So far, the day was going fairly well. That in itself actually worried Vaughn. Ash had gone, leaving alone since Peter basically refused to leave. Vaughn had gotten Ash to agree to come back later to try to convince Peter to leave, and hoped that his squire would stop being so damn stubborn. 1
Sleep seemed to elude him during the day, and he stared at the walls while listening to Helen’s soft breathing as she rested. Far too many emotions ran through him as he divided his attention between the walls and the woman who was sharing his bed, most of the feelings bordering on areas he shouldn’t have been considering. 2
Helen occupied a great part of his thinking, and he was trying to find ways to get her out of the mess she was in. He didn’t want to have to die to get her free, and part of himself was ashamed at the selfishness of that. Death actually scared him, and he didn’t want to fail her if the time actually came. 3
Until that time came, he would do his best to keep her safe from harm… a safe that fell to him since two very powerful immortals seemed content to just stand on the sidelines and let him flounder. 4
That little fact grated on his nerves as he stared at the wall, and continued to grate as he decided to get out of bed and face the night. Dressing silently as Helen continued to sleep, he slipped out of the room and continued downstairs. 5
Standing in the kitchen as he drank coffee, he leaned back against the counter and stared at nothing as he contemplated the next move. So far the demons and goddess where fairly quiet, which only made him more worried. 6
Not glancing up as Helen walked into the kitchen, he returned the small kiss she gave him and continued to stare blankly across the room. 7
“Do you have any friends?” Vaughn asked, finally looking at her.8
Giving an arched stared, Helen slowly blinked. “Care to rephrase?”9
“Sure,” he replied, not at all concerned with the look she was giving him. “I would assume that friends call sometimes to check up on friends.”10
“Correct.”11
”And they would probably leave their name on your answering machine, or at the least their number shows on call display.”12
“Once again correct.”13
“And if someone really wanted to draw you out, threatening your friends would be a good way to succeed.” Raising an eyebrow as the implication finally dawned on Helen, Vaughn continued. “Since none of your friends have turned up dead, then it’s safe to assume that Brin and the other genius haven’t thought of it yet. But it’s only a matter of time.”14
“I’ll call my friends and-“15
“No. You’ll call and cancel your phone number, effective immediately.”16
“Can’t I just-“17
“And tell them what?” Vaughn asked. 18
“Stop interrupting me!” Pulling her cell phone out, she hit a prerecorded number, and waited for her answering machine to kick in. “Whoever left a message, I’ll call them back and tell them that I’m out of town for a few weeks, and no where near a phone.” 19
Holding his hands up in slight defeat, Vaughn took a step back. He watched as Helen listened to a few messages, jotting down phone numbers to call back. Anger and shock suddenly coursed through her, making him pay intense attention to the phone, and what was being said in the message. 20
“- of course being a slut, you know that, right?” Brin’s voice filtered from the earpiece. “You’re nothing more than a convenient lay to him. How much you wanna bet that he’s already bragged to the rest of the Dark-Hunters that he’s banging a demon.’21
Wishing for once that his hearing wasn’t as keen as it was, Vaughn tried to look innocent as Helen glanced at him. From the expression on her face, he knew that she realized he had heard the message. Flipping the phone shut, she stared at him. 22
Doubt seemed to emanate from her as she continued to stare, which actually started to annoy him. “He’s trying to piss you off,” Vaughn finally said. 23
“I realize that,” Helen replied. 24
“Good.” Taking a step forward, he reached out and took the cell phone from her hand. “You’re not a slut,” he whispered in a gentle tone. 25
“What about the rest?”26
That surprised him enough to make his mouth open in surprise. “You know,” he said, taking a step back. “I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer.” Crossing arms over his chest, he stared down at her. 27
“You’re the first person I’ve opened myself up to in a long, long time,” he told her. “You know things about me that I haven’t even admitted to myself. Hell, I’m putting my very existence on the line in an attempt to save your life, and in return I get this?”28
