A Touch of Angel (Cocktails in Hell Book 5), page 8
Clara snickered, her feelings unhurt by his words. “I get that a lot.”
He chuckled. “Shifters choose mates based on many things. Violet, I don’t know if this will help in any way or make you angrier, but it looks for strength, power levels, intelligence, and many other things. But it also seeks compatibility.”
“Ha. Alistair is an asshat, and we’re about as compatible as a pyromaniac and a water hose.”
“Not that compatibility,” Dave said gently. “Genetic compatibility.”
I stilled. “What.”
“Alistair’s dragon believes if you and he—”
“Do the duuuuuurty!” Clara sang.
“Procreate,” David said patiently. “If you procreate, you can continue the royal line on.”
Clara stiffened. “Wait.”
“Yes.” Dave waited.
“Ah,” Clara said, exhaling a long breath.
I started to rise, but Clara pressed me back against her.
“That is why,” Dave said softly. “But it doesn’t matter.”
“It should.”
“There are other ways to assure a royal line without blood.”
I turned back around and snuggled into Clara, not an easy thing to do. She was thin and bony in some places. I couldn’t bear the look on her face. To know how much they cared about each other and be blocked by something as simple as biology seemed unfair.
But that was the world we lived in.
Something occurred to me, though. “You aren’t like the other vampires.”
“I’m well aware,” came the dry response.
I sat up and turned around, taking both her hands in mine. “No. I mean maybe you can be biologically compatible.”
Clara rolled her eyes, but Dave straightened, curiosity flickering in his gaze.
“Have there been other children born to a mixed couple? One from the sea and one not?”
“Humans and sea people can procreate. There is a rumor a hybrid angel/sea creature exists.”
My eyebrows lifted at that. “We should probably try to find them soon to see if they have any contact with their parents.”
Dave shrugged. “Probably not, but we can try. Angels are notorious for leaving gifts that come nine to twelve months later.”
“I am one of those gifts,” I muttered. Shaking my head, I said, “Anyway, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Since it’s never been done before, is it possible your beast is unsure?”
“Completely. It stirs toward Clara.”
Clara’s attention snapped to Dave. “It does?”
“Of course. You’re the most magnificent thing outside of the sea.” He took her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it.
“Aww. So … are you two using any kind of…” I wiggled my eyebrows.
“Protection?” Clara supplied.
“Yup. Or birth control? Anything like that?”
They looked at each other. “We can’t pass diseases to each other, so we usually don’t bother,” Clara said.
“But I also have an internal system, if you will, that prevents me from impregnating someone.”
Clara blinked. “Like a shut off valve?”
Dave laughed. “Precisely. That’s exactly what it is.”
I peered at the two of them. “Have you ever thought of keeping the valve open?”
Dave and Clara studied me. “I’m not sure I’d like to bring a child into this shit show of a world right now,” Clara said slowly.
“It does seem foolhardy,” Dave agreed, “but also intriguing.”
Clara sucked in a breath. “You want a child?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I think about it sometimes. Do you?”
She slumped against him, but I didn’t miss the furious flash of grief in her eyes. “It’s a difficult world to bring children into. I am the only vampire who can have children.” Clara frowned. “Or so I’ve been told. Other vampires cannot do the same things I can.”
Clara never quite explained why, and I never pushed her then. No plans to start now.
“Vampires can’t walk in the sun or inhale an entire pizza, either,” I said. “Just something to keep in mind. I can ask Lucifer if there’s a way, and I’ll do some digging of my own.”
I had something that might help, tucked deep into my spelling cabinet. Although I hadn’t collected artifacts in a long time, I still had an embarrassing amount stashed. “But if you decide you think you want to start trying, please let me know.”
Clara gave me a long look. “I don’t want to be hopeful, Violet.”
She didn’t sound angry, more defeated.
“And I don’t want to give you false hope. But you’ve done many things I’ve never seen or heard of another vampire doing. You’re their queen. Maybe it isn’t too far-fetched to conceive a child. You seemed adamant before that you could.” I wondered why she was backtracking a little now.
