by Jana LaPelle
“We didn’t think you were going to make it for dinner. Come on over here and tell us what you have been up to.” Dez motions for me to help with the food. We quickly get everything situated and sit. I dig in, realizing that the last time I ate was with LJ. I can’t help but wonder what she’s doing right now.
Reaching for some dumplings with my chopsticks, I ask, “So, what brings you here?”
Levi chuckles, “No hello? It’s good to see you dad. Just, so what brings you here?”
Smiling at his banter, I impart, “It’s good to see you all. How long has it been?”
“It feels like an eternity since I last saw you, Dax. You know how time runs in The Underworld. It was way past time for a visit.” My mother says as she allows my fathers to cater to her every desire. It’s always been like this. The three of them can make even a simple meal about foreplay. For the longest time, it made me uncomfortable as I got older watching my fathers fawn over her. Its as if the three have to be in a constant dance anticipating the next touch, the next caress. They feed her and she allows them to do so because it pleases them, not because she is precocious. For a moment I feel as if they have forgotten that I’m even in the room, so I finish my dumplings and reach for the Chow Mein noodles with beef, and then the beef and broccoli. All my favorites.
“Your mother was a little homesick and wanted to see you, but we also wanted to stop in and see what Mammon has been up to. Since the rift between the realms has allowed us access to The Mortal Realm, he has not been spending much time in The Underworld. The City of Depravity is not as depraved as it once was, and the citizens there are growing restless. If you had not shown up tonight we were going to go check in on our brethren.”
“Father, have you checked in with The Horde King? Tarron tends to keep a good eye on things in both The Mortal Realm and The Otherworld.”
“Aye, we spoke to him about an hour ago. Evidently, we just missed your leaving there. So you have met the Keeper of Souls and her Guardian? Tarron had us on speaker when he took the call. How did that go?” Both my fathers and my mother are looking at me curiously.
Around a mouthful of food, I say, “It went fine, why do you ask?”
“Because,” he pauses, “The tiny goddess insinuated that there could be something between you and her daughter, Lillie Joanna.” My father, Dez states, rather matter of factly. “Is that true?”
I still, not knowing how to continue, obviously there’s a story here, something that I don’t know about, something that involved them and LJ’s mother, so I ask, “How do you know the Keeper of Souls?”
“That’s a long story and one that we don’t want to get into right now. How do you know Ashlinn’s daughter? Do tell.” Levi asks, a twinkle in his jewel green eyes.
“I noticed her the moment she walked into Tarron’s Tavern last night. There was just something about her that draws me in. I don’t know what it is, but for her sake, I need to stay far away from her. She doesn’t need to get mixed up with the likes of me.” I state adamantly, before focusing on my meal.
“It sounds like the two of you are already mixed up in something. Why not see where it goes?” Mother’s voice is soft and prodding.
“You know why, mother. She deserves better than me.” I state coldly. “It’s the cold hard facts, nothing to get worked up over.”
Dez stands abruptly and demands, “Why? Because you are our son? Let me tell you something, Daxell Grayson. You could have done a lot worse than have the two of us for your fathers. It’s time to get over your self-loathing and get on with your life. Embrace who you are. Until you can do that, your right, you need to stay far away from the little goddess, because she deserves better than who you are at this very moment. She deserves someone to stand by her side in the trials to come, someone that will have her back and not be afraid to embrace his demon. Just because you are a son of two of the original Fallen does not mean that you have to walk the path that we chose, Daxell. You can choose your own path.”
Levi stands and says, “You’re just too damned stubborn and thick-skulled to get it. What if you are her kindred, her soulmate? Will you walk away from her because you have a problem with your demon half? Would you make her suffer an eternity for your shortcomings? She’s immortal, she deals in the business of souls every damn day. Don’t you think she deserves a chance at being with her soulmate?”
