Damphir - 4. Chapter 4

I could so get used to waking up warm and comfortable. Mmmm. Wait, what’s that smell? It’s making my nose twitch. It’s food, hot food, meaty food and... And... Oh yeah... coffee with cream. The first soft purrs slip out but then I hear them, the voices. They are clearly trying to keep the volume down because they think I’m still asleep so maybe I should put a cork in the purring and listen to what they’re saying. In my situation, the more information I have the better.

“What the hell did you think you were doing, Rover? I asked you to befriend him not sleep with him.” That’s the guy that was here yesterday, the one with the posh voice. “I came to talk to him and found him curled up in your arms purring and bleeding. Where was your head? I thought we had worked through those control issues.”

“I’m sorry Fougue but he’s so... he’s... God Fougue he’s beautiful and when he purrs...” I can’t help smiling. Rover is so cute when he says I’m beautiful.

“You could have hurt him.”

“I did... But he hurt me too.

“That’s not the point. You deserved it: he didn’t.”

“He wasn’t complaining.”

“Rover... you don’t seem to understand. He’s Sar’s. Sar brought him here and he made no secret of the fact that he’s more than interested in him. He belongs to Sar, Rover and you know what happens if you mess with something that belongs to Sar.”

Sar? Hmmm... I’ve heard that name before – the master, the one who brought me here. The name makes me feel warm inside. He brought me here... he made no secret of the fact that he’s more than interested in me. Wait! Belongs?

It hurts to sit up, it hurts a lot but I’m not letting this go past without comment. “I don’t belong to anyone.”

Two pairs of eyes orient on me, one cool, one embarrassed and both startled.

“Ah Glory, I see you’re awake.”

“I don’t belong to anyone.”

“Of course not. It was a bad choice of words on my part.”

“No it wasn’t. He’s a bloody vampire: how else would he see me other than a possession? No wonder he brought me here instead of killing me. I’m some kind of plaything, a toy. Well if he thinks I am going to sit here waiting for him to come and play with me he’s crazy. I am not going to... Aw aw aw.” My knees are even worse today and just about every bone in my body hurts, not to mention certain... softer spots. I stand up: I fall down. I can’t even crawl. I curl up on the floor and start to cry.

When Rover scoops me up I resist at first but he holds me close and lets me cry on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Glory. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I couldn’t control myself. I’m really sorry. I’ll go. I won’t....”

“No.” Rover is the only friend I have here. I can feel the sincerity in his voice and I know he’s speaking the truth. I know he won’t hurt me. I don’t want him to leave me. I’m scared again, really scared. I want to run away and I know I can’t. I’m trapped and I really, really need a friend. “Please.”

“Put him down, Rover.”

Obediently Rover lays me on the bed and, even though I cling to him and he looks at me with such tenderness in his beautiful blue eyes, he breaks the hold and steps away. I feel... abandoned.

“Please... I need you. I’m scared, Rover. I’ll die without you.”

“Nonsense, Glory. Rover has his own life, his chores and duties around the house. He can’t spend all his time here with you and you will be perfectly alright without him.”

“No, no.” Rover is walking backwards towards the door his face sad but resigned. I feel as if my only rock in a sea of confusion and fear is disappearing and I’m drowning in it. “Please.” The plea is ripped from my soul. I hate myself for it. I am a strong and independent person. I have looked after myself all my life and I have never needed anyone. I can’t show weakness to these people. I have to be strong and watch for the chance of escape. I can’t let them see how weak I am. I can't stop crying.

“Calm down, Glory. No one is hurting you and no one is going to hurt you but the house has to run and you can't expect your presence to make it grind to a halt and start to revolve around you. There are too many people here already who think that.”

“I don’t care.” I wish I could stop crying so that my sullen rebellion could be convincing. “I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to stay here. Let me go.”

“I told you last night, Glory, you are not a prisoner here but you’re not going anywhere in your condition. You wouldn’t make it to the bottom of the garden. Let me take care of you until you are strong again and then you can decide what you want to do.”

