I stood there clutching the official stamped letter from Lady Vishnew; yes I knew my mother was in on this with her. I’d racked my brain for a few moments when a smile broke out on my face, yes there was definitely a way to turn this, and maybe use a little of there own trickery against them, then again, these two weren’t stupid they were after all over 1000 years old, I had to step very lightly, very lightly in deed. Walking back in I sat to try and plan for the onset of a war as I put it, or just meddling mothers to put it even better. Damn! I really needed to talk to Lana about this and see what she thought, I knew that woman was no dummy and figured she’d seen it even sooner than me. Problem was how to get near her again? I was sure that Lady Vishnew was having her watched closely as I’m sure I was being also.

I was deep in thought not noticing when Dan walked up to me with the invoice from our recent delivery.
“Ok boss, it appears that everything was there, though I saw two bolts of fabric that were a little damaged. Uh boss?” Dan said as he laid the papers on my desk.
Looking up I stared for a moment, still lost in my thoughts for a moment not recognizing Dan. “Uh, could you repeat that Dan? I am a little scatter brained at the moment, been a rough few days,” I told him.
“Yeah, I know boss, with all them new folks demanding your attention, I’m not surprised. Knowing you though, you handled it like you always do cool and calm.” Dan tossed back at me.
Laughing inside I thought to myself, ‘shit Dan if you only knew, you’d be running for the hills about now.’

Finally finished for the day I started to head home, as if the day couldn’t get worse. I’d almost reached my building when I felt the stalker, sighing I thought ‘Christ not again I really wasn’t in the mood for this,’ as a matter of fact I was in a pretty foul mood as it was. Reaching out I wrapped the interloper holding him immobile, opening my mind I told him, <I am not in a mood to play foolish games with you. When I release you if you still come at me I will rip you apart, don’t doubt my power!> With that, I released him and flashed out to my room, damn it! The stupid bastard was still coming!

Reaching out again I grabbed the startled stalker, then my powers vanished! Son of a bitch! I knew the ass could feel he was human now and yet the idiot still advanced! Sighing I heard a gasp, then a yell of pain, finally a deafening scream, I’d warned the bastard. Laying down I knew the wards would keep things quiet and hidden till he was truly dead and my powers returned.
Awaking the next morning I tried to float off the bed and was amazed when I found that my powers were still gone! Going down stairs I saw why, the vampire had wedged his self in a corner all night waiting till I came out to release him. Sighing I just looked at the dumb bastard, “You really are pathetic, first you don’t realize who you are trying to kill, especially after hearing your mistress talk about me. Then you end up trapped in my stair well which I might add, I should leave you here to rot. Though I am sure that Lana wouldn’t be none too happy about it.”

Snarling, the man tried to swing at me and was immediately burned on his arm, “You don’t deserve to speak her name let alone talk about her!”

Slapping the man’s face, I snarled back, “When I am far enough away I will set all these on you, you have to be the most idiotic follower she has ever had, she will thank me for ridding her of you!” With that I turned and left, the man shouting and screaming obscenities at me ’til I was out of ear shot. Finally I felt my powers return and I closed my hand striking the idiot in my stair well with all the wards. It was a good thing I was the only one that could hear his screams to say they were satisfying would be an understatement.

Passing her building I saw one of her lackeys stirring then he was searching around for his guard mate, one look at me and he just shook his head. Sighing I knew that there was a pretty big mess back in my building, problem is I didn’t have time to take care of it. Walking into my office I saw that I was actually early enough to have beaten Dan in. Then I remembered we had end of the month inventory, ugh always a chore, one that I could finish in a few minutes but not without raising suspicion. Settling in I grabbed the first book and waved my hand over it hmmm only 3 things were off, opening the book I notated them and reached for the second book. Waving my hand over it my eyes got huge when I found over half the book to be wrong, growling I called up each item to see what had happened to it. I’d just finished the second book when Dan walked in the door sleepy eyed, then his eyes went huge as he looked at the 2 books.
“Sorry boss, didn’t know I was running late.” He stumbled through the office to his seat.
“No,” I replied, “I just got up early to get started, hell this is almost half the day right here, you might get to go home early for a change.” Dan smiled, I knew about the woman he’d started seeing, she was good for him.

Finally finishing up for the day I made my way home, not really hungry I decided not to stop tonight at the restaurant. Well I wasn’t ’til I was walking by and saw Lana, Gregor, and another; the only way to describe him would be a dandy, a man made up looking pretty. I growled and stepped in leaning against the door jam, I watched for a few minutes ’til Gregor saw me and called me over.
“Ah! Johnathon Timmins! May I introduce you to Reginald Pennington III? He was invited by mother to help Lana and me through this difficult time here in these primitive conditions.” Gregor said happily but I could see that the smile never reached his eyes; there all I saw was disgust.

