16. Iris
Iris
My heart feels like it’s in my throat as I wait to hear from Scarlett.
I can’t even fathom what I would do if something had happened to Ember. The Slayer had been in my home this whole time and he didn’t mention that my friend was in danger. It has me ready to curse him into next week.
He looks defeated as he sits there, saying nothing. Instead I just hold my wand up at him, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
Scarlett pops back into the room with a relieved breath. “She’s at her cottage, alone, mistress, but I could scent a vampire.”
“Stay here, make sure he doesn’t go anywhere,” I say.
The Slayer’s deep depths meet mine, and his face looks remorseful as he speaks.
“I did not mean to displease you, my Iris. It’s hard for me to understand mortal bonds and I did not realize what she truly meant to you.
I will do better. I’m your mate and I only wish to bring you happiness.
As soon as I’m able, I’ll hunt down the vampire who poses a threat to your friend and I’ll make sure my aim is true this time. ”
I sigh, because this man/being is so complicated and I don’t know what to do with him. He’s clearly not familiar with life in the twenty-first century or dealing with humans in general.
Though the most difficult thing is what I haven’t even voiced to Scarlett. This tug in my gut that wants me to touch the Slayer. He’s been in my home for days and there have been so many times I wanted to check on him and make sure that he’s okay.
I don’t like not having control over this matter and I’m not sure what to do about it. The wards haven’t kicked him out, he means me no harm, but yet, he’s doing harm and he doesn’t understand it.
Instead of responding to him, I give Scarlett a sharp look, letting her know that she can’t be charmed by the Slayer. I head to Violet’s clinic first, knowing that I might need backup.
She’s startled when I enter her workspace.
“Iris. Is everything alright?” she questions and I glance around the room, grateful that no one else is here.
“When’s the last time you spoke to Ember?”
“A few days ago. I was planning on seeing the both of you tonight at the moon ritual. Why, what’s wrong?”
I sigh under my breath. “More like what isn’t wrong. We need to go see her. Right now,” I say, and Violet doesn’t second guess me as we portal to Ember’s cottage.
My fist is balled up tight as I bang it against the door. I can hear the shuttering of garden fairies as I pound against the door.
When Ember opens the door she looks…not how I expected.
“I didn’t realize you two were coming here first?” she says in a jovial tone, and Violet looks at me like I’m possibly losing it.
“Where have you been?” I ask, looking around the house, seeing if there are any signs of anything off-putting. There’s the slightest splotch of blood on the floor as I look back at Ember. “You’re alright?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” she says, tilting her head.
But I’ve known Ember my whole life. I know when she’s lying. Her cheeks are pink, her back is ramrod straight, and she’s almost definitely hiding something from me.
“She’s in love with a vampire! She’s been compelled. Exorcise her from his evilness,” a fairy screeches in a high-pitched voice and I have to stop myself from swatting her away.
“Fuck,” I hiss.
This is far worse than what the Slayer told me and I’m not sure what we need to do next.
I think it would have been easier if a vampire was coming after her. Not if she was in love with one. Especially the one that the Slayer seems very adamant about killing.
“What did that fairy just say?” Violet asks, confused and sweet.
Fuck. Everything is going to have to come out into the open now.
Ember is already involved whether she knows it or not.
“Okay. Yeah. So we’re just going to rip off this Band-Aid then,” Ember says, not even knowing the half of the whirlwind of shit we’re in right now. “Did you know vampires could have mates?”
I rub the bridge of my nose in frustration. What the actual hell are the chances that the three of us would find obscure mates? What’s even worse? Mine is actively trying to kill Ember’s and I can tell that she’s being truthful, that she really cares for this vampire.
I can’t let the Slayer hurt her in this way. But the idea of hurting the Slayer also sends this disgusting ball of guilt and sadness rattling around in my stomach.
Shit. He really is my fucking mate, isn’t he?
“This is so fucked,” I mutter under my breath as a vision hits me.
It was the one I had before I went to see the tarot card reader of Ember with a bleeding bite mark against her neck. But it’s not dark and violent like I originally thought. No, she’s enjoying it.
“What’s wrong with her?” Ember asks and I have to sigh, because the list is probably a little too long right now.
“We’re starting with you first. All that talk about vampires in the past, I thought it was a fantasy, maybe something you’d try once and get out of your system. I didn’t think you were serious,” Violet says.
“Me either, okay? I didn’t expect it. I tried to resist him. Well, maybe not super well. But it makes sense now. We’re mates, Violet. You should understand that,” Ember retorts, and I groan.
Because I’ve got a mate too, and despite every bone in my body, I don’t want him hurt either.
“Who is he?” Violet asks.
“Warin Auclair.” The name sounds like a swear. A promise of retaliation of the man tied up at my house.
“Yeah, okay, I can see the appeal. He was at the meeting when I saw Silas again for the first time,” Violet surmises, like we’re all not in very deep shit.
“He can’t stop, he won’t stop,” I mumble.
“Iris, honey, is everything okay?” Ember asks.
Far from okay. Ember has found the love of her life, the one thing she’s desperately wanted for ages and I’m harboring the ancient being who wants to kill him.
“I think the…thing…man, living in my house who claims to be my mate might be the one who tried to kill your vampire.” I don’t think, I know, but I’m not sure how to word this all.
“The Slayer is at your house?” Ember says. “Wait. What? He’s your mate?”
“Yes. The psychopath in my house is my mate, and he’s dead set on killing Warin Auclair for injuring him,” I tell them, and they both take a seat at the table with me.
“You’re both sure?” Violet asks.
“I’m positive,” Ember says happily
“Yeah. Unfortunately. I’m sure,” I say back.
