by Robin M Helm
~~oo~~
Xander hummed to himself as he dressed for his first day of classes at Converse. As he left his townhouse and headed for his car, he noticed that the day was clear and brisk, and he was thankful for his warm jacket as he braved the chilly January weather. He breathed deeply and was exhilarated by the feeling of the cold air in his lungs.
He was optimistic about the direction that his relationship with Elizabeth was taking, and he was delighted to have an excuse to spend part of each day with her. As he drove to the campus with Gabriel flying overhead, he suddenly realized that his guardian had not yet spoken a word.
What are you thinking? Xander asked.
You are happy. You do not need to know what I am thinking, was the short reply.
Xander drew his brows together. Is there some reason I should not be happy?
No. Elizabeth enjoys being with you when you are in a good mood. I would not spoil it.
Too late. Tell me why you are silent, said Xander, a little too forcefully.
If you insist. I have been thinking about Gregory. You will meet him today. He is her friend, and you must not forget that. Gabriel was reasonable as usual.
I am not likely to forget it. I have been forced to be in his presence for the past two and a half years, Xander’s tone was terse.
You have been in angelic form nearly all of that time. Today, you will meet him as a human. With your dual nature, you are fully human and fully angel. You will be totally human when you are with him.
I know that! What is your point? Xander nearly ran a red light.
Gabriel moderated his tone carefully. You are more emotional when you are human, Xander. Even now you are losing your temper with me, and I am your friend. He is your enemy and your competition for Elizabeth’s affections. You must be in complete control of your feelings. Gregory has lived as a human all of his life. He is well-practiced in deceit and disguise. He will not make an error, and you must not make one either.
Xander bit back the retort that was on his tongue and took a deep breath. You are right, as usual, Gabriel. I have had this nature for only a few months. You may have to help me today.
Would you accept my help?
Xander sighed. He knew he deserved that question. Yes, I am asking for your help. If I begin to show my feelings for him, tell me so. I do not always know how I am being perceived by others. You are my guardian, and I respect that. I will let you do your job from now on. Speak peace to me when I need it.
We have made progress. Now watch your driving. I do not want to meet a death angel today.
Xander chuckled. You are a good friend, Gabriel.
I am your brother.
They were quiet during the rest of the drive to Converse, but it was the comfortable silence of old friends.
~~oo~~
Xander was put to the test as he walked with Elizabeth to his second class of the day. He saw Gregory walking toward them on the sidewalk, dressed to kill, with a big smile on his face. If he is surprised, he hides it well.
Gabriel and Michael seemed unusually large as they stepped up beside their charges, facing down Gregory’s guards.
As soon as he was close enough, Gregory reached out his arms for Elizabeth, enveloping her in a bear hug and depositing a kiss on her cheek. Over her shoulder, he smiled maliciously into Xander’s glare. He then held her at arm’s length by her shoulders, smiling into her eyes.
Gabriel put a hand on Xander’s shoulder. This is the part where I remind you to be calm.
Then I guess this is also the part where I listen to you. With great effort, Xander relaxed.
“El, it’s wonderful to see you. I’ve really missed you over the break. We must get together and catch up.”
Gregory ignored Xander totally. His guards snickered.
“I’ve been very busy, Gregory. Did you have a good Christmas?” she asked.
“Oh, yes! I just love Christmas. All the decorations, gifts, and Santa Claus – and those parties! How about you?”
Yes, I bet you just love Christmas, thought Xander, narrowing his eyes.
“It was wonderful. The celebration of Christ’s birth is my favorite holiday. I made a new friend on the way to Toronto. I think you know Xander Darcy?” she said, looking from Gregory to Xander.
“I do? Well, yes, I guess we’ve met, though it’s been awhile. How have you been, Xander?” asked Gregory smoothly.
“Fine, Gregory, thank you. I told Elizabeth that your father used to work for mine, but that we have been out of touch for many years now.” Xander smiled at him.
