by Amber Lynn
I hop out of the car and hold the seat up for Will. “I have been afraid to ask for more information on your guys' relationship. I know how much Nyx hated when I asked before and now that she is my mommy, or whatever you want to call it, I am worried she will send me to bed without supper.” He steps out of the car and I narrow my eyes just a little. “See, she is already planning punishments for me.”
“What a wuss. If I believed for a second you would actually dole out the punishments you thought up in your head, I might actually be a good dog. I bet it won't take bro long to figure that out,” Clyde says trotting over to join us.
“I am just happy that you cannot directly communicate with him, so you two won’t be able to plan evil plots against me.”
“Either I am lost or you are talking to the dog again. I really hope it is the dog.”
“You did tell him my name, didn't you? I don't like being called 'the dog'. Do I look like I am just a dog? What ‘dog’ is able to bark and open up a portal? Not even Lassie can do that and as far as the human companion version of my family tree goes, that dog is a top dog.”
“You should probably refer to him as Clyde. He gets a little pissed when you don't acknowledge him like you would another person,” I explain and hope Will picks up that little tidbit of advice quickly.
“I can do that. As far as what my day-to-day, or night-to-night, life goes, what am I supposed to do now? I want to finish off this movie, but after that I plan to cut ties with the industry.”
“If you are going to be hanging around with us, which you are kind of stuck doing, you will start training pretty soon. We need to see what your skill level is and where you will fit best in the scheme of things. For at least a while you will be glued to my side, as much as I hate that idea, because we don't know what for sure is going on with you,” I inform him.
“Do you spend all of your time fighting?”
“Only ninety percent of it. I am sure you will learn why we do the things we do in the days to come. For now, I think our question and answer time is over. We need to get upstairs, so I can fill everyone in on my little side trip.”
Smitty walks by us whistling a familiar sounding tune. I cannot put my finger on the lyrics or song title. That kind of thing drives me nuts, so I have to find out.
“What are you whistling, Smitty?” We all make it to the elevator and cram our group inside. It is a real tight fit, but we somehow make due.
“Oh just a little tune that I think will explain where you have been. Maybe you have heard of it, 'If an Angel Came to See You'.”
I cannot see his face with the current sardine configuration, but I can tell there is a pretty big smile spreading across it. “You said while you were at the conference someone showed you the light. You weren't really meaning figuratively, were you?”
“I don't imagine we were shown the same thing or even met the same person, but I have a pretty good idea what you are about to tell the rest of the group.”
The elevator doors open and we all exhale as we get out. “Why would they come to you before telling me all of the important details?” I ask spinning around to face him now that we have the room.
“I won't pretend to know what they are thinking, but I had my loyalties divided and they wanted to make sure you had all of the strong guards you could get for the trials in case anything went wrong. They made it very clear that I would be needed and it was time for me to choose. After the things they showed me, I have no doubt where I belong.”
“You keep saying they, did you meet more than one?” I ask excited that I am not the only one to experience at least one of them.
“It was just one guy, but he said ‘we’ a lot instead of ‘I’ when he talked. It kind of made them seem like a group more than just individuals.”
“What did he say to you? It has to be a big deal for one of them to take time out of their schedule to come down and meet with you.”
“What was said is personal. Even if it does involve you, it isn't something I am willing to share. I will say that I finally feel like I am on the right path in life. Since the meeting, I have felt a calm that was never available for me.”
“Okay, I am going to have to break in here,” Alex says and he swoops me up bridal style to carry me out of the foyer and into the living area. He settles down on a couch with me in his lap. The rest of the group files in and takes their spots around us. “Now that you guys have stopped talking for a second, why doesn't one of you clue the rest of us in on what this discussion is about.”
“I thought Smitty's song title explained it all. An angel is what snatched me out of Clyde's portal.” I am immediately met with some really blank stares. I guess this one is going to take some explaining.
Chapter 14
No matter what makes me tick, I am still just me
“An angel just came and snatched you up?” Alex asks adjusting me so he can get a good look at my face. If I wasn't the size of a doll, he wouldn't find the task so easy.
“He had gold wings like me, glowed, and called himself an angel. All things required on my list for a person to be one. He didn't come right out and say it, but I am pretty sure he is sorry for making you guys worry. He just said it was time for things to be explained.” Personally, I would have liked to hear those things a good twenty years ago.
“And he explained what exactly?” Walt asks moving to the edge of his couch cushion across from me.
I think about the question for a second and realize that Gabe didn't explain a whole heck of a lot, as far as I am concerned. He was successful in making me come up with even more questions though.
“He didn't really explain a whole lot. He did tell me my missing part was an angel. I guess that was the most important part of the conversation. He said angels breeding with paranorms was frowned upon because it creates some kind of super baby. I have to go through some crazy trials the week before my birthday and I will do some weird ascension thing, but I don't really know what that means.” I take a deep breath after rattling it all off.
“What exactly does you being an angel and ascending mean for us?” Alex asks and his grip tightens around my torso.
