Read Sin Eaters: Devotion Book One Online
Authors: Kai Leakes
Sin Eaters: Devotion Book One (14 page)
Everyone in the room felt a sudden shift of energy as she cried.
Calvin's eyes widened as he noticed the energy shift, and the scene. Now that Amara was near her brother, she stood in the middle of Darren and Takeshi as Sanna made a point at the foot of each man's bed. A triad.
Very interesting
, he thought as he noticed his cousin's body go taunt.
, he thought as he noticed his cousin's body go taunt.
Spasms overtook Sanna as she gripped the sides of her head then fell out of her chair. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head as her body shook.
Everything moved in slow motion as Khamun dropped down on his knees. He pulled Sanna into his arms as the wheelchair rolled off.
Dr. Satou, Dr. Toure, and Mrs. Steele all stopped in their tracks as they watched Khamun cradle Sanna, holding her tight against his chest as he brushed her thick hair out of her face.
Calvin quickly and covertly created a magic barrier that maintained the energy in the room, kept it from spreading, as the monitors beeped and both comatose men started to shake in unison.
A thud signaled Amara's sudden loss of her balance as she slumped down over her jerking brother, her body seizing in sync. It was as if the three were hit by an invisible electric current.
Kyo and Miya screamed. Tendrils of energy wrapping around them both and brought them to their feet as they scratched at the floor, sweat sprinkling their brows.
The Priming was fast and unbreakable. The spell that held the Steele children together suddenly dissolved and absorbed into them, waking up the overdue maturation. Everyone in the room stood shell-shocked.
Dr. Toure quickly entered the room and shut the hospital door. His locked 'fro stood up with the charge as his hands shook against the door's surface. He too seemed very affected by the surge.
“My babies, what is happening?” Tamar cried. Her hands cradled her face while power flowed like a breeze over her glowing skin.
“Old magic. Ancient magic. I can't identify the specifics of it, but its ending. They are coming into a large amount of their power right now,” Khamun said as he held Sanna's shaking form.
His face was stern and caring as he watched his former Guide's features soften as her eyes slowly flickered opened, pure white light emitting from them like water. He licked his lips. His pulse was dancing within his body at the sudden brush of Sanna's light buttery-sweet scent. His fangs instantly descended as she evolved in front of his eyes.
The “Priming, or Evolution,” as Society called it, was when a Nephilim matured into their gifts. Usually if a Nephilim is paired with a “life friend,” usually a Gargoyle, they too mature at the same time due to the soul link of the duo.
Kyo had started going through her change fast, while Sanna's Priming was muted or slowed by the spell he was feeling in the air.
Khamun had to rock as he held her in his arms. The strength of the power had him on edge and had him ready to go into mating mode over his charge, and that freaked him out to no end. He had never had that feeling before. Like many men in Society at the age of maturity, picking a mate either happened fast or stalled, so the male could “sew his oats,” as they say, and Khamun was in the “sew-his-oats” phase.
The power surge waxed and waned like a wave suddenly stopping as everyone in the room gained their breath. Tamar teetered forward as she tried to stand.
Dr. Toure suddenly appeared at her side, offering his arm as support.
“We . . . we . . . wait on the discussion of this.” She unevenly paused to take a breath.
“I will tell them who and what they are soon, but I want to make sure they are okay. I want . . . I want them to have some normalcy before its time.” She had to lick her dry lips before she could shakily continue. “My babies will need protection. So you all are their Guardians. Stay that way. But you have the right to now be in their face, be it . . . discreet or otherwise. You do not tell them your true purpose until I talk to them.”
Emi Satou placed a loving hand on Tamar's shoulder as she gently stepped forward. Her delicate features flushed with power. “Yes, we as a family need to sit down and tell our children of their history. It will take time, but we will do it, before the Dark ever tries to touch our children again.”
Khamun looked up, agreeing as he felt Sanna's erratic breathing stall and stabilize, his fingers finding a way to trace her sleeping face. “Yes, ma'ams. We will do that. Ease them slowly into our world so they do not panic. We can do that. Come around a little at a time . . . as you've both requested.”
Tamar nodded. “Good. In the meantime, I guess I will need to be trained in my role as an Immortal and Prophetess.”
Calvin walked up to Tamar and held her in his embrace.
She silently held in her tears as he spoke.
“Because of what happened, Auntie, you are a Disciple now and will live a long life with the chance of being reborn if ever something happens to you. I will help you, and so will Lenox. You will be part of our House as we secretly draw up the paperwork.”
She dipped her head, and everyone fell silent as the energy finally disappeared.
Mr. Satou, with the help of Calvin, moved Kyo and Miya into chairs. “With these new changes, I believe we are ready for our paperwork to become active, my boy.” Mr. Satou smoothed his daughter's matted hair as he stood behind her chair. “It has been our family's long history to protect the royal lineages in Society, and when chaos broke, we went into hiding. With our children and Miya being forever linked to our godchildren, it is time for them to be acknowledged and given their rightful place in Society.” Mr. Satou's eyes glowed with power as his wife came to his side.
“Are you sure, honey? We've been in hiding for so long.” Emi slid her hand over Hideo's while she kissed his cheek.
“Yes, I am considered an Elder of the family now. Miya's family would be happy at us finally being acknowledged, and you know this has been something they fought with the old Elders for. For her and our children, to regain their history.” Hideo exhaled and gave a wary smile.
Tamar smiled at her old friends. “I know this transition is something we've been preparing for, for a while now, and now that it's here, we want nothing more but to turn the clock back and get some stability, but . . . we can do this.”
Turning to face Calvin, she rested a hand against his jaw. She continued, “As long as we keep smart and keep this unit close-knit as we have, and trust in these young men and my nephew, my son, we will all be okay.”
