《The Menagerie- Book 1》 Prologue The Scorned. A collective group of protectors chosen to watch over and guard humanity. An army once in the thousands, was all that stood between everyday people and the preternatural forces that plagued humanity from the darkness. Not all were evil or had malevolent intentions of course. Those select few beings were referred to as The Gifted. Healers, Witches, the occasional Warlock, Sighted (those who could see the future or the past), made up the smallest portion of this menagerie of misfits. It was usually just the Wicked that gave the Scorned shall we say¡­ difficulties. The Wicked were previously departed souls that had escaped the Vast, a holding cell of sorts for the Gifted who abused their talents. It had been around 20 years since the last ¡°successful¡± escape attempt. A group of Wicked slipped past and set themselves free and quickly made their way to the surface. The goal being to assume a corporeal form. This became the modern day concept of possession. It was not uncommon for Wicked to toy with their victims, often animating them or manipulating their senses to the point of insanity. All that seemed to stop for about the last 20 years or so¡­If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Now it was 2017. The farthest corners of the earth were beginning to have light shed upon them and there were some nasty things coming from the shadows. Wicked were being discovered in droves, gathered in cities across the globe. Lately the largest amount of activity was located in Los Angeles. Benton Hills to be exact. A bustling metropolis filled with people scurrying from one place to another but going nowhere. These were troubling times. A Scorned had gone missing. The wicked were on the prowl and the people of this city were no longer safe. Everyone was looking for answers and coming up empty. That is until December 24th, when Thadeus Morgan, new Scorned came to town. Chapter 1 "Fuck it all!" Alaina tossed the cushions of her blue corduroy couch. Vigorously she searched the folds of her comforter for her ID badge. It wasn''t like she slept in the living room every night, but the garish display of Christmas decorations reflecting into her bedroom window was enough to drive a man mad. She had enough of that at work lately. The last thing she needed was to be bombarded with it when she was on her own time. Her hand brushed through old popcorn, pencils, and an assortment of take out sauce packets and cutlery before it found its target. "Bingo!" She exclaimed as she pulled the evasive plastic card free. Tossing it into her purse, she grabbed her bag, keys and coat and headed for the door. She stopped by the mirror at the last second to quick check her outfit. White button down blouse with a navy blue pencil skirt. Locking it behind her, she made a beeline for the Pontiac Grand Prix that sat in her driveway, backed out and headed to work. It was a pain to commute to and from, but the cost of an apartment in town was outrageous. Besides, a 40 minute drive was nothing. Except when you were late. Alot. Like she was. Today was rare. Aside from the badge fiasco, everything was perfect. She had her breakfast, homemade egg muffin, granola bar, and a cup of coffee with so much sugar her aunt swore it would give her diabetes. Her outfit looked great, and her hair cooperated. She was on fire today! Still though, it was a good thing she was on time because if she had been late another day, she was going to lose her job. Alaina worked for Exelsior Events, the company charged with the Christmas and New Years celebrations in Kirkland Square every year. Hence why her neighbors'' house drove her bonkers. She spent every waking hour staring at oversized decorations and even though she appreciated her job, she needed downtime. Still, it paid well enough to keep her in a nice neighborhood. It began to sprinkle so she flipped on her wipers and lowered her speed as she approached a stop sign. Right as she began to cross the road, a jet black car zipped in front of her causing her to stomp on her brakes. Narrowly missing her, it continued down the road. "Asshole!" She shouted in vain. Collecting her wits, she drove the rest of her way more cautiously. It was the Christmas Eve auction tonight. Alaina and her coworker Sophie were in charge of greeting the guests and checking everyone in. After that, she needed to assist the auctioneers with calling the items. She pulled into the parking garage and found a space on her floor. Not believing her luck, she parked and pinched herself in case she was dreaming. Alaina wasn''t the most delicate or politically correct person in the world so for this many good things to happen on the same day probably meant something bad was around the corner. Her friend Sophie used to joke that she needed to wear a hazard sign. She hid her purse under her passenger seat and slung her id over her neck. Shutting her car door with a thud, she checked her phone before silencing it. Her boss hated personal calls while at work. Thankful that she didn''t need to get in an elevator, she walked into the office, swiped her badge,and found her desk. "Have you seen the news?" Sophie popped her head over the edge of Alainas cubicle. The woman had no patience. Standing at a short 5''2 to Alainas 5''11, Sophie Denning was a spitfire. Sitting down in her swivel chair, Alaina swung around over dramatically. "No, what possibly could have happened? Did Timmy get stuck in a well?" She put the back of her hand against her forehead as if she was feeling faint. Sophie chuckled. "Funny girl, but seriously, someone went missing last night." Alaina sighed. Sophie did love her mysteries. She had a "friend" in law enforcement so she always came to work with some little bit of intrigue. Impatiently waiting to share the rest of her story, Sophie tapped her fingers against Alainas desk. Starting her computer for as long as she could just to mess with her, she caved. "Ok," she began hesitantly. "What do you know?" Sophie squealed and rolled her chair around to Alainas cubicle. "Ok, so according to witnesses, this girl was walking outside for some air or something, got a phone call and walked to the alley to answer it. Immediately I was like what? You