“I made sure to clarify some points as far as that goes. Well, at least the fact that I am not going to be moving Upstairs. Gabe said that my place is here with you and Sebastian. I don't really know what is going on with the whole angel deal. He says that is already shaping my decisions and altering who I am. I didn't have a lot of time with him and he did most of the talking while I sat there not really believing what was coming out of his mouth.”
“So your mother was an angel? That just seems weird, but I guess it makes sense. Aaron could have easily been deceived by one of them since they have powers similar to demons. I thought you said Ben claimed your third part wasn't able to have children,” Jonas says speaking up while everyone else is still thinking things over, me included.
“You are right, but I don't imagine angels are fertile for demons. There would be something wrong in the world if those two beings could mate together. Gabe indicated that the angels could, and sometimes do, have babies with humans. It didn't sound like something they went around doing often.”
“Did this ever so helpful angel give you any other useful information? He didn't announce you were destined mates and had to start creating your own little babies, did he?” I can see introducing Gabe and Alex is going to be something I don't want to be in the middle of.
“I already told you he said I belong here with you. There was no talk of him and I running off together to start an island of cute angel babies. He did tell me that I get to go on a little quest for that stab anything and kill them knife. I don't know exactly how that is going to work, but I have two trials to get the bugger and if it will help get Sebastian back, I am ready to get things started.”
“Wait a second. I wasn't there when this knife was discussed, but Marcus did mention it to us wolves after the fact. He said you had to have a pure heart to get the dang t
hing, if it actually exists. Was your new angel friend really confused?” Jake asks.
I questioned it myself, so I cannot take offense at his words. “I think that part of it was even more surprising to me than finding out I was part angel. I tripled checked with Gabe and he had this pearl thing he claimed was my orb of life, or some silly thing. It was surprisingly lily white and beautiful. He said if I was really a bad girl, it would have dark colors running through it. I thought he must have mixed mine up with a toddler's, but he was pretty sure it was mine.”
“You are really an angel?” Alex questions aloud, but it seems to be more of an internal problem he is trying to solve. “Out of all the beings in the world, that wasn't even near to being on the list of plausible possibilities. My mate is an angel, literally and figuratively. How many people can say that?”
“Hey, even if the literal part is now true, I am not so sure about the figurative. Hearing her name still makes my testicles run for cover,” Jake provides.
“Well, she is my angel and I am happy you don't feel the same,” Alex tells him. “It is getting to be time for bed, should we try to feed the baby and then call it a night?”
“Did someone bring home an unexpected guest?” Dante asks looking around for the baby Alex mentioned.
“He is talking about Will, you dope. He claims to not really be hungry, but wants to give blood a try. Marcus, or any of you vampires that are real vampires, does he have to drink right from the source to be properly nourished? I know you can purchase bottles of blood at the store, but I don't know if that is just a recreational thing or if it does the same job as a vein.”
“The blood in the bottles is preserved in a way that it doesn't lose any of the oomph that the original supply gives. I am sure Sebastian has a couple of bottles here for emergencies. I will run and get one,” Marcus says heading towards the kitchen.
“With you being his sire, we should also take into account that he may only be able to feed from you,” Smitty adds. “Are you willing to let him try a sip if the bottled stuff doesn't work?”
“I turned him, so that is my responsibility. He doesn't seem comfortable drinking from the source and I know I wouldn't be exactly okay with that, so we should probably get an IV or something ready to draw it out.”
“Technically, if it was you, I wouldn't mind the source that much. We had a fun make out session not that long ago, but I prefer not to get my balls smashed in for making the rude noises I can only imagine one makes when they are enjoying dinner,” Will says. Good. Another guy worried I might accidentally lose control of my foot or fist and end up landing a shot to their privates.
“Here you go. He had a couple of different bottles, so I chose the one I like most. Everyone's palate is different, but we should get a feel if blood is something you will enjoy.” Marcus hands him a nice champagne flute full of a dark red liquid.
“I will go grab a donor bag and IV while you guys are doing the experiment. I have a feeling we may need it,” Smitty says hurrying off to his room.
Will takes the glass from Marcus and stares into it. I think trying to take it from the source might have been a better option. You don't have to think about it quite so much. Instinct takes over a bit more and if you are lucky you might get a little action in your southern hemisphere at the same time. For me and Sebby, sexual satisfaction has always been included. I know that is because of our bond, but the act of sharing blood with another is such a sexual act by itself, that taking it the step further isn't a far stretch at all.
“It doesn't really smell appealing. Should it?”
“Most babies would have slurped that glass down already and started looking for seconds. Take a little sip just to check, but I don't think it is going to do anything for you,” Marcus directs.
Smitty returns with his medical equipment and takes a seat by me and Alex. “We better get you hooked up for this experiment. We won't siphon a lot out, just enough for him to do the test.”
