“I know, but I was hoping you could remind him of the rules? They were made for a reason and he is just disregarding them.”
“I understand,” Angel told him. “And I will speak to him. But I want you to know, because he has been working so hard he has uncovered a drug family that is catering to vampires, but using humans to push it.” Angel told Ricky the short story of what they had discovered, leaving out the part about the head of the operation being the Demon of Destruction.
“Oh fuck, wow,” Ricky said.
“Yes,” Angel agreed. “I will have that talk with Samuel, but I also hope that you will talk with your precinct and allow us the freedom to handle this problem. We will supply you with names and addresses of all the human dealers we find so that you can arrest them. It will not be the first time vampires and humans worked together and I am certain it will not be the last.”
“I will absolutely see what I can do,” Ricky agreed. “Thanks for the heads up. I’ll be in touch.”
Angel watched as the detective left his office. The man was still so young. He wanted to keep him as far from this as possible. He had just readily agreed to share information, and he would make good on that promise, after the demon was taken care of.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Ok Goddess Azerial, I know you are lurking around here somewhere,” Jade said as she paced Frankie’s altar room. “Do I really have to spit out some predetermined prayer or can you just show yourself because I am asking you too? If not because of me, do it because you love my family and I think I know how to help protect Samuel.” Jade knew that the Goddess had some special feelings for Sam and using him was hitting below the belt, but they needed to talk.
A gentle wind blew around the room and then Azerial was standing in front of Jade. “You are a brave one, child,” she said. “Why have you called on me?”
“The adults are in a mess,” Jade started. “I want to help, but I don’t think anyone will listen to me.”
“And why do you think that?” Azerial asked.
“Duh,” she rolled her eyes. “Because I’m a kid.”
“I am listening,” Azerial pointed out.
“Yeah, but only because you are in love with Sam,” Jade groaned.
Azerial sucked in a breath at the child’s words. Was that what she was feeling for her vampire? Of course, she loved all of her charges, but even she had to admit what she felt for Samuel was so much stronger. “What is on your mind?” she asked, choosing not to acknowledge how right Jade really was.
“I was looking through that book of spells that Frankie has,” Jade said, “And I found a spell that may help. It’s a protection spell, but it calls on our ancestors to help.”
“Let me see it,” Azerial said. She had never heard that one spoken before, but that didn’t mean it didn’t exist. Jade handed the book to her, already open to the right page. Azerial scanned the words on the page, noting the parts that made the most sense.
“The way I see it,” Jade continued as she read, “We need all the power and protection we can get. We can’t just stop hunting the drug dealers and we have to stop the demon. He is making something that is poison. If my dad ignores him, he is just going to kill more innocent people. You saw my mom. She is terrified. What if he doesn’t stop? He has been in our house!”
“We will ward the house against evil,” Azerial said without looking up from the page. “I can help with that. And I think we need to bring this spell to Frankie’s attention.”
The pair went in search of the resident witch. They found her easily enough in the library, reading. She was sitting in an oversized chair with her feet tucked under her. To anyone who didn’t know her, she looked like a normal woman, not the incredibly powerful witch-vampire that she was.
“Hey Frankie,” Jade said softly from the entrance. Frankie looked up to see her niece and the Goddess standing there, Azerial holding Frankie’s spell book.
“What ya got there?” she asked, closing her book and sitting up. Reading was a break for her mind and she needed one lately. It seemed she couldn’t turn her mind off.
“The child and I were talking,” Azerial began, “and I think she may have found something to help us all.” She walked over to Frankie and opened the book to the page she saved by putting her finger in it. “There is a spell here that calls on family to lend their strength. Perhaps we could use it?”
Frankie took the spell book and read over the spell. “I don’t know why not,” she mused aloud. “It couldn’t hurt anyway. We could even alter it a little to fit our purposes. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it myself.”
“Sometimes the mind of a child is less cluttered. They tend to see the straightest path more so than adults do,” Azerial said.
