Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the OC. Warning: This is written as a story not a fic. So if you don't like it, deal. FYI: Reviews and even flames are welcome. BTW: I'm looking for an editor. The only thing I can offer in payment is all chapters early.
She groaned in pain as she opened her eyes. She felt like she had lived a lifetime in the few hours it had taken to learn everything. She saw a pair of golden eyes looking down on her from an older face. Saetan, she thought, and another voice in her mind that was her too said, Papa.
"Voltaire?" he asked. Yes, she thought groggily, that was her name. With knowledge of her name she was able to return to herself. Without thinking she reached out to touch the silvery memories that seemed to float just out of reach. These were the things that she had learned. They seemed to whisper to her that they would be there when she needed them.
"I feel like death warmed over," she murmured and earned a chuckle from him. She grinned weakly at him.
"There's an expression I like," he told her lifting her to her feet. She swayed as the world tilted beneath her feet. She had just gained her footing when the door burst open and a very angry Daemonar stalked in.
"What in the name of Hell happened to her?" Daemonar growled making her headache worse. Before Saetan could answer she rounded on him.
"I just had a lifetime of learning crammed into about three hours. My whole body hurts, and I've a mean case of the munchies. Unless you want to become my snack I suggest you stop acting like my parent," Voltaire snarled her head in one hand. She barely noticed the fact she could sense his rage.
"Well, someone had better, because you seem to get into every kind of trouble imaginable," he snarled it just inches away from her face. Voltaire fought her need to punch his pretty face. He turned on heel and stalk out the way he had come.
"Welcome to the blood," Jaenelle mumbled from behind her, "Now I suggest we get to bed." Voltaire stumbled out into the hall her intention to do just that.
Voltaire felt something warm and wet slide across her face. She mumbled something not very polite at whatever it was, and rolled over. She hurt all over from the mind melding thing. When it persisted, she opened her eyes and found herself staring into a pair of large hazel eyes. She yelped in panic, and felt the shields on her ring envelop her.
"What the fuck?" she yelled at the now abashed looking wolf. It whinnied and moved to the edge of her bed. Voltaire, feeling relieved it wasn't going to try to hurt her, was about to apologize, when five or six males, all warlords, came barging into her room. Pulling the sheets up around her neck, she had on some sheath of a thing that left nothing to the imagination, she snarled at them.
"What the hell are you doing in my room?" she ignored the amused glances she was getting from some of the males.
"You didn't think that ring of yours is just a fancy shield, did you? Your shields go up, we show up," Daemonar said sneering down at her. She glared hard at him, knowing he was riding the edge hard. She figured it was one of the functions of the ring.
"Well, you know that I'm not in danger, obviously, so why don't you all leave? And take the wolf with you," Voltaire had begun looking around from something to throw at their smiling faces.
"Oh, no. He's your problem. After all, he's just a lonely male looking for a friend," Daemonar said false sweetness oozing in his voice. She grabbed a candle holder and flung it at him as he closed the door behind him. After he was gone she glared at where the candle had hit the door.
"Rot in hell," Voltaire said to the door sticking her tongue out. She looked down at the canine at the foot of her bed. For the first time she noticed the sapphire jewel peaking out from his fur. This sparked one of Jaenelle's memories about the kindred. Now she understood that the wolf was only looking for someone to attach himself to. Sighing she moved closer to him.
"I'm sorry, puppy. You just scared the living daylights out of me," she murmured burying her hand in his black fur. She felt a slight brush across her consciousness, and opened to it the way she had learned from Jaenelle. I am Blackfury. The thought was deep like a man's voice. She smiled looking down at him.
"Oh, hell, now you'll be telling me that you're a Warlord Prince, and you've chosen me to protect and serve," she sighed heavily as he looked up at her with those purple puppy eyes. "Fine, whatever. Just let me get some sleep, will ya?" Blackfury ruffed happily and nestled into her lower back as she laid down. Resigned to her new companion, and deciding that this world couldn't get any stranger, Voltaire drifted off to sleep.
Voltaire woke and stretched feeling refreshed. It had to be at least noon, but thankfully Lucivar had decided to let her sleep. She wasn't sure how she knew this, and she didn't think about it too hard. She started as the warmth at her back began to move. Remembering that it was just the young wolf she had taken in, she tossed the covers aside and stood up.
"Hey, puppy, since you're the only male in this place I'd trust in the room with me when I get dressed, can you help me pick out some clothes?" She said pushing open her wardrobe. She was still surprised that it was so well stocked. She knew from Jaenelle that the servants had scoured the hall in search of things to fit her on that first night. She silently sent them her thanks, and began pulling out dresses.
She followed Blackfury into the dining room where the lunch buffet was out. She thanked whatever was watching over her that she hadn't missed it. She wasn't sure if she could of put up with a trip to the kitchen in the state of hunger she was in. She smiled friendly-like at the people who were staring at her in curiosity. She figured that was just from the dress. It was green cut low with a spider web like pattern across the front. She had found a pair of slippers in her size that matched the green. Her plate piled high with food she sat next to another woman with light gold hair and slightly pointed ears. Before she could say anything the other woman had her hand out.
"I'm Surreal," she said smiling. Voltaire gave her name, and a conversation started up. "I haven't seen you around before. Did you come in with the people at the fairs?" Voltaire blinked and quickly decided the truth was in order.
