beginning. Although her eventual submission would be an added bonus, he needed to keep the research at the forefront. His brethren counted on him and he wouldn’t fail them. Slowly he drifted to sleep with the haunting memories of the past vying for dominance of his subconscious mind.
***
The Protectors had been alerted to unusual vampire and succubus activity in various Germanic regions. The tales were growing and had become too heinous to ignore. A young gargoyle, Lorn along with his brother had accompanied their father and several others to the northern regions while another contingent went southward.
Typically, succubae weren’t worth the trouble of more than a couple of experienced Protectors; however, the vampire component made any situation lethal. Gargoyles and vampires had always maintained a cold truce, partnering on rare occasions against forces which could decimate their numbers without an alliance. Traditionally, vamps and succubae mingled more for the fulfillment of their wild sexual appetites not able to be withstood by human partners. Never had they forged a coalition to fight, especially not against Protectors.
They’d flown in gargoyle form under the cover of night. The scene was grisly. Bloodied human corpses lie strewn in a field once lush with vegetation. Most of the fatally wounded had their throats ripped out as if attacked by wild animals. The unlucky survivors suffered from near fatal wounds or were so severely shocked none could be relied on as witnesses. The Protectors searched through the wee hours of the night for the culprits but came up empty handed for their efforts.
Lorn’s father risked contacting his vampire confidantes only to learn they were just as shocked by the atrocities. Contrary to accepted vampiric mythology, the immortals were not sinister creatures that held human life as insignificant. Vamps, much like Protectors, lived in harmony with humans, resorting to feeding from them when no other food source could be found, and even then only taking enough for sustenance not death. Vampires were thorough at erasing all traces of memory from their mortal prey which allowed them to be believed only as myth and lore.
Exhausted and no closer to solving the mysteries, the Protectors returned to their own holdings promising to regroup in a meeting of the Council of Protectors the following evening.
The absence of the Fledglings was discovered immediately. The one Protector who had been left behind to guard the small group of women was discovered unconscious from a potion slipped into his drink. At first the Protectors worried their women had suffered the same fate as the humans on the killing fields. They’d searched well into the morning until horses from the family’s stable were spotted returning without any riders.
They retraced the animal’s tracks along the seashore. Forced to rely only on their extraordinary sight and hearing slowed their search since salt water dampened their sense of smell. The search party was solemn as they entered the eerily silent cave.
The wail wrenched from his father’s throat, at the sight of his lifeless mate, was so heartbreakingly pitiful Lorn knew the sound would be permanently etched in his soul.
Chapter Five
It was amazing how refreshed she felt after an earth-shattering climax and a night of undisturbed slumber. Even her gargoyle stayed out of her dreams for the second time in countless years. She pushed out of bed with a little extra bounce in her step and a firm resolve.
“Yesterday I was tired and jetlagged, today I’m well rested and ready for anything Lorn De LaRue can dish out.” Fatima gave herself the pep talk while rolling out of bed. She quickly straightened the rumpled sheets and dressed in another of her infamous t-shirts. The word ‘Meow’ blazed in fluorescent green lettering, the pair of capris she pulled on hugged her hips snugly. It wasn’t what she’d normally wear for work but did
***
The Protectors had been alerted to unusual vampire and succubus activity in various Germanic regions. The tales were growing and had become too heinous to ignore. A young gargoyle, Lorn along with his brother had accompanied their father and several others to the northern regions while another contingent went southward.
Typically, succubae weren’t worth the trouble of more than a couple of experienced Protectors; however, the vampire component made any situation lethal. Gargoyles and vampires had always maintained a cold truce, partnering on rare occasions against forces which could decimate their numbers without an alliance. Traditionally, vamps and succubae mingled more for the fulfillment of their wild sexual appetites not able to be withstood by human partners. Never had they forged a coalition to fight, especially not against Protectors.
They’d flown in gargoyle form under the cover of night. The scene was grisly. Bloodied human corpses lie strewn in a field once lush with vegetation. Most of the fatally wounded had their throats ripped out as if attacked by wild animals. The unlucky survivors suffered from near fatal wounds or were so severely shocked none could be relied on as witnesses. The Protectors searched through the wee hours of the night for the culprits but came up empty handed for their efforts.
Lorn’s father risked contacting his vampire confidantes only to learn they were just as shocked by the atrocities. Contrary to accepted vampiric mythology, the immortals were not sinister creatures that held human life as insignificant. Vamps, much like Protectors, lived in harmony with humans, resorting to feeding from them when no other food source could be found, and even then only taking enough for sustenance not death. Vampires were thorough at erasing all traces of memory from their mortal prey which allowed them to be believed only as myth and lore.
Exhausted and no closer to solving the mysteries, the Protectors returned to their own holdings promising to regroup in a meeting of the Council of Protectors the following evening.
The absence of the Fledglings was discovered immediately. The one Protector who had been left behind to guard the small group of women was discovered unconscious from a potion slipped into his drink. At first the Protectors worried their women had suffered the same fate as the humans on the killing fields. They’d searched well into the morning until horses from the family’s stable were spotted returning without any riders.
They retraced the animal’s tracks along the seashore. Forced to rely only on their extraordinary sight and hearing slowed their search since salt water dampened their sense of smell. The search party was solemn as they entered the eerily silent cave.
The wail wrenched from his father’s throat, at the sight of his lifeless mate, was so heartbreakingly pitiful Lorn knew the sound would be permanently etched in his soul.
Chapter Five
It was amazing how refreshed she felt after an earth-shattering climax and a night of undisturbed slumber. Even her gargoyle stayed out of her dreams for the second time in countless years. She pushed out of bed with a little extra bounce in her step and a firm resolve.
“Yesterday I was tired and jetlagged, today I’m well rested and ready for anything Lorn De LaRue can dish out.” Fatima gave herself the pep talk while rolling out of bed. She quickly straightened the rumpled sheets and dressed in another of her infamous t-shirts. The word ‘Meow’ blazed in fluorescent green lettering, the pair of capris she pulled on hugged her hips snugly. It wasn’t what she’d normally wear for work but did
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