Extending his hand almost like a woman, I almost expected him to want me to kiss it. HA! I’d more than likely break his jaw before I even came close.
“Mr. Timmins, I’ve heard of your family from Lord Vidon, a pitiful thing really, one that should been put down…” he started.
Reaching across the table I smashed my tightened fist into his face, “Listen to me you pompous, little piss ant, pop-n-jay, if I ever hear you insult my family again, you won’t live or exist the day out!”
The little man was picking his self off the floor, indeed his jaw WAS broken, standing I bowed to a wide eyed Lana and snickering Gregor, storming out of the building. Once outside and away from them I waved a hand and was again miles out of town at the rock quarry. Damn it! I’d never lost my temper like that, I know I wasn’t a real powerful man but I could deal out some damage, I’d been at it for half an hour when I felt the approaching vampire presence, erecting twice as many wards I sat and waited. If the silly boy wanted to die, I was more than happy to oblige. Not too happy he was alive again, he started to stomp toward me.

“Unless you want to die very fast and very painful, I suggest you stop where you are. What do you want little man?” I sneered.

“You insulted me and injured my person I demand…,” he started.

“You fucking demand? I suggest you start walking away from me as quickly as you can, you insulted one of the oldest mage families in all the world, therefore you insulted me,” I looked straight in his eyes, I could see him shaking, all I had in my eyes was the icy cold calling of death and I wasn’t afraid to use it.
“As I said at the restaurant, pursue this and you won’t last the day out I WILL make sure of that. You are obviously too stupid to realize just who you are dealing with! I am Johnathon Timmins of the European Timmins!” I shouted.

I swear the little man about pissed his pants when I told him who I was, “Leave! While you still can, I see you again and I will destroy you! Don’t think sniffing around Lana’s skirts will save you either!” I turned as he started walking away from me, within a few minutes I felt my power start to return. Damn it! Now he’d fucked up my bad mood! Growling I had to do something more destructive, looking around I saw a series of caves not far away. Thinking a moment I smirked perfect! Flashing out I appeared deep in the cave system erecting a huge barrier I started to blast away at the ceiling and walls of the cave. Ah! This was better wholesale destruction! An hour later I felt Gregor approaching from far off shit! Not now, all I needed right now was his smart ass cracking jokes. Damn I just hope I was far enough underground for neither of us to affect the other.
Stopping almost directly above me, I felt Gregor’s confusion, concentrating I asked him why he was there.

“Why am I here? You really have to ask? After you spanked pretty boys’ ass did you think there’d be no repercussions? Already we’ve had to put all our troops here on alert. Plus the fact that he was telling father that you attacked him without provocation.” I laughed, Vidon would have seen through all of the pretty boy’s lies, plus he could see and hear what Gregor and Lana had seen.
“So why are you here? After seeing yours and Lana’s sights I know he no longer believes him.” I responded.
Sighing Gregor almost cringed, “uh … he and your father want your sight, to clear all points of the conversation.” I started to laugh, so this was their plan, force me to submit to a memory scan, everyone knew father was the only one strongest enough to scan me. As if I trusted him now, there was no telling what he’d try to plant while he was in there.
Gregor thought for a moment I had lost my mind, “You tell your father and thereby my father, that it will be an extremely cold, cold day in hell before I submit myself to a scan. I can extract the memories but that is all, I will not have another mucking around in my head, not while I am alive!”

“I’ll try,” Gregor replied, “But if I know the both of them, they’ll be here within the next two days. Oh yeah, pretty boys’ family is already on the way here, I am sure you’ve heard of him, Lord Pompoff.” Gregor said in disgust, that vampire clan was well known for all the atrocities they had perpetrated over the last three centuries. Thankfully they were small and not many followers survived long.
Laughing even harder it was a fight to stay on my feet Lord Pompoff!? LORD!? Again Gregor must have thought I had lost my mind. “Yes Gregor, I know of the Lewd Lord, as I am sure most of the clans do.”
For a moment I felt Gregor hesitate then the laughter started, so much in fact that I could tell that Gregor was no longer standing a rare thing with him in his vampire form. A moment later Gregor stopped and got serious,
“Johnathon you know that his father could force this, saying that you manipulated the memory. If what happened that night gets out you and I could be finished no matter what the circumstances. Though I don’t think they will do much to you (as if they could) the effects upon me and Lana could go on for a long time. Why can’t we come clean about it?”

