Secrets of the Night
Inside the kitchen, everyone sat in tense silence. The glittering newcomers stood apart from the rest, seeming to take comfort in the companionship of one another, or perhaps to disdain the rest of the group. The tall slender girls sat beside Evan on the countertop, one of them was playfully drawing circles on a corner of Jason's jeans. Brenna looked curiously at Lily, who was very much aware of Evan and seemed to be silently fuming at the girl's audacity. Maizie was holding Lily back, with a light pet on the hand. David and Warren dwarfed Brenna, taking up a place wherever she went. The man that had called her a thing sat slumped in a chair beside the back door. Corinth, Amalia and Maximus took up a part of the table. William stood in the center his body separating the rest from whatever feuds might break out.
"We are here for three reasons: first, because the power draws us, the power of the house, second, because a great evil has been released and if the damage it has done all of our communities is a sign this evil will destroy more of us, and finally we are here to discover what it is that Brenna possesses to make her as she is." William spoke softly eyeing every person in turn. Giving them a chance to take every word in. "Who can answer for the house?"
The room was silent as everyone looked around uncertainly. No one knew what had brought them to the house, just that they had come and in coming they had hoped to discover a secret. One of the vampires shifted suddenly in the stillness of the room. Stranding so that he could address the room like a city council meeting. He had the posture of a politician, and good looks to boot.
"The house as you have suggested is only a factor of the power, Brenna draws as well. She's reached a peak, a new balance of power, and whatever that means for her is yet to be seen apparently, but what it means for us is a draw. She's the one we should focus on. The house was not as attractive until she came and then it exploded." The vampire named Maximus spoke and then sat down his eyes flicking between the shining man and woman and Brenna. "We believe she is Amicus Curiae."
"Radella?" William asked, turning to the woman whose eyes had narrowed in her too beautiful to look upon face. Her lips formed a line as if she would not respond to his questioning gaze. With a sigh he turned to her darkly beautiful companioin. "Bucca, is she of fay lineage or not."
"We do NOT have the authority to,-" Radella spoke quickly and loudly before Bucca could answer.
"Divorce court in the Seelie Sidhe ladies and gentleman. Who will pay child support for little Brenna. Or is it Breena?" Corinth stood clapping like a performer uplifting his audience. His words were cut short by Brenna's sudden scream.
Brenna felt as if the world was compressing in on her as one heavy force. She felt suddenly in tune with Corinth as he turned to look at her, she felt his horror. She pressed out hard without knowing quite what she was doing, trying desparately to return the world to rights. Corinth shout joined her own. Brenna looked pleadingly to Bucca- Radella was watching her in disgust. As if Brenna were at fault for the pain she now suffered. Bucca walked toward her slowly his gait betraying nothing of his intention. Brenna wasn't sure he wasn't intending to kill her. She felt her guards gather closer- she didn't want them, she wanted Bucca near her. He could save her they could not. She pressed with her mind and felt the guards move away.
"Control yourself, he did not mean to do that," Bucca said softly taking her face in his hands. He forced her eyes to meet his own. "Clamp down, good girl, control yourself."
Brenna heard someone say something about her eyes, and she wondered if they had gone vividly purple as they had days ago. She closed her eyes and a memory of Auberon caught her. She pressed with her mind, pushing him away as she had the guards. His face changed from a smiling greeting to shock and finally settled on hurt before he was gone.
When Brenna opened her eyes again she saw several people had gathered at the door to watch the animals no longer being held at bay by Maizie's shield.
"Well fuck me," Maizie breathed quietly. "You broke my shield."
Thoughts of discovering what Brenna was or was not were vanishing quickly as the beasts came closer to the house. Maizie kept trying to create a safety bubble around the kitchen, but Brenna had shut down her guards. Warren and David did not try to stand near her again. It seemed that being thrown across the room meant to them that she could fend for herself.
It wouldn't be decided till long after the battle that it was saying her "true name" that made Brenna snap, and break into a new power stride. It wouldn't be announced until then what she really was. Everyone's attention once focused on Brenna now turned outward on the hoards of creepy crawly scary things that were slinking their way closer and closer to the house.
"We are here for three reasons: first, because the power draws us, the power of the house, second, because a great evil has been released and if the damage it has done all of our communities is a sign this evil will destroy more of us, and finally we are here to discover what it is that Brenna possesses to make her as she is." William spoke softly eyeing every person in turn. Giving them a chance to take every word in. "Who can answer for the house?"
The room was silent as everyone looked around uncertainly. No one knew what had brought them to the house, just that they had come and in coming they had hoped to discover a secret. One of the vampires shifted suddenly in the stillness of the room. Stranding so that he could address the room like a city council meeting. He had the posture of a politician, and good looks to boot.
"The house as you have suggested is only a factor of the power, Brenna draws as well. She's reached a peak, a new balance of power, and whatever that means for her is yet to be seen apparently, but what it means for us is a draw. She's the one we should focus on. The house was not as attractive until she came and then it exploded." The vampire named Maximus spoke and then sat down his eyes flicking between the shining man and woman and Brenna. "We believe she is Amicus Curiae."
"Radella?" William asked, turning to the woman whose eyes had narrowed in her too beautiful to look upon face. Her lips formed a line as if she would not respond to his questioning gaze. With a sigh he turned to her darkly beautiful companioin. "Bucca, is she of fay lineage or not."
"We do NOT have the authority to,-" Radella spoke quickly and loudly before Bucca could answer.
"Divorce court in the Seelie Sidhe ladies and gentleman. Who will pay child support for little Brenna. Or is it Breena?" Corinth stood clapping like a performer uplifting his audience. His words were cut short by Brenna's sudden scream.
Brenna felt as if the world was compressing in on her as one heavy force. She felt suddenly in tune with Corinth as he turned to look at her, she felt his horror. She pressed out hard without knowing quite what she was doing, trying desparately to return the world to rights. Corinth shout joined her own. Brenna looked pleadingly to Bucca- Radella was watching her in disgust. As if Brenna were at fault for the pain she now suffered. Bucca walked toward her slowly his gait betraying nothing of his intention. Brenna wasn't sure he wasn't intending to kill her. She felt her guards gather closer- she didn't want them, she wanted Bucca near her. He could save her they could not. She pressed with her mind and felt the guards move away.
"Control yourself, he did not mean to do that," Bucca said softly taking her face in his hands. He forced her eyes to meet his own. "Clamp down, good girl, control yourself."
Brenna heard someone say something about her eyes, and she wondered if they had gone vividly purple as they had days ago. She closed her eyes and a memory of Auberon caught her. She pressed with her mind, pushing him away as she had the guards. His face changed from a smiling greeting to shock and finally settled on hurt before he was gone.
When Brenna opened her eyes again she saw several people had gathered at the door to watch the animals no longer being held at bay by Maizie's shield.
"Well fuck me," Maizie breathed quietly. "You broke my shield."
Thoughts of discovering what Brenna was or was not were vanishing quickly as the beasts came closer to the house. Maizie kept trying to create a safety bubble around the kitchen, but Brenna had shut down her guards. Warren and David did not try to stand near her again. It seemed that being thrown across the room meant to them that she could fend for herself.
It wouldn't be decided till long after the battle that it was saying her "true name" that made Brenna snap, and break into a new power stride. It wouldn't be announced until then what she really was. Everyone's attention once focused on Brenna now turned outward on the hoards of creepy crawly scary things that were slinking their way closer and closer to the house.