Chapter 24
Angelle walked out onto the porch to see what Carnage wanted. When she looked over at the fire pit and the gathering of people, she realized there were several more that hadn’t made their way upstairs yet.
“Gel!” Carnage said delightedly as he waved at her with a wide, happy smile on his face that made his eyes crinkle up.
“Mr. Carnage!” she said, laughing as she waved back at him.
“Deemah!” Carnage yelled, pointing at a male dressed in pants and a long sleeve shirt. He had a lot of long hair and was talking with her father as the woman he was with was speaking animatedly with Kamilah.
“Oodin,” Carnage yelled, pointing at another male who stood beside Brannaugh.
“Hello, Dima! Hello, Odin! I’m Angelle,” she called from the top of the stairs.
Dima raised his hand in greeting and smiled at her. “I’m happy to finally meet you.”
“And you!” Angelle said.
Odin looked quickly up toward her, forced a smile then looked quickly away.
The woman standing with Odin, said something to him and he visibly sighed then looked up again. “Thank you for hosting us,” he said, forcing a smile that lasted longer than a split second. “We are pleased to meet you.”
Angelle recognized the social anxiety from where she stood above them all and giggled a little. “I’m glad you’re all here. We have drinks up here and if you’d like you’re more than welcome to come up and join us up here.”
“Thank you! I think I will,” Odin’s woman said. She pulled her hand free of Odin’s and came right up the steps. “Thank you, so much. I’m parched!”
“You’re welcome. Please make yourself at home. I’m Angelle, Boon’s mate.”
“And I’m Simone, Odin’s mate. Don’t mind him. He’s just not good with people. He expects them to run and hide when he enters a room.”
“That’s terrible!” Angelle said. “But honestly, that’s what I’d like to do anytime I meet anyone new. It has nothing to do with them, and everything to do with me.”
“Social anxiety?” Simone asked.
“Exactly.”
“And here you’re hosting a party at your home!” Simone said.
“Get together. Not a party; a get together,” Angelle said.
Simone laughed. “Makes a difference, huh?”
Angelle laughed. “I’m trying to convince myself that it does.
But I’m honestly really glad you’re all here.
I feel like I’m making friends and I’m happy about that.
It’s just out of character for me. I spent all my time alone until Boon found me.
I was even quiet and a backdrop to my own cousins and all their get togethers.
But I think I’m beginning to like the change. ”
“This is the best place for anyone that values their privacy to be. We all do as well, but we also know what it feels like to be ostracized by people in general so most of us wouldn’t do that to another.”
“I can understand that,” Angelle said. “If you don’t mind me asking, why were you ostracized? You’re beautiful, and obviously very personable.”
Simone smiled. “I was raised by a family of Gargoyles. I was brought up in caves and deserted buildings because my family, five Gargoyles, had to remain hidden. There’s a lot more to it than that, but that’s the gist of it.
Then when I met Odin, he stayed even more hidden than I did.
He spent centuries hiding from his own kind before he met a little girl that promised him friendship.
He was still a child as well at that point, but she later developed a fear of him and it broke his heart.
He still finds it hard to trust. But I am grateful believe it or not for all the troubles we’ve both endured, otherwise we wouldn’t have met. ”
“Really?” Angelle asked, surprised that she would be thankful for the troubles they’d all endured.
“Oh, yes. I’m descended from that little girl. She was my great grandmother, though I never knew her. Odin decided to find her to see how her life turned out and ask why she turned her back on him, and in carrying out her dying wish, he found me.”
“That’s fascinating. It just proves everything happens for a reason. Even hardships.”
“It does. And things weren’t always easy, but I don’t consider my family a hardship. They loved me and sheltered and protected me when no one else did — not even my own blood. I love them. In fact, Odin takes me to visit them often.”
“Are they in Whispers as well?”
“No, they’re in Paris. Lily helped them find a compound and secured it for them so they could live in peace, which is a welcome change after having to stay hidden for literally ages.”
Angelle stood where she was on the porch, trying to line up all Simone had told her with a time line that would make sense.
She looked down at Odin, who despite his bluish tinged skin and his whitish, almost colorless hair, appeared to be young enough to be with Simone, yet Simone just explained that he’d known her great grandmother.
Simone smiled as she watched Angelle looking down at Odin.
“He’s an Ice Demon. Don’t worry, he’s not evil.
Just surly. He ages at a different rate than humans do.