Huffing, I turn on my family, “Everyone needs to just back the hell off. I’m drawn to her, I didn’t say that we were soulmates. Why would she be paired with someone like me?” I demand. Pushing my plate away and sitting back in my chair, no longer hungry.
“Why indeed?” My mother asks, teaming up on me with my fathers. “Have you ever felt a pull to another female like you feel drawn to Lillie?”
“No. Never.”
“Then, just maybe you should do yourself and her a favor and figure out what you two are to one another, but you are going to have to unleash your demon. He deserves to be a part of this just as much as you. It’s not fair to keep him locked away.” She pauses and reaches up to me, “We didn’t come here to badger you, we came to check in on you and to have a little bit of time to catch up, but I’m curious about one thing. What did Lillie say when she found out about you? Was she revolted? Did she run the other way?”
“Mother, I know what you’re doing, but to answer your question, she was fine with it. She said she didn’t care about what I am, rather, who I am.”
“Then you have your answer,” my father says as he hands me a beer. “Come on, there’s a match on TV that we thought we could watch before we have to head out.”
“That sounds good. I’ll clean up and put things away and catch up with you in a few.”
The rest of the evening with the parents went by uneventfully. No more badgering me about Lillie, and it was actually what I needed. It had been quite some time since the four of us have spent any time together, and for the first time, since I was a child, I was able to put my issues with my fathers behind me. The game was a good one and we were able to connect on a new level. Beer was drunk, cheers went up when our team did well, and curses were heard all around when the opposing team took the lead. By the end of the game, my mother retired, and my fathers and I stayed up to the wee hours of the morning playing cutthroat pool. At some point, the old reserves of Kentucky Bourbon were opened and before I knew it the three of us had gone through two bottles of aged Maker’s Mark. By four in the morning, the three of us were done. Both my fathers went to crawl in bed with my mother.
It left me time to reflect. So I went out to the dock to sit in the Adirondack chair out there with what was left of the bourbon. Evidently, I fell asleep out on the dock. I woke with a pounding headache, clutching an empty Maker’s Mark bottle. How pathetic. I hear the call of geese and squint to see that a family of waterfowl is paddling in the tranquil waters of the lake around me. For the love of Lucifer, how much alcohol did I drink last night? And still, the first thing I think of is what is she doing right now. I’m so in over my head that I can’t admit it.
The sun is coming up behind me in the eastern sky and there is movement in my cabin. I stagger to my feet and slowly make my way back inside, wondering what the hell I did with my teeshirt. As I stumble inside my fathers approach and say, “Drink this, it will help.” They hand me a concoction of unknown origin and I gulp down the foul looking drink. It tastes of a combination of tomato juice, pickle juice, tabasco, and quite possibly vodka, and who knows what else. All I know is that it tastes like tar.
“So, Daxell, we’re heading out in a few hours. What are your plans?”
Grimacing, I wince as my hangover all but clobbers my head, “I have to close up the house, and then I’ll go to meet up with LJ.”
My mother squeals and I wince, before saying, “Mother, she’ll have to work for it. This is not me giving in to her every whim. She will need to prove that she can handle everything that I will bring her way.”
“Oh, my sweet son, do not u
nderestimate this young woman.”
Alittle more than nine hours later, I arrive at Tarron’s Tavern, feeling a little bit more myself after the ride into the city. It’s Friday night, and as soon as I stroll into the bar, I’m approached by a tall sexy blond, she’s barely clad. Her full breast straining in their confining bustier, her mile-high legs are on full display in her skimpy mini skirt, and her sexy stiletto heels complete her web of enticement. Before I can do anything, she’s in my space, wrapping herself around me like a vine climbing a pole. I lean in, accepting her invitation. Wrapping my arm around her small waist with a sexy smile, the action is automatic, like so many times before. Then the realization that this female can’t compare to LJ rankles me. She’s sexy and enticing. Before I met LJ she was just my type but now she doesn’t compare. A wicked, resentful part of me is willing to play out this bit of harmless flirtation to see where it goes, but I’m not all in. It’s then when I feel her presence and I turn to see that LJ just showed up, and she’s pissed. I stiffen. I don’t owe her an explanation, but damn if I don’t want to offer up one. For spite, because I don’t like this feeling, I don’t like feeling tied to someone else, I lean into the female that has all but suctioned herself to me like an octopus and smile, before nuzzling her neck and licking at her pulse. Hell’s saints, I’m a bastard.
