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Chapter Twelve: Cursed
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Tamsin Eventide
He hadn’t expected any resistance at all. No woman had ever refused an invitation to his bed. He was a prince, perhaps one day a king. Whispers of his prowess of a lover spread beyond his forest. So, when River had balked at the very idea of being his mate, it had angered him. The beast inside him wouldn’t be denied. He didn’t know how to explain it to her. It wasn’t that his Beast and himself were different entities, but they were of different minds.
She excited the man and soothed the Beast. He had no way to express this. And if his experiment proved correct, it would turn his curse into a boon. The way the Witch Queen’s curses worked were simple but insidious. She couldn’t doom him with no way out. There had to be a counterbalance. As above so below. Black and white, Yin and Yang. All things equal. Carmun could make him transform into a monstrous wolf every full moon where he had no control over hi
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Aelnith EventideJust that little drop of River’s blood on his tongue, her sweet body on top of him, pressed against him, told him much and empowered him more than he thought possible. Even with dawn pinking the horizon, the burning sun rising into the sky, he found he could move, he was awake.He was very weak, true, but he wondered how much he could move during the day if he’d had just a little more of her blood, or more, if he made her his queen. As with his brother, Tamsin, his curse had another side to its coin too. With a queen by his side, inflicted with the same curse as he, bound to him for all of forever, the sun would no longer immobilize him. It could still burn his flesh, true, but he could move indoors or underground. He also wouldn’t need to feed but once a month on the night of the full moon. As it stood now, he had to feed every night, or he would descend into madness, becoming a mindless ghoul that fed on whomever he
Last Updated : 2024-10-29House Eventide Chapter Fourteen: Warmth
River BlackAs the servant said all the flames in the House went out, the kitchen went dark, the lanterns and candles snuffed out as though a hard, cold wind had blown through. It sent chills racing down her arms, prickling her skin, making every hair stand on end. She felt watched. It made her want to run and hide.The kitchen had no windows and it was pitch dark inside. Time moved strangely here and it had already been getting dark again when they’d gone into the kitchen. River felt panicked, stifled. Smothered. It felt like she couldn’t breathe. In the small room that lead to the kitchen, she remembered a window. She’d go there. Even the scant moonlight through the window would help quell her panic and racing heart.Tamsin and his servants chattered, wondering what had happened, why all the flame in the manor had disappeared. They said it was bad sorcery. A trick. Maybe worse. River had no idea, but she didn’t want to
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Tamsin EventideFinally, the flint sparked and the tinder lit. He held the lantern aloft, but didn’t see anything amiss. At first.River was gone.He searched the kitchens, the rooms that lead to the kitchens. He scoured the entire manor in a rage, looking for her. He doubted she ran, but he supposed it was possible.No, he could feel the lingering magic in the air. Tamsin knew it couldn’t be a coincidence that the fires wouldn’t light.It struck him suddenly, the answer. Cinder. The Witch Queen’s consort. He was master of flame and hearth, a nasty little bastard from the Winter Court, betrayer of his own kind, former consort of Queen Mab. Slick and charming, clever and without scruples, Cinder was the one who brought human tithes to the Dain. If he had River, she was in very real danger.The more he frantically searched the manor, the less control he had over himself. If Cinder had spirited her away,
Last Updated : 2024-10-29House Eventide Chapter Sixteen: In Hiding
River Black She sat on a pile of cushions and fanned herself. It was stifling in the ‘room’. Cinder didn’t seem bothered, but he was wearing far less than she was. He grinned at her, like the cat who caught the canary, clearly proud of himself. “Something wrong, Princess?” he asked, tone sarcastic and sly. She wasn’t sure if he actually cared if she were upset or not. She guessed not. “Several things. When are we leaving?” she asked, trying to keep him on topic. She’d learned, in the short time she’d been in Cinder’s company, that he hopped from topic to topic like a bee flitting from flower to flower. And every topic was about -him- in some way or another. He pouted. “Suit yourself! Soon. When the sun rises. You should rest, you know.” He waved a hand, as though her question was a bad smell he was trying to get rid of. She snorted, though she reluctantly tried to get a little more comfortable. It was hard because it was so wa
