by C. L. Quinn
And she kissed him. Deeply. Like she’d missed him for a very, very long time. Cherise was right. He needed to find out about his life.
Kav gently pushed her away.
“Um…I’m feeling a little overwhelmed right now. But I need to talk with you guys, so, can you get the main members of this household together right away?”
She nodded. “Sure, baby, sure. Gunnar?”
The biggest of the group of men nodded and pulled out a cell phone, barked some orders and slid it back in his pocket.
“So, why don’t you come with me? We’re going to the dining room. It’s where we eat and hold all household meetings. You remember that?”
The blonde woman was catching on. Kav nodded. Didn’t matter, they’d all know in a few moments what the situation was. He just wished to hell he could remember someone, something! Nothing looked familiar. The beautiful woman took his arm and glanced back at the other men, who were dispersing, then back to Kav.
“So, my name is Katerine. David, do you know me?”
He stared at her features. She was an extraordinarily beautiful woman. Classically perfect features, huge eyes, perfect lips made for kissing and other things. But he didn’t recognize her. And she saw that.
“I didn’t think so. That’s alright. We’ll get there. Baby, I am just so happy you’re alive…you’re here with me…you’re home. Thirty two years, baby. I felt you…well, I used to be able to, then I couldn’t, now I can again. Like your life force was gone or hidden. Have you been blocking it from me?:
“No. I actually don’t know how to do that. Just, give me time, Katerine.”
“Of course. Anything you need. But I’m probably going to keep hugging you, you better understand that right now. I can’t believe I have you back. You’re a miracle!”
Kav winced. This was a complication. Was she his wife?
They arrived at a set of ornately carved wooden doors that opened into a warm, homey dining room. Several round tables with heavy wood tops and artistically carved animals for legs furnished the room. Big, plush seats surrounded each table, between four and eight, depending on the size of the table. At the opposite end of the room was a wide double doorway which he assumed led to the kitchen.
Katerine sat him at the front table in a tall impressive chair.
“This is your favorite, David. You had it hand-carved with the images of your favorite animal, the grizzly bear. I’m going to talk to Jules and see if he can get a buffet ready on such short notice. I’ll be right back.”
She disappeared through the door just as another huge man came from the other side of the room, yelling, laughing and racing at him, huge arms in the air that grabbed him in big hugs.
“Where the fuck have you been, brother?!” The huge man yelled at him, as he came into the room. “We searched high and low on this godforsaken earth for five years!!” He gave him a man hug, then stepped back and grabbed his face in his hands and stared at him. The man had the same amber eyes Kav did. Was he really his brother?
“Aw, you’re a sight for sore eyes, ya are.” The new arrival had a Scots brogue. And he was genuinely emotional about seeing him again. For some reason, he felt a connection to the man that he didn’t to anyone else he’d met here. Slowly, he brought his arms up and returned the hug.
Katerine came back out of the kitchen and hugged them both.
“Jules brought in three of the girls from laundry. They’re going to help him bring out some food for all of us. Bryn, get your ass off my man. Go sit down. David wants to address the household.”
Bryn gave her an evil eye and took a seat beside David’s. Katerine took the other side, as six others came into the room…all men and all big. They looked shocked and happy when they saw Kav sitting in his big chair.
Katerine waved them down. “Yes, it’s David, he’s home, and he wants to speak to us all, so pull up a chair, sit down, and shut up.” Then she put her hand on Kav’s shoulder. “Go ahead, baby.”
Kav decided to stand. “Um…first, I guess, I know I’ve been gone a long time. It looks like you guys took care of the place, so…thanks. More importantly, I’ll give you details of where I’ve been, although I don’t have a lot, but…you need to know. I don’t remember any of you.” There was a soft murmur around the room. Katerine didn’t react at all. “I only have any memory of the last three months of my life. Anything before that is gone. I get bits and pieces, sometimes in dreams, but that’s about it. So, everyone, you’ll need to introduce yourselves to me and tell me about our relationship and details of what we’ve experienced together. But…not at once, please. Just…as we go along. This has been difficult…trying to understand who I am and how I can get back what I’ve lost. But I’m glad to be here, in my home, and
get a chance to get back to my life. You are all a part of it, I can see that, but we’ll just need to get there slowly. So, if you could just briefly introduce yourselves and what you do, I would appreciate it.”
