Daughter of Anat Read online

  A half second later I was back in mid pull from the falling position landing against Cord in a not so good way. He liked the contact by the way his face lighted up. I glared but then saw his face asking forgiveness. Or maybe it was sadness for what we both saw.

  Without time to analyze or even ask, I went back into action. But it never left my thoughts. It was like a two second vision.

  Finally, the kingpin of the hour and his little punk friend Lee appeared among the chaos. I knew he was crooked. Lee switched sides. I was going to kill the little punk this time. He set me up.

  Borgon stepped over debris and even smiled at his little protégé. I was going to be sick. It wasn’t that I was upset that Lee was there. Oh no. I was pissed.

  He held out a hand in my direction like he just might shake my hand. I dared him to stick those fingers out so I could break them off.

  A girl’s voice laughed. Behind Borgon stepped out a short haired pixie like girl with green streaks through all the dark strands. I didn’t deny that she was pretty in a weird Goth Vampire chick kind of way. She was also evil.

  Nara.

  She sneered at me and landed both her feet just far enough apart to look all daring in her too tight green pants and matching top. She was like a python waiting to strike. She hissed at me just like last time and then attempted to anger me with blowing a kiss to my Vampire.

  I rolled my eyes at her, but Cas’ hand on my stomach is what held me back. Guess I wasn’t the only one reading the pissed off vibes of what this girl inspired.

  Borgon looked at Cas and stated, “You have no jurisdiction here Vampire. Leave.” His voice too nice, too smooth for a villain. He just looked like a nice guy. A nice guy with meat cleavers hidden in his pants. I stepped a little closer to Cas hoping to deter Borgon from wanting to attack several at one time. I doubted he thought little of himself as he seemed the type to think he really was unstoppable. My father used to say arrogance will get you dead.

  “Juris-my-diction my asshole. You have no right to anywhere with your intentions,” my brother threw in for good measure and to simple rile our good-guy villain up a bit.

  “You’re on my land.”

  “Wrong again. This belongs to them,” Cord pointed to the dead.

  “You can’t have everything, Cord Ryan. You should know," Lee said.

  “Maybe, but at least someone cares if I’m alive or dead. You’re memory will last long enough to burn your body to ashes.” I don"t know if that was intended for Borgon or Lee.

  “You first, boy. I intend to win this.” Borgon’s steely glare landed on me. “Course we can take her out right now and all of us can move on. She’s the only one I want.”

  Nara cackled beside him,“Gladly.”

  Something didn’t feel right. Nara being here shook me up. It wasn’t going to happen today. We needed to.get.out.now.

  We each started to signal each other with the system we’d derived with me starting it. We just dominoed the look of “let’s go” from face to face until we had a count in our heads that no one was missing.

  All at the same time, Cas grappled my arm toward the truck half flying as Cord and Szar raced there too. Calum went down the middle so I wasn’t sure which car he’d take, but we only came in one.

  Borgon was laughing behind us, along with Nara, with stupid taunts only meant to rile the boys into coming back to a fight...or give me up. Thankfully, it didn’t work.

  Lee was silent most of the time and hard to read. I just didn’t get him.

  Some good came out of the meet and greet even if I didn’t get to kill him. We took down a huge amount of his followers. We found out that Borgon had allies that we were unaware of. Lee didn’t fit in any picture but he was no longer welcome in my presence after seeing him alongside a man who wanted me dead, and it wasn’t heroic.

  Then the proverbial monkey wrench landed in our side. Cord’s glorious truck wouldn’t start.

  “Stupid, crap, junk piece of metal death trap!”

  Wasn’t it his sweet ride just days ago?

  After the third time it started and we were wheeling out as Borgon and his two sidekicks walked to the front door and watched us leave. Nara waved like she was a little kid. I wasn’t sure she was so right in the head.

  We were pretty calm considering the events. Silent, we all just rode along thinking of our own conclusions.

  My lack of cloth covering didn’t go unnoticed...by anyone. Cas had several heart attacks on the cardiac arrest level when he finally sat back and took a good look, a long look. His eyes grew dark, but not just with desire.

