Chapter Nine
Traum
It had been two nights since I’d been able to see Bailey. I knew that she had been going back to her workplace and while I was home, I was hard at work trying to figure out the best time to bring her to the Underworld again.
I had also been avoiding my brother. Which was easy because he was basically useless to the world until after his youngling was born. But still. I didn’t want to explain why I wasn’t working. Or feeding.
My power, the power that I gathered from entering dreams and harvesting their sexual energy. But now that I was courting Bailey, there was a strangeness to that idea that I didn’t like. It meant that I was feeling rather low on energy and power, but also it would affect the tribe as well. Power was a collective well here. As my needs were filled by my work, the overflow as I called it, was recycled back into the tribe. It was consumed in our drinks and our food grown here by those who did not work in dreams.
For the first time in my mature life, I may need to consume energy harvested by others instead of providing as I had for so long. It felt…strange to me. But I had not discussed what Bailey was comfortable with. The other mated males in my tribe were all very open with their partners. Some continued on with harvesting, the succubus partners working in dreams as well. Some of our all-incubus pairings worked together to harvest power.
But the bottom line is that I didn't feel like I should do anything until I talked to Bailey about it. And that needed to be soon.
I sat back in my chair, eyeing my grandmother and sister as they chopped up vegetables to put over the stove.
“This will fix you right up, boy,”
Grandmother said, pushing the plate in my direction. I picked up a root vegetable and took a bite, ignoring the heat and enjoying the flavor. Everything tasted better when it was made by her. I would swear this on the entire mountain of obols.
“Thank you, Grandmother.”
“Are you still sulking about your human?”
Antheia asked, pulling a chair out to sit across from me. Grandmother chuckled and moved back towards the stove.
“Maybe,”
I threw a bit of food at her, “And use her name, I know you know it.”
My sister smiled, half snarl as she hurled the vegetable right back at me, the moment before Grandmother turned to face us.
“Bailey will make an excellent addition to the family,”
Grandmother said, soothingly, “When do you plan to bring her here?”
“Soon, I wanted to show her more about our lives, but I didn’t want to overshadow Albtraum’s youngling.”
Both females nodded. But there was a smile on my grandmother’s face. “I don’t believe that will be a problem soon.”
I tilted my head, “What are you up to?”
My grandmother merely hummed, eating her own meal. But by the time Antheia got her voice back, the door burst inwards. My eldest brother, Albtraum stood there, chest heaving.
“Grandmother, you must come. The youngling…”
“Calm down, boy,”
she scolded, “We have plenty of time.”
Albtraum looked horrified. “What?”
“Your little one will take time to come. Go home, back to your mate. Hold her hand, kiss her brow. I will be there after I eat.”
He blinked rapidly, looking at both of us, his siblings, before slowly backing to the door.
I snorted as it closed behind him. “Ridiculous male.”
“You will be worse when yours come,”
Grandmother said, calmly cutting her into her meal once more. “All males are.”
Antheia cackled into her drink, dark eyes crinkling over the lid. I opened my mouth to protest, but the thought of Bailey having our young left me a little breathless and more than a little fearful.
“See,”
Grandmother said, pointing her knife at me, “Already a mess.”
Antheia nodded. “Males.”
“Fine, fine. I will go where I’m wanted,”
I said, rising to my feet. “Thank you for the meal. I would endure your insults anytime to enjoy your cooking.”
“You’d starve otherwise,”
Antheia under her breath. I grinned at her. “At least now you know what to invite Bailey for?”
I blinked, my mind clearly at her name on Antheia’s tongue. “What?”
“The birthday festival. She has to come.”
“Oh,”
I considered it, my body already vibrating with the idea of seeing her again. “Of course.”
She would love that. It was the best situation we could ask for, the chance to show off my family, my world, all in a single meeting. No, not a meeting. A date.
The coins were practically burning into my palms as I moved back into my home and straight to my room. Arafel and my brother were closer, much closer than I was to the demon lord, but I still could remember the way he’d looked at me. The understanding he’d seen in my desperation to keep my mate close by.
I hoped it would still hold some weight. Because I needed a favor from the Lord of the Dream realm. Picking up a quill and ink, I leaned over the table by my bed and began to write.
A few moments later, I passed into the main chamber of the home and to the fireplace. My magic, depleted as it might be, swirled to life, brought back to me by the idea of seeing Bailey again so soon.
“To Castle Fel,”
I murmured, dropping the letter into the fire. It curled and burned to ash in a matter of moments. But I still smiled. Because even as it burned, I felt the soft tug of my magic being used to push the note through the fire straight to Arafel’s home. I straightened, wiping my hands on my sides as I did.
I could only wait now. Which honestly, I fucking hated. Good thing I had something else to keep my mind off the open-ended letter I’d just sent. Picking up a cloak in case the chill of the night got to me without my additional magic, I walked out the door and went to find my brother. He and Rifa lived only a short walk from our family home, and it took me no time to get there. Even less time to realize that Albtraum was leaning against the outside wall of it, his horned head in his hands.
