Tripar and his Dog, Rywar, have to go out and get the “Lost Stone”, which is a stone that turns you into a god, in order to defeat the evil tyrant leader of the US at the time Michael Stevens.

*This Is Book 1 of a 2 part series*

James thought he was being given the opportunity of a lifetime when he was approached by a private space agency who wanted to make him the first werewolf to go to the moon. He didn't realize what their hidden motive was until it was too late. In order to confront this existential threat, James had to form an unlikely alliance with his politically ambitious son-in-law, Michael. After a violent regime change, a new country emerged from the chaos but a much more powerful enemy soon threatened the new status quo.

Chapter 4 - Winter Games 2
"What were you thinking??" You whisper under your breath to Kendra as you both walk behind the King to the balcony.
"It's once in a lifetime opportunity. I'm not going to let it slip through my fingers..." You make a soft grunt at her. Soon you're on the balcony and you take the seats behind the Kings throne.
"Lady Winters, Lady Bennett...please come sit in front" He gestures to the chairs next to him. You hesitate for a moment which chair you should take until Kendra gently shove you to the chair next to the King. You try to act normal and sit down gently as if you planned it that way. The King sees you out of the corner of his eye and covers his mouth with his hand to suppress a chuckle.
"Thank you for joining me, Lady Winters, Lady Bennett"
"It's only our pleasure, Sire...*giggling*" You kick her on her shin and she makes a soft moaning noise. You look at her and give her evil eyes. She mouths at you "What??"
The parade walks past the King and they bow their heads at the King as they walk past. It's clear that they truly are happy to see the King at the games. He just nods his head at them as they go past and sometimes wave.
The first event is about to begin when the crowd starts to quiet down again. You see the Kings face falling as Princess Catherine makes her way to her chair. You and Kendra jumps up and bows as she enters.
"Ah...and who might you be?" The princess looks your way. "I'm Lady Winters and this is my good friend Lady Bennett. It's a pleasure to meet you, princess Catherine"
"It's nice to make your acquaintance" You bow at each other and take your seat again. The King stands and he kisses her hand. "I didn't know you would grace us with your presence today, princess?"
"Oh, it was a last minute decision. I wanted to see what all the commotion was about"
"Of course, please have a seat" You see his face is filled with annoyance and shock. He helps her to her seat and then sits on his own. He put his arm on the armrest and clench the armrest with his hand until his knuckles turn white. You suddenly feel deep compassion for him and wonder what he's thinking.
Someone walks up to the balcony and speak to the King "What's the odds that we will see the King at an event so beneath the high and mighty?"
The King smiles and stands up. He turns to give the man a hug. "How good of you to come, my friend"
Lord Harrison, the Kings best friend answers "You know I'm always here to brighten up your day?" They laugh and slap each other on the shoulder. Then he turns his attention to the Princess."Always a pleasure princess"
"Likewise, Lord Harrison" He kisses her on the hand and then turns around to you and Kendra.
"Excuse me for being so rude. I'm Lord Harrison and my I have the pleasure of your names?"
You answer "Please to meet you Lord Harrison, I'm Lady Winters and this is Lady Burnette" He scarcely see you and move right to Kendra's hand. He kisses her hand and looks deep in her eyes. "Have my eyes cheated on me? Or is this truly a rare beauty before me?" Kendra swallows deep and almost fall off her chair.
"It's a pleasure, Lord Harrison"
"Would you mind if I sit next to you?"
"No, of course not" She looks at him as he sits next to her. You whisper to her."You have a little bit of drool on your lip there..." You gesture with your hand and she slaps it away. You laugh. The announcer goes to the middle of the field and introduces the first game. Jousting. Every watch as the game begin.
 The King bends down to you "Do you enjoy the winter games, Lady Winters?"
"Yes, Sire. I find it very entertaining and you, Sire?"
"I used to love coming to these games, of course...*clearing his throat*..that was before my father passed. After that I didn't see the use of coming here again, until now..."
"I'm so sorry, Sire. It must have been hard on you. What changed, that brought you here today?" He stares deep in your eyes and you feel yourself blushing. He nods a little bit to you. The princess puts her hand on his, demanding his attention.
"Sire, please tell me more about this event, they call jousting?" You feel your heart almost exploding in your chest. His attention is back to the princess and you try to keep your composure. You watch the games.
After a while, explaining to the princess the game of jousting, he excuses himself. You watch as the games unfold and the love that is blossoming between Kendra and Lord Harrison. You smile, happy that she found someone. Suddenly the trumpet sound and the announcer speak. "Make way for the King!!"
Everyone stand and start to cheer him on as he comes riding on a horse. Lady Kendra sees the King and says "Wow, I never thought I'll see him on a jousting horse again.He was pretty good back then"
"What? Why can't I remember this?"
"Maybe because you were busy doing the nasty with Lord Patterson in your mothers carriage"
"Oh, yes! How could I forget? I'm so glad that they decided to buy land far far from here"
The crowd goes wild as he put on his helmet and gets ready to charge. The trumpet blows and they're off. You feel nervous for him, suddenly. "Oh my...!!" You cover your mouth with your hand.
Kendra gasps "No!" As you see the King falling off his horse, after the knight got him in the chest
"James!" The princess runs to the grounds.

....he turns around and walks closer to you. His hands are inches away from yours and he searches your eyes. You smell his musky scent and it prickles all your senses. You don't know if it's his dark brown eyes staring into your heart or the way his face glows for you, but you feel excitement brewing.

"Lady Winters, it's so kind of you to see into my soul and show me your affection for my trouble. This is what attracts me so. You don't just see the King, but you see me. I have a lot of troubles, Lady Winters but when I'm with you, every last one disappears...."

It's the 19th century. The King is betrothed to Princess Catherine since infancy. You're a woman of nobility and the King is head over heels for you...

