Demigod Down (11 page)

I shrugged smiling as I answered, “Nothing
special here.”

He scoffed, looking back down at my grin as
one of his own spread to his lips, “With those looks and legendary
abilities,” he paused for effect, “you could have your pick of
powerful men to protect you.”

“Who says I need to be protected?” I asked,
tilting my head quizzically.

His smiled widened, “Olivia, Executioner of
the Supernatural Council, famed at making enemies and destroying
them, you have collected a long list of those who wish you
harm.”

“True, but most of them are dead,” I
responded, easily giving up the pretense of pet.

“You believe that?” he asked, twirling me
away before drawing me close again.

I couldn’t help the smug smile that graced my
lips, “There is a reason I’ve managed to live this long,” I
informed him.

He smiled and nodded silently for a moment as
we gracefully moved around the dance floor. He was an exquisite
dancer, elegant and easy to follow.

“Do you know why we are here?” he asked,
tilting his head to Angelina.

“Family business,” I supplied with a
shrug.

He face clouded over as he looked away, “I
suppose it could be called that. Tell me,” he asked, “is it true
you still owe Blake a favor?”

My eyes jerked to his, my brows drawn down. I
had forgotten about that or assumed it was a moot point really
given our relationship. My answer was slow as Gabrielle watched me,
enjoying having thrown me a surprise. “Yes, it is,” I replied
levelly.

He nodded as the song ended. We parted, still
watching each other closely, each of us seeing a challenging
opponent.

Blake interrupted our staring contest.

“If you will excuse us, Gabrielle,” he said
with a slight bow, before rushing us out of the ballroom.

I was careful to keep silent and dampen my
emotions as best I could. I was trying to let Blake ride out his
family problems, but I did not like being kept in the dark.

I woke in cold sweats, panting as another
horror movie from my past played before my eyes. Pulling deep
breaths, I searched the bed for Blake but came up empty.

I was a big girl and I could handle this
alone, I told myself, forcing the visions out of my head as I swung
the covers off to use the bathroom.

Splashing cold water on my face helped ease
the tension in my chest, and my worry for Blake was a quick way to
distract myself from my own unresolved issues. Easing out his
bedroom door, I padded on soft footsteps toward the glow of light
down the hall in the library. Pushing open the door, he smiled at
me surrounded by ancient texts.

“Nightmare?” he asked softly rubbing his
hands over his weary face before holding them out to me.

I nodded, going to his open arms and curling
into his chest. “I’m sorry, sweetie,” he whispered, kissing my
hair. “I couldn’t sleep.”

I shrugged. “Not your job to keep the monster
at bay,” I told him, wanting a quick subject change. “What are you
doing in here?”

He sighed dejectedly. “Wasting my time
honestly, I am trying to find a case or a mention in vampire
history of a vamp pet being set free by someone not in the
clan.”

Rubbing my eyes, I moved a few books giving
myself room to work. “This isn’t English.” I held up the first book
I had opened.

He gave me a small smile, “No, here” he
pointed out more modern text, “try this one.”

“Much better.” I cracked open the first worn
pages.

I felt his eyes on me for a few long moments
before I turned, head supported in my hand and raising an eyebrow
in silent question.

“This isn’t what you enjoy.”

“If you are not going to let me kill the
source of the problem, than the least I can do it help you with
this stuff.” I shrugged. “Besides I don’t like sleeping alone so
much anymore.” I returned to my book feeling slightly vulnerable
with that confession.

Leaning closer, he nuzzled my neck, “Olivia,
the greatest Executioner ever to live, doesn’t like being alone in
bed?”

Pushing him away, I put a book in his hands.
“You have shit to do.” A smile tugged at my lips.

We worked in silence most of the night,
gentle touches between us as we shifted for a more comfortable
position or for the next text, but still we found nothing as the
morning light flittered through the windows.

Heaving a sigh, I stood up stretching. “I’m
going to get something to eat.”

He nodded, looking around the room
dejectedly. I squeezed his shoulder. “I can make some calls and see
if there are any other texts we can check.”

