Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Five
"So, why do you love Sebastian?" Diana asked, sitting on her chosen chair in the lounge with her holo-friendly camcorder focused on the two of us. "Also, stop shrinking your head into your shoulders, you look like a human turtle and it's making me very uncomfortable."
"Sorry?" I said nervously, lowering my hunched arms and trying to relax. Tiffany giggled from where she was eating spaghetti with Woody at a nearby table but when Diana turned and focused the camera on them they both waved and smooched each other in an overly exaggerated fashion.
It turned into a makeout session within seconds and I heard someone gag nearby, but I simply sighed and leaned against Sebastian's stomach.
The plans for the movie had never really gotten off the ground since Diana had unexpectedly expressed to us that she wanted everyone to spend more time together as a group, that this trip was special and we should have fun. So now, instead of lazing in a fancy bed and watching Italian films from the hotel's selection I was sitting with everyone in the lounge.
My hair was still damp, but everyone had changed out of their swimsuits.
Bash was wearing black leather pants, a white t-shirt, and the leather jacket I'd made for him. I was dressed in a soft pair of blue jeans and a dark green spaghetti-strap tank top.
Diana was wearing a long flowing blue paisley skirt and a beige cowl-neck sweater, Cassidy was wearing overalls and a striped pink t-shirt, Tiffany was dressed in a black mini-skirt and a lacy crop-top red-t-shirt, and Woody was wearing jeans, boots, and an open brown flannel with a big beige cowboy hat.
I had no idea where he'd gotten it since I'd never seen him wear one before, but it looked good on him.
Kyle was dressed simply, a pair khaki shorts and a white t-shirt, and Richard... well, he was dressed like a leather-loving motorcyclist, similar to Sebastian since they both seemed to like the look.
"Well, Beloved?" Bash grunted, bouncing me on his knee. I was drawn out of my head by the question and stared straight into his eyes. "Why do you love me?"
"A lot of reasons," I said, feeling embarrassed and shy; I curled up against him, glancing at Diana's knowing smirk as she held the camera up. "Why are you filming this again?"
"Because we're making memories with you," she pertly told me. "I've actually been recording videos and taking pictures of you and Sebastian whenever you haven't been fucking for literal weeks now, and I want to officially start documenting your new relationship for the family tapes. So, talk!"
"Yeah, come on, Aerin!" Kyle called from where he was lazing on Richard's back. "It's for the family tapes! We all take part in this every few months!"
"You do?" I asked, surprised. "Really?"
"It's like a rite of passage," Richard grumped, making me stare at his scarred, bearded, angry face. "You aren't really one of us 'til you start talking about embarrassing shit on video."
"Why?"
"Because that way we can make fun of how dumb you were today a hundred years later, so come on and fuckin' get it the hell over with!"
"I wanna hear it, too!" Tiffy crooned. "Come on, Aerin, why do you love Daddy Sebastian?"
"Ugh, enough with the Daddy jokes, Tiff!" Kyle groaned, and everyone laughed, even me; I silenced my giggles when I saw my fiance looking down at me curiously. My heart skipped a beat, but then I relaxed, looking at him a little more calmly. I cupped his cheek with my palm.
If they wanted me to spill, I would. I had no shame.
No fear.
Not when it came to my feelings, at least.
"I love him because he's honest," I said softly, staring right into his eyes. "I love him because he's strong-willed, because he's passionate, and loyal, and brave, and willing to go to any length to protect the people he calls family. I love him because, despite me being a vampire, he wanted someone as broken as me as his life mate and husband."
"Really?" Diana called from a million miles away. "All those reasons?"
"And more," I confirmed without looking away. "He gave me a piece of his soul, laid himself bare and put his heart in my hands. He's willing to let himself be vulnerable and I can see that he trusts me completely."
"Yeah, even I was shocked by that," Richard grunted. "I knew he had a crazy thing for you but when I learned he'd willingly imprinted on you, I won't lie... I was more than a little worried."
"You don't have to be," I said, and after shifting to my knees, I kissed him on the lips; I heard whoops and cheers and clapping behind me, and Sebastian smirked against my mouth. I pulled back with a grin of my own, draping my arms around his neck. "Regardless of the reason, the only thing that matters to me is that I love him... truly and unconditionally, I love him."
"And the sex?" Diana boldly asked, making my cheeks heat up.
"Oooh, spill!" Tiffany gushed and I swallowed hard when I saw the cocky little smirk on Bash's face.
"Phenomenal," I managed to say. "He fucks like a god."
"Oh?" he purred, smile widening into something feral and hungry. "That's very high praise."