Frankie took the book fully into her lap and began reading. “Give me a few minutes and we can do this. No time like the present. Gather everyone up for me?” she asked without looking up. While Azerial and Jade did as she asked, Frankie began to scribble notes in the margin of her book. This really might work, she thought to herself.
Before too long, she was walking into the family room where the rest of her family was waiting. Jade had already set up a circle of candles for safety and lit them. Frankie wasn’t surprised. Jade was a fast learner and the circle of light was lesson one in witchcraft. It kept the magic contained and provided a safe medium for her spells.
“I suppose Jade has already filled everyone in?” Frankie asked as she stepped into the circle. She was aware of her family nodding in agreement around her. They knew the drill by now and they were patiently waiting for Frankie to tell them what to do. They had all paired up with their mates at their sides, except Jacque who was waiting for Frankie to join them. First she had to mix the few ingredients needed to call on the powers they needed. When she was satisfied the deed was done, she scraped the herbs into a small bag and stepped out of the circle to Jacque’s side.
“You sure this is gonna work?” he asked her in a pseudo whisper.
“No, but it can’t hurt to try,” Frankie said.
“I have already fortified the house and warded against evil,” Azerial said. “We are safe to go when you’re ready.”
Frankie nodded and watched as Angel took Brea’s hand, and then Sebastian and Jessica, Gage and Serena, Azerial and Jade, and Rebel and Leigh. Samuel stood between Azerial and Leigh. He looked lost at best, but it was more like terrified. He still had a lot of getting used to the magic in his new home. Frankie felt Jacque take her hand on one side and Jade waited for her to take her hand. “Knotta ligota ringole,” Frankie said, tossing the herbs into the air. She watched as they settled into the circle before continuing. “Blood of our blood, we call to thee. Life of our life, we call to thee. Love of our hearts, we call to thee.” She took a deep breath and continued. “We call to our ancestors and family lost, loan us your strength and loan us your power.”
In the Heavens, Macy turned her head to Antonio. “Do you hear that?” she asked him.
“I do,” he said, listening harder. “It’s Frankie. I can’t tell what she’s saying.”
Macy closed her eyes and concentrated hard. “She is asking for loved ones lost to loan them their strength. Something is very wrong,” she said. “I think they need help.”
“What can we do?” Antonio asked his mate. “We are kind of dead.”
Macy smiled. “Well, at the very least we can do as she asked; lend her our strength and our magic.”
“I don’t have any magic,” Antonio said.
“But you have strength,” Macy told him. “Come on, hold my hand. I don’t know if she can hear me, but I am sure as hell gonna try.” She concentrated again and said, “Family of ours, what’s ours is yours. We give you our magic and our strength freely.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the couple felt an unmistakable pul,l but before they could process it they blinked in and out, and then were gone.
“We call upon our combined powers to bring us the guidance
we seek. We call upon our family lost to loan us their strength. Ancestors and the fallen, be with us this day, surround us with your magic and strength. Help us to defeat the evil that has threatened our family.”
“Blood of our blood, we call to you,” Frankie continued. She saw flashes of people she knew that had passed. Her grandmother. Others that she didn’t know. She knew these were their ancestors loaning their strength. Already Frankie could feel the magic in her growing stronger. Then the damndest thing happened. There was a loud popping noise and a burst of power and light that threw the entire family back on their asses. Frankie pushed her hair out of her face and looked up. “Oh my God,” she breathed.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“I swear the shit around here just keeps getting weirder and weirder,” Samuel muttered as he shoved himself back to his feet. He offered his hand to Azerial first, and then Jade. In all his years on the force, he never saw anything like this.
As everyone stood, all eyes were on the circle of candles that were miraculously still lit. Inside stood Antonio and Macy, and Ricco and a beautiful blonde wolf. Brea made the connection before anyone else did. “Keelie!” she shouted and started for the circle. Frankie was able to grab her arm and stop her from crossing the circle. “What are you doing? Let me go!” she cried.
“We have to close the circle,” Frankie told her. “If it collapses and you are in it, you may not like the consequences.”
