Notes:
I have been teaching myself to make poses because I need this hobby to somehow become more time-consuming lol. You’ll see my labors in this chapter (Akira on the floor, Alice in the tub). All I can say is that I would not have gotten through these first attempts without the tutorials posted by the very awesome Katverse!
Somewhere along the outskirts of Windenburg
VLAD
When he and Gwendolyn finally rematerialized, everyone else was already there. Traveling with her was different. As a mist, he could float effortlessly through the air, but Gwendolyn’s light had been a force. It took everything to steer her out of the sky and she was terrified when they began to reform, clutching his hand so tightly she fractured two of his fingers.
But that fear wore off as soon as she saw Alice. Then she was exuberant, chattering about her newfound ability.
There was a tightness in Vlad’s chest at the sight of it. They were safe. This time he listened. Maybe there was no great catastrophe coming, and they could have stayed, but he was not willing to risk it.
That they ended up here seeking protection was an irony that was not lost on him.
The past was present sometimes.
“What is this place?” Cyrus asked, running a finger through the dust on the table.
“Windenburg Keep,” Vlad said softly, the words sharp and painful. He didn’t strike out; he was getting used to his pain being dragged to the surface. To feel it without needing to destroy something. But it wasn’t easy.
It would never be easy.
“My father had three castles built: The summer palace by the bluffs, the main palace in town, and this—a fortified location on the outskirts of Windenburg.”
“Because he was a king?” Valeria asked, a note of wonder in her voice as she gazed around.
“Because so many sims wanted to kill him,” Caleb quipped. “And he was a king.”
Alice’s father stared at Vlad like some critical pieces of information were finally shifting into place. “You’re that ‘Vladislaus.’ Deceased son of the Villain King. We studied him in the Academy, he was—”
“Impressive,” Vlad finished. It wasn’t an unexpected response. From a distance, Josef Straud was an incredible strategist. In fact, he was an incredible strategist up close too. That he was a monster mattered approximately zero percent.
“I was going to say a ‘cautionary tale,'” Cyrus clarified gently, “We covered him in the unit on pyrrhic victories.”
That pulled Vlad up short, and some of the tightness in his chest eased. “Oh,” he coughed, “I should show you the rooms, so you can get settled.”
Windenburg Woods, Dryad Territory
Morgyn
“We’re not going to do anything?” William demanded. “What about that green-haired creature? We should—”
“No,” Morgyn replied, dragging a hand through their hair. They could sense strong magic around, but they couldn’t figure out the signature. “You don’t know the Queen of the Fae. She is a force, and if she wants to kill her husband, then we don’t need to get in the middle of it.”
“We do if it means she has the book!” William cried. “You said we needed it, and now you’re willing to let it go?”
They weren’t willing; they were panicking. The Book of Longings wasn’t in any of the other timelines, which was how Morgyn knew it was important. The Fates were playing at some sort of endgame; what was it?
William gritted his teeth, “After all of this, I’m returning empty-handed and—”
“You are not coming back empty-handed. You are coming back with the knowledge of the gods’ identities.”
“Knowledge you could have told me without the trip! Do you mean to make a fool of me?”
Why had they thought getting Aurelius into bed would solve everything? Last night, they let the vampire lay his head on their chest and listen to their heartbeat. Today, the walls were up, and Universe help them; Morgyn wanted to tear them down.
“You are nothing but demands now, vampire, but before you brought me into your bed, you believed me an enemy. Do you think anything would have grown between us if I told you I knew who the gods were? If I laid out how L. Faba and I sought to use Phobos to get our hands on The Owl? Would you have kissed me?”
William reared back. “You’ve lost your ever-loving mind,” he breathed, “This is not about only you. A crush on me? That’s what matters to you?”
It is all that matters to me, Morgyn thought automatically, but found they could not say it out loud.
“And what did you want with The Owl?”
“What does anyone want with The Owl?” Morgyn snarled, pushing past him.
Don’t do this, a small voice told them, don’t punish him. For Morgyn, it had been a thousand times, but not for this Aurelius. Of course, he had not yet learned to love them.
