Night Lurks (11 page)

I can see how that would be an issue. I didn't even think to check the connection when I started wandering around aimlessly prior to my mystery guest showing up. When my mind suddenly becomes my own again, I don't even notice it anymore. That is a bit sad. I might actually find comfort in the guys having a place in my brain. I think that means Hell just froze over. Too bad we just left before the event took place. It would have been something worth seeing.

“I cannot say anything yet; at least I was told it wasn't a good idea. Let's get everyone back to the penthouse and we can have a nice chat on what our plan of attack will be to get Sebastian back.”

“You’re the boss. We are all taking the same vehicles, so let's move out,” Alex commands and everyone hurries to do his bidding.

Walt walks over on his way to the Jeep and gives me a quick hug. “It isn't nice to scare an old man like that, niece.” He releases me as fast as the hug started and is on his way.

“I am sure no one was more surprised than me that I didn't travel on with the rest of you,” I reply as I scramble into the car. Will is already in the backseat and he left the door open for me. “You holding up okay?” I ask turning around to face him. I don't see any blisters starting or little sparks of flame just waiting to erupt.

“Far as I can tell, everything is just dandy. Alex assured me that if the search had to last past sunup, the windows in here would keep me safe if I had to run for cover. I didn't feel anything out there as the sun was starting to make its move. I am not willing to run out and test its effect, but I am not really afraid of it.”

“Good. Sebastian says that it is natural for you to want to go out into the sun, but you should probably refrain from standing out in the middle of the day. As far as anyone knows you are a normal vampire, but you haven't even had to take a drink yet, so who knows.” Alex waits for me to turn around and leans over to give me a quick kiss on the cheek before he starts the car and gets us heading in the right direction.

“About the whole drinking thing, I have to have fangs in order to accomplish that, right? So far, I haven't felt anything going on in the canine area. Should they have appeared by now?”

“I think at first they should come out with strong emotions. Hunger and anger would be the normal ones. They won't be very big, but you should feel some wrongness with your gums when they first erupt.”

“Do you think we could try a feeding when we get back and you are done explaining where you have been? I think I am starting to feel hungry and I don't want it to turn me into a crazed, blood starved lunatic.”

“I am glad to hear that. Since you are such a young vampire, I don't think the guards would have any problem restraining you if it came to that, but the fact that you don't want to get to that point, gives me hope for you,” Alex says and I concur.

A lot of recently turned humans would think an explainable bloodthirst is a good reason to lose control. I didn't spend a lot of time with Will pretransformation, but from what I observed, he did seem to have a good head on his shoulders, for someone cursed with a Y chromosome.

“With all the vampire guards in the building, there are plenty of feeders available for you to choose from. Just let Marcus know your preference and he can find someone for you,” I tell him.

“Do you know if it has to be right from a person? Can't I drink it from a glass or something? I don't know if my fangs will even come out and it might be a little embarrassing if they don't,” he replies.

I can understand where he is coming from with the embarrassment issue. It would probably be similar to having erectile dysfunction. Not being able to perform in any aspect has to be hard on a guy. It is too bad that I have no idea the answer to his question. I have always just fed from Sebastian and have never felt the need to ask. “We will have to check with Marcus because I don't have a good answer.”

“It sounds like pretty much any questions I have about my new life should be directed to the guard. I can do that, but if you are at least part vampire, don't you think you should know the answers as well?”

“Maybe, but the vampire side of things is only a small part of what makes me tick. I can only feed off of Sebastian, so getting the specifics on how fresh my blood source has to be has never been an issue.”

“What are you planning to do while he is out of the picture? You still have to eat, right? Does Alex serve as a stand-in?” We should have Sebastian back before it comes to that, but if it did, Alex would be the only other person I would willingly drink from.

“If worse comes to worst, I have no problem opening up a vein, or two, for Nyx. We prefer to keep that between her and Sebastian, though. It is part of their relationship that I leave alone as much as I can. As you may have noticed, without even being around us that long, we are still working out all of the kinks in our relationships.” Alex finally pulls into the parking garage on what had to have been the longest ride across town since the beginning of time. It wasn't more than ten minutes, but when I have news I am trying really hard not to think about, it makes the ride seem longer.

I hop out of the car and hold the seat up for Will. “I have been afraid to ask for more information on your guys' relationship. I know how much Nyx hated when I asked before and now that she is my mommy, or whatever you want to call it, I am worried she will send me to bed without supper.” He steps out of the car and I narrow my eyes just a little. “See, she is already planning punishments for me.”

“What a wuss. If I believed for a second you would actually dole out the punishments you thought up in your head, I might actually be a good dog. I bet it won't take bro long to figure that out,”
Clyde says trotting over to join us.

“I am just happy that you cannot directly communicate with him, so you two won’t be able to plan evil plots against me.”

“Either I am lost or you are talking to the dog again. I really hope it is the dog.”

“You did tell him my name, didn't you? I don't like being called 'the dog'. Do I look like I am just a dog? What ‘dog’ is able to bark and open up a portal? Not even Lassie can do that and as far as the human companion version of my family tree goes, that dog is a top dog.”

“You should probably refer to him as Clyde. He gets a little pissed when you don't acknowledge him like you would another person,” I explain and hope Will picks up that little tidbit of advice quickly.

“I can do that. As far as what my day-to-day, or night-to-night, life goes, what am I supposed to do now? I want to finish off this movie, but after that I plan to cut ties with the industry.”

“If you are going to be hanging around with us, which you are kind of stuck doing, you will start training pretty soon. We need to see what your skill level is and where you will fit best in the scheme of things. For at least a while you will be glued to my side, as much as I hate that idea, because we don't know what for sure is going on with you,” I inform him.

