by Claire Marta
“See. We told you; without trust in your abilities you won’t be able to defend yourself,” Nelly told him sagely. She was chewing on the end of a blade of grass between her thin lips. Tugging off her blue cap, she placed the flowery crown she had woven for herself on her head. The splashes of yellow were bright against her ivory hair.
“I didn’t even get a chance,” Twitch whined. “You try not to panic when an armoured tank with wings comes at you full throttle!”
Above them, the dragon soared higher in the sky. With the ease of an eagle he circled around. His silvery purple body glistened in the sunlight like beautiful fish scales. Swinging his massive head, his gaze fixed on them intently. Twitch thought he could see it’s jaws curving up in an amused smile.
“Let’s try that again, then.”
“You’re getting some sick twisted pleasure out of seeing me used like a windup toy for a giant lizard, aren’t you, Zook?” Twitch complained, wiping the grass stains from his ruined trousers.
“This is the highlight of my day.” A huge smug smile spread across Zook’s roguish features. “And it’s just started.” With a hand on the small of Twitch’s back, he pushed him forwards.
Legs burning, Twitch could hardly breathe. Coming to a halt, he wiped his sweaty brow with the back of his hand. He had spent most of the morning being chased by a big arse dragon. Chen was relentless. In his beast form he never seemed to tire.
“As fun as it is watching you run up and down without a hope in hell of escaping our scaly friend, you need to start holding your ground and fighting back.” Zook called. He and Nelly were sitting comfortable on a blanket spread out across the grass.
Where it had come from was a mystery. All Twitch knew was that they had decided to make themselves comfortable and have lunch as they watched him make a fool of himself.
“Zook is right.” Nelly sighed as she peeled open one of the plastic containers Chen had bought with him earlier. She was still wearing her garland of yellow flowers on her head.
“He’s not even trying.” The cursed God complained back, handing her a plastic fork.
“Come and sit with us for a while, boy. Maybe some food will do you good.”
At the old woman’s encouragement, Twitch made his way to where they were lounging. Sinking down onto the material he let his shoulders sag. It was the first time he had been allowed to sit down in four hours. Fatigue was hitting him hard.
Tongue hanging out as he panted, Fang joined them. The dog was still covered in bits of grass. It looked like one of them had at least been having some fun. Flopping down, he closed his eyes and began to snore.
“Here.” Zook handed Twitch one of the plastic boxes and a disposable fork.
With a grateful expression, he tore open the lid. It did not bother him the noodles were cold. Food was food. He was never one to give up an opportunity to eat. Not even an adrenaline crash could stop him from devouring a meal.
Flapping his mighty wings, Chen landed with a thud a short distance away. Shaking out his head the movement snaked its way down his long neck and across his huge scaly body. Smoke still curling from his nose, he seemed content to bask in the sun and wait for them to finish.
“You are frightened you will be consumed if you unleash yourself. This is understandable.” Nelly spoke softly. “But as I have said before this is part of who you are. You cannot keep denying it.”
Eyes narrowing, Twitch watched as she forked some noodles into her mouth. “Fuck, I still don’t want to even believe that. How can this be me?”
“Hoping it will go away isn’t going to happen.” Zook informed him with a solemn look.
Bowing his head, Twitch busied himself with shovelling food into his own mouth. In his heart he knew they were right. He was going to have to somehow learn to live with it. That did not stop his fear.
“Twitch, you have a good soul.” The old woman reached over to pat his knee with affection. “You feed the homeless and not just the supernatural ones. Many a time you have made a friend out of a stranger because you have sensed a loneliness within them that mirrors your own. These acts of kindness are who you are inside. You are strong enough not to let this new power change that. It is just another side to you that has awakened.”
“I don’t want to hurt anyone I care about.” He confessed in a purr.
“I cannot see into the future; therefore, I cannot promise you that will never come to pass, but if you listen to us and follow our guidance you will be prepared for whatever does come.”
She was right. Fighting against what they could teach him was getting him nowhere fast.
