Bloodlines

As always:

Thanks to rf-fast for the editing work. Your insights are what takes this story from mindless drivel to readable.

Attention readers: This is NOT a short story NOR does the sex occur quickly. Also, considering its length, it is light on the erotic aspect of stories on this site. They are there, but you have to read to get to them. If you are looking for something short or a 'quick fix', I recommend searching elsewhere. However, if interested in reading something with a developed plot and character development, please continue.

*****

It was a day perfect for a funeral. The weather was overcast and a light drizzle fell upon the hundreds of black umbrellas of the spectators who could not get into Westminster Abbey. Many felt the loss of Alice Griffin. She was considered the greatest in her craft, quite impressive considering her tender age of twenty-six. She was just as her last named indicated; the intelligence of an eagle combined with the brave courage of a lion. She was on the fast track in life, until her life turned to tragedy.

Four years ago, Alice had the life most would dream. She was at the top of her trade, had a wonderful marriage, and was being blessed with her first child. Unfortunately, her happiness would end there. After the mother had 1`1held her son in her arms, the baby boy was taken to the nursery for a bath - and was never seen from again.

Alice was supported by her husband, Levi, and together they began their quest to find their son. But only three weeks after the disappearance, Levi was killed when a speeding car jumped the curb of the road in which he was walking and crushed him into the building behind him.

Alice, understandably, entered a severe state of depression, but continued her search for her son. After four years, the agonizing toll finally caused her body to shut down. It was the end of one of the truly distinguished clans - And the world wept.

Sixteen years later:

Tobias Waite sighed as he stared at the big mahogany door of his boss. He didn't want to go in there. He never did. Tobias used to be the hottest commodity in the technological world, one of the brightest minds to come out of the University of Oxford in a decade. Recruited by the Ministry of Defence before he even graduated, he quickly demonstrated his prowess in multiple areas of expertise. Using his cunning with flawlessly executed tactics, he was able to control existing technology to do his bidding, invent new technologies when he couldn't, and of course, people management.

Whether it be interrogating or manipulating a person, Tobias got the job done. He was even a capable marksman with a pistol. He ascended the ranks quickly until he was transferred to a special division of the Ministry; one that didn't have a title. From there, he did so well, he was their highest paid regular employee and reached the peak position for someone of his caliber: errand boy for Gail Kenward.

Tobias shook his head as he gave a firm knock on the door.

"Come in Smith," Announced the authoritative voice of his boss.

Tobias knew she was talking to him, as she couldn't be bothered to learn his name. She just called him the same as she did anybody in his position. According to her, he wouldn't last long anyway so why bother? He took a deep breath before opening the door.

The room he stepped into matched the door. Mahogany wood covered the floor, walls, and the rows of bookcases that lined both sides as well as the desk near the back of the room. Only the exquisite gold chandelier was not made of the substance.

Tobias came forward; his wingtip shoes making a slight clacking noise with each step.

"What is it, Smith?" Gail didn't even glance up at her subordinate as she was brushing her auburn hair, while painting her nails a dark coral color, as well as applying the matching lipstick. She exhaled a bored, "I'm busy."

"We may have found him."

Gail turned away from her compact mirror, "You found him?"

Tobias held out a sheet of lambskin parchment paper that had a solitary name inscribed upon it.

With one hand, Gail reached for the parchment. With the other, she took hold of her intricately crafted wooden wand that had an ivory hilt and made a small wave. The lipstick tube, brush, compact mirror, and nail polish floated in the air and into the top desk drawer.

Gail raised an eyebrow while continuing to only look at the document in his hands. "Are you sure?" She asked and not waiting for an answer, she took hold of the parchment and spread it on top of her desk.

Tobias knew better than to lie. His predecessor was confident when Ms. Kenward had asked that of him and now he is working as a janitor in a warehouse in Siberia with no memory and the intelligent quotient of a six year old. "With all due respect Ma'am, it is impossible to be one hundred percent certain of the identity of the person you are determined to locate without sending someone of your ilk to investigate."

"And what makes you think," and Gail glanced down at the name, "Cody Trumbell is the one."

"He shouldn't exist."