  I like the look Kissa, but not for anyone but me.

  Didn’t attempt the look.

  Not the point.

  “And what is the point Cas,” I whipped around to where he was climbing over the seat in the middle to get to me. This was hard in a four door truck even if it was the biggest cab I’d ever seen. His eyes flicked to the small flash of skin that opened wider letting my midriff expose more than it should with blood caked all over me. Every piece of clothing from above and below were starting to inch out as I moved around. Oh, heck.

  He went into protect his woman caveman mode. His precious secret stuff only for him or something. My body is not a piece of gallery art.

  It is too me. And I’m not into sharing any of it.

  “Oh, Cas.” Who could argue with that?

  The guys were silent, which was a first and a discomfort. Cas commented about wounds and they all looked back until Cas screamed for them to look away.

  I let him take his t-shirt off and wrap it around me for the sheer reason that he would focus on the needs at be. It didn't have anything to do with his chest staring me in the face.

  I was colored as some fearless BadA-chic-a-rella and admit freely that I even like the portrayal of it to any and everyone I come in contact with, but really on the inside I was a scared girl who just wanted comfort and sought none. I wanted no sense of lightened held back awareness on anyone’s part and would make sure they knew. But...yet...somehow Cas just knew all this and did exactly what I needed when I needed it. He could see this about me and left me fully aware that he knew this yet flattered me enough to never say it outright. He just knew. And I just let him.

  But this was about nakedness.

  It made me vulnerable and uncomfortable in my own skin around him and somehow that enticed me as well. It did more than that. It made me dizzy with...wanting him more than ever. He knew the real me and still liked me. I couldn’t let that little detail escape my thought processes.

  Chapter Thirteen

  ...but in the end, there it is.

  Cord cornered us at the warehouse wanting to sum up the details of late. I really just wanted to clean up and head to bed. Alone of course.

  Failing at making headway had my frustration level a little on the impatient side.

  “We need to talk,” Cord insisted the second he saw Calum walk outside for something.

  Cas stomped off to the weapons table to clean each weapon with the precision he liked while I checked arrows and bows for repair. Cord had to follow me.

  Wondering why Cas didn’t intervene like usual I let Cord stay just for observation, but I did hand him a bow to check for damage. At first he started out in a louder voice as if talking to us both and even with Cas’ back turned he continued. He basically gave a play by play of what happened.

  Finally I asked him, “What are you really here for?”

  He let his gaze ping pong backward to check on, or for, Cas then lowered his voice significantly.

  “I know you saw the same vision.”

  My eyes darted to Cas. Oh, he could read me. The muscles in his upper back just tensed and his stance leaned feral like the sound coming from his voice. I let it go on knowing he needed to know anyway. He’d asked me once to see what was between Cord and me so I pictured precisely what we’d seen. As creepy as it was, I let him also see the Elf lord vision the best I could remember it.

&nbs
p; “Calum.” That was enough to get my point across.

  Cord said softly like he thought my Vampire boyfriend with extra sensory hearing and able to read my mind couldn’t hear, “Could you tell what killed him?”

  Cord’s hand wrapped around my arm.

  At that, Cas turned and used his ability to move like a bullet to stick himself right between the two of us. Blocked by man muscle, I waited for the wrath.

  “Don’t touch her!” he spat out with hard lines in each word.

  “Cas, it’s just a vision. We don’t even know if they come true.” I wish Cord would just leave. My cracked mind was already on edge from the vision idea, but now Cas was adding fuel to the fire.

  “Regardless.”

  “How?” asked Cord. “Why won’t you tell me?” He sounded desperate.

  Cas still blocked me and kept me from even seeing Cord’s face, “Because that’s not why you are here.”

  I could tell Cord was scared.

  “Oh, you see visions with her too now Vamp boy?” Cord sneered with his words even if I couldn’t see his face.

