TITLE: Icarus Manor, chapter 19

AUTHOR: lillywhite1, but you can call me Casey.

SUMMARY: In a mysterious mansion in a secluded part of North America, a man 
discovers that he is far from alone in the world. Here at Icarus Manor several species of 
non-human description live together to survive in a world that does not know they exist. 
LAST CHAPTER: Mr. Boyd makes a desperate attempt that leaves the house in shock 
and also reveals his angelic identity. Orlando is undergoing a strange change and Elijah 
becomes concerned. THIS CHAPTER: William gets a much needed dose of reality…er, 
angelicallity?...from an old friend. Dominic also gets with the program.

PAIRING: DM/BB, hints of EW/SA

RATING: R

FEEDBACK: is my neutella on a spoon that makes me go all gooey and melty and 
mmmmm...

A/N: Text in asterisks (*) represents italics indicating remembering, creepy voice, 
thoughts, or general emphasis. This is a book and a work in progress. Be gentle. 
Comments to cswann1@gmail.com.

Chapter 19

William stormed towards the gates of heaven. He would have his audience. This was far 
too much to bear for even an angel. His wings unfolded and free hovered over him 
angrily. Various indescribable colors trailed him as he moved his celestial body through 
heavenly space. Every surface vibrated with sounds seen and colors heard, but he had no 
time for such beauty. 

William grasped the gates with both hands and pulled. Nothing. He pulled again. They 
refused to open. The shook them with all the strength his angelic soul could conjure, 
ripping at their glowing majesty and screaming his rage through clenched teeth. Some of 
the souls inside hesitated, as though hearing a far off racket, then went about whatever 
heavenly business they had. William doubted they could even see him.

“Don’t you think that’s quite enough, Willainterro?”

William gaped.  No one had called him his proper angel name in millennia. He turned 
slowly to see the last being in existence he had ever expected to see.

It was she. She who had stood beside him since time began. They had been blissful 
angels at play once. They had been companions so long neither of them could remember 
when they had not been. Since time had begun for them, they had been together. She was 
with him when the first trouble started, when he had warred with God over Amespha. 
The friendship they had had was never tested, for there were never any problems for them 
in heaven. When William began his fight for love, she had been there right beside him, 
fighting for him. William had won and lived on Earth as a mortal. But when he lost his 
love and returned to heaven furious with God, she had been right there with him, and they 
shared the punishment. She was banished to just outside heaven’s gates to wait for his 
return.

“I can’t believe you’re still here.”

“Since the day that you left.” The other angel looked up at William with sunflower eyes. 
Her gaze was as unfailing as her faith in him.

“That was so very long ago, Enoeviana.” William sat beside her and nearly wept for her 
sacrifice alone. She embraced him.

“It is good to see you again. I missed you.” She gazed back at the immovable gates. “I’m 
guessing since you could not open them that they’re still going to keep us out.”

“I’m so sorry, love. I always hoped that when I saw you again, I would be able to 
recompense you for all the trouble I’ve caused, the millennia you’ve lost just,” he 
gestured loosely, “twiddling your thumbs up here.”

“It’s not so bad, Willain.” She shrugged. 

William was confounded. All this time he had been mourning his loss and wringing his 
hands and she, poor Enoe was up here all by herself for decades of centuries, repaying a 
debt that she had not earned without his total influence. He’d have thought her as furious 
as the day she’d been banished there, but then again, a millennium or four was plenty of 
time to calm down and regain some perspective. 

“How goes the search for the one to make you love again?” She queried with a toss of her 
head.

“That’s why I’m here, I guess.” William rested his weary head on her shoulder like they 
had when they were new and together and laughed like children in the glow of their God. 
“Dearest one, I think I’ve found him.”

William was given a hard shove and then she screamed, “Then why are you waiting 
here!? Go get him!”

“That’s the problem, sweetie! He’s left me. I had to let him go, and then I couldn’t find 
anything but the pain of loss. I was dumbstruck. How could God let this happen again!? I 
would not be surprised if God did this to me on purpose.”

“You truly do think that the whole of creation revolves about your existence, don’t you?”

“I spent millennia pining for this heaven, now all I can think about is getting back to my 
prison.”

“Then why come here? To preach your case to the cruel God that has cursed you for your 
immortal life? That sounds ridiculous, Willain. You haven’t lost your love. He’s still 
there. What is to stop you from snatching him back? Win him! Where is the competitive 
edge to you that I always loathed to indulge?”

William shook his head in despair.

“What keeps you here, Will? You are so willing to give in to your familiar, isolated 
loneliness. He has not died, Willain. You have more of a chance at winning this time than 
you did the last by leaps and bounds. The only obstacle is of your own making, my 
friend.”

Enoeviana’s eyes twinkled with a new glow. Her hope gave him new hope. Of course the 
simplest solution was always the best, no matter how improbable or unwieldy it was to 
execute. 

“But how do I get him back, sweetie? Give me a chisel for that obstacle, will you?”

