Disclaimer: Lost Girl belongs to Showcase or SYFY and I am only playing in their universe.
A/N: Thanks to everyone for stopping by to check on the story.
There is some stronger language and I mention sexual violence – no I did not go there – no worries.
Bo marched past the two women with a few mumbled words and then disappeared into the bedroom to be with Lauren. Everything had just happened so fast. Bo had attacked the visitor at the door. There had been no chance for the stranger to give an explanation. She just unleashed her powers on him and quite simply the man would have been dead if the succubus has not lost focus for a moment. Lila was fuming and went to follow Bo into the bedroom but it was Kenzi's turn to step in as in the role of protector. "Lauren is safe. Bo would never hurt her." Kenzi said as she blocked the other woman's path. The cupid was not happy with the interference but the sincerity in the girl's voice made her stop. That and General, who had followed Bo over to the bedroom door and waited until she pulled it shut, chose to settled down directly in front of the opening. Stepping over the animal would be a chore.
"She was completely out of control. You saw it too." said Lila with a snap. "I give it to her that the fae was a threat, but she would have killed him without a thought. She could be a danger to us and to Lauren."
"Look, we could have put up a fight against that thing but Bo had him gone in seconds." Kenzi had to smile, her best friend truly could be a major bad ass. "We are safe thanks for her." There was a furious pride to Kenzi's response. "If she was on a murderous rampage she could have really brought it and pulled chi from all of us at the same time." Cringing as she saw the look of disbelief on Lila's face, Kenzi opened her mouth to say something to ease the woman's mind and let her know that Bo would never do that. Well, she wouldn't do that without a damn good reason. The older woman put up a hand stopping any words and moved to the couch to take a seat.
Deciding that the Lila needed a bit of time to think about what had just gone down, Kenzi moved to the kitchen. Without asking if the other woman was interested she started rummaging around for something to eat for the two of them. She found what she was looking for. The cookies were pushed to the back of a cabinet. One of the disadvantages of being a doctor is knowing the health ramifications of everything you ate. Lauren would hide her stash of sweets to avoid temptation, but Kenzi had learned to root out the good stuff early on. Hearing the rustle of the bag, Lila said, "Tea is in the cabinet by the stove." Kenzi winced as tea wasn't really her thing but she started the water anyway. After thirty minutes and a cup, or two in Lila's case, of the calming beverage, the last of the frosted animal shapes had been consumed allowing enough time to ease the nerves of the women and allow their conversation to continue.
With a look at the bedroom door Lila said, "How long was Bo fed on by the master vampire?" Kenzi's head snapped up from her empty tea cup. The cupid stared at the girl seeing that she was thrown totally off guard by the question. With a softer voice Lila said, "Look I saw the scars on her neck and wrists when we were helping Cappy get Lauren into her own room. They were not normal swarm bites. I have seen vampire attacks before." The cupid turned away as not to show the pain that always crossed her face when she tapped those specific memories. She cleared her throat and continued, "The damage done to one as powerful as Bo and the fact that she did not find a way to heal before she scarred tells me she was a captive. Tell me how long she was held by the master. A week...two weeks, how long?"
Kenzi swallowed hard then said, "Three months." Lila's eyes went wide and she let out a cry of dismay as she stood and ran to Lauren's bedroom with every intent on getting her friend away from the crazed succubus. Kenzi was on her heels and had Lila before she was close to the door. The cupid spun to fight back but Kenzi had her knife out and at the ready. She would never had done anything to the woman but she had to make an impression to stop the fae from doing something stupid. With a hissing whisper Kenzi said, "Lila you need to settle down and think about this. You throw that door open and make any aggressive moves, Bo will end you. She is recovering from her abduction but it has been slow going okay. I thought she had better control but I was wrong. I'm still not sorry she is here, Lauren would be dead without her."
