CHAPTER FOUR
Axel seemed to gain an idea as a small smirk worked across his lips. "Hold that thought just a moment..." His tone had gone to a mischievous, sly and purely sexy tone.
He let go of her long enough to go to the doorway of the other room, mostly to ask his father to watch Sorcha for the night. At which, he got tease from his old man not to be too loud about it before taking his granddaughter. He rolled his eyes but the smirk was back by the time he turned around and came back to Sinsa's side.
Sinsa waited patiently, obliviously curious. Admittedly, the lithe movements he made to and from the door drew her gaze up and down his well-formed figure. 'God' took on new meaning now; she wondered if all gods were as sexy as him.
He gave her a predatory grin as he placed his hands on her waist, slipping his fingers just under the hem of her shirt to tease her skin. His lean hips gently pressing hers into the wall behind her. He leaned in till his lips hovered over her ear. "I'm sure I can take your mind off everything..." She could just hear the smirk in his voice.
"Wha-b-b-b-b!" Finally getting it, she quickly slipped out under his arm and darted over so that the couch was between them. She flushed head to toe, ears and nose turning redder than roses and even her arms darkening with blood pumped by a fluttering heart. "I didn't mean like that, pervert! I'm not that easy, jerk, and you've got a wife!"
Axel rested his hands on the back of the couch as he gave her a slightly annoyed look. "No, I don't: I was married once, but I've been divorced for a little over four years."
Sinsa's mouth opened to reply, but she stopped, considering that.
"Oh."
"Yeah." Sitting on the back of the couch and stretching his arms over top of his head, subconsciously caused his tank-top to ride up and expose a washboard stomach.
She blushed again.
"Would you stop that?" she scolded, facepalming to avoid staring. "I like you, but I'm not going to sleep with you; that's got to be earned."
He gave her an innocent look. "What? I can't stretch?"
She gave him a bland stare, trying to ignore the heat pulsing up and down every nerve in her body. A moment later, she raised a finger.
"We're moving on," she said in a tone that brokered no arguments. Turning, she glanced around for her purse. "What's your favorite restaurant? Preferably an affordable one; dinner's on me-where the hell did I put my purse?"
He gave a soft whistle to attract her attention; she now saw the bag hanging by two fingers out to her. "You kind of threw it when you marched out like a pre-teen." He gave a sly smile as he watched her ears turn red. "And I'm easy. Sanctuary is really the only place I go to here in New Orleans."
"Well, that's good," she said, trying to remain calm as she took it. At least, outwardly. "Sanctuary is pretty good. So-" A ping from her purse cut her off. "Hm?" She dug her phone out and promptly almost dropped it. Four missed calls, three voicemails, and half a dozen texts, all from the lady who was supposed to interview her.
"Shit!" Sinsa groaned, drooping. "My interview!"
His head tilted slightly to one side. "What job were you applying for and what place? I might know them and can give them a reasonable excuse as to why you couldn't make it." At her questioning look, he shrugged. "Like you found one of your friends wounded and admitted them to the hospital, but they didn't make it. It's not completely lying but it bends the truth enough that it's believable."
"Yeah, not happening," she scoffed. Sighing, she clicked through the messages, deleting them after the last one said someone else was in line for the same position and they'd have to bump her off the list.
"It's probably a good thing," she said, tucking her phone back into her purse. "I wasn't sure I wanted..." She stopped, blinking. "Hold on; you might know them?"
He gave her a look. "Eleven-thousand-year-old god over here. I do have human friends. And yes, a handful do know what I am. But most of the ones that know work for Dark Hunters in the area."
"Dark-Hunters ar-? No, never mind," she said, putting up a hand. "I'm overloaded enough as it is." Taking a deep breath, she let it out between her teeth. "Can you get us to Sanctuary without crashing?" Oh great, did her voice seriously just squeak?
"If you're up for it, I know an easier way." He held his hand out to her.
She hesitated, drawing her hand up to her chest uneasily. Her gaze skipped from his welcoming hand to his gentle eyes.
"Er... It's not gonna, like, make me sick or anything... is it?"
He shook his head as he made a pair of sunglasses appear in his other hand before putting them on. He may have gotten used to her seeing his eyes, but he still wasn't going to go out in public with everyone able to see them.
"Ok, I'm trusting you," she said, sliding her hand into his and closing her eyes tightly. "Please don't be lying..."
He smiled and flashed them to Sanctuary, to a spare bedroom on the second floor set aside for anyone coming in by other means than their own two feet. He squeezed her hand. "You can open your eyes now."
