Havermouth, Present Time“Well,” Bianca cleared her throat and pressed her fingers to her eyes. She was crying too, Aislen realized. “Something worked. I think Toby is back to normal.”“Yeah,” Toby agreed softly. “I am.”“What now?” Aislen asked him. “We can’t let you go back to the Van Helsings, you know that don’t you?”“It sort of wasn’t in my plans to go back,” he told her. “I wouldn’t exactly be welcomed with open arms. I set you free, along with all the people that they’d captured and caged, and I shot a few people. I’m pretty sure that Sparrow would have fun cutting small strips out of me and I’m not keen to let that happen. So, yeah, not exactly sure what to do now,” he looked around them. “I guess… I’m changing sides.”Aislen wasn’t entirely sure whether they’d welcome him in, or be able to completely trust him, but as long as he stayed with the witches in the warehouse, she couldn’t imagine what sort of trouble he could get into. “Alright,” she said slowly. “You can stay her
Havermouth, Present TimeThe moment Aislen broke the circle, Talen was on his knees beside them, biting open his wrist and placing it over Bianca’s mouth, the blood smearing over her cheek and the burn upon it.Meguitte, Connery, Harry and Jules ran in from outside, responding to either the screams or the energy of the magic, Aislen did not know.“Put her on one of the benches!” Meguitte ordered with authority and Talen lifted her with one arm whilst keeping his wrist in place. As soon as Bianca was on the bench top, Meguitte tore open her shirt, following the burn trail to the source of the strike over Bianca’s heart. She held her hands over the point and began chanting in a language that spoke to Aislen of antiquity, the tones familiar and yet foreign, the rhythm of its delivery wildly musical, and the power behind it raising the hair on Aislen’s skin.Bianca’s erratic breathing slowed and eased into something like sleep.Talen licked his wound closed. “Her heart has steadied.”He s
Havermouth, Present TimeAislen agreed to remain behind and send Aaron in her place to the witch supply shop. As much as she wanted to go, she was responsible for Bianca’s injury, and owed it to her friend to stay and nurse her, plus, Cameron wanted her to stay, and, as they had prepared to leave, Talen had asked her to keep an eye on Meguitte. She was, however, determined to go to the Megastore when they returned and hoped that having given in to her men about the trip into town, they’d be reasonable about her going to the store.She slid onto one of the bench seats next to the bench top on which they had placed Bianca and took her friend’s hand in hers. Bianca’s mind was warded against her so she could not tell if the thin camp mattress on the table and her injury gave her discomfort or pain in her sleep, but she seemed peaceful and that was a relief, Aislen decided as she released Bianca’s hand.Meguitte brought over a bowl of water in which floated herbs plucked from the baskets a
Concordia, Seven Hundred Years BeforeThaelen leaned his hip on the thick stone of the window, looking out through the warped glass of the window. The tents that had not been burnt or destroyed in the initial invasion had been repurposed by the Greibron army into barracks and the land which had been dedicated to being developed into a symbol of peace was instead, yet again, a battle ground.“I’ll be back soon,” he said to Harithen pushing away from the window and crossing to the door. “Try to get some rest.”“I should come with you,” Harithen protested pushing back the blankets. “My supporters need to see that I am alive.”“Harithen,” Thaelen caught at the doorframe and turned back slowly. He closed the door behind him and crossed to sit on the edge of the mattress. “A well-aimed arrow, or one of those handheld guns… And you are dead. They are already trying to kill you. I will take Alandra’s body to the meeting point and hope to reason with Jermyne. But you need to stay here, where i
Concordia, Seven Hundred Years BeforeHarithen was leaning against the window looking out at Greibron when Thaelen entered the chamber. He wore a robe belted at the waist, his feet bare, and his hair swept over one shoulder. He glanced over his shoulder at Thaelen and smiled, turning to face him. “So, what did that pompous arse Jermyne have to say for himself when he saw that I was alive?”“He denied that it was you,” Thaelen replied closing the door behind him. “You should be in bed resting.”“Denied it was me? The slimy arsehole. I told you that I should have gone with you, he couldn’t deny it face to face with me.”“If it makes you feel better, I told him that if I saw him again, I’d take his head. Now, into bed, Harithen.”“Take his head,” Harithen laughed. “I like that. I might give it to you as a wedding present. And I’m fine,” Harithen tossed his hair back over his shoulder. The robe gaped at the neck revealing that he was bare beneath it. Thaelen inhaled through his nose, desi
Concordia, Seven Hundred Years BeforeHarithen’s head was thrown back, his Adam’s apple exposed, and his golden hair tangled and matted against the pillows. His breath was gasped out, his lips peeled back from his teeth, and his fingers clenched on Thaelen’s shoulders, the heels of his hands pushing him away instinctually.“Thaelen,” he groaned. “Please. It hurts.”Had he been too rough? Thaelen chastised himself. Or just rough enough?“And I’m… Oh, f-k. No. Don’t stop!” Harithen protested when Thaelen eased the suck of his mouth and lifted his face from where he had been drinking from Harithen’s c-ck.Thaelen laughed under his breath. “Make up your mind. Do you want me to stop, or keep going?”“Both,” Harithen laughed wildly. “Neither. I don’t know. It is too much, and yet also, so good…”“Hmm,” Thaelen swiped his tongue over the fragile, sensitive skin, turning his healing of the wound into sensuality, so that Harithen’s groan changed tone.As a prince, Harithen had been raised to b
Concordia, Seven Hundred Years BeforeThaelen watched as Harithen ran the gauntlet in the courtyard. The prince was barefoot, his trousers rolled to mid-calf and his shirt untucked and untied, revealing his chest and stomach as he leapt between the obstacles, dodging with grace the swinging pendulums that sought to knock him off his perch, his loose hair shimmering as he ducked and weaved completing the course to the congratulations of the menfolk around them.Watching the laughter on Harithen’s young face, Thaelen’s eyes met Sigrid’s across the courtyard, and he smothered his wince. Despite Sigrid’s disapproval, he did not regret turning Harithen, he told himself as she continued on her way into the building, disappearing from his sight. It was true that Harithen was very young, but the prince revelled in his vampirism, embraced it gleefully, and enjoyed his strength and speed.He was glorious.Below, in the courtyard, Harithen was being dressed by adoring blood slaves. Thaelen saw D
Concordia, Seven Hundred Years BeforeThaelen woke late in the morning to an empty bed.He knew before he even opened his eyes that Harithen was gone, but he told himself that, perhaps, the other man had woken early, or had been hungry. He was even willing to contemplate that Harithen had left in order to find sex elsewhere. But, deep down, he knew.He had been a fool not to take Harithen back to Concordia as soon as he was turned vampire. He should not have lingered at the tower in the hopes of delaying the conversation between them. Harithen had come to the conclusion that Thaelen was not going to throw Concordia’s forces against Greibron and had gone to raise his own army against his mother and sister and take back Greibron for himself.Thaelen dressed and made his way to the watch tower, not surprised to find Sigrid already there. “When did he leave?” He asked her as he took his place on the balcony looking out over Greibron at her side. Harithen had not been wrong about the weath