Ava sat in a patio chair by Miguel and looked out at the back yard that opened to the beach. The sun had set an hour or so ago, and small lamps lit the large area inside the property boundary walls.
“What’s going on?” she asked as she saw Stone and Ash talking just where the sand and grass met. Both were holding staffs, and an assortment of other practice weapons were on the ground behind each of them.
Miguel never took his eyes off the men. “You gotta watch this, Ms. D.” He motioned slightly. “They don’t do it often, but when they work out together, it’s amazing.”
Ava leaned back as the Dark-Hunters took a step back, then nodded to each other. She watched Stone crouch slightly as Ash placed one end of the long staff in his hand on the sand.
“Do they ever hurt each other?” she asked as they stared.
“All the time,” Miguel said absently.
Faster than Ava could track, Ash suddenly moved, bringing the staff up from the sand, straight at Stone’s knee. Stone blocked it quickly, letting his own staff continue up, only to be stopped by Ash’s hand, which pushed it away.
Stone used the momentum to spin, bringing the staff around, and jumping back to add strength to the swing. It missed Ash by a whisper and the Dark-Hunter leader gave him an impressed nod before he leapt up and over Stone’s head, striking blindly behind him before landing, and catching Stone in the shoulder as he tried to spin to get out of the way.
Ava bit her lip as Stone staggered forward, and tried to remind herself that he couldn’t be killed just by fighting like this… at least, she hoped he couldn’t.
Stone swooped quickly, nabbing something from the sand and using the hand with the staff in it to catapult himself into a cartwheel. The moment his feet arced, he threw out his hand, and two throwing stars headed straight for Ash, who caught them out of the air and spun them back. Stone landed, bent his knees, dodging one, but grunted in pain as the second cut across his upper arm.
Ava picked up her drink and walked back in to the house while Miguel watched with an intense expression as the two immortals continued to harass each other.
Stone put his foot under one of the other weapons, and kicked it up, catching it without looking as he dropped the staff with his other hand. He spun the nunchucks quickly as he approached Ash.
Ash blocked a rather strong swing, the staff in his hand vibrating from the impact, and parried with a few short swings of his own. Stone got in a lucky shot that caught Ash in the wrist, pulling the staff out of his hand.
“Hell,” Ash hissed as he moved faster than any human could and made it to the weapon pile before Stone even realized. He grabbed something, swung at Stone’s feet, and hopped back as the Dark-Hunter fell to the sand.
Stone coughed as he landed, slightly stunned by the impact, and ground his teeth as he put his hands down to push himself up. His eyes grew wide when he felt something touch his ribs, then suddenly he was spun through the air to land on his back.
Ash appeared in his line of vision, the staff now back in his hand, and posed right over Stone’s throat. Stone grimaced, then realized he still had his weapon in his hand. He flicked it around one of Ash’s boots, then rolled quickly, not quite missing the staff as it slid along his neck.
He jumped to his feet as Ash fell to the sand, and quickly approached. Ash was on his feet within a second, glaring at Stone, who merely raised an eyebrow at him.
“That was cheating,” Ash said.
Stone gave him a ‘oh, come on’ look. “It was pure cunning and… it worked.”
“We’re done,” Ash said. He pointed at Stone’s neck. “That hurt?”
He gingerly touched the welt that ran along his neck. “Yes, it does.” He smirked. “But it was worth it.”
~~~~~~~~~~~
Ash was decidedly not a beach person as he nearly stumbled while walking along the shoreline just past Stone’s property. He paused as he saw a figure sitting on the sand not too far away, the silhouette staring out at the water, and not even looking as Ash approached.
“Grab some sand,” the man said, and waited until Ash crouched down beside him. He ran his fingers through the sand for a few minutes, before putting his hands behind him slightly and leaning back. His dark brown hair brushed just past his shoulder, and his trim goatee looked slightly out of place with his surfing pants and open shirt.
Ash watched his old…friend might be pushing the definition, since Savitar seemed to have none, and mentor was stretching it, too… acquaintance, knowing that the laid back manner he was showing could turn deadly in an instant. Where people would avoid Ash because of his biker-Goth look, they tended to relax around Savitar’s beach-bum persona, which the immortal took full advantage of.
