Hayll

Lucivar cursed. He should have come here first. It didn't make any sense but he could feel Daemon here. He could …taking a deep breath he closed his golden eyes and felt everything around him and shuttered. Oh Sadi was here in this damned forsaken city… he was here and so deeply cold he could fell it on the Ebon gray winds. His golden eyes flashed open.

This was not good not one damn bit. He only wished he knew what it meant. With Sadist putting off this much his temper that it could be felt on the physic pathways there should be blood running free in the street, there should be people fleeing in terror. So where was the fear? Why was there no buildings burning under raging flames of witch fire?

Only one way to find out, he just hoped that those with him were ready t dance with the Sadist. And he prayed with all his heart that his friend would walk among the living when this was done. The nagging feeling his gut told him that was probably not going to be the case.

Kathrin stood outside her cottage and cursed. She could hear the poor babe screaming out here and nearly half way down the block. Why hadn't her blasted sister done something to sooth the child? Hadn't the poor dear been through enough without suffering more?

Damn her.

Cursing she picked up the pace to a near run. Nurice was following and matching her speed but that didn't mean that she wanted to turn to a flat out run either. Not when there were men on the street. Predators. Not when it would only end with a fight for her life and their instincts to kill being primed. No she would not run but she would quicken her steps till she was in her front door and then she could run.

The house was filthy. Cups, plates silverware were everywhere except the damn kitchen. She was gone four days. Four! And her damn sister what did she do host a party? For whom? She would deal with her later. Yes she would but the child…

She rolled her eyes. Nurice was already heading up the stairs. Well a black widow was no hearth witch but she would know how to sooth the child… she hoped… Kathrin sighed. Might as well go check on the Prince and see if he at least was being treated with some measure of kindness…

Her hand reached out to open the door that would lead her to the cellar. As she did the sound of thunder rolled through the house. It hadn't come from the inside but was coming from the direction of the front door.

…Odd.

He let his anger drive him. Let the red haze cover his eyes till only destruction was left in his wake. No one was stopping him, not even trying. Even if they had he wouldn't have. Not this time. He could smell the blood here. He hated this city for centuries and it would be gone when he was through. Oh yes it would.

"Prince Yaslana, attend."

Not his queens command but a queen none the less. A queen that was a friend and coven. A queen he had known for these past thirteen years. It was enough to snap the leash, or at least enough for him to step back and hear what she wanted before he turned this blasted place into the hell that he knew. A living hell that would suffice till those here joined the High Lord in his realm.

His lips twitched into the barest of smiles. Too calmly he spoke, "Lady."

Karla rolled her glacier blue eye. Dealing with the males of the family was so much fun. More so when they were pissed off and she hadn't done anything to pull the ground out from under them … yet. "Lady Vae thinks she hears the child."

Lucivar hissed out a slur of curse words before growling , "Vae thinks? She thinks! She better well –"

Karla took a stance that was closer to one she could use to fight with. A stance that warned if he did shut up she would make him. Too calmly she mildly scolded, "How can she know if it's Lia with all the damn stones falling around us?"

The blend of tartness and logic made him yield. The fact that no one was telling him that he was acting like an idiot made matters worse. He had said that they would do this quietly. Had promised not to do more then what had to be done. When had that changed? Well he knew when it changed and he remembered that he had then said that he would make a calling beacon that would make the Sadist proud. Of course if Vae had found the child…

"Where Vae?"

It was a small two story cottage with a small flagstone path leading to the door. Cold burning rage laid beneath his feet. A child happy squeals came from inside. The cottage looked warm and inviting. Lacy curtain hung loosely over the windows. Flowers spouted up in an array of colors circling the house. Daemon's dark scent saturated the air.

He could have knocked lightly. He could have passed through the damn door and killed everything inside. Part of him wanted to do just that. The queen who stood behind him wanted answers. And for answers someone would have to be among the living, and that someone would have to remain among the living till his Queen said otherwise. Still it didn't mean that he couldn't use temper to get into the damn house and it didn't mean that he had to leave the house standing when he left either.

