Kenzi
"Tamsin. I need you". Kenzi said climbing into Tamsin's truck. The Valkyrie had been asleep.
"Need me for what? Tamsin groaned. She was sure she parked in an abandoned lot and that nobody would find her.
"Bo took off. Dyson's dead. Trick and I want to find Aife". Kenzi said slapping Tamsin on the back to get her to wake up more.
"Dyson's what? And you want to find who? Tamsin said popping straight up in her seat. She knew she was still groggy from sleeping but she was sure she didn't hear Kenzi right.
"Dyson's dead. Bo is the only one that can bring him back so we need to find Aife to convince her to bring him back". Kenzi explained.
Tamsin laughed. It was funny but it wasn't. If Dyson was dead and Bo hadn't revived him yet, she wasn't going to. She had a job to do but it wasn't what Kenzi was asking of her.
"Ok first of all, if the Succubus won't help Dyson, there is nothing I can do but take his body to Valhalla. Second there is no fucking way that I am going out to find Aife. I have one good eye left and I want to keep it". Tamsin groaned touching her sore eye. Lauren had all but blinded her. She needed to find an eye patch because she didn't look pretty at all.
"What is the matter with you and Bo? Dyson is dead and neither of you are lifting a finger to help him! Kenzi screamed.
"Girl I'm just a Valkyrie. Only the King of the Underworld or his child can bring back the dead". Tamsin groaned again. Every time she got emotional the pain in her eye worsened.
"Then go ask this King. I know you know who he is". Kenzi snapped. She couldn't understand why people were so hesitant to help Dyson. He had done a lot for all of them. So why didn't he matter anymore?
"Kenzi you do not get it and maybe it is good that you do not". Tamsin said softly. The young woman didn't understand what Tamsin had done for thousands of years. There was nothing she could do for Dyson whether she cared for him as a friend or not.
It was Kenzi that groaned this time. Tamsin was stalling like Trick and Bo had stalled. She couldn't understand the sudden lack of loyalty to Dyson. Bo had brought him back once already after her Dawning. Why wasn't she bringing him back now?
"Tamsin Dyson found you and brought you to me to watch while he went to look for Bo. The four of us are a family. I am like a mother to you. You mean something to Dyson and to Bo even if she never comes right out and says so. Do this for me and for them". Kenzi pleaded. She knew Dyson was right for Bo the minute he told her he loved Bo. He would always protect Bo til his dying breath and if Bo could bring him back, he would never stay dead.
"Kenzi I appreciate all that you have done for me. But I work for Bo's dad. Dyson being dead was never part of his plan or my orders. My orders were to bring Bo to him. I can't go against that because I would be dead too". Tamsin explained. The Fae really were fairy tales to Kenzi. Nothing really lasted forever. The fact of the matter is only Bo was sure to live forever because she could always heal herself. Dyson being dead was of no importance in the greater scheme of things.
"He's good for Bo. Now that Rainer is dead, Bo needs a protector and Dyson will always be that for her. He was her first choice. The one that didn't die after she slept with him. You didn't see her when she lost him, she was devastated. Bo must be in some sort of devastation none of us recognize or she would have brought him back to life by now". Kenzi said.
"Ummm Kenzi". Tamsin started.
"Do this for me or our friendship is over! Kenzi snapped. She was tired of going back and forth with Tamsin over this. The longer they waited the longer the likelihood Dyson would not be able to come back.
Tamsin shook her head. The softy in her was touched by how much Kenzi took care of her and how much she cared for Dyson. The Valkyrie in her knew she was doomed. Finding Aife would be the same thing as finding death. She remembered when Bo introduced them at Taft's. How Aife explained what Hades could do. Kill people and bring them back to life. It made every hair on her body stand up. That's why she knew Bo had to leave Aife behind. The eldest Succubus would heal herself. It was why Tamsin made sure that Bo left Lauren behind. Either one of them by Bo's side would put a huge dent in Hades orders and plans for the youngest Succubus.
"Ok ok. I will try and find Aife. Though I'm sure Trick could lead us right to her". Tamsin laughed. Trick was either really scared of her or really hated her.