"Just being honest," I said, trying to detach myself from my embarrassment. "You really know what you're doing, and not just when it comes to that. You're an attentive lover, you're careful with me despite how hard it is to hold yourself back, and you always ask me for permission beforehand... you never do anything I'm uncomfortable with, ever. You're good to me."
"Obviously," he murmured, kissing my nose. "I try to be a good partner. That's why."
"SO CUTE!" Tiffany squealed, lunging upright and tearing over; she wrapped her arms around me from behind and nuzzled my head with her cheek. "God, I just wanna squeeze you two!"
"Don't break my neck!" I gagged, and everyone laughed again.
"I love you because you can see into my heart, all the way down to the core," Sebastian rumbled, and everyone fell silent; behind me, Tiffany's breath caught. "You fill a void in me that I didn't even know was there until I met you. It was a gaping, painful wound that not even Jasper could heal despite how long we were together. With you, I am whole."
I blinked, looking at the earnestness behind his eyes.
A song from years ago came to mind. I couldn't resist.
"Heart beats fast... colors and promises..." I hummed, pressing our noses together, "how to be brave? How to stand tall when I'm afraid... to... fall... but watching you stand aloooone, all of my doubt... suddenly goes away somehow... one step clooooser..."
"Here we go," Richard grumbled, trying to get up. "I'm gonna head out before I turn into mush from all the syrup radiating from this idiot's pores."
Kyle shushed him and smacked the back of his bald head, eliciting a grumble, but I ignored them since Sebastian's eyes had darkened and had begun shimmering. He was looking at me in a way that clearly said he was pleased with the message I was conveying to him.
I took a deep breath, not even noticing when Tiffany let go of me and backed away, but just before I was about to belt out the next stanza, he put a finger to my lips and rose, lifting me lightly and setting me down on the floor. One hand clasped my own and the other went to my waist.
"I have died every day waiting for you," he hummed, deep voice making my ears and chest and everything tingle violently; everyone behind us gasped and I heard someone choke violently in surprise, but Sebastian merely smirked and started to dance us back and forth. "Darling, don't be afraid... I have loved you for a thousand years. Love you for a thousand more."
"Time stands still, beauty and all he is!" I belted out, beaming as he gently twirled me. "I will be brave, I will not let anything take... away... what's standing in front of me! Every moment! Every hour has come to this!"
"One step closer..." he sang, then took a deep breath and continued the rest of the song. I, being the sort of person I was when it came to music, harmonized with him as we danced around the lobby with the hotel attendant looking on in mild interest, but mostly contempt.
Tiffany and Kyle both whooped and clapped, but Diana was holding the camera with an intense amount of focus. Cassidy was beside her, holding her hand, watching us with a reluctant smile on her thin face. I was a giggling, flush-faced mess when we finally stopped singing.
He lifted me with both arms and kissed me roughly, making my legs first stiffen up and then go limp, dangling lifelessly a foot above the ground. I buried my fingers in his hair, kissing him back, trying to breathe and think and feel. All of my worries vanished, the incident with the dragons, the upcoming party, the past, the present, the future, all of it vanished.
I was numb when he pulled away, smirking at my dazed expression.
"When I marry you," he told me, playfully nipping my nose, "I'm going to show you the world. I'll take you to places you've never seen, open your eyes to gorgeous sights that normal men have never laid their eyes on. I'll give you precious memories you can treasure forever, memories that will wipe away the pain you went through because of me."
"It's already been wiped away," I muttered, hugging him. "I promise. We're in a good place."
"Show the camera the engagement ring!" Tiffany suddenly screeched. "For the video!"
I laughed at her exuberance and did so, wiggling my fingers at the camera; Diana came closer, zooming in on the beautiful ring before raising it to our faces. Sebastian looked smug, but I was sure I looked embarrassed and was blushing. Yep, definitely, my ears and cheeks were burning.
"You look like a strawberry," Diana chuckled, and I cringed, hiding my face with my damp hair.
"Leo once said the same thing," I told her. "Anyway, are we gonna watch a movie or not?"
"No," Sebastian said, and I looked at him in confusion. "It's only three in the morning. I think instead of sitting cooped up in our room I should show you around the city."
"Want company or is this a solo show?" Tiffany asked, and he leered at her.
"You need to rest," he said sternly, raising an eyebrow when she frowned. "Don't give me that look. You're pregnant and you need to take it easy. Relax."
"Bash, I literally just got pregnant!" she laughed. "I think I'll be fine!"
She paused, however, when Woody came up behind her and slid his arms beneath hers, protectively cupping her stomach with his big hands. He set his chin on her shoulders and gently rocked her from side to side, kissing her cheek and smiling right at me.
