Jumping At Shadows

Laughing and calling, my family surrounds me, dark eyes shining with merriment. "About time you got home!"
"You owe us a story about the Calling!"
"Where have you been?!"
"Grandmother Sruth is going to tan your tail for missing so many Beltanes and Yules."
"Liv, I'm getting handfasted!"
"She is, can you believe it? And Tet's had a baby. He's a right streamchurner! Come and see!"
I can't help but laugh, tugged in five directions at once. "Yes, yes! Tema, Ket, Tol, Dubh, it's good to see you. Good to see everyone!"
"And you've brought your friends again, I see." Tol remarks, standing on tiptoe, since he's just five feet. He waves a hand. "Welcome Liam, welcome..."
As heads turn to my friends, they fall silent, slowly.
"That is a demon." Dubh states, his voice flat. "Are you taking up even with demons now, sweet cousin?"
"Danu forbid, Dubh." I reply. "It fell through when I opened the veils."
"That was clumsy of you." Kemt states. I nod. "Don't I know it. Never fear, I'll take the demon with me when I leave. Until then, it's harmless."
Slowly, my holt mates nod, trusting my word. "Well," Kemt exclaims, reaching up to throw a hand around my shoulders, "Come on, then, come on in!"

That demon. It hurt her to be considered as such but she could not expect more from them. She had been warned of the maltreatment that leaving her home would bring. Hastily, she brought out another cigarette to take in. A demon and nothing more. Some bastard child belonging to neither side with urges and abilities she could never truly have a handle on.

Her anger at the familial display burned her as she took a long draw and flicked the lit cigarette at Liv. "Screw you Ard Ri. I am not some pet that needs seeing to." Jealousy burned plain as day in her eyes. "Open your veil or whatever back to my home and I'll leave without issue."

The summer holt is shining in the early sunlight, bright as an emerald and just as precious. Six years is not much time among my mother's folk, and there are no changes. All my aunts and uncles and cousins are grinning as they glance up from their work or come trotting in from the river, some still in their pelts, their otter bodies moving oddly on land in long, undulating jumps.
Moira is first to greet me, and to my shock, she bows. "Welcome, Ard Ri."
"Moira..." I murmur, amazed. What do I say? Then she grins up, and smacks my ear. "And that's for taking so long to get home, kit. Lehana had to tell us how things went. It should have been you, fool girl!"
I grin, and pull her into a hug. "I'll tell the tale, never fear."
Another light touch, and my birth mother sweeps me into a hug. "Good to have you home, kit." she murmurs.
"Good to be home." I murmur, bending my head to lay a kiss on her brow. Then I turn. "Liam, Sori, what say you to staying here tonight?"

i shake my head "id prefer it if you sent me back to the nightside at least im not that comfortable around all this water and miss demon here might make things awkward and i should be checking on kiou anyway".

She was practically boiling at being ignored and the sideways glances of a few her family were not helping any either. If she had her way, she would see to it that the Ard Ri was drained in her sleep if she was forced to stay here all night. Damn her and her family.

Her tail swayed angrily as her eyes bore into Liv's form; still burning with jealousy. "Send me back."

i raise a brow at her "so eager to go home? you can come with me when liv sends me back i can walk you over to that hole if you want to go back left my rifle there anyway".

My holt mates are glancing from me to the demon carefully, tension in their muscles. I'm not the only one who can see the rage and hate and jealousy burning in her head.
"Calm yourself, girl. Not that I brought you of my will, but I'll take you back." I state cooly. " Sori, think you can wait until after dinner or do you want to go now?"

i nod "sure why not all that demonslaying has worked up a fierce appetite".

She glared daggers into Liv before turning on her heel and and leaving her to this display of affection. "Damn them all..." She muttered to herself as she stalked off. Even Sori, who had seemed receptive to her, had chosen to side with the Ard Ri. Clearly, she was not as capable as her mother at this; which was to be expected. However, having it constantly thrown back in her face didn't help either.

An anxious ball of repressed anger and jealousy flowed through her and she yearned to destroy something; anything. Grabbing one of the young males in the family unit, she gave him enough of her energy to keep him loose as she took him as far away from there as she could.

"So, how has the time been?" Ishk asks, handing me a cup and passing one to Sori. "We heard that you sang down the Grugach Queen."
"Yes, I did." I reply with a shrug, passing my friends plates of fish fillet, caviar and bread. "And she's promised not to let her kind hunt on human lands again. Though, she said that human dead are still her property. I agreed, for eating carrion is their way."
Ishk nods. "And what of-" But then her head comes up, as does mine, at the loud yelp.
"Ril! Ril!"
Med, only twenty years, is running through the crowd with wide eyes. "The thing has Ril!"
"What thing, little one?" Moira demands. But we all have a sinking suspicion. "The de-thing!" Ril exclaims shrilly, her great brown eyes wide. "He was scared! He was scared and she took him away!"
The demon. The demon took one of my holt.
How could I have been so stupid as to bring that danger home?!
"Sori! Liam! Now!" I shout, taking off. Drawing in a breath, I bark, the short, sharp bark that calls dratsie to attention. "Someone's in danger! Follow!"
Heads come up, and knives come swiftly form sheathes as men and women follow us at a run, pouring out of the holt.

i groan and stand up asking liv "whats going on?" as i run after her.