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Tamsin EventideIf he’d been able to control himself, he’d have stalked through the trees silently. He could have gotten the jump on the Dain. He knew, even as it happened, that charging the monstrous son of the Witch Queen was a bad idea. It was foolish. But his Beast was hell-bent on destruction and had no fear, no strategy, just terrible, hungry animal instinct.The Dain was in no better shape, he noted as he charged towards him. The monster towered over him, over some of the trees. His body was bare bone and hanging, fetid, rotten flesh. His face was a skull, likely a bear’s with glowing blue witch lights for eyes. Antlers, uneven and broken protruded from the skull.Tamsin had long wondered what had happened to create such a foul thing. Had he ever been as Tamsin was? A Fae cursed and twisted by dark magic? There was no way to know. Carmun used her sons as a means of control over the Realm.The Dain howled in rage,
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Aelnith EventideThe Dain shuddered, stumbled as he drained it of the dark power that powered it. Just a little more, he thought. But it was overwhelming. He could feel himself slipping, losing himself every single moment. The dark magic tore through him and immediately began changing him. He could feel it’s poisonous influence.Aelnith wondered if it would make him like the Dain, shambling through the wood, only ever hungry, only ever destructive. The Realm would hunt him down, which was fitting. It would be a mercy. At least, he thought as he further slipped away, he wouldn’t be aware of his House falling to ruin or lost to time.The Dain fell to it’s side, but was unable to dislodge him. He wondered dimly if he could even stop if he tried. The dark magic flowed freely into him, twisting and breaking his soul apart. It wasn’t physically painful, but it hurt him in subtle ways. Aelnith wanted to look upon the wood with t
Last Updated : 2024-10-29
Latest chapter
House Eventide Chapter Forty: Goddess of the Moon
River BlackInana insisted on River having a bath and fresh clothes before anything else was discussed. The witch dressed her wounds and braided her hair for her, to keep it out of her face. She felt better than she had in days. This time, Inana dressed her in loose trousers and a loose blouse with a wide sash. River may have liked the dresses better, but she had to admit she was more comfortable.After she was dressed and she finished off another bowl of stew, which was venison, according to Inana, River was ready to hear just what her ‘choices’ were. They all sat around the table and Tamsin seemed to have calmed down, though his expression was still sour.“I’m going to speak first,” he said the very moment River sat.
House Eventide Chapter Thirty Nine: Dawn
River BlackDawn began its arrival and the wolves in Tamsin’s pack returned with nothing. Cinder was gone. Or dead. She didn’t know which. There was still no sign of Inana. Any time she tried to leave the little clearing, Tamsin blocked her path with a low, menacing growl.She kept her eyes on the sky, waiting for it to lighten, longing for the dawn. Night in the Realm was so much more threatening than night at home. Again, when she thought of home, she could barely remember the faces of her parents and friends. Every day that passed and her memories became weaker and weaker, until they were like ghosts haunting her head.Leaning against the trunk of a tree, sitting in the cold ground, River closed her eyes, just for a moment. Her head hurt and her mouth was dry. She neede
House Eventide Chapter Thirty Eight: The Offer
CinderHe’d been certain the moment Prince Tamsin’s jaws closed around his shoulder, close to his throat, that he was dead. He felt the sharp pain of his sharp teeth sink into him, felt the hot splash of his blood. Then he didn’t feel anything else. The world went black.Cinder didn’t expect to wake up. His last thought was he was thankful he’d been doing the right thing for once, so that he could meet his death with a clear conscience. He sank into the blackness as easily as he slipped in and out between worlds.His world swam into bleary focus. For a moment, he wondered if it were the afterlife. Heaven. Or whatever humans called it. The Fae weren’t supposed to be allowed an afterlife. Their energy was to go back to the Realm, reborn as the trees and riv
House Eventide Chapter Thirty Seven: Dother
River BlackTamsin dragged her away, teeth not breaking the skin, but it hurt anyway. She begged and pleaded for him to drop her and when that fell on deaf ears, she thrashed and beat on his muzzle with her fists. He seemed impervious. If he understood her words, he made no sign of it. Finally, River just went limp. Fighting was no use. As a wolf, he was bigger than any horse she’d ever seen. There was no fighting him, no reasoning with him.She didn’t know how much time passed, but her body felt utterly battered and bruised from head to toe by the time he stopped and let her go. River lay in a crumpled heap in a part of the forest she’d never seen before. It was strange, she’d started to be able to recognize certain landmarks even after only a day or two, but now they were somewhere she’d never been before.
House Eventide Chapter Thirty Six: Dread
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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 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 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 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
