Bliss (The Custos)

by Melanie Walker

  I rushed from the room, Custos from in the hall rushed after Leushus who followed me. I seen him though, the crowed had mellowed out as the commotion scared every human in the joint. Leushus guarded the door, a wooden box in hand. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to shift far distances and careful to not risk the desert this close to sunrise, he had made sure Conlin was trapped.

  I wanted to beat the un-life from him but knew the time for playing was over and I wanted him dead. Leushus tossed me the box. I opened it and smiled. I pulled several, and by several I mean ten syringes from the box, all filled with Bliss, all meant for Preacher and guaranteed to kill him. I walked slowly now and held the needle in my hand. "Can’t run." I said as he searched the room, music still loud, Nex to terrified to fight now, they were outnumbered and knew it as Custos surrounded every exit, the dance floor and us. "Can’t hide." I gripped him by the throat and held him to the wall slamming the needle in. I made fast work as he started to shake and bow in pain, needle after needle I watched him suffer. Finally one left in my hand, he was on the ground bleeding from every possible place, his body had bloated and blisters like sores had formed all over his skin. I wanted to say so many things but fell short because he wouldn’t hear me. I leaned down, close and hoped it was close enough. "Can't win either. She's safe and your dead, you’re all dead."

  I emptied the last needle into his temple and watched him leave, off to burn in hell with Walter and the thousands of Nex I had sent there before him.

  We waited for more Nex to come out and fight but none did, they scampered off and there was no surprise in it. They could deal their evil and continue their path. As long as they weren’t killing innocents we wouldn’t come after them. The truth was none of that mattered. Everything we did tonight started a war. The Nex would fight back and we would be waiting.

  *

  Chapter Thirty Three

  Sunset the Next night

  Washington.

  Bastian took London to the one place she had wanted to be. I had a mask home in Seattle and he took her there. We all sat at her bedside waiting for her to wake. She came through the change as my human not a Custos. She was alive, beating heart and all and it was not possible. Leushus made it so and I wanted answers.

  "What did you mean when you told Darcallion you were in possession of her soul?" I asked, my voice breaking the still of silence.

  "I knew that one of two things would happen. Everything would be fine or not. Before she fed she offered her soul to God to protect, just like Preacher." He looked at Preacher who nodded knowingly. He was still recovering from the Bliss attack but he like London would be here to fight another day. In that sense we had won, the battle at least.

  "And?" I asked annoyed. I wasn’t in the mood to filter Leushus's shit tonight.

  "It wasn’t a true prayer, she was hoping like hell it worked and so I made sure it did." He stood from his seat and went for the door in the corner. I wanted to ask what he meant but he continued. "I knew when we were there that the Caddo were also there. They violate our laws by taking what is mine it's that simple. She is mine as all of you are."

  "So you really are an Arch Angel?" I asked

  Leushus nodded. "Yes and with it come some serious responsibilities, but also the power to heal and protect in ways you can’t." He looked at me, his silver stare so intense I felt unworthy for the first time. "Do you remember when I told you that any decision you made, no matter how small would have repercussions?"

  "Yes." I was confused. "I told her everything and gave it all back though, I hoped...." pausing I scrubbed my hands over my face. “I figured it could help her if anything happened that if she knew how strong she was she would fight harder."

  He nodded again. "I'm glad you told her. I will bear the repercussions of my involvement in this and they will be severe."

  "What was your involvement Mate?" Preacher asked what I was thinking.

  "I saved her from death, I gave her life back and I held her soul with me, my life force kept hers from leaving. For that I will pay dearly, as a human she wasn’t mine to take. I wasn’t to get involved or attached to any of you, but as my soldiers I found it impossible and for London....." He looked at the floor his shoulders hunched and he looked old, for the first time in all the years I knew him, Leushus looked like he should have gray hair not the jet black and his skin should be shriveled not ageless. "I couldn’t let her go to them. If she made the choice through your Siring her I wouldn’t have intervened but this broke so many boundaries I couldn’t watch her disappear like so many have. In caring for you Cacius I care for her the same."

  "Well whoever your boss is, tell him why tell him it was important." I said scrambling for a solution. I could not bear for him to suffer for saving London, she deserved it admit, and we all knew it.

  "My boss is God and the light Cash; I would never be punished by him. It is the Caddo who will now retaliate, we killed countless Nex tonight and I broke a contract we made millennia ago. I shouldn’t have involved myself in it."

  "Fuck that, let the Caddo come we'll kill them too." I sat back next to where London slept and knew I meant those words, for her I would kill thousands, hundreds of thousands.

  "You don’t get it." Bastian said as he stood and walked to Leushus's side. "He will fall because of this; his intervention is what started the war. Not the deaths of Nex, not the soul he protected. She willingly sacrificed her soul to them for Preacher admit!" Bastian roared. "He gave her life back when he didn’t have the right, he took her from them. Jesus Cash, Leushus took her back from them."

