Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Monkey Wrench ❯ Invitations ( Chapter 18 )

Friday, January 14th, 2005

 

1:01 p.m. EST

 

Uig's Hunt Farm

 

Gage waited anxiously as he completed the demon's summoning sign with his fingertips. He'd always thought something should happen afterwards, like a bolt of lightening, but no, nothing of substance happened until a few minutes later.

 

There was a loud, abrupt knock on his office door.

 

“Come in,” he called.

 

The heavy oak door swung open to reveal a tall, black, lizard skinned demon with piercing yellow eyes that lacked pupils, clutching a magnolia branch in his hand. It seemed Mastema had answered his summons.

 

Gage nodded in the demon's direction and rose up from his seat to greet him properly.

 

“Thank you for coming Mastema, I know how busy you are with the new recruits and all.”

 

Mastema responded with glowing yellow eyes narrowed in question, “It is most unusual to be summoned by the Uig Alpha and not his Beta Guard Rowan. I came as quickly as I could. What is the matter, Gage?”

 

Gage sighed loudly as he leaned against the side of a nearby bookshelf, he wondered where to begin.

 

“I'll get right to the point. I'm aware that Rowan's told you about his suspicions of Darastus and I'm sure you've heard about the recent IDPC inquiry. Problem is, Rowan and his team haven't come back from their mission to Gaea. Alden's been working on the portal non-stop and so far, nothing. I called for you because I know Seraphiel has something to do with this. Rowan told me before he left that you had recently formed a pact with the High Prince.”

 

“Yes, I did,” Mastema acknowledged in his harsh, gravely voice, “We decided it was high time to exchange information regarding Earth matters, considering our shared interest in this dimension. But what in the seven hells is Rowan doing in Gaea with the IDPC?”

 

“Seraphiel requested he head the investigation.”

 

“That's ridiculous,” the demon exclaimed, “Why would Alden agree to it, Rowan has no expertise in magicks?”

 

Gage was pointedly angry now, “The High Prince HiHcalled in some favors to the Council and the next thing I know, my Beta Guard is heading a prestigious IDPC exploratory team to Gaea. Tell me that doesn't reek of a set up?”

 

Mastema was contemplative, “More importantly, why did Rowan agree? Wasn't he assigned to guard his human charge at the time?”

 

Gage shook his head, not wanting to go into what happened to Rowan's “charge” as a result of his absence.

 

“Yes, but after speaking privately with Seraphiel he decided to go. I was told he wouldn't be gone more than a few hours.”

 

After a few moments of silence, Mastema walked closer to him.

 

“What have you summoned me for Gage?”

 

The Alpha approached his request delicately, “I need someone to investigate Seraphiel and figure out what he's doing for Darastus. I need someone who can get into Strata and not arouse suspicion. Seraphiel will not suspect you are gathering information to benefit Rowan.”

 

Mastema was quiet momentarily, “True, very few people know of my connection with Rowan but I doubt Seraphiel will appreciate my interest in his motivations nonetheless. I'll have to go about this my way, Alpha.”

 

Gage understood.

 

“Do whatever you deem is necessary, Mastema. I can't shake this feeling that Seraphiel is a key player in all this. If we can get to him, we can get to Rowan.”

 

Mastema nodded in finality to Gage as he brandished his magnolia branch and turned toward the door.

 

Just before exiting he stated, “Rowan was foolish to trust the angel.”

 

Gage couldn't have agreed more.

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Thursday, January 20th, 2005

 

10:00 p.m. EST

 

Milford, DE

 

Nikolai's House

 

The Thompson girl was alert and no longer comatose in the wake of the restorative healing sleep. It made this last and final act much more cumbersome and dramatic than if they had performed it three days ago, but Nikolai had insisted she be conscious and fully cured. The spell would not be any more difficult to perform now but what needed to occur after was going to be met with great resistance on the part of the little druid.

