"Oh,I listen to reason when it's reasonable. Doing something when there has to be abetter way, not so much. I'm happy here. I'll police the vamps in Cedar Falls,but damnit, Yuki, I don't want your father's property or the vamps in Ashville.I didn't even want my mother's coven. Here is my home, and here is my family."
Shenodded in understanding. "Sounds like your mother's doing a bang-up job.Maybe you should take over that coven, too." She rolled her eyes.
"Herrole is to guide, not to govern," Candace said somberly in an otherworldlyvoice from the hallway outside the bathroom before shaking her head, blinking,and scrambling her towel covered nakedness into her bedroom. Josie shot us aquestioning look as she followed her.
Yukisighed and shrugged, letting it go.
"Methinksthe Lady doth put a little too much faith in her red-headed minion."
"Minion?"Yuki scoffed and took a sip of my coffee.
"Hey!Get your own." I took my cup and winced. Our conversation had lasted longenough for it to cool off and hit that tepid bitter stage. I grimaced andgulped down the rest. "Make me one, too?" I grinned.
"Yes,Master." She took my mug and headed to the kitchen.
Aminute later, Josie and Candace slipped out of the room and settled back downon the loveseat wearing matching pink T-shirts and little, if nothing, else. Icouldn't help but smile at their adorableness. "How are you not cold?"
"Whocould be cold next to this little ball of sunshine?" Josie scrunchedCandace a little closer.
"Speakingof little balls of sunshine, what the hell was that this afternoon?" Inarrowed my eyes at Candace until she squirmed uncomfortably in Josie's arms.
"Whatwas what?' Josie's curiosity was piqued.
Ipointed at her fiancé. "While we were getting our asses kicked, she yellsat an angel and it flies off with its tail feathers tucked between its legs."
Josielooked down at Candace for confirmation and Candace stared at the floor. "Didyou?"
"Yes."
"Thatwas very brave of you…"
"Andstupid. Now they know where I am. I was foolish."
"Uh…what'sgoing on?" I was so far out of the loop that I couldn't even see the loop.
Josielooked up at me and gave me an imperceptible shake of her head. For the firsttime in my life, Josie was privy to information that I wasn't. It was kind ofrefreshing.
"You'refey blooded, but your father wasn't elven," Yuki answered for her.
Judgingfrom how Josie's eyes widened to the size of saucers, she had hit the mark onthe head. "What?" I looked at Yuki.
"Todaywas the closest I'd ever gotten to one of the angels. Want to know what theysmell like?"
"What?"
"Sunshine.Just like Candace."
Ilooked over and Candace had her face in her hands, shaking visibly. Josiepractically snarled at Yuki and tried to comfort Candace by rubbing gentlecircles on her back.
Andit all clicked in my head. All the subtle clues, everything that she'd beenhiding, her troubled past. "Candy?"
Shepulled her hands from her face and looked at me forlornly with red rimmed eyes.
"Isit true?"
Shenodded, ever so gently. I held out my arms toward her and she didn't waste amoment before she crossed the distance and jumped into my lap. "Do youhate me?"
"Hateyou? What the hell for? Look at my mother. We're like sisters. You're the childof angels, and I'm the child of demons."
Shepulled back and raised an ironic eyebrow. "Yes. Just like sisters." She pursed her lips, but Icould see them trembling with laughter.
"Okay.Maybe cousins." I winked conspiratorially. "Why are you ashamed of beingsired by an angel?"
"You'veseen them. They are not nice." She frowned. "They're corrupt."
"Yep.They're a big bag of dicks. Doesn't change who you are, though." I ran myfingers through her hair, pulling some of the stray strands out of her eyes. "Butwhy are they afraid of you?"
Sheshrugged. "I've met only one. It was nearly four hundred years ago in a churchin Sweden. My master had left me with the priest when she was called off tobattle."
Myheart sank. No story of being left with a priest ended well.
"FatherMikel." She laughed at the memory. "Was a gentle soul who taught memuch of what I know about healing. Then one day the angel appeared, and I wasn'tsurprised. The priest was as close to the angels as a human could attain. Thenit started tearing apart the church and Father Mikel tried to stop it… He wascleaved in half by its sword." She gulped and started crying. I felt likean asshole for assuming the worst about the priest. "Something inside mebroke, and I ran out from where I'd been hiding. I shoved it back from where itstood over his body and it watched silently as I tried to heal him."
Istared incredulously. "Did you?"
"No.You can't heal the dead, but I tried."
Irubbed her shoulder. "The angel left you alone?"
Sheshook her head. "It called for others, singing that it had found me. Itwas in a language I'd never heard before but understood completely. Fear filledme and I knew they were coming for me. The angelsneered but wouldn't come near me. It dodged when I tried to attack it with mydagger. Then I felt them. A choir of them were coming for me. So, I ran andbarely managed to escape. It took me two years to find my master. When I toldher what had happened, she didn't seem surprised. My mother told me my fatherwas an angel, but I never believed her until that moment. I was an abominationin their eyes. Something to be destroyed, nothing more."
"Youare so much more." I hugged her and looked at Josie over her shoulder. "Youknew?" I mouthed my question and she nodded. I smiled in response, proudthat she had kept her secret.
Candacewent rigid in my arms. "What if they come back for me?"
"Thenevery witch, vampire, shadow, and dark elf in this city will stand between youand them."
"Whatif they come during the day?"
"Thenwe'll just have to hide until it gets dark." I winked at her reassuringly,not really feeling the bravado I was trying to project. Just one of the damnthings had mopped the floors and walls with us under the midday sun. I wasn'tkidding when I'd said we'd hide,
