Divine Savior (16 page)

“
Oh, ha ha, you’re such a funny old man. I don’t have any of those things because I really enjoy stealing for a living. The thrill of it all, you know, of the chase. I’m sure you know how us humans can be, living off the teat of the land, sucking it dry. Oh, sorry, that’s your job, sucking things dry, isn’t it?” She didn’t even try covering up her sarcasm. It practically dripped off each word.

Sara’s laughs turned into a cough when her mate turned to glare at her, as if to say, “do not encourage her, please.” Shade giggled at that. Anything to put the bossy man out of sorts was just fine by her.

“
Shade, we are only trying to help. Please, why don’t you just answer the questions and try not to be so...so snarky with us? We only have your best interests at heart,” Sara said with ill-disguised humor.

Shade thought she could almost like the woman if they had met under different circumstances.
Nah, probably not
, she amended with a shrug.

“
Look, I don’t know anything about myself before about fifteen years ago. I just woke up one day with a gash in my head and no memory of anything prior to that. No one has put out a missing persons report in all this time that I’m aware of. I’m guessing that either everyone else is dead, or didn’t care enough to report it. I have these freaky abilities that seem to get me into more trouble than anything else, so I seldom use them. I will heal fast if the wound is life threatening, otherwise I heal like a normal person, bruising included. I’ve never had a cold or the flu that I know of. I’m never sick, actually. Up until I taught myself how to close off my mind to everything around me, I could hear things that no one else could, creepy things, but that isn’t important, nor any of your business. As for what I am, I...I don’t know, and frankly, don’t care either. Now, I’ve answered your nosey ass questions as best as I could, Lord Vampire, or whatever you call yourself, and I’d like to leave. You have no right to hold me, you know, and I’ll hurt you if you even try.”

“
Do you have any kind of mark or a tattoo, Shade?” Aaron asked her quietly.

Shade froze. She hadn’t even thought of her mark in months now, probably years.

That was the one thing that terrified her more than her abilities, more than her ability to heal quickly. It was the stupid tree, the tree that moved around on her body seemingly without rhyme or reason. How he knew about it was anyone’s guess, especially when no one could see it but her and that, too, scared her. The thing had been on her face for nearly three weeks once and no one commented on it once. Then it would just move to another place, showing up randomly and staying for no set amount of time anywhere. She just left it alone, trying not to think about it when it was invisible and choosing not to even if it was. Now someone was asking about it. His knowledge of it meant that someone might be looking for her. A vampire of all things, and why now? Now with a “mate” coming around trying to claim her.

“
Why do...I don’t know what that has to do with anything that you should be concerned about. I don’t want to talk about...I don’t want to talk to you anymore either. I’m leaving. I have things to do, a job.” She stood up, pulled on her coat, and moved toward the door. He stopped her with a word.

“
No.”

It was a word she didn’t pay much attention to, not before these beings came into her life, and especially not now. Shade had had enough of them telling her what she was going to do, when she was doing it, and how she was going to live. Shade didn’t turn around to look at him, knowing that he hadn’t moved an inch.

“
Why not? What possible reason could you have to keep me here as a prisoner, because that’s what you’re doing, you know. I didn’t do anything to you or anyone else of your kind. I want to check on someone, a friend of mine. I need to see him. I just want to leave before...let me leave, damn it.”

Shade caught herself before she stamped her foot.
Oh, that would have really showed him,
she thought.
I’ll just have myself a temper tantrum while I’m trying to be tough
.

“
If you are speaking of the human boy, Brent, he disappeared from the hospital three days ago. It seems the police are baffled. No one knows how it happened or who was involved. The mother, a wonderful human being, as I’m sure you’ll agree, thought that you had had something to do with it. But Thomas Reilly, your physician and another good friend of mine, has assured the police that there wasn’t any way you could have been involved. He told them as you’ve been here recuperating from a fall that has rendered you bedridden. I thought it best we didn’t say you’d been beaten by a she-wolf so badly that you couldn’t move, at least not until I have reason to believe you didn’t start something with her that got you in over your fool head. But we’ll get back to that and the wolf bitch and your involvement with her at a later time. Now…” He didn’t get the opportunity to finish; Colin came into the room just then, clearly having felt her distress, his face a mask of concern as he looked at her.

