Succubus & Fae

For 300 years he's been in her dreams, always one step behind finding her. For 300 years she's been under the control of another being and her memory constantly erased. He holds the keys to who she's been, but what about who she is and will be?

[karlenandgail]

5

The Prince meets THE QUEEN....

“Tell Abriella that Gail’s Prince has arrived in New Orleans and is currently having coffee with Armaund and I.” Watching Thenasus’ eyes widen almost had Jean Pierre chuckling.  “If she could please come most expeditiously, we would appreciate it.  He is…touchy…and a bit impatient to see his redhead.”  Jean Pierre smiled.

"I'm sorry did you say…" Thenasus leaned towards Jean Pierre, his eyes narrowing slightly; he was sure he had to have heard wrong.   He hadn't even had a chance to work with Gail to obtain any information on her supposed Prince, and yet he had somehow found Jean Pierre in New Orleans?  

"Oh yes, an actual Prince too, of Uffern no less.  Youngest brother of King Kellen, although I can say that they seem nothing alike, thank the Source." Jean Pierre's smile didn’t reach his eyes and was tight.  Both he and Thenasus had encountered Kellen in the past, neither wished to again.  "I was at one point a tad worried for Armaund's safety.  It seems Prince Karlen is rather touchy and the possible insinuation of her dead, I mean she IS in Hell, just about had him exploding.  Thankfully he does have more composure and restraint than his elder brother."

"Lovely.  I am sure Abriella won't be able to contain her excitement for that kind of response." Thenasus said with so much sarcasm that the air was rife with it.  The tall guard had a feeling that this could explode if handled wrong, on both the Uffernian and Imperium fronts.

"He is at least ready to relinquish title and royal standing so he can come to the realm.  Not even a blink when I mentioned it." Jean Pierre noticed Thenasus was as shocked at this as he'd been.

"I'll tell Abriella.   As soon as she's available, I'm sure she'll be down.  We’ve had an interesting day or so, you’ll have to have Anna fill you in." The guard shook his head.   Had the Fates decided no one got to sleep or peace in the realm for the foreseeable future?  Between the disaster at breakfast with Yael, the arrival of Kaylin and Asher, the expected oncoming conflict with Damien, the idiot spectre who almost got his…wife? killed the night before and now this, he wondered how much more could go wrong.  That had all happened before midnight the previous day.  Now this one was starting with an Uffernian Prince wishing an audience with the Queen.  What next, a proposal from…no, he was going to not even think anything of the sort.  The damn Fates would probably make it happen, at this rate, and trying to contain Cruz if one more thing went upended would be…a headache.

****

“Prince Karlen, I have been informed that you wish an audience with me.”  Abriella gave no notice before she appeared in the antique shop, where Armaund and Jean Pierre were quite sure that they would soon become tea leaves, from how much they were going through waiting for her to show up to handle their guest.  She was dressed in an elegant suit and anyone not in the know might mistake her for a powerful business woman.  Powerful she was, but her business was normally death and warfare, not paperwork and money making.

Karlen, for his part, rose and bowed to the Queen.  He knew she held the key to seeing Sophia, who he had learned went by Gail when awake.  “Queen Abriella, I did.  However, please, I relinquish all title and standing, as I understand that our realms are not, nor have ever been, allies, so I am no longer a Prince.  I come before you as a humble demon, wishing to enter your realm in search of the woman I’ve loved and searched many realms and worlds over for three hundred years for.  I know her as Sophia, but I know in her waking hours that she can go by other names.  If it pleases, your highness, I would just like the chance to finally be with her.”  For the first time in his long life, he was truly nervous.  His voice was sincere, and there was even a slight pleading sound to it at the end.

If she did not believe him or refused him, he did not know what he would do.  If his Sophia was truly friends with Abriella then declaring war on her realm to get to her would be the exact opposite of a good thing.  The Queen was far more beautiful and composed than even the rumors that had reached Uffern had stated.  Possibly his brother, Kellen, could negotiate something if this endeavor failed.  Karlen would not be deterred, he had worked too hard and for too long to just give up.  

