by D. R. Rosier
Silas asked, “So how did you determine you are no longer vampire?”
Amy said in a relaxed voice, “It is quite obvious. I no longer crave blood, have no fangs, and can eat food. My body is naturally warm, and my powers as a witch are back, my connection to nature strong. About the only thing that has stayed the same is my speed and strength. I am clearly not a vampire. More than that, I am a free creature. I will respect the witch’s creed and do my best to honor any requests from councilor Willa.”
Silas opened his mouth, then closed it. He seemed at a loss on how to proceed. By the rules he had absolutely no cause to detain Amy, and in fact it could cause an intercity war if he pursued it. I did not think he was done however, I could see the rage in his beady little eyes. He’d have to go back to planning now.
Silas asked with contempt in his voice, “Can anyone here explain what happened to Amy, since the Necromancer doesn’t know what he did? Can it be undone?”
No one spoke, and I held my council. Necromancers strong enough to create a lich were especially feared, plus, Amy wasn’t truly a lich, not with her free will intact. No, she was something else altogether.
Silas dismissed them and asked for the next issue up on the council. I got up garnering strange looks from Lisa and Leanne as I followed them out. I caught up with them a block away as the moved to get in their car.
They turned and looked at me questioningly. The lack of recognition on Amy’s face hurt, even though I knew I was disguised.
Amy asked in an abrupt voice, “What do you want?”
I said, “I want to give you a gift, though I will not tell you why I feel I am in your debt. Vince can verify that, I am almost positive that is one of my greatest desires this moment.”
She looked alarmed but Vince just nodded. “I figured you could see me too, are you what I think you are? And if so shouldn’t you be… I don’t know, trying to kill me?”
I giggled, “I am, but only half, plus why would I kill such a good man. You really must watch your back, you did great in there but only temporarily flatfooted him. I will be honest, most of the community would love to see the manipulative bastard replaced, or at least, I believe that is so. None are strong enough to challenge however. You should join the council, or at least try. If you get desperate you can always contact me.”
I felt guilty saying that, despite it being good advice. After all, I could do the same thing.
“Sorry, it’s really none of my business, but ever since I arrived I have been fascinated with the only good necromancer I ever met, and annoyed by that piece of shit on his throne. I really do owe you Amy, but I would have helped regardless. Especially for such a small thing that will bring much joy.”
I grabbed earth and spirit, shaping a ring of ruby and sapphires. Tastefully sized, not overwhelming. It was very pretty. Then I pulled up my angelic power and bound a ward of protection, also feeding it the element of spirit to stretch out how long it would last. I used precious gems on purpose, not to be gaudy, but because crystalline structures held spells the best, and for a longer timeframe.
I handed the ring to Amy and said, “The spells should last about a year, wear that whenever you lie with your man and your soul will be safe, this I swear. Contact me when it wears out and I will come. I am the only one that can do this for you that I know of.”
She looked curious and said, “Why just you?”
I sighed, “I will trust you with this little lich. But ask that you tell no one my secret. I am Nephilim, as far as I know, the last one.”
I noticed Vince was staring at the ring like it was life itself and looked a little dazed.
“He’s cute when he looks poleaxed,” I mock whispered to Amy.
She finally smiled at me and I almost lost the tight hold I had on my emotions.
She asked, “What did you call me, a lich?”
I sighed, “You are not, but that is the closest thing I can think of. You are something new. You are exactly as powerful as a lich, and with the slave bond it makes the lich an extension of his will, able to command all his troops through one slave. But without the slave bond…” I shook my head, “You are entirely something different. No other necromancer would ever consider such a risk.”
She looked alarmed, “What risk?”
I looked around and just in case dropped a shield of air over all of us, I should have done it earlier, stupid. I didn’t sense anyone near though, and there were no other spells present so I was sure we were good. Mostly.
I explained, “Well like a regular lich, your life is dependent on his. If he dies you die, if your souls lose connection you would live a short time, until the magic burns out, then you would die. But you have free will which makes a big difference. He has entrusted you with his power, his minions, and his very soul. Trust is such a beautiful thing, take care of it. I should go back, do not be surprised if Willa contacts you. She is a very good woman. Take care. Ooh, we should exchange numbers so she can call.”
I threw the idea around in my head then asked, “Do you want one more shock?”
When she nodded warily I explained who Leanne was to her, she seemed a little unsteady when she pulled out a pen and paper. I would guess she thought her whole family had died that night, to find out her baby lived, I can’t even imagine. Well, actually I can, just not after a two hundred year stretch of thinking them lost.
I snickered at Vince after getting her number, he was looking at me as if not sure if I was real or not. Amy gave me a short hug and I walked back to the council room as they got in the car and drove away. I had a feeling they’d be going straight to bed when they got home.
If I were her I sure as hell would be…
When I got back to my seat Lisa asked me what I was doing with them, her voice curious. I was in a room full of vamps, shifters and casters so I told the truth, but only a very small part of it. Too much of what happened was sensitive.
“I got Amy’s number in case Willa wanted to call her. I think they need to see not everyone will be unfriendly to them.”
