His shirt was cut, his side aching from earlier, and he had just run into some dense bushes while chasing a Daimon. All in all, it seemed like a usual crap-tacular night so far.1
Wincing as branches scraped along his face, Dom stopped as he cleared the bush, and looked around when he realized he was alone. “Come on out you little bastard,” he said in low tones. “Can’t hide from the devil.” 2
Spinning, he struck out, connecting with the Daimon that had tried to sneak up on him from behind. Watching dispassionately as the vampire burst into small golden flakes that drifted slowly to the ground, Dom took a step back.3
“Serves you right,” he said to the dust as it was caught by a light breeze. Tilting his head slightly, he inhaled, catching something on the light wind. It wasn’t a scent, but more of a feeling, and he slowly looked around, checking every inch of the area with his excellent eyesight. Even at a little before two in the morning, he could see better than ordinary humans could in the daylight. 4
He had the distinct feeling that he was being watched, although he couldn’t see, smell or hear anyone. Shrugging away the unease he headed back the way he had come, making a small detour to walk around the bushes instead of through them. 5
Getting back into his car, he sat back and looked out the window at where he had been. The feeling was still with him, and as he stared, he could see his living room, and Craig laying on it in a pool of blood looking up at him. 6
Clenching his eyes shut, Dom inhaled deeply, then opened them again. Trees rustled in the soft breeze, the only other movement being a large bird swooping low to grab something from the ground before arcing back in to the nighttime sky. Suspicion crossed his mind about the bird, since there had been one on the roof at the other place, but this one seemed smaller than the other one, and ignored him completely.7
So intent on the scene outside the car, Dom actually jumped as his cell phone sounded. The tune of ;’Sweet Home Alabama’ stopped mid-tone as he flipped the phone open. “Yeah?”8
“I’ll be at your place just after five,” Ash’s voice said.9
“What?” Dom asked, confused.10
“You all right?” 11
“Maybe. Got a strange feeling that I’m being watched.” Starting the car, he switched to hands-free talking, then drove off. “Been that way all night, but there’s no one there.” He paused. “I was going to bring Angie back to my place, but-“12
“Don’t change your plans,” Ash said, his voice holding a slightly odd tone, even for him. “It’s just…” he trailed off, then continued. If it was one thing the DH he was talking to knew, it was visions. “I see her there, but not much else…and later today, Melissa is very happy.” 13
Dom blinked, trying to connect the events in his mind, and shocked that Ash had shared that much with him. Usually, it was more of a ‘do as I tell you and things will be fine’ type of deal, not a disclosure of events. 14
“So,” Dom started, his voice pensive. “If anything was supposed to happen before you pick the chicks up, then Melissa wouldn’t be happy, since Craig wouldn’t be. Correct?”15
“Yes,” Ash said. “Oh, and… if Aiden hears you calling her a chick, she’ll cook your goose.” 16
“I’ll keep that in mind. “ He shivered slightly as the ‘being watched’ feeling hit him again. “Damn it, Ash. Are you sure about this? Or am I just slipping down that slope again?”17
“As sure as I’ll ever be,” Ash said, not sounding overly confident. “Just… trust me. It’ll work out the way it’s supposed to.” 18
~~~~~~~~~~~19
Making one final check of the room she had been staying in, Aiden was sure she’d grabbed the things she had originally brought with her, and started for the lower part of the house. Since Ash had called and told them that they were being picked up in a few hours, Aiden had been pacing from one end of the house to the other. It was a big house, which took a surprising amount of time to get through, but still, it seemed too small all the same. 20
Tria was sitting in the living room where she had been when Aiden first went upstairs, and still staring at the display cases that were on the wall. Aiden doubted she actually saw the contents, and walked into her line of view. 21
“Wonder where we’re off to this time?” Tria asked, her gaze not wavering.22
“No idea,” Aiden said. “I’d like to just go home, though. All this running is annoying.”23
Smiling wryly, Tria’s gaze finally flicked up to the other woman’s face. “I don’t have a home any more. Squire’s council sold it.”24
“Oh.”25
Tria shrugged. “I have no place, actually… which is frightening, and oddly exciting. I can do anything, live anywhere, be anyone.”26
“What about Ash?”27
“Can’t be him,” Tria said in a serious tone, then laughed. “Ahhh. I don’t know. He seems to be taking a long time in deciding.” 28
They both looked, then stood as a noise sounded from the direction of the front door. Moving quickly, both women moved into the shadows, and watched…then stepped out as Craig walked into the living room. 29
“Jesus!” he said, taking a step back. 30
“Thought you were at your honey’s place?” Aiden said.31
“She’s sick,” he replied, making a face. “Stomach flu, or something. Didn’t want to leave her, but she kicked me out because apparently I was too motherly, and she said she’d rather puke in private.” 32
Aiden snorted in amusement. “Sure it wasn’t that shirt that upset her stomach?”33
Craig looked down at the lime green shirt he had bought Dom as a gag, and that Dom had given him with orders to wear. “It may be a nasty color, but, no, I’m quite sure I didn’t make her sick.” He looked them over. "Everything packed?"
