Chapter 32 #2
“You’re waiting on me Puppy,” Lanias said as she entered the meeting room. His green eyes sharpened on her, he smirked.
“Look who’s come back from the dead.” He grinned. “What? Couldn’t enjoy Hell?”
“It just wasn’t interesting enough,” Lanias said, walking over to a seat next to Oye.
Oye looked from Malcolm to her. “Do you two know each other pretty well?” she asked while narrowing her eyes.
“You could say I provided him help, the sort that only a brothel could offer,” Lanias said, giving Oye one of her secretive smiles.
Lanias continued hinting to Oye. “If you ever have needs of support, we have additional services that may assist,” Lanais added a glance in Castian’s direction filled with an implication of lack in sensual expertise.
A knife hit the table between them. Neither woman flinched.
Castian spoke through a tight smile. “She’s needing no help from the likes of you. I’ve got her well supported.”
Lanias calmly looked up at him. “Well that’s good to hear.”
Castian narrowed his gaze when the knife he’d stabbed down got pulled out by delicate pale fingers.
Alek broke the knife in two before tossing it at Castian’s feet. “I would watch the language you use when talking to my wife.”
Castian took a step forward. “Now, why would I do that?”
“Because my father isn’t alone,” Sorin spoke up, drawing Castian’s attention.
Castian blinked before he rubbed his eyes only to squint at them. Then he turned around to Tiller in disbelief.
“Shit, when did you contract more blood suckers?”
“They’re not mine, they’re his kids,” Tiller said easily. Wondering if they would settle in time, for him to guide this meeting. “Though I do wonder why they are here.”
“They’re here to support their new mommy,” Lanias said with a grin, aimed at irritating the demon fox.
The door opened, and Raijin entered and surprisingly Sabina was with him. Lanias jumped up. “What is she doing here?” she exclaimed, glaring at the masked ogre. “She should be resting.”
“I have every right to be here just as you,” Sabina snapped. “I am not going to be left out. You’ve started leaving me in the dark when I was with my ex-husband David. But not anymore, I want to fight if there is something worth fighting for.”
Surprised at Sabina’s angry rebuttal, Lanias felt the air go out of her. “Hah,” she released a heavy sigh. “You’re right. You’re not a kid any longer, are you?” She grinned, retaking her seat. “So, where should we start?”
Tiller pulled out a folder and laid it on the table.
“I would say let’s start at the beginning, but that would take too much time.
We don’t know when the enemy will strike.
They are a race of individuals who claim to have been here even before the great flood.
From what I know they’re called Surrem, but there is another name they go by which is ‘True Ones.’”
“What’s the difference,” Malcolm asked.
“The Surrem are those that were banished or the fallen. They were sent here to our plane as punishment for their crimes,” Alek answered. “For them, every hour spent here is nothing more than being put on time out.”
“So, why are they interested in attacking us?” Castian inquired. “If they’ve lived here for so long, what triggered them to attack now?”
“I happened,” Lanias admitted. “Apparently, the prophecy of opening a gate was about me. Unfortunately, one of the biggest rules of the True Ones was not to have children with people on this plane. Some Surrem listened, others not so much. When I sent Legolas into the gate, it was a big red flag that the half-breeds had inherited magic from their Surrem parents.”
“Wait, you’re saying Legolas was one of these Surrem?” Castian demanded, his voice holding disbelief. “How long did you know this?” he asked Tiller.
Tiller shrugged. “I was never sure of what he was exactly, just that he wasn’t interested in doing good for the people of the Veil. I only knew of Surrem through Alek in reference to his personal war with them. It was still a bit of a shock to me when I learned of them more in depth.”
“It’s not all of the Surrem, just the True Ones who are interested in killing all of us,” Castian said, brushing his chin. “Are they dangerous?”
“A lone entity killed every person in my kingdom of two thousand. The only survivors were me and my sons,” Alek delivered without visible emotion.
Lanias reached back and took his hand in hers. “They do not think as we do, they don’t feel as we do. I am a walking bomb to them, as are the children who are trying to make lives for themselves.”