She blew out a breath and glanced at Dave. “It’s up to you. We are unmarried and unmated. There are issues between our people.”
The issues being both of their people were doing their damnedest to assassinate them.
“Do you think if I got pregnant your beast would…”
Dave’s smile lit up his entire face. “I don’t give a damn if it would or wouldn’t. I’m here. With you. Forever, Clara. Child or no. But if you’re asking if I want a child, one with you, I couldn’t think of any greater gift.”
Tears pooled in the vampire’s eyes. I wiggled my way out of her grip to give them some privacy. “On that note, I’m heading to bed.”
They gave me a lazy wave and attacked each other’s faces.
Snorting, I ambled off to bed, face planting into my pillow and falling asleep within seconds.
chapter
twelve
I tried never to sneak around, but Clara said she didn’t want false hope, and I didn’t want to give her any, but from how last night ended, I suspected Clara and Dave had gone to pound town with all valves malfunctioning.
Deep in the spelling cabinet, buried under talismans, statuettes, small bundles of rare herbs, and other weird shit I’d collected over the years lay a small stone idol of a headless woman with short, squat legs and enormous breasts.
It was the true Venus fertility idol. They sold thousands of these a year in tourist traps, but I’d secured the real one with a bit of trickery and skilled sleight of hand.
Gloved hand, that was. I’d be an idiot to touch the thing with a bare hand, especially with the Dragon Emperor breathing down my neck. I bet that guy would baby trap me in a heartbeat if he could.
Even being around it made me nervous. Which is why it had spent the last several hundred years buried under a metric ton of spells to keep its influence from seeping out into the house where I used to store it and now the bar.
Getting it home the day I stole it was wild enough. Three times I almost stopped and begged someone to take me against a wall. And this was after securing it the best way I knew how.
I was right to have a healthy fear of the thing because I knew it worked.
And maybe it would do the same for my best friend.
However, I was not so terrible as to hide it in her room without being 100 percent sure she wanted a baby.
Clara sat on the barstool a couple of hours before closing time, stirring an overly sweet Cosmo and staring up at the mostly dull fairy lights. Keelie hadn’t been quite the same since we rescued her, so I sent the other fairies home, added a lock to her door above the bar, and gave her the only key. I added mundane fairy lights in multiple colors, but it would never have the same effect as a dozen true fairies matching the bar’s mood.
It was busy but relatively calm tonight. “Gary kept the mood stable with bluesy country and old classics, and no one had ordered anything off the special menu.
I passed her another Cosmo and plunked down onto the seat beside her. Leaning my head against her shoulder, I waited for a moment, seeing if she welcomed me in her space.
When she lay her head against mine, I pounced. “I meant what I said last night.”
“I know you did. Doesn’t it seem far-fetched though? The Sea King and The Vamp Queen having a child? Like how would that work? Would we end up with a bloodsucking walking octopus?”
“If you did, you’d love it just like you would if it ended up being a Vampire/Anchovy hybrid.”
“Gross,” she breathed. “What if I had to keep it in an aquarium?”
“What if it could only eat sushi?”
Clara shuddered. “What if it could only drink fish blood and I had to descale it every full moon?”
I snickered. “What if it were a mermaid who could only drink vampire blood?”
“That would be so cool,” she said. “I always wanted to be a mermaid.”
“But what if it were an amazing mix of you and Dave? Totally badass. A bizarre number of retractable arms, could live on land or in the sea, with dark hair like yours, and Dave’s ruthless sense of honor and your sense of fashion?”
“Thank the gods it doesn’t dress like Dave.” She sighed. “A pipe dream, I’d imagine. How could it be possible for us to bring a baby into the world?”
“Anything is possible.” I sat up and peered over at her. “Can I ask you a serious question?”
She snorted. “Best get to it. Many more of these and I won’t take anything serious for at least the next two hours.”
