Blood of Half Gods

by Bonnie Lamer

  Breena’s face hardens. “You could not leave things alone, could you? The moment I heard you were coming, I knew you would be trouble.”

  Yeah, yeah. “That’s why you sent the Apsaras after me on the carriage ride here.”

  “Ah, pet, you are quick,” Rhamba says from behind me, making me jump. I’m assuming she just got there or someone would have clued me in before now.

  I turn around. “I am not your pet.”

  She smiles. “You will be. Yes, Breena asked us to dispose of you however we saw fit, but you were much too valuable to kill. Your abilities far outshine any other magical creatures we have met outside of ourselves. Your passion is mighty, and your determination is inspiring.”

  “Thanks for the great build up, but I’m still not interested in being your pet.”

  She raises both brows in amusement. “How lovely that you truly believe you have a choice in the matter.”

  “Isn’t it? Oh, and by the way, I guess I was right on the money when I said you were demons, not gods. We just read all about you and your friends.”

  Her smile stays in place. “Am I supposed to be concerned about you reading of us? If anything, it will help you understand the futility of your resistance.”

  “Futility of my resistance?” I laugh. “That sounds like a cheesy line from Star Trek.” Oops, no one here will get that reference. Oh well, I think it’s funny. And true.

  She sighs, and it sounds almost as pretty as her laugh. How does she do that? “Xandra, this is your last opportunity to join us willingly. If you refuse again, we will begin killing off the people you love.”

  As if on cue, Menaka shows up behind her with Alita in tow. Alita looks miserable in a ‘my head is going to explode any second’ kind of way. I assume that her sensitivity to black magic has picked up on the fact that the person holding her is spawned from evil.

  Words rumble up from my chest. “Leave her alone,” I grind out. I don’t understand why Rhamba thinks this will work. All it does is piss me off even more, making me more powerful and more in control of my magic.

  Menaka laughs at my growing anger. “You are no match for Rhamba, little Witch Fairy.”

  Little? They’re not much bigger than me. Then again, who knows what their true forms are like. They probably don’t really look like wood nymphs. Okay, I need to focus. I’m getting a bit off track here. It doesn’t matter what they really look like.

  The first thing I need to do is free Alita. What is going to help with that is the fact that Kegan has just snuck up behind Menaka. This is my chance. Throwing magic towards them, I turn it into the shape of a snake with very long and sharp teeth. It lands on Menaka’s neck, making her scream. She lets go of Alita long enough for Kegan to push her over and grab Alita. He runs down the hall with her limp body because she has passed out again. Poor thing. She’s having a rough day. I know I am too, but I’m getting used to it. She’s not, yet.

  Menaka is pissed, to say the least. She starts to charge into the room and I create a trip wire in the doorway. It works and she does trip. Now, she’s sprawled on the floor again. Oh, that’s an ugly face she’s making. “You will pay for that,” she growls. I think she has fangs. Huh. The madder they get, the more they start to look like demons. Sure would be nice to know how you get rid of demons.

  “Enough!” Rhamba shouts. It’s her turn to fling magic. And I’m happy to repel it. She throws more; I use more to repel it. This goes on for several minutes. It seems we’re locked in a stalemate. There has to be something I can do. I wish I had even the tiniest of clues to lead me in the right direction.

  And then something pops into my mind. Something a crazy old man told me. ‘For the beautiful virgin who captures hearts, a touch of blood holds them in place,’ he said. ‘A touch of poison prevents escape.’ Maybe he wasn’t so crazy after all. Maybe he knew what his daughter did. Turning to Kallen, I say, “When we’re right hand-fasted, I want a blue ring like I saw a few days ago in the carriage.”

  First, he looks at me like I’m crazy. Then, a small smile creeps onto his face. “Anything you want,” he says.

  Rhamba looks incredulous. “You are discussing a hand-fasting? You are never going to be hand-fasted. You will be my pet or you will die.”

  I give her a sour look. “Could you tone down the drama? I’m planning my wedding details here.” My magic is still holding strong against hers. As soon as I get what I need, I’m going to need a little extra oomph to get past her magic. I’ll admit it, I don’t like being up against someone who’s magic is as strong as mine. I could actually lose here. That’s a terrifying thought. Some of my concern must show on my face, because Kallen smiles in encouragement and laces his fingers with mine.

  It seems like forever that Rhamba and I stand opposite one another. “You are strong, stronger than a Witch or a Fairy,” she says. I think she’s just as worried as I am about losing. Good.

  When I see Sindri come to the door with a small bag in his hand, I want to kiss him. Now, if I can time this exactly right, I can win this. Taking my hand from Kallen’s I turn my back on Rhamba. I don’t need to face her to defend myself against her magic. I slip the small box from my pocket and open it. Inside, there are two small, whittled figures and a tiny vial of blood.

  “What are you doing?” Rhamba finally asks.

  “I’m filling out my will in case you win,” I say. I don’t think she believes me.

  “There are no tricks up your sleeve. As you read, we are virtually indestructible.” I can hear the gloating in her voice loud and clear. Good for them. Doesn’t mean that I can’t get rid of them, though.

