“Vampire, why do you protect this child?” The voice was strangely melodious, flute-like. “It is mine now.”
“He looks tasty.”
A small shudder ran through Cal and she tried to remain focused on the spell. As much as she might with otherwise that was how he saw the little boy. Lying to fairies was much too dangerous. She had no illusions about how little compassion he had for most humans, they were only food to him. What he said wasn’t an answer to the question but it was the truth.
She managed to bring her focus back to the spell, hoping that Lucas would keep the fairy too distracted to notice her for a few more minutes. Her blood was black in the moonlight as she held her bleeding hands over the bowl. Large, heavy drops fell onto the bread. Tendrils of power spouted out of it like vines, glowing faintly at first then stronger. Ember red.
The fairy turned towards where Cal was crouched among the trees. It knew now that someone was trying to banish it. Cal would see everything now with the intense clarity that the magic gave her, enhancing all her senses. She had to stand her ground now, breaking the spell at this point would bring it back on herself. She pushed more power into the blood flowing out of her body. Hot rivulets ran down her chest and belly, far more than the shallow cut should have produced. This was the cost.
Cords of power flowed out, twisting around the fairy. Please hurry up and work. The fairy was coming closer, the flutelike voice now a low trill. Is it growling at me? It seemed so slow to her magic flooded brain but there was nothing she could do without breaking the spell.
Then Lucas was there with that ridiculous sword of his, it was cold iron though. His thrust was aimed at the fairy’s chest but didn’t connect. Instead he was hurled across the clearing into a tree with a sickening crash. A momentary distraction but it was long enough.
Cal tightened the ropes of power and sealed the spell. She could feel the fairy’s departure as the spell pushed it through the boundary between the worlds, a soundless shock wave only she felt. It was almost disappointing that there was no flash of light or momentous sound, the fairy was just gone.
She collapsed forward, bracing herself on all fours waiting for her head to stop spinning. As soon as she could move without being sick she looked around for Lucas and Matty. Despite his brief flight Lucas was unhurt though decidedly disheveled. He had the little boy in his arms, Matty looked awake but groggy. The vampire looked down into his eyes intently for a long minute, the toddler’s head nodded slowly as he sank into a deep sleep.
“He should sleep for the rest of the night.” He laid the little boy gently on the ground.
Cal nodded. “What will he remember?”
“Hopefully not much, I clouded his memory. I don’t think anyone will be too surprised by that under the circumstances.” He looked Cal over. “Will you be able to walk out.”
“I’m just tired, I’ll be fine.” Cal said, standing up slowly.
The next thing Cal knew she was laying on the ground, she felt hot and dizzy. Lucas crouched over her.
“Want to try that again?”
“I’ll be fine, just give me a minute.” Cal tried to sit up but Lucas pushed her back down.
“Stay there until you’re a bit less green.”
“Fine. Could you hand me the bottle in my bag?”
Lucas brought her the bright blue sports drink. She hated the taste, far too sweet, but she needed more than just water after a spell like that. As soon as she’d drained the bottle Lucas was over her pressing a hungry kiss to her lips, she realized she was still bleeding. He pulled away briefly before bending down to her chest.
“This isn’t the time…”
“Shh… just cleaning you up.”
“Lucas.” More firmly this time.
“Please…”
There was a quality to his voice that Cal knew. It wasn’t hunger. It was the one that said ‘I need to know you’re still here’ and all those other things he never really said. He cared about her, the one exception to his usual coldness, neither of them understood why he’d chosen to let her in. It didn’t make him less amoral or care more about humans, just one. He needed this reassurance, besides it did feel wonderful.
Something in the back of her mind was insisting that having your boyfriend lick blood off your body while laying in wet rotting leaves was wrong and shouldn’t feel so good or so comforting. She told it to go away and gave herself permission to enjoy it. This was a kink she’d embraced a long time ago—well not the part with the wet leaves—so she was used to ignoring that voice. She felt Lucas move from her abdomen to first one hand then the other, lapping across the palm and gently sucking on her fingers. Finally he pulled away and helped her sit up, she was still light headed but feeling better. Her skin was fully healed from his saliva, the cuts had been shallow but having them gone made her feel that much better.
“Here’s your shirt love.” Lucas said, helping her back into it. “Think you can stand now?”
“Yeah, if you give me a hand up.”
Cal was still a bit wobbly but was able to keep her feet under her. Lucas was piled everything back into her bag and zipped it up before throwing it over his shoulder. The rapier already hung from his belt. He scooped up the still sleeping Matty and led the way out of the woods. It was slower going this time, but twenty minutes later they were back at the Jeep.
The half hour drive to Erasmus Barnes’ fishing cabin went by silently. Cal had fallen asleep almost as soon as she climbed it. She woke to her grandfather gently shaking her awake.
