Xander's Cross, Oregon: a small town ringed with forbidding mountains and misty forest. The sky may be gray, but the townspeople are welcoming to people of all kinds...and things that are not quite human as well. Here the native shifters, aliens, werewolves, and witches live in peace. They have yet to find out the new business owners encroaching on the land are also vampires.
The peace has been broken by murder, however, and things in Xander's Cross are about to become quite a bit darker.
Welcome to your new home.
is it better to out-monster the monster or to be quietly devoured?
August 20, 2020
The mayor, Rowan Starkwood, was found dead less than a mile from his home. Rumors say his body was mutilated, but the state of the body has not yet been released to the public.
Post by Isolde Thornton on Aug 21, 2020 8:16:04 GMT -5
What? He'd try? No! That was a terrible lie, and she wouldn't accept it. Trying wasnt enough. Trying was a slippery way of saying no. Either he was coming or this wasn't happening. The crystals on the floor rattled in their resonance with her energy. Isolde's grip on his arm tightened and she shook her head.
"That's not good enough," she argued sharply, then seemed to hear herself a moment after. She released his arm and wrapped her arms around herself instead, then took a step back out of his personal space. She'd let go of her emotions for too long, carried on the current of the moment. She knew her magic was too volatile, and here she was surrounded by charged crystals. She had to be more careful.
"Sorry," she murmured, and dropped her gaze to the floor. She hadn't meant to sound so desperate, or to be rough with him. She just wasn't willing to compromise on matters of life or death. She wouldn't allow him to be hurt on her account. Her life she could make her own decisions about; it was already empty and useless. She wouldn't let him trade himself for her.
She took a deep breath and met his eye once more. She had to make him understand.
"If it's going to lead to you being hurt, then I'm not going anywhere," she declared, raising her chin in defiance. "So either you hand me over to my father now, or we find a way to do this that doesn't involve a human sacrifice. This is the reason I'm leaving, Marcus, I can't compromise on that or I'm no better than him. I won't have anyone else's life on my conscience. There's already too many."
Post by Marcus Kanaan on Aug 21, 2020 16:20:47 GMT -5
'That's not good enough.'
That halted all thought. The grip on his arm nearly made him reach out to her but somehow he refrained. He shouldn't even be in the woman's room, let alone looking at her and quietly conspiring, but he had lost himself temporarily. And when she stepped back, it was easier to contain the confusing thoughts, even as his whole body suddenly felt cold; his hand lingering in the air from where it had been so close to grasping her arm in return. It dropped to his side and Marcus finally allowed himself to look back up to her as his fingers curled tightly into his palm.
For awhile, all he had wanted was a conversation with her, even if it was casual. Simple. Now, this was far from it. Now, instead of smiles and laughter, his traitorous heart was going to keep that fear on her face when Sol was the first person outside of his family that he wouldn't hesitate to kill the one who would bring her such pain.
And that person was her very father. The man he swore allegiance to.
You're a hypocrite and a liar. A programmed machine.
Her defiance was noted, and perhaps any other time he might have secretly smiled, but not tonight. That mask remained, quietly admiring her strength while crucifying his own, while hating every fiber of his being. Would he really turn against her? Could he risk Thornton not doing something worse to her, all for the sake of remaining within his favor? What kind of a man was he for even contemplating this? Marcus barely registered that buzz of energy from those crystals, he could hardly register anything else but her. She shouldn't be asking this of him...he didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve any of it.
Drawing in a sharp breath, he clenched his jaws, fighting with his mind again. "Alright," he finally said, his voice so quiet as though he was afraid it would give him away if he spoke any louder. "I'll go." What he would have given for this scenario to play out an entirely different way, in a different scenario. Perhaps it still could, if he was strong enough. If he didn't allow that horrible drive of his to take control over his emotions. Then again, some could argue that he didn't even have emotion to give. Yet, bit by very small bit, Marcus felt his mask crumbling, taking his resolve along with it, and he ran a hand down his face to try and compose himself. "Two days," he whispered. "Make sure you're ready, alright?"
Post by Isolde Thornton on Aug 21, 2020 17:35:25 GMT -5
The tension that Isolde hadn't even realized she was holding in her shoulders eased when he agreed, and the last mild hum of the crystals ceased. Good. That was good. Finally, after he ran his hand down his face, she smiled. It was soft, somewhat shaken, but there nonetheless. She almost reached out again, to touch the same spot and soothe the harm she'd done, but she held back.