 

Darastus was not particularly concerned for too long however, he was finally getting closer to his prize.

 

The spell was a simple one; created ages ago and not much had changed since its inception, a slight tweaking of the magical health properties to reflect modern times but other than that, fundamentally the same. It was really just an insurance policy on Darastus' part, he wasn't taking any chances. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity granted to him a second time and he wasn't about to let the spoils slip through his hands again.

 

Pulled from his thoughts by the presence of Nikolai outside the girl's door, Darastus made his way to the increasingly robust Russian werewolf.

 

“I think she's ready,” Nikolai stated, looking rather nervous and sweaty.

 

Darastus couldn't help but smirk, “Of that I have no doubt, but I'd say you look most uncomfortable.”

 

Nikolai hissed through his teeth, “I can't believe I agreed to do this. I feel dirty and ashamed.”

 

Trying with all his might not to roll his eyes in annoyance, Darastus sighed loudly. Nikolai had no qualms whatsoever about fusing a human's heart to his own in order to prolong his life but when it came to something like this, he balked.

 

“I'll be a few minutes with the girl if you want to wait outside and um, collect yourself. The spell will have no affect on her mentally and she'll retain all of her physical functions. Would you like me to perform a mute lassitude incantation before I leave? I really do think it will help?” Darastus asked quietly.

 

Nikolai stared at the floor for several moments pondering the alternatives, Darastus assumed. It really didn't matter to him, but at least he wouldn't have to put up with the girl's incessant screaming.

 

Looking up at him with appropriate reluctance, Nikolai nodded his head once, “Yes, a strong one.”

 

Darastus gave the lupinara one last lingering gaze and walked through the bedroom door.

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Theryn's Room

 

I sat up abruptly when I heard the door open and was met with a sight I did not want to see. Darastus was tip toeing into the room and that usually meant I was about to be the next recipient of some magic voodoo from hell.

 

Unfortunately, I had to admit I felt amazing after I had woken from my six day slumber and was no longer having trouble breathing. I was out of bed and dressed in normal (borrowed) clothes for the first time since I came here. My new room upstairs was in fact, very light and open. It was in the Victorian turret part of the house. Nikolai had been visiting me off and on and once and while three other human looking guys would pop their heads in during the day but I didn't know who they were.

 

Right now my attention was on the creepy vampire making his way toward me.

 

“Good evening Theryn. I'm just stopping in to recite one final healing spell and then I'll be on my way.”

 

“I don't want any more magic,” I said frustrated, “Haven't you people heard of Tylenol? There's nothing wrong with a little aspirin here and there. Anyway, I don't need it; I'm fine…feeling great in fact.”

 

Darastus smiled darkly at me, those thin lips twisting malevolently.

 

He raised those long, yellow nailed hands and made a reaching motion toward my throat. Next thing I knew I couldn't speak or utter a sound. In the next second I was whisked into air, and deposited swiftly on the bed.

 

I made to get up immediately but just as I was crawling off the side of the enormous canopied structure I felt all the muscles in my body go weak and I slumped to the floor in a heap of lethargic despair.

 

Darastus slowly walked over to me and since I was face down on the hardwood floor I was thankfully spared a close up of his waxy face when he motioned with his hands and spirited me off the ground like I weighed nothing. He was surprisingly gentle as he placed me face up on the bed.

 

It wasn't that I couldn't move, I could, but barely, like I was swimming in the thickest molasses ever created. I also couldn't make a sound, not the tiniest peep. My mouth was open in a silent scream but nothing came out.

 

“I was hoping to wait until afterward to perform that incantation, but your lack of cooperation required I do it early. Now sit back, we have that last spell to do,” Darastus informed.

 

My eyes grew wide as saucers as the vampire took out a glass vial filled with what looked like dirt. He was speaking in some language I didn't understand. That syrup spell he did was making me stupid; it was like I couldn't get anxious because even my nerves were slow.

