Lisa was a light blonde, tall, and very curvy, all things that I wasn’t. She was also impossible not to like.
Kelly added teasingly, “And why would you want to?”
Of all the vampires I knew, even those excepting of my oddness, only Kelly seemed fascinated by the idea of a werewolf mate, apparently she liked the idea of the risk in it, in bed I mean. She was also the quiet one out of us all. She had red hair, and soft brown eyes.
Tammy, was an attractive golden blonde with blue eyes. She had a curious look on her face but didn’t say anything at all. The two of us had a tentative friendship between us, but we were still working out how to click. The biggest obstacle in that was we didn’t spend much time together.
I thought about just laying it out, and if we were all alone I might have, but we were in the second floor dining room, and vampires had very good hearing. I wasn’t very eager to lay out my issues before the whole coven.
I replied, “I missed all the scintillating conversation, so thought I’d come say hi. What’s the plan tonight?” I deflected, not really wanting to talk about my love life, or my difficulties.
Tammy sighed, “Matt and I are working at Pulse, and then we’re going into hiding until Monday morning. You are still covering the weekend right? I’ve been looking forward to two days off all week.”
I knew she hadn’t had a day off since the purge, when Ceara came to take over the city weeks ago.
“Of course, I said I would. Maybe we can make it a regular thing?”
Tammy just nodded, a pleased smile on her face.
Cheryl said, “Kelly and I are working tonight too.”
I guess that meant it would just be Lisa and I, she was the daytime guard on the third floor, where the offices and Ceara’s lounge were. She was also the head of security, and fairly young for the job at just two hundred and ninety years as a vampire. Usually a post like that in a coven would be someone at least four hundred, but most of the older ones in security died during the purge, or later on when I was forced to take part in the failed coup.
That seemed so long ago, but really it hadn’t been very long at all. The last couple of weeks had been extremely busy. Maybe that was a part of the problem too, I hadn’t had time to really come to terms with my new life, and now it was changing again drastically. I wondered if I was just too greedy, I wanted this life, and the life I’d dreamed of with my mate.
Lisa smiled, “We can just stay in and relax, watch movies? I’m not really in the mood to go dancing or anything.”
“Works for me.”
I translated that to mean that she wanted to eat ice cream and gossip. I was also okay with it, since I’d be at Pulse tomorrow and Sunday night. Working maybe, but still at a club.
A tray slapped against the table, and Jerry sat down, “There you are Miku, want to spar later?”
Jerry was also in security, and I’d discovered he was as good as I was with a sword, or without. He was in charge of training the new recruits we’d picked up from the rogue master vampires to swell our security ranks. We’d needed them to defend the coven, given that Ceara, head vampire over all vampires, was even a bigger rogue magnet than I was.
His job was to turn them from brawlers into true fighters, something I helped with when I had time.
The point was, it was good to have someone I could spar with, and work to regain the edge I’d lost in the two years since my mother and teacher had been murdered.
Lisa shrugged at my questioning glance, and I figured it wouldn’t take longer than a half hour or so.
“Sounds good, after dinner?”
Jerry nodded in satisfaction, and dug into his meal.
We talked for a while longer over dinner, mostly about work and the coven in general. Then Jerry and I headed downstairs, and Lisa joined us to watch. The others went to get ready for their own nights of work.
Chapter Three
The way I was taught to fight as a spirit sorceress was to mostly ignore physical my senses, and use my magic. It was something I had to relearn for a couple of reasons.
One, my power had recently doubled, and I not only felt Jerry’s body movements through his soul, but I also felt every vampire and human within a mile radius. Not only was there a lot more of it for my soul and mind to adjust too, but it was also much sharper. With more power, only vampires above three hundred or so could really block me from their souls, even when I was just being passive. Above that, to about eight hundred or so, I could now thread the magic.
Which meant Ceara was the only vampire in range I couldn’t read.
Since most vampires in the coven were below three hundred, that meant I was always in contact with their souls now, much like I was with the humans. The biggest change because of that, was that I had to connect to the spiritual plane for peace and balance, to avoid getting overwhelmed and swept away by the chaos of their souls, even when I limited my range to just this building.
So I hadn’t bothered to limit my range at all recently, there was no longer an advantage in doing so, which will probably help me reach the next power increase faster, although I wasn’t sure of that. I had no one to ask.
The second reason I had to relearn it, was it was harder to ignore vampire senses than it had been my human senses. Vampires had much better senses of hearing and scenting, which made it much harder to ignore in favor of gauging my surroundings and enemies exclusively with spirit power.
In short, I had to adapt to both my new power levels, as well as my new vampire senses, all while I tried to regain my edge.
None of that meant I was actually bad though, Jerry was just under two hundred years old, and I had the strength and speed of just a fifty-year-old vampire, which meant I was doing very good just to keep up with him. His older age though, seemed to compensate nicely for that spirit ability only I had, even if I wasn’t using it to its full advantage at the moment.
My real sword was over to the side, leaning against the wall near where Lisa stood.