The hint of magic whistled past them again, and they surveyed the yard, trying to determine if it was a welcome or a warning.
Realm of the Fae, Titania’s House
Akira
“He was an Oberon, not the Oberon,” Titania huffed. “The Fates obviously need him, and by the time they get around to plucking one out of a different timeline, I’ll be ready to forgive.”
Akira gave her a wary look but held his tongue. He didn’t walk into the place intending to kill his brother-in-law, but things escalated quickly. He snapped when the curator refused to hand over the book, Titania when Oberon declined to apologize. Suddenly, they were amping each other up, calling on their powers.
It was all an angry blur.
Opening the globe bar, Akira proceeded to make himself a drink. Titania didn’t stop him; in fact, she motioned for him to pour her one too.
“Make it a double,” she commanded.
He handed it over, keeping his voice light, “I guess I didn’t need to worry. You were one step ahead of the Sage of Untamed Magic.”
“I was, wasn’t I?” she laughed, the sound of it sharp, almost hysterical.
They had been close to William and Morgyn. Too close. Akira let the liquor burn his throat and send his anxiety packing. “Battling puts you in a humble mood.”
She threw back her drink, hand trembling. “When it ends in killing my cheating husband, then I’m definitely in a good mood.”
They both knew this was not Oberon’s first bout of unsanctioned cheating. It wasn’t clear what about this time rubbed her the wrong way. “So what’s in this fucking book?” he asked instead, “Trade secrets? More dossiers?”
“The Fates don’t keep secrets,” Titania replied knowingly, “They tell everyone everything, just not at the same time and not all the same parts.”
“Excuse me?” he grunted, “Ain’t that expressly the definition of a secret?”
“You’re thinking about secrets like things you don’t want someone else to know. The Fates think about them more like parts of a story that need to eventually play out. That’s why you have to give everyone a little piece.”
Her eyes were shining as she ran a hand reverently over the cover. “Most people can keep one secret, at least for a little while. And that secret will make them act in ways that the Fates need for the story.” Titania lowered her voice, “They say the three sisters have told every truth there is to tell.”
He forgot what it felt like to be mesmerized by her stories. Outside, the wind whistled through the trees, and the waterfalls blanketed the house in a calming white noise. The palace was for business and to keep up appearances, but Titania’s real house? It was for privacy and peace.
Akira jutted out his chin, “Why risk letting us fuck things up? Why don’t they just lie to us so we do whatever they want?”
“Because that’s the cost of everything. And I do mean, everything. The Fates supersede us all. There was the Universe, then Time, and then them. Imagine spinning the threads of a thousand worlds, each with tens of millions of creatures. Even the three greatest minds couldn’t keep up with that number of lies. No, the Fates don’t keep secrets. It’s the only thing mother knew for sure.”
Mother. Titania’s house was for privacy, peace, and memories of their mother. She kept it, just as Hesiona had. He inherited his father’s speed, Titania her mother’s magic and wisdom.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Akira whispered, “Open the book.”
Windenburg Keep
Alice
It was easy to forget that Vlad was hundreds of years old. She teased him about it, but as they got settled, she marveled at the fact that he’d walked these halls when the castle was brand new.
The barracks were a little musty but in decent shape. Josef had a luxurious bedroom for himself, but she could see from Vlad’s face that he was loath to hole up there, so Alice suggested he drag the bed into the chapel.
There were a few modern conveniences. Apparently, William updated the space every century or so, in case they needed it. In a complete 180 from when they first met, the updated areas were where Vlad felt most comfortable. He adjusted the old black and white television without complaint and was now happily explaining the complicated social politics of a soap opera set in the 1950s. Well, explaining and complaining. The word “anachronistic” was being tossed around a lot.
“Is there nectar around here?” Alice’s mother asked.
“In the cellar,” Vlad answered. He made to get up, but Alice noted how Gwendolyn was starting to do a slow blink and cuddle up next to him. Nothing was going to get in the way of the tiny terror going to sleep, not if Alice’s own exhausted bones had anything to say about it.
“I’ll go,” she said, waving him back down.
