The Wicked (11 page)

“Vampires.” Thalia snorted. “We are supposed to be night’s creatures and look at this one.” She glared at him. “Stop crying this very instant.”

And he did. “I am heartbroken, my Mistress.”

“Oh, please. You will find another human to attach yourself to.” She knelt down in front of him staring deeply into his face. “This woman is now forgotten. You never met her. She never existed. The last year you have stayed with me, working as my servant, but now I am releasing you back to your life. You are going to find a lover who suits you, and then you will turn her immediately if she is human. You will spend the rest of eternity together and live happily ever after.”

Lowen blinked. “Thank you, Mistress, for allowing me this time spent with you. I will be forever grateful for the kindness you have bestowed upon me.”

“Off you go then,” Thalia laughed and stood. “Go make something of your life.”

Lowen immediately stood with her, bowed, then left. Just like that.

I couldn’t hide my shock. “What the hell was that?”

Thalia and Hayes laughed loudly. Then, Hayes said, “You do not know of vampires?”

“Not much.”

Thalia looked stunned. “How is that possible—you’re a supernatural?”

“Long story short, I’m new and haven’t been told everything yet.”

“Interesting,” Thalia remarked, eyeing me curiously. “I used a glamour on him. I gave him a new memory so that I didn’t have to destroy him. I feel for ones like Lowen. He is new and because of that, many human emotions still run through him. Old ones like me tend to get over the loss of a lover easily. They come and go. Eternity gets you used to that. But I do remember what it was like. I couldn’t destroy him. It appears it was an accident. Why destroy a perfectly good vampire for reasons such as these. He will go on now and be happy, which is what we all want, isn’t it?”

“Of course it is,” Ryker stated. “And it’s just choosing the right one to give you that happiness.” His eyes fixed on my face.

That was the boiling point. The inevitable moment I had been expecting since the night I heard the name
Ryker.

Kyden lunged forward and punched Ryker in the face.

“Look, Hayes.” Thalia sounded pleased. “A fight for love—how touching.”

From there, Hayes managed to somehow get the rumbling two out of Thalia’s house and just as we exited, I grasped onto both of them quickly then we landed back in the foyer.

I immediately let go and flew backwards to avoid getting squished. “Stop it,” I yelled. Kyden and Ryker were in a full out brawl rustling around the foyer. “I said stop it. Right now!” I blasted with a stomp of my foot. There was no way in hell I was about to jump into the middle of them. I’d get pummeled and taking Zia’s words seriously, I didn’t want to get angry again.

“What are they doing?”
Willows voice came beside me.

I glanced down at my kitty, who looked amused at the two guys going at like a UFC fight. “Oh, they’re just being stupid.”

“It is what they do best.”
Willow chuckled.

Yeah, cats can chuckle. I wouldn’t have believed it myself. But it was true, she could laugh.

“Have you seen Haven?” I asked her.

“I just saw her. She’s in the garden.”

I glanced back out to the idiots. Ryker grunted deeply after taking a hard blow to the face, but followed up with a hard jab to Kyden’s gut. I sighed with a world of annoyance. “Let’s go. This doesn’t look to be ending anytime soon.” I left the two of them rolling around on the floor yelling at each other.

Haven was feeding the fish in the pond when I reached her in the garden. It was almost as beautiful as the Witches Meadow with its green shrubbery, vibrant flowers and stone path that weaved through it.

“They like bananas?” I asked Haven.

She glanced up. “They sure do. Wanna try?”

I knelt beside her. “Sure.” She handed me a banana, I broke a piece off, held it to the water. A pink fish leapt up, grabbed it and I laughed.
Who knew!

“What happened with Lowen?” Haven asked.

“We took him to the Mistress of the Mid-West. She did some glamour thing and he was sent on his way.”

“What’d you think of Thalia?” Haven smiled.

“She wasn’t at all what I expected.”

She laughed. “Isn’t she so sweet?”

“I’d say. I wasn’t expecting that.” I don’t know what I was expecting, but a leader of blood suckers should have been a little more scary.

“She is unusual that is for sure. Most of the Mistresses are hard as nails. Thalia is fun. She’s come to a couple Full Moon parties here. It probably has something to do with her going through the change so young. She’s old though—like 1500’s old.”

“Yeah, Ryker mentioned that.”

“In those days though, she was already married. She told me that her lover was a vampire. It was him that changed her. She killed her husband and from there its history.”

“She killed her husband?”

“You think Kyden is possessive. Imagine what men were like in those times.
Woman you are my slave, serve me.
You know that kind of stuff. She told me she had to marry him because it strengthened two families together. I guess he was a real jerk and she was all too happy to get him out of the way, and leave her home.”

“Crazy.”

“Sure is. Won’t it be so bizarre when we have that much history behind us? Hard to imagine right?”

“Got that right.” The thought was wonderful nonetheless—no Botox, no weight gain. Immortality wasn’t such a hard thing to accept.

She suddenly glanced around, perplexed. “Where’s Kyden?”

“He’s with Ryker. They’re beating the hell out of each other.”

She straightened up. “They are?”

“Oh yes, they surely are. Kyden’s patience with him is gone. Hopefully this will straighten it all out. It’s so annoying. I know Ryker is only doing it to goad him. He has as much interest in me as I do him.”

“Are they alright? Maybe I should go and send Finn to help.” She went to stand.

I grabbed her arm. “No. Don’t. They’ll work it out, and maybe that will be the end of this. It’s getting old.”

“I hope you’re right,” she said, and went back to feeding the fish.

