Chapter One.
Mitchum
“They’re monsters, all of them, hear me, boy?” his grandfather ranted.
Mitch glanced at the old man. Jesus, he was almost foaming at the mouth.
“Answer your grandfather!” his father, Alexander, ordered.
“Alexander, I’m thirty years old and way past being chided like a child,” Mitch retorted. He leaned back in the armchair and eyed his male relatives.
“What did you say?” Alexander seethed.
“Alexander, I’ve hardly any interest in repeating myself. Now, you asked for this meeting, and it’s cutting into my precious schedule. What do you want?” Mitch said. He had minimal time or effort for their ranting. He’d heard it his entire life, and frankly, he wasn’t interested.
“There’s a handful left. We must hunt them down. Mitchum, you have to come home,” Alfred, his grandfather, ordered.
“Actually, I’ve no need to do anything, and I don’t believe they deserve to be hunted,” Mitch retorted.
Alexander reared back as if Mitch had just stated he had the Black Death.
“What did you say, boy?” Alfred seethed.
“Let’s face facts. You capture a Uile-bheist[1]”—Mitch used the name given to the shifters that his family hunted and pronounced it the correct way: ewl-uh-vehst—“torture them to death, which is unnecessary. Why abuse them? Torturing, as you do, speaks only to your cruelty, not theirs. That shows your hate and bloodlust, but none of theirs.”
“They murder our men!” Alfred yelled, almost jumping out of the chair.
“The Uile-bheist don’t play, mistreat, or cause deliberate pain to them.
It’s war, a war which has gone on for millennia.
Rarely do they harm someone and commit unspeakable offences against them.
No, Uile-bheist kill cleanly and move on.
It doesn’t say a lot for you with the shit you pull,” Mitch snarled.
Alexander regarded his son with disgust. “Mitchum, you shame your ancestors.”
“Actually, you both do. You forced me to read those dusty tomes. At the beginning, they didn’t harm them; they just decapitated them and burned the bodies. It’s only when the Romans came along that it became a thing to commit abuse,” Mitch stated.
“You sound like you’re on the Uile-bheist’s side, son.” Alexander narrowed his eyes.
“There’s something else you should consider. You claim they spread the Sins. Yet history shows that after one of them is killed, their Sin rampages freely. Unless they die, their Sins are contained. Once dead, the Sealgair Uilebheist[2] release the Sins and infect humanity,” Mitch said.
“Lie!” Alfred yelled.
“Check your facts, Grandfather. Every time one is murdered, their Sin ravages the world because it’s been set free.
Unlike you, who follow unthinkingly, I research, investigate, and use the brain God gave me.
But you two keep bending over and showing your arses for the leaders to fuck over.
Not me. The Uile-bheist contain the Sins, and you fools are releasing them and helping the Devil end this world quicker. ”
“Blasphemy!” Alfred screeched.
Mitch sighed and rose to his feet. He looked down at Alfred and Alexander.
“You blindly follow with no thought. You maim, kill, and harm people, enjoying the grief you cause. It’s got to the point that the Sealgair Uilebheist don’t even care if they torture humankind now.
As long as you’re getting your rocks off, causing agony to someone, nothing else matters.
” He looked at them both with deep disdain for being related to these men. “You’re disgusting.”
“You think that? We enjoy inflicting pain?” Alexander roared.
“That’s what the evidence shows,” Mitch said.
“They’re traitors to the human race!” Alfred erupted.
“And there you go. The ability to justify every wrong action you do. I can’t live with that. I have a conscience and free will. Why on earth did you ask me here today? You both know I don’t agree with your life choices and the level of hate you live by. I haven’t for twelve years,” he exclaimed.
“Because we thought you might have come to your senses,” Alfred hissed.
“I did, when I realised you were nothing more than thugs and psychopaths dressed in expensive suits,” Mitch retorted as his gaze fell upon his family.
They’d never listen to him, never understand why they were wrong.
They were so entrenched in the Sealgair Uilebheist’s existence that they’d excuse anything.
“Mitchum, you can’t walk away from this life,” Alexander threatened.
Mitch stared at his father in disgust. “Is that a threat, Dad? If so, be warned, I’ve taken protection against my unexpected death.”
“What’s that mean?” Alfred stood up and pulled his shoulders back.
Mitch faced off against him. “It means, grandfather, should I die, then the records and evidence I gathered on the Sealgair Uilebheist will be released. And don’t think I’m so stupid that it’s in just one place.
I learned my lessons at your knee very well.
With over a dozen copies, you’ll never locate them all.
