Fic: Gift or Curse Chapters 3-4a
X-Over: DWP with Laurel K. Hamilton’s Merry Gentry & Anita Blake ‘Verse
Rating: NC-17
Summary: What if Miranda was a powerful Master Vampire and Andy was blessed by a Faerie Fertility Goddess, prophesied to be together, all while running a fashion empire? Neither will be prepared for their ‘worlds’ converging or being unwitting pawns in a power-struggle in their supernatural/magical worlds.
Characters: Miranda, Andy, Lily, Doug, Nigel, Emily, Serena; Merry Gentry Series’ Characters; Anita Blake Series’ Characters
Shout-Out: Thanks to my betas - Melanacious and Seelyfey, I definitely couldn’t have done it without y’all. Also thanks to the Laurel K .Hamilton Fan Sites which were lifesavers in terms of research.
Disclaimer: Devil Wears Prada characters belong to Lauren Weisberger and 20th Century Fox. I make no money off of this and I intend no infringement. Also, I don't own Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake and Merry Gentry universe and I mean no infringement there either, I make no money from this.
Spoiler Alert for Merry Gentry Series
Chapter 3
Many say that all magic began in the Faerie Mound in Ireland. From Necromancers to Shapeshifters, and Goblins, their humble beginnings began with the Fey. Once worshipped by man as gods, the devout lost faith, infighting between the Seelie and Unseelie Court practically tore the world apart. This was the ‘beginning of the end’ for them as the humans instituted a UN Law exiling them from their lands. Until American President Thomas Jefferson granted them asylum.
This unrest between the Fey began to swallow their magic. Important magical relics disappeared, many Fey lost essential pieces of their magic; like a Demi-Fey losing its wings. Even The Mound began dying. Swallowed by the mundane. There’s a saying, if the Mound goes, than all things magical go with it. The Goddess Danu no longer favored the Faerie - perhaps she felt they’d lost their way, no longer fit to serve magic in all its glory. This included fertility, as the Mound grew barren, so too did the Faerie.
This created enormous pressure on the Fey’s rulers: Queen Andais, the Unseelie Queen of Air & Darkness and King Taranis, the Seelie King of Light and Illusion because their subjects wanted them to bring magic back to the Mound. By extension their own magic would return, magic that made each Fey unique, magic that had been missing for centuries like a body without a life-force.
One assumed, given the Courts identifying monikers, that the Seelie Court represented ‘goodness and light’ and that the Unseelie Court represented the opposite: “darkness and pain’. But appearances were deceiving. The Unseelie merely represented those who were unwanted, the good, bad, the horrifying, and the discriminated. While the Seelie Court was rigid, falsely perfect, and pretentious: they kept things in the light so you couldn’t see the darkness.
However, King Taranis was as dangerously crazy as Queen Andais was dangerously psychotic. While they hated each other with a passion born from too much similarity, this only made them more intriguing to the humans.
The Fey were a media staple. The Sidhe men were gorgeous, muscular and virile, while the women embodied envious feminine attributes, with graceful strides, full breasts and lithe, toned limbs. Others, were like delicate miniature replicas of the Sidhe such as the Demi-Fey. However, in the Unseelie Court were lesser Courts offering scarier visages, such as the dark, manta-ray-like Nightflyers of the Sluagh.
Each Fey had various powers attributed to them. For example, Galen the Green Man had the ability to turn an entire patch of brown grass green. He was blessed by a fertility god and represented growth. King Taranis could turn a room so bright that you got sunburned - literally. But as the Mound continued to wither away, their magic, and their powers continued to decrease or disappear altogether. Mistral the Master of Storms hadn’t been able to call wind or rain in two centuries. However some things in the Mound never lost their power, like blood.
Blood was one of the most attractive commodities - want to seal a pact? Do so through blood. Need to call on some powerful magic? Blood will do. Blood was a favorite “medium” of Queen Andais, right alongside hearing the screams of her victims. She was a bit more… blood-thirsty than most. Nothing put her in a better mood… well that perhaps torture.
For a Fey to be tortured was almost a fate worse than death - for it was very difficult to kill a Fey. The general methods included either decapitation or being run through by an iron sword. Needless to say, what killed most other living things, only incapacitated Feys. Iron, however, was their “kryptonite” and could kill or slow recovery. Queen Andais was known to have once skinned a Faerie who had displeased her using iron. She was often seen walking from the Hall of Mirrors in contentment after such a session. However, the Queen was anything but content right now.
