Lord Vandergrift Awakened

Chapter2

Lord Vandergrift Awakened

Lynn Marie

Chapter 2

Kate’s POV

Em begins passing plates to me over the bar, and I turn to carry them out to the back patio. Taniyn and Stephaun enter to assist me, accepting this and the next round of plates. I collect the last few, and Emmarie smacks my butt as she follows behind me. I grin over my shoulder at her; playfully sticking my butt out and shaking it for her. She giggles as she palms and squeezes my right ass cheek.

We take our seats at the table, joining the others already talking amongst themselves. “Nothing exciting ever really happens; they just argue over every detail of every imagined scenario… Oh! I saw Jewel this morning. She’s accepted Harsith, the lycan! Stephaun is placing them in a bubble with access outside.”, Tessa tells us excitedly.

“A shield, starlet; not a bubble.”, Stephaun chuckles heartily, Taniyn just grins at her as she continues. “Same thing. I don’t know how long it takes in there, but Stephaun is going to have them back in the morning.”

Stephaun blushes and chuckles before explaining. “I am going to slow their time, starlet. It will last just over a week; which will be overnight for us. When you see Jewel tomorrow, she will be lycan also; just as Lady Charlotte.”

“Lycans are fascinating…”, Emmarie comments, taking a roll from the tray in the center. “Taniyn, dragonian are a lycan breed, yes?”

“Yes, Em. We are lycanthropes. We just have similar gifts to those in the magical community.”, Taniyn answers.

Em hums, dipping the roll in the juices of her meal. “So... why hasn’t Kirsten turned into a dragon?” Kirsten chokes on her drink, then breaks out in giggles. Em smiles, flushing slightly. Her pink cheeks become near the shade of her hair. I grin and squeeze her thigh to let her know it’s okay. She didn’t say anything wrong.

Taniyn’s smile never wavers, he’s not offended by Em. “Dragonian and reptilian marks grant both our power and strength, while we take nothing from her. Other lycan marks, the lycan infects its mate to force compatibility; and all power and strength is shared between them. In all lycan breeds, transitioning by power, or physically, it is painful for the one accepting.”

Emmarie smiles, hesitantly asking, “Reptilian… are Cerberus?”

Taniyn bows his head slightly, “Yes. The Heads of Cerberus are reptilian.”

“Speaking of…”, Stephaun holds his hand up turning to reach in the satchel he has placed on the floor. He pulls out a two-inch leather-bound journal. “I spoke with Cain briefly about elementals that have lost their power, but still feel it. Perhaps we can find something there.”

“Is it specific to elementals no longer in the body they were born to?”, Taniyn asks accepting the journal. Kirsten is also fae water elemental… originally. Stephaun used his demonic power to rescue her soul from her failing body. She retained life, but lost her power. I can only imagine how difficult that must be for her; to lose such a large part of yourself.

“I’m not sure. I didn’t divulge much, as you’ve asked it to remain quiet. Too much information would make it quite easy for him to pinpoint the cause for question.”, Stephaun answers. “He may know more, if he knew it were related to demonic transfer. Cain is quite experienced on the subject. He and his father were notorious when I was a boy. Cain wasn’t always the… most pleasant of company for many centuries. His father was killed, and he lost his mind. Then Luka hunted him, and it didn’t take long for Cain to turn and face him.” He pauses, staring off for a moment. “Luka and his father stayed very close, at that time. Luka was under the protection of the coven, until he created his own with Cerberus. Luka reached Cain in a way no one else ever really had.”

“Be that as it may, we’ve just struck them with some disturbing news from soothsayers. Cain will be tracking demon with almost all of his spare time, for something none of us even know for certain will happen. I’m sure he’s annoyed with that as it is. I’m also concerned about too many people knowing about Kirsten.”

“Why?”, Em asks and pauses. “You don’t have to answer. I just… wondered why it had to be so secretive.”

“It would jeopardize ever finding the answer. There is no shortage of people that would want Stephaun and I dead; for different reasons, mind you. They might kill Kirsten with the supposed cure. We don’t know what her death would do to Stephaun; it would certainly kill me.”, Taniyn explains patiently. He’s always patient and calm with Em. I don’t think she has the ability to displease or anger him.

Stephaun speaks between bites, “They claim to be lawless, Em, but they are not. Cerberus are honorable men and do not attack unprovoked.”

“Stephaun is far more certain of that than I am.” Taniyn turns to look at Stephaun, who simply lifts a brow and shoots back a sideways glance.