"That thing took a holt mate of mine." I pant. "If he's harmed, she dies."

i get my knife out and mutter to myself "idiot child".

She pressed Ril up against a tree and wrapped her tail around his thigh. Her hands softly ran over his chest a moment before she leaned in to capture his lips. The kiss was forced and she could not get him to respond to her wishes no matter how much she poured into him.

Pulling back, she rested her forehead on his chest. She wanted nothing more than to drain him as a succubus should and yet she couldn't. Frustrated tears took hold stayed there with her face buried in his chest if only to hide herself for a moment.

"Let me loose, beast." Ril growled, his teeth the ivory points of an otter. "Last warning." He hissed at the thing pressing against him. Then his head came up, and a wash of relief set sparks in his slanted eyes. His family was coming.
She didn't go far, just a little ways into the wood. In moments, we've made a circle, my holt mates and I. "You well, Ril?" I call, and he gives me a smile. "And what did you think I'd be?"
"Oh, a fool who fell for a demon's trick." I call back, relief in my voice. "She hurt you?"
"Not a scratch, though I can't get her off me."
For a moment, I study the girl who's wrapped so tightly about my holt mate, her tail around his legs. She barely seems to notice our prescence.
"Step away girl. Now." This time, my words are full of power.

Aruna grit her teeth, his people even came for him mere moments after he had been taken. Taking a step back, she shot her hand out around his neck. "They come for you so quickly. So eager..." She tried to will her hand to close and shut off his windpipe but even that did not respond.

In frustration, she tossed the boy aside. If she could not regain control of her powers she would starve alone in these woods and she could not have that. Turning to the Ard Ri, she zeroed in and rushed her looking to tackle her. She only hoped that the girl would be quick with her blade. A quick death with those her hated her was better than a slow death alone.

my own eyes are hard at the vision in front of me, too similar to an age past, As she rushes my arm comes across grabbing her shoulder and keeping my foot in the way of hers so she is spun off course and to the ground " Little one" I start my mouth a hard line " Wrong. Blood." the words are sharp, clipped, " you were never taught what hospitality rules were, were you?" taking a slow breath "For your actions most cultures that follow them would take your life in payment, Breath, stop and think, this was not the brightest move you could have made" either young or stupid this will never end well, something familiar tickles my nose, sniffing again "Liv, you notice that?" I murmur softly, my confusion evident.

"What I notice is that I was fool enough to bring home trouble." I spit, watching the girl writhe in Liam's grip. "But if it's her strength you wonder after, or her abilities, then you're right, she is not demon enough to have the usual. Half blooded, I'd say. A lot of them about in the Nightside. Demons like raping humans and getting children off them. The half breeds are cleverer than full demons. And more creative." Frowning, I step forward, raising a hand. "I suppose it was foolish of me to wait to dump this one back in the Nightside. I'll part the veils, you throw her through."

"If she is a half blood, open it so she is dropped by the Golem, I am sure she could use the helper and needless blood won't be on our hands, give her a chance to look at the other side of her personality instead" as much as it would make me sound soft to father or my brothers this is bothering me too much "besides, last time an opponent walked free it bit us in the ass, and Golem doesn't make weapons anymore so that should help keep her out of trouble."

The last time.
The last time an opponent walked free. He might call it 'biting in the ass'. But I'd say that the last time an enemy walked free, my heart was ripped from my chest. The ache sears even now.
Last time. Adrianna.
I swallow hard. 'Well enough. Anything to keep trouble from the door."
The work shop smells of grease and of iron, and I turn my head, my nose wrinkling. "There."

i look around wave at the golem and say "havent been here in a while".

Aruan was livid; to say the least. Squirming in Liam's hold she fought to get free as the portal opened to something she had never seen before. Biting deeply into his arm, she forced whatever energy would listen to her to burn it's way through him to where her tail was firmly attached to his leg.

The Golem looks up from her work and offers a rude gesture. Feeling the sharp bite in my arm and the resulting euphoric pulse causes a sharp gasp along with a tightening in my stomach "that" my voice comes out low and soft "is not smart." too much electricity running through my veins. " stop and let go before it takes you life little one" nerves turning to flaming ice and bones feeling like cold flame " let." I lick my lip "Go." my breath is heavy in my lungs "Now."

i slap her across the back of the head saying "do as the man says".

"Let him go. Or else." I state, and into it put the fear of danger,the shock of touching a hot stove, the need to back away from something deadly. She starts, her tail uncoiling, and I allow myself a cold smile.