Aiden rolled over slightly, opening her eyes when she realized she wasn’t in bed. She sat up slightly from the couch, the blanket that had been over her pooling around her waist. She could smell something, and sniffed curiously, turning as a small curse came from her kitchen area. She looked, startled to see Simi sitting on a chair, smiling as she watched Ash. Simi held her finger to her lips, motioning Aiden to be quiet.1
As one of the Dark-Hunters had mentioned once when she was in New Orleans, ‘Even though Ash could be terrifying, there was something oddly comforting about the Atlantean.’ That was the feeling she was getting from the tall, scary looking Goth who was standing in her kitchen.2
Ash had his back to them, cell phone in his hand, and a cook book on the counter before him. “Okay,” he said in a low voice. “Got it. Now, what’s a t-s-p?” He paused. “I’m not joking. I don’t cook, so why would I know this? Besides, anything I need, I just use magick.” 3
She glanced at Simi, who was trying not to laugh.4
“Teaspoon… got it… now…” he sighed. “If I gave you a thousand dollars, would you make…uh, biscuits for me?”5
Aiden and Simi burst out laughing, causing Ash to stiffen. “Never mind, “ he said in to the phone. “I’ve been busted.” He closed his phone and turned to face the other two. They laughed harder at the flour that covered the front of his shirt. 6
He glanced down, immediately changing his shirt, and sighed. “Why do you cook when you can just use magick?”7
“Just because I can do something, doesn’t mean I should,” she said, borrowing from his favorite line. “Besides, cooking relaxes me.”8
“You call that relaxing?” he shook his head. “You’re a strange bird.”9
Suddenly feeling the need to be doing something, Aiden got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen. She turned, pointed at the other two and smiled as cook’s aprons appeared on them. 10
Ash picked at the material. “At least it’s black,” he muttered, then looked at her. “New fashion?”11
“You’re going to learn to make biscuits.”12
“No I’m not,” he said as the apron vanished. He frowned as the apron appeared again, and immediately dissolved it again. 13
Simi bounced in to the kitchen, happy with her wildly striped apron. “What does Simi do?”14
Aiden pointed at Ash, and smirked at the look on his face when he realized she made a nauseatingly bright orange apron appear. He gasped in disgust, and change it to black. “I can see you’re not giving this up.” He walked to the kitchen and leaned on the counter. “Explain to me why I should learn?”15
“Explain to me why you shouldn’t.”16
“I don’t eat.”17
“Irrelevant.” She sighed, then turned to Simi, and handed her a measuring cup. “Five level cups of flour.” She showed her how to level it, and place a bowl in front of her.18
Ash watched as she showed Simi how to cook, and smiled at how happy Simi looked. He hadn’t seen a smile like that when she wasn’t ready to roast and devour something. The females measured everything out, place it in order, then Aiden gave a few instructions before stepping back and letting Simi at it. 19
Aiden smiled, then turned and stared at Ash. “Why were you trying to make them before, but not now?”20
He raised an eyebrow at her forwardness. Most people he interacted with were either intimidated by his size, afraid of his power, wanted to kill him, wanted to sleep with him, or all of the above. Even people who didn’t want to sleep with him got that ‘look’ at times based on his appearance. The woman in front of him was none of those, and it was refreshing. He could truly count her as a friend, someone outside of his Dark-Hunter circle, and someone he could have a deep, meaningful conversation with, and not have her read the wrong thing into it. Hell, she didn’t even care that he was vague in most things he talked about.21
“I thought it would make you happy,” he finally said. “You’re good to Simi, and I wanted to do something for you.”22
“I’m good to Simi because I like her,” she said. “And you’ve done more for me in the past four months than anyone’s ever done in the past one hundred eighty-three years.” She smiled slightly. “You know… think about how Artemis would act if you brought her a little gift, made by your own hands…”23
Ash stared at her, not wanting to give anything away. His relationship with Artemis was a secret.24
Aiden crossed her arms over her chest, closing her eyes slightly as Simi pounded the dough on the counter. “You can roll it out now,” she said. “And cut them like I showed you.” 25