"...Different," she hummed, glancing around. "Your dad's was more like... fluid. Yours was just a... a... displacement, I guess?" Shaking her head, she moved for the door. "Whatever; it didn't make me sick, so we're all good."
Just as she opened the door, three bear cubs shot past, yowling in a way that sounded suspiciously like laughter.
"Get back here, you little brats!" a woman shrieked, but there was no venom in her words, only playful annoyance. "I'm gonna...!" The person attached to the voice stopped short when she caught sight of Sinsa, blue eyes widening in surprise. Sinsa was immediately jealous; the woman had long blonde hair and perfect porcelain skin, the kind she knew she could never have.
"You're not...!" the woman began, looking like she was about to sound the alarm, or attack, or both.
"It's alright, Aimee," Axel said, stepping out behind Sinsa. "She's with me." Aimee's gaze flicked to him, irritated.
You of all people should know better than to bring humans here, Dark-Hunter! she sent to him mentally. Sinsa sensed a silent argument and wisely kept her mouth shut.
Now he looked slightly irritated. You're one to talk. This IS a bar and a Sanctuary Aimee. Besides, she already knows. He let out a sigh.
"Front door next time," was all he said before he turned away from the Were and gently pressed his hand against Sinsa's back to lead her down the hall and around the corner before going downstairs. Once they had reached the bar area, Axel rolled his eyes at the song playing since Aimee obviously told whoever was at the door.
"Who the hell's idea was it to choose that song?" he quietly asked no one in particular.
"Yo, Ax!"
The Altantean/Greek god looked up to see a man with brown hair and bright blue eyes waving him over from the bar. He chuckled and lead Sinsa over. "Hey, Nicky. Long time no see."
The Cujan rolled his eyes. "Speak for yourself, old man." He smirked when Axel flipped him off.
"I'm not that old yet."
"I beg to differ..." Sinsa muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes. Before either man could comment, she moved on. "Ah, Nick Gautier, right? I've heard a lot about you, from a lot of people, and not all of it good." She smiled sweetly. "How much should I believe?"
"Depends on the person." He shrugged. "Course of its this one..." he hooked a thumb to Axel "...or his old man, chances are most of its true."
"Really?" Sinsa gave him as flattering a look as she could. "I guess that means I should be watching my back, then?" Her smile turned utterly innocent. "I mean, we can't take a chance on you grabbing my ass or anything, now can we?"
At this both, men laughed.
"I don't think you'll need to worry 'bout that honey." A new voice spoke up. When Sinsa turned to see who spoke, she immediately felt envious again.
The woman was about twenty one and stood five foot nine and had a gorgeous athletic build and black/dark brown hair with natural red brown highlights. Her skin was pale almost like snow, but her eyes were a vibrant shade of lavender. Like Axel and Acheron, she seemed to fully support the goth movement.
Maybe it was just envy of the woman's skin, but Sinsa's proverbial fur bristled. Probably it was the possible, if unintentional, slight toward her figure.
"Is that so?" she chuckled, hoping the icy note wasn't noticeable. "And why's that?"
She grinned. "Cause he's my boyfriend."
Axel raised a brow at Nick. "So you finally asked her out?" His tone had gone to a playful tease which caused the Cajun to blush.
"Oh shut up."
Emily chuckled and kissed his cheek. "And his momma raised him right, so you don't have to worry about it."
Sinsa immediately relaxed and her smile turned warm again. A case could be made that she actually liked the woman.
"Thank the saints for small blessings," she said, and then held out her hand. "I don't believe we've met; Maxima Sinsabaugh. Call me Sinsa."
Emily grinned and shook her hand. "Emily Potter-Snape. Yeah, I know I got the Harry Potter names." It was noticeable that she had a slight British accent. "My mum went a little nuts with naming me."
"Oh please tell me your mother's obsession didn't put you off the Harry Potter books!" Sinsa exclaimed, excited. All jealousy and ice vanished under the force of a possible common ground on her favourite series. "I am absolutely in love with them!"
She laughed. "Nah! I will say my favorite characters are Severus Snape, the Weasley twins, their older brother Charlie and Lily Potter!" She grinned. "As the wife of a Marauder, you would think she'd have to be a least a little mischievous to get back at the boys. And ironically my mum's name is Lily."
"Seriously?" she beamed. "I envy you!"
A deep, sarcastic sigh from Nick cut into the conversation, and Axel, through some inexplicable male intuition, picked up his thought.
"Should we leave you ladies alone?" he asked, only to have the last word muffled by Sinsa's fingertips and sharp "Shh!"
"Never interrupt Potter fans, Axel," she tsked. "Just... Bad idea. Especially if they're both women."