  “Yes, Wolf boy. I see a lot of her you don’t. I know you are here just to see her. She is done with you so you can go.” Cas was gripping the bow in my hand now, twisting the wood.

  “Why don’t you ask her what she wants?”

  “I don’t have to. She communicated it to me...in other ways,” Cas laid that one on thick.

  My mother’s dream came to mind. She’d warned me of Cord, the human (turned Werewolf).

  Be cautious with this one for human emotions are irrational and uncontrolled but rest assured, he is needed.

  “Fine.” Cord’s look went straight to me when he twisted enough to see me. “Just tell me if it was me who killed him?”

  Fear rolled across the room in three directions. I didn’t know what to say.

  Cas could’ve went into ape mode with the way Cord sidestepped his way around to me but I think he was a little unsettled by the request and wanted to see the answer. I could feel him trying to read me, but it was a no go. I was blank inside and out. As I said, my mind was cracked in a million directions.

  Cas started to pace and that let me know he was about to go ballistic if I didn’t end this quickly. Summoning up courage I told Cord the truth, “I don’t know who; just that he was falling forward towards me like it came to his back.”

  Cord’s face fell with a deep misery focusing on me, “I will see you.”

  Cas stopped pacing and held the back of his own neck, “I’m sorry, man.”

  Whoa!

  I blinked.

  Cord blinked.

  Cas moved over and placed a hand around my waist. He looked to Cord like he might.just.feel.sorry.for.him. “I just don’t want you to do that anymore unless it’s last resort.”

  Calum walked back in oblivious.

  Cord swung his shoulders back and forth and stared. Then he stood tall again and said, “No man. It’s cool.”

  Back into instant guy mode he went. We all stood there dumbfounded with the idea that the visions could possibly be real. Now, we were all scared.

  That night I lay in bed too alone letting thoughts be entertained about those most dear to me dying and being gone forever. Even Cord.

  I didn’t have to ask Cas to come hold me, he offered.

  Kissa, I can’t stand hearing you hurt.

  I know.

  Can I...

  My inner sigh was answered with his arms. Warmth. Love. I couldn’t imagine being far from him or even imagining a vision of his future. Something stung my heart. What if I saw a vision of Cas?

  Don’t.

  I can’t stop them.

  “Then don’t touch him,” his voice growled. He tapered his jealousy by very little.

  “He reached for me. He was just helping me stand up.” Like a barbed wire stuck in my side. And touching wasn’t the problem; it took a little more than that. “I certainly don’t try. And you can’t just pound his face in every time he wants to talk.” His face said, Wanna bet?

  My reverent heart hurt when he pulled me so tight letting his vulnerability show. He was so strong, so without resolve when it came to anything but me. The symbiotic pain that permeated in both of us was uncanny. I didn’t want him to have pain and he couldn’t see straight when I felt pain. I could think of nothing but one word.

  Soul mates.

  I have thought that since the day I realized you spoke to me at our births. I know you are mine. I always have.

  Breathing in and letting go of a slow exhale, I closed my eyes with my last thought picturing the portrait of the sun above our heads. Even the sun wasn’t expected to last forever.

  ℓ ℓ ℓ ℓ ℓ

  Liam was to join us from now on at the warehouse. Our group was growing despite the labels that bound us. Maze had her own car and cell phone vowing to not let me down.

  Cas told Liam a lot more than I was comfortable with, but then again I’d told Maze too much also. We both needed the comfort of a friend who would listen and not hear our every thought. Able to keep secrets even.

  Liam and Maze were the same age in fact, though Liam was stuck in the eighteen year old body forever. Maze would age. I would deal with that reality when and if I survived all of this. Vamps stop aging at the point their body hit a complete adult. As it turned out, Liam was around for not only Cas’ birth, but mine and my brother’s as well. Boy, was he old.

  No wonder Cas confided in him for intel and such.

  Cord was his ole snarky self again the next training session. We’d just busted heads and started a total war so training seemed futile, but where else could we unwind with slashes and dashes. It’s what the five of us were made up for.

