AN: Okay, a word of warning: Word was acting like a complete spaz while I was doing edits and kept shutting down before I could save it. I'm pretty sure I fixed everything I wanted to fix and that there's at least no hanging sentences. But if I'm wrong, just shoot me a review or e-mail and I'll fix it.
Now that's out of the way, please read and if you read please review.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
"What?" I asked. That just sounded bad. What would happen if the veil completely collapsed? I mean I know Damascus was pure evil and probably lies his ass off every day, but there was something that made me believe him. Maybe because this is the type of thing that people don't lie about easily.
"Didn't your father ever educate you on your heritage?" He asked.
"Are you stupid or are you just asking for me to sass you?" I snapped.
Naturally he slapped me again. I blinked rapidly hoping to ease my dizziness.
"Even the human's history has some mention of our time spent here in the mortal realm." He said. "We came here hoping to better educate the mortals on their magic."
Sure. He seems like the teacher type. Not
"But mortals have always feared us. Eventually their fear grew so great they created a veil that prevented us from traveling between the realms." Damascus said.
"Then what's the key?" I asked.
"The energy that four humans and five vampyres used to create the veil." Damascus said. "Our legends say a crystal or some kind of stone was created afterwards. It allows the bearer to open gateways between the two realms and some legends say it can open a gateway to any realm."
"Why do you need the key if the veil is just collapsing on its own?" I asked.
"If the veil collapses it will cause massive chaos in our realm and this one as well." He said in an almost bored tone. "The key will have the power to repair the holes and rips in the veil. That is why you should help us find the key. If not, something could irreparably damage this world."
"Guilt tripping me won't work." I said. "I think that the key is the safest out of your hands." I tried to twist out of Dominic's hands, but he held me tightly.
"You don't seem to understand the seriousness of this situation." He said slowly. He stepped towards me. I tried to back up, but Dominic was a statue. Damascus was so close his chest brushed against my breasts, and I'm barely a B-cup. My body started trembling and I hoped Dominic was the only one who knew.
"Portals will randomly open and close. Humans and mortals beasts will find themselves in the Immortal realm and immortal beasts and monsters will find their way into this realm."
I felt chilled to the bone. My mind conjured up monsters with sharp teeth that were just ready to rip into some innocent human being's flesh or even swallow them whole.
"The only way to stop this is to find the key and use its powers to repair the veil."
"And you're just a concerned citizen wanting to keep his nosey neighbors safe."
He smacked me again. I should probably tone down the sass before I start losing teeth. I wondered he just favored his right hand and that's why he kept hitting my left cheek or if he was trying to break my cheekbones or knock out teeth.
"Your insolence is going to get you in trouble little one." He said with his blue eyes darkening. "We are alone and no one will hear you screaming."
I glared at him hoping my fear wasn't showing through. I had a feeling he would hurt me just to get to Kalona and me sassing him probably wasn't helping at all.
His eyes softened really fast. I wonder if he suffers from mood swings. He reached out and stroked the cheek he had been striking.
"But then I would have an unhappy heir." He glanced over my head and I could see an evil smirk. Good/seducing mood swing done. "You would be very upset if I harmed your little Raven wouldn't you?"
I had no idea what face Dominic put on. But his hands did curl tighter around my arms.
"Why should I help you find this key?" I asked. "You're just going to kill me or worse even if I do help you find it."
He looked at me and I suddenly wished I kept my mouth shut.
"When the sprite told me the only daughter of Kalona had returned to the living realms, naturally I wanted to find out more about you. But when I visited your home you were nowhere to be found."
A lump appeared in my throat.
"I went up to your room though and took things that had your scent so you could be tracked."
No. No. No. No. No. No.
"Unfortunately your parents woke-up and tried to stop me." He gave me an amused smile like it was laughable that two humans could stop him. He looked at me with a cruel expression in his eyes. "I suppose you say what happened."
"You killed my parents?" I asked in a small voice. I had expected Neferet, Kalona, or a Raven Mocker to be the murderer. I had mentally prepared myself for it to be one of them. Not this asshole.
Did Dominic know? Did he know that his master had killed my parents? I began feeling heartsick. I mean, I literally felt sick and I could hear my heart cracking even more.
Did Dominic help him carry out the deed?
Damascus nodded and then clamped a hand around my neck. "You better pass this warning: I always get what I want. I will not hesitate to destroy anyone who gets in my way or destroy everyone they love."
I looked straight into his eyes. He wasn't bluffing at all.
