Stigmata

by L M Adams

  “You do not have a ‘bit’ of cock,” I laugh.

  He grabs my ass and lifts me, yanking me forward to rub on his ‘not a bit of cock’. I throw back my head laughing, he lets me down to my feet before things go further – I guess he’s serious about wanting a bed tonight.

  I just let him, because sometimes he needs things for happiness too, and I am his wife now – I should see that he gets those things whenever possible.

  “Come, I will show you the site,” he turns me, and we begin walking again as he tells me of his plans… always making it clear that I can change or add the things I wish.

  “This is to be our home, Jaevia, our first real home.”

  “Our rooms in the Cerberus guard barracks weren’t so bad,” I chuckle.

  He huffs, “Your shit was everywhere.”

  “Oh shut it, you were just as messy.”

  “You are mistaken, Wench, I am very tidy with my belongings.”

  “You kept food in a chest…”

  “Midnight snacks.”

  I laugh, “Remember I tore up the room looking for that awful smell? I found your stash of aging cheese…”

  “It must be kept in a slightly humid dark place… our rooms were perfect.”

  “It stunk.”

  “It made good sandwiches,” he moans almost smacking his lips.

  I laugh, “Can you imagine if you hid a block of cheese in a drawer now? Jack would have a heart attack.”

  He huffs, “And murder me in my sleep – he is an odd one… who doesn’t like cheese?”

  I don’t think Luey understands, Jack’s level of cheese love isn’t the problem… but that’s my Luey.

  We finally reach the high point of the park. It used to be a sports field of some sort… something called baseball, Lucien explains

  The construction for the castle hasn’t begun in earnest yet. Lucien shows me where he’s staked out the foundation, “But we won’t break ground until we get back from our honeymoon.” They plan on digging down to the bedrock and laying wards into the stone and then up the major pillars… Luey is not playing around.

  “Three stories above ground, three more below, a full garage, kink sex dungeon, a galley kitchen for the Bloodsucker… and music studio… he must have his music. A real library for you, Jaevia, whatever else you may wish. Indoor and…” he glances at me with a worried expression, “an outdoor pool.”

  I slap his arm laughing, “And you let me destroy the grounds at the warehouse all this while?”

  “Aye well, you seemed so happy… I had no wish to ruin your fun,” he shrugs. “I can still…” he clears his throat gently, “use your pool.”

  I laugh, “You sound like you don’t want to take a dip in the muddy pond at the warehouse.”

  He looks ill and it sends me into another fit of laughter, “It’s okay… my gift turned out shitty, I know.”

  “It was a nice gesture, love,” he whispers still looking worried.

  I wave a hand laughing, “No, it’s fine… I had no idea what I was doing… I think there’s something growing in it… or maybe Kitty is dumping body parts in it… I can’t tell.” I end on a breathless chuckle.

  “She wouldn’t waste the meat,” Lucien’s own booming laugh joins mine.

  The laughter in his voice, the twilight making his magical eyes seem even more magical, I know I used to hate him, but suddenly I can’t remember why, “I love you, Luey.” I tell him, because I don’t tell him far enough.

  “Oh, aye you do.”

  I huff and slap his arm, always so fucking cocky.

  “I can show you how to make a pool… if you’d like,” he winks.

  “Okay… but I get to pick the tile pattern.”

  “Deal,” he grumbles low and I feel the happiness in him radiate out. He finally has his Wench. What hell he had to endure to claim me. How often I risked his love for my own gain.

  I send up a small prayer to the Dark Goddess that I wised up before it was too late… I’ll never find another man like him.

  We head back to the party, arm in arm, in love – even with all of our differences and clashes, somehow, we made love out of the chaos, we made something beautiful out of the discourse.

  All the gods willing, we always shall.

  44

  Jaevia

  “I wish to find the Bloodsucker,” Luey grumbles low, his patience at an end.

  “He’s probably back at the party, don’t worry.”

