Page 63 of Blood Lust
“Baby,” Zane’s soft voice stopped anyone from answering my shaking voice. “She’s so beautiful.”
Aria’s eyes brightened when she looked to my left where Zane knelt beside me.
“Daddy,” she said with the sweetest, jolly chuckle.
“That’s right,” Zane said in a soft laugh.
“Once we found out we were going back, I had to get her up to speed on who is who.” Logan smirked, head locked in a tightened bicep that Braden had him in, “She knows everyone else as her uncle. Get me?”
I laughed, “Of course.” I stood, letting Aria jump into her dad’s large arms. “Val,” I was finally able to meet my former vampire friend with a hug. “I’m so sorry I got you killed—”
Val’s slender finger covered my mumbling lips. “No. We’re not doing that. Cole can make me some of his famous spaghetti and all is forgiven.”
“Bullshit!” Cole’s smile was contagious. “You almost got our girl killed by being a dumbass, you deserved to die.” He crossed the room and embraced Val, “Dumb bitch, it’s so damn good to see your face again.”
Val laughed. “I know. Now,” she pulled back smiled, “get on that spaghetti.” Cole turned to leave, shaking his head and smiling. “And make sure there’s plenty of garlic too.” She playfully slapped him in his ass. “God dang, it’s good to be back.”
After all of us got our jitters and waves of extreme excitement out of the way, we ate dinner, and thank goodness we halted on further conversation because I couldn’t take my eyes off of Aria for anything right at the moment.
“You know, we all need to talk because you need to know shit has changed since this demon did what it did. It starts with you, Ellie,” Val said, her eyes showing concern. “All of you have to listen to me, even though I get this shit will be hard to grasp.”
“What’s going on?” I said, kissing Aria’s tiny hand and letting her go back to dropping spaghetti noodles on her head. “Trust me, Val, I can take anything at this point,” I looked at all the guys sitting around the table, “in fact, I think we all can.”
Val’s lips tightened. “I hope so because none of this is going to be news I think you’ll want to hear.”
I looked at Logan and spied him glancing at Zac, studying the vampire across the table from him with concerned eyes. He cleared his throat. “What you’re thinking is true, Zac,” Logan said. “We had to let time pass to be sure, and it’s half the damn reason it took so long for them to send us back.”
“You’ve only been gone a month though,” I said.
“Like you were told, kitten,” Val interjected, “time moves slower from where we were in holding. They had to be sure it was worth it to send both Logan and me back with Aria. Logan was sent back because all of you were broken without him, and they need you strong for the battle ahead. I was sent back because Aria and I had built a bond. Somehow throughout the white mists of the majestic place I was in, this little angel found me, and I found her. Aria’s bond grew with me, and I was either coming back with her to all of you or bringing her through the Black Creek Academy without you all.”
Zane went to speak, but Val held up a finger. “Shut it down,” she eyed everyone at the table. “Yes, this is a fairy-ran academy, and we need the fairies. Aria needs them, she has talents that shift by the minute. This academy is hidden with a strong enchantment, and it is the only place where Aria will lock down her true powers. The true powers that are needed to beat all dark forces.”
“They want her to fight the goddamn devil?” Braden growled.
“There are bigger wars and greater enemies building armies we were never aware of. These armies and entities are far more dangerous than Enzo ever dreamt himself to be. His dumb ass is first on their list.” She looked at me and inhaled deeply, “Unfortunately, this is also where Aria will help when the time comes, and when it does, we’re going to need that narcissistic bastard’s help too.”
“Holy hell,” Zac stood from the table. “What the hell is really going on here? No one fucking comes back from the dead and they sure as hell don’t come back with a kid who should be a month old, but she’s what,” he raised his eyebrows at Aria who was watching him intently, “a three year old? How the hell are we supposed to believe this shit is even real?”
“Fuck you,” Logan said with a questioning look at Zac.
“Fuck you, mother fucker. Who are you, assholes?”
“Has it been that long that you actually forgot I was the only one who knew that was your lame ass password to your cell?”
Zac looked at Logan in disbelief. “Elle knew it,” he said numbly.
Logan smiled, “Shit’s real. We’re back, and we have to get the chosen one over there ready to go to fucken school. Once everyone can get over the impossible being possible, Val and I can get to the meat of everything. So, get it all out of your system, because everything we have lived to fight against, we have to learn to get along with now.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
After what seemed like an eternity for us to settle all our minds down about Logan, Aria, and Val returning from the dead, we were ready for what they had to say.
“Okay, so now that we’re all on the same page—”
“Listen, we’re all still trying to get a grip on the fact that you’re not part of the army of the dead who’s going to fuck up the shifters when their prophecy is fulfilled,” Braden said, watching Aria bounce around the living area with a subtle smile.
“Does that little munchkin look like she’s part of the Shifted?” Logan said with a laugh. “No, but she’s going to learn all about those scary ass stories at that academy.”