“Okay,” came the excited voice.26
Aiden continued to stare at Ash. “Don’t worry, Acheron. I’ve known for years, and I’ve never mentioned to anyone until now.”27
“How did you know?” 28
“You talk in your sleep,” she said with a smirk.29
“Pardon?”30
“When we first met,” she said. “What…nearly one hundred years ago? That second night when you were having trouble sleeping because of the welts on your back.”31
He sighed and rubbed a few fingers against his temple. “Don’t ask.”32
“Don’t worry.” She motioned over her shoulder. “No woman can stay mad at a man who cooks especially for her.”33
He hesitated as he considered. Artie had been rather pissed at him lately. And him bringing her something would confuse her enough to make her annoyed, which Ash would rather enjoy. She would most likely laugh at any offering he made her, but then again she might look on it as a sign of his love. He stopped at that thought. “No way.” The apron dissolved off him. 34
Simi smiled, and looked at Ash. “Don’t worry, Akri, Simi can teach you how to make them now. Simi likes them, and so will Akri because Simi is a good cook.”35
~~~~~~~~~~36
If anyone asked him what the devil looked like, Pierce could easily describe him. Tall, dark haired, handsome with a cruel smile and swirling silver eyes. In other words, the man that was standing in front of him. 37
“Is there some reason why I shouldn’t kill you for your ineptitude?” Stryker, the Spathi Daimon, leader asked.38
Pierce tried to hide his fear by leaning back against the table behind him. “For one, we’re related…”39
“Family means nothing.” Stryker stared calmly. He had killed his own son, so some distantly related Apollite offshoot held no special place in his absent heart.40
“You need me for this,” Pierce said. “Only the mate of the eagle can pull this off.”41
Stryker gave an exaggerated sigh. “Yes, yes. You are so correct. Maybe once this is over, I’ll reconsider.”42
“I won’t fail you again.” Pierce stood and glanced around the interior of the remote cabin. “Give me a few of your Spathis, and I’ll get her.” He held back a sigh as the immortal just stared at him. “Acheron and some girl are guarding her.”43
“Five Spathis,” Stryker said in a cold voice. “Have her here by that night, or I will personally kill you, and every person, both Were and human, that you know.”44
Stryker summoned a bolt-hole, or doorway to Kalosis, and entered. Once he returned to the Atlantean hell, he sat calmly on his throne and stared out at the large dark hall in front of him. 45
“Acheron and his demon,” he sighed to no one. “Every time I try to break this curse, he stops me.” The son of Apollo, Stryker was one of the first Apollites cursed when his people were doomed to live until the age of twenty-seven, and then painfully decay over a twenty four hour period. If an Apollite refuses to die over a curse s/he had no part in creating, they can feed on human souls, and become Daimon. 46
Stryker hated Acheron. In fact, he hated just about everyone and everything, but above all, he hated his father, Apollo, and would do anything to lift the curse of not being able to walk in sunlight, and dying early. And if that meant the sacrifice of a Were-Hunter, then he felt no remorse over the loss of a cousin. If he could feel remorse, that is.47
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~48
Aiden moved her fingers over the keys and pads of her alto saxophone, grimacing once or twice, as the note produced wasn’t as sharp as she wanted. Although she had been playing the sax for well over sixty years, she usually played jazz, not the blues-style tune she was now attempting.49
At the moment, her apartment was quiet, which suited her fine. Simi had reverted back to the tattoo on Ash’s arm, although both Simi and Ash didn’t know that Aiden knew about that. She glanced to the patio, where Ash stood, his long frame leaning against the barrier as he looked out over the city, and she wondered what would happen if her friends knew just how much she knew that she wasn’t suppose to.50
Knowing Ash, he was more than likely already aware of just what she knew, and the fact that he didn’t call her on it showed the trust he had in her. She just hoped that the trust wouldn’t come back to kick her in the ass.51
She glanced up as Ash walked in from the patio, and took a seat on the opposite couch to watch her. She stumbled through one final refrain before lowering the sax. “Why are you still here?”52
“I have to be, and I’m going to be for another day or two.”53
“Okay.”54