“Mmmm…those fishies look delicious.”
Willow licked her lips as she leaned over the water.

“Don’t even think about it, Willow.”

Haven gave me a curious look.

“She wants to eat the fish,” I told her.

“You are a very naughty kitty,” Haven said, wagging her finger at her.

“I’m a cat,”
Willow replied, unashamed. “
We are supposed to eat fish.”

“Not these fish,” I told her.

Then, deep groans followed by heavy feet came next to us.

I raised my gaze. Kyden was dragging Ryker along, while he stumbled beside him.

Haven gasped loudly. “Oh my goodness.”

The closer they got, the worse they looked. Ryker’s face had been beaten to the point of disgusting. Kyden looked almost as bad. They both had black eyes, bloody faces, split lips, and that was just the obvious stuff.

“You didn’t kill each other,” I remarked when they met up with us. “That’s a good sign.”

Kyden kept a good grip on Ryker’s arm. “Tell her,” he shouted at him.

Ryker looked annoyed even behind all the blood. “Must I?”

“You must,” Kyden growled through a swollen lip.

Ryker sighed and met my gaze. “I am sorry for my words to you. I have been…” He hesitated. “My behavior has been unkind. I respect what you and Kyden share together. My interference has been wrong. Will you accept my sincerest apologies?”

“I do.” I tried really hard not to laugh. “Thank you. So, will this be the end of it then? No more comments? No more egging him on?”

Ryker nodded. “I believe we have come to an understanding.”

“Good. Glad to hear it.”

“What the hell have you two done to each other?” Zia sounded appalled, running toward us, Talon in tow. “Some of the younglings came to find us, claiming there was an intense fight going on in the foyer.”

I glanced behind her to see a few young witches looking terrified.

“They were sorting things out,” I told her. Then, I thought in my mind.
“Idiots.”

“Yes, idiots I would say,” Zia snapped.

Kyden gave me a look at that.

I shrugged my shoulders at him.

“Your behavior lately has been of the worst sort. The both of you.” Zia gave the two Guardians a chastising look. “What is wrong with you two?” Kyden and Ryker shrugged like two school boys being sent to detention. “I hope you are finished with this ridiculous nonsense.”

“We are done with it,” Kyden snarled. “Aren’t we, Ryker?”

Ryker looked even more annoyed. “Yes. We are done with it.”

Talon looked proud. “It must have been a fierce fight.”

Zia slapped his arm. “Do not encourage them.”

“What is done is done.” Talon cleared his throat. “I am just taking notice, is all.”

“This is not something to be proud of. Look behind you.”

We all followed her gaze. The younglings were indeed scared out of their wits.

“You frightened those younglings,” Zia continued, “You need to mind what you do. They look up to you and here you are acting like a bunch of bozos.”

I let out a sharp laugh. “Bozos.” Who knew Zia even had a word like that in her vocabulary. She glared at me. “Okay, not funny, but it’s just your choice of words.” I laughed again. “Bozos.”

Haven giggled right along with me.

I stood. “I’ll go talk to them,” I said, and headed over to the younglings.

Poor things. The closer I got, the more terrified they looked. One was even crying.

“Don’t cry,” I said, softly when I reached them. “Did the mean Guardians scare you?”

The littlest one wiped tears from her eyes. “They did.”

I grabbed her into a hug. She was trembling in my arms. “You know what they were fighting about?”

The witch next to her looked no more than six years old. She shook her head. Her eyes wide with fear. “No. Why would they do that?”

“They were fighting because Ryker ate Kyden’s potato chips.”

“That’s why?” The witch in my arms looked up in confusion.

I nodded. “That was it. But let me tell you, males are stupid. They do stupid things because they don’t know any better.” I glanced back, all three Guardians were glaring at me. I smiled in return.

“They are stupid.” The witch in my arms laughed. She stepped away. “Thanks, Nexi.”

My shock must have shown on my face. “You know my name?”

“You’re the special one. And she hugged me!” She looked at her friends—their jealously showed. “I must be special too.”

“You are special,” I told her. “You all are. Witches rule!”

They all bounced up and down. “Witches rule. Guardians drool.”

“Now, wait a second…” I started.

They ran away chanting. “Witches rule. Guardians drool.”

As I made my way back to the group, Zia stepped forward and reached out to Kyden. “Stop,” I screamed.

“What is it?” she gasped, startled, pulling her hand back.

“Don’t you dare heal them!”

“You are going to leave me like this?” Kyden sounded equally annoyed and confused.

“Damn right. It’s what you deserve. You did it to yourselves now you gotta live with it.”

“But…” he began.

“No, buts. You’ll heal—eventually.”

Kyden glanced to Ryker, and they shared an expression of hard cold blatant confusion.

“You cannot do this,” Ryker exclaimed. “I hurt badly.”

“Good. I’m glad it hurts,” I retorted. “Maybe you’ll think twice before acting so stupid.”

“She is right—foolish Guardians,” Zia spat. “As I said, the younglings look up to you.” This time she directed the comment my way.

“Speaking of that. How do they know who I am?”

They all laughed.

“What?” I snapped.

“You don’t think you are a little famous around here?” Talon asked.

“Famous?” I chortled. “You’re kidding right?”

Haven giggled. “My soul-sister is famous.”

I ignored her awe. “Why? Cause the whole thing with Lazarus?”

“The whole Lazarus thing.” Zia shook her head. “You speak of it as if it was nothing. He was a long time enemy of the Council and you destroyed him. Do you not think the younglings would think highly of you?”