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casperiusandmartenique · 1 year

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TW - light violence

“You haven’t told her anything?” Cormoran blew smoke in the air as he leaned against the marble mantle in the great study of Casperius’ mansion, and cast his brilliant blue eyes over to his brother, who was now scowling at him with a matched set of his own. Cormoran’s eyes weren’t too friendly either, nor was his tone. He couldn’t believe his brother was so daft as to get himself in the situation that he was in. Mattheus hated them and if he caught wind that Casperius had a female of interest she would as well of had a target on her forehead. Oh, their youngest brother wouldn’t kill her. No, see that would end things and make it too quick for his liking. What Matty would do, it would be much, much worse and both of them knew it.

“When exactly does one bring up that you have a younger brother that wishes you dead, your older brother dead, and to take over the deal making empire you’ve run for millennia? It’s not exactly something that comes up with a sprite that you haven’t known too long, Cor.” Casperius rose from his chair, needing to get out some of the tense energy that he was feeling pent up inside him at the moment. It wasn’t that he HADN’T thought about telling Teni, it was that he didn’t know HOW to tell her. Not to mention telling her what Mattheus might do if he ever found her would terrify her, and he was afraid that would only drive her away. Mattheus was a cruel bastard, something more than one female that had caught either of his older brothers’ eyes had found out the hard way. They all had been left alive, but they were never the same; some devolved into madness til they were taken out by someone else, and others ended their own existence.

“Is she at least safe from him?” Cormoran asked after taking another drag, his irritation at the situation increasing. His intense eyes hadn’t left his brother, who was now pacing the length of the large room. Cormoran was studying him as one might study a caged animal, it wasn’t just Cormoran’s questions that were being used to scrutinize Capserius, so was his gaze. He was barely containing his anger at his younger brother. How could Casperius be so stupid as to not take precautions? It wasn’t that Cormoran didn’t want Casperius to have love or someone in his life, but doing so without them was just opening both of them, and the poor unwitting female, up to a world of troubles. Had Casperius learned nothing from the past and the repeated heartbreak it had brought to both their doorsteps?

“She isn’t even here in Imperium, on Earth, or in Caligo. Her realm is one of forests and mountains that I’d never seen before until one of our clients wanted to meet there because it’s so clandestine that he was sure none of his associates would know of it. There is no reason Matty would go there.” Caperius stopped and cut a sharp look over at his brother. In truth, he hadn’t even considered Mattheus showing up where Teni lived. After all, he had just found her by accident on the day they met. Could his brother do the same some time when he was there for some other reason and Casperius was as well, and therefore find out about her? His heart seemed to stop at the thought and he felt like the demon’s brew he had was about to reintroduce itself to the room.

“Are you a complete dumb fuck?” Now Cormoran had gone from just angry to completely and utterly enraged. Casperius had lost all sense and put everyone in danger over a quick fuck? Maybe not a quick fuck, the girl sounded nice, but his brother had lost his sense of self preservation and that could get both of them killed, and he didn’t want to think about what would happen to the girl. “She’s out there with no protection AND no idea someone could be hunting her because of you?” Cormoran’s arm shot out to point out the window. “You invite me over here to tell me about wanting to make things more serious with her, and you’ve never thought to mention any of this shit to her?” His one hand continued to gesture as he tried to control himself from beating sense into his brother since it was clear that all that Casperious had previously contained within his skull had leaked out his ears somewhere. “She means so much to you according to you, but you’ve not given one thought to what Matty did to the last woman you just liked, not even loved. Do you remember the state she was left in, what was left of her psyche when he was done with her?” His jaw clenched, teeth ground, and his eyes flashed as he pushed off of the mantle and started to stalk over towards his younger brother, his posture and gate those of pure aggression. His eyes had gone pure yellow, fangs dropping as he prepared for a physical confrontation. They were pretty evenly matched in size, but at the moment, with how enraged he was, Cormoran was pretty sure he was going to kick Casperius’ ass without much problem. “GET HER and get her safe before you ruin everything for everyone! Either you do, or I do. Full. Fucking. Stop.” There was a tick starting in his jaw and it had his brother backing up. “I don’t think she’ll like it much if I do. She might not like you too good afterwards either.” The look on Cormoran’s face was nie on a murderous rage.

“If you hurt her -” Casperius started, his eyes going ice white as he started to challenge his older brother. His hands balled into fists, white sparks crackling off of his skin, he was ready for a fight as well and a beat down if Cormoran even thought of breaking one hair on Martenique’s head. Yeah, maybe he hadn’t thought of Mattheus, but that didn’t mean he was stupid and it didn’t mean he was careless. Besides, she had those damned vines that always tripped him up. They could protect her, couldn’t they? Give him time to get there if she needed him?