You know, come to think of it, most other paranormals age more slowly than humans do, as well.
They all have different life spans, but all are longer than a human’s. ”
“So, he’s aging very slowly, and you’re aging normally. Doesn’t that frighten him?”
Simone shook her head and leaned closer. “No one told you this stuff yet, did they?”
“Apparently not,” Angelle said.
“As long as you are mated to a paranormal, your aging matches theirs. You will age at an equal rate to your mate. Everyone here does the same. So, Kamilah ages in turn with Brannaugh, who is so old he won’t even discuss it.”
“I met him, he’s one of the aristocracy from the times of pompadours and men wearing stockings and fancy shoes,” Angelle said, lowering her voice to a whisper. “He’s very intimidating, but very pretty, too.”
“He is! He’s Odin’s best friend. And the time period Brannaugh’s from… is an example of my point. You’ll find so many different people and customs here. In Brannaugh’s case, he won’t outlive her. She’ll simply match his lifespan because she’s his mate.”
“Wow.”
“It is a very wow thing,” Simone said.
“What are you two out here whispering about?” Avaleigh asked as she paused on her way downstairs to spend a little time with Daniel.
“Things I was not aware of yet,” Angelle said.
“I suppose I should have been, I mean, you and Daddy, Bane and Janie, everybody back home that’s human but with a shifter mate.
You all look so fantastic because they’re not human.
They age more slowly than we do, and so do you since you mated them. That’s why you all look so young.”
“You know that,” Avaleigh said.
“I do?”
“I know you did at one point. I know we touched on it briefly a long time ago — I think. Maybe you just assumed it was an everyday thing where we come from and didn’t think about it again.”
“Maybe. I always thought I’d live and die alone. Maybe I didn’t want to think about it.”
“Funny how life happens when we’re busy thinking we know what’s on the way,” Simone said.
“That is true!” Angelle said. Then she gestured toward Simone. “Mom, this is my new friend, Simone. She’s Odin’s mate. Simone, this is my mother, Avaleigh. My father, her mate, is down there with the guys. His name is Daniel.”
“Oh, the Dragon! Yes, I met him. A very nice male,” Simone said. She smiled at Avaleigh. “I’m pleased to meet you.”
“Thank you. I’m very happy to meet you as well. We have drinks and snacks inside to hold you over until the meat is ready!” Avaleigh said. “I’m going to spend a little time with my mate,” she said as she continued on down the steps.
Angelle could see blue mists beginning to swirl in her family room from where she stood on the porch talking with Simone. Her brows raised in surprise, causing Simone to look in the direction Angelle was.
“Oh! That’s Lucitari. And I bet she’s got Murder with her.”
Angelle looked at Simone with a blank look on her face.
“She’s Lore’s sister. Murder is her mate, he’s a Gargoyle.”
“Ohhh, okay. I remember now. Sorry, there’s been a lot of new people today.”
Simone laughed.
“Why is that funny?” Angelle asked.
“Because Lore and Terrus just arrived with their mates,” Simone said, lifting her chin in the direction of the fire pit.
“And they’re not the only ones. Gaston and Phrygia were relaxing at the waters’ edge with Anton and Serena and their kids, which isn’t all that surprising because Gaston and Anton are Gator shifters.
Serena is also an aquatic background, too, but I’m not exactly sure about her origins.
I haven’t seen her parents, Serafina and Simon, yet.
They may be spending the day with Seth and Esma.
Seth is their son, Esma is his mate, she’s a Phoenix.
Simon most definitely prefers his privacy to any kind of gatherings so they probably won’t make an appearance today, but, Boon has been very good to them so they will probably pay you a visit later on when it’s just them. ”
Angelle glanced down toward the fire pit, the roasting hog and everyone around the fire — then glanced over toward the bayou at a small group that sat laughing and enjoying each other’s company.
All the faces and names she had to remember were dizzying.
She closed her eyes and squeezed them tighter for a few seconds before opening them and smiling at Simone.
“I can do this, right? It’s alright. I’m alright. Everything’s alright. Right?”
Simone laughed as she reached out and looped her arm around Angelle’s.
“Let’s go get a drink, take a breather, meet Lucitari and Murder, then we’ll take a trip downstairs to meet Lore and Evangeline, and Terrus and Maura.
Then we’ll take another break and go meet Gaston and Anton and their families.
“I’ve met Lore and Evangeline and liked them both very much. I’ve not met Terrus and Maura. Maura is?”