I grinned. “That’s because I’ve been giving you the boosted ones.”
She blinked and glanced down at her drink. “That’s why I feel so fucked up!” Clara gave me a bright grin. “Thanks, BFF!”
“Anytime.”
She waved her straw at me. “What’s the question?”
“Do you want a baby?”
Clara blinked. Her brow furrowed. “Oh. That’s kind of mean, Violet.”
I reached for her. “No. No, Clara. I’m serious. I know we just brought it up last night, but I know how you feel about Dave. And I know how he feels about you. My question isn’t necessarily about him. It’s for you. If you had the chance to have a baby, would you take it?”
She stared at me with those dark, fathomless eyes for a long moment. “Absolutely. With everything I have. Yes, I would.” Clara swallowed hard and glanced down, but not before I saw the tears shimmering in her eyes.
“Even now?”
She huffed a laugh. “Even now, I would.” Clara rested a hand on her slim stomach. “I was a mother once, you know.”
I sucked in a breath. “No. I didn’t know.” Tears swam in my eyes. “Oh, Clara. I’m so sorry.”
“There are downsides to being a vampire. Many of them. One is watching your children die.” Her jaw clenched. “I was ill. Dying, in fact. And my stupid husband at the time thought it a brilliant idea to abandon me. He dumped me on the doorstep of a shaman two villages over and left me to die.”
“Husband of the year,” I muttered.
She scoffed. “Back then, we had no choice about anything.” Clara slid a sly glance my way. “As I’m sure you know since you’re older than fucking dirt.”
I grinned but didn’t tell her my age.
“Anyway, he wasn’t as awful as some men, I suppose, but he had no interest in being a husband or a father. Two children later, I contracted a virus. No idea what it was, but it was strong enough to take me down. Horatio decided he wasn’t a caregiver and dumped his problems two towns over.” Her eyes tightened at the edges. “Except the idiot got the wrong house.”
I blinked. “Not the shaman’s house?”
“Nope.” A harsh laugh escaped her. “The idiot dumped me at the home of the very first vampire who ever walked the earth.”
“No. Fucking. Shit.” I let out a slow breath. “Dracula?”
She sent me a dumbfounded look. “No, you idiot. Ambrogio.”
“Ambrogio?” I repeated.
“Yes. Way older than Dracula.” She snorted. “Dracula. As if.”
“What was he doing living in a village?”
“Pining away for Selene. Once he turned her, Artemis turned her into moon goddess, and she promptly abandoned him for greener pastures.”
My jaw dropped. “Wait. Artemis, Artemis? Like silver bow, stags, and Zeus?”
Her eyebrows rose as she waited for all the pieces to click into place.
“Whoa,” I breathed, seeing Clara in a whole new light. “This is actually great news. Way better than I expected.”
She stared at me. “How so?”
“Because you aren’t a fluke of nature. You’re descended from the first vampire, one created by the gods!”
She shrugged. “Fat lot of good it’s done me. My people want me out.”
“No.” I disagreed vehemently. “Your people want guidance. You’ve been here a ton and left them to their own devices. Maybe it’s time to gather them all up and show them who the real leader is.”
“Not Trevor,” she said with a chuckle. “But I haven’t figured out who the other guy is yet.”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re the freaking original. Show them how powerful you are.” I reached over and gripped her fingers. “Show them what they’re walking away from.”
Clara squeezed back and slung an arm over my shoulders. “You’re alright at this perking people up gig, you know?”
“It’s why I own a bar. If I can’t do it, alcohol can.” I rose and ruffled my fingers through her hair. “I’ll be right back, okay? Keep an eye on Toby?”
She gave me a thumbs-up and went back to her drink.
I hurried up the steps, the statuette tucked into my cardigan pocket, wrapped in a lead-lined pouch so no one could sense it. Dave had business elsewhere this evening, so the apartment was empty. I slipped in and whispered a spell to hide both my scent and my signature. Clara would know I was in her room, otherwise.