The tipsy lonely girl Lila had encountered at the bar was gone and she was looking into the eyes of someone almost as dangerous as herself. Seeing Lila's shoulders drop a bit, Kenzi added, "We good, because I don't want to hold this knife on you anymore but I sure as hell don't want you to do something you will regret either." Stepping back Kenzi slid the sharp weapon back into place. "If Gunner or the others had seen me do that I would be the one hurting. Come on now." Holding a hand out she waited till Lila took it and then led her back to the couch.
Kenzi pulled up a chair and sat across from the fae woman. She thought of how to begin, "We all, Lauren, Bo and myself included, have been through a lot. Bo was taken by a master vampire, called the Wanderer, and tortured for three months. He ripped her to shreds every day. She won't talk about it for more than a sentence here and there but it had to have been bad." Kenzi started to shake as she recalled the scarring and open wounds on her friend when she had found her.
Clearing her throat Kenzi continued, "I was held under the same vampire's thrall." The look of sympathy in Lila's eyes made Kenzi pull away. She stood and started to pace. "Last night when I told you my fiancé had recently died well he was more like a lover and was part of this whole mess. The master vamp used his thrall to make us believe we were madly in love and then killed him when he wouldn't give me over to help torture Bo."
The look of disgust and then pain on the cupid's face was shocking. Kenzi was surprised at the strong show of emotion from the cupid but continued anyway. "When we finally realized Bo had been taken captive and hunted the vamp down, she was on her last leg. Bo had not given in to the Wanderer and was fighting back but it was pretty bad…"
Lila interrupted, "What do you mean fighting back? A master vampire is a very powerful creature, but would never face prey as powerful as Bo one on one."
Kenzi let out a bitter laugh, "Hell no he didn't face her one on one, the bastard had her chained to the god damned wall." Tears were now falling from the girl. "That is one of the many reasons I killed the son of a bitch." The words ground out has harsh and ragged as the look that crossed Kenzi's face.
Lila stiffened, "You killed a master vampire. You are just a human." Kenzi's head snapped up and Lila stammered, "No offense, Gunner is also mostly human. My daughter fell in love and married a human. I hold no prejudice." Kenzi nodded curtly.
"That's right, just the little human that didn't have to follow the stupid agreement between the fae and the vampires. The food fought back and won big time." Kenzi smiled viciously then added as an afterthought, "Bo was raised as a human too you know and she…."
"What!" the cupid was again on her feet. "What do you mean she was raised human? Where was her mother… father… any family for that matter?"
Kenzi shrugged her shoulders as she looked up, "Her mother is an insane murderous bitch and well we aren't really sure who the baby daddy is."
Lila sat down hard, "How did you…how did she…" the cupid took a deep breath and then said, "I don't think I want to know about Lauren's history after this, do I?" Shaking her head she said, "How did Bo survive her time with the master vampire? Why didn't he kill her right away?"
Kenzi frowned, "It has to do with her being the granddaughter of the Blood king, but we call him Trick." Kenzi let the words fade as Lila visibly paled. "Lila, I said that before…"
"You said she was the granddaughter of Trick. The Blood King is called Trick now?" The cupid muttered something about how that was a much better title. Kenzi was going to comment but Lila said, "Sorry so much has happened I didn't think to ask more about who this Trick was." Lila steadied herself. "Did Bo have the power to call the blood the vampire drank?" she asked.
"I really don't know." said Kenzi softly.
"I tried," came a soft voice. The women turned to see Bo standing at the entryway to the living room area. She had stepped out of the bedroom to get a glass of water and found herself listening in on the tense conversation. Bo continued, "I managed to control enough of it to hurt him after he would feed. Trick thinks that is why I have control problems now. I picked up the Wanderer's feeding talents so to speak. He attacked with no remorse, and now I do the same thing. You both are right to be afraid, if I don't maintain my focus and control myself, I am a danger to everyone." A glassy look started to cover Bo's eyes and both Lila and Kenzi were up and pulling the succubus into a massive bear hug. The look on her face was heartbreaking and they both would have done anything to reassure the broken girl.