“How are you feeling?” her mother asked after trying to open the valves on a few casks. They were stuck tight and blackened with age. Valeria made a sound of disgust.
“Never better,” Alice replied, stretching her aching back. “I think I was stressed out and just having panic attacks. Now, I’m feeling okay. Well, a little tired, but that’s to be expected. Things have been nuts.”
Valeria fixed her with a look.
“What?”
Her mother sighed. “Do you know that you are the most wayward of all my children?”
“Is that a real question? Because I don’t want to fight with you.”
“No, not trying to fight,” her mother laughed, “I was the most wayward child too.” Her expression softened. “You think we’re mad because you’re different, but we’re not. We’re mad because you shut us out, and you had to deal with so many hard things on your own. You’re a parent now; try to imagine how that feels.”
Alice bit her lip. If she was honest, it was hard to think of herself as a parent. Gwendolyn was her kid, yes, but the parenting part? It felt like she was completely making it up as she went along. Meanwhile, Vlad was a natural. After that initial blip, he and Gwendolyn were thick as thieves. The whole thing made her feel virtually incompetent.
“I thought maybe there was a way you guys could avoid the Underworld,” she said, trying to change the subject, “Maybe there’s a safe place you can go so you don’t have to give everything up.”
Valeria hesitated and then closed the space between them, grabbing hold of Alice’s hand. “Of course we’re going to the Underworld. We were stalked by a previously uncategorized danger that might be a threat to national security. We had to activate the Bella protocol. We don’t exist as far as Sim Nation is concerned, and we won’t until we get it under control.”
“But—”
“There is nothing to go back to. Me, your father, Maverick, Mayra, we all knew this was a possible risk when we signed up for this work.”
Alice blinked back tears. Why was she so emotional all of a sudden? They had been talking about the plan for days. Now was not the time to get weepy. “This is why I kept it to myself because I don’t want you getting hurt and around me; that seems to happen. It’s my fault. I’m the reason you were stalked and—”
“It is not your fault, Alice. I’m sorry I even implied that.” Valeria put a hand on her shoulder, “I love you, you know that? And it’s become abundantly clear that there are forces at work, beyond even you, God of Death.”
Her mother said it with such dramatic flair that Alice had to laugh. “You are just determined to make me sound not that impressive. Being a god is a big deal, you know.”
Valeria waved a hand, “Child, please. You may be a god, but you are gonna need all the help you can get with the things you’ve got going on. Hell, you’re lucky me and your father got so much experience!”
There was a note in her mother’s voice that caught Alice’s attention. “What do you mean by the things I have going on? The Owl…or…?”
Valeria gave her a pitying look, “You mean to tell me you’re also the God of Fertility, and you don’t know you’re pregnant?”
Windenburg Woods, Dryad Territory
MORGYN
“I don’t know what you want with The Owl because you won’t tell me,” William seethed, “You’ve spent a night in my arms, let me rattle on to you about my dreams, fought by my side, and you don’t know that I value truth above all else?”
“Truth? Please,” Morgyn retorted, “You’ve spent a lifetime serving Phobos.”
“I’ve spent a lifetime alongside Phobos,” William corrected, “And monster he may be, but not a liar. Meanwhile, you are full of secrets.”
Morgyn froze. Their secrets were all they were. Secrets granted them power and cunning; they had to be given, not taken. Never again would the Sage allow something to be taken from them.
“At first, I thought you knew about the Gods,” Morgyn lied, “That’s why we attempted to manipulate Vladislaus. He was the closest we could get to The Owl, given that most of the other Gods were playing. When I realized you had no idea, I had already decided to help you because we both understood the The Owl could not fall into the wrong hands.”
“That is, pardon my Champs Les Sims, bullshit,” William spat. “Being a Sage requires power, I don’t need to be a magic user to see that. If you tell me you obtaining The Owl was not about gaining the upper hand in some way, then you are lying.”
“Well, I can’t help if you don’t believe me,” Morgyn countered, avoiding the vampire’s gaze. It was a poor lie and an even worse defense.
What were they supposed to say? That once upon a time, they eschewed the position of Sage. There was no need to worry about spending a few centuries stuffed into a body in the mortal world when they had a god. Now? A few centuries in the mortal world was all they had. So much so they were loath to abandon it.