Michael laughed out loud. Gregory’s guards took a step forward, but held their places when they saw Gabriel and Michael rest their hands casually on the hilts of their swords.
Xander saw Gregory’s amber eyes flash red with anger, but Elizabeth had been looking at Xander at that instant. Gregory closed his eyes for a moment and breathed deeply. When he reopened his eyes, they were amber again. “I suppose you would look at it that way, Xander, though I wouldn’t say my father ever worked for yours.”
Elizabeth, feeling the tension, looked carefully at each of the men. Xander appeared to be relaxed, but Gregory seemed to be having trouble controlling his temper. What could have made him so upset? There was no insult in Xander’s words.
Gregory plastered a smile on his face. “It is of little importance now. El, will you be my guest at lunch today? I have missed our conversations, and I have a Christmas gift for you.” He directed his full attention to Elizabeth.
Xander smiled. His blue eyes were wide and innocent.
Oh, this is good, chortled Michael.
“I’m so sorry, Gregory,” said Elizabeth, looking disconcerted. “Xander asked me yesterday to have lunch with him today. We already have plans. Maybe another time?”
“You can count on it,” replied Gregory, his charming smile evaporating.
As Elizabeth and Xander hurried to class, he glanced back to see Gregory, still standing stiffly in the same spot, glaring after them. Xander narrowed his eyes as he noticed a shadow of evil pass over Gregory’s face; his amber eyes again glowed red as the rage overtook him. Seeing Gregory’s face and eyes in Xander’s mind, Gabriel and Michael faced the halfling and stepped together, assuming defensive stances, forming a wall of protection between the Dark Prince and their charges.
Xander returned his attention to Elizabeth. In a gesture of intimacy, he raised the hood of Elizabeth’s coat over her curls and put his arm around her, speaking to her in a low voice.
“It is really cold out here. Let me take care of you. I do not want you to become ill.”
She smiled up at him, her brown eyes trusting his intentions to be exactly as he stated them.
Xander was sure that he heard Gregory swear, but his hearing was much better than the average human’s, and Elizabeth did not catch his oath. Gregory and his guards headed toward the parking lot.
Round one goes to Xander, said Michael with satisfaction, turning with Gabriel to follow the couple into the building.
Chapter 5
“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.”
John 8:44
Gregory was very angry. In fact, he had never before been so enraged as he was now. Watching Xander walk off with Elizabeth after he had put so much effort into developing a relationship with her for himself was too much to be tolerated. He barely contained his wrath long enough to stalk to his car and drive to the house he had recently purchased in Spartanburg. His situation was precarious, and he would no longer chance anyone seeing him change. In the cover of his home, he took demonic form, and, flanked by his guards, winged his way to his father’s mansion to apprise him of the situation.
Lucifer, surrounded by his malevolent contingent, looked up from the hardcore pornog
raphic movie scene being filmed before him as his son, accompanied by his guards, flew through the wall. Gregory, eyes blazing red hot, stood before his father as he lounged on a leather couch. The Prince of Darkness rose gracefully and walked into the next room; his son and their guards followed him.
The Dark Lord turned to face his son. “Are you not supposed to be in classes with Elizabeth now, Gregory?” Lucifer asked, his eyebrows raised.
Gregory began to pace in fury before the Dark Lord.
“I am here on a matter that is most pressing, Father. It has the potential to derail all of our plans. The rumors we have heard about Xander are apparently true. He has taken human form and now bears his human name, Xander Darcy. He has enrolled at Converse and has already been developing an intimate relationship with Elizabeth Bennet. Michael and Gabriel were both with him. It appears that Michael is guarding Elizabeth while Gabriel is with Xander.”
“Is there truly a need for such anxiety and wrath, my son? You are far more skilled at being human than Xander could ever be. You are all that is charming and physically attractive to a woman. Xander has no experience in such matters. The idea of his romancing a woman is laughable. I may have to go witness some of his attempts myself. It could prove to be most entertaining – more so than what I have been watching. The world calls that erotic.” He casually motioned to the nude couple before him as he laughed in derision. “They have no idea of the pleasures attainable to those who would avail themselves.”
