One Thousand Years to Forever (15 page)

“
Son, we will talk as soon as we
get everyone settled. You have much to say, I am sure, and I have
things that you need to know.”

Colum met Katherine’s eyes. “I will
tell him.”

“
Can I be there?”

Colum brought Katherine’s hand to
his lips. “No, he is a man, he wants to be treated as one.” Colum
saw Sally jumping up and down.

“
Yes, Sally?”

“
What’s this about the mall,
Colum, other then the fact that we had a blast... ”

Colum looked over to Katherine and
smiled. Looking back in the rear view mirror. “Oh just that...
”

Colum grabbed his phone and saw
that it was Travis. “Excuse me for just a moment,
Sally.”

“
Yes?”

Travis knew what was taking place
and figured he should better help. “Let me handle
Sally.”

Colum clicked off the cell phone
and watched as Travis approached on his side. Knowing full well not
to approach the Rover on Katherine’s side.

“
Sally?”

Sally opened her door. “Yes,
Travis?”

“
If you would be so kind as to
help me in the kitchen. My nephews really have a sweet tooth and I
thought it might be nice to make some cookies.”

Sally smiled and got out. “Ah,
Colum, can we talk later, Travis needs me... ”

Colum smiled “Of course, Sally.” He
smiled at Katherine and chuckled at the comments from her
brothers.

“
Her in the kitchen? That’s a
laugh... ”

The rest of them exited the Rover
at the same time. Katherine saw Travis standing perfectly still
with Sally by his side. Katherine made sure she didn’t go anywhere
near him. She didn’t want to be the cause of his demise.

“
Sir... ”

Colum walked right up to Travis. He
could feel his blood still boiling, his body was tight like a
rubber band that was ready to snap, but knew he could handle
himself. For Katherine and the children’s sake, especially theirs,
since at the moment they knew nothing of what he really
was.

“
Yes, Travis?”

“
Sir, the rooms have been made
ready. Your parents are expecting you all for dinner, promptly at
seven.”

Colum tried to curb his temper.
“Are they now? Tell my parents we will be up at their compound at
five minutes past the hour.”

Travis tried to not smile. “Yes,
Sir. I will take care of that. My nephews are ready to go to Miss
Katherine’s home to gather her and the children’s
belongings.”

Colum turned to look at Katherine
who had a smile on her face.

“
We will have a list in fifteen
minutes.”

Travis bowed. “Very good, Sir. Will
that be all?”

Colum clasped Travis on the
shoulder. “Yes, Travis, for now. I will see you soon. We are to
have a war council within the hour.”

* * * * * * *

John sat in the room that looked
like it had been designed for him in mind. He looked around,
touching things, like photos of his favorite teams and the quilt on
the bed. It looked like something his mom had. All of their beds at
home were covered with antique quilts, nothing new. He had always
been surrounded by older things; antiques. It was funny that this
room was the same. As if it had come from his old home, or great
Grannie’s

He heard a tap on his door, which
he had left partially open. “Come in.”

Colum pushed John’s door open and
saw the boy standing, touching the quilt that lay on his
bed.

Walking in he paused. “I hope this
room is comfortable. I am only putting you all down in this part of
my home for security’s sake.”

John let his gaze fall on Colum’s
face. Not one to be sidetracked, he asked, “What’s happening, and
who are you?”

* * * * * * *

Colum walked to the chair that sat
in the corner. “Do you mind if I sit?”

John shrugged his shoulders. “Go
ahead... it’s your house.”

Colum sat. “As I said this will
only be temporary. Then you will be either able to go back to your
home or at least up to my main home.”

John sat down on the bed. “That
doesn’t answer my most important question. Who or what are
you?”

Colum knew it wasn’t going to be
easy for John to accept but maybe being young he would be OK. “
Have you heard of Fallen Angels?”

John looked at the giant of a man
who sat in front of him. The man who had rescued his mother and who
now was a major part of not only his mother’s life, but all of
theirs. “Yea, a long time ago when I was a kid. Why?”

Colum wasn’t sure how to broach
this. “Are you open to the other world, things that can’t be
explained?”

John stared at Colum, sighing he
asked, “Are you telling me you are a Fallen Angel?”

Colum for the first time in a very
long time... hundreds of years in fact, he felt nervous. Here was a
young man who he knew would do his upmost to protect his
mother.

“
Yes, in fact I have known your
mother for a very long time. Do you remember anything special or
particular about your Great Grannie, the one who owned the house
where you now live?”

John chuckled. “Yea, she told us
great stories... ”

“
They weren’t just bedtime
stories, but were about people in your family or about people or
creatures of times past. Your Great Grannie was one of the Queens
of the Fae, or in plain English, a Faery Queen. It was her plan to
get your mother here, eventually. She finally went to the other
side on purpose because she felt the time was now.”

John stood up and went to the photo
on the wall. “One time she brought us to a Red Sox game even though
we didn’t like that team. She must have been in her late
seventies... A fly ball came up and if she hadn’t caught it I would
have been dead. I remember seeing how fast the ball was coming
towards me, and how fast, for her age, her whole body shot out. I
always thought it was strange but never said anything. There were
other times when I was around my Great Grannie... that I had the
feeling she wasn’t like us.”

He turned back towards Colum. “So
you are a Fallen Angel, my Mom, we are from Fairies? What else is
there?”

Colum took a deep breath. “You’d
better sit for this.”

John sat, folded his hands and
waited.

