“You will be safe with me since the witch tracking spells won’t work in the spider compound, or nest as it’s called. And you get to meet my parents since I told them about you already,” he said.
And we hadn’t even gone on our first date yet--this would be interesting.
“That will be fun and then we will know how they feel about witches,” I said.
Some creatures didn’t like us, yet the Queen of Luxor Diana was a witch. It could add to the craziness. I hoped they liked us so they could help. The way there gave me time to think and come up with some sort of plan. I was still lost though, and my best bet was staying with Syphon. I hoped the witches couldn’t find me at the spider place. They couldn’t follow me if they didn’t know where I was going or what my next move was. Although I needed to find a way to stop them permanently.
“I’m sure they will love you, and if you are really mine, then they have to. Especially if we can get your help fending off the snake shifters. They have been giving us hell,” he said.
I shivered.
Syphon laughed seeing my reaction. “Not a fan of snakes, huh?”
I shook my head. “Snakes are creepy enough as it is.”
“They are creepy, and some can even turn into huge snakes and eat animals,” he said.
Great. Steer clear of snakes. They made my skin crawl, and they could use witches like puppets if they bit us.
A few minutes later we arrived at a gated house, a huge black building with webs on the walls. It was a pretty night, too. Syphon pulled up to the entrance of the gate and pulled a card out of his pocket. He swiped it through, and the gate creaked open, showing the back of the hideout or nest as it was called.
We went though. He pulled up to the building, and he drove around to the side. It led to a black garage where he hit a button on his car dashboard, which made the gate rise up to the garage. He pulled into an available parking space just for him. He turned the car off and unbuckled his seatbelt. I unbuckled mine. I put on my back pack and we headed inside. He opened the door, which led to a back room with garage stuff. It was pretty ordinary so far. And there weren’t any spider webs either. Nice place, too.
“My mom and dad are in the main room,” he said as he grabbed my hand, definitely showing I was his and not to be harmed. The place was nice as we went through the door. The nest was all black as well. Black walls, black glass ceilings, and nicely furnished. The shifters looked at me with curiosity. It was a lot to take in since it was a huge place in Luxor, and one would never guess it was a nest. There were all kinds of shops there, too like it was its own place. Self-contained. Supermarkets, shops to buy stuff they needed to survive. Food places with various market stalls. It must have been magic to fit this all in. Some of the webs throughout the place housed giant spiders, and some even had live prey wriggling to get out of the cocoon they created to save meals for later. Ew. There were even some in spider form, which was scary. And some places even housed spider eggs in one room. I was happy Syphon was holding my hand. We made our way through the streets to get to the palace, and Syphon stopped at a door marked King Blade and Queen Lena. We went through together, and it was full of spider shifters who looked our way the moment we went inside. This would be fun. I just hoped they didn’t try to eat me, or I would be a goner. I finally got to meet the parents, too. I hope they liked me. One way to find out though.
Chapter 4
Meeting parents for the first time could be nerve wracking, especially now. I held Syphons hand while I faced his parents. Both of them looked at me with curiosity, and they were both in red and black. A matching pair.
Blade was sitting down and he was attractive, too. He had short black hair to his shoulders, brown eyes so dark they were almost black, and he sported a tan. He was built, and he looked like he worked out. He also wore a silk black shirt, black pants, and black boots. Badass, like the spitting image of his son.
Lena had long, black hair, worn in a braid, brown eyes, and a tan. She wore a red shirt to show off her curves, black pants, and boots like her husband. They were both fierce. I wouldn’t want to mess with him in a dark alley.
“Mom and Dad, this is Ember, and she will be staying with us until it’s safe. The Poison Apple coven is chasing her. We have her here so she can help out with her book since she can control dragons,” he said.
Blade’s eyes widened. “Maybe she can help you call the scorpion shifters to help with fending off the snakes? There is a legend in spider shifter history about a witch who will help us to rule the land. She will definitely be safe, love and you have my permission to date her since she will make an excellent addition to the nest.”
Good, at least I got his approval.
His mom smiled. “I agree with your dad. You are also the leader of the spider warriors, and they will listen if we prove to them her true strength. We can talk more over dinner tonight since she looks like she needs rest.”
That was easy. She was right. I needed to rest and relax since I was tired.
Then someone burst through the door.
A woman with jet black hair, black eyes, and a tan came rushing through. She was wearing a black jumpsuit and boots.
She looked at me with curiosity. “So this is the girl everyone was talking about, huh? The one you are with. I’m still happy with your friend, by the way. Having a new person won’t make me jump into your arms again.”
I had a feeling she was his ex. I wasn’t threatened by her though, and I knew he’d tell me the story later.
“Yes, and she is my mate, so be careful,” Syphon said.
“I didn’t come here to paw your girl. I came here since someone tried to break in but couldn’t. Three girls. Witches by the look of it. Probably thanks to her, but they can’t get in here. I’m over you already and with someone even better than you ever were,” she said.
“Good, and they will be dealt with,” he said.
“Okay, but I don’t want them there forever, so think fast. Don’t let her cloud your judgement like you did me,” she said.