“Okay. Wow. I thought maybe you were feeling down about the date with Bobby not going well. As far as you, Iris, I thought something was bothering you but didn’t know what,” Violet says.
I feel ashamed for not telling them about my visions or that I knew something was coming for me, but now is not the time to dwell on that. We have more important problems at hand.
“Warin and the vampire council are searching for the Slayer now.”
I wave her off, not worried about them finding him.
“They won’t find him. My store is warded, and he’s still healing. He won’t leave. What I’m worried about is what happens when he’s healed. He’ll either get himself killed or kill your vampire.”
“You know that he staked a vampire near me, and showed up at my house?” Ember tells me and I sigh.
“I’m sure the psycho did. Listen. I don’t like him much either, but I can’t let him die, okay?”
Ember stands, her chin held up high, protective of her vampire.
“Well, I can’t let anything happen to Warin. I actually like him.”
“Even though he’s a vampire?” I reply and I didn’t mean it rudely, just curiously.
“Yes. He’s not perfect, far from it, but he’s protected me from the Slayer and from the vampire council. He’s the one I’ve been waiting for. I don’t know how to explain it,” Ember says dreamily, and she actually sounds in love.
My sweetest oldest friend would fall that fast and I’m happy for her.
“I’m sorry, Ember, I don’t mean to question you. I haven’t slept much. Having a demon, well, something adjacent in your house along with other nuisances has me exhausted.”
“Wow. Okay. I thought my life was dramatic, but I think you two take the cake. So you both have supernatural mates of a…unique variety and they’re both trying to kill each other. Cool, awesome. What do we do now?” Violet says.
“For now, we go to the moon ritual. We act like everything is normal. You know your grandma is going to lose her shit when she finds out, Em. You being with a vampire may be the thing that sends her into an early grave. I’m sure some of the coven might have an issue with it at first, but they’ll have to get over it,” I say, trying to stay strong for all of us.
“What about you and your Slayer?” Ember asks me, like I have a single clue.
“I don’t know what to do with him yet. I just know that every magical particle in my body doesn’t want him hurt.”
It’s this bone deep thing I can’t control and it’s eating away at me.
“I can understand that,” Ember says softly.
“So we get through the ritual, then what?”
“I think Warin could maybe be reasoned with a peace treaty. The vampire council is another thing altogether though,” Ember says, and I can tell this council scares the shit out of her.
“He’ll be more difficult.” I sigh. “He’s not just the Slayer, he’s a human, too.
The Slayer has more control, though, and he’s proven pretty fucking difficult to reason with.
We’ll probably need magic to deal with him.
We’ll need to hit the books and come up with a magical solution on that front. Maybe your vampire council, too?”
“Warin. He gave me some old grimoires. A witch who specialized in offensive and defensive magic against vampires. It’s come to me more naturally than I could have ever thought. Maybe there’s something in there?”
“That’s a good start. I’ll visit my aunt tomorrow, see if she has any suggestions. What about Delphine? Has she seen any of this?” Violet asks me.
“All she’s told me is that she’s sorry for my ancestral burden. She was right about that. I’m not sure she could see anything involving vampires or slayers, but I can ask,” I say, though I already have her working on the Slayer front.
“Okay, so in the meantime, you keep your Slayer. What’s his name?” Violet asks, being polite, and I sigh, not telling my friends that I’m literally calling him the Slayer in my head.
“It’s complicated,” I reply instead.
“Alright then. You keep your Slayer safe locked in your house, do whatever you need to do to keep him there. Keep him preoccupied so that he doesn’t go after Warin. And Ember, figure out if you can reason with Warin, and what would make this council fuck off?”
I scrunch my nose and nod.
“That’s it. That’s the solution? You should be saving her from the bloodsucker,” the garden fairy cries.
“Tabitha, if you don’t shut the fuck up,” I tell the fairy, taking out my wand, ready to roast her wings off.
“Tabitha, go back with the other fairies. Now,” Ember demands.
“God, how do you deal with them all the time? Someone constantly talking your ear off when all you want is for them to go the fuck away?”
“Iris, is there something else?” Ember asks and I shake my head.
“No, we’ve got bigger problems right now. Let’s just get through tonight, alright?” We don’t need to get into how bad my visions have gotten. Well, I mean, now that we’re dealing with all of this, they’re slowing down, anyway. It’s not a big deal.
“Alright,” she agrees.
“Just another standard day for the Celestial Coven.” Violet takes a deep breath. “Ready to get the show on the road?” she asks.
Scarlett doesn’t report anything about the Slayer and I go to the moon ritual, doing what needs to be done for my coven.
Yet, the whole time I think about what it would feel like if the Slayer was taken out by the vampire council. Even if I don’t want a mate, even if I don’t particularly like him, I don’t want him dead.
That doesn’t mean that I couldn’t possibly send him back to the void though, right? At least there he wouldn’t be a threat to Ember or Adam, and I guess I’d be free of him, because that’s what I want, right?
He’s an uncontrollable killer.
At least that’s what I tell myself, because when I get home, he doesn’t look like a psychopathic murderer. He looks like a sad man, tied up to my bed, watching Love is Blind with my fox familiar.
This is all far more complicated than I ever wanted it to be. It’s my job to protect my coven, it doesn’t matter this pulling sensation I can’t explain, it doesn’t matter how innocent he looks on my bed, my duty is to my coven and right now Ember needs me.
It’s so much easier to avoid my feelings and just think about the facts. The Slayer is trying to kill Ember’s mate, that she’s in love with, and I just need to suppress all these pesky little emotions and make sure she’s safe.