First Intermission
FREYA
Heyo! Howdy? What’s the preferred greeting nowadays?
It’s only been a matter of days since we last spoke, but since I enjoy hearing myself talk, I’ll recap the past few weeks—which involve the lovely Harlow Sinclair and her cranky vampire mate, Alec Dormer—His Majesty.(He’d be so proud of me remembering his proper title isn’tAsshole.)
Harlow Sinclair is the remaining Sinclair witch, one of four original bloodlines who once trained way back when under moi, as the First Witch, creating the first four covens. In the 1500s, the High Priestess of her coven cursed their bloodline with the cure to vampirism in hopes that when vampires attack and drink from them, they’d revert to mortal and become killable and thus would slowly end the species war between vampires and witches. Three guesses howthatwent.
Skipping to the present: vampires attacked Harlow’s house. Her parents told her to run, but she then returned to save them. Miss Powerful exploded—literally—and accidentally set fire to her own house, killing her parents in the process. Cue grief, depression, the loss of her powers, and Darkness clinging after the murder of her parents, though she didn’t know realize at thetime. Oh, and hearing Alec’s voice in her head, when they hadn’t met yet.
Alec, for all his fucked-up reasons I’ll skip recounting because they make my head thump, was murdering Sinclairs over the centuries, but would always leave one alive to ensure the bloodline continued. With Harlow, he opted to kidnap her, drain her, and sell the cure to his brethren.
Quite the businessman, I must say.
Since Harlow didn’t have her powers, the cure wasn’t effective. Alec was working to restore her magick, while Harlow was working to get free. She managed to by breaking her bedroom window and scaling down the side of his castle.
Cue angry vampire who went hunting, sexy bloody times, and discovering she’s his Bride—a vampire’s mate. Cute in a strange way, but also funny since instincts had him caring rather than wanting to harm her. All his planning was gone!
Then Harlow found a box of items detailing her parents’ lies, learning they were imposters who kidnapped her from Highridge Coven when she was eight, murdered the real Sinclairs, and raised her as their own. Harlow, in a surge of anger, regained her fire magick.
Can we note Harlow and Alec being mates is ironic? Fire, the element of the Sinclairs kills vampires, but alright.
With her elemental magick, Darkness also took hold. When she escaped Alec’s castle and was found by Highridge’s current High Priestess, Morgan, she brought Harlow home to Banff. Alec, being the stalker he is, followed.
The two became friendly-ish and fell in love. She learned about her penance for black magick. He accepted her. She later accepted him and drank his blood. Got kidnapped again by her imposter parents, who were not dead after all. She called on all her powers, killed them and herself in a cave-in, and began transitioning to a vampire. Was then found by Alec’s long-time friend, who wasn’t at all supportive of their relationship. Mateship? Alec showed up and saved the day. Actually, not really. He did his sexy fighting thing, while Harlow drank blood, finished transitioning, and killed the asshole.
Now, she lives with Alec in his castle as a witch-vampire hybrid. And Alec is still the reigning asshole of the lands.
Like my twist on the words?
If all that confused you, might I recommend returning to their story because the details are simply too much for me to get into. Besides, though Alec is a broody, moody, deadly creature, their story is actually pretty interesting. Plus, I make quite a few appearances in it, so…yeah.
Anyway, the two are now living happily ever after for now, until the war everyone seems to be preparing for happens.
(Cue dramatic music.)
See,longbefore Harlow and Alec, this has all been in play. Hecate, the Goddess of magick and witchcraft, revealed that four different pairings of Otherworldly creatures would affect this war.
The coven Harlow’s imposter parents were sent from are working to prepare for a war amongst the Celestials between Heaven and Hell.
When? Don’t ask me. I just work here.
With the first pairing living in bloody bliss, it’s time to return to Banff, to the base of the mountains where a wolf shifter pack resides.
Like our first ever meeting, before Harlow and Alec began their dramatic journey, there’s some important background information that will be best delivered from a third-person perspective because it’s not my story, so stick with me over this coming perspective shift. It’s short-lived, don’t worry.
One piece of history, occurring twenty-four years ago, nearly to the day.
The woman—the witch—limps up the side street of the quiet town of Banff and towards the house she knows to be the High Priestess’s. Her body is bloodied and battered, her arm clutching her three-week-old newborn daughter close to her chest.
Her magick barely holds her together both physically and emotionally, fading with every step after the attack she narrowly escaped. Soon, it’ll die alongside the woman. She’s aware she doesn’t have long, nor does she need it. Just a moment more, long enough to reach the house up the street.
Her daughter, Carina, cries out as she turns her sleepy face into her chest, probably hunting for milk.
“Shh, we’re almost there. A couple more moments and you’ll be safe.”
The baby quiets, as if comprehending, and with the final dredges of strength, she quickens her pace up to the small porch and front door, where her voice barely rises above pained gasps.