Sighing I thought long and hard before I answered, “Because I made a promise that night Gregor, Lana, even as old as she was, was nowhere near ready, plus the fact that her friend put herself on the line like that. No, I will not diminish her memory or sacrifice, she was only human, but she was by far the most noble of us all that night. Lana doesn’t remember no one does, I removed it from all of you, it was hers and Lana’s wishes, you know better than anyone the love I have for Lana, and exactly what I would do for her. This is one thing I cannot do, not any more it is my pain and mine alone to suffer through ’til the sign, not a moment before!”

Hating myself I grabbed Gregor before he could move and again removed all conversation involving that night, one of these days I swear Gregor was going to have a really good scream at me when I installed all the lost memories.
I sent Gregor back to near town, cover story ready in his mind damn it! I hated using my friend as a puppet. I was hoping that this sign she’d given me all those centuries ago happened soon, the way things were going I was very soon to be on the outlaw list. A place no one wanted me to be, considering I could take well over half any clan out with no problem, yeah they wanted me on their good side. Strange thing is though, an awful lot more people were trying to suddenly ‘help’ me now more than ever before, what were they that afraid? No there was something else going on here, I had heard rumblings the last hundred years about a few of the clans afraid of the power that mine now held. I had seen the quick scramblings to garner favor with father then mother. No one had even tried to approach me, yeah they knew better, knowing me I’d probably have eaten them for lunch, (I really couldn’t stand ass kissing, whiney, yes men, a good assistant but not a yes man.)

Withdrawing I had just appeared outside of town when I felt my father calling me, not fucking now! Looking around I walked till I was hidden then appeared in my room, “What!” I yelled as soon as I connected.

“Danm boy! That’s no way to greet your father, nor the leader of your clan.” He started.

“HA! As if I care right now, before you ask I already know you know what my answer was. Don’t even think of it!” I said as I threw a very strong ward up blocking what he’d already sent.
Sighing he started again, “I knew I shouldn’t have sent you over there, but the clan demanded it before you claimed the head of the clan, I….”

“I’ll tell you as I told them last year when my power shot past yours,” I stated, “I do not want the head of the clan, it is yours ’till you die or step down. Since I am your stand in you aren’t too likely to die too soon, so unless this is important then go away and leave me alone!” I was about to close when what he said next froze me to the spot.

“I wish it was that simple, because of the offence I, Vidon, Pompoff,” here he sighed, “plus the entire magical council will be there next week, there is nothing I could do. The little piss-ant already has half the council on his side over laws that I started over 900 years ago. I hope you’re ready son, it won’t be like 200 years ago, when it was just you, Lana, Gregor, and Lady Trina.” I Had turned away at the mention of her name such memories flooding back into my soul and mind. My father never one to miss subtle hints, saw the slight tearing in my eyes as I turned, interesting he thought, let’s hope that this cure isn’t worse than the disease.

“I know that father, but if need be, I will be branded a rouge before I will dishonor the family name. Know this, the last act I will perform before I do, will be to not only destroy that pompous little prick of a son of his but to crack the skull open of the father. I’LL have their land run red with their blood, this I promise you!”

My father’s face showed shock he hadn’t seen this much passion from his son in well over 200 years not since…
“We will endeavor to try and keep that from happening, though their clan is suspected of many crimes” My father stated.
I stood there for a while after that, I had a week at the most to prepare. Nothing was going like I had started it to, I needed to turn things around and soon but the only way I could see that happening was to get Lana alone again. Try as I might though I really didn’t see that happening real soon either.

I lay down with a million things running through my mind, plus all the plans I had to set in motion before any of them started to arrive. Early the next morning I had a small army of carpenters start in on two huge buildings to try and house the influx of visitors that would soon be in the town. Next I had to go outside of town setting wards and even more protections than I’d ever used before, had it not been for the conditions that my family caused it wouldn’t have been necessary but in this case everyone had agreed to it. So it seemed that for the next week everyone in the town was going to be human whether or not they wanted to. That night I could almost swear that Lana had tried to contact me, I knew better, vampires might be a lot of things, but telepathic I hadn’t seen yet.

500 miles away Evelyn Timmins was sitting at a table in a restaurant, beside her Lady Genevieve Vishnew was sipping tea when she waved her hand at Evelyn. Immediately Evelyn, froze the room and a vision of Gregor appeared.
“Mother I do not feel right deceiving my best and only friend like this.” He stated.

“You’ll get over it,” his mother started, “what has gone on.”

“From what I’ve seen he is beyond mad, his power is at a height I’ve never felt before. I am afraid it has everything to do with that night. I know I talked to him about it but I have no memory of it.” Gregor replied. “May I,” Evelyn said, Genevieve nodded and Evelyn scanned Gregor.