Bo could not breathe for a moment as she was surrounded by such strong emotion. She had spent her time since her captivity virtually alone. Trick, Dyson and Tamsin did what they could. They would comfort her in their own way, but hugging was not a technique they used. The warmth of this hug was almost too much to handle. Lila felt Bo fighting her feelings and pulled back gently. The cupid in the older woman gave a subtle push of power. Kenzi and Bo felt a warmth as Lila manipulated the feelings they were expressing into energy that was absorbed by their bodies. Bo stiffened but Kenzi held tight, "Bo she is just trying to help you relax. She's one of the good guys." Lila stepped away and walked to the living area. Taking Bo's hand, Kenzi led her to a chair.
After a long moment of silence, Lila was trying to figure out where to begin. Finally the cupid said, "The Blood King is wrong." After a moment she added in a mutter, "As usual." Switching her tone back to the strong and defiant sound of the first statement, she continued, "Your issues with control are the after effects of vampire toxin. It was injected into your body each time you were bitten." The older woman fought to keep her anger in check. "During the vampire wars, most that suffered multiple bites died quickly due to its effects on blood flow. The blood is thinned in the areas of the bites so it does not flow normally. The heart is forced into strange rhythms as the blood motion around the body is altered. Right now your body is fighting to repair itself and overcome the remaining toxins. It would be very bad for you to suffer a serious injury now so your succubus nature is in overdrive to take out any potential threats." Bo and Kenzi just stared at Lila. She added quickly, "Cappy will be able to tell you more when he returns."
It was a shock to have the question of her control issues answered so completely after all this time. It was awhile before Bo could say anything, "Okay I'm going to come back to the 'Trick is wrong as usual' comment in a bit, but it has been sometime since I have been attacked. Why am I still feeling the effects of the bites? The toxins have to have run their course by now."
Lila stood and then grabbed Bo making her stand. The older woman said quietly, "You were held captive for three months I understand." Bo did not miss the slight tremor in the cupid's voice. "Think how many times you were attacked in that span Bo." The succubus froze and a pained look crossed her face before she could marshal it. Lila sighed, "I am sorry. I don't mean to be callous. I saw the scarring on your neck and wrists." Bo pulled back and unconsciously tugged at her clothing as if she could hide what the cupid was talking about. Lila narrowed her eyes as Bo reached down and pulled at the bottom of her shirt.
"There are more than those feeding areas aren't there?" As the succubus made a twitching motion, Lila reached out and touched her arm. She was going to push energy to Bo but thought better of it. The succubus was upset and Lila didn't want to make herself seem like a threat. "My apologies for going too far, but when you are ready Bo I need to see all the damage. Then I can tell you why you are feeling the toxins still. Maybe even let you know how long the effects will go on." Lila said as she stepped back to give Bo some space.
Kenzi was starting to protest that her friend wasn't ready to share about her captivity but Bo reached down quickly and yanked her shirt over her head. Lila had thought she knew what was coming and Kenzi had seen it before briefly. But both women were taken back by the scarring that was everywhere. Lila closed her eyes and then reopened them to ask Bo to turn around and found the girl's back equally as brutalized. "Your legs and lower body?" the cupid asked with a strained voice showing her attempt to mask her emotions.
The stony tone of Bo's voice was hard on the women's ears. "About the same but he did not rape me or spend too much time past mid-thigh." She forced an icy laugh, "He said he was too afraid my succubus nature might enjoy his attentions on that area of my body. He told me his last feed would be spent bleeding me out as he took me chained up against the wall." Her voice cracked a little towards the end but she held it together. Kenzi grabbed for her knife even though the source of the threat was long dead. If she had known that vile piece of information she would have chopped the Wanderer up in to smaller pieces before she allowed him to die.
Bo pulled herself out of her memories. She draped her shirt over her shoulder and said, "So what's the time frame cupid? Am I about over this shit or what?"
Lila said carefully, "You will need to feed on a regular basis and be around those of us who share…" the older woman put up a hand, "I know you don't have any idea of what I am talking about. I will teach you. Anyway you should be recovered in a few more months." The woman turned away quickly. Bo grabbed her and pulled her back.
