by L M Adams
“Peterus and his team sent a report to the Elders; they want an in-person debriefing, and to discuss what to do about the human element. Then there’s the fete your parents are throwing you in celebration of your appointment as Grigori.”
I sigh. I guess I’m going to have to face my enemies soon then. I refuse to let that issue dampen my mood. So, I’m just going to ignore it for now. I’ve always been very good at denial.
“I also sent samples of whatever the enzyme or magic they were using to turn not-wolves. I believe it is what was on the envelope you touched from Mr. Williams’ house.”
“No idea what it is?”
“It’s a biological and magical compound, nothing I’ve ever seen or heard of.”
Always one more thing. “The soldiers?” I ask.
“Back with the CNAE. I’ve got each of their addresses and phone numbers. You should speak with them soon. I told them to tell anyone who asked what happened that there was an explosion at the facility. Everyone died and everything burned. Lucien helped with that part. I didn’t tell you this before… but after you passed out from helping Brandi, Lucien carried you. Everywhere Lucien walked while carrying your body left steps of black blue lava in his wake, not fire, fucking lava. When we were all outside, he just stared at the building. It started burning blue black fire that didn’t go out until nothing was left. Do you know how much power I’d have to pull from the EM to do that? At that scale?” Tabari shakes his head.
“I barely managed to save the three not-wolves and the rest of the Coven that was being kept there. He wanted everyone to die and everything to burn. Both Jack and I pleaded with him to relent, nothing seemed to work. The only thing that seemed to quiet his rage a little was you moving in his arms. I’m scared for the world if the day comes you aren’t here to quiet the beast.”
“Me too… I have to find a way to make him, I don’t know, see that killing isn’t the only way to solve your problems.”
Tabari scoffs, “Good luck with that, little sister. You seem to be the only thing able to tame him.”
“Tame him? I’m just getting dragged along for the ride.”
I smile as I imagine Lucien’s rage at the world. He’s had enough; the woman he loves being hurt, his mate being hurt? I can understand how he might have gone off the deep end a little. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, but then I’ve always had a thing for bat-shit crazy.
“Peterus is still in town. He wanted to make sure you’d be ok. Lucien slammed the door in his face when he tried to visit.” Tabari laughs.
I smile. “Peterus is gay, Lucien has nothing to worry about on that front.”
“I know.”
“How? He isn’t exactly living in the open with it.” None of my kind frown upon any sexual orientation. I think it’s more about privacy for Peterus. It’s no one’s business what he does behind closed doors, I wholeheartedly agree. I see a small blush grow on Tabari’s cheeks. I turn looking at him mouth hanging open.
“Tabari!” I hiss low.
The End
Epilogue
We’ve gotten into the habit of a movie night once a week in the house. We order takeout and sit in front of the TV in the living room. Lucien’s locks need to be twisted and I volunteered to do it. He’s sitting in between my legs stooped down so that I can reach his head; the man is so damn tall.
Tonight’s movie is Flash Gordon, which to my surprise even Jack hasn’t seen. Krull is next on my list. What can I say? I have a thing for old B movies.
I get up to use the bathroom quickly; the beer runneth through me.
There’s a knock on the front door and I go to open it, not checking, thinking it’s the pizzas we’d ordered.
“Hello, Jaevia.” A deep voice greets me as I turn and look up into eyes a mirror of my own.
“Hello, Father.”
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About The Author:
“L.M. Adams is as Twisted as she wants to be.”
Lark Adams is the dark urban fantasy author of the Twisted Eventide series, first novel titled Snow Covered Moon. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Lark graduated from Polytechnic Institute in 1999, she received two Associates degrees one in computer aided drafting and another in mechanical engineering. But her true passion and love has always been for the written word.
If you’ve enjoyed the first installment of the Twisted Eventide series, please join us in the Facebook Group: LM’s Twisted Lovelies.
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A sneak peek into Book 2 a prequel:
Twisted Eventide
Yuletide Crimson
Yuletide Crimson Copyright © 2013 by L.M. Adams. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in an article or in a review. For more information contact [email protected]
Edited by: Peter Raven, [email protected]
Illustrations by: Jonathan Williams, [email protected]
ISBN# 978-1517539191
Whatever is done for love always occurs beyond good and evil.
-Friedrich Nietzsche
Chapter One
My body aches, the cold air should numb the painful throbs, but it doesn’t. Yet I don’t mind, pain lets me know that I am alive, and I will fight to keep it that way.
I stare into the ice-blue eyes of the man hell bent on taking my life. He advances, sword swinging, I dodge back quickly, bringing my own katana up to meet his. The clash of metal sparks in the air, an aching clang rings out. I spin and advance; he matches me blow for blow, his reflexes as quick as my own.
Snow lightly covers the ground and crunches under my soft leather boots. I shift my feet and propel my body forward with a war cry, sword over my head. He easily sidesteps my attack and before I can turn to follow up, pain blossoms across my back, the stinging cold of a blade slicing my skin open. I cry out in pain.
“I claim First Blood. Yield!” My enemy demands.
It sticks in my craw that I call out, “Aye,” submitting to defeat. I feel the blood trickling down my back, cold already from the air. My white shirt is ruined I know.