He tipped me a wink, then glanced at Diana and realized she was filming them.
"If you think about it," the woman said slowly, making the couple turn, "it's actually because of Aerin that you two wound up together, which basically means its because of him that a new life is now growing inside of Tiffy. He really does have a knack for causing things, doesn't he?"
"You just noticed?" Richard sourly asked.
"More like just now deciding to document it," Diana said airily. "I thought it would be a good idea to get things down in stone, you know? I heard their conversation, and I wanted him to feel like part of the family, so... here we are."
Oh... that's why they were doing this.
I smiled to myself and moved away from Sebastian, slinking over to Diana who seemed startled when I wrapped her up in a hug for the very first time. She was soft and warm, and I pillowed my cheek against her.
"Thank you for being so kind to me," I murmured, pulling away and looking up at her very startled features. "Really. Lately, I've felt like I belong with you guys more and more."
"Because you do, idiot," Richard gritted out. "Stop being a sappy little bitch and go out with Bash before I vomit all over the floor. This whole room stinks like corn because of you."
I stuck my tongue out at him and he flipped me off, which made everyone chuckle.
"Oh, do be quiet," Tiffany said with a sigh; she pranced over, grabbed me by the shoulders, and made me stand still, facing her. Her lips pursed. "You look good, but its gotten chilly since we've gone in. If you're cold, don't hesitate to tell your man, okay?"
"He's a living furnace," I snorted. "If I get chilly, all he has to do his hug me and I'll be fine."
That earned me a chuckle from Kyle. "He has you there."
"Well, it's getting close to four in the morning," Cassidy said with a glance at her watch. "If you're gonna head out and do some stuff before sunrise, you'd better get going."
"Be careful, Bash," Richard warned. "You don't actually know where those dragons went or even why they're here, but they have an obvious interest in Aerin. Keep your eyes open."
Woody nodded and worriedly signed, 'I agree, keep a careful eye out.'
"Oh, they'll be fine," Diana sighed, flapping a hand at everyone. "Aerin will scream if something goes wrong, won't you, Aerin?"
"Like a banshee," I said, sounding a lot more chipper and a lot less nervous than I felt, and after one last look-over by Tiffany, Sebastian took my hand, leading me away from the group and towards the hotel doors across the lobby. The air outside was colder than I was expecting.
"Yikes," I murmured, shivering as I was pulled down a brilliant city street; the buildings were made of brick and looked far different than anything I'd ever seen in America. The road was full of traffic, but it was crowded and square and far more geometrical than I would have expected.
"We aren't sightseeing," Sebastian told me quietly, and I turned to look up at him. He was staring straight ahead, his hand tight around mine. "We're just taking a small walk around the block. To clear your head, and your heart, before I bring you to bed with me."
"Okay," I murmured, squeezing his hand.
The two of us walked, hand in hand, down the sidewalk. He was oddly silent.
"Beloved," he suddenly said, and I looked up at him again, "time feels different when I'm with you. It's a queer experience and one I'm not accustomed to. It makes me restless. Knowing that I have you, that I am complete, makes me feel like time has frozen and I am no longer moving forward, and yet at the same time it feels like years and years have passed us both by."
I nodded in understanding because I honestly knew what he meant. It felt like he and I had known each other for years despite it only being a few months.
It was just that... right.
"What do you want to do for Thanksgiving?" he asked me. "By the time we return to the states and settle the matter with the hospitalized woman you wish to meet with, it'll be time for the holidays... and I am curious what it is you want to do. How do you wish to celebrate it?"
"I don't know," I said honestly, shaking my head. "I haven't thought that far ahead."
"Then, Christmas," he grunted, squeezing my palm. "What do you want for Christmas?"
I thought about it for a little while in silence, staring at my feet with the wind rushing along the sidewalk and the sound of traffic filling my ears. I heard people talking in Italian and saw a group of older guys standing near a bridge we were heading towards, smoking and laughing.
To be real, I hadn't thought about things like that in years since it only made me sad to remember my past Christmases. To think of how I had been so unhappy for so long that I'd stopped even realizing I was unhappy. It was only now, when I could compare my past self to how unbelievably happy I was in the present that I realized just how sad I'd been.
How broken I'd been.
I'd had some serious cracks before I'd met Sebastian, I'd known all along that I was a damaged and frail person, but if he was going to fill those cracks... what would happen if things didn't work out between us? What if he left me?
Would I completely shatter?
I knew more than anyone that giving your heart to someone was dangerous. If they didn't keep it, they never gave it back in the same shape that it used to be. Loving someone was a risk. Hell, thinking about a future so far off when I didn't even know what tomorrow would bring us was a risk, but then again, I was already starting to feel like nothing mattered.