"Thank you," she told him instead, quiet and sincere. "You have no idea what this means to me. And as far as being ready..." She laughed softly. "I've had everything packed for almost two months. I was just having trouble reaching Andie."
Ready? She'd been ready years ago. She'd wanted to leave long before Andie had done it, she just hadn't had the courage. She wasn't sure she had courage now, either, but whatever she did have was explosive. She was going to get out of here or die trying--and she'd be damned if she didn't take the whole place down with her. Marcus had her trust; partially because she had no choice, and partially because she'd always had that sense about him. Perhaps she was wrong to trust that instinct, but it overpowered her fear. And, she supposed, she hadn't told him about the rest...She was just glad he'd be with her if things went wrong. She wouldn't have liked knowing he was still in the house.
If they were together, if they worked as a team, then they stood a chance. They could get out. She just wished she understood why. She wanted to ask, but somehow she was afraid to know. If she asked, would he even tell her? Her smile vanished and she bit her lip as she debated. She couldn't even read his expressions. The others were simple--her father, her sister, even some of the guards reacted in clear ways. She'd learned to read them early on; it was how she knew when to avoid her father, at first, then how she knew her sister was keeping secrets. These days it was always in the back of her mind, trying to understand if someone was going to lash out at her, what they thought of her, how she needed to act. But Marcus was a blank. Well, not entirely blank--he'd seemed almost exasperated, just then. Her hand strayed to her necklace, sliding it back and forth on the chain.
"Marcus...Can I ask why? It's...I didn't think anyone here felt the way I did."
Post by Marcus Kanaan on Aug 21, 2020 23:33:22 GMT -5
She was thanking him, and he swore it was like a sharp knife just slammed right into his chest and through his heart. He was lying to her, right? That was the plan from the moment he set foot in here, the moment he heard her murmured words to Andie? His breath was caught in his throat, and a part of him wanted to take it all back, to tell her that he was lying and she should just leave now. Run as fast and as far away as she could. But even his voice was lost to him, along with his mind.
Along with his fucking heart, too, apparently.
That pain flickered across his face again, so very brief before he was simply nodding lightly to acknowledge her. Marcus had to get out of there and leave, to clear his head but he was still rooted to the floor. How many times had he thought about this? How many times did he wish he could help her and now he was going to ruin his one chance because he was afraid? Apparently he was all bark and no bite, at least when it came to David Thornton. But she needed his help. She needed him and he had a very big choice to make, despite what he just agreed to.
He was just about to dismiss himself and slip away, already turning towards the door when she was taking him by surprise again. It was only her words and her voice that halted him, and he was immediately frozen, his back almost fully facing her. She asked that question he couldn't answer because it was wrong in so many ways.
Because I care about you wouldn't cut it. It would only be strange and weird, possibly paint him as a creep. Marcus turned his head over his shoulder, his jaw clenching again as he caught her in his peripheral. "Because I-" A pause, his fingers gripped the door handle tightly. "I feel like...it's the right thing to do."
He felt his chest stutter as he drew in a staggering breath. Was he going to be the man or the monster?
Post by Isolde Thornton on Aug 22, 2020 6:48:28 GMT -5
Isolde watched him freeze and bit down harder on her lip. It was starting to hurt but that didn't matter. His hesitation seemed to thrum with energy that she still couldn't identify as he turned over his shoulder and his silhouette was illuminated from behind by the dim glow of the hall light coming in around the door frame. She saw his jaw clench, but she still didn't understand why.
"It's the right thing to do" was a simple enough answer, but he seemed upset, somehow. She wondered if he was acting on the same instinct that told her to trust him: a feeling deep in her chest that clenched painfully when she looked at him too long. She didn't look away. But he did.
Perhaps it really was her desperation that drove her past her fear. He didn't have that same unavoidable drive to run, of course he didn't. It wasn't his father. It wasn't his brother in danger, a boy he'd raised like a son. He might never know the ache in her bones that had set in years ago, a longing to be anywhere but here. She couldn't hold that against him any more than she would have blamed him for doing his job. She couldn't blame anyone else for not understanding her, no matter how much she wished they would.
