The Black God (#2, Damian Eternal Series) (33 page)

He Traveled to the Guardians headquarters in
Texas and stood before the gates once more.

An hour after throwing the Guardians’
compound into chaos, Jonny paced in front of the White God’s
massive ranch house under the careful watch of Guardians he
ignored. His gaze strayed more than once to the corral of farm
animals he suspected his sister had rescued.

He was starving, and he wasn’t above
draining animals since humans and Guardians were out of the
question. His wounds had stopped bleeding, but he was conserving
his remaining energy. He wouldn’t have the power to heal until he’d
eaten. His phone buzzed with constant texts from Charles, and he
checked the latest updates.

Survivors: four hundred and nine. Valon’s
vamps wiped out. Brandon delivered to Xander.

Jonny paused in his pacing. He’d lost over
nine thousand vamps in his first five years. The enormity of the
loss hit him hard. He stood, gazing into the dark sky, the weight
of an entire race of people on his shoulders, and the knowledge he
felt whole enough to carry it only when Ashley was at his side.

“We need to talk,” Xander’s low growl came
from behind him. The Guardians around them shifted at the arrival
of the Original Vamp and at least one called someone.

Jonny drew a breath. He’d
been expecting this confrontation with Xander for quite some time.
He turned and squared his shoulders, not about to let Xander see
how weak he was. “No, we don’t,” he said firmly. “You have no right
to tell me I can’t see Ash or she can’t see me. Yes, she ended up
dragged into something horrific and yes, much of what happened to
her and Brandon could’ve been prevented, had I thought it wise to
come to you. But I didn’t, because we’re fucking adults capable of
making our own decisions in life. You taught me this, Xander, and
I’m not about to back off this time, out of fear of what you’ll do
since I’m in love with Ashley and have been for four years!
You,
cabron
,
will
not
scare me
off again!”

Amusement crossed Xander’s features. “What I
planned on telling you is I’ll respect her choice. I couldn’t give
a shit about what you want, Jonny. But if she wants to be with you,
then I’m okay with it. Jessi isn’t,” he added. “But I’ll talk to
her.”

It took Jonny a moment to digest what Xander
said. “You’re seriously okay with this?”

“You just said it doesn’t matter if I am or
not.”

“It doesn’t. But … you are her family.”

“And apparently, so are you.”

As usual, Jonny sensed there was always more
to Xander’s motivations than what he revealed publicly. Some relief
unfurled inside him to know he wasn’t about to make an enemy of the
most powerful immortal around by pursuing Ashley.

“Although it probably doesn’t need to be
said,” Xander continued, “if you fuck up, Jonny, if she comes home
crying or if she ever ends up here being brought back to life
again, you will deal with Jessi first and then me.”

Jonny snorted, expecting the warning. “I
understand. Nothing like this will ever happen again. I swear
it.”

“That’s a relief.” The White God’s voice
materialized before he did. “You’re forgetting she made Dusty a
deal.”

“She made me one first,” Jonny retorted.

“I could definitely use someone with her
skill set,” Damian said.

“Or you could let her make up her own mind,
when her life and that of her brother aren’t in danger,” Xander
interjected.

Jonny and Damian gazed at one another. Jonny
wasn’t about to bend; he already knew where Ashley was going to end
up. His discussion with Darian, however, made him think Damian was
going to need an incentive not to press the issue.

Damian,
he said into the White God’s head.
Take Brandon. You get your bargaining chip. I get
my mate.

Damian studied him and then
glanced at the Original Vamp.
Mate?

Jonny’s cheeks felt
warm.
Isn’t that what you immortals call
them? Mates?

Yeah. Didn’t know the
Black God was capable of having one.
Damian
started to smile.
Help me convince Xander
of it, and I’ll tell Dusty to back down.

The idea Jonny had a bargaining chip, one
that wasn’t going to make Xander happy, almost made him smile. Not
only that but for once, he wasn’t the one being teamed up on by
everyone else. He was involved in the politics instead of watching
everyone else argue and waiting for them to smack him around.