The Queen had a problem. Her Court was slowly dying. The Goddess Danu had abandoned them ever since The Wars. Her beloved son was crazier than her and while she would have almost given Prince Cel anything - including the throne, he had forced her hand to find other… solutions. Her niece, Princess Meredith Gentry, Princess of Flesh and Blood - who was not even a pureblooded Sidhe had changed things in spite of Andais’ interference and threats.
It was funny how a small (and a few not-so-small) events changed everything. Her rage and despair over the turn of events knew no bounds. The now unidentifiable body in front of her could only groan as she twisted the knife in his stomach. Her son was dead!
She turned away from the body and sank wearily onto the settee located nearby in her chambers. No one would disturb her, in fact, the Court has been very quite since the latest events transpired. The thought of losing everything to that… niece of hers was intolerable. She looked down at her blood-soaked body, and licked away the few drops that landed on her lips. She had a grand niece now. And a powerful one at that! It wasn’t enough that Merry had borne two sons, blessed by the Goddess herself! No, she had to have a daughter as well- a daughter who exhibited all the signs of being a Chosen of the Goddess. This threat to her power could not go unanswered.
A knock sounded on her door. “You had better have reason for disturbing me!”
The Goblin King, Kurag sank down to his knees, bowing his head in supplication. “I apologize for disturbing you your Majesty, but I’ve just gotten word on that information you seek.”
Andais looked on in disgust, as Kurag openly fondled himself - this was a sign of respect in the lesser Goblin Court, “Kurag if you cannot control yourself I have no qualms about you taking his place.” She pointed towards the barely conscious, bloody, victim bound to the wall.
“I care not if that is acceptable behavior in your Court, right now you are in mine. In spite of your lineage, I expect you to have a care while in my presence. Is that understood?” Andais sneered.. She was spoiling for a fight.
But Kurag wasn’t King of the vicious Goblins for being well-endowed, he is actually quite wily, and did not fall for the queen’s obvious baiting. “Again, I apologize Your Majesty. However, if you attack me you won’t be hearing about your Grand Niece - I believe the name the humans gave her is Andrea Sachs.”
Kurag was also aware that the wind of change was upon them and the Queen had been in a dark, foul mood since that vile son of hers was killed by Merry, making Merry the sole heir of the Unseelie Court. In addition, Merry had secured her place by bearing children and having her Fertility Powers bring life back to the Mound, into the Fey. Babies were being born all around, the Living Rose-Garden was alive once again! He, himself, was hoping to request Princess Meredith’s presence at his court so that she may further bless it with her Fertility/Life and Death (they were the Unseelie Court) magic.
Andais just stared at him in that unnerving predatory way, “Very well. What other news do you have Kurag and what do you want in return? Remember, do not try what little patience I have.”
“Your Grand Niece is unknown by Merry. She was squired away at birth for her protection.” It was hard to keep the smugness out of his tone. Plus his knees were beginning to ache, worsening his disposition.
Andais paused in surprise before a wicked smirk appeared. “Hmmm. Do you know who the Father is?”
“No. But I do know where she lives. I’m thinking I’ll be asking for a boon though. I want the Princess to bless my Court. All the other lesser Courts have gained their magic, but we have yet to -“
“The Red Caps? Are they not members of your Court? And how is it that Merry has no knowledge of her bairn? I think it would be hard for her to of missed the 3rd child pushed from her womb, don’t you? She slowly circled him, making Kurag a bit… unsettled.
What the Queen did not know was that the midwife/healer who delivered Merry’s daughter, also wiped everyone’s memory of the third baby. That midwife was a Brownie named Morwen. She was small like all Brownies, with brown skin and skull-like features. They were magical creatures of Light who could clear a field of corn in one day or build a barn in a hour. Brownies were the backbone of both Courts. They were the chefs, the tailors, or craftsmen of either court.
Princess Merry’s grandmother was a Brownie. She was the only true-parent Merry had left and was well loved by all Brownies. Unfortunately, she had lost her sanity and died due to the scheming of a Seelie family member.
Morwen had been given the honor of looking after Merry’s interests in the event of her grandmother’s death. This honor was what had compelled Morwen to steal the child away. Instinctively the Brownies knew that the girl would have suffered death or insanity should she have remained at the tender mercies of Court intrigue-particularly because of the Prophecy.