"Yeah," Aidne nodded, then stopped. "No, wait. I forgot the stuff I bought yesterday. It's in the closet upstairs." Going for the steps, she quickly made it upstairs, and headed for the closet where she had stashed her purchases. 34
Stopping as a shadow moved, Aiden took a step back at the figures that approached from the darkness. She knew two by sight, and briefly considered phasing someplace safe, but knew they would only follow her. 35
“Liam, Zane,” she said politely. “Can I help you?”36
“You can die,” Zane said. 37
“Hmmm,” Aiden pretended to consider it. “No. I don’t think so.” Wishing that Savitar hadn’t taken his little vacation, but knowing that this was probably the reason why he had, she took a step back. 38
“Don’t make us chase you,” Liam said. “It’s annoying.” 39
“If Stryker couldn’t take me down, then what makes you think you can?” she asked, trying to goad them into making a mistake.40
“Oh, we’re not going to kill you,” Zane said, raising a hand slightly. “They are.”41
Shifting her gaze, Aiden swore as three Daimons stepped out of a small blue shimmer that appeared in a corner. “Sweet fuck,” she whispered. “Dom’s gonna kill me for Daimons being in his house.” Clearing her throat, she smiled politely. “Yeah. I’m not in the dying mood today, so-“ 42
Vanishing, she appeared in the living room and looked around. Tria stood from the couch at the eagle’s appearance, prompting Craig to push the computer chair back as he got to his feet.43
“You got intruders,” Aiden managed to say, bolting forward as a blue shimmer appeared behind her. Last thing she wanted was to be sucked into a bolthole and end up front and center in Kalosis. 44
Grabbing a weapon from the desk, Craig threw it at Aiden, who quickly plucked it from the air, turned, and struck out. Not even bothering to see if more were on the way, and wondering why the eagles weren’t appearing, she started for the front door.45
“Kitchen,” Craig said, causing her to stop. “Garage, weapons. Come on,” Moving so Aiden and Tria could get in front of him to the hall leading for the kitchen, he had just reached for the alarm panel when sharpness entered his side, and he staggered as the blade was pulled back out. 46
Reaching a hand to stop the men that had somehow appeared beside him, he was easily swatted to the side, where he hit the end of the display case, sending dragon figurines scattering everywhere as he fell to the floor. 47
~~~~~~~~~48
Tossing his keys on the counter, Dom moved slightly to the side to let Angie past him. On the drive over, he had told her that he had guests that were leaving that morning, in case they ran into each other, but so far the kitchen was empty. 49
He could pick up voices coming form the living room, and frowned when he realized that Craig was back. Muttering under his breath about the squire’s inability to follow orders, he turned to Angie with a smile. 50
“Can I get you something?” he asked. “Coffee? Tea? Bedroom?”51
Smiling, she leaned towards him, and planted a lingering kiss on his lips. “I’m not really thirsty, but I rarely ever get to be served, so…” Pulling out the chair, she sat, then looked at him. “Glass of water with a lemon slice.”52
Raising an eyebrow at her, Dom turned and scratched his head. “Lemon slice?” he mouthed, unsure where to look for that. The water he could do… ice was possible, too, but the lemon? Grabbing a sharp knife out of the block on the counter, he laid it on the marble surface and stared at the cupboards.53
“Problem?” Angie asked. 54
“Only if one interprets not knowing where lemons would be as a problem,” Dom said. 55
Standing from the table, Angie walked to him, and slipped between him and the counter. “Forget the lemon,” she said.56
Bringing a hand up to brush through her light brown hair, Dom was ready and willing to raise her up so she could sit on the counter, and he could have his own ‘snack’. He smirked as she gave him a look that showed she had read his mind on that idea, and agreed with it one hundred percent. 57
Jerking in surprise as the 'being watched' feeling returned, Dom took a step back from a startled Angie and turned to look behind him. There was no one there, but a feeling of immediate danger remained. 58
“We gotta go,” he told Angie, starting for the door. It was closing in on dawn, but he should still have enough darkness to get out to get to his car without too much pain, and once inside, the windows would protect him. Barely taking a step, he stopped at a noise and headed the other direction, not surprised when two women rushed into the kitchen.59
“Where’s Craig?”60
Aiden turned. “He was behind us. There was a Daimon, and-“ she stopped when someone appeared behind her. 61
Reacting on instinct alone, Dom snatched the knife from the kitchen counter, lobbing it at the blonde. It hit dead center in the black mark on the chest, and then sailed through to embed itself in the wall when the Daimon dissolved. 62
“Come on,” he said, motioning to the door, stopping when two bodies blocked his path. Grabbing Angie’s hand, he pulled the shocked woman to the basic safety of behind him, and place himself between the newcomers and the others. “Mercenary Were-Hunters,” he said in a condescending tone when he realized that one was the Were from the cafe. “Now I’ve seen everything.”63
“Get her,” one of the men said.64
“Wait, wait!” Dom said, his voice commanding attention. “Who are you here for?”65
“Out of the way, Dark-Hunter. Unless you want to join her.”66