"I'm from a place called Upstate New York. I doubt you've heard of it, because it didn't even know this world existed until my friend knocked me through that damn portal," Voltaire said in a rush. Surreal smiled at her.
"That'd be funny if it wasn't true," Voltaire started at the bluntness. She knew from Jaenelle that this was normal, but it still took her aback. "Maybe I can be your guide while you're here," Surreal said making up for her bluntness earlier. Voltaire nodded.
"You can start by explaining why Daemonar seems to feel responsible for me," Voltaire voiced the concern that had been on her mind since the day before.
"Typical Warlord Prince. You are an unattached female of unsure rank. You have little to no understanding of court. In other words you were everything an unattached male looks for when finding a female to serve," Surreal told her. Voltaire blinked and looked at him as he came in drenched no doubt from training. He sent her a smile, she forced one back, and Blackfury, from his position on the floor growled.
"You can't be serious. I've no intention of setting up a court," her voice shook a little. He wanted to serve her? Surreal just grinned. To take her mind off him, she looked around the room. She noticed a nervous looking girl sitting quietly by herself with a large cat at her feet. "Who's that?"
"Her? That's Jaenelle's sister, Wilhelmina Benedict. Her parents and grandmother were killed in the purge. Her grandmother was the Queen of Chaillot, and since her death they've been trying to get her to come back. They even forced her out of her house in Scelt," Surreal said shaking her head. Voltaire felt pity for her. She knew what it was like to be pursued relentlessly.
"I'm going to go talk to her," Voltaire said rising. Surreal looked at her.
"Good luck. She's kind of shy," she said to Voltaire's back. She walked across the room, Blackfury behind her, and smiled at Wilhelmina.
"Can I sit with you?" she asked. Wilhelmina didn't look up from her plate as she nodded. Voltaire shrugged and sat. Deciding that is she wanted conversation she was going to have to make it, she began to talk.
"Everyone here is so nice. Well, except for Daemonar. It's like having an older brother you never wanted with none of the good qualities. He's got the bad ones down real good; over protective, over bearing, and public humiliation," the last earned a smile from Wilhelmina and a kind of half look from her cast down eyes.
"Last might he came barging into my room saying something about if I have any kind of thought about danger he'd show up. Please. He's forgetting that unlike most damsels in distress I can kick his ass," Wilhelmina giggled and looked up at her. "Did I mention my name was Voltaire?" Voltaire offered Wilhelmina her hand.
"I'm Wilhelmina Benedict. You name sounds so different. Where'd you get it?" her voice was soft and almost timid. Voltaire decided she'd become louder if given enough time, and encouragement.
"My mother was a big fan of philosophy. My name was the pen name for a French Marquis who wrote some not so popular work for the time. It's better than being named Bacon or Plato, I suppose. Course you don't know who any of these people are. The curse of being from another world," Voltaire finished with a sigh and look of depression. Wilhelmina smiled with sympathy.
"Don't worry. It's better than being stuck in a world were everyone knows almost everything about you and your family," Wilhelmina's voice was bitter. Voltaire as about to ask what she meant when Daemonar walked over.
"Hey, I just came over to apologize about last night. Males have some strong reactions to the ring," Daemonar said sitting next to her without bothering to ask.
"Apology excepted. Try to keep those reactions in check next time," Wilhelmina was watching them with interest. She didn't need the aid of her psychic scent to know that she was calculating how long it would take Daemonar to ask to serve her. Blackfury nosed his way in the conversation.
She is mine, human. She has excepted me. A low growl issued from his throat, but it was nothing next to the growl that came from Voltaire.
"No one owns me! How dare you imply that," Voltaire's voice was a low hiss that had the Arcerian at Wilhelmina's feet looking up. Blackfury meanwhile was completely ignoring her. It appeared that Daemonar and he were having a staring contest, but she knew that they were really sizing each other up for a fight. Burying her hand in his hackles she gripped hard and shook knowing her nails were digging in.
"Lay off! Do you here me, Blackfury?! I said LAY OFF!" she shook him until he turned around and looked at her abashed.
I'm sorry, my lady. I only wish to keep my position with you. His thoughts were so sad that she felt bad for having done that to him.
"There's more than enough of me to go around," she told him becoming aware for the first time that everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch. She felt her face go crimson. She had been so intent on the two of them she had even forgotten Wilhelmina. Jaenelle and Daemon arrived in the doorway. Jaenelle took one look around seemed to understand what had gone on. She cleared her throat loudly, and everyone jumped.
"Well? I think we came to eat lunch, not stare at new members of court," Jaenelle said getting a plate. Voltaire was silently thankful for her arrival, even though she knew that she would be called to her office to tell her what had happened. After everyone had gone back to what they were doing, Voltaire released the breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding.
"So what do you guys do around here for fun?" Voltaire asked and got a grin from Daemonar. Wilhelmina shook her head.
"Men like Daemonar go around training all day for 'fun.' Anyone with a lick of sense goes to the library. It's huge, and well stocked," Wilhelmina told her.
"Nifty," seeing there blank looks she blushed, "I mean interesting. I'd like to go see this." Wilhelmina nodded and rose, the Arcerian rising with her. "Aren't you going to introduce me to the tiger?" Voltaire asked.
I'm not a tiger. I am an Arcerian. My name is KaeAskavi. He bowed his head a little in respect. She gave her name, and followed them to the hall library.
a/n: I know KaeAskavi already has a human, but there's a story behind that, that may or may not come out. I'll have to see how the story weaves.