“Well, close it!” she demanded.
“Could you guys step over the candles please?” Frankie asked. Antonio, Macy, Ricco, and the wolf crossed the line of candles. Frankie quickly said the prayer that would close the spell before turning to her family.
The wolf made a big production of yawning and stretching out her paws and her back before pulling on her magic. She changed into her human form and ran straight into Brea’s waiting arms.
Brea was crying with happiness as she held her friend tight. “I thought I would never see you again,” she whispered into her hair. “I missed you so much.”
“I’m glad you called,” Keelie said with a smile. “I was getting tired of being the wolf.”
Brea pulled back but still held on to her friend. “What do you mean?”
“I died as the wolf. I stayed the wolf.”
“Well, you’re human now,” Brea said, yanking her back into a bear hug.
Antonio and Macy were embraced by their family along with Ricco. Ricco had been head of human security before giving his life to protect Angel. When Keelie was poisoned, he had no desire to live without her. Happy tears and hugs filled the room.
“I don’t mean to seem like an inconsiderate asshole, and I sure as fuck am happy to see you guys,” Samuel said, “But just how the fuck is this even possible?”
“I think I know,” Macy answered first. She brushed her dark curls behind her ears and stepped toward Sam. “I heard the spell. Frankie asked for our power and the second I decided to loan it to her, here we are.”
“That’s right!” Serena beamed. “Macy is a necromancer. Her gift is to communicate with the dead. Add some fey and a Goddess to that and bam! Here they are.”
“Oh, that makes perfect sense,” Azerial breathed. “I didn’t realize that this would be the outcome of the spell, but perhaps it is just what we need.”
“Jade is a smart one, that’s for sure,” Frankie said with a wide smile.
“Where is Jade?” Keelie asked, pretending not to see her.
“I’m right here,” Jade said, bounding to the front of the crowd.
“Oh no, couldn’t be,” Keelie said. “Jade is just a little girl. You are nearly grown!”
“Aunt Keelie!” Jade whined, exasperated. “It’s me!”
“Well now, let me look at you,” Keelie said. Jade waited patiently while Keelie inspected her from head to toe. She lifted her chin and looked into Keelie’s icy blue werewolf eyes. “Ah, there you are,” Keelie finally said with a toothy grin. Jade leapt into her arms and hugged her tight. Keelie laughed. “I missed you too, kiddo.”
“Obviously you didn’t call us here to catch up on old times,” Antonio said. The adults exchanged glances.
“I don’t know why you try to hide your thoughts from me,” Jade said with a roll of her eyes. “You know I can hear them anyway. Why don’t I show Keelie the new baby? That might get me out of your hair so the grown-ups can talk.”
“That would be wonderful!” Keelie exclaimed. She took Jade’s hand and sauntered out of the room. Before she was gone completely, she turned and said, “You guys can fill me in later.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
After filling in the new arrivals of the troubles they were facing, Samuel retreated to his room. He knew his new life was going to be full of all kinds of weird things, but it was a bit overwhelming. He just needed a break to get his head together. Yeah, he had seen Antonio before, but he was just in and out. He didn’t see the magic that had brought him back. This time, he saw everything. He couldn’t believe all the things he had seen in just a few short months.
He knew that everyone was downstairs getting reacquainted with each other. He felt a pang of jealousy for the family they had. He really didn’t have anyone. The vampires were his family now, but he still felt like an outsider. Not that they treated him as such. He knew it was all in his head.
It was his head that had gotten him into this life in the first place. When Jacque told him the headaches were because of a large cancer in his brain, Samuel chose to live. He chose to let them turn him and join the family.
He stripped off his clothes and got into the shower. He needed to relax. His head was pounding and he wondered if the cancer had found a way to beat vampirism. Homovampirian. That’s what he was now.
As the hot water sluiced down his torso, Samuel asked himself why he made the choice he did. He thought he could be useful as a vampire, but as it turned out, he was just really good at screwing things up. He thought he could be stronger, faster, and healthier. But the biggest reason, he knew, was because he wanted to find the unconditional love his brothers had with their mates. He wanted that. He knew it was selfish, but he made the choice.