“The Red Caps are a law onto themselves and have pledged allegiance to the Princess. Most now live with her in that place of steel and glass to the West. Princess Merry or the Fathers have no knowledge of Andrea’s existence because it was wiped clean by Morwen.”
Queen Andais knew about the Prophesy and hadn’t put much stock in it - until now. The girl-child meant trouble. Now to find this Brownie. She could not afford for this Brownie to wake Andrea. It would destroy her, and that, she could not allow.
****
Chapter 4a
Andy loved watching her little cousins ‘rough-house’ - they seemed so carefree, innocent. She wondered if any of them were… different - like her? She was currently staring out into backyard, while her mother finished puttering in the kitchen, preparing the potato salad for Andy’s Post-Graduation-Moving-to-New York City-Celebration. Andy graduated with honors and an Ex named Max, the heart-break was extra.
“Look Andy, I love you but I can’t move to New York City! My family is here and I’ve been offered an internship at this prestigious law firm here in Chicago.” Max was busy packing up her own apartment to move back home.
“But I thought we’d try to make it work somehow? “ Andy could feel the tears running down her cheek.
“Andy, you don’t even have a job waiting for you. I mean - maybe if you’d accepted that scholarship to either Stanford or Brown…,”
“That’s what this is really about isn’t it?” Andy knew that Max never thought her journalism major was as ‘honorable’ or prestigious as wanting to be a lawyer or doctor.
Max stopped for a moment and spoke what was really in her heart. “Come on Andy?! You’re super smart, you graduated with honors. You could be anything you wanted.” Max stopped packing for a moment, looking down at her hands before sighing, “What you need to do is find your way. Don’t you know how special you are? You have a lot of unanswered questions about who and what you are. I think this is the beginning of an important journey and will start to give you those answers. Because not having them? Never fills that hole inside you.”
“Besides if you were a lawyer? You’d probably end up being some kind of ‘bleeding-heart’ lawyer from some kind of non-profit,” she chuckled sadly.
Andy knew that Max always thought she was a little too optimistic or naïve, “There’s nothing wrong about wanting to know the truth and fighting for what you believe in.”
Max lifted hand to cup the side of Andy’s face, while stroking her thumb through her tears, placing her other arm around Andy’s waist, pulling her against her body, “I’m sure you’ll be very good at it. I’ve always believed in you.”
“I know the world is far from perfect - but I can’t stand seeing something wrong and not trying to do something about it. “Max could hear the passionate conviction in Andy’s voice.
“Besides I HATE being one of those people who complain about injustices and never does anything about… keeping the ‘power structure on their toes is what being a journalist is about. Chronicling the human condition. And what’s more fascinating than that?!”
Max just looked on fondly, before turning away to continue packing, “You know… while you’re in New York you could try to find… Her.”
Before Andy could offer a stunned response, Max continued, “I’ve always felt as if there was a 3rd person in the room. Maybe one day you’ll tell me who she is?”
“Wha - , how did…” she gulped, “What are you talking about?”
“Andy I love you, but when your eyes glow in that certain way, right before you come so beautifully I can tell that you’re somewhere else -“
”But that’s not proof I was thinking of Her,” Andy interrupted, “I was having an orgasm!”
Max stepped into Andy’s body and chuckled, “Indeed we had some delicious moments. But Andy you always forget that I have a bit of the Sight, and when you’re having particularly intense feelings, you project. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve see Her.”
A deep blush spilled over Andy’s skin, “Oh yeah, I keeping forgetting that about you… I’m sorry Max. You do know I love -“
Max wrapped her arms around Andy’s shoulder, kissing her gently on her full lips, “Sweetie, it’s cool. I’ve always known you were meant for something bigger and I, for one, was not meant to be a part of that… directly anyways. You’ll ALWAYS have me Andy.”
They made mad passionate love one last time before Andy had to leave to prepare for the Graduation ceremony later on that day - and her family. Not to mention having to get rid of red-swollen eyes from crying.
Andy contemplated all of this while standing in front of her parents’ sliding glass doors. What she never told Max was that going to New York City, starting out on her own, was the beginning of her journey to self discovery.
She thought of her latest dream about Her, and had to clench her thighs together to stave off the sudden twitch of her cunt.