“Vaughn,” she said, feeling guilty for even entertaining what she had thought.29
“You’re taking the word of someone that betrayed you and tried to basically trade you for his own gain,” he continued, the past two-week’s emotions finally breaking past the wall he’d built around them. “I’m starting to feel like just a means to a fucking end for you. If that’s the way you want this played, then fine.” 30
“Vaughn!” Helen snapped.31
“Nim!”32
Appearing instantly, the young demon looked around, then drew up short at the emotions that were pouring from the pair in front of him. “Yes?”33
“Guard her,” Vaughn said with a curt to at Helen. Turning, he stormed out of the kitchen. 34
~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~35
Cursing to himself as he pulled a heavy box out from the back of his bedroom closet, Peter paused long enough to reach over and turn up the volume on the stereo. Grabbing the box, he hoisted it up and over to his bed, then sat on the end. 36
Pulling a cigarette out of the pack on the nightstand, he glanced to make sure the air circulator was on before lighting. Taking a long drag from the cigarette, he placed it in the ashtray on the nightstand and then opened the box. 37
Pulling out an assortment of weapons, he checked the clips on a few guns and set them to the side. Reaching for the cigarette again, he placed it between his lips as he took another weapon out, studied it, then put it back in the box. 38
Glancing up as a knock sounded on his door, he stood from the large bed, crossed the room and opened the door as he took the cigarette out. Looking at Helen as she stood there, he raised an eyebrow while waiting for her to talk. 39
Sniffing lightly, Helen’s nose crinkled. “Something burning?”40
“Cigarette,” he replied, bringing it up for a drag. Exhaling in his room so the smoke wouldn’t enter the rest of the house, he continued to stare.41
“Didn’t know you smoked.”42
“Only in my room,” he said. “Is there a reason you’re here?”43
“I need to know about Vaughn,” she said. 44
Laughing slightly as he continued to smoke the cigarette, Peter shook his head and closed the door. Stubbing the cigarette into an ashtray as knocking started again, he opened the door. “What you need to know, I can’t tell you,” Peter said. “Ask him.”45
“I don’t know where he is.”46
“What?” Reaching for the radio that was on the small table by the door, Peter keyed it on. “Boss?”47
“What!?” came the reply in a totally pissed off tone. 48
“Just wondering where you are.”49
“Back fence,” Vaughn snapped back. “Got those guns cleaned yet?”50
“I’m doing that now.”51
“Then why the hell are you talking to me?” A small click signaled the end of the conversation on Vaughn’s side. 52
Placing the radio back on the table, Peter gave her a small shrug. “Go talk to him or something. I’ve got guns to clean and cigarettes to smoke.” 53
Sighing as the door was closed again, Helen took a step back and looked down the hall at Nim as he leaned against the wall. “Let’s go for a walk,” she said. 54
Going back to the other side of his large room, Peter grabbed a box out of a drawer and took it to a low worktable set up against one wall. Bringing the selected guns from the bed, he placed them on the table, then got down to the serious business of cleaning the weapons to make sure they were in top shape for when the uninvited guests dropped in. 55
~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~56
Continuing to dig and mutter at the same time, Brin paused as he heard sounds coming from the other side of the wall. Footsteps approached, accompanied by some rather graphic phrasing from the voice he quickly associated with the Dark-Hunter. 57
Raising an eyebrow at a string of words growled in Greek, Brin couldn’t help but be impressed at the sheer anger and emotion they carried. Someone was definitely pissed off, and Brin hoped it was at something he had done. It took concentration to be annoyed, and that meant less attention would be paid to other things… like, say, a demon digging his way under a back wall. 58
Which, to his surprise and pleasure, he was almost under… maybe. He’d never actually seen a wall sunken this deep into the ground, although to be fair, he’d never actually tired to dig under any before. Wishing that the Dark-Hunter would move on, he waited while the voice became lower and lower, then vanished completely. 59
Waiting a few more minutes, Brin went back to digging, gasping in surprise as his fingers found the bottom of the wall. Looking around the make sure that no one had heard his happiness, he concentrated on digging a little farther so he could start digging under. 60
