Hey guys. I know it's been forever again. At this point you may have come to expect that. I do want to thank all of you for sticking with me through those long waits. Your patience with me is nothing short of incredible. I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 25: Royal Blood
The full moon was shining brightly in through the large windows of the otherwise dark apartment, casting long shadows where wandering garlands of cold silver light couldn't reach. It was way past midnight, the omnipresent city lights below dimmed down as even the most persistent of nighthawks slowly gave in to their bodies calling for rest. It was a normal night and like every other normal night there would come a normal morning, the sun rising high to whisk away the cold emptiness the darkness had brought. A normal night fading into a normal day - for the human world.
Lauren could feel the energy buzzing from where she sat, legs crossed on the impeccable parquet floor of her apartment. Even if it was only ever so slight, it was there. It was as if the moon was impatient to fade, waiting for the rays of the sun to finally touch this part of the world and begin the new day. The Phoenix had felt this way before. This was what the night had felt like when a way younger Lauren in leather armor had looked up at the seemingly insurmountable city walls of old Jerusalem, or when the by then battle-proven Phoenix had waited in damp mist and deadly calm before a cold and snowy battle took place near a small town then called Austerlitz. Lauren knew this feeling. The feeling of lives at stake, of a world about to change depending on the coming day.
She closed her eyes, shutting out the deafening silence engulfing her by falling into memories of the view from atop those insurmountable walls, of surprise and fear in the eyes of her enemies as her division charged up the hill, of her emperor's winning smile from the back of his white horse, his hand tucked into the front of his coat in a way still remembered. The memories were still vivid in her immortal mind: sounds of cannons firing, of injured soldiers screaming their pain, the feeling of blood tickling down her left arm where her armor couldn't protect her, the smell of the cold December morning air filled with blood. And Lauren came to the conclusion that all of that, all the glory and honor she had won and all the dread she had ever felt could never compare to what she felt now.
Her eyes snapped back open, deep red like slowly flowing magma. The scent and sounds and pictures of the past faded into nothing, leaving her alone on the floor of her apartment, the garlands of moonlight still flooding across her scarcely clothed form. Looking down, her gaze travelled across the two unsheathed masterpieces of dwarven blacksmithing sitting peacefully on her lap, their blades shimmering softly in the ghostly light. Finally she moved, her fingers slowly tracing one weapon's length. The smooth metal was warm to her touch. Lauren knew that the blades felt her energy humming no matter how still she tried to sit. They absorbed the vibrations the Phoenix involuntarily created in the air around her, heating up like they were preparing for a battle they knew was coming. In truth they were just reacting to their master in a way they had countless times before but the difference was that this time Lauren wasn't able to fully control it. It's why she was sitting as still as she was, moving slowly if at all. One fast or uncalculated motion, she knew, would cause a barely controllable burst of flame to fly from her body and Lauren was still struggling to harness the power she had seemingly unlocked yesterday. In addition to the fire she had kept hidden away for so long she could feel her bond with Bo pulsing white-hot inside her every nerve and vein, providing her with even more strength.
Ever since first the Ash, then Dyson left she had been struggling for control, quickly realizing that sleep was no option for this night. Rest didn't seem to be on her body's mind at all. No, the Phoenix inside her, stronger now than ever, wanted to spread her wings of fire and fly, wanted to burn right through all those who would find her guilty before she even stepped before the High Elder council tomorrow. She remembered the Ash's words though, warning her that every rash decision or action would seal her fate with devastating clarity and she knew it well. There would be no escaping the council but now it wasn't about escaping anymore. It was about withstanding. She would face the High Elder council head on even if it was the last thing she ever did. Fire instinctively shot through her veins. The blonde was sure she would take at least two or three elders with her if they didn't leave her a choice. The powers of a Phoenix had always been something the council had feared, even having one amongst them.
In a move as sudden as it was graceful the blonde stood from her meditative position, arms at her sides, hands lightly gripping the hilts of her two rapiers, their thin shimmering blades crossed in front of her. Her eyes were fixed on a point in the distance only she herself could see and all of a sudden, control came naturally. Two easy strides later she was in the middle of the room, her bare feet halting then sliding into a position so familiar it relaxed Lauren to even assume it: right foot pointing forward, the left one behind it at a square angle, apart exactly as far as her shoulders. Her knees bent slightly, giving her stance something nimble, like a panther ready to pounce but calm at the same time, at ease.
Lauren remembered the sword master who had so long ago taught her for nearly a century, his small frame and thin face but unmatched skill. He had been a Fae with no name, just a weapon meant to be used. And used he was by the council to eliminate Dark Fae leaders deemed a threat. The many scars on his body were his witnesses. Footwork. Nothing is more important. It's called the dance with death for a reason, child. was what he always said, his voice brittle like old parchment. Her never spoke much unless he was teaching her a lesson and each and every single one of them had paid off. Long after the Fae with no name became just another mark in the history of the omnipresent war between Light and Dark Lauren was still a master of the blade, her every move as graceful as it was deadly.
She let the thin blades whirl through the air at blinding speed, racing from position to position, the Phoenix' whole body accompanying the melody they played slicing through air still humming with energy. All the while her mind felt blissfully empty, focusing only on the perfect execution of each form, every part of her performing its designated task. A light sheen of sweat formed on her body, the short white top and tight pants she was wearing doing only so much to obscure strong muscles rolling beneath them, steeled by centuries on history's battlefields. After an eternity and way too short at the same time Lauren came to a halt in her final position, her chest rising and falling quickly as the blades disappeared into their heavily ornamented sheaths at her sides with a metallic grinding noise.