Risks or no, we were in it.
The past couple times we'd had sex I'd had to stop myself from going wild and letting my voice cry out, to not scream and cry how much I loved him. Those moments, when it was just me and him locked together in the most beautiful and intimate passion two people can have, felt so perfect that I wanted them to last forever, but we'd only been dating for what? A month?
Two?
After that amount of time, that very short amount of time, I already had an engagement ring on my finger.
That amount of time and he'd already given me his fucking soul, wiggling his way into my busted heart and fusing it back together with his love, forcibly keeping me whole. He was, by all rights, the glue that was even now continuing to fix me, and heal me, and complete me.
"Well?" he pressed.
"A PSN card," I said simply, and he paused, stopping mid step to meet my stare. "Something I can use for currency on AC, or perhaps something music related... like a new microphone so I can sing in better quality. Or maybe even an instrument."
"Something so simple?" he quipped, hard face softening intensely. "Aerin... you ask for so little. I literally have fuck you money, my love... don't you want something grand? Something big that will make you happy?"
"Not right now," I told him, shaking my head; I stepped forward and squeezed his huge hand with both of mine, soaking up his warmth. "I'm used to working hard for what I have, you know? It just... it doesn't feel right to me, asking you for big and wonderful gifts when you alone already make me feel as happy as I can be. Your love and acceptance of me is the biggest gift I could possibly receive."
He melted, smile turning a little goofy and giddy, lacking the typical cockiness. He shook his head at me and we wordlessly continued walking. Across the street ahead of us was a gorgeous pedestrian bridge that spanned a beautiful river.
The guys who'd been on the corner were now leaning over it, chattering at each other in Italian and laughing uproariously. I smiled at their happiness as we started crossing the street towards them, but then Sebastian paused and let out a disgruntled snort before pulling me diagonally, heading towards the sidewalk opposite the group of guys.
There were four of them, total, and all of them had dark hair with different variations of the same ethnic skin tone. Tan, olive, super dark, and the smallest one was slightly paler than the rest, but also by far the hairiest.
I glanced over at the rushing water, shining blue-black in the moonlight, and gasped. My hand slipped out of Sebastian and I ran to the stone railing, looking at the stars being reflected off the calm surface.
It was like looking at glitter and sparkles, and when I glanced up at the sky I saw an almost perfect mirror image of it.
"You grew up here?" I whispered, looking at the gorgeous Venetian-esque nightscape. "Its beautiful!"
"It wasn't nearly as beautiful when I was small," he told me, and I turned to see him scanning all of the buildings with a solemn expression. "So much can change over time."
I looked at the water through my lashes when he joined me by the railing, setting his hand on my own and following my gaze to the river. I rested my head on his shoulder, letting loose a sigh.
"You know what?" I said softly.
"Hn?" he grunted back.
"In a hundred years, let's come back to this place," I told him. "Let's see how much it changes."
"If that is what you wish, I'll make it happen," he said, moving his hand to pet me. "I don't think you fully understand just how far I'm willing to go for you. At least not yet. I'm hoping at some point you'll realize my love for you is forever and you'll let down that very last wall."
I acknowledged his words with silence. I didn't know what he meant, but I could guess.
I still had doubts.
Still tried to rationalize.
In the reflection of the water, across the moon, I saw two small serpentine silhouettes darken the beautiful mirror-like liquid and looked up. I caught the barest hint of two very far-off dragons flying past the waning moon in a pair, snaking around each other before vanishing.
I sat my arms on the stone barrier and rested my chin on them, wondering what flying like that must have felt like. The freedom to fly in the sky, go anywhere, see anything...
It must have been nice.
"Oi!" someone suddenly shouted, and both of us twitched; I looked behind me and then up at Sebastian's scowling face in blatant confusion before fully turning around. Approaching us were the guys who'd been chatting across the bridge, strutting along at a brisk pace, all of them wearing low cut jeans and leather jackets.
Sebastian stepped in front of me and although three of the guys stopped cold, the fourth merely slowed his steps, watching us closely with narrowed eyes.
Sebastian tilted his head and sniffed the air. The three standing back were the darker-complected guys; the paler, hairier man was in front.
I frowned since all four of them were wearing dark sunglasses.
"What?" Sebastian asked in a cold, authoritative tone, folding his arms.
"Don't pull that 'what' shit with me, bastard!" the pale man growled, pointing right at me. "That's a vampire and you're on our turf. I wanna know what the fuck you're doing here."
