Gilded Intentions - 1.7

A King Dethroned.

 

After watching from the upstairs window for a few minutes, Kiren and Adette had seen a truck had pulled up by the driveway; a few burly looking men then unloaded and moved some large wooden crates to the garage door. Quickly dressing, Adette waited for Kiren to quickly get dressed, and then they went downstairs to have a closer look at what was going on.

Staying back some ways, they saw Jasper looking over the boxes carefully with Melanie by his side.

“Hmm, this does not look good.” Adette telepathically spoke to Kiren, who gave a short nod in response. “We need to get a plan ready otherwise this is not going to end, ever.”

Seeing that Jasper and Melanie were preoccupied with the boxes still, the girls went back inside and up to their room.

It wasn’t until sometime later Adette heard the chiming of the town clock, she realised that they had been putting their plan together for over eight hours, both of them decided to take a break. Kiren went down stairs to get some food while Adette said she was going to have a bath.

 

Coming into the kitchen, Kiren stopped in her tracks by the sight she saw.

Both Jasper and Melanie were eating, but it wasn’t anything like Kiren had ever witnessed before; Jasper was feasting on an entire salmon while Melanie was finishing off a large sirloin steak that had to have been at least two inches thick.

She felt ill as the smell of raw fish and meat singed her nostrils.

 

Before she knew it, Jasper was suddenly charging at her, snarling and snapping aggressively. His fishy breath made her wrinkle her nose and recoil in distaste from him, this made him even angrier and he lunged at her again with a gruff snarl.

 

Snatching the newspaper that had been left discarded from that morning on the nearby bench top; Kiren smacked Jasper across his head jumping back slightly giving a short scream.

“Get away!” She hit him again then dropped the newspaper realizing what she had done.

 

 

Melanie was now angrily lunging at her, but she was just yelling and not snarling and snapping like Jasper had.

“What the fuck, you can’t hit my mate like he’s some poodle you stupid little whore!”

Out of fear more than anger Kiren snapped back at her. “He was going to bite my face off dumbass, what, should I have let him have me as his second course? Screw you!”

Both girls fumed at each other as Jasper stood between them keeping them from tearing at each other’s throats.

‘Ladies, ladies... please.” Jasper looked at Melanie with a smile. “Why don’t you go and set up the machine so we can get on with some testing... I’m sure you can think of a few things we can test with.” He looked back at Kiren still smiling. “And you Sparkles, if I’m not mistaken, you have some martial arts training with Reiss this evening? Don’t keep him waiting on me now.”

Angrily, Kiren stormed off upstairs going back to her room to change.

She had been right about Melanie since the other week from her odd behaviour. It made sense though, Jasper would of course need a mate to actually breed with, why not take what was close at hand and already under his thumb.

 

Shutting the door, Kiren turned to see Adette sitting down on the foot stool. The scent of her strong perfume and shampoo cleared Kiren’s nose of the fish smell.

“I heard, so nice to have most of my powers back.”

“We need to do something, soon... as in, tonight or tomorrow.” Kiren burst out getting angry.

“Hey, relax, we will... Reiss and I just need the opportune moment, if we catch him off guard too soon we might all die... you want that?” Adette raised an eyebrow at her and Kiren gave a huffed sigh before going over to the dresser and got changed for her training with Reiss.

“No I don’t, I want to go home as I’m sure you guys do too. He’s got the machine set up and it doing some tests, Watcher knows on what and for what.” Kiren shivered slightly.

She saw Adette give a small nod in the mirrors reflection as she got out her training clothes and changed, she nodded slightly herself.

“Ok, so... if anything happens...” Adette got up as Kiren finished dressing and went to the door. “Just, go with the stretched plan... it’ll be the most subtle?”

Kiren felt her stomach twist into a knot and nodded; she opened the door heading to the gym.

 

 

Coming into the gym, Kiren saw Reiss sitting on the all-in-one.

“You’re late.”

“You’re impatient, shall we?”

Kiren moved over to her spot and stood ready, she needed this tonight, she was feeling stressed and sparring with Reiss would be a great way to get rid of her pent up aggression.

