Playing For Keeps (Alpha World Book 4)

by Daniel Schinhofen

  “Aye, I knew she would find ya and bring ya back to us. Do nay worry, we all be here for each other. Now come and help our dear Fluff with her worst memory.” She patted the ground beside her.

  “As you wish,” Alburet told her as he went to her side.

  Karen took Stacia’s other side, claiming a brief kiss from her. “What are we going to be seeing?” Karen asked.

  “Fluff’s mother and Paval,” Stacia replied. She turned to Alburet, “This will be tough on ya, master. It touches even more on ya own issues. I will be havin’ ya step away before the end, it will be a bit too rough on ya otherwise.”

  He chewed his lip for a second, “If that’s what you think is best for Fluff and me.”

  “Aye,” she told him, giving his cheek a kiss and taking a deep breath. “We begin now,” she whispered. She began to sing.

  Alburet

  Half-Blood Infernal Summoner

  Level 56

  Strength: 117 (112)

  Agility: 117 (112)

  Constitution: 50 (20)

  Intelligence: 182 (152)

  Wisdom: 619 (384)

  Charisma: 147 (112)

  Health: 3,300

  Mana: 8,990

  Spells:

  Demon Skin- Rank 6

  Demonic Retribution- Rank 5

  Summon Imp

  Fire Blast- Rank 5

  Sap Strength- Rank 5

  Demonic Haze- Rank 5

  Summon Improved Destroyer

  Demonic Vitality- Rank 5

  Fire Burst- Rank 5

  Summon Improved Succubus

  Abilities:

  Personal Spells

  Flame Weapon

  Copy

  Infernal Upgrade: (Succubus- Ally)

  (7 Upgrades to be selected)

  Racial Abilities:

  Cast spells without verbal components

  Physical damage reduction 25%

  Magical damage reduction 10%

  Influence emotions

  Fire resistance 50%

  Reputation gains at half value

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Alburet looked at the greyed out scene around him. They stood in a small, run-down studio apartment with barely any furnishings. In front of the television in the living room was a small child with pale skin and black hair, clutching a teddy bear. She was drawing on a pad on the floor. In the tiny kitchen was a woman who looked like an older, more worn version of Julia.

  “Momma?” Fluff asked softly, her voice cracking as she looked at the woman in the small kitchen.

  “Aye, tha’ be ya Ma’,” Stacia told her, as the scene came to life before them.

  Karen gently wrapped her arms around Fluff from behind, “We are here for you, Fluff.”

  A soft knock came at the door of the apartment. Julia’s mother went to answer it. Her body language was that of a woman who was afraid. “Coming,” her soft voice held a strong Eastern European accent.

  As she cracked the door open, her indrawn breath was easy to hear. “Paval, why are you here?”

  Paval replied from outside the door. “I came to see if you had reconsidered my offer, Anastacia.”

  “I’m not a whore, Paval. I won’t fuck you, even if I do need money. I won’t raise my daughter like that.”

  “Fine, fine. How about something else then, hmm? I know you’ve sold your art before, why not sell me one of your paintings?”

  Her eyes were wary as she replied, “I can do that. Is there one you want specifically?”

  “I’ll trust you to pick well for me. Let me go grab some cash and I’ll meet you downstairs. Say a hundred for one of your choosing?”

  Lips pursed for a second, “Fine, that is acceptable. I do need to pay off the people who got me here. I didn’t know how much more they would want after they got me to America.”

  “If you want enough to pay them off, we can discuss that too,” Paval’s voice conveyed his full meaning. “But for now, a drawing. I’ll meet you in half an hour, okay?”

  “Fine,” the word was clipped as she shut the door. Anastacia shuddered after the door closed, “That man is a weasel and a pig.” She shook her head as she went towards the single bedroom. She didn’t notice that Julia had watched the whole scene.