“I was informed that you were willing to do so.  Your powers will be partially bound till you have proven yourself trustworthy within my realm.  I have been advised of the previous relations between your family and my grandfather.  While he has made some…changes…in his demeanor, I cannot allow war to break out. No does your brother have a diplomatic relationship with my reign.  I am sure you understand my position.”  Abriella had a soft smile and inclined her head.  Gail had no clue she was there, nor that Karlen had been found.  Truthfully she didn’t trust him, and until it could be confirmed that he WAS her dream Prince, suspicion would reign supreme.  There had been enough upset in Imperium in the last twenty-four hours to last her for a long time.  When she returned she still needed to have her conversation with Leandre about the upcoming visit she was going to make to Damien.

“Your Majesty, I shall agree to any provisions required in order to be with Sophia.  If there are any tests that I must endure, I shall agree to those too.  I have anticipated this day for centuries, I will let nothing stand in my way if I can eliminate it easily.” Karlen’s expressions and voice were resolute, but not confrontational.  While trying not to sound as desperate as he felt, he did want to convey that he was not going to challenge her in any way regarding the requirements to be a guest of Imperium. 

“Orpheus, Andronicus?”  From the shadows stepped two of Abriella’s Royal Guard.  Both dressed in their more regal gear, they were being tasked with “babysitting” the Prince until it had been determined whether he could be trusted.  “These two guards will be with you at all times.  If you try to leave the realm with Gail, it will be considered and act of war, and you will feel the force of all four of the Horsemen upon Uffern.  If you are being honest regarding your intentions, then within time we can make changes to these requirements. We are still chasing the beings that had Gail enthralled and I will not allow her to be endangered because of your obsession with her.”  Abriella’s chin was lifted, but her voice was not confrontational.  At the moment, she was walking the fine line between a friend and the regent of the realm.  It was not a comfortable one for her.  She knew that further separation from Karlen, should he prove to be the one Gail had described, would only cause the sweet woman more pain.  

“You will have no argument from me, Your Majesty.  I will follow whatever rules you lay out to be able to be able to see if what we have experienced over the centuries in dreams can come into the waking world as well.”  Karlen nodded in deference to her, grateful that he wasn’t being chained, literally, in some kind of dungeon or jail.  His brother was not known for his friendly relationships with other realms, so that he was no met with outright hostility was at least a step in the right direction as far as he was concerned.

“We are not going to have you meet Gail directly.  You will have a conversation with your guards and Gail’s guardian within Imperium will bring her by the open doorway.  First we will see if she recognizes your voice, then we will move forward from there.”  Abriella, Cruz, Olly, Arch, and Thenasus  had all discussed how to handle things before she had teleported to the antique shop. They all felt it better not to bring them together directly until they had more indication that he truly was who she had dreamed of.  In this way they could avoid further trauma to her.  “Now, let’s be away.”

[karlenandgail]

4

Things get tense in the antique shop...

“There is only one problem, she is no longer here.  And not just here as in New Orleans, she is no longer of this Earth.” Armaund stated in a flat affect.

Karlen felt his entire world implode.

“No…no, it can’t be!”  Karlen stood and his face became hard, his back straightening, and his posture aggressive.  The men were lying to him, he knew it.  His eyes began to shift to a golden whiskey color as his intense stare alternated between Armaund and Jean Pierre.  “I know she said she was going somewhere she wasn’t sure I’d be able to find her, but you’re lying.  She is not dead.  I will NOT,” his hand slammed into the table open palm, causing both the other men to flinch back in shock at the resounding boom that echoed off the lathe and plaster walls, “believe that she is dead.  WILL. NOT.  Now, tell me where she is, or I will find out on my own.” By the time that he finished, his voice was a growl, and there was a muscle ticking on his jaw.

Armaund looked up at Jean Pierre, this was not the reaction they had quite anticipated.  After having talked with Gail before she left and even Anna, devastation was more in line with what had been expected.  But, it seemed the prince did know Gail, and was determined to find her.  It was time for their slight misdirection to end.

“My husband does not lie,” Jean Pierre said plainly.  “He did not say she was dead.  He said she was no longer of the Earth.  Which she is not.”  His head tilted to the side, with a slight inclination.  “She is safe, and she is alive.  You understand that those of us who have been protecting her could not allow just anyone to learn of her location. She does not remember your name, but Your Majesty, I knew from our first meeting who you were.” A wry smile formed on the immortal male’s face.