Gail waved her wand over the parchment, "Visum." Instantaneously the vision of a slender man with black, unkempt hair and brown eyes appeared. He was wearing a navy blue polo shirt and a pair of jeans and had a black book bag over his shoulder. "What does that mean?" She asked as she intently fixed her gaze on Tobias. Gail hated when she needed to have a human clarify. They should choose their words more wisely.

"He doesn't resonate an aura, Ma'am. Not human, not witch, not vampire, not anything. It was only by sheer happenstance that the seers you have on this project found him. They were investigating a strong aura in the vicinity of his location. They were watching a woman when he walked by."

Gail rolled her eyes, "He's nothing more than an apparition who doesn't realize he's dead yet."

"The seers thought so as well. But the more they watched, the more he didn't defy the laws of physics. He doesn't disappear in and out, people notice him, though not always favorably, and they aren't just loved ones. He exists, but shouldn't."

"Hmm," Gail sat back as she looked at the parchment. Cody was now sitting in a lecture. "Where is he located?"

"He is attending State University in the city of Hilldale in the United States."

"America? Just what we need," Gail let out an irritated sigh, "the one we covet is being trained in a place where sorcerers figure out how to pull a rabbit out of a hat and all of a sudden they want to have an act in Las Vegas."

Tobias stifled his chuckle.

The time limit on the parchment ended and the picture faded. Gail grabbed her phone and quickly dialed the number to her daughter's cell phone.

Millicent Kenward rolled her eyes when she saw the number on her phone. She thought about not answering it but that would just cause another argument later. All her Mother ever seemed to discuss was either her joining the Ministry of Defence upon graduation from the University of Cambridge or if they found another person that could be the kidnapped child from years ago. Everything existed only for country or coven. Neither conversation interested her. Still, being distracted was good practice. Out in the real world, there is no such thing as a perfect environment. She kept focus on the nine objects she was controlling in the air and the six others on the ground while she reached with her free hand for her phone.

"I'm training Mother," Millicent answered annoyed. She was hopeful that if she let it known what she was doing, her Mother wouldn't bother her as long.

"Don't take that tone with me young lady," Gail admonished before talking in a more calm voice. "We found him."

'Great.' Millicent took a deep breath. She needed to or she would have screamed into the phone her negative response. "And what makes you so sure this time?"

"He's different."

"You said that last time, Mother. Remember Ulrich? You thought he was something special. I almost slept with that rude, belligerent German, who didn't know how to treat a woman," Millicent shuddered at the memory. Her voice raised an octave as she kept going, "Luckily, I realized that his high magical aura was residue from his past life and was dissipating quickly because he turned sixteen. Just one more day, Mother, just one more day and I would've had that zit riddled kid as a husband."

Gail did feel bad for her daughter. To be told that the coven needs you to seduce someone you don't know just so their rich magical bloodline would be secure for generations was unfortunate. But it was also necessary due to their diminished power. Breeding with humans had taken its toll on even the most distinguished clans and the Kenward clan was no exception. The blood of the boy mixed with her daughter's pure bloodline would ensure their clans fate would not be the same as the Griffins. "Millicent, I'm sorry. I really am. I don't mean to burden you with this. You are special, and I don't just mean your extraordinary magical talent. You're special to me as a daughter. I love you. It's just..."

Millicent cut her off, "I know, I know." She shook her head, already knowing her fate. She kept speaking, this time in a tone that spoke of how often she had been lectured on this subject. "The one the coven is determined for me to wed has ties to Alice Griffin, Tasmin Blight, Mother Shipton, Cornelius Agrippa, Simon Magus, Morgan Le Fay, and somewhere in there he's related to the actress who played Glinda, the good witch in the Wizard of Oz. Our union will solidify our coven as the most powerful in the world." She gave a heavy sigh and her voice returned to normal. "I won't let the coven down, Mother. I promise. I just needed to vent a little."

Gail was so proud of her daughter, though she could have done without the sarcastic Wizard of Oz reference. "Thank you, Dear."

Those words were spoken with the utmost sincerity and Millicent knew it. "Where am I going this time?"

Gail explained to her daughter the few details that were uncovered about Cody Trumbell.

"And your flight leaves in two hours."