“Try telling him you’re sorry and you need him. Mortals love that stuff.” She smiled. 

Maybe this was all in his head, and all he needed was to confess. Maybe if he just told 
Dominic how he felt, he would come back.

He could do it. He could find him. He could persuade him. What bad terms they had left 
on! How hurt he had felt, but Dominic wasn't to blame. No one was to blame. William 
flinched. He'd spent all of his time after Amespha’s death blaming God and shutting out 
everyone who could have helped him. He couldn't let that happen this time. Not this time; 
Dominic didn't deserve to be shucked off and thrown away. This was new, and William 
found new determination.

He could have it. All he had to do was go get Dominic back.

But with the realization came the pull back to his body. He felt the falling coming, and he 
had not thanked Enoe. He caught one last look at her sunflower eyes smiling at him 
before he was whisked back down to Earth.

Enoeviana smiled a secret smile, being left alone again. The guardian of the gate 
unlocked the golden doors and searched the horizon.

“Enoe, are you ready to come back in now?”

She sighed and stood, “Yes, I am ready. I have seen him and spoken with him.”

The guardian looked puzzled, “Why didn’t you just tell him you had already been 
forgiven? He will find out sooner or later when he returns.”

“Yes, I know, but he would not have believed a word I said had I been on the other side 
of the gate. He will forgive me in time because then he will see why I had to deceive 
him,” She sighed, “though it didn’t make it any less difficult.”

~

Dominic woke suddenly from a nightmare. He dreamed he was falling so fast his skin 
came off and the wind was so strong he couldn’t hear himself scream, but the vague 
memory was replaced with a ferocious headache and an irritably full bladder, and was 
immediately forgotten. He stumbled gently to the bathroom, stepping over the sleeping 
bodies of his crew. His mouth felt as if something small and furry had climbed in it and 
stayed the night. A little water would cure that.

They had crashed at Toby and Topher’s place again. Their mom wasn’t around last night; 
she was off chasing her husband. Mr. Kean wasn’t one to be tied down and the 
unfortunate woman had been pursuing him since the twins were born. It was fucked up, 
but not so bad as far as the pack went. Plus, it had given the crew a great venue for their 
underage drinking.

Dominic stood in the doorway briefly, lovingly keeping watch over his comatose friends. 
The twins had moved together in their sleep, Topher forever guarding Toby. Jackson was 
sprawled on some couch cushions akimbo under a fitted sheet, snoring lightly. Bryant 
was curled up uncomfortably on the couch, minus the cushions. And on the bare cot in 
the corner, Tommy retained his aloofness even when unconscious. 

Dominic would have spent more time memorizing such a scene if it hadn’t been the same 
vision he was greeted with every morning for the past two weeks; it was the only time the 
crew was at peace, but he was getting tired of smoking borrowed cigarettes, the binge-
drinking, and the blind groping dance he did at four AM in search of something relatively 
soft to crash on. He felt shallow drowning his sorrows in pints and shots when he felt he 
had a much better place just waiting for him to return. The boys didn’t have an Icarus 
Manor. For them, annihilating any trace of feeling with whatever fermented product was 
within reach was the only way to quiet the anger and the sadness that permeated every 
moment of their lives. He wished he could take them with him, but that wasn’t the way. 
The environment had to change, not the people in it. 

The morning air was crisp and aided Dominic in clearing his head. He wrapped his arms 
about himself and watched his misty breath disburse as he puffed his way toward his 
sister’s trailer.

When he opened the door she was wearing her red robe and sipping tea at the table. Her 
posture was that of a war worn woman without the scars to prove anything. Her beauty 
was quiet, as if it were shameful to think of it at a time like this. She turned her grey-
green eyes on him, solemnly beckoning him to sit with her.

“How was last night?” She sipped from the steaming cup. “Anything exciting happen?”

“I don’t remember much, so probably not.” Dominic helped himself to the tea on the 
stovetop.

Her eyes flicked at him disapprovingly. “Dominic, don’t you think it’s time that we 
discussed the details of why you are here?”

“I have another half-month before the Rumble.”

“It’s never too early to plan.”

He sighed and sipped, “I told you I was not going to play dirty.”

“What makes you so sure you’ll win, Dommie?”

He scowled.

“You need a plan. You need solid allies in case things get out of hand.”

“So they can jump in and help me cheat? I don’t think so.”

“You assume so much, brother.”

“Our father *never* would have wanted it that way.” Dominic all but shouted.

“Our *father* isn’t here anymore!”

“You think I don’t know that, Astrid?!”

“Then when are you going to start *acting* like it?! Jesus, Dom! You’ve been out 
fucking around for two solid weeks! Every night you’re drinking yourself stupid and 
associating with those assholes you call your cousins. You were always better than them 
and you never could break free as long as you were here. You seemed happy at that 
estate, and I’m sorry I had to take you away so suddenly, but we don’t have time for you 
to grieve. The pack depends on you to revive it and nurse it back to health, and you’ll 
never be able to do that if you don’t command a little respect.” She glared at him. “And 
the first step in gaining respect is not vomiting on the neighbors’ lawn and passing out in 
their patio furniture.