“I’m Annora, one of the leaders in the spider army, and I hope we can trust you,” she said. I figured as much.
I nodded. “You can, since you all are keeping me safe. I’ll also be a better match for him than you since you were stupid for letting him go.”
She nodded. “We will see about that.”
“Okay, there are a ton of things Ember and I need to discuss, so we will see you both later,” Syphon said. We went upstairs to a door marked Syphon’s room. He opened the door and we went inside. It was pretty nice, with a big bed, huge TV, a desk and chair with a laptop on it for work (and running the warriors, I guessed). It was pretty nice not having to worry for once. I loved his room. It was decked in all black and red. There was even a dresser obviously, and a closet with uniforms, too. The desk was huge and it had actual books on it he read. The bed sheets and covers were all black with white lines. The tv was a flat screen with video game systems.
“I hope you like my room. It’s my home away from the world,” he said.
“I love it, and you have a huge TV which is good for Netflix and cuddling,” I said.
He smiled. “Even the bed is soft. It’s made of soft spun spider silk.”
Damn... I was definitely tempted to see if it was true.
“You said you needed to talk to me about something?” I asked.
He went to his bookcase and pulled out a book.
“I needed you for a reason, and you need me, too. You are an AngelWitch, and I’m sure you know that by now. I also knew thanks to your angel Gabe tracking me down. He told me all about you and even made me realize why I was dreaming about you. That is how I found you, and he didn’t say anything because of the witches, but he does know I have you,” he said.
So he knew the entire time....
“Okay, news to me...” I said.
Then he went over to me and wrapped his arms around me. “You need to be safe, and you are. You can definitely trus
t me.”
He kept holding me, and I felt safe for the first time in a while. He did belong to me. I looked into his eyes and fell into them. We kissed and it was like fire. Something I had never felt before. Nothing ever prepared me to feel this way. At all. I was happy to have him around, and my loneliness was gone. He was someone I needed. We kept kissing, and it grew fiercer. I needed him, and I have never needed anyone the way I did him.
“Can I drink from you?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes.”
And he begun kissing down my neck. Then it stung a little when his fangs pierced my skin, but it felt so good once the pain subsided. He drew blood from me. And it was better than anything I had ever imagined. A link formed between us, and he was in my head.
“You are mine now, and I’m yours,” he said.
I nodded. “I am.”
A few minutes later he drew away. He was licking the wound which closed up.
He smiled at me. “You are so sweet, and my mate in the spider shifter clan.”
I smiled. “I am. I also want to know the story of you and Annora. What happened?”
He took a deep breath. “I’ll tell you the whole story since we have enough time. It started a year ago when we just met. She was just a year older, and she had just joined the spider army. We got closer after I began to train her. There was a strong connection there, stronger than anything I have ever felt before. It was amazing. I loved every minute of it the closer we got. Pretty soon we dated and everything was going well. Until a lower level trainee transferred from a different unit into mine. He was better looking to her than me. And he was the next in line after her. She began to pull away. Little by little, and she finally left me. Just like that. Said she didn’t feel the same way anymore. Hence, why I ended up at your bar. To forget about her and drink my issues away. It changed the minute I met your eyes,” he said.
I smiled. “Now you have me. My turn to tell you my story. I met Derrick at my mom’s shop. He was looking for a revenge spell to get his cheating ex back. He got one of my drinks to heal as well, and it was a strong connection, too. I loved the fact that he was a vampire elite. And he even took blood from me. Things were going well for a while until one day he told me he loved someone else. It hurt since he didn’t even want to try after we fought for a while. As much as it hurts, I am happy it failed since he was controlling, too. He would ask me where I was going and didn’t want me to have guy friends. I was miserable with him anyway, so maybe it was a good thing my relationship with him has ended,” I said.
“Yes, maybe it was since it allowed us to meet,” he said.
“So what is the deal with needing my help?” I asked.
“We need to have your help to find the relic to call the scorpions. There is a cave not too far from here. It won’t be easy since there are dangers in the way. Guardians sent to make sure not just anyone can get it. You will do fine. It takes a spider and a special kind of witch to activate it,” he said.
“No problem. I’ll help anyway I can. I will do anything for you since I am yours,” I said.
He smiled at me. “Good, and then we can take you so you can join the AngelWitches and take your place in the coven.”
“Yes,” I said. The Spider shifters were the ones who truly needed my help.
“Good, and we can journey tomorrow since we need to get weapons to prepare for it. I was trained on how to use swords, guns, and all kinds of weapons,” he said.
“I know how to do fireball spells and call the fire element to help me out. The witches chasing me are more powerful than me since I haven’t unlocked the AngelWitch powers yet. Then I’ll be able to rival theirs, even stop them for good,” I said.
He smiled. “When you become a full AngelWitch, you will be more powerful than any of them is right. Of course, if they try to get at us, I doubt they will survive it at all. They need a spider shifter to gain access to the caves inside, so they can’t follow us either.”
I was happy since it meant we could do this uninterrupted.
“I’ll tell Mom and Dad over dinner since they want to have dinner with us tonight,” he said.