Colum swallowed. For someone who
had been in battles down through the ages he was finding this a
great deal more difficult. “I’m asking you, since you are the
oldest son and the man of Katherine’s family, permission to have
her hand in marriage.”

“
That’s not it though? Is it?” His
gaze never left Colum’s face. “If anything, it is more
important.”

“
Yes it is more important... I am
a keeper of mankind. That was my penance for following Lucifer. I
was to watch over mankind for the rest of my days. I was also given
another mark so to speak. I-I thirst for blood…”

John wasn’t sure he was hearing
Colum correctly. “Did you just say you thirst for
blood?”

“
Yes, it’s the only time I wish
that curse wasn’t upon me. But it’s also given me a very long
life.”

John wasn’t sure if he dared to
speak. Here in front of him was a vampire? “You’re saying that
you’re a vampire? How old are you anyway?”

Colum felt relief starting to flood
his soul. “Yes, and about three thousand years. I am the son of one
of the original Fallen Angels... ”

John jumped up.
“Sweet!”

Colum sat there and stared in
wonder at the boy who was his Kat’s oldest son. He was the one who
Colum had to address properly, since he was the oldest male in the
family.

“
So, you are OK with this? I mean,
with me wanting to marry your mother?”

John faced Colum squarely, like a
man. “Do you love my mother?”

“
Yes.”

“
Will you harm her?”

“
Never”

“
Will you protect her, lay down
your life for hers?”

“
Always, forever.”

“
It’s fine by me then...
”

Colum thought that if he’d been
standing he might have passed out. He hadn’t breathed the entire
time he waited for a positive message. “Thank God.”

Katherine let her eyes fall on the
woman and man who stood in front of her. They were Colum’s natural
parents. She had a feeling as she saw the smile that played on both
his parents’ lips. This would be an interesting dinner.

Cormac came and took Katherine’s
hand and placed a light kiss on it. Katherine stood perfectly
still. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife. His lips
were cool as they skimmed her hand, a gentle purr could be heard
coming from his throat. He looked up as his son growled a warning.
“Son, you will rein in that growl if you want to eat in my presence
tonight. If not, you will be banished to the kitchen, since this is
my home. Your mother and I will dine with Katherine and her
children, without you.”

Katherine could feel Colum
squeezing her waist. She reached for his hand and tried to calm
him. “Colum will be fine. Won’t you, Colum?” She looked up into
eyes the color of Burmese Rubies. She felt his breath coming out in
angry puffs on her neck.” He doesn’t want me, Colum... ”

“
Oh, you are
mistaken, my dear. Your scent is calling vampires from all over. If
it wasn’t for the fact that Colum was my son and heir to my
throne,
you
would
be fair game. Any of us would want to mate with you, claim you for
our own.”

Katherine pressed herself back into
Colum who wrapped his arms securely around her like a
vise.

“
I’m warning you father... ” Colum
pushed Katherine behind him, holding her hand still in a vise like
grip. He faced his father, who matched him in height and girth.
Both growled at each other.

Elsabet stepped forward. “Enough of
this war between you two. You fight for a common goal and good.
Katherine is here for a reason. She is to be Colum’s wife, Queen
when the time comes, and his mate. No one is to touch her. She is
not to be touched. Colum has put his mark on her and if I have to I
will put you both in the kitchen to fight it out.” She saw
Katherine shrinking further and further into Colum’s back if that
was possible. “Don’t worry, my dear, your scent will blend with
Colum’s soon and then the growling and claiming will stop. Until
then we must put up with these Neanderthals. Now, if you will come
with me, I will show you around my home.” She turned to her husband
and son. “Go, have your meeting but don’t keep dinner waiting. The
children must get to bed if they are going to school tomorrow.” She
dismissed both men with a flick of her wrist and started to lead
Katherine away. Stopping and turning, she said, “Bring the children
here when you return for dinner. Hopefully you two will behave
better by then.”

Colum watched his mother lead his
Kat away. He knew she would be safe. He also knew she was safe with
his father, the King but, his blood boiled to have any male near
his future wife and Queen, never mind his mate. She was his, not
anyone else’s to touch.

Glancing over at his father he saw
that smile that made him want to punch his father and hug him all
in one motion.

“
How do you manage it
father?”

Cormac smiled at his son and walked
away. “I don’t know what you are talking about... ”

* * * * * * *

Colum sat at the table with his
father and the others. Here sat the leaders of the various covens
from all over the world. They all came to Cormac for guidance,
instruction, and protection. Cormac was the King. Something Colum
knew he couldn’t wait to give to him. It was his right by birth,
since he was the one and only son of Cormac and Elsabet. He had
been the miracle birth. Having offspring was a rare occurrence with
the Fallen Ones and then to be vampires, well, the chances of them
producing a child of their own, it was something that only happened
every few thousand years. Most children in vampire families were
created.

“
So Cormac, Katherine is bringing
the terrorists our way. We no longer have to go to the Middle East
to fight these…”

He was cut off by, “It’s about
time. Let’s take care of them here, send them all to paradise if
that’s what they want.”

“
Men, let’s have order. Elsabet
has given me orders to be at dinner at eight. I shudder at what she
would do if her son and I are late.”

Colum stood. “We need to bring our
forces together. What I am hearing from the intel is that there are
activities among East Coast Cells becoming quietly busy. Those we
thought were still located in the Middle East are now here. A lot
of them are not the best-trained or smartest, but they are still
willing to die for their cause. So we take care of what we think is
it and more come.”

“
Just like cockroaches...
”