Club Angel's Kiss

“Really? That is so cool!”

Zacky nodded, laughing at Daniel’s enthusiasm. “It’s true. I have actually seen all those things since becoming a vampire. Oh, and I’ve been hit by a car before.”

Daniel smacked his hands into the dining room table. He wiggled his upper body all around happily, loving every second of story telling with his new family: Zacky, Johnny, and Obsidian.

I adjusted my stance as I leaned against the counter beside the oven. My eyes were set on the beautiful scene at the kitchen table. Rave stood not two feet away, cuddling Joel in her arms and watching the boys as well.

Next to me, a pan sizzled on the stovetop. The smell of chicken covered in spices wafted, circled around my head, mixed with boiling potatoes and rice. The scent began to make my mouth water.

Suddenly, I was very aware of my growling stomach. How long had it been since I ate? I didn’t eat yesterday, while preparing for my death, or the first day at the Sanders’ house because there was no food to be eaten.

But, last night, Jett, Zacky, and Brian went shopping for human food, baby food, and baby furniture. I had no clue how they kept coming up with insane amounts of money. However, I would not be the one to question.

As long as they kept the house up and running and the babies fed. No complaining from me.

“Mama, did you hear?!”

My head shot up to the table, where Daniel had his hands thrown up into the air. The smile on his face was huge.

I smiled. “Hear what, Daniel?”

“Papa has seen everything! He’s so cool.”

“I know he’s cool.”

I pushed away from the counter and turned around to face the stove. I flipped the chicken with a pair of tongs and swooshed the rice around the pan.

Daniel and Zacky chattered away again. A chair skidded against the floor and footsteps retreated from the room.

I stole a quick glance over my shoulder. Obsidian was no longer at the table.

With a shrug, I went back to stirring the pot of potatoes with a plastic spoon. I crunched on against the side. It easily squished to the metal, so I flipped that eye off, along with the perfectly done rice. The chicken was the last thing before dinner was done.

Leaving the chicken to finish, I threw open several cabinets and fished out three plates. I laid them on the counter in a row and began scooping the potatoes and rice on them in small amounts.

I turned the chicken off and pushed the breasts beside the other food items.

“Are you ready for food, Daniel, Joel?” I called, throwing the pan into the sink. “We have chicken, potatoes, and rice. A well-rounded meal of yuminess for the babies of the coven.”

Rave swooped in and grabbed the plate with the smallest amount of food. I took the last two plates, taking them to the table and sitting down beside Daniel.

Johnny was gone, too now. Only Zee and Rave were left.

I placed Daniel’s food in front of him. He snatched a fork from the pile in the middle of the table.

“Where did Sid go?” I questioned, cutting Daniel’s chicken.

I didn’t bother asking about Johnny. Since Inez’s death, he had been withdrawn and not very willing to stay in one room for more than a few moments. We left him alone. He would come to terms with his mate being gone sooner or later.

Just like I had to deal with Matt, my father, my mother, and Adam being gone.

Everything had to work fine. My coven needed to piece itself back together, get happy again.

“Chalice called him upstairs,” Zack responded.

Alright, then. Whatever they were doing was their business. But please keep it upstairs. I did not want details.

Rave let out a loud cackle.

I glanced at her. She had a fork held up to Joel’s mouth an amused grin on her face like she heard an amazing joke.

“What’s so funny?” I ate a spoonful of rice carefully.

“Chalice and Sid are freaking out.” She giggled again. “Chal thought she felt something weird close by, so not Sid is circling the perimeters of the property, making sure all is well around us.”

Daniel stopped his rampant eating. “How do you know what they’re doing upstairs and outside?”

“I can hear them.” Rave smiled slyly. “With my superhuman hearing, I can hear a bird chirping a mile away. So, naturally, I can hear the ones that I love the most when they’re talking.”

I cringed.

Eaves dropping was illegal where I came from! Ew. What had the vampires heard while I was here? Private things, of course. Nothing was private in this house, I discovered.

I stuffed a corner of chicken in my mouth, moving bad thoughts away as much I could.

“Being a vampire I so cool!” Daniel cried.

I laughed, and shook my head.

Of course it was.

/ - / - / - /

“My Queen! My Queen!”

Bangs erupted on the staircase. It sounded like bowling balls being dropped to the wooden floors above my head or a shotgun. Either way, it was extremely loud, causing me to jump and nearly topple from the couch where I was sitting, reading a book.

Daniel twitched in his deep slumber beside me. I rubbed his back quickly, lulling him back to sleep, and craned my neck to glance at the stairs. I leaned out as far as I could, but saw nothing.

“What?” I called out.

“Oh, my Queen!” Chalice threw herself down the entire staircase. She flew around the banister and launched to a stop a few feet from the couch.

I raised my eyebrows. “Chalice, are you alright?”