“Then stop fucking around and tell me where she is, or take me there.  The longer you delay, the shorter my patience for this bullshit gets.”  Karlen was ready to call upon his brother’s soldiers if need be to force the two in front of him to tell him where she was.  He would do it.  He would search to the end of creation, never had he been this close in three centuries.

“There is one problem, sire.” Armaund swallowed.  “You will have to set aside your title and all benefits from it to go where she is. There is another you will have to bow to, and she does not take kindly to be challenged.  Pull that explosive reaction there and you will be put on your ass, if you’re lucky.  If not, Kellen will be negotiating for your resurrection.”  He took a deep breath, how did Abriella deal daily with demons and not obliterate them.  They were such babies.

“Excuse me?”

“Sit.” Jean Pierre now sounded like the one in charge.  He too was not going to tolerate more outbursts.  Once Karlen had, he too again took a seat. “She is not within the human realm, and where she is has royalty that does not tolerate such behavior and will not care who your brother is if you act like that.”

“Where?”

“Imperium.” Armaund responded this time and loved watching the color drain from the demon’s face.  Oh, lovely, he’d heard of it and the spectacular woman who ruled it.  “Any more questions?” There was a bit of a smirk on the immortal’s face now.

“Why is she there?  You said she’s safe?”  Karel was now completely confused.  What in the nine hells was Sophia doing in IMPERIUM of all realms.  The one where his brother held now sway, if not the exact opposite.  What would happen when the found out who she was to him?

“She is a dear friend of the Queen, who is going to have one of her other friends try and help her find you.  Imagine that.  Your Sophia is also very dear to the two of us and one of our friends who is in Imperium with her.  She is quite safe.  As long as you relinquish title and standing for the time you are in Imperium, there will be no issue.”  Had Karlen been from any other realm, but Uffern, it would be different.  However, the realms had been at war in the past and Armaund knew that if Karlen tried to walk in there as a Crowne Prince, that it would not go well and might end up with him in the stockade.  All that would do was cause Gail more upset.

“I would die for her, my title and standing in any court mean nothing if she is that close and I cannot reach her.  What do I need to do in order to be seen by the Queen and King?  I will do it now.” Karlen didn’t even hesitate.  His crown had never done anything for him in Uffern but make his life a pain in the ass dealing with Korben and Persephone.  Kellen and Calliope were the only two sane ones.

Jean Pierre was impressed, he had expected Karlen to try to bargain, but this was almost too easy.  He wasn’t sure he believed it, but he knew Abriella would see through any deception in a second.  “Wait here.  I will go talk to Abriella.  Armaund, please see to our guests needs while I am gone.”  His husband nodded to him.  He knew he would, but he wanted Karlen wondering what was going on.

In an instant Jean Pierre was in the reception area of the Palace in Imperium.  He waited, knowing a guard would soon appear to see who arrived and what they wanted.  He was not disappointed when Thenasus wandered in, full gear, looking surprised to see the immortal Grigori standing there.  “Is something wrong on Earth?”  The demonic nephilim’s eyes narrowed in question.

“Tell Abriella that Gail’s Prince has arrived in New Orleans and is currently having coffee with Armaund and I.” Watching Thenasus’ eyes widen almost had Jean Pierre chuckling.  “If she could please come most expeditiously, we would appreciate it.  He is…touchy…and a bit impatient to see his redhead.”  Jean Pierre smiled.

[karlenandgail]

3

Another gentleman arrives, but what he has to say will change everything...

“Come, Prince Karlen.  I do believe we might have something to discuss.”  Jean Pierre gestured to the front door of the store.  

It had been the response that Karlen had hoped for, but he had not really expected it.  He had expected Jean Pierre to tell him that, once more, he was too late to the city and that the female he searched was unknown.  A bloom of hope started to bloom within Karlen’s bosom, bringing his heart to life for the first time in those long centuries since he had first found his Sophia.  He knew that she was in danger, so if he could help this man and his friends to save her, then he would call forth the entire Uffernian army if he had to.