Wishing that he had though to bring a shovel with him instead of having to use his hands, he straightened with a grimace. Creating a shovel with a thought, he snarled at it, then shook his head. Nearly five thousand years of being without powers was a hard habit to break, and although he had considered shrinking in size to get under the wall, the thought of using magick to dig had completely slipped his mind. 61
Looking at the dirt in the hole, he scooped large portions out with his powers, smiling as the pile behind him grew.62
~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~63
Calmer, but not by much, Vaughn started to feel like a complete jerk for the way he had treated Helen. He had a hard enough time keeping things in order on most days, and wasn’t used to so many people being around all the time. Preferring the quiet and solitude that came from there being only him and a squire, the constant energy tended to wear on his nerves to a point that he wanted to scream. 64
But… that gave him no right to treat Helen like she wasn’t an important part of both this, and to him in particular. Part of him wished that whatever was going to happen would happen so he could either be dead or get on with what he was created for. 65
“Vaughn?”66
Tensing at the voice that came from the shadows, he exhaled and turned towards Helen as she stepped out, with Nim hovering slightly behind her. 67
“Yes?” he asked, trying to dispel the anger that wanted to come out. 68
“Feel better?” she asked.69
Better? Right about now he felt like a complete ass. Shrugging, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “Nim?” he said instead.70
“Yes?” the young demon asked as he stepped out of the shadows. 71
Vaughn blinked at the effect that had. Usually not one to be amazed by anything, the sight of a lethal looking steampunk approaching him in the dark had a surreal effect. “Um,” he said, trying to get his concentration back. “I felt something by the back wall again. Any way to can check without leaving the property?”72
“I’ll try,” Nim said, and vanished. 73
Helen exhaled as she studied Vaughn. “What’s going on?” she asked. “And I don’t mean with the wall. I mean with you.” 74
Ready to brush her off, he instead grabbed on to the imaginary branch she had held out to him, and pulled himself out of confused water. “I’m the first to admit that I have no idea what the hells going on most times,” Vaughn said. “Don’t really care to know, either, really…but I’m trying to see the sense in all of this.”75
“Such as?”76
“I’m angry,” he said. 77
“At?”78
“Everything.” Standing, he turned to look around the yard. “Everything is happening too fast, and I can’t keep up… and that’s going to cost you your life.”79
Standing, she walked behind him, and wrapped arms around his waist. Leaning her head on his back, she squeezed lightly. “I trust you.” 80
“You really shouldn’t.”81
“Why not?”82
“I’m a killer, Helen,” he said with a sigh. “Daimons, Gallu, anything that gets in my way.”83
“You’re a Dark-Hunter,” she clarified. “Your whole existence is to protect those that cannot protect themselves.” 84
Falling silent, Vaughn shook his head when he realized that he’d never win this argument with her. “I don’t like arguing with you,” he said. 85
“Come back to the house with me,” Helen said. “We can curl up in front of a boring movie and fall to sleep.” 86
Allowing himself to be pulled towards the house, Vaughn only hoped that he could let go of enough worry and doubt to actually be able to relax enough to enjoy a movie with her and fall to sleep.87
~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~88
Rubbing his hands over his face, Vaughn tried to fight the exhaustion that wanted to claim him. His body wasn’t used to operating on little sleep, and demanded that he take a complete uninterrupted day’s rest. 89
The sun was barely peeking over the horizon when he stood from the couch. Stretching, he contemplated waking Helen from her comfortable looking sleep. Deciding against it, he turned, stopping as Peter walked into the room. 90
“Where you off to?” Peter asked.91
“Bed, and I thought Ash was coming back to pick you up.”92
“He did,” Peter said with a nod. “I refused.” 93
“Don’t you want to be with your family?” Vaughn asked, then paused when he realized that he actually didn’t know a damn thing about Peter’s life beyond his squire duties.94
“They’re fine,” Peter told him. “Besides, you’re listed as being between squires with the council. Little safety measure that I took when flaky demon chickie arrived.”95