“Now, there are a few things we need to discuss about the Rumble.” She stood and 
poured herself another cup from the stove. “You know as well as I do that there cannot be 
a Rumble for a new alpha unless all of the male children directly descended from the late 
alpha are competing. Then and only then can others enter the Rumble as candidates and 
all must be of age.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. This is all basic loup-garou law.” Dominic waved away the ancient 
mandates distastefully.

“It would do you good to hear it again.” She focused on him, gained his attention, 
“Richard asked me to bring you here because there has been unrest, and he believes that 
if he can beat you in front of the pack that this will end the disquiet. At least, this is what 
he wants us to believe.” She pulled out the chair and sat down without taking her eyes off 
him.	

“Wants you to believe?” Dominic noted his sister’s paranoid remark. “Astrid, that’s a 
little extreme, don’t you think?”

Astrid shook her head, “You don’t know, Dom. He’s changed so much.” She lowered her 
eyes to the table, “When Dad died he took over as Alpha and adopted a completely 
changed attitude. He distrusts every human and most werewolves. He’s paranoid, moody, 
and so very angry. I left him alone with Mom once,” a few tears rolled down her mostly 
hidden face, “He hit her when she didn’t respond to him. She doesn’t respond to anyone! 
Her cheek was black and blue for weeks...” She trailed off as the tears came full force.

She sobbed and Dominic cradled her in his arms. What a fool he had been to assume 
everything would be fine if he just disappeared for a while. He blamed himself. Astrid 
embraced him as her tears ran dry.

“Dommie, I’m so scared because I think he’s only brought you here to kill you.”

“Astrid, I don’t –”

“Please, Dommie.” She stopped him, “please don’t tell me I’m crazy. It feels as if my 
world has been torn to bits and haphazardly stuck back together, but all wrong. 
Everything’s out of place, and some things are missing, but Dommie, don’t tell me I’ve 
lost my mind. I couldn’t bear that.” She pressed their foreheads together, silently urging 
him to believe her. When she spoke again, her words were intense as she tried to make 
Dominic understand, “Just tell me you’ll be careful. I’ve lost everything, *everything* on 
Earth except you.”

“Sissy, I’m not going anywhere.” He tried to make it sound as believable as he could.

“Good. Then we have to have a strategy.” She leaned away, her resolve returned.

“Astrid,” He hoped she would understand what he was about to say, “As much as I want 
to, I can’t stay here. I have to go back where you found me.”

She stared at him blankly.

“I have never felt as free as I did there. It was the one time I felt that I belonged 
unquestioningly. The people there kind and I’ve really grown and learned things about 
myself I never thought could be. I found magic. I found love. And I can’t stay here.” He 
sighed, “But I can’t abandon you again. So much has happened to you here that I could 
have prevented, so just tell me what to do.”

She remained silent for many moments before steeling herself as if against some unseen 
enemy. “Then you’ll have to choose a successor.”

~

After many hours of careful deliberation, Dominic and Astrid emerged from the trailer 
warmly dressed and ready. They headed for the woods.

“They will be surprised with us arriving, so keep calm and spurn any advances of 
aggression. They will be suspicious.” She warned.

Dominic nodded as they plowed their booted feet through the underbrush and began their 
trek to a vague and dark destination. The woods were comforting, even this late at night. 
Dominic felt the trees beside him sway their branches gently, filtering the moonlight. He 
glanced through their browning leaves to the sky. The moon was half full. He was 
reminded of his time limit. The Rumble was scheduled for the next Howl. He had two 
weeks till he’d fight his brother, with or without supporters. He hoped that this late-night 
hike was not in vain; that this plan would work and he would find a successor. The 
pickings were slim and this man, they both agreed, was the pack’s best hope for a future.

The moonlight sifted down through the leafy boughs and Dominic felt his ears grow long. 
He blinked at the slight discomfort as his eyes shifted and his wolf lenses slipped into 
place. His pupils dilated and the forest was illuminated as only the wild animals saw. The 
change was as easy as breathing.

He focused on the direction ahead of him and watched Astrid shake her hair out from 
around her sensitive ears as they transformed. She scratched them lightly. It made 
Dominic smile. As old as they got or as serious as the situation was, she was still his baby 
sister and on some level would always be his childhood companion. He let a few 
cherished scenes from the gilded past dance their way across his inner eye. Memories of 
better times snuggled close around him and warmed him to the core. He smiled again to 
no one in particular. Perhaps for himself, maybe for William. He recalled William and his 
emerald eyes, child-like face, and perfect cupid-bow lips. A slow ache filled him.

“Don’t worry, Baby.” He whispered, “I’ll be home soon.”
~
Thanks for reading! Please email comments to cswann1@gmail.com.