Into Death's Arms

by Mary Milligan

  He sighed again, “You’re sure about this?”

  I nodded, “He’s a good man, which leads to the question, if he is a good man are there others? Dayton is a good man. Two good Vampires I’m sure of it and I’ve met a couple of others. Laith is a good man; his two friends seem to be good men. If three Shifters are good how can they all be bad?” Okay here was the crux of what I was trying to say. “I think we might be the bad guys dad. We kill them indiscriminately. We don’t wait to see if they are good Shifters or bad Shifters or Vamps or whatever we just destroy. What if we’re wrong?”

  I waited expecting him to be angry, expecting anything but what he said. “I’ve been wondering the same thing for awhile.” He ran his hands through his hair. “When we go into a Shifter community we are expected to wipe it out. That includes the women and children. I couldn’t do it. The last time I went into a Shifter den I…I let the kids go. I just couldn’t look down at their little faces knowing they were completely defenseless against me and… there was a girl…woman…I’m not sure what she was, but she was so brave she stood up to me fought to protect her infant brother, finally begged me to just kill her and let him be. How could I? So… so yeah, I turned around and left.” I heard shame in his voice but I had never been more proud.

  I hugged him tightly. “Get some rest daddy, tomorrow is a new day and we are going to make an interesting duo you and I.” I laughed as I closed his door behind me.

  I was so tired as I stumbled to my room my eyelids kept closing of their own accord. Of course, the moment I arrived I was wide-awake. Nikissos was in my bedroom. “Laith asked me to make sure you were alright.” He said a whisper in the darkness.

  “I’m fine but I don’t like you being in here,” I growled.

  He shrugged his black shoulders at me. “I understand you despise me.” He said softly. The words were tainted like he was feeling a little of that hate himself. Self-hatred was something I could understand I had spent a lot of time lately wondering what was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I be like the other AoD? Turns out some things happen for a reason.

  I put up a hand to stop him. “No I don’t despise you. I don’t like you but if I despised you, I would tell the AoD in the other room that you are the one who took his AoLi from him. That is what I would do if I despised you.” I sighed stiffly, “Go somewhere else now I’m not in the mood to deal with exactly how I do feel about you.” He nodded once and faded into the shadows. Creepy damn Dream-walker, unfortunately I was thinking we were going to need him in the future. If the peace between all species my mother had wanted was going to work, we were going to need a representative from his species. I was too tired for words. I turned on every light in my room to keep the Shadow-born from coming in and out all willy nilly, showered, and went to bed.

  Chapter 19

  The rest of the week went by in a haze. Dayton was away doing some Vampirey thing. He wasn’t sharing information with me. When I asked, he said he was fine and would return to me shortly. I doubted he was fine but I didn’t know where he was so I wasn’t going to him anytime soon.

  I checked his building like sixty times same results one day I even slept there hoping he would come home to me. I missed him like crazy.

  My dad was adjusting well to the fact that Laith was a part of our lives. They spent hours talking about my mom. As Laith healed they trained together and hunted together general father son type stuff I just wasn’t good enough for but I was okay with that. Dad wasn’t all over me like he used to be anymore and I was liking the freedom.

  He still asked on occasion if I was sure about Dayton. I was surer about Dayton than I was about anything else in my life. Everything was different from what I’d thought. The Shadow-born were not the monsters I had thought they were. Not to say that some of them didn’t suck. Kinsley had been a sure fire example of that. But, sometimes humans sucked too. I watched the news I saw the things they did to one another. I assumed there were even Ao out there that sucked. My mother wasn’t afraid of them for no reason. I didn’t know why yet but I had time to find out.

  Laurna was healing up good and the doctors expected to be able to release her soon. Donovan was avoiding her, the shit, or maybe he was at the Vamp thing too. Hell if I really knew. I sat in a chair in her hospital room while she railed against fate. “Where is he,” she hissed.

  I shook my head, “I don’t know hon.” She had lost weight. Her eyes were sunken and her blond hair clung to her. She looked terrible.

  “He won’t even speak to me, you know, in my mind.” She whispered. She sounded miserable. My whole life I’d envied her, right now not so much.

  I frowned. Dayton baby? I asked.

  Yes my love? Was his immediate response how would I feel if I lost this? I couldn’t imagine.

  I sighed pushing away fear it wasn’t helping anyone. Laurna is in a bad way baby, where is Donovan? I asked softly.

  His answer was strained. Is she ill?

  No, she’s not fucking ill she’s miserable. She loves the lousy bastard and he beat feet out of here the minute the doctors said she would live. Okay I was a little pissed on behalf of my friend. I hadn’t wanted her to play with the Vamp in the first place but that didn’t mean it was okay for him to break her heart. You should remind him pissing off an AoD is a bad idea! I growled.