“Fine, I’ll try to open myself up.” Twitch agreed, trying not to grumble. “But if I blow Chen up you get to explain it to his wife.”
Zook’s bark of laughter echoed across the field, startling the birds. “Now, that really would be dangerous.”
With a disgruntled snort, Fang raised his head to give them a look of doggie dissatisfaction.
“Did we interrupt your beauty sleep?” Twitch asked the dog. In answer, the Pomeranian growled before rolling onto its side.
“Right, shall we try again?”
Knowing there was no point arguing with the cursed God, Twitch abandoned his half-eaten meal and rose to his feet. Stiffness greeted his limbs. Moving about, he attempted to shake it off.
Jaws open wide in a yawn, Chen clamoured up onto his massive legs. His silver and purple body was now brighter after his time laying under the sun. Stretching his wings, he flapped them until he was hovering in the air.
Trying not to sigh Twitch trudged a short distance away. Stomach now full he did not have the urge to run. If he did he was more than sure he was going to lose his lunch all over the grass.
Zook and Nelly remained seated. Watching him avidly, they continued feasting on the mixed Chinese food as if this was an everyday occurrence. Maybe it was.
“Come on then.” Twitch hollered, as he faced the great beast. “I’m still way too sober for this right now, but that can be fixed later.”
Throwing back his head the Dragon roared in response.
“Fucknuggets. Cockwaffle. Cuntmuffin.” He chanted under his breath as he watched Chen circle up in the sky getting himself ready to strike. It was still terrifying even after all this time. How did you ever get used to being dive bombed by a giant lizard?
“Try not to pee your pants.” Zook suggested with a grin.
Flipping him the middle finger in return, Twitch concentrated. The darkness inside him prickled against his skin. It pulsed in his blood waiting to be used.
Before he realised what was happening a shadow from above was powering towards him with a whoosh.
Flinging his arms upwards, he let his magic go. When nothing happened Twitch’s brow puckered in confusion. It was there. He could feel it. So why wasn’t it activating?
Shaking his hands, he tried again.
“Nothing is happening.” He complained, shooting his companions a look of bewilderment.
“You need to loosen up and let go.” Zook called, throwing his hands up in the air in disappointment.
With the beat of his magnificent wings, the Dragon tried to slow his momentum, but it was little too late.
“Fuuckk.” Twitch shouted as he turned to flee.
The ground shook with force as Chen hit it with speed.
A resulting shockwave took Twitch right off his feet. Landing face first in the grass he rested his forehead down and closed his eyes. His legs were like jelly. Heavy in his stomach, the noodles he had eaten were threatening to come back up.
Groaning, he rolled on to his side. “Please don’t ask me to do that again today,” he pleaded, eyelashes rising to stare at his friends. “I don’t think my sanity can take it.”
“I agree. That’s enough of that. We should try something else.” Nelly suggested as she cleared away the empty packages and forks. “You still have a block and need to come to terms with this. To let go and be who you were meant to be.”
/>
But who was that? Twitch had left his home in Avalon because he had been shunned for his faulty magic. Here in London he had been accepted by his teammates and finally discovered a life that was his. Yet, now he was being told he was meant for other things. That who he was wasn’t who he believed himself to be.
Gingerly sitting up, he checked himself for any broken bones or wounds. Apart from his ruined clothes he only had a few bruises.
Glancing across the open space he found Chen had shifted. Now in trousers, he was buttoning his shirt back over his chest. He didn’t have a scratch on him. In fact, he looked positively serene.
“I am going to show you a way to centre yourself. Help find some inner peace.” He explained with a smile as he offered a hand to help him up.
Getting back up onto his feet, Twitch brushed the dirt and plant matter off his shirt. He was never going to be able to wear this outfit again. Ripped and filthy, it was beyond repair.
Not waiting for him to ask questions, the shifter began. Moving his feet so they were parallel, Chen made sure they were slightly wider than his hips. His arms were placed loosely at his sides. Rotating his hips to the right, and then the left, he let them follow his body.