 

 

The sparring was fierce and Reiss set a good pace, this time it was best out of five a properly timed match where she could work up a sweat, get a good workout and release her aggression all at the same time.

By the third hour and starting the fifth round they were still even, it wasn’t until Reiss caught her off guard with a high-kick, which he got in from Kiren being distracted by what sounded like an animal screeching from somewhere off to the side of the mansion. Rubbing her jaw Kiren gathered since it was a full moon some wild animals must be out hunting in the nearby forest.

“Ooof, ok ok... you win.” She gave a small cough.

“Sorry, I seriously didn’t mean to hit you so hard, guess we’re both a bit on edge.”

The intercom began beeping and Melanie’s voice crackled through calling for Kiren to come down to the garage to get on with her work.

“Well... guess training is over.”

“For now anyway.” Reiss winked at her, Kiren couldn’t help but smile at him as she left the gym and headed downstairs to the garage without bothering to change.

 

 

Coming into the garage Kiren headed for the spell book but stopped as she saw Jasper and Melanie looking at her smiling seeming somewhat pleased with themselves. Adette was working at the whiteboard again on another equation.

Noticing the shelves they were leaning up against, Kiren gasped feeling her eyes begin to sting with oncoming tears.

“You... what have you...”

 

 



Now Jasper did leap at her and grabbed her wrist; he squeezed her slender wrist tightly.

“I’ve done what was necessary, after all, how else am I going to get what I want when I want it if I didn’t; and besides, I needed test subjects to find out how everything worked, and it’s not like they felt anything... much.” Low laughter came from his throat as Kiren wrenched herself free of his grip and made a move towards the shelves.

 

“NO... THAT’S MY FAMILY, MY FAMILY!” Kiren was unable to stop herself from screaming as she saw what Jasper had done.

Jasper grabbed her about her waist just as she was almost in reach of the bottles that now held what was left of her families’ essence.

The machine he had been having built was a magic essence extractor, a modified but barbaric contraption that electronically pulled magical essences from supernatural Sims and then vaporized them when it had extracted their magic.

“Now now, calm down Sparkles. They just didn’t co-operate when I asked them too, but I know you will, especially with them so close at hand.” Kiren struggled against his hold but was unable to break free this time. “Think of it as a family reunion of sorts.” He chuckled.

“You twisted fuck!”

“Oh honey, calm down... you look so ugly when you mad.” Melanie walked around her and Jasper almost strutting.

 

With an unsteady swing, Jasper half threw Kiren against the glass window of the separate room.

He held her chin hurting her jaw, Melanie had gone to stand by Adette and was watching her write up the equation, Kiren knew that Melanie had no idea what Adette was writing, otherwise she would have been furious that Adette was writing up calculations that would reverse the machines output and cause it to overload and shut down if it was used again.

“Now, be a good little genie and get in the big bottle there and sit down in the chair.”

His grip tightened and unable to take the pain, Kiren nodded and let him open the door and shove her inside the room with the machine.

 

As he shut and locked the door, Melanie moved away from Adette and slumped down on the couch at the end of the room, she seemed ready to watch a show.

Kiren saw Adette then move away from the board giving a short yawn and the slightest of nods.

Jasper stood before Kiren seemingly eerily calm.

‘Get in the chair, NOW.’ He shouted at her through the shatter proof glass.

Kiren lunged at the door thumping on it.

“Never you sick son-of –a-bitch!”

‘Thank you, my mother was quiet lovely.’ He laughed standing calmly watching her as she thumped on the glass. ’Now get in the chair before I come in there and beat you unconscious to put you in it!’

Adette stretched and mouthed something as if she was commenting while yawning; Jasper was so focused on ordering Kiren what to do that he hadn’t payed attention to what Adette had said.

Kiren smiled and gave the glass one final thump.

 

In that split second, Melanie and Jasper were suddenly both in a smaller room that had been to the side of the larger glass room.

‘What, what’s going on... why you little...” Jasper snarled at her through the glass.

