by I. T. Lucas
“I’ll do my best.”
“Good.” Bowen nodded. “Did Vlad tell you about fated mates?”
“No.”
“Ah.” He resumed walking. “It used to be a belief, a myth of sorts, that every immortal had one special person who was destined for him or her, but that only a chosen few were deserving enough for the Fates to reward them with that most precious of boons.”
“Used to? I assume that it was proven wrong.”
“On the contrary. We've had several such wonderful pairings in our community lately.”
“That’s great for them. But why are you telling me that? I’m human. I can’t be Vlad’s special person.”
“Perhaps you can. It’s up to the Fates.”
“How? Are they like fairy godmothers who come and grant wishes of immortality?”
“Something like that. The belief is that the Fates favor those who have either suffered greatly or sacrificed a lot for others.”
Wendy hadn’t sacrificed for others, but she’d definitely suffered.
Was Vlad her reward?
It was a comforting thought, but it had no basis in reality.
It was just one of those stupid beliefs that people made up to make sense of pointless suffering.
71
Vlad
Vlad stared at the pile of condom boxes, wondering if Bowen had bought that many as a joke or as a compliment.
A variety of brands, each in two sizes, all promised a superb undiminished experience, which Vlad interpreted to mean that condoms took away from the fun. When a manufacturer claimed to be better at something than others, it usually pointed to a problem that all brands of the product shared.
Like diet drinks promising no artificial taste meant that they all had it.
Lifting one of the boxes, he held it up in front of his face and grimaced. He didn’t like the idea that his and Wendy’s first time would be a diminished experience just because he couldn’t make up his mind.
Perhaps he should wait until he was sure that she was the one.
Then he could tell her about the transition, and they could have their first time together without an artificial barrier between them.
If not for her betrayal, the decision would have been easy, but he didn’t trust his own feelings. Wendy was his first girlfriend, and everyone knew the power of first love.
The hormonal maelstrom, the yearning for physical intimacy, the sheer pleasure of not being alone, all of those mixed together created a powerful elixir that muddled the brain. With time and experience, people got somewhat inured to the potent combination and learned to guard their hearts.
Would he ever know for sure?
Lovemaking with a barrier would not induce Wendy’s transition, but it might induce the formation of the bond between them.
If that happened, it would eliminate the last of his doubts.
Condom it is. Vlad chose a box at random, pulled out a packet, and tore off the wrapping.
What was he supposed to do with that? It looked tiny.
It probably stretched.
Perhaps he could find instructions on YouTube. If there was a video about how to kiss a girl for the first time, there was probably one about the proper use of condoms.
After checking that the door was locked, Vlad pulled all the window shades down and sat on the couch.
Typing the search phrase, he didn’t expect to find many suggestions, but surprisingly, there were many clips to choose from. He selected the one with the most views.
As Vlad watched the guy demonstrate putting a condom on a zucchini, he laughed so hard that the entire motorhome shook. The zucchini was mounted on a stick, had a large mushroom stuck on top of it, and had two wrinkly tangerines flanking its bottom.
After several minutes and deep breaths to stop shaking from laughter, Vlad pulled his pants down and followed the instructions.
The thin, easily breakable membrane didn’t do well with his long guitarist’s fingernails, and the first condom tore, and so did the second, and the third.
He succeeded with the fourth.
Two things became very clear. One, he needed to clip his nails and file them smooth, and two, condoms were a pain.
Maybe he should just make up his mind, or wait with sex until he did.
Except, inducing Wendy’s transition was not the only thing unprotected sex could result in. He could get her pregnant, and they were both too young for that. With the low fertility rate of immortals, that was a remote chance, but it could happen.
Perhaps Wendy could go on the pill? Or take a contraceptive shot? That way, they could forgo the condom and induce her transition without risking pregnancy.
The only problem with that was the wait.
Wendy had hinted that she was ready, and if he kept delaying things, she might think that he didn’t desire her, or that there was some other problem.
Was the small inconvenience of using condoms worth all that trouble?
With a groan, Vlad pushed his bangs back.
If Wendy wasn’t on birth control pills, and there was no reason for her to be because she was still a virgin, he could use this as an excuse to postpone things. Bridget could send them a prescription, and Bowen or Leon could go to a pharmacy to buy them.
That would give him about two more days to reach a decision. Or maybe even longer than that. What if she needed to take the pills for a few days before it was safe to have unprotected sex?
A quick internet search provided the answer, and it was a definite no. If taken on the fifth day after the start of a period, the pill would be effective right away. Otherwise, it would take seven days.
If Wendy had menstruated recently, Vlad would have known that, and she hadn’t, which meant either waiting a week or using a condom.
Good things came to those who waited, right?
Another week would give him enough time to make up his mind whether Wendy was his one and only or not.
Except, that was a lie.
Vlad already knew that she was.
He loved her, and imagining her gone from his life was intolerable. But he needed more time to make sure that he was right, and that he hadn’t given his heart to the wrong girl.
