The only thing worse than having to pretend that two people had died in a mugging, was having to keep that pretense up through the funeral. It wasn’t bad enough that Dom had to lie to Angie about how Craig and Melissa died, but to continue that lie to Craig’s family was almost more than he could take. 1
The Marshall’s had served him faithfully as squires for centuries, and he couldn’t even repay them with the truth. Craig’s mother had hugged him, being strong despite the fact that she had lost her only son. She seemed to be in a similar daze, since most in their line of work assumed they would die on the job, not while out on a date with your wife. 2
Dom couldn’t even wrap his mind around talking to Melissa’s family…even though, technically, they were also his family. His descendants. That knowledge hurt more than he thought it would. He had every thing he could ever want, and if he could wish it away, he would in an instant. It came at too high a price.3
He didn’t even realize that he was in a church for probably the first time in his life until Angie squeezed his hand lightly. Wishing everyone would just leave him alone, he returned the squeeze, then blinked as he saw a hymnal on the bench beside him. Looking around in wonder, the warning about lost souls flashed through his mind, prompting him to stand and walk out of the church. 4
Although he knew that wandering souls no longer posed a threat to him, he kept walking. Those that were aware of what he used to be gave him sympathetic looks, while those that had no idea that he was far older than most there combined, merely thought he was overcome with grief. 5
“Dom?” Angie whispered as she caught up with him just outside the door leading to the vestibule.6
“I can’t do this, Ang,” he said. 7
“Yes, you can.” 8
Shaking his head, he took a step back. “Yeah. Just… give me a few minutes.” Avoiding her gaze, he waited until she went back to the front of the church. He stood straight at a sensation, and turned slowly. 9
“Dom,” Tria said warily. “I’m so sorry.”10
“You’re about the last person I want to see right now,” he said in a low voice. “Appreciate it if you left.” 11
“I will.” Unsure why she was there, Tria shifted from one foot to the other. “I just need to know one thing.” 12
“What?” Dom asked wearily. 13
“Why did you close the gate?”14
“Pardon?”15
“When you were heading for Labeve,” she said. “You ran back to close the gate.”16
Running a hand over his mouth, Dom tried to remember what she was talking about. “I don’t remember,” he finally said. “Does it matter?”17
“It might,” Tria admitted. “I’m just trying to figure everything out here. It’s not like Labeve to go back to the same person again after a failed attempt.”18
“Maybe if you and your goddess could get that pesky little timing problem ironed out, you’d be able to stop her…permanently.”19
“We’re trying.” 20
“Try harder.” He turned back to the one thing he would give anything not to have to do, then paused. “Ever actually wonder why this demon always seems to elude you?” 21
“Of course.”22
“No.” Turning back, Dom gave her a hard stare. “Turn off the DH thinking, Tria. Look at it from the perspective of who’s all involved in this little drama, then take any guesses and run them in to the ground.” 23
Tria watched as he turned back and slowly walked down the church aisle and slid in to the seat. 24
~~~~~~~~~~~~25
~~~~~~~~~~~~26
The waves were magnificent, bringing a smile to Aiden’s lip as she sat in a lounge chair on the crowded beach. After parting from Savitar, she’d spent a few days just hopping around the world, taking in sight after sight. It was weird playing the part of a tourist, but it bought such an ease to her mind that she wanted it to go on for a long time. 27
She had no deadlines, ultimatums, machinations, or killers to worry about. Sure, she’d run in to a few Katagaria here and there in her travels, but since they’d been in public spaces, they’d traded glares, then went on their separate ways. 28
Watching the surfers, she half expected to see a certain being gliding in to the shore on a board. While part of her wanted to see that, another part knew that she had to keep her stand and work through things before looking to the future. 29
Whether or not the future included Savitar was something she had to think long and hard about. She knew that he wanted her with him, but if they kept to what he had said, it would be over all too soon for him. 30
The thing that bothered Aiden the most was that he tended to keep far too many secrets. Not that she minded most, but the ones that directly involved her tended to annoy when not revealed. She didn’t need to know every exact detail, but finding something out when she was in the middle of it tended to both embarrass and piss her off. 31
She wanted to call Simi so they could have one of their infamous ‘bitch sessions’ about men, but both Ash and his demon seemed to have vanished. She had a few other female friends, but they were all happily married, and she doubted they’d want to listen to her complain… especially about someone with the reputation of Savitar. 32