"Your turf?" Sebastian asked, resting his hand on his hip as he stood staring at them. The three guys behind the pale one instantly stiffened and stepped back, but the paler man snorted and stomped forward, mustache twitching in irritation. "This bridge is public property."
"No, bitch, it's my property," the pale man barked. "This is my bridge!"
"Do you live under it?" I tartly asked; not smart, admittedly, but I didn't like his tone.
"What? No--fuck you!" the man snarled. "No werewolves pass over this bridge without paying the toll, and vampires... well, if you weren't already a wolf's whore I'd have cut your throat and scattered your ashes into the river, lady. Now, pay up!"
"I think not," Sebastian said lowly, narrowing his blinding yellow eyes. "Keep moving, pups."
"And what if we don't?" the pale man asked, not even realizing that his pals had gone pale and were now backing away from us with tight faces. "Hm?"
"Then you die for your insolence," Sebastian calmly retorted. "How does that sound?"
"Trace," one of the other guys whispered, "you need to back off and let him pass--"
"Shut up! I'm the alpha here!" the man snarled to the quaking guys behind him. "This is my fucking bridge and he'll pay the toll just like all the other wannabe alphas! And if he can't pay, well, then, I guess we're getting serviced by his pretty little whore, end of story."
"Excuse me?" I immediately seethed, glaring at him. "I'm nobody's whore, asshole, I'm his fucking husband!"
This seemed to stop him cold; he looked me up and down, even going as far as pushing his glasses down his nose, revealing that his small and beady eyes were bright yellow. They flitted across my ridiculously long pigtails and loose-yet-clingy green spaghetti strap tank.
"Husband?" he demanded, sneering. "You ain't no fuckin' man--"
"Um, hello? Is your nose as useless as your brain ?" I asked, but when I folded my arms and sassily cocked my hip, to my surprise, Sebastian actually coughed and covered his mouth to muffle a snicker. I ignored the velvety honey that was his voice and bluntly continued, "I happen to have a dick, you fucking pig. Get lost with your bullshit."
"Che cazzo hai appena detto?" he snarled, and I smirked since Italian was actually one of the three languages I spoke fluently.
"You heard me, asshole," I said sweetly, much to his visible surprise, and to add icing to the cake I told him to stop trying to compensate for his tiny dick just because I had a bigger one, all in Italian... and then I called him a little bitch. I was satisfied when his face turned dark red.
"I kill you," he hissed through elongated fangs, bones crunching. "I fucking kill you, whore."
Sebastian immediately cracked a ferocious grin and my hair stood on end.
Uh oh, I know that look, I mentally sighed, fighting the powerful urge to back away from him and keeping myself standing firmly in place.
Something behind his eyes was burning, a dangerous hunger for violence and blood. Bash tilted his head and the younger alpha instinctively stepped away.
"Trace," one of the men behind him whispered, "Trace, non scherzare con lui!"
"Mi dà una brutta sensazione!" another added. "Andiamo via da qui!"
"Yes, Trace, listen to your puppies," Sebastian mockingly agreed. "Go on about your business and no one gets hurt."
The young alpha sniffed before glancing back at his pack again. They urged him to retreat but instead he growled and whipped back to look at us.
"You're the one that's going to get hurt," he hissed; he hesitated only slightly before running at him, teeth flashing in the dim moonlight. Sebastian gently and calmly pushed me backwards until I hit the stone railing and waited for the arrogant little fuck to get close enough to swing at him with long claws and a snarl of feral rage.
Letting loose a growl that curdled my blood, Sebastian grabbed the man's arm, twisted it behind him, and thrust him over the side of the bridge. Behind him the three Italian guys yelled in horrified shock, running forward, but they stopped when they realized that my fiance hadn't actually thrown their friend to his death. Instead he held the creep easily over the side of the bridge, just shy of the rail, letting him dangle by one hand. The man screamed and Sebastian smirked, showing his sharp teeth with his eyes burning bright.
"Aiii!" the alpha wailed. "Don't let go! Pull me up! Pull me up!"
"Apologize to my husband," Sebastian said flatly. "Then maybe I'll think about it."
"I sorry!" the man immediately shouted in terror. "Very sorry! Mi dispiace! Mi dispiace!"
Sebastian sneered. "Do you submit?"
"Yes!" the Italian werewolf yelped. "Let me up! I'm sorry, man! Let me up!"
Sebastian flexed and hauled him back over the railing, depositing him on the ground. He stood over the werewolf, satisfaction radiating from every move he made. The man before us was scared and easily submitting, baring no teeth and if he had a tail I was sure it would have been up between his legs.
Sebastian allowed him to scramble back to his friends.
"And you three," he ordered, setting a hand on my shoulder. "Apologize."
