by D. R. Rosier
I looked up tears in my eyes and begged, “Please little one, forgive me.”
I could see her emotions in her eyes, disbelief, anger, regret, longing, contempt. I wondered which one it would settle on.
She shook her head in denial, “Grams… how?”
I said patiently, “You know how, I am Nephilim. Even worse than not knowing and saving you, I was a likely cause. My children and children’s children never show angelic power, but they are uncommonly strong in other gifts for the first two or three generations. Your mother was a very powerful sorceress, and you were an uncommonly powerful witch. It may have brought the trouble to your door. It might be why they made you a vampire.”
She whispered accusingly, “Where were you?”
I sighed, “Where I always go when I lose a husband to time. I grieved. I travelled as a healer for sixty years until my heart recovered and I remarried. It’s what I do, it’s how I live. I’m sorry, I didn’t know what happened until a few days ago when I found the information in Leanne’s genealogy book.”
She frowned and her voice sounded dazed, lifeless, “I need to think. I know it’s not your fault, but I really want to hurt you for not being there. Leave, I will see you tomorrow night.”
I wrapped myself in my power, restoring my age and disguise, and then teleported to my apartment. I doubt the secret would keep now that so many knew, but I hoped it would. If they could accept me maybe the rest of the community didn’t need to know.
It was so quiet. No one else breathing, no life but my own, I felt alone, alienated. I snorted, I had lived my last century alone, and after a few nights with the witches it felt so much different.
I stripped and crawled into bed, rolling up into a ball I beckoned sleep with a wisp of spirit, I didn’t want to be conscious anymore, full of regret. I was such a fool. Was telling really the right thing, or was I selfish to share my burden? All I did tonight was hurt them all with my truth, I just had to hope it would lead somewhere better.
I sighed in relief as the sleep spell took hold.
I woke up to giggling. That was confusing and it was taking my brain a moment to catch up. I gasped as I felt warm wet heat on both my labia and puckered star. I was on my back, but my waist was partially twisted and someone was holding my leg up.
More giggles. Then I felt a tongue digging into my backside while someone else held my labia apart and sucked in my clit.
I opened my eyes and wanted to cry as they drew a pleasurable gasp from my lips. My body was so confused at the conflicting information.
I looked around, Willa and Leanne were between my legs doing amazing things to me, Lisa was smiling down at me, then she kissed me fiercely.
She whispered, “I’m sorry we freaked out, that’s not something you see every day. Know what else is something you don’t see every day?”
I giggled at my relief then arched my back and gasped, someone had curled their fingers inside me and hit my g-spot just right.
I managed to gasp out, “What’s that?”
She winked and looked me up and down, “Getting off on an Angel’s face.”
She started giggling as I laughed. She cut off my laugh by straddling my head and grinding her core on my lips. I gasped when she grabbed my nipples and twisted, pulling on them hard.
I fought for the ability to act through the pleasure I was receiving down below and slid my tongue between her labia and flicked her clit before licking all the down her slit, over her taint to briefly tease her puckered star.
Lisa said breathily, “Oh god, an angel just licked my ass. And I really liked it.”
All four of us broke down laughing, it took a minute for us to get back to it. I would have time for my cathartic cry later, right now I was too busy being with and enjoying the women I loved. My bed wasn’t as big as Willa’s, just a queen, but we managed just fine…
After a shower and breakfast we went to the council chamber. I was so happy, yet still guarded. That they had accepted me was more than I could hope, yet, I still hoped for more. I had butterflies in my stomach wondering about Amy. I knew I had to focus though, I was old and powerful, that didn’t mean I could be sloppy during a challenge.
James was old enough to be plenty powerful, and I had no idea what his skills were, but Chicago was a pretty big city, he had to be a pretty damn good sorcerer at the very least. Not to mention I couldn’t use my angelic powers during a challenge, this would be purely sorcerer verse sorceress.
I used mediation techniques to focus my mind, I had been around a long time. Sorcery requires focus of mind. It doesn’t depend on words, or semantic gestures like a witch. So over time I had sought out ways and philosophies to improve my mind and sorcery. Stronger mind, stronger sorcery. Walking around in an emotionless state wasn’t one of my favorite things, but it had its uses. No distractions.
When we walked in there weren’t all that many people there, I guess that means word didn’t spread on what we planned. That was a good thing, no spies in our camp. I took a seat near the front and waited for the council meeting to start. I sat through a couple of issues that Silas went through, and immediately stood up when he asked if there was any other business.
Silas recognized me warily, he was right to be wary.
I said in a clear voice, “I challenge James for the right to represent sorcerers on the council.”
James looked pissed, Silas just narrowed his eyes.
James said arrogantly, “Aren’t you a bit young? I won’t go easy on you if you persist in this foolishness. Do you even know any other sorcerers in this city?”
I suppressed an eye roll and just stared at him waiting. His replies were beside the point, I challenged him, he either needed to answer or step down. I could see Silas wanted to say something, but challenges were an internal race matter, they were only made at council so there would be witnesses that it was all above board.
