Tristan's Peace - Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that you may recognize from King Arthur. Nor do I own any that you may recognize from the Dark Hunter Series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I am merely playing with them for a time. So please don't sue me, I have no money. Nada, zippo, zilch.
A/N: Seems I have confused quite a few of you out there. Good. That's what I have planned. I will reveal all as time goes on. But, I will say, that to become a Dark Hunter, you must want revenge. For what ever reason that may be. So I leave it up to you all to figure things out. There will still be our favorite men in it. But this is mostly about Tristan and Teagan. And it will most definitely have a happy ending.
shelly - Thank you so much.
Jessica - I'm glad you like it so far. I hope I can keep you interested.
Melosine - I'm happy that you are interested. I'll explain things as I go. If I put it all out there right away, it wouldn't give anyone something to look for. And he's most surely going to keep his tats. I love tattoos, have a few myself. That's how I got the idea of Teagan's dragon tat. I've got one very similar to hers. Only mine is black.
June Birdie - As I said above, I'll explain what happened asI go. I figured that you, of all my reviewers, would get a kick out of this one. Seing as how you've got your own time travel thing going. And I love the idea of a cake...
KnightMaiden - Don't worry. They will be inBOTH times.
op - You'll see. (grin) Just don't give up on it just yet.
And:
Cardeia - I sincerly hope you stay intrigued. AsI cherish your reviewsso much. I know it's quite the jump. I kinda did that intentionally. I'm glad youcan see him in his choice of music. I have that taste in music. And Teagan will also. I have aCD made up that I call 'Tristan's Theme Music.' And I listen to it as I type the story. Gets me in the mood.
Books - He'll be a reader. And I hope that you recognize his choice of reading materials. If you have any suggestions onwhat you think he could be reading, give me an idea.
Linking this may be a bit tricky, but I have an idea and hope I can make it work. Those darn plot bunnies!
2005
Teagan sat behind the big window, watching the crowd as it swayed and swirled to the heavy bass of the music. It wasn't that large a crowd. Not yet anyway, being only eleven p.m. Things usually stared getting boisterous the nearer to midnight it got. And stayed heavy until well past closing time at 4 a.m., even though they stopped serving liquor at 2 a.m.
Swinging her feet off the desk, where she had them, she absently she brought her fingers to the temple on left side of her head. She was getting another migraine.
It was a good thing that this was Sunday night. She wouldn't have the time to come here to watch her club for the rest of the week.
No, Ash was bringing in another Hunter that he felt she needed to babysit.
Briefly she wondered what the poor man had done to need her protection from Artemis. She wondered if he had gone rogue.
If he had, there wasn't much that Teagan could do. Her protection could only go so far.
Acheron had said he hadn't. But then, the Atlantean didn't always tell the whole truth.
"Look, Ash, I don't want to babysit another one of your Hunters."
"It isn't really babysitting."
"And just what would you call it?" Her eyes sceptical as she took a drink from the mug she had been holding.
"Protecting."
She looked away from him, not wanting to see the puppy dog eyes he gave when he truly wanted something from her.
"Send him to Sanctuary. I don't have the time." Santuary was a place in New Orleans that catered to everything supernaural. A safe place they could all go without ridicule and fear of death.
"I can't send him there. Artie would destroy it." It wasn't true... But Teagan didn't have to know that.
"She's that mad?" Ash nodded his head, a smile playing on his lips. He was getting her. "So you send him to me? So she can come knocking on my door?"
"Well, she won't come personally. She'll send one of her goons."
"Great." Teagan muttered. "Just what I've wanted to do all week, dodge her wrath." She set her mug of Mountain Dew down. "Do you know who she'll send?"
"I have an inkling." He ducked his head. "But with the two of you, we'll finally destroy him."
"What was that you just said? I didn't quite hear you?"
Acheron gave her a toothy grin. "Nothing, my sweet. Nothing at all."
Teagan gave his chair a kick. "Liar."
She paced in front of the window. Her eyes watching the club's workers getting ready for the night ahead. Carrick's small form was behind the club's lengthy bar, restocking the various kinds of beer. Every once in a while her gaze would stray to Joachim, her face taking on a dreamy kind of look.
