Gerry stepped out onto the mansion’s rear deck and shielded his eyes from the rising sun. He scanned his new residence and smiled. Dew coated the pristinely manicured grass that extended from the stairs that led up to the porch, around the fire pit, and to the edge of a small, sandy beach. Waves lapped lazily against the shoreline to either side of the estate, which had thick clumps of trees separating it from its neighbors. Altogether, it was a perfect place for Gerry and his lieutenants to strategize.
Gerry brought the steaming cup to his lips and sighed. The mansion might look like a wealthy banker’s home, but its basement was stocked like a doomsday prepper’s. The difference was it was fine luxury items and not MREs or portable shitters. Gerry found the pallet of imported Caribbean coffee in a corner and was immediately drawn to its scent.
Ten minutes, and a short lesson on a french press later, and he was watching the sunlight with a delectable treat. He took a sip and sighed as the aroma filled his nostrils and the strong taste cascaded down his throat. It was packed full of caffeine, and although he didn’t need it, the kick it would give him was never a bad thing.
“A little to the left…no…your other left.” Vicky was yelling from the living room, which had been converted into the throne room.
A sizeable portion of her coven had moved from the refugee camp during the night. Gerry had only made one trip to bring his Throne to its new location, but he was leaving the aesthetics up to Vicky. He wasn’t worried about any of the Soulless or other Infernals being able to draw power from the Throne. Aside from Divine interference, Gerry was confident only he could access the stores of growing æther in the golden chair.
As he passed through the foyer, Gerry saw two legionnaires standing guard on either side of the front door. They looked as casual as a guard could after the last few days, but they found purpose in routine, so the assignment was good for them. Gerry had tasked Gaius with fortifying their new home, and he’d taken to the task with over a millennium’s worth of experience. The grounds around the mansion now had random, roving patrols, and were armed with modern weapons. Coffee and bourbon weren’t the only things Jeb had stashed away in his basement stockpile. If anyone came by they’d probably think a Russian mob boss had moved in next door.
“Just a little more.” Vicky stated as Jeb walked into the expansive living room with its cathedral-like ceilings. At the center of the room’s biggest wall, she was positioning the Throne…with the help of four other vampires. With the sun up, their supernatural strength had evaporated.
“It’s fucking heavy…” one of her minions grumbled as they followed Vicky’s instructions.
“That’s the spot,” she signaled, and they plopped it down with a loud THUD.
“Look’s good.” Gerry walked right up to the Throne and plopped down on it. He immediately felt the thrum of power coursing through it.
Compared to the suffering of the refugee camp, the Throne was only receiving a trickle of energy from its surroundings.
That was the conundrum he found himself in. The mansion was a better staging area. It had privacy and better access to the city than the camps. All kinds of people and creatures were watching the camps. No one was watching where the rich were going about their lives like nothing had happened. The downside was that he wasn’t getting the power he would get in from the battered refugees. In the short term it wouldn’t be an issue, but eventually he’d have to take the Throne someplace more volatile.
This was the primary reason the mansion wasn’t becoming his new demesne. He’d thought about it, but it wasn’t workable. The old demesne had been perfect. It sat near the center of a big city. It drew in a lot of the ambient æther swirling around, and it was perfectly camouflaged by ancient warding and the hotel it sat on top of. It was going to take time to find a suitable replacement, and until then, he just needed to keep a low profile, which was easier said then done under the circumstances.
“The perimeter is secure. I walked it myself and set the warding you required.” Gaius entered the room, but didn’t bow.
Gerry closed his eyes and reached out from where he sat. The Throne was connected to the world, while at the same time being apart and separate. It was hard to describe, but Gerry was able to reach out and touch the runes drawn in human blood. Slowly, he channeled power into them. After a moment the power caught, the rune deepened into something beyond two dimensions, and the façade began. Gerry empowered each of the runes until the warding was complete. To the mortal world, and the divine, the mansion looked like just another empty house from the rich who’d escaped the city. They would have to break the perimeter to see what was really occurring, and he would put other wards in place to keep that from happening, but for the moment camouflage would have to do.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“I’ve got at least one person changing, Boss,” Vicky informed. “I’m going to stick them and anyone else we try to turn in the dungeon until we can get them under control.”
That was the other unique aspect of the mansion that Gerry was sure Jeb had scrubbed from the city’s copy of the architectural plans. The place had legit dungeons. It was only a few modern-looking cells in a room adjacent to his stockpiled luxuries, but it was still damp due to its proximity to the lake, and dark once you turned out the lights. Gerry was sure he’d find a use for them.
“My Dux,” Jezebel swept into the room in a flowing dress slit up to the hip and a low-cut blouse. “You promised to return me to my former power so I could obediently serve you.”