In a split second Cormoran had him against the wall by his throat, his fingers curling in to give Caserperius just enough air to not pass out. He’d moved so fast that Caperius hadn’t even seen or felt them move, but he sure as fuck felt the impact of his back against the rock solid plaster. If his brother’s earlier demeanor hadn’t indicated how completely exasperated he was, this move certainly did. “You want to stop fucking around and have one girl, great. But you aren’t going to put all of the rest of us on the line to save one of your asses because you didn’t cover them. Matty is unstable and we have no clue where that fucker went after that last confrontation. So go fix your shit before I do it for you, because I guarantee that if I do, she’s gonna know everything, little brother.” Cormoran’s face moved closer to Casperius’. “EVERYTHING.”

As suddenly as he’d grabbed him and throttled him, Cormoran was back on the other side of the room at the mantle and lighting up another cigarette. “So which is it, little brother? You or me?” Casperius was still pinned by his brother’s glare and neither had released their tension. Eyes still shining bright it was now a silent face off across the room from one another.

“I will.” Casperius finally replied, the thumping in his head not dissipating from where he’d been slammed into the wall that didn’t even dent under the force. “And when she’s here, you’ll be nice. You hear? This shit stays away from her til I can figure out how to tell her all of it. Or at least what she needs to know.” As enraged as Cormoran was, Casperius was in protection mode and he’d slaughter anyone who made her so much as cry. “She knows kinda what I do, I can make it so she stays inside the manor. Horace and Gracie (the cook) will help.” Casperius was still defiant and his jaw was set as he stared at his brother. They rarely fought, but when they did, it was often one for the ages. Last time they’d leveled someone’s house, this time it might have been Casperius’ own if both of them were not more concerned with keeping an innocent being from feeling the wrath of their younger brother. “Anyone hurts her and I will take pleasure eviscerating them and feeding them their own entrails. Ya know?”

Cormoran relaxed back against the mantle with a sarcastic huff and sardonic smirk. His anger was not abated, but for the moment he was satisfied that it was going to be handled and handled quick. The point had been made to Casperius, and he knew his brother well enough to know that if the girl meant even a fraction of what he’d told him, then Casperius would do great and terrible things to anyone that did harm her. “Yeah, I do. I can see you doin it too. But you gotta keep your head on your shoulders with her, Cas. Til we know what’s goin on with Matty, we can’t let our guard down. If this girl is that important, I don’t know how you let this slip.” His eyes closed and his head shook, memories of what had happened to some of his past loves flooding behind those closed eyelids to make his heart clench. Guilt bubbled up from the depths he tried to keep it locked away in, threatening to overwhelm and drown him in it if he allowed it. All three brothers might be demons, they might enforce the contracts that were freely and willingly signed, but neither of the two older brothers were violent and brutal sadists like Mattheus was to complete innocents. They had their code and they stuck to it. Mattheus had no code and enjoyed torture, torment, and suffering. It was that fact that had Cormoran forcing the guilt back down and locking it away once more. He had to keep his head, just in case Casperius slipped in any way.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a run in with him, that’s all.” It felt like their father was back from wherever he’d fucked off to with the way Cormoran was dressing him down; but Casperus guessed he couldn’t blame him too much. Being immortal did not mean they weren’t able to be hurt, or, fuck all, killed. He’d been so enamored with his gorgeous little sprite that he’d gotten careless, his brother was right. She meant too much to him to not make sure that she would be safe in the future though.

“When we’re done here, I’ll go and get her. Bring her back by whatever means necessary. Good enough?” Casperius raised his brows and tipped his head, looking at his brother to ensure that the conversation was concluded. They had other business to discuss and he really didn’t want to get in another fight with Cormoran over this.

“For now.” Was the only reply he got, but it seemed the matter was settled. He knew his older brother though and this topic WOULD come back up, most certainly after they’d been introduced.

“We have business to talk.” Cormoran walked over and sat in one of the dark burgundy leather wingback chairs that faced Casperius’ desk. “There are contracts getting ready to expire, and we need to make sure we are poised to collect, and that we aren’t..” he paused with a smirk on his face, “distracted….” His point made, based on the deep breath his brother took and nodded, it was truly time to move on to business that they could not delay on. If they did, then they might have contracts expire without consequence. That was not something they could allow to occur. Let a few beings slip and then everyone would think that they could get away with shit. Not. Going. To. Happen.

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casperiusandmartenique · 1 year

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If you have not read it, this story makes more sense if you read the preceding one HERE

“Matty, Matty, Matty…you really think we weren’t gonna find out you were here.” Cormoran was now standing in front of Martenique’s house. He wasn’t sure which of his brothers he wanted to murder more at the moment, but the youngest one was slightly in the lead. If it hadn’t been for one little ace in the hole that Casperius had given Martenique, Mattheus might have eventually gotten the upper hand on her. However on his last visit, right before he left, he’d swept his thumb across her wrist and put a little glyph there, a rune. He’d told her if she ever needed him, needed him for anything, to rub it. Right in the middle of them discussing business, she had and now both of them were there, and it was a good thing.