“Ah ah ah,” Kiren chided at Jasper with a cynical sing song voice as Adette came into the room and stood beside her watching the new predicament unfold.  “See, you don’t get to make any moves without my say so.” Now it was her turn to laugh as Jasper growled at her. “And guess what? I’m not going to say so; you’re going to do as you’re told, by me.”

Jasper pushed the button on his wrist band, nothing happened and then after a moment Melanie howled in pain.

Kiren and Adette glanced at each other smiling; Kiren then leaned up on the glass and nodded to the walls and window.

“Purified Birch tree wood, gold spell-woven metal and purified black sand glass, makes for a great anti-spell and tricks tap. You don’t to be my age without learning a few things, dumb mutt.”

Jasper snarled again, Melanie’s howls of pain were surely hurting his ears as she thumped on the glass seeming to be experiencing a lot of pain.

 

 

Reiss and Matt had come into the garage as instructed by Adette when they had seen a flash of light from Kiren’s magic.

They stood watching the girls gloat over their prizes for a moment.

“Well, didn’t expect it to happen so fast. Never would have thought Kiren would have been the one to bring him down though; I thought she was just going to let herself continue to be Jaspers’ beat-up girl.” Matt mused not really thinking about what he was saying.

 

In a heartbeat, Reiss was on him pinning him to the floor; his hands at his throat in an ever tightening hold.

“NO Reiss stop it!” Kiren burst out of the room and knelt by him.

“He’s an insulting little worm who drugged you both and was Jasper’s little bitch, why shouldn’t I?” He spoke through gritted teeth as Matt tried to push him off.

“Cause he helped, without knowing it... please... don’t.”

Reiss paused then with a heavy and disapproving grunt; he got off Matt and stood up brushing down his clothes, Kiren got up off the floor as well. Matt also got up and straightened his doublet out.

“Fine, happy now?”

Kiren nodded giving a weak smile.

 

Adette wandered into the room with the machine to put in the last calibrations to disable it while Matt was staring at the bottles that held Kiren’s family remains.

“So, ready? This might feel a little weird...”

Reiss nodded as Kiren released the rest of the ‘planned wish’s’ powers on herself, Reiss, Adette and Matt.

Her and Adette had made plans for any type of scenario they could think up, this one hadn’t quiet gone as they had imagined it would, but all in all Jasper was now somewhat in custody for Reiss and Adette to take in as well as Melanie. She didn’t know what would happen to Matt at this point.

It had all happened so fast, Kiren felt like she was dreaming and was the end of a long twisted nightmare, sadly, she was coming out of it feeling very alone.

 

“Kiren, he wants to tell you something.” Adette suddenly spoke from the glass doorway as Kiren was smoothing out her hair and scratching where the ring had been but was now gone.

“I’m coming with you.” Reiss followed her into the room.

Jasper spoke so softly Kiren had to lean into the glass to be able hear him

“You know, your little sister was so frightened when I took her.” He sneered; Kiren could only stare at him, her heart in her throat as he continued speaking. “Your father and brother cried seeing her naked and writhing under me, so vulnerable...”

 

Kiren made no sound, taking a deep breath and with a swift upwards clawed motion she banished Jasper. In the blink of an eye he was gone as if he had never even been there. A small smile touched her lips as she let her hands drop to her sides.

 

“What about her?” Adette was leaning on the wall looking down at Melanie who had slumped down to the cold floor from the poison that was running through her veins. They gathered Jasper had changed hers, otherwise by now she would have been dead.

“She’s an eye witness to everything, as is Matt; you can have them to hand in to whoever it is you guys report to.”

Adette nodded still looking at Melanie seeming to be somewhat deep in thought and unfazed by the fact Kiren had banished Jasper.

 

“Uh, what the fuck?” Reiss grabbed Kiren by her arm and turned her to face him. “You just... vaporised him, the entire operation, everything is now null and void, because of you!”

“He raped my little sister in front of my father and brother and then killed her for her magic essence and The Watcher only knows what he did to my mother; Then he killed them all. Forgive me for losing it at that moment in time.”

Reiss stammered for moment. “I... I’m just trying to piece together everything that has just literally fallen to pieces; don’t you get what you’ve done? You just fucked up everything we’ve been doing for three years... three years Kiren!”