"Don't hide the truth from me Lila, your aura is a dead giveaway, it's fluttering like mad. Give it to me straight." Bo said.
Clearing her throat Lila looked straight into Bo's eyes, "The truth is I don't have any idea of how you are still alive Bo. The amount of suffering you have endured is…." Lila was cut off by a sob. Everyone in the living room cranked around.
Lauren was leaning against the wall; tears were streaming down her face. No louder than a whisper she said, "I heard you all talking. I heard you Bo." Lauren started to sag, "I thought it was a dream..." The succubus was at her side in an instant. "Bo," Lauren touched the scarring on Bo's neck and shoulder. "Baby what happened to you?" There was a soft cry and then Lauren went limp in her arms. Lifting the doctor gently, Bo took her back to the bedroom and lay her down as carefully as possible. Lila and Kenzi were right behind the two. Bo did not hesitate to get into bed this time. She pulled the doctor close. Bo could feel Lauren's strong heart beat and knew that the physical exertion mixed with the drugs and healing spells had been too much for the doctor but she would recover soon.
"We're okay," said Bo with sadness in her voice. "We will both be okay." Kenzi and Lila wanted to do more but now was not the time. Bo had let them know that Lauren was fine and that was all they were getting.
Kenzi placed a hand on Lila's arm, but before she left the room Lila turned and said, "Bo." The succubus looked up. "You will recover and with our help, faster than you think." She turned and left the room. Kenzi was torn but followed the cupid out the door. Bo smiled this time as Lila's aura had remained strong. The fae had meant every word she said.
As Keniz pulled the door shut, the sound of the garage door of the workshop rumbled through the apartment. Lila and Kenzi looked at each other knowing there was so much more for them to tell one another, but it would have to wait for another time. Heavy footsteps and then Cook and the Colonel knocked and entered the apartment. "How's the patient?" asked the Colonel. The man narrowed his eyes as he took in the concerned faces of the two women.
"She is improving," said Lila quickly. "There is just a little more to the history of all this that is making it difficult to sort out." She reached for her husband and he took her and pulled her close. Cook looked a Kenzi and said, "Sorry not much of a hugger," that made both of them laugh, "I will share a drink with you if you want." Lila started to say something but Cook held up a big hand to let her know he was just kidding but shot a quick look at Kenzi to say he really was game if she was.
The Colonel pulled everyone's attention when he said, "We stopped at the wreck site. The van is off to the side of the road but will need to be recovered. I charmed the doors so only we can enter but we need to get it back here as soon as we can. We don't want any more civies out there than necessary." Kenzi took in a fast breath. Her van and the weapons it held were important and she cursed herself for not thinking of it sooner. Seeing the look on the young girl's face the Colonel said, "Gunner can take you when he and Cappy return." Looking at all of them he said, "There were tracks all over the place. Lauren and Roger must have taken out at least five vampires but there were tracks of others. The flesh eater's tracks were there too."
Kenzi's eyes went wide. "Flesh eater?" she said with a strangled voice.
Cook growled, "That bastard has been around here as long as we have. We have tried to hunt him for years and years with no luck. The beastie shows up at battle scenes and eats the meat off the dead. We thought he was down south but looks like he made it back up here just in time for all the fun. Maybe he was following the vamps?"
Kenzi shook her head, "No, not the bunch I was chasing anyway. They never stopped for more than a night. I have kept their feeds down to only two since I have been on their tail." Her demeanor had changed in a heartbeat. "They were incomplete feeds and their prey in each case survived. There were no bodies for a flesh eater to eat." Kenzi winced then said, "Colonel I need to get to my van. There are weapons in there that can help us. But I have to ask, what makes you think the vampires are still here? I have chased tons of these guys and they just move around until they find a master to take them in or they are killed."
"It's because this is the vampire homeland," said a sarcastic voice from doorway of the apartment. Gunner was leaning with his back to the left side of the frame. Cappy poked his head around and then pushed his way by but didn't say anything. The big mustached man gave Kenzi a once over and then rolled his eyes as the girl was totally ignoring his medical advice. He walked over and knocked on the bedroom door, He waited for General to sit up and then entered to see if his other patient was doing better.