 

Darastus spilled the contents of the vial into his palm and not long after it transformed into this glowing blue ball of light that engulfed his entire hand. It just sat there like a soap bubble waiting to blown in the breeze.

 

Oddly enough, that's just what he did, he blew on the bubble and it floated over and hovered about a foot above me. I did not like this mini UFO making its presence so close to me and tried my damnedest to roll off the bed. All I accomplished was slightly raising my chest up and that glowing orb took it as a provocation because it slowly lowered itself onto my belly and then to my horror, began sinking into me.

 

It felt like warm sunshine had spread throughout my entire body and then seconds later, nothing.

 

“I'll be taking my leave of you now. Nikolai will come back in momentarily. Be well, Theryn.”

 

I tried to narrow my eyes in anger, but all I had managed by the time he turned around was a half-hearted squint.

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The Hallway

 

“Is it done?” Nikolai asked.

 

Darastus nodded in confirmation.

 

“How can you be sure it took?”

 

The vampire seemed confused, “The spell accepted her invitation.”

 

Nikolai was flummoxed, “She invited it?!”

 

“Of course not knowingly,” Darastus chided, “She made a move in its general direction and the spell did the rest. You're forgetting the catalyst energy was made specifically for her, with spirits from the land of the fey, it didn't need much convincing.”

 

Nikolai was placated, “All right, you may go.”

 

Darastus made as if to say something to him before he left, but the tall ancient mage turned and walked down the steps leaving him alone upstairs.

 

It was time to pay his debt.

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Theryn's Room

 

I was still wondering what the hell was going on when the door opened again. Nikolai walked in, but stopped to turn off all the lamps in the room. It was now very, very dark, not pitch black but dark enough that I would have run into things, that is if I could get up and run.

 

“The spell's lethargy and muted voice you're experiencing will wear off in a few hours,” Nikolai spoke softly.

 

Great, I thought. Good thing I'm stuck here with you indefinitely, couldn't ask for better company.

 

I heard footsteps coming closer to the bed. Nikolai was acting strange again. He'd been oddly personable earlier today after I'd woken from the coma but now he was back to his old self, creepy, and strangely pleading.

 

“Remember when I told you we still had to pay our debt?” he whispered.

 

I wanted to scream, “Hell yeah!” I remember. Hours on end lying in bed contemplating what on Earth kind of debt a crazy Russian werewolf and a kidnapped human girl had to pay was one of my favorite pastimes at Chez Nikolai.

 

He must have taken my lack of response for an acknowledgement because he continued, “Please forgive me for what I must do. It is the only way.”

 

Fear struck me hard and fast and my nerves must have recovered more quickly than the rest of me because they were definitely fired up. I was more anxious than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs and Nikolai's sudden turn for the worse wasn't helping matters.

 

I felt his hand on my hair just then, softly stroking it like a beloved pet. I was stupidly glad I was able to shampoo earlier today and then scolded myself for thinking about greasy hair at a time like this. Just what did Nikolai mean when he said forgive him for what he must do?

 

I had my answer when my loose black sweatpants were tugged off my hips and my tank top was lifted over my head. Next came my bra and underwear and there I lay, naked, completely motionless, at the mercy of the scariest double fanged lupinara the world had ever known.

 

I knew then what was going to happen. Later I would be comforted by the fact the paralysis spell did not stop me from crying.

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11:45 p.m. EST

 

Nikolai's House

 

Nikolai scrubbed harshly at himself in the shower, wanting to wash away the shame and self-loathing. It was one thing to talk abstractly about what he had done, but to actually do it? He'd done many awful things in his life, but this was the lowest. He wouldn't be able to look Theryn in the face ever again.

 

All this for what…a greater chance at freedom? Could he do what Darastus expected of him when the time came? Was he even capable of such evil? Nikolai decided he wasn't going to wait to find out. He'd play along with the vampire, for now. What he'd help to create would be far too precious to hand over to Darastus however. The vampire wouldn't live to see it. Not if he could help it.