It was very odd that he was there; it was nearly ten in the morning and the sun usually had its normal effect on vampires of his age, burning them badly. Colin stood in the doorway, glaring at the room in general.

Shade had felt him enter the room and she turned to look at him as he stepped through the door. A raw and primal hunger for him swept through her. The need to touch and to be touched by him nearly had her leaping into his arms and taking him into her right then and there. She felt herself blush even as the heat of her need swept though her again when he made eye contact with her. Christ, what was wrong with her?

“
Aaron. What’s going on here? Why are you upsetting Shade?” Colin glared at the master, his concern for Shade touching, but a little overwhelming. She could feel his confusion too. She sensed his need for her, to protect as well as his need on a more basic level. Sex.

Shade wanted to be frustrated, but found that she also enjoyed being cared about. Especially by this man, and that confused her even more.

“
Ah, Colin, my friend, you’re up. Good. And look what timing. Shade’s breakfast is done as well. Would you be so kind as to help her eat it while we get started? She was just about to tell us about her sigil, weren’t you, love? Come on, sit down. We have lots to discuss.”

The man is an arrogant bastard
, she thought, not for the first time. She stomped her feet all the way back to the table as she glared, yet again, at the Master of the Realm. Shade wondered if he knew how ridiculous that sounded, like he was some king or something. She then realized he probably made up the title just to hear people call him that.
Master Ass of the Sarcastic Wit
would have suited him much better.

Duncan came into the overcrowded kitchen to tell her ladyship that she had a phone call. Sara looked confused, but went into the study with Duncan anyway. Shade didn’t understand the look, but had more important things to think about right now. Like how the hell she was going to get out of this flipping house.

Shade tried to move past Colin only to be scooped up in his arms and settled on his lap as he sat down at the table. He pulled the hot and creamy cereal toward her and handed her a spoon without saying a word. She held the spoon in her fisted hand and looked at the people in the room.

These people, she thought, were taking her over one day at a time. When Sara walked in, Shade looked up at her and started to cry, softly at first, then in hard sobs. It had suddenly become too much for her, all of it. She had been responsible for herself for so long, living alone, talking to no one for days at a time, that the crowd of these three people overwhelmed her. Sara simply reached out, took her by the hand, and led her from the room, spoon still clutched in her hand.

“
Come along now; let’s see what we can do about this.” They walked up the stairs as Sara spoke. “I understand how you feel. Before I met the Carlovetti’s and Aaron, my life was predictable and quiet. For weeks at a time, the only ones I would talk to would be the people in the control tower at the airports where I landed or took off from. I thought I liked it that way.”

“
What changed your mind? I mean, I like my quiet time too. Why did you want to keep hanging out with these guys?” Shade was nearly to the room when she turned to ask Sara.

“
I needed them, mostly Aaron, but I did need them. So I saved their lives, April, Demetrius, my bosses at the time, and Aaron, killing three rogue vamps, and suddenly had an entire family I didn’t really want, but now could not image living without. So you see, I know just how you feel.”

They were standing outside a set of large double doors and Sara turned to Shade. “My mother, grandmother, and cousin are on their way here, April Carlovetti too. You’ll like April; she’s pregnant as well. Hey, maybe you could show her how to talk with her baby as you did for Aaron and me? Aaron and I can’t thank you enough for showing us that; it’s tremendous. Oh, we should show my grands how to do it as well. You know, I think we are about the same size; maybe you could help me clean out some of my things because I can’t fit anything more in there, and I so have been addicted to shopping. I’m babbling, aren’t I? Feel better yet?”