"We sorry!" shouted one of the men.
"Yeah, very sorry--we never come here again," said another. "All yours!"
The younger alpha was staring at Sebastian with huge eyes. "You... did that... with one hand..."
"Be thankful I didn't use two, otherwise I'd have been tempted to rip your arm clean off your fucking body and thrown it into the river," my fiance growled, then made a shooing motion and turned away. "Get lost, Pups, and for fuck's sake, behave. You had better remember this next time you try to rob someone."
Not needing to be told twice, the group ran down the opposite way, running at a normal speed. I almost wondered why until I remembered there were normal humans driving along the streets in plain sight and even small groups of people walking around further down the bridge.
"That was fun," I said airily, closing my eyes when I realized his scent had literally become overpowering. He rolled his shoulders, smirking and wriggling his jaw back and forth as he leaned back, resting his elbows against the guard rail.
"They're very young wolves," he said simply, letting his head drop backwards. "Italy is one of very few countries that's actually overpopulated with my kind. They're everywhere in this area, especially considering the party that Mephostes is going to be throwing soon. A hell of a lot of influential wolves from all around the globe will be attending it, as well as some creatures you've never even laid eyes on before. It'll be an interesting experience for you."
"Do you think it'll be dangerous?" I asked, flipping one of my damp braids over my shoulder as I settled down to look at him more readily. "That woman, the pretty one, Lydia... Mephostes is the one who sent her, but if he was really so happy about us being together, why did she try to bury a piece of paper in my head? She threw the invitation like a ninja star!"
"Mephostes is a born wolf, as are all of his pack members and supporters," he reluctantly said, staring at the stars with a far more sour expression. "She likely went against his wishes and let her hatred get the better of her. I could tell that she's a trained killer which likely makes her the bodyguard he often wrote to me about a few hundred years ago. Just stay by my side and all will be fine, Beloved."
"I intend to."
"Good."
We were both quiet for a while, just feeling the chilly breeze rushing across our bodies. The golden street lamps cast everything in a warm, homey glow, contrasting heavily with the dark blue shadows of our surroundings. I looked at the sky, tapping the toe of my shoe on the sidewalk, wondering how to feel and what to say. I had so much on my mind as it was.
I didn't really know where to begin or what to talk about so I eventually settled with the things that were bothering me, and I decided to be direct about it, too.
"What did Feng-Feng and her husband do to me?" I finally asked, turning to look at him. "I know you don't wanna tell me because you think it'll stress me out, but not knowing is stressing me out more than knowing will."
"Aerin, we've been over this," he sighed, closing his eyes; his curly hair rustled in the nighttime air, dusting his cheeks and brushing the leather covering his broad shoulders. "Not right now."
"Bash, this world is still so vast... I just want to understand it," I urged, mouth tightening. "Until I met you I didn't even know there were other vampires out there, or werewolves, and right now there's so many other things I still have to figure out, too. I'm questioning literally everything!"
"You've already got a lot on your mind," he growled, cracking a harsh eye open and regarding me with a very stern amber-eyed gaze. "You don't need more stress."
"I just wanna know what they did to me and what it means, okay?" I pleaded, giving him a genuine puppy face. "Please, Babe? I'm already stressing out over this. Like... bad, and you should know that since you're literally a walking polygraph test. You can smell it, can't you?"
His eyebrows twitched and he swallowed before turning around and training his eyes on the water. For several minutes, I received no response and he seemed conflicted, but eventually he huffed and leaned down against the barrier. He ran a hand through his hair and I could see the lines in his face sag as he inwardly succumbed into my request.
"Those creatures were Djinn, Aerin," he told me. "Commonly referred to as genies."
Genies. Okay, that was a start, but still... what the fuck.
"So... they were like the genie in Aladdin?" I asked, startled. "Those kinds of genies?"
"In a sense," he grunted, looking a little frustrated. "There are many different types of genies in this world. In the Asian regions, however, a very unique and powerful race of wish-granting Djinn take the shape of dragons."
Wow... this sounded like something straight out of a fairy tale. It seemed almost unreal that it could even be based on something that truly existed. I felt, for a moment, a gout of childish wonder flood through me and I looked at him a bit more eagerly, wanting to hear about it all.
"So, do they grant wishes?" I giddily asked. "Like in the movies? Or are they magic?"
"You've seen only a fraction of what they can do," he muttered, poking me in the temple and pushing my head to the side. "Never fuck around with a genie, Aerin. They're some of the most cunning and dangerous supernaturals on this planet, even moreso than vampires."
Duly noted, but still incredibly cool.