  Opening the tiny vial, I touch the two figurines with a drop of blood from it. Then, I take the third figure from my pocket and do the same thing. I’m guessing that the old man thought there were only two at first. That must be why he said there were always more. Lucky for me he’s a quick whittler with those gnarled old hands of his. Right after Sindri, I’m giving Breena’s father a kiss on the cheek as well.

  Putting the cap back on the vial, I slip the figures back in my pocket, not caring if I get blood on my sweater. Now comes the really tricky part. I’m only going to have a few seconds to do this. Closing my eyes, I call my wings. Two pinches on my back tell me they answered my call. When I open my eyes and turn back around, Rhamba, Menaka and Tilattoma are in shock. That makes me smile.

  “You have the wings of an Angel,” Tilattoma stutters.

  I cock my head to the side. “Oh, did I forget to mention my Grandmother is an Angel? Oops,” I say with a big smile. Looking slightly over Rhamba’s shoulder, I catch Sindri’s eye. “On three,” I say.

  Rhamba looks baffled. “What are you talking about?” She must not have noticed my eyes shift to him.

  “One, two, three,” I say. Then I let my magic go at the same time Sindri throws me the small bag in his hand. I catch it easily. My wings fold around me, protecting me from the onslaught of Rhamba’s magic. “The rest of you are going to want to close your eyes,” I say to the room in general. I really hope they listen.

  I feel the pressure of the magic burning inside of me, the power of my Angel blood as it senses the demon blood in the room. Natural enemies, I don’t need a spell. Our blood is attracted to each other, each wanting to neutralize the other. I am drawn forward, and peeking over my wings, I see that the three half gods, as they like to call themselves, are being pulled towards me. The closer we get, the more my wings glow, until a blinding light fills the room. The anxious silence that has fallen is broken by the screams of the three I need to vanquish as the light touches their skin. Taking the figures from my pocket, I hold them out in front of me. The drop of Breena’s blood that I put on all three of them flutters into the air, cell by cell. It swirls around the three Apsaras, and then, like an arrow, it dives towards their chests, finding their hearts and setting them free. Free from the trappings of bodies that are not really there. Illusions used to hide their true forms. Looking upon them now, I see thei
r blackened skin, the place on their chests where their hearts are worn, and the skeletons of demons I have seen so often in renderings back home. Amazing how accurate some were. The only difference is the fact that they truly wear their hearts on the outside of their skin, making them easy to steal if you can see them in their true form. My Angel wings made that possible.

  Breena’s blood returns to me, followed by the hearts, broken into each individual cell. I watch in awe as the cells attach themselves to the tiny little figures. I have captured their hearts. Breena’s blood will hold them in place.

  Now, I need to prevent their escape. I open the bag that Sindri gave me. Inside, there’s the body of the blue ring octopus I used for the dreamless sleep spell. I dip each figure into the bag, magically sealing it after the last one is in place. The heartless demon bodies explode into a tornado of ash, covering us all. But, they’re gone. Now, it’s time to deal with the fallout.

  Chapter 21

  When the ash settles, I say to the room, “It’s safe to open your eyes now.” The expressions on the faces of the Giants and Radella’s team are almost comical. I believe they are at a loss for words. The only sound in the room at the moment is the sound of Breena’s crying. Oh no, I think, as I look at her. She didn’t close her eyes. Her lenses are glazed over and she’s blind. Why didn’t she listen to me?

  The next hour is chaotic. Dagda and Quinn both interrogate Breena, trying to discover the truth. Apparently, she had been carrying on a secret affair with Ellu for a number of years. That’s the reason she took the position at Dagda’s, even though she dislikes Fairies. It made it easier to escape prying eyes when she met him for their rendezvouses.

  It was when she began pushing for a real commitment from Ellu that he pushed her away; telling her that he never had any intention of making their relationship public. She was, after all, a Devas. That was enough to turn her heart bitter. She wanted to make Ellu pay, and what better way than to incite war in his name, knowing in her heart that the Daityas would crumble under the force of the Devas.

  When she was young, Breena had found her father’s journal. In it, he had detailed the true death of her mother. She didn’t die in a fire, as Breena had been told. Her father described her mother in his journal as conniving and manipulative, unhappy with her station in life. She stumbled upon a book of ancient magic in the attic of their home. It had belonged to her husband’s mother. In it, she found the secret to calling the Apsaras. Seeing them as the answer to her desires, she called them forth, ignoring the warnings in the book regarding consequences and lack of control over them.

  Breena’s father, in his old, weathered voice, filled in the blanks. It took him a while to get the story out, but what it boils down to is that what Breena’s mother didn’t know, was that Breena’s father had the ability to see demons in their true form. He descended from a long line of Giants with this ability. When two Apsaras appeared, he was able to capture their hearts and vanquish them; believing he had laid them to rest permanently. When Breena called them forth again, he knew he had failed and he began to research how to prevent them from ever being called again. That’s how he knew about the poison part. Gotta love a man who knows how to do his research.