Smiling at his former term for Helen, Vaughn nodded. “Good thinking.” Stretching again, he glanced as the room started to get lighter. The curtains and tinted windows would keep out the harmful sun’s rays, but two thousand years of avoidance was too ingrained in him to not feel nervous. 96
“Providing we all make it through this, remind me to request that you be my permanent squire.”97
Tilting his head in slight confusion, Peter stared. “You sure?”98
“Sure that we’ll survive, or sure that you’ll be my squire?”99
”Well, both, sort of.” Peter glanced at Helen. “Don’t you sort of have to, uh, die?”100
“Technically.”101
”Then you won’t be a Dark-Hunter.”102
Too tired to argue the fact, Vaughn shook his head in annoyance and started for the door. Stopping as something grabbed his hand, he looked down. “Morning,” he said gently as Helen blinked a few times in confusion. 103
“Okay,” she whispered, then closed her eyes again. 104
“I’m heading to bed,” he told her. “Coming?”105
Nodding, she stood, stretched lightly, then held her hand out again. Silently, he led her upstairs, pausing long enough to open his bedroom door, then turned as soon as it closed behind them. 106
His fatigue vanished as he looked at her, replaced by a need so strong that all he could do was stare as his mind fought to catch up with the way his body had acutely reacted to her presence. He looked so intense that Helen placed a hand on his chest as he leaned towards her.107
“Wait.”108
Pulling back, Vaughn’s eyes narrowed slightly, then he nodded. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. 109
“Are you all right?” she asked. “Honest.”110
Sighing, he shook his head. Leaning in again, slower this time, he placed his forehead against hers. “How about you?”111
“What about me?”112
“Are you all right?”113
Placing a hand on each shoulder, she gently pushed him back. “Ask me that once I’m able to breathe.” 114
Grimacing slightly, he took a further step back. “Being stuck on the property can be a little confining at times, but there’s plenty of space to-“ Stopping as she gave him a withering look, he bit his lip to keep from continuing. “Okay,” he muttered. 115
“I can’t continue to live like this,” she said, spreading her arms out. “I can’t hide forever, Nim can’t stay here forever, and it’s not fair to Peter to basically ground him from everything.”116
Noticing that she hadn’t mentioned one thing about him in that statement, Vaughn took another casual step back. “Sorry,” he told her, professional courtesy overtaking the desire he’d felt when they first arrived in his room. Turning for his bed, he pulled his shirt off and tossed it in the general direction of the bathroom. 117
“I’ll contact a few people tonight,” he said, pulling back the covers and slipping into bed. “See what I can do to get all this settled.” 118
Helen watched as he laid down, his attitude that of someone bordering on the line between pissed off and hurt. Walking to the bed, she stared down at him, not moving until he opened his eyes to look at her. “What?”119
“What, what?” he asked. 120
“You’re acting like a jerk,” she informed him. 121
“I’m tired,” he said. 122
“Fine.” Turning away, she headed across the bedroom. She’d just started to open the door when a hand reached over her shoulder and closed it. Ignoring Vaughn as he stood behind her, she stared at the door. 123
Slightly annoyed at her demeanor, Vaughn’s hand slowly went from the door to her shoulder. Caressing gently as she refused to look at him, his touch faltered at the emotions coming from her. 124
“I forgot what it was like to feel content, and I don’t want to lose that,” Vaughn whispered as he bent his head toward her, pulling the collar to her shirt over so he could kiss the back of her neck. 125
Immediately warmed by his unexpected words, and his searing touch, Helen titled her head as his lips traversed her shoulder and neck. Taking a step towards her, Vaughn’s hands slipped around her body, then under and up her shirt to stroke her breasts. Leaning back slightly as his body pressed against her back, Helen moaned as his lips and his hands caressed her body. Taking a deep breath as his fangs nipped at her neck, she jerked slightly at a sharp pain. 126
Moving from her shoulders, Vaughn nuzzled her ears, then went to back her neck. Warmth seeped down his throat, and it took a moment to realize that he’d actually punctured her skin. Taking a step back, he stopped when Helen leaned further back against him, and one arm cam up to cradled his head against her neck.127