“What brings you here?”
“It’s a beach, dude,” Savitar said, like it explained everything. “Not enough waves for my liking, but it’s a beach.” He curled his fingers into the sand. “What are you going to do about Stryker?”
“Kill him would be my first choice.”
“You can’t.”
“Why not.”
“Because I told you that you can’t,” Savitar said calmly. “Not yet.”
Ash stared at the waves gently lapping at the shore just feet from them. “Okay, then. I plan on hurting him rather painfully so that he’ll slither on back to Kalosis and stay to lick his wounds for a century or three.”
“Nice plan.”
“What does he want in Vancouver?”
Savitar picked up a handful of sand and let it run slowly through his fingers. “Time is ever fleeting, changing, weaving its way throughout the very fabric of the cosmos as we speak. Things that are to be, no longer are…changed by a word, a thought, or a shortcut through an alley during a birthday celebration.” He titled his hand to let the rest of the sand fall by his leg. “What is, is…what was, will never be again.”
Ash tried to think through the headache that was forming. He was used to cryptic messages, but this one was as cryptic as they came. “So…” he began slowly. “Cutting through the alley changed more futures than originally thought?” He knew that it changed some but those were mainly for the better.
“No.” Savitar stood and brushed off his clothes, and waited for Ash to climb to his feet. They basically stood eye to eye, which was rare for either since they were both rather tall. “Stopping the woman from being killed changed futures.”
“She died a couple weeks later.”
“She did,” Savitar agreed. “But had she died the first night, then I highly doubt what’s-her-face would now be shacked up with one of your Hunters for the summer, and then we really wouldn’t have had anyone to warn him about his Squire, and, of course, Stone Mikels’ life wouldn’t depend on her.” Savitar smiled slightly. “All because of one shortcut.”
Ash’s headache advanced another notch. “Everything’s turning out better than it would have.”
“And that pisses Stryker off.”
Ash closed his eyes briefly as he realized what Savitar was getting at. Stryker was obsessed with hurting Acheron and all those he cared for, and took any chance to strike out that the Dark-Hunter leader. Stryker would know about Ava, and he would more than likely try to do something to either occupy Stone so that Ava could be hurt, or try something to alienate Ava from Stone. Since Ash stayed at Stone’s when he visited Vancouver, Stryker knew that he could hurt Ash by his actions, too.
Savitar turned to walk away, but paused. “He won’t stop in September,” he pointed out. “Which adds two more figures into the mix.”
Ash suddenly felt every one of his eleven thousand five hundred plus years as he realized Ava’s children would be prime target for the Daimon leader. Ava would be devastated if anything happened to her children…they were her whole life. Ash saw that possible timeline play out in his mind as Ava took her anger out on Stone, who would in turn take frustration out on Miguel, accidentally killing the Squire in a haze of anger. It would send Stone over the edge, turning him rogue, and Ash’s ‘enforcer’, Alexion, would be called out to destroy him.
“I can’t let that happen,” Ash said, hoping that the fates would take notice of his words and weave it into truth. “Ava’s children are not going to die.”
Savitar scratched one heavily tattooed arm, not commenting either way on any outcome. He had learned a long time ago that Ash liked to hold on to that pesky emotion called love, and would use it to back up nearly all of his decisions. Savitar himself had no real use for the thing, since all love did was eventually stab you right between the shoulder blades.
“You do what you gotta do,” he finally said. “And if it’s the right decision, well, then, the cosmos continues.” He smiled slightly. “If not, then I’ve still got Neratiti,” he said, referring to his mysterious floating island, which existed outside of normal time. He raised his hand in a general wave, and then vanished.
Ash turned to walk back to Stone’s place, stopping when he felt something in his boot. He grimaced at the sensation of the sand as it rubbed, and quickly flashed himself back to the patio behind the house, where he sat, took off his boots and poured an obscene amount of sand out of each.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I’m fine,” Stone said for what seemed like the twentieth time. “Really.”