“Yeah, yeah. Shut the fuck up, all right?” Dom glared, needing to stall for time, and hoping that just once, Ash would be early. “You’re going to have to be specific here. Not that I really care, since you’re not getting anyone, but hey, we can at least pretend to be cordial.”67
One of the eagles sighed in annoyance. “Stupid fucking humans,” he said as he shook his head.68
“Believe me,” Dom replied dryly, “some nights I’d agree with you.” 69
“The eagle has no family that is willing to protect her, and the Omegrion hasn’t given her official protection.” Liam smirked. “So flash that fancy protection mark all you want, bitch. It means nothing to us.” 70
“So, you want Aiden?” Dom asked as he shifted slowly, his mind working out just where the closest weapon in the house would be. The knife he’d lobbed at the Daimon was still stuck in the wall, but that was too far behind him to help. “And the rest are free to go?”71
“Yes.”72
“Were’s aren’t the only Hunters that can sense a lie, stupid,” Dom snarled. “But, since you went so much trouble to track me, then break into my property, I’ll give you a sporting chance before I kill you.73
“Aiden,” he continued calmly, his eyes never leaving the two in front of him. “Take Wendy and Angie someplace safe.”74
“I can’t,” Aiden said, her voice low with regret. “If I phase anywhere, they’ll be able to follow.”75
“She’s right,” Zane said. “So, just make it easy for us, and we’ll be on our way.” A sword appeared in his hand, and he swung at a surprised Tria.76
Moving quickly, Dom stepped in front of Tria an instant before the blade would have sliced through her neck. Since he was a few inches taller than her, the blade carved clean across his upper chest, bringing a burning pain so intense that he staggered backwards into the people behind him. Screams filled his ears as he tried to stand, tried to block the way to those that were steadily approaching.77
“Go,” he managed to say as the intruders ignored him for those they had come for.78
Immediately turning, Aiden herded the women through the door and towards Dom’s private area. At the end of the hall, by Dom’s bedroom, there was a door leading to an underground tunnel that led to a secured area. 79
Stopping as a man appeared in front of them, Aiden quickly phased the women to an upstairs area. Pulling both out of the room they were in, they went to another door further down the hall and ran inside. 80
“What’s going on?” Angie asked, her voice high pitched and close to panic.81
“Try to keep calm,” Tria told her. 82
“D-d-didn’t you see what happened to Dom?” she replied. “He’s dead.”83
“He’ll be fine,” Aiden said, jerking as a sound crashed from the room next to them. “Tria,” she said. “I’ll handle them, you get Angie downstairs. At the end of the hall by Dom’s bedroom is the door that leads to his escape area.”84
Tria nodded. “Okay.”85
“Tria?” Angie asked, bewildered. “I thought your name was Wendy. And what escape rou-“ she broke off with a scream as the door was kicked open.86
Acting quickly, Aiden gave the two eagles a kinetic shove that left enough of an opening for Tria to drag Angie through. Hopping over the Arcadian eagles, Aiden pulled the door shut, then followed the other two as they ran down the stairs.87
They were halfway down when the eagles appeared at the top, and not wanting to waste time Aiden placed a hand on Tria and Angie’s shoulders, phasing them all to the bottom of the stairs. 88
~~~~~~~~~~89
Falling to his knees, Dom placed a hand on the floor in front of himself to keep from going all the way down. The floor looked awfully inviting, but he couldn’t just lie down and let the others in the house die. 90
Forcing himself to his feet, he stumbled to the door leading to the living room, having to pull himself to his feet more than once. Praying that Aiden had gotten Angie and Wendy to his private escape route, he yanked a knife out of the wall as he passed, brandishing it as he entered the living room. 91
Craig lay face down on the carpet, blood pooling from somewhere below his midsection. Pain filled eyes stared at him, letting the Hunter know that his Squire was still with him. A noise from upstairs jerked his attention to the stairs, and he watched as three women suddenly appeared at the bottom.92
“Run,” he told them, turning his attention back to the stairs. 93
“Dom?” Angie’s scared voice whispered.94
“Go,” he said, urgency filling the command as two beings charged down the stairs. Roaring in anger, Dom bounded up the stairs, taking both eagles by surprise, and knocking them over. Flipping in mid stride, Dom came back down the stairs, landing at the bottom in a slight crouch, which he used to attack again. 95
Driving the knife straight into the base of the neck of one as he tried to get up, he then ignored the now dead avian as the other one made it to his feet. Pulling on his precognition, Dom could see which way Zane would move, and countered it with a well-placed roundhouse that knocked it back to the landing. 96
Dom was a blur of movement as his hand struck out. A pain filled shriek filled the air, letting him know that he’d missed the intended mark. Pulling the knife out, he struck again, and again, anger clouding his vision. 97
“Fucking bastards!” he yelled as his hand came down, incensed that once again someone had attacked him and tried to kill those he cared for. For a handful of moments, he was back in the small village, watching the death grow around him. This time, though, he was the one in control, the one making sure that it wouldn’t end up like last time. 98
Aiden watched, worried and scared at the scene before her. She knew how much it took to get rid of a Were, but this seemed like overkill. “Stop!” she ordered.99
