PLEASE READ: I am condensing this story from thirty chapters to fifteen... So if you have read it before and it seems a little odd.. that's because it has been re-formatted. Okies, thank you and enjoy the story!!!! - Cat (10-25-05)

A/N: Because my darling fan asked me to........ chapters! Thank you to Jessi and DodgerMommy for reviewing!

Prologue:

Two years, not an extraordinary amount of time, he reflected, yet enough time to savor the distinct feel of ‘coming home’. His lip curled up with a sardonic edge.

Home, he thought with a soft chuckle. There is no place like home… His eyes surveyed the home that he had left, abandoned, run from. There it stood, looking the same as it had the day he had left it. The maid had done well, he mused, not that he had worried about such things. With the amount he paid the woman, there had not been any room left for mishaps. And if there had been; fear of the Lord of the Manor would have certainly made her think twice about slacking off on her considerable duties. He shook away his wandering thoughts. It was late and he had to dine before retiring… He had business in the morning.

The inside of the mansion lacked warmth, not that there had been any while he had lived there. The stone walls and floors in the corridors kept the large house quite cool in the summer, which was a blessing. But in the autumn or winter months, the chill that hung in the dry air of the Manor was unwelcoming at best. Glancing carelessly into each of the rooms he passed, the man made his way to the study. This was one of the only rooms that felt welcoming or warm, though not because he was either of these things. Simply because the room was lived in, creating a welcoming feel. The study was his sanctuary, housing his books and other possessions that meant anything to him. Not that he had any items of sentimental value, he reviewed. No, worldly objects held little meaning to him, possibly because he spent so much of his time mastering the other-worldly. The preternatural. The magical.

The only other room that revealed his actual self was his bedroom. A luxurious escape from the rest of his world, a place where he could rest and rebuild. A place that he could relax… where he could be himself… No one saw his bedroom. Not this one. He had many that were set up with the appearance of being his. Many master bedrooms in the Manor. All of them belonged to him, but only one of them truly his.

“Oh yes,” he sighed, “No place like home…”

EXEXEX

“I hate it when he acts like this,” she fumed. “He thinks he’s so damn perfect. Perfect. Yeah. Right. If Adrillian is perfect, then I’m... I’m…” The young woman threw up her hands as she struggled for a word, “Then I have absolutely no magical ability

what-so-ever!” Her chest heaved and her eyes sparked with indignance. Her companion stifled the urge to roll her eyes, having heard the argument many times before.

“Trinity, he knows he’s not ‘perfect’. You know that. He’s just trying to get to you.” And succeeding.

“And succeeding.” Trinity grumbled, adding voice to the thought that Elexis had not said aloud. She studied her companion and grimaced, “Sorry. I’m going on again, aren’t I?”

Lexie nodded, “But hey, that’s what I’m here for.” She sent her best friend a warm smile, “Seriously, it’s ok. I rant about Johnny all the time.” Trinity laughed, that was true enough. Both of them had their share of relationship problems. But who didn’t? They were one of the most complex things that had ever been studied. Especially for two beautiful teenage girls. At nineteen Trinity was a year and a half older than Elexis and her two sisters, though each of them could pass from twenty-four to their given age. Lexie, the first of the triplets to escape the dark of their mother’s womb, was the calmest of the three, the purist. She had beautiful golden brown ringlets and soft, liquid hazel eyes. Her entire presence resonated with tenderness and comfort. Her sister Shantarra, who had sprung forth second, was the exact opposite. Often domineering and temperamental, Tarra had silky black curls and fiery green eyes. She was athletic, preferring karate to the gardening that often kept her older sister entertained. And lastly, the youngest of the troika: Corralihn. She was a balance between the other two, with a perceptive mind and a quick temper that was coupled with a wicked tongue. Her skin tone lay in between the creamy complexion of Lexie and the exotic tan that Tarra had received from hours in the sun.

Trinity, on the other hand, was an only child who spent all her time away from her legally adopted family, preferring to stay with her personally adopted family as much as possible. They had only been friends for a little over two years, but that mattered little to them. Their lives had changed drastically a short time after meeting each other, and that change bound them for life. Trinity Telluria and the Etain triplets called themselves sisters, for a bond of blood could not be stronger than the ties they shared.

“Hey Trin, Hey Lex…” Greeted the tired young woman who flopped down on the couch next to the taller of the two. At a mere five foot two inches, the triplets were used to looking up at their friend, who nearly towered above them at five foot eight. “What’s going on?”