never go in an alley, in what story is the alley the safe place to be ever? Anyway, she went into the alley to take her call and never came back out. Some said a couple guys might have followed her in but they never came out either. They all just vanished. Freaky right? " Patently awaiting her friend''s response, Sophie sat quietly. Alaina had to admit, it was weird and it had more interest for her than Sophie''s usual morning tidbits. Last week, she talked for an hour about some guy breaking into a batting cage. Still, it brought her joy to share, so she indulged in these little morning stories. "It''s definitely weird. Keep me posted?" Sophie nodded and went back to her cubicle. "Will do Laney, Don''t forget, we are working the donors auction tonight so we gotta be out of here early."Alaina groaned. She abhorred dealing with stuffy nosed twits and that''s all that ever attended those things. She spent the rest of her day double checking the guest list and scanning her email for late reservations and attendance changes. Right as she was about to log off, a message popped up from her boss. Hey girls, Just a note for tonight, don¡¯t forget I¡¯ve left your wardrobes in the staff closet. Please remember, we want to express an atmosphere of holiday cheer and class so smiles! Josie "Oh for the love of God, she got us costumes..." Alaina stared at her screen as Sophie strung together some rather colorful expletives. Pushing away from her desk, she headed toward the break room with Sophie in tow. It always smelled like old burnt popcorn and stale granola. Hesitantly, she opened the closet at the back of the room and removed the two black garment bags. Handing Sophie the one with her name on it, Alaina placed her bag on the table and unzipped it. Amongst the contents of both bags were long red satin dresses, heels, and a bag of holiday themed jewelry and hair accessories with a label that said "Optional".. Alaina sighed. ¡°Yeah right, optional¡± she said under her breath. This would look great on Sophie, she had the body for it. Things like this never felt comfortable on her. Being so tall, she always felt uncomfortable dressing up. It''s why her at home wardrobe consisted of witty t-shirts and pajama bottoms. Sophie had already run to the restroom to change by the time Alaina turned around to ask her opinion. She knew she would be excited. Shutting the break room door, Alaina began to change. Making a mental note to not think about how her boss knew her bra size, she removed the dress from its bag and hung it on the corner of the door. She smoothed out the gown and held it against her body. Thanking Josie profusely for not picking a cartoon character, she began to get dressed. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. About an hour and a half later, the women examined themselves in the bathroom mirror. Sophie ogled her own back end and Alaina admired her friend''s handiwork on her hair. Her long chestnut mane had been tamed into soft billowing curls that cascaded down her back and shoulder. Sophie''s hair was in a messy french braided bun. Both women wore the snowflake earrings and necklace that Josie had selected. Looking quite a pair, they exited the rest room and headed for the elevator. Alaina went to the back right corner and held on tight. She hated these things. She never cared for tight spaces in general but the threat of plummeting to your death had her avoid elevators whenever possible. It was now 7:50. The auction doors opened at 8:00. It''s a good thing this thing took place in the auction house across the street. As the elevator dinged and released them, Alaina exhaled and got out as quickly as possible. Sophie followed behind her as they made their way across the road to their posts. "I''ll get the attendance lists real quick, see you inside?" Sophie scurried across the street. Shaking her head, Alaina walked after her. The roads had been blocked off for the night, so no worries about traffic. She stepped up on the curb but her right heel slipped and she started going down. Preparing herself for a ruined outfit and a bruising, Alaina reached back to brace her fall. Out of nowhere, someone caught her. "Are you alright?" they asked. "I''m fine, thank you so..." she turned to face her savior but they were already gone. Confused as to how they disappeared so fast, she stood up. Alaina disregarded the incident as she headed to her podium inside where Sophie was waiting. Handing her a clipboard, they took their spots and the clock rang 8:00. People came in by the dozens. These things were always the same. Sophie covertly flirted with every guy who looked remotely single and ended up getting wuite a few boosted donations. There were always people who insisted they were on the list when they weren''t, and Alainas feet were killing her by the end of it. Finally, the doors closed and everyone proceeded into the auction hall. Turning her board into the security desk, Alaina started making her way to the auction block to display the items. Sophie was about halfway there when out the corner of her eye, Alaina saw someone run by outside. Curious as to why anyone but a police officer would be out there right now, she stopped and called after Sophie. "I¡¯ll be right in, I forgot to sign my board again." Sophie laughed. "You''d forget your head if it wasn''t attached. Go on, we''ve got a couple minutes. Josie asks "I''ll just tell her you had to use the restroom or got swept off your feet by some club footed billionaire." Alaina laughed and nodded in appreciation and headed for the exit. Pushing the door open and gathering the bottom of her dress, she walked in the direction of the mystery person. The clack of her heels against the concrete was hardly covert, but she needed to know what that was. The mystery person zipped around the corner past the Kinkybean with her hot on his heels yet when she rounded the same corner, they were gone. Bracing her hand on the cold brick next to her, she paused to catch her breath. Just as she was about to turn back, she heard a scuffle coming from the alley way. She could just hear Sophie''s voice in her head from earlier. Despite her friends wise words, she took off her shoes to muffle the sound of her steps and walked