Lila said, "Gunner my boy would you please take Kenzi and help retrieve her van. I think she needs to know something of the history of this place. With your permission Kenzi I would like to share some of the things you have told me with the others." Kenzi flashed a look of concern at Lila. "I promise no harm will come to Bo." General who had given up his post at the bedroom door stretched then walked over and stood by Kenzi as if sensing she was going to be leaving.
"Bo's part of the crew now." barked Cook. "We are family. We will look after her. Promise." He tossed keys at Gunner, "Take my truck and the trailer. You will need the bigger winch to move that tank. Kenzi needs to hear the whole story and General needs an outing, besides you two could use some alone time." The Stoneling wiggled his eyebrows and huffed a laugh at the looks on the youngsters' faces. "I'm picking out a cabin. Do I get first choice or is there going to be a fight?" Cappy, who had just exited the bedroom, called cabin three and the yelling began. Gunner tossed his head to the side to motion Kenzi towards the garage.
General jumped in the back of the truck and settled down. Gunner took the wheel and the couple moved down the road. It was not all that unlike the first time they traveled together only this time it was Kenzi in charge of the small talk. She finally gave up with the niceties, "Look, I'm sorry you got sent out to retrieve my van. The others seem to use you as the…."
"The others will always treat me like the kid Kenzi. It is okay. They are my grandparents, Cappy is my godfather and Cook. Well Cook is just Cook, like the rude uncle you love one day and want to smash in the face the next. It has been going on for five hundred years. I have accepted it and moved on." He was watching the road. "My parents were killed at the very end of the last Vampire Fae War. Trying to figure out how to tell you about all of this is difficult."
After a moment of quiet Kenzi said, "Sorry, I have just been in your place before and kinda pasted some of my feeling onto your situation." Taking a long breath she said, "Would it help for me to tell you what happened while you and Cappy were gone?" Gunner's head snapped around. "It's okay Bo took care of it for now but…" The truck made the corner and there was the van on its side off to the edge of the road. Kenzi lost her focus and started to growl out a set of Russian curse words as she undid her seat belt. Gunner put a hand out just encase she decided to jump from the truck.
"Hey, you okay?" She did not look at him but Gunner saw the anger in her eyes. "Look, take these flares," he paused and handed her what looked like dynamite. She jumped and he smiled, "Just pull the top and then drag them fast along the pavement to light them up. Drop them at the start of the curve. We don't want any one flying around there and hitting us as we load the van." The truck came to a stop and Kenzi jumped out. As she set out the old school warning devices Gunner pulled the truck ahead.
When Kenzi caught up to Gunner, he had a big jack set up on one side of the van and the winch attacked to the baggage rack on the roof on the other side. With a few quick instructions, Kenzi was manning the winch as Gunner slowly racketed up the van. General was running around the dirt areas near the rocky spot where Lauren had fought off the vampires. It was as if the big dog was searching for clues.
Hearing the telltale click of the jack stop, Kenzi watched as Gunner considered the van and then had her pull up the winch a small amount. He adjusted the jack and pumped up the metal prop another couple of ratchets. "Okay hit the winch and then run." He yelled. Kenzi did as she was told and the van groaned then slammed back on it's wheels with a crash. Not needing to be told Kenzi ran back and turned off the winch. After that it only took minutes to get the van loaded on the trailer. Gunner was smiling at the ease of the recovery. His gremlin background for tinkering had once again served him well.