 

“Fine then.” Kiren took a step back from Reiss. ‘Since I’ve ‘fucked everything up’ on you so badly, I’ll make sure I’m not around the ‘fuck anything else up’ then.”

She gave a sharp snap of her fingers and a flash of light erupted from her hand and before anyone had time to react, Kiren was enveloped in a blinding white light.

 

 

As the light faded away, Reiss and Adette saw that Kiren had gone.

 

 

“Great job, perfect, just perfect!” Adette snapped at Reiss. “The one time, larger than life perfection staring you in the face and you go and yell at her for getting rid of a megalomaniac psychopath that no less than an hour ago killed her entire family and bottled them like shampoo.”

“What... you’re, you’re taking her side now?”

“No, Jasper we’ll be able to find easily enough, if you happened to forget, we’re Special Ops. Once we write up our reports and explain everything, our forces, which just happen to have the equipment needed to track him down, will be able to do so, on a global scale too if I’m not mistaken.”

“So what, I can’t be wrong and... Oh...” Reiss stopped himself realizing that he hadn’t thought through anything over the past ten minutes.

Adette scoffed shaking her head with a strange smile on her lips. “If you ever find her again, it’ll be a bloody miracle, or because she lets you. For now though, I’m calling this in.” With that, Adette walked out of the garage muttering to herself. ‘So getting orders to bulldoze this place...’

Taking in a deep breath then letting it out as a heavy sigh, Reiss looked down at Melanie who looked a far cry from the head-strong woman she had portrayed over the past few years.

Taking a last look around, Reiss slowly made his way out of the garage as he tried to get his thoughts together that seemed to be rambling about in his head as if someone had put it on tumble dry.

Gilded Intentions - 1.6

Before The Storm

 

 Later that week on a cold but sunny Wednesday afternoon, Kiren and Adette were playing pool in the rec room to pass some time.

Since their last outing, Jasper hadn’t allowed anyone to leave the mansion and everyone was beginning to feel the walls closing in around them.

“How about I bet you twenty I can sink at least one ball with my break?” Adette piped up as Kiren absentmindedly checked the rubber stopper on the end of her pool-cue.

She looked up quickly. “Wha... oh... ok, why not. Make it fun.” A small smile showed for a moment.

Matt, who was usually missing in action, seemed to be right on their heels today; he had been down in the kitchen when they’d gone to get their morning coffee and at lunch when Kiren had gone to make some pasta and now he was in the rec room with them.

He seemed determined to master creating a new drink at the moment, and since the rec room was the only room with a bar, there he was again.

Adette took her shot making the white ball crack loudly against the others, she sunk two.

 

 

“Lucky shot.” Kiren chided at her as she took another shot, and missed.

“You still owe me twenty simolians though...” She half sang at her as Kiren lined up her shot and sunk a yellow ball.

“True, whenever I get my hands on some money, I’ll pay you back.” She stuck out her tongue laughing a little.

Kiren had almost lost track of how long she had been at the mansion, but putting the months together, she gathered near three months or so had gone by judging from the season changes.

 

“Ladies, I think I have it... come and try it for me?” Matt called from the bar as he poured out his new creation into glasses for them to try. He seemed very pleased with himself.

Putting down their cues, Adette and Kiren wandered over and each took up a glass.

“If this is crap my silvery blooded dear, you are in my bad books... for a day.” Adette teased Matt as she took a sip of the drink. After a moment she nodded and smiled. “Not bad at all babes, it kind of tastes like raspberries and chocolate.”

Matt smiled at Kiren took a sip and she nodded as well.

“Different but nice all the same, you could do something with that.”

Mat frowned for a split second then covered it with a smile and short laugh.

“Already will be, there’s a costume party this weekend, this will be the signature drink.” He glanced past them out the door as he drank what was left in his glass with one gulp the spoke slightly softer than he had been. “Just... don’t drink it on the night though.” He then hurried out of the room leaving Kiren and Adette to finish their drinks.

“Your boyfriend is so weird.”

“Not my boyfriend.”

“Ok, friend with so many extra fun benefits then?” Kiren teased Adette giggling slightly as she sipped at her drink.