NARRATIVE of WARD COURIER/CONFERENCE with TED BENNETT
March, 2011
BUFFALO, NY

Ted Bennett sat across the table from me in a booth at the Buffalo Irish Center. It was the first time the FBI man had met me in a pub and the first meeting anywhere after hours. I thought either that he just wanted to shoot the breeze about some speculative topics or that he had something to say that he didn't want anyone else knowing about. It turns out that it was both.
It also turns out that Bennett was an occasional regular at this South Buffalo social club. He was a member of the Order of Hibernians based on some Irish ancestry. He addressed the young woman who served us by her first name. It was actually comforting to see this friendly social interaction in a traditional environment. Things felt really unsettled everywhere else. When Bennett got ready to speak his piece, it was the first sign of self-questioning I'd ever seen in him.
"This is a private question," he said. "Something for me."
"Shoot," I said.
"I have to tell you, one thing really scared me in that story in your book about the druggie. The one where he blew himself up."
"'Medicated Goo,'" I said. 'That one again,' I thought. You have read it way back in this series. This was the story that foreshadowed the drug they called 'savvy.' This was the one that brought the DEA in, way back - and set up a crazy chain of circumstances in my life.
"What really got me," said Bennett, "what I can't let go of... Was that image at the end, of those 'things' in another universe, trying to get back into the world by reaching into humanity. That was creepy. I still get shivers about the idea that that drug could give you the sense of reaching its Source and that that Source was something old and otherworldly." He looked uncomfortable. "Yodhe..." - he said it YOD-Hee - "that one kept me up at night."
I laughed, relieved that this was the source of his unease. "'YO-thee,'" I said, with the voiced -TH of 'the.' "Just a story. The name came to me in a dream. Glad it had some impact."
He looked at me with bleary eyes. That was my first suspicion that he may have been a devout Christian. "Did you ever seriously get the sense that there was a deeper connection to the whole thing?"
"I'm not sure you can say there's a masterstroke in a story that nobody but me thinks is a masterpiece," I said. "But the idea that this is an ESP drug and that repeated uses of it can give you a clue to its origin and even bring you closer to the Source... And that the Source was something that echoed a famous literary mythology, theCthulhu mythos of the Lovecraft cycle... I really thought that was clever."
Bennett's interest level went up. "Lovecraft?"
"We've talked about him before," I said, fairly sure we had gone into more depth at some point in the preceding four years. "Did you miss the story devoted to one of his admirers in 'Ghosthunter'? 'My Vengeance Lurks'?"
"Our research team didn't pick that one out," said Bennett. "I've read the others a couple times."
"Guess you did miss that one," I said. I recycled the elements of the story you read earlier, including the Buffalo connection. I could see Bennett wondering where I was going.
"Is there any other tradition about this...?" said Bennett as if he was struggling with the word.
"'Ka-THOO-loo,'" I said again, with the soft -TH. "That's the way most people say it. Well, there's either a thousand parallels for Cthulhu or none, at least unless you think Lovecraft could have spotted the Devil and given him a different name. Cthulhu is a sleeping god, a monstrous being that lost a war before humanity existed and is imprisoned like Merlin in sort of a deathlike, other-dimensional trance. Lovecraft has a pretty good sketch of Cthulhu in his notes. He's - it's - envisioned like a King Kong, but with dragon wings, lobster claws, and a head that's like a complete octopus. The blastie is utterly unvisualizable as a natural thing."
Bennett had suddenly gone all ears. I remember being surprised. "Is there any serious following for this sort of thing?" he said. "Are there worshippers? Devotees?"
"There is no serious religious tradition about Cthulhu," I said. "It's fiction. There is no identifiable cult. Not one that anybody knows of."
"So what was the game of this...?" said Bennett as if he didn't want to try the name again.
"Same as every earthly baddie and every fictional fiend up to Tolkien's Sauron. Domination. More. And more. And nothing but himself and his own people count. In that order."
Bennett smirked. "Sounds like some of the people we deal with."
"And in the theory of the Lovecraft Circle, that's the purpose of all the echelons of earthly baddies, all the misguided villains and fanatics of the world, whether they know it or not: to bring Cthulhu and his crew back into the world. And some of them take on monstrous forms. All the werewolves and witches and dragons of world legend... They weren't unconnected actors. They were working for the big guy and his pals, in one big network."
"Lovecraft," said Bennett. "I may have to look him up."
"Start with 'The Rats in the Walls,'" I said. "Personal favorite. Short but eerie. And it holds most of the elements of Lovecraft's work in one package." Bennett wrote something down in his overhanded lefty script.
"I don't think of Lovecraft as a great American master. I'm not recommending him as a prose stylist like Henry James or Updike or Joyce Carol Oates. Lovecraft's plots are all basically the same. His characters don't grab you, and there's no big advancement of artistic flair or philosophy. He doesn't have a great linguistic gift. But people who can just enjoy what they're reading and not ask for more than that out of it can maybe get into the groove and... Lovecraft can really have an impact. Man, when I was fifteen... Lovecraft could scare you out of going to the basement." Bennett laughed.
"Part of the terror of Lovecraft's work is that he doesn't see a light at the end of the tunnel. It's depressing in a way. Cthulhu and his clan of barely pronounceable demons are always waiting, and if somebody opens the door just wide enough, he and his crew are back, and that's the end. Kiss all your happiness and any point to life goodbye, at least if his opposite numbers don't kick in, the good but detached Elder Gods. And there's no guarantee that they will."
Bennett looked like his interest was winding down. Mine wasn't. Ah, the teacher. "Another of the Lovecraft circle, August Derleth, took things a step further. Derleth's literary universe is sort of the stereotypical Manichean pantheon, a war between light and dark, between good gods and bad ones. The good ones want the universe to stay balanced. The bad ones want it tipping their way. I'm not saying either one of these guys believed in what they were writing. But for Derleth, the universe had some good guys."
"Makes you wonder what drug he was on," said Bennett. In the line's aftermath, he looked at me with a different attitude. "Do you believe in a Devil?"
"Not really," I said. "If you ask me if I believe in a powerful source of evil in the world that could be capable of motivating individuals... Different question. Something has to be behind some of the stuff we've seen in history. I mean, animals kill to eat. It's people who kill for fun."
"If there was something like that," said Bennett, "a power like that, what chance would we have against it?"
This took me by surprise. I believed I knew a few things Bennett didn't know I knew, and they gave me my own source of unsettlement. It was even possible that I knew things Bennett didn't know. I had come to believe that the agencies were keeping a few secrets from each other, due to a couple of the tidbits Lys had made sure to drop on me.
"Whatever it is would have opponents," I said, "at least until the battle is over. If the cycles of history, philosophy, literature, and religion, have taught us anything, that's one of the central themes: the opposition of forces and the choice we all get to make."
Bennett made some more of his gnarly notes in his wallet-planner. I couldn't help studying again that funny writing style. He wrote almost like a natural righty that someone had convinced to go southpaw. It really did look like to me that any success he'd had had been achieved through sheer force of will.
Our glasses had been empty for some time. I studied the no-longer savory brown foam slipping with geological slowness toward the slick glassy bottom. I knew every slide would morph into bigger bubbles and then pop into drops of the tepid liquid that had birthed them through its exhalations. Without a word, the server brought us two more pints and carted those glasses off. I didn't know what was going on in Bennett's world that gave him such discomfort. All I could think was that something paranormal had started to seem real to him.




Author:
Author, teacher, storyteller, and supernatural historian Mason Winfield studied English and Classics at Denison University, earned a master’s degree in British literature at Boston College, and studied poetry and fiction at SUNY Buffalo with professor emeritus and MacArthur grant recipient Irving Feldman. He has written or edited fourteen books, including the regional sensation “Shadows of the Western Door” (1997) and “Iroquois Supernatural,” co-authored with Michael Bastine, on the traditions of the Six Longhouse Nations (Inner Traditions International/Bear & Company, 2011). Several of his surveys of upstate folklore and paranormal tradition may be found at the website of Western New York Wares: www.buffalobooks.com. He may be reached at www.masonwinfield.com.

An anatomically perfect human jaw fashioned of diamond-hard quartz crystal is uncovered at an Ohio burial mound and sold on the underground antiquities market. Shortly after, three pothunters are found dead.

A mysterious new drug suspected of South American origin surfaces in Buffalo, NY. Its unprecedented psycho-tropic effects include the momentary activation of ESP. 

Blind, speechless, emaciated street people start appearing in many parts of the world. An urban legend-cycle forms around them, and the name of a murderous old cult, “the Whistlers” attaches to them.

An archaeological team at a Mayan site reports finding a bizarre artifact and vanishes. 

An upstate schoolteacher’s book of New York legends and folklore foreshadows these developments and more. 

   These are the threads – plus his affair with a maddening woman – that draw narrator Ward Courier into the international adventure of occultism, terror, Native American tradition and onrushing prophecy that is Mason Winfield’s anticipated new novel THE WHISTLERS. By the time the picture of THE WHISTLERS becomes clear, we are ready to believe in a sinister conspiracy that could predate Atlantis and even hail from another world.