“You rush it, Jaevia, your impatience will kill you one day,” Peterus chides.
I had rushed my attack as usual. I get frustrated, his defenses are so hard to get behind. He’s the second best in my class - it’s currently my life’s desire to take his place.
Jaevia Knightley, Kindred Reaper in training, just finishing up on having her ass handed to her. I am a half vampire, half succubus mix, a daemon, a mutt, a mix breed, more than that I am training to be a child of Abbadon; death walking. My Da is a Reaper of Legend, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be just like him. Isn’t that what every daughter wants? To be just as good of a killer as her papa is?
The Kindred watch over and police the supernaturals of the worlds: vampires, lycanthropes, fae, and all other manners of beasties. There’s nothing in the world I want to do more than to serve my Kindred as my Father and his Father before him had. So what if I’m a female and no other female has ever dared to break the unspoken law of becoming one the death’s daughters? My Da supports me, and that’s all that will ever matter.
My skin is an even complexion of tawny brown. I have glowing purple eyes, and long hair; my only vanity. Bad ass in tight leather pants, that’s me, almost.
“How deep is it?” I ask Peterus and turn to let him take a better look at the damage. I wouldn’t normally end the sparing because of a paltry cut, but I need to get cleaned up and meet with Tabari for my glamour training. I still suck at it.
“I tried to pull my strike, doesn’t look like I succeeded, let’s get you back to the Palace so you can heal.”
“No, Peterus,” I take off the silver arm cuff embedded with gems.
Magic can be contained in objects that were once alive: wood, paints made fr
om flowers. But really powerful spells have to be held in gems. They can only be cast and bonded by a truly powerful Magi and so they are outrageously expensive. The largest gem in my cuff, a diamond that glows purple, allows me to fill my Chi from the Sunstone that sits in the center of the Kindred Palace.
We can make no connection to our centers of power while within the city walls. Werewolves can make no connection to the Wolf Mother, Magi can make no connection to the EM field, and I cannot feed as a succubus through Lilith or as a vampire through the Blood King. So we all wear gems that allow us to connect directly to the Sunstone and feed. My body will heal the damage when I have the available power stored in my Chi, but I don’t deserve to heal. I deserve the pain, and the slow recovery.
“Jaevia, not this again. This is why I don’t like training with you. I knew it!” Peterus tries to reason with me, he should already know it won’t work.
Peterus is tall, thin, and handsome, with an easy smile. He has pure white skin and thick black locks. Gentle lips always with an easy smile, like he finds everything amusing but nothing truly funny; we became fast friends. He liked me because it was the unfashionable thing to do, and Peterus is a man to go against the grain.
“I have to do better and this will remind me to not so easily rush my attacks.” I slowly walk over to my scabbard, I take my time to wipe down the training katana and slide it into its sheath. I whimper in pain as every movement pulls at the wound on my back, putting on my long black leather coat is pure agony. But like hell I’m walking into the Palace looking beaten, bloodied, and broken. I’m no one’s victim.
“So hard-headed! Can you ride then?”
“Of course,” I grit out between clenched teeth, standing slowly. I turn, walking past Peterus to our horses.
Lila, she’s a gorgeous mare, deep black coat, absolutely huge, standing almost eight feet tall. My Da had sent her to me as my eighteenth birthday present. Her large intelligent eyes are a deep purple; I’d fallen in love immediately. Purple is my color of power, it also happens to be my own eye color, usually the two are not necessarily the same.
She stomps at the ground seeing me approach her, her mane is loosely waved and shines in the sun. Lila, it’s German for purple, her trainer had been of German descent, and she only understands commands given in her native language. She’s also a temperamental beast. I’m the only one who can ride her, like she was born for me, and only me. I smile, reaching up to rub her nose, her breath warm against my palm.
“Knien,” I whisper. She bends to one knee making it easier for me to pull my bloodied, beaten body up into the saddle on her back.
“Tabari and Lucien are going to be pissed when they see you, would you please heal Jae, please!”
“Oh, don’t tell me you’re afraid of Tabari as well.” As I thought, Peterus chafes at even the hint he’s afraid of either Tabari or Lucien.
“I’m afraid for you. I could’ve sworn you promised Tabari you wouldn’t train Free Fall again.”
“How am I supposed to become accustomed to the feel of pain and fear of death if anything you could do to me would be healed immediately?”
“You are pushing yourself too much, too fast. You are years away from Free Fall training! I can’t believe I let you talk me into this. Kincaid will have our asses for this. Would you heal please?!”
“Ah, so you’re afraid of Kincaid then?” I ask, smiling as Peterus gets on his borrowed chestnut mare, he’d sprained Hawk’s ankle in a race yesterday. He shouldn’t have tried to keep up with Lila, she’s the biggest, the best, the fastest; now if only her Mistress could match her accomplishments.
Free Fall Reaper training, we take away all the safety nets. Like being able to instantly heal and we train with real weapons. My class is still two years away from beginning that stage, but I need to become accustomed to pain and fear. I am the only female Kindred woman to try and become a Reaper without the blessing of the Elders, so I have to be the best. That requires me to train harder, longer, and more dangerously than all the men.
