It slammed shut and Shannon stalked toward Kellan, rolling a dagger across the knuckles of her right hand. “So, how often does the hero get stabbed by his sidekick, Kellan?”
“Almost never,” he replied with a smile.
“You think this is funny, do you?”
“Yeah, a bit”
“Well, laugh about this,” she yelled and drove the dagger into his shoulder. Kellan winced and for the briefest moment she stared at the dagger as if seeing it for the first time. Her eyes widened and she looked up at Kellan, then back down at spreading blood stain. “Kellan!” she yelled. “I stabbed you.”
“You did, indeed, my love,” Kellan replied through clenched teeth.
“You stupid man, why didn’t you block it, or shield it, or do something other than just stand there and get stabbed.” Kellan reached up and wrapped his fingers around the hilt and she waved both her hands. “No, wait. I’ll get a towel to staunch it. Don’t pull it out yet.” Shannon quickly picked up the towel Oren had been using to move the pot around and turned to find Kellan holding the dagger. His eyes blazed a brilliant green and small tendrils of power seemed to lance up and into the tear in his shirt. She swallowed. “Well, come over here and let me look at it.” Kellan did. “No, wait. Come over this way. I have needle and gut in the chest by the bed. The blade is serrated and you’ll be needing stitching for sure.” Kellan allowed himself to be pulled along, his hand in hers. She lifted the heavy wooden lid that covered the chest and pulled out a small leather pouch. Shannon turned and started to move the torn fabric aside and took a half-step back. Her foot caught on the corner of the chest and she fell backward, pulling Kellan along with her.
The two lay on the bed crosswise, Shannon’s arms lifted up to either side of Kellan’s head. One hand held gut and the other needle. She looked more flustered than Kellan had ever seen her and he leaned down to place a soft kiss on her lips.
She blinked and stared into his eyes. “Your sparkles went out.”
“Because I’m fine,” he said.
Shannon waggled the gut and needle she still held. “No stitching?”
“Nope.”
In his peripheral vision, Kellan saw both fall way.
“You know something, Highlander, when future-Shannon told me she got tired of waiting and tripped me into your bed, I assumed she wasn’t being quite so literal.” Shannon’s lips curled mischievously and Kellan felt her hands begin to pull at his shirt. Her eyes came to light as her hand brushed his skin. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, “Now you’re the one with sparkles—my love.”
Chapter 6
A Guest From Hell
Kellan jogged up the stone steps to his house and pushed down the door latch without slowing. His shoulder and face mashed against the thick American oak. He tried the latch again. Nothing. Next, he pulled out his iPhone and looked at it. Dead. He sighed.
Nothing like a couple days in the thirteenth century to kill your phone battery.
The young Sentinel stared at the door a moment, then said, “This is all James’ fault. I should never have listened to him. Stupid bluetooth locks.”
Kellan didn’t have a house key with him. In fact, he rarely had keys at all except when driving the Impala and that fob only held the two keys needed for engine and trunk respectively. Kellan nodded to himself. Too much weight on the key fob could hurt baby’s ignition. Can’t have that.
He knocked on the door. No answer. Kellan frowned. He could sense Shannon was in the house. Well, maybe she was taking a nap. Kellan went around the side to where a tall cedar privacy fence met the house. He tried the latch, but it was locked by a carabiner on the other side. Kellan felt his eyes warm as he embraced the power and his legs began to tingle from the energy he sent there. He crouched down and suddenly remembered an uncomfortable incident at Meghan’s house when a passerby had seen him make an impossible leap up her condo’s security fence. The Sentinel stood slowly and nonchalantly glanced about. Nobody watching. He nodded to himself with appreciation for his own discretion, then quickly bent down and leaped.
At the top of his arc, Kellan rested his left hand on the top of the fence, pushed off again and twisted right. He landed deftly in the shock absorbing three point stance Meghan had taught him. He called it the Marvel landing after all the comic characters. Meghan hated the name, which was why Kellan tried to use it as much as possible, even when by himself.
He rose and flipped the top of his hoodie back behind him as he headed to toward the lower patio.
“Hey,” he said, spying a flash of red hair.