It was almost midnight when everyone was just gathered in the living room and enjoying their drinks. Even though the group that had gone to the lewis family did not eat much, everyone else ate to their fill. Only two people were missing among them. Brian had gone to his room to take a shower because he smelled too much like food and Jason disappeared to god knows where.
Most of them were relatively sober, except Laura and Leanna, who did not have a drop of alcohol the entire night. Even James and Rachel were pacing themselves since they had work the following day. Jen also did not drink much because she had classes the following day.
What was surprising was how Michael seemed to be getting drunk. Jen looked at Alex, who was being the bad influence she was and pouring him more drinks. Unlike her, Michael had classes the next day.
He had to go to work with David, his superior, who was currently acting like he did not know what was going on and he also had to work with Alex afterwards. In short, drinking like this was a bad idea.
"Alex, you should give him a break," Jen said, trying to intervene.
"I am sorry Jen, I won't listen to you this time. I have been here for months and not once have I ever seen him drunk," Alex said, and everyone there realised that they too had never really seen Michael relatively tipsy before.
"Maybe you shouldn't since you've never seen him drunk," Jen said and Michael, who was being discussed like he was not there, put his glass down.
When Alex saw him put his glass down, she mock glared at her sister but did not push for him to drink. Lucas chuckled when he saw this and said nothing else. It looked like it was too late already, because Michael did not drink much anyway.
"What's so funny?" Jason asked as he walked in with Brian, who was changed into a pair of sweats and another tank. He made a beeline for Rachel and sat on the carpeted floor next to her.
"Alex was trying to get Michael drunk," Laura reported. When Jason looked at the youngster and saw his unfocused gaze, he knew that she was successful.
"Heh, anyway, today, I got everyone their own bottle of the wine," Jason said and put the box he was carrying on the floor.
"Drink at your own risk, I had to wait for quite a while to get this," Jason said and quickly pulled out two bottles.
"I won't make the mistake of leaving my share outside again," he added and pointedly looked at his young brother and sister-in-law. Jen's cheeks flushed when she remembered the marathon that happened afterwards.
"Then I won't be polite," Lucas said and pulled out two bottles before anyone could respond. Jen was right behind him and took out another two bottles. Laura pulled three out because that was the most she could carry.
She also knew that James would not get up to take them. Leanna elbowed Ethan who looked unconcerned, and he too went to get two bottles.
"What do you need them for? Are you planning on making another medical malpractice?" Jason teased and everyone laughed. This time, even Leanna could not stop herself from laughing. No one was clearer than her on how careful Ethan normally was. Her pregnancy was really a happy accident.
"What malpractice?" Ethan said with furrowed eyebrows. Why did he feel like this will be a joke that he would need to live with for the rest of his life?
"Isn't Leanna pregnant?" Jason asked as he poured himself some brandy.
"I won't be pregnant forever. Get another bottle," Leanna said, standing up for her husband. This time, Ethan took another two with a cocky smile. He was just listening to his wife's orders, okay!
"Do you want to try it out?" Brian whispered to Rachel, who had been staring at the box that was at the centre of the living room. Rachel pursed her lips together but did not answer.
"I personally don't think we need it," Brian said, his fingers lightly stroking the inside of her arm.
Rachel could tell that the only way she was getting a bottle was if she went to get it herself. Without humouring her boyfriend, she went to take two bottles with as much dignity as she could muster. Her expression almost broke when he saw the heat in Brian's eyes. She sat back down next to him and placed the bottles on the side he could not reach.
"Don't be anxious, I've put a standing order of fifteen bottles every month. They'll be delivered here so if any of you want more in the future there won't be a problem," Jason said as he looked at the last two bottles in the box.
Nancy promptly pushed David to go take the remaining bottles and smiled happily once they were handed over to her.
"Good call," Laura said, and had to stop herself from laughing out loud.
"Today's batch was a… present. In the future, I need to be reimbursed," Jason said.
"No problem," Lucas said and fiddled with his phone, sending money over to Jason. A series of pings rang through the room as Jason pulled out his phone and laughed happily. This is more than enough to get supply for the next ten years. It wasn't just Lucas that sent money, everyone else did the same, hence the outrageous amount.
"I'll do it once I start dating," Alex said with a pout.
"Mmmh," Michael agreed while resting his head on her shoulder. Alex glanced at the slumbering Michael and patted his head before continuing the discussions with everyone else.
"This guy will be happy receiving such a large batch of loyal customers," Jason said as he sent the money over to the 'manufacturer'.
"Well, I have a busy day tomorrow, so I have to turn in early," Lucas said as he stood up. After he and Jen said good night, they disappeared up the stairs.
"Michael, wake up," Alex said as she shook him gently. The only response she received was a groan that was followed by silence. Alex tried shaking him more vigorously this time, and he opened his eyes. When he saw Alex there with him, a bright smile lit up his face. James almost laughed at the youngster. He was privy to his feelings for Jen's sister, so seeing his innocent, happy expression upon seeing her was amusing to him.
"Let's go to your room, can you walk?" Alex asked him and he nodded. Alex then stood up and pulled him up with her. After stumbling a bit, Michael regained some semblance of balance.
"Goodnight everyone," Michael said, the rare to see sweet smile still on his face and everyone responded.
"Do you think anything will happen?" Brian asked after the pair disappeared up the stairs. It had become obvious to everyone but Alex that Michael was into her.
"Isn't he a bit too young?" Laura asked and James scoffed.
"That should be a cause for worry," James said and pinched her slim waist.
"But he is drunk?" Rachel added.
"And did that ever stop us?" Brain whispered and secretly bit her earlobe. She was reminded of the first day they met and how alcohol actually helped to push things along.
"Something will happen, he will at least say something," Nathan said with a barely perceptible smile.
"We'll know tomorrow," James said, and forgot about it because of how Laura was wriggling on his lap. Maybe he shouldn't have touched her back. Laura subtly scratched his side in response and glared at him.
James knew that trailing his fingers up and down her spine was enough stimulation to make her release an involuntary moan. What was he planning to do by stimulating her like that in front of all their friends. She knew it had become an unconscious behaviour of his since they became sexually active but wasn't doing this now too much.
"Sorry," James said and stopped his movements while smiling apologetically. Laura who had a fatal weakness to her boyfriend's face became speechless. He wouldn't even let her get upset! How unfair!
[If you are not reading this on w e b n o v e l, then you are reading stolen work. Please read this at the original site to support the author.]


Jen is an independent businesswoman who sacrificed her love life to save her family that had gone through a bankruptcy. 

In the process, she lost her father, had a falling out with her mother and also broke up with her boyfriend. 

After the sequence of events, she moved away from her city to study without letting anyone know of her whereabouts. There she met a younger and richer man that was very persistent on making her, his. 

Following their journey on how their relationship develops unconventionally and the things they will go through and experience as they learn more about each other.

--------------------------------------------
Snippet:
"Jen" Lucas called out to her making her look up from her phone.

"What is it?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Let's go home," Lucas said as he got up from his seat and put on his suit jacket.

"You're done?" she asked as she too got up from the sofa, she stretched her body as she was sitting in one position for too long. Lucas walked towards her and hugged her from behind.

"Mmh, let's go home," Lucas said next to her ear making goosebumps rise on her skin.
*
"Home?" Jen repeated as she leaned against his chest.

"Mmh," Lucas said and kissed her bare shoulder.

"Let's go," Lucas said as he released her...
----------------------------------------


A/N: If you aren't 18 and above, try not to read. This is as much persuasion as I can give. I know people will read it anyway.



PS: Feel free to join the discord server for Convincing Her to connect with other readers and the author at https://discord.gg/Auyvas5

You can also support me on ko-fi: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/PinkCotton

BETH

The party is dying down. “Fancy a nightcap?” asks Richard.

“Mmm, yes, good idea.”

We order a brandy apiece, and make our way through to the library.

James is there, reading, sitting in a leather armchair by the fire, long legs outstretched in front of crackling flames.

Richard, frowns, his eyes meeting mine. “I thought he´d be upstairs with...” he murmurs.

“James? Is everything alright? We thought...” My husband´s words trail away.

James looks up at us over his glasses, mouth quirking in humour. “You thought... what?”

“Um....”

“It´s their wedding day. This is Michael´s night.”

“Ah...” Richard, hesitates, clearly trying to choose his words, and failing to find them. “Mind if we join you? We´re having a nightcap.”

“Be my guests. I was doing just that, myself.” He lifts a balloon glass, swirls it for a moment, then sips.

We seat ourselves, Richard rubbing his hands in front of the flames. 

“I think we can call the day a success,” says Richard.

“Oh, I think so,” says James, smiling. “Finally got the Happy Couple down the aisle.”

“Finally?”

“Yes, finally... I engineered this wedding. There were times when I thought I´d never get the two of them hitched.”

He sounds dozy. The room is warm, and I wonder how much brandy he has already had, but I want to keep him talking. James is, as he said in his speech, ´fond of the sound of his own voice´, but he seldom ´opens up´. Tonight, I see the mask slipping; I´m seeing the man.

Casting around for a conversation topic to keep him engaged, “What are you reading?”

He holds it up. “It´s one Charlotte recommended to me. ´Time Enough for Love´; a Heinlein sci-fi novel from the seventies.”

Richard sniffs. “Doesn´t sound like your sort of reading. I´d have had you down as a thrillers and suspense man?”

“Yes, normally you´d be right. But the fact that when I was in the hospital, unconscious, out of all the books she could have chosen, Charlotte decided to read this to me, left me thinking that I should give it a try.”

“And?”

His mouth twitches with humour. “I can see why she chose it.”

“What´s it about?”

“A man, born in the nineteen-thirties, who goes on to live over two thousand years. In life, he experiences every form of marriage other than life-long monogamy. The book is essentially a series of short stories taking photo snaps of his life. And it has some wonderful quotes.”

