Merl, standing opposite, near the sink, kept going on and on about Thorne’s recent exploits, something he and Vela had missed since they’d been asleep through the morning.
Vela nodded to Merl. “So Thorne really tore the Illinois Two Seers Palace apart?”
“Yep. Found it abandoned, except for the Seers. He had several Militia Warriors practicing with the wrecker shotguns, which work even better outside the darkening. I hear it’ll be nothing but rubble soon.”
“Well thank the Creator for that. And what about the Seers?”
“Best part of the whole damn story.
He sent fifty-five drugged out women to Fiona’s rehab center.”
“Fifty-five? That man is incredible.”
“Yeah, he is.” Samuel groaned and snorted at the same time. He admired Thorne. Who the hell didn’t? But what he f**king resented was Merl using the news of Thorne’s exploits to impress his woman.
He focused on the steak and eggs that Vela had prepared for them, and yes, the woman could cook. She’d brought food over from her house again and even made some kind of salsa with chunks of fruit in it, mango maybe.
Since it was already after five and heading toward sundown, Samuel wished he had a beer. Of course that wasn’t the best way to start a night when he had a new skill-set to learn, if he could even help with the sealing of grid walls.
He glanced at Vela, thinking about what she’d said earlier, about wanting to mind-dive, that maybe his real issue was one about connection.
While Merl and Vela chatted away, he cut another slice of steak, piled on the egg, and the salsa, and shoved it in his mouth. He stared at the light granite of the island and chewed slowly.
His life had always been pretty simple. His mother had died when he was very young and his father had been, clear up until the day of his death, a sonofabitch who drank too much.
Samuel had lived a man’s life, a harsh life. That’s all he’d ever known.
Even the torture he’d endured had been part of living his warrior’s life. In many ways, that was his job. He was a Militia Warrior; warring, tough, and yes, maybe somewhat disconnected. He loved to f**k women, but he never let anyone in. Maybe he didn’t know how, but like hell he’d put Vela through the trauma of seeing what he’d been through by engaging in something like mind-diving.
He was also concerned for her physical safety. For the most part he had control of his dark power, but he still didn’t know what might cause an event like the one that had killed those innocent workers. And he didn’t want to find out, especially not when Vela shared his bed.
He glanced at her, his heart swelling at the sight of her lovely profile, her mass of hair pushed behind her shoulders, flowing in waves and curls, away from her plate. She was a beautiful woman, over two-hundred-years-old. Ascended life broke the bonds of Mortal Earth so that here he sat, falling in love with a woman over twice his age.
She wore jeans again, a great look for her long legs. Her peach-colored blouse, nipped in at the waist, had a row of buttons down the middle that he’d like to unbutton one at a time. He’d caught a glimpse of her low-cut sheer bra and had almost kept her in the bedroom with him for an additional twenty minutes.
With some effort, he’d restrained himself.
And if he kept looking and thinking about what was under her clothes, he’d be in trouble all over again.
He focused on his meal, and every once in a while, joined in the conversation but mostly Merl liked talking, so he talked.
When at last, their host rounded the island and called for plates, Samuel slid his in Merl’s direction, who performed dishwasher duty.
He glanced at each of them in turn.
“You two ready to see if you can seal a darkening grid wall together?”
“Can’t wait.” Vela smiled broadly then turned toward Samuel.
He still thought he was right about her, that she’d gotten spooked after that terrifying death vampire attack so long ago, and had reined in her life way too far.
Even seeing her present excitement proved his point.
“All right, where do you want to do this?” Samuel looked around the kitchen then at the window with a view of the sunlit forest on the opposite mountainside.
“I’m thinking we should leave the Phoenix Metro area.”
“That was my thought,” Merl said.
Vela looked from one to the other.
“Right. In case we end up summoning wreckers accidentally, they won’t land in Merl’s living room again.” For the next hour, Merl took them to various places around Second Earth, opening the grid then trying to seal it up, and only letting the approach of wreckers end their efforts.
Bottom line, Vela didn’t always have enough power to seal the grid by herself.
She could do it maybe fifty percent of the time and when Samuel tried to join her, they became oil and water and the effort failed.
Later, back at Merl’s house, Samuel paced the living room. “The problem is that I don’t have the darkening ability. I can’t even see the grid wall.”
“But you have Third Earth power,” Merl said. “And you have a connection to the darkening or you wouldn’t be here.”
“I’m not so sure. I know I have a connection to Vela, but not necessarily to the darkening.” For some reason those words made her smile and he gave her a smile right back. Damn he liked her. No, he loved her, as much as he was able, he loved her.
He’d been inside her mind, and knew her better than most of his friends, and he valued all that he knew her to be. In this short time he’d been with her, he’d fallen in love, maybe for the first time in his f**ked up life.
She came to him, and this time when he opened his arms he didn’t hold back, he just let his feelings flow.
This feels good, she sent.
Yeah, it does. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad the breh-hedden came to us.
I know. Me, too. She lifted her head to look up at him. I didn’t mean to pick at you earlier. I think you might be right about me and I wasn’t happy about that.
Me, too.
She nodded briskly, leaned up and kissed him. Could a man ask for more?
If Merl hadn’t been present, he would have returned the favor and made her feel that kiss to her toes.
As it was, Merl cleared his throat.
“Can we get on with this?” Vela drew back. “Yes, sorry Merl.
Just working some stuff out.” She blinked several times and listed on her feet.
“What’s wrong?” Samuel caught her arm and balanced her.