Odin

Chapter 11

Malice stood in the hazy evening light. The sun was just about set for the night, only a sliver of light remaining. He loitered in the street just outside a line of townhomes with small fenced in yards, their front doors lined up one after the other with brightly colored flowers in their gardens and gas lanterns mounted near their doors to welcome visitors.

He’d been eyeing the group of homes for the better part of an hour, but was having trouble finding the will power to announce his presence. Sighing in resignation, he finally turned his back on the home and took the first few steps that would take him away from it.

The sound of a door opening behind him had him pausing, then a voice calling out behind him had him turning to look at the owner of that voice.

“I’ve seen you before. You and your people work in the square, selling your portraits. You are very talented.”

“I’ve seen you before as well,” Malice said.

“Why do you stand watching my door all afternoon, to simply walk away when the sun finally goes down?”

“If you knew I was here, why didn’t you open the door sooner?” Malice asked.

“If you knew I was here, why didn’t you knock and ask entrance?” Enthrall countered.

Malice hesitated for a moment as he considered his answer. Finally, he shrugged. “I’m not sure I should be here at all.”

“You sought me out for something… what is that you want?”

“You are Enthrall, the leader of a community known as Whispers, aren’t you?” Malice asked.

“I am. Do you seek sanctuary?” Enthrall asked.

“No, not for me.”

Enthrall looked at the male curiously, not entirely sure what his answer meant.

“Is it true that Carnage, General Elite of the Royal Army of the Sovereign of Sentries resides there?” Malice asked.

Enthrall was intrigued now. Why would a Gargoyle who’d long been living among the citizens of Paris approach him about Carnage?

“Why do you ask?” Enthrall asked.

“Does an Ice Demon by the name of Odin reside there as well?” Malice asked, watching Enthrall closely for a reaction.

“You are Malice, aren’t you?” Enthrall asked.

“I am. How do you know my name?”

“Most likely the same way you know mine. Lily.”

Malice nodded. “She did say that if I ever needed assistance you lived in Paris and would not be opposed to helping us.”

“Is that why you’re here? Are you in need of assistance?” Enthrall asked.

“I’m not quite sure why I’m here. I only know that I’m out of other options. I don’t know what else to do.”

“Come in, Malice. Let’s talk.”

Malice looked back in the direction he’d been heading when Enthrall called him back, then at Enthrall again. He nodded, then stepped past Enthrall and into his home as Enthrall held the door open for him.

“Would you like something to drink or eat?”

“No, thank you.”

“If you don’t mind, I always have a light snack about this time.”

“By all means, do not let me disturb you.”

Enthrall led him to a large table in a dining room and gestured toward a seat. “Please, make yourself comfortable. I’ll be just a moment…”

Malice pushed the hood off his head in an effort to be respectful, and brushed his hands over his rear to dislodge any dust before he sat on what seemed like fine velvet covered chairs.

Enthrall was true to his word, coming back less than five minutes later with a large tray of sliced roast beef, roasted potatoes and carrots, and a crusty French bread loaf. He placed a plate in front of himself and another in front of Malice.

“This is your snack?” Malice asked disbelievingly.

Enthrall grinned at him. “My wife is a fabulous cook. I often eat two or three dinners if there are leftovers.” He patted his flat stomach. “Benefits of vampirism… I can eat as much as I like and not gain weight.”

Malice smiled.

“Do not make me uncomfortable while I indulge myself. Join me.”

Malice looked at the perfectly cooked meat and vegetables, admitting to himself that the enticing aroma was more than he wanted to resist. “Very well.”

“Excellent,” Enthrall said, serving first Malice’s plate, then his own. He went to the sideboard just a few feet away and poured them both a large glass of a hearty red wine, then collected the silverware before retaking his seat. He handed Malice his wine and knife and fork, then focused his attention on cutting his own roast beef. “If you’d prefer to eat with your hands as Carnage does, feel free. You won’t offend me.”

