He ignored me. Same ol’ Cahal.
Opening the juice, I put it to Antonio’s lips. He opened his eyes when the liquid hit his mouth, and took the bottle from me, chugging it. I had taken enough to make him groggy, so I wasn’t worried about his sluggishness, plus his heart rate was within normal parameters. Although, he did mutter incoherently, “I need…spell.”
“What do you need?” I asked, taking the empty from him and placing it on the nightstand.
He shook his head hard, and I bit my lip when he reached out a hand and yanked on Cahal’s shirt, startling him. Cahal glanced down, eyebrows furrowed. Antonio waved his hand, the action wobbly, mumbling, “Come here, Cahal. Need to do something.” He sounded a little drunk. Everyone glanced at Antonio, and I tried not to laugh at Cahal’s wide-eyed expression to the demand in Antonio’s tone, even if slurred.
“Excuse me?” he asked with a blank face.
“Don’t pull that,” Antonio waved the shaky hand again, “higher than thou crap right now. I need to do a spell on,” he waved a wobbly finger at Cahal, Elder Merrick, Elder Jacobs, and Elder Venclaire, “you guys, so get your ass down here so I can finish up with everyone else before I pass out.” When everyone stayed motionless — including myself — at the woozy Mage’s abrupt demand, Antonio sighed and lifted the empty orange juice bottle off the nightstand…and literally…smacked Cahal in the ass with it. “I. Said. Ass. Down. Here. Now.”
Ezra leaned, whispering at my ear, “You didn’t take that much blood, did you?”
I shook my head, eyes huge, not sure if I should laugh at Antonio for his drunken antics or protect him, since Cahal looked like he wanted to pummel him. “Enough to make him woozy, but not delirious.”
“What spell?” Elder Merrick interjected, just as Cahal opened his mouth to say something I was sure wasn’t going to be…polite…to Antonio.
Antonio grinned. Tapped his head. “Trust, my friend. Trust me to do right by you.”
Well…that explained shit.
Antonio blinked and glanced down at Elder Venclaire, and his eyes narrowed. “Well, I guess I could leave him out.” His head tilted haphazardly after a moment, his golden gaze meeting mine. “You really think of me as your dad?”
Mentally shaking myself at the abrupt change in topic, I nodded. “Yes.”
He waved the orange juice bottle at Elder Venclaire. “What about him?”
Um, not really the intimate conversation I wanted to be having in front of everyone, but he was looking so intently at me, even if blinking repeatedly, that I didn’t think he was going to let it go. I cleared my throat, watching Antonio closely. “I don’t know what to think of him. I know that he’s intelligent, cunning, a smart ass, and powerful.” I shook my head. “But other than that, I don’t know much about him, except that he loved my mother — even though she still ran from him when she found out she was pregnant.” I licked my lips. “With all that being said, I would like to know him better, but as far as a dad is concerned, you’re always going to be first in my mind and heart.” I shrugged, the action fairly easy. “You’re my dad.”
Slowly, Antonio began to smile until his grin was brighter than any twinkling star. “Well, alright,” again, the orange juice bottle waved drunkenly in the air, “I guess I’ll do the spell on him since he’s no threat.”
Huh?
His eyes glowed golden, and before anyone could stop him — we all sat or stood stunned — he ran his thumb over Elder Venclaire’s forehead, a line of shimmering golden dust trailing where he touched before it sank into Elder Venclaire’s skin. Then, further adding to our shock, he bent/fell over Elder Venclaire, his lips moving without sound as he pressed on Elder Venclaire’s chin, opening his mouth to press his own lips to the Vamp’s. I blinked, frozen, and watched in stupefied shock as a golden light suddenly erupted between the cracks where their opened mouths touched. Elder Venclaire’s body arched for a second, like he had been shocked, then fell back to the bed as slack as he had been before, still out cold as Antonio took his mouth away, gently pushing the Vamp’s mouth closed again before he thumped back against the headboard with a silly grin on his face.
He threw his arms wide, teetering. “See, it wasn’t so bad.” He tapped his head with the orange juice bottle as we all watched, stumped. “Knowledge and protection, my friends.” He pointed the orange juice bottle at Elder Venclaire. “He’s got it. Now, who else wants it?”
There was a full minute of silence as everyone looked from the grinning Antonio to Elder Venclaire. I was pretty sure none of us really knew what to think of this. Antonio had just performed a spell on an unconscious Elder Vampire, someone not of his faction. He had just stepped over some major boundaries without getting Elder Venclaire’s consent. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure how many Laws that broke. I counted nine in my mind, and then gave up, figuring he should be rotting in jail for at least six of his lifetimes.
“Maybe I did take too much blood,” I mumbled, instantly training my ears on his heart rate again. “This could be blamed on that. He might not be held responsible for his actions, then.”
Antonio chuckled, his heart rate sounding fine to my ears. “Oh, Lil. There’s no jail that could hold me, and besides, I do believe,” his eyes glowed dimly, “I’m about to have another taker.”
Bindi was suddenly at the door, her eyes glowing as she stared at the ceiling, peering at absolutely nothing. Her voice was distant as she stated, “I’m needed.” Her head tilted to the side oddly, her gaze floating to Antonio. “Can you do the spell on me? I’m not powerful enough to do it myself.” Abruptly, her eyes stopped glowing, and her head straightened normally, but she didn’t take her attention from Antonio. “I can be trusted.”
Antonio’s eyes flickered tiredly, and he asked, “Do you know what you ask for?”
“No.” Her shoulders straightened. “Only that I’m needed.”
Antonio smiled drunkenly, “Then come on over here, and show these pussies it’s not so bad.”
She came, kneeling beside the bed. Antonio swiped his thumb over her forehead, the dust appearing then sinking into her forehead. He tilted up her face gently, murmuring, “Open your mouth.” She did, and his lips started moving — again, no sound emitted with his silent words — and he placed his lips to hers. The golden light shone through the cracks between their lips, and he gripped the back of her head when she arched, the light shining brightly. A soft moan emitted from Bindi before her body relaxed, just as Antonio took his mouth from hers.