As they stepped into the shop, Karlen was met with the scent of dust and age.  It was clear that the fine items around them had age and not all of them were from the realm that they were currently in. It brought to his mind questions of exactly who and what Jean Pierre was, and who the other members of “The Triad” were. He was not afraid, but as they moved further through the dimly lit store, there were more questions that occurred to him.  They could wait till after he found out what was known about Sophia.

Jean Pierre, for his part, could have mysted straight to Imperium with Karlen.  Before he took him anywhere near Anna or anyone else, let alone into the realm ruled by the Horseman of Death, he wanted to make sure that the male in front of him was exactly as he had presented himself to be.  Jean Pierre had already ascertained that Karlen was a demon, but he had been alive long enough to know that did not necessarily mean that he was deceptive.  It only meant that they were most oft self serving before anything else.

“Please, sit,” Jean Pierre gestured to an elegantly carved table with four chairs surrounding it. “I will start more coffee and summon my husband and fellow Triad member, Armaund.  I believe it is best for us both to speak with you.”  Setting his cup on the table, he made his way over towards where the coffee pot was on an elegant mahogany sideboard.  He was still absorbing that not only was Karlen a real being, but he was now sitting in his shop only days after his “Sophia” had left the Earthly Realm. Complicating matters, or maybe not, he was a Prince.  No one could say New Orleans was a dull city.

“So, you know Sophia?  You know where she is?”  Karlen was trying to contain himself as Jean Pierre poured the coffee and brought over a delicate but ample bone china cup, along with a cream and sugar set that matched, on a fine silver tray.  “I’m sorry to sound demanding, it is just I have been searching for so long.”  The Prince apologized, his cheeks pinkening realizing his manners were abysmal in that moment as he then busied himself doctoring the strong brew that smelled of dark roast and roasted chicory root.

“Answers, you shall have, dear Prince.  First, I shall summon my husband.” There was a kind smile on Jean Pierre’s face before he turned from where Karlen was trying to hide his mortification at total abandonment of his normal manners, and headed to his office at the back of the store where he could ask Armaund to myst.  He was sure that he too would find this situation most intriguing.  Abriella and Anna would need to be advised most expediently once the true nature of their visitor was ascertained.

By the time that Karlen had regained his composure, Jean Pierre was returning to the front of the shop with his husband.  The Prince couldn’t help but notice that the two gentlemen certainly complemented one another well, and it was clear that they had been a couple for more than a few centuries.  There was an ease of movement and anticipation of one another’s gestures that only comes from more than one lifetime together.  After his earlier bouts of over eagerness, Karlen waited this time for his host to speak.

“Prince Karlen, this is my husband, Armaund.” Jean Pierre introduced the two men.  Karlen immediately came to his feet, bowing slightly to Armaund before extending his hand. “Tis a pleasure, Your Majesty.” Armaund was a bit flustered that the Prince had beaten him to the bow, but it seemed the prince was a tad nervous, as his husband had indicated over the phone.  As he took Karlen’s hand and shook it heartily, he could tell that the Prince was a tempest of emotions, but hope and excitement were foremost amongst them.  It was clear that there were no nefarious motivations.

 “Likewise, Armaund.  Jean Pierre tells me that the two of you may know something of my Sophia.  I have been on a three century hunt to find her.  It seems someone or something is keeping her hidden.  I fear greatly for her safety.”  There was a pleading in his eyes as they alternated between the two immortal males before him, a desperation in his voice, an almost tremor in his entire being. 

“Please sit,” Armaund unknowingly echoed the gentle command of his husband from earlier.  A hesitant glance was thrown at Jean Pierre as Karlen did so.  Surely this must be a trick or some kind of illusion.  Could a Prince of another realm be the one that they had heard so much regarding?  “Now, do tell me about your Sophia.  I may know of someone who does fit this description, however I am reticent to divulge information lightly.”  Armaund sat facing Karlen, taking the coffee offered him as well, if for no other reason than needing something to keep his hands busy at the moment.