“They’ve been attacking Being’s,” Raijin stated. “They seemed to have broadened their view of their targets. Do you know why that may be?”
Lanias frowned. “From what I know at least from Roni, he’s the one who’s protecting the other Half-breeds.
He speculates that Beings may be descendants of those Surrem who were banished long before the flood.
At first the True Ones may have ignored them but if they get appropriately motivated, they could come for all of us. ”
“Then ‘the cleansing’ is their attempt to wipe their blood from this plane completely,” Eliza concluded. “That means they’re going to try and kill anyone they believe is hiding Lanias.”
“Not if we can stop it,” Malcolm said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “If you called us all here, you must have a plan.”
“I do,” Tiller said, “but I can’t say it’s mine alone.” He glanced at Lanias. “Are you sure this is the best way to handle them?”
Lanias grinned. “I usually play in the shadows, but I think the threat of them is far more demanding of my attention. Knowing this is the case, we should use our trump card.”
“And what’s that?” Sabina asked.
“Me.”
“How could you think about sacrificing yourself?” Oye countered, she stood and glared down at Lanais. “Did death not fix you of that Marty nature?”
“I agree with Oye,” Eliza added her own two cents. “You shouldn’t have to put your life on the line like you did before.”
“I don’t like this idea,” Sabina said, her hands curling in her skirts. “There has to be a better way.”
Surprised, Lanias couldn’t help laughing.
“You’re laughing.” Oye slapped her hand on the table. “It’s not funny.”
“But it is,” she said, wiping a tear from her eyes. “I know you all care for me, but sometimes it’s nice to be reminded of this.” She stood meeting the eyes of everyone in the room. “I am not the type to put my life on the line for nothing. Trust me, like you’ve trusted me in the past.”
“I’m sorry, I have never trusted you,” Castian said. “Ow!”
He rubbed where Oye subtly elbowed him in the gut.
“So, what’s the plan?” Malcolm asked.
“They want the key magic that rests inside me,” she said, placing a hand on her chest. “Why not give it to them. I could lure them with my magic, then we can place a barrier so that no civilians are there. From there we can have what should be a final conflict, and I can use this magic to send them back and lock them away wherever they hail from.”
Tiller’s brow creased. “It’s simple, but how can we fight a Being that is purported to be godlike?”
“If it’s weapons you need, I can make them,” Dmitri said, stepping forward he pulled his short blade out and laid it on the table.
Malcolm immediately recognized the purple glow; he looked up at Alek. “That’s why you wanted the deal with the mines.”
Alek offered him a slow smile. “It was beneficial for both of us.”
“Then we have weapons, and a plan of action. The only thing is when?” Raijin said, bringing everyone’s focus to him. “If we move too quickly things could go south, we need a clearer time frame. We don’t know if they have someone watching. Someone could alert them to our sudden activity.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if Madame Lanias returned to the Shade,” Eliza suggested, her expression thoughtful.
“The news of her death shook the foundation of the Being world. If she returns it would draw attention, letting them know she was here sooner or later. We can put eyes on her, to ensure she’s safe until they move to attack.
Then we can lock them within a barrier we create. ”
“I like it, it ruthlessly uses me as bait. I knew I was somewhere in you my dear,” Lanias crooned at Eliza, who flushed in embarrassment.
“Are you sure you’re okay with doing this Lanias?” Sabina asked her sister. “Because I’m not, I don’t want to see you in danger again.”
“Like you said, I have the right to pick where I’ll be. And I am not the type to be on the sidelines. I brought this on us so it’s only right that I put my neck out there.” She stood up. “And to be honest, love, where else would I be? But in the center of the drama.”
Sabina couldn’t help shaking her head at her sister’s foolishness. “You’re joking even at a time like this.”
“It’s during these tough times, when you should laugh the most,” Lanias said before she made her way to the exit. “I hope my return will cause a stir as Eliza predicts, let’s just hope everything goes according to plan,” she said, walking out with her newly claimed sons and Alek by her side.
“Wait.”
Lanis paused a few steps away from the door, to find Sabina running toward her.
