by Sasha Pruett
“Devilicus.”
“What?”
“His name is Devilicus.”
“Whatever, demon dog works fine for me. He’s always watching me; following me around every time I step foot outside.”
“He’s probably under orders to protect you.”
“You mean keep me from escaping.”
“At first, probably, but that’s hardly an issue now is it?”
“Well it’s creepy. Can’t you tell him to knock it off?”
“I would in a heartbeat, but he’s under orders from my father and he won’t disobey a direct command from his master. I’m afraid that’s one thing you’ll have to accept, but he won’t harm you. He’s there to keep you safe. You’re too important to all of us to trust to any old guard dog.”
“What is he and his friends anyway?”
“Familiars.”
“Like witch’s?”
“In folklore. It’s actually more of a chameleon type of camouflage. They can mimic other breeds of canines of similar mass. It gave rise to the belief in animals that could change into anything. We breed them specifically for the clans though there are other wild ones out there walking round as Labradors, Great Danes, and other large breeds. They develop a kind of mental link with their masters giving us an edge with controlling them, but I don’t think it was your love of animals that drew him to you.”
“Why did he come after me then? Fate?”
“Maybe, but I was thinking more along the lines of your blood. Familiars could sense our kind even before we do. Their senses are even stronger in that respect. I believe he was able to pick up on your genes even before they were triggered. He brought you to us because he believed you were one of us, at least on some level and he thought that you belonged here.”
“Maybe I do.”
“No you don’t. Not here, not with them.”
“No, but I do belong with you.”
“Always.”
She twisted her shiny new ring around her finger. “Do you think they miss me, my family?”
“Without a doubt and they’ll think of you every day with all the love in their hearts. I’m sorry they can’t be a part of the things that matter most to you.”
“Me too, but at least they’re not left wondering. Thank you for that.”
“I only wish I could do more.” He furrowed his brow in thought. “Your youngest sister wants to go to NYU next year I believe, but the tuition is too much. I’ll think I’ll create a scholarship and make her the recipient. She’s more than qualified. I can even make sure she’s accepted.”
“Really?”
“Cambridge, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Oxford, Dartmouth, you name it and she’ll have a spot ready and waiting for her.”
“Wait, how’d you know about my sister?”
“Because I made it my business to know everything that I could about you and what’s important to you.”
“That’s either one of the sweetest things I’ve ever heard or the creepiest. I can’t decide which.”
“Let’s just call it the sweetest and go from there.”
“Alright, but only because you have such an amazing track record with the romantic gestures. That won’t change, will it?” She sat up to look at him. “I won’t wake up the day after we say, ‘I do’ and find that I’m married to someone else entirely? That happened to my friend Claire. She thought she had the perfect guy and then once the honeymoon was over he stopped trying. They both did and not two years later they were divorced. That’s one of the reasons I wasn’t in a rush to take that step. Right now you’re trying, making an effort to make me happy, but what happens when you no longer have to? I’ll be stuck in Switzerland with no way out and…” She was practically yelling.
“Calynn, calm down, take a breath. Where is all this coming from?” He pressed his palm to her cheek, trying to ease her.
“I don’t know? I think it just hit me all of a sudden. It’s not like with my friend. I can’t drive to a lawyer’s office if things don’t work out, then go on with life. There isn’t even the option of divorce. I can never be free if you… if we…”
“You knew that already.”
“I know, but… that was before, before I wanted it to work so badly. Before I wanted you.”
Drakon beamed wide and proud.
“Why are you smiling, I’m panicking here and you’re smiling?”
“Because you’re not scared of being married, you’re scared, really scared of losing me aren’t you?”
“And what if I am? That makes you happy?”
“No, your pain is never pleasing to me, but I can see in it how much you love me and that does make me smile.”
“I told you I loved you.” She huffed.
“Maybe I just have a difficult time believing that you could truly love me. What I am, what my family is, especially after all they’ve done to you. It keeps preying on my mind that you’ll wake up one day and realize that and pull away from me forever. It was one way I was able to keep my distance from you as long as I did. If you’d never loved me that would be one thing, but to lose you… I don’t know if I can handle that. It’s not in our nature.” Suddenly they both broke out laughing and settled back into each other’s arms. After a while, when the panic and emotions had subsided Drakon kissed her forehead and gently stroked her arm.
“It doesn’t work like that.”
“What doesn’t?”
“Marriage, at least not for us. You’re looking at it from the human idea, but what’s between us is different, will be different. There’s no divorce for our kind Calynn. That’s another reason for the age requirement for matrimony and why so few marriages occur within the clans.
Most of them are more like political contracts, bargains between families. If the marriage is broken then so is the contract and that could result in dangerous consequences, including war. It’s not entered into lightly and many are required to conceive as soon as they are joined to further solidify that contract. Within the lower ranks of our kind there is more freedom to choose for emotional attachment, but even those matches must be approved by the councils. Once my father binds us it’s forever.”
