The time on Atarius was vastly different there than it was on earth. The one hundred years she spent on Earth were only one hundred days on Atarius. So in the five thousand years she'd spent being Guardian on earth were only about thirteen and a half years on her home world. Atarius also didn't have the technology that Earth does. It was blissfully ensconced in what earth would call Medieval or the Dark ages and Samara loved her home. Here on earth people were so impatient and disbelieving in the things that are around them every day that it made her home sick.
Being around magical creatures and magic in general made her feel at home but the guarding of two worlds was taking its toll on her. Policing the magic of one world to protect the magic of another just wasn’t as fulfilling as it had been when she first started. She’d killed magical creatures, covered up killings of mortals, and heralded the destruction of this world so many times it was becoming tedious. She just wanted there to be peace so she could go home and live the quiet life she’d lived for so long before two worlds collided and her husband was caught in the cross fire of this world and her own, Gods, how she hated Earth and its pettiness.
Even the immortals, after hundreds and even thousands of years, were petty and only thought of themselves. Vampires in particular were a nuisance, because they were at the top of the food chain and could only die through the removal of their heads thought they could do what they wanted at will. They were so wrong. She’d killed the oldest of them a century ago for thinking thus and trying to act out those thoughts. He was older than she and because he was so old he was then immune to the effects of sunlight, and could only be killed by the removal of his head and being cremated.
Man what a night that was, she thought.
‘Heads up here they come,” said Taurus who had dropped the illusion of a cat and became himself. He was a glorious red, gold, and green dragon, and he was impressive standing behind her like a 10 feet tall sentinel. She stood inside an old underground warehouse that housed fifty of the youngest and stupidest vampires she had ever had the misfortune to meet. It wasn’t the young ones, but the old ones you had to look out for, because the old ones new better than to attract attention but at some point they always want to have power over someone: the younger ones are just stupid and think about revenge more than sense.
When they all came running into the warehouse she held out her hands and with the crook of her finger all of the exits were sealed off. The vampires came to a standstill as she and her pet stepped out of the darkness.
“Samara, what are you doing here?” said the ringleader, a woman with dark hair and a red corset. She was just shy of her one hundredth death day, and Samara was sorry to see her go.
“You know why I’m here Judith. Was it or wasn’t it you and your coven that kidnapped, tortured and killed those families last week? You knew I would come for you. I don’t know why you thought you’d get away with it,” Samara said coldly.
“Oh, come on. They’re just mortals. No need to get your knickers in a twist.” When Judith didn’t get a reaction from her she continued, “Okay what if we promise not to do it again. Will that get you to go away?”
“You know it won’t and I don’t know why your pleading this is your third strike and the third strike of this magnitude is always death. You know that. Since the day you were made you’ve known that. Or am I wrong that Tobias told you as he does all of his children ‘Don’t do anything to get yourself killed. It would tear me up.’ If he didn’t I’m surprised because he tells that to all of his offspring,” Samara said.
“He did but he didn’t specify what would or wouldn’t get me killed,” Judith said looking innocent. Samara new better and Taurus bent his head, growled low and let his nostrils smoke.
“I’m not buying it and you know I’m not. You know full well what will get you killed. This is the third time I’ve had to confront you about your penchant for families. So this is the last time I will be bothered with any of this or you,” she said.
Samara reached into her coat and extracted a gleaming silver sword with gold writing on the blade. It was enchanted, elf-made, and unbreakable. The sword of the Guardian the inscription said ‘Thee who holds this sword is the Guardian of Magic and its Creatures. This sword is the judge of those creatures of old and magic alike. Three chances only does one have before thee are to seek punishment for crimes within the Worlds of Magic. Three and only three and this sword will come to thee.’
When Judith saw the sword she screamed;
“No, not me, take them they made me do it….” Those were her last words before her head rolled across the floor. Her followers tried to get away but they were locked in it was their day of reckoning as well and they knew what was coming. With Taurus’ help they had the underground warehouse ablaze and the vampires within were now no more than dust on the sidewalk.
Taurus changed back into a black cat and they got into her SUV and headed for home. What they saw when they got there was a surprise. Brenna and Wynn Balentine were waiting for them on Samara’s front porch.
“Oh, what now?” Mara said as she stepped out of the car and grabbed Taurus and put him on her shoulders.
“Hey, Mara, let’s go inside huh? We need to talk,” Brenna said giving Wynn a sidelined glance.
“Okay, but my night is kind of busy so you two can’t stay long,” Samara said. She sat Taurus on the ground and let him go through the kitty door so he could put away anything incriminating. Then she got her keys and unlocked the door. Her house was a modest Tudor styled home situated outside of
“So, what brings you two here this time a night?”
“Well, Mr. Balentine came to the gallery looking for you and I thought…..” Brenna started but was cut off by Wynn saying,
“I wanted an explanation for this,” he said as he pulled his tape recorder out of his pocket and played her conversation with Theuderic.