“Of course, I understand.  You do not know me, and I am not of your world.” Karlen inclined his head towards the other male, obviously nervous, but also maintaining his regal bearing.  Jean Pierre leaned up against the sideboard, observing everything keenly. “I am the Royal Prince of the Realm of Uffern, second in line to the throne of my brother King Kellen Cythraul.  In addition to being a shadow demon, I am a walker of dreams.  Normally I control whose dreams I walk in, but three centuries ago I walked into the dreams of one of your world, not of my choosing.  It happened more and more often, and a relationship began. I have discovered that she is able to slip time, but I do not believe that she was doing so of her free will.” 

Armaund’s eyes cut to Jean Pierre and back so fast that a human would not have perceived it, however Karlen was no human and he did.  It was enough to keep him talking, listing out the many adventures they had embarked on over the years in their dreams.  Of the true love and bond that had formed between them, of her loss of memory every time that she was taken to a new place, and finally he got to the description of her.  As he described not only her physical appearance but her personality, he once more caught something humans would have missed: minute changes in the expression of Armaund.  The Grigori male before him knew this woman, his Sophia.  For Karlen, for the first time in three centuries of searching, hoping, and praying to the deities of Uffern, he had hope that he would get to see the woman who had long ago captured his heart, this time outside of a dream.

When he had finished speaking, Karlen sat back in the chair he was in but did not take his eyes off of Armaund.  He could feel Jean Pierre’s eyes on him.  Their weight was almost palpable, but it did not make him uncomfortable.  Somehow in this city, on this planet, in this realm, he had found two people who knew his Sophia.  There was nothing that they could do to cause him to shrivel now.

“There is only one problem, she is no longer here.  And not just here as in New Orleans, she is no longer of this Earth.” Armaund stated in a flat affect. Karlen felt his entire world implode.

[karlenandgail]

2

When a Prince comes hunting on Earth, you never know what he will find...

Footfalls on damp uneven sidewalks of the French Quarter, almost seeming to echo off of the red bricks of the buildings that rose around him as Kellen walked.  He had started hours ago, a slow and searching pace as he scrutinized every building, window, shop sign, and even the sound of his own shoe strikes as he moved.  She had been here, she had been here recently, and he would find her.  If Grae could find love with a fae, Korben could somehow find a King to leave his young daughter as the Prince’s ward, then it would only be fair to him if the universe would let him find her. 

Each block, each street, each store only served to bring further frustration and a greater sense of failure.  He HAD to find her this time, he’d never been this close, he could feel it.  There was something in the air of New Orleans, an electricity in the early morning mists that carried the scent of orange disinfectant and bodily fluids from the previous night through the street.  Beneath what any human could sense, there was a flow that he was trying to tap into.

Stopping at a corner along Royal street, sighing and looking down both directions of the street.  Across from him was the courthouse and police station, he’d been using it as a landmark along with the Cathedral to keep track of the grid he had been working.  Once more he was standing in front of the antique store that had pieces that had to be over a century old in the windows. Karlen wasn’t sure what it was that kept drawing him back to this corner, but this and a small cafe’ behind the Cathedral seemed to be the two focal points of The Quarter for him.  Still he did not know why.

As he was standing and going over everything from his last dream in his mind while sipping on a cup of coffee, he’d lost how many he’d had since he started walking the streets, and he heard another set of footsteps coming towards him that he could already tell did not belong to a mortal.  Turning his head, he felt the thump of the male’s power in his chest as the elegantly dressed gentleman strolled towards him, a cup of coffee in one hand and a silver headed cane in the other.  There was something old about him, powerful, and unknown.  The hair began to stand up on the back of Karlen’s neck as the male drew nearer.  His dark hair, brooding and intense eyes, and the aristocratic set of his shoulders all told Karlen that the male was quite possibly on the same social standing that the Prince was.

Stopping around three feet from Karlin, the male looked him over from foot to face, meticulously cataloging everything about him.  Centuries guarding humanity, the last three in the city of New Orleans, made assessing the being before him rather fast and easy.  An interesting arrival, quite unexpected, which brought a slight smirk to the male’s lips.  What was even more interesting, the Prince before him seemed confused, lost, and frustrated.  First to determine what he wanted, then to update those who needed to know. “I will assume, Your Majesty, that this is not an official state visit.  There was no prior notice given, nor have arrangements been made.  Unless, there is, of course, another reason for your visit to our fair city.”  One brow rose, the rich and deep French accent that spoke of the male’s age.  

