Stigmata

by L M Adams

  She is, for all intent and purpose, the queen of the crows – a deadly dark and cold creature. Jack almost married her, I almost killed her… can’t say I’m fond of her either.

  Jack shrugs gently and I cut my eyes at him through the mirror.

  “You’re cooking up more!” I turn on him.

  “Jaevia…” Lucien rumbles.

  “I’m sorry, but he’s being extra vampy right now, Luey.”

  “‘Tis his nature, Wench.” Lucien shrugs it off. “Getting angry about it is akin to becoming upset that water is wet.”

  I huff, “I’m not sure I like this philosophical Lucien.”

  He just grins.

  “Thank you, Lucien.” Jack starts forming my curls. They’ll be loose and flowy, we don’t have time for rollers so hopefully they’ll hold.

  I huff at Jack and turn back around.

  “I’m still just thinking Jaevia. Let me cook up my plot… please.”

  I roll my eyes. “Fine Jack… fine, but I’m not holding back if they start pissing me off.”

  “Of course not love. I know how protective you and Lucien are over me.” He looks super pleased.

  “We love you, that’s all, you’re happy. We’re all happy and mostly sane for once and I like it Jack, I really like it and I don’t want to mess this up.”

  “I won’t mess it up. I promise.”

  I roll my eyes. Good luck keeping that promise while trying to swim in the bloody shark-infested waters of vampire politics.

  4

  Jaevia

  Soon we’re all dressed and ready to go. Jack has us all in business wear. Me in a form-fitting soft lavender dress and black pumps. I wouldn’t usually wear this color, but Jack is trying to make me seem softer, more likeable, easily marketable. I don’t even fuss over it. I have to let him try. I’m just not sure how much of this is because he really believes I should be queen and how much is because of his natural vampiric thirst for power.

  Lucien and Jack both look sharp in finely tailored black suits and white shirts, no tie on either of them. Jack braided Luey’s long locs back in one of his intricate creations and even trimmed Luey’s facial hair neatly. Jack slicked back his own hair with a bit of product, his own trimmed facial hair making him look a mature thirty instead of youthful twenty-something.

  Tabari will be riding with us as part of the fallen Eventide Council. This is all just such a fucking joke. I’d be more pissed, but it is for the Youth Center. It’s important work if I am queen or not. I’ve lived in Baltimore for years now, these people, human and monster, are my people. I see the hurt; I know that hurt intimately.

  I have support still; I know I do, the rest of the house will be there already; along with Marcus, a seer, and his daughter Tricia, a teenage dragon-witch. Others will be there as well, others that still support me, oddly enough, even after seeing the video. Most will be supernaturals, because well, monsters understand monsters. To many supernaturals I was just feeding as a succubus, as what I am. The girl I’d raped had sold her freedom fair and square. But then monsters have a certain practicality that most humans just lack.

  Hell, I probably gained some support from the supernatural population of Terra, but I needed my standing to grow within the human population and the polls say that’s gone to shit. Before the polling systems went down, I was over sixty fucking points down; two out of every three people want us to burn in hell. How am I supposed to feel about that?

  Goddess, I just want to be done, I want to get on with my life.

  Jack gets me in the back of Lucien’s truck, helping me walk on the gravel in the heels, the trick being to stay on the balls of my feet. He gets in beside me and we wait alone for Lucien and Tabari to come out. I think they’re doing a final walkthrough. Having a living god hunting you mean wards have to be checked and rechecked.

  I look out of my window, into the woods that circle the warehouse, steeling myself for what’s coming. Quitting hadn’t made people leave me alone. The road at the top of the driveway is filled with news media and crazies all of the fucking time. Whoever said there’s no such thing as bad publicity is a fucking liar.

  I’d released an official statement that I would be taking an indefinite sabbatical and that all issues to deal with supernaturals should be forwarded to Bishop at the head of the CNAE or to Peter Robinson head of PRRIT. Let them deal with that shit. But it still wasn’t enough… people want my head on a spike. And Jack here just wants to get in deeper.

  “You’re angry.” He whispers.

  I sigh. “Yes.” There’s no point in lying about it.

  “Want to hurt me?”

  “No, Jack.”

  “Is there something I can do to make you not angry?”

  I finally turn to look at him. He’s gorgeous in the evening light. The power of the eventide flowing through him so easily, lighting his eyes with dark magic and doom.

  He’s so fucking stunning that it becomes painfully evident he comes from the same lineage that was able to seduce Eve into the eating the apple. I wonder… could he do the same to me?

  And then I realize he already has. I’ve already made up my mind to go along with whatever he wants, not because I want to, not because I think it’s right… but because I love him that much. He’s seduced so much more than my body; he seduced my heart and where he shall go – I shall follow.

  “I’m not angry at you Jack. I’m just angry and afraid you’ll get hurt. We don’t have to do this anymore. We really don’t.”

  “Maybe we do, maybe it’s our responsibility, our calling and purpose.”

  “We can make our own destiny.”

  “Quinn showed us differently.”