With Marshala, untamed magic had been about the birth of possibility. The Goddess of Fertility reveled in chaos, but it was beautiful, not destructive. The loss of her—Morgyn had no words for it. They had been telling themselves that love made them ruthless, as if the pursuit of Aurelius was what justified all the terrible things they’d done. But it was the absence of love. In truth, Morgyn could not bear another few centuries of leaving this form and returning to magic without their god.
“You didn’t ask for one true thing,” they said quietly.
“I don’t think you’re capable,” William growled, stalking towards the house. As he did so, the magical signature in the air revealed itself.
“Stop!” Morgyn cried. “I sense wraiths; at least let me clear the area before you go any farther!”
William eyed them warily but nodded.
A small searching spell returned nothing. “They’re gone.” Clasping their hands in front of them, Morgyn inched closer to William, a truth not bargained for on their lips. “I know I kept secrets. It wasn’t to hurt you. I just…I have no practice simply giving them away.”
The vampire ignored them, moving so quickly into the house that Morgyn had to run to keep up. They made their way to the den, William clearly on high alert.
Wraiths were not usually so messy in their searches. Perhaps there had been a fight? “I thought you said it was just Alice and Vlad here,” Morgyn started, glancing around. “Why are there toys about?”
“Well, obviously, a lot happened while we were galavanting around,” William growled, but Morgyn could hear the fear in his voice.
“I’m sure they are alright. Wraiths are used for two things: tracking or killing. Killing is easy; they simply grab hold of your spiritual energy and drink until there is nothing left. I would know if that happened.”
“But tracking?”
“Tracking is different. Only Omar could make sense of the spiritual signature and read the clues; spirits are his domain and—”
“This was Omar?” William croaked. He looked like he had been kicked in the gut.
“Yes. You don’t know Omar like I do, the things he is capable of are…” Morgyn hesitated, tamping down the desire to extract some favor in exchange for a piece of information. “Don’t bring anything with you. The wraiths have a spiritual connection to everything in this house. That’s how they do their tracking.”
Williams’s expression softened and Morgyn felt something loosen in their chest.
“So what are we supposed to do?” he asked.
Nudging the couch with their foot, Morgyn gave him a light-hearted smile. “I don’t think this cheap furniture will be any great loss to the world. We burn it all down.”
Windenburg Keep
Alice
A roaring sound opened up between Alice’s ears. “W-what?”
“You’re pregnant, Alice, don’t make me repeat it. You’ve been sick every morning and—”
“I don’t know what I’ve been!” Alice snapped, cutting her off. She clutched at her chest, trying to breathe. “How could this have happened?”
“I think we all know how,” her mother deadpanned, “The question is why you didn’t pay attention. You didn’t use protection or—”
“Oh well, excuse the hell out of me for not realizing that the living embodiment of a fucking concept could get me pregnant!”
“It’s called morning sickness, Alice. What do you think has been going on?”
“I don’t know!” Alice screamed. “I just became immortal like two weeks ago. The list of things that never happened to my body before is a mile long. Like this—” she grabbed a knife off the counter and jabbed it into her hand. The pain hit her so hard she swayed on her feet, but after a few seconds, the cut began to slowly heal. “See?”
Her mother reared back. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Wrong with me? Nothing is wrong with me, though I guess you wouldn’t know because apparently I’m the worst of your fucking kids.”
“Alice Levitica Martin, don’t you take that tone with me. Down here acting you’ve lost your ever-loving—”
“Don’t” Vlad snarled as he materialized by the wine barrels.
“Don’t what? Tell my own child when she’s acting—”
“We need a moment.”
“But she stabbed her own—”
“A moment!” Vlad growled, his eyes blacking over.
Valeria nodded and fled up the stairs. Alice stared after her, but she could not bring herself to intervene. How? How? How? How? her mind screamed and without even realizing it, she began to shake.
“Your hand,” Vlad said softly, turning it over to check the newly formed scab. He kissed her fingertips. “You cannot imagine the sheer panic caused by the scent of your plasma. I aged another six hundred years.”
