Page 69 of Fratelli: Eternal Bloodlines

“Charmaine? Please. Please speak to me!” Dolly pleaded. She kept looking over at her friend. Charmaine’s head was turned, and her body slumped in the seat. She needed to touch her. She needed to get her safe and secured somewhere. Dolly drove the expressway and into the downtown area. There were buildings everywhere. As soon as she sensed safety, she parked.

“Char? Can you hear me?” After a moment, she took her friend’s hand in hers. She closed her eyes and reached out to Darlene. Her sister was unusually quiet in her head. She tried again to connect to Lucio. He was blocking her, and that too scared her. The brief exchange between them had been a strong warning.

Dolly did her best to concentrate. She did her best to heal her friend. Charmaine stirred. She opened her eyes and turned her head. She frowned as if she had a terrible headache.

“What… where is he?” she threw the door to the car open and vomited. Dolly got out of the car. Charmaine stumbled toward the grass. With her hands on her knees, she vomited some more. It was dark bile coming from her.

“What is it?” Dolly asked.

“Where? Where are we?” Charmaine stood and looked around. She could see the freeway. They had parked behind an abandoned Firestone.

“Gone. But we aren’t safe,” Dolly sighed. She looked around the darkness. “How the hell did I get us here? I don’t even know why I brought us here. Something told me to drive, and I drove.”

“No. Yes. I guess,” Charmaine said. She touched her throat. “Did he bite me?”

“Yes… but I saved you from him before he took too much,” Dolly said.

Charmaine dropped her head in defeat. “You don’t understand. I failed my first test.”

“What? What do you mean? You were kicking his ass. We got out of there!” Dolly said.

“I made a mistake. I thought I knew what I was doing. I couldn’t defeat his Draca. I was wrong. He mated me. He took me. He marked me. I’m his now, and he’s mine,” Charmaine said.

Dolly walked over to her friend. She took hold of her arms and held firm. “Look at me.”

“Noooooo,” she groaned.

“Look at me!”

Charmaine refused.

“What is happening to us is not our fault. I don’t know how this started for you, but you were there for me. So, stop blaming yourself. We are okay. We will figure this out. Together.”

Charmaine’s face slowly lifted. Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes. She then dropped to her knees and bowed before Dolly. “Forgive me. Forgive me for failing you.”

Horrified, Dolly stepped back.

“Charmaine, stop. What is wrong with you?”

She’s mated to him.Darlene finally spoke in Dolly’s head. Charmaine remained bowed, weeping, and chanting.

“What does it mean, Darlene?” Dolly asked.

She’s a Guardian, like the consiglieri are guardians. Like Papa Legba and Julia Brown are guardians. She has the power of Liora. She is chosen by you for you.

“Me? Are you sure?” Dolly asked.

Yes, but she’s lost her objectivity. That makes her weak and useless to us. Think of it this way: when you were with Lucio in the canyon, the sex, the anger, the love, the confessions, all his drinking from you, and your healing of his Draca. You mated with him. He is your fate. That’s why I told you he is no longer mine. You both are weak for each other.

“But Tristan attacked her. It wasn’t her choice to be his mate,” she reasoned.

Wasn’t it? It was within her power to prevent it. She created that forcefield to keep him in and you out! The Draca wanted to kill her. Tristan wanted to mate her. She knew. I saw it all. Don’t let her blubbering fool you. I never trusted her.

“Stop it, Darlene,” said Dolly.

Okay fine. How about this? She is far more sensitive to darkness than Kaida and Sonya. It’s because she embodies it. And so does the Priest. It’s fate.

“Fate. Like me and Lucio. Me and Lucio belong to each other?” she asked.

---