Silas may interfere in the other groups, but he has done so on the sly through backroom politics, he dare not try and stop this. Finally James stood and walked out on the floor. He showed his sigil, his power. He had all the elements, but earth and spirit were rather weak. Still, it was impressive.
He smirked, at least, until he saw my sigil glowing brightly in all five elements. He didn’t look panicked though, in a fight between sorcerers, power counted, but more often than not experience and cunning mattered more, and he thought he was facing a young woman.
I asked, “Do you yield your place?”
It was traditional for the more powerful one to ask that question.
He shook his head no, and attacked. This was not a blood challenge, not to the death. The system was designed to make sure the most able was in charge, not to weed out the stupid or weak. The floor buckled under me and I supported my feet on a column of air before summoning a ball of water around his head. He tried to dispel it, remembered I was stronger and managed to create a reed out of stone to breathe while collapsing the ceiling around me, trying to enclose me.
I enlarged my ball of water and he once again held his breath as I reached out and took hold of the stone in the building, locking it all in place. It was quite an effort, but he could no longer breathe or make his breathing straw bigger. I held it together, deflecting his fire attack with the very walls he tried to enclose me with. Over the next two minutes his efforts grew weaker.
If he passed out, he lost, so he conceded at that point. I put the broken parts of the building back together and allowed him to banish the water. He looked at me with a question in his eyes.
I simply said, “Because you forgot why you were there in the first place, and got two of our people killed yesterday.”
He nodded, collected what remained of his dignity and walked out. I didn’t think he was an evil man like Silas, I believe he let his desire for personal power to make him greedy enough to get under Silas’s thumb and didn’t know how to dig himself back out.
I released the hold I had on my emotions, but still kept them c
ontained inside myself. With a stony face I took my place as a councilor. It felt very strange, I had lived thousands of years and never found a reason to take this step before. I hoped I was right, but all I could do is follow my heart and hope I was making the right decisions.
Only time would tell…
Chapter 9 – Vincent
Six hours ago…
I held Amy in my arms, she seemed closed off, distant. I asked her a couple of times what happened with Anise, but she wouldn’t tell me, said she needed to think through some things. I was curious, and I wanted to fix it, but I knew I couldn’t, so I gave her what she wanted, time.
I ran my fingers up and down the soft skin of her arm and held her, hoping that was enough, and the right thing to do. She turned and smiled at me, no doubt feeling everything I felt, as I did her, through our bonded souls. I should have been uncomfortable by that, but I wasn’t, if anything it was a gift.
I wondered if I was turning into a sap and Amy started laughing.
“Don’t worry sweetie, your still an asshole,” she smiled impishly.
I laughed, “Thanks, I was worried there for a second.”
It had been about four hours since Anise had stopped by and it seemed she might be ready to tell me what happened, of course, she asked me a question instead.
“What do you think of Anise?”
I thought about her and squirmed uncomfortably, Amy frowned.
“Look at me love,” she whispered.
I looked into her eyes and saw absolute conviction and certainty, “We are soul bonded, I have no doubt we will be together for a long time. I have my suspicions it will be longer than either of us thinks it will be. I will never doubt your love for me, that I come first in your life. Our souls are joined and I will never doubt it.
“I will also never doubt that you need to feed, and that you will have affections for, and maybe even love some of them. So tell me love, what do you think of her?”
I sighed, “I’m attracted to her, not just her beauty, but her power calls to me, her purity of purpose is inspiring. I like her and I hardly even know her. It wouldn’t be hard to… you know… what you just said.”
I know what she said, and I know she meant it, but still, it felt really weird to tell her how much I admired, was attracted to, and could fall in love with, someone else.
She yelled, “You asshole, aren’t I enough!?”
When I jumped in confusion she started giggling, “Got ya!”
When my heart slowed down I glared at her.
“Why do you ask anyway?”
She took a deep breath and blew it out before answering in a wistful voice.
“She’s my grandmother.”
My mouth opened, then closed.
She said, “Think about it, she is part angel, immortal. She took so long to tell me because she was scared I’d lose it on her for not saving me, I almost did.”
I just kept my mouth shut, letting her go at her pace, eventually she talked more about it.
“She was a sorcerer of course, and so was my mother. I was born a witch. My mother didn’t know anything about witchcraft. At the time I had no idea what grandma was, but I knew she was the smartest and wisest person in the world, and I knew she loved me. So sense or not, how could she not know they killed mom, how could she not know I was… enslaved.
“You know, she taught me a lot of the witchcraft I know. By the time I was old enough to join a coven, I had as much to teach them as they did to teach me. I can’t even imagine how much she knows. Not even a witch, but taught me to be one, a good one.”
I brushed the tears from her cheeks and kissed her hair. We laid there for a while, before she continued. I had no idea why she had asked me what I thought about Anise, or why it would even matter, but even a man like me was smart enough to hold that question for now, perhaps even a couple of days.
She sighed. “I saw you know, how much pain she was in when grandpa died. I was mad at her when she left, never mind that I was already in my twenties and grown. But perspective is everything. How does she do it? How many husbands did she bury, how many more will she? Her strength of will must be staggering. I’ll let her know I forgive her later, at the coven house.”
She looked at me suspiciously and said, “You need to go get laid.”