Adette pursed her lips, and then smiled as she thought to herself. “Many my dear... oh, so very many.”

They both suddenly stopped realizing how they were speaking to each other. They looked at their drinks, then back at each other, their eyes slightly wide in horror.

Putting the drinks down, they headed for the kitchen to make some strong coffee.

 

As the coffee was brewing, Kiren went and sat on the couch thinking for a moment, she then smiled and got Adette who was standing near the coffee machine to come and sit next to her.

“I know what it is; it’s a soothsayer’s elixir...”

“A what?” Adette looked slightly confused.

“Didn’t you ever go to those little village festivals in your younger first centaury years? Well, even if you didn’t; there was always a soothsayer somewhere selling elixirs, these men or woman would mix up all sorts for people. Truth potions, love potions, poisons and anything else that you wanted as long as you gave them a piece of silver or two.”

Adette furrowed her brow for a moment then leaned against the column.

“Ok, so that drink that Matt’s made up is what, a ‘Tell me what you really think as if you’re sixteen’ elixir or something?”

Kiren gave a mixture of a nod and a shake of her head.

“Yes and no. I’ve seen it before; if I’m correct it‘s a ‘Truthful opinion elixir’. It’s an oldie, but a goodie none the less.” Kiren took in a deep breath letting it out steadily. “Nobles used something similar during times of passing edicts and what not. But this could work for us, and I’ll need your help, but it’s now or never. Go get the drinks, quickly.”

 

Just after dusk, Kiren had checked all over the house to make sure that Jasper was still out. Melanie seemed to be out as well, shrugging off the weird feeling; Kiren gave Adette the signal to make her move.

Adette casually slinked into Jaspers office to find Matt at work by his cauldron.

“Hey you; what-cha brew’n?” The drink was having the desired effect, but Adette had also been mindful and mixed it with water, so it wasn’t as strong still giving her some control.

She half startled Matt, but he managed to finish off casting before giving her his attention.

He seemed to have been expecting her arrival and wasn’t fazed as she slunk over to him and leaned on the wall and rested a foot on the edge of his usually ‘untouchable’ cauldron.

“Just perfecting my creation, seems like you’re enjoying yourself though.” He leaned on the wall by Adette; she lazily looked at him and sighed with a slight smile.

“I am...” She gave a small giggle as instructed by Kiren, then pushed off the wall and put her arms about Matt’s neck. “Why don’t we add a signature to your brew?” She smiled coyly at him.

 

Without a moment to even think about it, Matt had picked up Adette, she wrapped her legs about his waist and let him balance her on the edge of the cauldron.

“Well, you know we shouldn’t but...” Matt had begun to protest, but Adette had begun to caress his face with her fingertips and gently kiss his eyelids, down his nose and lips. “Ah to hell with it...” He gave a short wave of one hand, Adette gave another girlish giggle as her hands moved down to his waist and her fingers begin to swiftly and expertly undo his belt.

 

Kiren had been waiting outside for her queue, on seeing the quick flash of light from the window, she smiled taking in a deep breath of the chilling night air. It stung her throat but felt good.

With a careful glance around she lazily began to stretch, as she did so, she allowed her magic to swirl inside and outside of her body and was lifted off the ground by it; for the first time in what had felt so long she felt free and as if she was made of cotton candy. Rolling her wrists she felt her magic energy surge even more as if she were a dried out well being refilled during a flash flood.

 

At the end of her stretch she turned to make sure that her work had come out right on both side of the fence line, with a small smile on his lips, she folded her arms nodding to herself. It was subtle but she was sure it was going to do what she wanted it to and hopefully not be noticed by Jasper any time soon.

Feeling pleased with herself, she felt her magic fade as she dropped gently back to the ground and went back inside.

 

As she went to go upstairs, she smiled hearing Adette still occupying Matt in Jasper’s office, then she heard a slightly muffled voice coming from the sitting room, the lights were off which made her curious. She went to see it was her imagination or not.

The door was already open and Kiren leaned on the frame as she saw that she wasn’t imagining the voice, it was Reiss and he was talking to someone on a phone in a hushed tone.