"Why me?" I asked. My voice was rough because I was still trying hard not to cry.
He smiled like he had been waiting for me to ask this question. "You are the mediator. You are in tune with both the immortal realm and the mortal realm in way no other non-divine being can be. Subconsciously you know where the key is."
I'm going to write a list of things I hate about my job. This is going to top it. Did the Fae know by marking me as the mediator that this would happen? They do realize I'm a child right? How could I stand up against this immortal?
He tucked my hair behind my ears in a fatherly gesture. "I understand this must be very overwhelming for you. I'll give you a month before I come for your decision."
A month? A month to decide if I should or should not give this asswipe the most powerful weapon ever with the lives of my friends and my family hanging in the balance? Anger churned in my stomach and threatened to boil over my blood.
"Come Dominic. We should pay this young half-breed's father a visit."
I hoped Kalona unleashed a can of whoop-ass on him.
Dominic said a word I didn't understand softly and Damascus paused. He stared at Dominic in a trance like state. I wondered if they were communicating via telepathy and that made me wonder if I had that look when I talked to my beasts.
"Very well. Be quick." Damascus said before taking off into the sky.
My legs turned to jelly. I was visibly shaking and for a second I was grateful for Dominic's strong arms. Then he spoke.
"Ray."
It was gentle and pleading and made me pissed.
"Let go of me." I hissed. I writhed in his grip. "Let go!" I snarled like I was a beast. I think I even lashed out at him with my fingers curled into claws.
I wrenched myself free and stood in front of him ready to fight. He looked at me with a sad and tortured expression.
"Raven." He said his voice rough with emotion. "I never meant for this to happen."
His shoulders were rounded and even his wings hung a bit limpy. My heart swelled with pity and the cracks festered and burned.
"But it did." I said in a low voice. Tears burned in my eyes. "You knew. You knew Damascus and that he was going to hurt me."
He locked eyes with me. His purple eyes looked severely tormented. But it had to be a ruse. He had to have known this would happen.
"Did you really think for one second that you could keep this a secret from me or even from Damascus?" I asked. Tears started running tracks down my cheeks. This just made me want to cry even more because I've done the one thing I didn't want to do in front of him.
"I didn't care." He said. He stepped towards me, but I backed up. My body was tense and I was ready to spring or bolt. His hands fell to his sides, defeated. "I was so happy being with you on that island. I didn't want that to end."
"So you were willing to keep on lying to me for your happiness?" I accused. I felt used. Worse than used actually.
"I wanted to tell you." He said. "But Damascus forbad me to reveal myself to anyone."
I didn't know what to say. I was done confronting him. I just wanted to go back to my room, curl up under my blankets and cry.
Dominic walked over and clasped my hands in his.
"I can't begin to express in words how sorry I am that I've hurt you." He touched my cheek and wiped the tears away with his thumb. My lips started trembling.
He pulled me into his arms and wrapped his wings around me.
"I'm sorry." He murmured in my ear. "I'm so, so sorry. I'll do anything to win your forgiveness."
My fingers automatically curled into his shirt. I wanted to forget this morning so badly. I wanted to go back to when we first met when I was just a stupid half-breed stuck in the body of a panther.
But I didn't have the powers of time travel, at least I don't think I do, so we were both stuck in this big huge mess that had become my life.
"Let me go, Dominic." I twisted away and he easily let me go. I couldn't look at him. I knew I was going to fall apart. "I've got to go."
I turned away from him and began walking in the opposite direction.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
I felt drunk. The ground was warped and I had no idea where my feet where taking me. Once I was out of Dominic's sight I called up darkness and light to shield me from prying human eyes. Like I needed the mass populous freaking out because some girl with angel wings was walking around.
"Just get home. Just get home." I thought.
I think was almost there when I gave-up. I darted down an alley. I found a rather clean spot and pressed my back against the wall. I slid slowly down and hugged my knees to my chest. My body shook and I just cried my little heart out.
My life just sucked right now. I wanted to march up to some poor soul who was homeless and had cancer and dare them to give me a worse situation than mine.
If I helped Damascus find the key the world was screwed, but if I didn't then he would slowly kill off everyone I love until I finally helped him anyway and the world was still screwed.
So, sorry world I think no matter what I decide you are screwed.
I heard a small movement. I looked up and saw something hiding under a dumpster. Reflective blue eyes gazed out at me. The shadow was rather cat looking.
I hope it was a kitten. I needed some kitty cat love.