"I still can't believe Feng-Feng was a dragon," I murmured, looking up at the sky. "Why do you think she and her husband chose to have their anniversary here, of all places?"
"I don't know. Perhaps it is because they, too, remember the days long ago when this land was wild and untamed," Sebastian rasped, speaking in a surprisingly sad tone. "Before the burnings and the killings... or perhaps they met each other here. It is none of our business why."
"True, but its still amazing," I reminded him; in the distance I heard another blood-curdling roar that echoed on the wind, faint but true. "Can all genies grant wishes?"
"Most can, but very rarely is there not a price to pay for doing so," he acknowledged, letting loose another aggravated sigh. "Those beings you encountered... they are old, powerful, and also very magical. Djinn dragons are rumored to hold the secrets of all Asian magics."
"Do all dragons have magic like genies?" I asked, dumbfounded. "Or, is it just like a species thing? Also, if those two were actually genies, are they even dragons at all?"
"They are dragons, but they are not the same as other dragon species," he muttered, shaking his head. "They are genies in dragon form. Djinn as a species are shapeshifters and can appear in any form they desire, but they, like us, are born with specific features. So, even though those two can quite likely take any form they desire, they were indeed born as Eastern dragons."
"Wow," I breathed, then paused as something occurred to me; I frowned a little. "So... what's the big deal with what they did to me, then? If they're really so powerful and were thanking me, why was it so... you know, unnerving for you to hear about? What's the big deal?"
"The big deal, Aerin, is that tonight you were gifted with a genie dragon's breath," he hissed, squeezing the stone so hard that it unexpectedly cracked and started splintering under his grip.
"So?" I asked. "Is that bad?"
"No, but its not trivial in the slightest," he muttered. "The reason I was so disturbed and upset is because those creatures have the power to suck one's soul out of the body and eat it."
I did a double take.
"Um... what?" I stupidly asked. "Come again?"
"You heard me," he grumbled, face curling in contempt and mild irritation. "If they'd wanted to they could have turned you into a lifeless, mindless vegetable for the rest of eternity and slowly corroded away at your consciousness, absorbing everything that makes you who you are."
My gut knotted and I gawked at him with my mouth open.
"Are you serious?!" I squealed, horrified; I clutched my mouth with both hands. "They really could have sucked my soul right out of me and eaten it?! What the fuck?!"
"If you had offended them, they could have, but you didn't," Sebastian said carefully, letting go of the stone railing and turning to face me. "Being given a genie dragon's breath... it's a powerful gift that can forcefully change the future. I'm simply concerned about why they gave it to you."
A chill went through me and I looked at him a little more attentively.
"Why?" I asked, not liking the sound of that. "Is it bad that they did? It was a thank you gift, that's what they said."
"It isn't as simple as that. What they did for you stretches far beyond what you can possibly even begin to understand," he rasped, looking unsettled as he took in my worried features. "All Djinn have the ability to look into someone's eyes and see their past, present, and future. Those two must have seen something terrible in your future to have given you such a powerful form of magic, something you don't deserve, something that could... could potentially break you."
I stared at him with my eyes wide open, goosebumps rising up on every part of my body.
I felt the hair on my legs prickling madly for a few moments.
"Is that why you didn't want to tell me this?" I asked, and he reluctantly nodded. "Because... because it might mean that something bad is going to happen soon? Something you didn't want me to worry about since I've already been worrying about it? Because this only confirms what I've been feeling lately? That something is wrong, and... and everything is wrong?"
"Yes," he grunted, giving me a bald stare. "I am also disturbed because for once, I have no idea what to do and I... I... am... I am frightened."
My heart sank.
"You?" I whispered. "Bash, you're scared?"
"Aerin, what happened tonight tells me I might not be enough to protect you," he snarled, face warping with inner loathing; he slammed his fist down on the stone, and a crunch went through it as a series of cracks spread through the architecture. "No... no, its already a sign that I won't be."
"What do you mean?!"
"I mean I've failed you before I can even do anything," he informed me. "Their breath can give you the power to change fate but its only ever given to those who are going to suffer some horrible misfortune without it! Because they decided to step in, to intervene... because of that, I know that I... I alone will not be enough to protect you. Because they stepped in, I have been proven incompetent."
"Babe, you don't know that," I said soothingly, setting my hand over his. "You don't know."
"True, but the chance is still likely considering all the facts that have been dumped on the table," he grumped. "It's all right there."
"So, basically," I said slowly, swallowing hard, "you're saying something is going to happen?"
"Quite likely," he allowed, then took me in his arms and held me close, "but... I will do everything in my power to keep you, and myself, and my family from getting hurt. You have my word."