“He was doing very well with her today, right before my eyes. Xander has already been invited to her home, according to my spies, and it appears that our adversary has gifted him in music. They heard him as he played the piano and sang with her yesterday. He attends church with her. I do not wish to go to her home in human form. The very thought is repugnant. I cannot go to her church; I have no entry. Xander will disrupt all of our plans if we do not find a way to stop him.”
“What do you propose, Gregory?”
Gregory stopped and looked at Lucifer with calmer, amber eyes. “Elizabeth’s best friend, Charlotte Lucas, seems suspicious of me. I need someone on the inside to influence Elizabeth against Charlotte and Xander. I do not want a human who could be swayed by the enemy, as Caroline Bingley has been, or even a human who does our bidding. I know that there are few demons who take the human form of a female, but I require one. There is never a question of where a demon’s allegiances lie.”
The Prince of Darkness sat up gracefully and crossed his legs. “I know the perfect choice for the job. Cassandra – yes, she will do very well for the job, very well indeed.” He turned to one of his guards and commanded, “Duncan, go fetch Cassandra immediately. Bring her to us. We shall be awaiting your return.”
Duncan turned on his heel and spread his leathery wings as he flashed through the ceiling, eager to do his master’s bidding.
Lucifer turned to his son. “Do you require anything else, Gregory?”
“Yes, Father. There is something that I want. It will be difficult to procure, but I want it by tomorrow, in case Cassandra does not do well. It may take some time for her to gain a place in Elizabeth’s confidence, and I must take action myself before Xander worms his way into her affections.”
Lucifer’s laugh was quiet and unpleasant. “I am the god of this world, Gregory. Anything here is mine for the taking; I own it all. What do you require? You have only to name it, and you shall have it.”
~~oo~~
The following day, Xander and Gabriel were approaching Elizabeth and Charlotte as the girls hurried along the sidewalk at school, followed closely by Michael and Edward, when a striking black-haired girl, who was just in front of Xander, called Elizabeth’s name. Xander stiffened as he caught the tall, slender girl’s scent and realized that she was a demon in human form; he increased his pace to reach Elizabeth and Charlotte. Michael and Edward had already moved to stand beside their charges, ready to defend against an attack. The girl, of course, could see the guardians, but she did not acknowledge them in any way.
The demon’s mind was closed to them, but her presence was an indication of a change in Gregory’s strategy, and therefore, she was automatically considered to be a grave threat.
As Xander stopped beside the demon, he heard her introduce herself in a melodic voice.
“Hello. Aren’t you El Bennet? I’m a friend of Gregory’s and a huge fan of yours, so I just had to meet you. My name is Cassandra.” She extended her hand. Xander was close behind the girl, and he stepped up beside her to be closer to Elizabeth.
A friend of Gregory’s? What a shock.
Xander cringed inwardly at the idea of the fiend touching Elizabeth, but there was nothing he could do to prevent her from shaking hands with the girl.
Elizabeth smiled and returned the greeting. “Thank you so much, Cassandra. This is my friend, Charlotte Lucas. And this is Xander Darcy.”
Charlotte nodded and shook Cassandra’s hand as Michael and Edward scowled. Xander could not bring himself to make physical contact with the dark one, so he nodded his greeting, making a show of holding his books while reaching for Elizabeth’s, and tried to smile.
A bold move. He is sending a spy directly into the enemy’s camp. There was a hint of grudging admiration in Michael’s thoughts. The warrior could recognize an excellent battle strategy.
“I just started here today, and I don’t know my way around yet. Could I tag along with you and your friends for now?” Cassandra asked.
Elizabeth really did not know what to say to the unusual request. “Are you majoring in music? Xander and I are on our way to a master’s level theory class. Char is a junior year business major. Are you sure you want to go with any of us?”