She tasted unbelievable, and although his actions should have been repugnant to him, they seemed as natural as breathing. He wasn’t sure what would happen to him as a result of breaking a cardinal rule, but he didn’t care... all he wanted was to claim her complete body. 128
Pulling at her clothes, he managed to basically get her jeans down, then his hands transferred to his own clothing. He could feel Helen wiggling the rest of the way out of her jeans, and then he was between her legs as they attempted to sate the explosive desire that enveloped them. 129
Head reeling, Vaughn quickened his tempo as the need to completely fill her consumed him. One arm remained wrapped around her waist as he transferred his other hand to the place against the door to keep them upright.130
~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~131
“Finally!” 132
Clamping dirty hands over his mouth, Brin looked around wildly. He’d spoken a bit too loud, and he hoped his voice hadn’t carried. He’d managed to dig under the fence, and didn’t want to screw up his success by alerting anyone. Shrinking in size, he squirmed through the hole, peeking over the dirt as he got to the other side. 133
He was about ready to make his grand entrance when he noticed a shadow moving across the yard. Scooting back to the other side of the fence, he used his magick to conceal the hole, and hoped that whatever was coming wouldn’t be lucky enough to stumble on to the sham covering. 134
Moving back farther, Brin looked up when he heard a scuffing sound coming from the wall itself. Employing more magick to make the dirt pile behind him vanish, and the hole seemingly fill in, he hurried to hide behind a tree. He could have probably vanished, but his powers were a little rusty, and he wasn’t sure his camouflage would remain once he left.135
Inhaling sharply as a dreadlock covered head poked out from the top of the fence, he cringed, then held his breath as the man looked around. Brin remembered that particular demon since it had been the one to completely kick the snot out of the demons that Brin had brought with him to capture Helen in the park. And, it had been the same demon that put a huge smack-down on Caras. 136
Willing to wait until the youngster left, Brin moved back further as the demon looked directly where he was standing. A hiss escaped his lips, and Brin knew he’d been spotted. Deciding that taking off to come back later with reinforcements was better that having the tunnel discovered, he vanished with a small flash. 137
Sniffing the air, and satisfied that the other demon was gone, Nim jumped off the wall, landing gently on the ground. Stalking back to the evening mist, he made his way to the house and to more watching after a woman who he hoped he would know for many, many years to come.138
~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~139
Moving slightly in his sleep, Vaughn opened his eyes when he realized that something felt completely out of place. Looking down, he blinked as carpet was below his head, and he slowly sat up. Lying across his body, Helen had a serene expression on her face as she slept, and it took a few moments for his sleep fogged brain to understand why they were just a few feet from the door, instead of on his bed. 140
Reaching out, he traced his finger around two small puncture wounds that were in the area between Helen’s neck and shoulder. Leaning over, he gently kissed the area, fighting the sudden temptation to sink his fangs in again just so he could experience that unbelievable sensation once more. 141
Content with just licking, his tongue ran over the area as the memories replayed in his mind. The sex had been like nothing he had ever experienced before, but it paled to the emotions that tore through him as her blood warmed him like nothing else ever could. 142
A small moan prompted him to pull back slightly, and he smiled as she looked up at him. “Don’t stop,” she nearly purred. “That feels wonderful.”143
Tilting his head in accession, Vaughn went back to running his tongue over the area he had bitten. Moving slightly as she rolled over, the licking morphed into a gentle suckling as she forced him to his back and straddled him. 144
At first she had been shocked, and frightened when he bit her, but the worry was immediately replaced with a craving so strong that she didn’t want him to stop. 145
Her need for him at that moment was so intense that she came even before he had managed to get her jeans off her. That paled, however, to the sensation of him standing behind her as he tried to satisfy both while feeding from her. The whole concept should have disgusted her, but it was by far the most erotic thing that had ever happened in her long and at times sordid life. 146