9
Playing Games
(Lillie Joanna)
What the fuck? Is he trying to piss me off? Then realization dawns on me. Yes, he is. He may be licking and nipping at that bitches neck but his eyes have not left mine. Those glittering green orbs pin me with an intensity that I can not deny. Turnabout’s fair play, right? I drag my eyes from his and home in on a handsome succubus at the opposite end of the bar. He’s with several other male friends and the five of them look innocent enough, maybe my age, not as old as Dax, and definitely not as dangerous. He may be cute but there is no attraction, which is perfect. I look back over to Daxell and blow him a kiss, before making my way over to the succubus and his friends. Making sure to put a little extra sway in my hips as I walk away from demon boy.
As I approach, I draw a finger up the unsuspecting dark fae’s bulging bicep and say, “Hi, handsome, I’m new here. Can you suggest a drink? What are you guys having?”
They make room for me as I move into their space, the handsome succubus assesses me before leaning in and asking, “Hey, beautiful, what’s your name?”
Batting my eyes and smiling at the male before me, I say seductively, “I’m LJ, and just who might you be?”
“I’m -” I don’t get to hear his name. Suddenly, I’m pulled backward.
“It doesn’t matter who he is.” Daxell wraps his arms around me from behind and pulls me away from the five.
“I think it does. Hands off, Dax. Your bimbo’s waiting for you.” I push my way out of his strong arms.
“She’s not my bimbo.”
I grin and say, “That’s what you say, but she looks plenty pissed to me right about now.”
“I made her no promises. Hell, we didn’t even exchange words. You, on the other hand, I owe a ride. You showed. I didn’t think you would.” His hands still rest lightly on my hips, his thumbs lightly caressing my waist sending tingles of pleasure coursing through me.
“If you thought that, then you have a lot to learn about me. I don’t back down easily, especially when it comes to something I want,” I say teasingly, a smile tugging at my lips, “and I want to go to The Underworld. You just so happen to be my ticket in.”
“Damn, honey cheeks, I thought you wanted me.” His grin is wicked and lights up his sexy as sin dark face.
“In your dreams, demon boy.” I pronounce and pucker my lips together for an air kiss.
“You want that ride or not,” he growls.
“Are you going to tell your girlfriend your ditching her?” I can’t help the quirk of my lips as I watch his response.
He turns to assess the female glaring daggers in our direction, and shakes his head, “No, I don’t think so. She looks pissed.” He chuckles and grabs my hand and pulls me after him. I turn to wave at the table of males that I didn’t even get to meet with a little shrug as I’m pulled through the crowd.
We navigate the mob that is building in the bar as the evening grows nigh and make our way to the elevator. The doors open with a ding and at least ten people spill out into the entryway of the tavern. Dax pulls me with him into the lift and in a matter of minutes, we are standing alone together waiting for the garage level.
“So, what’s the plan?” I ask, breaking the heavy silence.
He squeezes my hand in his own, not looking at me, it’s as if he’s conflicted before saying, “You get that ride you wanted last night, and I get to stow my bike away in my garage. Then you trace us back to your place. I figure if we’re going to try to dig up information on this New Raven Order we need a central meeting place. It only makes sense that it's someplace that you and your family and friends know and are familiar with. I tend to be a loner, so what you see is what you get.” The elevator dings and the doors open. Daxell pulls me off the lift behind him and makes his way toward a sleek black and silver bike. He hands me the only helmet, and says, “I brought this for you.”
