“Viktor…”
He was still staring at the place where the door had been when she called him and began to move in his arms. “I’m here.”
“We don’t have much time.”
His heart constricted in his chest. The pain and panic built inside him and was nearly unbearable. “Where can we go that they cannot find us? There must be a place to hide.”
She reached a hand out and cupped his cheek. “You do not understand, my handsome.”
“Explain it to me.”
Her fingers against his face fell to hers, covering her eyes while she breathed deep a few times. “I answer to the Women. It is the only reason I was allowed to stay here after the Time of Choosing.” She uncovered her face and looked up at him and he knew that his expression clearly showed how confused he still was.
“I’m sorry, my handsome. I know I’m muddling this, but time is running short. There is this realm and there is the faery realm. The two worlds were separated many, many years ago and any person who crosses from one to the other is removed of their powers. The Women deemed that they should keep tabs on this world and I was chosen to do that.”
“Who are these Women?”
“They are the givers of all. And what can be given, can be taken. I faithfully served them for more years than you have lived. And until I saw you that night, I would have continued that service. You were different, Viktor. I wanted more than to watch you. I wanted more than to observe you. I wanted to touch your soul, my handsome. I wanted to give my own soul to you.”
“Why…” when his voice broke he swallowed several times. He was afraid he might begin to cry if he didn’t gain control of himself. “Why must you go back?”
She scrambled to sit up and he had to help her as she was still weak from her earlier attack. “I forfeited my duties the day I met you. And worse… I allowed you to feed from me. I am a very powerful faery, Viktor. My blood not only saved you from the pain and the darkness of your change, but it strengthened you. It is power I was not to have shared. I must return now, to face the Women.”
“There must be another way.” He pleaded, when the gold doorway opened up again and the stocky faery stood waiting. “No. No, I won’t let you.” Viktor had her by the arms and his fingers bit into her skin as if to hold on to her and keep her from leaving.
Aoi’s eyes glistened with tears, though she smiled and shook herself free from his grasp. “There is no choice, Viktor. If I do not go back they will kill me. I knew from the moment I flew to your side that this would be the outcome.”
“Then you should have told me. You should have warned me before I…” His angry words pinched off and he pounded a fist into the mattress. “Damn you.”
“I love you, my handsome. I would change nothing of our time together. I would do nothing different. I love you.”
“Aoibhneas, it is time.” The faery in the doorway spoke. “Do not give them a reason to make this difficult.”
She nodded, leaned forward and kissed Viktor’s lips softly. “Goodbye.”
He made a move to grab her too late as she fluttered her wings and flew through the glowing door. It closed almost immediately and she was gone, leaving Viktor to cry in despair. Alone.
“Fuck… You really are my old man, then.” Nicholas shook his head before plopping back down on the settee. “I hate it when that voodoo woman is right.”
“Voodoo?” Joya murmured, sitting and leaning forward in rapt attention. “A voodoo woman told you Viktor was your father?”
“Nah. She told me I needed to go on this mission. Said I’d find him rescuing a young woman from a warlock. I was looking for some old French dude. Certainly not this.” He pursed his lips and frowned a moment. “You sound American.”
“I am.” Viktor inflected his head up and down. “What mission are you on?”
The man hesitated, gritting his teeth a few moments before opening his mouth to answer. “I’m part of a team that’s spent the last year or so putting an end to the Org. You’re not familiar with them are you?”
“I have heard the term, but know nothing of the meaning.”
“Yeah, well, the Org has been dealing in children, magical children. They sell them to vampires for the power in their blood.”
“You said ‘twas a warlock with that young girl. Not a vampire.” Joya commented.
“The Org is done. What you saw last night was the equivalent of a fire sale. There are only a few kids left and the left over Org members are getting rid of them fast.”
Viktor swallowed a few times as he studied Nicholas. His earlier concerns for the goings on of the previous evening were insignificant to him now. He finally rolled his head from side to side with closed eyes. “I never imagined I would have a son. I’m a bit at a loss for words.”
“Tell me about it. I was fully intending to kill your bloodsucking ass.” Nicholas boldly stated.
“You might have tried.” Viktor raised an eyebrow. “I may be your ‘old man’ but you’d not get the best of me so…” His words were interrupted when a golden glow bathed the room and a door appeared to Nicholas’ left.
“You’re in league with faeries?” Viktor asked, astonished as a giant man stepped forth from the door. “And how did he pass through? Won’t he lose his powers?”
Nicholas chuckled as he stood. “He’s not coming here from the faery realm. And he isn’t a faery either.”
“It is time, my friend.” The big man spoke in a soothing yet strong voice. “You should come now.”
“Langston this is my… dad I guess. What the hell do you want me to call you?”
Viktor snorted and grinned, his expression belying the fact that he was still rolling from the news that he had a son.
“My friend, did you hear what I said? It is time.”
Nicholas waved a hand at Langston and turned back to Viktor, “Langston’s a sort of shaman. ”
“Langston!” A female voice came from somewhere beyond the golden door. After a moment a lovely dark haired woman appeared. She glanced through the doorway and her eyes lit up when she saw the shaman. Then her gaze turned to Nicholas and she shot him a disapproving glare. “Do you or don’t you want to be present for the birth of your children?”
