“So what’s it like growing up with a little sister?”
“A headache, actually,” I replied with a snort, “but a headache that’s worth it. You grow up with someone who damn near idolizes you and worships the ground you walk on, yet terrorizes you at the same time. You hardly ever have anything to yourself, including space, but then again you’re never alone, even if you think you want to be. What’s it like growing up with a big brother?”
Anya snorted herself before replying. “An even bigger headache. Someone who stalks your every move, knowing your whereabouts twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. But it’s also always knowing you have someone who has your back no matter what, even if you’re in the wrong. Sure, he can be a completely arrogant prick, but he’s always there when I need him, and one of the best shoulders to cry on. So once you get past his holier-than-thou attitude, which is all just show anyway, he really is a great guy, and just as great a dad as…well, Dad.” She laughed a little at that before continuing. “Seriously, though, he was just as upset about the whole situation as I was. Darvyn takes the cake when it comes to overprotective brothers, and to be so far away from you, unable to so much as check up on you every now and then, drove him nuts. I don’t know which of them was more irritating when it came to that; Dad, Darvyn, or Chandler.”
“I just can’t believe Mom didn’t at the very least let me in on what was going on. I may not have been here, but at least you guys knew all about me, that I existed. And for the life of me, I can’t figure out how it is that I’ve never had one vision about any of you. I had a vision of Elyssia before her big old blue head even came out of Mom. So how is it that I’ve never had one of my real father, my brother, my nieces, Grandmama, anybody? But most of all, how could I not have had one about you, of all people? We shared a damn womb—bonds don’t get much closer than that.”
“I thought about that too.” Anya continued, “I’m thinking either Mom or Nana blocked you from having any visions that involved any of us, that or they cloaked them somehow.”
“Speaking of Mom, how do you feel about her?”
“That is one subject I’m nowhere near eager or ready to talk about. Let’s just say that right about now, I’d much rather not even be in the same room with her. And I honestly can’t say that I ever will.
“I think I’m angrier with her for what she did to you than what she did to me. To keep you in the dark like that for all these years? No one should have to learn they have a whole other family, especially discover they belong to a whole other species, the way that you did. That’s just plain wrong, no matter what type of spin she tries to put on it. And quite frankly, it’s just sheer, utter bullshit.”
By this point our toes were more wrinkled than a hundred-and-ten-year-old human’s face. We sat like that for a while longer, laughing and chatting it up like two long-lost best friends. Until I had a sudden uneasy thought.
“Do vampires, like, combust in the sun?”
She laughed in my face so hard I was afraid she might have a seizure and fall into the pool. After she managed, just barely, to pull herself back together, she finally responded.
“Sorry, but it’s just been a long time since I’ve been asked that one. No, we aren’t in danger of blowing up or even burning up if we stay out here for too long. If we were in the human world, that would be an altogether different story. We’d burn up to a crisp within five minutes of being out in that sun. But over here? Just like there’s two moons so the shifters can shift at will and not just once a month, and the moon witches can be at full strength at all times, the sun over here was created so that it wouldn’t instantly kill vampires on contact. When the Realm was first created, all the factions got along so well that it’s obvious in the very way Underlayes has been set up. And truth be told, every faction still does get along, except for the witches. I don’t know what happened to make them think there’s just no greater faction than them, to make them feel as if every other species is beneath them somehow. It’s insane. It’s like they think their way of life is the only one, the only right one. They’re so much more like us than they even realize.”
“Hel, I lived with the witch half of our bloodline, and I don’t even know the why behind it all. All I know is I was strictly forbidden to go near any other faction. It felt for the most part like I was growing up in a military camp; there were never any parties or gatherings, I rarely saw any other witches, and when I did they did not look happy. Don’t get me wrong, I was shown love, even by Sundiata, but everything always came back to that stupid-ass, made-up prophecy. I felt more like an object to him than a daughter. I didn’t have any friends besides Crissianna; I’ll tell you all about her another day. His views of other factions is, well, kind of fucked up, I never really understood it. The only reason I was anywhere near Grimm was because he was my personal trainer—other than that, we probably never would have met. Speaking of, how does Dad know him?”
“Well, I’m sure by now you can see how Dad is about his contingency plans. Grimm was one of them. He wasn’t only your personal trainer, he was also your very own private bodyguard. Grimm is a lot older than you think too, which is why Dad trusted him to keep you safe. But when Dad learned of everything that went down with you and the tryst the two of you had… Let’s just say he doesn’t take betrayal very well, and what Grimm did went way beyond violating Dad’s trust.”
“Wait, so you’re telling me that basically everyone in my life has been lying to me? Even Grimm knew what the fuck was going on? Wow. I’m beginning to think I’d be better off asking if there was anyone who wasn’t keeping anything from me.
“And hold on, I haven’t seen Grimm since everything with Bran went down. Please tell Dad doesn’t have him.”
