HEY GUYS! I’m SO SORRY I’ve been MIA for a while. Exhaustion turned into FINALS WEEK which I made it through and now I’m finally home for a month. Hopefully I’ll be posting regularly, but with my insane life, we’ll see how it goes. I’m hanging out at home and trying to relax, just got over my mental exhaustion. We’ve put up the tree!
Okay so I haven’t done too much Checkmate stuff this week…or the week before that…or the week before that…But I’m working on it. I’ve been thinking of things to put on Pinterest–and for those of you who haven’t heard, YES I have a Pinterest! Linked in the Contact Page of this website. Enjoy!
Meanwhile, other recent pictures that haven’t been seen yet… hm…
Here’s Leo and Sadha!
They’re my Checkmate 1 couple and I adore them. My sweet darlings have finally returned after missing two books for Checkmate 7! Super excited to have the original crew back.
And now you probably want something to read. Let’s do more of Anquites’s story. If I’m going to post regularly, I’ll keep posting parts of this story, but I’m not sure if I’ll have any pictures or whatever added onto it depends on what’s happening around me and what I’m drawing. I’ll try my best to keep you guys happy though!
PART THREE
Agnatus noticed, after a few days, that Anquites was sneaking off and avoiding him, something which greatly upset him as he always liked his twin to be involved in his rash schemes.
It was the day after Anquites had found out just how powerful he was that Agnatus decided to follow his twin and discover his secrets. So, the very next morning when Anquites told Wjnya he was going for a walk, Agnatus came out of what seemed like nowhere to say that he would take a walk as well.
Anquites gave him an angry glare, but couldn’t say anything until they were out of the house.
“You’re not coming with me,” Anquites told him sternly. “Walk to Byru’s. I’m sure he’d love to see you.”
“And you wouldn’t?” Agnatus asked defiantly.
“No, not right now,” Anquites snapped. “Leave me alone.”
Agnatus drew back in shock. “Sheesh! What made you so grumpy? Also, despite your being ten hours older than me, you can’t tell me what to do,” he told his twin angrily.
“Oh yes, I know,” Anquites said in a sarcastic voice, “it’s I who listens to you. All the time. Come on, Agnatus, can’t I have a little time to myself?”
Agnatus stood there for a minute, rooted to the ground, simply staring at his twin.
“What on earth has gotten into you?” he asked softly. Anquites simply glared and walked away slowly, going more quickly once he realized that Agnatus was not following him.
Only when Anquites rounded the corner did Agnatus move. He ran as quietly as he could down the street after his brother and peeked around the corner only to see his brother look around discreetly and run off down a side street back in the direction of their house. Agnatus frowned. That was strange. He hastily followed his brother, though keeping his distance to see where Anquites went.
Anquites turned at the end of the street and turned again, back onto their street, making Agnatus endlessly suspicious. Where was his brother going?
When he rounded the corner onto their street, his brother had vanished.
“What the–” Agnatus said confusedly. He walked back to their house and went inside, passing his mother by silently and running up the stairs. He went into Anquites’s room, where there was a clear view of a street, and there he waited, watching silently for his twin.
—XXX—
Meanwhile, Anquites was very happy to be at Rucchio’s once more. The older man was much easier to talk to than Agnatus or any of his friends, and remained quite a bright spot in Anquites’s life.
That particular day, Rucchio seemed to want to know more about Anquites specifically.
“What d’you think of your family?” he asked conversationally. They were sitting in his bright living room on opposite couches. Anquites hesitated before answering.
“Mother is quite hasty to discipline,” he said truthfully, “and Father is mostly absent. It’s really just Agnatus and me…” he trailed off, staring at the floor.
“And?” Rucchio prompted him, cocking an eyebrow at Anquites, who looked down at his feet.
“And…my…baby sister, I think,” he said softly.
“Aye, you’d be right, laddie,” Rucchio confirmed. “Sensed her, didn’tcha? Gender an’ all.”
Anquites smiled at the older man. “I…I guess I did,” he said softly.
Rucchio stood up and walked over to sit next to Anquites.
“Like I told you, you’re more powerful than anyone I’ve ever known, laddie. Your brother probably doesn’t even have any idea that your sister even exists,” Rucchio said, patting him on the shoulder. “I’ve never heard of a warlock being able to sense gender…just life. Interesting.”
“What?” Anquites’s head snapped in Rucchio’s direction. “What do you mean?”
“Just that THAT ability is pretty unheard of–oh it’s not bad, laddie, you’re just special,” he told Anquites reassuringly, grinning at Anquites’s slightly anguished expression. “And I–”
But Rucchio stopped talking and his smile faded as he stared at the window opposite them.
“What is it?” Anquites asked, jumping up from his place on the couch.
Rucchio seemed to get over his shock at last and leapt up as well.
“‘Tis your thievin’ brother, laddie! Quick, after ‘im!” Rucchio yelled angrily, pointing at the window.
Anquites swore loudly, taking Rucchio by surprise, and sprinted out of the living room, through the foyer, and out the front door.
He overtook Agnatus just before his twin opened the front door, and grabbing Agnatus around the waist, Anquites hoisted him away from the door and pinned him painfully against the front wall.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Anquites growled in Agnatus’s ear.
“What do I think I’M doing?! What do you think YOU’RE doing, hanging around with that madman?!” Agnatus cried, groaning as Anquites continued to hold him in a rather painful position.
“Don’t you even THINK about telling Mother anything,” Anquites hissed at him. “If you do, I’ll know, believe me.”
“Why would you want to pal around with that old tramp anyways?” Agnatus asked curiously. “It’s not as though he’s any fun,” he added dolefully.
“He’s not an old tramp, nor is he a madman. His name is Rucchio Mankai and he’s a greater man than you’d ever know because you never cared to find out,” Anquites told Agnatus sternly. “And seeing him is the only thing I’ve been able to enjoy this past week, so don’t you dare tell Mother.”
“And what if I do?” Agnatus whined.
“I’ll burn you alive,” Anquites whispered menacingly, “because you would have done something far more painful to me.”
well that escalated quickly. For those of you who’ve read the book, I’m sure you’ll know what this is referring to.
Meanwhile, it’s been only a day since I realized that three people died this fall. My great-uncle died back near the end of summer, my best-friend/editor’s younger brother died in a drowning accident (I’m traumatized for sure), and my grandfather died as well. We had a rather somber Thanksgiving, and we coudln’t have one all together due to events and stuff happening, which was a little sad. I’m more hopeful for Christmas, however, and the giant party that my mom’s side of the family always throws. It’ll be fun for sure and it’s much needed after a really rough first semester of college. School was relatively easy. In fact, I could’ve done much better if I hadn’t been overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted most of the time. I’m more hopeful for my second semester. I know these updates are sad and stuff, but I’m hopeful for the future, which, to me and my family, is the most important thing right now.
Cheers, and if I don’t post before then, Merry Christmas!
–TheNoelleBird
“That is not food.” –Unknown, probably me
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