"No, I just...this is impossible, Jason. The only way it could happen is if I really were...but it's impossible."
"If it's so impossible for you, why couldn't it be Ardeth's, then?" Seeing how Rowan's expression changed, Jason nodded. "See? You know it has to be yours. And that means you know, deep down, your mother was right."
Rowan put his head in his hands. "It had to have been Beltaine. I was channeling some kind of power. It must have been then. This is...this is too much, Jason. I don't know how to deal with something this big."
"A piece at a time," he suggested. "For tonight, try this piece: Sara needs to be taken care of. She's not feeling well, and until we know for sure what the tests say she needs to be treated as if she's fragile. She won't like it, but we can act the same way we would if she were sick."
"Right." Rowan nodded. Sara emerged from the bathroom, looking grey and tired, and the Elf stood up. "Let's get you in bed," he said. "You can sleep here tonight so if you need anything I'll be close by."
Sara started to protest, but the Elf took her by the arm and steered her toward his room. "Just for tonight, Sara. Baby or stomach flu I don't think you should be alone. I'll bring you your tea--you haven't eaten all day, either, I know, so I'll order you some soup..."
Jason listened to the two of them beyond the doorway, wondering that he could be so calm in the face of something so completely unbelievable, but he supposed the reality hadn’t exactly hit him yet. He had no idea what he'd do if Nava were to inform him that suddenly he'd acquired enough working sperm to impregnate a woman--of course, that would require having sex with a woman, and that hadn't happened since he was mortal. He still remembered the last time, too; a chamber maid at the place they'd lived at before going to work for Fox. She'd been chubby and merry, with strawberry curls and buck teeth, and she'd been very bright; but just like every girl he'd slept with it had taken him a lot of effort to get it up, and the actual sex was rather like sticking his dick in a Big Gulp slurpee. He still couldn't believe he'd managed it. The poor girl had looked so bored. At least the one before, the brunette, had been willing to let him...
Jason shook himself out of the memory. The hell?
Come to think of it, it was possible he was in shock.
Rowan came back out of the bedroom to reheat Sara's tea, and he was still pale, but at least now seemed more alert having a purpose. He was the sort of person who needed someone to tend to, whether as a Rethla or a friend.
"Go lie down with her," Jason said, standing up to kiss him briefly. "You need some rest too, and she'll sleep better if you're there. Here--this is the stuff Nava sent for her nausea."
"Where are you going?" Rowan asked.
"I thought I'd check in with Beck, and see how the case is coming; then I think Ness is going to want a word with me."
"And you want to see Alex," the Elf intuited, no particular inflection in his voice.
Jason couldn't think of anything to say to that except, "I might."
Rowan kissed his cheek, then his lips. "You've got a lot to deal with right now too. I'm here, you know, when you want to talk."
"I know. For now, though, get some rest. I'll be back by dawn."
If word had already spread, which wouldn't have been a big surprise, he caught no hint of it on the way to the infirmary, where he bypassed the receiving area and went directly to the research suite. There he found the usual suspects at their usual stations, and Nava standing over Frog, who looked up at Jason with an almost accusatory expression before going back to the screen in front of him.
"Well," Nava said, "You were right, SA-7. I don't suppose that nose of yours is good for diagnosing other health concerns?"
Jason sighed and looked around the room, taking a deep breath and then pointing at different people in turn. "Vegan with a gluten allergy; Type II Diabetes; ovarian cysts; and at least three of them have had the stomach flu this week, including Frog here, who also has asthma. Right?"
Frog blinked. "Um...yeah. I don't suppose you can smell myopia too?"
"No. Not unless it affects the nutrient content or flavor of your blood. But don't worry, I'm unlikely to come after you unless you stop eating so many damned French fries. You'd have a Chapstick aftertaste from all the grease."
"Oh."
He returned his attention to the doctor. "Shouldn't you discuss this with the happy parents before me?"
Nava shook her head. "You're SA-9's supervisor and the senior Agent. We have to treat this as a security issue as well as a health issue for one of our Agents, so I have to keep you and Ness both in the loop on everything. We're going to have to have a meeting as soon as I've got 100% conclusive results, which should be tomorrow evening, say at 1900?"
"Agreed. Hopefully by then some of the shock will have worn off and Sara and Rowan will be coherent again. Other than the obvious, how is she?"
"The preliminary results are all congruent with someone in the first trimester of pregnancy, although typically you don't start seeing symptoms quite this soon. It's actually good, though, because it means we can start monitoring her now and she won't risk herself out in the field. This is absolutely unprecedented--we're going to have to take very, very good care of her."
"What if she doesn't want to have it?" Jason posed. "I don't think you can force her, even in Texas."
Nava looked aghast at the idea, but rubbed the bridge of her nose in thought before replying, "Well, I suppose we can't. I just can't imagine terminating something so rare--but that's me speaking as a scientist, not a woman. I don't know, SA-7. There is the possibility that the genetic incompatibilities could damage her body or even kill her; there's so much to consider, we'll have to go over every possibility before any decisions are made."
