Chapter 9
Syrinox and Ahazu stare at each other, neither of them speaking. Finally, Dree rolls his eyes, moving up on the cushion he is sitting on and rests his elbows on his knees. His hands move, I think he is signing the words as he says them.
“Syrinox is a Siren, his mother is a sea witch that cursed him and his brother when they refused to join her wicked coven. He can’t make a noise unless he is using his magic, something he’s refused to do for many years.”
The druid ignores the scathing look Syrinox gives him, but I’m distracted by the fact that I”m supposedly destined to be mated to a living legend. In my classes at school, we learned that male sirens were once revered as gods. They are so rare that many people believe them just to be scary stories that people told their kids to keep them out of the water.
“Wait, your own mother cursed you?” Dallie asked, her face shocked and a bit sad.
Az put an arm around her shoulder, comforting his mate as Nox nodded his head, a hesitant look in his eyes. I lean against the wall, watching everyone in the room for their reactions. Dallie, never one to disappoint, keeps the mood from getting too serious, even with the heavy topic of discussion.
“Well fuck that bitch then. You don’t need her anyways, we can be your family now. And, if I may suggest something, you should totally get Astra to kill that cunt.”
Nox’s eyes fly to me, but I keep my face blank. Not giving away the fact that not only am I capable, but I’m a bit tempted. I would definitely not hesitate to introduce her to my dagger if I ever ran into her. I just don’t think it”s anyone’s business right now. The Guild is supposed to be a secret, and sure, you can be an accomplished assassin and not be in the guild, but it”s highly unlikely.
“So what about the rest of you?” Boo asks, ignoring the way Nox is still staring at me with hope and fear dancing in his gaze.
“Well, I’m a druid of the Ashford clan, we were once a thriving community, but we were all but wiped out by humans and their need to destroy this planet. Most of us that survived went to Faerie, but me and my sister stayed behind. She is mated to a vampire in our hometown.”
When Dree speaks, Elizis stares at him, his head tilted to the side as he studies the powerful man on the couch. The Ashfords’ are Druid royalty. Direct descendants of the Earth goddess Gaia. They are known for their strong earth magic and their ability to not only repel magic but read the magic of those around them. No doubt he knows how powerful everyone in the room is and what their magic is.
“Orenda. You’re Orenda’s traveling brother.” at the sound of the female’s name. Dree snaps his gaze to Elizis. It”s the most serious expression I’ve seen on his face, and if it were aimed at me, I may be a bit cautious. All four of my … the other men are right there with him, ready and willing to kill if the strange man wished harm to the woman he is speaking of.
Elizis throws his hands up, sinking back into the couch and hiding behind Az a bit. I can’t help but smirk at that. Not that I want the man to fear my mates … Damn it, I give up, at least in my mind, I will refer to them as mine! Whatever, Az’s new mate is obviously not wanting to tussle with mine and he quickly explains.
“Orenda is mated to my father, the Vampire Crown Prince Zazis. She is a wonderful woman who taught me everything I know about Druid magic and healing. She is an amazing step mother and the whole kingdom loves her.”
“Huh,” Cerise laughs, cutting his gaze to Dree, “Looks like you have a nephew.”
Onyx picks up the thought like the two of them often do. “And you just thought about killing him. Not the best uncle, are you Dree.”
The druid rolls his eyes at the twins, but he keeps his gaze on the Vampire Druid hybrid still slightly hidden by Az, who is rubbing his knee. Dree doesn’t say anything for a long time, he just watches the other man with a blank face. I’m a bit impressed by his impassiveness. A slow smile eases across his lips and he nods his head, then leans back into the couch. I guess he is happy with the turn of events. Elizis doesn’t look like he is going to piss his pants anymore, so I guess everything is fine now.
“Well, I guess it’s our turn brother.” Cerise says, smiling goofily at his brother.
“Indeed. Get it over with Cers, I hate telling the story.” Onyx says, almost sounding bored. I can see the pain in his black gaze though. I’m not exactly sure how I can read the emotions in his void like eyes, but I do see them.
Onyx may be the more tame of the twins, but I think it has more to do with the pain in his gaze now, than his natural disposition. It just seems like he is carrying a lot of blame and forcing himself to be more serious so that he doesn’t screw up.
“Well, we are Hellhound, direct, and by that I mean the sons of Cerberus.”
Cerise smiles wide, fire dancing in his gaze as he watches Az and his mates for a reaction. His eyes shift my way, but I still refuse to show any reaction to their stories. I mean, I know the legend of Cerberus, the three headed guard to hell’s gates, but I don’t get why that is so important.
“Holy Gods, you two are practically gods! Who is your mother?”
Boo’s awed words finally have a small smile creeping onto Onyx’s lips. He likes that Boo is impressed. I can’t say I”m not impressed by their lineage, but they still haven’t said why they are wandering Earth instead of living the high life in Hell. I’m reserving judgment until I have the full story.
“Hecate. And Cerberus is just our fathers’ joint shifted form. They are actually three separate men, mother’s mates.”
“So why aren’t you in the Underworld with your parents?” Ahazu is in my mind. I swear, he pulled the question from my lips.
Onyx and Cerise share a look, one that Az and I share quite often. They are speaking without words, or maybe the words are in their minds. Either way, they are deciding if they should tell us the truth or not, and I hope they choose to do the right thing, because I’m looking for a reason to deny the mate bond, and the two of them lying to us now would be just the excuse I need.