Once I locked the door, I crept into her room, slid under her bed, and carefully tucked the statuette into a crevice in the box springs. “Do your thing, Venus,” I whispered, sliding out and brushing dust off my clothing before I crept out, shutting her door behind me.
chapter
thirteen
I hadn’t seen Alistair in two days. Whether he was still in his apartment brooding, I couldn’t say, but the dragon remained scarce wherever he was.
Gary had taken it easy on me this afternoon, keeping the music low and calming. I came in with a raging headache even my magic couldn’t heal. I called Lilith asking about it, and she told me it was normal after gaining all my magic at once, and she was surprised it hadn’t happened sooner.
I took a handful of aspirin, because sometimes the simplest solution worked and swept the bar because I hadn’t done it last night, and I hadn’t scheduled Toby to close.
Mundane tasks helped settle my mind because I had a lot on it. I was just getting ready to wipe down the glasses when my cell rang.
Ellie’s number popped up on the screen.
“Mom?”
“Honey. I need you to come. Right now.” Ellie’s normally cheery voice sounded worried and strained.
“What’s wrong?”
“We have … guests.”
“Are you free to talk?”
“No.”
“Can they hear me?”
“Yes?”
Nothing mundane then. Not human. Paranorms of some kind. A sickening feeling turned in my stomach.
“Valentine’s Day?” I asked.
Her chuckle was short and clipped. “Yup. Bring me two marshmallows and one mixed milk chocolate.”
“Will do. I’ll be right there. Are you okay?”
“For now,” she said cryptically.
I hung up and headed straight to my cabinet.
Three angels had shown up at Ellie’s house when they shouldn’t even know where she lived. Two with white wings, one with brown and white wings.
Lucifer. I sent my urgency down the bond.
What is it?
Three angels showed up at Ellie’s. Two with pure white wings. One with brown and white.
When?
She just called. They’re asking for me.
I’ll come with you.
Come with me but keep hidden. I don’t want them to know I have backup.
I’ll meet you in less than a minute.
I opened the cabinet, pulled out Chires and Callie, and my potion belt which I snapped around my waist.
I might not need it anymore, but it was useful. Relying on my new powers was a risk I didn’t want to take. Not with Ellie and Az.
“Whoooo!” Chires crowed. “It’s good to see you. You leave us alone too much. Callie isn’t much of a conversationalist, so it’s getting awfully lonely!”
I patted my hip. “Sorry. It’s difficult to keep your secrets in a demon bar. I don’t want to worry about losing you. Or worse.” Demons like shiny things. I should know. For a while, I was one of them.
“What’s wrong?” Callie, like always, was short and to the point.
“Angels at Mom’s house.”
Both daggers lay silent for a long moment. Callie didn’t know all of my history, but Chires did.
“How many?” he asked.
“Three.”
“Do you know who they are?”
“Not yet. Lucifer is coming with me.”
“Good. If he can get close enough, he’ll be able to identify them.”
Callie spoke up. “You’ve beat one before.”
“I took him by surprise.” It was before I could utilize all my magic, but I still wasn’t sure I could take one out on my own. Probably, but it would be a battle. But three? I wouldn’t walk away from it.
“You’re different now,” Callie said. “I can tell.”
Chires quivered. “Hey! She’s right! Your magic practically hums against my blade! Cool.”
Smiling, I tucked a few more potions in my belt. “Let’s hope it gets us all out of there in one piece.”
“You don’t know what they want?” Callie asked.
“No. They never show up for anything good, though.” I double-checked my belt, making sure I had a good mix of offensive and defensive potions, tucked the daggers into their sheaths, and ensured the ring I wore still had its signature dampened. I’d created a disguise for it, of a sort. The Seal of Solomon was easily identifiable to those familiar with it, and the angels would be, so I’d created not quite a glamour, but not quite a fake. I’d willed the ring to accept a clever illusion and had muted its signature to emit only a low level of power. Anyone looking for it on my hand would only see a small silver ring with intertwining ivy.