“What about you?” I ask, as I slide the helmet over my head and fasten the strap under my chin.
“Honey cheeks, I don’t need to wear a helmet.” He swings his well-muscled denim-clad leg over the bike and starts her up. Then he indicates for me to climb on behind him, pointing to the pegs toward the back of the bike. I don’t hesitate, bracing myself using his shoulder, I step up on the peg and swing my leg over to sit behind him. Dax looks over his shoulder with a smirk, “You may want to hang on tight, princess.”
He all but guns the engine, popping a wheely before tearing out of the garage. I barely have a chance to wrap my arms around him and plaster myself to his back. I’m almost unseated before I settle in. Looking over his shoulder, I see that the speedometer registers ninety miles an hour as we weave in and out of traffic, running red lights, passing everyone in our sight. I loosen my hold on his waist and sit straight up, flipping the visor open. I’m mesmerized as the lights of the city streak by us blending into ribbons of color, and for a moment I forget that we’re not dragon-riding, but racing through the streets of this northern city on a motorcycle. As we come upon the outskirts of the suburbs, we’re soon surrounded by trees and I let the exhilaration of the ride take over. Sitting straight up, I lift my arms over my head, skyward and laugh out loud, loving every aspect of this ride, and cry out, “YEAH!!!” I can’t help the laughter that spills from my lips. I’ve never felt this free.
About halfway through the ride, Dax slows down to a more leisurely pace weaving in and out of the curves of the two-lane highway. The road has become winding as we travel further into the wilderness. I leave the visor open so I can take in the scent of the woods around us. It smells different here, unlike the scents that surround my mother’s house much further south than this place. There are more pine and evergreen here, where at home we have more oak, maple, cherry, and sycamore. The smells of the woods are just different, and I love the earthy scent.
Slowly, Dax pulls onto a sandy, gravel road that leads toward the water. I can smell it. The place is in the middle of nowhere, and I can tell that this is his sanctuary. His place to go to find solitude. I’m surprised that he has brought me here. Dax slowly maneuvers the steal horse that we ride into the detached garage. He lowers the kickstand and waits for me to hop off. For a moment, we both just stand there looking at one another before I exclaim, “Oh my God, we have to do that again! That was amazing!”
He grins back at me and I all but melt right on the spot. Taking my hand, he says, “Come on, I want to show you the lake. It’s my favorite place.” He leads me out of the garage and the door closes behind us. He sighs, “I don’t know when we will be back again. Time is crazy between the realms. I’ll keep her as sheltered as I can while I’m gone. What would
you like to see?” He smiles and I’m taken aback. This is not the male that has been pushing me away since the morning we met and I’m not quite sure what to make of it, except that maybe he’s finally ready to explore that there may be something more between us.
10
Treading Carefully
(Daxell)
I can tell that she’s trying to figure out what’s going on with me, so I just make my way down the gentle slope to the sandy beach and out on to the dock, calling out over my shoulder, “Are you coming?” I don’t so much hear but sense that she has followed me and for a few minutes, we just stand there together, listening to the night around us. The water gently lapping at the shoreline.
“It’s nice here.” She says quietly, “How long have you lived here?”
“It was a gift from my parents when I turned twenty-one,” I say studying her profile in the swiftly fading light.
“And how long ago was that?” She turns those brilliant blue eyes of hers my way.
“Six earth years ago.”
She smiles, “So, you’re a little older than I thought.”
It’s my turn to laugh, “Well, if you must know, I’m over fifty if you count my time in The Underworld.” I wait for her reaction.
Her eyes widen and her eyebrows arch, “You look good for fifty.”
“Are you still interested in an old man like me?”
Her eyes narrow, “I told you before, I’m not interested in what you are, but rather who you are. I’m sure that your time here and in The Underworld has shaped the man and the demon that you keep hidden from the realms.”