“Hold me here until HE gets back you mean and it’s too late.” My voice is almost a wail and it’s embarrassing now, but I can’t stop it.

“You’re being foolish, Glory. Just relax and let me take a look at you. You’re clearly in pain and I can help you with that, if you’ll let me. If you don’t then your knees won’t heal properly and you’ll have trouble walking all your life. The remainder of your injuries are not serious but there is still a risk of infection and you are exhausted. If you don’t rest you will make yourself seriously ill.”

“I don’t need your help, I’m fine.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Glory; you are just making yourself look even more foolish by denying obvious fact.”

“I’m not...” The look in his eyes stops me dead. It’s going to go his way no matter what I do. He’s right. I don’t have the strength to fight him so I may as well just let him get on with it. “I’ll let you do what you want if you let Rover stay with me.”

“I told you, Rover has things to do.”

Stubbornly I fold my arms across my chest. I know I’m being stupid, and spoiled, and unreasonable but the vampire in me won’t let me back down without some victory. I think this man must be used to dealing with vampires because he sees something in me that makes him sigh and concede. “Alright, if it makes you more comfortable Rover can stay with you for a while, but only if you promise to do what you’re told and let us help you. And there is to be no more...” his eyes flick to Rover, “funny business.”

“I promise I’ll let you see to my knees and bandage my hands and that I’ll rest but I’m not going to blindly promise to do everything I’m told, at least until I know what it’s going to be.” The crying has stopped and the vampire is now definitely surpassing the cat because my stare could punch holes in the wall and he flinches at the tone of my voice. Good... it doesn’t hurt to manipulate the situation so that those with power over you are at least a little wary of you.

“Oh very well. That’s the best I’m going to get so I suppose we will have to live with it. Let me take a look at your knees.”

Fougue’s examination is brief but excruciating and I am sure that at least some of the pain is punishment. Surprisingly my knees seem to be the least of my worries as far as pain goes. There really isn’t much of my body that doesn’t hurt when he pokes and presses. My torso is almost completely black and blue but it doesn’t seem to deter Fougue at all. He prods me all over and it hurts, hurts, hurts. Not that I would ever tell him that, no way, so I bite my lips until they bleed and squeeze my eyes shut to stop the tears leaking.

I feel sick and decidedly woozy. The food smells nice but I really don’t know if I am going to be able to eat any of it. Finally he pulls the covers back over my shivering body. For a minute I can’t even open my eyes. He’s looking at me. I knew he was looking at me but I didn’t know that the look on his face would be so... soft.

“Do you need help to sit up?”

“What do I need to sit up for? I’m quite happy where I am.” For that read – I really, really don’t want to get up because if I do I know it’s going to hurt and I’m afraid I’ll cry or be sick and that would be really, really embarrassing.

“If you want to eat you have to sit up.”

Eat... hmmm. I would quite like to eat but I feel sick, but maybe if I eat I won't feel so sick. And I feel weak but if I eat maybe I won’t so... “Okay.”

I wouldn’t dream for a moment of letting them see how hard it is to drag myself up against the pillows that Fougue thoughtfully mounds behind my back. Oh god it hurts, and I’m so damned weak and stupid. The room is fading in and out and although I know Fougue is talking to me his words are kind of a distant buzz. Better at least try and pay attention.

“... and you’ll feel a lot better when you wake up. Do you think you can manage to eat by yourself?”

He looks at me and I wonder what he wants. Oh right; an answer. “No.” Damn, even my voice is weak.

Fougue clicks annoyance and whirls to face Rover. “I’ll be back in half an hour,” he growls, “and if I find you’ve so much as touched him you’ll sleep in the kennel for a week.”

Rover blanches and nods wordlessly. Fougue growls again, a purely human sounding growl, and then he flicks his head and sweeps out.

Rover stands with his head down looking deeply embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” he says softly. It doesn’t suit him, that meekness. He’s a great big growly dog and he should be barking not bowing.

“Bollocks to that.” I manage to say. I’m so hungry I’m nauseous. “All I’m interested in now is the food. Feed me.”