The big man who hugged him stood. “David, I have been with you for about three centuries. I called you brother, because that’s what we are. Not by birth, but that doesn’t matter. I love you, bra, so I’m glad you’re home and well. We’ll fix the memory
thing, so don’t worry about it.” He sat down.
The others introduced themselves, some as old friends,
vampires, some as staff, human, or long term blood-bonds, humans who had a blood link to David and had been with him for
a long time as staff and friends. He nodded and smiled, acknowledging them and trying to commit names to memory. It didn’t work, but he wasn’t worried about it. Then Katerine looked at him.
“You and I have been in love for over two centuries, my darling. I am first vampire, like you, and we fell for each other almost as soon as we met each other. So, my love, we’ll take it easy until you remember me. We have all the time in the world, David. Just, welcome home, baby.” She came forward and gave him a chaste kiss, then welcomed the buffet that arrived with three overladen trays carried by good sized human staff members.
Kav enjoyed the food and tried to remember all the new faces, but he felt uneasy until it came close to daybreak and Katerine led him to a stairwell near the back of the house. They went down to a wide hallway that led off to several underground chambers.
“David, this house has fifteen chambers underground, three of which are dedicated for you, me, and Bryn. The others are there for any vampire friends who drop in, and that happens from time to time. The winters here, you may not remember, but we get some nice long days that make for some fine parties. I’ll show you to your rooms, then leave you to rest. We really can just take this as easy as you want. Or, if you want me with you tonight, just tell me.” She waited, but he didn’t have anything to say.
“Okay, then. That’s okay. So, here you are, end of this hallway. It’s huge, and very modern.” She opened a wide door into a softly lit underground room that had curved walls much like a cave. “You like the rough walls, “ she explained. The bed was central in the room, enormous, and he felt like he wanted to crawl in and cover his head. She smiled her understanding.
“Jules has fresh sheets on it, and it’s ready whenever you are. The seating area over here has all your favorite books. You’ve been gone a long time, but we updated it with a state of the art media center, computers, widescreen HD television, you’ll love it, and mp3’s of music you’ve always liked. You have a lot to catch up on. There’s time enough for everything. Baby, you look upset, and I understand. This has to be overwhelming. When you’re ready, I’d like to hear where you’ve been. I sense it was bad, so I won’t push.”
She hugged him, but not too closely. “If you need anything at all, ring me, or Jules. We’ll be here instantly. I’m just around the corner. Welcome home, baby.”
Then she left and pulled the door closed tightly behind her. Kav dropped on the bed, his head spinning, and closed his eyes. This didn’t feel right. It was all alien to him. He wanted Cheris
e and his basement room in the old house outside Colorado Springs. He was home and yet he felt like he never would be again.
Kav laid there for hours, his mind reeling, until he finally fell asleep, grateful for unconsciousness.
Next morning dawned a sparkling bright white world with a typical Colorado deep blue sky and brilliant sunshine. Cherise loved the crunch as she went out to throw seeds and peanuts all over the pristine white ground for birds and squirrels. They came in quickly, covering the snowy ground with spiked footprints. She stood and watched for a few minutes, but had to get to work, so she finished up and headed out for the shop.
Mid-morning, she looked up and saw Lauren sitting at one of the tables. Margaret had just served her a hot cocoa and grilled cheese, a local favorite. After she finished with her tables, she slipped over and took a seat.
“Do you have an address for me?” she asked.
Lauren nodded. “He’s here. It was his home for over a century before they took him.” She slid a card toward the other side of the table. Cherise slid it to the edge and put it in her apron pocket.