Twitch watched sceptically. He wasn’t one for weird meditation techniques. Was this really going to help?
Slow and graceful, Chen’s movements became dance-like. It was continuous. He swept from one move to the next, smoothly, without hesitation, and with a clear execution. Exhaling at the end of each move his concentration was clearly focused inwards.
“You try now.” He said softly as his demonstration came to an end.
“You seriously think this is going to help me?” Twitch asked, unable to keep the doubt from his tone. It was like dancing. Something he did not do. He had always found such a thing awkward.
“This will help your Chi and let your tensions go.” Settling back into the first position, Chen waited patiently.
Self-consciously, Twitch tried the first move. It was in no way as elegant as the dragon’s, but he managed to get it done.
“Well done. Now the rest.” His friend encouraged.
By the time Twitch has started to master the flowing choreography he was feeling relaxed, yet at the same time energized. With Chen’s praise he was given a boost of confidence he hadn’t felt before.
Beside them, Zook fell into step. Graceful, even for his size, the cursed God mimicked the dragon shifter perfectly, move for move.
“You know Tai Chi?” Chen looked impressed as they finished.
“I studied it some centuries ago.” Zook admitted with a shrug.
“Only because I suggested it.” Nelly cut in, her eyes lit with mischief from where she still sat with the dog nestled in her lap. “He was having a hard time adjusting in our new home and his frustration was being taken out on our furniture.”
“You lived together?” Twitch asked in surprise, as he lost focus on what he was doing.
“In the past, yes.” Running her gnarled fingers through Fang’s fluffy caramel fur she rubbed his belly.
“But not anymore?”
Chuckling her tongue, she shook her white-haired head, jostling her flowery yellow crown. “Ass immortals, there is only so long you can put up with someone else’s irritating habits.”
“You just got annoyed with me watching over you all the time.” Zook countered with a knowing look.
“That and your snoring.” She replied back dryly. Her hazel eyes warmed as they met Twitch’s. “Your balance will come, Twitch. I promise you will find it just as we found ours.”
Muffled music from the club vibrated through the walls as Twitch stood waiting. He was still going over in his head what Zook and Nelly had told him. A guardian. That was what they wanted him to become. He sighed. Was it what he wanted? Did he have a choice? Fate had a way of fucking with your life plans whether you wanted it to or not. That was something he had seen a lot of lately.
Witnessing the dimensional bubble in the middle of London had also amazed him. It worked on the same principle as the Island of Avalon. His home. When his people had migrated there it had already been in place. Had Guardians been the one to build it? Little was known to his kind how the place had come into being. Now it seemed he had the answers.
Tapping his fingers against his black trousers, he checked his watch.
What the fuck was his Boss doing in there? Arriving at Asier’s club, Twitch had not expected to find Mark, the head of his team, waiting for the Master vampire of London. It had thrown him off kilter. Hiding, seemed like the best option. Now here he stood, disguised by a spell, and waiting for the bronze skinned vampire Lexi worked for.
A faint smile touched his lips at the thought of her. Fixing Lexi’s problems were something he could do. If he could secure her freedom then he could relax. Getting her far away from Asier would bring him peace of mind, knowing what he knew now about the demon who had sired her. As long as she worked for the vampire Master there would be a risk of him finding out her secret. It was a risk Twitch was not willing to take. Lexi’s life was something he would protect, at all costs.
The click of heels drew his attention. A tall, beautiful, blonde Amazon was making her way down the hall. Dressed in a short and revealing horny devil outfit, she walked with a sway that could bring any man to their knees. Twitch watched in silence.
In the past, he would have gotten a kick out of such a female, but now it made him restless to see Lexi. This woman lacked her sultry grey eyes, pink luscious lips and curves that could drive a guy mad. She was not his pink haired girl.
Halting at the office door, she adjusted her clothing. She looked nervous. With a forced smile, she tapped on the door. Not waiting for an acknowledgement, she slunk into the room.
