The Taking of Times Daughter

This was not our home. At least not at first. But it was the closest thing we could find to sentient life in such a short amount of time. It was my fault, though. I made the final decision to eradicate what we once had and forced my Soul Kin to sacrifice herself to give us a way to escape, leaving her and everything behind. The nine of us tumbled through time and space and became scattered, separated but fortunate enough to find the same dimension. We became refugees in this new place, omnipotent and vulnerable. Yet, it was one of my Kin that found a way to ground our unstable forms and allow us to experience this world while giving us all a safe place to thrive. We could, and did, merge with some of the more unique and powerful beings. Our souls wrapped around their souls, becoming a part of their being, and sharing our powers with them. They welcomed us and like others of my Kin discovered before me, showed us this new world that was full of wonderful and hideous surprises. Through them, we found our anchors and we became their guardians, selfishly defending our hosts. It was more than that, though. We shared in their triumphs and losses. We felt every emotion and heartbeat. And, we had children. Children. Never in our old lives did we share in that bliss, we had no reason to, no urge. But our hosts conceived and bared and raised children with our energy in their veins too. We were bound by love and duty to imbue parts of ourselves into those children so they would flourish as their hosting parents were. But, I did not share in that joy when I looked upon the face of a child I knew I would give everything to. She was nothing like I had ever seen as she fell into my reach. A little soul without a body, shining with the light of a thousand stars. I loved her instantly and vowed to see her restored and allow them to grow with the powers that I possessed. But she was very young and my mistake was evident a little too late for me to take it all back. I merged with this little soul and something in her snapped and warped. And I, as her death flashed before me with a fury, snapped as well. This wasn't a beautiful place, with benign and supreme beings. They were just as violent and selfish as the people from our home world were. This little light was once a child, a destined deity of the forest and the fields. But evil stole it all away from her at such a young and fragile age. Murdered out of revenge and nothing more than that. A soul going through that level of trauma should not have been my immediate choice. And even as I merged with this little soul, listening to the crying and the begging for her mother, I knew I'd destroy again. Nothing would stop me from protecting this child. I could hear her mother screaming for her return, the heart-wrenching cries radiating through time and space, but it was me that found the child after it had all ended for her. Despite needing her mother's comfort she looked at me and stole my heart. I could feel her soul reaching inside me and squeezing with all her might. I couldn't untangle from her, and as she slowly ceased her tears and nestled into my core, I knew I never would. She is my little light. My Halo. -Angel- It was never about wanting her for myself, it was about keeping her from Ashe. That self-righteous prick of a brother. He would never get his hands on Halo or the new body she possessed. Time wasn't necessarily on my time but the knowledge of Halo's reincarnation was on my side. He would only connect the dots after I revealed the connection to him. I could practically hear his threats and pleas as I carved Halo out of her new body in front of him. Oh, Gods, it gave me far more pleasure than the long legs I found myself between now. I should be focusing on the woman beneath me but I could see nothing else but her, Ellionna. She was beautiful and radiated a naive curiosity, one that would lead her into my control. Honestly, if I knew what Halo's reincarnation would look like I might have stayed much closer. I suppose it doesn't matter anyway. She is still Halo no matter what name she carries or what body she grew within. The only thing that could rival my plans of snatching Ellionna out of Ashe's path would be killing her right in front of him. It was an electrifying thought but I had to wrench myself away from it so I could tune back into reality. I continued to pump inside of Phara, harder now that I brought myself back to what I had been doing. Phara's sharp green eyes fluttered open and stared at me with a look of ecstasy smudging her sharp, elven features. She was gasping and screaming out moans beneath me. Her high-pitched volume at which she bellowed had me wondering just how I was able to tolerate it. At the end of my last nerve, I grasped her neck and squeezed until she stopped being so loud. I only wanted to get off, not hear her perform. I watched her face redden and listened as her moaning breaths became strained beneath my grip. I was inundated with a rush of excitement upon seeing her start to panic and grasp at my arm. She was trying valiantly