The word made it through the haze surrounding Dom, snapping him back to the present. Placing the knife calmly on the carpet beside him, he hung his head for a moment, then sunk back on to his heels, then to the floor. 100
“Aiden,” he said, his voice flat. “Get Craig to the Squire’s clinic…” he trailed off, too tried to even finish.101
“Don’t worry,” she replied. “I’ll make sure they take good care of him.”102
Dom nodded mutely as she laid a hand on Craig’s arm and vanished with him. “The bodies…”103
“I’ll take care of those,” a deep voice said from the doorway.104
Dom didn’t even look at Ash as he walked in. “Nice of you to fucking show up, asshole.”105
Tria and Ash traded glances. “Came as fast as I could.” He glanced at Angie, who was staring at everyone like she was trying to wake herself from a dream. “You all right, Angie?”106
“Yeah,” she said, her voice small and tinny sounding. “But, I think I’m just going to pass out now, if no one minds.”107
Moving faster than the eye could track, Ash grabbed her before she could hit the floor. Hoisting her easily into his arms, he pivoted and placed her on the couch. “I’ll be back,” he told Tria, then vanished, along with the two Were-Hunter bodies. 108
“Are you all right?” Tria asked, crouching beside Dom.109
“Who are you?” he asked.110
“Wendy,” she replied, wondering if he was having some sort of emotional breakdown. He certainly had that unfocused look in his eyes.111
“I’m not in the mood for lies, woman,” he said. “You’re not human, and you’re not a Were.”112
“Immortal,” she admitted.113
“Fucking figures.” His eyes flicked to her for a brief second. “Get away from me. Now, please.”114
Standing, Tria turned and slowly walked away.115
Moaning in annoyance, he tried to get some sort of order in his mind, but it always came back to the feeling he experienced while killing the intruders. Anger had been there, a deep, scary sensation that reminded him all too clearly of his inglorious days of killing anything and everything. And it scared him that it actually felt good to act that way again. 116
Forcing himself to his feet, he pulled off his shirt, and probed the sword wound. Grimacing at how close this one had come to separating his head from his body, he lightly traced it as it ran from shoulder to shoulder. 117
Remembering Angie, his head jerked, relaxing slightly when he saw her on the couch. Shame engulfed him at baptizing her into this world in such an evil way, and he wished he could go back a few weeks and tell Eros to shove his deal. A few godbolts would be preferable right now to the pain that was starting at the thought that she cold have been hurt. Stumbling to a chair, he sat, leaning back as his mind continued to whirl. 118
Staring at the floor in front of him, Dom was using all his concentration to make sure that he didn’t do anything stupid like bolting for the door and trying to make it to the hospital to see Craig. It was probably well past dawn by now, and that would put a painful end to an already fucked up morning.119
~~~~~~~~~~120
Staring through the large window that divided the emergency room from the rest of the building, Aiden kept a watchful vigil on the doctors as they surrounded Craig. From her vantage point, it wasn’t looking good, and she couldn’t help but think she’d be calling Dom with news of his squire’s passing. Since it was daytime, she knew that he couldn’t be here, but that didn’t stop the accusations for his absence from running through her mind. 121
At the very least, she thought Ash would be here, and reminded herself to thoroughly tell him off the next time she saw him. Add Savitar to that rant, too, her mind told her. Oh, yeah… he’d be getting a piece of her mind. A big, scary, bitching piece of her mind…that he would calmly accept with that annoyingly composed expression that sometimes irritated the hell out of her.122
The worse part was that she knew that he knew something was going to take place, and he put lives on the line to make sure it was uninterrupted. Anything could have happened earlier. They could have tripped on the steps, Dom could have passed out in the kitchen, or one of a hundred other little things that could have changed the preferred outcome. 123
Looking at the figure on the bed, being tended to by doctors, Aiden wondered if this was any part of the preferred outcome. Stiffening slightly at a change in a doctor’s tone, she stared, as everything seemed to kick into an impossibly higher speed. There was an annoying sound in the background, and it took a few seconds to realize what it was.124
Aiden’s breath caught in her throat as the tone indicating an absence of heartbeat seemed to overtake all other noises. Machines were pulled from walls as doctors attempted to get some sort of life back into an unresponsive Craig.125
Time seemed to stand still, yet warp all the same as she watched. The minutes ticked by, but felt all too short as the frantic activity slowed, then stopped. Taking a step back from the bed, a doctor looked at the clock, then said something to the person beside him. All the while, the small machine by Craig’s head sounded its annoying continuous tone. 126
“No,” Aiden whispered, wishing the past few hours away. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against the glass, then opened them again. She’d caught a whiff of something that smelled suspiciously like fresh sea air. 127