At that moment, she had been able to grab a glimpse of a part of him that he strived to keep hidden from everyone. His emotions had swirled through her, a jumble of shattered hopes, dreams and needs that had been pushed aside over and over again so that he wouldn’t have to suffer another disappointment. 147
Despite that, his thoughts that centered on her were crystal clear, surrounded by a wall of resolve so intense that thinking about it brought a lump to her throat. 148
“What’s wrong?” he asked, bring a hand up to brush across her cheek. 149
“I see you,” she whispered. 150
“I hope so… I’m lying right under you.”151
“Not that,” she said with a small laugh. “Earlier… I could see your emotions, memories, and thoughts.”152
Moving his hands to her thighs as she continued to slowly move on him, Vaughn concentrated on not pushing her off and storming away. He’d been able to see her inner thoughts, too, but it hadn’t occurred to him that she’d be able to see his. 153
“I’m sorry,” he finally said. “Didn’t intend to subject you to the garbage that’s up there.” 154
Leaning over to kiss him gently, Helen rubbed her nose against his. “Stop it with the tough guy routine. You’re not as nearly messed up as you think you are.”155
Not wanting to ruin his extremely good mood with talk about his mind, he grabbed her hips, then shifted so that he was on top. “Less talk, more sex,” he said, going back to her neck. His fangs scraped over her skin and he could feel her tense slightly below him. 156
Forcing his mouth to go back to her lips, he kissed deeply. One piercing of her skin and drinking blood might be forgivable, but doing it a second time would assure a complete ass kicking from the head Dark-Hunter himself. 157
~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~158
Staring at the hole in the ground, Caras had to grudgingly admit that Brin had done his job. Too bad, since he was sort of looking forward to killing the annoying demon. 159
“No one saw you?”160
Brin hesitated for a moment before replying. “Just the young demon.”161
“And this hole escaped his notice… how?”162
“Magick.”163
Nodding slightly, Caras shrunk in size until he was no larger than the size of a small cat. Slinking through the hole, he emerged on the other side, but remained small. He hoped he wouldn’t have to remind the others with him to not overly announce themselves until in the house. 164
And that would only be if there was resistance to getting Helen. Already he could sense her somewhere across the large yard, and centered on that as he slowly made his way through the predawn light. Somehow the Dark-Hunter had an ability to feel demons of any sorts, and keeping it slow and small might be the best way to approach. 165
Glancing as a figure appeared beside him, he closed his eyes at the small demon form that Brin had. Yeah, real fierce looking that was… he looked like a damn cherub. No wonder his kind was sought for pleasure and not very high on the warrior listings. 166
Once they made it to the house, Caras would summon Asya, and then allow the other demons to take on any that got in their way. His job was the protection of the goddess, although she could protect herself rather well. 167
“Remember,” he whispered as they paused to get their bearings. “No one is to touch the Dark-Hunter. Asya has forbidden it.” 168
“Why?” Brin asked, then immediately regretted it when he started choking. 169
Caras released his grip on the demon. “Idiot,” he hissed, then ignored him. “Your only job is to obtain Helen. Once you do, you are to immediately vanish. No questions asked.” 170
“What of the young demon?”171
Caras looked at the other two with them. “He’s their responsibility.” 172
~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~173
There was only an hour left of nightfall by the time Vaughn and Helen emerged from his bedroom. He would have preferred to remain there all day, but hunger won out. After a quick snack in the kitchen, where Vaughn spent more time with his lips on Helen than he did eating actual food, they made their way to the living room.174
He actually couldn’t remember being so relaxed with someone, and didn’t actually ever want it to end. The past two thousand years had been rather lonely, despite his consistent habit of taking women to dark corners to screw, and he just wanted those dark times to end. With Helen he could actually see that happening. 175
Looking at the back of the book in her hand, Helen placed it back on the shelf before taking another one out. She went to put that one back, stopping as Vaughn’s hand landed on hers. 176