Emily gave her friend a sly smile. "Oh, he knows better Sinsa, especially after I kicked his ass the last time." Her grin widened at the god's blush. She looked to her Potter fan-mate and winked. "Yeah, I kicked an eleven-thousand-year-old god's ass."
Sinsa's laughter rang high and clear, much higher than one would expect given her 2nd-alto-ranged voice.
"I officially love you!" she giggled, throwing her arms around the woman's neck and kissing her cheek. Then she glanced over at Axel, who looked like he was trying to decide whether showing his embarrassed annoyance would be worth the possibility of injury. A mischievous gleam sparked in her eyes and she slipped around behind Emily, putting the woman between her and god in question. "If he comes on to me again, would you mind kicking it again for me?"
Emily laughed. "Sorry, but I'm taken. And I'm not interested in a threesome," she joked. Then she grinned again. "I got a better idea; me, you and Simi all team up and drive him nuts."
Nick smirked as he looked at his friend. "You are so screwed."
"Shut up."
Sinsa lit up, ideas already forming. A flash of midnight blue on copper caught her attention and she glanced over automatically, expecting a mirror. What she saw, or thought she saw, stunned her into speechlessness. With a choked gasp, she stumbled into the bar, eyes widening in shock.
"Sinsa?"
She didn't know who said it, but a flicked glance told her all three of her companions were worried. She ignored them. Shoving off from the bar, she shouldered her way between the patrons, muttering apologies and following the tail end of a tan leather trench coat that vanished out the front door.
God, please don't let my eyes be playing tricks on me! she pleaded as she slammed through the door and tripped, tumbling down to the sidewalk and scraping her knees and palms. The injuries throbbed, but she blocked out everything as she jumped to her feet and cast around frantically for the person who couldn't possibly have been there. Tears choked her; there was no sign of the one she couldn't have seen, the sister who'd never woken up.
"Gemina!" she sobbed.
Axel, worried that something might happen, followed her out. He leaned down by her, gently brushing her hair from her face. "Sinsa..." His voice trailed off into a soft whisper.
Emily turned curious eyes to her boyfriend. "That was odd."
"As a witch and a Chthonian, that's something coming from you." Nick remarked as she sat on the barstool where Axel had been previously.
The lavender eyed girl let out a sigh through her nose. "I know. But I can't help but get an odd feeling from the two of them..."
"The hell was that?" Dev Peltier, on duty at the door today, growled as Sinsa leaned against Axel's arm.
"Not sure yet," Axel rumbled, frowning.
"So long as whatever insanity she's suffering isn't contagious," the bouncer huffed, glancing around for any troublemakers that might try to take this opportunity to slip into Sanctuary.
"She's not dead!" Sinsa rasped, cutting off whatever reply Axel had been about to make. She gripped his arm tightly, trembling. "I saw her; I know I did! It was her; Gemina!" A harsh sob jerked from her throat. "But how...?"
Axel sighed and brought her against him, running his hand through her hair as he tried to help her calm down.
"Hey, Ax," Dev said gruffly, "you mind moving your little pity party somewhere else?" He kept his gaze on passersby, but it almost seemed like he wanted to give them privacy. "You're scaring away customers..."
Axel rolled his eyes, but gave a soft smile. "Yeah, yeah, I'll take my scary ass somewhere else." He scooped her up into his arms and started to walk away from Sactuary's entrance.
S-stop!" Sinsa protested, squirming. "I-I can walk f-fine on my own..." She was terribly shaken; even her attempt at her usual sarcasm was forced and weak.
But what she'd seen... After having no other choice but to accept the reality of gods and creatures from myths and legends, she'd thought maybe―just maybe―it hadn't been just a hallucination.
Gemina Daughtry Sinsabaugh had supposedly died while in a collision-induced coma, but Sinsa had never seen her sister's body after visiting her that last time in the hospital. Could Gem have been in some sort of trouble or something, and had to disappear? Had to make everyone think she was dead? Was it gang-related or worse, and any contact with her past life would put others in danger? Sinsa almost wanted that to be true; the alternative was that Gemina... had abandoned her family on purpose.
Axel snorted at her comment. "Not at the moment you can't."
"But...!" Sighing, she yielded. He was probably right anyway; she'd likely fall on her face if she tried to walk right now. At this point, she didn't even care where they were going. She laid her head on his shoulder, pushing all thoughts of Gemina aside for a moment; she needed time to calm down and relax before she opened that can of worms. "...I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Being such a nuisance," she whispered. "I must be cursed to ruin everything I touch..."
He let out a sigh. "No, you're not." When she opened her mouth to protest he went on. "If you continue to think like that, that feeling will become worse and worse until it consumes you. Take it from someone with personal experience."