Turning, she realized that Savitar was standing behind her, a look of profound pain in his eyes as he watched the emergency room. Before she realized, she took a step forward, raised her hand and slapped him across the face. She knew he could have stopped it, but he didn’t move at all as the sound seemed incredibly loud in the small room. 128
“You knew this was going to happen.” Accusations laced her voice, mingled with unspent tears of frustration. “I hate this! I fucking hate this! All these secrets, and manipulations…all for what?! So your precious timelines stay intact and you can surf to your hearts content while the rest of reality falls around you?”129
Instead of answering, he looked to the window, then back at her. Through the open door, she could hear the ominous flat line beep once, then twice, working its way to a stronger sound. The doctors paused in surprise, then sprung into action, wheeling Craig out and to an operating room.130
She looked at Savitar. “Did you just…?”131
Crossing his arms on his chest, he gave her a solemn smile, then vanished.132
~~~~~~~~~~~~133
It was a dream. It had to be. Staring at the ceiling, Angie tried to remember how she ended up on a couch, and vowed to never again drink, smoke, or ingest whatever it was that had given her the ultra funky dream that she had experienced. 134
Sitting up slowly, she looked around Dom’s living room, stopping at the sight of Dom sitting in a chair not too far away. He had his shirt off, and she could plainly see a wound that stretched from one shoulder to the other. It should have been enough to send him to the hospital, yet there he sat, deep in thought, and not too deep in pain. 135
Realizing that he was being watched, Dom blinked and looked up. Angie stared back at him, and he had to give her credit as she tried to hide the fear that she had to be feeling. Standing slowly, he took a step towards her, stopping as she stood and jumped behind the couch. 136
“Are you all right?” he asked.137
“What are you?” 138
“He’s a thousand year old vampire hunter and demon killer,” Ash said as he walked up behind her.139
Angie turned slowly, gave a look of annoyed disbelief, then turned back to Dom. She was about to laugh, but something in his black eyes made her stop. “He’s lying, isn’t he?”140
“Yeah,” Dom said. “It’s actually one thousand sixty-five years.”141
“Uh-huh,” she replied slowly. “I see. Okay then. I’ll be leaving now, and I would appreciate you not coming into the café ever again.”142
Although it hurt him to hear it, Dom kept the sorrow from his face. “If that’s what you want.”143
“It is.”144
“Fine. But…I can’t let you leave right now.”145
Gaping at him, she closed her mouth. “You think you can stop me?”146
“You think I can’t?” he asked, annoyed. Inhaling deeply, he ran his hands over his face. “Ang, I’m not going to hurt you. Just…I’m going to talk, you’re going to listen, and when I’m done, you can do whatever you want.” He glanced at Ash. “If she leaves, I don’t want anything to happen to her.”147
“That’s not my call.”148
“You’re not listening, Ash,” Dom said, struggling to stay calm. “The first being that touches her because of this is going to be a dead being.”149
“Your threats are noted, logged, and not overly appreciated.”150
“Like I fucking care at the moment.” Dom turned back to Angie. “Uh…remember that website you were on the other day? Dark-hunter.com?”151
“Oh, come on,” Angie said. “You’re telling me that you’re a…”152
“Dark-Hunter,” he nodded. “Exactly.”153
“All righty then.” Angie stood, smoothed down her clothes, and looked from one man to the other. “Fun and games are over. I’ve had a funky day, and I’m fairly certain that it’s a dream, and I’ll wake up in a few minutes, and we’ll all have a nice little laugh over this.”154
“Angie-“155
Spinning fast, she struck out, connecting with Dom’s face before he could even register the she had moved. The sharpness of the slap stung almost as much as the sword earlier, but on a different level. 156
“Didn’t see that coming,” Dom muttered as he took a step back. Rubbing his cheek and moving his mouth slightly, he glanced at Ash. “Little help, boss?” 157
“You’re doing fine,” Ash said, the evil part of him thoroughly enjoying this.158
Giving Ash a killer glare, Dom switched back to Angie. “That kinda hurt.”159
“Suck it up,” she said. “I just watched you kill two…whatever’s today, you can handle a little slap.” She shook her head.160
“Were-Hunters,” Dom supplied.161
“Of course they were.” Wrapping her arms around her chest, and willing to play along, she sniffed at him. “All right, big bad Dark-Hunter, tell me what you want to tell me.”162
Dom closed his eyes for a moment, steadied himself, then began. “I was killed in 974. I had a wife that I loved very deeply, and still do, and four beautiful children. We were visiting my eldest daughter, who just had her first child…when their village was attacked.”163
Angie struggled to keep the cold expression on her face as he spoke. She could feel the agony in his words, and cursed to herself as she felt sorry for him. 164
“I was stabbed,” he continued, absently touching just below his chest. “My wife was pulled back inside…” He trailed off, not used to vocalizing the event. “I watched the house burn down, and I could only pray that they had been killed before it was set on fire so they wouldn’t have to suffer.” 165
Breathing deeply a few times as the pain reached out to him over the many centuries, he looked at Ash, silently pleading with him.166
“He died,” Ash said, knowing how painful it was to talk about the past. “When a soul done wrong screams enough, the sound carries to Mount Olympus, and to Artemis. She may appear, and offer a deal.” He paused for a moment. “Twenty-four hours to enact revenge against those that did wrong, in exchange for an eternity of servitude.” 167