  Lucien huffs, we walk a bit further before he comes to a stop. “Do you think he’d… be with him?”

  “No,” I whisper, “he’s not going to cheat on you.”

  He sighs, “He still loves them.”

  “I know, but I don’t think he even realizes that himself.”

  “I wish he didn’t,” Luey grumbles and looks down at the ground like a sad puppy.

  “I’m sure he loves you more.”

  “Even if I’m not fancy like his Matthias?”

  “Mm hmm,” I nod, “he married you, not Matthias.”

  He sighs deeply but nods in agreement.

  I feel Jack’s power drawing closer and turn to see his silhouette back lit by the fleeting sunlight and framed by the large trees. Dark hair, pale skin, his body held with a regal air and quality. He is a creature of the between, a king of the demimonde, the half-life… he is as much eventide as I.

  Lucien begins growling low as Jack approaches, “He’s upset!”

  “Shh, Luey… we talked about this,” I rub Luey’s back, trying to calm the Beast and the curse he carries – Luey doesn’t like it when one of us is upset.

  Jack approaches us, hands in his pockets, shirt collar undone, his wedding tux still framing his devilishly handsome physique. His sadness clinging to his soul like a dead lover’s song. My heart always aches when I see him, love and pain are mixed perfectly within him – I love Luey beyond measure; I love Jack beyond reason.

  “Hey,” he whispers trying to muster a smile for us.

  “How’d it go?” I ask gently.

  “Not well,” he clears his throat, “Evzen is torturing them – and I didn’t want to care…” he looks away so that we can’t see the tears fall, “but I do.”

  Lucien sighs deeply, “do you want me to go kill him for you then? It shouldn’t cut into our honeymoon by more than a day or two.” He asks softly, full of caring, like murdering Evzen will fix the boo-boo.

  Jack huffs and I see a smile creep in, “I hate that you can make feel better when I want to be sad.”

  “You only need tell me what you need for happiness, Bloodsucker, you shall have it.”

  Jack finally looks back at us, “I wish I knew.” He sighs, “I’m okay, everything is okay… if they want to be free of Evzen, they can be. I gave them an invitation to join us…”

  Lucien growls.

  “… making it clear that I will not be their lover, and they will respect the two of you as their sovereigns as well.”

  Lucien huffs.

  “I know you do not like them, but there’s too much history, too much memory of love, for me to leave them like that, Lucien. Can you understand I have a need to protect them as a king and as a man who once loved them?”

  “I will, if it shall give you happiness,” Lucien doesn’t sound too pleased, but he’ll make his peace with it.

  “Thank you, and… tell me if there’s anything I can do to make this easier for you.”

  “They do not live with us, there is absolutely no sexual contact, and the first hint of deception from them will be met with a swift and deadly justice.”

  Jack nods, “Done.”

  Lucien turns on his heel, “More bloodsuckers, just what I don’t need,” he grumbles walking away.

  I give Jack a look and he comes to take my arm as we follow our master, “He’s going to be hard on you for a long while, he’s insecure about them.”

  Jack nods, “I know.”

  “Are they worth this trouble?”

  “I hope t
o the Blood King they are,” he glances at me, “you’re not going to be upset about Ariella?”

  I shake my head no, “I’ve already let her know what is what, and who is who – I doubt she’ll forget it so quickly and I’ll be happy to remind her if she does.”

  Jack chuckles low, “Pity, I like the thought of you being torn apart with jealousy over me.”

  “Why? So I can feel like you do over Demetri?”

  He stops walking forward, bringing us both to a halt. He bows his head, adverting his eyes in a submissive pose. “I had no right to become jealous, Mistress… I know that, you are free to indulge how you choose.”

  I tug him into walking forward again, “You are also a dominant man, Jack – I don’t know why you think I won’t respect that part of your nature. If you don’t like something I’m doing, talk to me about it. You have a right to feel how you’re going to feel without feeling guilty about not being the perfect slave.” I sigh, “But just for the record, Dem and I didn’t, and we won’t – we really aren’t into one another like that.”