“That’s what scared me.”
“This is me Calynn, if you remember correctly I wasn’t even trying to attach you. That was a fortunate happenstance that I will be grateful for, for all eternity. I have more reason to fear your loss than you have mine. If you were to leave I would be forever bound by love to a woman I could never have. Our race doesn’t love often, our attachments are more about lust, convenience, power and so on. When we love it consumes us, maybe that’s why we avoid it so much. Love means giving yourself over to the whims and desires of another and for a race that is predicated on control, that’s a foreign and dangerous concept.”
“Didn’t your father want you to fall in love with me after finding out about my heritage?”
“His idea of love is satisfaction in the match, not the willingness to sacrifice one’s own existence. Even the bond of parent and child has its limits with us. He was willing to sacrifice my future, my life to acquire you and the offspring you could provide the clan.”
“I’m so sorry Drakon. I never realized, I mean I knew, but I never really thought about it that way. I guess in that way humans have an advantage over you.”
“Yes, I’d say they do. Had they not become obsessed with the concept of always being happy and indulging in all of their own selfish desires, more marriages would flourish and families would be whole. I’m afraid that is a concept they have learned from us. In the beginning it’s all about the other person, but somewhere along the way they start caring more about what they want and what the other person should be doing to keep them satisfied and happy. That is too much to put on anyone. Happiness is impossible to obtain at all times. It would over time become stagnant and boredom would soon set in leaving the person to wander once again in search of some other type or source of pleasure.”
“Kind of like ice cr
eam. The first so many bites are delicious but if you eat too much by the end your mouth is frozen and you can barely taste it. Then you have to find something else.”
“Not to mention the headache and a very unpleasant stomach.”
“Yeah, some relationships can make you kind of sick can’t they?”
“But not this one.”
“No, not his one. Does that mean your parents aren’t in love?”
“I don’t think it’s possible for them. There’s no denying their bond, built over hundreds of years of marriage, and their strong hunger for each other. Their match was one of political gain, but they did discern similar goals and desires in each other. Their bond is strong enough for their telepathic link to thrive so I’d say they’re as close to it as they could be, but not like this. Not like us. My parents would surrender quite a lot for each other, but they both know that if it was between them or the other that is one sacrifice neither would make.”
“Telepathic? I thought you said you couldn’t read minds?”
“This isn’t reading the mind, this is different. It’s more like sending signals to each other that only they can perceive. Like sending a telegraph, he can only hear what she wants him to and vice versa.”
“Like texting.”
“Yes, in the modern sense I guess you could look at it like that. A bond has to be quite strong between the two for it to work. Parents have this when their children are first born and through the earliest part of their development to aid in their control and rearing, but as the child grows that parental bond begins to fade. Somewhere around the first decade, decade and a half the decline begins and by the second decade is gone entirely.”
“Have you ever tried it?”
“As a youth, I attempted to convince Rais to leap from this very cliff during the day.”
“Did it work?”
“No, the connection doesn’t work with siblings unless they are born as twins and identical twins seem to have a link that goes beyond that even. Somehow they know exactly where the other one is, how they’re feeling, and can communicate without words over vast distances. They are quite the oddity.”
“Good thing that doesn’t work with people. That could cause a lot of problems.”
Drakon became silent and uncomfortable and she could guess why.
“So it does work on humans.”
“Not in the way you’re thinking. We can’t rifle through your thoughts or impose our will or desires on you, but…”
“But…”
“If the person is willing; open to us, we can send thoughts to them. It’s one of Rais’ favorite past times. If there’s a woman that has caught his eye and she has, in turn, a desire for him he can entice her with his thoughts to join him and… so on. It’s more like taking advantage of the situation and the person. It’s not my way, but then again taking advantage of young co-eds has never had any attraction to me either.”
“Good to know, but what about now? With us? I’d say I’m pretty open, wouldn’t you?”
“You’re tempting me again.”
“Maybe, maybe not. It was just a question.”
“I hadn’t thought of that before, but now I’m afraid since you’ve introduced the idea you may pick up on some of my signals.”
“I don’t need your thoughts for that. Not anymore.”
“No, you don’t.” He leaned into her instinctively. His body going where it wanted, but a sudden rush of frigid air blew out the remaining candles and reminded them both that their time on the bluff was coming to an end.
“You think that was a hint?”
“If I believed in such things, yes. Come on, it’s getting late and I’m afraid that it will only grow colder from here on out.”
“If I wasn’t shivering I’d call you a party pooper.”
“Come on.” He stood and helped her to her feet, but as soon as he turned loose and moved to get their shoes Calynn began to sway tumbling head first into the trees.
“Calynn!” In an instant, he was by her side steadying her, a look of horror on his face. “Calynn what happened? Are you alright? Speak to me Calynn? Are you alright?”
“Yeah, yeah… I’m fine I just got dizzy there for a minute. I probably stood up too fast that’s all.”