“I take it you took the deal,” Angie said, her voice hollow with disbelief. “And now you’re a… a…oh, hell, I cannot believe that I’m about to say this. You’re actually an immortal vampire hunter and demon slayer.”168
“That about sums it up,” Ash replied for him. “Now, the twenty-thousand dollar question is…what are you going to do?”169
Angie took a step back at the not so hidden threat in his voice. Dom stepped in front of her, facing Ash. “Don’t,” he said. “Please.” He turned to look at Angie.170
“Since my family died,” he said. “I’ve been floating through the centuries, with nothing to look forward to except for killing things that prey on the innocent. A few years ago, I walked into a café, and this pretty lady kicked me out.” He smiled slightly at the memory. “Since then, I’ve been slowly pulled from nothing, to somewhere around nothing, and I like it. It’s taken me a while to admit that.” He slowly reached out for her hand, relieved when she didn’t pull away. “I’ll understand it if you walk away and never turn back, but I want you to know that I’ll…uh…Thank you for being my friend for these past few years.”171
Ash stared, angry that Dom had the strength to be willing to let Angie go, when he didn’t even have the strength to do the right thing with Tria. Shoving that annoyance down, he leaned against the back of the couch and waited.172
Angie looked from her hand in his, to his face; studying the familiar features that at one time had given her such comfort. She wanted to slap him again, make him hurt for lying to her, and bringing her into this nightmare. She also wanted to drag him to the bedroom and ride him until both passed out from exhaustion. 173
Ash snorted in amusement as he heard that in her brain. “Sorry,” he muttered, pushing himself off from the back of the couch and walking to the kitchen area.174
“He’s weird,” she commented.175
“You’re preaching to the choir,” Dom replied. “So…to reiterate Ash’s question, what are you going to do?”176
~~~~~~~~~177
Savitar? I know you can hear me. I need to talk to you. Sighing in annoyance, Aiden waited for a reply. I’m sorry, she thought to him. Within an instant, she found herself on the beach of Neratiti, and shivered at the chill that was in the air. 178
The sky above was dismal looking, mirrored in the dark gray of ocean surrounding the island. An eerie calmness covered everything, reminding her of some sort of messed up eye of a hurricane. 179
That impression doubled as she turned and caught sight of Savitar as he stood on the beach looking at her. Breezes blew at his hair and clothes, while his eyes, although their usual shade of lavender, seemed to vibrate with an unsettling aura.180
“Yes?” he asked with obvious forced patience.181
“I’m sorry,” Aiden said. “I was wrong. I was upset, and worried, and angry…but I shouldn’t have slapped you.” 182
“Why were you angry?” he asked slowly. 183
Feeling suddenly on the spot, Aiden grew slightly defensive. “Because life isn’t a game, and you treat it like it is at times.”184
“Did you know,” he said, taking a step towards her, “that every day choices are made that aren’t exactly the brightest things? Beings take things far too seriously, treat others like dirt, and will kill to take something that isn’t theirs.”185
Running her hands over her face, Aiden whimpered slightly. “Just once,” she said, removing her hands. “Just once, could you stop it with the cosmic crap and just tell me what’s wrong?”186
Blinking slowly, he turned from her to the water. “When did dealing with things get so effing hard?” Savitar asked darkly. “They piss me off, I kill them. They don’t piss me off, I don’t kill them. They live, they die. So simplistic that it’s worked for thousands of years.” He fixed her with a stare that would make the heartiest of souls cringe. All he got him was an inquisitive stare in return. “It’s you,” he said. “I’m second guessing myself because of your influence.”187
“Uh, sorry?” Aiden offered.188
“You should be.” Turning with an angry sigh, he stared out into the rolling ocean. He heard her leaving, and closed his eyes in annoyance. “Babe?”189
“Yes?”190
“I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at myself.”191
“It’s not you, it’s me?” 192
Ignoring the condescending tone in her voice, he opened his eyes to the water again. “Something like that.”193
“Well,” Aiden said in a low voice, trying to keep the disappointment out of her words. “When you figure it out, let me know, ‘cause I’m getting tired of these mood swings of yours. I realize that it’s hard for you to trust, or to care, but…damn it. Man up.”194
Turning slowly, he stared at her. “Pardon?” he asked, his voice colder than an Arctic breeze. “Man up?”195
“Man up, suck it up, build a bridge and get over it, cry a river and drown in it.” Aiden gave him an impolite once over. “Take your pick.”196
A tic worked in his jaw as he fought to keep his mouth shut. Saying what he wanted to would do neither any good, especially since it would spell her doom. His eyes narrowed as he stared, and he could see, with clarity, her thoughts and what she was trying to achieve. “Why are you deliberately trying to piss me off?” he asked, confused.197
“I’m not.” Turning, she walked away, stopping when he appeared in front of her. Switching direction, she stopped as he blocked her way again.198
“I can do this all day,” he told her. 199
“Then I’ll leave.”200