“This one goes here,” he said, taking the previous book out and placing it in the correct spot, then took the other book from her hand. “And this one here.”177
Shaking her head at him, Helen took a step back from the bookcase. “You are so anal at times.”178
“I don’t recall you complaining,” he said in a whisper as his hand caressed her backside in a way that made her actually blush.179
“You know what I mean.”180
“I know,” he said. “Just couldn’t pass up a chance for a grope.”181
Playfully swatting his hand away, she took another step away, stopping when he grabbed her hand and pulled her back. Looking into his eyes, she could read uncertainty that seemed out of place. Usually he hid that emotion expertly behind arrogance and infuriating insults. 182
“Something wrong?” she asked. “Besides everything else that’s going on?”183
“No,” he whispered, moving closer as he brought her hand up to kiss the knuckles. “I’m just trying to find the right time to tell you that I love you.”184
It took a few moments for the words to register, and when they did, Helen took a step back and stared at him. He had said the same thing a few nights previous, but seemed to gloss over the words. Now that he had repeated them, she wouldn’t let him get away with not telling her. “What?”185
“I love you,” Vaughn repeated, willing away the doubt that wanted to surface. He hadn’t actually meant to admit the words, and by the look in her eyes, she hadn’t been expecting to hear them again. “Is that wrong?” he asked. 186
“No.” Helen took a step towards him, and raised a hand to his face, frowning slightly as he flinched. Laying her palm gently against his cheek, she smiled softly. “I do like you,” she said. “A lot… really, really a lot.”187
“But?”188
“There’s too much going on for me to think beyond tomorrow.” Stepping closer, she kissed him lightly. “When you first told me that you loved me, it surprised me. I liked it.”189
“And now?” he asked, eyes focused on her lips. 190
“I like it even more.”191
Sagging in mock relief, he leaned in close to kiss her. Before contact, he suddenly pulled back and looked at the door behind him. Peter walked in, then stopped when he realized he was being stared at. 192
“I interrupting something?” he asked.193
“Yes.” Vaughn glanced at Helen, then back. “You find the chain?”194
Holding a thin strand of woven gold up, Peter let it dangle from his fingers. “Wasn’t easy to find,” he said. “Took me all night. You’ve really got to start taking some of your pay in to transfer into money.”195
Vaughn ignored him, and looked at Helen. “Artemis pays me with chests of gold, gems and the occasional rare jewelry. I had Peter find a thin chain.”196
“For?”197
“The gem,” Vaughn said, referring to the stone that he had given her that once belonged to his sister. “Something a little more delicate and suited to you. The chain I had for it is a little too bulky.”198
Blushing at the thought, Helen reached for her neck, then paused. “I took it off for the shower,” she said. “I’ll go get it.”199
Watching as she turned and headed for the steps, Vaughn couldn’t stop the smile that graced his face. Turning to take the chain from the other man’s grasp, he stopped and scowled when he noticed Peter staring at him. 200
“What?”201
“Nothing,” Peter said, trying not to laugh. 202
“Good.”203
“It’s just very amusing seeing you like this,” Peter continued. 204
“Like what?” Vaughn asked, his tone holding a warning that he knew the Squire would ignore. 205
“You’re twitterpaited.”206
Confused, Vaughn’s scowl deepened. “Translation?”207
“Haven’t you ever seen Bambi?” 208
“I try to refrain from watching movies with fluffy animals.” Turning away, he tried to focus on the chain. ”I really wish you had gone with Ash.”209
Peter shrugged. “And I really wish I could find a lady with a great sense of humor, wonderful outlook and huge chest.”210
“What?”211
“We don’t always get what we want.”212
Understanding, Vaughn nodded once. “That may be true for you mere humans, but not so much for Dark-Hunters.” Tilting his head suddenly as if he heard something, he stood and felt out with his senses. 213
Suddenly on alert and any earlier teasing forgotten, Peter also stood. “What?”214
“Shit! Nim!” Panic laced his words as he ran out of the room with Peter close behind. Stopping suddenly, he turned, grabbed Peter and shoved him back into the room.215
Landing in a heap on the floor, Peter was about to curse when the wall where he would have been standing exploded in a shower of splinters. Hopping to his feet, and keeping low, he made his way back to the door, peeking out before exiting and hugging the wall. 216