Trinity smiled at Corra, “Nothing much.” Trinity told her, “Drill’s being an ass again.” Lexie grinned, “But hey, what’s new?” The three girls laughed, and Trinity looped her arms around them affectionately. They allowed her hug with firm embraces in return, used to her sudden need to be loving. “Drill’s got nothing on Alex.” Corra replied with a quirky smile. Both of the other girls shared a look, “Yeah, whatever, Corra. Alex is like…”

“An angel.” Lexie supplied. “He’s so sweet and thoughtful.” Her sister pretended to study her fingernails, “Yeah, I know.” She amended with a sigh, “I am so lucky.”

The door burst open, slamming against the wall with a sharp crack that caused the three girls to jump. “You are such a fuckin’ dickhead, Airik.” Shantarra snarled. “I fuckin’ hate you! Why don’t you just get the hell out of my life!? Huh?? Just go! If you are gonna sniff around anything that wears a skirt, then I can do my share of sniffing too!” Airik, the man being assaulted calmly put his hands on his fiancée’s shoulders. “Tarra, I do not ‘sniff’ around anyone. Seriously, how could I? When do I have the time? Between school, work and you… I have no time to go off and have affairs. I don’t have the time that you do. Or the desire. I have what I desire.” He spoke firmly into her face, his expression fixed into one of sharp disapproval.

But Tarra’s anger would not be so easily dissuaded, “That’s a fucking lie and you know it!” She yelled in his face, her small body trembling with the restrained urge to hit him. “I know that you fucked her! She told me!!” Airik shook his head angrily, “That’s because Marianna hates you. She doesn’t want you with me. You know that.” He pushed her back, out of his face. “But if you don’t believe me, then that’s your problem.” He started to walk towards the door. Shantarra wore a look of fury mixed with shock. “Don’t you walk away from me.” She growled in a low voice.

Looking over his shoulder, he shot her a look that read ‘And what are you going to do about it?’ as he continued to walk. Rushing up to him, she slammed his six foot four inch body into the door that had been slammed on the way in with surprising force. Fiercely she attacked his mouth with her own. The kiss was harsh and demanding, claiming and taking ownership.

Behind them Lexie cleared her throat politely, “Ummm. Hi, guys.” She murmured quietly, a pink tint on her cheeks. Shantarra spun around, surprised. Her mouth formed a little ‘o’ and she laughed, “Well hey there! What’s up?” She asked, abandoning Airik to plop down into an overstuffed chair across from the couch.

Trinity shook her head, “Not much. Hey, Airik.”

“Hey, Trin. Crisis?”

“Not as of right now.”

“Good.”

With that, Airik pulled Tarra out of her chair and ushered her down the hall. Their bedroom door closed with a loud thump followed by a muffled curse and rounds of laughter. The remaining three looked at each other and burst out laughing.

“Well, I hate to run. But I have a class,” she glanced at her watch, “In about an hour. I’m gonna go and grab a bite to eat. See ya guys later!” Trinity saluted at them as she headed out through the door.

Lexie and Corra sat in silence for a few moments before pouncing on the remote control at the same time. A struggle prevailed. Finally Lexie gave up and allowed the victory to go to her younger sister, who settled back into the couch with a smug grin. Smiling, she ruffled her sister’s darker curls. “Bye, you. I am going to go see Johnny, k? I’ll be back in time for dinner.”

As she left, she didn’t turn around or glance back. If she had, she would have seen her sister’s smile turn into a look of pain, of sadness. But she didn’t.

EXEXEX

He watched Elexis leave the house with a frown on his face; he had hoped that all three of the girls would be there for his arrival. He wanted to see their fear, he wanted to taste it. Oh well. He sighed, one had to settle for disappointments on occasion, it was a cruel world filled with crueler people. And none were as cruel as him. He laughed darkly at the thought. He contented himself to wait for a while, hoping faintly that Elexis would return, so he could have a proper homecoming. While he waited, the anticipation grew and festered. The urge to pace was overwhelming, but he ignored it and stood motionless amongst the trees. If anyone had looked outside, they might have seen the tall man, who stood at six foot eight inches, in the thick trees that lined the backyard. But no one looked. No one saw.

-

A/N: And there we have the prologue........ Ooh! Oh! What's gonna happen????

-Cat