Lauren felt the fire thundering through her heart and every last cell of her body before she was acutely aware of it. She had subconsciously held it back like she always did when doing this kind of sword routine but now that the complete concentration she had while in it was broken, the fire came roaring back with vigor to engulf her entire being completely. The Phoenix closed her still red eyes as she felt her hands ignite in flame, her body crouching to this time accommodate a wholly different dance. It was slower, much more complex and complicated but Lauren mastered it just the same. Heat roared around her as her whole body moved to control the firestorm of her own creation, taming it with almost alarming ease. To her own surprise she found that all her control issues from before were gone, a testament to Lauren reminding herself of what she had to do: Face the council, never back down and fight for the love she never thought to find, for Bo.
Bright light suddenly piercing even her closed eyes finally forced Lauren to open them again and when she did it stopped her dead in her tracks. Her hands were in front of her, holding a hovering ball of flaming energy between them but it wasn't like all those other times when she had practiced Tai-Chi. This flame wasn't a softly glowing red, flickering gently. No, between Lauren's hands was an almost white orb of pure heat that turned a ghostly blue at its edges. Awed, the Phoenix stared at something she had been trying to achieve long ago when she was younger but had given up on. She had managed to produce blue flames before but mostly in moments she wasn't proud of; when Nadia had died for instance. The blue flames had been an indication of a greater amount of energy she had forced to ignite at once, just like hotter flames changed color. To achieve not only the blue color but even the white one was something Lauren never thought possible as she had never gotten past a dark red flame with a blue core when consciously trying to conjure it. Awed but ever curious, the blonde pulled her hands apart, breaking the energy flow and extinguishing the white flame that left behind nothing but a vibration in the energy around her. For all but a second the room was dark again, only the by now fading moon and the slowly beginning day illuminating the open space. Then Lauren brought her hands back together and without even having to do more than concentrate the white flame appeared again, burning just as hot and powerful as before. Directing her thoughts at it she was able to change the color of the flame from white to blue then red and back again, like changing the oxygen supply of a Bunsen burner. Lauren smiled a brilliant smile, the flame in her hands vanishing. This would give her a great advantage.
-x-
With mixed feelings Thane McCorrigan pulled his Jaguar into the long driveway of the McCorrigan mansion, white gravel crunching beneath the tires as the path curved through vast fields of meticulously groomed grass. Trees stood here and there, soaking up the morning sun that had just come up behind the left wing of the mansion. It wasn't high enough yet to reach the forecourt though and so Thane's black Jaguar came to a gentle halt in the shade of the huge gray manor house, a human servant in a black suit immediately rushing to open the driver side door. He bowed deeply as Thane got out of the car, running his left hand through his stylishly ruffled black hair like he didn't have a care in the world. "Master McCorrigan. It's an honor and a pleasure to welcome you back."
Acknowledging the man with nothing more than a side glance of his amber eyes, the Incubus flicked his silver car key into a waiting hand before casually starting to walk towards the front door that was being held open for him by two more servants. Quickly, he ascended one of the curved white marble staircases leading to the heavy oak double door, never even so much as looking at the two humans who respectfully lowered their gazes as he walked past them. Inside he was instantly bombarded with the familiarity of the place. The open space of the wide foyer, wooden staircases winding upwards guarded by statues of white marble, their chiseled features frozen in eternal pleasure. There was a faint smell, noticeable only if one hadn't been here for a while. It was a smell that was dark, decadent like chocolate with hits of exquisite spice. Thane paused to inhale it fully, his eyes flashing electrified blue before he could reel himself back in. He had missed this scent, her scent, his nature as well as his heart calling out for his wife and before he could help it a low rumble escaped his throat. There was only one scent better than this one and that was the tangy, salty note that would mix into it the moment he could finally bury his face in the crook of Aoife's neck when they were in bed together again. Nothing else mattered whenever they were together. It never had. Usually, the Succubus would have already welcomed him back home but she was nowhere to be seen. If this was a game she was playing it better be good, he silently mused.
"Servant." His voice was curt. The young man that appeared next to him bowed his head, his hands folded behind his back. "Where is my beautiful wife?" The Incubus asked, tone dropping dangerously low. The servant looked up for a second and, seeing deep blue staring right back at him, answered quickly. "Madame McCorrigan left for a High Elder council meeting last night. She has not returned yet."
Thane's face showed no indication of emotion but he moved his hand, dismissing the servant like he would chase away a fly. For a split second he wondered why the pale young human with the haunted eyes who usually answered to his beck and call, the one who always brought the food to his bed, wasn't the one who had given him the information now but he forgot about it just as quickly. He was probably off coordinating the staff somewhere else. He was important after all. As important as a human could be in this household.
The beautiful hardwood floors made his expensive dress shoes clack as Thane started to walk again. It was quiet in the large manor house, almost peaceful while he ascended one of the broad wooden staircases leading to the upper level. Reaching the top he went to move towards the master bedroom but in that moment another scent caught his nose, intrinsically out of place for the McCorrigan mansion: blood. Gracefully he whipped around, his eyes blue for a completely different reason now. An object at the end of the hallway immediately caught his attention. It was nothing really extraordinary, just a small silver cloche sitting on a side table under a window that was usually the place for a large bouquet of white roses; the reason he noticed the change in the first place. His eyes narrowed just a bit, the fingers of his elegant hand coming up to fix his beige tie: an old habit.
Slowly, Thane walked down the hallway, his footsteps on the dark hardwood now obscenely loud in his own ears. With every step he took he expected doom to come crashing down around him in whichever form but nothing of the sort happened. By the time he stood in front of the table the sun was reflecting off the silver cloche on it, partly obscuring his contorted mirror image staring back at Thane with blue eyes. Nimble fingers lifted the lid, setting it to the side. All the while the Incubus' gaze never left the small object it revealed. On the silver platter in front of him was a scroll, neatly rolled with a black ribbon around it. Sealing wax had been dripped onto it, marking it an official document of one of the High Elders. The fact that it was black with no seal pressed into it made a shiver run down the Incubus' spine like cold fingers drifting down his back. A dreadful puzzle was slowly coming together in his mind.