As realisation hit him, Twitch grinned. His Boss was getting a booty call. Mark, who as far as the team knew did not have a sex life, was seeing a dancer at Asier’s club. But why was the vamp still in there? Slowly his green eyes widened as his thoughts went wild. Was it a kinky threesome? Mark was so straight laced. It was something that not even Twitch would have suspected. Was the guy into vampire and human ménage?
As the office door opened his theory was blown out of the water. Asier emerged, quietly slipping out of the room. A smirk was on his angelic face and his expression was far too pleased. It was obvious he was up to something.
Twitch waited until the vampire Master exited the room. He wasn’t sure how long Mark was going to be with his blonde companion, so he had to work fast.
As the ground abruptly shook beneath their feet, Twitch swore under his breath. Whatever was causing the quakes was starting to get on his nerves. Being shaken and stirred was not his thing. The sooner they stopped, the happier he would be. As the disturbance tampered off he made his move.
“I need to talk to you.” The spell he had weaved to keep him blended into the wall melted away.
Whipping around, The Italian’s features turned taunt with anger. “Cazzo! You are either ridiculously brave or a complete fool. Either way, both will get you killed.” He snapped, pinning Twitch with an evil glare.
Ignoring the threat, Twitch continued. “I want you to free Lexi, your bartender.”
Asier paused. “Free her?” Cocking his head, his expression became guarded. “She works for me. I don’t run a prison.”
“From the demonic contract you have with her,” Twitch clarified. Discomfort settled over him as the vampire Master’s stare morphed into something shrewd and assessing. From his look, he knew they were not talking about her work. So, it was true. Asier did hold some kind of power over Lexi.
“I don’t know how you know about the contract, but what I have with Lexi is none of your business.” Asier dismissed, turning to leave.
“Lexi has dreams. You need to free her. She’s not a slave. You can’t keep her here against her will.”
“I am tired of this and you’re boring me.”
“Why are you such a fucking megalomani
ac?” Twitch’s voice rose with his temper. “I know what the demon overload of Brighton did to your family, but you can’t take it out on Lexi because she’s a demon. It’s not fair.” The words were out of his mouth before he had time to think better of it.
Asier was instantly in his face. Stumbling back, he hit the wall. Why the fuck did vampires have to move so fast?
“That is a very dangerous secret for you to have, boy.” Leaning down, the Italian shoved his face into his. His eyes had darkened. “I have ripped out tongues for less.” As he spoke the tips of his fangs descended, peeking below his bottom lips.
“Let her come with me.” Pushing down his fear, Twitch raised his chin in defiance. He was tired of this cockboat pushing him around. His intimidation techniques were getting old.
“You?” Asier’s gaze blazed with a menacing purpose. “She is mine and I will never give her up. Stay away from her or I will gut you like a fish the next time I see you within five feet of her, capisci?”
“I won’t stop.” Twitch growled back.
A faint smirk appeared on the Italian’s lips. For a split second a spark of admiration glowed in his violet depths before they grew cold and deadly. “If I have to warn you again it will not be pleasant for you, believe me. You don’t want me as an enemy. Now get the fuck out of my sight.”
Filling a glass with beer, Lexi slid it across the bar to the waiting customer. Fake smile pinned in place, she accepted his money. Like every night the club was packed. A mix of new eager faces and regulars she saw on a daily basis. Here, humans mixed freely with the vampires who worked at the club. They were unaware though of the other supernaturals that mingled among them.
Lexi was starting to wonder if she was a bird in a gilded cage. Asier had been more withdrawn the last few days. She had been avoiding him, but he hadn't sought her out to chat like he had in the past. Part of her missed their interaction. A shiver of foreboding slithered down her spine. She wished there was a way to go back in time and erase what she knew. Believing he was he father she’d at least been happy. Felt loved. Ignorance had been bliss. Now she didn’t know what to feel. For the last few days she had been pretending everything was normal, but deep in her heart she was terrified someone would discover the truth. That the blood that flowed through her veins was the same as the Demon overlord of Brighton. Now it was clear why she had never met another demon before. Why she never saw any in Asier’s clubs.
