Lucy
“David!”He lifted an arm and waved over his head. I turned, sniffling and felt a bit of comfort wash through me as he walked towards us. His eyes darted between us for a moment before stopping at me. His eyes were full of concern as he reached us."What's wrong, Lucy? Are you okay?" David asked. He placed a hand on my shoulder.I sniffled and shook my head. “I’m okay now. It’ll b-be okay. I just---““Lucy,” David whispered, cupping my face. “You don’t have to hide it. If you don’t want to talk about it… that’s okay, just say so, but I’ll still want to hear even if I can’t help.”“Actually… I think David would be able to help a lot more than I could.”I looked up at Duke. “What?”He wiggled his eyebrows. “Money is power after all…”I looked back at David and glanced around. “DLucyI didn’t know the song, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves and the food was really good. David had at least six tacos, and I split several pieces of chocolate cake. Before anyone could protest, David had swiped the bill and paid for it before ushering us back to the car with food for the road. Sarah, Amy, and Duke chatted in the back seat over the quiet tones of the radio as David drove us away from the diner. The sunset slowly until the sky turned dark and the stars came out. When it was dark, David opened the windows and the sunroof so the fresh wind rushed through the car. I could smell a bit of salt on the wind as we reached a section of cliffs that overlooked the sea. “It’s beautiful,” I said looking out into the night. “Could we go down there from here?”David chuckled. “You could, but good luck doing it safely, let along getting back up. The locals call this cliff Dragon’s Teeth.&rdq
David“For me?” She nodded and reached into her jacket pocket. Her face was flushed. She looked nervous and unsure.“It’s not much but… I wanted to get you something for your birthday.”I watched as Lucy's face lit up with a mix of anticipation and nervousness. Her small, delicate hands trembled slightly as she pulled them from beneath the blanket. The sight of her flushed cheeks only made my heart skip a beat.She held out her hand, revealing a beautifully crafted origami flower. My eyes widened in surprise, a warmth spreading through me as I accepted the gift.“I… can’t believe you remember.” I met her gaze and she smiled at me. “This is the best gift anyone has ever given me.”Her smile widened, and she looked down for a moment, her voice soft. "I don’t think that’s true.”“It is,” I said, looking down at the little paper flower. “
TonyAs David entered, my gaze fell on him and I felt my fury starting to boil. The curse that witch put on us was still in effect, as we couldn’t find another witch powerful enough, or willing to remove it. Matt went stiff beside me. What the hell is he doing? Matt asked. Trying to piss us off.He sat down wearing jeans, a button up, and a blazer, a birthday sash draped across his chest, and a ridiculous paper crown perched on his head. Anger welled up within me. I could tell that he didn’t care about how disrespectful he and his liaison were being. I narrowed my eyes at Trent. I had heard about him from our father. He met my gaze and wiggled his eyebrows as he relaxed in his seat. He was trying to agitate me, but I took a deep breath, and glanced at the panel. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a single werewolf among them. A dragon shifter, a witch, and a human sat there, looking over their documents as the last two people of cam
TonyMatt surged to his feet, snarling. “You son of a---““Mr. Chance,” the human woman said. “Contain yourself or you will be removed from the room.”I stared at David, parsing through his words. I could hear the words he’d said back in the foyer of our house. I look forward to seeing how prominent your bond really is.I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’ve seen her recently, haven’t you?”David smiled. I glared at him. “You’re asking for a conflict where there doesn’t need to be one, whelp. Tell us where Lucy is now and perhaps we’ll gentle about it.”“Mr. Chance, that is not appropriate for this discussion,” the dragon said. “Mr. Bloodborne—““It’s alright,” David said. His voice was low and unbothered. He sat forward in his chair, leaning forward with a cold smile on his lips. His eyes gli
LucyAfter David left, Duke and I settled at the table to eat. My face was still heated, and my stomach was all in knots from the way David spoke to me. There had been something in his eyes that made me nervous.“Hey.” I looked up at David, who smiled. “David’s a good guy. He’s not going to ask for anything more than what you want to give.”I sputtered. I didn’t know what to say, but Duke just kept eating as if he’d said nothing wrong. Sarah and Amy came downstairs. “Where’s the birthday boy?” Sarah asked looking around. “He just left,” Duke said. “He’ll be back in a few hours.”“Great! That means we can get him a present.”Then, she turned to look at me with a wide grin and my stomach knotted up. “Why are you looking at me like that?”“You’ll see.” Amy shook her head. “Don’t