Aiden sighed. Sun, sand, surf, and more people than she could imagine… and she was bored. Glancing to her side as her cell phone chimed, she picked it up, raising an eyebrow at the number that appeared on the call display.33
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Taking his jacket and tie off, Dom dropped them on the back of the couch, and headed to the kitchen. The funeral had been one testimony after another on how great a person Craig had been… and all Dom could do was stare in front of him as he forced himself from telling all there to shut up. He knew Craig would have hated such a funeral, since they talked a lot about the subject after Craig’s father had suddenly died of a heart attack. 36
“Just don’t tell everyone what a wonderful person I was,” Craig had said. “It’s not for my benefit anyway…it’s just to make someone else feel better.”37 “You have my word,” Dom told him. “Besides, you’re not that great.” 38
Both men had laughed and then got down to the business of Craig once again whipping Dom’s ass in a game of chess. 39
Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, Dom closed the door, then took a step back as the guardian that Savitar had left with them stood with Amy in her arms. 40
“I’ll be departing soon,” the woman said as she held Amy out.41
Opening the water, Dom took a drink. Putting the cap back on, he turned and walked out of the kitchen. Coming up short as Angie grabbed his arm, he sighed. 42
“Knock it off,” she said, a little harsher than intended. Holding her left hand up, she showed him the palm, and the scar that was there from returning his soul. “I didn’t get this so I can stand silently by and watch you suffer.”43
Taking her hand in his, he brought it to his lips for a kiss. “Just give me a few more hours of being a distant ass, and I’ll be fine. I promise.” 44
“Okay.” Giving him an evaluating look, she started to wonder if there was more to the deaths than he let on. Losing two people to a mugging was terrible, but sometimes she caught absolute anger in Dom’s eyes, which triggered a memory that she never remembered seeing. “Do you love me?”45
“Of course.”46
“Trust me?”47
“More than anyone I’ve ever known,” Dom replied, wondering where she was going with this.48
“Would you ever lie to me?”49
Ah, shit. “Not on purpose.”50
“How did Craig and Melissa die?”51
Giving her a guilty look, he turned to walk away stopping as she grabbed his hand. He’d spent the past few days with the memories that only he and a few others knew, and he wasn’t about to bring her in to that horror. 52
“Dom,” she said in a gentle voice. “It’s horrible that they’re dead, but the way you’re acting…it’s not…” she paused. “Well, it’s like you know something more, and are trying to deal with it on your own. You can’t. I put it all on the line a while back so I could save you, and I’ll be damned if I stand by and watch you deal with something you shouldn’t.”53
The urge was there to just shake off her hand and walk away…or turn around and grab her in a hug so tight that nothing would be able to touch her, ever. At the time, the idea of hiding the truth from Angie had seemed like the right thing, but now he was having doubts. 54
“You haven’t slept through the night since this happened,” Angie said, breaking in to his thoughts. “And you haven’t spent more than a minute with Amy. When she’s around, you get this huge look of guilt over your face, and you just leave.” 55
Closing his eyes, Dom exhaled. He hadn’t meant to shut out his goddaughter, but every time he was near her, he was reminded of Craig as a baby, and how innocence always suffered the most in any tragedy. His failure as a Dark-Hunter, and failure as a friend had, in his mind, cost Amy both her parents. 56
“Dom?”57
“Labeve,” he finally said.58
Angie’s hand moved from his as she covered her face in annoyed grief. “When, where and how,” she demanded.59
“Same night, and apparently her usual method.”60
“Where?”61
“No,” he said tightly. “No.”62
Willing to let that one go unanswered, Angie moved on to the main question. “Why do I remember it differently?”63
“Does it matter?”64
“If it will ease the burden you’ve been carrying, then yes, it does.”65
Finally looking at her, Dom gave a sad smile. “I love you,” he said, his voice horse with emotion. “I love you so much that at times I find myself doing things that I would never do.” Bringing up a hand, he ran his fingers through her hair as he stared at the strands. 66
“What did you do?” Angie whispered. 67
He sighed, but continued to study her hair. “Craig and Melissa were supposed to die in a mugging. Much like you remember. But,” he paused as his hand fell to his side. “Mel was tired, and they decided not to go. Fate simply altered things to make sure they did die.”68
“Where?” 69
His eyes shifted to hers, and saw a sad interest there. “On their property,” he finally admitted. “Other things happened, and I made a deal with someone to make you remember it as it should have happened.”70
“Why?”71
“I didn’t want the stress of the evening to harm you or the baby.”72
Angie blinked back tears at that. Giving a stare as his eyes darted to the side quickly, she frowned. “What else?”73