"Two hours?" Millicent nearly shouted.

"Yes," Gail didn't pay heed to the outburst. "I already have you enrolled at State University and a car awaiting your arrival at the airport."

"Mother, I have to pack. I'll update you when I know something." Millicent pressed the end call button before Gail had a chance to respond.

*

Millicent arrived at State University. She was pleasantly surprised that an Aston Martin was the car her Mother secured for her and then even more so when she arrived at her upscale single bedroom apartment in downtown Hilldale. Her Mother must have really felt guilty.

But still, as nice as the material possessions were, they did nothing to quell the butterflies in her stomach. In a few short minutes, she was to meet the man she was going to marry... 'Possibly marry.' Millicent reminded herself. She checked her backpack, ensuring all the necessary books were inside and double-checked her class schedule; the exact same schedule as environmental engineer major Cody Trumbell. She then grabbed her enchanted sunglasses. She had cast a spell on them so she could view people's auras without the nuisance of chanting a spell in front of everyone. Not that she cared about what anybody else thought, but she certainly didn't want Cody to think she was insane for talking to herself.

Millicent lowered the visor to confirm her appearance. She fluffed her curly auburn hair that fell just passed her shoulders, turned her face from cheek to cheek to verify her makeup, and then she pursed her lips. The light pink lipstick offered no smudges. Lastly, she used her hands to delve into her low cut white top, first situating her right breast and then the left, making sure they were sitting high and proud in her bra. She took one final deep breath, reached for the door, and then she froze as she stared out through the windshield.

In the distance, she saw Cody Trumbull walking with his head lowered, his eyes perpetually locked onto the ground. Each step he took across the lawn seemed to be with a solitary goal: avoidance. She also noticed that wasn't going to happen as two people were making a direct line toward Cody. It took but a moment, but the person on the left intentionally ran his shoulder into him.

Millicent quickly raised her wand, "Tortor ligula." With a flick of her wrist, she cast a spell to allow her to hear the words between Cody and the other two.

"Hand it over, dork." The guy on the right declared while the other one punched his own palm with his fist allowing the knuckles to crack, implying what would happen if he didn't comply.

"C'mon, Aaron." A moment passed before Cody let out a sigh and reached into his pocket. A wallet appeared and Aaron ripped it from his hands and pulled every dollar from it before tossing it on the ground.

"Thanks," Aaron said with a laugh. "Let's go Fred."

Millicent didn't hesitate in calling her Mother.

"Found something already, Millicent?" Gail answered, ready to be pleased.

"Blimey Mother, this Cody is a bloody loser. I just saw him get his lunch money taken and he's a sophomore in Uni!"

"Language Millicent," Gail replied sternly. "Is he the one we're looking for?"

Millicent gave a heavy sigh, "I don't know. I haven't even met him yet." She quickly added, "But if he had an ounce of magical ability, this wouldn't have happened," seemingly determined to make her argument.

"Well, maybe you should."

It was all her Mother said and it made her point crystal clear. "Yes, Mother."

Millicent hung up the phone and exited her vehicle. Under her breath she mumbled, "I can't believe I may have to shag this chap."

As Millicent stood, she put on the sunglasses. She was surprised by the amount of magical beings she saw. She knew State University to be one of the best higher learning institutions in the world, and that may draw out a few nonhumans, but if she did the math, she would suspect five percent had magical power. She noted two werewolves kicking a soccer ball around in the distance, a small coven of minor powered witches huddled under a large sycamore tree, and a genuine orc that appeared determined to destroy the notion all orcs are unintelligent and brutish. None were displaying their true form and Millicent only knew what they were from their auras, though she was curious who applied the shape shifting magic to the orc. But the being that did cause her to take a step back was the huge dragon perched atop the administration building. She had known they existed, but they were so rare she had never seen one in person - and she had never heard of one being cloaked before. Why was it here?

Millicent contemplated calling her Mother again, but decided against it. She would have been stunned, but then she would ask about Cody without giving the dragon a second thought. She could almost hear her response, 'If it's not doing anything destructive...'