“No.” Folding his arms over his chest, he stared down at her. “You’re trying to piss me off so I’ll tell you to go away, and then-“ He stopped with a jerk as he saw it all played out in her mind.201
“Stop peeking in my mind,” she hissed through clenched teeth. She wasn’t exactly sure why she was deliberately trying to make him angry, but a part of her wanted to see just how far he would go before exploding at her. It wasn’t a nice or bright thing to do, she realized, but maybe by receiving his hate now, the timelines would swing back to normal and people around her would stop behind hurt.202
“There is nothing you could ever do that would make me hate you,” he said. “You could try to kill me, and I’d still love you.” 203
“What?” Aiden asked, not sure she heard what he said.204
“I said that there’s nothing you could ever do that would make me hate you.”205
“After that.”206
Shit. “I didn’t say anything after that.”207
“Yes, you did.” A small smile crept to her lips.208
“Forget it. I’m not going to have this conversation. Go, stay, I don’t care.” 209
Aiden watched as he vanished, and then turned to walk along the beach. 210
~~~~~~~~~~~211
“You told me that you’ve never killed a human.” Looking at Dom as he lay fully clothed beside her on his bed, Angie had a hard time connecting this man to the truth she had been told. Lying on his side, propped up on one arm, he looked just like the Dom she had known for a few years. 212
“Daimons aren’t humans,” Dom said. “Neither are Weres, Gallu, or any of the other assorted demons.” He paused. “I guess I may have killed a few humans here and there, but that was over three hundred years ago, and they served Daimons and deserved it.”213
Angie was silent as she took that information in. Somewhat still convinced that this was part of some dream, she rolled on to her back and stared at the ceiling. After the conversation in the living room, she started to feel sick, and accepted Dom’s suggestion that she lay down. Instead of showing her to the bedroom, then leaving, he made sure she was comfortable, then stretched out beside her. He hadn’t touched her, but his nearness brought her reassurance and a sense of strength. 214
“How’s Craig?” 215
His eyes closed briefly with the annoyance of not being able to go to the clinic to see his squire. “Still in surgery,” Dom replied. “Aiden called, and she said it was kind of touchy there for a while…” Trailing off, he shifted his gaze to stare at the corner of the pillow she was laying on. 216
Resisting the urge to reach out and comfort him, Angie settled for touching his face with two fingers. Tears sprang to her eyes as he pushed his face into her touch, the movement more akin to desperation that anything. Wondering just how lonely one thousand plus years was, she started to feel sorry for him. 217
“Is Dominic even your name?” she asked, suspicion lacing her words.218
“Not the one I was originally born with,” he told her. “But it’s been my name for over one thousand years.”219
“What name were you born with?”220
“Does it matter?” he asked. 221
“It does to me.”222
“Marcus,” he said, speaking the name for the first time since his death. 223
“Marcus,” she repeated sleepily. “Thank you, Dom.” Her eyes closed, and soon she was breathing evenly as sleep claimed her. 224
After making sure she was in the capable hands of a Dream-Hunter who would soothe any bad dreams, he slowly stood, and quietly left the bedroom. Dom started for the main part of the house, and was halfway down the hall when he stopped short.
In his mind, he could see Ash and Wendy as they talked, standing a little closer than normal acquaintances would. Although Ash did his best to act normal when she was around, there were times when Dom caught the rare softness in the glances the two shared. He knew that something was going on between the two, but it was really none of his business. He heard Ash whisper her name and he frowned when the immortal used the word ‘Tria’ instead of Wendy. 225
Confused as the impression cleared from his mind, he absently entered the main part of the house, pausing when he realized that he wasn’t alone. Looking across the large room where the woman in question sat, Dom could see it…the hair was different, but there were enough similarities to match it with the Dark-Huntress that he has seen before only over a webcam. 226
His eyes tracked from her hair, to the matching color striped in Ash’s hair, and got the confused feeling that the world had changed, and he somehow missed the memo. The official story was that Tria had been killed over three months previous, and by all rights should be a shade. She looked pretty healthy to be a non-corporal being, and he felt a sudden pang of jealousy when he thought about her walking around in the sunlight. 227
“I need to talk to you, Ash.” 228
Wendy stood with a nod, and walked out of the room, leaving a frowning Ash that studied the Dark-Hunter as though he could see his thoughts, and didn’t really care for them. 229
“Tell me,” Dom said conversationally. “How many times would I have to sleep with you before I’d be able to walk in the sun?”230
The words were barely out of his mouth before he flew across the room, smashing into the wall. Pinned there, he had a distinct feeling of déjà vu as Ash stormed towards him.231
“You arrogant little fuck,” Ash ground out. His anger grew as Dom had the audacity to smirk. 232
“That many times, huh?”233
“Mind your tongue before I cut it out,” Ash warned. “What the fuck is your problem? You get off on seeing how far you can push me?”234
“Not at all,” Dom said. “And may I add, don’t flatter yourself.” He shrugged, or at least tried to. “Just need to satisfy my curiosity, and I knew you’d never answer the question.”235