“Feed your bloody self.” Rover growls, annoyed. That’s better. I want to snap back at him but nothing surfaces through the soup that passes for my mind this morning. I simply close my eyes. Let him do what he wants, I’m too tired for a fight.

I hear him move around, the clank of dishes and then he’s standing over me. “Are you going to stop sulking long enough to eat?” Sulking? Is that what he thinks is going on. I’m still too tired to fight. “I thought you were hungry. Oh well, I can always take it back to the kitchen if you don’t want it.”

No. I can’t lose that food. He wouldn’t; would he? “Please.” I open my eyes and see his widen slightly. I can’t let him see how desperate I am, how defeated, and ill and weak and scared. For god’s sake pull yourself together Glory. You can manage, you can do anything you want, you don’t need a stupid dog.

He sits down on the bed, balancing the tray on his knees. The smell is making my mouth water but making me feel sick at the same time. I can’t help the sigh. Rover is looking at me with a weird look in his eyes. He doesn’t look like he’s mad at me anymore. Biting his lip he reaches out and gently tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.

“Did I do that?” he asks softly.

“Do what?”

“Make you ill.”

“I’m not ill,” I grouch irritably. “I’m just tired and hungry.”

“Do you hurt a lot?”

I consider. “Yes, but not all of it is you. Most of it is that bastard who beat the crap out of me before he brought me here. And I’d been beaten up the day before so...”

“Hell, Glory does that happen to you a lot?”

I consider again and shrug. “Pretty much. People don’t like me.”

“They don’t? Why not? You’re so... um... nice.” He colours a little and looks away. I stare at him, is he really that dim? It seems so.

“It’s because of what I am.”

“Oh.” His eyes widen then he looks down at his hands, twisting his t-shirt. “I would never hurt you, Glory, not like that.”

I manage to find a smile and give it to him. “That’s nice to know. Can I have my breakfast please, before I pass out from hunger?” He looks up quickly, then sees the smile and gives it back.

“Mmm.” Breakfast is nice. Sausages and bacon, lots of it, with a pot of coffee and jug of cream. I am tempted to ignore the coffee and just drink the cream, but I need a coffee boost.

“What’s this?” There is a small glass next to the coffee pot.

“I have no idea. Fougue gives it to everyone who’s ill. It’s his secret recipe but it seems to help.”

I sniff it suspiciously. It does smell herby and when I sip it tastes like aniseed and honey. “Hmm, not bad.” It goes down sweet and makes me feel warm.

Rover is good at feeding me. In fact he’s great. I’m trying to hold cat at bay. It seems he’s my default personality, at least when I’m warm, comfortable and well fed. But I really don’t want him around right now. Cat wants to purr and rub himself against Rover, but that would be bad, very bad. It is much safer being vampire Glory. However, the cream, Rover’s closeness and my total exhaustion is making it more and more difficult and when I sit back with a full belly and a mug of coffee in my hands I can't stop the purr slipping out.

I have to try and distract myself from watching his beautiful big strong muscles and his sparkly blue eyes. “So who is he?”

Rover jumps as if he wasn't expecting me to speak. “Who’s who?”

“That man, the one with the funny accent... Foogoo.”

“Fougue,” he says with a smile. Nice teeth. “He’s kind of... I don’t know, a housekeeper of sorts, more like a headmaster.”

“A headmaster? Is this a school?” I ask surprised. Rover laughs, a really beautiful rumbling laugh.

“Hardly. No, it’s certainly not a school. It’s just that he acts like a headmaster sometimes.”

“Yeah, I see what you mean. So, if not a school, then what?” Instead of waking me up this coffee is making me ever more warm and sleepy. I snuggle deeper into the pillows and try to focus on what he’s saying.