“She’s very powerful and we’d be stupid not to. She’s already put a plan into motion with Adette tonight, I just saw her a few moments ago using her powers outside...” Kiren cleared her throat and saw Reiss stiffen. “Uh, I gotta go, I think I have some explaining to do.”

He sighed heavily as he ended the call.

“You’ve got outside contacts and you’ve been spying on me just so can use my powers? What the hell are you doi...!” Kiren had started to yell but was cut off.

 

In a moment Reiss was in front of her clamping a hand over her mouth and putting a finger to his own lips.

“Just shut up and listen, I can explain.” He spoke quietly and shut the door carefully with a foot. “Yes, both Adette and I have contacts outside, we’re...” He glanced past her into the hall through the glass then looked at her again. “We work for Moonlight Falls Special Ops, for the past three years we’ve been trying to find solid evidence to nail Jasper and with what you’re doing; you’re either about to ruin all our hard work... or be the vital nail we need to put him away for a long, long time.”

For a few moments, Kiren stood absorbing what Reiss had said.

 

She moved herself away from his grasp, her eyes narrowed as she turned away opening the door with a fierce pull.

Reiss grabbed her arm as she began to walk out the door. “Please Kiren...”

She glanced back at him feeling her anger for him grow and spoke through clenched teeth.

“If I were you, I would let me go. The last thing my father taught me was how to banish someone; that someone was found wandering the Al Simhara Desert mad and half dead eight months later.”

“But Kiren, I couldn’t...”

“Reiss let... me... go, right now.” Her arm slipped out of his grip as she stormed off upstairs.

He cringed as he heard the door slam upstairs.

 

It wasn’t long after that that Adette came out of Jasper’s office which gave Reiss a chance to speak to Matt before Jasper returned.

Reiss moved quickly as Adette disappeared upstairs.

Shutting the office door behind him, Reiss went and sat on the side of his usual chair watching Mat as he seemed to be finishing of the final touches to a brew he was preparing.

“What’s it this time?” He acted casual and waited for Matt to finish what he was doing even though he wanted to take Matt by the throat and strangle him for the countless abuses and blackmail that he had witnessed Matt have a hand in.

With a satisfied nod Matt turned to Reiss.

 

“Not much really, but I know it works a treat. I gave some to Adette and Kiren earlier as a test with some liquor.” He gave a small huff of satisfaction. “Had Adette eating out of my hands for the past hour, she was acting like a giddy horny teenager.”

Reiss nodded giving a seemingly impressed eyebrow raise. It seemed that the disappearance of Matt’s family wands hadn’t stopped Jasper from trusting Matt’s ability to still use his skills to do Jasper’s behind the scenes dirty work.

“Nice, guess it’ll work well at the party then. Need any help setting up?”

Matt shook his head. “Nah, I was just gunna go make sure the hidden mics and cameras were set up properly one last time then head to bed.” He grinned again. “I am defiantly going to have to remember to keep some of that brew aside for Adette; hey, did you want some for Kiren..?” His grin grew broader.

With a slight shake of his head Reiss gathered to himself that Kiren wouldn’t be speaking to him, let alone touching him for a while.

“Nah, Jasper’s been favouring her a lot lately, you know how he gets.”

Mat nodded beginning to leave. “Don’t I know it, well, see ya later.”

 

As Matt left, Reiss quickly picked up the voodoo doll from Jasper’s table. He made sure Matt was well on his way out the door before he got to work swapping over the small lock of hair and nail clippings that were in the doll with others he had dug up from an old grave. Carefully pocketing the now original hair and nail clippings, he gave a small satisfied smile.

 

Reiss then left the office himself heading to the bathroom to flush the contents of his pocket; the voodoo doll was back in place, like it had never been touched.

 

The party Matt had mentioned was on Saturday night.

Again, most of the guests were selected council members that Jasper had kindly invited and being none the wiser, they all happily drank the ‘exclusive’ cocktails provided and played right into Jaspers’ waiting claws.

Kiren couldn’t help but keep a watchful eye of Jasper as he kept his own eyes on each and every person that drank Matt’s drinks.