toward the noise. Spooked by a large bang against a dumpster, she ducked behind an old fridge box. Peering up over the edge, she watched and listened in. There were two people. One standing on his phone, and the other slumped against the ground. The one on the asphalt appeared to be female. Had she just walked in to a lovers quarrel? Attempted mugging? The woman looked like she was wearing nice clothes, maybe she was heading into the auction? "I don''t think its her," the man on the phone began. "She doesn''t smell right¡­. That''s where I went, there were a fuck ton of people there¡­. No I didn''t go in, there were cops at the door and I''m hardly dressed for whatever was going on in there." The woman on the ground began to stir. The mans back was to her and she noticed. She frantically caught Alainas eye. "Help me please, he''s a monster!" The woman screamed as the man shoved his phone in his pocket and picked the woman up by her throat. Unable to remain hidden, she ran out from behind her hiding place and ran full speed at the assailant. With one motion, the attacker swung his arm toward the wall and Alaina was flung against it. Hitting her head on a fire escape, she blinked in and out of consciousness. The man dropped the girl to the ground and walked toward her. "Well well well, who have we here?" Alaina slid her hands around looking for something to use as a weapon. She found a busted piece of glass just as the man leaned down to her. Waiting for him to come in a little closer, she readied her hand. He came in real close. Good lord his breath smelled like a rancid garbage disposal. The assailant inhaled deeply. His nostrils flared and a crooked smile appeared on his face. ¡°How fortunate that you came to me, had you done this sooner, it might have saved that poor girl an awful lot of trouble." He reached up to brush a stray curl from her shoulder. Seizing her moment, she quickly slashed his face, leaving a long and deep cut across his cheek. He shrieked back in pain. ¡°You bitch!" He reached down and pulled her up by her hair. Dropping her glass, she desperately tried to free herself. The man¡¯s face looked distorted. "I''m supposed to bring you in, nobody said you had to be in one piece." Paralyzed with fear, Alaina closed her eyes. The man raised a hand and right as she was sure he was about to strike, he let out an oof and she fell to the ground. Scooting back against the wall, she watched as someone new tossed her assailant against the brick wall behind them. The man stood up like it was nothing and just disappeared into thin air. The stranger turned and walked over to her. Unable to comprehend what she had just seen, and feeling the effects of the highly probable concussion she had, Alaina passed out. Chapter 2 Thadeus watched the crowd across the road from the shadows. Corbin was around here somewhere. Usually there was only one Scorned per district, but with how active the Wicked had been lately, the higher ups saw fit to institute double duty. Despite the fact he preferred to work alone, he didn''t mind his partner. Corbin could be a smart ass, but he followed the code to the letter. Thadeus respected that. He always held himself to a very specific standard and it was refreshing to work with someone who took their job as seriously as he did. Once again he scanned the crowd for suspicious people. Shifting his stance, he thought about the last time he was in this city. Corbin spent most of it telling him he was a hard ass who needed to remove the pike from his hind end. After a decent brawl, he retracted his statement. Thadeus took his honor very seriously and he would not be questioned. Despite what his colleagues would say, his track record spoke for itself. Just as he was about to call it a night, he spotted one. He could always spot a Wicked.. To most people they appeared fairly normal, albeit a lil off putting. To those tasked with their capture however, their skin was crackled and gray, like the ashen remains they called home. This particular stain on existence was chatting up some elegantly dressed young woman. Not wanting to cause a scene, Thadeus waited to see what his target was up to. It was when he started walking off with her that he took action. Walking across the street, he wove through the crowd undetected. He almost made it to the corner when these two women started running across the road. A shorter one,and a tall one. Both dressed in floor length cocktail dresses. The taller of the two caught her shoe in the drain grate and started to topple over. Thadeus sped up to catch her, asked if she was ok, and as soon as she said she was, he stood her on her feet and left before she could turn around. "Damn it!." He had lost sight of the wicked. Returning to his post, Thadeus muttered under his breath. The crowd had gone inside by then so at least nobody else was exposed. About an hour passed, the streets had cleared so after sending a quick message to Corbin, Thadeus was about to call it a night. He began to walk back to his car. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the women in red again. It was the same as before, only this time she looked like she was after something. What was this woman up to? With nothing else to do with his night except listening to Corbin go off the rails about the show Firefly getting canceled, he decided to follow her. She was really after something. He rounded a corner shortly after her and saw her crouching behind a large box with her shoes in her hand. She was a ways away from him, but it didn''t take long to find out what drew her here. He could smell the blood. Has she been hurt somehow? Or worse, had she seen a Wicked? That was an ability limited to the Gifted.. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. A woman screamed and the next thing he knew, his mystery woman was hauling ass down the alleyway, shoes in the dirt. By the time he reached her position, he saw the Wicked from earlier. He had her held by the hair and was about to strike. As fast as he could, Thaddeus ran up and slammed him into the wall. The bastard got up, cursed and was gone in an instant. That was a new trick. Looking down, he saw the woman that the Wicked had been chatting up. He must have dragged her here. She wasn''t in too bad of shape by the looks of her, terrified though for sure. He placed his hand on her head wound and it healed in a matter of moments. He uttered a soft incantation to help both keep her asleep a while longer and help her forget the whole ordeal. She would wake up thinking she drank too much at whatever that event was. After he finished with victim 1, he turned to the woman in red. Despite the fact she had a head wound, she still tried to fight. Thadeus tried to heal her as he had the other woman, but something strange happened. It didn''t work. He tried again. Nothing. Vexed by this unexpected impotence, he attempted the incantation. Over 200 years of guarding these beings, and she was the only one his gifts didn''t work on. Maybe he was losing hot touch. Alaina opened her eyes long enough to see this towering man standing over her. mistaking him for her assaulter, she swung her right fist as hard as she could in the direction of his face. Thadeus dodged the blow and stifled a chuckle. Moments later, she passed out. Calling an ambulance to the area, his mind spun with possibilities. The spell always worked, satisfied with his efforts, he headed for his car. Still, something about her bugged him. He thought for a moment. He had first seen her come from the building across the street. Making a note of the name of the place, he would find out who this woman was. unless he was mistaken, that creature was there for her. He had possibly made a mistake grabbing the first woman. they did share similar features. The Wicked weren''t too bright so if they were interested in her, that meant he needed to be as well. He had to admit though. It wouldn''t be entirely unpleasant to see her again. When he first set eyes on her, she took a bit of his breath away. That was not an easy thing to accomplish. Heading for the compound, he turned on the radio and pictured her. Tall, long brunette hair, and that dress... He almost couldn''t pull away from her when he kept her from falling. The most prominent thing about her, was the natural fire in her eyes. She charged at that wicked like a bat out of hell and faced him head on. He could have killed her, and all she thought about was helping that woman. She was defiant until she passed out. Yes, she definitely raised more questions than answers, amongst other things. He had to see her again he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone. Calling Corbin, he tried to focus and not sound distracted. " Hey, I''ve only got a sec, but I want you to see who was working the door at the auction house last night.¡± He recalled the name of the business from her badge. ¡°They work for a place called Excelsior events. I think the Wicked were there for a reason. It was like he was after something or someone." Corbin sighed on the other end of the phone."Alright man, but it''s gonna take a bit, I''ll try to get to it this afternoon or something. I''ve been spending all day trying to trace the lineage of some guy for Ramallah. Anything else? " Thaddeus thought about the encounter again. ¡° The target for the evening had a new trick up his sleeve. Bastard disappeared into thin air. Have Fade give me a call, I wanna know if there have ever been other instances like that. " Thanking his friend for his help, Thadeus continued on his way. Nothing about this night seemed right. Chapter 3 Alaina awoke to the bustle of feet and the rhythmic beeping of machinery nearby. Opening a very groggy set of eyes, she looked around. She was in a hospital room somewhere. A sudden migraine hit her and she reached up to hold her head. Bringing her hand down to rub her face, she tried to recall what led her here. There was a guy in the alley by Kinkybean. He had a woman with him... there was someone else. She wished she had a better look at him. But why was she in the alley? She asked herself. She followed them there, or she followed something there. She was at the auction...THE AUCTION! Panicking, she lept out of bed and searched the room for her things. Locating her personal effects in a cupboard, she grabbed her phone. It was stowed in the bust of her dress. Oh that poor dress... it had God knows what on it now. Letting out a small whimper, she shut the cupboard and checked her messages. Dozens of texts from Sophie asking where she was, voice mails from Josie, this couldn''t get worse. At some point they got wind she was in the hospital because their initial messages of fear and anger turned to concern. Alaina decided to listen to the most recent voice mail from her boss. " Hi Alaina, hope you are feeling better. When you come back to work, please come see me. We need to talk about last night." Alainas heart sank. No way she kept her job after ditching halfway through. She shot a quick text to Sophie, asking her to bring her a change of clothes and laid back down. She was fully absorbing the shame of the backless hospital gown and grippy socks. For the next hour and a half she spoke to police about what she remembered and tried not to freak out again. How she wondered what had happened to the guy that helped her. "Ive got coffee, can I breach the perimeter?" Sophie extended the drink carrier into the doorway while concealing herself behind the curtains. Alaina chuckled. "Permission granted, Dork." Her petite friend entered her room and set down the beverages as she gave Alaina a hug. Seating herself on the corner of the bed, Sophie asked the one question she had. "What the hell happened to you." Knowing Sophie to never be one to hold a punch or her tongue, Alaina retrieved her cup from its cardboard confinement and began sipping. ¡°Coffee, 4 sweet n lows, and enough french vanilla creamer to make it khaki.¡± Proud of her friend¡¯s memory, she sat up straight to tell her what she remembered. "I saw something run past the doors last night so thinking it was a late patron, I went to check it out. Then I heard what sounded like someone banging around in the alley and¡­" Sophie smacked her friend¡¯s arm with the bed remote. "What did I tell you? You never go down an alley! It¡¯s murder central!" Rubbing her arm Alaina continued. "Anyway¡­.