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Friday, January 21st, 2005

 

8:30 p.m. EST

 

Milford, DE

 

Nikolai's House

 

Darastus and Nikolai stared at the glass bowl full of Theryn's blood. Calvin had retrieved it from her earlier, as she was not wont to deal with either of them these days.

 

“So this will tell us definitely?” Nikolai asked woefully.

 

Darastus grew tired of the lupinara's guilt ridden conscious. Nikolai did what he had to do in order to get the results they needed, end of story. Why the wolf felt this ghastly remorse was beyond him, but Darastus honestly no longer cared.

 

“Yes, we'll have complete confirmation with this one test, now if you'll excuse me I'll go get the ingredients.”

 

Darastus and Nikolai both knew this test was somewhat different from the standard test because it was authenticating something most others were not looking for, in this case, ancestry.

 

He added the necessary ingredients and then held the final two in both hands, “All right, now just a pinch of dirt and a bead of mercury…”

 

Both vampire and werewolf watched as the blood turned a vibrant violet blue, just as they had hoped. Nikolai was visibly relieved and Darastus was as close to ecstatic as he'd ever been.

 

“Well Nikolai, seems we finally got it. A rare prize indeed,” Darastus exclaimed.

 

The lupinara smiled slowly and quietly left the basement, surely to collect his thoughts. Darastus was not surprised; it was a lot for the wolf to digest now that their plans had become a reality.

 

The test of Theryn's blood had shown her to be pregnant with a strong druid/lupinara child; it seems Nikolai's regrettable actions last week had paid off. In nine months Darastus would finally have what he sought, for this was the debt Nikolai had to pay.

 

When the child is born in mid October, Darastus would take it with him, his prize for saving Nikolai from the brink of insanity. He'd asked for the child in exchange for the wolf's freedom, simply really, a fair trade indeed.

 

Darastus stared at the glass bowl of sapphire liquid and grinned. This time he would prevail.

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Friday, January 22nd, 2005

 

3:00 p.m. EST

 

Uig's Hunt Farm

 

Dom flopped down on the cushy, overstuffed feather mattress bubbling up from his bed, the picture of dramatic exhaustion. He had been working non-stop ever since Theryn had been captured and still they hadn't found her. The Uig Pack had never experienced failure like this in its entire long and storied history. Right now, in this unusual moment of reprieve, he felt lost and unworthy.

 

Blowing an errant feather higher into the air, Dom couldn't help but go over and over in his head the steps he had taken in the past nine days. Gage had become so worried over Rowan's inopportune vanishing act that he'd made him the lead investigator of Theryn's disappearance. Unfortunately, Dom wasn't used to failure. He and his team had left no stone unturned.

 

They had called in spell casters, of both the light and dark variety, to help them deal with Darastus's ancient magic tricks and so far, nothing. They had requested assistance from the closest neighboring wolf pack, the Maywick from Ohio, in tracking and reconnaissance, and again, nothing. They'd even allowed the continuing presence of a human female to roam the halls of their home, hoping Lisa's constant questioning might lead to something important, and that had done little more than give Dom a permanent headache.

 

Dom knew that with each passing day the chances of never finding Theryn grew exponentially. As long as Rowan was stuck in Gaea, for he was truly the only one who could find her implicitly, Theryn was a good as gone, forever.

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3:30 p.m. EST

 

Uig's Hunt Farm

 

Lisa flew up the steps to the front door like a woman on a mission, and boy was she ever. How in the hell could they have missed something like this, all the signs were there, and surely Rowan wouldn't have let an opportunity like that slip out from under him. Lisa had always known Theryn as her clueless and naïve best friend, and who better to have obliviously ignored the obvious than her. Where in the hell was that weasel Dom?