to relieve the pressure from her throat, eyes panicked and beseeching. I wanted to grip her so tight that she would stop breathing altogether but, fortunately for her, this was enough for me; I felt the build-up take me over the edge. I moved my hand from around her neck, leaving her teary-eyed and gasping for air. I bit down on her neck and released inside her, she didn't seem to realize it right away, not until the mess was more apparent to her. I was collecting my senses as she sighed angrily, she hated when I did that to her, but after tonight I would no longer have to appease her for the sake of a good f**k. I rolled off of her and stretched out on my back to catch my breath and slow my heart. Phara lay motionless and silent next to me, though I could sense her frustration. She didn’t dare speak up after the fight they just had, she needed to hold the peace or risk pushing me away completely. She loved me so damn much and if she lost me, even for a day, she would be utterly lost. So despite feeling disgusted and uneasy she kept quiet. I glanced over at her, eyed her pointy elven ears, and sighed in annoyance to myself. Elves were very pretty and highly in tune with their sexuality, but I couldn't get past those f*****g ears. It was too bad they turned me off so much, Phara was a great f**k and eager to please me in any way I wanted, even that threesome we had with a woman from the local tavern. Had she been human or anything else, really, I would keep her around longer. But I had plans that she did not fit into, Ellionna needed to come to trust me and follow me as far away from Ashe and her parents as I could get her. Phara would do nothing but hinder that, perhaps even sabotage it. And with my mentor's plans finally coming to a head, thanks to me, I could claim my payment very soon. Phara sensed me staring and looked over at me, I must have had that wayward gaze again, the one that she said chilled her to the bone. I was always staring and sometimes smirking to myself, but I never shared my thoughts with her no matter how much she pressed. She complained about how I looked as if I were constantly standing just out of reach, which only made her want to grab hold harder. "Do they have some sort of plastic surgery here?" I asked, feeling the need to divert my thoughts onto something other than my plots. I had still looked at her ears and they turned a shade of pink under my scrutiny. "Plastic surgery? What do you mean?" She frowned and blushed further, clearly confused. "You know, where they cut off parts of you that are ugly and reshape them into something pretty? Like, can they file down your ears or snip them?” I said with very little emotion or care to the growing shock on her pretty, exotic face. I could see her heart tighten as she felt the blow to her gut. Her deep brown eyes immediately welled up with tears, "why would you ask that?" I scowled at her before I scoffed and rolled his eyes at her, "never mind." I rolled over onto my side, my back facing her and giving clear signs that I was done with her emotions for the night. I hated nothing more than to see her cry, not because it hurt me but because it gnawed at my patience. She quickly got out of bed and headed for the bathroom, where she remained until I fell asleep. Truly, it was no skin off my back, I enjoyed the quiet as I prepped myself for tomorrow's first glimpse, and if all went as planned, an encounter with Ellionna, I was that much closer to my goal and closer to returning to my time; where indoor plumbing was a necessity not a luxury. Ellionna- I smoothed out the fabric of my knee-length dress the best I could. There were no wrinkles or blemishes to be seen on the powder blue, floral print fabric, its modest cut had been built around my body in delicate layers. It looked perfect and beautiful but it helped me stay in the moment. My nerves were jumping and it didn't help that my mother was rushing around like a doe searching for her young. She stopped my dad, fretted about something incoherently, and scowled at him once he smiled and patted her arm. He caught my gaze and beamed at me. His black hair had been tugged into a bun and the casual night suit topped off with a pleated tie bowing out across his upper chest. He shrugged at me once my mother stomped off and then he chased after her. My mother looked stunning despite her wild eyes. Her hair flew behind her in dark brown girls and peppered with tiny white flowers and a tiara of shimmering diamonds. Her dress was classy but cut to show her figure, something suited for her petite and mature frame. I twisted my foot back and forth, popping my heel in and out of the low heel shoe as I waited for my parents to finish preparing. Certainly, we were stretched for a time now, but my mother wanted, no, needed everything to look perfect on her. She was so beautiful as it was, I didn't understand why she fussed so much. But as my father already explained earlier in the day, she wanted to do everything she could to keep my grandfather impressed. He had leaned in toward me, resting his heavily ringed hand on my