“Merci, Lauren. Now. You must go. Let me know when you are safe by calling this number.” Cherise gave her a menu with a phone number on it. “It is a friend of Leo’s, who you likely know through your files. He will contact me. That should keep them from being able to track you. Good luck. I thank you again for coming to me.”
“I couldn’t do anything else. Especially once I met you. You are a remarkable woman, Cherise. Don’t let them break you.”
“Ah, there’ll be some breaking, but not me. Not Kav. You would be proud of us.”
“I’d love to watch. But…I should go. Take care.”
“Oui,” she answered softly, and then Lauren was gone.
She looked at the card in her pocket.
Iceland. Kav. He was home. Well, David…god, she didn’t know what to call him. Lover, if she ever got her hands on him again. There was no barrier now…the bond was complete, so she could fuck him until the sun came up with no repercussions. And although he likely still didn’t realize it…he needed her to finish healing. Now that she knew what he actually went through, she knew this even more. Time to pack.
Leo was going with her. He insisted. It appeared the relationship he’d developed with Kav had endured…and he wanted to be there for him. Several of the other elves in his community had agreed to care for his family while he was gone. Cherise was grateful. Elves had skills that were very useful. The speed, super-hearing, the ability to assimilate language within moments. The blending. Elves weren’t invisible, far from it. But they had an ability to “blend.” They could move amongst others without detection because of an innate ability to merge into the background. So even though they were technically not invisible most people, if they saw them at all when they were in blending mode, they saw just colors and movement, and usually dismissed it as nothing. There was some magic involved. It felt good to know she would have some back-up. Just in case.
CHAPTER TEN
Leo waited patiently in the car. He was nervous. Elves really hated to fly. More specifically, they were afraid of falling….so anything that involved height…not popular. But he wouldn’t let a phobia stand in the way of helping his new friend. And Cherise, who he’d known for decades…she looked okay, like she was keeping it together. He knew she wasn’t. She was like a spring so tightly wound it could break at any moment. But she was strong. Stronger than anyone he’d ever known. He watched her stoically carry a small bag out of her house and take her seat behind the wheel.
“Let’s go to the top of the world, Mr. Leo,” she said, and smiled wanly. He gave her the same smile and leaned back to buckle his seat.
Iceland. Land of harsh extremes, spectacular beauty, northern lights, and crystal waters. She’d never been there. But now she would, to find the man who had come to mean the world to her. She wasn’t even sure he would want her anymore. Now that he was home, he likely had a harem waiting for him. Or even a wife. She didn’t know. And even if he did, he still needed her ability to gain full memories of his own identity. And if he did have another love, she would have to endure the deepest pain of her life, help him heal, and then come home to lick her own wounds. Life could be brutal. Nothing new there.
Didier threw his favorite tablet across the room, shattering it against the glass wall that lined the entire back of the large building he used for his offices. It held vital information about his pet project…the vampire research, and now lay useless in pieces on the plush carpet. Well, it was useless now. Wasn’t it? His highly paid professional staff had let the tail end of the project detonate…the vampire was gone. Out of his control. And he would not get the part of his project he was looking forward to the most…how effective his sister’s skills would be against a really damaged vampire. Between a combination of physical torture, deprivation, repeated murders, combined with some magical intervention, he had been able to drive the vampire batshit crazy. That’s where he needed him to be to force Cherise to use her skills again. Now it was royally fucked, because Patric had returned, inexplicably, to his home. It meant he was too powerful for him to risk recapturing. He’d never get him again.
Well, it was not like he hadn’t wanted to do the project with full disclosure. But he knew his sister, she would have refused. And more than that, she would have come down on him like Thor’s hammer. It was her fucking fault!
She was, by far, the most powerful one of any of the family, and she chose to live an innocuous little life in an unremarkable little village with unremarkable people doing common work. What a waste! He had the same heritage, same abilities, but everyone had always known…Cherise was much more powerful than any of them. He’d wanted to force her to use those powers to monitor how it worked, how much she could do. He knew she would be damaged by his project, and he was sorry for that, but science sometimes required sacrifice.