“Well, that’s not so easy to explain. It’s Sar’s house... one of Sar’s houses. He’s on the Council.” As if that explain anything. Okay, it explains the fancy house, and I’m really not surprised that he’s on the Council of Races, but apart from that... “He kind of picks up strays.” What? My hackles rise and my eyes widen and he hurries on. “Not that I’m suggesting you’re a stray or anything; it’s just, well sometimes there are people who get on the wrong side of the Council and sometimes Sar doesn’t think they deserve to be. So he brings them here until he can work things out with the Council.”

I think my blank look tells him all he needs to know about how well I’m following him. “See, I told you it’s not easy. It’s like... well take Valentine; he’s a vampire, a spoiled brat and he really rocked the boat for his family. He feels that the law is something that doesn’t apply to him and any human is fair game for his appetites. His family complained to the Council and they were going to put him in a ‘facility’ but Sar brought him here and he’s trying to educate him but it’s slow going to say the least. You might want to stay away from him for a while, he’s a real bitch.

“There are a couple of lone wolves who caused trouble in their packs, some fey who don’t like the terms of the treaty...”

“And you.”

“Me? Well um... I... yeah, me.”

“So how did you end up here?”

“I um...” he looks away blushing deep crimson. It’s really cute. “I kind of accidentally killed someone important.”

“Accidentally? How can you accidentally kill someone?”

“I didn’t accidentally kill him, I just accidentally killed HIM. I didn’t know he was important when I killed him.”

“Aha.” I can’t keep the giggle inside and it makes him laugh. “I like your laugh.”

He looks a bit shocked and embarrassed but I can’t help myself. I’m really sleepy and cat always comes out when I’m sleepy especially when I’m warm and comfortable. Sometimes I change completely which is why I always try and go to sleep somewhere secluded so I don’t get caught at it. Cat tends to say exactly what he feels without filtering it through my brain first.

“Your eyes twinkle when you laugh,” I murmur while in the grip of a most enormous yawn. Wow where did that come from? I barely notice the purr.

Rover takes the coffee from my hands. “Hey, I was drinking that.”

“No you weren’t, besides your half asleep and were going to tip it.”

“Was not.” Another huge yawn cuts me off. Well, maybe I was but I’m not now, definitely not now. Definitely, definitely, def... not... “Mmm.” Why do I keep yawning? For heaven sake I just woke up.

“How long have you been here?”

Rover looks surprised but answers readily enough. “About three months.”

“Will you have to stay here forever?”

“No, only until Sar sorts things out with the Council. Apart from Valentine no one has been here longer than 6 months. He’s going to be here for a long, long time because he’s being such an arrogant little shit about the whole thing. He won’t change and the Council won't relent until he is prepared to prove that he has.”

“Hmm.” This is ridiculous! I can’t keep my eyes open. “I think I need to get up and walk around for a bit or I’m going to go to sleep again.”

“If you’re tired maybe you should go to sleep again.” There’s something odd about the expression in his eyes but I let it go. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to have a nap.

“Rub my ears.” I hear him say “What!” but... but... then…

“Glory. Glory.” The voice is quite insistent, calling my name but I’m warm and cosy and I don’t want to wake up. “Glory, come on I know you’re awake. I want to look at your hands and knees.”

Bugger, it’s him, that Foogoo guy. I don’t want to talk to him. If I just snuggle down I can...

“Glory.”

Nooo.... he’s pulled the covers off. That’s not fair. “What!” I snap, looking up at him with what I hope is a fierce expression on my face

“I need to check your wounds and reapply the bandages and ointment.”

“But I’ve just gone to sleep.”

“I think you’ll find you’ve been asleep longer than you think.” I stretch sleepily, not caring. Rubbing my eyes I sit up and notice that there are bandages on my hands and knees which seem to have green stuff seeping through. I really hope that’s the ointment.

“So what are you?” I ask and he looks at me in surprise.

“What do you mean?”

Blinking and still sleepy – damn that cat, he can sleep anywhere, anytime, always ready for a nap – I hitch myself further up on the pillows and look at him with my head tilted to one side, trying to see something in him that would give me a clue as to what he is or what he’s done. “Rover said that everyone here is a kin on the wrong side of the Council, so what are you and what have you done?”

