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Chapter Thirteen: Extinguished Flame
Aelnith Eventide
Just that little drop of River’s blood on his tongue, her sweet body on top of him, pressed against him, told him much and empowered him more than he thought possible. Even with dawn pinking the horizon, the burning sun rising into the sky, he found he could move, he was awake.
He was very weak, true, but he wondered how much he could move during the day if he’d had just a little more of her blood, or more, if he made her his queen. As with his brother, Tamsin, his curse had another side to its coin too. With a queen by his side, inflicted with the same curse as he, bound to him for all of forever, the sun would no longer immobilize him. It could still burn his flesh, true, but he could move indoors or underground. He also wouldn’t need to feed but once a month on the night of the full moon. As it stood now, he had to feed every night, or he would descend into madness, becoming a mindless ghoul that fed on whomever he
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House Eventide Chapter Fourteen: Warmth
River BlackAs the servant said all the flames in the House went out, the kitchen went dark, the lanterns and candles snuffed out as though a hard, cold wind had blown through. It sent chills racing down her arms, prickling her skin, making every hair stand on end. She felt watched. It made her want to run and hide.The kitchen had no windows and it was pitch dark inside. Time moved strangely here and it had already been getting dark again when they’d gone into the kitchen. River felt panicked, stifled. Smothered. It felt like she couldn’t breathe. In the small room that lead to the kitchen, she remembered a window. She’d go there. Even the scant moonlight through the window would help quell her panic and racing heart.Tamsin and his servants chattered, wondering what had happened, why all the flame in the manor had disappeared. They said it was bad sorcery. A trick. Maybe worse. River had no idea, but she didn’t want to
House Eventide Chapter Fifteen: Frozen
Tamsin EventideFinally, the flint sparked and the tinder lit. He held the lantern aloft, but didn’t see anything amiss. At first.River was gone.He searched the kitchens, the rooms that lead to the kitchens. He scoured the entire manor in a rage, looking for her. He doubted she ran, but he supposed it was possible.No, he could feel the lingering magic in the air. Tamsin knew it couldn’t be a coincidence that the fires wouldn’t light.It struck him suddenly, the answer. Cinder. The Witch Queen’s consort. He was master of flame and hearth, a nasty little bastard from the Winter Court, betrayer of his own kind, former consort of Queen Mab. Slick and charming, clever and without scruples, Cinder was the one who brought human tithes to the Dain. If he had River, she was in very real danger.The more he frantically searched the manor, the less control he had over himself. If Cinder had spirited her away,
House Eventide Chapter Sixteen: In Hiding
River Black She sat on a pile of cushions and fanned herself. It was stifling in the ‘room’. Cinder didn’t seem bothered, but he was wearing far less than she was. He grinned at her, like the cat who caught the canary, clearly proud of himself. “Something wrong, Princess?” he asked, tone sarcastic and sly. She wasn’t sure if he actually cared if she were upset or not. She guessed not. “Several things. When are we leaving?” she asked, trying to keep him on topic. She’d learned, in the short time she’d been in Cinder’s company, that he hopped from topic to topic like a bee flitting from flower to flower. And every topic was about -him- in some way or another. He pouted. “Suit yourself! Soon. When the sun rises. You should rest, you know.” He waved a hand, as though her question was a bad smell he was trying to get rid of. She snorted, though she reluctantly tried to get a little more comfortable. It was hard because it was so wa
House Eventide Chapter Seventeen: The Pack
Tamsin EventideIt had never happened before, in the decade since he’d had his curse. He’d never lost control before the full moon and transformed. But like all the times before, he lost control of himself utterly. He could see and hear, he could think, but it seemed like his body was not his. He watched himself tear through the forest, his skin replaced by thick, silvery white fur that mimicked the moon’s light.He could feel branches and bramble tear at his skin through his heavy coat, but any pain only spurred him on, encouraged him. Tamsin had found River’s scent, like springtime, like fresh waters and lilies, sweet and good. Cinder, he could smell the treacherous Fae, wood smoke and copper. He’d find him, and he would tear him to pieces.He’d find River and claim her. The desire and urge to do so was all consuming. His primal cry tore through the chilly evening air, calling others to him. He may have been a cursed prince
House Eventide Chapter Eighteen: Dark Magic
Tamsin EventideIf he’d been able to control himself, he’d have stalked through the trees silently. He could have gotten the jump on the Dain. He knew, even as it happened, that charging the monstrous son of the Witch Queen was a bad idea. It was foolish. But his Beast was hell-bent on destruction and had no fear, no strategy, just terrible, hungry animal instinct.The Dain was in no better shape, he noted as he charged towards him. The monster towered over him, over some of the trees. His body was bare bone and hanging, fetid, rotten flesh. His face was a skull, likely a bear’s with glowing blue witch lights for eyes. Antlers, uneven and broken protruded from the skull.Tamsin had long wondered what had happened to create such a foul thing. Had he ever been as Tamsin was? A Fae cursed and twisted by dark magic? There was no way to know. Carmun used her sons as a means of control over the Realm.The Dain howled in rage,
House Eventide Chapter Nineteen: A Foolish Plan
River BlackShe must have dozed. She woke with a start, coming messily out of sleep. A soft glow emanated from across the small room. Cinder had propped himself on a pile of silk cushions and seemed to be asleep himself, his eyes closed, a little candle flickering on a low table near him.River heard it then, what woke her. An anguished scream. Nothing human could make that sound. It sounded like someone was killing a dog. Or a wolf. And while it made no sense, she felt, she knew it was Tamsin. He was in trouble. She shouldn’t have cared. He wasn’t her friend. Just a beautiful stranger in an even stranger land.When she heard the scream again, muffled and far away sounding, it sent shivers all up and down her skin and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She had to help. She wasn’t sure why. She just had to.Carefully, River crept around the room. She had an idea, though it wasn’t great, and she was pre
House Eventide Chapter Twenty: Light in the Dark
Aelnith EventideThe Dain shuddered, stumbled as he drained it of the dark power that powered it. Just a little more, he thought. But it was overwhelming. He could feel himself slipping, losing himself every single moment. The dark magic tore through him and immediately began changing him. He could feel it’s poisonous influence.Aelnith wondered if it would make him like the Dain, shambling through the wood, only ever hungry, only ever destructive. The Realm would hunt him down, which was fitting. It would be a mercy. At least, he thought as he further slipped away, he wouldn’t be aware of his House falling to ruin or lost to time.The Dain fell to it’s side, but was unable to dislodge him. He wondered dimly if he could even stop if he tried. The dark magic flowed freely into him, twisting and breaking his soul apart. It wasn’t physically painful, but it hurt him in subtle ways. Aelnith wanted to look upon the wood with t
House Eventide Chapter Twenty One: Marked
River BlackBefore she could render any aid at all, the Dain roared viciously, so loud and horrible it hurt her ears. As River looked up, a great, stinking appendage swung at her. There was no time to dodge or get away. Pain expolded in her midsection as she was sent careening through the air. She landed in the brush, at least ten feet away from where she had been.It knocked all the air out of her and she lay on the ground, dazed. Pain, like fire, spread all over her abdomen. River wasn’t sure if she was seriously hurt or not. She lay still, hoping the Dain would forget about her. She only raised her head a little, vision blurry, head spinning, hoping to spot Tamsin.She couldn’t see him. All she could see is Cinder holding aloft his flaming dagger, shouting at the Dain. He flared brightly until she couldn’t see him at all. He was a pillar of flame, an inferno. For a moment, she could feel a wash of heat.Then, the Dain
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