“Son of a bitch! Now? It’s time?”
Langston laughed. “That is what I said, my friend. It is time. Now.”
Nicholas didn’t say another word, just bolted through the golden door with the dark haired woman.
Viktor felt a little weak in his knees and so he let himself sink down onto the ottoman.
“Nicholas is going to be a papa?” Joya spoke, excitement in her voice.
“Indeed.” Langston grinned. “A papa times two. His wife is bearing twins. Would you care to step through?”
Joya jumped to her feet, one hand upon Viktor’s shoulders. He could feel the sparks of anticipation bursting within her, but he clasped her hand and shook his head. “I do not think we should. I believe at a moment like this, a man should be focused on his wife and newborn children rather than a father he’s only just met.”
“You are a wise man,” Langston told him, reaching a hand out to shake Viktor’s. “And you may trust that I am also a wise man. Your son will desire to see you again, and soon. You can be sure he will call upon you and you will be able to meet his family.”
It was early evening, just past sunset a few nights later when Viktor heard Joya’s car pull into the drive. He pulled off his gloves and tossed them beside his new seedlings, and headed for the door of his greenhouse.
When he entered the house his wife was calling his name, her voice shrill with delight. The corners of his lips lifted into a grin almost without his permission. He found her in the formal living area, her arms laden with boxes and bags dangling from the fingers of both hands.
“Let me help,” he told her, grabbing up some of her things and placing them on the table behind her.
“I chose a fine day to have Hamilton take the day from work. But
I am too happy to fuss. Wait until you see the things I have gotten, Viktor.”
“Did you leave anything behind at the shops?” He teased, leaning his head over one of the bags to peek inside. He felt Joya’s hand smack him on the arm and his smile deepened. “What are you about, Cherie?”
“These are things for the babies. Come, Viktor, we must be proper grandparents. I spoke to that very nice woman Kristana just yesterday. Our little grandbabes need so much.”
Viktor’s eyes widened and he was taken aback. He knew Langston had left them the means to contact the hospital where most of Nicholas’ team resided. He had no idea Joya had spoken with anyone. Viktor was waiting to hear from his son before making any contact.
Just as astonishing as this, was Joya’s enthusiasm at the prospect of being a grandmother. His wife was a very lovely woman who took great pride in clinging to her youth and beauty. He was afraid the idea of being a grandparent would appall her.
“You never cease to amaze me, Joya. You never cease to remind me of how fortunate I am that you chose to marry me.” She blushed prettily and leaned into his body. He pecked a kiss onto the top of her head.
He couldn’t help it when his thoughts turned to Aoi. He missed her, it was true. Still, the life he had with Joya was more than satisfying. He could never comprehend what life with Aoi might have been like had she stayed. It was perhaps the “not knowing” that ate at him so often. Still, he knew a good thing when he saw it. And a good thing was there in front of his eyes, pulling out baby clothes and toys from bags and chattering in her distinct accent about spoiling her grandbabes. And although his vampire blood ran cold, his heart felt warmed in that moment.
When Olivia Hardin began having strange movie-like dreams in her teens, she had no choice but to begin putting them to paper. Before long the writing bug had her and she knew she wanted to be a published author. Several rejections plus a little bit of life later, and she was temporarily “cured” of the urge to write. That is until she met a group of talented and fabulous writers who gave her the direction and encouragement she needed to get lost in the words again.
Olivia’s attended three different universities over the years and toyed with majors in Computer Technology, English, History and Geology. Then one day she heard the term road scholar and she knew that was what she wanted to be. Now she “studies” anything and everything just for the joy of learning. She's also an insatiable crafter who only completes about 1 out of 5 projects, a jogger who hates to run, and she’s sometimes accused of being artistic.
A native Texas girl, Olivia lives in the beautiful Lone Star state with her husband, Danny and their puppy, Bonnie.
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By Olivia Hardin
Bend-Bite-Shift Trilogy
Witch Way Bends
Bitten Shame
Shifty Business
MAUCs Series
Trolling for Trouble
Tangled Up In Trouble
By Liz Schulte’s
Guardian Trilogy
Secrets
Choices
Consequences
The Ella Reynolds Series
Dark Corners
Dark Passing
Easy Bake Coven Series
Easy Bake Coven
Hungry Hungry Hoodoo
By C. G. Powell
Spell Checked
Immortal Voyage
The Miss Series
Miss Stake
Anthologies
Cupid Painted Blind
Once Upon a Midnight Dreary
Eternal Summer
By Lola James
Spell Bound Series
Bound to Remember
Unbound
Bound to You
Fate Series
Fate’s Design
A Villian’s Fate Short Story
By Stephanie Nelson
Gwen Sparks Series
Craved
Deceived
Coveted
The Anna Avery Series
Taming the Wolf
Embracing the Wolf
By Melissa Lummis
Love and Light Series
Enlightened
Samskaras
By Tawdra Kandle
The King Series
Fearless
Breathless
Restless
Endless
The Bend-Bite-Shift Box Set Page 55