Thane quickly walked towards his office, the library of the mansion, unopened scroll still firmly in hand. He found the usually closed double door wide open as he neared, the smell of blood stronger now, increasing his inner anxiety. As he crossed the threshold everything seemed to be the way it always had been: hundreds of books lining the walls in dark wooden bookcases, his large desk and chair to the right. The two dark green armchairs next to the fireplace and even a book he had been reading before flying to Paris right where he had left it. Seemingly nothing had moved but the fact that a roaring fire was crackling in the fireplace told the Incubus a different story, making him grip the manuscript in his hand just a little bit tighter.
There was a gust of wind as if a window behind Thane had somehow opened on its own but when he slowly turned there was nothing. Nothing until his eyes fell on the back corner of the room. His white shirt was ripped and bloodstained on one side, face paler than it had ever been while still alive which in its own was an achievement. His wide open eyes stared at nothing. Thane walked closer. Around the body someone had placed the white roses from the missing bouquet in a manner that seemed almost grotesque since the young human obviously didn't have a peaceful end. One of his hands was cramped as if from clutching onto something but there, too was only an innocent white rose now. Thane sighed. He bent down until he was on one knee and reached for the dead man, closing his eyes gently.
"I never took figured you had compassion for humans." The voice that spoke those words was deep and lazy, barely above a murmur but held so much power it forced another cold shiver down the Incubus' spine. Calmly Thane stood again. "And I never figured you for an artist." He answered in his baritone and turned around once more, amber eyes finding full blood red as he came face to face with an ancient Vampire smiling the cruelest of half-smiles. A deep chuckle escaped Nicolae Istrati, his lips pulling apart to show bloody fangs. Comfortably, he leaned back into the armchair nearest to the fireplace. "He was quite delicious for a human. And you wound me. I thought we were both men who could appreciate a true work of art." Nicolae stood in a sudden move that seemed fast but in truth was nothing compared to what Thane knew he was capable of. "Why don't you sit? We have a lot to talk about." He pointed his elegant hand towards the other armchair, the fire still crackling next to him reflecting off his almost iridescently pale skin and silvery white hair.
Thane held the undead gaze for a second but figured he had no choice and so he moved towards the seat he had been offered in his own home. The moment he sat down another gust of wind whipped past him, Nicolae reappearing seated in the chair next to him not a split second later, relaxed as if he had never moved at all but Thane noticed that the double doors leading to the hallway were now closed. They would not be disturbed.
"Why are you here?" It was the first sentence spoken in nearly ten minutes. Before, the two men had just been looking at each other, trying to read the other. Thane had come to the conclusion that the Vampire lord wanted something from him, something only he could give him but he was being cautious about it like the master politician he was. Nicolae's lips twitched but he took his time thinking about his answer or maybe he was just playing. He ran his fingers along the front of the black waistcoat he wore, just barely brushing the single white rose he had pinned to it as if to mock the human he killed for no other reason than pure cruelty even more. It all gave Thane more time to think, to let his mind drift to his wife, to Bo, to the paper scroll sitting on the small ornamented wooden table between them. Even Lauren Leavold crossed his thoughts. He knew that most things the Dark knew, the Light knew just the same. He wondered if she was prepared for the battle they would have to fight; all in their own way. Across from him, Nicolae's haunting red eyes now fixed him more directly. It seemed to the Incubus as if his own battle was already beginning. "To discuss what we will do come the next High Council meeting in a few hours." The Vampire spoke as if he was talking about a dinner invitation.
"Wouldn't my wife be more suited to talk to you about this?" Thane asked and Nicolae smiled his fanged smile again, eyes flickering towards the still sealed scroll on the table. The Incubus' jaw clenched. Without breaking eye contact he reached for the document sealed with the sigil of the Istrati family: a black ground. As if they needed anything more to show how truly dark they were. The seal immediately yielded to Thane's pull, coming loose with a clacking sound. He read the few lines written in black ink by a masterful hand and this time his jaw clenched so tight it actually cracked. Another gust of wind he barely noticed blew past him but Nicolae's deep bass voice registered as if it was the only thing left in the world. "You should have a drink." The vampire pointed towards two generously filled tumblers now standing on the table, a ridiculously expensive bottle of scotch in between them. "I also believe this is yours now." Thane caught the small pendant tossed at him, the small sword and rose heavy in his hand. But never as heavy as his heart as he reached for the offered drink with his other.
"There is only one thing that matters in this world, Thane McCorrigan." Nicolae spoke clearly after long minutes of silence, his eyes seemingly brighter than ever. He was holding his own tumbler in hand, leisurely circling it and making the amber liquid in it follow his movements. "It's not money or a seat on a High Elder council. Not power. Because power in the common sense refers to the power that resides where people believe it resides. And so often they are sadly mistaken. No. Power, true power, comes from blood. Blood that is older than you or me or any legislature created by any creature. Old blood that runs through the veins of old families manifests itself in power, true power. Families like yours, like mine. Not like that scum Gardiner who is a disgrace to every council meeting he attends." The last sentence was spoken with utter disdain and the Vampire almost looked as if he wanted to spit the words out of his mouth like something revolting to his tongue. But Thane understood. Carefully, his eyes never leaving the bloody red across from him, he said "The Leavold family is a very old, very noble family."
Nicolae smiled brilliantly, nipping at his drink. "Indeed they are."
Nearly an hour later Thane walked into the bedroom he had always shared with his wife. Bitter was the hatred that continued to bloom inside him since he had read the manuscript that promoted him to High Elder Thane McCorrigan. The same manuscript that had informed him that his wife had been imprisoned for the impure relationship she was a product of. He shook his head, first loosening then getting rid of his tie by unceremoniously tossing it onto a chair in the corner.
