Awakened (A Fairy Tales Novel)

by Melanie Walker

  "What do you mean?" Ashess asked and walked toward the door expecting Bri to stumble in any second heart broken and ready to fight. When she didn’t enter Ash looked at Fangs. "Where is she?"

  Fangs black eyes were trained on Pete and Ash had a passing thought that if he even moved he was dead. The anger in Fangs was palpable, had its own heartbeat. "I don’t know. I was hoping you might have a lead." Fangs didn’t move, he stayed put at the door not trusting himself to get any closer to Pete.

  Ashess shook her head. "I can only feel the pain inside of her, the madness. Unless she summons me I won’t be able to find her until she calms down." Ash no longer afraid of Fangs energy walked towards him and shut the door. Looking at Pete, "Pete leave. You’re not helping the situation any and you’re fucking up my feelers with all the regret." She tugged on Fangs sleeve and he didn’t budge. "That and he is about to rip your throat out for the pleasure of it."

  Fangs hissed in agreement and Pete took the hint and flashed from the room.

  Ashess walked into the room and sat on the couch again. Knowing Bri was out there angry and alone made her itch for anything but sitting and waiting. “What happened?” She asked hoping that the evil lay deep in the details and could maybe give her something to go on.

  Fangs sat and rested his hands on his knees head falling forward he looked as if he would scream at any second. “Apocalyptic cryptic bullshit.” Fangs snarled and moved so fast Ash couldn’t track his movements, only seeing him as he stopped in front of his enormous patio window. “Turns out you girls are the ‘Be all End all’ of good and evil.” He shook his head and Ash remained silent knowing more was coming.

  “He told her the truth sure, but all he has done is created a bigger mess.” He looked at Ash then, his eyes so black that even the depths of hell would be more welcoming. Whatever he was about to say had Ash twitching.

  “Just tell me Fangs…The sooner I know the faster I can react.”

  “The four of you, Bri, Belle and Winter are the fabric of humanity.”

  To say she was dumbfounded was a matter of opinion. Confused…absolutely.

  “Meaning what exactly?”

  “Meaning that you are not demons, or Ware’s or Contaca Souls. You are the fabric of humanity, the balance between good and evil.” He chuckled and the sound was dark and distorted sending chills up Ash’s spine. “The God Forsaking knot at the end of a rapidly freighting rope. Weapons of Ezeks and the power you girls have is vast and has gone completely untouched for fucking centuries.”

  Ash took a seat unable to control the blood that was rushing furiously through her veins. “No…” she breathed not bothering to look at Fangs. “I work for Dvina; I have been a Succubus for the last four hundred plus years.” She looked at Fangs incredulously. “I sold her my soul Fangs, I was there, and I remember it all.”

  “And you do work for Dvina, on a deal that Ezek made with the Succubus. By doing so he still got the souls he needed but you were able to live and work in the demon and human world. You never needed the souls to survive, would have without lifting a finger. Ezek used you darling same as he used Belle, Winter and Bri.”

  “Our bond?”

  “Made to keep Bri on a tight leash. By connecting the two of you and your contract with Dvina he ensured the two of you together as a force to be reckoned with.”

  “Belle…Winter? What are they?”

  “The same as you and Bri. You, Cinderella, are the embodiment of despair. Winter is compassion, Belle…" he paused shaking his head. "Sacrifice and Bri as you know is vengeance.” Fangs ran shaking, furious fingers through his hair as he spoke. “The four of you are the very fabric of humanity, the balance that keeps things in order. You all have unimaginable strength, your beyond immortal you are all untouchable. When he saved the four of you, it was through Bri that he bound you together. You by blood in a moment of utter despair, Belle by sacrifice and Winter because of her compassion. Her vengeance has strengthened the tie that binds you all. Her anger and her pain and suffering has made you stronger and more powerful than even Ezek, her suffering has made this possible. It is why he created them both, told the tale to his scared daughter that they would save her… it’s why he hid them. He never wanted her free.”

  Ashess needed a minute to process the events of a lifetime that created the force of four very messed up women. Princess’ of pain. Royalty of tainted blood. To know the hell that Briar has endured for the purity of the girls, her love for them… it was shattering the very restraint in Ash.

  "So what?" She asked and stood to pace the stretch of hardwood floor like she was bound and determined to leap off the plank. "The contract and the knife are useless, Belles death was pointless and now Sleeping fucking Beauty is out and about on the town looking for Fil and her only weapon is what Fangs, her emotions?"

  Had she been anyone else besides Ashess, Fangs would have jumped at the fight she was radiating, but remained collected as a pissed off Sire could. "Like I said, I haven’t a fucking clue where she is. I have fed from her a total of three times and she still has the uncanny ability to block me. So no Cinda-fucking-rella, I have no clue." Each word he spoke with absolute precision and punctuation making sure she understood exactly who she was talking to.

  “So what are we supposed to do now?” She asked needing the answer to that question more than her next breath.