  He sighs, “You mean, you two really are… just friends?”

  “Mm hmm,” I nod.

  He groans, “That makes it worse – I could see wishing to use him as a pain slut or a sexual submissive – but to be friends? Real friends?”

  I shrug, “In so far as he’s able to be a real friend. I’m not deluding myself, and I won’t forget how he hurt you.”

  “That’s the one thing vampires are good at… hurting one another.”

  But I don’t think that’s something exclusive to vampires. Humans, daemon kind… any kind – we all know how to hurt one another, and we do, and we convince ourselves that we at least have good reasons.

  The older I get, the more I realize how easily any one of us will justify the means for an end we wish… and that I am no different.

  Lucien, Jack, and I collectively decide it’s time for us to go and start our honeymoon. More than likely its Lucien’s desire to have us all to himself beating through the link that wears us down. There are plenty of people still here enjoying the festivities, but Lucien is done sharing us with the world… at least for now.

  The patio is lit with strings of lights wrapped on the wood pergola making everyone seem like they are dancing among the stars. The cover band Jack hired is still playing. Love ballets from every decade. The berserker men and the paxi women are dancing while Némion keeps a close eye on things, as a personal favor to me.

  I do have to admit, the energy is good coming from the pairings. The berserkers worship the paxi, they would kill and die for their safety – but they would also destroy what they love the most if they cannot maintain control. That is their curse, that is the curse of the therians.

  Carter stands to the side looking on with sad eyes, his heart aching for Brianna. Perhaps he was right, perhaps she really was his mate and now no one else will do. Sometimes you can’t fix it, you just have to live with the pain.

  I take a moment to look at everyone enjoying themselves – Ernie and Kitty are dancing, along with Frank and Dani, Harper and Tricia, Dem and Nicole… and Marcus with some young lady I can’t quite place… but my eyes get drawn to my mother and father. They look at one another like no one else in the world exists. They love one another so much and I feel blessed that I was born of such a thing. There has to be some good in me if I came from that.

  Jaevia – I feel Lucien’s thoughts pulling at me again. I make the rounds quickly, trying to thank everyone for coming, feeling bad that I didn’t find that moment to really talk to Annette and Tala, but promising them I will when I get back.

  Tabari stands with the two women, seeming impatient to get the very pregnant Tala by herself at least for a moment – no matter how doomed a relationship between them would be.

  We still don’t know if the cub she’s carrying is Tabari’s or Peter’s. Peter doesn’t know that there’s a possibility that the babe isn’t his. Tala has moved out of the bar and moved in with Minx… Tala really didn’t like Peter betraying me and it’s put a strain on the manufactured love I made between them. Perhaps free will trumps will of the gods, as its always done, my magic isn’t any different.

  “So, you will come to the baby shower? No men will be there.” Tala asks hopefully… also letting me know Peter won’t be there – is this what we’ve come to?

  I nod, “If you’d like me to.”

  “Yes, my Queen,” she bows her head.

  “No… no, you never bow your head to me.” I say quickly.

  Tala and I have a complicated past. I met her when her name was Brandi and a coven of corrupted witches had twisted wolf Bâtardi, like her, into horrid human-wolf creatures that weren’t made right. The Sacred Bones had done that to her, Sheba had done that to her.

  They’d raped her, the other twisted wolves had, trying to make their perfect son out that union. That’s how I found her, strapped down and praying for death as she waited for them to start their… attentions again.

  I’d refused to let her die and given her a piece of myself to force her to live. I’d made her the new Wolf Mother, I made her the spirit of the pack and I’d married her to Peter to solidify his claim as Marrock – king of all wolves.

  I’m not sure I’m not just as evil as the Sacred Bones for that, they used her… I didn’t do anything differently… not really, I just dressed it up in a prettier package. Now she’s trapped in a marriage I made, with a love that I created. No, I have no right to ask her to bow to me… but she does so anyway.

