by Sharon Rose
“Master!” A chimpanzee wearing a thin, gold bangle around his neck jumped at him, and settled on his shoulder.
“Aapo…” he whispered as he puffed his tobacco, recognizing his companion.
He jumped on his shoulder as if uneasy, as if worried. He damned well knew why. “Aapo… be still…” he casually ordered.
The chimpanzee stopped jumping. He stilled as he stood on his shoulder. But he was making an annoying sound.
“What is it?” he scowled, looking over his shoulder as he took another puff.
Aapo stared at him. Worry was etched on his face. “Why did you drink her blood?” he asked in an almost hysterical tone.
He just snorted. Why did he? “I was tempted,” he answered blandly. It was hard not to when her blood was dripping in his mouth.
“You know you shouldn’t have done that!” Aapo shrieked in disbelief. “You know what that means. What that entails… Master Gadreel-”
“I know…” he cut off his most loyal ally. Aapo had been serving him for as long as he could remember. They had been together for most of his life. "But it was already done. We can't undo it anymore."
"I'm just worried, Master..." His tail wagged.
He patted the chimpz on the head. "Thanks, Aapo, but stop worrying. I'll handle things, okay? Aren't you just glad that I'm done with the ritual? She's no longer a virgin. She can traverse to our world already."
"But you didn't do it right!" Aapo's brows cocked in worry. His golden eyes crinkled.
Dammit! How would he do it right if there was Aapo that lurks in the tree, watching over him? But despite that, he still got carried away. In fact, that totally slipped from his mind. He just remembered that they had an audience when the chimpanzee showed up.
"Are you risking your plan?" he probed. "You've been planning for this for so long! We can't afford to make a mistake!"
He fumed. He flicked the tobacco, and threw it away. It scuttled on the ground, the burning tip burst into rich, fiery fragments.
"She won't take it anymore," he growled. "She's already hurt."
"You care for her?" Aapo peered at him with his inquisitive eyes.
He faced the chimpanzee. "Of course, I care for her," he answered tersely. "We need her, right? She'll help us change the course of our destiny. Aren't we supposed to make sure she's okay?"
"But you have to fulfill the ritual, Master. You have to!" Aapo insisted.
He heaved a deep sigh. "I know. I'll do it the next time." He looked at the sky, and stared at the moon.
"You have to hurry up. Time is running out. We only have a few days left before the fiftieth blood moon, before the passageway opens up again..." he reminded him.
He ran his hand on the chimpanzee's head. "Don't worry, Aapo. I'll get it done. Our plans will push through as planned. We will never fuck up. I'll make sure of that," he spoke every word with firm certainty.
Aapo's eyes brightened in glee. He kept on jumping on his shoulder as if excited of the things to come.
He knew that Aapo couldn’t wait anymore to return to Bal-Mont, just like he was. He couldn’t wait to be back home, to the world that was rightfully his to rule, a birth right that he had to reclaim.
He pursed his lips hard. Soon Bal-Mont would be his again. He would claim it from the fucktard who stole it from him a long time ago.
He would be back with a vengeance. This time, he would etch his own destiny. He would make sure of that.
NOTE:
This is a prelude to Taken: A Hot, Fallen Angel Romance! Available on smashwords!