“Could I just give her more power directly? She said she feels it more when she’s used my clay. If she feels her power, it must be there, right?”

Stephaun purses his lips, “I don’t have the power to transfer gifts. I’m not sure what she feels, but it cannot be any usable form of her power. You are a charge, little Em, but not one that can make hers emerge.”

I lean forward, setting my fork on the table, “Who would, Stephaun? What creatures are capable of transferring power from one to the other. There must be someone or something out there that is capable of that, just as you are of moving her soul. What creature would that be?”

He searches my eyes for a moment, then looks down at the table. I can see him pouring through all he knows; trying to think of a creature capable.

“A combination…”, he says softly. His eyes searching over his plate, like it may be written there; before looking up at me. “The right combination. No individual creature is capable, but the right combination of different species… that’s it.” He stands suddenly. “Wait here, starlet. I’ll not be far nor long.”, he assures her before disappearing in a flash of light.

I look over at Taniyn. “A combination…”, he repeats, testing those words.

Stephaun startles us all as he reappears, dropping arm loads of books on the table. The plates and dishes all clatter from the sudden weight and vibration. “In the days of Yasura, there was a spurt of Enchantress seeking immortality. We are looking for anything referencing the Enchantress that sought what will be called duo-motion. There was never any evidence that I've seen; but the rumor was that they’d take another Enchantress and steal her youth. Then, they’d have their power awoken within them.” He searches over all of us at the table. “It’s not for the same purpose, but same concept. For this to be true, a demon moved the Crone Enchantress to a young girls body. Then, a more powerful… reptilian, Baltzar demon, elder vampire, something with venom and a large amount of power. That creature could move power through their venom. There would need to be a method of sealing. I don’t know. But!”, his sudden outburst with ‘but’ makes Em jump. He drums his fingertips on the books, “I bet they’re here.”

Tessa sucks the juice off her fingers before grabbing Stephaun’s arm and tugging him down. She leans forward to look him in the eyes, still chewing softly. “Hmmm.”, she sits back, taking a drink of her wine before speaking. “You promised.”, but it’s more like she’s reminding herself.

Stephaun kisses her temple. “Never again, starlet. All me.”

Em is the first to reach across and accept a book. “So, what are we looking for exactly? An Enchantress obsessed with youth?”

“Or one that was given a longer life.”, Taniyn answers, taking a book as well.

Dinner is finished, bites between flipping of pages. All of us pouring over the text here. We’ve each found stories like these, evidence of the individuals; but nothing on how it was done. The sun sets, hours into the night. Emmarie brings out more drinks, and returns to her seat; selecting yet another book from the stack.

Kirsten gets excited slapping her book on the table, “It says there was an Enchantress that had a bone illness! She was dying at only a hundred. Because she was Maiden, the coven sacrificed an orphan girl to the abyss. That would mean an orb demon, right?”

“Yes… yes!”, Stephaun rises, as does Taniyn; both leaning to see the book as she continues reading. “The Crone summoned forth Judge Riverside, Esto Rusko, and Farben Mitchon… oh… it doesn’t say how…”, she sighs defeated. “They’ve probably been dead for centuries at this point.”, Kirsten starts to flip the page.

“WAIT! Wait, Kirsten. Wait.”, Stephaun hurriedly blocks her hands. “Judge who?”

“… Riverside.”

“Let me see that.”, he gestures urgently for the book. “Haven’t you read these?”, Tessa asks him.

“No, I borrowed them from the Royal Library.”, he states, earning a lifted brow from Taniyn.

“You stole the King’s books?”, he questions incredulously.

Stephaun shrugs, flipping through the books he has over on his side of the table. “He won’t care, if I put them back.”

“If these are the men, we need to find them or their descendants. One of them may know how this was actually done.”, I suggest.

“How do we track that? Is there a list of judges somewhere?”, Tess questions.

“We find someone with knowledge of these names. Rusko is a fae name, Mitchon is enchantress. I’m not sure where Riverside comes from. I don’t know that one.”, Stephaun answers. “He might just be our key. “A Judge, back then, was called a Magistrate among elven communities… but this man was not elven. He has to be a feeder breed… ‘Judge’ would’ve been a high honor to their kind.”

“So… we search titled feeders from that time?”, Em asks.