“Here I’m carrying you back to the house.”
“I think I can walk.”
“Absolutely not. Don’t argue.” He swept her up into his arms and walked barefoot all the way back to her bedroom, placing her gently on the bed.
“I’m telling you I’m fine Drakon.”
“And I’m telling you to rest, go to sleep. Dinner won’t be until nine tonight, you have plenty of time before then. I’ll either wake you myself or have Millie attend you in plenty of time. I won’t be persuaded otherwise. It’s been an emotional few days and we were out late last night, maybe too late. Unless you want me to consider not taking you anywhere again?”
“Alright you win.” She stuck her tongue out at him, “I’ll behave, but I’m telling you I’m fine.”
“I could call the doctor?”
“No, no I said you win. I’ll lay here, alone in the middle of the day and try to sleep if that will make you happy.”
“It will.”
“Fine, then you can just go back and get my shoes for me.”
“I’d already planned on that.”
She huffed, “Okay then. Will you be back?”
“If I come back would stay awake with me?”
“I might.”
“Then no, not until dinner. No distractions.” He grinned slyly, “For either of us.”
“Party pooper.”
“I’ll have that embroidered on my bath towels.” He bent down and kissed her on the forehead, “Sleep well my lady.” And left, instructing Millie not to disturb her and not to let her out of the room either. Then he returned to the bluff to clean up, still concerned over her stumble into the trees and the horrifying thought of what could have happened had she fallen towards the cliff’s edge. Maybe he should abstain from any more time on the bluff. It may be too dangerous.
How strange it was to always be consumed with her, but it was a feeling he welcomed. He packed away the throws and pillows, the candles and basket. He could have had a servant do it, but he was particular about letting anyone know where he was; even the servants. Drakon smiled as he picked up the box of her underwear once again. He wondered how many times he’d be sent after this one particular set of garments, but as he bent to pull on his shoes something grabbed his attention. His smile faded and a knot grew in his gut, but there was no denying what he saw or what it meant.
Chapter Thirty
He’d met with his father more in the past couple of months then he had in the past decade combined and it wasn’t going to end anytime soon. Usually his father was in every part of the world, stopping in for brief periods here and there, but ever since the equinox Sir Drake rarely stirred from his study. “Evening father, I was hoping to discuss the wedding preparations with you if you have a moment.”
“Yes, absolutely my son, I was expecting you. Please have a seat.” He motioned to the chair opposite his grand desk.
“I’ve been doing some research into the ceremony and was hoping to settle a few matters.”
“Yes, I assumed as much. It’s not an issue that has surfaced often, I imagine you have quite a few questions. How is our dear Calynn adjusting to your new relationship?”
“Quite well, and I might add anxious to know her role in things as well as when she can expect the honor.”
“I’ve been looking into that. Usually these affairs are planned months or even years in advance, but I believe we can both agree that the sooner this blessed event occurs the better.”
“Completely.”
“Very well. According to custom any unity ceremony must take place during the new moon; that is in one week’s time.”
“One week then?”
“No, not enough time for all the preparations to be m
ade. It will take at least six weeks to purify the blessing sacrifices, but we could rush things a bit to coincide with the new moon’s cycle. Five weeks should be appropriate.”
“That will be fine. I’d like to use justice sacrifices for the feast if you approve. Personally, I plan on making our exit as early in the evening’s events as expectations will allow. Having her exposed any longer than necessary is unwise.”
“Agreed.”
“With her delicate condition and her human sensibilities, I believe it could be… detrimental for her to overhear of certain events that are to take place in honor of our union. It may present us in an unhealthy light in her eyes and we can’t have that, now can we?”
“No, we can’t. Would you prefer to cancel the sacrifice?”
It was a test, but one he was prepared for. “Absolutely not, no reason to go to those extremes. Just because some things may need to be adjusted for the newest member of our family doesn’t mean we are to give up our pleasures.”
“Very wise my son. Justice Sacrifices you say?”
“Tradition can be upheld. Calynn cannot be offended if she were to learn of it, and strategically it would go over well with the human sympathizers that will no doubt be amongst the delegates.”
Drake considered the matter. “Yes, I do believe that would be beneficial. Maybe I should turn over all the preparations to you since you appear to have a grasp on the delicate balance needed.”
“Balance indeed, but I see no need for that. You are aware of all of the customs and legalities involved. You have centuries of wisdom and experience that I could never measure up to. Especially not in the time constraints we’re under. My only real contribution is where Calynn is concerned.”
“Hmm.” Drake’s mind churned, his son was indeed all that he could have hoped for. One way or the other.
“Would it be possible to allow her some say in the arrangements? I don’t know much about human wedding customs, but I believe it’s traditionally the bride that handles many of the preparations. Colors, dress, flowers, menu what have you. It’s my understanding that the male has very little role in such things. I’m not sure if that will be possible, but it may help her feel more involved and allow her to form attachments with the family.”