“Such as?”

He riffles through the pages to a turned down corner. “´I came, I saw, she conquered.´ The original Latin seems to have been garbled.” 

Richard bursts out laughing “Ain´t that the truth.”

James scans the pages, then “Take big bites. Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.” 

And now I laugh. “That´s certainly Charlotte´s philosophy. I´ll have to try the book myself, if I could borrow it when you´re finished.”

“My pleasure, Beth.”

Marie appears at the door and very briefly, a shadow crosses James´ face.

“Oh... not again,” he mutters.

Richard chuckles. “She´s still in hot pursuit then? We´ve been watching her all day, trailing you.”

“You have no idea...” Then, courteously, “Good evening, Marie. I hope you´ve had a good day?”

“Hello, James. Yes, it´s been a lovely day. Charlotte´s very lucky, marrying someone like Michael.”

“That she is.”

James is being polite, but nothing about him is inviting Marie any closer, his body language closed, retiring.

Richard´s smile turns wicked. He murmurs to me. “Let´s see if we can cheer him up a bit.”

“Richard... No....” I hiss, but too late. Richard is already standing

“Good evening, Marie. I don´t believe we were introduced. I´m Richard, a friend of the family, and this is my wife Elizabeth. Why don´t you come and join us? Pull up a chair.”

James gives him a look so old, it would fossilise ammonites. Marie pulls up a chair, immediately next to James. He takes a swig of his brandy, painting on a polite expression.

Marie starts to talk, rattling on about wedding dresses, flowers, ... all the while leaning closer to James.

Ye gods, but she´s boring...

James is leaning back in his chair, with as much distance as he can muster.

Come on Marie. You can´t be that dense. He´s not interested.

The air-head keeps prattling on.

Didn´t Charlotte tell me she has a boyfriend? Back at the university...

With the air of a decision made, James takes another gulp of his brandy. “Marie, would you like to step outside? Take a breath of air? It´s a bit stuffy in here.”

“I´d love to, James.”

His eyes meet briefly with mine, one lid drooping in the smallest of winks.

As the pair disappear outside, James, almost, but not quite, with his hand cupping Marie´s elbow, I meet eyes with my husband. “What the Hell do you think you´re playing at, Richard? He´s been avoiding the girl all day, and now you...”

“I didn´t expect him to...” Richard swipes a hand through his hair. “Jeez. I´ve made trouble now, haven´t I? It was only meant to be a joke.”

From just outside the door, there is a shriek, and the audible sound of a hand slapped, hard, across flesh.

Marie darts back into the room, face flaming, eyes wild. Jabbing a finger out at the door where James is coming in just behind her. “He´s a fuckin´ perv he is. Your friend! He... He...” She loses her words and runs out of the room.

James, his eyes bubbling with laughter, is rubbing his cheek where, quite clearly, is the red outline of a hand.

“What the hell did you do to the girl, James?” demands Richard.

He holds up both hands. “Never laid a finger on her, I promise. I just told her what I planned to do to her when I got her alone...”

Richard and I both crease up. “Oh, God. I can imagine what you said to her.”

Richard stands, slapping him on the shoulder. “I´m sorry, James. I only meant it as a joke. You made my blood run cold when you took her out there. I thought I was going to have to explain to Charlotte that...”

James shakes his head, briefly serious. “Never...”

Sitting, he reclaims his brandy, inhaling the heady odour and resting his head back against the armchair, staring into space.

Richard stares at the pattern in the carpet, forehead furrowed. “James.... Why? Why has Michael married her? He´s a fine man. One of the best, but... You love the girl. I know you do... And she worships you. I...” He glances at me. “...We both saw, how she reacted when you were shot, and when you were in the hospital; She was utterly bereft. I think it was only Michael that kept her hanging on to her sanity.”

“And there...” says James, “... you have answered your own question. Think of Charlotte´s age. She´s twenty-three, her whole life ahead of her. She will outlive me by decades. I don´t want her bereft. And I know that Michael will be the best of husbands for her.”

Richard shakes his head. “You´re a better man than I, James. I don´t think I could have brought myself to do that with Elizabeth. And you and I have a similar situation; I am a lot older than she.” He glances at me. “The day will come when she will mourn me, but until then, we have the happiest of marriages.”

“I don´t want Charlotte to mourn me,” says James. “Well... not for too long anyway. Michael is her anchor. And meanwhile, they, and I, also will have the happiest of marriages.” He sips his brandy.

As he holds the glass, my eyes drift to James´ hand, the ring he wears. “Nice ring,” I comment. “I´ve seen another just like it. Two others in fact.”

He droops his lids in acknowledgement, tilting the glass at me. “Just so.”

“Can I ask you?”

His dark gaze levels with mine. “You can ask. I don´t guarantee a reply.”

“It´s not just about fun and games in the bedroom, is it? Charlotte does, in reality, have two husbands?”

He sips his brandy again, swallowing slowly. “Yes, she does.”

“And yet, tonight, you´re sitting here, alone?”

James´ speech is slow, lethargic. “Oh, I´ll see them in the morning. But I think it´s important that Michael has tonight to call his own.”

“I think you´re finding this harder than you admit to. Harder than you expected, perhaps? How many brandies did you have before we arrived?”

He presses his lips together, looks at his glass. “Oh, a few. I´ll probably have a couple more.”

“You´re a good man, James,” I say.

“Am I? I try to be, but sometimes I wonder.”



She Sold Herself and Her Virginity…

The penniless Charlotte dreams of a bright future. But she has nothing to sell but herself and her virginity. She chooses to auction both to the highest bidder. 

Charlotte’s buyer becomes her Master and he chooses to share her with his friend.
But when she later returns to them, as the relationship between the Three develops, it becomes clear that there is more to Charlotte than a young woman in need of money.

Who is Charlotte?

What are her secrets?

And if her past returns, who will pay the price?

A BDSM Ménage Erotic Romance and Thriller

Buying Charlotte is created by Simone Leigh, an eGlobal Creative Publishing Signed Author.