Stephaun continues, “There wouldn’t be a record of title amongst them. Even now, records of their title are only kept by other breeds. It causes a great deal of confusion, at times; and it limits knowledge to just the ones that were there. They rely solely on senses.” He works through his thoughts aloud as he reads over the pages before and after the one mentioning Riverside. “An Enchantress Crone is good for power, but cannot transfer a gift. A fae cannot transfer it either, I don’t believe. Mitchon is the Maiden… Rusko was a tether, her equivalent power source… This… Judge Riverside would have to be the one that actually did it.”

“Blaze might know.”, Taniyn says before pressing a medallion to his lips. A power washes over us all; a combination of curious looks sweep over the patio. Em whispers to me, “What was…”, she’s startled, ending with a little squeak as she’s interrupted by Kirsten’s phone ringing. Em giggles softly into my shoulder. Kirsten slides the phone across the table; Taniyn answers it.

Blaze’s POV

I lift the last of the supplies Taniyn and I may need to deliver the princess. I don’t like the idea of using what is delivered to us. Never, in a million years, would I administer anything to an infant that I myself had not procured. I strap the case closed, setting it by the front door. Taniyn's summons rolls through me. He knows I’m coming at the end of the week. Something is wrong, or he has a question. I conjure a phone and dial Kirsten. Taniyn does not carry a phone, but he does carry his mate everywhere.

Ring ring

“What does the name Judge Riverside mean to you?”, Taniyn asks the moment he answers.

“Riverside… it sounds very familiar, but I’m uncertain. I’ve met so many Judges. Both by title, and by name.” I can’t think of anyone that would be a problem for Taniyn by that name.

“Would be from the days of Yasura.”, he prompts. I think it over. I’ve studied extensively on Yasura. My father was there when it fell. He talked about it frequently when I was a boy.

“Riverside, in the days of Yasura, just meant they were from the demon lands, Taniyn.”, I answer. “His name would’ve been Judge of Riverside… A powerful feeder breed in charge of an area, known as a master or elder now.” That is unhelpful.

“He would’ve been transferring power into an Enchantress, like rebirthing her, power and mind, to a new vessel.”

“There are few that could do that…”, I answer. “Judge of Riverside…”, I repeat to myself as I grab my Dad’s journal and flip through pages. His name appears, not referencing what they need, but it clicks. “Oh, wait…”, I flip through the journal a little faster, looking for the connection. “It’s not… it’s not a title. Judge, in some languages, is translated from Courtier. I'm willing to bet a hefty sum, his name is Courtier; Courtier Latasia. In the language of elements, as is Courtier, ‘Van’ means ‘from’, ‘Der grift’ means ‘the canal’, the waters, Taniyn. Judge Riverside is Courtier Latasia, Lord of the Underworld; shortened over time, Lord Courtier Vandergrift.

“Lord Vandergrift?”, Taniyn questions.

“That would fit. Vandergrift has to be over two millennia old. He was centuries old even in the days of Yasura.”

“What are you seeking Lord Vandergrift for?”, I question, leery of the idea. He knows better than to go poking around there. Vandergrift is a quiet creature, keeps to himself; but you don’t live as long as that creature has by playing nice. He’s an entire demonic storm when prodded.

“Kirsten doesn’t feel whole, Blaze… it’s not getting any better. She feels less herself the longer she’s been in this body. We need someone that can restore her power. Stephaun found these old records, and it says that a group of three were able to do it on several occasions. Some very similar to Kirsten’s, though none from demonic power.”, Taniyn explains.

“Their names?”, I prompt.

“Well, Lord Vandergrift, evidently. Esto Rusko, and Farben Mitchon.”, he reads off to me.

“Mitchon is the pure blood air elemental line of enchantress. She would have died long ago. It’s possible one of her descendants recall something. Rusko’s line was slaughtered entirely. He was the fae that first introduced Royals to the humans. The gates were opened in the Royals’ love for humans, but Esto Rusko used them. The manticore destroyed his entire lineage for his crimes, as he’d also been the first to open a business of selling humans. I’d try Mitchon first… but if you have to go before Lord Vandergrift, do not go without me.”, I warn. Taniyn is a very powerful dragon, but he’ll be outnumbered. Vandergrift and his coven can be very easily mishandled, and that ends in dire consequences.

“I’d prefer you be here to help watch over Kirsten, before I start drawing attention to her.”, Taniyn answers. “You’ll be here in a few days. That should give us enough time to research this better.”

“I’ll be there. Summon me if I’m needed more urgently.”, I won’t let my brother down. We will restore his mate.