  Dayton’s laughter lifted my spirits. You are a fierce protector my sweet but this is something Donovan and Laurna must work through on their own. Or not. He said softly.

  Who asked you?! I grumped and disconnected. I could still feel his laughter. Good thing he had a sense of humor.

  I looked up, Laurna was watching me intently, “Please,” she whispered. “Tell me he’s sick, both his legs are broken and he’s lost consciousness. Please don’t tell me…,” she sobbed. I went to her and wrapped my arms around her. My best friend, the girl who had believed in the goodness of Vampires when I had believed them ruthless monsters, wept. While I still carried the warmth, my Vampire love had shared with me in my mind. It wasn’t fair. Then again life rarely was.

  Laith sauntered in before I left. He had been spending a lot of time here with her. The look in his eyes when they lit upon her made my heart hurt for both of them. Just as assuredly as she loved Donovan, Laith felt something for her.

  I shook my head and shut the door quietly behind me.

  Later that week I had enough; I was getting tired of getting the run around from Dayton. Cut the crap when are you coming back? I hissed.

  Soon, he answered. I miss you, he cajoled.

  Yeah, I said, not enough to come home to me.

  So much… he whispered. I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Dayton was not the kind of guy who wanted something, anything, so much and didn’t go and get it for himself.

  Are you hurt? I asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

  No, it’s not like that I swear to you…

  Well what is it like? Damn slippery Vampire was really starting to piss me off. It was bad enough I’d asked Laith to walk me through shadows to him. Unfortunately, Laith said he was too young to do it. He didn’t know how. So I’d asked Revelin and Rollin they were older than Laith but still not old enough. Shit, how old did a Shifter have to fucking be? They couldn’t answer that either it came on them at different times whatever that meant.

  Macyn, he said like I was the one being difficult.

  I tried another tactic; I have been really lonely here without you. I said in my most seductive tone, If you don’t come home soon I think I may have to take up with….I let the thought drift away.

  Anger boiled over me. Anger and beneath it, a despair so thick I felt choked on it. You are mine Macyn do not even think of another man, He hissed.

  Then tell me where you are! I yelled.

  He severed our connection. I blinked surprised, feeling bereft without him. The only other time he’d willing broke off a conversation with me was when I’d accidentally aroused him and he hadn’t wanted me to know. I went
to bed still upset and lonely.

  I finally dreamt of him.

  He wasn’t alone. Kane stood to his left and Donovan to his right. He sat in a high backed chair. He looked tired. I’d never seen him look so worn down before. “How can you say that your relationship with the AoD will not affect us, Tameron,” a Vampire hissed at him.

  Dayton sighed, “My relationship with my mate is not the business of this council or any other Vampire. It is between my mate and myself.” He said softly.

  “Your mate,” the man spat. “Everyone knows we can only mate with those of our own species.” His face was a mask of rage, “yet you expect us to believe you have mated with this Ao. How stupid do you think we are Tameron?” I wanted to scream, I know, I know, but unlike my dreams about Nikissos I couldn’t interact with this dream. “You aren’t even pretending interest in any of the ladies who have come to try and win your favor.”

  Well duh, didn’t he just say he was my mate? This other Vampire was pretty stupid if you ask me. “I have a mate and have no need for another.”

  That giant bastard Sumner stepped up. “You will either do as this council demands or step down Tameron.”

  “Since when do you speak for the entire council Sumner?” Kane hissed at Dayton’s side. Have I mentioned how much I like Kane? He’s a good kid. I thought it was funny how I was now thinking of hundred-year-old Vampires as kids.

  Okay I’d about had enough of this shit this was why Dayton had been kept away from me for so long? Because the Vamps didn’t like that I was an AoD? Yeah, like the other Ao were going to be crazy about it. I pulled myself from sleep. I had enough I wanted my man and suddenly I knew how to get him.

  Dayton still sat on that silly throne like thing I had to smile at that as I entered the room. I appeared in a small patch of light made by one of the hanging lanterns. I was kneeling because I wasn’t sure how my balance was going to be and I’d wanted my full concentration to be on moving through the light. I wasn’t supposed to be able to do it. It didn’t matter I needed my AoLi and an AoD who needed her AoLi was a force to be reckoned with. I wish I could see through the eyes of the Vampires surrounding my love as I rose from my prone position.

  I walked toward him clad in my white ceremonial dress, the one that showed my AoD tattoo, my arms, and a good portion of my legs. Dayton rose as I approached him. His eyes ate at me. I knew he’d missed me as much as I had him. As much as he’d claimed, he had. My bare feet made no noise as they kissed the floor as I slid along the cool marble.

  One of the Vampire women was foolish enough to try to stop me. She was lovely, long black hair cascaded down her back, her neon eyes shown through the darkness. She hissed and clawed at me. I shoved her aside as if she weighed nothing she flew away from me and collided with a wall about fifty feet away. I knew I was glowing from my eyes from my tattoo. It reminded me of the way Vampires showed their power.