“There’s always Brandon,” he said aloud.
“He’s going to need some serious rehab time with my sister. She
can’t regrow his eye or hand.”

“He can heal at home,” Xander replied.

“Not as well as he can here,” the White God
pointed out. “Bianca’s skill set is definitely unique. She’ll be
able to help him adjust.”

Xander shifted, his eyes narrowing. Jonny
felt him prod his mind and neatly blocked it. The White God’s wards
around the compound weakened the power of anyone who entered,
making it easier to fend off Xander’s attempt to penetrate his
thoughts.

“It doesn’t have to be permanent, Xander,”
Jonny continued. “Give him some time to heal with Bianca. Then let
him decide what he wants to do. I’m sure Damian will agree to help
a Natural heal.”

And then conscript him
before he has a chance to refuse,
Damian
added into Jonny’s mind.

Jonny coughed to cover his laugh. He didn’t
expect the humor from the man who had viewed him as either a child
who needed schooling or an enemy who was lost – but never as an
equal he joked around with.

The silence that followed was long, and
Jonny willed his features unreadable by the Original Vamp who was
always too sharp for people to hide much of anything from him.

“I know how powerful Bianca is. In theory, I
don’t object, but I do have one condition,” Xander said finally.
“Jessi has to agree or I will never, ever hear the end of it.”

“I understand what it means to be terrified
of the tiny woman you live with,” Damian said wisely. “It’s only
fair Jessi makes the final call.”

“Give me a few hours to talk to her.”

“Darian,” Damian called over his shoulder.
“I know you’re lurking. Give X a ride home.”

The Grey God emerged from the shadows of the
house and winked at Jonny as he approached. He strode to Xander and
touched his arm, and they both disappeared.

“Now, back to our business.” Damian said,
focus on Jonny.

Holding up his hand to stop Damian from
continuing, Jonny tilted his head, sensing … something. The tingle
of an Other nearby had a similar feel. He’d gotten good at knowing
where they’d appear before they did so. Unable to Track them from
the distance like Charles could, he was able to sense when they
were within about ten meters of him.

He followed the tingling tug towards the
corral and paused, waiting. A second before the creature
materialized, his hand flew out, and he snatched its neck.

The otherworldly creature gasped. Unlike the
Others, this small man had green eyes. Jonny had heard them called
Watchers, the enemies of the Others, but had never met one.

“Good catch,” Damian said in a growl,
approaching. “What the fuck do you want?”

The Watcher squirmed in Jonny’s grip. He
sensed it gathering its power to Travel again and blocked it, adept
at countering the creatures once they appeared after the four years
he spent hunting and killing Others.

He did loosen his grip on the creature’s
neck and bared his teeth to show his lengthening fangs. “Speak
quickly,” he growled. “I have no patience with your kind. I can’t
kill you, but I’ll make you wish I could.”

“Ikir,
I mean no harm. Will you tell him so?” The Watcher was looking
at Damian.

“You can
ask
him to not rip your
throat out,” Damian suggested. “But the Black God will do what he
wants with you once he has you. We both know I have no love for
your kind and am more inclined to watch him do it than vouch for
you.”

The Watcher’s gaze went to
Jonny. “It is an honor,
ikir
,” he said and ducked his head
the best he could. “I have come to say farewell. This is
all.”

“Farewell?” Jonny eyed him.

“Things are as they should
be, at least for a very long time,” came the quick response. “I
wished to tell you so,
ikir.
” He addressed this at the White
God.

Jonny resisted the animalistic urge to crush
the creature that looked too much like his enemies.

“You’re done fucking with us since we’ve
killed your enemies,” Damian said, unimpressed.

“Yes, and since the Black God has accepted
his path.”

Jonny listened. He knew little of the Others
and Watchers, aside from the basics. They were remnants from an
ancient culture of immortals. The Watchers were said to aid the
White God on occasion, while the Others were after power. They
often simply stood back and watched the White and Black Gods fight,
capable of seeing into the future and sometimes interfering
depending on how they wanted the balance of power among immortals
to go.