  I sigh. The old berserker along with his druid wife lived their lives manipulating fate and time so that I could become queen and eventide. They gave everything for that outcome, sacrificed all because they believed in me so much, a person they’d never even met before. “Maybe he did. But I have to believe I have a choice in this somewhere, some… way.”

  “If you’re telling me I have to choose between this or your love, I’ll drop it right here and now Jaevia.”

  I frown, “Don’t put that on me.”

  “I’m not trying to.” He sighs. “I’m just trying to find a way to do what I think is right and also keep your love.”

  “You’ll never lose my love.”

  His blue graphite eyes glow. “You promise?”

  I nod. “I promise.”

  “Then maybe we should invite Valentine.”

  “What is taking Tabari and Lucien so long!” I snap.

  Jack grabs my hand suddenly. “Please Jae, please.” His voice changes and I look at him again, brow wrinkling.

  “I felt the darkness of Azazael. I wanted to live away from this life, I gave it all up… you remember?”

  I nod, wanting that Jack back, the one who was only concerned with music and cooking cuisines from around the world. The Jack that was only concerned with loving me and Lucien.

  “I can’t have that anymore. With everything that has happened… I know now, we need power and I do not know how to do this without claiming the blood of the Vampyré.” He sounds terrified. “He came so close to taking you both from me, I have to be able to match him. I have a responsibility to protect you as you protect me. I need you to support me… trust me.”

  I stare at him in eventide light and while knowing that hell is paved with good intentions – I also know I’ll help him lay the first brick and every brick thereafter and never look back. That is the maddening love I have for him, that is the power of what we feel for one another. “I support you, I love you, you know that.”

  “I appreciate it.” He lets go of my hand and turns to look out of the window towards the warehouse. “I can’t let him take this away from me.”

  “He won’t my love.”

  He sighs and looks back at his lap.

  “I want permission to start looking for the seals.”

  I have no inten
tion of opening that can of worms right now. “We’ll talk about it later.”

  He nods and takes my hand in his again. “I never thought when I served you that beer we’d end up here; poised to rule it all.”

  Goddess, how am I supposed to believe he just wants to protect our love when his voice fills with such joy at the thought of ruling the world?

  I’ve always known that Jack is a vampire. He’s just always behaved not like a vampire. There wasn’t an abundance of that egotistical selfishness found in a vampire’s DNA.

  Who knows what has changed; is the constant battle and struggle we find ourselves in finally wearing on him? Is enslaving the world to our will the only way he sees out of it?

  One thing that has always been true… slaves revolt, sooner or later, they revolt.

  5

  Jaevia

  Lucien and Tabari come from the warehouse looking like high-priced hitmen. Tabari has a harder edge to him, everyone has bumped up their training and have been putting on muscle since facing off with Azazael – but Tabari is the most markedly changed. Goddess only knows how much meat he’s eating, how many magical enhancements he’s done to put on this much bulk this quickly.

  His long blond hair floats in the air, crackling with otherworldly power. Seafoam eyes glowing in the twilight. He’s addicted to the power, to the very EM field that surrounds the earth. When he first came back into the fold, he’d promised to tone it down, to work on distancing himself from that call. But then Azazael. Tabari can’t fight an ancient living god while in recovery. So, recovery waits, and he manages his addiction as best he can.

  I want to be angry at him for not keeping his word. Yet at the same time I tear away his support system, first Tala and then Peterus. Everyone he’s ever fallen in love with, I’ve simply found better uses for. Loyalty is his letting me do this to him again and again and still he stands by my side.

  Perhaps I will always wonder how much of that loyalty is due to his love for me or his guilt for betraying me. But then I’ve never been overly concerned with the means and methods of a thing – only the final product.

  Tabari Cadmus Argeal, all of our names, us Kindred, hold an etching of destiny. His very name means the loss of innocence, the one who dwells alone. Love was never his to have.

  I watch him jog down the stairs and walk over to the truck, dressed sharply in a shining black suit, dark green dress shirt beneath. Perhaps his heart will always be mine, unloved and untouched. Yet maybe he is more fortunate than the ones I have decided to love in return. Perhaps he is more fortunate than Lucien and Jack.

  Lucien is different, we are all different; but there is something almost elemental in him that has changed – some strange thing only to be whispered of in the night hours. Something of ancient terror, something time itself fears.

  He cleans up nicely in the black sharp lines of a suit with a white dress shirt beneath. I once could count on one hand how many pairs of pants Lucien owned, every one of them had been designed for battle. Simplistic, straightforward, he was what you saw, and you saw what he was. Now there are secrets deep and deadly; secrets within him and Jack knew just how to dress it up.

  Jack makes sure we all look like sex and death walking – he knows much on that subject.

  Lucien gets in the driver seat, Tabari in the front passenger seat and we’re off.

  The trees that block the warehouse from the city’s prying eyes are beginning to bud with the warming of the weather. Life is returning, after so much death and still life persists, I persist. No matter how much the world tries to tear me down, how many times I’m betrayed, tortured, hurt, no matter what – I shall persist and when I cannot be brave; I shall survive.

  I keep that in mind as Lucien pulls up the gravel driveway to the main road that sits at the top of the gradual incline. We pull out of the tree line and into the view of the news media. They swarm Lucien’s truck immediately.