By the time her babbling had run down, they were in the upper bedroom of the estate’s couple. The bedroom was beautiful and as big as the entire floor of the warehouse Shade was staying in. The furniture was an old, deep red cherry. The comforter was of the same deep reds and pinks, as well. The flower motif throughout the room was also prominent in the carpet and drapes, which were open to the morning sun. There were fresh flowers everywhere in every type of vase and bowl. It must have cost a fortune, Shade thought, to have them in the dead of winter.

Sara did indeed have a closet stuffed full of clothes. Arranged around the big room were four of the most beautiful women Shade had ever seen. Their magical powers combined were simply amazing; the room shimmered with unspent energy.

“
Oh my, you are beautiful, aren’t you?” The woman on one of the chairs said with awe in her voice. Shade actually turned to look to see what other beauty had followed them in. “You, love, I’m talking about you. Oh, Eliz, just look at her glow. She practically vibrates with her magic, doesn’t she?”

Shade stayed by the door, as always ready to make her escape. She had pulled a tighter clamp down on her mind when she felt the first stirring of someone trying to invade it.

“
I don’t want to be here. I’d like to go please. Now. I want to go now.” The large room actually fluxed with her power.

Ignoring the unintentional show of power, Sara introduced her to her relatives. “Shade, I’d like you to meet my family. The woman over there in the big chair is my Aunt Savannah, and my grandmother Elizabeth, Aunt Savannah’s mother, is the lady sitting on the bed.”

Shade nodded to the two women. The woman called Savannah looked as regal as her name. Blond hair spilled over one shoulder and hung to her waist in a soft braid. Her eyes, a beautiful shade of periwinkle, looked back at Shade and made her think of flowers in the spring. Savannah’s skin looked milky and Shade knew that it would be as soft and smooth as a baby’s. Her clothing, soft and brightly-colored, sparkled in the lamplight beside her.

The other woman, Elizabeth, didn’t look nearly old enough to be anyone’s grandmother, Shade thought. Her hair was a black as her daughter’s was blond. Eyes the same blue twinkled and shone friendliness that made Shade want to trust her immediately. Sara continued with her introductions.

“
While they’re invasive, they’re also kind-hearted. An odd combination, I agree, but they are very knowledgeable about anything magic. These women and myself are magic, you see, and have been since time began. We’ve been the Keepers and the Watchers, the Law and the Counsel to all the magic used by all its beings. And though we aren’t sure how yet, you too are a powerful part of it with us. So why don’t you tell us about yourself? Aunt Savannah, she has a mark on her. Maybe we could tell her what it means.”

“
I don’t know what you’re talking about. Please, I’m begging you, I’d like to go. I don’t want to be any part of this, any part of you. I’m sorry, but I don’t want this. I want to go now.” Shade felt panicky and closed in. As her heart began to race, she calmed just as quickly. Colin.

He had felt her and sent her his...his assurances, his support, she supposed. He gently touched her mind, not invading, but gently soothing her. She had never felt anything like it before. It was both scary and calming at the same time. She turned to look at the woman who was approaching her.

“
All right, Shade. I promise you that we’ll let you go. No, don’t, Sara.” Sara stopped moving toward them and returned to her place. “We’re stressing her out. Small wonder too, you poor child. She needs to take a breather from all of this, from all of us. But in return, I’d like to see your mark, and then I will take you to the front door myself. I promise. Look Shade, look inside of me to see that I tell you only the truth. Isn’t that a fair trade?” Elizabeth looked around the room. Her look alone said, “Don’t fuck with me,” and no one did.

“
You can’t see it. What I mean to say is no one sees it but me. It moves and doesn’t stay anywhere for long periods of time, then it will move to another part of my body. It doesn’t work on a time schedule that I’ve ever been able to track. I don’t care what it is, what it means. I don’t even think about it unless it shows up where I can see it again. It changes from time to time. I’m not sure what it changes to all the time, but the few times when I first noticed I had it, it would be different.”