by Bob Dattolo
It soothed fires in my belly that I didn’t even realize were there, and I moaned through the experience, only finding that I had two trolls standing guard over me when movement to the side had me catch a shifter being stomped on by one of my guards. Dead with one stomp. Now that’s a nice bit of power to have!
As the blood and magic began to thin, I felt a strange sort of tug, trying to pull away from me. Too bad, I want it, and I want it all. It did take more power than I expected it to, but I yanked hard enough that the little cord holding everything in snapped…and his struggling heartbeat stopped.
I shoved him away and stood, wiping the blood from my lips, “That. Was. Awesome.”
The troll to my side held out another shifter, this one looking pretty beaten up.
“Aww, for me? Thank you, Mom!” The trolls laughed at my response as I latched onto the offering and sucked her dry as well. No magic, but the blood…wow. I need to add this to my diet more often.
By the time I was done with my sippy pack, the killing was done. The yard was filled with standing shifters, while another 40 or maybe 50 were kneeling, trembling in fear. I found Leticia in a small circle of shifters.
“No, Leticia. You took the pack. It’s yours!” The one I swear was her alpha said, slashing his hand to the side.
“No! It’s not! I only took command for the attack. That’s it. I’m 16, I’m in no position to run a pack! Not well, that’s for sure!”
A man stood just behind her, “Sweetie, we can all feel it. The pack is yours.”
“No. It’s not. Please don’t make me try and take it. I was only doing it to help save us!”
The alpha woman bowed her head, “I don’t understand. You have the power to rule…”
This time power accompanied Leticia’s denial, “I don’t want to rule our pack. I don’t. Maybe if I’m older, but I would prefer to start my own. I love this pack. I love you guys. I love how you run things. I love my parents. I’m not here to force my way in. Why do you think I’ve been fighting to go back to school? I didn’t want this to get out! I’ve been hiding this the entire time…and I didn’t want this to happen.”
A different woman touched her arm, “Baby? How did you get this powerful? You’ve never been like this before.”
My turn to join the dance as I moved forward, “That’d be me. That’s actually why I’m here.”
Leticia caught me approaching and ran for me, jumping on me in a full-body hug. She may be larger than I am, but it was easy enough to catch and hold her. It’s simply amazing to me how often someone jumps on me like this these days.
“Where did you come from?”
“I’m making the rounds of everyone for payment for the rings since school’s closed. Carl and Zach…they’re dead. Steph was in the middle of being attacked when I found her. Someone’s trying to kill me and nearly did…so I need to separate everything with the rings.”
She hopped down, keeping my hand, “You need payment for the ring?”
“Need? No. It sounds like it’s needed, though, to stop this bastard from finding people and trying to kill them.”
She nodded, tugging me towards her parents and the alpha couple, “This is Ceri. She’s the girl I told you about.” She held out her hand and I felt her adjust the spell so that they could see it, “She made this ring for me that boosts me to where I am. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to go to school with her. I owe her for this…and I want to be friends with her. Now do you see why I wanted to leave? I don’t want to take things over. I’d rather have my own pack down the road and have two strong packs together as allies.”
They fell into a deep conversation, which I mostly stayed out of. Instead, I busied myself with working a spell with Melissa’s help. When I cast it, the trolls moved out into the yard, taking up a position equidistant around the house before sinking deep.
Leticia squeezed my hand, “What the fuck was that about?”
My smile was downright evil, “Well, you guys seem to need some protection? Now you have 10 animated rock troll guards. If you’re ever attacked like that again, the alphas or you can control them.” I held up my hand to get the alpha’s attention, “If, however, you pull them up and hurt your people? Go after Leticia? I’ll be back to show you the true meaning of pain, and I’ll bring my 7,000-year-old mother with me to show me some of the skills she’s learned in her long life.”
Leticia shivered, “Just…yeah, don’t do that. I know what we’ve seen here is pretty extreme, but it’s nothing…nothing like what happened in school. Wow…yeah…”
The alphas stood taller, “These are our people. We would sooner kill ourselves than hurt them.” The man bowed his head a little.
I returned it, “Then good. Use them in good health if they’re needed.”