Instead of heading directly back to the Fort, Gunner moved the big vehicle and trailer farther out of town. He hit the highway and turned south towards Red Valley. Kenzi shot him a look. He let out a small laugh, "No ma'am I am never going to try to buy you lunch again." She smiled and turned to look out the window. After about ten minutes Gunner took an off-ramp. The road angled up, the grade was steep. After a steady climb Kenzi noticed a 'Point of Interest' arrow and was not surprised that a short time later there was a small pull off that lead to a parking lot near a small stone obelisk with a tarnished bronze plaque bolted to the front. Pulling up and then stopping the big truck, the twosome found themselves looking over a beautiful view of a vast valley. On one end of the geologic feature the community of Red Valley was just visible, on the other end the mountains seems to provide an ending point. The Fort and the surrounding rural area called Happy Meadows were at the base of the foothills that would lead into the higher elevations. The floor of the valley was peppered with various features including deep gorges and smaller rolling hills.
Hopping out of the truck, Kenzi walked to the stone pillar and read the metal writing, "Red Valley Tragedy – Teams of archeologists and climatologists have determined that in the mid 1500's this area was struck by a line of killer storms which destroyed the primitive peoples that had made their homes in the valley. To explain the unusual severity of the storms, primitive oral legends claim that the tribes that had settled in this region were attacked by airborne demons. According to ancient lore the blood of those injured washed the floor of the valley red in color. Thanks to scientific research we know that the reddish hue of the soil and rocks of the region is due to high levels of a mineral called crocoite. This is the largest deposit of this mineral, a type of lead chromate, in the country. The valley was repopulated several times by various nomadic tribes and was finally settled in the 1900's as the town of Red Valley was established and thrives today."
Gunner walked to the edge and kicked a rock over the side. "The storms and the archeologists and climatologists are the cover story and the airborne demons are the vampires. Some of the story is true. There were tribes that lived in the region. They were peaceful people on the run from more hostile groups. The desert was so harsh the settlers were generally left alone as the others broke off their pursuit to return to lusher environments. The ingenuity of the tribes set them up with a nice life. They mastered a system of natural springs and run off pools, moved to the higher elevations in the summer, returning to the valley floor to enjoy mild winters. With no one around the people thrived. But as always someone had to have more and scouts were sent out with the idea of establishing trade. "
"Hello fae and vampires." said Kenzi as she stood by Gunner's side. He smiled at her then turned and walked back to the truck to lean against the side. She followed and took the same position. General popped his head up from the truck bed and checked on his humans then lay back down finding nothing interesting was going on. "So tell me more," said Kenzi knowing this was not going to end well.
"Most fae are from the old world. Space for new realms was rather limited so it was only logical that they would want to settle in new lands. There was a rush to establish strongholds in what was called the new world. The east coast was overrun by humans so it was the west where the fae looked for land. Making deals with native fae and various supernatural beings there was little trouble at first, but as more and more land was claimed by the fae conflicts happened. There were other species looking to claim areas of land as their own."
"Like vampires," growled Kenzi.
Gunner nodded, "The newly formed fae council was not about to let that happen so battles, even minor wars for waged. The fae guard or military was sent out to the far regions to setup posts in the fae claimed areas. The Colonel and his unit were sent to the desert after spending time fighting up north. The northern fight was a bloody battle where a powerful vampire master had invaded a remote island area and the Colonel's unit had defended the fae by killing the master and destroying his swarm. It was a brutal battle and the trip out west was looked at as something of a break from all the heavy fighting the crew had been through.
When the Colonel arrived in this area, instead of finding native fae he found humans. He didn't destroy the tribes as was the unwritten rule of campaigns like his, the Colonel and his men instead chose to form strong alliances with the peaceful tribes. This area became stable and was very prosperous for some time."
"Too stable and prosperous," said Kenzi.
"Yep. The post thrived and started to establish a colony. Wives and loved ones were brought out to Happy Meadows to put down roots and begin building a life. Lila and some of the other wives arrived with children in tow. With such news several council members visited in hopes of lending their leadership to the fae of the region. Instead of seeing what was being built and all the area could offer. They saw harsh dry climate, unusable land so different from their homelands it must be worthless. The tribes were viewed as barbarians. The relationships forming between the fae and humans were disturbing to them to say the least. The council members decided this place and its measly inhabitants would be best used as a bargaining chip. They called for the Colonel to pull out and leave the humans behind."
"He said no." Kenzi whispered knowing how bad it could be to go against the council.
"He said no. The tough ol' gremlin told the council that the humans of the area were part of the fae community now. Many, including his own daughter, had married members of the tribes and were establishing futures in the area. Wasn't this exactly what the fae wanted, growing and thriving communities?" Gunner smiled unable to hide his admiration for his grandfather. "The council just ignored his defiance for a while. There were other problems as the urban fae were tearing each other apart infighting between dark and light clans." Kenzi swallowed hard as she thought of Trick and his possible role in this.
"So some twenty-five years later, a message arrives that the light and dark fae had come to an accord. In light of this new age of diplomacy the council had continued to make agreements to end large scale conflicts which involved the fae. It was time to promote a more enlightened age. A deal was made with the vampire council to give them this whole area as part of a treaty." said Gunner.
"Let me guess, the whole area meant the humans too." growled Kenzi. Gunner nodded that she was correct.
"This time grandfather put his response in a more direct form. He beat the council member that delivered the message to within an inch of his life for threatening his family. The council reacted and branded the Colonel a criminal and anyone who stayed in the area as enemy of the fae. They told the vampire that there would be no recourse for any attack on the humans and fae of the valley. In return for the appropriate signatures on the accords, we and the others that lived here were offered as spoils of war."
After a pause Gunner said, "No one left the Colonel's side, even when he offered them free passage. The vampire came with a vengeance. Their highest master led the charge and the battle raged for nights on end. The crew tried to protect them but the humans took the largest hits early on. Once they learned how to fight the vampire, with fire and iron, they made themselves less of a target. The problem was the sheer number of vampire. My mother was the one that turned the tide. She went hunting during the day. Ignoring my father, her mother and father, everyone pretty much, she set out alone and found a day hiding spot of a swarm of vampire. She had no way of knowing that she had stumbled upon the high master. He underestimated her." He smiled sadly, "She had a way with weapons. Anyway she killed him just as night fell."
Gunner swallowed hard. "The swarms went mad with the loss of their leader. It was chaos as they wildly fought each other and us at the same time. Master vampires were going after each other to gain power over more swarm members. One master started thralling humans to his will. My father got trapped in his spell. When my mother went to him he killed her, she never even knew what hit her." Kenzi let out a gasp and fought to control her response. Gunner was looking down and didn't seem to hear her.
"Father was killed by a fae soldier who thought he had gone traitor. The Colonel and the remaining crew held on as daybreak came. The vampire fled the light and the next night as the small band of my grandfather's men that were left waited for the next attack it never came. It didn't come the next night and so on for years."
Standing up straight, Gunner looked right at Kenzi, "Ten years after the war, members of the fae council show up. The Colonel had us all in tight glamors and they could not detect us as we hid. They used their powers to unearth weapons and our fae-touched belongings taking them as prizes as the removed any evidence of our existence. They congratulated each other on ending the vampire threat and defeating a mutinous traitor. They arranged to award the weapons of the battles to the council members who had created the accords. That was the last time any council member has been back."
Holding out his hands, Gunner said, "I was twenty-five by that time, a mere babe in the eyes of the crew, and they took me in knowing that my half fae status might be dangerous for me. I have been with them ever since, living amongst fae and alive for five hundred or so years."
Kenzi could not speak, she was trying to hide the tears in her eyes. Gunner said quickly thinking he had scared her, "Hey don't worry, like now there have been vampire that tried to return and claim a right to the region. They always wave some old copy of the fae accords at us, spouting off on how this is their homeland or what not. But see we are no longer part of the fae nation. For the people who gave the blood that truly ran this valley red, we hold this land for them. I dare even the strongest of masters to try to take it from us." Gunner turned away and opened the door to the truck and gave Kenzi a quick nod as he jumped in. Turning to walk around to her side, Kenzi's shuttered as her blood ran cold. Maybe it was her superstitious nature or just the fact that she had a general pessimistic outlook after all she had been through but Gunner had been careless with his words. He had just tempted fate.