LucyI turned around trying to find where the song was coming from or who they could be singing to as laughter started to come from inside and more voices joined. “Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, dear David! Happy Birthday to you!”Sarah and Duke started clapping loudly, but I couldn’t see David. It seemed like he was still inside the building. Then, he came around the corner and everything in me went still. My stomach clenched with a feeling I couldn’t name. My mouth went dry.Was that really David?As David walked onto the deck, a wave of excitement and anticipation rippled through the restaurant. The staff and customers burst into song, their voices blending together in a lively rendition of "Happy Birthday." It was a celebration in full swing, and all eyes were on him.Including mine. Was that really David?I couldn't help but stare, my breath catching in my throat as my gaze swept over him. He was sh
LucyGinny looked back at David as we reached the stairs. “I’m trusting you.”He saluted her with a grin. “I promise not to let you down, captain.”She pulled me adown the deck’s steps towards the beach. Her mother and father followed behind us with Sarah and Amy. Duke trailed behind Henry and Julian, but David gone somewhere else. I looked back, searching for him as she slowed to a stop away form the others and far enough from where the water met the beach. “This place is perfect!”Jenny stuck an umbrella in the ground. “Perfect indeed. Come here, button, and let me put some more sunscreen on you.”Ginny went to her mother as her father set up a few loungers and claimed one right next to the cooler. Julian and Henry set up their own loungers as Sarah stripped out of her cover-up. Henry let out a low whistle. “You wouldn’t happen to need some help with sunscreen, would
LucyThe setting sun cast a warm, golden glow over the beach as the party started to shift. “I’m stuffed,” Sarah said. “Not too stuffed, I hope,” Julian said tossing a ball up and down. ‘How about a game of volleyball?”“What do the winner’s get?” Sarah asked slyly. Julian flushed at the way she looked at him. Henry leaned in with a grin and a low tone. “Whatever you want.”“You’re on.”I looked at David as he shook his head. “The rest of us will probably just enjoy the game?”Julian nodded sharply as Duke got up. “I’m game. Lucy?”I worried my lip. “I don’t… know how to play.”David smiled and stood offering me his hands. “Then, it’s the perfect time to learn, isn’t it?”I smile up at him and took his hands, letting him pull me to my feet. We foll
LucyThe morning sun, a mischievous wink through the blinds, painted golden stripes across our bed. I snuggled deeper into the warmth of David's embrace, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest a soothing lullaby. He slipped his hand across my lower back. The warmth of his bare skin against mine set a spark of pleasure through me. He rumbled low and content into my hair. “Wake up,” David rumbled. He kissed my head and twined a curl around his finger. “We have things to do.”“You shouldn’t have kept me up all night.”He chuckled. “You didn’t say that last night.”I nudged him. He dipped his head to nip my lips. “You know, if it’s too much, you can always tell me to slow down.”He’d been saying that for five years now, and I never found a reason to tell him to. He knew that. His eyes flickered between colors. I nipped his lower lip. “Give me a reason.”He smirked and rolled me onto my back. “To slow down or…”“To get up,” I said as he kissed
LucyI sat on the cold stone, watching her, but she didn’t move another muscle. I didn’t know how long it had been, but it didn’t matter. The spectral glow around her was starting to dim, and my mind was just too stressed to do too much thinking. The light of the ritual, the spell I’d used, the blood on my hands all flashed through my mind, and part of me wondered if it was all just a dream. I looked down at the stained and ruined gown. The armor was as pristine as ever, but most of the embroidered roses were torn or stained. This dress would never be white again, let alone whole. I flicked a piece of the long, gossamer fabric and shook my head. I really liked this dress.“Lucy!”I turned my head toward the sound of David’s voice, wrung out and relieved to hear him. He was rushing through the air towards me. He dropped down a few feet from me, looking so worried I could cry.I smiled at him as he dropped to his knees beside me and threw his arms around me,
LucyI sailed through the air, landing with a jarring thud within the ritual circle. With a trembling hand, I pushed myself up, my senses on high alert. A figure, cloaked in darkness, appeared in front of me. My blood ran cold. Selene."Well, well, Lucy," her voice, honeyed yet laced with venom, slithered into the darkness. "Thank you ever so much for making this easy at last.”I grit my teeth. I wouldn't go down without a fight. Straightening my shoulders, I met her gaze, my voice shaking but resolute. "You underestimate me.” “No, Lucy,” her voice dropped, and a cruel smile twisted her lips. "You underestimate me.” The chanting grew louder around me. I lunged for the necklace, my fingers grazing its cold surface before Selene snatched it away, a triumphant gleam in her eyes. But that touch, fleeting as it was, ignited something. I felt her pushing at my mind. I felt her shoving me back until I could see the forest from before, and we were fighting in a ci