She nodded slowly and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, just for a moment.
"Goodnight, Marcus. Be safe."
She wasn't sure why she told him to 'be safe' or when she'd started doing it. It was just habit now, that each time she passed him on her way to bed she'd wish him good night, and tell him to be safe. Maybe it was a benediction, of sorts. "Blessed be" was forbidden in their home--too connected to humans and their poor imitation of true witches. Farewell seemed too final. Telling him to be safe was the closest to what she really meant. She wanted him to come back safely, from wherever her father might send him while she slept. Who knew, perhaps his goddess might be listening.
Post by Marcus Kanaan on Aug 22, 2020 13:31:07 GMT -5
This had been the most they had ever conversed, except for that one time so many years ago, when the young boy had found a terrified little girl. It was that same sense of dread, that heavy tension that had led him to find her. He remembered her and those big, brown eyes filled with tears, red from crying for however long. That same tug on his heart and that need to help her was what returned the moment he stood outside her door tonight, even before he truly realized it.
Where there is shadow, it also means there is light, he had told her then. Somehow, it applied to the situation now. An idea to run from the coven which was a very dangerous feat, maybe even a stupid one. Marcus wanted to tell her it was fine, that she would find her way and that he would help her, but this unseen weight upon his shoulders made him unable to. Yet, it wasn't her fear that he sensed. It was his own.
He couldn't betray her, he wouldn't. And he might die for it. So long as it kept her safe. The goddess was with him, and she had the ability to reign fire upon her enemies.
This time, when she placed her hand upon his shoulder, he didn't tense up. The muscles of his back actually eased and relaxed, and his head turned just a little bit more so that dark eyes could fully look at her. Every time she said his name, it was like this wave of warmth rushed through him, making him forget who he was, only wanting to be the Marcus she believed him to be. 'Be safe,' Sol always said, and there came the faintest curl of his mouth, such a tiny smile that could possibly be missed in a blink of an eye.
"Goodnight, miss," his voice broke the silence that had followed. He would not say her name, he dared not say her name as though it was such a sacred thing. Like his tongue wasn't allowed to speak it. "Two days," he softly reminded her, then finally willed himself to open the door and leave, shutting it quietly behind him. Marcus stood there for a long moment, his palm pressed against the wood and he struggled to breathe. He was doing this, he was going to do it.
Post by Isolde Thornton on Aug 23, 2020 22:08:59 GMT -5
The way he reacted brought her smile back and helped her to relax a little as well. She was glad to give him any kind of comfort she could, small though it may be. She may not have consciously noticed the quick flickers of pain on his features earlier, but she noticed that small smile because she had been hoping for it so strongly.
She watched him leave, still toying with the pendant of her necklace as he did. She wasn't sure what the gods had in store for either of them, but perhaps it was fate that brought them together tonight. Had anyone else found her in the midst of that spell, heard what she was saying, she might have been dead already. But Marcus...he'd volunteered to help her. She sent up a wordless prayer of gratitude to whoever had sent him her way. The knowledge that she wasn't alone in this was a comfort she hadn't realized she needed. The relief that settled into her bones with that realization was heavy, nearly dragging her to her knees as she suddenly felt the exhaustion brought on by astral projecting herself across a continent.
Quietly, she shed her day clothes and climbed into bed, falling into an exhausted sleep before she even finished her nightly prayers.
Post by David Thornton on Aug 23, 2020 22:16:54 GMT -5
David Thornton was a man who kept odd hours, often waking in the night for spells or to manage holdings in other countries and thus other time zones. He didn't often leave his study on those nights, but it appeared that the darkness he served had urged restlessness into his long legs for a reason. He'd been walking the halls, searching for the source of his discomfort, when he came to a halt at a corner and spotted something unusual. Silent as the grave, he watched one of the guards, Kanaan, leave his daughter's bedroom and take care to shut the door silently. And more than that, he lingered there, clearly emotional. David raised an eyebrow, otherwise motionless, and waited for the guard to notice his presence.
It was clear when that happened, and a cruel imitation of a smile slid across David's face as he saw the other man tense. Good. He should be afraid. Whatever he'd been up to in the girl's room in the middle of the night, he clearly hadn't expected to be found. Whatever it was couldn't be anything good. If he found that the guard had been intimate with his daughter, he'd have the man castrated and his daughter...well, he'd find some other creative punishment for her. But he'd give the guard a chance to speak, first. It would be a shame to rid himself of one of his most efficient tools.