  “Now….”Fangs let the word drop because for once he had no answers. His princess had her freedom and with it she disappeared. “Now I just need to find her.” He looked at Ash and the resolve in his stare froze her mid step. “Every member of my Posse will be out in force until she is home and may God have mercy on Fil, because I won’t.”

  *

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Briar went to the only place that made sense in such a state of rage. Why this place made sense she didn’t fully understand but after leaving Ezek’ s office she made the choice to let the power inside of her have free reign.

  The rain mirrored the fury inside of Bri tonight. The rain fell like tiny pebbles beating against her skin as she hiked the distance down the long dirt drive that had turned to mud in the wrath of the storm.

  With her fingers frozen and her body shaking from the cold she wrapped her knuckles on the door and waited for Adam Cane to answer her call.

  Cane opened the door and smiled, stared at her, a look of the fondest pleasure crossed his face as he sniffed the air and caught the scent of the purest form of anger he had ever sensed in his long life.

  He stared at her with cannibalistic eyes desperate to feast on the emotions raging through her. “This…” he sighed and sniffed the air again. “It is untouched and pure, the rage inside of you.”

  “I need you to focus Cane, focus and use what I am giving off right now.” She watched as he focused; read her loud and clear before a simple slice of his head indicated he agreed. He opened the door farther and Bri stepped inside.

  The house was different from last time she was there, when before he had used fesh to hinder her or Fangs from seeing anything, he didn’t bother now. What she had assumed before was a family living room, was nothing more than a room of charcoal grey walls and black leather couches. The room was cold as she was and held nothing compassionate to it. “Where is your family?” She asked and slipped the sopping wet and mud covered shoes from her feet.

  “No family. It was illusion I used to build a safety barrio when you and your ‘not mate’ were here last.” He winked at her and smiled. “Hard to kill a man when his family waits in the nearby room.”

  Bri said nothing but stared at him in shock because it was both genius and creative, but creepy all at once. “I assure you I have no plans to harm you though Princess. You fascinate me to no end. Tell me what is it that brings you to my door on such a heinous night?”

  Bri could hear the tic tac of her teeth as they chattered and wished she knew more of the power inside her so she could make herself dry and warm. “It goes pretty deep here Cane and
I don’t have the time for explanations’. I give you permission to enter my mind and see for yourself.”

  He did as she requested and the pressure of his invasion this time was less painful and frightening. She sat still and fought the pressure when he exited her mind and sat back in one of the leather chairs.

  He didn’t speak for the first few minutes, simply watched her as she took a seat across from his, her body shivering, her teeth the only sound in the room.

  Cane stood and reached for a blanket from the hall closet and brought it to her, wrapping the Chenille around her arms and rubbing them gently before creating a fire in the fireplace with nothing more than a snap of fingers. It was power like that, so simple and so easy that had her knocking on his door this night. “Perhaps a car would have been a smart idea don’t you think?” He asked a smile in his voice as he took the seat beside her on the couch. Turning to look at her she could see he no longer found the feast of her emotions as appealing. “Where is your ‘not mate’ Vampire this evening?”

  She smiled at the reference she and Fangs were so adamant about the last time they spoke with Adam Cane. He had read her mind though and in doing so he knew damn well where Fangs was, that he was back to…something in her life and he knew why she was here. This was what a fear demon did when he attempted to be cordial. It was almost flattering.

  “I don’t know where he is, perhaps still in Ezeks chamber choking him to death.”

  Adam laughed and stood extending his hand to her. “Let’s get you warm with some tea and a dry set of clothes before we get to the tough stuff.”

  His eyes were kind but Bri was no fool. This was the demon that cracked her open, broke all her pieces and left her shattered on the floor. When she hesitated Cane tilted his head to the side and Bri felt the pressure of him in her mind.

  “He didn’t tell you, the Vampire Kuyper…I told him that I offer my assistance to the two of you free of charge. I assure you Sleeping Beauty you are safe her.”

  Still hesitant Bri didn’t move.

  “On my word as a demon, on my blood I swear I only want to help.”

  Bri accepted his hand and stood, not trusting him, but his word, certainly. For a demon to swear on his blood and honor as a demon would result in death if they didn’t follow through. She was safe for the time being.

  Sitting at the bar top of Adam Canes truly exquisite kitchen Bri sipped the cup of chamomile tea he made, lemon honey and a few sugar cubes sat on the delicate china plate before her and she had a passing thought of something so fragile in the hands of something so terrifying as she was.

  “So if I have gathered everything inside of you as effectively as I thought, then what he has told you, what you are is nothing shy of amazing.” He corked an eyebrow at her. “I don’t understand why it frightens you.”

  “Because it makes me the most terrifying thing alive!”

