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Compromises and Escapes
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
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The Pack's Emissary Premonitions Coming True
Havermouth, Present TimeAislen dragged her feet through the morning. Waking up had seemed too hard as if she were dragging herself to the surface of a very deep, dark, warm pool of aether. The men had left her to sleep, and she hadn’t even noticed them leave, though now that she was awake, the house seemed quiet and empty of scent.The second, she attributed to Meguitte and Connery ending their two-day spell brewing spree. Heath had been pleased with how clean they’d left the kitchen. Talen had been less pleased that Meguitte insisted on being nearby during the battle. He had spoken with Sigrid, who had concerns that Meguitte would lose control and set the town on fire, and he had hoped to avoid that by encouraging Meguitte to help at the hospital, or somewhere away from the main streets of the town.As she made her way down the hallway to the bedroom that she was sharing with Talen, her body felt heavy, most particularly her stomach, and the baby seemed determine to press down on he
The Pack's Emissary Luring Leighton
Havermouth, Present TimeSigrid heard from Talen that he and his mates were making their way from the house by the river and steeled herself for her next move. She left Abigail and her mates attempting to prepare for the Mer arrival and went to begin their betrayal.To her surprise, as she reached the hospital, Greg caught up with her. “You did not think we would leave this to you alone?” He asked mildly as he fell into step, and they walked together to the doors. “We all know that he is dangerous.”“I am not sure yet how to play this,” she admitted. “I am hoping that inspiration will strike in the moment.”“I am sure that you will handle it magnificently,” he put his hand on her waist, connecting them, and preventing them from becoming separated as the hallway was busy with people preparing for the casualties of battle.They were greeted as they passed through, and Sigrid was stopped several times to give direction and updates.“Soon,” she answered when asked when the Mer would arriv
The Pack's Emissary The End of The World
Havermouth, Present Time“This is going to be close,” Connery murmured as he painted the last lines of the rune. “And we’d better hope that this works.”“Just as a backup, though, right?” Meguitte watched through the window as Sigrid led Leighton and Verina across the street.“We’ll see what the Mer have in their magic bag, first,” Connery agreed. “This is just in case they fail to deliver. I’m reluctant to use it for multiple reasons, as you know.”She did. For starters, they weren’t confident at all about the runes used. Rather than replicate Leighton’s spell precisely, without knowing what the runes they weren’t familiar with did, they had decided to try to substitute the more commonly known runes that they believed shared commonalities with Leighton’s mysterious ones, and that would make sense in the usage.Secondly, in order to hide the runes from Leighton, they’d had to space them fairly wide and disguise them in the scenery. The bigger the circle, the more space between runes,
The Pack's Emissary Dragons Don’t’ Fit In Bunkers
Havermouth, Present TimeThe Salem’s bunker was cunningly hidden behind a wine rack in the cellar. The stairs down to the cellar were a tight metal spiral designed to make the most of a space made tight due to the repurposing of the majority of it to safe accommodation for two during a war. Anne Mason struggled with the steep, tight, descent, but held onto her dignity as tightly as she did the handrail until she’d reached the ground, squeezing past Jules and through the opened door, to the reinforced space where Lauren and the two children were exploring the cupboards.“No, thanks, but if grandma can make it down, so can I,” Toby declined Harry’s offer of help. “The stomach muscles are on the mend,” he added as he took the descent one stair at a time. “It’s my head that’s the problem. My brain still thinks that there’s a major wound there and tells me I can’t move properly.”“It will take time to recover,” Jules said with empathy wriggling his fingers in demonstration. “And some wound
The Pack's Emissary A Witchy Rescue
Havermouth, Present TimeAislen could hear people yelling and screaming above the ringing of her ears and the crackle of flame. There was a crash of something collapsing into rubble. She had been tossed like a ragdoll by the magical explosion of the combination of the Mer Sirens’ power and Leighton’s into the doorway of one of the shops, the solid bases of brick and tile sheltering her even though the bay windows had cracked and shattered inwards.The smoke was thick catching at the back of her throat so that she coughed, tears streaming down her face, her eyes stinging and her lungs straining for air. She could see through its drifts that the buildings closer to the bridge were all burning, the flames licking the sky.Everything ached. She had landed hard on her hip, knee, and elbow from the pain that radiated from each point. She sat up slowly and groaned as the baby within her reacted, the surface of her stomach tightening, and the sensation of pressure downward increasing. She lean
The Pack's Emissary In The Smoke
Havermouth, Present TimeThe Sirens’ song held Sigrid frozen in fascination as they focused their power on Leighton. She had not realized just how beautiful a sound could be. It seemed to reach into her very soul, to every fiber of her being. She could almost see the sound, the sparkle of sun on pure azure water, the dart of silver-scaled fish through the darkness, the blossoming of vividly bright ocean flowers.Tears gathered in her eyes, and she reached out gripping on to Greg and Dan’s forearms, wanting to share the elation of the experience with them.“What is this? What are you…?” Leighton’s cry drew her gaze from the Sirens to where Verina had collapsed onto her knees and Leighton cradled her in his arms. “Verina!” Was a shriek of alarm and despair.“This isn’t what we agreed to!” Aislen’s plea was directed at Niarthen and was sharp with fear.The Mer man’s expression was one of concern and confusion. It was not what he had expected either, Sigrid realized, her eyes returning to