“This ain’t your business big brother. I’m just visiting a sweet little sprite. I have done nothing wrong.” Mattheus’ voice came from above him, making Cormoran sigh. This was fucked up and he was tired. Casperius was gonna hurt later for this bullshit.

Martenique was almost at the top of a large fir. The branches below her had moved closer together to conceal her location so that she could remain hidden. Vines and other branches were making noises to distract Mattheus and lead him in the wrong direction. There was a new voice that was below her, but it wasn’t Casperius. Whoever it was, it seemed to be against whoever this Matty was, so that was at least a bonus.

“Cas is gonna gut you if you hurt her. Ya know that. Ya better hope we find her before you do. Don’t know how ya found out about her, but this was stupid bro.” Cormoran’s eyes scanned the trees again and caught sight of Mattheus’ shoes. He slowly started to move, wanting to make sure their brother had the girl before he took on the youngest of the three of them. It could get violent and downright bloody. No reason for a female to witness that.

“Maybe he shoulda kept it in his pants then. Although seein her, can’t blame him, bro. Gonna enjoy tastin when I find her.” Mattheus listened. He wasn’t provoking Cormoran, well he was, but his oldest brother wasn’t the main target. If Cormoran was there, then Casperius was. That was who he was listening for. He also hoped the little diamond of the forest was going to make a sound so he could find her and trace out before either of his brothers located him.

“Now, Matty, you really think we’re gonna let you do that? Lay a hand on another innocent female after all you done?” Cormoran kept his eyes on those shoes that were balancing on the limb, and he could now see the bottom of Mattheus’ pants. “What kinda demons you think we are? We don’t go down in the torture pits, we got standards. We’re not you.” At this point he couldn’t resist taking verbal swings at Mattheus if he couldn’t take literal ones at him.

While Cormoran and Mattheus were verbally sparring, Casperius had been trying to figure out where the fuck Martenique was. It was clear his brother hadn’t found her, but neither could he. Finally he did the only thing he could think of, he talked to a tree. He felt like a bloody idiot doing it, but it wasn’t like he had a lot to lose at that point. “Listen, I know you can hear and understand me. You also know I’m not going to hurt Martenique. I’m here to help her get away from that guy on the limb over there. He will hurt her if I can’t find her. I’ll keep her safe, but you have to help me find her. If he finds her first, he could kill her.” His forehead came to rest against the tree. This was his only hope without Martenique doing something herself to let him know where she was, and that didn’t seem likely.

It felt like an eternity, but a vine wrapped around Casperius’ chest and he felt himself jerked off the ground. Thank The Source, the forest had listened. Either that, or he was about to be suspended in the air and of no help to anyone. Handed from one vine to the next, he was passed up, up, up and over till he was just below the branches Martenique was crouched on, hugging the trunk of the tree. When he saw her, his heart clenched, she looked terrified and was shaking with tears streaming down her face. Instantly he wanted to rip Mattheus’ throat out with his bare hands. First things first, he had to get her the fuck out of there and let Cormoran know he’d found her.

Quiet as he could, he got onto the branch and moved over to her. She was so engrossed in watching Cormoran and Mattheus below her that she didn’t even notice him. The closer he got and the more saw how truly petrified she was, the more enraged he became. He could never let this happen again, and he had to find out how it happened this time. Cormoran had been right, and he’d been too stupid to have seen it coming. He’d just been lucky that his brother had been there.

Finally close enough, he looked down to ensure that Cormoran had Mattheus distracted with the verbal sparring they were doing. Lunging forward suddenly, he clamped a hand over Martenique’s mouth while banding an arm around both her arms and her waist before giving a very loud whistle. She immediately started trying to fight him and he was surprised at her strength. Thankfully they weren’t going to stay around long enough for that to matter. He had a good enough hold on her and she had let loose of the tree, so he traced them straight to his bedroom and onto his bed. It was the softest landing place he could think of to land so she would not be hurt at all. He figured she was already scared out of her skull, adding injury to that might earn him never being forgiven.

Martenique had thought that Matty had found her and was fighting for her life when all of a sudden they were in a cool, dim room and whoever had a hold of her was letting her loose. Terror flooding her veins and sending her heart racing, she rolled over quickly to face whoever had grabbed her and fight to get away, only to come face to face with Casperius. She froze, her eyes wide and breathing heavy, it taking a moment for her brain to catch up with what she was seeing and register that she was safe.

Their eyes locked on one another, Casperius wasn’t sure if the sprite was going to scream, hug him, or if he needed to fear for his balls. Maybe grabbing her the way he did wasn’t the best idea he’d ever had in his life, but he wanted to have enough time to let Cormoran know he had her and for Mattheus to not show up on scene and grab her back. Now they were lying on his bed and he was afraid that while he still thought it was best plan, that things could be permanently ruined with the first female who completely got under his skin the way she did. If she rejected him, he was resolute that he wasn’t going to give up on making it up to her and trying to keep her in his life.

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