  Anastacia was carrying an unframed painting when she came back out of the room almost fifteen minutes later. She knelt beside Julia, fondly stroking the child’s hair. “Momma has to go talk to Paval, honey. Stay here and draw, okay? I’ll be back in a bit, and make sure to stay away from the door.”

  “Yes, momma,” Julia replied, “I love you.”

  “I love you too, my darling Julia. I’ll be back soon,” Anastacia replied as she left the apartment.

  “No…” Fluff whispered as she watched Anastacia leave the room. “No! Momma, come back.”

  Karen stroked her friend’s cat ears, trying to calm the crying woman. “Shh, it’s already happened, Fluff. We can’t change what happens here.”

  The scene shifted to the fire escape outside the single window, which was open. “This be about half an hour later,” Stacia told them as the scene greyed out again. “It be time for ya to go,” she directed at Alburet. “What comes next will only hurt ya.”

  Alburet looked to Fluff, who was crying into Karen’s chest. “I’m sorry, Fluff,” he said after a second.

  Sniffling, Fluff nodded her head in understanding even as the tears continued to spill from her eyes. “Stacia told me. Will you hold me after this?”

  “Yes. I’ll go hold you right now,” he replied. After giving her cheek a kiss he faded from view.

  “Now we be ready to continue,” Stacia told the others. “This is nay goin’ to be pretty.” The scene regained color as time began to flow again.

  Julia climbed out the window and began to climb down the fire escape. Her black hair blew in the gentle breeze that held hints of fall. She dangled for a moment on the last rungs of the ladder, letting go to drop the last three feet to the ground.

  After a second, the four-year-old got to her feet, heading for the small alleyway next to the decrepit tenement. “Momma, it’s time for dinner, Momma,” Julia called out softly as she looked into the alley.

  Darkness had started to creep over the land, making the alley hard to see into. Julia paused, staring uncertainly at a shape crumpled on the ground. “Momma?”

  Fluff began to sob loudly at that point, collapsing to the ground. Karen followed Fluff to the ground, holding her close, “Oh gods…”

  The child reached the dark haired form on the ground and began to shake it. “Momma! It’s dinner time, Momma.” The child was just able to rock the body from its side to its back, revealing multiple stab wounds. Julia stared at her mother’s body in shock, then fell on top of it crying. “Momma! Come on, Momma, you can’t stay out here.”

  A few seconds later a form appeared from the other end of the alley moving slowly. “Julia? Is that you child?” Paval’s voice was soft as he called out.

  Karen clutched Fluff tightly from behind, as they all watched Paval moving towards Julia. “He killed her, didn’t he?”

  “Julia, it’s not safe out here. You need to come with me. Your momma wants you to do that. You are her payment, after all.” Paval’s voice was choked with barely constrained emotion as he steadily advanced on the child.

  “Call the police,” Julia sobbed as she looked up at Paval. “Momma needs help.”

  “No. They would take you away. They would think you are a bad girl for not listening to your mother, who told you to stay inside. Bad girls are taken by the cops and sent to prison. Good girls listen, right?”

  Sniffling, Julia rocked her mother’s dead body, “Momma?”

  “Come with me, Julia. I’ll be your Poppa. I’ll protect you and keep you safe. All you have to do is everything I say and be a good girl.” Paval’s hand shot out, catching Julia’s wrist. “Come along or I’ll hurt you like I did your momma, when she didn’t listen to me.” Julia didn’t resist as Paval
grabbed her, picking her up and walking off quickly out of the alley.

  “He was never ya Da,” Stacia said softly as she knelt next to Fluff. “Ya know tha’ now, do ya nay?”

  Her head jerkily nodded, “He killed her, didn’t he?”

  “Aye,” Stacia said gently as she rewound the scene and caused the world to become brighter. “He has blood on his shirt. Ya can see it now. I can nay show ya wha’ happened as ya were nay there, but I can clearly show ya his guilt.”

