of that. David Corrigan is a clever, intelligent man. If he has been using his own methods to seek her out, he may have inadvertently been exposed to others.”
“He showed up at the Seven Circles one night,” Jax confirmed. “He never should have made it over the threshold, but he used Ryssa’s name. After that, Ryssa begged Gunther not to let him in anymore. It was for his safety as well as hers. Karthik demanded recompense for providing the means for a human to enter unescorted.”
“It took a lot of courage for David to come to you,” Ana said.
Vlane cupped his wife’s face tenderly. “Courage, yes. David Corrigan is a man of strength. But I have seen inside his mind, love. His feelings run far deeper than even he is willing to admit. He will do whatever it takes to see the woman again, and it might just get him killed.”
“There must be something we can do,” she said, taking her husband’s hand and letting the magick of their bond flow through them. Something I can do, she added in his mind.
Vlane knew immediately what she was talking about. Ana was a rare Fae, the only known one in existence. Because of their ability to grant wishes, the race had been the target of both mortals and immortals alike. Like animals, they had been hunted, captured, and used to near extinction. Ana’s presence proved that some of them had survived, but was also a reminder of just how deeply they had gone into hiding. Her true nature and abilities were known only to Vlane and a select few of his bloodline or those who, like Jax, had willingly bound themselves to keep her secret and guard her life.
“Not even your magic can break a blood contract, love. And I have no wish to expose your abilities to Karthik just yet.”
“You worry too much,” Ana said against his chest. Her hands made little petting motions meant to soothe, that light touch accomplishing more than any amount of force ever could.
“Where you are concerned, that is not possible,” he replied. His wife was the other half of his soul, his light in a world of darkness. He had waited over five hundred years for her; he was fiercely protective of her now that he’d finally found her.
“But we are getting ahead of ourselves. It may be that Ryssa is content where she is.”
Jax was unable to completely silence his disagreement on that, lamely attempting to cover the sound with a cough. Vlane caught the not-so-subtle hint and smiled. “Or not. Still, when one sells their soul to a demon of their own free will, there is little that can be done.”
Jax coughed again. Vlane looked at him questioningly, but the younger vamp’s expression gave away nothing.
“Ryssa sees angels, right?” Ana said after several moments passed in contemplative silence. “Maybe Armand will have some ideas. That is kind of his area of expertise, right?”
Armand was even older than Vlane, and a former monk.
“An excellent idea,” Vlane agreed. “Come. He will be most anxious to hear of this.”
––––––––
“S he sees Angels,” Armand murmured after hearing Vlane recount David Corrigan’s visit to him and Vlane’s sireling, Kristoff. He looked from one to the other. “Are you certain?”
“That is what Corrigan said,” Vlane confirmed. “When it was time for his mother to pass on, Ryssa took his hand and he claims he saw an angel, as well as loved ones that preceded her in death.”
“Extraordinary,” the former monk murmured.
“What is capable of seeing through the realms like that, Armand?” Vlane prodded. Having spent a good many years with Armand, he knew that the ancient vamp was more likely to immerse himself in his own musings for long periods of time than to speak aloud.
“Angels, of course,” Armand answered absently.
“Angels?” Kristoff scoffed. Much younger than either Vlane or Armand, he retained more modern-aged human characteristics, including a healthy dose of skepticism. “I didn’t think they liked slumming down here
“He showed up at the Seven Circles one night,” Jax confirmed. “He never should have made it over the threshold, but he used Ryssa’s name. After that, Ryssa begged Gunther not to let him in anymore. It was for his safety as well as hers. Karthik demanded recompense for providing the means for a human to enter unescorted.”
“It took a lot of courage for David to come to you,” Ana said.
Vlane cupped his wife’s face tenderly. “Courage, yes. David Corrigan is a man of strength. But I have seen inside his mind, love. His feelings run far deeper than even he is willing to admit. He will do whatever it takes to see the woman again, and it might just get him killed.”
“There must be something we can do,” she said, taking her husband’s hand and letting the magick of their bond flow through them. Something I can do, she added in his mind.
Vlane knew immediately what she was talking about. Ana was a rare Fae, the only known one in existence. Because of their ability to grant wishes, the race had been the target of both mortals and immortals alike. Like animals, they had been hunted, captured, and used to near extinction. Ana’s presence proved that some of them had survived, but was also a reminder of just how deeply they had gone into hiding. Her true nature and abilities were known only to Vlane and a select few of his bloodline or those who, like Jax, had willingly bound themselves to keep her secret and guard her life.
“Not even your magic can break a blood contract, love. And I have no wish to expose your abilities to Karthik just yet.”
“You worry too much,” Ana said against his chest. Her hands made little petting motions meant to soothe, that light touch accomplishing more than any amount of force ever could.
“Where you are concerned, that is not possible,” he replied. His wife was the other half of his soul, his light in a world of darkness. He had waited over five hundred years for her; he was fiercely protective of her now that he’d finally found her.
“But we are getting ahead of ourselves. It may be that Ryssa is content where she is.”
Jax was unable to completely silence his disagreement on that, lamely attempting to cover the sound with a cough. Vlane caught the not-so-subtle hint and smiled. “Or not. Still, when one sells their soul to a demon of their own free will, there is little that can be done.”
Jax coughed again. Vlane looked at him questioningly, but the younger vamp’s expression gave away nothing.
“Ryssa sees angels, right?” Ana said after several moments passed in contemplative silence. “Maybe Armand will have some ideas. That is kind of his area of expertise, right?”
Armand was even older than Vlane, and a former monk.
“An excellent idea,” Vlane agreed. “Come. He will be most anxious to hear of this.”
––––––––
“S he sees Angels,” Armand murmured after hearing Vlane recount David Corrigan’s visit to him and Vlane’s sireling, Kristoff. He looked from one to the other. “Are you certain?”
“That is what Corrigan said,” Vlane confirmed. “When it was time for his mother to pass on, Ryssa took his hand and he claims he saw an angel, as well as loved ones that preceded her in death.”
“Extraordinary,” the former monk murmured.
“What is capable of seeing through the realms like that, Armand?” Vlane prodded. Having spent a good many years with Armand, he knew that the ancient vamp was more likely to immerse himself in his own musings for long periods of time than to speak aloud.
“Angels, of course,” Armand answered absently.
“Angels?” Kristoff scoffed. Much younger than either Vlane or Armand, he retained more modern-aged human characteristics, including a healthy dose of skepticism. “I didn’t think they liked slumming down here
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