“Sounds more like you just promised to swallow,” Vicky muttered, but Jezebel ignored her.
“When would you like to begin the ceremony,” there was a telling smile on the Infernal’s lustful lips.
“We really need to establish a strategy to deal with the Divine within our area of operations,” Gaius tried to talk over her.
“My Lord, when did you say you needed those cash reserves redistributed,” Jeb walked through a side door that led to the kitchen and joined the fray.
“You promised me power…”
“You’ve just been waiting to spread your legs for him…”
“We’re in a precarious defensive position…”
“It’s a lot of cash…”
“SILENCE!” Gerry’s fist crashed down onto the side of the Throne like a firecracker. His voice carried, bounced off walls, and only grew in intensity. It had the intended effect of shutting up everyone.
Memories of them standing around a table in his old demesne flashed through his mind, minus Gaius, but he’d had enough planning sessions with the old general to last two lifetimes.
“Gaius, we’re holding position for now while we develop a new strategy.”
“Vicky, stop antagonizing Jezebel.”
“Jezebel, be patient.”
“Jeb, I want the cash reserved on hand in case we need to bribe someone we can’t, or shouldn’t, kill.”
They all nodded and kept their mouths shut as Gerry rubbed his temple. < See what happens to those my Father called family. Search for a new solution to this eons-old problem, you will know it when you see it, and take your rightful place in the pantheon of power.> Seere’s words rang through his head.
“We need allies,” Gerry said the words slowly, like he was admitting defeat, because admitting they weren’t strong enough to tackle the Divine problem themselves was a sign of weakness.
Gaius visibly stiffened, while Jeb and Jezebel’s reactions were more subtle. “No shit,” Vicky was the most practical.
“Allies?” Gaius spat. “What can mortals do for us that we cannot do ourselves.”
“Not quite what I…” Gerry cut off his explanation mid-sentence when he felt something step across the perimeter they’d recently drawn around their compound.
Sitting on the Throne he reached out and the place popped into his mind’s eye. It was in the thicket of trees separating the mansion from the neighbor down the road on the right. The dim sunlight hadn’t pierced the darkness yet, and the guards weren’t anywhere near it. It was the perfect location to breech their perimeter.
Whoever it was, Gerry couldn’t let them destroy any of his limited resources, or leave to tell their friends. He needed to get there…NOW.
The æther within him surged at his need and he felt like something hooked him behind his navel and yanked him forward. His head swam as up, down, left, and right became one. Then, suddenly, quicker than a heartbeat, it all stopped. Gerry fell to his knees, but they didn’t hit the cool tiled floor of his throne room. They landed on the wet, morning grass. The smell of the forest hit his momentarily heightened senses like a sledgehammer, and he gagged twice before regaining control of his stomach. Thankfully, none of the delicious coffee came back up.
The crunch of a stick underfoot washed all the uneasiness and queasiness away. Gerry wasn’t alone. He leapt to his feet and let æther fill him. His skin grew taught and his muscles bulged as power rushed into him. He started to grow, but stopped at a dozen feet tall when he spotted two glowing eyes staring at him through the darkness. They watched him unblinking, and he stared right back.
Slowly one foot, and then another drove those eyes from the darkness to reveal something Gerry thought for sure was dead. Grimm stepped from the shadows with his head cocked and examining Gerry.
“Come here, buddy,” Gerry cooed as he shed most of the æther. He had nothing to fear from his own creation.
Grimm approached cautiously, his nose sniffing the air like he wasn’t sure. Gerry knew from everything that had happened that something in him had changed, and Grimm’s hesitation confirmed it. The hellhound was born of his own blood, it should have been able to identify him immediately.
“Come on, boy.” Gerry motioned for him to some closer, and held out his hand from Grimm to sniff.
Grimm took his time in getting closer and sniffing, but Gerry seemed to pass whatever test the hellhound was conducting, because it licked his hand and moved forward to nuzzle its head in his chest.
“That’s a good boy.” Gerry made sure to get behind Grimm’s ears and scratch his belly when the big beast flopped over. “What have you been up to?” Gerry could guess from the blood on Grimm’s teeth and claws that he’d been hunting.
His force was reunified, minus Lono, but replaced by Gaius. Grimm was back at his side, they had a Divine Throne pumping him full of power, and they had the beginnings of a plan. Gaius had a point though. There wasn’t a lot the humans could offer Gerry in his fight against the Divine, but the humans weren’t his target. There were things old and powerful in the city and across the world that may just be spoiling for a fight against God and his angels. The Infernals needed to tap into that resource sooner rather than later. Gerry couldn’t speak for other Infernal Lords or other creatures, but he knew one in town that might be open to a little payback. He just needed to find the best way to approach the Remnant.