Malice smiled as he began to cut his meat into neat bite sized pieces. “Still just tears into whatever he’s decided to eat, eh?”

Enthrall chuckled. “He did, but his mate has him almost trained.”

Malice chuckled then. “That I’d have to see to believe.”

“Oh, he’s still Carnage, but when in the company of others and she’s with him, he does know how to use his manners. When she’s not there… they slide a bit.”

Malice smiled as he chewed.

Enthrall sliced a potato and placed a bite in his mouth, chewing as he watched Malice thoughtfully. “Tell me how I can help you, Malice.”

“First, let me be clear, I had no answers. No idea of how to make this better. But then Simone mentioned a place called Whispers, and I wondered if she may be speaking of your Whispers. The same one that Lily said her parents live in, along with a host of other paranormals.”

“Because if it is, I might be able to help you?” Enthrall asked.

“Or at least advise me.”

Enthrall took another bite of meat and gestured with his fork. “Go on… tell me.”

“Years ago, we took in a young girl, a human girl, and finished raising her. She’s been with us ever since. We’ve protected and provided for her, loved her unconditionally. She’s ours.”

“We?”

“My brethren and me.”

Enthrall’s head canted slightly. “As a mate, or a family member.”

“Family member.”

Enthrall nodded his understanding.

“She was driven from home by unsavory blood family. Her father long dead, her mother just dead, and her grandfather arriving to take everything and send her off to a life no one deserves.”

“I hope you’ve dealt with him,” Enthrall grumbled.

“Not until years later when we learned the truth, but we did finally get the chance. As it turns out during the time we dealt with him, we discovered very little that remained of her mother’s belongings except for some papers and journals. The land and the home had long before fallen into disrepair and what was left wasn’t worth much. I believe it’s still there, but Simone has never shown any interest in it. We brought the papers and journals back to Simone. As she read through them, she realized some of them were letters from her great-grandmother, and her grandmother, to and from her mother. She discovered more than she’d ever known about them, including that the great-grandmother had sought shelter in a convent — in fact raising her daughter, Simone’s grandmother there. She found evidence that her grandmother and mother had on occasion when able sent money to the convent to cover the great-grandmother’s expenses.”

“Indicates that she was not a member of the order that ran the convent, more likely a boarder, or a servant.”

“She lived all of her life there, by choice, so I can’t believe it was a terrible life. But I digress… there was mention in the letters here or there about her great-grandmother’s childhood friend. And those, coupled with the stories Simone heard growing up, usually whispered by the fire at night on All Hallows Eve, was that this friend was a demon.”

Enthrall stopped chewing and looked at Malice questioningly.

“Apparently, they were both children and lonely. They struck up a friendship. It was a story passed down through the females of their family by word of mouth and over time the truth of the story became questionable, and more of a fable than a fact.”

“Understandable,” Enthrall said.

“It is. And was no more than an entertaining story, until several weeks ago.”

“What happened several weeks ago?” Enthrall asked.

“I happened to overhear a demon standing in the shadows of the square, speaking to himself aloud. The name he spoke was Simone. I struck up a conversation with him. By his own admission he didn’t know what this Simone looked like, nor where to find her. But he knew that she had a relative in a convent and was unhappy about the fact that she’d died forgotten by her family. I knew he must mean our Simone, and apparently, he was able to derive from my thoughts that I knew her, and followed me back to our hideaway. When we were least expecting he stepped out of the shadows, took Simone in hand and disappeared.”

“You think she’s in Whispers?”

“No. I know she was in Whispers. I know she was with an Ice Demon named Odin. And I know that since she returned, she’s not the same. She’s withdrawn and sad. She’s angry and resentful. Perhaps you could even call her lonely or melancholy. But she’s not herself. She says she only wants to forget him, but everything anyone says always leads back to him.”

“How did she get back? Surely if he’d harmed her he wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of bringing her back, and I don’t think she’d be back from America in a matter of only a few weeks.”