"Just remember," he said sternly, "We're not dealing with a phenomenon, or a discovery, or an experiment. She's a person first."
Nava, clearly sheepish at having to be reminded of that by a vampire, indicated the screen Frog was studying. "Regardless, we're running a search to bring up all the information we have on Elven pregnancy and cross-checking it with human pregnancy. We'll verify it with whatever Rowan knows on the subject and see if we can come up with a reasonable timeline for symptoms and physical changes."
"Good. Now, how's the Seraph?"
Frog looked relieved at the change in subject. "Sleeping mostly. Near as we can tell the transformation is complete and now he's recuperating. Says he's not hungry, for blood or for food, and the only thing he's asked is when you're coming to see him."
"All right. I'm going in there, then. I'll see if I can find out more."
"Be careful," Nava advised.
"Do we have any reason to believe he's dangerous?"
"Aside from how he got here in the first place? No. He's been cooperative, even patient, and polite to everyone who's approached him."
"What research we have indicates the species is completely benevolent," Frog added. "The only time they're violent is in the interests of whoever they're protecting."
Jason nodded. "Good. Perhaps, then, we can move him somewhere without cameras and recording devices in every square inch? If he's not ill intentioned then there's no reason to treat him like a prisoner."
Nava didn't look happy about the idea, but said, "You'll have to take that one up with Ness, SA-7. It's not my call."
Jason ran his badge over the door scanner, and when the door slid open, the first thing he was aware of was music.
Behind him, he felt the attention of everyone in the room suddenly riveted to where he stood, the sweet dark sound of the violin taking hold of all of them. All the clicking and tapping on the computers halted just for a moment, and they all listened, transfixed, Jason included.
Finally he peered into the room, eyes automatically adjusting from fluorescent to dim lamplight, and had to pause again, breath catching.
The Seraph stood in the middle of the room, wings unfurled although they didn't seem to be stretched all the way out--he probably didn't have the ro
om. He was still barefoot in scrub pants, ethereally beautiful, his eyes closed in concentration as his arms moved, right arm swaying, left hand dancing, drawing longing and sorrow from the Rose.
The boy--or whatever he was--was indeed a prodigy, raw talent making up for a lack of experience. Jason listened in two minds, the first simply loving every note, the second analyzing with a master's ear, noting flaws in technique and room for improvement that an average listener would never notice. He didn't criticize, he simply observed; there were few people in the world, after all, who could match his skill with the Tempest, even on another deLuca instrument.
The Seraph lifted the bow from the strings as he sensed Jason's presence, and opened his dark, dark eyes. "Sire."
Jason smiled, stepping in and letting the door slide shut behind him. "You don't have to call me that..."
"Lex," the Seraph finished for him, lifting an eyebrow inquiringly.
Jason took a breath, then nodded. "I think that will work. At any rate it's better than Al."
A smile. "I was hoping you would come."
"That was beautiful," Jason told him, sitting down in the one remaining chair, no doubt where the R&D and medical staff had sat to interview their subject.
Lex shook his head, placing the Rose back in her case. "It could be better. I've been playing since I was seven, but until I got the Rose I had no idea how much I still had to learn. And now...now I can feel what she's capable of, and I wish I knew how to access that power."
Jason picked at a loose thread on the chair's arm. "I thought your only purpose was to protect this Singer person you're looking for."
Slowly, the Seraph folded his wings, hooking them back together between his collarbones, and came to kneel at Jason's feet. Jason started to protest, but the Seraph reached up and took both his hands, warmth and connection flooding up between them, sire to offspring and back again.
"I think perhaps I am different from others of my kind," Lex said, tracing the length of Jason's fingers. "I had to awaken much later than most have, and I think...I think that means my human personality will remain intact. I have desires...even hopes. And moreover, as far as I remember we are supposed to know immediately who our charge is. There should not be a search, but a recognition. I have no idea where to look."
"I'll do what I can to help you." Jason lifted one of the Seraph's hands and kissed it, noting that his skin was warmer than a human's, even warmer than Rowan's, and touching it left a vague tingling in his lips. "In the meantime, if you like...I can show you a few things with the Rose."
"I would like that," Lex replied with a smile, meeting his eyes. "What can I do for you?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're distressed. Is...is Rowan still angry about me?"
"No, no, at least, not actively." Jason leaned forward, resting his head against the Seraph's. "He's not entirely happy about it but I think he understands. There are other things going on now, and...I can't talk about it with you, at least not yet."
"I understand. It would be irresponsible of you to tell me about things that don't involve me--plus I don't think your authorities trust me yet. I don't want you to get in any more trouble over me."
"That's the thing," Jason said. "I think it does involve you. Rowan had a dream about you before you were even here. Somehow you, and he, and this other thing all tie in together. I just don't know how yet."
