Night Bites (3 page)

“It would really depend on who the student was. I don't think I can deal with more than one teenager at a time,” I reply. Working with two Phees would cause me to yank my hair out.

“The other for the current class you have would be male. He isn't a novice, so you wouldn't have to start from scratch with him,” Alex claims.

“Do I know this person?”

“You have met and it was actually your idea for him to get some training. It is Sam, the Collective agent we have sitting on ice in a cell,” Sebastian supplies.

I guess that was my idea. Hmm. Working with someone with at least a little experience might help counter being driven crazy from Phee's total lack of any.

“We can give it a try. If it doesn't work out, I will ship him off to someone else. I can give them full evaluations tomorrow and see what I have to work with,” I decide. “Speaking of tomorrow, our bond gave you a few extra benefits, Sebby. Are they gone, too?”

“I don’t think I will be eating real food, for now. The only other thing it gave me was a little extra boost in the sunlight, but I have been able to stand the sun, for the most part, on my own for a while now. I went out earlier today and didn't feel any difference.”

That’s good. We can still appear strong in front of the Collective. As far as they go, I don't want them to know anything special has happened. “Back to the witch, where is she now and did she receive any punishment for her part in this whole thing?”

“Like it was mentioned, she had tried for years to stay off of Ben's radar. When she saw him face-to-face she tried to make a run for it while he was distracted finding you. He wasn't all that distracted, though, and waved his hand through the air causing her to disappear. We haven't seen her since,” Sebastian says.

I am not really sure how I feel about that. Yeah, I am pissed that because of her, Tommy got to me, but what exactly has Ben done with her. If I want to punish a person, I do it and get it over with. I am hoping he isn't making a new sculpture for the entryway.

“What else was I going to ask? My brain feels all mushy and my thoughts seem to be dripping out my ears.”

“I think you are probably all caught up. We were hoping that maybe you will take a day or two off from work, but know we are pressing our luck. There is also the... um little side assignment you were supposed to come talk to me about yesterday after your training was over,” Alex tells me.

“Really? You are ready for me to just jump back into things? That is nothing like you,” I remark. I thought this little experience was going to cause a monsoon of yelling when I told them I was planning to get back to work immediately.

“Let's just say we feel a little more comfortable with you being out and about now that we know you have a demon at your beck and call,” he replies.

I am glad someone feels happy about that because I sure don't. No sane person wants a demon just popping in whenever they feel like it.

“So, this assignment from you, who, what, where and when?” I ask not even bothering with the why. It has to be someone bad for them to want to send me after him. I find that I trust their opinions whether the crime is punishable by death. Isn’t that funny, me actually trusting someone.

“I will tell you more about it on the way to a meeting we have regarding it tomorrow,” Sebastian informs me. “Marcus and Jonas will be your guards slash backup and I will be along because I cannot be away from you at the moment.”

Okay. Sounds a little secretive to me, but it is action so I am all for it. I hope my knives haven't gone dull during my day of rest.

“Why we are handling it this way will be revealed when you leave tomorrow, and if your brain wasn't still mushy you would probably figure it out. The mission is twofold and may not be easy. Marcus has an iron tight blood oath to you and Jonas would never betray us, so we can trust them to go along with you. You may need their assistance at some point. Also, I don't think you are going to be going anywhere for a while without Sebastian. So you better get used to your new shadow,”
Alex whispers to me.

As much as I love Sebby, him following me around is going to get old fast. I might be able to live with it for a day, or two, but that is about my limit. That means I have forty-eight hours to get this fixed.

My hope is that they are right and this is just something that will eventually wear off. I cannot rely on that, nevertheless, so that means I have to do some research of my own. Hitting the books has never been my thing, plus I doubt I could find something there that Sebastian didn't already know.

I need to talk to people to figure this out and there is only one person that I know that would possibly have this kind of information. The tricky part will be talking to Ben without having Sebastian present. I hope Ben is up for sharing dreams tonight. I know we just did one the other day, and I was dead set against ever doing it again, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Believe me, you wouldn't want a mopey, love sick vampire following you around twenty-four seven either. Just the last hour or so has made me start to itch. I seem to be getting rashes a lot lately. I should probably get that checked out.

Wanting to talk to Ben as soon as possible, never thought I would be thinking that, I claim exhaustion from my ordeal and head towards the bedroom. Sebastian tags along and Marcus moves to position himself outside my doorway.

I guess better outside than in, but still it is a tad bit creepy. I think we are going to have to discuss the changes in our relationship. When Alex first sent Jonas and Jake to me, we had to have a similar discussion.

While Sebastian strips down to his boxers, I change into some boy shorts and a tank to sleep in. I should take a shower to wash Tommy germs off my body, but I was unconscious when he touched me and as long as I don't think about it, I can pretend he didn't.

“You aren't really tired,” Sebastian says as he curls up behind me as I relax into bed. I snuggle into him and feel the hard planes of his thighs against mine.

“Sure I am, I went through a very horrible ordeal and I need to rest,” I reply.

“You know that might have been one of my favorite parts of our bond. You couldn't lie to me and I know you are now. I don't want to personally ask him for help, but if he has any idea how to fix this, I will take any help I can get.”

Even not connected, he can read me like a book. “I figure meeting in my dreams is safer than in person.”

“I wouldn't say that, but it is more private. Anything he does there can become true in the real world if he wants it. He wants you alive, though, so I don't worry that he will actually do harm.” I personally wouldn't count on that. My mouth has been known to get me in trouble before and I don't tend to be civil towards the demon.

“He initiated the dream last time, do you think he will tonight? Is there any way I can assure he will meet me?” I ask.

“I would guess he has his radio frequencies tuned to you, so just think of him as you fall asleep. He should pick up on your train of thought,” he instructs.