The Pack's Emissary Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Four
Havermouth, Present TimeSamuel circled high in the sky watching below as the Mer approached the bridge. So far, there was nothing about the Mer approach to be alarmed about. It seemed as if the Mer were doing precisely what they had discussed with the Emissary.A glint in the distance however caught his eye. For a moment he debated staying and watching the meeting or investigating. He decided to investigate. His heart began to race when he saw that the Mer had infiltrated the streets of the town. They had encountered the first roadblock and had divided up to investigate alternative routes so that the little side streets and alleys glittered with Mer in armour. Further into the town, he caught a shift of light – something moving that was reflecting the scenery around it. Camouflage.They were headed towards where the streets were busy with pedestrian traffic. That in itself was unusual for Havermouth. The civilians had been told to keep movement to the minimal, to seek shelter, and st
The Pack's Emissary Rhett the Medic
Havermouth, Present TimeRhett decided very quickly that whilst he didn’t like flying, he liked landing even less. The explosion sent him and Cameron flying along the main road. At the same time, it flipped one of the abandoned cars onto its side and when they landed, slammed up against the concrete base of a lingerie shop, the car followed behind them. For a moment, he thought they were going to pan-caked between the car and the wall, but the car hooked on a lamppost, and instead of killing them, it saved their lives as a moment later, a ball of fire sizzled up against it.The shop window behind them warped and shattered with the heat, and the lingerie on the mannequins smouldered into flame. Rhett grabbed Cameron and dragged him away as the burning shreds of fabric rained down.In his head he heard Aislen call his name, and he looked up, trying to see her. They hadn’t been standing far from each other. But the smoke was fucking thick and rank around him. His lungs stung to breath th
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The Pack's Emissary If You Choose
Havermouth, Present TimeAislen was looking down at a chessboard. She was holding a little statuette of Verina in her hand. She shook as she set it down on her side of the board and looked up at the woman who sat across from her. This time, the handmaiden or goddess, whatever she was, wore gold. Not some cheap and tacky replica, or some misleading named yellow, but true gold.An elaborate metal headdress began on her forehead, framing her face and covering her hair, continuing from just below her chin to spread over her shoulders and down her chest. The dress was made of fine chain link that draped like material, clinging to her curvaceous body, before dripping away into the aether that crept around their feet. Her lips were painted gold, and so were her eyelids and eyebrows. Golden rings encircled her fingers, and her wrists and arms were heavy with bracelets and cuffs. The tips of her fingers were dipped in gold.She was magnificent and regal and there was a formality to the way tha
The Pack's Emissary Preparing for Leighton
Havermouth, Present TimeThe room stank. They could smell it the moment they started down the hallway. Old blood, rotten flesh, and rodents. Connery made a noise in the back of his throat and fished in his pockets producing a handkerchief and stuffing it full of herbs from a pouch. He held it out to Meguitte who smiled and shook her head ruefully. She had smelled this particular scent before, many times over the centuries, during plagues and in the dungeons where people were tortured and left to rot.“I guess it’s a good thing that no one has been here to clean up after Leighton, as the ward will be untouched,” Connery commented, his voice muffled by the handkerchief.Blow flies greeted them. The cages were empty, but no one had scrubbed the room, and there were buckets sticky with congealed blood, stains of it on the floors and walls, and other biological matter in the corners of the cages where the prisoners had relieved themselves. The room rustled with bugs as a result.“Hmm,” Meg
The Pack's Emissary Gera
Havermouth, Present Time“You’re doing great,” Heath was breathless. He and Rhett had run, dragging with them several screaming witches. They had been pursued, by Mer, by zombies, by the few Van Helsing soldiers who had survived, but they’d been able to put some distance between them with help from the dragons in the sky. It had been very weird to see the dragons sending bolts of lighting and fire to hold off pursuit. One of them had done something that had made the earth beneath Heath’s feet tremble with a clap of thunder that had his ears still ringing.The timing had been perfect. They’d headed towards Leighton’s warehouse, and just as he’d started to debate which warehouse was likely, the door of the Stock Feed and Animal Supplies warehouse had opened revealing Phillip Salem. When he’d entered and seen Aislen on her hands and knees in a clearing within the filthy warehouse, he had not known whether to be relieved or despairing. The warehouse was so precarious a place for his mate
The Pack's Emissary Birthing Suites