Blake shook his head, “This has to stay
quiet.”

Heading toward the kitchen, my mind mulled
over the pet problem. Vampire pets were essentially slaves to their
masters. They lacked the strength to free themselves from the
powerful predators, but time had evolved the practice. Many had
places of honor within the clans as they could move easily in human
society able to achieve goals that the vampires couldn’t do on
their own. Especially now that the existence of vampires had been
revealed to the general public, their rights as citizens hadn’t
been defined. Owning homes, voting, and having drivers’ licenses
were all now subject to the government’s approval or
disapproval.

I was so glad that they didn’t know about us
yet. Taking on the human government gave me a headache just
thinking about it. The last time Hash and I had been in the same
room, for business reasons, one of us was trying to kill the other.
I was simply more honest about it.

Returning back to the pet problem, I chewed
thoughtfully on the cereal I had poured for myself. Only a clan
member could free a pet and even then, challenges would arise for
said pet with the strongest vampire winning slave rights. It was a
custom I didn’t particularly approve of, but I hadn’t seen one pet
in Tate’s clan. I wonder which clan had someone Blake cared deeply
for and why he wasn’t letting me kill the fuckers.

I sighed. Not all the world’s problems were
mine, but his I would gladly take on.

I needed to talk to Grams and check out our
own library on the subject, Blake wanted to keep a lid on this, but
I wanted it resolved and done with. Rubbing my eyes, I refilled my
cereal, letting my mind wander over the pet problem.

Finishing my third bowl of cereal, I rinsed
my dish in the sink when I heard Blake lumber down the stairs on
the phone.

“I’ll be right there,” he growled into the
phone, wrapping a strong arm around my waist and leaning down to
gently kiss my neck. Resting my head against his shoulder, I heard
his phone click off before he leaned down to nuzzle my neck.

I debated telling him about my own plans to
check out the manor’s library, but I decided against it. He would
undoubtedly attempt to dissuade me. Whatever his reasons were, he
was adamant on keeping me out of the picture and given Gabrielle’s
comment last night about the “favor” still owed to Blake, I was
bound to get dragged into this mess sooner or later and I’d rather
get a handle on it sooner. Problems left to the vampires were slow
to be rectified and when humans were involved, they always spelled
disaster.

“What are your plans for today?” he asked,
turning me around in his arms.

I shrugged as Alfie appeared dressed in
running clothes. I smiled. “You want company, Alfie?” I asked,
smiling.

Taken off guard, he adjusted his mp3 player
before replying, “Sure.”

Turning back to Blake, I smiled as he shook
his head. “Keep her out of trouble, Alfie,” he warned, slipping out
of the door.

Listening to the sound of the garage door
closing, I looked at Alfie with purpose. “I’m going to change. Then
we are going to have a conversation about this family business
shit.”

Quickly, he shoved his earbuds in, “I can’t
hear you over my mp3 player,” he answered me loudly.

I was going to break that small, annoying
machine.

I left Alfie alone for the first mile, it was
a strange sensation to run for exercise and not because something
was either chasing me or I was doing the chasing. Plus, it added to
his anxiety and I was enjoying it.

At mile two, he broke the silence first,
“I’ve already told you what Blake’s instructions are.”

“Yep, who is the family member in trouble?” I
asked, looking ahead.

Alfie stiffened and answered my question with
silence. Fine. I could work with body language and emotional
discharge alone.

“Is this unknown family member a pet?” I
asked.

Alfie slowed his gait, his concern ratcheting
up as he looked at me. That was a yes.

“What clan?” I slowed, matching his pace.

Resting his hands on his hips, I could see
the debate taking place behind his intelligent pale blue eyes.
“I’ll find out Alfie, one way or another,” I informed him.

Alfie shook his head, “Not one you know of,”
he answered finally.

“Why are Angelina and Gabrielle here?” I
asked, watching his closed expression closely.

Alfie sighed, picking the pace back up. “To
help meditate the current family problems

“So it’s a foreign vampire that has the
family member as a pet.”

Alfie skidded to a stop, glaring at me. “I
did not say that.”