“Our fathers were unhappy that we were born twins and not triplets. They tolerated us,” Cerise says, but Onyx inserts a quiet ‘barely’ in there, clearly bitter about their fathers opinions over something they couldn’t control. “But when mother gave birth to triplets, our right to protect the gates moved and we decided it best to leave and live on our own.”
Cerise finishes his explanation and I can see how hard it was for him to put their truth out there, and I know it’s their truth. My magic knows the truth from lies. Their pain is real, and the wall around my heart cracks just a bit. I don’t fucking like it!
“So what about you Orc? What is your story?” Elizis asks Glavior. I thought the grumpy Orc would be pissed about being called out, but he raises his hands as if to dismiss the question and relaxes further into the couch, completely relaxed.
“My story is simple. My mother was a genie that didn’t want to be burdened with a child, so she dropped me off with my father in an Orc village. Orcs are competitive and size and brutality are all that matter to them. It didn’t matter that I had more magic than the lot of them put together. I was small and I didn’t like to solve my problems with violence if there was another way. When I came of age, I joined the academy, bulked up and never went back.”
He shrugs when he finishes his story. There is no pain in his words or eyes, he doesn’t give his rough beginnings a thought, but I can tell how much he was affected and how his actions today are dictated by how he was raised. He is still trying to prove himself to his Orc lineage, even if he doesn’t really care about it anymore.
“Now, it’s your turn.” Cerise says.
“What are your life stories?” Onyx finishes for his brother.
“We are easy.” Dallie says. “I was dropped at Az and Astra’s doorstep as a baby. The four of us, the twins, Boo, and myself were raised here in this house by their parents. When the Morningdew parents were murdered, Bowman took over and helped us get through the academy. Az, Boo and I are a healing corner, well, three corners of one, and we met Elizis, the youngest son of the Vampire Crown Prince. He locked in our mating bond and we spent the last three months overseas healing in communities and villages that don’t have that service readily available.”
“We are home for good now though. We are opening a clinic in town. Hoping to settle down and start a family.” Az finishes the story, and a smile finally breaks on my face and I walk over and throw myself down on top of Az and Dallie, Boo trapped behind my legs. I even let one arm rest on Elizis’s legs to include him in my love. He is my brother now, family. Family is the only thing that matters.
Az laughs and Dallie kisses my head as Boo bitches about being ‘squished by a tiny pixie’. I stand up and look at the five men that I have to work with to complete my mission. I wonder if they will become family too. I know at first, it was the last thing I wanted. Hell, I still don’t want mates. They will be a complication to my life, a distraction from what I must do. But after hearing their backgrounds, I realized they may be as broken as I am. I think they may be as lost as I am, wandering the world just looking for the place they belong. Sure, they have each other, a brotherhood forged in the flame of loneliness and acceptance, but is it enough?
Is the lonely life I’ve been living enough for me? Or do I need them as much as they seem to need a family that loves them unconditionally?
“So, what are you? Clearly, Eli is a druid vampire hybrid, and I know Astrate is a Pixie and Elf hybrid, Ahazu as well since he is her twin, but what about you two?” Cerise points at Dallie and Boo, wondering what magic they hold.
“I’m a nightmare hybrid. My mother claims she is human, but I swear I’ve seen her do magic.” Boo says, smiling.
Dallie rolls her eyes, pushing Boo’s shoulder. “It doesn’t take magic to catch you sneaking out of the house Boo. You couldn’t be quiet if your life depended on it.” She teases her mate, laughing at his grumbling before answering Cerise’s question. “I’m a hybrid of Ice Giant and Human. My mother was … Well, she didn’t sign up to be a mother of a giantess, so she took me to a place she knew was safe and left. My father doesn’t even know about me as far as I know.”
Dallie is still smiling, not at all bothered like she used to be. I’m proud of her. She has come to accept that her being abandoned as a baby is not a reflection on her. That what others may do doesn’t mean she is unlovable or unwanted. I guess I have her mates to thank for that.
“So, why are you all here with Astra?” Az asks. I can see Glavior getting ready to answer, but I cut him off.
“It doesn’t matter tonight. Besides, it”s late, and we have a busy day tomorrow. We should all get some rest.” I say. Az glares at me, his eyes moving from my face to the men across the room and back again. I can feel him tugging on our bond, wanting to speak mind to mind, but I ignore it and address my mates. “Come on up, I can show you to the spare rooms. I’m sure Az won’t mind his mates bunking with him.” I smirk at my brother over my shoulder as I lead the men up the staircase.
The men follow me without saying a word. I’m honestly shocked. I figured they’d demand to know why I didn’t let them answer my brother. Then again, maybe they really were tired. It’s close to midnight now. I know I’m exhausted.
I point out the available rooms and make sure they don’t need anything before heading to bed myself, my mind full of the new knowledge of the men I’m stuck with for a while. I thought it would be easy to do this one quest with them, but now I’m not so sure I can do this without losing my heart in the process. They are already wiggling past my defenses and I’m not sure there is anything I can do about it. When the fates have a plan for you, it doesn’t matter how hard you fight against it. Some things can’t be stopped, no matter how much you wish it could be.
I fall into an uneasy sleep, my dreams full of images that seem more prophecy than dream. Gods help me if it’s true. I’m screwed, completely and not as reluctantly as I thought I’d be.