“Hello Sweetie,” said Shannon as she turned to half face him. She was soaking in a giant hot tub that had been present when Kellan bought the house. He never used it until Shannon moved in and asked what it was. Once she understood its purpose, there had been no debate about getting it refurbished into top condition. It reminded her of the heated roman pools that she’d heard about and around which many Scottish lords had built castles.
He walked around the tub and smiled at her. “Comfy?”
She grinned at him, arms spread outward and resting on the leather edges of the tub as a torrent of white bubbles cascaded about her. “A hot tub on a winter’s day? What do you think?”
Kellan glanced at his watch. It stayed black having also not been charged. “I don’t think it’s winter yet,” he said. “What’s today?”
She shrugged. “It’s December. Winter starts in December for me.” Her expression turned dangerously playful and Kellan eyed her. “So,” she began, “how are you feeling? You look a bit tired?”
“No,” said Kellan relaxing a bit. “I’m fine.”
“Really, so then you got a good night’s rest, did you Sweetie? Nothing kept you up?” Kellan opened his mouth to respond when she added, “Nothing—or no one?”
Kellan frowned at her. “Babe, seriously? You aren’t going—”
She rose slightly from the suds and foam slid off her bare breasts, then she sank back down as she sloshed to the side closest Kellan. Shannon thought bathing suits and hot tubs a ludicrous combination. She crossed her arms on the tub’s edge and looked up. “Am I still appealing to ya, or have you developed a taste for younger women?”
“Oh, do shut up, Highlander. I refuse to be bated into a discussion about how you are more attractive,” he waved a hand, “than you!”
She had moved back to the other side and laughed as she kicked water in Kellan’s direction. Shannon lowered her voice conspiratorially and glanced about. “You know, I bet she didn’t tell you, but you were her first, Kellan Thorne.”
Kellan shook his head, “No, no she didn’t tell me.”
The foot again emerged from the suds and pointed at him. “And…you were fantastic. A course she had nothing to compare it to, but still…fantastic.”
Kellan brightened, “Really? Well, that’s good to know. I was actually kinda nervous. Which is stupid since—”
There was a huge splash as a man’s head and shoulders pushed upwards from the water to Shannon’s left. He had bright blue eyes and tousled, sandy blonde hair which now looked darker than when dry.
Kellan stared at the man for several heartbeats in complete shock. His eyes burst to light and the air warped outward at the speed with which the Sentinel’s power flowed into him.
Lucifer smiled brightly and said, “Easy, baby Sentinel, don’t get yourself into a tizzy. I come in peace.”
“Jesus, Lucifer!” Kellan cried as he released the power.
Shannon shook her head as the fallen angel made a double pointed gesture to her. “I win,” he said.
“You win” she replied sullenly. “You made him say it.”
Kellan looked from one to the other and sputtered. “What the hell are you doing in a hot tub with my,” he paused.
Both Lucifer and Shannon arched eyebrows in unison. “Your what, baby Sentinel?”
Kellan pinched his face up in frustration, “My—Shannon. What are you doing in a
hot tub with my naked Shannon?”
“What indeed,” Lucifer replied and tilted his head toward the Soulborn.
“Well, the Devil here came to see you, and obviously you weren’t home.”
“Wasn’t obvious to me?” interjected Satan. “Do you know how rare that is, Kellan? To not know things. Of course you don’t. You are used to not knowing things. You little apes don’t know lots of things. Anyway, I rather enjoy it in limited doses. Very exciting.”
Shannon kicked at him. “Do you mind? I was talking. Don’t be rude.”
Lucifer inclined his head, “Quite right. Apologies. Please continue.”
“Anyway, you weren’t here, and I figured you would be back soon since you were time portaling and we have a date tonight.”
“We have a date tonight?”
Lucifer pointed. “He just interrupted too. Maybe he manteruppted, it’s the patriarchy, young Soulborn. Men are just horrible. You should kill them all.”
Shannon managed to glare at both of them simultaneously. “Get thee behind me Satan,” she said, “I know what you have been doing, stirring up the whole men vs women thing. It won’t work on me, I’ll tell you that for nothing. I love men. Big, strong willed ones. Those are the ones who are the most fun to break anyway.”
