"Trust me, you said!!!! How could I have ever trusted you," the voice hissed.
"You know it was for your own good," said Nemesis. "What you were doing was wrong......I couldn't let you do that to them."
"They never cared about us," the voice spat. "We had each other....we didn't need anyone else."
"I did," cried Nem weakly. "I did."
Nemesis awoke in the middle of the night as a tear rolled down her cheek. The final words from her dream still echoed in her ears. She tried to shake off the fear and pain of the dream. It was only a nightmare after all....it had to be. It had been so long since she had even heard the voice, her mind had almost completely discarded its existence. She slid from the bed, carefully replacing the bed covers so as not to wake the sleeping figure that lay beside her. Her alabaster skin seemed to glow in the moonlight, but she shivered in her nakedness. She grabbed her robe hurriedly and fastened it around her waist in an attempt to ward off the cold she felt. She didn't understand how she could be cold. Outside the gigantic viewing windows of her bedroom, balmy breezes blew across the beach below.
Her beach house, located on Key Trofeo off the coast of Florida, was built only a short distance from the shore. It had been constructed as a getaway estate for her when the pressures of business and inner court life became too much for her. It's warm nights and sometimes tempestous weather served as the perfect backdrop for her often-times stormy encounters with Gregor...but Gregor was no longer in the Black Court. A new king had taken his place...one that was unapproachable to her for now. She looked down at the shadowed form in the bed. Harbinger had surprised her by suggesting they spend a few days at her beach house in order to "familiarize him with club protocols and duties". Nemesis hadn't realized that Harbinger had even known about the existence of the beach house....nevertheless the location. She smiled to herself. This one was a constant surprise. She had known Harbinger longer than any of the BHC members realized. His sudden acceptance into the inner circle as Black Mage had surprised many, but Nem had strategically placed him in line for the position, knowing his knowledge of future events could be explained away as magical. Gomurr had at first balked at the idea, but her assurances convinced the other members beyond Gomurr's doubts.
Nemesis' mind returned to her disturbing dream. As the owner of the entire island, Nem knew her surroundings intimately and her mind searched outward to the edges of the property.....searching for the slightest hint of danger in the darkness, but there was no one to be found. The only other human mind, she touched was that of Robert Maxwell, a.k.a. The Harbinger, and as usual his thoughts were carefully screened from her even in sleep. Maxwell rolled over, his arm searching for Nemesis in his half dazed sleep. He let out a soft moan, and then continued the steady rhythm of his breathign. Could he somehow be responsible for the disturbing imagery of "the other" that had plagued her dreams. Impossible...she finally dismissed it out of hand. His telepathy was nowhere near strong enough to invade her mind......but still she wondered at the cause of these visions. Finally she pushed it into the back of her mind and opened the balcony door to watch the sunrise. The warm breeze brushed her skin and she disrobed allowing its gentle touch to carry her away on a perfumed wave of sensation.
Ryan supressed a yawn as he continued to pretend to listen to Nytshade's pendantic speech.
"I want him out, Ryan," she raved. "You only asked him to join as an insult. You never dreamt he would accept your offer of the Red Rook title."
"Perhaps," said The Red King, "but Hazard is a great asset to the club. I can see that now. He serves his position with honor and without question. He is a good man, Jon. Don't be petty."
"PETTY!!!!" she raved. "Petty? He ruined my life Ryan. He abandoned me and never thought twice."
"Don't be ridiculous, Jon," said Ryan finally growing annoyed with this game. "He had nothing to do with Paramount. He was fooled just like the rest of us."
"I won't have it Ryan....I'll dispose of him myself." Nytshade threatened.
"I wouldn't advise it, Jon," said Ryan as he sneered down at Jon from his elevated platform. "or it will be I that abandons you."
Ryan's eyes glowed an electric yellow suddenly and he disappeared in a blast of smoke, only to reappear behind Jon. Maddrox had given him a Nightcrawler dupe which Ryan had possessed and skin shifted to make his appearance that of the one he adopted everytime he changed bodies. He greatly enjoyed this teleporting power. He pressed up against Jon from behind and whispered into her ear seductively.
"Besides, my darling," he said. "Since when have you been a bottom feeder.....poor Gregor is only a rook now......you should show interest only in Kings. He's beneath you now."
Jon spun around and twisted Ryan's arm behind him. She reached into her thigh high white leather boot and pulled a dagger. The knife glistened in her hand as she held it to Ryan's throat.
"Don't presume to tell me what I can and cannot do, Ryan," she hissed into his ear. "You are not the King of the White Branch, and I assure you we will not be trifled with."
Jon released the pressure on Ryan's neck as she felt him relax. Suddenly she felt a searing pain in her throat and the knife she was holding clattered to the floor. She reached frantically for her neck, and through her fingers she could feel a scar grow and slide across her throat.
"It is you who are presumptious, my White Queen." said Ryan in a deadly calm voice. "Just because I now have teleportation powers, doesn't mean I have lost my mastery over the human flesh. I don't need a knife to cut your beautiful skin, Jon."
Jon's throat began to tingle and when she put her hand back up to her throat the skin was as soft and beautiful as ever.
"It would be a shame to destroy such loveliness," said Ryan. "but sacrifices must be made by us all, Jon, in order to maintain balance.....and never believe that I am afraid to make those sacrifices."
Nytshade, the White Queen, turned to leave, still nervously rubbing her throat. Her mind raced. This wasn't the end of this issue...she promised herself that. She would accept Gregor's position for now, but when the situation was right, Ryan would see just what sort of sacrifices she was ready to make.