Chapter 18
...every delectable joy he stirred within her as he worked his magic upon her womanly softness -- Tina turned the page of the book she held in her lap, her eyes glued to the row of letters -- his hot mouth sliding -- an annoying hum filled Tina’s head, distracting her, and the words danced before her eyes. She looked up at the dark-haired man, who gave her an innocent smile. She hissed at him, “My mind is not your playground. Stop doing that.”
“And what am I doing?”
“You are humming in my head, again.” She frowned, even though the noise he made was way better than those images of Damon’s past that had filled her mind when she bit him. The life he had led -- a shiver ran up her spine. And seeing it had hurt, while the sound Damon made now was only annoying.
“Am I?” He tilted his head, mirth playing in his green eyes. “Maybe I really am.”
“Well, stop it. I’m trying to read.”
“That trash.”
Tina glanced down at the paperback book, the historical romance that Uriel had requested for her from the Aradma that brought them food. In the past she had gulped down books like that, her grandmother too; the row of romance books on her shelves in her apartment’s living room proof of that. In the past she also wouldn’t have minded small noises or allowed them to distract her from reading, but now she found it too annoying. Was that because her life had taken such a turn and because most of her days were now an adrenaline rush? Or was it because the noise was coming from the inside of her head? “I’m trying to pass the time the best I can. Or would you rather have me nervously pacing up and down?”
“You could play with me.” Over the brown surface of the couch Damon slid closer to her and threw his arm on the back of the couch behind Tina.
With a thud Tina closed the book and put it on the coffee table beside a cardboard box that contained a board game Frustration, which Uriel had brought thinking they could use it to distract themselves. “We tried that, and didn’t work. You are a sore loser and you even tried to cheat.” Tina tucked her legs and pushed Damon’s arm away before she leaned back on the couch.
“Actually I didn’t try to cheat, I did cheat, and quite successfully for some time.”
Tina rolled her eyes. Damon didn’t seem to tolerate being the passive too well. She would have loved to call Trinity forward and have her deal with him, but she knew that after the hour-long talk they’d had last night -- Damon must have been pleased to be able to talk to Trinity directly -- Trinity had snuggled into the warmth of her soul to rest and probably wouldn’t come out any time soon. “Yes, yes, and that’s why I’m not playing with you anymore.”
“Then, what do you propose?”
“You should find something to amuse yourself and leave me in peace to read.” Tina eyed the book before her eyes were on Damon again. She could still remember Damon at the beginning of their acquaintance. She had found him scary at the time, charming and on a whole different level than other people, and even though he still had all those traits, he had become more human and had a playful and teasing side to him, which he used right now to annoy her. “I’m nervous too, you know, and you being a pain isn’t helping me.”
“Shouldn’t you be more polite to me?” After all, I’m Lord of the Lost. It will not do you any good to get on my bad side.
“What do you want me to do? Grovel before you and fawn over you?” Tina’s forehead wrinkled. She could understand him being antsy; she was experiencing the same feeling first hand, too. But did he really have to point out his superiority and, by the look of things, expect her to entertain him while they waited for Uriel to return from the meeting with Prva? She wasn’t his personal jester.
“A little of that wouldn’t be bad.” Damon leaned his head on her shoulder. “You get along so well with them, while you avoid me or quarrel with me.”
Tina sighed. She wasn’t Trinity and she didn’t intend to become her substitute, not to Damon. She looked at the top of Damon’s head, her fingers itching to bury themselves in the short, black hair like she did when Muriel’s or Haniel’s head rested on her shoulder and they looked in need of some cuddling. But this was Damon, who even though he was pushy and selfish, could be so easily loved, too easily. That’s why she avoided him. She laced her fingers. She was already infatuated with him as it was -- probably Trinity’s influence -- she couldn’t afford to give him more than that already, not when he seemed like a guy who would take an arm when only a hand was offered to him, and demand more and more at each turn. “I’m not Trinity.”
“No, you are not. I never said you were.”
Tina shifted her shoulder thinking that that would get Damon off it, but he moved even closer. “Then it shouldn’t matter if I don’t get along with you, does it?”
”I don’t appreciate being left out.”