  We talked about facing Borgon again and briefly touched on Nara being there. Cas had already traced her to him but didn’t tell me till now. I let it go. I promised to be adult about it. Lee was a mystery. They couldn’t figure his position, but I caught a thread in Cas brain that told me he knew something. He just wasn’t telling.

  “Hear that? That is the sound of inevitability, Princess Anastacia.” Cord was so dang good at saying things I couldn't ignore.

  “My name is Stace, but that’s queen to you.”

  “Ehhh, the Shadow Queen.” He said it like a joke I’d missed. I knew he meant something by it. I bristled at the idea of him talking about me to anyone else.

  “Massive. I like it, sis. It fits you.”

  My very educated brother had such a lack of vocabulary sometimes.

  “Get a new word already or go back to the other one.” I shot at my brother then went back to the actual conversation I was semi in. “And you,” I pointed a dagger to Cord who drew his brows knowing I wasn’t going to let the comment go, “What does that mean?”

  His eyes warmed with being able to share something I didn’t know, “That’s what they were calling you. The guys at the club the other night that I overheard while you were busy dropping the eaves on the Godslayer blabbers and body slamming Thorn here. The Shadow Queen. Ruler of the shadows because you strike without warning.”

  I snorted. Too many nicknames. Perhaps I could help them zero in on one so as to not have anyone thinking there are two of us. Then Borgon would have double the trouble and twice the work. On second thought, maybe I’ll save it for strategy later.

  “You ready to dodge magic swords, sis?”

  That was a sore reminder of the betrayal from Lee and his secrets. They all knew. I showed them the text I was still ignoring that Lee sent when we left him to be sure they knew all of it. He gave me a few added details to no doubt, win me back. They weren’t happy I hid it from them. I had to be extra careful with my thoughts to not think about the other things this mother of mine told me to keep secret.

  The main warehouse doors creaked open and Liam stepped in. Maze was in front of him. The gang was all here.

  Does Liam know about the sword?

  Does Maze?

  We were both at the same impa
sse. Can we compromise on this to each have a friend?

  Can we both agree to keep our relationship details private?

  I nodded my head with my back turned to him and went to greet Maze.

  “Hey yo, bloodsucker. I learned something,” Cord piped up just as I hugged her.

  Szar couldn’t hold back from that one. “OMG! He gained an IQ?” Szar mimicked a female voice and held his cheeks with his palms, while twisting his very male body into what he considered a girly pose. It didn’t get the effect he wanted, but his point was made.

  “Shut up, el burro sabe mas que tu,” Cord popped off then turned to Cas with a snarl since he was worked up more now. His odd accent didn't pull off the Spanish well. “A sweet beauty told me that Lee has been meeting with your girl here...in private-teo!”

  I was going to kill him, and not for the donkey comment. The murderous look I gave Cord gave him enough brain to ponder fleeing the building.

  “Perhaps that donkey does, but it’s a damn good thing I’m a step ahead of him.” I shot a look to Cas. Was he hinting he knew about me leaving? Both times.

  A small, barely there nod told me he did. Great! Just great.

  I ignored his challenge and forged on to take care of Mr. Pesky Were BD, the almighty secret teller. “Why do you take pleasure in hurting me? You come here, claiming your here to help me, claim this undying will to torture me, and do anything and everything but disappear from my sight. I hate you sometimes so much that it makes me crazy. I didn’t ask for you to be here. I don’t want you here. If you’re so unhappy, then leave. But don’t make my life miserable.”

  I let out a breath and stared on at his blank face. I guess I surprised him so bad he was unable to speak. You could hear the proverbial pin drop though the birds were singing and a dog barked from somewhere far off.

  I saw hurt flash in his eyes and then leave just as quick. “You may not want me here, but I have no choice in the leaving part. I am bound to you regardless. I’d have thought you would have already figured that part out by now. None of us,” he motioned to the room, “have a choice to leave. We are in this or we will lose everything. Or haven’t you heard that part.” Now the fuming Were part was back. He was right, of course, but I wasn’t ready to admit that.