I shrugged. I was hoping to get a call from a hospital soon, or even a hospice. The council had been entertaining with the Vince and Amy issue, and I didn’t mind being here for Willa and all, but it got pretty boring as the day dragged on.
When the council finally closed session, we split up to get ready and they planned to pick me up after they got put together. I took a shower, did my hair and makeup. I wore sexy red lingerie under my little black dress, threw on some three inch heels and was ready to go. I wasn’t sure where they were taking me, some club for dancing.
They all looked stunning when they arrived. I decided not to tell Leanne yet, about who Amy was. I was surprised she didn’t already know, she must not have read her genealogy yet. I wasn’t sure how distracted the information would make her, so I figured I’d wait for the morning, or tonight when we were done with the fun.
I did feel a little guilty, outing them to each other, but keeping my own counsel on how I was related to them both. We ate a quick dinner and got to the club around nine. It was still relatively early, so not much of a line. Before I knew it we were out on the dance floor, the four of us dancing together and having a good time.
After the third dance I was feeling a little hot, I moved over to a table and ordered a drink. Someone sat down next to me while I was taking a sip and I suppressed an eye roll, after all I was in a club. But when I looked over I recognized him right away. It was the sorcerer on the council.
“James right?”
He was still handsome though middle aged with that salt and pepper hair. He looked distinctly out of place here in a dance club. Most of the others were in their twenties.
He gave me a nod and said, “Hello miss Thomas, I hoped to speak with you a moment?”
I gave him a smile while trying to figure out what the hell this could be about.
“Please, call me Anise. What can I do for you councilor?”
He said, “I couldn’t help
but notice you followed the necromancer and his… companion after they spoke with the council. I wanted to caution you to avoid any… misunderstandings. I do not wish for a sorcerer, or sorceress, in my city to become entangled in any Vampire matters.”
I frowned. “Could you explain that to me, I was under the impression it was no longer a vampire matter at all. Shouldn’t that issue… settle down now? If there are any problems from Vince it would be a community matter, and quite clearly if there is an issue with Amy, it should be a matter for Willa, not Silas? Or does Chicago not work that way, I don’t want to step on any toes but understanding the situation may help me avoid those entanglements you mentioned.”
I had no intentions of staying away from my granddaughter, but things were… strange here. Did the community really let Silas have that much power? I hated politics, but I was seriously considering changing that stance. Especially since I was ready to start a new life, find a partner. Normally I avoided these types of things, but if I was going to live a lifetime here, instead of just making a few casual friends and leaving again in three years, I may have to get involved. Truthfully I already was.
James pursed his lips, as if finding my knowledge of how things should work to be annoying. Didn’t everyone in the community know these things? I wondered if things had gotten seriously off kilter in the supernatural world the last hundred years while I was keeping to myself. Or perhaps I was just reading into it too much.
“Anise, that is how it should work, but whatever the necromancer did to Amy has Silas, and some others, concerned. Do you know what they intend to do?”
Oh, he’s here to fish…
I shrugged, “Couldn’t say. All I did was get contact info so Amy could connect with her new community. I have no idea if she will call, or want to be a part of a coven or not. How would I? I don’t know them. I will say Vince seemed sincere when he said he just wanted to go his own way.”
He asked, “But surely you have an impression?”
I raised my eyebrow.
“Very well, I’ll tell you what I think as a newcomer to this city with no stake in its power struggles. Vince is the only good necromancer I have ever met. I’d say you should ask him to take a council seat, recognize Amy as part of his group, and let him defend the city. As for what he would do, I really have no idea.”
He looked disgusted by the idea and I shrugged.
“I know that won’t happen, Silas wouldn’t let it happen for obvious reasons. But you asked…”
He said, “But you intend to… stay out of things?”
I looked at him piercingly, “That is my desire and my intent. As long as the council follows its mandate I can do what I want which is stay out of it.”
I almost cringed at what I said, but I couldn’t lie. Not only morally, because he would know if I did lie.
“Very well miss Thomas, enjoy your night.”
“Anise,” I corrected.
He bowed his head, “Of course, enjoy your night Anise.”
I pondered as he walked away. I had hoped he would give me more of a clue how he stood. My best guess was he was in Silas’s pocket. Leanne joined me after getting a drink and I asked her a few questions. I was starting to have suspicions and needed them clarified.
“Do you know when the city was last attacked, or an attempted takeover?”
Leanne looked thoughtful for a moment and said, “The werewolves fought off a takeover attempt from a pack a couple of years back, before that… I’m not sure. I think maybe forty years since we had to defend the territory, why?”
“Wait, the shifters fought alone, the other communities didn’t help?”
She shook her head. “The shifters brought it up in council, but Silas said since it wasn’t an attack against the whole community it was a werewolf problem.”
Things had changed while I moped from city to city doing my healing thing. No wonder the level of politics and backbiting seems so high to me, without having to defend from without, it seems they lost the ideals of what a city community was. I tried to disguise my shock that the werewolves were forced to fight alone. That’s not what should have happened.