“You are not left out. You probably just feel like you are because you are used to being the centre of attention. I mean, you are probably too used to that with way Tristian and Irene stay on their toes around you, just awaiting your pleasure.”
“Why would they do that? I’m not their master.”
“Not their master? What are you trying -- “ Tina caught herself and put her hand over her mouth. I’m sorry. I almost said something that I shouldn’t.
Yeah. Damon straightened. Maybe you should quarrel only through the mental link -- only I don’t know why you feel the need to quarrel -- that way your mouth wouldn’t be able to babble things that could betray my identity.
What do you mean, you don’t know why I feel the need to quarrel? I’m not quarrelling with you. You are the one acting like a child. Tina faced Damon. He sounded as if were jealous of them, but why would he be? They were his sons; they just wanted to get to know him, to have a chance to spend time with him, they didn’t want to compete with him. Well, she didn’t think they did... Except maybe Uriel while fencing. And maybe Haniel while playing games. Her nails slid over the outer seam of her jeans. And they did try to please him, Muriel and Haniel, so how could he feel left out?
A child? You should know that I’m more than six hundred years old.
Tina leaned her side on the back of the couch and rubbed her temples. Waiting for Uriel to hear the latest news and to learn when and where the exchange was going to be made seemed to make them, especially Damon, more sensitive than she would have ever thought possible -- Damon really had no patience, and hers was wearing thinner by the minute. She should probably change the subject to try to distract him since he couldn’t do that on his own, the big baby, and she did wonder... How come you are so good at this mental link thing? Neither Haniel nor Uriel could establish it with me on their own and you can do it after you were connected with me only once.
Because I’m so good.
Yes, yes, but really, how can you do that?
That’s because Irene has been strengthening my mental abilities since the 16thcentury. Damon sat sideways, the side of his head resting on the back of the couch.
Irene? She was a seeress, right? At least that was what Tina had concluded from the bits and pieces Irene had told about herself or maybe Damon told her that before.
Yes, she has a gift. As a Mamael she searched for immortality and power, and since I could give it to her, we made a deal. Neither of us ever regretted that.
Yes, I can imagine. Tina rolled her eyes.
She’s a wonderful Beliya and very useful, now even more since my blood increased her powers, strengthened her clairvoyance and gave her an ability to manipulate the spiritual world. And in exchange I got her loyalty, and her blood, and her tutoring unveiled an entrance to the intangible world to me. That’s how I was able to tug on your life-thread and call you to Italy.
Life-thread? Tina’s eyebrows furrowed. She could remember a fragment of something from the time she had spent in Damon’s house in Italy. Irene must have talked about that at those meetings, but at that time Tina had been in her rebellious stage, where she had refused to do anything, and she hadn’t paid attention to Irene’s lessons.
You should know about life-threads. Irene should have told you about them. What were you doing?
Probably napping. Tina gave a small grimace to Damon. But she did vaguely remember about them, about the colourful threads, which people could see with their third eye.
“Why did I even bother with trying to broaden your horizon?” Damon released a sigh as he shook his head. “You are the same as Trinity. You refuse to learn anything new.”
“That’s not true.” How could he so quickly transform from the whining child into the reproving adult? Tina crossed her arms. She knew that learning new things was something positive and she did try to educate herself, to have an open mind and to pick up things along the way, but sitting in a chair behind a desk, or in her case, in an armchair, listening to Irene’s, Damon’s or Tristian’s voice droning long monologues about things she couldn’t even imagine, wasn’t her thing.
A soft click sounded before the door opposite to the couch opened and as soon Uriel walked through it a man dressed all in white closed it, the small click telling that the door was locked again.
Tina jumped up and rushed to Uriel, her hands curling around Uriel’s shoulders. Her saviour. She hoped that now Damon would stop whining, and also -- her eyes slipped down Uriel’s left arm to his hand -- there was a treat for her. “How did it go?”
“As expected. Prva didn’t allow me any say, since in her eyes I’m still Angelica’s servant, but since Tristian demanded my presence, there was nothing she could do about it. Now, she’s keeping a close eye on me and she’s restricted my movement. I’m not allowed to leave this room.” Uriel’s eyes shone down on Tina; he passed a glass with a lid to her before he looked past Tina at Damon. “Here.” He tossed a handheld device to Damon, who caught it. “All the data about where and how the exchange is going to proceed are on it. I assume you know how to use it?”
