“He looked directly into the creature’s eyes and didn’t move. The monster towered above the man, stronger and faster than he would ever be. In the end it was the one who blinked.”

- A memory of the Old Ones.

***Carinthia***

***Sely***

I am still in a state of shock when Magnus clears his throat. “What do you think, Sely. Wouldn't it be the safest for Annia and you to join the Rhondu? They are your kin after all.”

A shudder runs down my spine. Is this some sick test he is giving me? Or is this his way of being generous, giving me a possibility to back away? “Don't fuck around! Why should we want to go with them? Being with the Bathomeus is great as far as I am concerned. The Rhondu are a completely unknown entity to me. I know their name and that my mother is one of them. But that's it. They could be worse than the Hammons! Fuck you for even suggesting such a thing! Didn't you confess to me? Why would you suddenly give me up just like that.”

He smiles. “Who said that I would allow you to go? And the fucking can be arranged.”

“If you don't learn some respect, you'll have to do yourself!” I am fairly sure that my ability to restrain myself is stronger than his. He’ll be grovelling soon enough.

Fiacre raises her hand. “I don't want to interrupt the flirting, but unless we find a way to deal with the Rhondu and the Baucheaux, we are in a tough situation. Fighting a whole clan by ourselves is dangerous enough, but two at once could end badly for us.”

Magnus crosses his arms in front of his chest. “Both want the same thing. Even if they invade my territory, they will have to fight each other. And this reality marble is safe as long as they don't find a way to force us out of hiding. In a guerilla war, we hold all the cards.”

I just hope that he isn't overestimating himself. Protecting his territory against a few trespassers is one thing, but having two clans waging war is a completely different matter. “Do you think they'll listen if we just tell them that we would rather stay here?”

Fiacre plays with her hair, twirling it around her index finger. “I think Cecilia visited the Bathomeus a few times in the past. It's been such a long time that it’s hard to remember. I would have to dig through the records. Cecilia was the Rhondu's clan-head while she was with them.”

Magnus raises both his eyebrows. “That woman was a clan-head? She is so short and petite. I wouldn’t have guessed it.”

My Mom, a clan-head? I laugh. “That can’t be true. The spell must’ve played hell with her personality.”

Fiacre nods. “I can’t judge it, since I really didn't have much contact with her. From time to time she paid a short visit to Daddy Hatlix. Maybe once every century? I paid it no mind. Hatlix often had visitors from all over the world. He must have travelled a lot while he was younger.”

Magnus snorts. “He must've walked everywhere on foot. Always made me wonder why he had so many friends in America.”

Fiacre smiles. “Probably he fell into the ocean and drifted all the way to the new continent. Jokes aside, I think there was a land bridge during the last ice age. Daddy was old enough to have used it.”

Their jokes are suddenly interrupted when Fiacre's telephone rings. She retrieves it from her pocket and studies the screen. “I don't know that number.” Then she answers the call. “Yes? Fiacre here.”

A few moments pass while she listens to the person who is calling. “Who are you?” Her forehead furrows in surprise. “I am sorry. I am not the clan-head. No, Magnus is. He's Hatlix's grandson. I am afraid that we can't do that. The situation is a little complicated. He won't like that... I guess...”

She holds her hand onto the microphone. “It's Cecilia and she wants to talk to you, Magnus!”

He takes the mobile phone from Fiacre. “Yes?” Silence. “No.” He listens. “No, period. No means no. There is no reason. They don't want to, so they stay. This is my territory.” He grunts. “That's her choice.” He offers the phone to me. “Seems like it's your turn.”

I take the phone from him and hold it to my ear. “Hello?”

“You are my daughter? Are you alright?” Mom's voice. “They just took the spell from me and I learned that I've two daughters.”

Okay? She sounds a little jittery. And concerned. My mother never sounds concerned. “We are alright.”

“Don't worry. We'll come for you. There is nothing to be afraid of. You can tell me the truth if someone is forcing you to say that.”

Okaaay. She is definitely a little addled. “Mom, I am almost two hundred years old. I think that I can take care of myself if there is a problem. Like I said. We are alright and quite happy where we are.” I wait for an answer, but the silence stretches out. I realize that my words were quite insensitive.

