Chapter 2

Patrick Mullin is still in his honeymoon phase as Professor of Anthropology, specializing in folklore studies at the local university. His semester has been as exciting as it has been for his students. Midterms just before the Thanksgiving holiday went very well but now he wanted to spice up the tired outline he’d been given as a guide for the final exams.

The library head had told him there may be some dusty ancient scripts down here in the tombs somewhere. She said to look for an old wooden file cabinet. It had been described as the wood being so old it was almost black and it weighed a ton when it was stored down here. It had apparently been willed to the school from an alum who had passed away at his ancestral home in good old Ireland.

As far as the head librarian knew, nobody had ever even looked inside it since she has been there.

Professor Mullin had been down in the tombs for almost two hours and is beginning to think a trick is being played in the new guy. But then ... in a dark corner with a number of old wall map rolls in front of it, there it is.

He moves the maps aside. The cabinet wood is indeed black. It actually looks like ebony wood. Not your standard cabinet wood.

There are four drawers with tarnished brass handles. Starting at the top. He grabs the handle to open the drawer.

He let go almost as soon as he grabs it. It is warm like body temperature. Like someone had been holding it for a while and transferred their heat to it.

He tentatively reaches for the handle again. Yes it’s oddly warm but nothing else was happening so he pulled.

The drawer slides open very easily but he can feel that the drawer itself is heavy.

Empty! Not even dust, it’s that empty.

The second drawer, the same.

With frustration, he pulls on drawer three and lets go. The handle isn’t warm it’s hot! Not as to burn him but hotter than the first.

Curious, he goes back to drawer one, then two again. Sure enough, each handle is progressively warmer.

Grabbing handle three, he pulls on it. The drawer moves smoothly but with weight like the others.

It’s empty too!

Arghh!

Professor Mullin’s getting agitated that he’s spent all this time for nothing.

In his anger he moves to yank the bottom drawer open ... but stops short.

If the heat of the handles increased as he progressed through them then odds are that the bottom drawer would be hot enough to burn him.

He uses the back of his hand to test the temperature by putting it close to the handle.

He shakes his head and chuckles to himself. Nothing! No heat at all!

So, resetting himself, he grabs the handle to pull it open.

Aaaahhhhh fuck!

The handle flares in momentary intense heat! He try’s to pull his hand away but it’s welded to the handle. In near panic he pulls to get his hand free but he only succeeds in pulling the drawer open.

As it opens a mist escapes and a cold wind blows across the floor and up his back. A wind so cold it counteracts the heat in the handle and suddenly his hand is free!

He barely notices his freed hand though, because there before him is an ancient bound manuscript. The cover coalesces as the mist clears.

The book is quite large. 18 inches wide and about 24 inches high. Thick. At least 2 inches maybe three. There’s no ancient writing in the form of a title on the front but the top cover, at least, is tooled leather.

The work is very detailed, almost lifelike in intricacy. The entire face is covered in heavily needled evergreen branches with some sort of round red berry. And now, perched in the branches is a black raven. Whoever carved this did exquisite work. *1

In his excitement to immediately begin studying the manuscript, Dr. Patrick Mullin scoops it from the drawer, clutches it protectively to his chest and practically runs from the the tombs, not looking back for one second. He doesn’t even stop to close the bottom drawer of the old filing cabinet.

If he had been just a bit more calm and taken his time he would have seen the paper that was under the book.

It is a parchment really. Written in a beautiful handwritten Gaelic. It is a warning!

‘Warning to those who seek knowledge.’ ‘The dark arts contained in this manuscript are to be viewed and used only under the most stringent of light magics. Those of common birth and nature are counselled to leave well enough alone otherwise suffer grave damage to one’s soul. Written this 13th day of September, in the year 1752 at, Grianán of Aileach, Ire *2 In my hand, Taliesin the White, Grand Wizard of all Faie.

Even if the foolish professor had seen and even retrieved the parchment he probably would not have heeded the warning. Patrick Mullin’s mind is far removed from his ancestors in that he only thinks of folklore in terms of myth instead of the truth of the matter.

That being said, the other thing that went unnoticed by the excited scholar was the glowing set of Goblin green eyes that danced with mirth at the site of a mere mortal in possession of such a powerful book!

With the door to their room closed behind them Anne takes Althea back into her arms and fixes her gaze upon her lover.

“Althea, if there was any doubt, you have been and always will be the love of my life as well. So neither of us need worry on that score, ok?” Anne assures as she gives Althea a very wet and sexy kiss.

Letting go of each other they smooth their skirts and then Anne shows Althea where she can hang her clothes. The tour continues as she shows off the well appointed bath and other essentials. While doing this they discuss the princesses and chat with some excitement about the training they will lead.

They steal glances at each other, both wanting more of what they enjoyed last night but know they are on a timetable.

After the few private moments it’s soon time to meet their young charges in the kitchen.

After Pet passed out Griz let the us know that the princesses had arrived. They will be meeting with Anne in the kitchen shortly and introductions need to be made.

That sets everyone scrambling to get cleaned up. It’s decided that Pet will be left sleeping in mom’s room where she lay as mom hads her shower. As Griz dresses, Pam and I go to my room to shower together to save water. Wink!

“I guess we will have more playmates with us!” Pam says to me while she’s washing my back.

“From what I gleaned from all our fleeting mind messages that flew around last night while we were playing with Pet, that there are five princesses that will live with us now for training and other things?”

“I wonder what Griz meant by other things!” Pam says with a giggle.

“I guess we’ll find out soon enough. So, we meet back in mom’s room so Anne can speak with us before introductions?”

As Pam reaches around and squeezes my manhood, she replies, “that’s what Griz said.”

I can’t believe that Pam is still horny after fucking all night!

Hand in hand, Anne and Althea enter the kitchen to find the five princesses helping Griz lay the table for a snack tea.

Water is on the boil, cakes and sandwiches have been procured from the larder. As is common within the Gilded Lily the kitchen has expanded itself so there’s room for everyone.

Quickly everyone seats themselves leaving two chairs at the head for Althea and Anne. Althea sits as Anne stands behind hers.

“Ladies, I hope you have each found your rooms to your liking?” she asks as she scans the room.

There are various indications to the affirmative.

Anne nods and continues. “Shortly I will bring your other housemates in for introductions. I want all of you to be aware that this is all new to them as well. In some parts, you are ahead in knowledge. Tom and Inga are as of yet unaware of the truth of their lineage so we will be circumspect on that issue for the time being. Please take my lead on things in that regard. Am I clear?”