¡± She continued, ¡°There was this guy there and a woman on the ground. He went to hit her so I ran at him." Thwack! Another hit. "You are not a super hero, you are not Rambo! You call the cops woman! You could have died!" Taking the remote from her friend, she finished her story. " Anyway! Next thing I know, I''m thrown into a wall and the rest is kinda fuzzy from there. The doctor says I''m fine, just a concussion. They kept me overnight for observation. Did you bring me clothes?"Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Sophie handed her a bag. In it were tennis shoes, fuzzy socks, her big hoodie, and Mario pajama bottoms. Holding her bag close, she leaned to hug her friend again. She knew she did the right thing by giving Sophie a key to her place. "Marry me?" She laughed. "Sure but if you plan on pulling a disappearing act like this again, I''m taking out a hefty insurance policy. Now come on, I don''t feel like spending any more of my holiday in the hospital". The two pals laughed. Not long after, Alaina got dressed, the doctor came with her discharge papers and they headed to the parking garage for her car. Sophie drove a small, very very small hybrid. In it Alaina looked like a giraffe. When they reached her car, Sophie issued one more alley warning as Alaina shut her car door. Checking the time, she cursed. 6:47. Almost a complete day wasted. And Christmas day at that. Glad the ordeal was over, she got in her car and drove home. With the lack of traffic, it only took about 25 minutes. Pulling into her drive way, she noticed her Lite Brite neighbors had already started taking down their festive monstrosity. Thanking God, she grabbed her bag, went inside and locked the door. Grabbing her phone and her comforter, she made a straight shot upstairs to her bed. She never really did the whole presents thing at Christmas. At least not since her parents died. Her aunt was always traveling and she wasn''t exactly a social butterfly. Alaina grabbed her blanket and stared forming what Sophie called a human burrito. Ready to get some real rest, she plopped into bed and tried to forget the whole ordeal. Just as she was getting some really heavy sleep, she awoke with a start. Glancing at her alarm clock on the bedside, she groaned. 1:35 AM. She rolled over and stuffed her head under the covers. Maybe she could suffocate herself to the point of passing out. Suddenly, she heard a large boom from downstairs. Her eyes went wide and she froze. Someone or something broke in. Certain she had checked her locks, Alaina carefully attempted to slide out from under her comforter and down the side of the bed by the window. Since she was still wrapped up in the safety of her blanket, she ended up flopping to the floor instead. Cursing her luck and praying whoever was downstairs didn''t hear, she reached under her bed and grabbed a hidden aluminum Louisville Slugger. She slowly stood and walked toward the door in a stance that could only be described as Elmer Fudd inspired. Pressing her beck against the wall next to it, she prepared to turn the knob. Cracking the door open, she checked to see if the coast was clear. Whatever it was, they weren''t in the hallway. She knew that morning went way too good. She tiptoed past the bathroom and guest room, and paused at the stairs. At the top of the staircase, she paused again to listen. Slowly she turned and put her back to the wall. Trying to hear over her own heartbeat, she tried to gauge how many people were there. One or two thugs she could probably take. Taking a few deep breaths, she prepared for a fight. Chapter 4 After ensuring the woman safely made it to the the hospital, Thadeus returned to the Compound to compile his report. The Compound was a stronghold of sorts for those stationed in this sector. Typically the Scorned were the ones who spent the most time here, with others passing through as needed. It wasnt that they had to stay here of course, they just tended to prefer the solidairity. Finding his way to the main house, he couldnt shake the feeling that he was missing something. He replayed the events of the evening in his mind to see what he may have glazed over. As the front door opened, he made his way inside, almost forgetting to greet the caretaker as they outstretched their arm for his coat and keys. "Good evening Beau," Thadeus handed him his things as he entered the main hall.Beau had been at the Compound since its inception. When his time had come, there was nowhere for him to go. It was decided that since he belonged in neither the Vast or the Menagerie, that he would remain somewhere in between. Nobody really knew why, but he had become a staple of this post for all of its travellers. "Evening, Hope all is well?" Thadeus shrugged his shoulders and headed towards his quarters. "Not sure yet honestly. Has Corbin been by?" Beau shook his head. "Good, maybe I can catch him before he goes down for the night." Thadeus excused himself to his room and called him. He shot a message to their group chat alerting them to the interaction in the alley and instructing them all to be on guard for anything suspicious. As expected, Corbin was the first to call him. "Hey. You good man?" "Yeah, you got a minute?" "Yes sir, what can I do for ya?" He was always ready to get the job done. Thadeus regalled him with the oddity of his evening, including the peculiarity of the Wicked he encountered." It just seemed like he was after something specific and when he didnt get it..." He paused. "Well, don''t keep me waiting, I''m hangin on the edge of my seat here." Thadeus sat down in a chair and rubbed his temples. "He just left, Corbin. He didnt try to occupy either of them. He was looking for something and when she fought back..." Corbin interrupted "Hold on now, she fought back? Like did she hit it?" Thadeus grunted in confirmation. Corbin whistled on the other end of the phone.Wicked werent known for being task oriented beings. They were more the get uptop, grab a meatsack and wreak havoc until the lights go out kind of things. "Is the lady ok?" He asked, both impressed and very curious how Thadeus always got the odd ones."Yeah, I stood back a little and made sure emergency services arrived. She passed out and I didnt want to leave her there alone." The phone went silent for a moment. "What do you need me to do?" Thinking