Lissa Kasey - Dominion 2 - Reclamation

by Lissa Kasey

  “And what about me?”

  “What about you? How many years ago did you approach me asking for a job so you could get close to him without alarming him? I let you do it because youre his family. What you do with that bond is your choice. But you know I will stand between the two of you if I need to.”

  “I just want him to be happy, safe, loved. Is that too much to ask?” Jamie flopped down onto the couch, anger seeming to deflate his energy. “These sessions are making it worse. Cant you see that?”

  Gabe sighed. “Ill call Tanaka. See if we can ease back on the requirements. If I explain, maybe she can convince the Dominion it is best that we take care of Seiran in a different way.”

  Jamie laughed angrily. “Like she convinced them not to kill our dad? He died begging me to take care of Seiran.”

  “Is that how you see him? An obligation? A replacement for your dad? Maybe you need to spend some time examining your feelings.”

  “Having been dead a few millennia will sort that out for me, right? Whats your goal? To make him your focus? Make sure hes good and messed up so that when you do, you have full control of him?”

  “Get out, Browan.”

  They both moved. Jamie toward the door, anger in every step, and Gabe toward the bedroom. The elevator dinged open and shut. I jumped back into bed, hands already shaking, despite the bandages. Gabe opened the door and stripped out of everything but his boxers and socks. He crawled in beside me, feeling almost as warm as I remembered Jamie had been.

  “Will you make love to me?” I asked him quietly.

  He twirled my long hair between his fingers and kissed me, his expression neutral again. “Not tonight. Youve had a rough day.”

  “Dont you want me anymore?”

  Gabes fingers tickled my scalp before he gave me another kiss. “Silly question.”

  I sighed and curled into his embrace. “We can do it if you want,” I told him.

  “What?”

  “Make me your focus. Ill say the words and everything. Im okay, really.”

  He shook his head and wrapped an arm around me. “Remember our first date?”

  “Mhmm.”

  “How did you get my phone number anyway?”

  “Randy.”

  His lips turned up at the corners in a small smile, letting the neutral mask slip away. “Oh.”

  “Did you do him?” I had really become the jealous type lately.

  “No. His pack and I had crossed paths before. I try to remember the little ones, enemies or not.”

  “Do you think Ill ever get better?” I searched his face for answers, hoping to find some secret key there.

  “Yes. And Im willing to wait as long as you need.” The happiness in his eyes gave me more hope than anything Id experienced in months.

  “Youre too perfect,” I grumbled, wishing I knew how to reciprocate his feelings.

  “Except that you hate the smell of my shampoo and the fact that I wear socks all the time,” he pointed out.

  “I dont hate your shampoo, its just strong.” The lightpink button-up hanging in the closet and the wing-tipped loafers? Those I hated. The sock thing I just didnt understand. “What do you not like about me?”

  He appeared thoughtful, then crunched up his nose in a way I knew hed be teasing me. “Hmm. Do I have to make a list?”

  I smacked his hip.

  He chuckled. “You snore.”

  “What?”

  “Not terribly, just loud breathing, like. Its especially bad after the new moon.”

  “You dont like when I snore?”

  “And when you use my brush,” he said seriously, glancing toward the dresser where Id left his brush earlier this evening.

  “I could be smelly and dirty, and mean, but all that bugs you is my snoring and brush usage?”

  “You take care of your own bills, clean up after yourself, arent mean, smelly, or dirty. There really isnt much else to worry me.”

  “Lines of men.”

  “Waiting?”

  “Whove already climbed aboard.” That hurt to say. A lump formed in my throat when I realized Id just reminded him of my sordid past.

  Gabes hand eased down to run circles around my lower back. “Did they mean anything to you?”

  Matthew had, for a while at least. “Only one.” And he still haunted me.

  Gabe sighed and shook his head. “The past only hurts if you let it. Sleep, please. I know you havent been.”