Chapter 23
By Sunday morning, Leticia was set up in her room at our place. Not that she slept there last night. No, with her in the picture, we did break out a bit of fun. Mom had Jen stay over as well, so everyone was getting a little loving, even if most of it was just sex and not love.
I don’t confuse the two. It might seem like that, but I don’t.
Not that there isn’t a ton of love there. Just not romantic.
We even had Tara stay over, which just added to it. Leticia, Melissa, Tara, Rachel, and I all slept in my bed together, and it was such an amazing experience to wake up feeling like…feeling like I have a family and friends.
That’s such a surreal thing to think about myself.
My entire life I thought I had a family. I thought I had people that would stand by me. Love me. Be there to support and guide me.
And it was all a lie.
A horrific and horrible lie. It wasn’t any of that.
Over the span of eight years, every one of my older brothers and sisters were killed. Then the rest. At the same time, my parents turn out to be incestuous murderers.
That left me alone.
Alone in a school where I thought I was forming friendships with everyone.
Except…well, it’s not all a lie, but I at least thought I had something brewing with Armand, and he turned out to be a murdering bastard.
Then what happened with Steph… God, I know she’s not really pulling away on purpose. I get that. It’s a combination of what I am mixed with what happened to her. I’m praying she gets through it, but I have to be a realist when I say that she very well may not be able to.
Now I’m here.
I have a mom. A mother that loves me. That waited century upon century, wrapping herself in chains of iron will, all to be here for me.
And for Melissa.
My sister.
I feel like I have a real sister.
For the first time in my life, the first time in 17 years, I feel like I have a sister.
Granted, what we got up to last night isn’t very sisterish, but we’re not human. You can’t view it based on a human’s perspective. It just doesn’t carry over well.
I have a sister and a mom. A family. A tiny family, but even then, it’s growing as friends are added to it.
Rachel?
She’s more than a friend. I have to ask Mr. Reynolds about it, but she’s a part of me. Like my arm or a leg. Yeah, she’s a different person, but the connection is there and strong enough that I swear Mom nearly called her daughter-mine-un at one-point last night. I think she can feel it too…and that’s pretty freaking sweet to me.
Then Tara…I need to do something for her parents if I can. Maybe a spell to heal their brains to make them smarter? I should ask her about that and see if it’s a good idea. Maybe it won’t work…but I’d love to try. She may not be human, but I’ve tried to show her how much I care for her. I hope it sticks at some point.
Leticia…my favorite wolf. There’s just something about her that I adore. She’s funny and intelligent and caring and lovable…all in a beautiful package. I know we’re not girlfriends, but we’re girl friends, and that’s okay with me. More than okay. She�
��s here now, and we’ll work on being best friends.
Just like I’m going to work on that with the others I’ve been getting close to.
Marisela? I won’t leave her out of this.
Destanee? I like her as well. There’s something about her that just connects with me.
And…dang, that’s two more girls in the mix.
I seriously need to branch out and meet more guys. Nathan? I can include him a bit. Assuming he chills about Rachel.
Rhett? I like him, too.
Ty? I plan on rocking his world tonight. So does Rachel. I could use some penile loving in my life, and he’s got what the doctor ordered.
Dave? Meh, not him. I don’t even know what he is…although I wouldn’t mind being friends with him. I do like him, I just feel like the mystery of him keeps the blinders on a little.
So now I have friends and family.
That feels good.
Yeah, I have a challenge with four mages happening…pretty much starting today. I’m okay with that, though. They attempted to strip me of my magic and turn me into a whore. Who knows, if I let the part of me out that I keep hidden, maybe I’ll make them go on a bit of a spree with their family. How would they like to rape and murder their family members?
Hmm…you know what? I’m gonna have to cross that off my list. That’s pushing things more than a bit too far.
After all, Mom fought to become the woman she is to connect with me, to connect with Melissa. She built barriers in her life to control herself.
I can’t do any less.
This whole part of my life started with barriers being broken, but now I need to erect some. I can’t just do whatever I want. There are repercussions…and one of them would be possibly damaging my growing relationships.
I would sooner give up my magic than do that.
While I need to let the hidden part of me out, I don’t need to descend into debauchery like that. I need the barriers to allow myself to stretch, but then keep it to a respectable level. My challenge will still be won even if something that horrific doesn’t happen.
