** Dear Readers, (if you read this note in Azrael’s or Caelus’ Chapter 0.3, skip to the story!)
Your first choice in Saskia’s story appears at the bottom of this chapter. You will see it in bold. Choose wisely, some choices are small, but others have the butterfly effect and will change the course of the story for other characters across the Sonder books as well…
Once your choice is made, comment your selection. The choice with the most votes will dictate the next chapter - other choices will ALSO be written for minor choices, with enough votes, so you will be able to follow your path with the numbering of the chapter. The Prologue here is numbered 0.# (this section is 0.3), Part One will be 1.# etc. Your choice’s path will be 0.#.A. For example, after this section, 0.3, if you choose path B, you will proceed to 0.3.B to see your choice on the page. Once the next part is ready to begin, for example, once we leave the Prologue and move to Part One, the major choices will be locked and change the plot going forward, and minor choices will affect the relationships between Saskia and everyone around her… **
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The relief thrumming through her veins was almost palpable as she wiped her mouth with the back of her wrist. It was a mannerism she had picked up from Mauko.
The rabbit wouldn’t satiate her for long, but it bought her time. “Mauko, thank you,” she breathed. Mauko chuffed, butting his head against her and purring. Unlike small cats, Mauko’s purr had a little bit of growl to it, but he purred all the same. Saskia smiled, burrowing her face into his shoulder, his soft, cloudy fur soothing. ”We need to get to town, Mauko. This won’t hold me for long.”
The snow leopard stood, stretching his enormous paws, his killer claws sinking into the earth as he yawned. He peered up at her with his head tilted, his wide, beautiful eyes melting her as she smiled, peace blooming in her soul and she stroked his head.
They set off together, back through the forest. But Saskia paused, her peace disturbed as she remembered dropping the button. The Lady had told her to listen to its echoes, but she didn’t want to, not anymore. She shuddered, the echo already fading from her mind. She couldn’t even remember what it was, now that she had fed. She only knew how disconcerted her soul felt hearing it, like if a monumental piece of her had been carved out and surgically removed, the wound left to fester.
It didn’t take long to get to the town. It was a small, rural one. At its boundary, Saskia gathered shadows into her hand, throwing them over Mauko to cloak him. Using her energy like this would make her next feed much more urgent, but humans did not react well to a snow leopard, “pet”— not to mention this leash nonsense they insisted on! She couldn’t imagine leashing her companion, the gall!
She kept her eye out for an easy meal, but first, a bed. Mauko loved plushy beds, and this modern age had plenty of them! After buying a room with the money she, “earned,” from her last feed, they marched up the stairs of the motel together and Mauko leaped into the bed, turning into a Mauko-cinnamon-roll and tucking his nose under his big paws. His eyes were opened a crack, suspicious of her.
He knew she would do it. His eyes narrowed. As Saskia had predicted that he would leap into the bed, Mauko correctly predicted that yes, she would tickle the bean toe peeking out from his sweet roll.
Mauko groaned at her, pulling his beans away and she giggled at him, smooching the top of his head, stroking down his back and setting down her scythe. She didn’t need to expend more energy hiding it, especially since it wasn’t needed amongst the humans. She pulled the curtains closed, shutting the door as Mauko’s tiny snores were already beginning their rumbles.
Every town seemed to have one thing: a bar. That’s where she would look first. It may even be best to feed twice, considering how dangerously low she had gotten earlier. After walking the streets for a little while, she came upon one and swiftly entered.
Hunting this way was easy. Her purple skirts were gauzy and fluttery: as she walked, the movement tended to catch gazes, the fabric shimmering just right. It was translucent, just enough that a keen eye could spot her thighs and follow up to short-shorts. Her belly was bare, her breasts covered by a grey, leather bandeau top. She had an infinity scarf of the same gauzy material as her skirt hanging loosely around her neck, which she currently had pulled over the top of her hair like a hood, covering her cornrow braids. The braids only went to the back of her head and her hair fell down her back to her hips in big, loose waves, shimmering silver, teasing the length to the top of her bottom.
She walked with her head high, like a queen that owned the bar as a hush descended. She was the only female here, at this hour, and she sat with a flourish at the bar counter. She pretended to peer at the cocktail specials and counted to three - it was a game she played, to see how long it took to—
A man sat next to her. Her lips twitched, almost smirking, but she turned to him with a suprised look, eyebrows raised as she pretended to look him up and down. She covered her mouth with her hand gracefully, doing a double-take, gaze lingering between his legs. She snapped her eyes back to his, then with all the shyness she could muster, looked away quickly and turned back to the bar as though she had been caught staring, busying again with the specials.
The man cleared his throat, “good evening, lil’ lady.”
She turned, peering up at him through her lashes. If she could still blush in the regular way, she would have. But her blushes were not a pretty pink. “Oh, h-hello!” The character she chose today was meek.
The man had the biggest smirk plastered on his face. He leaned closer, tipping his baseball cap to her, alcohol on his breath, clear as day as it fanned against her face. She couldn’t stop her nose from wrinkling, but she quickly composed herself. He drawled, “name’s John. What brings you out here at this hour?”
”Oh, it is quite late, isn’t it. Well… Oh, this is embarassing,” she sighed dramatically.
