There were times in a person’s life when they reach an intersection containing two very important decisions. To do something that had the potential to bring great harm to people…or…something that may bring a fleeting, yet intense satisfaction to a few. 1
Stryker stood at that intersection, completely ready to go the path of fleeting, yet intense satisfaction. He’d been embarrassed enough in the past year, first with the ex-Dark-Hunter Stone Michaels, then twice with Aiden Falconidae, and he had absolutely had enough. 2
Now, it was time to bring out his big guns, and hit the eagle were it would hurt her the most. He didn’t look as someone entered his private area. He had summoned the human, needed to use him for some dirty work. 3
“I need you to find a Were-Eagle named Aiden Falconidae,” Stryker said to the young man in front of him. 4
“Why?”5
“She’s…special…to the man you want to kill.”6
“Never heard of her.”7
Stryker shook his head sympathetically. “Yet another secret kept from you by Acheron.” He forced a small smile on to his face. “Through her, you can easily access your friend, and kill him.”8
Nick Gautier gave him a bored stare. “I’ve heard this before,” he said. “Ash won’t expect the knife in the back from me, and so on.” His mouth set in a grim line as his silver swirling eyes shone. 9
Stryker looked in to those eyes, ones Nick had received after he drank from Stryker’s blood. The Spathi Leader’s blood and power flowed through Nick, and he knew that the Dark-Hunter would jump at any chance to kill Ash. 10
Nick blamed Ash for his death, since Ash had cursed him after Nick had sex with a female who turned out to be Simi. To say that Ash was upset when he found out would be like saying the Titanic was sunk by an ice-cube. Later, when Nick found his mother’s dead body, he had called Artemis and demanded he be made into a Dark-Hunter. When she told him that he had to be dead to be one, Nick pulled out his gun and killed himself. 11
Instead of training him, Ash had asked Savitar to take the newest Dark-Hunter in, and, to Nick’s thinking, had effectively turned his back on a onetime good friend. Stryker took full advantage of that anger Nick had, and poked at it every chance until Nick would be able to kill Ash. The best part was that Ash had no idea of the power that Nick Gautier had. 12
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~13
Savitar held her close as she slept, not really wanting her to wake. He knew that once she did, he would have to say goodbye. Not really knowing why that should bother him, he spent the time staring at her face, memorizing each contour. With his powers, he could recall her instantly, regardless how many years would pass, but the need to actually take the time to look burned in him.14
Simply put, they couldn’t continue a relationship. He was a god who held too much of the cosmos in his balance to be swayed by temptation, and she was a Were-Hunter, who held her own place in the universe. And as long as she was a temptation to him, outside forces, such as Stryker would use her.15
He knew it had been a mistake to care, and he really could have done without the emotional baggage that seemed to accompany the emotion. He could never understand how Acheron did it. He still couldn’t understand. If this it what love got you, then the Atlantean could have it.16
All too soon, Aiden moved in her sleep, and slowly opened her eyes. He smiled at her, but knew that it probably looked half-hearted. Which was actually fairly good, since not one bit of his heart was in it. 17
Why wasn’t it this hard to say goodbye the last time? Because you left in a mood, twit. He grimaced at himself as he remembered, but didn’t want to repeat that particular argument with her. 18
Aiden stared into his eyes, and smiled gently. “Goodbye?” she asked quietly.19
“It’s for the best,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. His head dipped down to kiss her gently, needing to taste her one last time. 20
It’s not the best for me, she thought. “Yeah.” She ran a finger over his bare chest.21
He brought a hand up and linked his fingers through hers. “If you ever need me, I’ll be there. Tomorrow, next year, two hundred years from now… doesn’t matter.”22
“How about five hundred years from now?”23
“Don’t push it.”24
She smiled at him.25
“Not to sound like a sappy-assed song, but…all you have to do is call, and I’ll be there.” He brought her hand up to kiss the palm. “We’re connected, and if you’re ever in danger, or if anyone ever touches you in an improper way-“26
“Whoa, hold on there. Improper?” 27
He blinked at her thoughts. “Any way that would hurt you,” he assured her. “I’m not going to begrudge you a relationship. I’m not that big of an ass. If you find someone that makes you happy…” he trailed off and sighed. “I just want you to be happy and safe.”28
He touched her cheek and Aiden felt a tickling sensation that caused her to pull back and rub her face. She caught sight of her reflection and gaped. A large intricate scrolled design covered half of her face. 29
“What did you do?!” she snapped as she leaned towards the mirror. The mark, which resembled waves in motion, soon vanished. She spun to glare at him.30
Savitar regarded her calmly. “You are now under my personal protection,” he said in a low voice that sent erotic shivers down her back. “If, at any time, you feel threatened, just think about the mark, and it will appear.” He raised a hand and ran it over the cheek. “All Hunters branches and Apollites know the mark and none will harm you.”31