I took a deep breath and let it out, closing my eyes.
"Don't worry... about a thing... cause every little thing... is gonna be all right," I hummed, giving him a reassuring little smile when his head whipped around; he stared at me when I did a little dance right there on the sidewalk, singing him Bob Marley's all-time famous classic.
He rolled his eyes and the emotions boiling behind them faded, growing dimmer. His face slowly softened and he grew a little less tense, but I simply sang and smiled at him while I danced, clapping my hands like a goofy idiot with my braids swinging back and forth.
I wiggled, I jumped, I skipped around and wobbled and even twerked a little against his front, which made him let out a reluctant chuckle.
"What are you doing?" he murmured, watching me with tempered amusement.
I stopped singing and straightened myself out of the weird little squat wiggle I'd been doing. I looked at him seriously, clasping my hands together.
"Making you feel better," I told him; the river rushed beneath us and the wind ran cold against my skin, but I still smiled in the darkness, unable to stop myself whenever I saw those beautiful eyes watching me. "I don't care what might happen in the future... the reason I haven't planned ahead is because I prefer taking things one step at a time. Nobody knows what's gonna happen ten years from now, let alone a hundred."
"True," he conceded, raising an eyebrow. "You... I can hear your heart. You're calm. Does this possibility not frighten you?"
"It does," I told him, then shrugged and added, "but I believe in you. I believe in your family. I believe that if we're careful, whatever future Feng-Feng and her husband may or may not have seen can be avoided. I believe that the future is in our hands, Bash. Maybe the fact that they gave me the gift was the thing that will allow us to change the future."
"What?" he asked, blinking rapidly; his heavy brows sank into an intense frown. "Why the hell do you say that?"
"Think about it," I said, tilting my head and spreading my arms, "you obviously knew the moment I explained what happened that it meant something bad is coming, and since they gave this gift to me and not you, it means that I'm the one in danger, right?"
"Yes," he said slowly, warily, still not understanding.
"It means you currently have precognitive knowledge about the future," I said flatly, and he froze, mouth actually dropping open as the realization of what I was saying finally smashed into his brain. I grinned at the startled look on his face. "You know something bad might happen and that gives you an edge you wouldn't have had otherwise."
"Oh, my God," Sebastian uttered, looking completely bamboozled. "You're a fuckin' genius."
"Hardly, I'm actually an idiot," I laughed, but he shook his head.
"No, no, you might just be a God damn genius, Aerin," he muttered, stroking his facial hair in thought. "Genies are very mischievous and cunning creatures and they're very fond of riddles. If they do something or say something there's always more than one reason, and more often than not the reason isn't even noticed until later. Its usually seen in hindsight."
"Really?"
"Yes," he snorted, brows raising; he nodded slowly. "You may be on the nose with that. It's very possible that they intended for me to know that something would happen to you. The future is subjective due to how we behave in the present... it isn't set in stone."
"Then how do genies see it?" I asked, momentarily thrown off.
"They see all of the infinite paths that lead to future possibilities," he explained, and I felt a queer little flutter in my gut. "Their gift is fairly incredible."
"How do you even know all this?" I asked. "I forgot to ask that, but... I mean, really, its kind of weird how you know so much."
He went quiet for a second, then closed his eyes. "I sought one out regularly during the years I was looking for Jasper. He is the one I used to get information from, the one who would drop hints about where to look, what places to search... everything I know, I learned from him. When a genie says they see all, they truly mean it. They see everything major within seconds."
I let out a sigh and stepped forward, clasping his hands with both of mine. I met his eyes, smiling up at him.
"Let's just take things one step at a time," I said, tugging his huge body until he started walking and allowed me to pull him. "First, let's head back to the hotel. Second, let's get naked. Third, let's cuddle and live in the here and now instead of the future--"
I gasped when he bent down and scooped me into his arms, holding me so my face was at eye level. He looked at me for a second, irises flitting back and forth, and then he pecked me on the nose, smirking with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
"Good enough for me," he said, carrying me back towards the bed and breakfast. "I love you."
I settled my head against his chest, basking in the heat of his arms. No matter what happened, I wouldn't forget this feeling. I would protect him. I would protect everyone, to the best of my ability, regardless of what came our way I would do everything I could to stay away from danger.
I was going to keep my happiness no matter fucking what.
"I love you too," I whispered. "So don't worry... about a thing... cause every little thing..."
"Is gonna be all right."
The sound of his throaty, raspy, velveteen voice carried across the river as he carried me off.
Far in the distance, a roar pierced the night sky, barely heard over the wind.
A distant promise.
Or perhaps a warning.
I didn't know nor care.