Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Hush, Hush or any of the characters within the novels. I own only what comes from my own mind into this version of events.

The Best Laid Plans

Preface

Patch P.O.V. Loire Valley, France November 1956

Thick droplets of rain hit the ground all around me as I walked through the field to the cemetery. I suppose they were hitting me as well, and I could assume that it would be cold this time of year, but none of that really mattered. I was wearing nothing more than the pants that made me "acceptable" in society. Even my back, something I usually kept covered, was bare. I figured tonight would be a good night to let my scars tell their own story. I was allowed to not give a damn tonight. Tonight I was acquiring my vassal. I stepped past the fence lining the graveyard, wet marble reflecting what little light there was tonight. I strolled to the largest monument and perched myself on the top of it. Setting the stage for this carefully planned moment. Admittedly, my standing atop mausoleum in a misty graveyard would be much more impressive if I could have drawn up my wings behind me to blot out the moon. What can I say? I firmly believe in go big or go home, but tonight I just had to make do with what I had.

I heard footsteps sloshing through the waterlogged earth to my right, mortals -humans specifically- were so careless. I rose to my full height somewhere around 6'2" plus the 8 feet of monument below my feet. I must have been quite the sight, though as I said the wings would have had a nice affect on the scene.

"Who goes there?" A voice, the one I've been waiting on, called from the shadows. As if a minuscule patch of darkness could conceal him from me. I could feel my mouth twitching upwards. "Do not play games with the Duc de Langeais" he called out. I would damn well do whatever I pleased. He was here to be my toy, my pawn, not the other way around. The last of his sentence was lost to me while I was caught in my internal rage of this vassal's commanding of me. I cleared my throat, giving him just enough time to glance up at me towering above him before jumping down with a light splash.

"Duc? Or bastard?" I pushed one button at a time until I struck the right nerve. I always hit gold one way or another. He tried to defend his father now, his precious title. Title's mean nothing to me, they never have and I will not give respect to anyone, because their 'title demands it'. Earn it. I could see him tensing, feel him becoming more agitated at my defiance of him. "Your father wasn't the old Duc." In his mind, the equivalent of me telling him he was nothing.

"And your father?" His hands moved restlessly, sizing me up as he reached for his sword. "I'll ask once more. Who are you?" His voice demanded my compliance, my respect, but I still had none for this repulsive child. Instead I drew my shoulders back, making myself larger and more intimidating, not that I'd really need to be. I began to stalk towards him. He wanted to know who I was? Oh, he would soon find out exactly who I was.

"One of the Devil's brood" I glared as I stared him down, feeding fear into him, weakening his defenses. I could see right through him. I began snaking my way into his mind, flashing lights, shortening his breath, leaving him confused and scared. He could not beat me, he was nothing, at a disadvantage from the moment I'd arrived. It was pathetic really, and I wanted it over. Now.

"Listen carefully. I need something from you. I won't leave until I have it." A feeble attempt at defiance had spit mingling into the rain dripping from his chin. I was in total control. I seized his hands and shot pain through them, the feel of sticking your hand against a hot coal. "I need your oath of fealty. Bend on one knee and swear it." I paused, giving him the opportunity to command his own limbs to kneel in front of me. He used to to laugh, to try and mock me. Wrong choice.

His knee bent at my will, having no choice in the matter. He hurled in the soaked grass at his side, lucky I was kind enough to allow him to turn his head.

Weak.

"Swear it." I don't enjoy repeating myself, never have. More nausea hit the insolent boy. The was no escaping it, he would swear to me. He was mine and at last the words I waited so long to hear came.

"Lord, I become your man" he, Chauncey, the Duc de Langeais swore to me.

"Meet me here at the start of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan. During the weeks between new and full moons, I'll need your service." A fortnight where I could feel again. Be alive again. "You are a Nephil" though it disgusted me, I had to smile. I had a vassal. "Half human, and half fallen angel. Vulgar, but you'll suffice."

"Who are you?" His last meager attempt at getting information from me. Instead, I turned on my heel and walked away. "Are you fallen?" He cried from behind me, all but begging an answer. "Your wings have been stripped, haven't they?"

Torn.

He didn't need an answer, it was on my back, in the form of jagged black lines staring him in the face as I walked.

"This service I'm to provide, I demand to know what it is." He bellowed after me. A laugh emerged from deep within me, echoed off the stones surrounding us.

Again with the demands, he'd soon learn better.

Alright. Well I know it's been a long time and I'm sorry for that. If you had read my authors note you know that a lot has been going on with me. I've worked through a lot of it finally and I think I'm going to be able to focus on doing things I want to do again and not things I have to do. I went back home this summer for 6 weeks and although I had my notebook with me and a computer available, I didn't have the time to write. I was busy every day and it was the greatest I've felt in a long time. I'm back home now on my personal computer so updates will be coming more frequently.

In other news, I am considering having a beta for this story so if you're interested feel free to PM me and let me know. I don't bite I promise.

I am currently sick so please forgive me if anything up there doesn't make sense or is just riddled with typos. I went through and read over it and it looks okay to me. Even so, another update for this story should come fairly soon since I have another full chapter written out and am working on the next currently. I'm really excited for where this is going to go and I can't wait to get it out of my mind and into my notebook then on my profile. I will be starting school soon so I'm going to try to write out quite a lot of chapters in the next week and a half so that even if I can't write for lack of time, all I have to do is type them out for you guys.

Thank you so much for reading and if you want to review feel free, maybe a preview will appear in your inbox if you do!

~Ashh12