I pulled her in for a kiss and she pushed me away laughing, “No you dumbass, souls remember, I can feel your hunger, your also tired. Go find some slutty human, or track down that werewolf bitch, bet her soul is healed by now.”
I looked at her in amazement, she really loved me, despite what I was, and seemed determined to take care of me, accept every part of me. I kissed her deeply despite her protestations, then got up.
“I wouldn’t even know where to look.”
She rolled her eyes at me as if I were stupid and closed her eyes, May appeared before us. I couldn’t believe it, she wanted me to use the girl’s mother so I could track her down for an early am booty call? That was wrong, wasn’t it?
May said, “I don’t mind. I love my daughter and I know she enjoyed you. She is old enough to take care of herself. So either way I win.”
I asked in confusion, “Either way?” I think I was being overwhelmed by estrogen, too many surprises.
May shrugged, “Yeah, either I see her happy with a man worthy of a fling, or I see her knock you on your ass, which will be at least a little entertaining. Don’t worry so much, wolves are a randy lot until they meet their mate. They are also unable to conceive until they meet their mate. I see no problem with her playing with you until that happens. Really, stop worrying, it’s also nice to know you will have her back if she needs help, as a friend. I’m sorry I was so standoffish and afraid of you early on, you’re a good man,” she looked me up and down slowly, “I’m also sorry I didn’t meet you when I was still alive.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it giving up. The women seemed to be in charge, and as they seemed determined to get me laid by a beautiful woman who was wild in bed, it would be stupid to object.
I followed May’s directions back out into the lowly settled area and forest. Something felt different and I felt off, mostly because I couldn’t figure out what it was. That was kind of annoying and I felt a surge of anger which set off the light bulb so to speak. Being with Amy, gaining, or at least starting friendships with others, had dissipated the anger that usually sat in my mind all the time.
Oh I wasn’t all sunshine and daisies, things could still piss me off, like Silas, thinking of my parents etc… But the simmering anger that was always present, wasn’t there anymore. It was strange really, I felt lighter. May directed me to a dirt road, and after a while off to the side of the road and I parked as far over as I could get next to the trees.
I said, “I don’t see anything.”
She smiled and pointed, “You’ll see when you get in the forest.”
There was something almost disturbing about her smile, but I shrugged and got out. I walked about twenty feet in when I heard a low growl and an alarmingly large dark shape jumped at me. There were yellow eyes, and silver fur, and flashing claw. I jumped backwards and fell, rolling into a handspring after the wolf passed over.
That’s when I remembered wolves fight challenges to determine if the man is worthy enough to open their legs for. I swear I heard May laughing her ass off back in the car. I surrounded myself with shields of my necromancer power just to shield me physically, the last thing I wanted to do was decay Kim’s body. I didn’t want to use my demon magic, if I told anyone else it would be my small circle of friends, of course, limiting myself this much would make the fight a lot harder.
She growled and pounced again, this time I was ready and dodged to the side and kicked out. I couldn’t use my shadows, but I still had a fairly impressive strength, and she went flying about ten feet and hit a tree. I went over to subdue her, but she hit me with a claw and it was my turn to go flying. I landed just right and rolled to dissipate the energy before planting my
feet and popping up by momentum alone.
Unfortunately she seemed to guess exactly where I would stop, and I was bowled over onto my ass, with a huge wolf snarling in my face. I grabbed her jaw and tried to push her over and put her in a headlock. It didn’t work, I went flying again. This went on for quite a while until quite by accident I got a hold of her tail and a back leg. I started dragging her backwards desperately, bringing her up short, barely, every time she twisted her body to bite.
I snarled, “Change back, submit, or I’ll break your fucking leg!”
The wolf froze and continued to stare at me for a moment, then her body started to break and reform. Who knew, the way to a werewolf woman’s heart was to threaten bodily harm.
She stood up and glared at me, “Who the fuck do you…”
I cut her off by stepping forward, grabbing her by her long beautiful hair and pulling her into a rough kiss. She resisted at first, trying to talk and making offended noises against my lips. But eventually she stopped fighting, then she stepped forward and melded her body against mine deepening the kiss.
I had a moment of paranoia that she was faking it just to get a shot at my balls, but no, the kissing just got hotter until she pushed me away and said firmly, “Get out of those clothes already.”
I stripped in record time and she tried to tackle me like last time, but I was ready for this too and twisted our bodies. I cradled her in my arm and caught us with the other so she wouldn’t hit the ground hard then kissed her roughly, moving myself between her legs. Some people would believe it was too soon and more foreplay was in order. But trust me, that fight was the foreplay.
She gasped, arching her back and pushing up against me as I pushed into her. Her slick passage tightened around me and massaged my length in a way no non-werewolf could manage.
“Oh god, I’d almost forgotten you could do that.”
I did a half kneel and reached back for her legs, pulling them up and putting them on my shoulders. I started to drive in and out of her, so hard and deep. I couldn’t figure out where to focus my eyes. On the mesmerizing yellow eyes that were so captivating and twinkled with lust and pleasure, or her silky smooth breasts with those perfect pink nipples and swollen areolas, swaying enticingly with each pump of my hips.