Havermouth, Present Time“Stella was anticipating that your mates would attack the ward,” Phillip commented mildly as he riffled through the cupboards. “I am curious to see what happened when she found Leighton instead of them. He did not seem happy.”“Leighton was there? Shit,” Aislen’s heart picked up pace. “We really don’t want him to find us, Phillip. We tried to turn him over to the Mer, but it failed. Verina died though, and Leighton’s pissed in a big way. He came to kill me.”“Possibly, or to steal the baby,” Phillip agreed indifferently inspecting a steak knife before returning it to the drawer. “I think you over value yourself, Aislen, and undervalue what you’re carrying.”“Gee, thanks. Hopefully, Stella took Leighton out,” Aislen added thoughtfully. “She was well set up there, with a massive coven behind her. However powerful Leighton is, I doubt he’s as powerful as them.”“That is true. But then, Stella will have discovered that you are not there, and will know that I betra
The Pack's Emissary The Spell Trap
Havermouth, Present Time“I’m fine, my darling, truly, cross my heart,” Connery pressed the heel of his hand to his chest earnestly. Meguitte narrowed her eyes at him with suspicion. He was still paler than normally, with shadows pressed deep into his under eyes.“Have a sandwich and a cup of tea,” the werewolf Diana insisted offering both from a tray. She was going around the lower floor exchanging food and drinks for blood, and Meguitte sent her a side-eye. “I won’t take his blood,” Diana added hastily. “I can see that he can’t spare it. Perhaps you could, though?”“Me?” Meguitte was astonished by the suggestion.“It won’t take more than ten minutes, and I’m very gentle, I promise.”“It’s not that,” Meguitte explained. “I’m just… not an ordinary vampire. I have none of their normal powers.”“All blood is good blood at the moment,” Diana had sensed surrender and was preparing the kit.Meguitte sat next to Connery and rolled up her sleeve.He smiled at her. “How generous you are my be
The Pack's Emissary The Fked Up, The Fkers, and the Fish
Havermouth, Present TimeRhett and Heath did not speak as they wound their way through the streets of Havermouth. There was little opportunity to talk, slinking through the shadows, down the little alleyways between houses, and cutting through back gardens, but there was also a heavy sense of silence between them so that Rhett knew that even if they had been able, they both would have been too lost in their thoughts. Or lost in their worries, would be more accurate.They had searched the area around the smoke thoroughly, even venturing into the still-burning buildings. There had been no sign of Aislen. And no response to their mental calls for their mate. An icy fist of dread had a tight grip on Rhett’s heart. Why was she not answering? She had to be unconscious or…They would know if she had died. He refused to believe otherwise.Had Leighton found her first? What would Leighton do if he had found Aislen? He still struggled to see Leighton as dangerous, whatever mental voodoo the man
The Pack's Emissary Sigrid and the Mer
Havermouth, Present TimeThere were some languages that were universal, Sigrid thought grimly as she examined the Mer weaponry and made sure that she was familiar with its function. She could tell from the way the Mer moved, from the set of their shoulders, that they were uneasy with the alliance between herself and Niarthen. Their tolerance was thin, and only their respect for Niarthen, and the other two Mer generals, Benethin and Aeylira, kept them obedient. The moment word was received from above that Havermouth was to be destroyed, her life was forfeit.“Do not fear,” Niarthen said quietly. “Aeylira, Benethin, Lyric, and I will ensure that you reach your mates. There is a building which has been declared sacred. Lyric thinks it’s the hospital. That is where your mates are, yes? You should be safe there.”“I am with child,” she told him. “Triplets. The life of four rests on your promise.”“I understand,” he was grim. “Lyric also carries our child.”“If the tide turns,” she regarded
The Pack's Emissary The Dragon’s Battle
Havermouth, Present TimeMagic was in its very nature an invisible thing. You did not see a spell cast, but rather the effects of the spell once it found its victim. Therefore, the warlock Leighton appeared to do very little other than stand with his hands pressed to the surface of the ward, the energy blowing back his hair and causing sweat to break out on his forehead, but Samuel could FEEL the power, and see the reaction of the ward, its opaque surface shifting like water, areas clearing so that the dragons caught brief glimpses of the witches below scurrying about like ants as they tried to reinforce their magic by scattering herbs and arcane objects, and drawing runes on the bitumen.Samuel’s memories of the gloves were still fragmented, but he could recall the power they had given him – not just increased speed, strength, and stamina, but also a magic that was unnatural to him. He could feel a similar magic burning through his veins towards his heart and brain, poisoning as it b
The Pack's Emissary Good Monsters
Havermouth, Present TimeIn the front yard of the witch’s house, Jules caught Harry’s hand, pulling them to a stop. “I should shift,” he explained as he released Harry’s hand and began to strip off his clothing. “We can fly over the trouble.”“Aren’t you the clever one, my beloved,” Harry reached out and began to collect Jules’s clothes as Jules undressed. Jules looked up from stripping off his jeans to find Harry’s eyes hot and his smirk smoldering, and laughed, pulled from the seriousness of the war around them into a moment of pure joy as they celebrated what existed between them.“Okay,” Jules blushed as he finished undressing. “A moment.”Harry stepped back onto the porch and Jules focused on his shift. It was still a foreign experience, one that his body and mind told him shouldn’t be possible despite his entire life as a werewolf. Becoming a werewolf was a redistribution of his body – what existed simply moved to a position more appropriate for the shape that he wished to posses