“Oh, he doesn’t, yet, but trust me when I say he will. And when he does, it won’t be pretty.” Anya shuddered at that. “You need to stay out of the way when he does, too.”
“I’m not promising anything on that. I need to hash some things out with Grimm my damn self. I think I have more of a right to it than Dad does. Imma go lay my ass down for a little while.”
As I stood to go back in, my head whirling with too many thoughts to flash myself anywhere, I lost my footing.
My foot slipped right out from under me and down I went, straight into the deepest pool I had ever seen, and the bottom was quickly approaching as the water popped in my ears like a kernel of popcorn, forcibly pulling me down. Suddenly, someone grabbed me from behind and swam us both up to the surface. Once our heads cleared free, we were both gasping for air. Correction, I was gasping for air. My savior was breathing normally, as though nothing had just happened.
Anya was standing with her hand outstretched, waiting to pull me out. As I grasped it and was pulled free of that deadly pool, I turned around with every anticipation of saying an appreciative thank you.
Instead I heard myself saying, “Speak of the Devil and he shall appear. What the fuck are you doing here? My father is ready to kill you, and I’m not far from it myself after everything I’ve just learned.” I was seething, seeing that my savior was none other than Grimm.
“Tia, there are so many things I need to say to you, but no time right now. Just know that I truly am sorry, for everything. And I am still watching you, keeping you safe. I swear that on my life.”
Before I had a chance to so much as respond to that, he was taking on wolf form and sprinting away, howling mournfully along the way.
19
A Plan Of Action
Anya and I parted ways, each to go our own separate living quarters and get some much-needed sleep. Keeping both my fingers and toes crossed that Mom and Dad had finally cleared out, I opened the doors to mine. I released the breath I had been holding on a huge sigh at the sight and sound of being alone, knowing full well that probably wouldn’t last for very long.
No sooner did I have that thought than someone knocked at the door. I opened it to find several someones.
“I promised not to
bother you until the evening, but these three refuse to lie down until they say goodnight to their newest auntie. I hope you don’t mind too much.” It was Darvyn and his three little deadly angels.
“On one condition. Please tell me why half this family of ours has so many different accents? From Russian, to British, to none at all,” I asked, genuinely curious about the answer.
He laughed at that. “Guess I never really thought about it. Growing up here, I never really paid it much attention. Maybe because Grandmama’s side originated from Russia and Grandpa’s from London. And some of the offspring took after one side and some the other. So nothing truly mystical or magical about it—just circumstance.”
“Eh, I’ll take it.” To the girls, I said, “You guys giving your daddy trouble?”
They giggled in unison at that.
“Good. Okay, I’m new at this auntie gig, so I’m going need the three of you to help me out, ‘kay?”
I got a bunch of head-nods on that.
“How ‘bout for right now we just all do one giant group hug?”
They came at me like three little blonde blurs of speed, jumping into a hug as one tiny unit, knocking me to the floor in the process. Note to self: vampire kids are very strong, no arm-wrestling with them. We were like a great big pile of puppies, giggling uncontrollably. I caught Chandler spying on us from the corner, smiling at how happy we all seemed to be.
I told the girls, “Okay, little ladies, off to bed with you.”
The three of them got up, surprisingly with no complaints, and ran into their dad’s waiting arms.
“Well, don’t just stand there like some sort of love-sick puppy, come on in.”
Without waiting to see what Chandler would do, I went back in, leaving the door wide open for him to follow.
Just when I was about turn around and shut the door back up, he came strolling in. “Why in the worlds are you so wet?”
Humph. It said a lot about my frame of mind that I’d forgotten I was drenched to the point of leaving footprints on the floor. “Let’s just say I took an unexpected midnight swim.”
He made a move towards the couch, but I stopped him, saying, “Look, it’s been a long day and even longer night, and I’m in no mood to even attempt to be decent company. Dad explained to me what I mean to you, that I’m your Fated, and yes, I feel it too. But I need a few hours to just sleep, give my brain some time to soak all of this in, then we can talk.”
“How about if I just keep you company while you sleep? I could be your life-size teddy bear. I won’t even mind if you accidentally toss me out of the bed in your sleep.” He said it jokingly yet seriously all the same, and not in a lecherous way whatsoever.
So I gave in, shaking my head as I did so. “Let me just get dried off first.”
Going into the bedroom, I slipped off my wet clothes and threw on an oversized T-shirt, thinking how Dad really did know me when I saw that the only type of socks in the underwear drawer were the short, dark kind.
Hopping into my oversized bed, I pulled back the covers and, knowing it was a bad idea no matter how right it might feel, I called Chandler in. He entered my bedroom in a pair of pajama bottoms he must have flashed into while I was changing, and nothing else. I was too tired to admire the incredible physique before me, so I just rolled over and he climbed in behind me.
True to his word, even though I had nothing on beneath the T-shirt, all he did was wrap his arm around me and hold me close, and after less than a minute I dozed off into a much-needed deep sleep.