  But my mind still raced. “If you were going to make me your focus, what would we have to do?”

  “Youd take my blood and say, from you to me until the sun forever breaks.”

  “Forever breaks like death, right? Kind of lamely poetic.”

  “I think its more about the feeling than the actual words,” he said.

  Most things in life were. “Whats it like? Being a focus.”

  “Youd become more like me.”

  “Like Id have to drink blood? Gross.”

  He laughed lightly. “No. Youd share my strength and my long life. My thoughts and dreams. Its a connection.”

  “In the movies, theyre slaves.”

  “The movies get a lot of things wrong. I can compel you to do things now because Ive had your blood. That would make you a slave. If I give you mine in return it gives you power over me. A balance, per se.”

  “Doesnt sound so bad.” I traced the muscles of his upper arm, liking the way my touch brought goose flesh to his skin. His cock felt hard and ready against my hip, but neither one of us moved to make this time more intimate than it already was.

  He frowned and looked into the distance for a few seconds. “Vampires are most often killed by their focus. The ones we keep the closest are the ones most dangerous to us. I dont ever want you to hate me that much.”

  I snuggled against his chest and closed my eyes. “I never could.”

  Chapter Seven

  THATnight Id gotten up just past 1 a.m. after having dreamt of Matthew again. None of my memories of our encounters had been arousing, and waking up in bed alone made me feel stifled. Gabe had left me a note saying he would be back soon. So I got up and decided to do something other than stare at the ceiling of Gabes bedroom.

  I opened my e-mail and found another note from Matthew. This one explaining in detail what he wanted to do to me. Reading it with a semi-sleepy glare, it didnt mean much. Like the last one, I deleted it and moved on. I pulled up a few online games and played until Jamie showed up at five to make breakfast. It was Tuesday, and I had class. The only one I had to show up for, Ethical Advanced Magic. That and the one I had to teach on counter hexes, which followed EAM.

  The Dominion had assigned “Curses” to me as punishment for using a lethal hex and becoming Pillar without approval of the Council. Even though it had been to save my life, the Dominion had to be seen as strict and wise. So instead of jail time or death, I got to teach a bunch of kids and would be graded on how they performed in my class.

  Jamie paused in the doorway, taking in that I was awake and at the computer. “Come let me check your hands.” He looked over both bandages and made me a light breakfast of fruit-filled crepes. Sipping his coffee, he appeared to be working hard at playing casual. “Do you want to talk about yesterday?”

  “No.” The word made him suck in a deep breath, and his face shut down. “Id like you to find a different doctor.”

  “Dr. Tynsen is nice.” Even if she did get in my bubble and sometimes seem to ignore me.

  “Why are your meetings with her taking hours now?”

  I shrugged. “Working through stuff. Remembering things. Thats all.”

  “Yesterday was working through a memory? Of what?”

  But Id already told him I didnt want to talk about it. “Kelly has class today, too, right? Maybe he can pick me up.”

  Jamies coffee cup tipped and flooded the countertop.

  I raced to the paper towels but he was already there. “I got it.”

  I could feel the pressure
building. Watching him soak up the brown liquid before spraying the counter to wipe it down gave me a method to controlling the urge. I counted backward, breathing and watching, making sure he cleaned the entire counter, even parts untouched by coffee.

  The buzzer coming from the call box woke me out of my stupor.

  “Its Kelly,” Jamie said.

  Hadnt we talked about him taking me to school?

  He buzzed Kelly in, and I waited for the elevator to descend while feeling Jamies eyes on me. “Are you going to get dressed or wear pajamas to school?” It was just after seven. Where had the time gone?

  I raced to the bedroom to change while Kelly came in. His chipper voice carried through the apartment like bells at Christmastime. “I promise to abide by the Jamie Protection Protocol,” he joked.

  Choosing jeans and a sweater, I hurried into the living room. “Sorry.”