In the months that followed the LeRoi trial, Michael was busy with various cases, mostly smaller ones, a couple of larger ones, and of course, Jean-Lucs appeal.  He found himself lacking the motivation to do even the smallest amount of research or preparation and was appreciative of Amys practically OCD nature when it came to the details.  The thought occurred to him that it might be time to find something else to do, but what that might be he couldnt imagine.
He hadnt seen Maggie since that night at Petes Tavern after the LeRoi verdict.  She had expected an appeal, but Rance had handed the case to someone else, probably, Michael surmised, at her request.  He didnt blame her; shed never liked LeRoi and to top it off hed attacked her in court that day.
One night in late January, Michael attended a black-tie gala at the Met.  His date Kimberley had canceled at the last minute, suddenly called out of town for an emergency photo shoot.  She was replacing someone whod dropped out sick.  
He rolled his eyes.  Because God knows we need more swimsuit photos, he thought irritably.  On the other hand, flying solo tonight might not be the worst thing in the world.  He glanced around at scores of beautiful women draped in designer gowns.  Im always up for something new.
He made his way to the bar where he ordered a bourbon.  Make mine a dirty martini, said a smoky female voice to his right.  He glanced over to see a stunning blonde in a sparkling strapless black gown with a deep plunging neckline showcasing stellar tits and a slit up the left side revealing an exquisite leg.
Michael smiled slyly and said, You know what they say about women who order dirty martinis.
The woman glanced at him sideways.  No.  What do they say? she challenged.
They say that women who order dirty martinis are enchanting, gorgeous, and intelligent.  He grinned playfully. Im Michael Rannigan.
The woman laughed.  Well, Michael Rannigan, I see that youre blessed with the gift of gab.  Im Alexis Bennett.
Nice to meet you, Alexis Bennett.  Tell me, are you here with your husband?  Boyfriend?  Lesbian lover?  He gave his best mischievous smirk.
She laughed again.  You are shameless, she said shaking her head.  No, sadly, they all stayed home.  Im here by myself tonight.
We cant have that, can we? he grinned.  Where is your table?
Alexis pointed to the far side of the room.  Im at 17.
Michael shook his head.  That will never do.  Youre at the wrong table.
She frowned.  Which is the right table?
Mine, of course, number 5.  Ill have the situation remedied immediately, he said.  Believe you me, heads will roll.
Throughout dinner, Michael kept up the charm and Alexis seemed to enjoy his company.  As they chatted, she revealed that she was a talent agent representing many prominent news personalities and she seemed interested in the fact that Michael was an attorney.
After dinner, they skipped out on the rest of the festivities in favor of heading to Michaels place for drinks.  Behind his bar mixing a martini for her and pouring a bourbon for himself, Michael regaled Alexis with stories from his years in court, embellishing here and there for effect.  She laughed in the appropriate places as she perched on a bar stool across from him.  His eyes were drawn to her mesmerizing cleavage and to the shapely left leg obligingly revealed by the slit in her gown.
Are you going to keep undressing me with your eyes all night, or are you going to man up? she asked as she drained her glass
Michael grinned mischievously.  Im something of a voyeur, he said.  How about you undress while I watch?  He sauntered over to the couch and took a seat, crossing his ankle over his knee and resting his arms on the back.
Alexis slid off the stool and stood in the middle of the living room.  Giving him a sly look, she reached under her left arm and unzipped the Elie Saab gown and let it slide down and pool around her black Christian Louboutins.  
She reminds me of Veronica, Michael thought.  They could almost be sisters.  His cock responded instantly to that thought.
He smiled appreciatively at her black lace bustier with garters holding up sheer black stockings.  A tiny black thong completed the ensemble.   His eyes traveled back up to the creamy mounds bursting from the top of the overextended lace.  He hooked a finger toward her in a come hither motion.
She walked over and straddled him, pressing her lips to his.  Hed waited as long as he could to get his hands on her glorious tits.  A sharp tug allowed them to spill out over the top of the bustier and he gathered them up in his hands, hefting their weight and brushing across the sharp pink nubs with his thumbs.
Alexis, for her part, began to grind his erection with her sex, moaning lightly as his member responded favorably to her movements.  As he took her left tit into his mouth, she moved her hands down to undo his pants and release his rock-hard cock.  Shifting slightly, she pulled aside the thong and slid him into her, tossing back her head as he filled her wet and needy core.  Her movements began in earnest as she rode him feverishly.  Michael moved his hips in harmony with hers and felt his release begin to build.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and gripped her tightly as he stood, laying her on the coffee table and beginning to fuck her in earnest.  Oh, baby, you feel so good, he cooed into her ear.  Her heightened cries announced her imminent climax and he felt his own release pulsing in conjunction with the clenching of her sex.  The sensation of ecstasy washed over him as his essence poured out.
He held himself over her for a moment, panting to catch his breath, before he kissed her lightly on the forehead and removed himself from her.


Brilliant Manhattan attorney Michael Rannigan has his life arranged exactly the way he likes it. As a founding partner at the law firm of Murphy, Rannigan, & Metheny, he can let his underlings do the legwork on the high profile defense cases his exclusive 50th floor division handles. He prefers to simply breeze in and do what he does best: dazzle juries and charm the press.
Michael hires new lawyer Maggie Flynn and has her assigned to his elite 50th floor team. He knows smart when he sees it. He also sees the spark in her eyes. She wants him. And having her nearby strokes his ego. It’s not like anything will come of it, she’s so far from his type. But there’s something unsettling about Mary Margaret Flynn.
Maggie realizes that her crush on Michael is all but hopeless. What would happen if they ever crossed that line?
Sex scenes/explicit content, Suggest age range 18+
Rannigan’s Redemption is by Pandora Spocks, an eGlobal Creative Publishing Signed Author.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry."

Renly apologized in a low voice, walking through the seats, and finally finding the dark red chair with his name on the backrest. At this time, there were only less than five minutes left before the start of the ceremony.

Just outside, Renly accidentally met Hugh Laurie, and the two had a merry chat. Hugh was also British, also graduated from Eton, and also came from Cambridge University, his major was archaeology and anthropology. As he also chose to enter Hollywood to fight, and with the "Dr. House" fame, the two people had a lot of common topics between each other.

When Renly mentioned that Hugh was an excellent singer, the latter produced a hoarse voice, humming out the rhythmic blues, which made the two people regret not meeting each other earlier in their lives. Inadvertently, the two men lost track of time.

After entering the interior of the Nokia Theatre, as Hugh was a long-established actor, he was arranged in the forefront; while Renly was just a fledgling newcomer, his seat was naturally in the mid-to-back section.

After sitting down, Renly tore off the name on the back, and Rami, who was sitting on the right side, leaned over and said half-jokingly, "Did you hook up with someone? I can't believe you're late."

James sitting to Rami's right also leaned over with an expectant expression, so Renly couldn't help but laugh dumbly, "You've been chatting with Sofia until now, how's it?" James instantly rolled his eyes, muttering something like "pretty fine", sitting up straight again in depression, it seemed that his attempt at Sofia didn't go that well.

Rami froze, unable to recognize whether it was a joke or not, Renly gave a light smile and gestured ahead, "The ceremony has begun."

Turning his head, he saw William Merritt Johnson sitting on the left, the screenwriter of the TV movie "Temple Grandin". Renly politely nodded in greeting, the other side also reciprocated the nod with his own in an amicable manner, and then two people looked straight ahead as the scene lights went down. Tonight's event was about to be unveiled!

Watching the awards ceremony was a very interesting thing, relishing in the suspense of the awards on one hand, and observing the reactions of the attending guests on the other hand, of course. As it was vital to have funny moments to relieve the tension, it was the reason why the hosts were so important. They weren't only experts at experts at entertaining, but also great at maintaining a lively atmosphere.

This year's host Jimmy Fallon did a good job, and compared to watching everything in front of the TV, the tension and excitement of the scene rose exponentially, even if the award and oneself had no relation to each other, one still couldn't sit motionless in his seat.

In the fierce competition for Best Actor in a Drama Series, Hugh Laurie was nominated for the fifth time, but again returned empty-handed, losing for the third time to Bryan Cranston who achieved all the Emmys consecutively with his "Breaking Bad". It must be a fate, and it made Renly feel for Hugh.

Also suffered a fiasco were Michael C. Hall from "Dexter" and Jon Hamm from "Mad Men". Michael, in particular, was being defeated in his three consecutive nominations, and to the very same Bryan Cranston.

For this award alone, when the winner was announced, the mixed emotions of joy and regret went hand in hand to make all the guests experience a roller coaster ride.

Similarly, the fight for the best actor in a comedy series was also full of excitement. The two consecutive years winning actor Alec Baldwin was still the favorite of this year as "30 Rock" had won outstanding comedy series trophy three years in a row. Alec had a chance at wearing a triple crown.

However, this year he needed to face the strong impact of Matthew Morrison from "Glee" and of course Jim Parsons of "The Big Bang Theory". The former was the most talked about new series of last year, while the latter had become the top-rated comedy. Of course, no one could write off Steve Carell of "The Office", as he was being nominated for the 5th year already.

In the midst of this saber-rattling fight, Jim Parsons came out on top, not only winning his first Emmy for comedy, but also stopping Alec's dream of a triple slam-dunk, and letting Steve go home empty-handed for the fifth time in a row, just like poor Hugh.

It must be said that tonight's Emmy Awards was really gripping. The competition for drama series mainly revolved around such series as "Mad Men", "Breaking Bad", "Lost", "The Good Wife" and "Dexter", while the competition for comedy series wasn't as fierce because of the new series "Modern Family". Truthfully, "30 Rock", "The Big Bang Theory", "Glee", "The Office" and other shows weren't up to task this time.

In the blink of an eye, the awards ceremony was halfway done. Even if it wasn't as thrilling sometimes, it still had ups and downs, so people couldn't help but hold their breath.

"What award do you think was the most regrettable?" During the pause, Renly, Rami, and James, and others went to the bathroom to solve the physical needs, so Rami curiously asked.

Without much hesitation, Renly immediately replied, "Hugh Laurie. Absolutely."

"But I think Bryan Cranston was really very good!" James argued.

"Of course, no one can deny that," Renly nodded affirmatively, "but apart from him, is there really no one else who deserves a commendation? Hugh Laurie deserves an Academy nod, at least for recognition." This was a matter-of-fact, not because of the conversation he had before the start of the ceremony.