72
Kalugal
Rufsur opened the fridge and grinned. “Thank you, Vivian. She made dinner for us.”
“How do you know it was her?” Hivak asked. “Maybe it was the cyborg?”
Rufsur shrugged. “Whoever it was, has my thanks.” He pulled out a glass container and opened the lid. “Lasagna.”
“I could eat.” Kalugal walked into the kitchen and sniffed the dish. “Smells good. What do we do with it now?”
“Pop it in the microwave.” Jacki got up from the couch.
He was next to her before she made one step. “You heard Bridget. She said that you need to rest. I’m sure Rufsur knows how to operate the microwave oven.”
“And you don’t?”
Kalugal shrugged. “I’m sure it’s not difficult to figure out.”
“You are such a spoiled prince.” She plopped back on the couch. “The truth is that I’m tired. It was a long day.”
“Indeed.”
After their hosts had departed, he and his men had searched the place for bugs, going over every inch of wall, furniture and appliance. Those suckers could be the size of a mosquito, and it had taken them over two hours to discover absolutely nothing.
That was worrisome. Kian was too suspicious, bordering on paranoid, to forgo installing surveillance equipment in the house, not unless he had other means of spying on them.
They had checked his and Jacki’s cuffs at home, and although they emitted a signal, they didn’t record or transmit voice. Still, it was possible that the ones William had brought for Rufsur and Hivak could do that, but they didn’t have the equipment to check.
The other option was that the phones, tablets, and laptops that William had brought for them were bugged. That was why they’d stashed the devices in the
pantry, which had the same excellent soundproofing as the rest of the house.
The one problem with that was that it necessitated checking every fifteen minutes or so whether any of them had gotten texts, emails, or phone calls.
Kalugal sat next to Jacki on the couch and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “After dinner, it’s off to bed with you.”
“I’m not arguing.”
“That’s a first.” He kissed the top of her head. She really must be exhausted. “If you feel better tomorrow, we can go for a walk.”
“That would be nice.”
Before leaving, Kian had taken Kalugal aside and explained the rules of conduct. The four of them needed to stay together at all times. If they left the house, the guards posted outside would follow them around. Naturally, the guards had earplugs to safeguard them from his compulsion.
It didn’t feel good to be treated with such suspicion, but Kalugal was grateful to Kian for making such a big compromise. Inviting him and Jacki and his two men had been a difficult decision for Kian, and if he needed to put safeguards in place so he could sleep easier, so be it.
The important thing was that Jacki would get the care she needed from an experienced immortal doctor in a proper medical facility.
“Dinner is served,” Rufsur announced.
He and Hivak had set the table, and Hivak had even chopped up some vegetables for a salad.
“Is there a grocery store in this place?” Rufsur asked. “There is enough food in the fridge to last us a few days, but if we stay longer, we will need to restock.”
“I’ll have to ask one of our hosts.” Kalugal helped Jacki to the table. “Or you can walk outside and ask the guards.”
“They are wearing earplugs.”
“You can write the question on your phone and let them look at it,” Jacki suggested.
“I’m surprised they didn’t put any guards with us in the house.” Rufsur lifted the dish and passed it to Jacki.
“Let me.” Kalugal took it. “The thing is still hot, and it’s heavy.”
“I’m sorry.” Rufsur cast a sidelong glance at Jacki. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“That’s okay. For once, I don’t mind Kalugal being bossy. I’m too weak to lift a pillow.”
“Thank you for accepting my help.” Kalugal put a generous portion of lasagna on her plate and then followed it with the salad. “So, what do you say about this quaint little home?”
“It’s not quaint. It’s cozy.” Jacki cut a piece of her lasagna. “And the best part about it is the soundproofing.”
“On that, we don’t have an argument.” Kalugal loaded his plate and passed the container to Rufsur. “I need to ask Kian what materials he used. It must be something custom made for the clan. But the house I have in mind for us is much bigger than this one.”
“Why? If you build separate houses for your men, you won’t need a huge mansion. This feels so much more intimate.”
A small house like this didn’t fit with Kalugal’s self-image. As his name implied, he was a great king, or rather he would be one day when his plans came to fruition.
“I have a different vision for our future.”
“Care to share it with me?”
He needed to do that, but not in front of his men. Rufsur was privy to all his lofty plans, but not Hivak.
Except, that wasn’t the main reason he wanted to have that particular conversation with Jacki in private. She might not see things his way and start to argue, which shouldn’t be done in front of others As king and queen, they needed to present a unified front to the world.
“Later.” Kalugal clasped Jacki’s hand under the table. “After dinner, I’ll serve you tea in bed, and we will talk while you are resting comfortably.”
She sighed. “Sounds lovely. I’ll just grab a quick shower first.”
“Of course.”
“I’m done.” Rufsur pushed away from the table and took his plate to the sink. “Hivak, you are clearing the table and washing the dishes.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kalugal regarded his lieutenant with a frown. What was he upset about?