He was already heavily shielded. Already primed for a fight. Already had the thunder rolling off him in warning. His hand balled into a tight fist and came down hard on the wooden door.

BOOM!

The first knock. No amount of jeweled strength was behind that one. It was a warning.

BOOM! BOOM!

The door flung open nearly surprising him, nearly allowing his fist to dive right into the lady in front of him.

She was in her prime. Hayllian bronze skin and golden eyes. A white jewel hung from her neck. Fire danced in her eyes. Her scent…hearth witch and beyond riled up.

She met his gaze and let out a slew of curses that he was not about to translate. Still he found it interesting. He found her saying, "Be for you kill the whoring bitch I want the chance to gut the lying whore."Even more interesting.

Giving his best arrogant smile and speaking as calmly and neutrally as he could he asked, "And who do you think I'm here to see?"

The Lady's golden eyes narrowed at him, and she turned her back to him as she walked away speaking. "You're here for Prince Sadi. And by time you leave I doubt my blasted sister will be among the living."

She was allowing him into her house unchallenged. She had turned her back on him knowing he was enraged. And she knew who he was here for and why. If she was coven he would dunk her in some cold water till he got all the answers he wanted

But she wasn't coven and he couldn't and her lack of fear was infuriating him.

"You should never turn your back on a Warlord Prince." Lucivar muttered as he followed her.

"If you wanted me dead I would be by now. Since I'm not I took the chance."

Karla hid a grin. Oh she liked this one. She might lack the discipline of court service or had been trained wrong but she still like this one.

Movement from the stairs caught both their attentions. She was tall and sinewy her jet black hair hung loose around her shoulders and hung curtaining the child resting in her arms. Her right hand was placed near the child's throat not harming, not yet one wrong move. One twitch of jeweled power the child would be killed.

Lucivar's breathing hitched. He was being warned not to move tempted to do more than that.

Through clenched teeth he spoke, "Lady."

Nurice narrowed her golden eyes. "I'm not going to kill the little Queen." Her voice echoed there own fears.

Lucivar's jaw dropped. He hadn't said it and was sure that he had his inner barriers closed tightly so how…

"I'm seen that look before Prince. But considering you have a reason to be wary I'll forgive your ignorance… this time."

By now Aaron had came into the house and had seen who and what was holding his cousin. Considering neither of the Scelties nor the cat had made a move to remove the threat he wouldn't do anything either… for the moment anyhow.

Kathrin turned on her heels to once again face the warlord prince that was directly behind her. It was a move that should have left her bleeding. It should have had made him call in his meanest knife or war blade. He had done neither. He was standing there arms crossed and watching her with a great deal of intensity. It should have intimidated her… it didn't.

Looking almost apologetic Kathrin timidly said, "Prince Sadi is down this way."

"And is there something I need to be made aware of before you take me to my brother?"

She took a breath and then vary rapidly said, "His chalice was shaky the last I saw him. But I'm not sure that will be the only problem."

Getting pissed off by lack of fear and her now sounding apologetic, Lucivar gave her an annoyed stare.

"You see the cellar is small. And I don't know many eyriens but those I have met didn't like being …well… where they couldn't stretch their wings."

The way she was now nervously wringing her hands in her skirt told him a thing or two about the eyriens she had come across… and survived. "Most eyriens don't like behind underground yes… however… witchling … my brother is down there and either you will show me the proper way down or I can make my own." It was no idle threat. He didn't say anything that he didn't mean and knowing his brother was so close he was already considering the size of the hole he was going to make and how much jeweled power he would need to create the hole and leave the cottage standing… for now.

She nodded. He was and wasn't what she knew about warlord prince's… and nothing like the eyriens that she knew. The thought should have troubled her more but he was looking for a member of his family and wouldn't any male in the same place do exactly the same thing? She would have to think about this more… later… but right now there was something she needed to do first.