”Oh it can’t be that bad,” he leaned closer, placing his hand gently on her knee.
”Oh but it is! I’ve— Well, I’ve been thrown out.”
”Thrown out?”
”Yes. From my house. My stepmother… She didn’t like my outfit! I didn’t even have time to grab a coat, and I could only think to come here.”
He nodded, feigning concern, “do you need a… Place to stay? It’s quite chilly tonight.”
She nodded, “oh yes, but where would I go?”
“I have an… Extra… Room.”
”I could never impose!” She was always appalled at how simply these stories worked. She would have to try one more outlandish for the second suitor tonight to see how much she could get away with. She really should feel a modicum of guilt, but the proper response from a gentleman was not to take her home to his, “extra,” room.
A little more small talk, and the man offered her his arm and escorted her from the bar. After walking down a few streets, she pointed out an alley, telling him she’d like to get a better look at a cat she had spotted. He didn’t seem pleased but went nonetheless.
There, she worked her magic. She flicked her fingers, weaving shadows at the entrance to the alley like she had to hide Mauko, in case of accidental onlookers. She grabbed his shirt in both hands, pulling him against her, her back on the alleywall as she tilted her chin up at him.
”Oh, wow— here?”
”Just a kiss,” she breathed, wetting her lips. “For my hero.”
The man leaned over her and caught her lips with his, bruisingly hard. He stiffened and immediately tried to pull away but he couldn’t as his hands dropped limp to his side. She caught him, lips firm to his, eyes fluttering closed. Her lips were black as she drew his life into her. When she had taken enough she set him down gently. His lips matched hers, his veins snaking black under his skin.
He would awaken. She didn’t like to kill them, unless they were especially vile human beings. It wasn’t a sin to hope with your dick.
Clapping sounded behind her and she whirled about, reaching for a scythe that wasn’t there.
”Beautiful as always, Saskia,” a man’s voice. A figure stepped forward, past her shadow barrier, a smirk on his lips. He was tall and slender, with sleek, black hair falling over half of his face. His visible eye looked quite amused, shining in a merry green.
She stepped back. This wasn’t a human, that much she was sure of. She was unarmed, and aside from her kiss, she really had nothing else to defend herself with.
”Try me next,” he mocked, “I taste very good.”
Something told her he wouldn’t. She backed away further, slowly.
”Saskia, alright, alright, I know you don’t remember me,” he sighed, the smirk gone as he noted her unease.
”How do you know my name?”
”I’d be hurt if I didn’t know about your… Condition,” he shrugged. “Look, I only came to return something to you.”
She was silent, watching him closely. He held out his hand. He waited. Impatient, he grasped her wrist and put the object into her hand.
”I’d tell you my name - again - but you’d forget - again. So try to remember, I’m a friend, alright?” He rolled his eyes. “Now I know you still need a top-up, let me make it easy.” He smirked, placing his hand behind her head and tilting her face up. Her eyes, black, widened and she tried to pull away but his other hand snaked around her waist, holding her close to him. He bent over her, brushing his lips over hers, and working her mouth open with his lips. Her knees buckled but, prepared, he easily caught her, his power flaring through her.
Her eyes rolled back and she couldn’t help the moan that left her throat. He was delicious! His energy surged through her body, flooding her with strength. His name suddenly flashed through her mind: Ryaku. She knew him! She dropped whatever he gave her, threading her fingers into his hair. Her heart beat- her heart was beating!- and she felt so alive.
He broke the kiss, his breath fanning against her lips, a wicked grin on his lips as he chuckled, “you remember me now, don’t you?” He set her down, then went to one knee, picking up the object and holding it out to her. “Do take this, and please, darling, try not to forget me next time, it does hurt my feelings.”
Her fingers closed over the item and she nodded. “I remember your name, Ryaku.”
”But not much else, right? It takes time, time I don’t have now, Daughter of Darkness,” he placed a kiss to the backs of her fingers. “Put it under your pillow, alright?”
She nodded, still high from the energy thrumming through her. He stood, and walked past her, out the other end of the alley. Once he was gone, she placed a hand over her chest, counting the thumps in awe.
Her heart was beating!
She didn’t know how long it had been since it had last. In a daze, she returned to her room with Mauko, who opened one sleepy eye just a crack, chuffed a greeting, and curled tighter into his ball.
She remembered she was holding something: she opened her hand, and the high she felt left her in a rush.
The button.
** Saskia’s choices:
A : With a sneer of disgust, Saskia marched to the window, throwing it open, and hurling the cursed thing as far as she could. Like hell she’d let this thing trick her mind again! She snapped the window shut, then smirked. Maybe the handsome fellow would come back with it— wait, what was she thinking?!
B : She brushed her fingers over the embroidery. He said he was a friend. And he had willingly gifted her a part of his soul just now. The thought of it curled her toes and she held the button tightly. He was a friend. No enemy would do that. She slipped the button under her pillow without a second thought.
C : She dropped it on the dresser, then ran back out the hotel as fast as she could, heading back to the alley to find him. How did he have it, and why did he want her to go through its echoes again?! Did he know The Lady? She had to question him, now that she was back to her senses!
Choose wisely, dear readers… **