“Good,” I said.
“So what did you want to do in the meantime?” he asked me.
“We can watch TV and cuddle till dinner time?” I said.
He smiled. “Good idea.”
And that is what we did. It was nice not worrying about witch and spider stuff for once. Cuddling with a sexy guy was just what I needed. I was happy, too and it was nice being in his arms. Everything melted away as we got lost in the movie and each other. It was heaven. I was content. Yes, it would be a long road, but I was willing to be more than just a waitress. Never to be yelled at over things I couldn’t control. I was even dating a better guy who had a future. Not one who would use me for everything and call me worthless. I was now a strong potential AngelWitch and not a waitress who sat there and took it. The movie passed by in a blur.
“We got to go down now, unfortunately,” he said sleepily. I was sad he had to let go of me, but I was hungry. Starving even, since I didn’t really eat after work.
“Okay,” I said.
I didn’t want to get out of the comfy bed either. Or out of the safety of his arms. I wanted to stay in them forever.
“We can cuddle after I promise,” he said, definitely reading my mind. And we got up off the bed. It was good to feel normal as we made our way to the dining room. After going down the stairs and crossing a few rooms, we made it. The dining room was huge, and his parents sat at the head of the table. The room felt like home. I loved it since it felt normal.
Blade smiled at us. “So, you told her right?”
“Yes, I did, and she agreed to help us,” he said.
“Good, then we can stop the snakes easily. I hope. They can’t touch us if we have the help of the Scorpions. And you can have our help in the upcoming battle since we know something is coming for the realms,” Blade said.
His mom smiled. “I knew my son was destined for a special girl, and you can stay here as long as you like. You are safe with us and a better match for him then Annora..”
“Thanks for having me, given the circumstances,” I said.
“You’re welcome,” she replied.
We took a seat together. Syphon sat next to his dad, and I sat next to Syphon.
Blade said, “We eat spider food and plain food, too. Of course, we can eat normally, but we also have to eat a spider mash of insects, mice guts, and a few other things to keep healthy. Blood can even give us a creatures power or bond us to them.”
Eww to me about the spider mash, but it was how they lived. We didn’t have that at my place, but we served blood. And even human body parts. So it was pretty cool to see how other creatures ate. Everyone ate, anyway, no matter the species.
The food was placed on the table. The spider mash looked like grits and gravy. It was grayish. Each of them was given a bowl except me. I was given a salad with ranch dressing. Thankfully. They did ask me what my favorite dressing was and I told them. I dug in since I was starving and it looked good. It tasted good, too.
“So, where do you work?” Blade asked me.
“Rockie’s Blood as a waitress. I serve people blood and food. I also create potions in the form of drinks to give creatures a kick like I gave your son a drink to heal his heart. It’s actually how we met,” I said.
“That is interesting,” he said.
“Yes, it was a good job, and it paid better than most. I got good tips and saved up a lot,” I said, because it was a good enough job. I liked it for the most part, since I came in contact with a lot of people. It wasn’t too bad, but I wouldn’t do it for the rest of my life.
After the appetizers, dinner was brought out, and we were all given salmon. The spider shifters were served blood for drinks and I got a coke. It was a nice dinner. The first one I enjoyed in a while.
Lena smiled at me. “I hope you are enjoying dinner. Eating is important, so let us know if you
need more.”
“I am, thanks, and it was good. It has been a while since I ate this good. All I eat is ramen and some stuff at the bar,” I said. Things were looking up.
“Well, we are happy to have you eating better,” Blade said. He was a nice guy for a leader. It would be good to get to know him, and Syphon’s parents would get to know me in time, too.
After dinner was over, we said our goodnights and went to his room.
Syphon smiled at me. “That went better than I thought it would. I was hoping they would take it well since this has never happened before in history. The fact that they read up on the legend helps. There shouldn’t be issues with the rest of the nest dealing with it in the future. We will see afterward.”
“True, I just hope tomorrow goes well and that there are no snags,” I said. I was nervous at times, but I had a feeling it would be fine. There was a possibility I could run into the witches. I still needed to stay safe from them. It would be a long journey, and I hoped it would go well. Period.
“It will, and you will have me by your side to protect you,” he said.
I trusted him since I knew I could. Even though we didn’t know each other that well yet, I knew enough to know I could. He was mine, and he would always be there. I knew it in my heart like a gut feeling. I never needed to worry over anything dating-wise. It would be the first healthy relationship ever. Finally, I had the right person by my side.
I was happy. I kissed him, and he kissed me back passionately. We kept kissing, and it led to more and more. We connected better than we did before. The moment we became one we really, truly became the others mind, body, and soul. We lied down together, exhausted and sweaty after we made love for the first time. And we spent the rest of the night talking and watching television. I felt like a normal person. We did normal couple stuff. The rest of the night was spent watching movies, and I fell asleep in his arms which was the best feeling in the world. I finally found the one. He was mine and I was his. I connected with him on every level. Better than Derrick. In every way, better than the last. I was finally ready to let go and move forward with Syphon.
Ember Page 4