“We need to talk Calliope.”
“He looks tasty.”
A small shudder ran through Cal and she tried to remain focused on the spell. As much as she might with otherwise that was how he saw the little boy. Lying to fairies was much too dangerous. She had no illusions about how little compassion he had for most humans, they were only food to him. What he said wasn’t an answer to the question but it was the truth.
She managed to bring her focus back to the spell, hoping that Lucas would keep the fairy too distracted to notice her for a few more minutes. Her blood was black in the moonlight as she held her bleeding hands over the bowl. Large, heavy drops fell onto the bread. Tendrils of power spouted out of it like vines, glowing faintly at first then stronger. Ember red.
The fairy turned towards where Cal was crouched among the trees. It knew now that someone was trying to banish it. Cal would see everything now with the intense clarity that the magic gave her, enhancing all her senses. She had to stand her ground now, breaking the spell at this point would bring it back on herself. She pushed more power into the blood flowing out of her body. Hot rivulets ran down her chest and belly, far more than the shallow cut should have produced. This was the cost.
Cords of power flowed out, twisting around the fairy. Please hurry up and work. The fairy was coming closer, the flutelike voice now a low trill. Is it growling at me? It seemed so slow to her magic flooded brain but there was nothing she could do without breaking the spell.
Then Lucas was there with that ridiculous sword of his, it was cold iron though. His thrust was aimed at the fairy’s chest but didn’t connect. Instead he was hurled across the clearing into a tree with a sickening crash. A momentary distraction but it was long enough.
Cal tightened the ropes of power and sealed the spell. She could feel the fairy’s departure as the spell pushed it through the boundary between the worlds, a soundless shock wave only she felt. It was almost disappointing that there was no flash of light or momentous sound, the fairy was just gone.
She collapsed forward, bracing herself on all fours waiting for her head to stop spinning. As soon as she could move without being sick she looked around for Lucas and Matty. Despite his brief flight Lucas was unhurt though decidedly disheveled. He had the little boy in his arms, Matty looked awake but groggy. The vampire looked down into his eyes intently for a long minute, the toddler’s head nodded slowly as he sank into a deep sleep.
“He should sleep for the rest of the night.” He laid the little boy gently on the ground.
Cal nodded. “What will he remember?”
“Hopefully not much, I clouded his memory. I don’t think anyone will be too surprised by that under the circumstances.” He looked Cal over. “Will you be able to walk out.”
“I’m just tired, I’ll be fine.” Cal said, standing up slowly.
The next thing Cal knew she was laying on the ground, she felt hot and dizzy. Lucas crouched over her.
“Want to try that again?”
“I’ll be fine, just give me a minute.” Cal tried to sit up but Lucas pushed her back down.
“Stay there until you’re a bit less green.”
“Fine. Could you hand me the bottle in my bag?”
Lucas brought her the bright blue sports drink. She hated the taste, far too sweet, but she needed more than just water after a spell like that. As soon as she’d drained the bottle Lucas was over her pressing a hungry kiss to her lips, she realized she was still bleeding. He pulled away briefly before bending down to her chest.
“This isn’t the time…”
“Shh… just cleaning you up.”
“Lucas.” More firmly this time.
“Please…”
There was a quality to his voice that Cal knew. It wasn’t hunger. It was the one that said ‘I need to know you’re still here’ and all those other things he never really said. He cared about her, the one exception to his usual coldness, neither of them understood why he’d chosen to let her in. It didn’t make him less amoral or care more about humans, just one. He needed this reassurance, besides it did feel wonderful.
Something in the back of her mind was insisting that having your boyfriend lick blood off your body while laying in wet rotting leaves was wrong and shouldn’t feel so good or so comforting. She told it to go away and gave herself permission to enjoy it. This was a kink she’d embraced a long time ago—well not the part with the wet leaves—so she was used to ignoring that voice. She felt Lucas move from her abdomen to first one hand then the other, lapping across the palm and gently sucking on her fingers. Finally he pulled away and helped her sit up, she was still light headed but feeling better. Her skin was fully healed from his saliva, the cuts had been shallow but having them gone made her feel that much better.
“Here’s your shirt love.” Lucas said, helping her back into it. “Think you can stand now?”
“Yeah, if you give me a hand up.”
Cal was still a bit wobbly but was able to keep her feet under her. Lucas was piled everything back into her bag and zipped it up before throwing it over his shoulder. The rapier already hung from his belt. He scooped up the still sleeping Matty and led the way out of the woods. It was slower going this time, but twenty minutes later they were back at the Jeep.
The half hour drive to Erasmus Barnes’ fishing cabin went by silently. Cal had fallen asleep almost as soon as she climbed it. She woke to her grandfather gently shaking her awake.
“We need to talk Calliope.”
Part VI -- Part VIII
No comments:
Post a Comment