“That’s for me to know and you to mind your own business about. Rover should have known better than to have told you that.”

A thought occurs. “Where is the dog?”

“He’s not a dog, he’s a wolf,” Fougue snaps.

“Same difference,” I yawn. “He smells like a dog to me. Where is he?”

“I told you he had things to do. Now give me your hands.”

Surprised by the sharpness in his tone I hold out my hands and he takes them roughly making me suppress a wince. He is, however surprisingly gentle when he removes the bandages and washes my fingers from a bowl of white liquid that smells like disinfectant and makes my nose twitch.

The fingers underneath still look pink and sore but they are loads better.

“I think we can leave the bandages off these now. They’re healing well and they need some air. They will stiffen if we keep them wrapped up any longer.” Setting aside the cloth he gently begins to unwrap the bandages from my knees.

“How are you feeling generally?”

“Fine, apart from being so sleepy all the time.”

“That doesn’t bother me,” he brushes it aside like a fly, “you need the rest. What about your ribs and back?”

“They hurt, a lot.”

“How much is a lot?”

“More than a little, less than ‘Oh my god I am going to tear out all my hair if it doesn’t stop’.”

He gives me a stern look which begins to twitch and then dissolves into a smile. “Well, there’s nothing broken, it’s all soft tissue damage so there’s not a lot I can do about it, other than give you some painkillers. Can you put up with it?”

“No problem. I’m used to it. I get beaten up a lot.”

Fougue’s face softens again. “It must have been hard.”

“Yes, but it’s all I know, at least all I can remember. You’ve spoiled me now.” I grin but his face is serious. He shakes his head.

“What about generally? Do you still feel weak, dizzy, disoriented?”

“No. I’m fine.”

“Glory?”

“Really, I’m fine.” As if I am going to tell him the truth about that.

“We’ll see,” he says enigmatically. He starts washing the ointment off my knees and I lie back with a sigh. Mmmm, that feels good. “Well, the swelling has gone down a lot. You need to start walking on them now or they’ll lock.”

“Okay.” I’m a bit doubtful about this but I suppose I don’t have much choice other than to go for it. I need to get back on my feet after all, if I’m going to get out of this place.

Carefully he eases my legs over the side of the bed. They feel weird when I bend them but it doesn’t hurt as such. I’m dizzy as hell as I sit up but I’m not going to tell him that. It’s not good for an enemy to know too much about your weaknesses. Enemy? Maybe.

“Put your arm around my shoulders and I’ll steady you when you stand.” God am I glad about that. Actually my knees don’t feel too bad at all, but not so for the rest of me. I can’t stand up straight, favouring my ribs, and my back is really sore and spasming. It feels like someone is stabbing me. I can’t help the hiss of pain.

“Where does it hurt?”

“Everywhere,” I groan, “but my back’s the worst.”

“Alright, gently now. Can you stand on your own if you rest your hands on this table?”

Well, I’m not going to tell him no am I: that my knees are fine but I’m so dizzy that I’m not sure that I am going to stay conscious long enough to stand on my own? So I just smile and nod. “Fine.”

With gentle fingers he kneads my back and pain shoots down my legs, making me gasp.

“Yes, it’s very tender there but it’s only the soft tissue and bruised nerves so there’s not much I can do. Do you think you could walk around a bit if you lean on me?”

“Sure. Well, maybe”. Actually it isn't too bad. Well, the first few steps are killers for my back, ribs and knees but the back and knees ease as I walk. The dizziness doesn’t thought and I hope he thinks it’s my legs that make me so unsteady.

After walking twice around the room I am sweating and very thankful when Fougue leads me back to the bed. I lie stiffly, staring up at the ceiling as I wait for the room to stop spinning and feeling Fougue’s gentle hands smoothing ointment on my cuts and grazes.

“Turn over and lie on your stomach. I’ll put something on your back and ribs which will help.” He starts rummaging in a satchel I hadn’t noticed before.

As I painfully drag myself over onto my belly, biting back groans from all the different places it hurts, the door opens and someone walks in. Oh god what’s that smell? It’s fantastic.