Kellan broke in. “Babe, first, I’m not going to be broken and second, what date?”
“Oh I didn’t mean you, Sweetie, you are exempt from the breaking. And the date is with Juliet and Glenn. We’re going to Adel’s because the poor boy has never had a—” she smiled at Kellan, “a poboy.”
Kellan laughed despite the situation. “Oh, that’s great, Shannon. How long were you waiting to use that.”
“I came up with it just now.”
Kellan nodded appreciatively, then his brow furrowed.
Lucifer snapped a finger. “Whoops, he remembered again. We almost escaped but his ape brain is more magic than most.”
“Yeah it is,” said Kellan, “and why did all that require the father of lies to share a naked hot tub with you?”
“I was already in the tub, Sweetie. He looked cold and I figured with hell being so hot—”
“It’s not like that,” Kellan and Lucifer said simultaneously.
“Whatever, I just asked him in. I mean, he’s the Devil. He’s immortal. He’s Meghan’s great-great-grandfather and I’m sure he’s already seen whatever I have to show.”
“Now, don’t sell yourself short, Kellan’s Shannon, you’re assets are quite impressive.”
Shannon beamed. “Really, do you think so?”
“I never lie,” said Lucifer with a seated bow.
“This is ridiculous,” Kellan shouted, “I’m going inside.” Lucifer started to lean back into the water. “No, no. You are going inside too.” He pointed to Shannon who gave him her best innocent look. “And you are going in through the bedroom door and getting dressed.”
She smiled at him. “Of course, anything you say. After all, you are the man.”
Kellan cocked his head and said dryly, “Whatever…c’mon Satan. I need a drink.”
Lucifer accepted the glass and swirled it around. “Did you get these ice spheres because I showed them to you in Hell?”
Kellan slipped one into his own glass and said, “Yeah, but I don’t tell people that.”
Lucifer smiled amiably, then added, “They really do add just the right amount of water to the bourbon don’t they?”
Kellan nodded and took a long pull from his glass. “Dude, why are you here. I’ve had a long couple of days.”
“Yes, yes, I imagine you have. You smell a bit like sex and ghoul. I do hope those two activities weren’t related. I mean, I may be Satan, but some things are just not done, Kellan.”
The young Sentinel closed his eyes and mentally counted to three. “The bathing options in the thirteenth century are limited and those activities were decidedly unrelated. Now let me speak slowly, in my own ape way, so we might communicate best. Why. Are. You. Here?”
“Ah yes, to the point. Maurius is going to try and kill you, baby Sentinel.”
“What? Again?” said Shannon as she entered the room. Kellan looked over and felt the warm tingle he often did when seeing her. Shannon’s hair remained wet and the water deepened its red to a dark auburn. She had twisted it to wring out much of the water and it lay across one shoulder to cascade down the front. She wore one of Kellan’s soft flannel shirts untucked, the tails of which came down below the hips of her favorite jeans. Shannon saw Kellan’s expression, flashed him a quick smile and jumped sideways into the oversized leather chair. She slid her bare feet beneath her, sitting crosslegged and waited.
“Well, it has been almost two years since he tried last,” offered Lucifer by way of explanation.
“Yeah, and why tell me?” asked Kellan. “Isn’t he your buddy?”
Lucifer made a soft clucking sound with his tongue. “As I told you, baby Sentinel, Maurius and I often differ on either means or ends. When he tried to have poor Asmodeus killed, well, there we differed on both. I’m afraid our relationship has never recovered.” Lucifer looked up over his glass and all joviality fled as his eyes began to glow a deep crimson. “When you strike a king, Kellan, you must kill him. Maurius struck my Prince in a bid to be a god. My Prince may be dead, but Maurius is not a god. I want him dead.”
Kellan was taken aback by Lucifer’s rapid transformation. Before him was a creature that warranted every warning he’d ever imagined, but still he managed to say, “But I was the one that struck the blow, Lucifer. Why do you want Maurius dead rather than me?”