Looking at her sister open curiously, she asked, “Is there something you forgot?”
Sabina shook her head before she reached out and grabbed her hand. “I want you to know, no matter who your parents were, you’ll always be my sister. No matter what.”
Taken aback, Lanias accused, “You heard the conversation and what I said then.”
“Yes,” Sabina answered, she glanced at Alek before leaning in and lifting her hand to whisper. “I’m happy for you.” She drew back and smiled. “It looks like you weren’t meant for normal, even when it comes to falling in love. You seem so happy.”
Lanias’ eyes widened as she felt heat suffuse her cheeks, as she looked at Alek. Abruptly she averted her gaze trying not to get lost in his eyes when he looked at her. “Mm, I am,” she said and was surprised once again that she truly meant it.
Sabina’s nose scrunched up as she grinned. “But you owe me a wedding.”
“Don’t you owe me one first?” Lanias argued. “You just took his ring and moved in.”
“Honestly, none of us have had a wedding,” Oye said, stepping out of the meeting room, with Eliza. She snorted. “Though we’ve been a bit too busy to focus on festivities.”
“Then, when this is all over, we should have one big celebration together,” Sabina proposed, ignoring the face Lanias made at her words. “It could be our way of celebrating a new start.”
“Sabina, darling, I do want you to remember that while I might have been dead for a few months, my taste in fashion didn’t change.” She shot Oye’s torn jean shorts and motley crew T-shirt a shrewd eye. “And it’s still far better than some.”
Oye maintained her smile, when she snapped her wrist down and a blade appeared she gripped it firmly. “You know, you always manage to say the right thing to make me want to dismember you.”
“And you always manage to be moved so easily by the harmless things I say,” Lanias said with a smug smile.
“Now, now, you two let’s focus on the big picture,” Sabina said, stepping up to block Lanias’ sight of Oye. Eliza gently took Oye’s blade from her hands with a nervous smile.
“A large wedding, with all four of us.”
Lanias snorted. “I don’t mind.” She looked at Alek for any indication of his thoughts. “Be honest, what do you think?”
He offered her an affectionate smile. “Whatever my Queen desires.”
“Well, you heard the man. He doesn’t care as long as it’s me in the dress,” she joked.
“Good, then I will start planning it,” Sabina said, giving her a tap on the shoulder. “And you better come around to visit Kehlani and Ryokai. I can barely stand how they are together. Kehlani calls him Kai, and I’m afraid she’s going to spoil him.”
“He should be spoiled, he’s the first nephew in the Clark family,” Lanias boasted happily.
An arm wrapped around her shoulders; Alek drew her back against his chest. He offered her a mischievous smile. “He will not be the last.”
“Is that so,” Sabina said with a look of interest. “Well then I should let you all go so that you can hurry up and give me a nephew.”
“You’ve already got four,” Lanias pointed out, not bothering to try to escape Alek’s arms, she pointed at the four men who’d been quiet the entire time. “They would love nothing more than to be spoiled by you.” She ignored the irritated looks the four sent her.
Sabina laughed, looking at them. “I don’t know where I would start.”
“Start with finding them wives,” Alek said, with a laugh.
Immediately, all four men vanished from their sights.
“Now, I know how to get rid of them if I need to,” Lanias joked as she winked at Sabina, “I’ll see you later.”
“Mhmm, bye,” Sabina said, only to step back when her sister and her fiancé Alek disappeared in a cloud of red mist.
“She lives when she wants, she dies when she wants,” Oye muttered, coming to Sabina’s side. “Is there anything she does with a plan?”
“No, but that wouldn’t make her Lanias, if she followed a plan,” Eliza said with humor. “Are you guys as hungry as I am?”
Sabina nodded. “Now that you mention it, but I was going to go home and relieve the babysitter.”
“Then let’s all go,” Oye said. “Castian and the others won’t be finished for some time. Besides, I missed your non-bloody cooking Bina.”
“Non-bloody?” Eliza repeated, curiosity coating her voice.
Oye waved her off. “It’s a long story, come on let’s go.”
Together the three women left the Jackal’s headquarters.”