Preface
In Germanic folklore, a mara is an evil spirit that sits on your chest while you sleep, constricting your air supply and turning your dreams into nightmares. It appears in some form or another in all the Germanic cultures, although the specific name and description change with each language.
Most notably, the English word for the mara is "mare," which is the origin of the word nightmare. Croatians believe that the mara takes the form of a beautiful woman at night. She visits men in their sleep to torture them and slowly suck away their life force over the course of decades. In other cultures, a mara is a thick-skinned goblin.
Chapter 1 I was sitting at my favorite table at the bar in the back of the club taking care of some paperwork. In the background the song "We Have It All" by Pim Stone was playing. A couple of the girls were there getting ready for the evening show and laughing amongst themselves as they discussed some of the patrons who came in regularly.
While I was busy considering the layouts for a few of the posters that would be put up for advertisements of future events, I got that tingling feeling at the back of my neck that let me know Fallen had arrived.
He and I had discussed an issue just a few days before, and he had told me that he would give me his answer by this evening. Once I finished making my last minute notes, I glanced up. He was standing there watching me with this enigmatic look to his features as I waved to an empty chair. Taking the seat, he finally spoke, his voice that deep baritone that always sent a shiver of pleasure through me.
"You may hunt. You may torment. You may torture."
A wicked smile crossed my features as I hear these words.
"However, you may not physically harm, damage or kill."
Oh that was never a problem for me. It opened up so many other possibilities. The smile turned into a soft chuckling laugh as I nodded my agreement to the terms.
"This one still has a purpose in the grand scheme, but you have the right to protect what is yours."
With those final words, I bowed, turned and made a quick exit. There was much to prepare for tonight's entertainment.
Tonight I hunt, but it came with a restriction. This is not someone I have been given to collect. This one had yet to commit a crime deserving of instant death. However, this situation I find completely irksome. This one dares to hunt those who are mine, and that simply cannot be allowed.
Chapter 1 I was sitting at my favorite table at the bar in the back of the club taking care of some paperwork. In the background the song "We Have It All" by Pim Stone was playing. A couple of the girls were there getting ready for the evening show and laughing amongst themselves as they discussed some of the patrons who came in regularly.
While I was busy considering the layouts for a few of the posters that would be put up for advertisements of future events, I got that tingling feeling at the back of my neck that let me know Fallen had arrived.
He and I had discussed an issue just a few days before, and he had told me that he would give me his answer by this evening. Once I finished making my last minute notes, I glanced up. He was standing there watching me with this enigmatic look to his features as I waved to an empty chair. Taking the seat, he finally spoke, his voice that deep baritone that always sent a shiver of pleasure through me.
"You may hunt. You may torment. You may torture."
A wicked smile crossed my features as I hear these words.
"However, you may not physically harm, damage or kill."
Oh that was never a problem for me. It opened up so many other possibilities. The smile turned into a soft chuckling laugh as I nodded my agreement to the terms.
"This one still has a purpose in the grand scheme, but you have the right to protect what is yours."
With those final words, I bowed, turned and made a quick exit. There was much to prepare for tonight's entertainment.
Tonight I hunt, but it came with a restriction. This is not someone I have been given to collect. This one had yet to commit a crime deserving of instant death. However, this situation I find completely irksome. This one dares to hunt those who are mine, and that simply cannot be allowed.