Renly noticed that Rami was giving him a wink. He looked back and then saw the figure of Michael C. Hall, the latter giving a playful smile, "You guys go ahead, I'm not in this conversation anyway, I don't mind."

That sheepish self-deprecation made both James and Rami embarrassed, but Renly fell back on his words, "Everyone only gets one chance to vote, and each award has only one winner, that's what makes the awards so rare and valuable, isn't it?"

Instead of apologizing and defending, he was honest and further insisted on his point of view, and Michael smiled instead of being angry, and laughed out loud. The conversation just now wouldn't count anyway and affect the outcome.

Michael really laughed out loud as he shook Renly's right hand, and teased, "Crafty guy."

After sending Michael away, all three of them secretly wiped their sweat, and Renly was no exception, "Is this what it's like to be caught talking bad behind someone's back like in "Gossip Girl"?" The three of them weren't the only ones who sighed, but others around them couldn't help but laugh freely, and someone else teased, "This is the men's bathroom, if you want to gossip, turn left next door." There was the ladies' bathroom, indubitably.

Rami and James turned around and simultaneously raised their middle fingers at the source of the voice, and there was another burst of laughter in the bathroom.

Attending such an event as a spectator, although everyone still wished they could join the awards race, but there was still a different kind of enjoyment: that exuberance, that anger, that regret, that excitement, that adrenaline rush - all presented a different facet of the awards ceremony.

It was new to Renly, not only because in his last life he had never been to a party like this, let alone a concert or other feast; not only because of the excitement and exhilaration of winning a nomination and the inevitable effects of loss and gain; but also because for the first time he entered the spotlight of vanity fair as a participant, and everything was restless, exciting, vibrant and bright. Whether participating or watching, whether winning or losing, each perspective of each person would show something different about the award ceremony.

Shortly after the second half began, the awards were handed out to the miniseries and TV movie categories. The competition was particularly fierce this year, focusing on two TV movies, "You Don't Know Jack" and "Temple Grandin".

The former was directed by Barry Levinson, who once shot "Rain Man", and just in the acting department, it had collected four nominations for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and two Best Supporting Actress, and the cast included top names such as Al Pacino, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, etc., and was leading the pack before the Emmy Awards started.

The latter was an autobiographical film helmed by Mick Jackson, who directed "The Bodyguard". The movie was launched with a great acclaim, the acting department was also sweeping through the departments like best actress, best supporting actor and best supporting actress, those three nominations of extraordinary weight. All these was because this movie needed to strongly rely on performance and emotions to to tell the story. Claire Danes, David Strathairn and Julia Ormond were the three actors whose performances were widely acclaimed and were undoubtedly the favorites to win their respective awards tonight.

The results matched the expectations, "Temple Grandin" was successful in best supporting actor and best supporting actress. They not only beat "You Don't Know Jack" such a big hit, but also beat Kathy Bates, Susan Sarandon and Michael Gambon, the Oscar-level actors, and it brought a big surprise.

Then, in the battle for Best Actress, Claire Danes unquestionably won over veteran actors like Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, successfully claiming the award and continuing the absolute dominance of "Temple Grandin" tonight.

"You Don't Know Jack" was a big hit, and before the awards ceremony, it was thought to sweep everything on its way, but the result was comprehensive defeat on all fronts. The situation was sticky for them nom. The best actor in a miniseries and TV movie awards were presented immediately afterwards, and this was undoubtedly one of the most obvious awards as "You Don't Know Jack" and Al Pacino received unanimous praise, and people were optimistic that he would win the second award after "Angels in America" in 2004. After "Angels in America", he might again win the Emmys!

However, this year's competition was very fierce. Jeff Bridges was considered the biggest challenger, the actor who had been in Hollywood for more than thirty years, but always unlucky, not really being able to get the corresponding recognition, until the Oscars finally did it earlier this year with "Crazy Heart", and he at last picked the golden guy. This time, he was shortlisted for Best Actor by the virtue of his performance in "A Dog Year".

The failure of "You Don't Know Jack" in the previous competitions for several awards was indeed a bad sign, therefore, suspense suddenly began to rise!

After getting the final relief from his past sufferings, Chu Jiashu was given a second chance when he found himself in the body of an infant from an aristocratic family of Hall. Now, nothing is going to stop him from achieving his long-cherished dream of acting. Enter Renly Hall, a Hollywood miracle of 21st century.


Note from the translator - from me, that is.
   
"Honestly, I get frustrated too much when I look at countless subpar novels being translated day after day. So much human resources wasted. I kinda get what Qidian International is doing, but it is just, I can't bear the notion of having so many wonderful novels that belong to the Chinese platform to be left in the dust. English-speaking community should know of the existence of such brilliant works, and more so, they should enjoy them. The novel is by a Chinese dude "Qiqi Jia D Mao Mao", whatever that might mean, who wrote several showbiz novels (he is probably the best at what he is doing). It is not my work, I'm just a dude who, with the help of two free machine translators (DeepL and good ol' Google), can show you a hidden gem. Wait, you said machine translators? Sadly, yes. I can't speak Chinese at all, but fortunately, this novel is structured in a machine-translation-friendly way, like really so. Most of the time context is saved. I'm just polishing the edges with my superb (not really) editing skills, so you all chaps have a splendid experience with this good staff indeed. Actually, you can go and read machine translation or just wait for my updates. Up to you dudes and dudies. And then I go away...blewb, blewb, blewb, blewb, blewb....."

P.S.
"I am a knife for a hire. So the managers of the site can employ me for this novel, but please don't remove it. Oh, please, I'm begging you on my knees. You guys won't even think of translating this novel, and here I am "translating" it for free,.... well for the time being, that is mwahahaha!"

P.S. for P.S.
This novel does not contain the following:
Harem, definitely not NTR, stupid characters, NTR again (God, I hate NTR (secretly beating the meat for a one in hentai))

But this novel contains:
Great storyline, relatable characters, realistic situations, very fun moments as well as tear jerking ones (so much so, you will find your throat hella sore from crying all the time), surprise after surprise for the decisions that author went with.

You will have a good time indeed
WARNING! READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION!