"Hey." I said softly. I wiped my face and hoped my blotchy face didn't scare it away. "Come 'ere." I offered my hand for it to sniff. It slid back. "Come on." I said in an even softer tone. "I'm not going to hurt you. Come on. Kitty kitty kitty kit-"
It wasn't a cat.
It was a baby dragon.
It sniffed my hand and I was too stunned to flinch at its hot breath.
This. Was. A. Baby. Dragon.
The light reflected off its silver scales and the two silver horns curving out of the back of its head. Two bat like wings stuck out of its spine and it had small curved silver talons. It was about the size of an adult cat.
Baby. Dragon.
It gave me a small coo. Its big wide sky blue eyes gazed up at me with a hopeful expression.
"Well come here." I said finally finding my voice.
It didn't waste any time crawling into my lap. Its small talons curled into my jeans and it was trembling. It made small worried noises as it buried its nose into my navel.
"How did you get here?" I asked.
A slideshow of images danced across my mind. I saw a fiery red and gold dragon fighting off two larger dragons who were trying to get to a litter of little baby dragons. This little stinker was among them.
Mama dragon roared and the babies took off. It had gotten separated from its littermates and had stumbled through a rip in the air.
It showed me pictures of cars and trucks bearing down on it and an image of it cowering with its paws over its head to help block out all the noise.
Damascus was right. The veil was collapsing. If this wasn't proof I don't what was.
"Come on." I stood up and cradled it against my breasts. It clung to my shirt and buried its head in my elbow. "Let's go home."
I marched down the alley, no longer depressed drunk.
"What's your name?" I asked. It peered up at me with those really big blue eyes. "I'm Raven."
It placed an image of a black bird in my mind with a questioning emotion to join it.
I nodded. "Raven."
It gave me an image of its silver scales.
"Silver?"
Then a picture of a cloud.
"Silvercloud?"
It shook its head. It put a fuzzy image in my mind that I couldn't decipher.
"Um, Silverstorm?"
It warbled at me. It gave me the cloud and the fuzzy image together.
"Silverdream?"
It nodded and snuggled against me again.
"Silverdream." It sounded female. "Are you female?"
It nodded against my chest.
"Do you mind if I call you Skye for short?" I asked. I couldn't get the blueness of its eyes out of my head and Silverdream was a bit a mouth full.
She purred or hummed or vibrated. Her chest vibrating and the feelings she emitted where happy. I'm not sure what the technical name for dragon happy noises are so I'm just going to refer to it as purring.
"All right. Come on Skye." I said.
She purred as I walked back towards the depot.
This was the first time an animal had communicated with me with just emotions and images. I wondered if it was her age or because she was an immortal beast. I would have to ask Snap if she knew.
I peered around the little yard in front of the depot to make sure there wasn't something nasty waiting for me, like that hellhound thing. I spread my wings and soared up to my bedroom.
Snap was sitting on my bed waiting for me.
"Where have you-" She stopped mid-thought when she saw Skye. Skye peered at Snap. I hoped she didn't think that Snap looked yummy.
"Skye. Snap. Snap. Skye." I said putting Skye down on my bed.
She sniffed Snap. She put the images of black and the green of Snap's eyes in my mind. But she didn't have a clear picture for Snap's name.
"Raven, this is a hatchling."
"Yeah, I know." I shucked off my jeans and yanked my boxers back on.
"Do you realize how much care she'll need? She needs much more attention than any mortal infant."
"What was supposed to do? Leave her?" I asked. I slid under my covers. Skye stomped over and curled up next to me. "Who else can take care of her properly?"
Snap's tail thumped. "What happened to her mother?"
"I think she was attacked." I said. "At least that's what Skye showed me."
"Skye."
"Yeah. Her full name is Silverdream, but she says its fine for me to call her Skye for short."
"Raven. Nursing mothers are very protective of their young. Especially dragons. Remember the stories of irate dragons? Most of those where told by those who've seen a mother dragon coming after someone who took her baby."
"So, you're afraid that her mom is going to come and eat me?" I asked.
"You don't explain anything to protective dragon."
"Well what am I supposed to do? I'm probably the best qualified to take care of her. Anyone else would sell her or kill her."
Skye snuggled closer to me. I stroked her back. Her scales were smooth and leathery. She purred.
Snap sighed. "I don't like it. But it's not like you or the hatchling have much choice." She padded over and curled up on my extra pillow.
I curled around my pillow with Skye snuggled up against my breasts. I blinked slowly and fell instantly into sleep.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
"Where am I?" I asked the air.