One hand went to his weapon as he moved, while the other pulled his cell phone out for a quick call to bring in backup from other squires. 217
Watching as Vaughn quickly made his way up the stairs like a specter floating silently through the shadows, Peter felt the hair on the back of his neck rise at the ghostly way Vaughn moved. 218
Nearly to the top, Vaughn stopped in surprise as a figure appeared in front of him. He only had time to swear before he was thrown back down the stairs by a powerful blast to the chest courtesy of a goddess that was seriously starting to piss him off. 219
His feet didn’t even touch the stairs as he was tossed through the air, stopping only by smashing into the same wall that had been previously hit by the god bolt. Cursing as he rebounded off and fell to the floor, he forced himself to his feet and started back up. 220
“Wait,” Peter whispered, then placed a hand on Vaughn’s arm as he continued. 221
Shaking off the hand, Vaughn gave a barely civil glare at Peter. “What?” he demanded.222
“Take the back stairs,” Peter advised. 223
Seeing the logic in the suggestion, Vaughn turned and ran through the hall for the other side of the living room and the stairs that would come out at the other end of the upstairs. Encountering no resistance, and not hearing anything, he hurried up the stairs, pausing long enough to check the hall before making it to his room in record time. 224
A commotion from downstairs made him stop, until he realized that it was a group of squires who were answering Peter’s panic call. 225
Throwing the door to his bedroom open, Vaughn stopped at the sight that greeted him. Blood pooled on the floor and on a few walls, far too much to belong to the lone occupant. Running over to the figure that was trying to stand, he held Nim down so he wouldn’t injure himself further. 226
“Sorrys,” Nim panted in pain.227
“Where’s Helen?”228
“They tooks her,” Nim said. “Sorrys. Nim tried.”229
Angry beyond belief, Vaughn forced himself not to lash out at the young demon. From the looks of the room, he’d put up a hell of a fight while protecting Helen. Grasping onto the thin hope that she would be okay since he and Helen belonged together, Vaughn pulled at it until he could function enough to think.230
“Go back to Jared,” he told Nim. 231
“No.”232
”You need to heal.” Standing, Vaughn looked down and tried again to not attack the demon for Helen being taken. “You…you did the best you could, thank you. But now you have to go.”233
Not wanting to, but knowing that Vaughn was right, Nim vanished from the room. 234
Vaughn stared at the floor for a few moments, then turned, ran out of the room and down the stairs. His hand landed on the doorknob the same moment something grabbed him from behind and pulled him away and to the side. 235
“Are you fucking nuts?” Peter growled as he positioned himself in front of the door. “It’s nearly dawn!”236
Shoving Peter off him, Vaughn glared as his hands closed in angry frustration.237
~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~238
Appearing in a cavern, Nim stood unsteady while Jared stared at him in disbelief. 239
Seeing it all clearly in Nim’s mind, Jared wished he could get out of the chains and go kill one certain goddess. “Return to me, Nim,” he whispered, closing his eyes in regret as the tattoo laid across his shoulder. 240
241
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Comments
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Great.
beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.
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Awesome
Caradoc <--- Moans like a zombie: More...more....
beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.
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aaaww nimie-kins was hurt! poor poor nim. jared needs to eb set free to go kick some biotch ass. i'm hating this aysa character. beings her mean self and sending demons to hurts da peoples. [its fun talkings like this. =^-^=]
tsk tsk, vaughn bit helen. shame on him and his need for blood. i guess all DHs like to bite. hhmmmm..... i soooo want a dark-hunter, but still want a were-hunter more. it would lovely to have one all to myself. a shame fury is taken. my love.....
-sigh- brin a pain in the ass. he should just let himself die and stop trying to ruin helens life. i would have castarated the bitch for even betraying me. bitch no kids for u. lmao
beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.
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