It might have been a joke, but Alice couldn’t laugh. Silently, she let him lead her up the stairs and back into the chapel. “I’m…” she tried to find the words, but the shock of it froze her tongue. This was impossible, wasn’t it?
“Wait here,” he instructed, indicating the bed.
Twisting her fingers without really feeling them, Alice took a seat. Distantly, she heard the water running. When he returned, she tried again to find the words. “I’m…”
“Pregnant,” Vlad finished, the expression on his face unreadable. He pulled her up and led her into the bathing room.
“What is this?” she whispered, trying to quiet the terrifying dialogue loop in her head.
“I promised you a bath if you suffered your parents and sister. You have suffered them and managed only to stab yourself, which is a record in this family.”
Nodding, she stared at the tub. “I’m…”
“Pregnant,” Vlad said again. “I can’t tell you the temperature of the water, but the hot springs runs just underground, so I imagine it’s warm. You should test it now, and if you need cold water, I’ll go up to the well.”
“O-okay,” Alice stammered. She dipped a finger in the water. It was warm, but what did she know? She was pregnant. And stupid, and pregnant, and stupid, and— “I…I think it’s fine.”
He nodded and shut the door behind him.
Windenburg Keep
Alice
Alice didn’t know how long she sat in the tub, but the water was cold, and her skin definitely had a prune-like texture. The castle walls were so thick, she didn’t hear anyone or anything. After spending so many years never having quiet in her own head and then never having quiet outside her head with so many other creatures in the house, the lack of chatter was…
Bliss.
I’m pregnant. Just thinking it brought up a tangle of emotions and fears. On instinct, she shoved them back down.
What the fuck was she supposed to do now?
With a groan, she dipped her head in the water and scrubbed her face. Then, for good measure, she washed her hair. Maybe having her curls back would make her feel more like herself?
“Alright?” Vlad asked when she slipped back into the chapel. He clasped his hands behind his back as if steeling himself for her dismissal.
“Y-yeah,” Alice said with an awkward smile, “I’m…uh…” —completely freaking out and wishing that I could stay in that bathtub forever and never have deal with another llamafucking thing— “Trying to find my clothes.”
Some of the tension left his shoulders. He motioned at a suitcase shoved in the corner and took a seat on the bed.
The room was warmer than expected, but it was hard to tell if it was because she was warmer than expected. Shit. Why was she so warm? Was it the pregnancy? Weird god shit? But she had been running hot recently, ever since—
Alice whirled around, an accusatory look on her face. “You didn’t pack me any sweaters! Did you know?”
Vlad hesitated, “I had my suspicions.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” Alice was indignant.
“About what was happening in your own body?” he replied doubtfully.
Alice balked. She wasn’t at all used to paying attention to her body. How could she? The only way to stay sane with Ben in her head was to ignore most signals. “I’m overwhelmed,” she confessed.
“I know.”
“We’ve been parents to Gwendolyn for two weeks, and despite all my big talk, we’re definitely fucking her up.” Alice waved her arms in frustration, “Remember when she asked what other stuff we would teach her, and I said gymboree? I don’t even know what the fuck gymboree is! I was rendered speechless! By a nine-year-old.”
“It is the way of small children to render us speechless and try our patience,” he assured her.
“She tries your patience?” Alice grumbled, “Because I’m 100% sure you’re her favorite.”
“You did not have to escort her here,” Vlad replied wryly, crossing his arms. “You are her first favorite. I ranked so low as to not even warrant a number.”
“Oh,” Alice said.
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I mean…that does kind of make me feel better. Still, everything is backward! We were supposed to date, and now we have a kid and another one on the way?”
“We’ve been on a date. I took you dancing twice.”
“At a funeral and a nightclub full of sex demons! And both times ended in burying a dead body.”
Vlad’s expression plainly communicated that he did not see the problem. And to be fair, Alice did enjoy herself. “I’m not saying it wasn’t fun. I just want…I want a date that doesn’t end with you devouring a still-beating heart!”