"Thank you and we have to get to her before Bo does". Kenzi sighed.
"Wait if Bo is looking for her then why are we? Tamsin asked.
"I am not sure that she is but her face lit up like mine does at the sight of anything alcohol related so there was curiosity and need there". Kenzi said.
Tamsin rose up with a determination Kenzi had never seen in her eyes before. Bo and Aife? No that was not about to happen!
Lauren
Dyson had spotted Lauren in the operating room. He had his orders from Bo. He suddenly made his own plans.
They ran into the woods until he spotted Taft's scent. "I will take care of Taft. Get the hell out of here Lauren. Go! Dyson snapped handing her a cell phone.
"Dyson how are you? How are things back there? Lauren asked.
"Lauren I told you two days ago. I'm fine". Dyson snapped. He was tired of telling Lauren the same thing every two days since he doubled back to Taft's and found her. First she called about his incisions on his side and now she was becoming a pain in his ass.
You think we should stop and see if they need help?
Sorry, Bo... gotta get you home. Whoever that is can fix their own flat tire. The shifter sniffed. Damn it Lauren. I told you to run. What the hell are you doing on this road?
Lauren turned over in her sleep pounding the pillow with her fist until she fell asleep again.
But fancy councils? Ye old rules? It's just, it's the last thing on my mind.
You want to talk about that first thing on your mind?
...any word?
Not lately. But it's better that she stays away safe with all of these unknowns. Lauren's smart, she can handle herself.
Well, since I have to protect myself from all these unknowns... I should get a hit. Below the belt.
Cut! I screamed waking up. That was a Sci-Fi scene that I didn't need to see continue. I slapped myself in the head trying to get Bo's memories out of my head. Well at least I knew what I walked in on and how it started just before Evony's goons grabbed me. I should have stayed with Crystal. I had escaped once after the guy knocked me out in her car. We agreed to meet up again but I didn't see her again until I woke up caged to the wall next to her. After they separated us, I never saw her again. Evony never told me what she did with her, only that the same thing would happen to me if I didn't work for her. Run her lab until I excelled above all of the other slaves. Then I became the lead Doctor.
It was just as I thought. Bo didn't bother looking for me. She had Dyson do it. Dyson? Really? You can't be the lost girl if you're not the one that was lost. He didn't lose me until he no longer knew where I was hiding out, at his insistence. I know. Dumb me.
Was it that easy? Was I that disposable all of this time? According to Bo and her friends that would be a resounding yes.
Yes this. Yes that. Fix this. Fix that. I need an aspirin. I have a headache. I have a dead body that nobody knows the cause of death. Help us Doctor. Help us human. You don't have a choice.
If I had a private practice or was on any staff at a hospital they would have paid for every one of my services instead of trying to stab me in the back the whole time.
The only time I ever wore glasses was my lab goggles and apparently I needed them to see what Bo's memories are glaringly showing me now. I meant nothing. I mean nothing. Come back to your real family. Ha. I laugh at that now. I did think Dyson was family but what kind of family plots to send you away. He did that over and over.
Lest I forget:
"You know, it's gonna take them a while to select a new Ash. Now might be your best chance.
"To do what?
"Run. Be free".
To be clear I'm not running now. I left. I left them. All of them. No good can come from a life with any of them. They don't care about me. They are likely bottle popping right now. I can just hear Kenzi now. "Ding dong the wicked bitch is gone".
Yep. I'm gone. The Police will have to actually do their jobs solving Fae deaths. Evony will kill anyone that doesn't do what she says. She knows not to try that shit with me. Not when I'm just an inch from taking her Fae powers away. She thinks she has my real serum. No pompous one. I gave you a fake. I am not stupid enough to give her a serum that could only profit me.
I have to look out for myself. I'm my only friend and ally. From all of my time in the field. I know how to hide in plain sight. I need to drown myself in something though because I need to stay out of my thoughts and feelings. Death always preys on those emotions. If Hades really is the King of all things death then I am a walking death injection.