"Master McCorrigan." A voice from the doorway caught his attention and he turned halfway, seeing the same servant who had answered his questions before standing there, two other humans, one male and one female standing behind him with gazes lowered respectfully. "You asked for two." The servant said and Thane nodded. He bowed once more then hurried off as if he couldn't bear to witness what would happen next. The Incubus walked over to the two humans still standing just in front of the now closed door, taking a gentle hold of their hands and giving them both a strong pulse that made their eyes fly up to meet his blue ones, their auras racing from a dull orange to a full red. He had two hours left before the next council meeting would take place and he intended to use that time to gather as much strength as he could. "It's an honor." Both humans said in unison as Thane led them towards the canopy bed.
-x-
"Trickster, you know I love you, but you're seriously not helping!" Kenzi exclaimed from where she was sitting at the far end of the bar, one of her hands turning a half drunk pint by its handle. Her usually so sly pale blue eyes flickered up to meet the barkeep's at the other end of the bar, her fingers snapping in the direction of the huge book he had been sitting in front of for hours now. In a flutter of pages it fell shut, startling both Trick and Bo who was sitting opposite her grandfather, chin resting on her folded hands. She too, now moved her gaze to meet that of her best friend. Kenzi looked pale, paler than usual but Bo didn't really take too much notice of that. If she were to look into a mirror herself she was sure she would be able to rival a bed sheet. This uneasiness she felt in her gut - that they all felt - of course it showed in their features. Kenzi was no exception and neither was Bo herself.
As if in slow motion she turned back towards the now closed leather-bound book Trick had been going through for hours now, informing them whenever he found something noteworthy in the ancient histories of both Light and Dark, something that could maybe be of help. One of Bo's hands moved from under her chin, coming to rest on the book's worn binding, her fingers slowly tracing the ancient runes imprinted on it. The symbol of the Light Fae, a stylized sun with wavy rays, was next to the symbol of the Dark which looked much the same but less gentle, harsh edges replacing the waves. Bo knew these two signs like little else. The only thing that could really rival their omnipresence in her life was her family's sigil, the silver sword entwined with a rose. When she was younger and still living at the McCorrigan mansion sword and rose as well as the dark symbol seemed to stare back at her from everywhere. Wherever she looked, there they were, seemingly whispering in her ear. You're a McCorrigan. Live up to your name. You're the heir. Don't disappoint your family. Live the life chosen for you. Even now the memories of her family members scolding her, of wanting to be perfect for them but never achieving still sent cold fingers ghosting down her spine, forcing her to close her eyes for the briefest of moments to block out the past. Back then she had tried to be everything her mother wanted from her only daughter but decades of never being enough finally made her realize something that sent her spiraling out of control for a long time. She realized she didn't want to be her mother's perfect daughter. She wanted to be the exact opposite. She wanted to just be Bo. And so she moved out right after her dawning and became the Succubus whose reputation preceded her by far. She only did what she wanted to do and when she found a friend in a Djinn named Kenzi who wanted the same things she thought she had finally succeeded in becoming truly herself. She couldn't have been happier.
A lie was what it turned out to be. Because only when she had met Lauren Leavold and in the weeks after did the brunette slowly realize that being herself was more than being the exact opposite of what her family wanted. The shadow of her heritage had pushed her from one extreme to the other but no further towards herself. The foundation had always been there but it was Lauren with her brightly lit fire who finally let her cast her own shadow, thus stepping out of her family's. With the gentle Phoenix Bo could be herself and after fighting the inevitable for long enough the Succubus finally accepted and embraced it. She now understood what her father had told her the day they had lunch together before he left again. She had changed.
Bo smiled crookedly but still a little sadly while her index finger followed along the gentle lines of the Light Fae symbol, tracing them again and again. It seemed to be nothing but bad luck that she would find a connection like this and fall so deeply in love with a Fae she could never even think of having a future with. Choosing anyone other than one of her three intended mates, all Dark Fae of course and all McCorrigans of lower decent, would have caused ripples to say the least. She may have had a chance of convincing her father to let her marry some other Dark Fae as long as he or she was highborn. Choosing a lowborn Dark Fae would have caused serious political disputes as such thing was unheard of with the Dark High Elders. But choosing a Light Fae? And, ironically, here it was even worse that Lauren was highborn but it wouldn't have made much difference anyway. Lesser things had started wars between the two sides and if the small conversation Bo had with Lauren's mother at the High Elder banquet was anything to go by, the Leavold family had already found their culprit. It wouldn't save Lauren of course but the Succubus had the feeling that Elizabeth and Aoife were two sides of the same coin: one Light, one Dark. If that was true a firstborn daughter was an acceptable price to pay for power, especially since the Leavolds even had another daughter.
Again, Bo looked down at the book in front of her but now more specifically at her own wandering fingers. There was dried blood still under her fingernails from last night when she and Kenzi were walking to the Dal from the side alley where Bo had parked her Camaro. It had happened fast, five ogres appearing out of the shadows to attack them. The Succubus believed they wanted to capture, not kill them but they had fought like it was all the same to them. She had never been so thankful for the dagger she always kept in her boot but in truth it had been Kenzi who had done most of the work. Her masterful and merciless control over inanimate objects made her a fierce fighter but her power to dematerialize at will was what won them the time to run for the Dal's entrance before even more bounty hunters could appear from the shadows. As the door to the bar that was their safe haven fell shut behind them Bo's ears were still ringing with what one of the ogres had shouted after them. "You're to be brought in for high treason, Succubus!" And high treason only ever meant one thing.
A loud bang from the door made her head snap up, eyes finding dark brown ones staring at her fixedly from under thick black lashes. "This is a place of sanctuary." Trick warned from behind the bar but the newcomer only smiled wickedly, a thin scar on his left cheek twitching. He was all in black leather, his jacket old and worn but he was still good-looking. There was no doubt though that he was dangerous as well, the sheath of a dagger poking out from his belt. "I know what this place is, barkeep." He drawled, a thick accent cruelly contorting the words.