for a moment, Thadeus considered multiple plans of action. "At the very least, we need to see what it is it came up here for, so lets start by looking into the woman. See what you can find out about her. She had a badge from the auction house thing so start there. Ill get with the others some time tomorrow and see what they have." After getting off the phone, he went to take a shower to try and make sense of things. The sun would be going down in a couple hours so hopefully they could come up with something soon. As expected, a few hours later and Corbin called back. "Hey, I got ahold of the auction house. That woman is named Alaina Swanson. She was working the door with one Sophie Denning. Ive got an home address from her place of employmet if you wanna follow up but nothing out of the norm on that end." Thadeus sighed. "Yeah, give it to me." Thanking his friend for his help, he hung up and typed Alainas address into his gps. He pulled up 2 houses down. Turning his lights off, he looked for her house. Thats when he saw them. Two Wicked were going inside. Damn, they were getting bold! They looked to have busted down the front door. A few seconds later, the top right window lit up. Had she woken up? If her behavior the last time they met was any indicator, he needed to move quick before she got herself killed. Pushing open his car door, he ran out and raced over. With there only being two of them, he would easily win any fight but that meant risking exposure to her as well as putting her in harms way. He bared his teeth and charged inside. There were two of them this time, so he needed to remember to watch his back. The first was around the corner from the kitchen. Quick as a whip, he grabbed them by the neck and twisted sharply, dropping him to the ground. He would be back up in a matter of minutes, but it gave him time to get the girl out. The second, was heading for the stair case. "Hey dickhead!" Thadeus shouted, making his target turn around quickly. It was the guy from the alley. He could tell by the long freshly bandaged slash on his cheek. The woman had gotten him good. Slash face turned towards his caller. Alaina looked downstairs and saw two men staring each other down with serious intensity. "What are you doing here?!" Thadeus demanded answers. He grabbed the man by the collar and held him to the table."We are here to claim what is ours!" Slash face choked out. Claim what was theirs? Alaina had nothing of any real value here. If he was looking for money she''d help him flip the cushions. Surely he didnt mean her? She was not about to let any man claim her. Without thinking, she decided to charge. "Hey! Get the hell out of my house! What the fuck is going on! Leave now or im calling the police!" Alaina ran down the stairs. Right about then, the first guy was rousing in the kitchen. Thadeus knew if he didn''t finish with Slash here, that other prick was gonna grab the girl and take off. Throwing Slash into the wall, he ran past the first Wicked, grabbed the girl, threw her over his shoulder and hauled ass to his car. She kicked and squirmed in protest the whole way. In one fluid motion, he opened the passenger door, put her inside, and went to his side. As soon as he slid in and closed his door behind him, Alaina punched him in the face. Recoiling her fist back in pain, Alaina tried to get out of the vehicle. Unphased by the assault, Thadeus started the car and sped away from her house.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "What do you want from me? Let me go you asshat!" She went on trying to open her door, roll down her window, or yell loud enough for someone to hear her. Rather than face the rest of the trip with her screeching next to him, Thadeus turned the wheel sharply to the left and drove into an empty lot. The woman had fire in her, that was for sure. He didnt even have to look at her to know she was staring a burning hole into the side of his head. He would have found it quite amusing in other circumstances but now was not the time. "Please, tell me whats going on. What happened back there, and why do you guys keep following me?" Thadeus turned. "You... remember last night?" That had never happened before. He thought it odd when he couldnt heal her, but the fact the memory charm didnt wok either was incredibly strange. "Of course I remember, how often is it that someone chokes you in an alley?" Thadeus laughed. "You think this is funny? You just kidnapped me, and you are laughing at me? Well I will have you know that my husband will be home soon and hes a cop so..." Thadeus smirked. "You arent married." "And how do you know that?" "I would know." "How?" "Because I had you looked into after last night." Alaina sat silent. Thankful for the lack of noise, Thadeus started driving again. She sat as far from him as she could. A mixture of curiosity and terror was engulfing her. "Look, I promise to explain as much as I can," he began, in an attempt to calm her down. " But I need you to trust me and let me do my job." Alaina settled into her seat. Her mind was whirring with questions, but the only way to get any answers was to see where this went. "Can you at least tell me where we are going?" Seeing no problem with this, he chose his words very carefully. "We are heading to a place called The Compound. Its safe, and you will be staying there until we figure this out." Alaina sighed.What felt like an eternity later, they pulled up to an ornate iron gate. A small camera turned to face the drivers side, and seconds later the gate opened. As it shut behind them, they drove up a long winding road. The headlights from the vehicle illuminated the lines of trees that edged the driveway. Alaina stared out her window.This was insane. A large fountain sat in the middle of either side of the driveway. The main building itself was also extraordinary. Very geometrical. It looked more like a fortress than a house so the name Compound fit rather well. It looked huge from the outside. What did this guy do? What had she gotten involved with? The car stopped and the doors unlocked. "Arent you afraid I''ll run?" Thadeus shook his head as they exited the car. "You are welcome to try, but between the gate and the Hounds, you wouldnt get very far." "Maybe