“Could you put it down on h table just there please Pixie? Actually, when you’ve done that could you please come over here? You’re much better at massage than I am.”

I look over my shoulder. Pixie doesn’t look anything like a pixie, at least not what I would imagine a pixie to look like. I’ve never seen one. He’s tall, almost as tall as I am with a shock of spiky blue hair and strangely metallic blue eyes. From his pointed ears and ethereal beauty I deduce he’s a fey.

“Oh. Fougue,” he says with disgust in his voice, “you know I don’t like this stuff, it stinks.”

“It isn't meant to be perfume. Stop bitching and get on with it. The sooner you start the sooner you finish and can wash it off those delicate little hands.”

Pixie sighs and next minute a dollop of something really cold lands on my back. It warms up though, under Pixie’s hands, which I may add are wonderful. He kneads and strokes and tweaks me as the ointment gets hotter and hotter.

“Mmm.” His hands are pure magic. They range wider to knead my ribs, but gently so that although it hurts it’s in a good way.

“So where did he get all these bruises?” he asks Fougue. Why didn’t he ask me? I brindle a bit but then his hands reach the top of my back and I gasp as he runs them over my shoulders, the places where my wings unfold.

“He’s fey,” he says in a strange voice. To be honest I’m hardly listening because the touch of his hands on that place is doing strange things to my body.

“I know,” Fougue says mildly, “and maybe you should stop doing that. You don’t need me to tell you what will happen if you don’t.”

“But...”

“We’ll discuss it another time Pixie.”

“But...”

“Another time.”

“Okay, okay.” Pixie moves his hands to my lower back and my sigh is half relief and half regret. Fuck, if he had kept that up for much longer I would have exploded. As it is I have... um... pressing issues below. God, even now if I move a bit and rub against the bed... Oh no, not good. I’m embarrassed enough as it is. How in hell would I explain that?

Wait. Fey? What did he mean I’m fey? I’m vampire and cat. You can only be two races dominant right? So...

“So how DID he get the bruises?”

“I am here you know. You could ask me.”

“I heard it was Rover.”

“No.” I feel a strong urge to defend my friend even if what I say is not entirely true. “It was that goddamned psychotic vampire.”

“Valentine?” he asks in surprise.

“No, I haven’t met him yet, and I bet he is going to be a bundle of laughs if he’s anything like the other one.”

“What other one?”

“The freak who brought me here. Fucking psycho freak...”

“Sar?”

“Yeah, that’s his name.”

“Liar,” he hisses. “Sar wouldn’t do anything like this, not unless you deserved it.”

“He bloody did, and I didn’t. Are you calling me a liar? He’s loopy. One minute he’s kissing me and then he has me pinned to the wall by my throat.”

“Kiss you? There’s no way it was Sar. He would never do that.”

“Fuck you. What do you know?”

“I know more than you do, Damphir.” He says it as if it’s a swear word... to him it is. It’s like a punch in the stomach and I am mortified that there are tears in my eyes.

“Pixie, that’s enough. I think you’ve done enough there, you can wash the ointment off your hands now.”

“Sure thing boss.” Pixie says, a nasty spiteful tone in his voice and he gives me one last hard slap between the shoulders. Oh fuck. Oh... oh... oh... oh... FUCK. The sound that is ripped from my throat is pure animal as my body convulses, lifting off the bed. I don’t know which way to turn. I don’t know if I want to curl away from it or arch my back into it. I’m crying openly now, I can’t help it. The pain is incredible, worse than anything I have ever felt before and it is literally driving me insane. My back goes into a painful spasm but it fades into the background next to that pain.

Thank god it doesn’t last for long. In what is probably less than a minute but it seems like a lifetime to me. I end up curled in a ball sobbing.

“Ssh. It’s alright Glory, it’s alright. It’s over now, easy.”

As the pain subsides I feel his hand gently rubbing my back, not where the pain was but lower. It is comforting. I roll over onto my back and stare up at him through my tears.

“What the fuck happened?”