She didn’t know whether to be grateful or insulted, but the way he said that brought a small fear to her chest. “Do you know something I don’t know?”32
“I know a lot of things that you don’t know,” he replied honestly. “And no, I’m not going to divulge at the moment.”33
Aiden sighed. “A few months ago, I probably would have been totally pissed off by a comment like that. But now…you have reasons, and eventually they’ll be revealed.” She ran her fingers through his hair, brushing it back from his face. “You’re not such a bad ass, you know.”34
Savitar rolled so he was on top of her, and grabbed her hands, holding them gently above her head. “Oh, but I am,” he said seriously. “I do what I want, when I want, to who I want, and I don’t really care about the outcome as long as it doesn’t explode in my face.” He nudged her thighs apart with his knee. “Although sometimes things exploding in my face is fun.” He gave her a completely wicked, and totally corrupt look.35
“You’re incorrigible.” 36
“That too.” He moved against her, bringing a smile to her face. “I didn’t get my reputation by saving kitty-cats from trees. I earned every bad thing ever said about me.”37
“So, you wouldn’t save a kitty-cat?” she asked seriously.38
He laughed and brought his forehead down to hers as her legs wrapped around his waist. Gods, but he was going to miss her.39
~~~~~~~~~~~~40
Four hours later, he stood facing her, as she was about to leave. Aiden leaned forward and lightly kissed the golden eagle tattoo on his bare chest, which prompted Savitar to leaned forward, pull the neck line of her shirt down, and kiss the eagle tattoo that was on her chest. He smiled slightly when she laughed, and then straightened. 41
“Remember what I said,” he told her, smiling as she nodded.42
“You be good,” she said. “And if you can’t be good, be good at it…and take pictures.”43
“Anything for you,” he said, then pulled her close for a long, hard kiss, fighting the urge to take her back to his bed for an hour or twenty.44
Aiden nearly melted as his tongue worked its incredible magick, and knew she would be hard pressed to ever find anyone who could make her feel like he did. 45
He reluctantly pulled away, kissed her forehead, then took a step back. “See you around, Aiden.”46
She blinked back a tear at the sound of her name on his lips. “See you,” she whispered, then vanished.47
Aiden looked around her living room, surprised to see that it was completely fixed after the battle that took place a few days before. She fell in to the couch wearily, assuming that either Ash or Savitar had fixed her place. Manifesting a mirror in her hand, she held it up, and thought about the mark on her face. She stared as the gentle curves appeared, and titled her head as she studied them. 48
Savitar knew something, and knew that he had to protect her without actually stepping in personally. Part of that scared her, while another part felt comforted by his willingness to extend his protection and power to her. 49
~~~~~~~~~~50
Ash walked through the streets of New Orleans, watching as the city continued to pull itself together after the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. A lot of things returned to normal, while a lot more would never be the same again. 51
Pulling back the door on a large gate, he entered and heading towards a large house that had been rebuilt. He rang the bell and waited. Putting his hand on the knob, he easily opened the door, bypassing the security system, and entered. Nick Gautier was missing… again. And Ash felt the need to find him. 52
He walked through Nick’s house, taking note of the empty fridge and the dust that seemed to be everywhere. No one had been here in a while, and Nick had somehow managed to slip the Squires that were keeping tabs on him. Ash was willing to give the Cajun time to come to grips with what had happened, but Nick was pushing the limits of Ash’s patience. 53
Ash stood in the doorway of the living room, remembering the times he’d spent there, laughing with Nick and his mother, and feeling nearly human for the first time in eons. Nick had come to as close to a friend as Ash had, and by one line uttered in anger, Ash had ruined a good man. 54
Now Nick hated him. He knew that if Nick had been given his act of vengeance when he became a Hunter, it would have been against him. But since Nick was a ‘special case’ that Artemis had created to avoid Ash’s ire, Nick never got his chance. 55
Ash sighed as he walked out of the house, the door closing quietly behind him. No…nothing would ever be the same again.56
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~57
Nick Gautier stared out the window of the bus, the view of the countryside going by unnoticed as he tried to clear his mind. After drinking blood from Stryker, the Daimon had been able to sense his emotions and Nick wasn’t overly fond of that. At times, he thought that it might have been a mistake to jump at the chance to kill Ash…until he remembered what Ash had done to him. 58
It wasn’t Nick’s fault that he had slept with Ash’s daughter. Hell, he hadn’t even known that Ash had a daughter. He thought Simi was a friend of Tabitha’s in New Orleans. When he found out, Ash had yelled ‘you best kill yourself and save me the trouble’ at him, which the fates made in to a curse. A few weeks later, Nick had done just that. 59