 

She was looking for him because she'd just discovered something crucial. Taking a half day off from work today, Lisa had driven over to Theryn's apartment to see if there was anything she might have overlooked, some sign or clue as where Theryn had been taken. While taking a quick peek inside the bedroom and ashamedly wondering if it was kosher to borrow a kidnapped friend's new Puma sneakers to complete her latest outfit, she'd come across a black leather bound book sitting on the night stand.

 

Lo and behold it was an entire comprehensive textbook detailing a wide breadth of werewolf behavior. Turned out, this little volume of The Modern World of Lycanthropy had been very informative and potentially the answer to their roadblock in finding Theryn.

 

Making a quick cursory knock on the office door, Lisa turned the knob whisked open the door in a fairly good imitation of Kramer from Seinfeld, stumbling into the room in her haste. However, her frenzied greeting was met with an empty room.

 

“Hello?” she called out.

 

Nobody answered. This was weird, every time she'd come to the wolf farm, as she called it, Dom or Gage had been in this office doing something, either barking orders into a cell phone or pouring over maps of the Seaford woods where Theryn was taken, or the third most likely thing, eating large portions of food from a tray dropped off by the cafeteria lady.

 

As she walked out of the office she came across an excited looking girl with bleached blonde hair and mounds of garish, and obviously cheap, makeup adorning her face.

 

“Excuse me,” Lisa asked politely, “Can you tell me where I can find Dom?”

 

The girl seemed visibly shaken from her daydream and then gave Lisa the once over. Oh please, Lisa thought, this little carnival reject couldn't possibly appreciate her lovely Christian Lacroix ensemble; she'd probably didn't even know how to pronounce “haute couture.”

 

Violently smacking bright pink bubblegum, the girl responded, “I thought I saw him like, walking upstairs a while ago.”

 

Great, she was already making a run up the stairs when the blonde girl called out.

 

“Hey wait!” as she wrinkled her forehead in an overwrought imitation of heavy thinking, “Are you like, related to Seth Thompson too?”

 

Lisa had expected this, every other werewolf she'd run into had thought her a Thompson family member because of her human status, well that and because she was allowed in the Uig Pack stronghold. She may not be blood related, but Seth was like a little brother to her.

 

Lisa needed to get to Dom, so she made her way up the steps and turned around to answer the girl's question.

 

“Nope, just a good friend.”

 

Her curly hair flying about her face as she ran up the steps, Lisa didn't linger to see the girl's reaction as she searched for Dom on the second level. After aimlessly walking around for another ten minutes, lost amid the maze of corridors and dead ends, Lisa decided to call Dom's cell phone.

 

It rang and rang and as the multiple voice mail prompts accumulated, Lisa's anger began to boil. Finally, just as she was about to explode, she heard the ringing of a phone off in the distance and followed it until she came to a door marked with nothing but an ornate glass handle. Deciding that this must be his room, she bit the bullet and marched through the door.

 

What she found made her nearly fall down laughing. Dom was laying spread eagled on a recently puffed up bed, surrounded by a wall of cotton feather mattress. Errant little white plumes had landed all over his unruly dark curls and rumpled black wool pants. The best though, the absolute most hilarious part of the picture, was the bed. It was a huge canopied thing, the kind little girls dream about having when they still believe princesses are cool.

 

Huge, giant swaths of gauzy fabric cascaded down from the top canopy to spill onto a puddle at the floor. Lisa thought the whole effect would be downright practical if Dom were sleeping outside in a swamp, mosquitoes were no match for such a proliferation of netting. After getting over the monstrous bed however, Lisa found the rest of the room to be tastefully decorated in the currently fashionable modern contemporary design. It fit Dom perfectly.

 

Enough snickering over the linens, it was time to wake up sleeping beauty. Lisa found the best way to rouse a person in this deep a sleep was to pounce on them full force and watch in amusement as they try to catch their breath. This was gonna be fun.