He could feel the Seraph's heartbeat, as close together as they were, and it lulled him out of his thoughts; for a while they simply sat that way, quiet, Jason wondering if Lex would have this effect on everyone, or just him.
"I don't know either," the Seraph said, overhearing the thought easily. "It doesn't seem to happen with the doctors and researchers who come to speak to me."
"Why haven't you eaten?" Jason asked. "Do your kind not get hungry?"
"We do," Lex said, smiling mischievously, his curved nails scratching lightly along the vampire's arms.
Jason chuckled even as he held back a shiver. "I mean for food."
"We take on the needs of our host," the Seraph explained. "I think my body may be confused as to what exactly it was before I changed."
"I can help you there, too." Jason unclipped the knife from his belt--the closest to an actual weapon he could get away with on base, a folding blade under six inches--and made a tiny nick in his left index finger, squeezing slightly so that blood welled up to the wound. Energy rose to heal it, but he pulled it back for a moment, and held the finger up. "Taste."
Lex's pupils dilated, and he gasped softly at the sight, but didn't move. Jason touched his finger to the Seraph's lips, watching without surprise as Lex closed his eyes, tongue flicking out, mouth catching Jason's finger to suck almost delicately from the cut.
"Now you know what you need," Jason told him.
"Yes," Lex breathed. "I do."
The Seraph rose up on his knees and took Jason by the shoulders, kissing him, blood-tinged tongue forcing its way into the vampire's mouth. Jason responded by biting him hard on the tongue, drawing blood and sucking hard, feeling the Seraph's claws in his biceps, pulling him out of the chair.
The floor was cold, and Jason hissed at the contact of the freezing tile on his back when Lex all but tore his shirt of. They shared a brief laugh and pulled a blanket and assorted pillows from the bed, creating a hasty nest on the floor.
"We could just try the bed," Jason pointed out, allowing himself to be pushed back onto his back. "The drapes might block the cameras."
"I don't care about cameras," was the breathless reply. "I need the space."
"Why--" Jason started to ask, but didn't need to finish; Lex reached up and unhooked his wings again, letting them spread out around them, blocking out most of the light and probably most of the cameras as well.
Tentatively, Jason reached up and touched one wing, causing a visible tremor in the Seraph's body. The skin was velvet, and soft, as warm as the rest of his body, and apparently very sensitive. Each time Jason touched it, Lex shivered, pointed teeth pressing into his lower lip.
"Go ahead," Jason said, seeing the silver glint in the Seraph's eyes.
With a sound somewhere between a purr and a growl, Lex darted forward, fastening his teeth into Jason's neck. Jason groaned, seizing the boy's arm and biting into his wrist, the two of them drinking from each other as the fever of desire caught hold of them both, and they writhed against each other, biting into each other's flesh as they bared it and licking every inch they could.
From the outside, if anyone could see in past the Seraph's wings, it would probably look like they were trying to kill each other...at least until Lex forced him onto his stomach, wings flaring out like a stooping hawk, and fucked him into the floor.
Jason snarled and arched back against him, clawing at the tile, and Lex bit him again, this time on the back of his neck at his shoulder, holding onto him as blood flowed down in between their bodies. The sting barely registered amid all the other bites and the plunging, delicious pain of being taken so hard, but he could feel Lex's teeth in his muscles, and what would have been agony to any other creature was only a fierce burning pleasure to him. When the Seraph came inside him it felt like being scalded, and he cried out hoarsely, lacking the language to beg for his own release until Lex turned him over and sucked him mercilessly, driving him past screaming, into incandescence and, at last, silence.
Panting, both dripping with sweat and sticky with half-dried blood, they fell onto the floor together, the Seraph's broad wings wrapping around them both, holding in the heat that nearly made Jason pass out. For a moment neither could speak. Waves of sensation were still washing over him, bliss alternating with pain, the bliss far more powerful.
Then there was a beep overhead, and an uncertain voice said over the intercom, "Um...SA-7...do you need backup?"
Jason started laughing, turning his head into the Seraph's shoulder, but managed to call out, "Negative. Just a shower."
He kissed Lex on the mouth, then sa
w how pale--paler--he was, and asked quietly, "Are you all right?"
The boy's voice was tremulous and strangely young-sounding. "I'm not sure. I've...I've never..."
Jason eased him onto his back, looking down at him. "It's all right, dear one. You didn't hurt me. See?" He lifted his chin so Lex could see that the first bite mark was already healing.
"It's not...always going to be...like that...is it?"
"No." He stroked the Seraph's face gently, projecting reassurance. It hadn't occurred to him that the boy might still be too young for this. It had been decades since Jason had been with another vampire. He had forgotten the intensity involved. "I'm sorry, Lex, I should have thought before I acted." Jason pushed himself up, ignoring the pain all over his body. "Here..." He took a blanket and laid it lightly over the Seraph. "You wait here and we'll get cleaned up, then I'll call for something for you to actually drink."
The Agency, Volume III Page 15