They took the spell from her, so does she even have any memories of us? Does she know that I am an adult?

The voice suddenly turns low and serious. “We'll deal with it. Tell that bastard who has you in his custody that we are on our way! Either he receives us as guests, or I'll find a way to get my hands on him!” Then the line is disconnected.

I look at the phone. Then I squeeze my eyes shut and open them again. Was that really Mom like she's supposed to be? “Maybe I should be glad that she was spelled while I grew up. That last line sounded dangerous. Almost like a maniac. I hope they stop her from getting too worked up.”

“What did she say?” Magnus asks.

It takes me a few seconds to reformulate her words. “She wishes to see us. You should prepare for guests. It sounded as if she got it into her mind to see us. I can’t even begin to explain how freaky that is. Especially coming from her.”

Magnus growls. “I told her that I receive no visitors!”

“Visitors?” Oilell enters the room. “Do I have to prepare rooms?”

The brownie is followed by Annia and the girl. Oh, damn. I completely forgot about her. My sister is holding hands with her and smiling like a Cheshire cat. “Oh, so everyone is here! That's great. Allow me introduce you to Katharina, Kath for short.” She pulls the girl in front of her, holding her at both shoulders. The child is looking at us, eyes wide.

Magnus covers his face with both hands, muffling his voice. “I totally forgot about her.”

The shock of confrontation now over, the child studies us with eyes far too wise or her age. She surveys the room, taking in the expensive interior. “Where am I? Is this heaven?”

Fiacre gets up and walks over to the girl. “No, Sweety. This is a wonderland with magic and all kinds of fantastic creatures. Do you want to explore it with me?”

Katharina stares at the offered hand, not trusting the peace. Her eyes search the room, expecting a trap. “There are no evil men in white? They turned my family into monsters.”

Fiacre shakes her head. “There are no evil men here.”

The girl immediately turns her attention to Magnus. “He kicked me!”

“You tried to bite me! Be glad that I didn't feed you to my dragon. So be obedient and follow Fiacre, or a kick will be the least of your problems!” he snarls.

Kath gasps and takes Fiacre's hand. I don’t agree with his methods, but the child does seem to listen to him.

Fiacre glares at Magnus, but says nothing. She pulls on Kath’s hand and they leave the room. Annia crosses her arms in front of her chest. “Don't frighten Kath for no reason! And you have no dragon!”

This time it's Magnus who smiles. “Do you really want to test me?”

Annia rolls her eyes and hurries out of the room. Oilell follows her, while I play with the thought of stopping them. We've to inform them of the new turn of events. Or maybe not. Fiacre can do that. I've no particular urge to discuss Mom's strange behaviour with my sister.

Though it was already strange and now she is acting normal. Normal for her. Maybe the person I knew as Cecilia is gone. Do I have to give her a chance as a different person?

“What are you thinking about?” Magnus asks. He is still next to me on the couch, studying me.

I clench my teeth. Whatever this new version of Mom decides to do, I can't change it right now. She'll show up and we'll deal with it. Maybe she needs some time to reorient herself. The spell must've left her in a pretty fucked up state. “I think that all we can do now, is wait. That's why we should use the time to take you up on your offer.”

“Offer?” He asks.

I sigh and take his hand, guiding it between my legs. “That offer.” Then I kiss him, giving in to my urges. We spend a long time like that, simply exploring one another. I open his shirt button by button, while he takes devilish delight in teasing me. Having his hand between my legs feels so good that the thought of him is enough to make me shiver. I free his erection and stroke him to retaliate.

That was a little too much. He hisses and flips me over. I land on the floor. Any protest dies in my throat when his hands grab my hips. I find myself on all fours, his arms around my belly. A gasp escapes me when he pushes inside, slowly. “I could get used to this position,” he whispers, his mouth at my ear.

