The Twisted Sisters of Crossed Lines

When I began daydreaming plots for the Crossed Lines series, creating enemies for our remarkably talented heroes was particularly challenging. I could have latched onto any of a wide array of pre-existing villains from Supernatural mythology, but many of their bios didn't fit well into the stories I wanted to write. So I decided to pull out my cauldron and make new ones.

Warning for minor spoilers for the first two stories of Crossed Lines.

Since Neal is an artist, I looked to the art world for inspiration. Cases of artists who suffered tragedies are easy to find. Not just artists, but many famous musicians and writers suffered from mental illness, emotional problems, and physical issues. Far too many had untimely deaths, not a few of which are cloaked in mystery.

From there, it was a natural step to speculate about supernatural villains being the cause. The muses of Greek mythology were sisters who inspired artists, writers, and musicians. What if instead of simply encouraging their chosen ones, they also fed off their creativity? That is the concept behind Electra and Maia Stavrou. They demonstrate what happens when a muse goes bad.

Much is yet to be revealed about the twisted sisters in Crossed Lines. As of the end of the first two stories in Crossed Lines, Whispers in the Night and Witches' Sabbath, we know that they can establish links to mortals by drinking their blood, which they savor as we might appreciate a fine wine. Once they've established a link, they can project dreams onto their chosen ones. While their victims dream, the sisters feed off their creativity and in the process gradually drain away their life force.

The sisters are not vampires in the traditional sense but rely on vampires to harvest blood. The demon Crowley claims Electra is the creator of both witches and vampires. He refers to Electra by what he calls her true name—Astrena, Queen of the Stars, First among Firsts. In addition to Maia, Electra has other sisters. Alcy was featured in Witches' Sabbath. Gemma makes her first appearance in Fireflies at Midnight.

The sisters have a connection to orchids, but the significance is unknown. Among their former victims are some of the giants from the fields of art, music, and literature: Titian, Goya, Mozart, Shelley, Constable, Pushkin, and Yeats. Alcy in a previous incarnation acted as Titian's muse, or Salome the Seductress, as Crowley calls her. Art historians believe that Titian used the same woman as a model for many of his paintings. She was never named. I chose to have Alcy be his model.

Mozart was Electra's protégé. We have her to blame for him dying at much too early an age. Now she has fixed her desire on Neal, while Maia has established a link to Sam.

In the third story of the series, Fireflies at Midnight, Maia is determined to meet Sam in person. Up to now she's only visited him in his dreams. Will Electra want to do the same with Neal?

Fireflies at Midnight on Archive of Our Own
Fireflies at Midnight on FanFiction