”Nothing.”74
“Dominic,” she warned. “Who did you make the deal with?”75
”You don’t know him.”76
”Lucifer?”77
Dom couldn’t stop the sarcastic laugh that came from him. “Pretty damn close.” Taking her hand in his again, he pulled her close. “I’m sorry.”78
“For what?” she asked, wrapping her arms around him.79
“Hiding the truth from you.”80
“I’m not going to say that I appreciate it, but I can understand why you lied.” Jumping slightly at a sensation in her stomach, she pulled back. “And apparently our son doesn’t appreciate it either.” 81
Hesitant, Dom lowered a hand to where the small kick had come from. Smiling as the baby kicked again, Dom bent to one knee so his head was around the same level. “I’m sorry,” he said, leaning forward to kiss Angie’s protruding midsection. “Daddy’s just not used to factoring in other people’s emotions in his decisions.”82
“Daddy best learn real quick,” Angie said gently as she ran a hand over his head. “Or else.”83
“Yes, ma’am,” Dom said, standing again. 84
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Tria hated loose ends, and this whole thing had more frays than a tassel. Catching Labeve shouldn’t have been that had to accomplish; not with all the information they’d been able to gather. There was more, she was sure of it. To find out, she’d either have to talk to Ash, who seemed to have been in one of his typical ‘don’t bug me’ moods, or talk to Savitar, who would probably take his anger at Roan out on her. 87
Yeah…hanging around with omnipotent beings really sucked at times. 88
Sighing, she considered a third option, but figured that Dom would be even less inclined to talk to her than anyone. The image of him turning back to the door and slamming it shut playing through her mind again… but this time she understood. 89
He’d been protecting Angie, plain and simple. Labeve couldn’t enter his property, and by delaying Angie, he’d kept her from presenting herself front and center as a demon snack. He’d witnessed his best friend killed, and the top thing in his mind was the safety of Angie. Tria sighed, missing that kind of feeling that loving another could evoke.90
Which, ultimately, brought her mind to Ash. She knew it wasn’t love that they had shared, but now they’d never be able to find out if it could have blossomed into it. 91
Shaking her head, she pulled her thoughts back to the original conundrum. Tapping a finger on the table, she realized that she may have had another source to talk to regarding the demon. Flipping her cell phone open, she placed a call. 92
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“Dom?” Angie asked as she came down the stairs after napping for a few hours. “Have you-“95
“Shhh,” he whispered, nodding to a small bassinette by his feet. Standing slowly from the armchair, he took a step around the sleeping Amy and walked to Angie. “Just got her to sleep.”96
Giving him a soft look, she took his hand and led him back a bit so they could talk without waking the infant. “You all right?”97
“Tired,” he admitted. “But decided that since Craig and Mel trusted us enough to raise Amy in case something happened, that I might as well shove the self pity.” 98
“Why don’t you go lay down,” Angie suggested. “Get some sleep.”99
“Can’t. I close my eyes, and I see Craig being killed.”100
“What?” Angie asked in a shocked whisper. “You… you didn’t tell me you saw it.”101
Gritting his teeth slightly, Dom stared at her. “Just Craig,” he told her. “Mel was already dead when I got there.”102
“So you’ve been dealing with that by yourself for the past four days?”103
“It’s okay, Ang,” he told her, turning to check on Amy before looking back. “You’d be surprised at the amount that someone can deal with.” Covering a yawn with his hand, he blinked a few times. “Sorry.”104
“Come on,” she ordered gently, taking his hand and leading him to one of the couches. “Take off your shirt and lay on your stomach.”105
“Kinky.”106
“Shut up,” she whispered. Waiting until he positioned himself on the couch, she placed one knee beside his hip and rubbed her hands together. 107
“Ow,” Dom grunted as she placed her hands on his upper shoulders and began massaging. The pain soon turned to a soothing pleasure that he welcomed by closing his eyes. “Forgot how talented your hands were,” he said, then winced as she rubbed a little harder than necessary at the comment. 108
“Just relax,” she whispered in his ear, pausing long enough to run her tongue along the lobe.109
“Yeah,” he said in a whisper, “keep that up and you can forget about relaxing.” 110
“Sex is not the object of this massage,” she said, smiling as he pouted. “Getting you in to a peaceful state of mind to be able to sleep without interruption is.” 111
“That would be great,” he mumbled as she continued to manipulate certain muscles in his shoulders and back. “God, that feels good.”112
“Go to sleep,” she whispered as she continued. 113
“Do me a favor?” he asked, nearly asleep.114
“Of course.”115
“Don’t ever die.”116
Closing her eyes at the fear he held for her, she leaned over to kiss the Chinese script tattoo that was on his shoulder. “Go to sleep.” 117