I was somewhere in some trees. The moonstone was thrumming against my chest and I had a feeling I was astral projecting.
I sighed. Meditation was starting to sound like a good thing if I can get this power under control. I did just have a really long day and I just wanted to sleep like a rock.
I walked around. It was late afternoon. I feel like I hadn't been asleep for very long. Well, hopefully I still could some coma like sleep into my sleeping cycle.
"What are you doing here Damascus?"
Shit. I knew that voice. I jogged over and found a break in the trees. Kalona was there with my other brothers. On the other side was Damascus and Dominic. I walked over and stood next to Kalona. I know that no one could see me and I'm pretty sure they couldn't hurt me as well, but I felt safer next to Kalona.
My brothers shifted around me, hissing and chattering like, well, birds.
Damascus shrugged. "Just checking up on you. Banishment can be tolling on an immortal. Especially a Divine's Warrior."
I thought I saw Kalona's fists clench and then unclench really fast.
"But at least you have your children." Damascus gazed at the Raven Mockers. I couldn't tell, but I think he was actually a bit pleased. O-kay. Then he said, "Where's your pretty little daughter?" in a creepy ass tone that had the small hairs on my body standing straight up.
My brothers bristled up and snarled at Damascus. Um, okay. I didn't realize that I was something worth defending on their terms. Some of them looked ready to launch themselves at Damascus. Even Kalona looked pissed. Not that I blame him with Damascus using that creeper pedophile voice.
"Not here." Kalona said. "Why?"
He shrugged. "I've taken many sons from their fathers, but nothing hurts them worse than harming their precious baby girl. She is the youngest isn't she?"
I saw Kalona's jaw clench. He looked ready to throttle Damascus.
"I suppose it's actually a good thing she was killed in her first life. I'm sure some Cherokee warrior would have thought it would have been poetic justice to harm your daughter the way you harmed all those maidens."
"What is your reason being here?" Kalona asked in a sharp tone.
As far as I could tell he was just here to piss Kalona off.
"I'm just curious about how much you care for your baby girl." He said. His blue eyes gleamed with malice.
Damascus was going to use me to hurt Kalona. Period.
"Perhaps I underestimated your love for her. After all, she isn't here under the protection of her father and brothers." He said.
Honestly! Did this guy just go around and push people's buttons? I mean I could see a vein in Kalona's neck throbbing and the Raven Mocker's eyes were glaring pissed off red. I'm not sure if Kalona was pissed because he is worried about me and Damascus was pointing out how vulnerable I was or if he was upset that Damascus was just pointing out how Kalona's parental authority has no effect on me.
"We both know those fledglings she's with won't stop me if I chose to take her." Damascus said.
I stepped closer towards Kalona. He was my daddy, despite how much we both deny it, and I wanted my father's protection.
"Surely just taking revenge on me isn't enough for you to make an effort to retrieve her." Kalona asked.
Damascus shot Kalona a look that stopped my heart. Yes. Yes, revenge was enough for him to come and get me.
"She's the mediator."
Kalona's head snapped up. O-kay. Was there something I'm missing about my job?
"She knows where the Key of Portals is, even though it's subconsciously."
"If you attempt to rage war on the mortal realm, the Divine will step in and destroy you." Kalona said.
"Isn't that what you want?" Damascus asked. "I thought you wanted to enslave this world's people? Destroy the chaff, preserve the wheat?"
Kalona gave him a look of pure loathing.
"We're on the same side Kalona." Damascus said. "Things would go so much smoother and easier for the both of us if we join efforts."
His tone was so pleading that I wondered if Kalona would join him. After all, Kalona doesn't seem to be getting anywhere with the whole world take over thing.
"I suggest you leave before I make you." Kalona said.
Damascus glared at Kalona. "Very well." He said in a clip tone. He shot an angry look at Dominic before he threw himself into the sky.
"You were the vampyre with my daughter." Kalona said as Dominic was spreading his wings to join his master.
Dominic paused and looked at Kalona.
"I never meant to hurt her."
I closed my eyes. Not again.
"She's remarkably kind and incredibly sweet." Dominic said. "Don't let Damascus harm her."
"If you care about her-"
"I'm his heir."
I looked at Kalona and saw pity hidden deep on his face. I wondered if there was something I missing about the whole heir business.
"Please, just keep her safe." Dominic pleaded once more before he took off.
I watched him, feeling my heart breaking even more, getting swallowed up into the darkening sky.
Then I felt a needle sharp pain in my hand and my spirit shot back into my body.