  After Breena has been locked in her room with magic, and a guard stationed at her door, things start to wind down. Her father shuffles off to bed, exhausted by his efforts. Quinn and his Giants are still here as I yawn openly, hoping they get a hint. Dagda does.

  He looks over at me from his chair in the library, and smiles. Turning to Quinn, he says, “I believe my daughter has come to the end of her day. Let us adjourn for the evening. If you will send a messenger to Ellu, explaining what has happened and letting him know that his presence is required here in the morning, I would appreciate it greatly.”

  Quinn nods and rises from his seat. “I will send Orwick now.” Turning to me, he says, “I understand now what you meant when you said you fight alone. Your strength is as admirable as your beauty.” Then, with a sly smile, he says, “If for any reason you find yourself not hand-fasted in the future, know that there is a Devas in the south pining for you.”

  I have to prevent Kallen’s magic from burning Quinn from the inside out. Quinn laughs as he walks to the door. His Giants follow him out.

  I stand up and stretch my arms over my head. “I’m beat. I’m going to bed.”

  “Rest up,” Dagda says. “Tomorrow, we need to find a new caretaker for the house.”

  Wow, a mundane chore. I could actually get used to those. I smile and say, “Okay.” Taking Kallen’s hand, I pull him from his chair where he’s still fuming over Quinn’s parting words. He follows me out of the library and back to our bedroom.

  “I’m in desperate need of a shower,” I tell him. I’m still covered in Demon ash.

  A grin spreads across his face now. “Mind if I join you?”

  I laugh. “Yeah, because that’s a good idea.” It’s really tempting to say yes, though.

  “Fine, I will shower in another room.” With a kiss on the cheek, we part ways to take our showers.

  I take a long, leisurely shower, making sure all the ash is out of my hair. I’m surprised there’s still hot water when I’m done. Wrapping a towel around me, I open the bathroom door. Kallen is already in bed, propped up on a couple pillows. A single candle lights my way to him.

  “Care to make me some pajamas?” I ask.

  Pulling back the covers, he says, “But you look so wonderful in that towel. Why ruin the perfect outfit?”

  “Kallen,” I say, trying to give him a stern look. I could grab some pajamas out of my suitcase, but I have absolutely no desire to do that. Instead, I crawl into bed wearing only the towel.

  Kallen’s eyes become an inferno as he pulls me close to him. “I want you to be mine forever,” he says.

  I nod. “Me, too.”

  Bringing his lips to mine in a long, sultry kiss, all thoughts of sleep leave my mind. All thoughts of everything leave my mind. I tug him closer until he is lying on top of me. My hands trace the muscles of his arms, back and chest as he kisses a trail along my jaw to behind my ear. His hands have found the knot in my towel, pulling it open. His hand on my breast is heaven as his lips find mine again. Soon, his mouth leaves mine once more, to travel lower, replacing his hand with his lips. I curve my back, begging him not to stop. His hand has found its own downward path, causing me to wrap my legs around his, wanting more than just his touch.

  Knowing what I’m doing this time, I remove his boxers. My towel is long gone. There is nothing between us. “Xandra,” he murmurs against my lips. “This is torture.” He is pressed against my center. “We should stop.”

  Winding my arms around his neck to keep him from pulling away, I put my mouth to his and I pull him to me with my legs. There’s a little shock of pain at first, but that doesn’t last more than a moment. Finally, our bodies are joined as our minds are. As one. We make love to each other for what seems like forever, until exhaustion takes over.

  As my eyes close to carry me off to sleep in Kallen’s arms, a voice startles me. “Not so fast, my dear.” My eyes fly open and Kallen is still as a statue. Because I’ve been pulled into Angel time.

  Making sure the covers are doing their job, I glare at this brown haired Angel I have never seen before. “Who are you and what do you want?”

  A grin covers his face. It’s not a nice grin. Who knew Angels could look sinister. “I am but the lowly, Ambriel, Angel of the Powers, gatekeeper of the collective conscience and record keeper of our history.” His voice is as slick as the white suit with the black tie he’s wearing.

  I don’t like him. “And that makes you lowly?”

  He studies his nails as he says, “To some, it does.”

  “But, not to you.”

  His grin is back. “You are quick, little one.”

  “Don’t call me that.”

  He raises one eyebrow. “You are awfully rude for someone who has caught herself in quite the
scandalous predicament.”

  It hits me like the proverbial ton of bricks. Oh god. No, this can’t be. I look down at my hand, and sure enough, my ring is glowing. Kallen and I must be married tomorrow according to Fairy law. We didn’t stop. Why didn’t we stop?

  “I do apologize; I was a little late bringing you the message.”

  My face turns stony. I know I’m not going to like what he has to say. “What message?”

  He waves his hand in the air. “It was nothing important. Just that the magic of an Apsaras lingers in the heart of its vanquisher and those around for a day or two. You know, the magic of lust and passion and such. So, if you are with someone you feel passionate about, you may not be able to keep yourself from doing all sorts of things you would not have done otherwise. Every person in this house this evening will experience that.” He wrinkles his nose. “Oh, I guess the two of you should have slept in separate beds for a day or two, as you have mentioned numerous times that you are not ready to be truly hand-fasted.”