“I’m sorry about that Glory, I truly am and I won’t let it go I promise you. Pixie will be punished.”

“But what happened?”

Fougue sits down on the bed and tucks the covers around me. I hadn’t realised until then how much I’m shaking.

“What Pixie did was inexcusable, the whole of it. I’m surprised that you haven’t realised before that part of your back is unusually sensitive.”

“I... I suppose I have, kind of. It’s uncomfortable when I’m sleeping on the floor and I turn over onto my back. It wakes me up. But I like to sleep on my side anyway.”

“Have you never hurt it before?”

“Not like that. I suppose I’ve been lucky. I’ve been beaten up so many times but it’s mostly in the ribs. I’ve been kicked in the back quite a few times but not up there. I suppose... I suppose that’s why it hurt so much when that ba... Sar? and Rover landed on my back. So why did it hurt and why... um... I mean before... when he was... when he was rubbing it I... well I...”

“I know what happened, Glory, you don’t need to explain. That was as bad as what he did later.” Fougue sighs. “You’re fey, Glory and with all flying fey there is a part of their upper back that is called the aripa caz. It’s where the wings emanate from and it is highly sensitive, more so when the body is completely relaxed, so it wouldn’t have been as sensitive as that before, I think, because you haven’t been as relaxed as that.”

Stunned, I shake my head, not really taking in what he’s saying. Is he trying to say that I’m fey? But that... that’s not possible.

“As you’ve seen, when the aripa caz is struck the pain is excruciating but when it’s stimulated then it’s an orgasmic experience. If Pixie had continued you would have...”

“Okay, I get the message.” How embarrassing is that? Oh my god, I’m so glad he stopped.

“One thing you should be aware of... any violation of the aripa caz is taken very seriously. What Pixie did to you was an assault and in different circumstances you would have been perfectly justified in making a complaint to the Council.”

“In different circumstances? Yeah, if they weren’t going to kill me on sight; if I wasn’t Damphir.”

“Are you so sure that you are?”

“Of course I am. If I weren’t why have I spent most of my life running from people who want me dead?”

“There may be more than one reason for that, Glory.”

I blink up at him and roughly wipe the tears from my eyes. “I don’t understand.”

“No, neither do we, not yet but it looks as if you are a very special person, Glory, very special indeed, unique in fact.”

“I... I am?”

“I don’t think that we have yet begun to realise how special. I have never heard of anyone who manifests more than two specific natures at any one time. No matter what the heritage the most that any one body, one soul, can cope with is two. Vampire/human; fey/human; were/human. Some are more common than others; vampire/fey is very, very rare; the personalities are not compatible at all. On the other hand fey/human is common enough as is were/human.

“You, however have at least three distinct natures and possibly all four. That, my dear boy is utterly unique.”

“F...four...? But... but I...”

“Have you not realised, not thought about it before?”

“No... not really. I was too busy trying to survive.”

“A point for sure. Can were cats fly, Glory?”

“Of course not.”

“And vampires? Can vampires fly?”

“Not unless they change to bat form.”

“And do you change to bat form when you fly.”

“No...oo.” My head is aching badly and I can't think. This is too much. “What does it mean?”

“I don’t know. That’s what Sartorian is trying to establish. He is researching in the Council histories and...”

“The Council? He’s told the Council about me...” I have to get out of here. I have to run. Now. If the Council knows about me, where I am, I am just sitting here waiting to die. “The will come...”

“No one is going to come for you Glory. Sartorian is not going to reveal your existence to the Council. Rest easy. He is simply researching.”

“And then what? He’s going to come back for me and what will he do to me then?”

“Sartorian cares for you Glory, never doubt that. He will take care of you.”

“He’s going to hurt me isn’t he? Like he did the night he brought me here. He doesn’t know what to do with me. Some of my natures attract him and others repel him so he will want to be with me but when he is with me he won’t be able to stop himself being angry and then he’ll hurt me.” Fuck, when did I get to be a psychologist? It’s true though. I’ve been thinking about it ever since that night and I know it’s true.