Jerry and I both had practice swords that would hurt like hell if either of us landed a strike, but wouldn’t break skin if either of us missed a block. After a quick bow, he didn’t waste any time and immediately went on the offensive.
I’d been taught in the yin style, I was athletic, but petite. That didn’t matter so much anymore, not with vampire speed and some extra strength, but I wouldn’t be changing styles anytime soon. The strongest of human men might not be stronger than I was, but male vampires and shifters certainly still were.
I redirected his strike as I danced to the right, and then probed his side but he hadn’t overextended, and had no trouble moving his sword back into position to block my strike, while simultaneously trying to sweep my legs with his.
I jumped back avoiding the sweep, and he followed quickly, and I parried several strikes before my feet once again met the ground, even twisting my body to avoid a strike with his off hand.
It was rather intense, and fun, anyone else in security I’d have taken down already. I didn’t need to hold back at all, except of course for my spirit magic attacks which had no place in training.
Over the next half an hour we got a handful of touches against each other, and it was usually when I lost focus on my magic, and started to use my senses instead. It was difficult to ignore, to put it in perspective, it would be the difference for a human to ignore a babbling brook, and then two weeks later that brook sounded like Niagara Falls. Not so easy to tune out.
Jerry said, “Can you be here tomorrow morning to help out with training.”
I nodded, “Sure, I should be free if nothing comes up that is.”
Jerry smiled, “Another bout after?”
I laughed, “Yes. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I grabbed my sword, and Lisa and I headed upstairs, where I needed another shower, and a change of clothes. We were staying in, so I just threw on a pair of yoga pants, and a comfortable shirt. When I went out into the living room, it looked like Lisa had everything r
eady to go. Snacks and movies I mean.
It was something I didn’t want to give up, the evening so far had just reinforced my thoughts that way. The coven was family, even the ones that didn’t like me, and Lisa was turning out to be a lot like a close sister. There had to be a balance between coven and pack, even if I moved in with Jared.
If there was, I’d find it.
Lisa grinned, “So tell me what really happened with the pack, they treat you well?”
I should have known she’d grill me once she got me in private. That was okay, I kind of wanted to fill her in, so I did. She was patient while I got it all out, and what I was thinking.
She didn’t seem nearly as worried about it as I was.
“I don’t think it’ll be a problem, the coven members aren’t required to live here, remember? But you should talk to Ceara about it tomorrow anyway. I don’t know what to tell you about the ally ritual, as far as I know it’s unprecedented. I think your jobs will bring you here often enough to stay connected with all of us. If not, I’ll invade pack land and steal you back.”
I snorted, picturing how badly that would go. I also didn’t doubt her. Lisa was my first friend. I may not have been hers, but I knew she valued our friendship just as much as I did.
She did have a point though, was I overstressing it, or just afraid that things were moving too fast with my soul mate? We’d finally gotten together just a couple of days ago, and now we were considering moving in together? Damned werewolf certainty, but was I just afraid of losing myself, and all the changes it would entail? Could I just keep the condo too, for the times I’d be here because of my job?
The liaison job would be easy, I could do it from anywhere, including at the pack. Being a bartender was fun, and stretched my abilities as a spirit sorceress when I practiced, but I didn’t do it more than a couple of times a week. I already considered to limiting that to weekends only, since everyone seemed to think me doing three jobs was crazy to begin with.
Really, the big thing would be my assistance with the guard, and working for Ceara directly doing investigation and information gathering. Of course, what would happen if the pack and coven needed me at the same time? Who would take priority?
I shook that off, mainly because I didn’t have a clue.
“Anything happen around here I should know about?”
Lisa shrugged, “Not really. No drama today at all, and no new rogue issues since the L.A. thing. It’s been at least thirty-six hours since the last emergency, it’s like a vacation.”
I snorted, “I kind of hoped I’d just joined at a bad time, is it likely to be that crazy.”
Lisa looked thoughtful for a moment.
“In the past I’d have said no, but with Ceara here it’s very likely. As you know, Seattle is pretty much the focus of the vampire world right now.”
Yeah, I kind of did know that. Still, I’d hoped things might settle a little bit after the initial rush following the deaths of two of the vampire council.
I sat on the couch, pulled up my feet to get comfortable, and asked, “So what movies did you have in mind?”
The rest of the night was lighter conversation, movies, and junk food.
After Lisa left, the condo felt oddly empty, and I found I missed Jared and felt alone when I slipped into my bed. It seemed almost unreal, I’d spent one night with the man, after two days of being together, and I already missed him. More than that, his absence felt… wrong. Luckily, he was just a dream away.
Chapter Four
It was Saturday morning, I’d just finished breakfast, and there weren’t very many people in the offices on the third floor. There were a few though, even vampires had their workaholics. I moved through the office part and down the hallway to what I’d taken to thinking of as Ceara’s lounge. It really didn’t do the room, or the power of her aura justice, as I moved down the hallway.
Spirit sorceress or not, Ceara could end me easily, for at least another ten years or so. A part of me was concerned with the risk, but I also didn’t believe she’d kill me without reason. I also knew she’d been testing me, most likely to find that reason if there was one. I couldn’t blame her, I’d be a risk to her power and life at some point, and I was a vampire.