"Who the hell are you?" Kenzi asked from behind Bo, the Succubus hearing her best friend slip off her barstool slowly. The stranger's grin only widened. "It's not important who I am." His eyes were still fixing Bo like he was trying to imprint every last detail of her face into his mind forever. "It's just important who you are." He raised a dirty finger to loosely point at the Succubus who was still sitting on her barstool, upper body turned towards the door. He chuckled. "Ysabeau, Ysabeau. You've been a naughty girl. The high council sends its greetings. They already know but they'd like to ask you again in person what exactly it was that you did with that Light Fae whore of yours."
There was a loud clattering sound as Bo's barstool tumbled over backwards, the Succubus now fully turned towards the intruder, her eyes bright blue. Trick moved in his place behind the bar, one of his hands raised towards his granddaughter, trying to soothe her. Sanctuary only lasted as long as neither of them attacked those they were hiding from. "Bo." He warned but it was drowned out by maniacal laughter coming from their unwelcome guest. "So short-tempered." He smiled again. "You shouldn't waste that on me. The council is waiting. As soon as you set a foot out of this building, we'll be there. We're all waiting." For the first time his eyes switched to Kenzi who had come to stand next to Bo. "For you too, Djinn." His gaze wandered to Trick. "I have a warrant for you too, old man." He turned, walking leisurely out the front door and as is closed his voice could still be heard speaking one last sentence while laughing. "Ever wondered where your blood pixie went?"
Silence engulfed the Dal for a good few minutes before Kenzi scoffed. "Our blood pixie? Is that supposed to be a joke?" Bo looked at her best friend and shrugged. She didn't know what the cryptic question meant either but when they both looked at Trick expecting him to be just as clueless they found him white as a sheet, his eyes staring into nothing, hands shaking on top of the bar. "Trick? What the hell is going on?" He didn't answer, though. He just all of a sudden walked off towards the entrance to his office beneath the Dal, leaving the two women behind in their confusion. Before they could ponder much about what was going on they heard footsteps on the stairs again. Seconds later Trick emerged again and in his hand he held what seemed to have been a cage at a certain point but now it was empty, the thin metal bars it was composed of bent at strange angles in some places.
Tick set the deformed cage on the floor and took a few steps back as if it was something worth looking at from a distance, his face still pale as it had been from the second the bounty hunter who had just paid them a visit had spoken that last cryptic sentence. "What's that?" Kenzi asked after another moment of loaded silence and while Bo had asked herself the same thing she didn't need explanation what it was anymore. She had seen it before when she came by to ask Trick about him and her grandmother. Just that the cage had been intact back then and housing a small Underfae pixie that Trick told her only prayed on blood - a blood pixie so to speak. "Where is it?" She asked, making her grandfather look at her with almost empty eyes, Kenzi throwing her a look as well but hers was curious.
The old barkeep sighed. "I told you I was conducting experiments on their kind. They are very rare and we don't know much about them so I wanted to study it but it broke free a few days ago. I thought of it as a missed opportunity and, of course, it annoyed me." He paused before continuing in a grave voice "But it seems this escape caused a lot more than I thought."
"Can someone please let me in on this, guys? What the hell has whatever lived in that thing to do with what's happening here?" Kenzi's exasperated voice rang through the Dal, reminding Bo and Trick that she was still there. Briefly, the Succubus closed her eyes before finding her composure again. Agitation roared through her. She could have been in bed with Lauren right now hadn't it been for that.. thing. "I came by a few days ago and asked about him and my grandmother. He told me the whole story and afterwards I told him about me and Lauren."
Trick nodded. "I had to make a small powder that would prevent ears from outside the room from listening to things they shouldn't be. I had a blood pixie in this cage and it was sitting in my office." He sighed, pressing his fingers to his temples. "I had no idea they were this intelligent. I thought they were just another rare species of Underfae."
Kenzi's brow furrowed, her gaze wandering from Trick to the deformed cage and back again. "So what you're saying is that this fairy thingy heard everything you said and ratted you out to the High Elders? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" She threw her hands up in the air for emphasis and Trick nodded. "I know. But nothing else makes sense. The only thing that would lead to the High council wanting to arrest me as well would be them finding out about me and Isabeau. There is no other explanation."
"And you would be right." A gruff voice from the door interjected, starling the trio gathered around the broken cage. They all looked up towards the man standing in the door, his tall frame clad in jeans and a brown leather jacket. It had very telling blotches on its left side, quickly drying blood sticking to the rough material. There was even more on his face that looked like a blood covered hand had smeared across it. The red liquid was quickly turning black in his beard and eyebrows, making his features almost unrecognizable. It was obvious that he had to fight to get here, another testament to the truth in the bounty hunter's words from before. They indeed seemed to all be camped outside the Dal and the thought of being besieged like that made Bo's stomach almost turn over on itself.
"Dyson? What brings you here?" Trick's careful words distracted the Succubus from mulling over the feeling for longer. Now that her grandfather had said it, Bo immediately recognized the wolf shifter as well. Images from their night together flashed before her eyes but they seemed far away, like it had all happened centuries ago not mere weeks. The wolf regarded her for a quick moment, like he was processing something but the blood on his face obscured most of his facial expression. "I'm here by orders of the Ash."
Kenzi immediately scoffed humorlessly in response. "You could have saved yourself the hassle, wolfie. The second we step out of the Dal we're free game. Whatever the Ash wants, he's not going to get it from us."
"No." Dyson shook his head in response. "He sent me to update you on what happened in the last few hours." When all he received were confused and questioning glances the wolf sighed, walking over to one of the tables and perching himself against it before explaining further. "I'm guessing the most prominent news has reached you all." He looked at Bo. "Ysabeau McCorrigan is wanted by the Dark high council for high treason. McKenzie Malikov is also mentioned and to be brought in for questioning." His voice sounded like he was reciting the contents of an official document, which he probably was.