He gestured for the man to follow him and turned to walk to his study without waiting. Kanaan would follow him.
He entered first and leaned against his massive desk as he waited for the other man to close the door behind him.
Post by Marcus Kanaan on Aug 23, 2020 23:10:13 GMT -5
It only took a second for him to realize who was there. Marcus didn't even have to look to sense that intimidating presence just down the hall. But slowly, his head turned to find David Thornton there, who had seen him leave his daughter's room in the middle of the night and it caused his entire body to tense. Oh, it didn't look good, and Marcus knew immediately what was about to happen.
He just wasn't sure he could lie his way out of this.
Like the obedient dog that he was, he followed the man into his study and shut the door behind them, before turning around to face him. Hands instantly clasped behind his back that was ramrod straight and his eyes dropped to the ground, although his face remained forward. What could he do? What could he even say? It looked like something completely different, yet Marcus couldn't figure out which scenario would be worse.
The moment that thought came to mind, he was swiftly dismissing it. Thornton would kill him on the spot if it had been anything remotely intimate...and Isolde would also suffer. Yet, she would suffer for the truth as well, unless he could twist it. Or David found a purpose to keep her alive and well. The only question was- could he fool this him? This cold and calculated leader with his searing eyes. He would know Marcus was lying if he tried, so he had no choice.
He had to tell the truth.
Marcus drew in a short breath, his dark eyes still on the floor as he answered him with that usual matter-of-fact tone, "Something felt wrong, felt strange...and I went to investigate." He wanted nothing more than to stop there, let David question him and perhaps he wouldn't have to get away with telling him anything. But he was a good soldier. He never hesitated and it would be a telltale sign that he was hiding something. "Miss Thornton...managed to contact her sister, sir. Your daughter, Andrea."
The only thing that gave him any sort of peace of mind was the fact that he currently stood between Thornton and that door, between him and Sol. Marcus just prayed he wouldn't have to make the decision to step in if the man decided to act instead of question him further.
Post by David Thornton on Aug 24, 2020 7:15:56 GMT -5
Of all the answers that Kanaan could have given, this one he had not anticipated. A pathetic romance? Certainly. But a successful rebellion by his wretch of a daughter? He had assumed her failure to show results within the first year was evidence that she was truly the failure he had always told her she was. His hands tightened on the edge of the desk for a fraction of a second before he pushed himself off of it and walked towards the bookshelf, casually adjusting his cuffs as if he wasn't already imagining wringing her skinny little neck with his bare hands. Patience, he counseled himself, vengeance is inevitable. He'd feel the life draining from her worthless body soon enough.
He turned sharply back to Kanaan, gesturing broadly and grinning wide. His teeth gleamed unnaturally white in the firelight from the hearth. He may not be a true vampire, but communion with the Darkness had its effects nonetheless. He was slowly becoming an else-thing of his very own.
"How fortunate, that you caught her! And tell me, Kanaan, what were you planning to do about it, besides dallying in her room in the dark of the night? Planning on seducing my daughter for information, were you?" His voice was chipper on the surface, but the threat in his eyes couldn't be hidden by any amount of cheer.
Post by Marcus Kanaan on Aug 24, 2020 11:16:32 GMT -5
Somehow, the room felt like it was getting colder, and it took every ounce of his strength not to flinch or move. He had to stand there like a perfect soldier and prepare himself for whatever might come. On the outside, he may not have looked afraid...but he'd be a fool not to be. His gut twisted into knots and his breathing was shallow to try and keep his heart rate down.
Thornton was madness wrapped up behind a cool and collected mask. And it was terrifying. It was why Marcus had gotten so good at what he did. He had watched and learned from the best. Yet, there was something different about the man, something deeper and darker and he wasn't the only one who had noticed. He just wasn't sure how many actually cared.
Still, he did not look at him, and he didn't have to in order to sense that underlying threat. Tread carefully, Marcus. Be careful."Never," he answered him immediately. It wasn't a lie. The guard was quite aware how foolish of a dream that would be, that he would have been reaching for too high. He was the bug beneath Thornton's shoe that could be crushed at any moment. No, he didn't deserve Isolde. He shouldn't even have the thoughts that he did.