“Do you spend all of your time fighting?”

“Only ninety percent of it. I am sure you will learn why we do the things we do in the days to come. For now, I think our question and answer time is over. We need to get upstairs, so I can fill everyone in on my little side trip.”

Smitty walks by us whistling a familiar sounding tune. I cannot put my finger on the lyrics or song title. That kind of thing drives me nuts, so I have to find out.

“What are you whistling, Smitty?” We all make it to the elevator and cram our group inside. It is a real tight fit, but we somehow make due.

“Oh just a little tune that I think will explain where you have been. Maybe you have heard of it,
'If an Angel Came to See You'
.”

I cannot see his face with the current sardine configuration, but I can tell there is a pretty big smile spreading across it. “You said while you were at the conference someone showed you the light. You weren't really meaning figuratively, were you?”

“I don't imagine we were shown the same thing or even met the same person, but I have a pretty good idea what you are about to tell the rest of the group.”

The elevator doors open and we all exhale as we get out. “Why would they come to you before telling me all of the important details?” I ask spinning around to face him now that we have the room.

“I won't pretend to know what they are thinking, but I had my loyalties divided and they wanted to make sure you had all of the strong guards you could get for the trials in case anything went wrong. They made it very clear that I would be needed and it was time for me to choose. After the things they showed me, I have no doubt where I belong.”

“You keep saying they, did you meet more than one?” I ask excited that I am not the only one to experience at least one of them.

“It was just one guy, but he said ‘we’ a lot instead of ‘I’ when he talked. It kind of made them seem like a group more than just individuals.”

“What did he say to you? It has to be a big deal for one of them to take time out of their schedule to come down and meet with you.”

“What was said is personal. Even if it does involve you, it isn't something I am willing to share. I will say that I finally feel like I am on the right path in life. Since the meeting, I have felt a calm that was never available for me.”

“Okay, I am going to have to break in here,” Alex says and he swoops me up bridal style to carry me out of the foyer and into the living area. He settles down on a couch with me in his lap. The rest of the group files in and takes their spots around us. “Now that you guys have stopped talking for a second, why doesn't one of you clue the rest of us in on what this discussion is about.”

“I thought Smitty's song title explained it all. An angel is what snatched me out of Clyde's portal.” I am immediately met with some really blank stares. I guess this one is going to take some explaining.

Chapter 14

No matter what makes me tick, I am still just me

“An angel just came and snatched you up?” Alex asks adjusting me so he can get a good look at my face. If I wasn't the size of a doll, he wouldn't find the task so easy.

“He had gold wings like me, glowed, and called himself an angel. All things required on my list for a person to be one. He didn't come right out and say it, but I am pretty sure he is sorry for making you guys worry. He just said it was time for things to be explained.” Personally, I would have liked to hear those things a good twenty years ago.

“And he explained what exactly?” Walt asks moving to the edge of his couch cushion across from me.

I think about the question for a second and realize that Gabe didn't explain a whole heck of a lot, as far as I am concerned. He was successful in making me come up with even more questions though.

“He didn't really explain a whole lot. He did tell me my missing part was an angel. I guess that was the most important part of the conversation. He said angels breeding with paranorms was frowned upon because it creates some kind of super baby. I have to go through some crazy trials the week before my birthday and I will do some weird ascension thing, but I don't really know what that means.” I take a deep breath after rattling it all off.

“What exactly does you being an angel and ascending mean for us?” Alex asks and his grip tightens around my torso.

“I made sure to clarify some points as far as that goes. Well, at least the fact that I am not going to be moving Upstairs. Gabe said that my place is here with you and Sebastian. I don't really know what is going on with the whole angel deal. He says that is already shaping my decisions and altering who I am. I didn't have a lot of time with him and he did most of the talking while I sat there not really believing what was coming out of his mouth.”

“So your mother was an angel? That just seems weird, but I guess it makes sense. Aaron could have easily been deceived by one of them since they have powers similar to demons. I thought you said Ben claimed your third part wasn't able to have children,” Jonas says speaking up while everyone else is still thinking things over, me included.

“You are right, but I don't imagine angels are fertile for demons. There would be something wrong in the world if those two beings could mate together. Gabe indicated that the angels could, and sometimes do, have babies with humans. It didn't sound like something they went around doing often.”

“Did this ever so helpful angel give you any other useful information? He didn't announce you were destined mates and had to start creating your own little babies, did he?” I can see introducing Gabe and Alex is going to be something I don't want to be in the middle of.

“I already told you he said I belong here with you. There was no talk of him and I running off together to start an island of cute angel babies. He did tell me that I get to go on a little quest for that stab anything and kill them knife. I don't know exactly how that is going to work, but I have two trials to get the bugger and if it will help get Sebastian back, I am ready to get things started.”

“Wait a second. I wasn't there when this knife was discussed, but Marcus did mention it to us wolves after the fact. He said you had to have a pure heart to get the dang thing, if it actually exists. Was your new angel friend really confused?” Jake asks.

I questioned it myself, so I cannot take offense at his words. “I think that part of it was even more surprising to me than finding out I was part angel. I tripled checked with Gabe and he had this pearl thing he claimed was my orb of life, or some silly thing. It was surprisingly lily white and beautiful. He said if I was really a bad girl, it would have dark colors running through it. I thought he must have mixed mine up with a toddler's, but he was pretty sure it was mine.”

“You are really an angel?” Alex questions aloud, but it seems to be more of an internal problem he is trying to solve. “Out of all the beings in the world, that wasn't even near to being on the list of plausible possibilities. My mate is an angel, literally and figuratively. How many people can say that?”

“Hey, even if the literal part is now true, I am not so sure about the figurative. Hearing her name still makes my testicles run for cover,” Jake provides.