“You are heavy.” I complain. Suddenly he thrusts into me and I quickly lose any interest in talking. I open myself to the act, matching his rhythm. My first orgasm is achieved quickly, but he doesn't stop. He even continues pounding into me, despite me having a second release. It's like in our dreams. My whole belly is on fire by the time I achieve my third orgasm. Suddenly his arms tighten around me and I feel him throbbing inside me.

“I love you, Sely Bathomeus,” he whispers.

Bathomeus? I laugh. “Didn't you say that I should consider myself a widow?”

“Not any more. I want you to stay with me. Don't leave. Ever.”

I bite my lower lip as if there is something to consider. “I love you too.” A wicked smile appears on my face. “But only if you can repeat your performance in the shower.”

***Carinthia***

***Magnus***

I guide Sely down a narrow path. It's less well maintained than the one towards the servant’s quarters. This one feels more like an average footpath through an old forest. “Oilell doesn't like it here, so this little forest is probably the only place inside the reality marble that doesn't look like an English garden.”

“I thought that you wanted to show me something. Please don't tell me that you just want me out here to go for a third round. And why do you need the pig? Are we searching for truffles?” Sely points at the pig. I took it from the Mansion’s pen. Oilell is one of those types who put a lot of weight on being self-sustaining.

“You will see.” I yank on the rope, giving the pig more motivation to follow. “Our goal is a wonderful pond at the foot of the hill. It's very idyllic, so I simply had to show it to you.”

Sely quickens her steps to catch up. “Come on. Tell me why you are bringing me out here.”

Since the pond is already within sight, I decide to throw her a bone. “I thought it’s time to let you in on another secret. It's a little ritual to join the Bathomeus. A family tradition.”

That gets her attention. “A ritual to make it official? Don't we need a dress and a big party?”

“Pah! That's new age stuff. Back in the old days our ancestors didn't have such things. There was just them and nature.” I finally step out of the undergrowth. The pond is sky blue and the water absolutely clear. In the centre it’s so deep that I can’t see the bottom. Not a single wave disturbs the surface. Perfect.

She gasps. “It's beautiful! If I had known, I would have gone swimming every day.”

I purse my lips. Nope, I think she will soon take that back. “Come here to the shore and take Oink's rope. Hold him tight, so he can't get away.” I give her the rope and instruct her on the next steps. “What comes now may be a little frightening, but if you listen to your instincts you will be fine. Just don't move. Stay still and show that you have no fear.”

“Show? To whom? And who is Oink?” She blinks and searches our surroundings, but she heeds my instruction to stay still.

“Oink is the pig.” I hurry to the pond and kneel down, pushing my face into the water. Then I call out, using the guttural tone of the first language.

I pull my face out and get back to my feet. The waves I created are spreading out in a perfect circle, disturbing the perfect mirror-like surface.

When something stirs from deep down in the pond, I step back and stand next to Sely. Her whole body tenses up when the huge head breaks the surface. Dinnerplate-sized serpentine eyes study first me, and then Sely. She says nothing, her expression frozen in a smile.

Slowly the scaly head rises, revealing a long, smooth neck. With a burst of motion, the huge creature blurs and shoots forward. A maw with teeth the size of my forearm snaps shut faster than even I can react. Then the snake-shaped head retreats, chewing.

Sely's smile is still on her face when she lifts the hand with the cleanly severed rope to inspect it.

The wyrm lowers her head to sniff at us. Her throat vibrates, making the whole pond shake. Then she swallows Oink whole, bone and skin, sending a visible bulge down her throat. Satisfied, she retreats back underwater.

Sely points the stump of the severed rope at the pond. “What... the... fuck... is... that... thing?”

I laugh and pat her back. “That’s the clan’s mascot. Welcome to the clan! Seems like Lindwurm accepted your offering. She will see you as one of those who bring the food. That's a great honour. Everyone who doesn't give her food, is food.”

“Lindwurm?”

I turn to head back to the mansion. “Oh, that's her name. She is a wyrm. Often confused with a dragon. It’s sad that she is so shy. Showed us only her head and a little neck. The wyrm are very rare and prefer lakes to vulcanoes. I think there is a second one in Loch Ness.”

“You didn't joke when you threatened Kath with feeding her to a dragon!”