head, and reminded me that she was not like him or me. She wasn't of our blood and it was easy for people to fall out of favor with someone like my grandfather. It didn't quite occur to me that he could be anything but a laid-back and sometimes a stoic person, but he was never outwardly malicious when I would see him. Still, I had a feeling there was far more beneath the surface of him that he kept well under control. My mother called for me shortly after she and my father disappeared into the foyer. She sounded rushed and resolved to get this night over with. I shifted my foot back into my heels and followed her voice out until I was reaching out for her outstretched hand. She reached for me with one hand and drew me close to her. She glanced into my eyes for a moment and a familiar flash of apprehension flashed in her eyes. then focused on my lips, her right hand lifted a tube of soft rose lipstick and drew across the curves on my lips. I watched her with a form of detachment that always crept inside me whenever I was near her. I knew I loved her, she was kind and patient with me, but she hid something from me, anxious energy. I wanted to break the walls between us but every time I would reach out that look in her eyes made me flinch away from the idea. It killed me inside to see her almost repulsed by me, not out of disgust but perhaps in the way self-preservation makes you flinch away from a snake. Was I a snake to her? After my lips were carefully colored she stepped back and let a smile break out across her face. Her smile barely gave away how frazzled she was only moments ago and I found some comfort in her smile and let my feelings slip back down into the darkness. She loved me, I was being foolish for thinking that she was afraid of me. I was her daughter. I never harmed her and she never harmed me. Perhaps our rift was only caused by the unforgiving influxes of teenage hormones, something my father teased about when I lost my cool over nothing at all. I gave my mother a final look, trying to read her expression for any sign of fear but she only looked mildly nervous, an understandable emotion given the event we were going to be attending. A gathering of loyal House of Gremaldi members and family alike. Nothing more than a bonding event to strengthen our bonds with alliances. My grandfather insisted that we all be there this time, much to my mother's chagrin. I felt my father grab my hand and gave it a good squeeze before holding out a bowed arm to my mother, she wrapped her arm around his and licked her lips nervously. We took our respective breaths and I felt the rapid pull of space warp around us. A fuzzy, free-falling sensation took my breath away as the world blurred and bent in my sight. But just as it had started it had ended and we were standing on a pier lit up by hundreds of golden lights. People were already there, separated into chattering groups. Our arrival halted their conversations, however, and a sweeping bow proceeded through the crowds. My father offered me stability for my rattled nerves and gave the crowd respective head tilts. He led us into the crowd, his handsome, nonchalance set everyone at ease. He was as composed as ever and I tried to mimic his steady strength. He was so in control and I was bothered by everything. I could appear to be untouched too but on the inside, I was fidgety and nervous. I desperately wanted to be like him in times like this; effortlessly walking through a crowd of people that all recognized and acknowledge you. My breath faltered slightly once my grandfather approached with a confident smirk and a sharp, black suit, embroidered with gold. His presence was always felt before he was within reach. His arms opened to greet us as if we weren't walking through bowed individuals. His cheerful, and slightly playful expression eased my tension but it seemed to only increase my mother's, I could see her tremble out of the corner of my eye. "My boy!" He grasped my father into a bear hug and squeezed him relentlessly. I watched the spectacle, a little amused to see him so exuberant. He didn't seem to care that all eyes were on them once the guests straightened up and faced us. "I'm glad you decided to come." my grandfather stated and held my father out at arm's length. A bit puzzled and bemused himself, my father raised an eyebrow and smiled skeptically, "Quite the party for something casual. What are you up to?” My grandfather smirked and ignored his question. He looked over at my mother, his smirk taking on something a bit more sinister, " Aeris." My mother put on her most confident smile and nodded politely, "it's good to see you." Again he cut off any further communication and moved his eyes over to me. I met his deep brown eyes and saw a near clone of my father, minus a few exceptions like thinner, tighter lips, and shorter hair. This man was not the typical grandfather type. He looked as young as my father and probably just as fit. The only thing that gave his age away was the way his eyes showed. They were intense and yet filled with wisdom only donned by elders. The look of