"Where'sEllis?"
Sheafrowned. "When the blade pierced your heart, he felt it. Worse than any ofus."
Istarted to sit up, worried about him, but Yuki pressed me firmly down againstthe overly hard mattress. "He's alive. We were all about to shadow walkhere when he collapsed. He begged us to leave him and save you."
"Howdid you know where I went?"
Juneblushed and looked away.
"Youtold them?"
Shenodded. "I didn't doubt you would beat him, not after you destroyed Philipe,but I know what a devious, sneaky bastard Jules can be."
"Hesurprised me with those knives… I thought it was over and I was calling myshadow off the vampires before he killed all of them. Fucking sneak-attacks getyou every time."
Shenodded, looking like she had witnessed more than a few of them herself.
Thesounds of explosions outside shook the walls. "What the hell is that?"Even Yuki's hand couldn't keep me from sitting up, but I stayed still as painlanced through my chest and Dar ran to the window. He pulled the curtain,stared for a moment, and began chuckling softly.
"Whatis it?" I debated ignoring the pain in my chest and looking for myself.
"Yourmother," he answered with a bark of raucous laughter.
"Great."I groaned and leaned back against the bed. "The pain in my chest moved tomy ass."
"Oneof us should go down there and let her know the fight is over. Little vampiresare flying through the air and landing rather abruptly."
Yukigiggled and was gone in the blink of an eye and a whoosh of air. I desperately tried torest for a few moments and heal before my mother made an appearance. With thehole Yuki had made with her vacancy, Shea took the opportunity to fill it,gently caressing my arm as he sat beside me.
"Areyou all right?" He looked down at me sheepishly.
"I'lllive."
Asingle tear rolled down his cheek. "You had better. I do not know what Iwould do without you."
"Whatany of us would do without you," Daradded as he came back to the bedside.
"Iwas never in any real danger."
Theyboth scoffed.
"Seriously.I knew you would be here in an instant if I needed you." I winked. "Lookat you. You both ran out of the house in the middle of winter without evenputting on a shirt." I rawred and ran my finger down Shea'schest, watching in rapt fascination as his tattoos lit wherever our skintouched.
"Well,your safety outweighs our modesty," Shea answered with a smile as Junebacked away, not wanting to be a part of our tender moment.
"I'llmake some tea for your mother, but I fear I must depart for the day shortly thereafter.Yuki can show you around your home when you feel up to it." She bowed herhead.
"Yourhome. I'll continue living in Cedar Falls, thank you very much."
"Youdo not intend to…"
"Inever intended to. That's what I was trying to tell your brother-in-law. I amwhere I'm needed."
"Well,that is a discussion for another time."
"Yes.Best to keep my mother caffeinated." I rolled my eyes and earned a smilefrom June.
"Youremind me so much of her."
"Andhere I thought we were friends," I said half-jokingly. Andhalf-indignantly.
Junelaughed. "In the area of formidableness, you, your mother, and yourgrandmother are all cut from the same cloth." She bowed and backed out ofthe room.
Justas Yuki returned with a very angry looking banshee in tow, with red-hair andanswered to the name Mother. Crying, the banshee ran across the room and fellto the floor beside me. "Are you okay?"
"Yes?"
"Oh,thank the goddess." She bowed her head and pressed her forehead against myarm, sobbing silently.
"Whatare you doing here?"
Shelifted her head and stared at me incredulously with red-rimmed eyes. "Youwere hurt! Of course, I would come."
"Imean, how did you know?"
Shegulped and stared at me. "Your father…"
Ismiled. "You saw him, too?"
Shenodded, seeming almost frail. "Daughter…"
"Yes,Mother?"
"Iam sorry. Truly sorry."
"For?"The list was so long, I didn't know where she was starting.
"Treatingyour human…with such disdain."
"Marge?"Again, the list was too long, and I needed clarification.
"Yes.Midge."
"It'snot me you need to apologize to," I said sternly.
"Iknow, and I will."
"Whydo you hate her so much? She's the sweetest woman in the world?"
Mothershifted in embarrassment. "That is just one ofthe reasons."
"Huh?"
Mothersighed. "I'm jealous."
"Ofher?"
Shenodded.
"Why?"
Takinga deep breath, she thought about her answer for a moment before speaking. "Becauseof how much you adore her. You treat her more like a mother than you have ever treated me."
Inearly slapped her upside the head. "Because you never let me!" Enough was enough. I satback up and stared down at my mother, fighting the urge to throttle her aboutthe head, neck, and ears. "You and Nana both treat affection like somesort of disease! If you weren't belittling me, you were teaching me how to be abigger, badder witch!"
"Sweetie,belittling is how we show affection."
"So,you love Marge?" I cocked an eyebrow in disbelief.
Sheswallowed. Hard. And nodded. The answer I was least expecting.
"What?"
"Howcould I not? You move across the country, start a new life, and from the momentyou rolled into that dinky, dingey little town, she made sure you were fed andloved! I owe her a great debt."
Iblinked. Looked up at Dar, over at Shea, and back down at my mother, waitingfor the punchline. "Seriously?"
"Yes?"
"Well,okay then. Apparently, I've slipped into the Twilight Zone." I pushedmyself back against the headboard and sat up straighter, pulling Shea into thespace between my legs and hugging him like a teddy bear. I needed an anchor.
Mymother blinked as the tattoos on him flared into life, tilting her head andgasping. "What is that?"
"Iam tattooed," he said simply and held out his arm.
Shereached out and touched his arm, but they were lifeless beneath his fingers.She started tapping them.
"Theyonly light with your daughter's touch," he said by way of explanation.
"He'smy nightlight," I said with a chuckle.
"Thatis the most…unusual thing I've ever seen. Whatlanguage is it?" She looked at Shea instead of me. I barely spoke English,sometimes.
"Ido not know."
"Doesn'tmatter," I answered and hugged him a little tighter, causing them to flarejust a little brighter.
"Daughter?"
"Yes?"
"Poura little power into them…" She stared at the arm in her hand.
"What?"
Shefinally looked up, huffing in frustration. "Pour. Magic. Into. Them,"she answered slowly, for us slow kids in the back.
Ishrugged and smiled, letting my love, warmth, and magic flow into the embrace.
Theroom