Malice nodded. “You are right. She claims he didn’t harm her. But as I said, she’s not the same.”

Enthrall sat back, placing his fork and knife on the outer edge of his plate. “I can tell you that I know Odin. He’s a good male. He would not hurt her without provocation, and even then, I doubt it. My own son lives because of his actions to save his life. And if you need additional witness to his character, he is a friend of Carnage’s as well.”

“That at least is comforting.”

“I don’t know what you are asking of me. Is it if Odin can be trusted? Or to assure you as to what kind of male he is?”

“No. I believe all you’ve said already. There is a bit more to my story… Simone’s scent has changed. And whenever pressed on the matter, she responds the exact same way… ‘It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t want me’.”

“Are they mated?! How old is the girl?” Enthrall asked.

“She is a fully grown woman, and certainly of the age to make her own decisions. I am not here to defend her honor. Our Simone can certainly defend her own honor. But it is my suspicion that he did mate her. I am at odds with it because I don’t want to lose our Simone to a mate or anyone else. But I want her happiness. If he is what will give her happiness, then I want her to have him. But if he consciously mated her only to abandon her…”

“Why does she think he doesn’t want her?”

“Because he took her to a convent and left her there. The moment he was gone, she left and made her way back to us.”

“Which is why she’s angry.”

“Yes. Perhaps she’s right, he doesn’t want her. She will heal in time, but she’ll always wonder why he bothered to mate her just to leave her among strangers in a convent. I think if it were me, I’d like a bit of resolution. I’d want answers. To ask why I’m not wanted. The opportunity to see if there may in fact be something between us worth holding onto, or to rage at him for a moment if nothing else.”

“You want me to take her to Whispers to allow her to confront Odin.”

“Could you? Is that something you can do?”

“I can, but should I? My people depend on me to protect them above all else. I can’t just arrive with a scorned female in hand anxious to connect with one of my males, perhaps even rail at him, without intimate knowledge of the situation.”

Malice remained in his seat. He nodded and gently pushed his now empty plate an inch toward the center of the table. “I thank you for your time, Enthrall. Your hospitality, your food. I’ll be on my way.”

“I have not said no,” Enthrall said. “I need to find out what occurred. At that point I’ll be able to determine what would be best in this situation. If he mated the girl, then simply abandoned her at a convent to ease himself of the responsibility, this becomes a completely different situation and it is unacceptable. I’ll determine my actions if that’s the case, but allow me time to investigate. I give you my word that I’ll share everything I learn with you and do all I can to help you and Simone through whatever I find. But in the meantime, might I make one suggestion?”

“Of course.”

“If Odin knows where to find you, why not find another place to shelter, at least for now?”

“She is determined that he is not coming back. But I admit that we have not left her alone. We’ve moved our entire existence into the center of our home, stay away from the shadows, have well-lit the entire place to avoid him taking her again without her permission.”

“If Odin mated her, he is pulled to her as she is by him. He could be simply sitting in the shadows watching her so he can be near her without having to be with her. Deal him a hand he doesn’t expect. Move to another place.”

Malice thought about it. “It would be difficult, but not impossible. Those who encounter us think us monks, the robes we wear hide our horns and wings.”

“There are monasteries that have been abandoned, fallen into disrepair. The appearance of monks on their grounds wouldn’t be shocking to any who noticed. I know of one personally that is not in an inhabited area.”

Malice sighed. “I’ll be honest with you, Enthrall. As much as I like the idea, we do not have the funds to assume such a property and enclose it for us to live there in peace.”

“My apologies. I didn’t mean to insult you. I assumed that all who once served with Carnage were quite comfortable.”

“At one time perhaps, and some more than others, but we’ve spent many, many centuries atoning for our pasts. We spent all we had and then some to help the less fortunate. We protect those who have no one else. The elderly who are starving, we feed. The ill, we pay for medical care.”