  All of them looked at the crime scene. The extra illumination allowed them all to see clearly the bruises on Anastacia’s wrists and neck. Her eyes had started to swell and discolor, and there was a drying trickle of blood her nose, which had been broken. Beneath the body was a painting, of an elf before a tree, dyed red with Anastacia’s blood.

  “Ya did nay remember this. But this be the truth. Paval was never ya Da’. He killed ya Ma’ and took ya away with him. Then he raised ya like he did. It be why no one ever came to look for ya, why he was able to keep ya without raisin’ suspicion.”

  “It should still be a cold case,” Karen said softly. “What state was this in?”

  “A place called New Jersey,” Stacia replied.

  “He wasn’t even my Poppa,” Fluff cried harder as she pressed her face into Karen’s chest again. “I lived with Momma’s murderer and let him beat me for years?”

  “He’s dead now, Fluff,” Karen said softly, rocking her friend. “I’m here for you, we’re all here for you. If you want, we can contact the police after the immersion test. Maybe we can find out what your last name was, before Paval took you away.”

  “Why, though? Why did he do it?” Fluff sobbed heavily, clinging to Karen.

  “He could nay have her, so he killed her and took ya. As ya recall, he was goin’ to rape ya, the night he died.”

  “Poor Momma…” Fluff shuddered as she continued to cry.

  Stacia gently stroked Fluff’s head, “Shh, Fluff, shh. Ya be with loved ones now, and ya past is past. Know tha’ those of us here with ya love ya without hesitation. We be here for ya.”

  “We’ll be here as long as you let us be here,” Karen added.

  After another minute Stacia eased Fluff into unconsciousness. “She will need ya at her side tonight and possibly tomorrow.”

  Karen nodded as Fluff faded from her arms, “I will be there for her.”

  Karen and Stacia returned to their bodies, kneeling beside Fluff in the tent. Alburet was holding Fluff from behind. Eyes dark, he looked up at them as they came to. “How bad was it, Karen?”

  “Paval beat and killed her mother,” Karen replied. “It wasn’t pretty. Fluff was crying the entire time.”

  Feelings his hands wanting to clench in anger, Alburet barely resisted the urge. His arms were around Fluff, so instead he pulled the sleeping Lunari to his chest firmly. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you, Fluff,” he whispered into her ear, his jaw tight with emotion.

  “She does nay fault ya for nay bein’ there,” Stacia told him simply as she slipped into the bedroll behind him. “She mayhap nay be her normal self in the mornin’. We will need to keep eyes on her. It be a lot to deal with.”

  “I won’t let her out of my sight,” Karen replied as she slipped into the bedroll on the other side of Fluff. Her arms circled the sleeping form, her hands resting on Al. “We’ll all be watching over her.”

  The silence was heavy as they all tried to find sleep. Eventually it was Stacia’s gentle humming that led them into Morpheus’s grasp. When they did finally fall asleep, Stacia kissed Alburet’s neck. “Ya will have it even rougher, me lovin’ husband, but I will nay fail ya.”

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Cold air on his back woke Alburet. Blinking his eyes open, he found Fluff against his chest with her tail curled around his thigh. Lifting his head slightly he saw Karen, sleeping facing Fluff, which meant Stacia wasn’t behind him. Turning his head he confirmed Stacia’s absence and, frowning, wondered where she had gotten off to.

  Before he could move Fluff stirred in his arms. Her body shuddered slightly as she seemed to be dealing with a dream. Leaning his head forward he gently placed a kiss on her ear, “Shh, it’s okay, Fluff. We are here with you.”

  At his words and touch she stilled, a soft purr beginning to emanate from her. His lips twitched into a smile as he listened to her. A moment later Karen lifted her head to look over Fluff at Alburet.

  “Morning,” Karen whispered before she lay back down and snuggled closer to Fluff.

