Chapter Text
The elevator went up to the top floor of the Gothic House apartment building in New York City. The elevator reached the penthouse and the door opened. Two passengers emerged, a gray haired man and a blonde woman. They stood before a massive oak door and rang the doorbell. The door to the apartment opened, and a giant man greeted them.
“Hello, Ennis”, the woman said dismissively. “Is he available?”
The servant sneered at them.
“I’ll check and see”, he said flippantly. “Why don’t you and your ancient father have a seat, YOUR HIGHNESS”.
“That’s enough of your insolence, dog!” she sneered in reply.
Ennis went through a door at the end of the foyer, just as a slender woman with black hair was exiting it. The blonde woman stood up.
“Hello, Kali”, she addressed the other woman. “How’s tricks?”
Then she laughed and leered at the black haired woman.
Kali stared at her coldly. “I could ask you the same thing Kate”, she said. “Since everyone knows that you have had YEARS more experience than I have”.
Kate snarled back, preparing to make another cutting remark, until her father stood and came between the two women.
“Now girls”, he said. “Behave like adults”.
“Gerard”, Kali said. “How nice to see you again. You and I seem to be the only adults here”.
Kate laughed an ugly laugh.
“I’d reply if it was worth my time to speak to witches from lower level covens. Nice to see you again, Kali”. She sat back down as Kali stormed out the door.
Gerard shook his head.
“What’s with you two, anyway?”, he said. “Can’t you ever get along?”
Kate shook her head.
“No”, she replied. “I hate the bitch”.
The door at the end of the foyer opened and Ennis came out.
“He will see you now”, he said.
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Kate and Gerard entered the study where an average looking man was sitting behind a desk. They both bowed before him.
“Good afternoon, master”, they both said.
The man waved his hand dismissively at them
“What news do you have for me?”. he asked.
“Your spies were right”, Kate said. “It is the same couple. They live in the apartment with their daughter”.
The man smiled an evil smile.
“Good”, he said. “I’ve been looking for them for the last fifteen years. Now I have them in my sights. I’ve eliminated most of their relatives, and this family is the last. I shall place my death spell upon them immediately”.
He rubbed his hands together in glee. Then he waved at the couple before him again.
“Leave me now”, he said. “I will let you know when I have need of your services again”.
They bowed to him.
“Yes, master”, they both said before they exited the room.
The man spoke to himself after they had left.
“My plans are going forward very satisfactorily”, he said. “Soon the East Coast will be mine, then I can make my move on the West Coast”.
He laughed an evil laugh.
“Just a few more people in my way that I will need to eliminate. Then all the power will be mine”.
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The young couple was moving into their new home. The young woman was smiling and kissed her new husband tenderly.
“I love the house, John!”, she said happily. “Room for us and room to grow our family!”
The young man kissed his wife equally tenderly.
“It’s perfect, Claudia”, he said. “A big backyard and close to the station!”
The newlyweds had moved from New York where her parents still lived to a small city in Northern California. The town was called Beacon Hills.
John Stilinski had been a young patrolman in the NYPD. He had met Claudia O’Brien at the New York Public Library, where she worked. Her parents had emigrated from Ireland to the U.S. when she was a child. They had dated for a few months and then fallen in love. John asked Claudia to marry him, but before she would agree, she told him a secret.
She was a spark. The child of a mage couple. The mage were descended from ancient lines of wizards and practitioners of magic. A spark was not a full mage, but could reproduce a child who was a full mage. At first John thought that she was telling him a fairy tale, until she showed him some of the spells and incantations that she could perform. He was an open minded man and accepted her with no reservations
John liked Claudia’s parents immediately, and they liked him. He told them that once he and Claudia were married, he had two job offers. The first was a promotion to a junior officer in the NYPD. The second was a job as a deputy in the sheriff’s office in Beacon Hills, California. Claudia’s parents urged him to take the second post. For some reason they feared for her safety in New York. When he asked them about it, they couldn’t give him a logical reason for their fear. But he could tell that they were terrified for her safety. So he made the decision to accept the job in California.
The Stilinski's made friends right away. Everyone liked John, and everyone loved Claudia. She was young and pretty, with pale skin and dark hair. She had large amber eyes, an upturned nose, and full pink lips. She had a scattering of small moles on her cheek and neck, which added to her beauty. She was outgoing and charming, and fit well into her new job as a librarian at the city library.
They made friends with the Lahey family, the Reyes family, and the Boyd family.
Then they made friends with James and Talia Hale, a young werewolf couple of wealth who lived next to a nature preserve outside of town. The two couples had a lot in common, and enjoyed socializing together.
Right after the Stilinski's settled into their new home, they lost contact with Claudia’s parents. John phoned his friends at the NYPD, and the next day they received tragic news. Soon after the young couple had left New York for California, Claudia’s parents had died of mysterious causes. Claudia was grief stricken, and would have fallen apart if it hadn’t been for John and their friends.
Within a few months, Claudia began to recover slowly. And just as her life became more settled she received wonderful news.
She and John were expecting a child.
(Next Chapter: Derek meets Genim.)