The plus is that I can then live with myself afterwards.
My birth parents crossed the line and dove into depravity…and I will do anything to prove that I’m not their daughter any longer.
This, right here, is the start of my new life. Even more so than going to the academy. All the pieces are here. They just need to be gathered together and turned into the puzzle that is my life.
Our lives.
As the AC kicks on and sends a cool breeze across me, getting goosebumps that cause me to cuddle into Rachel more, I say a little prayer. Not to a specific god or goddess…but to God. The big guy. I don’t know if he exists, but…I hope he does.
What do I pray for?
Strength. Wisdom. Love. Charity.
The strength to fight against the urges that will turn me into the kind of monster I never want to be.
The wisdom to make the right choices and decisions in my life to be the kind of person I need to be. Not want to be, but the kind of person I need to be.
The love to embrace my new family and friends and hold them close…while allowing those that want to leave me to leave me. I know it will hurt, but it’s becoming clear to me that even allowing them to go is an act of love. If I make someone uncomfortable, it’s wrong of me to force myself on them.
And finally, charity. I have been given a lot in my life in the past month and a half. More than I ever could have imagined. I need to take stock of what I’ve been given…and share it with others.
Money. Time. Love. Magic. Strength. Protection.
People all around me need some or all of it…and I have it to spare.
Just look at my city.
I have an entire city of the dead, with me as their queen. My power brought them to life and they are expanding and preparing.
For what?
I’m not sure.
My guess? A war. I’m just not sure who with or when.
I’m okay with that.
They do their thing. I’ll do mine. And when the time comes? When the time comes, then the goddess of death will appear, and the city will march to war with the goddess of battle leading us…and the goddess of magic at our side.
After all, we’re family, and family sticks together.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
For my mother, who believed in me until the end.
For my father, who taught me to love reading from an early age.
To authors that have given up their time to speak to a hesitant author and provide guidance: Christine Dougherty, P.S. Power, R.J. Ross, and Alison L. Perry - thank you all for the many hours of fun and entertainment and for your words of wisdom.
Last but not least - Thank you to my wonderful family for your support and allowing me to squirrel myself away in my office for hour after hour.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bob Dattolo is a husband, father, and part-time author that dedicates his free time to reading paranormal/urban fantasy. He is new to self-publishing, but has been writing for years and is working on sharing his babies with the world.
Reach out to him at: [email protected]
Visit him at www.bobdattolo.com
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Book four in the Barriers series, currently titled COMING HOME, will be available soon. Description below:
Three goddesses, a master vampire, an uber wolf shifter, and a gorilla mage living under the same roof. That’s not the recipe for a happy and successful household. Unless you’re Ceri, goddess of death.
Ceri’s life has broadened as she is settling into her new family in her new house and her new school. Her challenge with her four classmates approaches quickly, and winning may change her life more than she would have expected.
Will Ceri’s new life stay on the path she envisioned for herself? Or will the trail twist and turn and lead her towards another new beginning? As her powers grow and she learns more about herself, she also learns more about those people that have settled in around her. Will this new house become a home? Or will everything collapse as things in the between lands and in school go astray and threaten to strip everything from her?
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Hate what you read? Reach out to him at [email protected] and let him know your thoughts.
Other books by Bob Dattolo
Barriers Series
Breaking Barriers
New Beginnings
Forging Family
Coming Home – Coming Soon
Birth and Rebirth – Coming Soon
BACK PAGE SUMMARY
Ceri’s life as the goddess of death changes abruptly as she begins attending the local school. Cut off from the friends she made at Lledreth Academy, she begins to try to fit into the normal world.
New friendships form and old ones rekindle as she struggles to recover from nearly dying from resurrecting her mother, and those new friendships push her into a challenge that sends her into death’s embrace once more.
A trip to the between lands to visit her gift from the king of the fey for a possible cure opens her eyes to the reality that there may be far more than her own troubles to worry about.
But family comes first. Rachel takes her place at her side as Ceri pushes herself to be the kind of sister, daughter, goddess she can be proud of. Will she succeed? Will the city of the dead rise? One scared and confused 17-year-old holds the answers to both questions, but she’s busy forging a new family from the world around her. After all, charity begins at home. Even for the goddess of death.