Karlen was startled that his station was that obvious.  He had thought he had dressed rather casually for his adventure through the French Quarter. “No, it is far from a state visit.  I did not know I needed to advise anyone to visit your city.  I have come looking for a friend, one I believe may be in danger.”  Something about the way the male was staring at him was beginning to unnerve Karlen.  He did not want to get in a supernatural pissing match with the male.

“It has always been the request of the Triad that all Royal guests let us know ahead of their intended visit.”  Shifting both his items to one hand, he extended one to the Prince.  “I am Jean Pierre, the current head of the Triad that polices the supernatural and preternatural community here in New Orleans.  And you are?” Jean Pierre’s head inclined towards Karlen.

“Prince Karlen Cythraul of Uffern.”  He took the man’s hand and shook it, familiar with Earthly customs.  “If you police this city, do you know of a striking redhead with emerald green eyes, alabaster skin, and a voice that almost sounds like a melody when she speaks.  I’m not sure of her nature, but I know she has been held captive by another being and drug through time.  I am here hoping to end a three century quest to find her, and save her.  I have been meeting her in my dreams, and I love her.”  Karlen had to ask.  The other male had proffered the information regarding his position within the city, he would not hold back on capitalizing on it.

Jean Pierre’s face was a mask of ambivalence.  There was no doubt to whom the demon Prince before him was referring, nor that he was the male to whom she had referred.  It would appear that he would have to be in contact with Annabella far sooner than he had anticipated.  This was not a matter that he would delay on. “Come, Prince Karlen.  I do believe we might have something to discuss.”  Jean Pierre gestured to the front door of the store.  

[karlenandgail]

CHAPTER 1

Karlen could feel the dream starting to slip, dawn must be breaking in one of their worlds.  He’d have to try to remember this, try to narrow down where Sophia really was from the sounds and scents that were assailing his senses from outside the room where they were.  Centuries ago he’d learned not to press her for details of what she remembered;  she’d slip from the dream and he’d have to hope that whatever fates kept bringing them together would do so again soon.  It seemed those time when he was on the cusp of a breakthrough was when she would disappear for the longes though.

“It’s coming again, isn’t it?” Sophia’s soft voice with a slight London accent broke his concentration on absorbing as much of the dream as he could.  He knew that she would show him glimpses of her reality without her even realizing it.  The last two times, he’d been so close to finding her.  He was set this time that he was going to find her and free her from whatever was cloaking her and keeping her hidden.

“Shh…let’s not think about that.” Karlen’s voice was deep and soothing as he held her closer.  His lips pressed softly to her copper colored hair, his eyes closing, as he breathed in the deep scent of her amber, vanilla, and sandalwood perfume.  He had almost pinned that scent down to a perfumery.  One more piece of the puzzle that was his Sophia.

“I don’t want to wake up.”  Her voice was sleepy, meaning this part of her was about to fall into the background of her consciousness and her body would awaken.  His fingers combed through her silken hair, holding her head closer to his chest.  He would relish these last few moments, he always did.

“I’m going to do it this time, Sophia.  I will find you.  I’m close.” He felt her arms tighten around him with his words, again said softly near her ear.  Three centuries he had been hunting for the woman of his dreams, and the only things he was certain of were that she was real, and that she was out there somewhere.  How or why they kept colliding in dreams was still something he was working on figuring out.

Sophia’s head tipped back to look up at him. “Do you think you can?  Really find me?  Wherever it is that they have hidden me away again?”  She didn’t know who they were or why they kept moving her around, but she did hope that Karlen would be able to find her.  As she looked up into his eyes, she watched their normally milk chocolate color darken, which she knew meant he was focused and serious as he was thinking about what she had just said.

“I won’t stop until I do, Sof.” He held her tighter, knowing that any moment she would disappear from his arms and that it would be days, weeks, or worse months before he would see her again.  The longest had been three months and he had feared then that she was harmed or dead.  “You know I am looking for you, and..” he pulled her body even tighter against his as they lay in the bed together, bodies still entwined, “I think I know where you are. Search for me in your sleep, my darling, and I will find you.  I. WILL. FIND. YOU.”

