And if he does, it will be your job to make sure he is not a threat, Quin. He is your agent, so he is your responsibility, so you keep him on a short leash." Marko bit out. Mona released her power to envelop her new family member with calm with concern in her eyes. "The past is the past. Once this is over, you will never see that face ever again. If you wish it I will stop the dreams." he gave her cousin a grateful look. And so it looked to be that all had been settled. The next evening would be the beginning of taking back the town.
But the real fight still cast it's shadow over the entire Pack. The confrontation with Lasher would make or break everything they had worked for, and Aserah was not sure that it was a fight she would be able to win.