I am pretty sure I promised myself not to actively think of Demon Boy. Shoot, I didn't even think of him at all when I was faced with torture by forced mating. I guess we really do what we have to do.

“Okay, I will try. I love you, Sebastian. I will find a way to make things right.”

“I love you, too, and if anyone can find a way to fix this, I know you can,” he replies while he takes a deep breath smelling my hair and then kisses the top of my head.

Chapter 4

A gift that needs a handbook

When you are trying to force yourself to sleep, it is easier said than done. I make it through two thousand jumping sheep before I move on to multiplication tables. If that doesn't work, I am on to picturing paint drying.

I guess being knocked out cold for about a full day isn’t helping matters, but I really need to talk to Ben and I would like to do it before the cows come home. See, I am thinking his name. Ben. Ben. Ben!

“You know, Buttercup, if I knew your intent sooner, I could have brought you under after only five sheep,” Ben says from his chair in his secret room. Somehow, I was immediately transported to the scene without having to reawaken here.

I am not sure I like the fact that he just insinuated that he could make me go to sleep whenever he wants. I seriously hope I don’t develop a case of narcolepsy. I might need to let the guys drive me around for a while.

“I am sure you have realized by now that I don't exactly believe in doing things the easy way,” I retort from my position on the leather chaise.

“No. That most definitely cannot be said about you,” he says with a half laugh. “I can assume you are here for the fangy one. It was a most surprising outcome, one I have already voiced my displeasure about.” I vaguely remember hearing him say something about wanting a bond to stay intact. I think I passed out from pain five seconds later, so the exact words are lost to me.

“You are upset that me and Sebastian aren't tied together anymore?” I ask. I thought he would be jumping for joy with one less mate to worry about. It is a little odd that no one seems happy about this development. I can understand why me and Sebastian are depressed, but Alex sure wasn’t throwing a party to celebrate being my only mate.

“I wouldn't say you aren't tied. Looking at the relationship strands coming off you, he still burns the brightest. It is kind of a rich glowing purple. Very pretty, if you like that kind of thing.”

“You can see lines coming out of me leading to people I know?” I cannot focus on the subject of him not being happy about the bond breaking while this new element is exposed.

“Yes, it comes in handy to see the connections. When I take one soul, if they have a strong connection to another, the second one is easy pickings. Your strand to him changed slightly after being severed, mainly in the shading, but it is still very strong. If someone was to kill you, they would have to take him as well and vice versa,” he informs me. “You and wolfy have the same level of connection, as far as to death do us part goes.”

I take the news that me and Sebastian still have a strong connection as a good thing. “Is there any way to actually get things back to what they were? Do you think the drug will wear off?”

“Hmm,” he hums while appearing to be deep in thought. “The drug itself has run its course. It won't do any further damage, but the damage it has done isn't something that will go away on its own.”

Well there went the guys’ idea of it wearing off. “Crap,” I say simply. Not much else to say, other than fuck, but I am trying to be “civilized”.

“It is a bit of a dilemma, if you don't know how to fix these kinds of things,” he continues as if I didn't say a word. “You happen to be talking to someone who has that specific knowledge, though.”

Looks like things have somersaulted, pirouetted, and done a total one-eighty. Debbie Downer has left the building and Sally Sunshine has made her way to the door.

“So, what do I do?” I ask eager to be on my way to fix this.

“Good question. The answer to it won't come cheap. I have already saved your life once, well more or less, and have given you my protection, but have little to show in return,” he claims. His claims are correct, but I didn't actually ask for those things.

“I thought you planned on collecting a kid from me in the foreseeable future,” I reply. Not that I am planning on going through with it, but that should be payment enough for as many things as I can think of asking for. If I asked him to accomplish world peace, he should be jumping at the opportunity if he thinks he is getting a baby out of me.

“Oh yes, and believe me, you, me, and junior are going to be one big happy family, but that is long term. I want something for my troubles now. You know how demons are all for instant gratification,” he says with a smile. His eyes shift to a glowing red letting me know he is all demon underneath the pretty exterior.

Giving up something to him was not in my plan for coming here tonight, but I need the information and he has it. “What are the terms,” I ask dejectedly.

“I could be a total lecher and ask to watch the bond reconnection ceremony, but I will give you two your privacy. And since I don't currently have a specific want, all I will ask is for a favor, in the near future. When I ask for it, you will not balk, whine, or try to figure out a way around it. It is my favor and I can ask for it to be fulfilled any way I desire,” he responds.

I am a little concerned in what this “bond reconnection ceremony” is going to entail, especially when he says he would be a lecher for watching it, but I don't know of a way to get around it.

“When you ask for your favor, can you at least give me two options, so I can pick the one the least distasteful?” I ask trying to bargain for a little leeway.

He thinks about it for a second and then nods in agreement. “That will work. I have added the contract to your mark.”

I look down at my hand, not having felt a burn like when the mark was originally placed, I wonder if he really did anything. I cannot see anything different about it, but I didn't study it all that closely to begin with. I will have to have Sebastian take a look.

“What do I do to reinstate the bond?”

“Wait. First, I think we should drink to our agreement,” he says magically making two glasses appear in his hands. He hands me one and I stare at it.

The instant thirst I feel upon holding the glass makes me frown. “What is it?” I ask looking into the glass.

“Oh, nothing much. It will help with your bond ceremony, though, so drink up.”

I don’t trust him for a second, but forces that I cannot see make me drink the liquid down. It has a sweet licorice taste to it and its thickness coats my throat as I swallow it. When I finish, my glass disappears.

“Good. Back to the subject at hand, reinstate is a good word for it. You won't be creating a new tie, just reactivating the one that is currently dormant between the two of you. It is quite simple really, although you may find it a little awkward and, in general, be squeamish about it,” he states.