MattMy vision pulsed and flickered, a strobe light of pain blurring the edges of reality. Tony rained blows down on me, slashing with claws. Each hit chipped away at my resolve and my control, leaving behind a raw desperation to end this quickly. My armor protected me from most of the damage, but still. He was always the stronger of the two of us. I thought it was just because he was the older of the two of us, but this was different. I thought for sure he was going to bite off my head. Then, a flash of golden light arced through the air, and a spear lanced past my shoulder, catching Tony square in the chest. I turned back to see Ginevra hovering in the air. Her golden dress glowed as she passed me with a glowing winge spreading from her back. What the absolute fuck?Tony staggered, falling to the ground, and Dad darted forward, encasing Tony in a shimmering web of light. The wave turned to chains. He thrashed and howled, straining against the magical bonds, but t
LucyPeter's breath hitched, rasping, and shallow, then deepened into a cough that wracked his battered body. His eyelids fluttered, eyelids so pale they were almost luminous in the dim torchlight. He struggled to get up, leaning on his Spear and on Michelle. The light pulsing through the Spear rippled over his skin. He let out a soft sigh and stumbled a little. “Peter?”“I... It’s gone.”“What?” Michelle gasped as his hair started to change, losing the gray color and growing dark. His face turned younger until I was sure that he was all of twenty-something. He grew a bit taller, too, bigger until his shirt strained against his chest and his buttons popped. He flushed. “Well… that’s not…” He cleared his throat as Michelle smiled up at him. “So this is what you looked like in your youth?”He scoffed. “I’m much younger than you think.”He grunted, pressing a hand to his side. “Wish the Spear would heal the wound, though.”I winced. “Sorry… it’s a
PeterMy feet pounded a frantic rhythm against the uneven earth, branches whipping at my face, thorns tearing at my clothes. How long had I been running? How much further did I have to go? I didn’t know, and it didn’t matter so long as I got there. My lungs burned, legs screaming in protest, but still I ran. The trail of blood behind me and the patchwork of wounds across my body, chunks of missing and regrowing flesh, weren’t my concern right now. The creature—the wolf was after me, and unlike before, it didn’t seem willing to back off or slow down. It was going to kill me, and what happened after that was anyone’s guess. Behind me, the guttural snarl of the wolf echoed through the trees. Too close to be comfortable. Too close to make sense. This was too much like that dream, but worse. So much worse. The sky was a kaleidoscope of images I could barely make out. They flashed in the sky and in my vision, making it hard to see. I saw Lucy. I saw Michelle. The long
LucyAdrenaline surging, I grabbed Michelle and pulled her after me deeper into the inky depths of the tunnel.“Quick!”She panted. “What’s going on? Peter—”“He’s possessed,” I said. “Just keep running for now!”I saw my Allison up ahead, leading me down another tunnel. Behind us, I heard Peter's guttural snarls, the rhythmic thud of his feet echoed eerily in the confined space. We had to lose him and the other one quickly, but we didn’t seem to be putting enough distance between us. Panic coiled in my gut, urging me to run faster and push my body beyond its limits. Michelle kept up relatively well. We twisted and turned, navigating the treacherous path by torchlight and the spectral murmurs of White Moon's fallen. But the passage seemed to twist back on itself. When we were back at the forked path, the faint light that had been illuminating the tunnel went out, plunging us into darkness.Michelle shuddered. She drew closer to me and tightened her grip on m
LucyI was back in that house with that couple that adopted me. I felt the floorboards creaking as I went downstairs. I saw the men in suits. I shrieked, turning. Not again. I couldn’t be back here. Where was David? How had I gotten back here? I looked down. I wasn’t… wearing the dress or the armor. I had no daggers. My hair was just as uncombed and dry as it had been then. When I looked in the mirror, the skinny young woman who had barely had anything more than ramen and school lunch stared back at me. My stomach lurched. The door opened, and I turned to run, knowing what was about to happen. I dug my heels in as dark shadows pulled me towards the door. I felt myself being lifted onto someone’s shoulders. I fought and kicked, but all my training and all my strength were gone. I saw the calendar on the wall, but the date was different. It wasn’t my birthday. It was the day of the Crescent Moon Festival. I screamed, grabbing anything I could manage. Then, Sele
DavidOren's head arced through the firelit air, landed, and rolled. His body dropped to the ground, still spurting blood. Then, all hell broke loose.The shimmering barrier around the Ball faltered, rippling like a pond, before collapsing entirely. Hunters poured into the arena, their snarls blending with everyone's shocked gasps. “Defensive measures, now!” I yelled, my voice carrying over the sound of the attack. A group of dragon shifters took to the sky as my blade clashed with the first hunter. How had they gotten through the barrier? I saw a flicker of a ghost and growled. “Selene!” I shoved the hunter back, slicing through him before sending out a shockwave of air. She’d been behind this, and maybe she’d been planning this for years, using the werewolf virus to spy on the preparations. It would make sense to try and get rid of me. I was the direct descendant of Fenris. More than that, it was their movements. Each and every one of them moved e