Lucien’s maniacal laughter echoed throughout the grand chamber of the World Tree cloister. He was standing atop a pile of spriggan corpses, yanking on their limbs and breaking them as if they were twigs.
“Are you having fun yet, Yggdrasil?” Lucien hopped off of the pile and walked over to the World Tree. He bent over and knocked on the trunk. “If you don’t send out another one of your little tree witches to entertain my new powers, I’m going to start burning your real body here. I wonder how long it will take the flames to reach your heart?”
“Is that how you treat your creator?”
The female’s voice set Lucien off. He turned around to see Esper pushing herself up off the ground. How was she still alive and moving? Even with a vampire’s healing abilities, the woman’s broken back would
A warm breeze stirred up the grass around Seraph and Esper as they sat in the garden of ruins, enjoying the sun. They were propped up against one of the stone columns with Esper between Seraph's legs and her head resting on his chest. "So, you remember everything now?" Seraph laced his fingers with Esper's and brought them up to his mouth to kiss them. "Kind of." Esper shifted a bit to look up at her mate. "The memories are extremely vibrant and can be a little overwhelming when I try to recall too much, but I think it's all there." "Well, don't try too hard." Seraph tilted his head down and kissed the top of Esper's head. "You've been through a lot." "So, have you." Esper reached up with her free hand and ran her fingers through Seraph's black hair. "I can't arg
"You want to what?" Wesley was fuming. He couldn't wrap his head around what could possibly drive his daughter to take care of a person who had caused her so much pain, regardless of if they were a child now or not. "That is not a child. That is a monster who did unspeakable things to you." "Max is not a monster. He needs someone to teach him what real love is." Esper was not backing down. "Yggdrasil was able to see a spark of good in Max and gave him a second chance. Why can't you?" Seraph stood and stifled his laughter as he watched the father and daughter go back and forth. Even Esper wasn't actually his daughter; she still wanted his blessing and approval. Not understanding the heated argument, Maxim ran over to Esper and hugged her leg. He looked up at Wesley and stuck out his lip, making as stern a face as he could. "Don't yell at Mama!" Wesley paused from the toddler's words and looked down at him, then back up at Esper. He could already see the bond between mother and s
The sounds of soft cries stirred Esper from her sleep. She groggily opened her eyes and saw little Max standing at the side of the bed, rubbing at his eyes. “Oh, Max.” As Esper sat up, she wrapped the sheet around her torso like a makeshift dress then pulled the boy onto her lap. “How about you tell Mama what’s wrong?” “I had a bad dream.” Maxim hugged onto his mother tight as his small body shook. “I dreamt I was big and hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you, Mama.” “Oh, Sweetie.” Esper caressed Maxim’s raven locks and kissed the top of his head. “I’m sorry you had a bad dream.” Seeing the small boy distressed broke Esper’s heart. She knew the cause of his nightmare. Maxim was suffering from memory echoes, a common a
A snowstorm frenzied through the forest of Austertana, Norway. Trees creaked as they bowed in submission to the forceful wind, a few limbs giving way and crashing into the wall of a remote mansion. The towering structure stood in almost complete darkness. A small amount of light was emanating from a single window on the second floor. The window gave view of a child's bedroom decorated in lace, pinks, and teddy bears. In the center stood a small silver-haired child and a tall distorted man. "Little One, you have to let go now. It's time for me to leave." The dark figure cooed to the small angelic child before him as he gently smoothed her silver hair back. "But I don't want you to go..." Her words trailed off as tears glistened in the child's blue and red hazel eyes. She would typically fight them back, but the young girl was hoping if she let him see her tears, then the man would not leave. "Esper, your new friends are arriving. You are going to have so much fun with the
The mansion had sprung to life with the hustle and bustle of the staff. The dining room was set with fine china, the aroma of food being prepared filled the halls, and guest rooms were in the process of being cleaned. The preparations were almost complete. Chimes sounded throughout the mansion, announcing the arrival of the first guests. "Master Wesley," an elderly man dressed in a butler's uniform called out. Esper's father made his way back to the foyer, the girls trailing behind him. As they lined up, Esper tried to hide behind her friends. She was nervous about being in the presence of some of the world's most sought-after bachelors, but Saffron was having none of it. The brunette vampire took hold of her friend's arm and shoved her forward. Letting out a huff, Esper forfeited the battle and resigned to standing at the front with her father.
After dinner, Esper excused herself and made her way outside to a balcony. She stood in the cold and braced her arms on the railing, collecting her thoughts and processing them. There were so many new faces and names, all of which were from the highest of nobility. Taking a deep breath, Esper slouched over the railing and exhaled slowly. "Long night?" A voice sounded from the doorway. She looked back to see the black-haired and red-eyed vampire approaching her. Esper recognized him as the late arrival. "You are Seraph, right?" Esper hoped she had guessed the proper name. He nodded, confirming she was correct. The small victory gave her a brief feeling of relief. "Not so much a long night, just a lot to take in." Esper sighed as she looked up towards the sky. It was so clear up in the lonely mountains. Her father had chosen the perfect location to
Esper let out a long yawn as she stretched, watching the soft pinks and purples dancing across the snow. The view was so enchanting and serene. She just sat there, watching it until her stomach let out a loud grumble. "Ugh, alright, breakfast it is." She got up and walked up to her door. Esper had a shocking surprise when she opened her door. Saffron was standing there, her arms folded across her chest, and her foot jutted out, giving Esper a disapproving look. "What," Esper asked sleepily, trying to rub the sleep from her eyes. "Did you really think I would let you go down to breakfast looking like that?" Saffron, more so stated than asked as she looked her companion over. Esper looked down at her clothes. She was wearing a band tee and sweats. "What's wrong with this?"
Sticking her hands in her pockets, Esper began her trek upstairs to the music room. With the alone time, she wanted to get in some cello practice. When she reached the door, Esper lingered and ran her fingers along the door frame. This was her favorite room in the entire house, a place where nothing mattered except music. Esper glided over to the center of the room where her cello rested in its stand. It looked regal with its shiny black shellac. She sat down, bringing the instrument toward her until it rested between her legs and against her shoulder. The vampire inhaled slowly and let the bow dance across the strings, playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. The melody flowed through the hallways, the somber notes filling the houseguests' ears as they finished cleaning up. "What is that," Remy asked, his ears perking up at the sound. &