I give up my right arm to his doctoring. I don't feel like watching him stab a needle in me, so I keep focused on Will. He has raised the glass up to his lips and is in the process of slowly tilting his head back to have a drink. It only stays in that position for a second and then the glass is moved away and the funniest look I have ever seen appears on his face. It is akin to the one that Sebastian wore when he tried a cheeseburger for the first time.
“That is awful. You guys actually drink that stuff?” He looks around for a place to get rid of the glass and Marcus takes it from him and tips it back himself.
After a quick lick of the lips, he says, “I don't taste anything wrong with it. It has a nice cherry aftertaste.”
“It tasted like mud. If I am stuck having to live off of that, I am screwed.”
“Eat a lot of mud in your days to make that comparison?” Dante asks chuckling at the situation.
“Sure. As a little boy, I made mud pies all the time to give to the girls. I always sampled my baked goods to make sure they were getting top quality,” Will responds and I am not sure he is joking. If he isn't, maybe him and Clyde will get along even better than I thought because Clyde does have a fascination with mud.
“Hand me the glass,” Smitty says and takes it when Marcus offers it to him. I realize that he has released my arm, so I bring it back up to my body. “Holy crap. This stuff smells really potent.” He deposits the contents of his blood pouch into the glass and takes a big whiff.
“I can smell that over here,” Dante says from across the way. With a vampire nose on him, I imagine he could pick up the smell of blood from around the block, so it doesn't really impress me.
“Just give him the glass and let's get this over with. My bed is calling,” I say working to move things along. Hearing them talk about my blood is creepy.
Will walks over and takes the glass. He treats it like the previous offering and gives it a smell test. “It smells better. Kind of sweet instead of improperly aged cheese.”
He tilts the glass back and takes an introductory sample taste. He looks to be letting the flavors have a chance to meld. He isn't spitting it out or vocalizing how much it sucks, so I am starting to get a little worried. I will feed the guy if I have to, but I will hate having to do it. Me and Sebby sharing is one thing. We need each other to live and we get a little something extra out of it. Will and I would not be partaking in extracurricular activities and the feeding would be only one directional, making things just a bit awkward.
Will finishes his sample and then tips back the rest of the glass. I glance around at the other vampires in the room and their eyes are all glued to the glass.
“Darn. I was really hoping he didn't like that one. Sebastian would understand us not letting it go to waste,” Marcus says looking over to me.
“I thought vampires preferred to not feed from other vampires,” I reply.
“It isn't something we do unless mates are involved or food is scarce. You are not just a vampire, though, and that blood was giving off what I am guessing is your new angel mojo in pretty strong quantities.”
“I don't know of a vampire that has ever fed off of an angel. I bet there is a little power kick that goes along with it,” Smitty adds.
“That stuff tastes good and if I didn't see you take it from the source, I would swear it was some really good wine. The only problem is that it seems good for quenching a thirst, but it didn't do anything for the hunger that still seems to be building itself up. Any more suggestions?”
Maybe things aren't that bad. If the blood didn't fill him up, that should mean we don't have to worry about feedings. A happy dance is in full swing in my brain now. After a couple of turns on the dance floor, I move back to the question just asked. “Sure, I have a suggestion. Get in the kitchen and fix yourself a steak.”
He doesn’t like blood, so I am going to assume he is going to be able to keep his old diet. The happy dance starts again and this time I found a pair of tap shoes.
Chapter 15
An
other rare beef convert
Jake takes Will off into the kitchen so they can try the real food experiment. The rest of us remain in our seats and I am ready to ask Marcus more about his visit with Hilda and what goodies she sent home with him.
“If I am successful with these trials, we should have a way to take care of Candace, but I am interested to learn what the wicked witch gave you to help our cause. We cannot rely on me actually being able to obtain the knife. I will do my best, but if I am required to kiss a bunch of babies, we are screwed.”
Marcus rolls his eyes at having to talk about his visit with Hilda. “I forgot to mention earlier, that the betrayal she told you about previously is only going to sting a little. Nothing at all like the Great Spirit originally thought. She said you find out about it a different way than what was formerly planned and that you will probably be able to just brush it off.”
“Great. I am sure everyone knew just how worried I was about her big warning.”
“She puts a lot of faith in whoever she talks to, so to her it is always a big deal. My feelings on the matter lean towards she is nuts, especially if that other voice is telling her she has a chance with me. As far as the help for the current situation, she made up some of the banishing bombs that Alan told you about. She was familiar with the recipe and didn't trust you to get it right.” That sounds about right. She wouldn’t trust me to brush my own hair. “She said we could use those against the succubus too, but also sent along a little something that will freeze her in place. I don't know how much that will help, but she said it lasts about thirty minutes.”
I wonder how much Candace would like to be stuck in place while I use one of her whips on her. Maybe I will let Sebastian do the actual whipping. He is stronger after all and it should hurt more coming from him. I need to come up with something better than just whipping. I need to know what a demon’s pain tolerance is before I make any final decisions on that matter. It has to be pretty high, so the torture will have to be comparative. Bamboo shoots under the fingernails are most likely too mild.