"We gathered as much when we had to fight off a bunch of ogres last night." Kenzi grumbled, crossing her arms in front of her chest while leaning back against the bar. Dyson looked at the small Djinn for a second and nodded. "There is also an order by the Light high council to bring in Fitzpatrick O'Sheehan, keeper of this region's way station. Charges are the same. In his case the Ash has made use of his right to offer his protection to members of his colony." He was now looking at Trick, the slightest hint of a smile playing around his features. "I always wondered why you were so fond of this Succubus here Trickster. You were not the best liar about it."
"My lies were necessary." Trick answered softly and Dyson nodded, pushing off the table. "I understand completely. Some things can only be made true again by speaking about them and it's better not to." Slowly, he walked towards the bar where he came to stand right in front of the old barkeep who had been one of his closest friends for the longest time. A smile passed between them and Bo could see the thankfulness in her grandfather's eyes as he looked up at the bloodied wolf shifter. Seconds later it was clouded with question marks, though. "Why has the Ash offered me his protection? I wasn't going to deny my guilt."
"He stands with you in this matter." He dealt Bo another quick look. "With Bo and Lauren as well. I believe he once told you about his ultimate plans for the Fae?" The words left the Succubus listening to them confused for the umpteenth time that day and she furrowed her brow to show it but she didn't have to wait long for her answer. Trick chuckled, shaking his head as if he was smiling at the antics of a child. "That fool is still trying to unite the Fae. And I had thought that idea had died long ago at the hands of harsh reality."
Dyson grinned a wolfish smile that looked terrifying through all the blood still on his face. "It surprised me, too when he told me last night. He always was a visionary but I didn't think he'd take it that far. Called me personally last night, telling me to meet him in front of Lauren's apartment. He was being very secretive until I was there with him. A Dark Fae contact had told him that the council had called an extraordinary meeting and that High Elder Aoife McCorrigan had been thrown into the dungeons beneath the dark compound."
"What?!" Bo roared, her mouth agape as she stared at Dyson recounting something she hadn't even thought possible. The wolf shifter nodded like it was nothing. "As you all figured correctly a few minutes ago the council learned more than enough through the blood pixie previously in Trick's possession. By chance she was caught by Dark Fae shortly after she escaped here and somehow she ended up being brought before High Elder Istrati. He's a vampire lord, he just needs a taste of blood to witness all his victim ever experienced. He was the one who set all this into motion. And since your mother is now officially only half McCorrigan she wasn't eligible to be the elder anymore. So it passed to the next pure blood McCorrigan."
"Isabeau? My grandmother?" Bo asked but Dyson quickly shook his head. "No she and her husband are nowhere to be found. It seems they got away. Your father. He's the new elder."
The revelation almost knocked the wind out of Bo completely. She had never imagined her father becoming High Elder. He was not from the royal family so he would have always been last in line but with her grandmother as well as herself out of the equation he was of course the one they would go to.
"But that's a good thing, right?" Kenzi interjected. "Bo's dad is alright. More so than most of her other crazy relatives. He can help."
Dyson just shrugged. "That I don't know. I just know that he officially accepted the ascent and that the Dark high council is currently debating on how to proceed."
"And the Light?" Bo wanted to know. She hadn't heard anything from Lauren and it worried her. She had checked her phone numerous times but she couldn't get a signal - no doubt the work of the vultures waiting outside for just one little misstep.
"The Light high council was just gathering when I left the compound. They're preparing for Lauren's hearing."
"There will be a hearing?"
"Yes. She means to face all of them head on. She said as much last night as the Ash told her all she needed to know. Her sister was also questioned last night but it seems she didn't know a thing. It doesn't surprise me. Lauren was always very secretive and in this case, she probably thought it would be better to not drag her sister into this as well."
Bo had to smile despite herself. She had only met her briefly but Charlotte Leavold had much more of her older sister in her than most people seemed to believe. The kid had obviously done the perfect job of leading the council to believe her sister had kept this piece of information from her. It was, of course, saving her own skin but having her with them in this mess would have done nobody any good. Dyson saw the smile on her face. "It seems you know something I don't here. Let's keep it that way. Walls tend to have ears at times like this."
They all nodded in agreement. "And now?" Trick asked after a while of silence. Dyson rose from his hunched position at the bar, taking a step back. "Now I'm going to get cleaned up. It's a mess outside. Hale and Tamsin are doing their best to keep everything under wraps so it doesn't get out to the humans but our world is shaking. More so the more information seeps onto the streets. I was ordered to stay here and do what I can to keep you all safe until we know how to proceed." He smiled, easing the weary faces staring at him. "I think we could all use a pint while we wait."
-x-
Lauren was staring out at the lush garden that made up the compound's inner courtyard. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest, jaw set tightly as she waited for the council to call on her. It was a waiting game of course, a psychological strategy to wear her thin before she even set one foot into the council chamber. She knew that and that's why it wouldn't work. The Phoenix had lived long enough to understand how politics worked. She had spent so many hours of her life waiting; for armies to attack, for generals to give orders, for her medical research to finally deliver results. It had all formed her as a person, making her patient to wait for her turn. Still, waiting right now gnawed at a certain part of her. It was that feeling again. The one that had befallen her the night before: the uneasiness of a changing world. She had felt it all morning while she had put on the ornamented doublet she used to wear at official gatherings. The heavy material was a dark shade of red embroidered with golden thread forming stylized suns held by equally golden birds with wide spread wings. The motif covered all of the doublet in different variants forming a beautifully composed mosaic.