He was building a database of supernatural beings, a new anthropological catalogue. It would represent species that had been on this planet for millennia and never known. He felt it was time to take supernaturals mainstream. Be recognized for their contributions. Most supernatural beings had squatting rights to this planet long before humans crawled about on its surface. He thought they deserved recognition, acknowledgement, and praise for their contributions to life on this planet. Supernaturals were a superior life form to humans. And although he enjoyed a good fuck by a hot looking woman, he had little other use for them. Well, servitude.
And now, his painstakingly built team had let him down. Several of those were supernaturals. Didier walked over and squatted down to survey the remains of his state of the art computer tablet. Damn! That had been stupid!! It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford another, that was never a problem…but it had some irreplaceable photos on it. He would have to contact his computer guy and have him take a look and see what could be salvaged. Pushing backward, he let himself drop back on the thick carpet that covered the entire floor of the room that was over two thousand square feet. Rubbing his forehead, he acknowledged to himself that it had been cruel to do this to his sister. If anyone else in the family knew what he was up to…it wouldn’t go well for him.
Armel had his security team with him. He intended to kill Patric. It was the only finale he would accept after the past three decades. First, he truly did not think the arrogant vampire deserved to live. Then, and more important, he knew Patric would come after him…eventually. He knew he would never be safe unless the tortured and tormented vampire was dead…really dead…morte. So, that was the goal. He couldn’t pull it off alone. Luckily, he wasn’t. He’d always known that winners aligned themselves with power. Didier thought he was that power. Hardly. Didier believed he was the one who controlled her. He did not know that Armel had made a deal with her, too. Didier Devereaux was a fool. You’d think he would know crazy when he saw it. And she was completely insane. Didier thought he had her under control. But Armel knew what it took to “control” someone who l
eft reality behind. David Patric would die, Cherise would be his, and the insane first blood who had worked with Didier from the beginning of the project would never know she’d just been his magical tool. He tried not to act too prideful, but he was just that fucking good.
Didier needed to see Cherise. To explain. Go do some damage control before the other siblings found out about his projects. They’d be pissed…more than… he had to stop it. Chances were high that they would banish him. That couldn’t happen. Empaths needed the familial connections to maintain power and sanity. Although Cherise had isolated herself in America this past year, she had always been linked to her heritage through family. If she had been cut off, which is what happened if you were banished, she would eventually have lost her abilities and become as useless as a stone. He didn’t want to hurt his sister…in spite of all of this, he did love her, but if it came down to him or her, well… Sacrifices had to be made. He would not become useless. It shocked him when he received her text a few minutes ago that simply said, “I know what you’re doing and I’m going to stop you. You are no longer my brother.”
He pulled out his mobile and pressed a speed dial. When a man answered, he glanced at the time.
“Matthieu, I need the jet ready by tonight. What? Yes, yes, just four passengers…myself and my security team. Make sure there is plenty of bourbon.”
He liked bourbon. And there was never a time he needed liquid courage more than now, when he would shortly confront his sister about his betrayal. How the hell was he going to make her understand? And when she wouldn’t? How the hell was he going to stop her from telling what she knew? How was he going to give the order to terminate her?
Son of a bitch! Lauren wanted desperately to not know what the IT guy found on an old recording. A video message sent to Didier from Armel. He’d been packing up and found the embedded message, and being curious, he’d decrypted it. A message that surprised him enough to bring it to Lauren. And god she wished he hadn’t. Armel, telling Didier that he needed to contact someone named Tamesine. Armel had been terrified. This Tamesine was on a rampage, angry, or something, and Didier needed to speak with her immediately. Then he’d said something that shocked her and the IT guy. He’d said, “I knew it was a mistake to begin this with a first blood. We can’t trust her. She has her own agenda. Didier, you need to fix this or she’ll kill us all.” A first blood was behind this, somehow. A first blood! That’s how they got David.