I push Metis onward. The mass of wolves in quadrupedal form smell the air, then reluctantly parts before us. Their instincts, pushed by the curse, still see anything with four legs as prey.
Fortunately, Metis does not behave like prey. At all. Some of the more adventurous wolve...
2020-08-19 17:51:21 +0000 UTC View Post
I regret everything.
“For the love of all that is precious STOP SNIFFING ME!”
“But it’s so strange…”
“NO SNIFFING!”
“Eep!”
The tiny woman jumps back with a stricken look, but not for long. A man taps her on the shoulder and she turns ...
2020-08-13 03:29:32 +0000 UTC View Post
“Oh, Adeline, since I met you on that fateful night and rescued you from Alonzo’s men, my world has changed beyond recognition. I thought I knew my place at court and the course of my life until the day I die. How wrong I was! ‘Twas but a lie! A gilded prison that encircled...
2020-08-06 13:10:10 +0000 UTC View Post
The werewolves have made camp in a basin nestled between the mound to our north and the ridge we stand on. The small depression hides the camp from sight, if not from smell, and bitter wind disperses the upward clouds of smoke of the campfires before they become visible.
What s...
2020-07-30 13:46:55 +0000 UTC View Post
It takes us only two days of hard riding to head north up to lake Michigan, then east until we reach Detroit. Melitone, Frost, and three of his men ride by day while Melusine and I slumber. By night, the roles are reversed and since we use lesser Nightmares to pull the carriage, we m...
2020-07-26 15:19:42 +0000 UTC View Post
The Dream. My old bedroom.
Marquette is still bustling with activity, but the nature of the night shifted. Perhaps leaving the city gave me the distance I needed to come to a realization.
Marquette is no longer a godforsaken mudhole.
When I came here for the first t...
2020-07-21 14:00:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Alright everyone, two things.
First, you can see the final version of the ebook cover of Journey , which I should manage to publish next week.
Journey itself will remain free online. I will never take it down, so don't fret. With that said, I would really appreciate if...
Constantine’s office is as spacious and ordered as before, but now it feels crowded. To my right stands a tall man with dark curly hair and the beard and mustache of a Spanish Conquistador, which, arguably, he might be.
He is also my rival for the ownership of the State of Il...
2020-07-14 05:53:56 +0000 UTC View PostWarning: vulgar.
December 13th, an unnamed hamlet in Illinois.
Laurel was the last to come in. He slammed the door behind him to keep the cold at bay and sighed with relief. Warm, at last.
The inn’s common room was mostly deserted at that time. The road to Chicago was me...
2020-07-09 05:36:36 +0000 UTC View Post
Washington, two nights later.
The venue Lady Sephare chose for her meeting is the top floor of an elegant gentleman’s club she recently took over. The guests are led up through the deserted building by a butler exuding disapproval at the uncouth louts defiling his august hall...
2020-07-08 13:29:58 +0000 UTC View Post
The woman jumps in fright when I accost her. It is late, and dark, and she is not a denizen of the night like I am. When she sees I am a woman too, her shoulders relax, the fear receding from her wary figure.
She turns in my direction and I see that under the heavy green hood, ...
2020-07-03 17:44:31 +0000 UTC View Post
At the northern end of town, hidden between a cattle feed shop and a small glassmaker, stands the Alexandria Shop of Books Rare and Precious for the Discerning Gentleman. I immediately notice two major issues.
The first, neither Urchin nor I are gentlemen.
Sec...
2020-06-27 15:19:22 +0000 UTC View Post
I miss the opera.
The entertainment is better, and the spectators at least make a token attempt at maintaining personal hygiene.
The Ratcatchers’ Death Dance venue is a repurposed warehouse with a circle of sand in its midst overlooked by rickety ‘lodges’. I am in s...
2020-06-22 08:06:13 +0000 UTC View Post
The planning phase of the conquest takes me by surprise. I expected many things from Lady Sephare: a cold and reptilian intellect, an impressive network of informants, a secret army… something! I also expected her to give me a precise plan that I would have to follow since she is t...
2020-06-18 01:33:22 +0000 UTC View Post
It has been one hour since the end of the exam. Hopkins mentioned a complication and an opportunity and I decided to stick with him and see how things develop. Right now, I am not too worried as I patiently wait inside the White Cabal Council building, their seat of political power.<...
2020-06-11 13:17:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Warning: POV change.