Putting her back to the window, she let out a short sigh. Carrick andNahuel would be able to carry the bar for the week. They've done it before.
And it wasn't like she wouldn't be around.
For a moment Teagan watched Acheron. The mighty Atlantean was looking tired. His hair was it's normal black. And not with any colored stripe in it this time. Ash generally favored the multicolored look. Oftentimes showing up with bright pink hair. Hair that fell past his generous backside.
Right now, Ash was fiddling with a piece of his hair. Hair that had been braided in one long plait.
Even his eyes looked tired. They were the same swirling silver they always were, but there was something else around them.
"So." Teagan started. "What'd he do?"
"What did who do?"
"Don't fart with me. Your Hunter. What did he do? Did he go rogue?" She prayed that he didn't. To have a Hunter go insane was awful. They did unmentionable damage. Killing, maiming. Most were destroyed by Acheron himself. Or Artemis sent her goonies after them.
Teagan had once seen a rogue Dark Hunter who destroyed an entire village of innocent people. Women and children alike. He had become like the Daimons he had been sworn to protect those people against. The slaughter had been unforgettable.
When a Dark Hunter was killed, he became a shade. A soulless being forever trapped on this earth. Unable to do a thing about it. No powers, no voice, no nothing.
Ash shook his head, lighting a cigarette. "No. He hasn't gone rogue. Not yet."
Teagan stepped to him, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth, gaining a pitiful glare as she did.
She chuckled at him. "I'd like to say that these things will kill you." Dropping the offending thing into the sink by the wall, she sat again in her leather chair. "Again I ask. What did he do?"
Acheron didn't answer, getting up himself, pacing as he did. His thick leather boots barely making a thud as he walked on the carpeted floor.
"We suspect that he's drinking."
Teagan steepled her fingers, resting her chin. "So, he's snacking on human's. Got any proof?"
Ash faced Teagan and she could swear that she saw a look of fear on his face. No, not fear,Acheron didn't feel any fear of anything. It was more like a dread, or a sadness.
"No. No proof."
"Then that bitch can't do anything." Teagan hated Artemis. Hated the way she treated Acheron. Hated the way she treated the Dark Hunter. Those men and women who swore their undead lives t her, protecting the humans against Daimons, or Vampires as they were likely to be called.
And Artemis didn't like Teagan much, so the feeling was mutual. She hadn't created Teagan when she died. She didn't have Teagan's soul.
No, that had been Acheron. It had been Acheron who had sensed in Teagan the Atlantean blood that she carried. Blood she hadn't even been aware that she had in her. It had been Acheron who had brought her back. Acheron who held her soul.
But, Teagan hadn't been able to remember how she died. And Acheron wasn't telling. Saying that she would find out in due time.
Which was fine. From what sheHAD gotten from Ash, it had been quite violent. So it stayed buried in the back of her mind.
No, Artemis hated Teagan because Teagan was more like Acheron than she cared to admit.
He perched himself on the edge of her desk, his booted foot tracing Teagan's leg. "She doesn't care this time. She sending several of her goons. I need to get him out quick."
It dawned on Teagan what Acheron was asking of her. "She doesn't know he's coming to me. Does she?"
Ash shook his head. "You're the only one who can help him. She can't reach him if he's with you." Artemis couldn't touch Teagan. She had no control over the tiny red head that now sat watching him, her blue eyes forever questioning.
"There's more than your saying isn't there?"
Acheron's silence was the only answer she needed.
Teagan rubbed her temples again, getting up from the chair. There was always more to what Acheron said.
Acheron and his not so rogue Dark Hunter were due to arrive at her club sometime tomorrow night. Shortly before dawn.
Something she was so not looking forward to.
A/N: I am truly lost as to what to do with 'Out of Darkness Comes the Light.' I ran out of ideas for that one. All the loose ends I left with that one will fit in with this. I hope anyway. Now, there will be some back and forth between the time periods. I will label them as I can. Keep in mind though, that the FLASHBACK chapters will not be in any particular order. Think of this as one big puzzle. I leave it up to you to have fun and figure it out.
For more information on Acheron and his Dark Hunters, please visit Sherrilyn Kenyon's site. I simply cannot do that woman justice. I will describe Ash and his Hunters as best as I can as I go.