16. ARA

There was a phone in the hallway of the upstairs. I picked the receiver up to hear Hellenia yelling at someone in the background.

"Hello? Helle? What's happened?" I asked.

"You ran off with a witch," she said. "People are talking about you. More than they would if you'd just accepted your position as elder. Like, you could've done so much for us. Instead, you—"

"Hellenia, hush," I snapped. "I'm bonded with him. The same witch I was looking for the other night. There was something about him. I found him, well, we found each other. And that connection was real."

"Well the witches are pissed," she said. "And I'm not going to be informing anyone. If that's your worry. Also, I had to go to your apartment, where you've got two squatters arguing just to get this number from one of them. Although I guess you know about that. One of them is also a witch. I'm guessing a relative of the witch you've taken."

I imagined Estefania arguing like my sister, her mother, and it brought a smile to my face. "I didn't take anyone. He wanted to come with me. And I hope this number stays between us."

"Of course. I was only calling to warn you. And because I'm worried," she sighed.

"Don't worry about anything. I've got it figured."

"I don't want you to die. Most of us are old enough to recall that prophecy, Ara. A bloodline will die. We all know what that means. It's the whole reason the witches appear to be an impenetrable barricade of bitches—I mean, witches."

At the bedroom door, right in my eyeline. Nash appeared in a bathroom, all snuggled with his untamed bed head begging me to go and comb my fingers through it.

"Some of us don't want to live in fear," I told her. "But thank you for telling me. I need someone to keep me informed. I also need someone to tell me if they remember anything else they remember. A contradictory prophet, perhaps."

After a long pause, she clicked her tongue. "I've heard about a guy, well, just a kid. He's eighteen—seventeen, whatever. Apparently he's of Nephilim blood, perhaps a prophet in the making. Even if he isn't, you get him to foresee a blessed relationship, and nobody can say otherwise."

That was the best news I'd heard for a while. "You have a name?"

"No. It's just something I heard. I'll find out for you. But you owe me one, Ara."

"How about I owe you one now," I said, still looking at Nash as he exposed his leg and ran his hand up his thigh, showing off more skin I'd yet to bite. "Stay at my apartment. Make sure my niece, Estefania, and Melize, my witch boyfriend's sister don't kill each other. Plus, the best view in the entire city."

"Ara DeMauriel, are you offering me your penthouse apartment?" I could hear the glee in her voice.

"Until I'm back." If I ever went back.

I hung up and Nash let out a squeal. "Boyfriend."

"That's right!" I chased him back into the bedroom. "My boyfriend." On the bed, he tried hiding by wrapping himself up in the sheet. "I feel a little too old to say it, but it's the truth."

All wrapped like a log, he pushed his head out of the top, now like the head of a cock through foreskin. "I like it," he said. "What else did you say? What did they say? I want to know everyone."

Leaning in, I hovered my lips over his. "Use some of that magic and find out for yourself." I knew he could if he wanted. He had so much magic he wasn't touching yet. I needed him to claim it with both hands.

We kissed.

It lasted a while as he spent the moment absorbing information from me. I felt his cool hands collecting it like he was spooning it out of me and slurping it down.

"I saw her," he said, trying to wiggle out of the position he'd put himself in. "Your friend. Hellenia. I don't think Melize is going to like her."

I pecked him again once more. "Well, I'm assuming you know what she said. She's been arguing. They both have. Hellenia won't do anything but be a presence of power." I helped Nash out of the tangled sheet. "And she might know of a way we can have our relationship blessed by a prophet."

He beamed a smile up at me. "I also felt your thought. You might want to stay here, even afterwards."

"You're happy here, right?"

"Very."

"I am too. I feel like Manhattan is all too much now. But if you decide, we can move back once we're been blessed and married," I said. The word married it was something I never thought I'd associate with an action I'd do, and yet, I was finding joy at the idea of it with Nash.

"Can I call my sister?" he asked.

"You don't have to ask. I mean, you can, but don't tell her where we are. The last thing I want is for my staff to become defensive and go on the attack about any witches that weren't invited," I said. "They take my protection very seriously."

He reached out and pressed a hand to my chest. "And yet, they still let me in."

"They won't be happy if you tried to destroy me," he said. "So don't."

"I'm not that powerful," he giggled.

I clung to his hand on my body. "When you realize your power, you'll embrace it," I told him. "But go, call your sister. Ask someone for the number to the apartment. They should have it written somewhere."

He escaped and I dropped to the bed, this time pressing my face to inhale his smell. It took everything in me not to devour every lick of blood inside. I wanted so much to consume him that we would become one. He had me in his heart, and I had him in mine, both of those were true now that he'd gotten a taste of me. The idea of our bloods mixed within each other was nice.

While Nash was in the hallway, I got dressed and tried my best not to pry on his conversation with his sister. It was an ordinary conversation, as ordinary went, checking in on her and making sure my niece was playing nice.

He came back into the room after I was fully dressed in a pair of chinos and a shirt. He flashed me with a brief open of his robe. "Oh my god. I'm starved."

"Clothes first," I said. "There's some in the dresser. Your size. And then you should come down to eat. I'll make sure there's food on the table for you when you're there."

"Mhm, food on the table," he said.

"Well, breakfast food. What do you want?"

"What's my choice?"

I grabbed my cock over my chinos. "Not this."

"Tease."

"Come down and the rest of the choice is yours."

I honestly didn't know what food there was. Apparently the kitchen was stocked with his favorites, but I'd forgotten what they were. I knew, if I questioned myself that he loved sausage and scrambled egg, but I really had to focus in to recall it. My memory needed to be spilled out on pages as a form of purging to refresh itself.