I could flick my wrist and anything I wanted dead would be. Anything I wanted alive would be. Anything I wanted I could have in my lap in a matter of seconds. I know the old Lauren is gone. I can accept that. The old Lauren died the minute I saw the dead Revenants. I was sure it was Rainer's doing. Those things never showed up until he did. It almost makes me think Bo was one of them. Everything she did was suspect. Every time I tried to talk to her, she thought it was some kind of revenge tactic.
She wanted that dick, she could have him. It sickens me that she imagined one inside of me in Dyson's memories. I would never sleep with Dyson. I wouldn't want to have to take Rabies vaccines.
I don't plot revenge but I won't stand for bullshit anymore either. No more throwing me in dungeons. No more manhandling me out of the room.
I am my own room. I am my own house. First of all house rules is nobody disrespects the owner. Nobody leaves unless I want them to. Nobody comes in that I don't allow.
It's funny that Hades brought me back. Even if he adjusted me, he brought me back. And I'm free. Free to do any and everything I have wanted to do since the day Nadia's pod closed.
But then again I could have been free with Nadia or not had Bo told me she lifted the curse. But who was I kidding? My feelings for Nadia had changed and I really wanted to give that relationship a chance had Nadia not been murdered. There was so much going on with her when she woke up. I should have sent my gift to Bo by messenger and stayed home with Nadia the night of Bo's birthday party.
There was no need for us to be there. We didn't overstay our welcome though and the drive home was rough. Nadia had crouched over in her seat grabbing her head in pain.
I was her Doctor. If I couldn't lift her curse maybe I could have cured whatever the hell was going on inside of her. Bo thought it was the Garuda because he was prowling around. But why come to my house? I wasn't with Bo anymore. We weren't even a couple. No Nadia wasn't infected by the Garuda. It had to be the after effects of her curse. I just needed more time to research it.
I understood Nadia's reluctance to be stuck with needle after needle. She had to be tired of all things medical. Well except for me that is.
Nadia would wake up in cold sweats and I had to rock her back to sleep. If the Garuda was in her then, wouldn't he have killed me then? It made no sense then and it makes no sense now.
Nadia would always be a what if case. What if I tried this? What if I tried that? I can't help it. I spent years pouring over samples and possible cures for what I thought then was just an illness.
I have to wake up now. Even Nadia wouldn't want me sleeping over things I can do nothing about. Like Bo. How many days and nights have I slept thinking we loved each other?
She loved Dyson too. Did she let him stay dead in front of her? Did she even bend down to try and bring me back? Lay over me crying like she was not a Succubus with healing powers? She didn't bother. I was just a body in her bed. A dead body in front of her in that itchy ass Dark Fae grass.
I can bring back Nadia but I won't. It's been too long and that would be like waking her up out of a coma with her expecting everything to be the same and it wasn't. I wasn't the same then and I'm not the same now. It's time for me to lift my own curse. Come out of that pod that I slept with Nadia in. Live. Breathe and for the first time be truly free. I turned my attention to the last chapter of my book hopeful it held the answer to my latest question. Get out your quarters. The next game will be starting soon.
Bo
I had left the Dal and basically went off the radar. Nobody knew where I went and I was not answering any calls. Kenzi had been lighting my phone up to the point that I turned it off. Sooner or later she would get the idea that I didn't want to talk or come back.
Trick screwed up when he mentioned Aife. That means he has to have her hidden somewhere. If Hades is coming back nobody knows him better than mom.
I spent many hours showing her picture around. I even pulsed a few people to get answers. Nobody had seen her or I'm losing my touch. This was all driving me crazy.
He's out there somewhere. I can't see him. I can't even feel him. But I bet Lauren can. That alone is disturbing. But what had I done to stop it? Mom mentioned him at Taft's and I allowed her to drop it. I should have pushed her to know more. I should have taken her with me. I mean imagine a Succubus dying. Mom still had a pulse so of course she would have fed off of the Cabbit that offered to stay with her.