“You haven’t said much.” I agreed, facing
him.

He shook his head, rubbing his forehead,
before starting back up, “Damn, you are good.”

I shrugged. “Being able to read people has
kept me alive this long.”

Alfie sighed resigned. “Ask another
question.”

“Is the clan in St Anne?”

“That would make it simpler if they were. No,
they found some damn loop hole that allows them to practice the old
ways about 100 miles outside the city in rural farm county.”

“Why?”

“Why, what?” He cast me a glance as we
returned to an easy pace.

“Why did she take Blake’s family?” I stopped,
suddenly pieces coming together. “Blake and Tate are related, they
did this to get Tate not Blake.”

Alfie kept running and I sprinted to keep up
with him. “She’s after both of them. I don’t pretend to understand
exactly why, but I know neither of them are willing to let the
bitch keep their family member and equally not willing to agree to
her terms.”

I nodded. “Do you know much about the older
cast of vampires?”

Alfie turned a corner and I kept up with him
easily. “Nothing pleasant.”

“They hold to the rules and laws of the their
clans with religious fanaticism, if Blake and Tate can find a loop
hole she will release their family member.” I sighed. “But if Blake
and Tate haven’t found a loophole, it’s quite possible one doesn’t
exist. The foreign bitch would have known her laws intimately.” I
groaned. “I wish he would just let me kill her. But even that
wouldn’t solve the problem, I’d have to kill the entire clan.” I
sighed.

“And then the vampires could come after
you.”

“The vampires would love to come after me.” I
groaned, seeing no good options as we ended up back on Blake’s
street.

I felt the air cool before I saw actual
danger approaching. I grabbed Alfie by his shirt and forced him
down to crouch beside me.

“What the hell, Olivia?” He jerked out of my
hold as I scanned the deserted street. We were four doors down from
Blake’s, but in this neighborhood with huge yards and equally
gigantic houses, it was too far to run.

No one was watching from any of the windows I
could see, but we were out in the open. This was not a defensible
position. It was an easy place for an ambush.

I was silent, balancing on the balls of my
feet, listening and waiting for whatever had caused the sudden drop
in temperature.

“Why is it so cold?” he asked, rubbing his
arms.

“I don’t know,” I muttered. “But I am certain
nothing good will come of it.”

Alfie pulled out his cell phone, speaking
rapidly to security as I scanned the area and pushed slightly out
of my crouch to see above the perfectly groomed hedges to my
left.

“I told you he wouldn’t be happy,” said a
voice from behind us. Dammit.

Pivoting on the balls of the feet, I threw
out an arm to push Alfie behind me, he annoyingly didn’t move.
Slowly I pushed up into a standing position, drawing the attention
of my opponent.

“Sleazy mother fucker,” I hissed at the
slumped shoulder greasy asshole Rose fired from Kitten. My anxiety
decreasing significantly, I could handle this one.

His face turned red as he spat out his next
sentence, “Bi-bitch, you will re-respect me,” he ordered. Wind
sucker punched me in the stomach, launching both of us off our feet
and over the hedge. Landing solidly on our backs and into the
grass, I turned on my side, sucking in a deep breath and coughing
from the sudden lack of oxygen, watching Alfie’s worried
expression.

“What is he?” Alfie rasped next to me,
pushing halfway up.

“Witch or demigod, I’m betting on the latter
given how fast he is throwing that shit,” I said as another gust of
wind pitched us back another five feet, my hip slid over the
manicured lawn leaving a dirt rut where I had traveled.

“How the fuck do you kill either of those?”
he wheezed, rolling onto his side.

“When all else fails, I usually go with
beheading,” I answered shrugging, looking around for a weapon on
the previously pristine lawn.

“Who is the he you are referring to?” I asked
wind boy, suddenly worried there might be another psycho
hiding.

“He is the God of Chaos, the creator of the
trickster coyote, and he will have you for his own succubus whore!”
he screamed pointing at me.

What the hell? Pretty certain I hadn’t pissed
off a God to my knowledge, actually I had yet to meet any Gods on
my journeys, just wannabes.