Stephanie makes their execution rather quick and more or less painless as she lets them suffocate. They didn't merit the exotic punishment Lord Gibbs had merited and she just wanted to get the executions over with. 

She looks at the girls that have blank looks on their faces after the execution and shakes her head. They are going to have even further shocks shortly. She just hopes that the girls are able to handle what they are about to find out.

Talon leads the way to his house. He had had it readied for his use while they were getting to Jet and Steven earlier. He fully expects the house to be fully ready for him and his consorts and chosen and their guests.

Once they are all in the house he makes sure that they are all comfortable before setting himself down. The maid that is there brings in their drinks. Talon doesn't expect Stephanie to wait too long to dive into things. After all she was looking more than a little upset at having to put things off like she had to, to deal with the other issues.

"Okay, which thing should be addressed first?"

"I want to know about my mother." Steven grits out as he stares at his uncle.

Steven's uncle sighs as he puts down his drink. "It's about time you knew the truth about her. Your father wouldn't allow any one to tell you about her. Probably because he didn't want you to get out of his control."

Steven narrows his eyes at his uncle.

His uncle sighs, he turns to Stephanie and Tracey, "My name is Bennet, and as you know I am Steven's uncle. His father forced my sister into marriage with him. She didn't want anything to do with him, but since he was a strong warlock and my sister comes from strong lineage of warlocks it was decided that they were to marry and have at least one child.

"Gibbs was abusive and my sister hated having to be with him. Hated his infidelity and abuse. When Steven was born she tried to leave him. Gibbs banished her from the community but refused to allow her to take you with her. She was forced to give you up quite literally. I was held back as they broke her arms to get you out of them. They then took her to the community limits and dumped her with out money or even clothes.

"But that didn't matter since Gibbs had hunters waiting for her. They took her and sold her to people, I don't know who. I lost their trail. I killed those that originally took her and was able to track her to the ones that they sold her to, but she had already been sold again. I killed those bastards and went home broken. There was nothing I could do about my sister or my nephew.

"Then my lover decided that she wanted Gibbs and so dumped me and threatened me about not saying anything about our relationship. We hadn't been together long so it wasn't well known. She hadn't wanted any one to know that she was with me. Although, that never made sense to me, I wasn't the strongest of the warlocks, but I most certainly wasn't weak. Level six war mage isn't weak by any one's standard. But when she took up with Gibbs the next day I understood only too well.

"That bastard not only destroyed my sister's life, took my lover and then when it was found that she was pregnant, possibly my child I hated him more than I ever had before and I had hated him pretty bad before.

"I swear, I knew nothing of the abuse he gave you, but even if I had there was nothing I could do about it. He was your father and I nothing more than the disgraced uncle." Bennet says bitterly to not just his nephew, but all those in the room with him.

"I am sorry that I wasn't even able to save your mother.

"I've finally tracked her down, but the location is heavily protected. There is nothing that I could do, at least not without Gibbs allowing us to go full out against the government lab. He would have refused me, I knew that without asking since he was the one to have her taken in the first place."

Steven sits there white and sickened. All these years he had thought his mother abandoned him to Gibbs tender mercies when in reality she had suffered far more than he even wants to imagine.

Stephanie feeling his distress goes to him and holds him to her tight.

There is silence in the room as they all take the time to absorbed what was said. "So, I am your son and not Gibbs's?" Jeffrey finally says to break the silence of the room.

"Yeah, and I couldn't be prouder of you. You have done exceptionally well for yourself in spite of him being the father in your life."

Jeffrey snorts in derision, "Once he realized that I don't have the warlock abilities he didn't want to have anything to do with me."

"You are lucky," Steven says more than a little bitterly. His father was far worse than he had even thought possible.

"Okay, we will come back to the problem of your mother later, Steven. I have no intentions of leaving her in that hell hole any longer than necessary. But, before we can do anything about that there is something that all you younger half warlocks should know. You all have great power locked away, I can feel it. I can also feel that the walls holding it are weakening, especially in Rikki. As a matter of fact Rikki's wall is just about gone and she'll be experiencing a power rush before much longer.

"I think that Jeffrey will be experiencing it shortly as well.

"As for the girls, well your walls are also thinning. I think that I can help you lower them with out them breaking. 

"What all of you will be gaining is the warlock powers that are yours by birthright." Stephanie's words shock them all so much all they can do is stare at her uncomprehendingly.