Ava took a drink from her glass and leaned back against the couch. She didn’t want to admit to him that it scared her to see the two men fighting like that, although he probably already figured it out by her mother hen act.
She tried not to jump as Ash suddenly appeared in the living room in front of them.
“We need to talk,” Ash said, then he vanished again, along with Stone, leaving Ava and Miguel to look at each other in confusion.
Stone frowned as he appeared on his patio. “A simple tap on the door, followed by a ‘Stone, I have to talk to you,’ would have sufficed, Ash.”
Ash stared at him for a moment. “This just got a whole lot more fucked up.”
“Whose turn is it to tell, or not tell, or whatever, now?” Stone said, getting annoyed at the secretive summer. “Or perhaps you could break it down in ten cryptic messages or less.”
“No one like a smart ass Dark-Hunter,” Ash said in a warning tone. “Short version. The Daimon’s know that Ava is here, and they’re going to try to hurt her to get at you.”
“Why?” Stone asked with forced calmness.
“Hurt the Dark-Hunters, and it hurts me.”
Stone stared as anger started to build. Eventually, everything boiled down to the Daimons trying to destroy Ash, and if hurting him helped destroy him, then they went all out in attempts. A few years back, heavy losses happened in New Orleans where they lost a few Hunters, and Ash’s friend Nick was killed. Just a few months ago, the Daimons were active down the coast in Seattle, costing a some more their lives.
Ash watched as the other man stared at the sand as he thought. He could sense the anger building, and knew that the time was drawing near for Stone to bring up the emotional pain that followed his death.
“Stone…”
“Why does everything come back to you?” Stone asked in an oddly calm voice. “Does the universe fucking revolve around your ass or something?”
If only he knew how true that statement was. “Stryker will use anything to destroy me.”
“Stryker?” Stone clenched his fists. “Well, fuck, hell, damn, and shit all rolled into one.” He placed his palms against his eyes and pushed slightly, trying to calm down. He couldn’t get angry now, regardless how much he wanted to beat the shit out of the man in front of him.
“I know you’re angry.”
He took his hands away, his eyes now a deep red. “Angry doesn’t even begin to describe it, Acheron.” He inhaled. “I am so incredibly fucking pissed off that… I’m going to keep my mouth shut or else you’re gonna fry me on the spot.”
“Wise choice.” Ash crossed his arms and waited until Stone’s eyes worked their way back to black. “If you do as I say, this should all work out.”
“Tell me,” Stone said slowly.
“You need to tell Ava that she, and possibly her kids, are in danger.”
“You want me to be castrated, you say?” Stone asked sarcastically. “’Cause that’s what’ll happen if I tell her that her kids are in danger because of me.”
“You’re being over-dramatic.”
“Think so?” Stone motioned to the house. “You tell her, then.” He smirked. “Then make sure you vanish real fast before she gets her hands on you.”
“I can’t tell her.”
“Why?” he asked. “No, wait… I got it…some cosmic timeline will get fucked up because of it. Well, got news for you, Ash… that time line is already fucked up if Stryker is after Ava to get at me, to get at you.” He stopped, and then shook his head with a small laugh. “Completely, utterly, fucked up.”
Ash watched as Stone ran his hands over his face and sighed. “I can’t tell her because…” Ash paused. “No, you’re right. I’ll tell her.”
Stone stared at him. “Times like this,” he whispered, “I wish I’d told Artemis to shove her offer.”
“I know what you mean,” Ash said honestly.
~~~~~~
Ash moved, but not fast enough, grimacing as the fist caught him in the shoulder. He took a step back, forcing himself to be calm as Ava glared at him.
“Ava…”
“Don’t Ava me, kid,” she warned. “Immortal or not, I’ll kick your ass if you patronize me.”
Ash glanced at Stone, who gave him a pointed ‘I told you’ look. “Ava,” Ash said in a calm voice, “I’m not going to let your children get hurt because of this.” He sat on the couch by her. “They’re safe where they are for now… and, I have people watching to make sure that they stay that way.”
Ava scratched her fingers through her auburn hair, making a mess of it, as she took in the information. “Thanks,” she said. “But what happens come September?” She looked from Ash to Stone, then back. “No idea?” She stood and walked to the patio door.