And now he had to betray her to hopefully save her.
"She trusts me, sir. I promised to help her escape."Don't falter now. Those dark eyes rose to finally look at him, chin lifting just enough to push away any ounce of weakness that might have cracked through his own mask. "I figured she would lead me straight to your daughter. It's what I do, after all." He found people. And, often it was more than that...
Post by David Thornton on Aug 24, 2020 12:24:11 GMT -5
Another surprise. This one made him through back his head and laugh; a sound more akin to a hyena than a human.
"Fantastic! Here I had been thinking I was going to have to rip your beating heart from your chest and show it to you! But you'll be able to bring me the traitor's instead! I love it." He laughed again as he took a seat at his desk and drew out a pen and paper.
"Tell me, Kanaan, how did sweet Isolde plan to escape the grounds, do you know? And has she found her sister's exact location? No need to play the long game if we have the information already."
Post by Marcus Kanaan on Aug 24, 2020 16:48:14 GMT -5
Marcus clenched his jaw, standing there while the man laughed. It was difficult to discern whether it was good or not, but he knew one thing...it wasn't good for Sol. He was definitely going to have to get her out no matter what now. And he wasn't even going to mention the kid.
He swallowed a lump in his throat as his gaze dropped to the floor again. Marcus shook his head in response to having his heart nearly ripped out. It should have frightened him, but now he was simply used to it. "Yes, sir," he said to capturing the traitors. That had been his original plan, had it not? Now...well, now everything was somehow different and he couldn't recall when that had actually happened.
Then, Thornton was asking for more information, and fortunately for Marcus, he really didn't have any. So, again, he didn't have to try and lie. "My apologies, I don't know. It was all dreamwork, so I could barely make out what was said. Just that she planned to leave in three days." Well, that last part was a lie. "My plan was to find out, but I figured I'd have to be delicate about it."
Post by David Thornton on Aug 24, 2020 16:59:45 GMT -5
David wrote down each detail given in elegant script--in Latin, of course, so that the average layperson wouldn't be able to discern any of his notes. He was a cautious man as well as an ambitious one. There was no room in the Coven of the Thorn for usurpers. He was the only leader, and he would be the only leader evermore. But they needn't know that. Once he'd finished writing, he lifted his head and grinned that hungry smile at the guard once more. "Dreamwork, hm? Perhaps Isolde is more inventive than I'd given her credit for. I'll be sure to take advantage of that once she's returned safely home."
He rose from his desk and approached Kanaan, offering his hand to shake. "I'm trusting you, Kanaan. Don't disappoint me." It was definitely a threat, and his grip on the other man's hand tightened for just a moment before he released him and clasped his hands behind his back. He raised an eyebrow, and his smile vanished.
"And do try not to take any undue liberties. A desperate woman is an easy target, to be sure, but this is no ordinary woman, you see." His smile returned as quickly as it had gone.
Post by Marcus Kanaan on Aug 24, 2020 22:39:19 GMT -5
She's a lot smarter than you give her credit for. The words were on the tip of his tongue but, of course, he dare not utter them lest he wanted to get them both killed. No, he had to remain standing straight, unwavering, and act like none of this man's words bothered or frightened him. It was what he did basically every day, so right now wasn't much different.
How wrong he was.
Everything about this moment was wrong and disconcerting, and yet Marcus still did not break. Even if his gut twisted into knots when Thornton held his hand out and he took it slowly. "I will not, sir." Even his replies were simple and abrupt, only giving extra detail when it had been requested. Everything David said was usually a threat, and the guard was nodding to further acknowledge that he knew, that he understood the repercussions should he fail.
Dark eyes flickered over to his face, his lips set in a firm line. "Yes, understood." No, she wasn't an ordinary woman. She was so much more, and he knew Thornton saw none of it. His daughter was a failure to him- he'd made it clear on many an occasion while Marcus saw everything else the world wasn't allowed to see.
"Thank you, sir," he said quickly, nodding his head in some form of a bow as he took the words as a dismissal. Then, he turned to leave the study, the door closing behind him. Thornton thought it would be three days. They were leaving in two and would now have to run and not stop.