Book 3: Chapter 19
Zayde
I let Typhen watch my mate. That he was with her, and Aptherraam, meant that I could fucking relax. It was just an errand… nothing will happen. I told myself this knowing full well that something would probably happen.
“My beasts.” I shouted over the crowd. Two thousand, five, hundred were here. Still the smallest coven, but ours nonetheless…
Some were shifted to show support, being wolves, bats, bears, lions or snakes. Some could even achieve draconic forms, but there were very few who could get bigger than a draft horse. They filled Tower 3’s main floor, ready to do whatever I command…
“I summon you from your guest and main quarters to meet with you. As usual, we will run tonight, but we will also have guests on the grounds. The mortals, the Metters family hold the master’s mark.” I said waiting for them to calm down.
There was never a documented case of humans holding the Horned One’s mark. It meant that they Should be safe tonight, but just in case, I’ll have them stay inside on designated shifting nights. I even intended on running around a bit in the forest myself… Maybe it would help me shake this wound. It won’t heal.
Underneath my black scales was a bit of rotted skin, but I must not show weakness. It itched… but I could not scratch it. A wound like this in such a precarious position would definitely cause at least one or two of my followers to challenge me.
And right now, I wouldn’t hold back. I’ll probably kill them if anyone tries to buck up.
“I didn’t believe it either, so I did some digging.” Even servants were cleaning slowly to hear my results. “Her original name before adoption was Loria Jekel. Her mother was Areina Jekel, the necromancer…. One of the Very few mortals who was Actually of witch bloodline. She was burned at the stake, but they didn’t see the birthmark on the girl. She’s a quarter witch.”
There were murmurs. Again, this was something incredibly rare… That birthmark was her death sentence. The church did not play games when it came to light that there was a witch… Mrs. Metters was the abandoned bastard of an abandoned bastard, who’s surname should be Jekel, a well respected house in Black Diamond, but with no record of who her mother was, they had no rights to anything.
But at least their mother let them know they were a Jekel. It meant that I had something to work with. I’ll interrogate each family member old enough to have birthed Areina a hundred years ago, so that there can be some kind of reconciliation for them.
-----Tiffany-----
“What do you mean there was an incident?” Said Alteer on the phone. I had the mother, and the first two of her kids in my back seat. The father drove with the rest piled on top, and we passed the officer, who was still laid out on the road…
At least an ambulance was treating him. He was alive… The death of an officer, no matter how corrupt, would make trouble.
“Are you alright?” Asked Alteer.
“We’re fine, but now the locals are stirred like a shook wasp’s nest.” I said truthfully. I didn’t want to admit it, because I kind of felt like it was my fault. If I would have gotten them sooner, this wouldn’t have happened…
Well they might have still burned the house down, but they’d only be hurting themselves at that point.
“No one showed their powers did they?” He asked… I gave the smallest glance at the backseat. They were covered in soot, but alive….
“Typhen saved a mortal out the house next door, and showed a little of his strength….” I said this a little sheepishly.
“Well… I guess that’s probably the best out of a bad situation…. Nobody was killed. And if they are, it’s already confirmed it’ll be by their own people. Just come to my office with the parents when you get here. The children can stay in the guest rooms of the Center Tower.” He said with a sigh. “What a mess…. But you did the best you could.”
“I’ll be home in 25 minutes.”
“That’s fine…. Be safe. If they try to pull you over again, keep driving.” He said before hanging up.
“I apologize again for all this.” Said Mrs. Metters.
“No, they were looking for an excuse to do something like this.” Said Typhen. “I know their kind of people…. They Say they have good intentions, but they aren’t so good if they have no qualms with killing their own children.” He hissed, and it sounded like a snake. “Sorry. I’m still pissed they threw rocks at me.” Hissing was disrespectful in cultures where it was possible. It was considered rude, so I would reassure him no offense was taken.
“I imagine so, Father of Beasts.” That got their attention.
“That’s a little formal.” He said stiffly, though he did crack a small smile.
“What are you going to do with us.” Her oldest son blurted.