“Ava,” Stone said as she walked past him.
“This wisest thing at the moment would be for you to keep quiet,” Ava said as she walked straight past him and out to the patio, slamming the sliding door shut behind her.
Stone grimaced and ran a hand over his face. “Well, that went better than I thought it would.”
Ash gave him a searing look.
“Her kids could move in here.”
Both men turned to look at Miguel who was standing in the kitchen area just off the living room. He shrugged, a little uncertain beneath their intense stares. “In September, her kids could move in here,” he repeated. “Switch schools if they want, or not, and have someone follow them at night when they go out.” He leaned against the small island table and ran a finger along the smooth surface. “In reality, they’re in no more or less danger than any other child in a Hunter’s house. A lot of Squires have kids, and they have bodyguards.”
“True,” Stone said slowly. In fact, Miguel had ‘lost’ his bodyguard only four years ago, having reached the age where he didn’t really need one. “But not all Squire’s children are specifically targeted.”
“How do you know?”
The question stopped Stone from replying. The truth was that he didn’t know. He never really thought of any other Squire’s children beyond the ones that resided in his house.
Miguel straightened. “Or was there some other reason why I was under house arrest a couple weeks back?”
Instead of answering, Stone looked at Ash. “I’m gong to check on Ava.”
Ash paused, then shook his head. “Give it a few minutes, because if you go out there now, you just might get castrated.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Ava inhaled deeply in an attempt to get her emotions under control. She couldn’t believe that she had actually struck someone in anger, and couldn’t believe some of the other thoughts that were going through her brain. For a moment, she had considered pulling a ‘Bobbitt’ on Stone while he slept, but quickly dismissed the idea. It wasn’t exactly his fault that this was happening… then again, it wasn’t exactly not his fault, either.
“Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck, fuck,” she said loudly. “Damn, fuck hell, shit!” She brought her fist down hard on the top of the table, sending a hairline fracture crackling through the surface. She stared at it, then lifted her hand and shook it. “Ow.”
She ignored the door as it gently slide open behind her, and ignored Stone as he sat in the chair opposite her. She could see his frown as he looked at the top of the table, then look at her.
“I’m sorry,” he said, and waited for her to respond, or at least look at him. When she didn’t, he continued. “In September, your children can stay here, and...”
“No.”
“They’ll be safe here.”
“They’ll be prisoners here.” She finally looked at him.
“I have a large enough house,” Stone said. “With a lot of property, in case you didn’t notice. Lots of area to run around.” He sighed. “A Daimon would have to be invited into the house to be able to enter. And I sure as hell don’t plan on inviting any. The beach is secure.” He pointed to the ocean. “The property line goes about fifty feet out, and I’m sure your kids will stay within those limits, so even night swimming is secure.”
Ava stared at him. She had only wanted this to last for the summer, and then they would both go their separate ways. Then, she found she was falling hard for him, and dreaded the end of the summer. Now, she dreaded it ever further, since that would bring her children back and into the line of fire. “I…”
“They can go to the same schools, or change to here, or even the private school that some Squire’s children go to. It doesn’t matter…all I want is for them and you to be safe.”
Ava sighed and put her head in her hands. This could all change in the month leading up to September, and she was more than willing to take that time to make sure that her children were as safe as possible. “Okay,” she whispered, “we’ll try it your way.”
Stone closed his eyes in relief, and then ran a finger over the crack in the table. “Hurt your hand?”
“Bit,” she admitted as she held it up. She nearly shivered as he took the hand in his, and brought it to his lips to kiss it. The man’s lips had a way of making her lightheaded and want to be skin to skin with him.
“Come on back in,” he said gently as he stood and helped her to her feet. “Just…don’t hit Ash again.” He stared into her hazel eyes. “He’s been known to kill things that hit him.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
In a list
Please tell me what you think
Comments
-
when ava first hits ash there is a word missing. i love she did it though!
and oh goodness thats going to be a full house with all of them... well minus ash. but still quite the crew!
Adding your comment:
