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Chapter Twenty Eight: Shadow
Aelnith Eventide
The Witch Queen Carmun had three sons. The Dain, Dub, and Dother. Each one was marked by terrible dark magic. It each one with different, dark gifts. Aelnith stood holding River, in the cover of a copse of trees. Where the Dain had been a hulking, foul monster, Dub was merely a shadow. That didn't mean that Dub was harmless or somehow a safer choice than the Dain, it merely meant his magic and darkness was that much more subtle and insidious.
Dub had no body, no
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River BlackShe couldn't see what Aelnith saw. River couldn't see the creature called 'Dub'. He insisted it was there, a tall, person-shaped skinny shadow lurking by the windows of Inana's cottage. For a moment, she thought she saw -something-, but no. Nothing. Dawn would come soon and Aelnith needed shelter.“I can't leave you here,” he told her. “When the sun rises, Dub will surely be weakened, but I will be...dead. At his weakest, he'd still be able to make short work of you.”Aelnith had taken her in his arms again and though she wanted down, she knew she didn't have the strength. “What about Tamsin? We can't just...leave him there vulnerable,” she said.Aelnith shook his head, moving deeper into the woods. “There's nothing we can do with you weakened and my curse...” He paused. “And neither of us know for sure where Cinder is
House Eventide Chapter Thirty: Dreams and Nightmares
River BlackThis time, she kissed him first. She took what she wanted. It was infinitely simple and complicated all at once. The rules of her old life were gone. She could do whatever she pleased. No one would talk about it in her friend group. Her mother wouldn't scold her. River was free to do whatever she wanted. And right now, she wanted to kiss Aelnith.It helped her ignore that she was starving and exhausted. It helped her forget that she'd never see home, her friends or family ever again. That back home? She was as good as dead and buried. A ghost. A sad memory. A short story on the news. Nothing more. Endless potential interrupted.River bit hard at his bottom lip, making him cry out in surprise and pleasure. It made her feel powerful, in control of an out of control situation. His hands drank in her body, skimming up her torso, filling his palm with her breast, his other hand cuppi
House Eventide Chapter Thirty One: Long Shadows
CinderThey'd returned to the cottage less than a day later. Cinder expected to see River and was surprised when she wasn't there. Surprised...and much to his chagrin, worried. Inana scolded him, blamed him for it. Said he should've stayed with River. He couldn't recall whose idea it was that he go with the witch, but she was probably right. It probably WAS his fault. Most everything was.He shouldn't have cared about some dumb mortal girl. He had stolen away so many for the Dain, he'd taught himself not to feel any way about it at all. Long, long ago, he'd loved mortal girls. Many of them. Frequently. He'd lure them into the woods for secret kisses. Not to get brutalized by Carmun's terrible abomination of a son.Now, he thought about it. Thought about all the poor mortals who had the misfortune of meeting him in the waking, human world. It really soured his victorious mood. Just moments earlier, he'd b
House Eventide Chapter Thirty Two: Any One of Us
CinderHe couldn't rouse River. She'd passed out in his arms shortly after delivering the terrifying news about Dub. He cursed Aelnith Eventide under his breath. He'd taken too much. River was sick. Maybe even dying. Cinder didn't know! He had little long-term experience with humans. They seemed -very- fragile. She needed Inana, but Inana was possibly in more danger than River was.Cinder paced, holding River. He didn't know what to do. Every instinct he had, that had kept him alive for hundreds of years, told him to run. Run and not look back. Leave River there as a distraction. Dub could be lurking in any and every dark corner. Unlike the Dain, Dub was clever and quick. Always plotting. Always scheming. He wouldn't attack outright. No. He'd wait until the perfect moment.Cinder did love surprises, but not -those- kind of surprises. River groaned, snapping his attention back to the present. Right. He couldn't l
House Eventide Chapter Thirty Three: Iron
River BlackEverything seemed hazy and far away, like a dream. She thought, for a blissful moment, that she was back at home, in her bed. Her mom was making pancakes and it was Saturday. She swore she could hear her dad mowing the lawn, her dog barking outside. When River opened her eyes, she saw a low ceiling with heavy, wooden beams. The sights and smells were unfamiliar.She felt so weak she could barely keep her eyes open. River could barely lift her head. She heard voices, familiar ones, but she couldn't focus on them. All at once, it came flooding back, where she was. What had happened. Forgetting, even for a moment, made her mourn all over again.With all her effort, she pulled herself up on her elbow and let her vision focus in the low light of the cottage. Across from her was Cinder, sitting in a chair, his face unusually pale, sweat slicking his face. Inana stood before him, holdi
House Eventide Chapter Thirty Four: The In Between
River Black She didn’t know how to tell Cinder and Inana that as soon as the sun set, Dub would likely use Tamsin’s body and his curse driven transformation to kill them. What she said aloud, he could definitely hear too. And if she pulled them aside, at the very least he would know they were up to something. She had no idea what to do. Sitting atop the cushions and blankets, she worried her bottom lip with her teeth. Cinder, she noted, wasn’t in great shape. He was still pale and sweaty, still poisoned from the iron. She was still sapped and drained of strength. River didn’t think she could even get up and walk across the room, let alone fight off a possessed and cursed Fae prince. Casting a nervous look out the small window, she noted it was nearly sunset. They didn’t have m
House Eventide Chapter Thirty Five: Home
River Black They stood around the table Tamsin lay on. He had color to his face now and his injuries seemed far less severe. When she lightly touched the back of his hand, he stirred, moaning, brow furrowing. “I suppose Dub is gone,” Cinder said, perhaps a little too dramatically. He beamed a broad smile. “And thank goodness, honestly. What a worry that was. Such a load off.” Inana elbowed him and shot him a nasty glare. It would have been funny if they weren’t all about to do something incredibly dangerous. “Now, River? You mustn’t run off again. I know you want and feel you must go to Aelnith, but you have to rest.” River nodded, going along with it. “I...couldn’t help myself. Sorry,” she muttered, trying her best to so
House Eventide Chapter Thirty Six: Dread
River BlackIt all seemed to happen in slow motion. Cinder apparently decided he didn’t trust her to run and took her into his arms. As he turned to move towards the door, River could -hear- the curse take hold of Tamsin. She could hear bone and tendon snap as he howled in pain, more beast than man.As Cinder turned to dash out the door, she caught one last look at Tamsin. White fur replaced skin, his hands were claws and he’d gotten to his feet. None of the kindness she’d seen there before remained. His eyes were wild, his teeth bared. He snarled and then howled. Not in pain this time, no. Like a wolf howled to his pack to gather them.“We’re about to have company,” Cinder said as he broke into a run. “Hold onto me,&rdqu
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- House Eventide Chapter Forty: Goddess of the Moon
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- House Eventide Chapter Thirty Eight: The Offer
- House Eventide Chapter Thirty Seven: Dother
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- House Eventide Chapter Thirty Five: Home
- House Eventide Chapter Thirty Four: The In Between
- House Eventide Chapter Thirty Three: Iron
- House Eventide Chapter Thirty Two: Any One of Us