"Personal experience," she echoed bitterly. "You're a god in a family of gods and immortals; how could you ever understand me? If something goes wrong for you, you can fix it with the snap of your fingers."
He gave her a withering glare. "Try ten thousand years of being alone and the only contact you ever receive is from people who beat you, use you, then toss you away like trash." He grit his teeth to fight off the old memories of his past, something he never been yet able to share with anyone. Athena, his best friend and ex-wife, didn't even know the whole story to the past he'd rather forget.
Sinsa winced, hugging herself tightly.
"Sorry..." she muttered, ashamed. How many stories had she read of immortals who'd begged for death simply to end the loneliness? How many more accounts had she heard from elders whose memories were riddled with more sorrow and anguish than joy? She should've known someone like Axel would have more skeletons in his closet just for his toddler years than she had for her entire life.
"You're right," she whispered. "The Fates are bitches..."
He made a noise of agreement. "Being related to them don't make it any better either."
"Ooohh, I don't envy you," she grimaced.
For a moment, they fell into companionable silence. Then Sinsa noticed the St. Louis Cathedral; she had a sudden thought and quickly squirmed out of Axel's arms.
"Wha...?"
"Come with me," she cut in, grabbing his hand and pulling him after her toward the cathedral. At the entrance, she slowed to a respectful walk, and once inside, she dipped her fingers into the holy water font, crossing herself in the purifying ritual before moving to the nearest pew and sliding into it. Bowing her head with clasped hands, she quickly prayed to the saints, more from habit and honoring tradition than need.
Axel himself let out a low sigh and silently slid into the pew next to her, already knowing the God of the religion wouldn't mind if he was there.
When she finished, Sinsa sat quietly, basking in the peace she'd always felt within the walls of cathedrals.
"...When I was a little girl," she said finally, keeping her voice only just above a whisper, so as not to disturb the quiet, "my parents told me a story. How they fell in love in the middle of a warzone and came to the States to get married and have their child, a baby boy. Before they could move back to Africa, my mother discovered she was already pregnant again, and soon after, my big sister was born. Gemina Daughtry. She was the best of my parents; Mom's emerald eyes, Dad's midnight hair, and a perfect mix of her chocolate skin and his bronze skin."
She smiled at the memory, lacing her fingers together and absently twisting the ring on her right index finger.
"Mom said Saint Rose had blessed her with a precious stone worth more than any diamond, so she named the child Gemina. Within a year, another little girl came into the world, an exact replica of Gemina. Dad joked that it was a deja vu birth, and he said that being blessed twice with such beautiful children was more wonderful than he could ever imagine. He named me Maxima, his greatest joy."
Her smile faltered, thoughts flashing to her father's funeral. The dark sky threatening to rain, the bloody colour of the roses, the gaping hole in the earth like a maw waiting to devour his body. Swallowing, she pushed the memory aside.
"Gemina and I," she continued, softer now, "grew up like Siamese twins; wherever one went, the other was sure to follow. She was the only one who followed Dad's example and called me 'little Sin.' We shared everything, food, clothes, secrets; we might as well have been one person." Taking a deep, shaky breath, she prepared to tell someone the story, for the first time; in the past, people had just known, told by gossipers, or alerted by media, and they always expressed their condolences without really caring, without really understanding, and without hearing it from her.
"...I was eighteen," she whispered, "going on nineteen. Gem had left for college less than a year before, and I was still waiting for my acceptance letter. A letter from the college I wanted to go to came two days before my birthday; I was so excited, so anxious, worried it was a rejection, but hoping it was an congratulations. I called Gem and she said she was already on her way back to spend a day or two with me for my birthday. She told me her plane had just landed and she was at the rental place to pick up a car, that it wouldn't be more than an hour or two." Swallowing the growing lump in her throat, she swiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "She said, 'I'll see you soon, Sin, love you,' and hung up. That... That was the last thing she ever said to me..." Sinsa pulled the ring from her finger and clenched her fist tight around it. "The cops said some idiot had been drinking, and tried to run a red light. A semi passing the other way braked and swerved to avoid him, and Gem... Gem collided with the back of the semi, ripping the entire passenger side to shreds and crushing the driver's side around her." A sob wrenched from her throat, but she took a breath, calming herself, and continued. "It took a full hour to get her out, and they rushed her to the hospital. They stabilized her, but she was in a coma, and she... For a month, we hoped, prayed, begged her to come back. She never did."
Lifting her gaze, she looked at Axel, trying to meet his gaze through the sunglasses.
"I killed her, Axel. If it hadn't been for me, she would still be alive."