Cassandra took a moment to think about it. “You have a point,” she laughed. “I’m in freshman courses. Could I meet you for lunch?”
“We’ll be in the Gee dining hall at 12:30. Join our table if you’re in there at the same time. We really have to go now, or we’ll be late.” Elizabeth and Char smiled at her, while Xander looked directly into her eyes with no hint of friendliness. After saying their goodbyes, they left for their classes.
~~oo~~
Xander saw Cassandra as soon as she entered the dining hall, promptly at 12:30. After she went through the cafeteria line, making her selections very quickly, she joined Xander, Elizabeth, and Charlotte.
She smiled as she took the only available seat, which happened to be to the right of Xander and across from Elizabeth. He tried not to be obvious while he moved his chair further away from her. Michael, Gabriel, and Edward hovered protectively just behind the shoulders of their charges.
She certainly is beautiful, commented Michael, his green eyes boring holes into her.
But she stinks to high heaven. My nose is burning so much from her foul odor that I do not know how I will be able to eat. She turns my stomach, Xander sniffed.
Evil is always beautiful at first, observed Gabriel calmly. That is one way Lucifer entraps humans. ‘The lust of the eyes’ was the first step to Eve’s downfall in the Garden of Eden.
“How was your morning, Cassandra? Did you enjoy your classes?” asked Elizabeth kindly.
“Oh, yes! But I’ve just moved here from south Florida, and I’m freezing. The most I ever needed in Fort Lauderdale was the occasional sweater or light jacket. I really must buy some heavier winter clothes,” Cassandra said with a slight shiver.
“There’s a mall not far from here,” said Charlotte.
“I live here on campus in a dorm, and I don’t have a car.” Cassandra left the statement hanging.
Elizabeth’s compassionate nature took over.
“I’d be happy to take you shopping tomorrow after classes, if you’d like. I can ask my mom if we can drive separately. She works here as a tutor.”
Offer to ride with them, whispered Edward in Charlotte’s ear.
Who is this girl? She gives me the chills – just like Gregory does. Elizabeth isn’t going anywhere with her alone
. For all we know, she could be an ax murderer, thought Charlotte.
Charlotte spoke up quickly. “I’ll ride with you, El. I could use a shopping trip, too. I need some new boots.”
“I have a better idea – at least I think it is better,” interjected Xander. “Ride here in the morning with your mother, Elizabeth, and I can take you girls shopping and then back home afterwards. I need to learn my way around Spartanburg, and you and Charlotte can help me get my bearings while I drive all of you wherever you want to go. I will be your official chauffeur.”
Excellent plan, Xander. Michael smiled.
I will have to have my car fumigated, but it cannot be avoided, Xander replied, his eyes never leaving Cassandra’s.
Cassandra’s eyes glittered at Xander for a moment with just a hint of malice. Elizabeth was looking at Charlotte with a question in her eyes, but Charlotte caught the look that passed between Cassandra and Xander.
Woah! What was that look? She glared at Xander as if she’d like to strangle him. I’m expecting to see her head spin in a complete rotation anytime now. Can we call an exorcist, stat, please? Linda Blair’s projectile pea soup can’t be far behind.
“What do you think, Char? Can we stand Xander for a few extra hours tomorrow?” queried Elizabeth, her brown eyes sparkling.
Oh, definitely! Let creepy Cassandra try something with Hercules around.
Hercules? smirked Michael.
I hear that quite often, answered Xander.
“Yes, I think he’s just the man for the job. We can get him a chauffeur’s hat. Be sure to wear black tomorrow, Xander.” Charlotte kept her expression serious.
“Wow! This all sounds great, but tomorrow’s not good for me. I’ll have to take a rain check. Thanks anyhow, guys,” Cassandra said, smiling brightly. “And now I need to rush to make my next class. I’ll catch you later.” She gathered her things quickly and left.