The hotel lobby in Chicago again. Andy was sitting at the bar, sipping her favorite bourbon: Baker’s. Suddenly she felt a shift in the air… She’s here! She whipped her head around, looking, seeking. There! She could feel something shift inside her. Like a warm wave, threatening to spill over, movable images shifting on her skin, her eyes feeling increasingly hotter. She just stood in the doorway, trapping Andy’s gaze in her own glowing, icy-blue, heat.
The smell of rain filled the air and her own answering scent of roses grew, mingling with rain - a greenhouse in a bar. Andy’s gaze was finally released, allowing her to slowly travel down that smooth, milky column, locking on a steadily throbbing pulse. Andy wanted desperately to have her lips sucking and nibbling on that pulse-point.
Full breasts covered by an expensive-looking silky pale blue blouse, accentuating her creamy skin. Andy wondered if her nipples were pink or were they a darker pink, with a hint of red? Would they turn dark berries after being suckled, nibbled, bit, or pulled? Her mouth watered, even her teeth ached, at the thought.
Would she let her? Would she cup her head, run those long, tapered fingers through her hair? Would she make a sound? What kind? A gasp, a moan… a growl? Would she let Andy bite down? Andy’s eyes briefly closed in ecstasy, chest heaving at that thought.
The thought of tasting this woman’s blood made her nipples ache, her stomach clench, her hands to tremble. The need grew, taking over every one of her senses. Suddenly she was in front of Andy, exhibiting an unnatural stillness, like a cobra preparing to strike. Heat built up between them,, surging through Andy until her clothes felt too tight, chafing against her skin. She knew her own pulse point was beating wildly and she wondered if She could hear it.
She leaned down, Andy gasped, her hips thrusting up wanting to rub against the woman’s abdomen, as the woman ghosted her lips over Andy’s pulse, nuzzling… it was too much. Andy almost couldn’t take the deluge of feelings and Power filling her like an over-flown cup. She had the urge to run, her body tensing for flight. But Andy sensed that this was no ordinary woman but a predator who’d give chase.
Andy also wondered if the woman could smell her. She knew her panties were completely soaked, she could feel her cum trickling down the crack of her bottom. She hoped she didn’t leave a wet spot on the chair. Particularly, as she felt the woman gently lick her pulse-point, up to the edge of her ear, to hoarsely whisper, “Who are you?”
The woman’s hands gripped Andy’s wrists, before sliding up her arms until she came to her biceps, gripping them, stepping into her body, holding Andy in place. Andy whimpered in sheer want - she’d never felt anything like this!
Andy felt her hot tongue circle the rim of her ear (her ears were so sensitive!), before thrusting, swirling, in, mimicking another motion. Andy’s own hands came up to the woman’s shoulders, looking to hold on because she felt like she was drowning, her legs trembled so much she feared she would fall to her knees. Andy’s hip started making small circular motions on the chair, her clit rubbing against the zipper on her jeans providing little relief to the tenacious ache in her pussy. She felt she was standing in the dessert at noon. Only it wasn’t painful or uncomfortable. The answering energy sluiced over Andy like dew in a jungle, steamy, smelling strongly of roses and humidity.
The woman growled, eyes narrowing to slits, as she asked again, “Who are you? Why are you invading my dreams? What do you want?”
Her hands moved to Andy’s sides, stroking up and down, down, over Andy’s hips to cup her ass to firmly snuggle into her stomach and thighs.
Andy gasped, her feet kicking out in surprise, before coming up to hook around the woman’s thighs, her nipples eliciting her nipples a pleasure-pain sensation they scrapped her lacy bra, “Oh Goddess!” she could feel more cum weeping from her cunt. Her clit felt swollen to the size of a marble.
The woman did not appear unmoved either. Her face had a fine sheen of red…was that… blood instead of sweat? Only Vampires sweated and cried blood! But the heat flowing off the woman’s body was like the heat coming off black-top on a hot summer day. Nothing like the cold you would expect from a vampire.
In the dark, her eyes glowed silver, hardly any irises present, and a delicious lock of snow-white hair fell over the woman’s brow. She was nuzzling Andy’s jaw-line now, moving closer to her mouth. Andy could feel her breath scorching her skin, the scent of her, over-powering and delicious. Andy’s mouth opened to scent her even more, turning her head to that intoxicating mouth.
The woman lifted her head a little to stare into Andy’s eyes. “What are you?”
Andy whimpered again. “I don’t know!” she said, before crushing her lips to the woman’s.
That was when Andy had suddenly woken up, gasping and sweating. She quivered in want… Damn her!