Today is a mighty important day! It’s the day we finally get to call ourselves full-fledged mages and wear the white uniform with the golden tassels, even us girls! Well, if we pass the final exam, of course. I am not too worried, though. Reggie said it w...
2020-06-05 13:37:36 +0000 UTC View Post
The next night, I find myself teaching Urchin the most basic form of elementary etiquette in the privacy of my study.
“No, it is not appropriate to compliment a lady on her bust. Or on her rear. If you must make a compliment, commend her for her poise, skills, presence...”<...
2020-06-03 22:12:37 +0000 UTC View Post
“I am glad that the candidate you are considering is a man. Quite tactful of you, dear,” I tell Torran.
“Hmm,” Torran replies, apparently lost in thought.
I tsk and roll into the bedsheets so that my butt is covered. Torran blinks owlishly.
“Hmm? ...
2020-05-29 04:58:11 +0000 UTC View Post
I take one last look at the note in my hand. It contains an invitation to visit the 26th Dorcer alley to meet an informant regarding mentors of the mystical arts. I had been looking forward to learning magic, so the letter was welcome. The problem now is quite obvious.
There is...
2020-05-22 14:01:06 +0000 UTC View Post
The moon is exceptional tonight. It hangs there in all its gibbous glory, beautiful and luminous but otherwise useless. The contrast with the Watcher is fascinating. The moon changes and moves across the sky but as far as I know, it remains at the same distance and is boringly inanim...
2020-05-21 13:18:45 +0000 UTC View Post
The door closes behind me. This is it.
I am nervous.
Torran walks up and hugs me from behind. I am not tactile, not since I was turned, yet this firm embrace soothes me. Torran is solid and dependable, and he has shown time and time again that he was there for me, even if...
2020-05-21 13:15:12 +0000 UTC View Post
I dodge low and sweep the blade with my spear. The foe is strong, diverting his strikes takes all my might.
Fighting during the day is wrong, I should HIDE AND REST, but being prepared pays off and I need to train now in case I get caught off-guard one day. My ...
2020-05-16 06:16:06 +0000 UTC View Post
I lost the race.
But only because Torran cheated!
Then after a nice shared snack, we left to steal a few jewels. Bingle gave us general directions to a remote compound to the south of the city, not far from the manor. The private property sits at the edge of a fishing vil...
2020-05-09 14:29:24 +0000 UTC View Post
When vampires hold a party, there are no half-measures. Take the manor’s receiving room, for example. The solemn space could host hundreds of people under its exquisitely molded ceiling and crystal chandeliers. I could place a throne at one end, a pair of guards and pretend to be i...
2020-05-04 06:09:20 +0000 UTC View Post
Wilhem’s office shows a lot about the man himself. The walls are covered with rough wood, giving it the mood of a log cabin. The furniture was handmade by a patient craftsman. There are few decorations, yet the carvings show a level of intricacy and dedication that only hours of me...
2020-04-29 03:35:10 +0000 UTC View Post
I wake up and slide the sarcophagus open to an unfamiliar view. The ceiling is ornamented white plaster, a bit gaudy but a welcome sight. Nothing bad happened. I awake truly free for the very first time since I woke up in the Louisiana fortress. There is no abusive Mistress to obey, ...
2020-04-22 14:15:44 +0000 UTC View Post
I stand in front of Constantine with my arms crossed while he adds the finishing touches to the official document. It is a mere formality but it appears the Speaker enjoys his formalities.
Once he is done, he delicately puts his pen down and crosses his hands before his mouth.<...
2020-04-18 14:18:28 +0000 UTC View Post
“Do not worry overmuch, I assure you that you are in good hands,” Jimena assures me.
“That would be a nice change,” I answer with a wince. Jimena says nothing, and she makes no comment when I lightly pull on one of my fingers.
We make our way to ...
2020-04-14 04:37:48 +0000 UTC View PostFAIR WARNING this chapter justifies the traumatizing content tag. I am not kidding. I will provide a summary to those who ask for it.
We make our way to New-Orleans without incident. I remove a silver bullet from Metis’ flank though she did no...
2020-04-11 04:12:56 +0000 UTC View PostI just wanted to thank everyone for their support. There are almost 300 of you now and I cannot express how flattered and happy that makes me. I am even considering going full time if this goes on. So, in order to express my gratitude, I present to you this new chapter.
2020-04-11 04:10:11 +0000 UTC View Post