“It was as you thought, he has been erased and quite well I might add there is nothing, no shred of it at all. If it wasn’t for the residual trail I might not even know someone had been here. My god! If this Jonathon’s work he’s been at it for quite a while, it takes centuries to develop to this point.” Vishnew nodded if indeed it was Jonathon then it might explain why they’d never been able to find out what happened that night. Once again it seemed that everything was leading back to the that night, Vishnew and Evelyn had both investigated with the entire clans resources behind them and had found nothing.

A moment later Evelyn felt the stirrings of her husband’s communication, this had to be bad if Tom was actually calling her! “Evelyn, what are you doing? Do you know our son has publicly declared that he will go rouge rather than sully the family name? In other words, NOT go through the mind scan!”

Oh shit she thought so the boy had more balls than she thought to carry it this far! “I can be there tomorrow Leader,” she said in a official capacity.

“No my dear, I afraid it is too late now, it seems that Pompoff’s boy insulted the family and Jonathon took extreme prejudice to it.” Tom Timmins snapped. “The entire council along with Pompoff’s troupe, and ours will be there in a week.”

Both Evelyn and Vishnew’s head’s snapped up at that the WHOLE council? Oh shit, this was bad really bad, as bad as 200 years ago when … why was this and then starting to look the same?

“I am nearby, we can show support of the family,” Evelyn said, damn they hadn’t seen each other in what a hundred years now?

Only a moment later one of Vishnew’s lackeys specially picked for his telepathic ability spoke. “Lady Vishnew, Lord Vidon requests you attendance.” Looking at Evelyn Vishnew was reminded of the human saying when it rains it pours. “My Lady, Lady Evelyn,” the voice started. “I know you both have been working to bring the conjoining of our offspring to fruition. It appears that a new though minor player has entered the contest. I and the clan have been called to where our offspring are at the present. It appears the Reginald Pompoff has insulted the Timmins clan, an offence that I myself could destroy their clan for, under the articles of alliance. That is had Jonathon not broken the son’s jaw thereby throwing down the gauntlet. It appears that the full force of 15 clans will be brought to bear with the council but that the council is afraid it may not be enough after a sampling of Jonathon’s power earlier today.”

Evelyn gasped she knew he’d grown quite a bit these last 3 weeks but no where this much. “Are you going to be added as a force to stop him?” Lady Vishnew stated, though she didn’t think she’d like the answer.

Sighing Vidon could only nod, this was wrong, he knew that Pompoff was going to take full advantage of it but little did he know that already half of his forces were already decimated, he’d be lucky if he had 10 men by the time he got to America. Vishnew could only slightly smile, she recognized that look her husband held he was already on the move good!

Johnathon awoke the next morning checking on the workers he hired more and started another building. Damn it! It was going to get really, really crowded in a hurry next week. He had just gotten out of bed when he thought he saw an apparition? What the hell? Great that’s all he needed, hmmm who have I killed with a soul lately he thought. When nothing came to mind he shrugged it off starting on his morning routine again ’til it ran through the house again. This time he was just annoyed, so doing nothing he waited ’til it came again then he reached out and grabbed it.

After all there were no ghos … that’s when it slipped out of his grasped and laughed a familiar laugh, then slipped through the wall at the same place. Ok, ok, it had to be a trick there were no spirits no one had the power to bring others back from death and once you were gone that was it. Wasn’t it? A laughing came from behind him, “Tsk, tsk Johnny, you know there are always exceptions to every rule!”

Without thinking Johnathon whirled and pointed a finger at the apparition, “I thought I told you to never call me that Trin….” Falling to his knees Jonathon was face to face with the ghost or spirit of Trina Timmins.

Tears were streaming down his face, she was still as beautiful as he remembered her, bowing his head he began to beg her forgiveness. “Please forgive me Trina, it should have been me not you.”

“Johnny Timmins! If I had corporeal form I would smack you around this building! I told you never regret that night, you obviously don’t remember do you?” Trina stated. Johnathon only shook his head no. “Though at the time I was stronger than you, though not much, I was dying. Mother and father didn’t even know of it, though at the time you did, oh my dear brother, you tried for a hundred years, but you weren’t strong enough. Now it would be nothing, done in a few minutes but not then, I was happy to do what I did, please, I am here to let you know it is almost time. When it is time you will recognize the sign, then and only then can you reveal what happened that night and let Lana and Gregor remember, ALL OF IT brother! Or I might have to smack you a lot harder than I ever have and believe me there are ways!” With that, the vision of Trina faded

Jonathon could only blink, finally after all these centuries he could be free? Sighing, yeah right, all I had to do was survive the next week! Easy enough, there were only 15 clans out there to try and hold him down while they tried to pry in where no one could.

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