“I don’t know, Glory. I don’t know, and neither does he. That’s why he’s gone away for a while, to get some space so that you can both think this through and so that you can rest and get strong.”

Haha, that’s a joke. “He wants me to be stronger so he can beat me harder.”

“That’s not fair, Glory. He just wants you to be well and strong. He’s left specific instructions about taking care of you.”

“Whoop de do.”

He looks as if he’s going to say something but just shakes his head. “Rest now, Glory. We can look at those questions again when there’s a chance we can answer them. For now, I’ll bring you your dinner and you can eat. Then try and get some rest. By the morning you will be feeling much better and maybe you’ll be up to meeting the others. You can get an idea of what kind of a man Sartorian is by talking to them.”

“And getting beaten up every time I speak the truth about him?”

“No one is going to touch you again, Glory, I will personally guarantee it. Once Pixie is dealt with no one will have any doubt about the fact that it would be a very, very stupid thing to do.”

Getting to his feet Fougue fetches the tray of food and sets it on the bed next to me. “I think you can manage yourself tonight don’t you?”

“I have a lot to think about.”

“I’m sure you do but try not to dwell on it too much. The answers will come in time.”

“Maybe.” If only he could understand how confused I am right now, how scared, how unsure. Don't dwell on it he says. What else...?

“Don't forget to take your medicine. It will help you relax.” I look up and he hands me the same small cup as before. I meet his eyes as I take it.

“That’s why I’ve been so sleepy, you drugged me.”

“It isn’t a drug Glory; it’s an herbal remedy to help you get strong again.”

“It is this that makes me sleepy though?”

“It helps, yes.”

“Then what does it matter what you call it? An herb? A drug? Same thing. I’m not drinking it.”

“Please yourself,” he says mildly. “No one is going to force you to drink it. But it WILL help you regain your strength faster. You have to decide. Do you trust us enough in the short term to regain your full strength and thereby your advantage, more quickly in the long term.”

I can't process that. It’s too difficult. It’s making my head spin. What I do understand is that if I drink the ‘medicine’ I will be helpless in a place where I now know I have at least one enemy and, if Valentine is anything like they say he is, inevitably two. Wouldn’t it be really stupid to do that?

“Would it help if I sent Rover to guard you tonight?”

“Rover?”

“You trust him don’t you?”

“I don’t trust anyone.” I think of his blue eyes, his cute smile... and I’ll be asleep so there will be no danger of... “But I distrust him the least. If you promise he will stay with me I’ll drink the medicine.”

“I promise, Glory. As soon as I leave here I will send him to you and he’ll stay all night.”

I stare into the cup. It looks so innocuous and tastes so sweet but there is so much danger in it. If I think about it I can’t do it so I just lift it to my lips and swallow it in one.

“Good boy,” Fougue pats my arm. “Eat your dinner and sleep. Tomorrow is another day and you will be much better to face it.”

“Will HE be here?”

“Perhaps. I truly don’t know.”

“Okay.”

The door sounds so final when it clicks shut. Despite what he says my mind is in turmoil, thoughts whirling and changing. I can’t think about anything clearly because as soon as my mind grasps one thought another one crops up and takes it down a different road. I’m vampire; I’m fey; I’m were, possibly human too. So where does that leave me? Am I still Damphir and if not then what? Something better? Something worse?

I pick at the food, suddenly not hungry and more. It is good, very good, and so I eat more than I otherwise would have, but I can’t eat more than half and by the time I get there I’m so sleepy I can barely see the plate. My thoughts have slowed down and I can’t grasp any of them anymore.

The door startles me but I can't help the grin that splits my face when I see Rover. Without saying a word he takes the plate and puts it down carefully on the table. Still in silence he climbs onto the bed and lies down, pulling me against his warm side. Cat slips out and snuggles in to him purring. I’m so sleepy I can't do anything more but as I slip over the edge into unconsciousness I’m sure I hear him whisper. “Oh Glory, what have you done to me? I think I’m falling in love with you?” But I could be wrong.