  “You are still the Moon Goddess, Jaevia, you are still my Luna.”

  “Okay,” I say gently because another wave of Lucien’s impatience beats through me.

  I turn to look at Big Mike’s widow, “Annette, we’ll talk soon.”

  “Of course, Jaevia… and Michael would have been so proud to see you today.”

  I nod my head, too choked up to really respond. I give her a gentle peck on the cheek before turning away to join my waiting men. I loop one arm in Jack’s and one in Lucien’s and we’re ushered out of the conservatory with cheers and flower petals raining down on us from above.

  I’ll never forget today; it truly was… perfect. Love with notes of heartache, memories of the past flavored with the hope of the future.

  Evil can love, because I love them.

  45

  Jaevia

  Much like the wedding I have no idea what is going on for the honeymoon, only that we’re having one and we’re using the portal in the basement of the warehouse to get there.

  I don’t even get to go upstairs to change or to pack, “Everything has been taken care of,” Jack says firmly leading me downstairs into the basement.

  “Where are we going?” I ask for the hundredth time.

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” Jack just smiles as we follow Lucien and Tabari down the stairs.

  “He’s been working on this for months,” Lucien grumbles, “let him have his surprise.”

  “You two are full of surprises today. This is a lot of secrets you’ve kept from me.”

  “Oh, aye? Like the gifts you left for us at our stag party? I hope you don’t think we forgot about that.”

  “I…”

  Jack looks down at me, “Demetri helped you, didn’t he?”

  “Um…”

  “We spent the morning hours plotting our revenge… Wench.”

  “Like what?” I ask quickly.

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” Jack says in that voice he has… when he knows he’s going to make me scream.

  My heart speeds, my core clenches, and I can’t decide if I’m afraid or turned on… or if there’s really any difference.

  “Tabari, are you really going to let them carry me off to god knows where to do goddess knows what?!”

  “I’m not getting in it… if I recall correctly you told me to stay out of your love life, this is me staying out of your love life,” and he sounds entirely too cheerful about my coming demise.r />
  “It was harmless fun,” I plead looking at Jack as he ushers me through the corridor in the basement to the portal room.

  “Mm hmm,” he hums impassively.

  “Luey! It was only a prank!” I try to change tactics.

  “Oh aye, it was? Very funny, ha ha.”

  Soon I realize I’m not making a bit of headway about this. Perhaps, like Demetri, I miscalculated. I thought they may be a little peeved, but I didn’t think they’d sit up all night plotting their revenge.

  Perhaps I should have known better.

  To at least keep my dignity I don’t kick up a fuss at the portal and dutifully follow behind Lucien into the glowing mirror that leads to goddess knows where. As my mother would say, I made my bed, I have to lie in it.

  The Baby Girl in me isn’t at all afraid of what will happen – she’s ready and needy. Perhaps it’s been too long since I let her indulge, I am as much a slave as I am a Mistress. But it is a cold comfort with the knowledge that Lucien and Jack are going to have their wicked way with me in revenge… I did, after all, use a copious amount of my essence to torture them with.

  I step through the portal and right into a cement basement, a good precaution. Portals channel enough energy to level a city. I trust Tabari to have the strength to control the power and magic of one, but he’s also an addict. There’s a lot of waffling when it comes to what I’ll trust Tabari with… but at least I know he’s trying.

  The room is well lit with a few strip lights that run down the center of the small room that stop at a large metal door.

  Lucien pulls me to the side as Jack steps through the portal and the magical mirror goes dead, suddenly, definitively.

  “Well,” I sigh, “please tell me Tabari got the address right.”

  Jack laughs and holds up a keyring with a black bow and a single key, handing it to me, “Our vacation home awaits, my love.”

  I huff at him and turn going to the door. I can feel the magical enchantments radiating out from the metal and I know that runes were burned into the very atoms of the metal as it was poured. This is a heavy and deep magic.