Lucifer smiled brightly as his eyes returned to their sparkling blue and he reached for the bottle of Jefferson’s Reserve. “May I?” he asked. Kellan nodded and the fallen angel refilled his glass. “It’s a fair question and I suppose the answer might be that I want you both dead. Of course, were that the case, it wouldn’t make much sense to tell you about it, would it?” Kellan frowned and Lucifer laughed, while placing a friendly hand on the Sentinel’s shoulder. “Relax, baby Sentinel, I do not want you dead. I like you. I’m not exactly sure why I like you, but I do. Maurius is just—well, he’s just—”
“A dick?” offered Shannon.
Lucifer spun around and pointed at Shannon. “Yes! That. He’s—a dick, and who needs a dick in their life.”
“I suppose that depends,” began Shannon, “Are we talking about a person or the actual—”
Kellan interrupted the Soulborn with a withering stare and she grinned back as Lucifer broke into a fit of laughter. “Oh you are a source of endless amusement, Miss McLeod.” The devil placed a finger to his chin as if in thought, “Perhaps, I don’t want Kellan dead because it would make you sad and if you were sad you wouldn’t be amusing. Oh well, who knows about these things. Where were we?”
“You wanting Maurius dead,” said Kellan. “And to that I say that I’m not your assassin, Lucifer. However, I certainly won’t shed a tear if he turns up dead, especially after what he’s tried to do to me.”
“To us,” offered Shannon.
“To us,” Kellan allowed with a nod.
Lucifer took another drink from his glass and peered over its rim. “I’d never ask you to be my assassin, Kellan, but I cannot act directly against Maurius. I mean, how would it look? Me, the High Prince of Chaos taking out the Sentinel of Chaos. Well, that just isn’t done, Kellan. People would talk.”
Kellan gave the fallen angel a flat expression. “How do you know Maurius is going to try and kill me?”
“I know things Kellan. It’s what I do.” He lifted his glass. “I drink and I know things.”
“Game of Thrones,” said Kellan and Shannon together. Lucifer tried to look innocent but simply was not built for it. “Plagiarism again,” said Kellan with a sigh.
“Guilty as charged, but it is such a great line. I just love Tyrion, don’t you? Too bad George Martin got lazy and refused to finish those books. Let that be a lesson to you, Kellan. Money c
orrupts, absolute money corrupts absolutely.”
Kellan shook his head in disbelief, “You stole that quote from Lord Acton.”
“Paraphrased,” corrected Lucifer.
“Without citation,” countered Kellan, then added, “you probably invented both money and corruption.” Lucifer smiled and Kellan moved on, “Back to my point. How do you know he’s going to try and kill me?”
“Don’t be boring, Kellan, I do hate boring. I already answered that.”
“No, you almost answered it. Let me make this easy for you. Did you convince, or in anyway influence, Maurius to try and kill me?” Lucifer set down his glass and placed both hands open on his chest in a who me gesture. “Yes, you.” Said Kellan in exasperation, “This is a yes or no question. Did you?”
Lucifer retrieved his glass and frowned. “You are no fun Kellan. Yes, I might have suggested a few things that could have led Maurius to believe you might be attacking him soon. Oh Kellan, one can never be sure how your little ape brains will interpret things so I don’t really know what Maurius might do. Still, I like you and don’t like him, hence my visit.”
Kellan refilled his own glass and frowned at the fallen angel. “Well, thank you very much. You incite Maurius to kill me so I will, hopefully, kill him because you don’t like him anymore.”
“I never really liked him at all, Kellan, so it is no real sacrifice to have him dead. Chances are there will be a new Sentinel of Chaos, and, if so, I probably will like him better.”
Kellan narrowed his eyes, “Or maybe you already know you will like him better? What do you know of Maurius’ successor?”
Lucifer stared at Kellan for a long moment, “I don’t like how precise you are getting with your questions, Kellan. That is quite inconvenient for me. Please do try to be more vague, at least from time to time. Anyway, I don’t know much of anything. I did get a sense that there would be one, but that sense was vague and seemed quite transitory as if they only wore the mantel a short time. It was strange, but I also got the sense that I liked him,” Lucifer drained the last of his bourbon and smiled, then added, “or her, and wouldn’t it just be spectacular to have a female Sentinel of Chaos. Almost as good as a female Doctor Who, don’t you think?”
Sentinels of Creation: A Wizard's Soul Page 8