“Who isn’t afraid of Kincaid?” Peterus huffs and nudges his horse forward. Lila, being the prideful horse that she is, immediately lunges forward to take the lead. I tighten my hand on her reins as pure wildfire spreads across my back. Peterus must have cut me deeply.
Kincaid is the Master Reaper, and a total bad ass to boot. He fought in the second Great War of the Night. He’s supposedly a descendent of Arawan, a King of one of the underworlds. Ruled by the Wild Moon and is a pure-bred hunter. He’s made for the life of seek, destroy, kill, and yes everyone is afraid of Kincaid, his name actually means ‘leader of battle’. He was a General in the second Great War and my da had served under him.
Kincaid has been to my home for Sunday dinners, he and my father are good friends and so he’s extra hard on me. There’s no whisper of favoritism when it comes to the Kincaid and I, just the way I like it.
“I’ll tell him I made you do it with my succubus powers,” I laugh back at Peterus.
From the outside it may even seem as if we are flirting, but Peterus doesn’t like me like that, which is one of the reasons I can be so easy around him. Every man wants me just to say they’ve had me, had a succubus, part succubus or not.
We are a rare breed, and although I do my best to distance myself from the very sexual traits of my breed, men and women are attracted to me for what I am instead of who I am, all the same.
“Not funny, Jaevia!”
Chapter Two
We make decent time through the forest that surrounds the Palace on three sides, its large hundred foot walls easy to see from miles and miles away. The pristine white marble walls with silver inlay that shines when the sun hits it just so always makes my heart thump a little harder riding towards it.
I head for the south gate, closest to us. There’s not much foot traffic today surprisingly, it's only three days until Yule. The biggest party of the year happens on the longest night of the year. All manner of people, supernaturals, and things in between gather here. Supernaturals may not like the Kindred, but we throw one hell of a party, and rich to poor all flock here to take part in the grandeur.
Around this time of the year it usually would take an hour to get through the gate, luck must be on our side. It doesn’t take us much time to make it to the Cerberus Guard inspection. Once we are named full Reapers, we will be allowed to skip this silly step, free to move at will. Death doesn’t ask for permission.
“Reason for visiting the Palace?”
I sigh; the guard doesn’t even look up from his little tablet of names.
“I live here.”
“Cuff,” I hold out what passes as identification. The arm cuff tells what house I’m a member of- House of Cerberus- and my name. He finally looks up seeing its me, the infamous Jaevia Knightley. It’s nothing obvious; it’s the pinching around the lips, the tightening of the eyes. Yet another Kindred that doesn’t know me and hates me as if I killed his mother. It’s so grand being me.
I snatch my cuff back and grab Lila’s reins guiding her towards the stable. The city is full of life, it always is, people rushing to and from whatever it is normal people do.
The women usually wear flowing dresses that hide nothing; being winter, those luscious bodies are hidden under thick cloaks. The men at least wear pants and shirts, no robes for them. Most of the Kindred still dress as if Julius Caesar was still the Roman Emperor, and the chariot is the newest manner of travel. The human world has cars and gadgets and planes and trains. I can’t wait to go. Until then I’m stuck in the dark ages with this lot.
The Kindred Palace is some harmonious blend of ancient Roman and Egyptian architecture, we do what we can to blend with nature; trees, grass, and shrubs are everywhere. Being that it’s winter, all these things should be dead, but instead they thrive. It shows the power of the Kindred; it is a spell that keeps the wildlife within the walls growing and thriving as if it’s springtime year-round.
Lila’s hooves clank loudly as
I lead her on the cobblestone path designated for horse traffic. Horses are not allowed in the Palace and must be stabled immediately.
“You shouldn’t take it so personally,” Peterus voice comes from behind. I turn to look at him and wince in pain.
“I shouldn’t take it personally that people who are supposed to be my brothers and sisters in arms hate me and don’t even know me?” I roll my eyes and turn back around handing the reins to a palace slave.
He’s young and the collar around his throat and plain black tunic designates him as a stable hand. Most slaves aren’t slaves in the traditional sense to the Kindred. He received a sum of money when he decided to apply for work in the city and a contract was agreed upon. His Master is held to that strict contract and at the end of his term he will be paid another large sum. Neither I, nor anyone else is allowed to beat him or berate him, only his Master and only if the offense calls for it. He’s either human or Bâtardi, I can’t tell, the two races smell the same.
The Bâtardi are the bastard children of supernaturals, who either can’t or have chosen not to become full bloods like their supernatural parent and there are many of them. The city runs on the backs of slaves and servants. But no one would dare admit that out loud.
“Give her a good brushing, and a treat.” Lila turns her large head, and huffs in my hair saying goodbye. I smile and pat her well-muscled neck telling her goodbye.
Peterus follows suit and we make our way to the closest portal. The Palace is huge, the only way to travel is by portal. The portals are mirrors with magical enchantments that use wormholes to connect different points in space together. I’m still trying to get used to the idea of traveling to the human earth which is a portal jump as well, it just involves jumping to another plane of existence. I’m not so comfortable with that idea. We get in line to wait our turn to make the jump.