  “No rush, Sei. Well get there on time.” Kelly had on his winter coat, and vaguely I recalled the temperatures were supposed to have dropped.

  “Are you okay with Kelly taking me to school?” I asked Jamie.

  “Werent you listening to anything I said? I did call him for you, and here he is.” Jamie handed me my coat, his expression a lot like Gabes got when he didnt want me to know what he was feeling. “Dress warm. Its barely two above.” He helped me put mittens over my bandaged hands and wrapped the scarf around me.

  Kelly picked up my schoolbag. “Ready?” At least he looked happy to see me.

  “Do you need me to pack you a lunch?” Jamie asked.

  “Well eat on campus,” Kelly told him before I could open my mouth. And then we were off, headed to the car. We were pointed toward school before the first wave of exhaustion hit me. Kelly rambled about something.

  I must have fallen asleep, since when he shook me awake we were already parked on campus. “Are you feeling okay?”

  “Havent been sleeping well.”

  “Dont sleep through class. Professor Wrig will never let you hear the end of it.” Kelly hoisted my bag over his shoulder. I followed him to class where he dropped me off. “Ill be back to pick you up for lunch.” He handed me my stuff.

  “Okay. Ill probably be in the library.” The bookbag felt oddly heavy today. The professor approached me as I was pulling my mittens off with my teeth.

  “Everything all right, Mr. Rou?” Wrig asked, probably noticing the bandages. “Do you need someone to take notes for you?”

  I shook my head. “I brought a digital recorder. Can I put it on your desk? My brother will help me type up notes later.” Gabe had put the recorder on top of my stuff last night, telling me it was charged and ready to go.

  “Sure.”

  I had to use my hands as a sort of shovel to get the recorder out, but the professor took it and placed it on her desk. It would hold up to two hours of audio.

  The class went by pretty fast. The professor handed me back my recorder and actually helped me pack up my bag. She reminded me of a paper due at the end of the week and asked if I needed an extension. I had forgotten the paper. Didnt even have a topic yet.

  After promising to complete it on time, I headed to the classroom I used to teach the class the Dominion had set up as my punishment, Counter Hexes, Curses, and Magic Nullification.

  There were actually more than forty students in my class. Some of them male, and as far as I knew, not enrolled in magic studies in general. I pulled out my notebook and took my place in front of the class. “Morning, class,” I greeted.

  “Morning, Mr. Rou,” half a dozen students piped up. The girls rarely talked; the guys were vocal. But everyone always seemed to be listening and taking notes.

  “Can I have one volunteer to write on the board for me today?” I asked.

  Sam Mueller raised his hand from his spot in the front row. He had a sort of eerie resemblance to me, being a somewhat small Ameri-Asian male with dark hair, though his eyes were green and hair short. Like me, he was a little more on the pretty side of male rather than handsome. He was the loud sort, but seemed to pay attention.

  “Thanks, Sam.” I gestured him to the chalk. He got up from his seat and went to the board. “Today Im going to be talking about nullification.” Jamie and I had created this lesson plan more than a week ago. Sam wrote nullification on the board in big letters and underlined it.

  “Unlike counter curses and hexes, nullification is not a spell. You can have an enchanted object with a nullification effect, but you cant cast a spell to nullify something thats already been placed on you. Can anyone tell me why?” I asked the class.

  No one raised their hand. Sams rose next to me.

  “Sam?”

  “Nullification is something you are, not something you make.”

  “Correct. Its not an actionable spell. So if you have a nullified object, you can use it to counter all the magic in the room, actionable or otherwise. But the only way you can make it actionable is to throw the object or move it.” I motioned to Sam. “Write non-actionable down, please.”

  He did as Id asked.

  “There is a rare exception to the rule. And that is when the spirit,” I made Sam write: “that gives us our power, like my earth ability for example, provides an individual the power of nullification.”

  One of the girls in the back raised her hand.

  “Alana?” I asked her.