Raising a hand, Ash sent a blast of air at the man, hitting him on the still raw wound across his chest. Ignoring the fact that the Dark-Hunter took the abuse without noise, he moved even closer to Dom. 236
“Ah,” Dom gasped as the pain remained in his chest, his jaw sore from holding back a scream that had threatened to erupt. “Fa-uck.” He looked at Ash. “Before you blast me again, which damn it, isn't a cool thing to be doing…if I noticed the connection, don’t you think someone else will?” His breathing was shallow as he watched his boss. 237
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you.”238
“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should?” Dom asked hopefully, quoting Ash’s often used phrase.239
Ash’s eyes flashed with rage as he stared. Raising his hand again, he stopped when Dom cringed. Turning with a disgusted grunt, he ignored Dom as he fell to the floor, and stayed there. 240
Dom watched, wary as Ash stormed out of the living room. “Might have pushed it a wee too far that time,” he whispered to himself. He jerked as the pain from the air blast suddenly vanished, and looked up to see Ash standing a few feet away. “Back for more?” he asked.241
“Just once,” Ash said in a weary tone, “could you shut the fuck up?”242
Slowly getting to his feet, Dom swayed slightly as he made his way to the large armchair. Nearly falling into it, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “I’m not ignoring you,” he said. “I’m just fucking tired.”243
“Being a prick will do that,” Ash said.244
“Yeah, well…I’ve been a prick for so long that I can’t quite stop acting like it.” He opened his eyes and stared. “But that gave you no right to attack me like you did.”245
Another attack was at the tip of his fingers, ready to be thrown, when he stopped. Dom was right, Ash had no right to do that, regardless how good it felt to get rid of some of the tension he was experiencing. Like Ash, Dom was a proud being who had forgotten the meaning of the term ‘fear’. He had to have known what would happen if he pushed Ash, yet he took the chance so he could prove a point…and Ash repaid him by reminding him just what fear was.246
Walking to the chair opposite Dom, Ash sat, then leaned back. “You can’t tell anyone about Tria,” he said. 247
“Who would believe me?” Dom asked, opening his eyes. “Why would you bring fire chick here anyway?”248
Ash heard the betrayal in the words asked. “I needed someone I could trust to make sure she stayed alive.”249
“So you stick her with the one Hunter that hates fire?”250
“Basically.”251
“Nice to see that your fucked-up sense of humor hasn’t deserted you,” Dom said as he stood. “I’d prefer it if they left now.”252
“I know you would,” Ash replied. “But now they have to stay…and spare me the tirade you’ve got working in your head.”253
Turning away so he wouldn’t be tempted to punch Ash in the face, Dom inhaled deeply. “Sure, yeah, hell. Why not? I’m going to be moving anyway, so why not just hand over my home as a flop house.”254
“Why are you moving?” Ash asked, his tone annoyed.255
“Daimons were in my house, Ash,” Dom said, turning to face him. “Those fucking Weres invited them in, nearly killed Craig, attacked everyone else, and broke my favorite dragon statue.” He paused. “What’s to stop them from waltzing back in?”
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Comments
1 - 5 of 5
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This is very very good. I cant wait for some more chapters.
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About Tria
So I finally got to write this ...
I re-read a few chapters from the point where Tria stopped being a DH, and I don't really like how her attitude went away too. Maybe it's just me, but she seems so passive and just not really there, in comparison to how she was in the first few chapters. And I miss that in her. Now she is all "take all the time you need and do whatever you do, I'll just wait"
Just wanted to share my feelings. Maybe it is how you intended her to be.
Other than that, I love the story and can't wait for the next chapters!!!
Llt
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Good observation. I think I mean for this to all be rather overwhelming to her, and she's afraid that if she pushes Ash too much, then she'll have nothing. But, don't worry, the passiveness won't last long...
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This is the last chapter so far??? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Write more, dammit it!
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okay... I give up. I wrote three critiques, and lost all. The mouse on this computer has a side button to 'go back'... and it's very touchy. (Damn library).. and, it's right where a normal person grabs the mouse to move it.
being watched, eerie
eeep. they made it into the house....and, you stabbed Craig! And Dom!
oooh... nice fight scene, and description... amazing how it all leads up to it, yet it's over in a matter of seconds.
Wait.. Craig's dead? How could you??? Oh, no...wait... yea Savitar saving him!!!
Poor Angie. But, she seems to be taking it well.. even though she thinks it's all some funky dream.
Savitar, Dude... interesting. Both he and Aiden seem upset at different things, but it's all so similar to each other.
He admits it! then denies it.. love it!
Ash! Ash! Not cool, bud. 
Guy needs to get rid of the anger, and all that. 
or... is he jealous of Dom? 
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