Millicent then dropped her focus to Cody. He was just now standing from picking up the contents of his wallet that had spilt all over. Even being so close, she couldn't detect an aura. She had assumed his was so faint, the seers couldn't pick it up and she would see it immediately, or at least detect the magic concealing it. But this was different. He truly didn't have one.

Cody began to move, walking toward Edison Hall where the engineering classes were held. Millicent put the glasses atop her head so she did not have to see the dragon looming from above and hastily made her way in his direction. She was close to catching up to him when she suddenly tripped.

"Whoa," Millicent called out as she crashed to the ground. The contents of her bag dispersed and her sunglasses flew off her head. She glanced to see what had caused her stumble only to find a small section of raised earth slowly flattening back into its original shape. It was apparent that someone cast a spell to cause that to happen. 'Was it a warning?' She mumbled in thought.

"Are you all right?"

Millicent glanced up to find Cody. He offered a small, unassuming smile as his outstretched hand awaited her acceptance while his eyes never left hers. Though her first impression was that he was a loser; there was something about his eyes that made her feel differently. They were keen, yet caring and he wasn't even trying to look down her shirt. She was both relieved and disappointed with the act.

"Oh, it's you," Millicent placed her palm in his.

Cody tilted his head as he pulled her up, "I'm sorry, have we met before? I'm certain I would have remembered that accent."

Millicent realized her mistake and immediately backtracked, "I apologize. I thought you were someone else. Thank you."

"No worries. Here let me help you with your belongings."

Millicent brushed at her clothes and grabbed her book bag just as Cody finished collecting her items. He slid the books inside as she stood holding the bag open, dumbfounded. She was surprised at how much he was doing for her without any hint of wanting something in return.

"And I believe these are yours as well," Cody had the sunglasses in his hand.

"Thank you," Millicent demurely responded as she accepted them.

"Good morning Cody." The melodic female voice inquired. "Who's your friend?"

Millicent turned to find two young women waiting. One was of obvious Japanese descent and could easily become a model with her narrow face, close-set eyes, thin eyebrows, high cheekbones, and joyful smile. She was wearing a cherry blossom and crimson argyle patterned sweater and a pair of jeans. The epitome of beauty.

The other was fair skinned and slender with her hair the lightest of blondes. From a distance, it would actually appear white. Her eyes were the most beautiful light green and seemed to radiate light. She wore a knitted green skullcap, a matching t-shirt, and jeans. "Yes Cody, who's your friend?" It was said much more monotone, which expressed a hint of agitation.

"Hello ladies, sorry I didn't meet you at the pavilion today. I was sidetracked. This is ah," Cody let out a chuckle. "I apologize; I don't think I got your name."

"I'm Millicent Kenward. Please, call me Miley."

"Miley, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Cody reaffirmed with a nod. "I'm Cody Trumbell and these two ladies are Hiromi Chieko (Her-rome-ee Cheek-oh) and Elva Caerwyn (El-va Care-win). You can probably guess which is which."

"I'm Hiromi," Elva announced.

Cody laughed, "Very funny Elva." He then turned to Millicent. "It was nice meeting you but we need to get to class."

As they turned, Millicent shook her head. 'Great, I have competition.' She put on her sunglasses to verify who the girls were to note that both girls had human auras but Elva's was of an almost blinding brightness, generally denoting someone of an extreme intellect. She knew she had to get into their small group.

"Wait, maybe you can help me find where I'm supposed to be?"

The three of them stopped and slightly turned with Cody facing her. "You're still lost after a week of classes?"

"Actually, due to extraordinary circumstances, this is my first day and I'm not sure where my first class is."

"Okay then," Cody smiled. "What is class number one?"

Millicent pulled out her schedule, "I have 'Structure and Properties of Civil Engineering Materials' with Professor Fromby in Edison Hall, room 210."

"Really?" Cody's head lifted up. "Well my lady, you now have three escorts. That just so happens to be the class we're in."

"Oh," Millicent feigned surprise. "Thank you."

"I have to tie my shoe," Elva set down her book bag and bent down, "Go ahead, I'll catch up."

"Don't worry, I'll wait with her," Hiromi smiled. "But make sure we can all sit together."

"Will do," Cody gave a hand gesture to allow Millicent to continue. "Right this way."