 

Placing the book on the floor, with a running start, Lisa hurled herself into the air and landed perfectly inside the wall of feathers on the unsuspecting Dom. Unfortunately for her, she had forgotten to take into account lupinara senses and instead of laughing in mischievous amusement at her target's disrupted slumber, she ended up face down in the rather strong and unrelenting hold of one Dom Marsetti.

 

He spoke in her ear harshly, “What are you doing here?”

 

Trying to speak around a mouthful of feather mattress, Lisa answered, “Um, wake you up.”

 

Dom was angry, and he squeezed her wrists tighter as he said, “You're lucky I recognized your scent, I could have easily killed you.”

 

Lisa was perplexed, “What?”

 

“You never try to surprise a sleeping lupinara, you idiot. It's like poking a grizzly bear with a stick.”

 

“Oh,” Lisa responded, slightly unnerved, “You think you could let me up, now that you know I'm not the enemy.”

 

Dom still had her wrists in his hand. He seemed to realize their positioning and quickly jumped off her like she'd suddenly turned into a giant smoking spud and he was playing a game of full body contact hot potato. She amused herself with that mental image for a moment.

 

“So are you going to lay there all day or do I get to find out what's so important that you risked certain death by barging in uninvited and interrupting my much needed slumber?”

 

Rolling her eyes theatrically, Lisa whirled around, her full knee length skirt creeping up nearly to her waist, and pointed at the book on Dom's floor.

 

“I discovered something that will help us find Theryn.”

 

Dom looked over at the book; he seemed perturbed as he asked “Where'd you get a copy of that?”

 

“I went over to Lisa's apartment; you know to see if we'd missed any clues from before. While I was searching, I found that on her nightstand and read it cover to cover. Very interesting read might I add. Anyway, there was this chapter on permanent scent imprints and I thought--”

 

Dom was seething, “You shouldn't have read that, it's not for humans to know about--”

 

Lisa cut in, “But Theryn had a copy, and she's human last time I checked.”

 

Dom wasn't to be reasoned with, “It was so she could learn more about what her brother was going through, what her family would be dealing with. It wasn't so random humans could start reading about our most precious of abilities--”

 

“That permanent scent thing is a big deal huh? That's what I thought. Here's the thing, I betcha my favorite pair of Jimmy Choos that Rowan pulled that scent imprint on Theryn and once he's back, he'll find her lickety split. You guys didn't think he'd done it, did ya, or you'd have high-tailed his ass over here by now. But I know the look he was giving Theryn, and werewolf or man, mate or no mate, he's got that imprint on her.”

 

Lisa beamed at Dom like she'd just figured out the secret to cold fusion and handed him the plans. Surely this was what they had missed. Dom and Gage didn't know anything about how Rowan looked at Theryn. They didn't see how he acted around her in public; she had and therefore knew in her heart that Rowan had Theryn's scent in his head, permanently. Now it was just a matter of getting a hold of Rowan…

 

“You're right, he does. But that doesn't solve our problem,” Dom said flatly.

 

Lisa snapped her neck up and cut her eyes at him, how dare he undermine her idea.

 

“Ah ha, I knew I was right and I think you're missing something here Swifty. He can smell her out from anywhere, hell he can probably just track her from where he is now. All you guys have to do is your little wolf call thing, I don't know, howl at the moon or something--”

 

Openly frustrated, Dom interrupted her tirade, “It's not that simple. We can't contact Rowan.”

 

She was really confused now, “What? Is there no cell phone coverage where he is? Send a letter, get a messenger, hire a sky writer, I don't care, just let him know Theryn's been kidnapped.”

 

Dom got up and walked to his window. He seemed to be struggling with something; Lisa could practically see the wheels turning in his head. He sighed and looked at her, searching her face, and taking in the bedraggled sight of her surrounded by the mountainous feather bed.

 

“Rowan's unreachable because he's in another dimension.”

 

Huh? Another dimension? What was Dom talking about, this wasn't Quantum Leap?

 

“Are you telling me there's another dimension?”