A wave of anxiety hit her. What was she doing here yelling about dates when she was pregnant? And she was supposed to pull off a heist? Take this thing growing inside her through a portal into the Underworld?
“What are we even doing right now? We’re in so deep!” She gave him a panicked look. “You haven’t even asked me! You don’t want to get married?”
“You don’t want to get married,” he reminded her, his voice annoyingly calm. “I am not casual, remember?”
Damn it, he was right. The idea of making a declaration in front of friends and family that she could so easily fuck up gave her hives. “It’s not because I don’t love you.”
“I know.” He was so still. Unnaturally and annoyingly still. Why wasn’t he freaking out?
“Don’t you want to say what you’re thinking about it? Are you worried? Scared? Happy? I am sure my parents have a lot of thoughts. My mother probably has a thousand of them, which she will eventually reveal to me in excruciating detail.”
She waited for a beat. “Why are you being so calm?”
“At this moment, I don’t think you need to process my emotions.”
“I know!” Alice exclaimed, though she didn’t. “I’m trying to process my emotions! I think…I mean…I just want you to feel something about this and tell me what you’re thinking!”
Vlad sighed, frustration creeping into his voice. “Alice, do you actually want to talk about this? Because my sense is that you do not. You would like to yell about it, which is your way, but you haven’t actually thought about it, so you don’t know what you want.”
A protest was on the tip of her tongue, but she bit down. What did she think? Was she excited? Sad? Scared? Did she want this?
Vlad stood and placed his hand gently on her arm, “I had suspicions, but I truly didn’t know such a thing was possible. I thought that part of me died when I became Phobos, and even if not, you were mortal up until very recently. I am trying very hard not to be like that giant planet pulling you along in my orbit. So before I tell you what I think, what do you want?”
His eyes pleaded with her, but Alice’s throat was dry. It was not just that she was used to ignoring her body, but when she got it back she was stuck with this unfamiliar thing. All this time, she thought the power was Ben’s but it was hers. And then came immortality. She felt like her body wasn’t even her own, like it had run off started a whole new life without her. She didn’t even know what it was capable of. How did she even begin to explain that? Would he even understand?
“I…” she waited for words to come out, but there was nothing.
“The bath was only the first part of my promise to you,” he said finally with a gleam in his eye. Slowly, he turned and pushed her back onto the bed. “Would you like me to show you the rest?”
Alice felt her pulse jump as he dropped to his knees, the sharp edge of his fangs grazing along her inner thigh. “I think this type of demonstration is how we got here,” she breathed.
One hand gently stroked her calf, the other tightened on her thigh. He took one slow slick along the tendon, “Yes, but as it turns out, you can’t get any more pregnant than you already are.”
A laugh skittered through her, but also warmth. He was distracting her even though he did want to talk. She could see it in his eyes.
And she loved him for it.
“Thank you,” she whispered, as he pushed himself up on the bed and settled between her thighs.
“For what? I haven’t done anything yet,” he teased, his fingers hooking into her underwear.
Just when she thought he must’ve misunderstood her, he pressed a very chaste kiss to her cheek. “You’re welcome,” he whispered.
Realm of the Fae, Titania’s House
Akira
“I’m scared,” Titania said, taking a seat at the table. Her voice was small; it sounded…wrong.
“That you missed something?” Akira laughed, hoping it only sounded forced to his ears. “You never miss nothin’.”
His sister did not join in. “Exactly.”
“You don’t think it’s a burden, but it is,” she added, “When we were young, I wasn’t alone all the time because I was haughty, I was alone because no creature could bear to spend longer than five minutes with me. I don’t guess, I’m almost always right, and I don’t know how to lie about it.”
“Tania—”
“That’s why Oberon. He wasn’t afraid of me, not really. He pretended not to cross me, but in truth? He wasn’t intimidated by the way my mind works.”
Akira shifted uncomfortably. “He seemed pretty intimidated when you caught him this time.”
“He was in trouble, not scared,” Titania said with a scoff, “There’s a difference. And besides,” she continued, her voice going raw, “When it came down to it, he wasn’t sorry because why would he be?”