That's all on me. I left them. I trusted other people to keep them safe and lost them both to other people. I know Trick knows exactly where she is. But he would never tell me. How stupid was I to trust him again about anything? I hadn't forgotten the first time they lied about Aife but I accepted it. Accepted that they had my happiness and well being in mind. Accepted that since they were older than me that they knew what was best for me.
Wake up Succubus. Since when have they done anything that was best for me? Yeah Kenzi and Trick saved me from marrying Ryan which meant Trick knew we were related then. So why didn't he tell me? Why must he lie about everything?
Sins of the grandfather. I am a liar too. My biggest lie was standing in front of all of them telling them Rainer was my destiny. Since when did I believe in that? Had I been so beaten down and lost that I hopped on the latest penis leaving the station or shall I say hopped on the latest choo choo leaving the station?
Dyson was right when he said we didn't know anything about Rainer. More specifically I didn't know anything about him. So he was a Revenant?
No wonder my Succubus never got aroused when we slept with him. But then again she never responded to anyone's touch but Lauren's. So she had picked her too. Long before I did I bet.
I will use her powers to get everything I need and want except for Lauren. She's not the reason we lost Lauren. I am. This is all on me. I have to get Lauren back. But the question is. Would she even want me back?
The half naked woman in the bed beside me stirred. I sent a pulse into her to calm her down. This is what I was good at. Getting what I want. She slightly moaned as I sent another pulse into her arm.
"I know you're enjoying this. It's time for you to wake up. We have work to do". I whispered in her ear.
"You're wasting your time. She doesn't want you right now. As a Succubus you should know that". The woman said mocking me.
"I should? I asked.
"Her aura. You know how to read those or did you conveniently forget when it comes to the Doctor? The woman laughed.
She had me. I hadn't looked at all the signs Lauren was giving me. The one thing I had learned about being a Succubus was how to overlook auras. If I angered myself the person's aura wouldn't show. How many times did I try that on Lauren? I'm sure you've seen quite a few. It was safer that way. Convenient.
"You're not in this bed because of Lauren". I whispered.
"No then why am I here? The woman laughed.
"Because you are going to tell me everything you know about Dad and his powers mom". I said pouring her a glass of water.
Kenzi and Tamsin.
Tamsin and Kenzi had been driving around for hours. Tamsin's connections were failing her. It was just as if Dyson were still alive. They were posers. Couldn't solve a case without a Doctor or a Succubus. How hard could it be to find Aife? She was a bitch that every Fae loathed or feared so why hide her whereabouts to Tamsin? Or the Blood King that Kenzi told them sent them for her.
"We could always ask Trick. It has been far too long and none of your leads are panning out". Kenzi cried. She was getting tired. She drank so much earlier in the day that it was taking it's toll on her body.
"Trick is the Blood King. Whatever he wants hidden will stay hidden". Tamsin said.
"Somebody has to know where she is. She's the only one Bo will listen to about Dyson. The only one that will make her see it's dumb leaving him dead and stinking up the Dal". Kenzi said. The sme was making her favorite liquors bitter to the taste.
"There is nothing you can do about it. There is nothing you can threaten him with. He thinks you're just a human or have you forgotten that comment? Tamsin asked. Trick had never been equally fair about anything. He was the king of underhanded tactics and backstabbing. Even if Aife and Bo were his marks.
"Can you tell us what happened with this woman? Kenzi asked showing a picture of Aife. Tamsin had snuck one of her at Taft's before they left.
"The beautiful one took her from here". The nurse smiled warmly.
"Beautiful one? As in a brunette? Kenzi asked now showing her a picture of Bo on her phone.
"Yes. That's her. The beautiful one". The nurse smiled again.
"Shit! Bo has Aife! Tamsin screamed. This was not part of her or Hades plans. She had to get them separated again and soon. She would kill Aife if she had to but she was never allowed to touch Bo again.
"Then they must be at the clubhouse". Kenzi said.
"We need to go. We have to go! Tamsin screamed.
"You get Bo and Aife. I will go and get Lauren. Dyson will need some medical help. The Doc always gives free treatments". Kenzi said.
TBC.