“NO!”

“Tell me what’s wrong, then.”

“Obsidian! He went out to look around and I haven’t seen him since. I’m really, really worried about him!” She raked her hand through her hair worriedly. “I am really concerned! I thought I felt something kind of weird close by. What if he’s in trouble?”

Slowly, I shifted Daniel’s head from my lap and stood up, laying him back down on the couch. Chalice grabbed my hand as soon as I was standing and yanked me toward the kitchen.

I cried out.

Chalice stopped.

“Where are you taking me?” I demanded, reclaiming my hand from her grip.

“Out! We have to find Obsidian!”

“Yeah. Uhm, human here. I can only walk so fast. I am not inhuman, Chal.” I glanced at Daniel. “Besides, I really shouldn’t leave Daniel alone. Why don’t you get one of the boys?”

Chalice shook her head about. “I already asked Zacky to go look, but he’s not back yet either! I can’t even hear what they’re doing! I am terrified, my Queen. Obsidian and Zackary would never stay out without telling us what the problem is.”

I groaned.

“No, dammit! There cannot be anything wrong with them. I just won’t be able to handle it! I will freak the fuck out!” I stomped my feet angrily. “Brian! Jimmy! Asses down here now.”

Chalice stepped backwards.

It was obvious I was freaking her out, but did I not have the right? After everything I had been through in a week, did I have a privilege to flip out because something was happening yet again? And, no doubt it had something to do with Cassariah and Drakkar.

GAH!

A long stream of profanity came spilling from my mouth before I could stop it.

Chalice patted my shoulder.

Jimmy and Brian filed into the room with hesitant looks on their faces.

I jabbed my thumb of Chalice. “Sid and Zee are missing, according to Chalice. I am asking you two to find them immediately, and bring them back here, along with the reason for why they have yet to return. Dead, preferably.”

Jimmy saluted me. “You got it.”

Brian headed for the back door. Jimmy followed.

I trudged back to the couch and plopped down back in my seat. Chalice sat on the floor at my feet, her head bent so her face was not visible.

I gently pulled Daniel into my lap and swung my legs into a lying position. Daniel curled into a ball on my chest.

With a sigh, I leaned my head against the couch arm.

“I am sure everything is fine, my Queen,” Chalice whispered. “Zackary and Obsidian are probably fine and they have not found a thing around the house that could be of danger to us.”

“You weren’t so enthusiastic a minute ago,” I grumbled, patting Daniel’s back.

Chalice shrugged her shoulder nonchalantly. “I panic. Everyone in this coven should know that by now, and usually there is nothing to panic about. Zackary and Obsidian are fine. I guarantee it, Amber.”

“Usually,” I echoed.

Chalice looked at the ground again.

I stared up at the ceiling, my hand never stopping its rhythmic beating on Daniel’s back. I was worried. Terribly, viciously worried. My darling Zacky could be looking death in the face…Well, permanent death.

How could I not be worried and concerned and wanting to burst to his rescue? But, knowing I couldn’t hurt more than anything.

I glanced at Daniel’s sleeping form.

If Cassariah and Drakkar decided they wanted to steal Daniel away from me, I would not be in the horde of people who rushed to his aid. His “Mama” couldn’t save him.

For a split second, I wandered what it would be like to become a vampire. Eternal beauty and immortality. I never had to leave Zacky.

Maybe it wouldn’t be all that bad.

I could picture it, becoming the everlasting queen of this coven. Watching Daniel, Joel, and Lavender grow up into the perfect human adults, and telling them the story of how they grew up in a coven of vampires and why their mothers and fathers never aged.

What could go wrong?

“Everything.”

I bolted upright, gripping Daniel in a bone-crushing embrace to my body. Expecting the worst, I scanned my gaze around the entire room, searching for any sign of death or massacre. Nothing was wrong.

But Johnny was not sitting at the end of the couch, staring straight ahead.

I shrank into my corner of the couch. Daniel remained asleep.

“J-Johnny, what are you doing down here? You almost gave me a fucking heart attack.” I shook my head.

“I heard you debating about becoming a vampire.” He turned his head to look at me.

My mouth dropped slightly. He grinned.

“Remember? I can hear your secrets.”

“Oh.”

“I want you to know that not everything is perfect once you’re undead. Nothing is perfect. You might get to spend eternity with your mate, if he or she lives. What if, in the most dire of instances, that your mate dies? What then?”

“I don’t know.”

I saw Chalice clench into a strange hunched crouch out of the corner of my eye.

“You can’t die and be with your mate once more. You can’t die at all unless someone murders you, so forever you’re stuck with a disgusting feeling of being incomplete and guilty because you couldn’t protect the one you love.”

“Johnny,” I murmured.

Johnny stood and crossed the room in a full second.