  A crush of bodies pressing against the truck, all of them trying to get a picture of the would-be queen. The dark tints on the windows keep them from getting a good picture, perhaps they are as a persistent as me because they don’t give up. Some risk life and limb, almost clambering on top of the hood to try and get a picture through the windshield.

  A low growl begins to emit from deep in Lucien’s chest.

  “Calm, Luey.” I whisper.

  “I am calm.”

  I huff.

  “I am as calm as possible.”

  Jack huffs. “As long as you don’t roll down the window, grab someone by their shirt collar, and toss them in the air for all the world to see… okay.”

  “That only happened once, and it is very mean of you to keep bringing that up.”

  “Mean?”

  “Aye, mean, I am very sensitive you know?”

  Tabari can’t hold back his laugh and it becomes contagious spreading through the truck; much to Lucien’s chagrin. I think he was halfway serious about being sensitive over that little snafu.

  The news ate it up, played the clip on repeat for days on end. Jack was pissed, punished Lucien for it thoroughly. Not because he’d tossed the poor fellow in the air; but because Lucien was angry when he did it. Lucien carries a curse strong enough to destroy the world twice over, he can’t react out of anger whenever it suits him.

  We all know it’s not fair; I can express my anger, Jack can – we all can; everyone but Lucien. He has to be so fucking careful, make sure his responses are measured in kind, equal and evenly yoked. He can’t overreact, not even a little; Jack won’t let him even tip-toe on the line.

  The laugh eases my tension and Lucien keeps his temper in check as we ease through the crowd and pull away from the paparazzi.

  Jack sighs, looking behind us. “At least there aren’t any more of them chasing us.”

  “You almost sound disappointed.” I raise an eyebrow.

  He flashes a smile. “I don’t mind being adored.”

  “That is not adoration!” My voice is almost shrill. “That is crazed obsession because they hate us.”

  He shrugs, “Semantics.”

  “That’s not even remotely…” I stop midsentence watching the corner of his lip twitch with suppressed laughter.

  “You’re fucking with me?” I ask aghast.

  “Only a little.”

  I slap his arm. “I’m going to make you pay for that later.”

  His eyes shine silver for a moment and then settle, “I am forever and always at my Queen’s command.” His voice holds that titillating tenor of passions only a vampire and a succubus could understand.

  We’re into the blood and sex, the pain and pleasure – Jack and I create a beautiful dance wrapped in misery that any other paring would be hard pressed to match.

  My heart warms with love, because for once his thoughts aren’t filled with plans of world domination, instead there are only images of his body strapped down, bloodied and beaten, me riding him into the night as he begs to release his passion. And me, of course, telling him no while he whimpers with vicious longing.

  “By Ra, you two!” Lucien adjusts in his seat. “You’re projecting and now I have a hard-on!”

  “Good god.” Tabari mutters.

  Jack doesn’t take his eyes from mine. “I told you to work on your shielding.”

  I smile. “You first.”

  “Maybe I didn’t want to shield him.”

  Visions of me on my hands and knees with Jack inside of me from behind and Lucien in my mouth, the two of them begging me for a release in a desperate tandem, fills my thoughts so vividly I can smell the need, taste their pain.

  “I swear to Ra you two better tone it down!”

  Jack’s eyes flare with silver again as he cuts them at Lucien. “Or what?” His voice is low but filled with challenge.

  Lucien turns the truck suddenly, veering down an alley, he hits the breaks hard and we all jolt forward.

  “If you two do not pull it together, I will do regrettable things.” Lucien grum
bles low.

  Tabari clears his throat. “You should be able to shield against them.”

  “I can’t shield when they both are thinking the same disgustingly beautiful things! Fuck! I am still a man.”

  “You can, this connection between you three is only going to intensify after you’re married, if you don’t do something about it now the three of you are going to end up living inside of each other’s minds and possibly going insane.”

  I sigh and try to pull back from the delicious thoughts flowing through Jack’s mind.

  That man seduces me on all fronts.

  Tabari turns in his seat to look at me. “Have you been practicing the exercises?”

  “Eh,” I make a wishy-washy motion with my hand.

  “Fine, we’ll do one now.” He turns back around in his seat. “Lucien you first, think of a number. Jack, Jaevia – what is the number?”

  I roll my eyes exasperated. “I can’t do it, I’ve tried. I can only see their thoughts when they’re tied to strong emotion.”

  “That is because your mind is untrained. You have to learn to control your powers, all three of you. And that starts up here.” He points at his temple.

  Tabari’s advice has been for us to actively learn how to hear and read one another’s thoughts counting on the same principle that knowing how to use something dangerous makes it inherently less dangerous. If you have guns in the house, make sure everyone knows how to handle them properly and it will lower the chances of mistakes.

  I see the principle, so I decide to try and focus on the number Lucien is holding in his thoughts instead of the delicious vision of Jack going balls deep inside of me as I choke on Lucien’s cock.

  As they say, a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do.

  6

  Jaevia

  Of course Jack gets the number. All I could see was the burning fire inside of Lucien. The pure reflection of hell he carries within him. Something I don’t want to look at for any length of time.