“So your clothing isn’t the only reason people assume you are monks.”

Malice shook his head.

“We have a place underground. It costs us nothing and we’re free to move about without being covered head to toe.”

“I understand. That’s why so many different people live in Whispers — they’re free to be themselves, away from human persecution.”

“Maybe one day we will all be accepted.”

“Maybe. In the meantime, you’re all welcome to live in Whispers.”

“How would we assist those who’ve come to depend on us from there?” Malice asked.

“True,” Enthrall said.

“Thank you, Enthrall. I appreciate your time and your kindness.”

“You are most welcome. I’ve enjoyed our visit. You should visit again after we’ve made sense of this situation.”

“Perhaps I will.”

~~~

“Enthrall! What brings you back? I thought surely we’d not see you for months,” Destroy exclaimed on opening his door to find Enthrall standing there.

“Just thought I’d check on things,” Enthrall answered.

Destroy’s welcoming expression fell. “Are you saying that you don’t trust me to watch over Whispers in your absence?”

“Of course not. Why? Should I be more worried than I am?”

“No! I more than have this entire community under control.”

“Good. Tell me what’s happened with Odin.”

“Odin?” Destroy asked.

“Yes. You know… the Ice Demon who tries to keep himself hidden but we all know he lives here. The one that saved my Shane…”

“I know who Odin is.”

“Then you know what he’s going through.” Enthrall thought for a moment that Destroy might not really know and had begun to consider who he could go to next. Brannaugh would be the most logical.

“Before I tell you, know that it was my decision, and it was the correct decision, too. We’ve all completely enjoyed the monument. Rowan and I and the children have taken lunch there several times in the short time it’s been there.”

“What are you speaking about?” Enthrall asked.

“Marie’s Hill. It was much needed. Well, not that we needed a woman buried near the beach, but we needed something there to draw us to it, and the monument is the perfect thing. It’s got stones for the kids to climb on. It’s got a raised bit of land for the children to stand on and pretend to spy pirate ships in the distance. It’s shady and the grasses thick and cool despite the warmth of the day. We’re all quite pleased with it.”

“You buried someone near the beach?”

“Yes. Only a short distance from your fishing hut. I told Odin you wouldn’t mind since we all went there to fish from time to time anyway.”

“Who died, Destroy?”

“Odin’s female.”

“Odin’s female?”

“Yes.”

“She’s not dead!” Enthrall burst out.

Destroy looked at Enthrall while the meaning of his words sunk in. Then his brows raised and his color faded by at least two shades making him a rather pleasant shade of lavender. “You mean we buried her alive?”

Enthrall shook his head. “I have no idea who or what you think you buried. I’m speaking of a woman who’s very much alive and living in Paris.”

Immediately relief crossed Destroy’s face. “Oh, thank the gods. I thought we buried someone who was still alive. Not that it would be a bad thing if the person needed to die, bad person and all, but I got the impression she was very nice.”

“Destroy!”

“What?!”

“Tell me what you know of Odin.”

“He went to find a friend of his. She was an elderly woman. He brought her here in her last hours of life and she loved the water so very much that he buried her there. We all helped. Lucitari, too. I think you’ll like Marie’s Hill.”

“Was that her name? Marie?” Enthrall asked.

“Yes.”

“Where is Odin?”

“I don’t know. Here somewhere I guess.”

“Did you have any idea that he’s been in France?”

“No. Wait… how did he get away with going to France? I want to go to France and I can’t because I can’t hide the horns,” he said, pointing to his head.

“Or the purple skin.”

“Yes! And I know he can’t hide the spikes on his shoulders or the blue lips or his translucent eyes! How did he do it?”

“I don’t know. But I’m going to find out. There’s more, but for now I just need to speak with Odin.”

“I don’t think he’d do anything offensive. After we all helped him bury his friend, he was very appreciative, so remember he’s more one of us than he has been.”

“I’ll try to keep it in mind.”