  Dayton glowed with that amber Vampiric light just now as well. He watched me with singular interest. His fangs had grown long. I liked him like that.

  He put out his arms. I stepped into them. God I had missed this man. His scent enveloped me. “This,” he announced, “is my mate.” I smiled up at him while taking stock of those around us. Vampires in every shape and size surrounded us. I wasn’t scared, not with Dayton at my side.

  Donovan was the first to step up. “Reece,” He said as he stuck out his hand. I was surprised, he knew I didn’t like him but the gesture meant the world to me, no to us at the time.

  Kane was next his blond hair had been pulled back into a sort of half tail. I was willing to bet girls everywhere thought he was an actor. He nodded his head. “It is nice to see you again Reece. I can’t wait until we can fight Shifters together again,” he winked.

  “Wish you’d been there the other night, Kane.” I answered honestly. Kane was a good man in a fight and that really had been a lot of Shifters.

  Sumner lumbered forth. Damn that man was big. “This changes nothing Tameron,” he hissed. “She is still an AoD.”

  I smiled at that big bastard. “Did you know Sumner, I precog.” I said quietly enough that only Dayton, Donovan, Kane, and Sumner could hear me.

  His eyebrows bunched together. “What is that supposed to mean? And how the hell did you know my name,” he growled. He was loud enough the others could hear him.

  I however maintained my quiet angry tone. “Precog, you know the ability to see something before or as it is happening though you are not present for the event.” I lowered my head into a more aggressive stance. “You know like for example seeing a certain Vampire making plans to have his leader killed with Kinsley, the Shifter King, did you know him? Of course Kinsley’s dead now, I killed him.” I waved a dismissive hand at him, “Funny how that works isn’t it.” I smiled a very toothy smile. “As to how I know your name? Figure… it… out…” I growled. His eyes widened ever so slightly.

  “You have no proof,” he hissed. He was glowing, his power just clawing at him behind those cold blue eyes.

  I blinked twice and allowed my eyes to go wide, innocent looking, “Proof of what?” I asked like I was an idiot.

  His eyes settled to mere slits. “I have changed my mind Tameron; the witch is perfect for you.” He stormed from the room, taking his eerie blue light with him. I resisted the urge to laugh.

  Dayton squeezed me ever so lightly. “Does any other have any objections to my union with the AoD? We’ll hear them now or not at all.” Surprisingly enough everybody was quiet. I wondered what they thought I’d said to Sumner.

  Into the silence I announced, “Good, because I am taking this Vampire home.” In a much quieter tone, I said, “to bed.” Dayton dragged me to him pressing his mouth to the column of my neck just before we disappeared into the darkness he bit into my throat. I’m not positive but I’m pretty sure the entire assembly heard my pleasured moan.

  Epilogue:

  My dad paced back and forth in the confines of the small room. I sat on the little cosmetic stool in front of a very small cosmetic mirror watching Laurna work. She was recovering well but her eyes were always shadowed these days.

  Donovan had broken things off. He’d told her there was another woman. I knew he was lying. He was afraid she would get hurt again if he stayed with her. I tried telling him how much she was hurting now but he was sure she’d get over it. I wasn’t.

  He felt she could do so much better than him. He gave me the whole she deserves a man who can spend his days with her, watch her on the beach, raise human children with her, yadda, yadda, yadda, he was running scared. I hoped it wouldn’t take him to long to get over it. Then again, maybe he was right; maybe she did deserve someone who could do all those things with her. She and Laith spent a lot of time together and wouldn’t it rock if I could call her my sister in truth? Some days I almost convinced myself but then the look in her eyes told me the truth. She loved Donovan, the way I loved Dayton. She was never going to get over that.

  She pinched me. “You will not think about my sorry love life today Macyn. It is your big day, not mine.” I smiled at her.

  “Okay, okay,” I relented. She was right. I was getting married. Crazy huh? She finished and sprayed my hair just one more time. My dad gave the organist some kind of pre-arranged signal and we were headed down the aisle. Dayton waited at the end. A very perplexed but adoring Father Mike waited at the altar. Convincing him to do the ceremony had taken quite some doing. I still wasn’t sure how my dad had done it.

  I wore my ceremonial dress just one more time. After this, I would burn it. It was tradition. It symbolized the fact that after Dayton and I were officially joined I would never again need the gown to make me whole. I would have my AoLi. No, hand me down wedding dress for the Ao. “Who gives this woman to be wed?” Father Mike asked in his big church voice.

  Laith stepped out from the front row and my father answered, “Her brother and I do.” Tears sprang to my eyes but it was okay they were happy tears. My father and brother st
epped back. I stepped forward.

  My AoLi took my hand.

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