The house was alive with all the staff in operation, applying coats of paint to the worn wooden doorways. I barely ever focused in on any of them. The exception was Dana. Nash had taken a liking to her.

In the kitchen, I took her aside as we looked over the garden in the shape it was currently in. Much nicer than yesterday, but a pit of dirt waiting to happen. Kristoff was busy frying up meats and eggs, almost like he'd started the moment he heard me coming down the stairs.

"Is everything ok?" she asked.

"It's all good," I said. "I was hoping you'd be able to keep Nash occupied again today. He had fun yesterday, and I've relocated him, so I don't want to have him alone where he could lull on his thoughts."

She nodded. "Sir. You don't have to tell me your reasons. I will keep Master Nash occupied today."

"You're right. I don't, but I want to. He's special to me, and my future."

"Ok. Thank you for trusting me with it," she said. "Is there anything in particular you want me doing?"

"He enjoys the garden. Oh, also, I will require a small burial plot digging up. It can be anywhere without the boundary line," I said. I'd forgotten to take care of that last night. Nash's playful nature came out with the dirt, and I was far too influenced by my carnal needs to remember my familial duties. "And I'll also require candles for a brief service. But I'll have someone else get that."

She nodded enthusiastically. "You know, he's great at using earth stuff," she offered in a whisper. "He pulled out a large plot of land like it was nothing just by hovering a hand over it."

"Oh?"

"We were turning the soil," she said, still using a hushed tone. "He was drawing symbols in it and then saying something before he just swirled it all around. I've never seen anything like it before."

"He's incredible," I said, just in time for him to walk into the kitchen. Dressed in a white linen shirt that was misbuttoned, and a pair of cargo shorts. "I don't know where my hat is." He came right for me, and then turned at the smell of food. "Ooh. I bet you could hear my stomach."

"Your hat is being cleaned," I said. "And please, fill up. I feel like you're going to have another busy day outside in the garden."

Kristoff plated him a portion of the scrambled eggs and the sausages and rashers of bacon. "Anything else?" he asked.

"A glass of milk, please," he said.

Dana tapped me on the shoulder. "I can get his hat for him," she said. "It's drying out on a rack upstairs."

"You don't have to," I said. "If the sun is out, then yes, but let it dry a little more before then. I don't want him catching a cold from something damp."

I sat with Nash as he devoured the food on his plate. He fed me part of his sausage, but I really didn't have the stomach for food. He'd been giving me all the food I required.

"I'm going to the archives," I told him. "I'll be boxing the remains of my aunt for a funeral later. And I'd still like to have a look at my old journals just in case Hellenia's idea doesn't pan out."

He nodded. "Also, I thought about what you said." He glanced at Kristoff. This wasn't something he wanted anyone listening to.

I ordered everyone, Kristoff and Dana out of the kitchen so that Nash could finish his thought without them in distance, although if they wanted, they could easily listen in. Kristoff removed food from the hob, and Dana put the broom she'd been sweeping with in the corner.

"I think you were right," he said. "The fireworks in the drinks."

"Oh, you believe me now."

"I didn't want to believe it," he whispered across the table. "But it makes sense. You're not the only person that it has happened to. Not the kissing part, but the compelling. It's how I got an invite to your party."

I stroked the side of his face, my thumb wiping away a small speck of scrambled egg on his chin. "I also heard that you were magically turning soil yesterday as well," I said. "Now, do you think we're the people from the prophecy?"

"I think it's going to come true," he said, lulling his head as I pushed a handle to cradle it.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm not going to have children," he whispered. "I don't—I don't want kids. Ever. And that means my bloodline will end."

Children had never been part of my plan either. It wasn't a dealbreaker, not that we had any room to make a deal since we were bound and bonded. "My bloodline too."

"But you'll probably outlive me," he said, avoiding eye contact. "You're gonna be able to have someone long after I'm gone. And your line will continue. So I think it probably just refers to me. My line has ended, or will end."

I tipped his chin up. "I'm not thinking that far into the future," I told him. "Because as it stands, I don't see a future that doesn't involve you. I'd go as far to throw myself on a pyre the day you ceased existing in my world."

"But it feels like such a depressing end," he said.

"Then stop thinking about the end, and start thinking about the now," I told him. "We're going to live a long time. And you are going to grow into your power. If there's one thing I can promise you, it's that I'll never leave your side." I collected a tear that had formed.

"Sorry. I'm just emotional and hormones are driving me up the wall," he said, sniffling back. "I read about this, and I didn't like what I read. But yeah. These are the hormones talking, and not the type of hormones I enjoy talking about."

"Which ones do you—"

"Whore moans," he said, laughing at his joke. "You gotta admit that was funny."

"You're adorable." My mind went back to its earlier notion of eating him alive. "Dry those eyes. And go show me what those magical fingers can do outside. I expect big things when I come out to see you later."

He pulled the underside of his shirt up to wipe his eyes, flashing his belly button and where he'd skipped a button getting dressed. I didn't even mention it. It was cute.

As soon as the Kristoff and Dana came back into the kitchen, I handed Nash over. It was surprising to hear him come to the conclusion about his power. His compulsions were hexes, and he'd been doing it a while it seemed. He didn't seem entirely comfortably that he'd been unaware of it, but that was the mark of his true power and strength.

It relieved me a little to feel the conviction in his words, knowing himself so well to the point he was ending his own bloodline. In my eyes, that prophecy had spelled certain death, but this was a different viewpoint.

I was still going to need that name of the Nephilim boy Hellenia knew about though. A positive word from him would set a whole world straight—no hetero.