James Faye paced the length of the office while Samual sat back deep in thought. His dear grandmother was really smart. In spite of the threats and the emotional blackmail the old woman had refused to let disclose the owner of the shares other than the fact that she was only the holder of the power of attorney to vote on behalf of the owner. While his father was cursing Alice, he himself was very pleased. He had been pretty disappointed when his mother had not let him touch Alice. What man would not want to subdue a fierce piece like that? He had been no exception. But the blood relation had been a big obstacle in his way.. not that he would have been too concerned about that in the past.. 
While Samual was imagining doing all sorts of nasty things, James sat down in the chair with his mind running at a mile a minute. "Samual, even if we can't get the shares we can get mother to vote against Alice in the board meeting. She does have the power to vote. Most of the shareholders are already pissed off and would support us unconditionally. Recently Alice has been paying more attention to expanding the projects that she has introduced- the cafe's, resorts, etc. But Faye Group's primary business is departmental stores and supermarkets. 
If we can get consensus that Alice is more concerned about her own personal businesses then we can get a vote of confidence to throw her out." James Faye looked excited at his son as he pitched the idea. Though James had worked for Faye Group all his life, his biggest problem was his narrow thinking and lack of vision. All his life, he had depended on being his father's son doing only minimal work but expecting high returns. He would rather attend social gatherings and parties to 'make connections' than understand the basics of business management.. It was also the reason why Elder Faye had hesitated and kept the reins of Faye Group in his hands until the last moment. 
Samuel looked at his father and thought that it was no wonder his mother had let this close. He could be really dumb at times. Yes, Alice was expanding the other businesses but she had already merged them with the Faye Group thus increasing her own capital but also that of the company. This would naturally lead to more profits for Faye Group and in return for the money grubbing share holders. But he naturally did not tell that to his father because even if it did not mean getting Alice off the chair of the CEO it would create trouble for her which was what he wanted. And of course if didn't hurt that she was openly using the company's money to fund her boyfriend's band.
Samuel scoffed at the fact that Alice would fall for a beautiful man was like that. She was probably using him to make name for herself and because she could probably order him around.
As Samual gave this idea to his father, James Faye nodded and went about to get in touch with his people and get them to help.
While James Faye was busy with this, Samual Faye dialed a number that his assistant had recently found for him and waited for the call to connect.
In the other end of the city:
Heavy hip hop music with upbeat drums and instruments was playing in the recording studio where a young man of about eighteen stood before the microphone and sang. He was recording a song for his debut album but was so nervous that he kept making mistakes, much tot he frustration of the vocal trainer and the producer. They had been working with the guy for two years and knew he had no talent. Yet he was the cousin of the CEO of their agency so they had no option but to continue. They had even been toying with the idea to get a ghost singer for the guy.
They had finally reported to the CEO they were ready to record the final song but see in the quality of the guy's performance today which was even worse than usual they dare not turn their heads. Just then, the crooning sound from inside stopped and they almost felt their ears wilt in relief under the headphones. They waited for the CEO to give his comments until finally the man leaned forward and pushed the button to speak, "Bennett! You will practice here until you get it right. With the current quality of your voice no one would even give you alms if you beg forget buying your music!" After saying this scathing sentence, the man left the recording room leaving behind a dejected Bennett.
He looked at the other two people with a sad face and inquired into the microphone, "Was I really that bad?"
The two people wanted to comfort him but knew that they could not lie. Thus they nodded their heads and the vocal artist even said, "Bennett, even K has said that you need to work hard. They want to see their juniors get off to a good start."
Bennett heard that the idol he looked up to had also said such encouraging words and was immediately cheered up and said," I will practice well!"
Actually Bennett was a fabulous dancer and his instrumental music was something that could sway the hardest of hearts but the man had no voice control. However, the CEO had been intent on launching a group with Bennett and thus the man was being forced to sing well. On good days, he did well but on bad days.. he was really bad. They could only pity the boy.
The CEO who walked out of the studio, walked into his own office on the top floor of the building and kicked the table in frustration! He wanted Bennett to surpass K and his group SKY! But that boy was too weak! This person who at present looked like an angry fox was the current CEO of BP Entertainment- Lucas Ivy. A young man in his early thirties, his eyes were cold grey while his figure was muscled and tall that made him look more like a wrestler than a businessman. His biggest dream was to create a band that could surpass SKY. He had been so near his dream but then that Alice Faye had interfered and now he had no choice but to push Bennett to do better!
Just as he was about to create more ruckus in his office, his assistant knocked on the door. "Sir, we have been contacted by a person named Samual Faye. He is the Chairman of "Sammy's" that chain of fast food restaurants. He says he has something that might interest you.."
Lucas Ivy frowned at this and wondered what it was about but then the man's name caught his attention and he ordered the assistant to accept the call. Samual Faye...His biggest enemy at present was named Alice Faye...Well Well.. It seems his arch enemy's friend had an arch enemy as well."
As the phone connected, Lucas gestured for the assistant to answer the call on speaker phone. Once connected Samual Faye's voice echoed in the room,"Mr. Lucas, My name is Samaul Faye and bu now you must have guessed my reason for contacting you. You want to bring down someone and I would like to help you with that. Would you be interested?"
A smirk graced the face of Lucas Ivy. He liked people who cut to the chase. "And how do you propose to do that, Mr. Faye?"
"I have some dirt on SKY."
This caused Lucas Ivy to let out a roar of laughter as he said,"If you had said you have dirt on me I would have believed you but those boys are so squeaky clean.." After all he had been trying to find something to suppress them from the beginning.
But Samual simply smirked and answered," Sometimes there are things just under our noses that we miss out on. Mr. Ivy, you want to suppress SKY and I want to suppress Alice Faye. And since the two of them are holding each other up, we should also join hands, don't you think so? If you are interested in knowing more, we can meet up tonight at the Black Wave Club. Room no. 1450."
As the call was hung up, the assistant looked up at Lucas Ivy and asked tentatively,"Sir, are you planning to go to the club?"
"Of course I am."
"But Sir, it could be a trap. K has become even more smarter and cautious after the accident. What if he is planning to trap you and get rid of you?"
This time the laughter that echoed in the office was even more sinister as the man finally said, " K wouldn't do that. It is not his style to attack from the back. That is for people like me.."


Alice Faye has grown up seeing her parent's farce of a marriage and does not believe in fate or even love. Tired of her father's mind games and trying to sell her off to the highest bidder so that his illegitimate son can take over the business, Alice turns the tables thus earning herself the name Ice Queen for her ruthless ways! 
K, is a superstar lead singer of the of the most celebrated band  Sky. With his extra ordinarily beautiful looks, soulful heart melting voice and an IQ higher than 140, there is nothing that K cannot achieve...And this time he has set his target on a certain queen's heart...
Join K in his journey as he melts the heart that has long been encased in ice .

STATUS
Extant
RELATED SPECIES
Ghost
The Spirits
The Ancestors
Human
Siphoner
Hybrid
Immortal
Medium
Doppelgänger
Supernatural Hunter
Psychic
Werewolf

DISTINCTION
Architects of the Supernatural
Keepers of the Balance
Servants of Nature

Witches are supernatural beings who are born with the power to affect change by magical means, known as witchcraft. While many witches are the self-proclaimed "Keepers of the Balance," other witches have been known to work against the Balance and use their power for personal gain.

The Balance of Nature

The Balance of Nature is a spiritual belief system based around the observance of the Earth and reverence of Mother Nature. The goal of many witches is to honor the design of Nature and to maintain balance within the natural world. The Balance of Nature is intimately tied to one's spiritual relationship with the Earth, and the idea that all living things are considered sacred, as they are all different aspects of nature. Contemporary witches often use ceremonies, rituals, or shamanic practices to attune themselves with the natural rhythms of Nature in their efforts to obtain guidance and knowledge from wiser known witches called "the Spirits" or from their ancestors. However, according to Gloria, who referred to herself as an "old-school voodoo" practitioner, not all witches follow this belief system and have free will to choose how they practice their power.

Witchcraft

Main article: Witchcraft
Witchcraft is the practice of magic. However, before a witch has come into their power, they're considered "untapped", and their magic is considered pure. After awakening their power, witchcraft can encompass many different types of activities including astrology, divination, spell casting, and spirit communication. It includes the practices of many cultures, nations, and religions as well as many books and writings dating back to ancient times. Depending upon the individual, some witches practice their power by certain belief systems, such as Shamanism, Voodoo, Wicca, or any number of other magical practices from countries and cultures all around the world. Although the majority of traditional witches are commonly portrayed as being kind and selfless humans who use their powers to maintain balance within the world, some witches are not and go directly against the Balance of Nature by practicing their powers for dark and sinister or selfish deeds. A few darker witches go so far as to subvert the very laws that govern Nature.

Powers and Abilities

Witches can achieve a variety of powers or abilities through their use of witchcraft and spell casting; however, age, experience, knowledge, or power can limit the capabilities of one witch to that of another.

Main article: Spells and Rituals
Spell Casting: One of the defining characteristics of a witch is their ability to cast spells; a "spell" being a word, a verse or incantation, ritual action, or any combination of these to carry out a magical action. On rare occasions such actions can be performed without the use of a verbal spell.

Channeling: The power to invoke extra forms of energy by focusing on external forces.

Potion Brewing: The power to brew and concoct potions, remedies, and elixirs that have supernatural properties with varying effects.

Telekinesis: The power to move objects and persons through mental influence.

Pain Infliction: The power to create excruciating migraines or aneurysms through supernatural means.

Elemental Control: The power to control and manipulate the elements of air, earth, fire, and water.

Divination: The power to divine future, past, and present events based on extrasensory perception.
Clairvoyance: The power to divine future, past or present events through instinctive knowledge.

Intuition: The power to divine future, past or present events through the use of instinctive knowledge.

Premonitions: The power to divine future, past or present events through the observation and study of dreams.

Psychometry: The power to divine future, past or present events through contact with or proximity to a certain object or person.

Projection: The power to separate from one's body and project the mind to another location or to instantaneously travel from one point to another.

Transmogrification: The unique power to alter the physical structure of objects living or dead, changing their form through spells.

Telepathy: The power that allows witches to access the minds of others through spells.

Possession: The power to jump one's spirit into the body of another, taking control of said host body through spells.

