The Cynn Cruor Bloodline series looks into the lives and loves of the Cynn Cruor warriors, immortals that are infused with the Kinaré gene – the amalgamation of vampire/werewolf/human blood.  They live among us. They look like us.They may be us.During my research and writing, I have been fortunate enough to interview them, to be able to give my readers a glimpse of their world and what they do.  Here is an interview I had with Graeme, the Head of the Cynn Cruor Manchester Faesten’s security.
Interview with Graeme Temple, Head of Security of the Cynn Cruor Manchester FaestenThe Borders, Scotland
Kate Corrigan, Graeme’s mate meets me at the door of the house where the interview will take place. She smiles warmly as we shake hands.
Kate:  Isobelle! We finally meet.  Graeme is inside waiting for you. (We both look up at the sky). With the days getting longer, twilight is just like four in the afternoon.
Isobelle: The rainclouds are fast approaching. That should help Graeme.
Kate smiles: Yes it will. Let’s go in so that you can begin the interview.
Dust covers several parts of the house. Roman blinds fall half way down the windows to shield the bungalow’s interior from the sun outside. I see Graeme in the kitchen and smell bacon cooking.  I laugh. He turns and grins.
Graeme: Isobelle! Give me a sec. I finally get to eat bacon in peace.
Isobelle: Because Eirene isn’t here.
We all laugh. Once Graeme has eaten and we all have a mug of coffee in our hands, we settle down for the interview. Graeme has his arm around Kate who sits beside him.
Isobelle:  Thank you for finally granting this interview Graeme.  I hope that you have fully recovered from your injury. 
Graeme: Yes, it seems I have. Forgive me.  We didn’t get to finish our interview the last time.  So many things have happened since the last time we saw each other. (He looks at Kate.)
Isobelle: Uhmm….do you want me to come back?
Kate: No, please stay. (She smiles as she gets up.)  I have to write an article anyway. I’ll leave you two. (She walks to the dining table where she opens her laptop and is soon engrossed in writing. Graeme shakes his head sadly).
Isobelle:  Right….The last time we spoke you were preparing to leave for the Isle of Man.
Graeme (nods): Where I was injured. We had broken through Dac’s communications centre and during the fight he arrived. He aimed his weapon at Roarke and I moved into the line of fire.  Our armour should have stopped the bullet. (Graeme stares into space). We didn’t know it was a different kind of silver.  So I apologize that we weren’t able to continue our talk the last time.
Isobelle: Think nothing of it. You had to heal. Besides you found Kate.
Graeme (smiles): The woman who saved me from myself.
Isobelle: When I interviewed Finn and Roarke, they spoke of Dac Valerian and the Scatha. They also spoke of how Dac took away something from them.  Did Dac take away something from you, too?
Graeme:  Yes. Dac and his Scatha Cruor have taken away something from all of us. I was a Knight Templar and a Cynn Cruor. Dac had a hand in many of the atrocities done to Templar Knights even though we had already laid down our arms. He may not have shoved the sword into our guts, but he made his transfuges do it for him.
Isobelle:  Where does Kate figure in all this?
Graeme: She didn’t realize that the person she had been investigating for a very long time turned out to be a Scatha Cruor. She was investigating his connection to many of the paedophile rings not only here but abroad as well.
Isobelle:  And?
Graeme (looks at where Kate is still engrossed writing): I had to protect her and find her friends.  I didn’t expect to fall in love with her.  I didn’t expect to want her as much as I do.  To hope that she needed me as much as I needed her. (He looks back at me). I didn’t expect her to be my mate. I will die for her. She has suffered a lot too.
Isobelle: I know.  How is she?
Graeme (smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes): All I can do is to be here for her now.  What happened is still too fresh for her. I decided to give her some time with her parents so we visited them before coming over here. Kate wants to keep this place and I have to say I agree. The Borders was where I was born and had some of the happiest years of my life before we had to move.
Isobelle: You and your parents.
Graeme (nods): Before we had to move away so that people didn’t catch on that we were immortal.  Now that I’m here, I want to stay. This is also Kate’s hideaway but we still have a lot of fixing up to do.
Isobelle (hesitates):  Graeme, we are in the house that Kate hid in and where the Scatha found her.  Isn’t it dangerous to be here?  I can still see the damage the transfuges did.  The bookshelves are smashed. We’re both sitting in upholstered chairs that have been slashed….
Graeme (eyes hard): They have returned to the ash realm, Isobelle. All of the Scatha who knew of this place are dead. They cannot bother us here anymore. You know that.  The Cynn Cruor has this place and the house of Kate’s parents under its protection.  Security cameras have been installed around the house and into the forest.  The bedroom floor has been removed so that Cynn mortals can help build a command center underneath. This has state of the art sensors and equipment so sensitive to movement that we will even know when ants start hoarding for the winter.  Any Scatha worth his sorry arse will be killed before they even reach the periphery.
Isobelle: Okay! Geez…You don’t have to go Cynn Cruor warlike on me.
Graeme (stops himself from retorting and chuckles): You don’t fear us.
Isobelle: Uhhmmm…..no.
Graeme roars with laughter.
Isobelle (shakes head): Let’s get back to the Cynn Cruors. What happens now?
Graeme: We’re going back to Manchester in a little while. We still haven’t heard from Zac.
Isobelle:  He’s in a place that doesn’t exist but he’s with the Ancients. That’s something unheard of.
Graeme: I want to be there should Zac make contact. I feel stronger despite the silver in my veins.  I need to kick some Scatha butt.
Isobelle: Well, I’ll go ahead of you. The sun is still too high.
Graeme (stands): Okay, but we will see you in the Faesten soon?
Isobelle:  Of course. I need to get Zac’s story in as well for my readers.
Kate (looks up from her laptop and walks to us): Leaving?
Isobelle:  Yes. One of these days, I’m going to interview the Cynn Cruor mates. I want to know what all of you saw in each warrior.
Kate (laughs): That would be an interesting conversation.  Eirene and Deanna would probably like that.
Graeme:  I’ll see you to the door.
Isobelle: Really?
Graeme (rolls his eyes): I know how to dodge the sun.
Kate returns to the dining table to resume writing.
Isobelle:  Thank you for the interview.
Graeme: Thank you for making my Kate laugh.
Isobelle:  It will be okay, Graeme. You’ll see.


Midnight’s Atonement is now available on Amazon.
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