Damon nodded and bent over the device.
“Are Muriel and Haniel coming too?” Tina, still standing close to Uriel, removed the lid from the glass, the reddish liquid splashing against the edge when she tilted the glass too much.
“Of course,” Uriel nodded. “And then we are going to have a happily ever after.”
“I don’t believe in happily ever after.” Tina took a small sip. And how could they have a happily ever after without Uriel? It was too bad they couldn’t -- Wait a minute! Her eyes widened. Angelica had kidnapped her. She had taken her away and with that she had violated the contract, right? Right? That meant that Uriel shouldn’t be bound to her anymore. “Show me your arm.”
Uriel raised his brows, for a second reminding Tina of Damon.
They were so similar, but at the same time so different. Tina moved closer and raised herself onto her toes to whisper into Uriel’s ear, when the liquid sloshed over the glass and onto Uriel’s blue T-shirt. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Uriel brushed by her and went to the bathroom.
Tina set the glass on the first available surface, the coffee table, and followed Uriel, who had already taken off his shirt and was washing the stain under the faucet. She rushed to Uriel’s side, scrutinising Uriel’s shoulder and when she noticed a red and black line weaving around Uriel’s biceps, a disappointed sigh left her throat. “It didn’t work.”
Uriel lifted his head and a small grin decorated his lips, his voice a low whisper. “Yes, it did.”
“But... it’s still there.”
Uriel quickly rubbed the skin at his armpit, his thumb smearing the edge of a black line.
“That’s great.” Tina stepped closer and smiled, her eyes sweeping over the hard muscles of Uriel’s torso; she just couldn’t help herself. “So, it seems that that girl did us a favour.”
“Gillian didn’t betray Damon.” Uriel rinsed the wet part of the shirt and wrung it out. “Angelica was lucky, that’s all. I forgot to mention that, I’m sorry.”
“Then how? How did Angelica learn about Trinity?” Damon, leaned on the doorjamb, asked.
“She didn’t.” Uriel pulled the damp shirt down over his head. “I learned -- actually Prva learned -- that Angelica got a sample of your blood somewhere and apparently she’s giving a drop to every Shadow, using them as hound dogs, hoping that one day one of them will get its claws on you or your closest subjects.”
“What does that mean?” Tina leaned back on the cold black and white tiles.
“That means that Shadows will bring anybody who has a drop of Damon’s blood in their system to Angelica.”
“But wouldn’t that mean... Why didn’t they attack me sooner?”
“I think they did, that time when she said that they escaped, but in fact, she has been letting them loose often, even though Prva forbade Shadows’ running around free.”
“Does that mean those things aimed for me that time?”
“So it seems.”
“Those things have attacked you before?” Damon stepped forward, his arms crossed over his chest and a frown marring his face. “Why didn’t you tell me? And how did you manage to escape?”
“I didn't know... I mean, that attack looked so random. And I didn't do anything. Uriel and Anael did. They used a box with an electric beam, something like that.” Tina’s eyes moved to Uriel.
“Haniel made those, with electricity and... something, I don’t exactly know. Physics and mechanics are not something I’m good at.” Uriel turned off the fall of water.
“Would he be willing to share that technology with my clan?”
“I don’t know why not.” Uriel passed Damon and went into the living room.
Tina pushed herself off the wall. A small smile curved her lips as she watched Damon following Uriel. She had gotten used to them: to Damon, Uriel, Haniel and Muriel, and it warmed her that they were going to stay together, that Uriel wouldn’t stay behind. She scratched the back of her head. They still weren’t out of danger, but facing it together wouldn’t be so bad, and suddenly the unknown things that loomed behind the horizon and which awoke fear in her, didn’t seem so big and scary anymore. She stepped into the living room and slid sideways onto the softness of the couch a distance away from Damon.
“Uriel, there has to be something wrong with the time.” Damon pointed on the display. “It says 11:15 p.m. with today’s date. That’s just a little over an hour from now.”
“Yes, I know. They will be picking up soon. We should get ready.”