Those were the last words before she was gone again and Karlen felt that absence that he always did when she awoke from their shared dreams.  The dreams he had been chasing and using as clues to where she was.  Between Kellen, Korben, and himself they had finally gotten a good idea of where she was this time.  Now he just had to narrow down the area.  Soon he too would rise, and then he would be hitting the streets of New Orleans once again trying to find the flame haired beauty who had captivated him since the first time he’d tumbled into her dreams.

Tumbling into dreams wasn’t something that Karlen was used to.  The youngest of the three sons of the King of Uffern, Karlen had grown up lacking nothing.  His father the King of the Land of Mysts and Shadows, he was a demon of darkness, but his mother was a succubus, which had given him other gifts that his brothers did not possess.  He was used to be the one running the dreams and steering the direction they went.  Things with Sophia had always been different and it was that difference that had first led him to consider her as anything more than one in a life full of dreams filled with beautiful women that sated his desires and fulfilled his needs. 

Normally wherever Karlen was, he was the hunter of the night.  Finding the ones who he could use for his own ends.  Then he had ended up in Sophia’s dream and neither of them had been able to control it.  Not only could he not control the dream from within it, but he was unable to determine when or where he would once again meet up with Sophia in his dreams.  That was one of the things that most stood out to him.  Normally everything was under his control, but nothing with her was.  Over the three following centuries after those first few encounters, he had fallen in love with the female.  He believed her to be human, but could not even say that for sure.  Whenever he got close to finding her, she disappeared like a mist upon the wind.

The last time he had located her, he had shown up in New York three weeks too late.  He had been able to find people who knew her, but she was gone.  That had been over 50 years ago.  Since then it had felt like he was chasing shadows with no real clue where she was located, or maybe it was when.  Sometimes things she said seemed to indicate that she had gone into the past, which made it all the more complicated to figure out where she was.  Time travel was not one of his abilities.

Every time that she changed locations, it was like she forgot everything from the past.  Everything except for him.  Whoever or whatever was controlling her was unable to wipe his memory, well not anymore. There were times during the first century that he had to remind her of things, but since then she had remembered who he was and most of their history, even if she could not remember her waking moments.  The frustration for Karlen was immense, but he had swore to her that he would find her and that was not a promise that he intended on letting be broken.  Even if it took him three more centuries, he would find her.

The screaming of the alarm clock pulled Karlen from the last vestiges of his dream, bringing him back into reality.  New Orleans, Louisiana was where he and his brothers were certain that Sophia was, so that is where he now was.  His loft in the Warehouse District was bright and spacious.  Gentrification had done the building it was in a lot of good, and he couldn’t complain about the neighborhood either.  As soon as he’d showered and dressed he’d grab coffee from his favorite shop and get his bearings in Lafayette Square before deciding where he was heading.  Sophia was somewhere in the Crescent City, now just to figure out where and what was keeping him from finding her.  When he tracked her down, there would be a reckoning, a very painful one.

[karlenandgail]

GAIL

Gail Helena Sophia Aberdeen is a mystery even unto herself.  For years, she had been under the mind control of a dark creature that was vanquished by Anna and the other members of the Triad in New Orleans.  Once freed from its control, Gail found she could recall none of her life before she came to New Orleans.  The triad knows she has been able to move back and forth through time, but not how she has done it or the true nature of her being.  Even Brie is not sure, as she has not encountered a being quite like Gail before, so what realm she was originally in is a mystery.  All Gail does know is there has been a man in her dreams often who seems to know of her past, but she’s not sure if he’s real or a figment of her imagination.  Coming to Imperium and having two beings who are able to work with the mind has given Gail hope she may get the answers she desired.  However, within days of arriving Gail gets a surprise and she has to decide how much she really wants to dive into her past.

[karlenandgail]

In the shadows, in black and white, lifetimes of love lived. When face to face will it be reality?

[karlenandgail]

Karlen

He’s always chosen the dreams he walks into, until hers.  Karlen had no idea how he had found her, or how he kept finding her, or even who she was.  Every time he’d just about figured it out, he would find her gone and the one name he knew her by, Sophia, was never the one that she was called when he tracked down where she’d once been.  If he ever found her, he would never let her out of his grasp again.  He WILL find her, even if it took till eternity.