  "So what the Caddo are coming for you?" I motioned to Leushus.

  "For both of us and they have no idea what she is now."

  "What? The? Fuck?"

  "She is immortal, she was touched truly by an Arch and she will forever be Cherished." Bastian said.

  "Like Bastian." Leushus said and looked to London sleeping in the bed. "She will walk talk act like a human, she will cry and laugh and blush everything will be the same minus basic bodily functions. Bastian and London are very similar."

  "He's a fucking werewolf Leushus." I said pointedly and Bastian growled. "Down boy."

  "She is not a Were, Bastian was given his wolf as a protector a gift. London was given as a gift also, to be Cherished. Her bones will break her insides damaged all the same as any human but her immortality will keep her from growing old. The Caddo will use that against her."

  "And what about you?"

  He smiled. "I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. Now that we are all in this pretty thick I suggest safety in numbers." He reached in his pocket for a vile of Bliss. "I want to know what's in this and kill any reproduction; your girl has the power for that now."

  Yeah Walter didn’t wise up and change the will, everything is London’s now and though she was a poor little rich girl before, she was fucking loaded now and had everything we needed at her disposal. "Ok, safety in numbers. Do you think we find a place a bigger one and stay together?"

  It made sense a hell of a lot of sense.

  Leushus agreed. "Yeah, Bastian will be a personal guard to her in the daylight while the Vamps sleep and our first act here Next to her safety is shutting down Bliss and the drug and taking out every fucking Nex we see. Patrols every night until their numbers are down big time. I will get in touch with all the Custos and let them know a war is coming."

  "You can’t fight." I said and wished like hell I didn’t.

  "I absolutely can. I made my bed and I will not regret it Cash. I love your Princess so does everyone here and her immortality; a safe one we all could count on will never again be mentioned. I did what had to be done and it ends now."

  "Quick question boys, why do I have a pulse?"

  We all turned our heads to London who was sitting in bed, and madder than hell.

  *

  London

  Cash rushed to my side the minute they seen I was awake. Was this all a dream? I remember the fight with the Cado and how they
tortured Preacher, and Conlin that sniveling bitch. But I remember feeding from a human; I remember taking her life and the sound of her heart stopping. How was I alive and not Nex? I was willing to die for Preacher why was I alive? Realizing they were all looking at me I chose to have a voice?

  "Well why am I still a beating heart?" I sat up in bed but Cash took my hand and tried getting me to lie back down. Yeah screw that I was not getting babied right now.

  "You are human, why not have a beating heart?" Leushus said before sitting Next to me on the bed. I had an image of him asking me to feed from him but shook it off as post shock and total mind fuck of the night.

  "That’s not funny Leush, what's going on?" I kept my voice level as my stare and waited for my answer.

  Leushus stood and looked at Bastian, Preacher and Cash. "May I have a minute with London please?" He asked but they all knew it wasn’t a request. Cash was reluctant to leave my side and Leushus said something to him I couldn’t hear and he nodded and kissed my cheek.

  "I won’t be far." He cupped my chin and pushed my hair back smiling. "I love you human." He laughed and walked to the door.

  "Not for long Vampy, keep your fangs warmed up because I am not staying human." I looked at Cash but I was talking to Leushus.

  He took a seat Next to me again after the room emptied. "My I hold your hand?"

  That was a request, barely. "Why? What are you gonna do to me?"

  "Please London, be difficult later. I know you love to be a pain in the ass but I need your hand."

  I rolled my eyes and placed my palm in his. It took a minute but then I seen it, Leushus sitting at my bedside the night of the Nex attack on our house. I was feeding from him? Wait was I? "What is this?" But then I heard our conversation play in my head.

  'I will need to find you one day, and it is sooner than I thought. You need to drink from me London and never tell a soul.' And then it was over. "You found me I take it?"

  He nodded. "I know the Cado; I knew they would do something like they did with Preacher and so I made sure that you were connected to me." He squeezed my hand. "My blood works like insurance."

  "Why do the Cado want me so badly?" Wow loaded question I know but really what the hell.

  "You have something they want and I don’t know what it is yet other than to piss me off but your safe from becoming a Nex, but also from being a Custos." The last part sounded regretful. Was it possible he wanted me around? How sweet.

  "Stop fishing for compliments London this is serious."

  "Ok so what do you mean I can’t be Custos?"

  "Well you are already immortal." He stood and my heart stopped. "I took what they made you, stole it really. It worked because you fed from me. I was able to find your soul when I knew you would offer it up before killing an innocent. My blood is a form of ambrosia; it's not the same as Custos blood." He looked at me so sweetly really. "I couldn’t let them take you, you’re very interesting you know?"

  "Thank you." I breathed and wrapped my arms around his neck. "So what are my powers?" This was so cool, I hadn’t been this excited since being a child at Christmas.