Calvin was pleased at that. He loved when Tamar called him son because he felt even more connected to her. Tamar filled that void left from never having his birth mother around. She'd died birthing him. So when Tamar called him son, he knew she meant it and knew he'd put his life on the line for his family.
Dr. Toure bowed his head and headed to the door. “We have two Society notaries here. Liz or Ashley can draw up the necessary paperwork and move this along. Also, due to the fact that we are a House Garrison, we have a notary here. They will not need to send for one. I will contact Paulette, and I will also bring in an extra bed for Sanna.”
Kali stood from her spot near Darren and quickly followed Dr. Toure. “I am the House's notary and keeper of knowledge. I will work with her on quietly processing the notary, especially since this is a royal HG.”
Dr. Toure stopped in his tracks at that and looked closely at the young woman in front of him, a dark eyebrow slowly rising. “Excuse me?”
Kali knowingly smirked as the door slowly closed in front of her. She dropped her voice as she addressed the doctor. “Yes, Ms. Steele's Guardian is the Royal Prince of V'ance y A'lor.”
To the human ear, what was said in the old tongue of Society sounded like
vengeance
and
valor
.
vengeance
and
valor
.
Tamar glanced at Calvin as everyone took a seat, eyes focused on the sleeping bodies in front of them. “What does that mean for us, Calvin?
“It means you have the best of the best protecting you, Ma, and the fact that your soon-to-be house of minor value to others in Society is aligned with a Royal Garrison means that you and your children have a contact that many beg to have with the Royal family. It also means that your minor house will be included in top Society functions, and when the snobs of Society find out your family produced a surviving Oracle and Vessel, whose own personal Guardian happens to be the Prince, your minor house will no longer be so unimportant. Ya heard meh?”
Khamun chuckled at the raised eyebrow Tamar gave as he cut in and continued on, carrying Sanna as if she were a feather. “Yes, ma'am. Calvin spoke truth. But this also means right now you are minor, due to us just finding you. But the fact that Calvin is part of this Royal house himself, making him like what your world would call a Duke, provides the means of going into your history and setting you up right.”
Studying Sanna's sleeping face, Khamun sat her in a reclining chair that Calvin had dropped into the room. Khmaun held Sanna's soft hand as he spoke. “Kali has already found your husband's Societal will. Once she reads over that and submits it, I can guarantee that your minor house does not stay so minor and that you, Mrs. Tamar, will have higher ranking then the average newling house. I know you will, because you are the mother of an Oracle-Vessel, and you have a royal order of Dragons watching your children.”
Pausing, Khamun reined in all of the sensual and caring emotions he wanted to unleash on Sanna as he watched her. He knew when the time was right that she would be more than what they were currently speaking. He knew she would not only be Oracle and Vessel, but if she would have him, she would be Princess and his wife.
“Your house is not so minor, and you will have funding. I can vouch for that.”
Tamar sat astounded, a tear sliding down her face. “My husband took care of us?”
Khamun agreed in inclination. “Yes, ma'am, and now I am going to take care of you. You will have royal Society papers and rights, as well as additional funding from the royal houses. You now have familial allowance, thanks to Calvin. That is my word.”
Tamar shook her head in awe. “I mean, sweetheart, that is wonderful, but we don't need all of this money, ranks, and whatnot. We just need to be protected and made sure me and my children can function as normally as possible.”
Khamun's head tilted in respect as he offered a dimpled smile of support. “I can understand that, but in this world, you need as much protection as you can get. Unfortunately, this means you need as many networking houses to back you, which provides you with Societal protection and a hell of a lot of money.”
“I don't understand the importance,” Tamar said, her eyes glowing as she processed the information.
“If anytime your family needs to go back into hiding, with the houses, it is easier to move through and find shelter. Your husband used such backing to have you and your family protected by the House of Satou, a very smart choice as we've found out. But now that you have to be made known to Society, you need more protection. Without this, you will be left without options of future protection and future alliances.”
Tamar shook her head, her arms wrapping around her waist.
Khamun moved toward her in concern and quietly squatted down in front of her, resting a hand over her shoulder. A shock of energy went through him as his eyes shut closed. A link was just provided, and he knew she would be his family without a doubt.
“Listen to me, and I mean this with the utmost respect, Momma Steele, but I got this. You do not have to worry about anything. The money and papers you need are due to the fact that it has to make sense with Society protocol. In order to run your life, you need money, you need status. Outside of the fact that I am your daughter's Guardian, why my House and my family's House have aligned with a newling Vessel family has to add up.”
“But when they learn of Sannaâ”
“No, ma'am. We are keeping that guarded, so that the Dark doesn't find out. There are people in Society who like to live in the gray. No, I live in the gray. These people live more near the Dark. They provide whatever intel they can to our enemies, and we have only just learned of this in the recent years, so . . . we have to keep this quiet. Even though the Dark knows of what they
think
she is, we will downplay this. Make this move fast, but slow as to not draw attention. As I said, your husband and his parents were very smart, as are the Satous.”
think
she is, we will downplay this. Make this move fast, but slow as to not draw attention. As I said, your husband and his parents were very smart, as are the Satous.”
Khamun glanced up and bobbed at Mr. Satou, who had quietly moved to stand behind Tamar. Hideo crossed his arms over his nest with a curt nod. His stern face was caring as he watched on.
“Momma Tamar, don't even stress. You will all have about two months to three months max of normalcy. We won't even assimilate you all into this right away. Sanna and Kyo need to have this happen slow. I know my fam, and I will make this smooth as ice. Ya heard me?” Calvin lightly chuckled as he gave a slight smile then glanced at Khamun.
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