“Okay,” he mouthed as sleep claimed him. 118
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Appearing in a bathroom stall, Tria raised an eyebrow at the person with her, who returned her annoyance with an evil grin. Not wanting to ask Roan to transport her to meet this specific person, Tria had contacted one of the few that she knew could travel instantly over the world. 121
Paul Kalenta’s grin widened as he leaned forward, peeked through the space between the stall door, and out to the changing room beyond. Grunting as Tria punched him lightly in the shoulder, he winked, then vanished. 122
“Idiot,” she whispered, then opened the stall door and walked out of the changing rooms. Making it to the beach, she looked around.123
“That was fast,” a voice said from behind. “Mastered the art of riding the rytis, have you?”124
Not wanting to show that she’s been surprised, Tria turned slowly. “Caught a ride with an associate, actually,” she said. 125
“Walk and talk,” Aiden said, motioning further on the beach so that they wouldn’t be overheard on the busy boardwalk.126
Grimacing, Tria stepped on the sand. “I hate walking in the sand,” she muttered, then looked out at the water. “Savitar surfing?”127
“Probably,” Aiden said vaguely. “What did you need to know?”128
“About Labeve, actually.” 129
“I don’t know a whole lot,” Aiden admitted. 130
“I’m having trouble wrapping my mind around this. It shouldn’t be this difficult to destroy her.”131
“Maybe you’re not supposed to.”132
Stopping, Tria stared. “What?”133
“If it was easy enough to get rid of her, then any god or demon could just show up, off her, and be done with it.” Aiden looked over the waves. 134
“Right.”135
“But since that’s not happened, then there has to be some other reason for her still being around.” 136
“Such as?”137
Aiden shrugged. “Weeding out certain individuals…keeping beings busy…waiting for a specific someone to come along and do the deed for you? The possibilities are endless, really.” 138
“I’ve basically thought of those reasons, and even though they make sense, they really don’t make sense.” Looking out at the waves and surfers, Tria chewed on her bottom lips slightly as she considered a few things. “Hate to do this, but could you ask Savitar for a few hints?” 139
“If he wanted you to know, then he would have told you.” Looking at her watch, Aiden took a step back. “I’ve got no place to be, and I’m late getting there. I’ll see what I can find out for you.” 140
Tria watched as she turned and walked away, staring as the eagle continued past the change rooms and out on to the boardwalk. Looking back to the water, Tria searched for signs of Savitar, confused when she couldn’t spot him. 141
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By the time Tria arrived back to her new home, she had more questions than ever. Turning, she gave Paul a nod, then turned away as he vanished. 144
“Where were you?”145
Looking up at her boss, Tria bit her lip for a moment. “Had to find out a few things,” she said. “So I talked to Aiden.”146
“Really.”147
“I’m not sure if we’re supposed to stop Labeve,” Tria continued, not wanting to lose the thoughts she was carrying. 148
“Explain.”149
The calmness that was coming off of Roan was making Tria nervous. “Aiden said something about ‘keeping being busy’. It just seems that if I wanted to keep someone away from me, that I would maybe make it so they were forever chasing someone.” 150
“What did Savitar have to say about this?”151
Tria shrugged. “He wasn’t there.” 152
Keeping her face calm, Roan spewed acidic hatred inside at the thoughts of being jerked around. Forcing those thoughts away since they were not proven, she nodded. “Good work. Go take a walk or something.”153
Wanting to argue, but knowing better than to push it with a goddess, Tria nodded curtly,t hen walked away. 154
Savitar? Roan waited a few minutes, then called again. Savitar! I want to talk to you. Right now! Blinking as she suddenly appeared in a field, she spun to the individual that was standing behind her. “Don’t ever do that again!”155
“You said right now,” Savitar pointed out easily.156
“Where’s your eagle?” Roan asked, looking for her. “Fly the coop, did she?” 157
“What do you want?”158
“Touchy subject, is it?” Roan asked rudely. “Aw.”159
“Look, lady… and I use that term ever so lightly… just get to the point of what you needed to talk about so I can go.”160
Pleased that she touched a nerve with him, Roan contemplated pushing a little further, but decided to save it for a later time when he wasn’t entertaining thoughts of killing her. Then again, she didn’t know when that would ever be. “Fine,” she said instead. “Why can’t I catch Labeve?”161
“Because you’re not supposed to.”162
Blinking at the easy way that came out, she wondered if she heard correctly. “What?”163
“You’ll chase her until the end of time, and never catch her.” Smiling cruelly, Savitar stood and looked down at her. “Explain enough?”164
“Why?” she demanded. 165
“You needed to find out what it was like to be unable to stop something that you’d give anything to undo.” 166