"However, I need to speak to Rikki and Steven separately. Jeffrey if you could escort your 'sisters' back to their home I would appreciate it. I will expect you three back here tomorrow after breakfast. No excuses will be accepted." Jeffrey and the girls stand up and nod still more than a little in shock at what they just learned.

The others wait patiently for those three to leave the room.

Once they do Stephanie turns to look at the two that are looking at her with interest.

"Steven, Rikki, I believe the reason Rikki's wall is about gone is because she found her true chosen." They look at her blankly and just blink.

Stephanie sighs as the other males look at her with wide eyes of shock. "Steven, Rikki is your true chosen. If you hadn't been made into my consort you would have recognized her as such on your own."

The two now look at her and turn white. "But that's not possible. She is my daughter, she can't be my chosen." Steven negates Stephanie's words.

Talon looks thoughtfully at the two. "True chosen's are rare. In fact there have only been like half a dozen in the whole of our history that I know about. When there are true chosen's it doesn't matter the blood lines. It's the magic that pulls and makes the connection. But that does make a problem for you two. She isn't one of Stephanie's chosen."

That makes Steven look at Stephanie in horror. He won't be the one to make Stephanie hurt.

"If they are true chosen, then I don't think that it will be a problem. Steven, Rikki, I hate to ask this of you since you two just met, but would you two kiss?" Stephanie requests politely.

"No! Stephanie, I won't hurt you like that." Steven says almost frantic at the thought of causing Stephanie such pain.

"Please, Steven. If it causes me pain I will make sure that you two separate immediately."

Reluctantly Steven looks for permission from his daughter and the one that he feels a strong connection to. When she gives it he hesitantly leans in and gently kisses her. When nothing happens he deepens his kiss and Rikki joins him as he fights his tongue with hers. Things heat up before Stephanie brings them back to reality and they both blush a deep red at having forgotten that they had an audience.

"Well fuck, I hadn't expected that." Tracey says moving to make himself more comfortable after that show. He hadn't expected any of his actions to lead to something so hot.

Stephanie looks at Rikki and Steven with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Steven looks at his chosen with confusion. "Why are you sorry, Stephanie?"

"Because you can't ever claim her like she deserves to be claimed. You are marked as my chosen. You can't mark her."

Rikki looks at her troubled. "I couldn't claim him as my chosen any how. He is my biological father."

Talon waves that away. "If it was known that you were true chosen then that would be forgiven. But he wears Stephanie's mark, that can't be erased. That bond is made and closed."

"That brings up something else, how come it didn't hurt Stephanie or us when they kissed?" Ethan asks thoughtfully.

"Most warlocks don't take chosen. The magic likely understood that and the fact that the two are true chosens. It allowed for that and didn't punish for the breaking of the bond made." Talon says after thinking it through. Not much is known about true chosens since there haven't been many through their history. So many of their books of history, spells and potions have been lost through the centuries since they have had many killed and their books destroyed.

"You will only be able to take on the mantle of mistress, Rikki." Jet says softly with sadness in his eyes. They all have rather taken to the girl and are upset that she won't be able to take her rightful place at Steven's side.

"I can't even take that. It was mentioned that he is my father. People will already know and I'll be unable to take that position."

"My vampires have already altered the memories of those that had heard that information. They know that your mother had helped him and he wanted to know more about her to thank her since she left with out him knowing who she was."

That reminds them all about the girl's mother. "She was captured and is being held in a government facility. Very likely the same one as your mother, Steven."

"Well, then, we have the location of our next target, don't we?" Stephanie says and the others look at her like she is crazy.

"Stephanie, the government facilities are even worse than the hell labs. They have trained military personnel and the latest weapons..." Talon trails off speaking as he sees the look in Stephanie's eyes. Instead he sighs.

"We'll need all the information we can get. We'll also likely need the help of the other supers."

Stephanie smiles more than a little wickedly. "Steven, what should your true ranking level be?"

"Ninth, fairly close to tenth level actually." Steven states hesitantly but more than a little excitedly.

Stephanie smiles delightedly. He is stronger than any recorded warlock in history. "Wonderful!" Steven wonders if it is all that wonderful. "Get with your uncle and find out what he knows about the facility that has your mother. Find out if it is the same one that has Rikki's mother in it. If it isn't then her facility will be the next one we research. We can't afford to have those supers there any longer than they already have been."

With her words the group breaks up and finds out the information that Stephanie wants.