Eloim sat on what was locally called Hartest Hill; Eloim thought it was stretching things to call the slight rise a hill. The landscape was patchy woodland with most of the area cleared for farming. He

PRESENT DAY Karla looked up from the journal and stared at Junior in disbelief, unable to believe the words she had just read. “How is this possible?” She finally asked. Junior shrugged his shoulders.

Moving to an area of the broken wall overgrown with weeds, he pulled open a trap door and descended into a hidden room knowing the sun would soon be rising. Instantly he knew he wasn’t alone and prepared

Karla stopped dead and spun back to Junior; a look of confusion on her face. What she had heard was too much of a coincidence. “The vampire who wrote the letter also wrote a collection of journals, I checked

PRESENT DAY Karla held the blazing torch aloft and she followed her brother Junior down the stairwell to the lower basements of their home. Their family lived in a sprawling underground network of rooms

“It’s Saturday September the first, the year of our lord, sixteen sixty six.” The priest replied. Eloim looked at the priest as comprehension sank in. “Sixteen sixty six is quite a long time ago for me.

Eloim cradled Alexia and he looked around the room. By the fireplace, a priest had just lit a taper and now began to light the circle of candles around them. “Alexia, where are we?” Eloim asked. “What’s

“You mean we are really engaged, you really meant it?” Alexia asked in shock. “Well I sort of enjoy the kissing bit you get to do when you’re engaged,” Eloim said absently, turning the ring around on his

“I have been meaning to ask you something Eloim,” Alexia said tentatively from the cave mouth. “Why are you dressed so strangely? I have seen you quite often through the eyes of my minions and you were

Alexia jumped up. “It’s great being here with you, I can be myself. I don’t have to be that Empress having things killed all the time. I can just be a demon who has found her love. Well to answer your

“I seriously had nothing to do with this.” Eloim mumbled to himself, close to panic. “Oliver! Where are you?” He spun around, hoping to see his friend. In the sky above him, the clouds began to boil and

“What have you done to me?” Oliver said, unable to make his limbs work. “Just a simple spell, it removes your ability to control your body,” Lynne said with a smile as she returned her attention to the

Oliver lay on the settee in the living room unable to sleep; the thing was far too soft for him, so he got up and moved to lie down on a fur rug before the fireplace. From upstairs in the room above, he

“Do you read Vedic Sanskrit, Eloim? I remember reading a text which mentioned an older scroll that may give us clues to get back your sister.” “Never heard of it, I tend to avoid my studies on ancient

They set off down the hallway and walked through the doorway into a dining room. The woman was sitting at a table, looking anything but happy to see them. “This mad lady also has very good hearing, dog

As evening turned to night, Oliver parked the van just down the street from the address he had been given. He looked up and down the street as small groups of people walked from door to door, usually

“Hi Lynne sweetie, it’s Karla. I know we haven’t spoken in ages, well since we left prep school. Wow those were wild times weren’t they? Eighteen fifties Paris, wow, where do the years go? Anyway I’ve

The youth turned and started to run, a feat he found difficult with his trousers so low and the belt below his buttocks. Tripping over, he desperately tried to pull up his trousers before jumping back

Amanda walked into Eloim’s room followed by her brother Junior, their father and their older brother Gary stood waiting inside. “Eloim is no longer in the citadel Father, do you want us to send someone

Lisa then picked up a baseball cap off the table and placed it on his head and pulled the hood up over it. “What the hell is with jeans so low, my bum’s sticking out?” Eloim wailed. “It’s how the human