Page 8 of Vampire's Promise
Setting each bucket aside, he worked until he had a dozen filled with water, then flashed himself and them to the work site on the other side of the hill. It surprised him he wasn’t forced to carry each one and for that, he was grateful. It had taken him several tries to figure out what he could use his power for, and what he had to perform manually. When he arrived at the work site with the water, he filled a large tub with several shovels of soft limestone followed by other materials, such as Egyptian salt natron and lime, to list a few. He then mixed in the water with a paddle until he had mud and his bucket work started all over again, except now he filled each one with his limestone concrete mixture, and when he had enough, he once more flashed to where the pyramid was to be constructed.
His palms blistered and healed from the handling of bucket, shovel and paddle, but he pressed on. Lifting each bucket, he poured his muddy mix into a large wooden mold––which he hadbuilt by hand earlier that morning––and finally he had his first one filled.
“Ah, Kian. You have managed your first stone. Only several million to go.” The god of judgment laughed.
Kian glared. “It would prove much faster if I were able to use all my power.”
Once again, the god laughed. “Well, what would be the fun in that?”
“This is your fun, not mine. I also think it only fair that you tell me exactly why my birth is a crime.”
“Not today as it doesn’t suit me.”
Kian never stopped his work, figuring it might cost him more of a punishment if he delayed to chat with the god of assery. “Have you informed my mother that I am here?” He wondered if she would be allowed to see him. Of course, knowing the goddess of destruction as he did, she would lay waste to entire realms in order to get to him. It surprised him she wasn’t already.
“I have nothing to say to that female.”
Interesting. So, perhaps his motherwasthe cause for his detainment. “So I am allowed no visitors?”
Khedeus shouted out a laugh. “What do you think this is, a fucking resort?”
Finally, he stopped working. “I think this is a god with some kind of grudge. There is no actual crime committed here and there certainly isn’t any fair judgment. It’s simply you deciding my fate for whatever fucked-up reason you have.” His entire body shook with anger, and he knew the moment the words left his mouth he should never have taunted the god. But he was too far in the red haze to give a shit. When Khedeus’s upper lip curled and revealed white pearly fangs right before the god smiled, he knew he had stepped too far.
“I have been remiss. Allow me to apologize. Perhaps I can rectify some of the situation by providing you with a littlecompany.” The god drilled into his mind and flipped through his memories like a picture book.
Before he could ask, Khedeus vanished, and Kian was left with his gut twisted into several knots. Not daring to linger too long, he gripped the strap on his bucket and threw himself back into his work. There was no other choice left to him other than to work and wait for whatever shit the god planned to dump on him next.
Gwen smiledas she sat on the floor of Ariana’s bedroom and they brushed the hair of her dolls. Her niece was growing up so fast and at six years old, she was already showing her power as a healer, like her parents.
“Did I tell you I’m trying to talk daddy into letting me have a puppy?”
“Hmm, and he is saying no?”
“Not exactly.” Her eyes flashed from liquid silver to green, then back. Ariana carried the eye color of both her parents, depending on her mood. “He said as soon as I can perfect my sword fighting to keep any predators away, then he will consider it.”
Gwen couldn’t help but laugh. “That does sound like your father, but what predators does he fear will carry away your new puppy?”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know. The dragons would never do that, and we have no other dangers here in Vandeldor.”
Nodding, Gwen said, “I agree, but your father is pushing you to be your best. The world can be a dangerous place, Ariana. You are a guardian and one day it will fall to you to protect humanity.”
Ariana tied a red ribbon around her doll’s hair. “Will my mate be human like Mommy?”
“It is hard to say what fate will decide for you, but you are much too young to worry about such things.”
With a smile that would light up the darkest world, Ariana stood. “I will be a warrior just like you when I am grown.” She held out her small hand. “Come on, let’s go outside and watch the dragons fly.”
Gwen took Ariana’s hand in her own and her heart ached. Somewhere out there in the universe, she had a mate. Would they one day have a child like Ariana? How was she even going to find him? Maybe she would get lucky and have a vision that would lead her to where he went. Shoving him from her mind, she walked outside with her most favorite small person in the world. Once the sun of her homeland touched her face, everything righted itself. At least for the moment, and she allowed Ariana to lead her up a dirt path to an open grassy hill where they sat and watched the young dragons learning to fly.
Pointing her small finger to the sky, Ariana said, “That blue one there is my friend Brenton. He just learned to fly last summer.” She looked at Gwen. “I wish I could fly, don’t you?”
“That would be pretty cool.” She smiled.
“Brenton says when he’s big enough he will take me flying.” Ariana offered an enormous smile into the sun as she watched her friend. Gwen didn’t have the heart to tell her that her father would likely freak the hell out at the thought of his daughter flying with a dragon. He was very protective of his daughter, just as he had been of Gwen after they had lost their parents. It had just been the two of them, and Marcus had made certain Gwen wanted for nothing. He had taught her to swing a blade until he was confident she could defend herself. It felt so long ago that she had been that young and so much had changed in all of their lives.
A familiar power brushed across her skin and both Ariana and she stood and turned to face the power behind them. Aunt and niece both dropped to one knee and bowed their heads.
Zarek smiled, bent over, and opened his arms. “Ariana. How is my favorite little girl?”