Lauren had chosen it because it was as much a testament to her rank and heritage as it was practical when fighting. Combined with tight white buckskin pants and black boots the ensemble would allow her to move freely. It was heavy enough to offer some protection yet light enough to not hinder her in any way. Also it wasn't obvious like her light fencer's armor in the colors and style of her French army days. No, this was merely a formal appearance. Even her hair tied back behind back in a loose bun could be viewed as a mere tribute to the situation.
The only thing truly speaking of her serious intentions were the two ornamented sheaths hanging at her left side, red leather sword belts crossing her hips. Their familiar weight always put Lauren at ease but she resisted the urge to run her fingers across the delicate yet strong crossbars and knuckle guards. There were two Fae guarding the entrance to the high council chamber no twenty feet behind her. If she reached for her weapons now they could see it as a threat. She was now a traitor after all and so they wouldn't have to justify themselves for pointing their own weapons at a member of one of the royal families. So Lauren just kept staring down at the lone gardener trimming the hedges in the garden below. He seemed utterly engrossed in his work, so much that the blonde Phoenix almost envied him for his simple task. She didn't mean that it wasn't hard to keep a garden looking they way this one did. Just that his art was a straightforward one, one without politics or the heavy weighing duties that came with a last name like Lauren's.
Before she had more time to ponder one of the guards cleared his throat, making the blonde turn ever so slightly, looking at the man out of the corner of her eye. She could still see the weariness in his gaze. The old habits all Fae learned when they were younger, habits of how to treat those born to rule them, indeed died hard. The guard wasn't sure how to correctly behave in front of her. "The council will see you now."
Lauren acknowledged his words with a barely noticeable nod of her head. One last time she turned back to the gardener below who was now busy with the next hedge, having finished the one he had previously worked on. With a deep breath the Phoenix turned, loosening her arms at her sides as they had grown slightly stiff while folded across her chest. She was almost at the double door that was now open to reveal a wide corridor with expensive pieces of art adorning the walls when another voice stopped her. It was the other guard's. "You can't take your weapons with you." He informed her, immediately bowing his head when Lauren merely looked at him in response "I'm sorry, Miss Leavold." He added quickly. The blonde just smiled, letting her eyes wander over his youthful and toned features. This man was obviously a skilled fighter for his age but he wouldn't stand a chance against her. Neither would his partner; the bulky built his suit couldn't hide marking him as strong but slow. Lauren smiled at the guard who had addressed her just now. "And who do you propose will stop me from doing so?"
He visibly paled. Obviously her reputation as a master of the blade still preceded her by far but his voice still came out surprisingly calm when he spoke. "These are the rules, Miss Leavold."
"I'm sure they are. They don't answer my question though, I'm afraid." She smiled again, her left hand slowly wandering to calmly place itself onto the hilt of the upper Rapier. It was a subtle warning, but a warning nonetheless. The guard's gaze fixed itself onto the ornamented weapon at Lauren's side, seemingly contemplating his options. They stayed like this for long moments and finally the blonde found she had wasted enough time, with a flick of her fingers drawing her weapon about an inch out of its sheath but it was enough. The guards both visibly flinched, their hands flying to their respective weapons but they soon realized that Lauren hadn't intended to attack them. Still, their heavy breathing spoke of their fear. They looked at each other for a split second before simultaneously taking a step back and resuming their original positions with heads bowed. "Continue on, Miss Leavold."
The Phoenix gave nothing more than a nod, taking leisurely but sure steps through the double door and down the corridor, ignoring the fine artwork on its white walls. Instead she focused her eyes on the door that would finally open up to the council chamber. It was another double door, heavy and wooden. It had inlaid work so that, when closed, the two wings together formed the symbol of the Light Fae, its soft lines greeting Lauren like an old friend. She didn't have much time to admire it though. As she neared the two Fae guarding this last door silently opened it wide for her, revealing a view so bright it almost hurt the eyes after the slightly dark corridor. Stepping into the large council chamber gave her a feeling of finality. This was the moment she had been waiting for and whatever came of it, it would change the Fae world. Lauren felt it.
The chamber she had entered was not particularly large in expanse but it was high, its ceiling ending in a dome that was a trademark feature of the Light Fae compound though not many Fae ever saw it from the inside. The floor was made of slightly rough white stone, gray and beige mixing into it here and there. In the middle was again the symbol of the Light Fae, inlaid in black this time, making it stand out even more. It was in the middle of this symbol that Lauren came to stand, her back straight but posture relaxed, looking up at the council seats. They were arranged in a semicircle as wide as the room permitted, like terraces with white marble banisters, six feet off the ground dwarfing Lauren as was no doubt their intention. From each of the five places in the circle hung a banner that was about Lauren's height, the sigil of one of the five families holding a seat on the council depicted on each. It didn't take her long to fix her eyes on the golden sun held by birds on a red background, her grandmother standing regally at the banister above it, her face a mask showing not even a flicker of emotion. To High Elder Leavold's left stood High Elder Valentine, his impressive beard shielding most of his expression from view. His muscled arms were crossed in front of his chest clad expensively in blue silk. Beneath him was his sigil, a silver sea dragon winding around an equally silver trident on a field of turquoise. Across from them to Lauren's left stood the High Elders Tuwawi and Kaya, a wolf's head on a black background and a walking winged lion in an earth-colored field hanging beneath them. They were both looking at Lauren with interest and the blonde thought she could even make out the ghost of a smile playing around High Elder Alexis Kaya's lips. Her intelligent eyes, green like glinting emeralds, were looking right into Lauren, searching it seemed. At last the blonde's gaze fell on the Fae standing in the middle of the semi circle. He was looking at her with disdain, even open disgust in his mismatched eyes; one icy blue, one golden. Clothed all in white as always his gloved hands rested on the banister before him. An azure blue banner with an angel on it, gaze raised towards the sky hung beneath him, emphasizing his silent point even more. He was the self-declared head of this council though his vote didn't have more weight than the others. His family put so much effort towards fulfilling their so-called purpose but to Lauren they had always been not more than another family clinging desperately to power while trying to obtain even more of it. The Cohen family. Malakhim without exception. Angels.