Nearby a bottle of sine was open. I sniffed loudly to cover up my laugh at my controlled, smirking brother suddenly brought to the ground by the simple idea of his child being born.
But then, I heard it.
Rifa inside, with healers. And she was in pain.
“How is she?”
Albtraum glanced up, and I thought for a moment he might have an arrogant comment for me. But instead, his shoulders rose and fell. “I was trying to feed her strength, but my fear tainted it so strongly that she was more afraid with me there.”
My chest ached at his comment. “She is a strong female.”
“She is,”
Albtraum ran a hand over his horns into his hair, gripping it hard. “I just wanted to be strong for her. But I cannot stop thinking about it.”
His eyes found mine. “No new life in the Underworld, and now suddenly all this changes. What if my child is caught between worlds. Or is just not strong enough. I tried to give them everything I could these past months, but I–.”
“Brother,”
I pressed a hand to his shoulder, giving him a light shake. Whatever our differences, Albtraum was a good male. I should be by his side, or his mate should they need anything while she brought new life into our home. With a grunt, I crossed my legs and dropped down at his side.
“You gave them everything you can. Rifa is a fine mother already. You will be holding your child by midnight, I bet.”
Albtraum looked around the sky. “By midnight, eh?”
I nodded, “Trust me, I know these things.”
That made him grin, just before he elbowed me hard in the ribs, “They say I am insufferable. Clearly, they haven't met you yet.”
“Either way…pass me that bottle,”
I caught the heavy bottle of sine as he passed it to me. A powerful alcoholic beverage similar to wine that originated in the fields near Elysium. My brother rarely indulged which made this altogether too hard to resist. I took a sip, barely covering up the cough that itched to climb my throat. Then trying to act relaxed, I handed the bottle back to Albtraum who took a swig as well.
“Will your human stay? Here in the Underworld, I mean.”
I didn’t look at him. Wasn’t sure I was ready for him to see the raw fear and emotion that followed that question. “I don’t know.”
The bottle was tapped against my thigh as Albtraum passed it back. “No matter what happens, we will find a way to make it right.”
“Make it right?”
I took a small sip, experience making me wary from the first tone. “What does that mean? We aren’t going to force her to stay here.”
“No,”
Albtraum sighed, his head thudding against the wall of his house, “But there are ways, ways around Arafel, that would allow you to come back to the Underworld.”
My brow lowered, “To come back?”
“To visit,”
Albtraum said calmly.
My mind was scattered, and something told me it wasn’t just the sine that was making it hard to focus. “What are you saying?”
“Only that no matter where you go, wherever you settle, you will always have a home with us. Family does not care about distances, no matter how great.”
I nodded, still trying to process his words, when a soft noise drew me up short.
We no longer heard the muttering curses of Rifa behind the door.
There was silence. My heart leaped in my throat, and I turned to find Albtraum’s eyes on mine. The naked fear there was overwhelming. My emotions immediately to meet his, the need to fly into action lacing my bloodstream.
We both lurched to our feet, turning for the door. No sooner than Albtraum’s booted feet neared the door though, when it opened.
Grandmother stood there; her silver hair pulled neatly back from her face.
“Chief Albtraum,”
she said gently, holding out a bundle, “You have a daughter.”
My brother, who suddenly seemed unable to move, stared down at the bundle that my grandmother held. “Well,”
Grandmother said, her delight palatable, “Pick her up boy, she should know her father.”
Albtraum fumbled for her, clasping the dark blankets in his hands, which suddenly looked too big against the size of the child. I stepped forward, unsure of what to do, but knowing I needed to be closer. What if he dropped her? What if she needed something? What if I wanted to hold her?
My niece.
All around us I could hear people approaching, incubus and succubus who had heard the good news. Because this was good news. The first in such a long time for my people.
Albtraum, who had been staring at his daughter, completely entranced, suddenly looked up at me, his smile a mirror of my own. “She’s perfect.”
I laughed, “Of course she is, she’s one of us.”
The next few moments are a blur. I’m leaning over, staring down at the tiny creature wrapped from chin to toes, her pale pink skin and dark nubbed horns beautiful and strange to eyes that have only seen adults in such a long time. Her father only hands her off for a breath, when he raced in to press his forehead against his mate, Rifa, who is now leaning happily back in bed.
Antheia, of course, was the lucky one who held the child while Albtraum reunited with his mate. And I’m shocked to realize that not only was my sister completely comfortable with the infant, but several males are eyeing her with great interest as she rocks the infant. I mentally catalog their names and faces for the next chance I have to challenge anyone.
She may be an adult, and beautiful, but she’s my little sister. No one touches her on my watch.
By the time the crowd disperses, congratulations floating in the air, I’m sagging against the outside of the house. The sine back in my hand.
Albtraum appeared at my side, and silence, comfortable and warm, surrounded us.
“Thank you,”
he murmured.
“You are my brother. There are no thanks needed.”
Albtraum shrugged and after pressing a hand to my shoulder for a long breath, he disappeared once again into his home. The door shut tight, and a smile tugged at my mouth. New life always brings joy.
And for the first time in my life, I had someone I wanted to share it with.