“I smell a bit of magic in your bones back there. I wouldn’t mind teaching you beast magic.” Said Typhen.
“You’re guests.” I said with a small smile. “My only wish is that I got there faster.”
“William’s been like that since we were children…,” Said Mrs. Metters. “It doesn’t help that our family and his family have feuded a while over property lines. The farms border each other.”
“Yes, and Alteer sent vampires to watch it.” I said seeing her smile a little.
That farm was of interest, because it was the main supply of the castle’s food. “Mr. Metters doesn’t have to deal with the locals. I imagine that everyone hates and distrusts him as it is, yet alone after they saw the marks.”
“Aye… William and the Tanners family especially. My father-in-law makes good enough, but not the crazy profit they think… Lord Yoltier pays us according to grain prices…. But nobody else wants to deal with us.”
“They cry you make profit yet deny fair competition. Sounds about right.” Said Typhen.
We pulled into the castle, and Zayde was waiting for me in the garage. He stood there, stern as a dragon, with Tinzaa at his right, and Echidnah at his left… When I got out the car, he walked briskly at me, and gave me a once over.
“Had a single scar been on my bride, I would have burned it all down myself.” He said looking at Typhen. “Thank you for saving the mortals, backlash or not.”
“I did as the mistress bid.” He said with a sneer. “I do not care what happens to them.”
With that he left. I could get it though… He was a proud man. In our world, his name brought fear and hesitation. People spoke to him as if they were talking to a great lord, yet in the human world, he’s just a legend. He’s a monster, misidentified as lower than what he really is… They spoke too boldly to him, and insulted him by throwing rocks….. They think he’s a vampire, but if they really knew the bear they poked, they would not be so bold…
And they disrespected me by threatening me, his mistress… He spoke with his mate as they were dismissed, and we went upstairs with the parents. They wanted their kids to come up as well, and we let them.
Alteer however wasn’t very pleased with us that children were in his office. “Don’t touch anything, and have a seat.” He said a little frustrated. With the snap of his fingers, more chairs appeared. “First off, welcome, House of Jekel.”
He shook their wrists. “What of my father?” Asked Mr. Metters.
“Guarded by my finest shadow walker demons.” Said Altter. “They will stay on the farm indefinitely. I can’t allow our foodstuffs affected by the tomfoolery of the humans. He’s always known, and we pay them good enough that they shouldn’t have overreacted like this. Now the Church is involved.”
“And what do you mean by ‘Jekel’?” Asked Mrs. Metters.
“The House of Jekel is an old house with many members. I don’t know which Jekel birthed your mother, but once I do, Mrs. Metters, they Will be punished. You hold magical power, as did your late mother. Not much… but enough that you should have been raised with US, not Them.” Said Alteer.
“Father send me to deal with them.” Hissed Zayde. He sounded like a beast at the moment, not a rational man….
“I can literally see your horns poking through your forehead. If That doesn’t start a *real* riot, nothing will.” Alteer rolled his eyes. “Father speaks with their Man King and the Holy Seat. There’s little I can do about what’s his name, William? If I kill him *right now* it will make *more* trouble.”
“You will be citizens of Yellow Diamond Coven as of today.” Said Zayde firmly. “With that comes protection for you and yours.”
“What about my girlfriend?” Asked the oldest child. It seemed out of all of them, he was the most outspoken of the children.
“Unfortunately, she is not marked, so whatever the town does is none of our concern.” Said Zayde. “I’ll at lease send one of my shadow demons to look into it.”
We could see multiple fires from the town from the tower…. His girlfriend’s house was probably one of them.
“I need to-” Alteer cut him off.
“You aren’t human, you’re a witch. If any of you set foot in that town, I know they will cull you immediately. Think about it. I heard one of their own little children was almost burned alive for Just Seeing his mark on your sister’s neck. Now imagine you head back there. How far will you get before they lay you on the ring?”
He stood there with white knuckles. “Why should she suffer because of me?”
“Because they said so.” Said Alteer.
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