I do? What then?" "Then I would catch you." "Are you always so comforting?" "Yes." The man was an ass. The door opened as they walked up the steps. A rather stoic man greeted them. " I didnt know we were expecting company." The man commented as they approached. "Neither did I Beau, please prepare accordingly." Beau nodded. Alaina walked in and looked at him. "Beau? Really" not Reginald, or Oswald?" Beau smiled. "Its short." Thadeus shouted from across the room. " If you will wait in the parlor, I will try to clear up any questions you may have." Thadius stepped into his office for a moment and called Corbin to give him an update and let him know about the ineffective charm. "Holy shit are you serious? Dude, I''m so sorry, I didnt know you were having preformance issues." He stifled back a laugh. "Be serious. There is something about her that they clearly want or they wouldnt risk this much exposure. At this point she has already seen too much and has questions. What am I supposed to tell her?" Corbin went silent for a moment. He was a Scorned with Sight, so he could convene with the higher ups and relay their command. He thought of himself like a cosmic switchboard. Poor bastard. Not everyone could having voices in their head. Corbin however, did fine with it, most days anyway. Clearing his mind, he asked his superiors what to do. A few moments passed and he picked up his phone again. "Tell her whatever she wants to know." Chapter 5 "Let me know if you hear anything?" Thadius agreed and hung up. He gathered some books from the archives and went to join Alaina in the parlor. He leaned on the doorframe to his office and observed this woman marveling at every thing she saw. Alaina looked around the interior of the house. Numerous antique paintings of old battles and warriors from different cultures donned the walls of the entry way. The ceilings were high and the molding was beautifully hand carved by the look of it. The sitting room Thadeus had motioned her toward was off to the left of the foyer. Two glass sliding doors marked the entryway. In the center of the back wall, there was a large ornate fireplace. By the look of it, it was victorian. Very well maintained, as she could tell the varnish had been redone but the wood was original. The mantle had similar carving to the molding. It was breathtaking. A few large trunks sat amidst a slew of couches and lounge chairs in the middle of the room. Alaina had a seat. Oooh they were soft. Thadeus continued to observe her pondering her environment. Shaking himself out of his moment of gazing, heprocedded to the center of the room. He had a hefty stack of books in his arms and set them down in the middle of the trunk closest to her. Sitting across from her, he leaned toward her and interlocked his fingers in front of him, resting his elbows on his knees. "What do you want to know?" Alaina didnt know what to make of any of this so she asked the first question that came to mind. "Who are you?" "My name is Thadeus Morgan." "And who were the guys at my house?" "Wicked." "No, I dont mean it like that, I mean who like what are their names?" " Thats what they are called, and I''ve seen one of them before. The one you cut in the alley way is called Calder." "And what did he want with me?" "Thats what im trying to find out." Alaina paused. "Whats a Wicked?" Thadeus picked up one of the smaller books from the table between them. It looked very old, its spine was crackled and its cover looked brittle with age. In black embossed letters, the cover read "In Praeditus." Sensing her confusion, Thadeus offered a translation. "It means The gifted. These are probably the most relevant books on the subject, but if I were you, " he held the book out to Alaina. "Id start with this one." Alaina sat in the living room for what seemed like ages. One page after another. What was she doing here? Not even 3 hours ago her house was being broken into by God knows what. She could hear Sophies head spinning. Here she was, like nothing had even happened, reading about nonsense. Wicked, Scorned, Sighted, Blessed. Preternatural beings from a place called the Vast. According to the text, the Scorned were The equivalent of bounty hunters and the Wicked were runaway trapped souls. Their "home" was called the Vast. It acted as a middle ground between heaven and hell. Souls would go there, be sent one place or another, or on occasion they would be presented with an opportunity to be "reborn". If chosen for that, they would come back as a member of the Scorned or one of the other menagerie of beings. Sometimes the souls got impatient and found a way out. if all of them were as nasty as the ones she had the displeasure of encountering, she shuddered to think of how often that had happened. She sat back and stretched her arms and legs. Glancing over towards the office, she noticed a rather stern look on her captors face. Having never been one to like having things witheld from her, she moved to investigate. Thadeus was trying to find out why Alaina was granted a free pass to all things Scorned. Usually the Vast was very tight lipped about things, especially to mortals. Whoever she was, he just hoped she was worth it. He had barely ended his train of thought when Alaina came in and shut the door behind her."Whats that face for?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Thadeus arched a brow towards her and sat back in his chair. "Did you finish the reading I gave you?" he asked. "Yes but seeing as this isnt a book club, I''d like to stop. I''ve always been more the seeing is beleiving type so unless you want me to walk out that front door, I suggest you prove you are... whatever you are." Thadeus cracked a slight grin. He knew full well there was nopt a chance she would be able to get off the property but she was certainly amusing him so he indulged her boldness. "Ok," he said as he rose fom his chair. standing at what must have been at least 6''3, he put his hands in his pockets and looked at her."What did you have in mind". Alaina swallowed. She forgot how tall he was. "Well, this book says you can run super fast correct?" Thadeus nodded in confirmation. "Ok so I''m gonna throw this at your face and you have to catch me before it hits the ground." He looked at the book, the doorway, and then back to her. "Agreed." Alaina looked at his eyes. they were laser focused on her. Chills of adrenaline rose up her spine. This man was intimidating as hell and she just challenged him to a game of tag. "When I say go?" he nodded to her once again. "One..." She waited a few moments. "Two..." She waited just a moment longer. "THREE!" she hurled the book as hard a she could at his face.