Giving him an incredulous look, Roan shook her head as everything that had been clouded before became painfully clear. “You bastard,” she whispered. “You’ve been playing with me all this time.”167
”No.” Taking a step back, he regarded her intensely. “Well, at first, yes,” he admitted. “But it was never your destiny to remove Labeve from this universe. And only through you can the real person achieve their goal.”168
“Who is it?” she asked, feeling extremely tired at the realization that she’d wasted all those years. 169
“Can’t tell you,” he said, enjoying her discomfort on a purely selfish level. 170
Groaning in annoyance, she tried to pull her anger under control. “Is this just another thing you’ve orchestrated, pulling in others to punish for something they’ve never done?”171
“Of course not. Labeve, your minion granting her powers…I grabbed at their convenience, and pulled you in so you’d suffer while trying to stop something you couldn’t.”172
“You have got to be the most arrogant being in the universe,” she spat.173
“You fucked me over completely and cost me everything I knew and loved. So I really don’t give a flying frig one way or another what you think of me.” With that, he vanished. 174
Staring at the spot where he’d been, Roan’s eyes flashed through the color spectrum. She really should have expected something like this once she knew he was involved in her having to hunt Labeve; but she never thought that he’d be so damn manipulative. This was a new level… even for him. 175
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Taking a walk along a small path that ran the length of Neratiti allowed Savitar opportunity to clear his mind. Slightly annoyed at himself for letting Roan get to him, he inhaled the clear ocean air. A gull overhead prompted him to look up, and he smiled as he imagined Aiden flying through the air currents. 178
He missed her… no doubt about it. And missing her had allowed him to get pissed off enough at Roan to divulge certain information. Not that she wouldn’t have found out soon anyway, but he wanted to be the one in control of that situation, not her. 179
Hearing laughter coming from a beach not far ahead of him, he continued, hoping for something to take his attention off of constantly thinking of Aiden. Not that he wanted her from his mind, it was more that he needed clear thinking for what lay ahead. 180 Which was also the reason he needed this mess with Labeve over soon… having to deal with Roan put him in an even worse than usual mood, and made him want to destroy everything just so she’d leave him the hell alone.181
Coming out to the clearing, he smiled at the sight of fifteen or so scantly clad women as they frolicked on the beach. The females of his harem had been out many times when he was alone on the island, although he’d rarely been in their presence in the past year or so. Most times, they’d play or sunbathe on the opposite shore from where he was surfing, their laughter carrying over the winds for him to hear. 182
Deciding that maybe he should reincorporate them back into his life, he smiled as he lowered himself to the sand, motioning for them to continue as the players ran in front of him. A few approached him with playful seductive offers, which he passed over with a smile, and an explanation that he was just here to do some sightseeing and relaxing. 183
Closing his eyes slightly as a hand landed on his shoulder from behind, he grabbed at it, pulling a tall woman playfully on to his lap. She giggled, flipping blonde hair over one shoulder as she repositioned herself so she could face him.184
Leaning over, she kissed him full on the lips, deepening as he returned the kiss. A hand lightly touched her inner thigh, caressing for a moment before gently pushing her back. Staring into his eyes as they returned her gaze, she waited.185
“Leave me,” he said in a peaceful voice, pulling his attention back to the game as she stood and walked away. 186
Breathing in contentment, he looked around the island, satisfied that all was back to how it had been a few years previous. He had his waves, babes, and all the time in the world. 187
Yet, he knew he’d give it up in a heartbeat if it came between him and Aiden.
188
In a list
Please tell me what you think
Comments
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I feel so bad for Dom. And Savitar too. They could all use a break.
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It was very amazing. Best story so far.
I began reading this and this story is a find masterpiece. You took time and the way you did it. Is good.
Keep it up.. Rewarded 3
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Okay... I have three chapters open in three tabs. Gonna read them all at once, then come back to comment
and off I go!!!!!!!!
Back!
Lucifer? *snicker* Funny.
Another heartwrenching chapter... very informative, too.
Someone's got a sadistic streak in them when talking to Roan. How many times does he have to explain it to her before she gets it? 
Savitar kissing some concubine?
. Rewarded 8
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