added.
She hid a smile, hearing his moody
territoriality. He was part of the reason she and Jonny hadn’t gone
to the Guardians already. Xander didn’t want his family used as
pawns by anyone. He ran interference with Damian for that purpose.
The result: she and Brandon had a pretty normal college experience
instead of being absorbed into the Guardian network.
If he were contemplating going back on his
position, it was out of his concern.
“I didn’t think you’d be like this about
it,” she said.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Ashley.
There are some actions that can’t be undone. I’d rather you never
know what that means, but you’re pushing in this direction.”
She peered up at him once more. Xander had
the ability to see pieces of the future within a very narrow lane.
“You think something bad will happen?”
“I know it. When you fuck with a god, you
don’t walk away without scars.”
“Do you have scars?”
“From multiple gods,” he said with a rare
smile. “But I can handle the pain.”
She swallowed hard. It was the bluntest he’d
ever been with her. While it dampened her eagerness to take on
Jonny, it didn’t kill the urge completely.
It made her think she wasn’t fully aware of
what Jonny had become. She still saw the young man she’d known in
her mind’s eye when she thought of him.
“He won’t kill or vamp you,” Xander added.
“He knows I’d find a way to destroy him if he does. Fucking with
him isn’t going to be a gentle lesson.”
Recalling how hard he’d bitten her the
second time, she began to think it was well worth the effort not to
get caught again, to focus on attacking his vamps without facing
him in person.
Though it made for dissatisfying
vengeance.
“I’ll be careful,” she murmured.
“Be smart. You’ll last longer.”
He didn’t sound optimistic about her chances
to face Jonny. Ashley’s heart pounded hard, and she assessed all
Xander had told her. It was hard for her to imagine what he meant
about lines that shouldn’t be crossed. As long as she didn’t do
anything that she didn’t feel was right, she wasn’t going to have a
problem with regret or scars.
“C’mon. Let’s check in on Jessi and the
boys,” Xander said, turning.
They started walking back towards the boxy
white mansion perched at the edge of the beach. Deep in thought,
Ashley didn’t dare reopen the discussion. She had too much to think
about. The troubling idea she was endangering Brandon was foremost
in her thoughts.
Jonny had found him despite his ability to
hide. What were the chances the Black God could do it again?
She didn’t break out of her solemn silence
until they reached their apartment later that evening. Brandon was
in a cheerful mood. She usually was, too, after the weekly dinners
with Jessi and Xander.
Tossing her purse on the couch, Ashley
paused to watch Brandon. He moved with habitual purpose, depositing
his keys here, tossing his jacket there, flipping on his laptop
before disappearing down the hallway to change into sweatpants and
t-shirt. When he reappeared, she waited for him to take up his
place on the couch before the computer.
“Maybe we should stop trying to fight
vamps,” she started.
“What?”
“I mean, what if Jonny warning us is
something we should take seriously?”
He sat back and gazed at her quizzically.
“He didn’t scare you off, did he?”
“No.”
“Did Xander?”
“Not really,” she replied vaguely. “But you
can’t fight and I can’t be everywhere.”
“Hel-lo. Of the two of us, I can disappear,”
he reminded her. “You’re the more vulnerable one.”
“What would you do if they trapped you?”
“What would you do if you were about to have
an episode and were being chased by vamps?”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t have them that
often!”
“It only takes once for Jonny to catch you,”
Brandon said and turned to face his laptop screen. “I think we
should keep on fighting
She hid a smile, hearing his moody
territoriality. He was part of the reason she and Jonny hadn’t gone
to the Guardians already. Xander didn’t want his family used as
pawns by anyone. He ran interference with Damian for that purpose.
The result: she and Brandon had a pretty normal college experience
instead of being absorbed into the Guardian network.
If he were contemplating going back on his
position, it was out of his concern.
“I didn’t think you’d be like this about
it,” she said.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Ashley.
There are some actions that can’t be undone. I’d rather you never
know what that means, but you’re pushing in this direction.”
She peered up at him once more. Xander had
the ability to see pieces of the future within a very narrow lane.
“You think something bad will happen?”
“I know it. When you fuck with a god, you
don’t walk away without scars.”
“Do you have scars?”
“From multiple gods,” he said with a rare
smile. “But I can handle the pain.”
She swallowed hard. It was the bluntest he’d
ever been with her. While it dampened her eagerness to take on
Jonny, it didn’t kill the urge completely.
It made her think she wasn’t fully aware of
what Jonny had become. She still saw the young man she’d known in
her mind’s eye when she thought of him.
“He won’t kill or vamp you,” Xander added.
“He knows I’d find a way to destroy him if he does. Fucking with
him isn’t going to be a gentle lesson.”
Recalling how hard he’d bitten her the
second time, she began to think it was well worth the effort not to
get caught again, to focus on attacking his vamps without facing
him in person.
Though it made for dissatisfying
vengeance.
“I’ll be careful,” she murmured.
“Be smart. You’ll last longer.”
He didn’t sound optimistic about her chances
to face Jonny. Ashley’s heart pounded hard, and she assessed all
Xander had told her. It was hard for her to imagine what he meant
about lines that shouldn’t be crossed. As long as she didn’t do
anything that she didn’t feel was right, she wasn’t going to have a
problem with regret or scars.
“C’mon. Let’s check in on Jessi and the
boys,” Xander said, turning.
They started walking back towards the boxy
white mansion perched at the edge of the beach. Deep in thought,
Ashley didn’t dare reopen the discussion. She had too much to think
about. The troubling idea she was endangering Brandon was foremost
in her thoughts.
Jonny had found him despite his ability to
hide. What were the chances the Black God could do it again?
She didn’t break out of her solemn silence
until they reached their apartment later that evening. Brandon was
in a cheerful mood. She usually was, too, after the weekly dinners
with Jessi and Xander.
Tossing her purse on the couch, Ashley
paused to watch Brandon. He moved with habitual purpose, depositing
his keys here, tossing his jacket there, flipping on his laptop
before disappearing down the hallway to change into sweatpants and
t-shirt. When he reappeared, she waited for him to take up his
place on the couch before the computer.
“Maybe we should stop trying to fight
vamps,” she started.
“What?”
“I mean, what if Jonny warning us is
something we should take seriously?”
He sat back and gazed at her quizzically.
“He didn’t scare you off, did he?”
“No.”
“Did Xander?”
“Not really,” she replied vaguely. “But you
can’t fight and I can’t be everywhere.”
“Hel-lo. Of the two of us, I can disappear,”
he reminded her. “You’re the more vulnerable one.”
“What would you do if they trapped you?”
“What would you do if you were about to have
an episode and were being chased by vamps?”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t have them that
often!”
“It only takes once for Jonny to catch you,”
Brandon said and turned to face his laptop screen. “I think we
should keep on fighting
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