  That was enough to wake Fluff. Eyes opening, she found herself being held by two people she adored. Her mouth opened as the full memory of what she had seen last night came rushing back to her. Her mouth snapped closed as her eyes teared up, “Momma.”

  They tightened their hold on her, both of them whispering soft words of love to the distraught Lunari. They were still comforting her a few minutes later when the tent flap moved, admitting Stacia inside.

  “I had hoped to be back with food before ya all woke,” Stacia commented as she came over to where the trio lay. Extending her senses, she joined Alburet in calming Fluff, “Fluff, ya past has been nay good, tha’ much be true. Ya future, though, tha’ be entirely up to ya. We all be here for ya.” She set the tray aside and sat down near them, her hands reaching out to gently stroke Fluff’s ears.

  After a bit Fluff began to calm, between the cuddling, her emotions being soothed, and the sheer love that surrounded her. “All my life has been a lie.” Her voice was choked with sadness.

  “Nay,” Stacia rebuked her gently. “Paval was a lie, tha’ be true. Ya love for ya Ma’, and ya talent at drawin’ tha’ ya got from her, those nay be lies. Ya life, bad as it was, led ya to here and now. It mayhap been horrible, but ya have the chance to make it somethin’ truly amazin’ iffin ya are willin’ to.”

  “I’m here for you, Fluff,” Karen added. “I have enjoyed knowing you and want to continue to know you. I think what he did to you was horrible, but none of that is your fault. I will be here waiting for you, hoping that you’ll return my affection for you.”

  “Really? I don’t even know who I am, how can you care for me?”

  “I know who you are right now. The gentle Fluff who blushes so easily. The fierce warrior who throws herself into combat with fearless fury. I’ve even been blessed enough to see the wonderful art you create, both here and in the other world. I’ve come to care for you and want to spend more time with you. Remember our first kiss? I recall the moment vividly.”

  Fluff closed her eyes as she remembered how scared she was at the time and how gentle Karen had been. “Yes,” Fluffball replied. “I was so worried. You eased my fear and taught me that touching another in that way can be a wonderful thing.”

  Karen brought her hand up to tilt Fluff’s face toward her own, “Can I have another kiss?”

  Fluff swallowed, opening her eyes to meet Karen’s. Leaning her face forward slightly, her lips hesitantly met Karen’s. The kiss was tentative at the start, but after a few seconds Fluff leaned into it, turning it into one that sought acceptance. Karen returned the kiss in equal measure, sharing her own hope as she did.

  Alburet watched them, a sad smile on his lips. As they broke apart he spoke, “I care for you as well, Fluff.” He tightened his arms on her waist, pulling her back to his chest more firmly. “I will never be able to meet you outside of this world. But while we are here, you are welcome to join me and Stacia. You are part of our family, as long as you wish to be.”

  Fluff turned to face him, her gaze searching his. “You mean it?”

  “Yes. I’ve given up on my old thoughts in that regard. You will always be welcome in my life here.”

  “Will you kiss me?” Fluff asked.

  Leaning the few inches forward, he let his lips meet hers. He went slow, softly, treating her like fragile glass. A purr rose from her as she pressed the kiss, deepening it. Her rough tongue licked at his lips. He accepted her request and the kiss became
one of passion. Her slightly rough tongue was unusual, making the kiss different from any other he’d had before.

  “About time,” Stacia murmured as she watched them.

  “Fuck, that’s hot,” Karen added.

  They broke apart after another minute, both of them a little red in the face. “You are beautiful, Fluff, in everyway,” Alburet finally managed to say.

  Her face reddened as she smiled at him, “Thank you, Al.” She licked his cheek, “You have been so kind and understanding.” She tilted her head so she could see Karen and Stacia, “You all have been. It makes me think that maybe I can be happy.”

  “Of course ya can, ya silly kitten,” Stacia laughed, leaning down to claim her own kiss. After a moment she sat back up, “We need to eat and get ready, ya all slept in longer than normal.”