Now I was unsure about what to do. The joint community was one of the bedrocks of what I knew. It was a given. Something that was to be expected after the millennia of my life. Something that wasn’t supposed to ever change. Silas would never step down, never give a more powerful person like Vince a spot on the council. Not if it wasn’t about protecting their city anymore, it had become like the humans run things. All about personal power, rising to the top and keeping others down.
Willa hadn’t seemed that way though, maybe I was blowing it all out of proportion.
My mind was running in circles when I felt a touch on my arm and looked up into Leanne’s eyes, she had a concerned look on her face.
“Are you okay, what’s wrong?”
“The end of an age…” I whispered, ignoring the look of confusion my words brought to her face.
I smiled and said, “Sorry, everything’s fine, I just learned some things I believed aren’t quite right.”
I covered her hand with mine, “Need a drink, I definitely need a refill.”
She smiled, “Sure, thanks.”
I went up to refill our drinks and thought back to James. He must have thought I was a fool, talking about the necromancer protecting the city. The only threats in his mind must be internal. I felt old, an anachronism of a different time. I needed to get involved. It was a danger I was well aware of, I had lost touch with the changing times, that could kill me, make me careless, feel disconnected from the lives around me.
Having family here would help, I wasn’t short on reasons to live at any rate. I refilled our drinks and made my way back to the table where the other two ladies had arrived.
Willa mock glared at Leanne when I handed her a drink, “We are supposed to be plying her with alcohol, not the other way around.”
Lisa apparently braver with a buzz agreed before saying, “Yeah, now it will be us being taken advantage of later,” before breaking off into giggles.
I laughed and shook my head as I sat down. No more thinking about politics, or the fact I was the oldest naïve person in existence. Time to let my hair down as they say.
I winked at Lisa, “That’s my evil plan,” I glanced between Leanne and Willa, “Do you lovely ladies need a drink,” while projecting a look of artful innocence.
Lisa grinned, “Sure, why not. Besides, with the three of us, even drunk we can get the upper hand.”
I looked at Willa and she winked and nodded.
I said sultrily as I got up to leave, “I wouldn’t be too sure of that, I’m very creative with my magic.”
As I went to get their drinks I wondered what the hell I was getting into, but whatever it was I was sure it would be fun.
When I got back to the table they were all looking at me speculatively and I started laughing as I put down the drinks. Before I forgot I slipped Willa the contact information for Amy and got a look for it.
“Do you really think I should contact her?” she asked.
“I don’t know how Silas would react to that, or the political ramifications, but I do know she is a witch in need of a coven. It would also give you a positive in with Vince, who although is an independent agent would always have Amy’s, thus the covens, back. Also, probably the most important reason, is Amy is Leanne’s great, great, great… oh hell, seven greats grandmother.”
They all looked shocked so I figured go for broke.
“I’m also related to Leanne, very distantly, through Amy and many generations. It’s why I wanted to look at the coven genealogies.”
I looked at them all sheepishly. Leanne screamed, jumped up and hugged me.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier!”
I hugged her back and kissed her cheek. “I just found out yesterday, wasn’t sure how to bring it up.”
Mostly because I didn’t want to explain how old I was, hopefully t
hey would assume I was just from a different branch, and not the same one.
I winked and moved back in to whisper in her ear, “Plus I was afraid you wouldn’t take advantage of me if I told you…”
She snickered and groped my ass, “No chance of that.”
I kissed her cheek again and let her go to take a sip of my drink.
Willa looked torn but said, “Fuck Silas, I won’t let one of our own dangle in the breeze.”
I could tell she was nervous about it. Leanne looked both very pleased and surprised. It was becoming increasingly clear Silas had to go… But first I needed to figure out how the fuck things worked again.
We drank a little too much, and we were all tired and hyper from the dancing. My feet were a little sore, but the endorphins and alcohol were doing their jobs. We walked to the closest park, or more accurately the closest oak tree and went back to the coven house.
Willa took my hand and said, “You know, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, we’ve been teasing you all night but…”
I shook my head, “I am pretty open to things, but what exactly is going on. You three live together for more than just the coven? Or is it a friends with benefits thing? I just want to know what I’m getting myself into.”
She explained, “Well, we three are rather close. It’s both simple and complicated. We love each other, and we have an open informed relationship.”
I asked, “Open informed?”
She smiled, “It means I let them know and got their permission before sleeping with you.”
I pondered that for a moment and asked, “So where does that leave me, and how does jealousy not tear you three apart?”
She said, “I’m not sure where that leaves you. We all like you. It isn’t a casual thing for us to open our circle and invite another. I’m not sure what you would think about something like that. But you are one of a very short list, all the others could not handle it. As far as jealousy. Jealousy usually comes from a mine attitude, or someone thinking another loves the third person more, or spends more time with them.”
She took a deep breath, “Both of them don’t apply to us because of the coven. The coven is first in every witches life, and some of the rituals we do share emotions, thoughts. It is very hard to doubt you are loved when you can feel it. How are you feeling about it?”