“Okay?” That went easier than he thought it would. He gave her a searching look. 55
“This is obviously one of those ‘Ash Things’ that you get all mystic and oracle-ish about, and I won’t be able to get a straight answer out of you until you decide it’s time for me to know.”56
“It’s great to be understood,” he said with a sigh as he stood and turned toward the spare bedroom. 57
“Can I go flying?”58
“Prefer if you didn’t,” he said over his shoulder. 59
“Can I go to the bar?”60
“Nope.”61
“Can I put on CCR, and dance naked in the living room?”62
“Knock your self out,” he said as the door closed behind him. 63
Ash leaned against the door and sighed. He didn’t like having to lie to a friend, regardless if it was for the greater good, and something that had to happen. Although he was forbidden to see the futures of those he cared for, it didn’t mean he couldn’t find certain things out. In two days, she would either be dead, or hate him forever. All things being equal, he hoped for the later option.64
~~~~~~~~~~
ASH! NO!!! 65
Ash’s eyes flew open at the scream and he was in Aiden’s room before he even realized that he had teleported. He looked around, wondering where the scream had come from, and relaxed slightly as everything seemed normal. Aiden slept, her breathing coming in small, even sounds.66
Don’t die!!!67
He whirled at the scream and stared at the woman sleeping on the bed. Her fingers twitched slightly, troubled by a nightmare that Ash could feel, but not see. The screams were definitely coming from her, a dream so terrifying that he could hear her in his mind. He was so deep thought that he actually jumped as she gasped and sat up in bed. 68
She stared at him, confused as the dream bounced around her brain. He had told her that they needed her, that the future depended on her, then…69
“Aiden?”70
She shook her head as the images vanished. “Can you see futures?”71
“Sometimes.”72
“Mine?”73
Ash leaned back against the dresser in her room, not embarrassed that he was standing only three feet from her in her bed. “I can’t see the futures of those I care for.”74
“What about when we met?”75
He reached out and picked up a hairclip and twisted it absently through his fingers. “I’ll let you get back to sleep,” he said as he straightened and turned for the door.76
She clenched her eyes tight. “You knew,” she whispered. “You knew they were going to die, and you let it happen anyway.”77
Ash tried not to exhale at the pain in her voice. He turned back in time to see her will new clothes on her body, and then teleport herself out of her own bedroom. 78
Follow her a voice said in his mind, overshadowing all the others there. If she doesn’t do this, we’re categorically screwed.
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this was so very cool. the truths are starting to unfold. god i love how observant and smart she is. it makes her so powerful.
the only thing is she need to learn to control her emotions.
ash on the other hand.... oh silly silly. and that is so funny he wya he played out his situation with arti. there is no love there... -
Haha! Ash trying to cook! Great humor in this. It's good to have something to break up the dramatic bits. Your canon is pretty good, although I dont' think too many know that Ash doesn't eat.
Stryker! Now there's a good bad guy. He's so deliciously evil.
"“Can I put on CCR, and dance naked in the living room?” I'm listeing to Sweet Home Alabama right now! But, I'm not dancing naked in the living room. Drat. Guess the perv across the street will have to get his jollies somewhere else tonight.
Ooooh. I love your cliffhanger chapters!
beginning: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, characters: 5.
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I agree with what she said..I'm really thinking about checking out those books myself....
I love how you totally leave the ending with suspence! -
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Not to promote another site, but... she has exerpts from her novels on her site... just start at Fantasy Lover, and work your way up.
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Wow. You write really well. It's not choppy or confusing, or anything like that- which makes the story itself all that much easy to read and focus on. I'm hooked now. This was a funny chapter- my favorite so far I believe. Can't wait to read more! I should really check those Dark Hunter books out...
beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.
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