Chalice took his place on the couch, her back still strangely hunched over. She was prepared to fight…

“No one seems to understand,” Johnny went on. “No one understands that it feels like a red hot knife is stabbing me every second of every day. I am the only one in this damned coven to know what this is.”

I had enough.

“Stop throwing yourself a pity party, Johnny!” I cried. “You are not the only one to lose someone! My father is dead! My brother’s life is questionable right now.”

Chalice threw her hand up toward Johnny.

“And, tell me, which would you rather? Inez being dead, or Inez still being alive, but being on the bad side of all this. Would you want to watch Inez kill innocent people and eat children? I would much rather the one I love being dead instead of being a murderer.”

I grimaced.

“You should be thankful they only killed Inez and didn’t do worse.”

Finishing my second argument since arriving home, I stood up with Daniel in my arms and walked toward the kitchen. I pushed open the backdoor and tailed out into the tree lined yard and fresh air, away from any lingering tension between Johnny and myself.

I hoped from the bottom of my heart that he could deal with loss of Inez. I didn’t want to lose anyone else! And I was tired of reminding everyone that I had been through hard times just like everyone else. Just because I was human did not mean I couldn’t experience pain like my vampires. I was beginning to sound like a broken record.

Daniel lifted his head and looked around.

I smiled. “Hey, did you have a good nap?”

“Why are we outside, Mama?” he whispered groggily. “Where’s Papa?”

I lowered myself onto the back step and let Daniel rest his head on my shoulder and drape his arms around my neck.

“Papa will be back soon,” I answered. “Don’t go back to sleep, okay? You have to sleep tonight. I don’t want you to stay away all night again.”

“Can Papa tell me another bedtime story tonight?”

“Of course.”

I rocked us back and forth very gently. Daniel fell quiet again, but I felt him laying with the collar of my shirt, so I knew he wasn’t going back to sleep. I kissed the side of his head.

I leaned against the back door and closed my eyes.

My head rejoiced at the beautiful sound of silence. No arguing was happening, so screams of terror were breaking the air. Nothing bad was occurring at the moment, and my thoughts and mind were having a complete hay day with it.

And, I did not have to explain myself to anyone, like I had been for how many fucking days?

At peace with all around me, I relaxed, which probably wasn’t the smartest thing in the world. However, I didn’t care.

Daniel sighed gently.

I have no idea how long passed, but it felt like only a few seconds passed before I felt cold hands grab my shoulders and yank me into reality.

My eyes popped open to see Jimmy hovering above me.

I sat up. “What’s wrong? Did you find Zee and Sid? Please tell me you did.”

“Oh, we found them,” Jimmy cringed. “But…we have a little bit of a problem. And Zacky told me to get you. He thinks you can help, apparently.”

“Alright. What can I help with?”

Just as the last word left my mouth, I heard loud, distant shouting between two different voices from the property line of the yard.

Jimmy pulled me to my feet.

“Let me go! I didn’t do anything wrong!” I couldn’t make out who had said it.

“We’ll see about that!” Obsidian yelled.

“How?” the stranger voice retorted.

“Our Queen!”

Where the hell was this coming from? And who was Obsidian yelling at? The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but for some reason I had developed issues with putting voices and faces together in the passed few months. Just another mental problem brought on by multiple near death experiences.

At the end of the backyard, among a few tall trees, Brian walked into view, hands in pockets. He jabbed his thumb at the woods, waved at Jimmy, and said something that didn’t reach my ears.

Jimmy shrugged in response.

I didn’t bother asking, and remained standing with my eyes focused on the woods carefully, watching for the others. They could not be far behind Brian.

“Is everything okay?” I asked as Brian stopped by Jimmy.

“Everything’s fine,” he answered. “Zack and Sid have a little visitor, though. Someone who wants to talk to you, Amber.” He poked my shoulder and looked at Daniel. “Maybe I should take him inside.”

I quickly declined. I did not want Daniel way from me while a possible enemy was on the scene. Sure, he would be with vampires who protect him. I just felt better having him at my side.

“Let me GO!” screamed the stranger voice.

“Fine.” Zacky’s voice finally hit my ear drums. My heart lumps.

Daniel’s head popped up.

Right between the trees Brian had walked through, a white and black form came bursting through. The object skidded several feet along the grass before coming to a traumatic halt in the middle of the large yard.

I noticed the object was actually a man…

Zacky and Obsidian came into view next.

Daniel caught sight of them and squealed at the top of his lungs. “Papa!!”

I set Daniel on the ground. He took off toward Zacky, whom swooped over to him in less than a second and scooped him in his arms.

I paid them no attention, however. My legs started carrying me to the “visitor”. I knew exactly who he was by the color and style of his hair and the way he held himself.

His name screeched itself within my head.