 

“No, I'm telling you there are hundreds of other dimensions, some we haven't even discovered yet and Rowan is on a particularly difficult one.”

 

Okay, so there's a bunch of dimensions. Hey, if the world could accept the fact that Were-creatures, vampires and the fey existed, Lisa could accept a little tweaking on the precepts of space and time.

 

“I take it you can't communicate from one dimension to another?”

 

“Actually, yes you can, but there have been complications…”

 

Lisa was in full investigative mode now, “Care to enlighten me?”

 

So it was a few hours later that Lisa was finally told the whole story. Not only about dimensions and the existence of angels, demons, and other interesting creatures not revealed at the Unveiling, but about Gaea, the vampire Darastus, the double fanged lupinara Nikolai, the angel Seraphiel, and the fact that her best friend was packing some pretty potent blood of the fey.

 

Things suddenly seemed a whole lot worse.

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Sunday, January 25th 2005

 

12:00 a.m. EST

 

Uig's Hunt Farm (the northwestern woods)

 

Meghan was so incredibly angry she couldn't see straight, the love spell hadn't worked. She'd waited until the night before the full moon like Darastus had told her. Last night she'd trudged up to the far corner of the Pack's property and completed the ritual to the letter. Rowan should have been here by now; he should have used any means necessary to be by her side.

 

It wasn't that the spell was wrong, Darastus had made a blood promise it was the real thing. She knew enough to get that out of the slimy vampire, otherwise he could have given her any old magic charm and she'd have been none the wiser.

 

There was only one thing that could stop a love spell a strong as this from working. That little human bitch would have to pay.

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12:00 a.m. EST

 

Uig's Hunt Farm (the southeastern fields)

 

Gage watched warily as Seth Thompson completed his first lupinara transformation and it seems he was indeed a true lupinara for no mere lupus could ever wield the double fang. Nikolai had passed on the rare but enigmatic gift to his created progeny.

 

He made a magnificent wolf. Seth had pure midnight black hair that blended in with the surrounding night so perfectly a human would have seen little more than a pair of disembodied silvery blue eyes floating through the air. The double fangs glittered menacingly over his lower jaw and he could have stricken quite the intimidating pose if he wasn't jumping and lolling around like a puppy.

 

Gage had to remind himself that seeing adult lupinaras in their first change was an anomaly, so of course Seth would be just getting use to his newfound body. Katie had agreed to change to her lupinara form to help Seth on his first night's hunt. Gage watched sullenly as the two great beasts, one a ginger red, the other an opaque black, loped across the field into the woods.

 

He realized he had not changed since the last full moon and decided it was high time he did so. The night air and a good run would do him a great deal of good. With a flourish of anticipation, Gage embraced the inexpressible feeling of the change and left behind his worldly worries, if only for a few hours.

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The Gaea Dimension

 

Meliora closed her eyes again, but this time only to sleep. She knew her communications would never reach the Earth dimension, as the shields were too strong for her to penetrate. She had a feeling Rowan and Edgar knew this too.

 

Both of the lupinaras had taken to separate tents and it seemed everyone on the team had felt Rowan's increasing anger. Of course nobody wanted to stay on Gaea for the entire eight months but it seemed to her, they were lucky to get home at all. Never before had there been a glitch like this in IDPC protocol, surely greater safety measures would be taken after an incident like this.

 

Most of the people on the team were scholars and had long given up on trying to get home and made the decision to pursue research. In fact, many of them were secretly glad their stay had been extended, not minding the bit of Earth time lost in the least. Meliora would never tell Rowan that of course, he'd likely bite her head off or something equally appropriate for a Pack werewolf.

 

She couldn't understand why somebody like him was made team leader anyway. None of this made sense, from Rowan's investigative authority to the portals falling apart. She got the feeling this whole expedition had been orchestrated on a whim.

 

Sleep found her before she could think any further on the subject. She hadn't been this exhausted since the war.