  "You are human, you will bleed and cry, almost everything that you do now except not grow old and die unless you wish to. There are no powers, you can be killed London." Party pooper Leushus has joined the party. "Your what we call Cherished."

  "I get it, be careful." I jumped from the bed could have screamed with happiness. "All that matters is that I get forever with Cash and you guys and that’s a big deal Leushus. I'll be careful I swear but let me be happy." I waited for his acknowledgement of my happiness but he looked same ol same ol. "...Please...."

  Finally a hint of a smile but I got a quick flash of something else, fear maybe? It was gone to quickly and he nodded then smiled bigger. "Promise you'll train in fighting, and that you take precautions to keep safe. Listen to Bastian and Cash and Preacher."

  "And you." I said not letting him attempt to keep himself distant any longer, something inside of me told me he needed us as much as we needed him.

  "I can make you listen to me Sweetheart, I have powers remember?" Now he was smiling.

  "Sweetheart?"

  He laughed. "Trying it out, Princess and Cookie are taken but I figure why not get in the mix with the rest of them. Besides I figured you would argue if I chose Pain in the Ass."

  I squealed in delight because damn I was happy. "Thank you Leushus." I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him in close. Family was all I could think. I finally had a family.

  "A lot has changed since last night London." He stood to leave but stopped at the door. "We will all catch you up later, right now...." He opened the door where Cash paced back and forth. Smiling he said "Come in Cash." And walked out the door.

  London

  I ran strait to Cash and flew myself in his arms. I held him so tight kissing him deep, my mouth on his my tongue searching his out until I felt him kiss me back. We stayed like that one too many seconds when I broke free for a deep breath and sigh.

  Cash groaned. "God I love that sound more than any other sound in the world." He let his hands roam beneath the hem of my shirt and the instant his fingers touched my skin my breath hitched. "Mmmhmm just like that."

  "I know a lot is going on, but I need you Cash, inside of me."

  He didn’t answer me unless by answering I mean lifting me and getting me on my back on the bed with some crazy Vampire speed. Awesome. "Let me take the edge off Princess."

  He went right for the buckle on my jeans and I shifted hoping to get him at my pussy, like now. He had my jeans off and didn’t bother with my panties. I had set the pace as desperate and he was all over it. He used his thumbs to open my pussy lips and then bent to lick my clit. The action set me off as I rolled my hips looking for more and gripped the strip of hair for his mo hawk. As I pulled him closer he sucked my ripe hard clit into his mouth and pulled back making a pop sound. He loved bordering on that very thin line of too much but tonight the line wasn’t there and I cried out from the sensation. "Yes Cash, suck on me."

  A guttural sound came from him as he sucked my clit in again while thrusting two fingers in my cunt. I felt the orgasm come screaming through my body rapidly making me lose control. It hit and I cried out again and pulled him closer, needing more wanting all of him. "Get your cock in me." I practically screamed but he sucked me back in his mouth and drove his fingers faster.

  He lifted his head for a brief second to look at me. "No, come again your still on fire down here." His mouth and fingers were the tools but his words were the command I followed. I came against his mouth again, seeing bright sparkles of white light dance behind my lids while I tried to catch my breath. He always made sure I came, it went without saying but tonight he was on a mission.

  As I finally calmed and felt my legs turn to rubber he squatted back on his heels, between my legs. "Now that the edge is off I have a promise to keep to you."

  My pussy fluttered at his words and a thousand butterflies wreaked havoc on my stomach. Between my legs, a Vampire, a very dirty one, sat waiting to fuck me and I couldn’t wait. "What promise?"

  He pulled his shirt over his head, revealing the smoking cross tattoo and the shoulder holster. I had never found his weapons appealing or appalling but tonight they were so hot. He reached for the holster and smiled showing me his fangs. Oh yeah, he was hungry for all of me.

  "Your Immortal now Princess." He said this as a fact; he stated it and let it be known he wasn’t holding back tonight. "I am gonna be all over you, inside of you deeper than ever before. You'll be marked tonight Princess."

  I had gone three shades of red before letting my voice hitch. "Good, I need it." It was true, it was simple and it was all he needed.

  He leaned over my body, keeping his just above mine so I could feel his best parts. "Free me Princess, put my cock in your hand."

  He didn’t need to ask twice I was on it and had him free in seconds. The moment I held the thick cock in my hand he hi
ssed and reached between our bodies, feeling my clit. "Fuck yeah Princess, you’re so wet. I love how wet you get and how fast you come for me." He pressed his fingers inside me and rolled his thumb over my clit. "Come again; right here with my cock in your hand and my fingers inside of you. Coat my hand in your juices Princess."

  Who wouldn’t come to that? He had me fucking against his fingers and coming in two minutes flat. "That’s my human, come while you fuck yourself on my hand."

  And again I said it before I had to say it again. "Fucking, magician."

  He laughed and pulled his hand free bringing his fingers to his mouth and sucking them clean. "You taste so salty sweet, I love it."