I started feeling sick as I trudged in his direction. The night of Matt’s death began to haunt me once again. I heard the same things I heard that night. I heard the screaming and yelling…

“MATT!”

I mentally witnessed Matt’s beheading all over again.

Before my stomach could convulse enough to make me throw up, Draegan turned around and came face to face with me.

My voice broke drastically when I tried to speak. “What are you doing here?”

Draegan looked me up and down, his eyes resting on my face. He seemed surprised at my appearance, shocked at what he saw.

I raised an eyebrow.

“Stop gawking.”

“I’m not gawking.” He brushed his fingertips along a section of my forehead. “I am merely surprised at all the visible bruises you have. And you look tired. Have you been sleeping?”

I smacked his hand away.

“I don’t think that is any of your concern,” I muttered. “What are you doing here?”

“I have things to tell you, as the Queen of this coven.” Draegan glanced over my shoulder at my guardians. “If that’s alright with you guys.”

“Don’t ask them.”

Draegan threw his gaze back to my face.

“I am the Queen, and I have no interest in what you have to tell me.”

“Why no--”

“You were at the root of my King’s death, if you don’t remember! You were there in the club the night Matt died and you could have warned us at any point that your damned coven was getting ready to attack.” I fought back tears. “But you didn’t.”

“I said it was a setup!”

“Yes, when it was too late!”

Draegan laid his hands on my shoulders and stooped to look me in the eyes. His beautiful, stark-gray eyes swirled with darkness.

I bit my lip.

“Guilt haunts me for what I did to you and your coven,” he whispered, leaning closer. “Believe me when I say I am sorry from the bottom of my heart. That is why I am done with December and Drakkar.”

I gritted my teeth together. My heart ached, telling me that he was truly sincere and his apology actually meant something other than just straight out lies.

Half of my body did not want to believe him.

But my heart (although feeling kind of weak) always wins.

“Talk,” I caved.

“Thank you.”

He smiled.

I expected him to lean away, but he didn’t.

Honestly, his eyes were starting to make me second guess my decision to stay with Zacky for all of eternity.

“Cassariah and Drakkar have moved on. They told me they had enough of bothering you and were leaving Chicago, to look for better targets. I refused to go, so I told them I would be staying in Chicago where I belonged.”

Again, I believed him.

“That is why I’m here, telling you this so you can get on with your life. You don’t have to live in fear anymore, and you never have to get hurt again.”

I touched his cold cheek.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Zacky and Daniel appear beside me. Zacky planted a hand on Draegan’s chest and pushed him away.

“That is quite enough,” he growled.

“No, no! I believe him Zacky!” I cried. “No need to get mean. He’s telling the truth.”

“I know he’s telling the truth. I wasn’t talking about that.” Zacky swung his free arm around my waist, pulling me closer. “I don’t want him touching you is all.”

I rolled my eyes. Draegan laughed.

Zacky nodded at the ex-enemy vampire. “So, what are you going to do now? You have no coven. It’s kind of weird for Chicago vamps to be loners.”

“Well…I was kind of hoping--”

“To join us?” I grinned. “Please do.”

Draegan grabbed my hand and pulled me away from Zacky. He embraced me in a strangling hug against his chilling chest.

I slipped my arms around his torso.

“Thank you very much,” Draegan whispered in my ear. “You are the epitome of the perfect vampire queen…for a human.”

I giggled. “And thank you very much for giving me the best news I’ve heard in a very long time.”

Zacky cleared his throat.

I broke the hug and reclaimed my place at my mate’s side. Zacky’s arm slithered back around my waist.

Already, things felt better. A huge load had lifted from my shoulders, my heartbeat felt normal again. I no longer had to worry about being attacked every single second of the entire day.

I wonder if they took Mom with them.

I don’t know why the thought crossed my mind, but as soon as it did, another one joined it immediately. One that wasn’t so happy.

“Draegan…” I whispered.

“Yes?”

“Do you know if my brother is still alive?”

Draegan’s demeanor changed entirely. His face took on a solemn expression.

My hope sank.

“When I left, things were not looking good for him. He was still alive and he was still human, yes. But he’s probably long gone by now. They don’t have a knack for keeping around extra baggage.”

Despite all self control I had, tears slipped down my cheeks and onto the grass at my feet.

/ - / - / - /

“You’re fucking insane.”

“No, I’m not!” I hissed, smacking Draegan’s stone-like arm. “This is a great idea, and you know it!”

“Shut up.”

“You shut up.”

“You!”

“You!”

“Okay, enough. Let’s just get this over with.” In the silent cover of night, I laid out the five slivers of concrete Draegan found in the woods.

Draegan, with a makeshift chisel in hand, sat down in front of the first concrete slab. He looked at me.

“Give me the first name.”

I smiled.

“Inez Puckett.”