His own experience with Others left him
soured on the Watchers as well, for they had the power to stop the
Others and had left the job to him.

“You won’t return,” Jonny said, the menace
and threat in his voice clear. “Ever.”

“I will not,
ikir.
” The Watcher said.
“If you do not object, I wanted to thank your mate for her
help.”

“You’ve spoken to her before?” Anger flared
to life inside him at the thought of the Watcher anywhere near
Ashley.

“Yes,
ikir.
I told her how to break the
bone weapons to help you. You see, I’m not your enemy. I’m
–”

“I don’t give a fuck what you are,” Jonny
snapped. “If you go near her, I will spend my eternity making you
suffer.” His hands squeezed the creature’s neck reflexively.

“Easy,” Damian said, resting a hand on his
forearm. “I hate these things as much as you do. But he poses no
threat. And sometimes, letting someone go who might help you down
the road is the smartest thing you can do.”

Jonny didn’t move, but he reined in the side
of him that wanted to feel warm Watcher’s blood sliding down his
throat.

“Especially since Ashley’s grandfather is a
Watcher. Having a blood tie to someone with this power is
smart.”

“I remember Xander saying that,” Jonny said.
“It’s why Jessi, Brandon and Ash are stronger than normal
Naturals.”

“Yes,
ikir
,” the Watcher choked
out.

“Alliances are important to have in your
position,” Damian advised.

Jonny loosened his grip and then dropped his
hand completely. He had learned as much from Xander and his own
experience battling Others and then Valon.

“Thank you,
ikir
.” The Watcher
sounded too cheerful. Jonny had the urge to strangle him
again.

“Get the fuck out of here,” he ordered. “And
stay away from all of us.”

The Watcher nodded his head and winked out
of existence in a spark of green.

Jonny rolled his shoulders back and faced
Damian.

The White God was smiling. “You did
good.”

“I did what I had to,” Jonny replied.

“And you’re certain you can take a Natural
into your organization and keep her safe?”

“Absolutely.”

“For being my mortal enemy, you aren’t so
bad.” Damian said with a snort. “You gotta keep the catch and
release protocol in place or I’ll be at your door.”

“I understand,” Jonny replied. “I want you
and the Originals out of my business. Permanently.”

“That can be arranged. Get the fuck out of
my database.”

Jonny hid a smile. “Fine.” Stuart had
mirrored it. He wasn’t going to stop seeking out Naturals with
gifts to vamp and help rebuild his organization, but Damian didn’t
need to know that. He’d learned many lessons the first few years in
charge of the vamps. Among them, he wasn’t going to be caught off
guard by anything or anyone ever again. His people deserved to have
lines of defense against the rest of the world.

“You moving your people back overseas
anytime soon?” Damian asked. “Jules is bored over in the Eastern
Hemisphere.”

“When I have people to move, yeah,” Jonny
replied.

“All right. Don’t be a stranger.” Damian
held out his hand.

Jonny shook it.

“I’ll give Ashley a phone and let her know
she can call you or me, depending on where she wants to go,” Damian
said. “You headed home to Miami?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll warn Dusty. In the words of the most
worthy Black God I’ve ever known, get the fuck out of here.”

Jonny offered a tight smile. He didn’t want
to leave Ashley, but he also knew he was, for the first time, on
even footing with Damian. He wouldn’t want the White God showing up
at his headquarters, and he felt pressured to reciprocate.

Jonny debated how to respond and finally
decided there was nothing he really needed to say to Damian. He
Traveled back to his headquarters in Miami and materialized on the
private beach. Exhausted yet wired with concern for Ashley, he took
a moment to gaze at the serene ocean before acknowledging the vamps
awaiting him.

Charles stood bloodied and sweating beside
Tasha.

“You disobeyed me, Charles,” Jonny started.
“You sent Ashley after me.”

“Yes,
ikir.
I freely admit to not following
your orders, and I would do it again, if I had the chance.” Charles
knelt, eyes on the ground. “I request a merciful death.”