Rufsur had seemed to accept that Jacki belonged to Kalugal and that he would have to set his sights elsewhere. Getting all worked up over something that was a done deal didn’t make much sense, and Rufsur was smart enough to realize that.
As Rufsur sat on the couch and turned on the television, Jacki put her knife and fork down. “I’m done as well.” She lifted her plate, but Kalugal took it from her hands.
“I’ll take care of it. Wait for me before you get into the shower. You are not feeling well, and I want to be there in case you feel faint.”
“Okay.” She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Instead of a shower, I’ll fill up the bathtub.”
“Same thing. Don’t get in without me watching over you. I’ve heard of humans who drowned in the bathtub.”
“I’ll wait.”
“Thank you.”
As Jacki headed to the bedroom, Kalugal put the kettle on the stove and sat down next to his second-in-command. “What’s bugging you?”
“I don’t like it here. It’s not safe. I know that you trust Kian, but I don’t. Not that I have anything against the guy, but he is looking out for his people, not you. And if he thinks even for one moment that you might endanger them, he will not hesitate to strike you down. That’s just how things are. The old us versus them.”
“What if us are them? After all, we are all related.”
“And so is Navuh and every member of the Brotherhood. I like Jacki, you know I do, but she is not worth your life.”
“That’s where you are mistaken. Jacki is my life.”
73
Jacki
Wrapped in a thick, fluffy towel, Jacki sat on the side of the tub and watched it fill with water.
The pills she’d taken hadn’t kicked in yet, and she could feel her temperature rising.
According to Bridget, as long as it didn’t get dangerously high the fever was a good sign. Her body was working hard on making changes.
It could have been much worse.
She could have lost consciousness like Callie and Syssi had. She still might, which was why she hadn’t argued with Kalugal when he’d told her to wait for him before getting into the tub.
It was nice to have someone looking out for her. She was no longer alone, and if the Fates did right by her, she would never be.
What an amazing thing it was to be part of a couple.
A loving couple, Jacki corrected herself.
Some people were miserable together, and because they knew each other so well, they also knew where to hit so it would hurt the most.
That was the flip side of marriage. It could be the best thing or the worst thing in a person’s life. And sometimes it started wonderfully and then one day it wasn’t.
Perhaps she should watch her big mouth and not argue with Kalugal so much. She should pick her battles carefully and only insist on the most important stuff.
Little things were not worth getting upset about.
The question was where to draw the line. If she agreed to never wear a bikini in public, for example, it could be an open invitation to other restrictions, and it could end up with Kalugal dictating what clothes she put on every morning.
In a way, he’d already done that by purchasing her clothes for her. Except, she loved everything that he’d gotten her, so there was nothing to argue about.
“Knock, knock.” Kalugal pushed the bathroom door open with his foot.
She’d left the door slightly ajar on purpose. With the crazy soundproofing going on in the house, no one would have heard her hit the floor if she fainted.
“I brought us both tea.” He put the tray on the vanity. “Thank you for waiting for me.” He took her hand and kissed it. “Let me help you get in.”
“Are you coming in as well?” Jacki let the towel drop and put one leg over the tub’s edge and then the other.
Kalu
gal swallowed. “You are not well, and if I come into the bathtub with you, I might not be able to keep my hands to myself.”
“I’m not sick.” She let out a sigh as the warm water enveloped her. “I took three more Motrins before you came. In half an hour, I will feel much better.”
Kalugal handed her a tall mug filled with tea. “I apologize for the crude serving vessel, but these big mugs were all I found in the cabinets. There were no porcelain cups.”
“Oh, the horror,” Jacki mocked. “The great Kalugal is forced to slum it in a commoner’s hut.”
He smirked. “The great Kalugal will survive the temporary discomfort, but he is very upset to serve his queen tea in such a crude container.”
Stifling a chuckle, Jacki took a sip from the tea. “You are such a snob, but I love you anyway. It kind of suits you to act like a royal.”
“That’s because I was destined for greatness.” He got up, turned on the water in the shower, and then sat back on the tub’s edge next to her. “You wanted to hear my vision for the future,” he said in a hushed, conspiratorial tone. “Well, this is it. I want to rule the world. Benevolently, of course.”
Jacki laughed, but Kalugal didn’t smile.
“You’re not serious, right? You are messing with me.”
“I’m very serious. I look at the world as it is today, and I don’t like what I see. It’s better than it used to be, but things are not improving fast enough. There is no justification for the ongoing suffering. We have the technology and the knowhow to feed and educate every child wherever she or he is born in the world. And no adult should go hungry either, or have her or his freedoms and opportunities restricted by religious fanatics, corrupt politicians, and other leeches who feast on the blood of innocents.”
Wow. Kalugal was not only serious about it, he was passionate. It was admirable that he felt so strongly about human suffering and wished to alleviate it, but as powerful as he was, that wasn’t a task for one man.
“Your vision seems to be aligned with the clan’s. Perhaps you can work on that together with Kian and Annani. This is too big for one person to do alone. Heck, even the goddess needs help from her descendants, and her progress is slow.”