He sighed as the scenery went by. Ash had kept Simi a secret from him since they had met… so much for Nick being one of the immortal’s best friends. Stryker had put the thought in Nick’s brain that if he hid that, then what else was he hiding. Nick already figured out, through Stryker, that Ash was a god. But not just any god. Ash was the son of the Destroyer, Apollymi, who also held the distinction of being the creator of the Daimons. 60
Ash was a Daimon who rebelled against his mother, joined forces with Artemis, and now used the Dark-Hunters in his war to bring Apollymi down. Stryker and the rest were unfortunately stuck in the middle, and tried to fight against a force that would stop at nothing to see the cosmos under their rule. 61
Nick couldn’t figure out why Savitar never stepped in to stop Ash and Artemis, but Stryker assured him that the enigmatic surfer was keeping close tabs on Ash, and would act if needed. 62
He looked up as the bus stopped, and realized that they had arrived in the city. Grabbing his small backpack, Nick made his way off with the other passenger, readjusting his sunglasses as he stepped out into the bright sunlight.63
He noticed a few women watching him and ignored them as he walked by. Most were either drawn to his good looks, or the double bow and arrow tattoo that covered half his neck and face. So much for the Dark-Hunter rule of keeping the mark hidden. He rolled his silver swirl eyes behind dark glasses, and set off for someplace to rest until he could act like a real Dark-Hunter and be out only during the night.64
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Got a minute? 65
Ash silenced all the other voices in his head until he heard only one. Sure.66
Did you ever tell anyone, and by anyone, I mean Aiden specifically, about the way you died? Savitar asked. He turned as someone appeared by the table he used for the Omegrion. 67
“I’ve never told anyone.” Ash stared. “Why?”68
“She had a dream one night… well, actually, she’s been having the same one for about a year, and it’s a little too like your death to be a coincidence.”69
“How do you know about my death?”70
“I know everything,” Savitar said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Thing is, does she know.”71
“You tell me,” Ash said. His death was one of the few things he absolutely refused to discuss with anyone.72
Savitar gave him a tolerant stare. “I said it was a little too similar. There are a few differences, and well, you do talk in your sleep.”73
“Not funny,” Ash growled. “And also not funny that you won’t tell me how she knows.”74
“Were-Hunters are empathic,” Savitar pointed out. “You know,” he leaned against the table and folded his arms easily over his chest. He looked like he was discussing the weather, and not another person’s deepest pain, “you’d actually be surprised at the amount of knowledge in that bird’s brain.”75
“And it’s twenty question time,” Ash mumbled. “First contestant, Ash.” He sighed. “Okay, I’ll play. What are you trying to tell me, or not tell me, or whatever’s on the agenda for this century?”76
“Oh, come on,” Savitar said with an infuriating grin. “If I told you, then it would ruin my fun.”77
“We can’ t have that now, can we?”78
“I knew you’d understand.” The smile faded from his face. “She’s going to call you, and you need to go with your gut instinct on the…issue. Don’t think about it or double guess yourself.”79
“What issue?” Ash asked. 80
Savitar gave him a somber look. “You don’t want to know.”
Author notes
short, but a stepping stone chapter...
In a list
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 5 of 5
-
very good background chapter. lots of information and knowledge to obtain. it really does a good job of sucking the reader into the world created.
also a note on nick- iver heard him mentioned a few times now and im so very glad that his situation and part is being played out. i feel very... in the know. -
Nick! I don't like Nick Gautier. Always thought he was a little whiny in the books, or trying too hard to belong. And then offing himself and blaming Ash? so uncool.
Hmm... Savitar has a brand? Interesting. Wonder if his creator knows about it
“And it’s twenty question time,” Ash mumbled. “First contestant, Ash.” cute. I love it when the characters are being cryptic. You write Savitar and Ash very nicely and some of their banter reminds me of old friends.
-
Good work
I like the flow of the sotry and how you described it was brilliant because i could see the images in my head. Good work this proves you are a talented writer.
-
Here I am!!
First typo. Fourth section, fifth paragraph, second sentence:
"He knew that if Nick had been given his act of vengeance when he became a hunter, it would have being against him."
"being" should be "been"
Second typo. Fifth section, third paragraph, second sentence:
"Ash had kept Simi a secret for him..."
"for" should be "from" (it's a little different at least...)
Third typo. Sixth section, second line/paragraph, first sentence:
"Ash silenced all the other voice in his head..."
"voice" should be "voices"
This is so cool. So many things have been happening- this seems way different from "Wings of a Cloud". So much more seems to be going on.
MoonNight
beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.
-
-
!
I like it when there are many storylines that eventually merge....
-
Adding your comment:
1 - 5 of 5