Should you decide to kill me, be prepared for me to tear down your lives and all that it contains. ”
“You dare threaten us!” Alexander threatened, pointing his finger.
“You told me years ago there’s only one way to leave the Sealgair Uilebheist. Guess I don’t want to die.
Try it and find out. Let’s see what your precious ruler says when I bring the world crashing down near his ears.
Every single murder, and the evidence pointing to the murderer—I’ve got it all recorded.
You’ll not be able to stop the flood,” Mitch warned and turned his back to leave.
“Mitchum!” Alexander yelled. “You’re disowned, you’re no son of mine!”
“And you’ve no idea how much that relieves me,” Mitch replied and walked away.
Jess/Loch Ness Monster
“Want to go swim?” Garrett asked, approaching her.
“I actually do feel the need to; Ness is pressing hard for a shift,” she agreed.
“That’s unusual for Nessie,” Garrett teased, and she frowned.
Jess hated that nickname. “Yes, but she needs the water today.”
“Kinkaid and Salah are also joining us,” Garrett said.
Jess looked horrified. “Jase, Willow, and the triplets aren’t?”
“No, just us,” Garrett assured her, and Jess relaxed. She loved the triplets, but they were a handful. The entire castle had to keep a sharp eye on those three.
She and Garrett walked down to the lake and weren’t surprised to find Salah had shifted into Scylla already and was splashing about in the deep part. Kinkaid was waiting on the shoreline, smiling.
“Ready?” he said and shifted into Swamp Creature.
Swamp Creature cackled at Scylla and dived into the water. Jess smiled as Scylla immediately submerged all six heads, looking for him.
Garrett chuckled, and within a second, Merman was cutting through the waves to play with Scylla.
Jess watched for a few moments, admiring her siblings’ ease and happiness and wishing she felt the same.
One of Scylla’s heads popped up and stared at Jess in puzzlement.
Damn it, Scylla was picking up her doubts.
Before Scylla could pry, Jess shifted into the Loch Ness Monster and headed out to join the game.
◆◆◆
At times like this, she hated her almost-perfect memory.
Despite knowing she was asleep, Jess was very aware of the dream she was trapped in.
She was back in five-forty-one AD. And she went by the Roman name Isca, a variant of Jess.
Isca whirled around in a market, laughing as vendors offered her flowers and sweet treats.
Her basket was already full of bread, cheeses, and meats.
The sun beamed down, and she revelled in the feel on her skin.
Tonight, she and Gaius were planning an intimate feast for the two of them. They had been courting for a year. While she was richer than Gaius, he held status.
Isca liked him a lot; she might even be in love with him. Gaius made her laugh, was kind, and was brave.
“Isca!” a woman called, and she turned.
“Valeria!” Isca exclaimed happily. They were good friends. “How are you?” she inquired as Valeria linked arms.
“Wonderful. What are you up to?” She asked, peering into Isca’s basket.
“Preparing a special meal for Gaius,” Isca replied.
Valeria’s mouth opened, and an excited squeal escaped. “Do you think he might ask for your hand?”
“I know not. But it remains exciting that he requested this meal,” Isca said.
“Indeed, it is! Gaius was called to the palace to meet with the emperor earlier,” Valeria stated. Isca didn’t ask how Valeria knew. Her brother was a fixture in the emperor’s court.
“Oh, Gaius never told me, maybe he will later,” Isca said unconcerned.
As a legate and one who was rapidly making a name for himself, it was no surprise that Gaius had been summoned. Isca hoped Justinian had some good news for Gaius, who’d worked too hard.
“Guess who has returned?” Valeria teased.
“Who?”
“Praejecta, she’s been back a month apparently, but has kept her head down,” Valeria said, wrinkling her nose. “I wonder whose marriage she will ruin on this occasion. Rumours abound that she has her claws into a man already.”
“Really? Praejecta will never learn!” Isca exclaimed. The Emperor Justinian’s niece was barely better than a cat in heat. She’d destroyed two marriages and escaped all consequences because of who she was. Isca had little time for the foolish woman.
“We need special wine if this is to be a celebration,” Isca said and kissed Valeria before hurrying away.
Isca picked up some wine, Gaius’s favourite flavour, and hurried home. There was a lot to prepare. She lived in an affluent area where villas were spacious and well-kept, and the flowers, shrubs, and trees were plentiful.
As she passed a neighbouring villa, she heard a giggle and smiled. Isca loved hearing other people happy despite her own burdens. She held the Sin of Disease in her body and had to kill to feed it.