I’d never do it of course, Ceara’s death would destabilize the whole vampire world, and possibly the human one as well when the younger vampires took advantage of the lack of supervision. On top of that, I was positive her soul was still learning things in this life, she didn’t have that sour vibe I’d felt from some of the other older vampires. It was a strange thing, almost as if their souls had started to stagnate and rot because they’d left the wheel of birth and death.
I probably should have talked to her about my situation last night, but I’d put it off until now.
I knocked, and she told me to come in.
Ceara looked about nineteen years old, but I knew she was really about nineteen hundred and some odd years old. She had long dark red hair, and hazel eyes. She was also scary, even when she wasn’t trying to be. She felt like… barely restrained death, or at least her thick powerful aura of air magic did. It didn’t help that I was there to see her unleash that power before. I knew that if she decided to kill me, that I’d be dead before I ever realized it.
There was something very humbling about that.
She smiled at me in genuine welcome as I took a seat caddy corner to her on another couch.
“What brings you by Miku?”
I replied, “I was hoping to get your advice, and figure out where I might run afoul of my commitments…”
I basically laid out the whole story, what I thought, and what I wanted. She didn’t seem all that surprised about anything I said, but didn’t interrupt me either.
Ceara nodded, “I already told you when you first got here, you can live anywhere you want. I have no problem with you cutting back hours for bartending to just the weekends, in fact I have no problem with you quitting both other jobs and just being available when I need security assistance. Anything more than that is up to you. Although, pack liaison would work even better if you’re there.
“You don’t have a thing to worry about with the ally bond, I’ve never heard of a vampire doing it before, but I do know an air sorcerer that has an ally bond with a pack, so it should be possible for us as well. It sounds like the mystic already likes and trusts you, that should be enough since she’ll be directing the magic.
“The ally bond itself is a bit concerning. I can see where it would benefit us, through you, but as a member of this coven I’d still expect you to be available when I needed you, at any time. Yet, by virtue of that bond you’ll be committing to answer their calls for help as well, beyond what you feel for your mate. I don’t imagine a lot of conflicts will come up, but when overlap does happen, I’d expect you here.”
Yeah, and if I didn’t show up, I’d be rogue. That would be bad, to say the least. I also wasn’t sure how to view the bond as a spirit sorceress. I doubted I could consider it a permanent request for help, the same old rules would apply there by the tenets. Or would they?
I didn’t mention it though, or my doubts, Ceara couldn’t help me with it, no one could really.
Of course, now that I acknowledged him as mate, and we were connected by the bond, I could act as I saw fit to protect him, asked to or not. Which was handy, because I knew the stubborn man would die before he asked me for help in battle.
“I’ll have to discuss it with Jared, but I already know he puts his pack ahead of me, he should at least understand I have the same commitment to the coven.”
I hoped that was true. He was my soul mate, and by virtue of that, I knew we were compatible. But it had just been days, and in truth I knew very little about him.
I added, “I plan to keep the condo if that’s okay.”
Not really as a backup just in case things went sour type of thing, I just thought there would be times I’d need to stay here for whatever reason, or whatever emergency wa
s going on.
She approved, and I thanked her, got up, and left.
I’d gotten the green light from Ceara, yet I went down to the first floor to help with training the new security folks how to fight, instead of running off to the pack. It was more than just keeping my word with Jerry, there was something else that held me back as well.
I loved every minute I spent with Jared, yet there was also a tenseness to it, like if I let go I’d lose myself. A part of me even wanted to let him protect me, and not even bother fighting it. He was my mate, and would be my family.
I also knew that was the easy way out. The world wasn’t simple, and I hadn’t been out on my own very long. The two years I’d spent after my parents’ death in the woods hardly counted, so that meant what, that I’d been independent for two whole weeks?
I needed to figure out where I fit, as a vampire that was mated to a werewolf. I had no example to follow, and all of my mother’s teachings and combined family wisdom about how a spirit sorcerer lived no longer applied to me. I needed to find my own balance, and my own path, not be told where my place was.
Yet, I also knew it was only right to share that with my mate.
I knew one thing, my place would be next to him, and never behind him. I decided to talk to Jared in our shared dream tonight, and smiled as I wondered just how many growls I’d be able to pull out of him.
I cleared my mind of all of that as I walked into the training room, and was glad to focus on something else for the rest of the morning…
Chapter Five
It was a rainy out and I got a few odd looks. I was pretty sure that was because of the sunglasses, a vampire necessity in daylight regardless of how gloomy, and not the sword strapped to my back since that shouldn’t be noticed at all thanks to Tina’s magic.
It was kind of a new thing, or at least I hadn’t heard of it until recently, but I knew they made tinted contact lenses for sports, and I wondered if that would do the trick as well as a pair of sunglasses. I didn’t care about needing to wear sunglasses, but on days like this it really made vampires stand out.
Sorcerous Rogue: Spirit Sorceress: Book 3 Page 2