It was him, Sariel Cohen, who addressed her in a voice like velvet but cold. "Lauren Leavold. You come before us to answer for your crime." His mismatched eyes bore into her but the Phoenix never wavered, looking back at him calmly. "I do." She said.
"We received information that accuses you of an impure relationship with Ysabeau of Dark High Elder clan McCorrigan, genus Succubae. Do you deny these accusations?" This time it had been Elder Kaya who spoke, her powerful melodious voice echoing like an aria in the quiet council chamber. Lauren took her time turning her gaze towards the woman before she shook her head. "I do not."
"Lauren!" It was a shocked exclamation, making the blonde turn in the direction of the voice that she knew didn't belong here. Her eyes found her mother's, standing about fifteen yards behind her in the entrance of the council chamber, Charlotte right behind her looking much like a deer in the headlights. "Mother." The Phoenix acknowledged her simply.
"You will not talk about having anything with that woman! That you let her put her filthy hands on you!" Elizabeth continued and started walking towards her but Lauren held up a hand, effectively stopping her mother in her tracks, a look of disbelief etched on her face. "But I will, mother." She turned back to face the council. "I will not deny the fact that I did what I was accused of by the council. I will also not deny that I love her."
Lauren heard the gasp from behind her but before her mother could say more Elder Leavold's voice cracked like a whip above them. "Elizabeth." It hadn't even been particularly loud but the tone of her voice alone made the whole room pause for a second. It also served its purpose, making Lauren's mother shrink back like a scolded four year old.
"By the law you are allowed to have your family with you here." Elder Valentine informed Lauren when everything had quieted down again. "To witness your sentence. Do you wish that?" And although the blonde resented the fact that her mother still judged her in this position, that Charlie had to witness this because there was really only one possible outcome, she still felt like they deserved to know. Elizabeth deserved to know that it hadn't been some rash decision that led her to Bo. That she had never chosen to fall in love with the Succubus. Or Nadia before her. Charlie deserved to know the whole truth, an example to go by in the long life she was going to lead. Lauren knew she hadn't been the best of sisters for a long time but Charlie was still young. She just hoped her baby sister would understand why she had to do what she did. So she nodded. "I do." The council nodded their consent in unison.
"You said you love her." Again, it was High Elder Cohen who spoke, his voice dripping with disdain. "You meant the Succubus?" Again, Lauren nodded, proudly looking him in the eye. The gesture made his lip curl up in disgust but then he smiled, leaning forward on the banister. "You are making this trial very easy. A relationship with a Dark Fae. Let alone a member of an elder family. The Succubus I can understand, I mean they are generally unstable but this particular one seems to bed everything that can't get up a tree by the count of three." He chuckled and Lauren had to roll her shoulders, her eyes melting into gold but otherwise she kept calm. She knew that he just wanted her to do something rash, wanted her to draw her sword and give him an excuse. "I don't think there is any use in insulting Lauren." High Elder Kaya interjected calmly.
Sariel just scoffed. "Why? It's a truth she has to accept."
"Because not only are we the keepers of the fragile peace between the two sides, but we are also talking about the heir to the McCorrigan seat on the dark high council. We would do good to remember her blood and honor it. Dark Fae or not." She ended and then, for the first time that day, High Elder Tuwawi set to speak in her deep and soothing voice. "This one speaks true. We are merely the keepers of the laws laid down by the generations before us. If we are to judge, we judge only by them."
Sariel's eyes narrowed a bit but he didn't say what Lauren could see running through his mind. "We should still take a vote then, should we not? To determine the guilt of Lauren Leavold and to act accordingly after a sentence is passed." The council agreed once more. Lauren's heart involuntarily started racing and she gripped the hilt of her trusted Rapier a bit tighter. She could hear Charlotte crying quietly behind her but she didn't turn. She knew that if she did, she would start thinking again and she couldn't allow herself to do that. She needed all her concentration and strength for what was to come now. There would be no way of getting out of this chamber alive once the sentence was passed but the Phoenix was sure she could take some of the Elders with her before her fire went out. She saw Sariel prepare to speak and her last thought was for Bo, a silent vow of love and the hope that her Succubus would somehow get out of this. Even if she knew it was a nearly futile wish.
The Angel above her opened his mouth to speak but he was interrupted by Lauren's grandmother before he could even begin. "I have one last thing to say." She started and the council members nodded their consent once more. "I have been High Elder for as long as such a thing exists in this world. As you well know but some of you choose to ignore, there was a world before Light and Dark, before the great war that divided us seemingly forever. Who joined which side in the end was merely a thing of allegiance in the war, or even just chance. I lived in that world. So choosing ones mate based on Light or Dark is pointless to me. Mates are to be chosen by blood. Power belongs with power. And powerful blood is something worth protecting.
Yesterday I felt ripples in the fire around me; today I know that was you, Lauren. You sang to the Succubus out of the love you both feel for another. Now that I'm in your presence I can feel the power radiating from you. None of us standing here would stand a chance in single combat now that your song made yours and the Succubus' power mingle." She paused and for the first time in her long life Lauren thought she saw her grandmother smile at her. "I am no longer the strongest Leavold. I have been waiting for this day for a long time and ever since your birth I've always known it would be you who would bring it about, Lauren. It is time for me to step down as High Elder and pass the title on to my deserving heir. I, Amunet Leavold, hereby give my seat on this council to my granddaughter Lauren Leavold. Her blood is pure, her heart full of light."
Nothing could match the silence that followed those words.
As always at this point I'd again like to stess that all my stories will be finished in time. I will not leave you hanging. Also, thanks to Somewhataddicted for reading through this one for me. I hope you all have a great day :)