Everyone was having a great time, even a journalist had been invited so that she could report on the party, and she also seemed to be drinking a bit more than everyone else which Kiren knew Jasper would use to his advantage as soon as he could.

Lots of conversation flowed freely as did the drinks; soon enough people were loudly saying what they really thought of others that weren’t there with laughter and impersonations.

Thankfully this party wasn’t one that Jasper seemed to need any of the girls at, so one by one, Kiren, Adette and Melanie all slunk off to bed while the party raged on into the night.

 

By the time Kiren woke up, she was thankful to hear that the mansion was as quiet as an empty tomb.

She went downstairs and made some coffee, after having one of the coffee’s she made she looked in the fridge for something to eat, she wasn’t feeling very hungry but since her appetite had been so slight over the past few days she knew she needed to eat something.

“I don’t think the fridge knows how to make anything, even if you stare into it.”

Reiss had come up behind Kiren and startled her, she spun about shutting the fridge door, seeing his face made her angry and as her anger grew, so did her magic which swirled about her lifting her off the floor slightly so she was looking down at him.

“Impressive, but you might want to keep that under your hat; unless of course you’ve found a way to disable those still magic bound rings from pumping poison through your veins.”

She rolled her eyes and scoffed at Reiss as she stopped her magic from flowing. “You’re a piece of work you know that, can’t you? Be a little bit happy that I actually managed to do something useful that might actually get us out of here or are you having fun here?”

 

To her slight shock Reiss got mad at her, he slamming her up against the fridge holding her hands above her head so she couldn’t do anything, he put his face close to hers so he didn’t have to speak loudly.

“Don’t you dare think that I don’t hate what I’m doing and what I’ve done while I’ve been here; weren’t you the one who just the other day told me something similar, huh?” Kiren blinked in stunned silence at him, her eyes locked with his, her heart was pounding in her ears. “You might be a few thousand years older than me, but your age has done you no favours in the intelligence section of life it would seem.”

 

Kiren pushed Reiss off her in her own anger.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you’re disgusting. No better than any other of your kind, vermin feeding off others misery to get what you want and be damned the rest of us.” She slapped his face as hard as she could; her breathing had grown faster in her renewed anger.

Going to walk off she was stopped again by him as he was quick to stand in front of her.

 

“Why can’t you see I’m trying to help you, but you want to be so damned angry at everyone for what’s happening you’re going to get yourself killed before you can do any real good?”

Kiren pushed past ignoring him and stormed back upstairs, even though her stomach was hurting slightly from her still being hungry.

 

Coming into the bedroom Kiren was faced with Adette leaning up against one of the bed posts silently staring at her, Melanie as usual of late was nowhere to be seen.

“And I thought I was the only one who could hit that hard, nice going.” She smirked at her.

“Oh, yes and I really want to talk to you right now, agent.” Kiren snapped. “Here I was thinking you had a thing for Reiss, that sort of complicated I could deal with... but no it had to be a whole other sort of fucked up.”

Adette gave a short burst of laugher and shook her head.

“Well, at least now you know why I stopped you and Reiss and why was apprehensive about your plans. But so far so good, for now. Pity you never got into the force.”

 

Kiren slumped down by the footstool feeling stupid and suddenly overly tired. Adette came and sat beside her giving a half smiling sigh.

“You know, you really shouldn’t be mad at Reiss, after all we both kept it from you but we had to. Ever since you mentioned Melanie acting weird, we’ve begun walking on egg-shells.”

“Yeah but he... we... you know...” Kiren looked past Adette.

“Ah... right, but you can’t hold that against him, come on. If he didn’t do as Jasper asked of him, our cover would have been blown. Besides, he said...”

Adette stopped as Kiren shook her head frowning.

“You don’t have to say anything, it’s already more complicated than I ever this would be. I’ll stop being mad at him.” She sighed shifting slightly. “So, how are we going to sort out this mess then?”

Adette smiled giving Kiren a wink.

As she was about to speak but the sound of a truck backing up pierced the silence of the morning; Adette and Kiren looked at each other then scrambled to get up off the floor and see what was going on.