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Next thing she knew she was pinned against the door with his face barely inches from hers. That large room got very small, very fast. She tried to gather her thoughts. "Where?" She stammered."Where is the book?" A silence befell the room. Thadeus could barely speak. Her aroma was intoxicating. She smelled like cocoa butter and lemon. " Shelf." He nodded his head toward the bookcase as his eyes traced every angle of her face. Alaina turned her eyes toward he book shelf and sure enough, it was tucked neatly back into the shelf. "How did you do that"? she asked. She already knew the answer. She had been reading about it. He had super human speed. The room stood still. They jus stared back at each other. Tension crackled in the room between their faces. Thadeus loosened his grip and stepped back to allow her room to move out of the way. They were still inches away from each other. He studied her face. Her eyes darted back and forth from his. Her breathing was slightly labored and despite his loosened hold, she stopped making an effort to avoid him. What was she thinking? Alaina was, in that moment, speechless. The longer he looked at her with that focused gaze, the more warmth she felt spread throughout her body. She could hear Sophies voice in her head telling her to seize her moment. Before she could decide one way or the other, He had pulled away, straightened his shirt and left the office. "Beaux can show you to your room". Alaina was left standing in the office flushed when He came in. "Right this way ma''am." He held a hand out pointing towards the stairs. Silently, she followed him to what would be her room. When he opened the door she almost gasped. Like the rest of the house, the room was gorgeous. Definitely inspired by another era. Sophie would love this place. She wishes she had her phone so she could send her pictures. Maybe they would let her get it tomorrow. The color scheme was a mixture of robins egg blue, soft yellow and the lightest of grays. It was very calming. The slight smell of lavender and vanilla hung in the air. various throw pillows adorned the large canopy bed sat in the center. Alaina looked at it longingly. She could use some sleep. Despite what had happened, and all of her uncertainty at teh moment, she felt safe here. "Is there anything I can get for you?" Beau asked, if only to break the silence. "No, I am ok but thank you." She smiled and closed the door. Realizing she didnt have anything clean to wear, she went back to the door and hollered down the hall."BEAUX?!" He turned around right before he would have turned the corner. "I dont suppose I could borrow a shirt or something? I dont have anything to wear and this is kinda covered in chaos." He thought for a moment. "Ill see what I can do." Thanking him for his kindness, she went back into her room went to take a shower. When she finished, she came out to a set of womens pajamas sitting on the end of the bed. Not questioning why this house full of only men had womens clothes, she got dressed and crawled into bed. After a while she was able to finally shut her eyes and get some rest. Garryck was furious. How could they have been so reckless? He traipsed around the perimeter of the dilapidated building they currently called home. The tip of his sword dragging against the worn wooden floor beneath him, leaving a trail of scratches.. Staring off to into the general direction of his pawn, he pondered the events of the evening based on the report he was so sheepishly given. "So, remind me again, from the beginning, just exactly happened?" Calder stood silent."NOW!" Garryck shouted. Quivering in fear, Calder started to speak, since he was sure the alternative was less pleasent. "We showed up right where we was supposed to. When we got inside, we went to get the girl. All of a sudden like a dozen guys show up and tore the place up." Garryck listened with an air of disbelief. "Go on." Calder swallowed and continued." Well, when we got up again, she was gone." A large piece of wood collided with the side of his head before he was pressed face first against the floor. Garrycks hands were entwined in his hair holding him in place. Leaning forward just enough to scare him, Garryck whispered "Now, Now. We both know thats not entirely true, Calder. right?" Calder whimpered in agreement."And we also both know that this isnt the first time your dissapointed me, correct?" He whimpered again."What do you think the odds are, of you failing me a third time? I risked quite alot by bringing you with me. It would be a shame if you didnt deserve it." Calder began to sob in fear. Warmth spread beneath him as he was unable to control his bladder. Disgusted, Garryck released him. "I dont want any more excuses. I dont want lies. I want results. If you dont get me the girl and get her soon, all of this will have been for nothing. They will never stop coming for us, and when they find us, they wont send us back to the Vast. Oh no, no, no. You dont want that do you?" Calder stood in his shame and nodded. "So be a good lad, wont you? Find me the girl, and bring her here. If you dont, I will dispatch you myself. Do you understand?" Calder nodded. "Yes sir, I understand. Ill get her now, boss." He practically ran from the room. Garryck made his way to a window to watch the rat scurry off. Those fucking Scorned probably had her somewhere by now. They always had the luxury of coming topside. He was tired of waiting. How many years did he have to spend in that desolate wasteland? How long did it take for those pompous pricks to decide where people should go? He was tired of waiting. Nobody was going to send him back there. These portals wouldnt be open for long. If they didnt get that girl taken care of, they would be closed forever.