Funny, he thought, how karma always delivered. In his entire human life, he had never had such strong feelings for any woman like the kind he had for Azerial. She invaded his thoughts at every turn. He couldn’t get her out of his head. Hell, his dick had taken on a mind of its own around her. If he ever needed to wonder where she was, all he had to do was follow the direction it pointed. And it seemed to point at her all the time. Like a fucking divining rod.
He rinsed the soap from his body and stepped out of the shower. He didn’t bother to dry off, just wrapped a fluffy towel around his waist. He inspected his head in the mirror. His hair was starting to grow back. It was making a shadow across his dome. He liked it better shaved. He wondered why he had never done it before.
Because before he had been aging and sporting a spare tire. After his change, his body went into overdrive getting fit. Now, he had the body he had when he was twenty. With a little help from the gym, he now had rock hard abs and rounded, muscular shoulders. His face was line-free and he looked every bit the man he was thirty years earlier.
He walked into his bedroom and his breath got stuck in his throat. Azerial was sitting on his bed, reading from his notebook. Of course, his divining rod stood up and pointed at her from under the towel. She was wearing a simple spaghetti strap dress that showed off her creamy white legs and shoulders. He could see the tops of her ample breasts peeking out of the neckline. Was she trying to kill him? “Hey,” he choked out.
Azerial jumped and slammed the notebook closed. “Samuel,” she said as she turned to face him. “I came to talk to you about earlier.”
Sam knew exactly what she was talking about. “Earlier what? Nothing to talk about.”
She rolled her lovely blue eyes at him. “Why did you run from me?” she asked. Her eyes traveled over his exposed torso and then down to the tented towe
l. Of course, that only made his discomfort worse. When she licked her pretty pink lips, he thought his dick would explode.
Sam scratched the back of his head and took a seat on the other side of the bed. He had hoped it would alleviate some of the obvious problem he was having, but sitting so close to her only made it worse. “I didn’t run from you,” he finally said.
“Ok, you left me alone in a very big hurry,” she shot back at him. “What did I do to displease you?”
“Awe shit,” Sam cursed. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I left because I wanted to touch you.”
Azerial didn’t bother to hide her confusion. “I liked it when you touched me. I wish you would do it again.”
“Don’t tempt me,” he warned her. “I just might do it.”
Azerial took the decision out of his hands. She leaned over the bed and pressed her lips softly to his. He inhaled her scent and was lost. He kissed her back. He darted his tongue into her mouth and she opened to accept him. She moaned into his mouth and he swallowed it up. He laid them both down on the bed without taking his mouth from hers. They lay there facing each other on their sides, kissing and panting for breath.
Azerial didn’t know what the feelings she was having were, but she knew she liked them. She knew she needed more of him. She needed to touch him. She raised her hands to slide them down his shoulders and sides, stopping at his hips. He pulled her chest tight against his and moved his mouth to her neck. She felt his teeth graze across her flesh and it sent shivers all over her body.
“Yes,” she breathed. “Touch me, Sam.”
Samuel was not one to disobey a goddess. He ran his hand up her side and under her breast. He pushed it up and touched his lips to her flesh. She tasted like nothing he had ever tasted before, and the more he tasted her, the more he wanted. He felt his fangs elongate of their own accord with the instinct to mark her pretty skin.
He pushed the urge away and continued to lavish her chest with his kisses. He rolled them so that he was on top of her, between the cradle of her thighs. She held his head to her skin as he moved his hand down her leg and pulled it up under her knee. Her dress slid up and he slipped his hand inside her thighs. Jesus Christ, she was trying to kill him; she wasn’t wearing panties. Instead of encountering the feel of soft cotton, he was met with the wetness of her folds. His cock managed to push its way out of the towel and was lying against her leg, throbbing and demanding attention.
Forbidden Love Series Book 6: Into The Divine Page 5