  “Again I don’t see the problem.” Cane gave her that smile that made her blood run cold before he took a seat next to her at the bar top. “The way I see it, is perhaps now you have the power to accomplish the things he wouldn’t allow. You’re no longer his tool but his asset. I see where he was coming from. In his position I don’t know if I’d keep what you are a secret but I would have wanted you for my own resources. In the end, where you are, is where you are. Had he told you from the beginning would your life turned out differently? Who knows? The point is, there is no sense in fighting something you cannot change, especially when danger is nipping at your heels like a new born pup. You have the power so how are you going to use it?”

  Bri hated that he made sense, but the fact of the matter was the point he was making. She did have the power, a lot of it and that was precisely why she came to him. “I need to know everything about Fil. As a Incubus, he can shift, I know he is capable of killing me, even though I’m indestructible, anything will die if you eat it.”

  “Can I be honest with you?” Cane asked and sipped from his tea.

  “Please.”

  He stayed silent as if the words he would choose needed perfect precision. “I don’t think you can kill him, in the simplest terms." He sighed and reached for a spoon. "I doubt highly that walking in with a gun and shooting him will work, let alone a knife. He won’t hold still and let you have your way. Most likely… he will shift into his most dangerous form and do as you said. He will absolutely take the easiest shot." He stared at her then, his look not so much intense as it was drilling. “I think perhaps you should do the same. Pull out all your stops knowing he will show you no respect and go for the kill.”

  “What do I have that could assist in defeating an Incubus who is a shifter?” It was more than that, Fil was always able to read Bri, know her next move. The foreboding pit in her stomach told her that this would be no different.

  The annoyance in her voice made the counter vibrate and Adam stepped back, hands in the air as if surrendering.

  “Sorry.” She said and leaned forward for a napkin to wipe up the tea that spilled from the cup. “Seems since I found out the truth of my inner me I can’t control my emotions and things shake, or break depending on the emotion.”

  “You’ve only known for a few hours, what damage have you caused.”

  “Well, I was seething on my way here and shattered a few windows and flipped a few cars.”

  She didn’t tell him that the water in Lake Sammamish was crashing as if it was the ocean for the five minutes it took to pass it on her way here.

  "At your disposal, Princess, are as stated: a Sired Vampire and most likely his entire Posse. A Succubus who can control despair, a Contaca who will hold your compassion and an absolutely lethal Beast that is more monster than man." He paused and stared at the wall beside Bri, thinking about something that made the hair on the back of her neck stand, terrified if she looked, Fil would be right there.

  "Perhaps," His voice hitched and his eyes fell back to her. "I could be of some assistance to you; I think I could be your best defense."

  Bri corked and eyebrow at him in question. "Meaning what." She asked and sipped from the chamomile tea.

  "Meaning, as a Fear demon I am capable of getting in his mind efficiently and able to hold him while I sort his most sinister memories before I let you go at him."

  As weapons went she couldn’t deny the epic shift in power his being there could give.

  "It would work if I knew where to find him." Truth was Bri would have to find him first. The call he can place on her is unique where she can’t trace him. Perhaps Ezek would tell her but at the moment she didn’t trust her father.

  "With the knowledge that the contract is void between the two of you, won’t he come looking for you instead with fire breathing from his scaled body?" He may have added that for dramatic flair, but the imagery terrified Bri because it was probably accurate.

  "Peter no longer has the knife. I do. Without it the deal he made with Fil stated that if he broke the contract, Fil would receive all of Peter’s assets. He signed Neverland over to Lola. I'm his only asset meaning Fil still owns me."

  "Wouldn’t the contract be null and void on Fils end as well?" With the question came the answer like a wedge through the brain.

  "Meaning Fil is still under direct law to the Dark as me as his mate." When Cane nodded Bri fell back against the high backed bar stool and thought, the answers coming to her, tearing her apart.

  "I need to drop my barriers and let him find me." Which also meant she had no choice but to break the bond between her and Fangs and risk losing him.

  As if Adam had been reading her he spoke. "Rabid dogs in the wild can become accustomed to humans and sneak up stealing food and what not, losing the fear of the unknown." He paused and looked at Bri, his eyes frozen on her, his tone a complete judgment of what he knew she had to do. "It becomes the human’s responsibility to scare the rabid dog, throw a stone to shoo it away. I believe, Sleeping Beauty, that if you want to win this fight you have no choice but to throw stones at your vampire."


  "He won’t go even if I deny the claim he has on me and shut him out." Let alone in doing so, he may be able to one day move on from Bri but she would never get over her love for him. She would forever love him whole heartedly. The claim he staked on her was completely one sided and she needed to break it before things got deeper. Shattering the claim now, at least he would have a resemblance of a normal Sires life, free to fuck and feed, void of any emotion. And she would be free, and though losing Fangs, freeing him of the claim would shatter her heart but all freedoms had a cost, and Bris’ would be steep.

  "And if by not breaking the claim Fil finds you in the bed of a Sire, nothing and no one would stop him from shredding your Vampire and picking his teeth with his bones."

  That was the MVP of graphic depiction.

  "He's a Vampire, a Sired Vampire. It would be almost unwinnable for Fil."