Illusions: The power to alter the senses of others to perceive a false reality through spells.

Dream Manipulation: The power to control people's dreams through spells.

Resurrection: The power to bring someone or one's self back from the dead through spells.

Weaknesses

Disbelief: The act of denying or disbelieving in one's potential could cause a witch to inadvertently suppress their magical power.

Distraction: Denying a witch from concentrating or giving full attention to their spells, may render them ineffective. 
Since most spells are spoken verbally and take time to take effect, witches are vulnerable to attack before their completion. Additionally, certain spells require items, tools, and or special events during casting, therefore they can't be invoked on a mere whim.
Emotions: A witch's magic is subject to the influence of their emotional state and may fluctuate according to them, especially when untrained. 

According to Sheila Bennett, strong emotions such as worry and anger can fuel a witch's power while emotions such as fear may prevent a witch from properly accessing them.

Herbs: Ingestion of certain herbs can cause a witch to lose consciousness and prevent them from using magic for an undetermined amount of time. The Lobelia flower prevents concentration and, therefore, the practice of magic and can be used to temporarily weaken a witch.

Huntress' Blood: The supernatural huntress' blood can suppress all magic of a witch when consumed, as well as prevent magic from working on said witch, as seen when the Armory could not perform a locator spell on Bonnie Bennett. Prolonged ingestion is toxic and ultimately leads to the death of the witch. Once black scabs start appearing on their body, the infected witch has less than a week of life. There is no known cure to combat this disease.

Witchcraft: Witches are still susceptible to the powers of witchcraft. This is inclusive of mystical and dark objects. A siphoner can siphon the magic from a witch and prolonged exposure is said to lead to death.

Mortality: Despite their mystical attributes, witches are still human and share many of the same weaknesses as non-supernatural beings (e.g. age, decapitation, disease, heart-failure, suffocation, snapped neck, etc.). However, witches can temporarily get around this weakness through the use of protection spells.

Overexertion: The excessive use of magic can lead to disorientation, nose bleeds, unconsciousness, and if taken to the extreme, death.

Nature: It is said that Nature will always find a balance when witchcraft is performed, thus spells will always have loopholes. This means, among other things, that no being can be truly immortal.

Mystic Falls Founders Bell: An indestructible bell that amplifies the effects of the Staff of Arcadius when combined with the Maxwell Striker. When struck, it produces a high frequency that has some minor effects on witches and siphoners, giving them painful headaches. Apart from this, it does not affect their ability to perform magic and cast spells.

Tools

Amulets: An object that is used to protect its wearer from harm.

Athames: A ceremonial dagger with a double-edged blade that is commonly used to direct energy.

Candles: A block of solid wax with an embedded wick that is commonly lit to amplify a witch's spell.

Cauldrons: A large metal pot that is commonly used to hold the ingredients for elixirs and potions.

Grimoires: A family journal is documented with magical recipes, rituals, and spells.

 Grimoires can also be used as a Talisman to represent a witch.

Herbs: Various flora used as ingredients to be incorporated into spells as binding agents.

Stones: Various minerals and ores used to boost or bind a witch's spell.

Symbols: Seals drawn or written used as physical representations of spells.

Talismans: Objects that can be used to magnify a witch's power and/or represent them supernaturally.

Trivia

According to Abby, all magic is monitored by Nature and has consequential effects. She explained this to her daughter, Bonnie, when she informed her of how she always dreamed of a normal life and how after she defeated an Original vampire named Mikael. She decided to abandon her family to live the life she so desperately desired outside of Mystic Falls. As punishment for deserting her lineage, Abby said that it was Nature and not the Spirits, that slowly took away her magic until she was completely powerless.

According to Bonnie, all witches have a spiritual connection to the elements of the Earth and the forces of Nature. Since most witches derive their magic from Nature, Bonnie explained how witches can feel the essence of life itself.

According to Emily, vampirism was an evil curse created from dark magic. She explained how some humans, such as Stefan Salvatore, are unfit to become vampires due to their gentle nature. Since vampirism is known to enhance the characteristics and magnify the emotions of a person, humans who are naturally benevolent will become even more benevolent as a vampire. However, since the basic nature of a vampire is to kill, many kindhearted vampires struggle to fight their urges to murder and more often than not, fall off the wagon by cutting off their humanity and going on a killing spree. These vampires become known as "Rippers."

According to Esther, the creation of the Original vampires was an accident as she never intended to turn her family into monsters, but merely to protect them from harm. After the death of her youngest son, Henrik, Esther and her husband, Mikael, feared the power of the werewolves and wanted to exceed them in superiority. With the support of her husband, Esther created a spell that would not only grant her family immortality but would also make them faster and stronger than the wolves. Despite the countless warnings given by her mentor, Ayana, Esther used Dark Magic to successfully enact the spell, not knowing that violent behavior and an insatiable thirst for blood would become permanent side-effects.

According to Sheila Bennett, the Spirits are responsible for creating the laws on magic. Contrary to her granddaughter, Bonnie Bennett, Sheila has presumably always practiced spirit magic whereas Bonnie originally practiced Traditional Magic. Sheila hinted that she practiced Spirit Magic when she first met Damon Salvatore, whom she immediately disliked. When Damon asked how Sheila could hate him without even knowing him, Sheila informed Damon how the Spirits "talked" to her, and told her that he was an enemy of the Bennett family and discouraged her from trusting him. One year after her death, when Bonnie performed the Manifestation Spell which allowed the supernatural spirits of Mystic Falls to materialize Sheila confirmed that the Spirits were responsible for creating the rules on witchcraft.
While the term "warlock" was originally used to differentiate the male witches from the female witches, it appears that "witch" is a gender-neutral term that applies to men and women. Luka Martin and Papa Tunde are the only two people that have been referred to as warlocks.

A subsection of witches known as siphoners are the only witches who have the potential to be turned into witch-vampire hybrids, as they keep their ability to practice magic after being turned into vampires as a result of their siphoning ability.
As hybrids, they can draw upon their vampirism as a limited source of power.

This is contradictory to what was previously shown; however, as all witches can gain power from external sources, to channel, yet none of these witches turned vampires could do so considering they are aberrations of Nature.
However, the fact that witches also possessed their own power in addition to their ability to channel magic from other sources is why they were unable to keep their ability to practice magic following their transformations. Siphoners, however, do not possess their own magic, and as a result, fall into a loophole of Nature's laws.
Following this, witches would still be able to draw magic in from outside sources. Furthermore, they should not be able to wield magic, regardless of how they obtain it.

Of the many witches shown throughout the series, only four have been explicitly stated to be among the most powerful in history, or a variation thereof: Esther, Qetsiyah, Dahlia, and the Hollow. However, no official hierarchy has been made among these four and are listed in order of appearance.
Executive producer Michael Narducci has previously stated that Dahlia is "the most powerful thing we've ever seen in this universe." [1]
According to Michael Narducci, Hope Mikaelson "is the most powerful witch in the world." [2]
Bennett Witches are well-known in the witch community. Considered one of the most powerful lineages of magic, many powerful spells have been linked to the blood of a Bennett witch, requiring a Bennett witch to successfully perform them.
In New Orleans, there are nine main witches covens that form the majority of the witch community there.

Practitioners of Ancestral Magic can be stripped of additional power supported by the Ancestors if their coven shuns them, weakening them. They can further be punished if they continue to practice magic in New Orleans, as seen with Vincent Griffith.

Revealed by Davina, if a witch tries to murder the Regent they shall be hanged as punishment.
The term "Seer" is a titular name for witches gifted with seeing into the past, present, and future, more than a subset of witches. In other words, all seers are clairvoyant witches (witches gifted with seeing into the past, present or future) but not all clairvoyant witches are seers (specialize in the field).

Various other cultures of witches have been mentioned, though not elaborated upon, such as the following: "
Strega
" of Italy; "
Aje
" of the Yoruba people of Nigeria, West Africa; "
Häxa
" of Sweden[3], as well as
Latvian
(of Latvia)[4],
Santería
(of Morocco)[5], and
Obi
(or Obeah of Nigeria)[6] witches. Pyromancers, of unknown origins but found mostly in
East Asia
, are another unique but rare type of fire-breathing witch; however, only a couple dozen remain[7].

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