a man that's seen and experienced every joy and pitfall that life has to offer, but in the case of Gods, many times over. As untouchable and in control as my grandfather seemed to be he always carried the calculation of a wise man up to no good. And as he released my father and reached out to me for a gentle hug I could see a glint of mischief rise in his black eyes, "Ah," he breathed, "little light." His words were merely a whisper in my loose hair. I smiled and squeezed him just a little tighter. "I've missed you the most." He pulled away and planted a kiss on my forehead. My eyes closed to the warmth he emanated. He may have put my mother on edge but he flooded me with calmness and a sense of belonging that I struggled with despite the unending love from my mother. When my eyes opened again I returned his grin and matched his chuckle with a giggle, "I missed you too, grandfather." He winked and then stepped back to take us all in as a whole and clasped his hands together in satisfaction, "Come, our boat is waiting." Taking my father's hand again we filed in line and moved across a dock to a large, floating palace. The boat looked as if it had been chiseled out of the finest wood, sporting dual hulls held together seamlessly by two stories of decks and cabins. The upper cabin clearly smaller and meant for the crew and observation floors. And all around the decks were lined with gold beams and strings of lights. I was awestruck as my father helped my mother and me aboard the boat. The whole stern section was one, large floor with descending and ascending stairs on opposite sides of the floor. the defending stairs seemed to go off to lower decks that bobbled just above the water. It looked ready for swimmers and small boats alike. And nestled between twin ascending stairs was a large counter with a full spread of hors d'oeuvres and fluted glasses filled with different shades of liquid. My father looked at me with a smirk and squeezed my hand, pulling me out of my wonder, "Your grandfather sure loves to impress." His hand waved over at a string band that started up almost on queue to his hand. I nodded with amusement and scanned the faces of the other guests, rounding sixty or more people. They all shared the same wonder that I had. Their smiles matched the golden lights draped across the beams, "Is this his?” I asked though the answer was obvious by my grandfather's prideful grin, clear to me despite being well ahead of us. He sighed, " yeah, all his. I think he had it made eighty or so years ago. Lots of secrets on this boat." "Secrets?” I asked, looking at him for more of an explanation. But his eyebrows only raised and his smile told me he wasn't going to share. I knew that look well and I smiled sheepishly. "Why don't you get some food. I'm going to go break the ice between your mother and grandfather." I nodded and glanced at my nervous mother before we went our separate ways. I moved between the familiar faces and smiled politely at their respectful head bows. This behavior from others was nothing new but it still made my heart flutter with a sense of bashfulness. My father's title was technically king, but he was not a normal king of a parcel of land. We were the royal family of the underworld. My father took his throne shortly before I was born, his explanation didn't make much sense to me then, but he said that he did it out of a sense of duty to me. He wanted to keep me safe and there could be no safer place than on a parallel plain of existence and legions of demons at his disposal. I had to give it to him for thoroughness. Those were some of the faces I saw in the crowd as I weaved through, high-ranking demons that served my father with their lives. I wish I could tell you that they were monstrous and scary with malicious intent in their eyes but this wasn't entirely true. They were strong and fiercely determined when they had a goal in mind, self-serving and sometimes corrupt as it were. But they were also subdued and calculating to the point of having respect for others. Most of them understood the importance of allegiance and hierarchy. It was rare, at least in times of peace, for in-fighting to occur. My father offered that peace to them; by claiming his throne he gave a stable and steady hand to the factions within the demon world. They yearned for stability, despite what most think, and they grew all the more powerful for it. It was these beings that recognized me and I them. There were a few faces that I didn't recognize and paid them no mind once I reached the beautifully ornate display of food. Fruits, meats, vegetables, breads, and spreads swept over the table on silver platers that shimmered with free-floating fairy lights. I selected my favorites with a small amount of glee on my lips. With my plate full and a satisfied smile, I turned away from the table and took a single step before a shadow loomed over me. I was startled and barely managed to save my plate from crashing onto the wooden floor. Soft, masculine cologne wrapped around my senses, and I looked up wide-eyed to a man mere inches away from me.