Why hadn’t he noticed this dynamic before? Other creatures might’ve been fooled by Titania’s bravado, but he was supposed to see through all that. He should have known that his sister was lonely and hurting, and he should have been there to protect her.
“There is nothing wrong with you, Titania Kibo. Oberon was nothing, do you hear me? King of the Fae? There ain’t no such thing.” He leaned in close over the table, “I see you, and I love you. I wouldn’t change a godsdamned thing about you, even if you’re a pain in my ass. Now, grab the glasses; I’m grabbin’ a bottle. Let’s go upstairs and open this fuckin’ book.”
Seated on the floor in front of the fireplace, Titania slid the wrapping off the book, opened it, and began to read. “The lady did turn ’round and madeth a malapert gesture. Those gents hadst argued—about how that gent bethought her desire to beest mortal wast misguided, about how dram the lady hath felt that gent hadst hath changed, about wherefore the lady ignored her family, about how badly the lady bethought that gent did need a hobby.”
“What?” Akira blurted out, “I don’t know what the fuck that means. Read another section.”
Something sparked in Titania’s eyes, but she kept reading. “This wast not the craziest thing she’d ever seen working the night shift. Not by a longeth did shoot. The Route 309 convenience store satteth on a blasted stripeth of highway about 15 miles from the base. It did attract precisely two types of sims: criminals and thou who art zany.”
“The fuck?” Akira laughed.
She flipped to another page, “Alice did start to pray ‘pardon me,’ but a sir in a striking hoodie interrupted by tapping her lightly on the shoulder. ‘I wouldn’t behold for any answers from those folk. They’re mortals, and enchanted out of their sage-forsaken minds from the looks of it—'”
“Stop!” Akira shouted, “That sounds familiar. I seen the God of Death at a bar, but I didn’t know it was her…what the hell kind of book is this?”
Titania flipped through more pages, her eyes widening. She shot to her feet. “I was right. The Fates can’t keep secrets; this is everything that has happened and—”
“No,” Akira waved a hand, “It can’t be. I don’t even sound like that. They got something wrong.”
He stood up and swayed a little on his feet before sitting down hard in the chair.
Titania was still pacing, muttering to herself. “They always obfuscate, but why risk putting everything in one book?”
“Titania!”
“It’s meant to be deciphered, to appear like myths, but…it’s real. And if you wanted to ensure some outcome…”
“Titania, share your thought process. Some of us aren’t as quick as you.”
She turned to him. “This is everything that has happened and will happen leading up to the God War. All the pieces, all the players, where they’ve been and where they will be. It’s here in this book.”
The implications hit Akira squarely in the chest. He could find Miko. All he had to do was flip to her page, and he and Titania could show up and get his wife.
Ex-wife.
“She’s in the Elder Realms,” Titania said quietly. “It’s okay, all the things you said earlier. Restoring our godhood doesn’t have to be your battle. I don’t expect you to choose—”
“Where’s Oberon’s lover? What’s it say about her?” Akira interrupted, sliding back down onto the floor. He poured a glass and quickly downed it.
“The night is young, sis, keep reading. And translate. I don’t know what all that ‘thou art’ and ‘prayeth’ shit is anymore, I don’t keep the old tongues in my brain.”
Titania couldn’t hide the relief on her face. “Sulani,” she began, “It says she came in with the tide and her skin became fire.”
Thank you to all the incredible cc and mod creators who made this possible. Check out my credits page for links!
New CC This Chapter
Sexy Time by Cassandra Grusel
Runway Catwalk by Steven Studios
Impatience/Mocking Idles by Steven Studios
Witchcraft Poses [Sitting] by LightDeficient
Titania’s house is by the fabulous Miss Unfortunate (Grand Herbalist Forest House). I’m mesmerized by her builds on YouTube! The stove (Base Game Vintage French Country Stove) in Windenburg Keep is also by her. She’s fabulous.
The Book of Longings is actually from Harrie and Felix’s Living Rum set and it has a lovely story behind it. Check it out.
Akira’s sitting on the floor poses and Alice’s bathtub poses are mine (my first attempt!). I’m working on getting a sims 4 fileshare link, so I’ll update with links once I get my life together.