* * *
When I woke up, I felt more relaxed than I had in what seemed like forever. What I did next, however, can’t be blamed on anything other than the sheer rightness I felt; no drugs, no booze, no spells, no lies, no elixirs, just Chandler and me. I rolled over so I was facing him, our eyes making instant contact, and that pretty much sealed the deal.
There was nothing fast or rushed about what happened next. At first it was nothing more than the two of us kissing, tasting each other. Our lips met in a gentle, non-demanding way, our tongues doing a sensual dance. Then it was my hands exploring his body, starting with his strong, solid chest, playing with his nipple for just a moment before allowing my hand to travel lower until I found his very large arousal. I stroked him from outside his pants at first, but that wasn’t enough for me. Nowhere near it.
Breaking our kiss, I began to move downward from his neck to his chest, allowing my fangs to elongate so they could scrape along his skin just so without penetrating it. When I finally arrived at the mouthwatering V that led to my ultimate destination, I pulled his pants down and gripped his rock-hard, solid cock, my tongue darting out to catch that first drop of precum. But I was too afraid to fully take him into my mouth—I was new to this fang business and did not want to risk damaging this beautiful piece of art. So instead I just licked him up and down, my tongue exploring the underside of his head, all the while continuing to stroke him with a firm grip. The more I did that, though, the more I wanted to take him fully into my mouth and suck on him until he exploded.
Chandler must have either realized my dilemma, or couldn’t take the sexual frustration anymore, because he pulled me back up until our tongues met once again. He broke the kiss for no longer than a split second to strip my shirt over my head, then slowly lowered me with a firm yet gentle hold on both my breasts until he was finally impaling me. He felt oh so good inside me, like we were the perfect fit for each other. After making love like that for a short while longer, we traded places. With him on top of me, holding my arms above my head, and with my legs wrapped around his waist, he slammed into me so hard you would have thought it would be painful. Instead it felt incredible, a sensation so strong and powerful it drew his name from my lips. He filled me completely. It felt as though his shaft was swelling up even more with each move he made while he was inside me. Then he lifted my legs, spreading them farther apart so that he could go ever deeper still, making me moan and groan and scream out his name over and over.
I had never truly been made love to, not like this. Yes, with Grimm it had been good, but with Chandler it was so much more. It was a connection that went soul deep. It was not just two bodies coming together, but two souls being reunited.
We continued like that for a long time, him making love to me and me making love to him, going back and forth, bringing each other to utter ecstasy. When his fangs penetrated my neck and I did the same in precise unison with him, I truly felt it: our souls seemed to mingle together, making love to each other as our bodies did the same. As we drank from each other, I could feel our inevitable bond being sealed, no words needed.
And then we both exploded simultaneously. I had the most intense orgasm I had ever felt in my life right as he exploded inside me, his hot seed spilling inside my womb.
We collapsed as one onto our backs, both of us panting, trying to catch our breath. We looked at each other and just broke out laughing like two lunatics at the giant grin each of us wore. I would call it an afterglow, but it was much more than that.
We both knew that once we stepped outside those doors, reality would be right there waiting to slap us in the face and kick our collective asses. But right at that moment we had this, we had us. So we decided just to enjoy it for however long we could. Once we got out of this bed, we would all have to sit down and come up with a plan of attack that would at least leave our side with the fewest casualties possible, and losing anyone within our family ranks was not an option. But we would worry about that later. As soon as our laughter finally died down to nothing, we were a tangle of limbs once again, enjoying every part of each other for as long as we could.
20
Rude Awakenings
“Okay, Tia, you’ve been hibernating long enough.”
“Anya! Get out!”
“What’s your pro— Oops,” she broke off once she saw I wasn’t alone in bed, “my bad. I’m going to just flash away to go and boil my eyeballs now. Carry on, and once you’re done, ev
eryone is meeting in the war room.”
We both sank down lower in the bed, threw a pillow over our heads, and groaned. I was the first to recover, saying, “We knew it wasn’t going to last forever. Let’s just be glad it lasted as long as it did.”
“Do we really have to?” came Chandler’s muffled reply from beneath the pillow.
“Yes, unfortunately, we do. Let’s go, loverboy.”
Finally he removed the pillow from his face. “When you put it like that,” he said, wagging his eyebrows.
I laughed, then nice and politely smacked him upside the head with my own pillow. I couldn’t help it. “Get up.”
When we finally managed to make it out of bed and get dressed, we made our way down to the war room. Chandler could have just flashed us, but one, I wanted to see more of the castle and know exactly where it was for myself, and two, I wanted to stretch the time out for as long as I could. No, it wasn’t cowardice, because I was ready to face whatever it was we needed to, but that didn’t mean I had to like it and certainly didn’t mean I needed to be eager about it.
It didn’t surprise me in the least that Dad had a war room set up and in place—the man seemed to think of everything. Which I was sure had made it impossible for Anya to get away with doing too much of anything. At least she’d no doubt been safe at all times. That was something.
Witch Wars: The Underlayes, Book One Page 12