  “So instead of having an elemental power, a person is born resistant to all magic?”

  I nodded, happy that they really seemed engaged today. “Correct. The Dominion believes that less than one percent of the population has the ability. Nulls are used to enter dangerously active areas to make it safe for witches to put an end to a curse or a hex. They cant cast spells since their power negates them.”

  “But you can buy nullified objects. How do they make those?” Alana asked, frowning at her notebook.

  “There are some objects that come with inherent null powers. Some types of rocks or minerals and some areas of the earth have larger containments of these properties. We use these to create nullified objects. Often an amulet, or a bracelet. They are not made by a person with nullification abilities.” I let them digest this.

  “But if you took the blood of someone who had nullification abilities, that would be the same concept, right?” Sam asked. “I mean, can they cast off their powers at death like a regular witch by using the inheritance ceremony? Or does their power come from somewhere else that when they die, it dies with them?”

  “Thats a good question,” I told him. “According to Dominion law, nulls are buried in a different place than normal witches, because their power remains with them in death. There is no way for them to „cast it off. However, using another humans remains for purposes such as creating a nullified object is against the Dominion Code.”

  Id learned a lot myself from these classes about counter hexes and nullification. Not that any of it really would have changed the outcome of Brocks attack. I suppose if hed known more counter hexes he could have kept me from killing him, which meant hed have killed me.

  “So maybe the areas that have large null fields are because someone who was a null died and was buried there,” Sam pointed out.

  “Its possible. We do have records dating back a few centuries about where nulls have died. Often those areas are off limits for digging.” Though there was a good probability that a null from a few hundred years ago could create a ground saturation that would last for a millennia or two.

  “Cool.” Sam said.

  “We only have two classes left. Id like for each of you to pick a topic that we have discussed in the past few weeks and create a presentation on that topic. Remember, no magic is allowed on campus without a certified professor to oversee it. So if youd like to use real magic please let me know ahead of time so I can make arrangements. No more than ten minutes per presentation, and you can choose a partner, but no more than two.”

  A bunch of hands rose. The clock read five minutes to the end of the hour. I put the note
s sheet Jamie and I created on the edge of the desk. The assignment was listed on the bottom of it.

  “The assignment sheet is up here. For those who have questions, please form a line and I will answer them as you leave.” Hopefully it didnt take long, because the next professor to use this classroom got cranky if I was late wrapping things up. The final presentation would be in the auditorium with several Dominion members reviewing the results of my five-week teaching project.

  A handful of students had quick questions that I answered, and they made their way out the door, assignment in hand. The last few lingered until the next teacher came to the door. Her frown had me stuffing everything back in my bag. I passed her in the doorway, grumbling a sorry. Sam followed me out the door.

  “Can I do my presentation on nulls?” he asked me.

  I shrugged. “Sure, but its a very broad topic. Please pick a narrow focus to keep your presentation time to ten minutes.”

  “Do I have to work with someone else?”

  “No. You can work alone if thats what you prefer.” He followed me halfway down the hall, making me more than a little nervous.

  “What did you do to your hands?”

  “I had a chemical accident in the kitchen at home,” I told him curtly, really not wanting him to follow me to the library. “Have a good day, Mr. Mueller.”

  This time he took the hint and wandered off toward whatever next class he had. I made my way to the library, wishing for my fingers back to send Kelly a text message. He had classes until noon.

  BY THEtime he arrived Id checked out two books and downloaded three articles on equality within the Dominion. Our assignment for EAM was to write a charter that would change something for the better. I was going to propose all children of the Dominion, female or male, should be allowed to go to witch camp. Didnt every kid need help building selfesteem?

  “Hungry yet?” Kelly asked, his easy smile brightening

  the day a little.

  “Starving.” After last weeks exchange at the vending

  machine, I hadnt ventured further than the restroom. In

  fact, I sat at the tables nearest the librarians desk and even