87. Parting Gifts

[Alaric]

"Rafferty, are you alright?" I asked him, noticing that his eyes' glow had grown dim and only seemed to get darker the longer I watched him.

"Maeve has been away for over an hour, and I do not have the strength to stand on my own for too much longer," Rafferty grimaced, clearing his throat as he began panting, his heartbeat erratic as he tried to force his eyes to stay open.

"I will go and see where they've gone off to," Damien said as he stood, then smiled softly as he pushed the curtain in the kitchen window to the side, showing Maeve and Sinclair walking up the driveway. "She will be in range within a few moments, Rafferty."

"Do you think Sinclair is still mad at us?" Azeneth whispered, biting her lip as she looked from Damien to Bast, then to Alaric and I, a look of unbearable torment plaguing her doleful green eyes.

"Most likely, yes. What you did is not something that will be easy to forgive, but knowing Sinclair, he will try." Damien said with a sigh, looking back and forth between the twins for a few moments before walking around the counter to start dinner.

"Are you okay?" I asked Sinclair, watching as he and Maeve took their seats at the table, waiting for either of them to speak, but after a few moments of painful silence, it was clear they had no intentions of speaking first. Though neither of them spoke first, I was surprised to see that Sinclair didn't look upset, but instead, he looked... happy.

"Yes, I am quite alright, thank you," Sinclair said with a nod, looking to his right where Rafferty was sitting, watching as the color slowly returned to his face, and his eyes began to glow brighter the longer he sat next to Maeve.

"If you were starting to get weak, why didn't you come and get us?" Maeve asked Rafferty, giving him a once over before looking around the table at the rest of the group.

"I did not want to impede. I know that Sinclair had a lot on his mind, and I figured it would be best to leave the two of you be. It does seem as though you are both in an agreeable mood. You had relations along the roadside?"

"Raffey! Bloody hell, no!" Maeve gasped, her eyes widening into twin saucers as she tried and failed to hide the furious blush spreading through her face.

"It was only a question, Maeve. From the shame on your face, it appears I am correct, despite your argument with my evaluation."

"You are not correct, Rafferty. She is flustered because you said something delicate, and not because she was lying." Sinclair snorted, a grin playing at the corners of his lips as he watched Maeve.

"It seems as though the women of this day and age are more easily abashed than they were previously." Rafferty commented, his eyes alive with amusement. He looked around the table at Bast, Octavia, and Hanna, before finally landing on me, letting out a sigh before looking back at Sinclair.

"This is the way of the world now, I suppose. I hope it's alright for me to ask, but why do the two of you seem to be in such a good mood? Not to say that there is an issue with it, of course, but after what you've learned, I expected you to be a bit more... well, I expected a Sinclair reaction." Kerr asked, groaning as he spoke, unable to find the words to verbalize what he was trying to say.

"Out of curiosity, what do you consider to be a Sinclair reaction? Though, I must say, any reaction I have would be a Sinclair reaction, seeing as how I am indeed Sinclair."

"If it were anyone other than my children? I'm quite sure you would have brutally murdered them without a singular second of hesitation." Bast responded with a small sigh, looking around the table as Alaric, Sam, Samantha, Hanna, Kerr, Octavia, and I all nodded our agreement.

"And laughed whilst doing it," Damien added with an affirmative nod, then looked past Sinclair and to the twins, who'd been silently waiting, giving them a reassuring smile before turning his attention back to what he was doing prior.

"Hmm, yes, I cannot disagree, though I wish I could. Maeve and I decided that we will be taking our leave after dinner."

"You're leaving just because of what we did? That's-" Azeneth gasped, her green eyes flashing with what appeared to be anger and disbelief, cut off by Sinclair, who narrowed his eyes with an intense glare.

"It's what, Azeneth? Do you believe it is unfair? Inequitable? If my absence is immoral, just what do you consider your actions to be? Do you consider your actions to be justified?" Sinclair laughed mockingly, shaking his head as Azeneth tried again to speak, bringing his hand down on the table with a growl, successfully forcing the twins into silence.

"Sinclair," Maeve warned softly, putting her hand on his arm with a small sound of grief and despair, waiting for him to look at her before raising an eyebrow.

"We are not leaving because of your actions, Azeneth and Ciaran. We are leaving because it is the prime time to do so. Maeve believes that the island may be somewhere near Ireland and that in going to Ireland, it will be enough power for Rafferty to be truly free."

"Does that mean you'll come back once Rafferty is free?" Ciaran asked, looking back and forth between Maeve and Sinclair curiously.

"That is yet to be seen, Ciaran. I do not know if I can wholly trust you, knowing that you could toy with me so freely, but I will not abandon you, no matter what you've done to me." Sinclair responded, closing his eyes with a sigh as Ciaran started to respond. "I beg of you, do not make this harder than it already is."

"Ciaran, Azzie, I don't think you fully realize the extent of what you did to him, and so, until you know, I think it would be best if you let it be, for now, okay?" Bast said, holding her hand out to the twins, her eyes overflowing with love and understanding when she saw the pain etched on their faces.

"I know the words do not absolve the deed committed, but they are sorry for what they've done, Sinclair," Alaric said after a moment of silence, watching Sinclair as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest with a sigh.

"Yes, I know this. If I did not, I would not have been so quick to return. If you all do not mind, I'd much rather speak of this no longer. It is in the past, and so it should stay there."

"Well, by that logic, doesn't that mean that you should forgive us? It's the past, so let it stay there." Azeneth mumbled under her breath with a roll of her eyes, then cried out in surprise when she realized she'd said that out loud.

"Oh, shit," I whined, bringing my forehead down on the table with a loud bang, hoping the pain would make me forget what she'd just said, but to no great avail, as I still remembered, but now had a pounding headache as well.

"Wait, don't be mad, please! We haven't fed in almost five days!" Ciaran gasped, jumping to his feet to stand in front of Azeneth as if he expected Sinclair to lunge across the table at her.

Though I knew Sinclair would never put his hands on Azeneth, I did still expect him to be upset, but much to my surprise and the confusion of everyone else in the kitchen, Sinclair started laughing.

"My god, Mercy, how in the name of all that is unholy did you not crack the table in half?" Sinclair struggled out through his laughter, the sound like thunder echoing through my ears, making it near impossible not to laugh as well.

"I honestly don't know," I responded, unable to stop myself from joining in with his merriment, rubbing my forehead where I could feel a bruise forming.

"Well, at least I'm not the only one who takes things out on poor and unexpecting tables?" Maeve offered with a slight shrug, successfully causing an eruption of laughter throughout the kitchen.

"Who broke Sinclair? I've never seen him laugh so.. hmm... unpretentiously." Ciaran commented, eyeing Sinclair suspiciously before looking next to him at Maeve. "Did you break Sinclair?"

"That would imply that Sinclair can be broken," Maeve responded with a smile, then motioned to Azeneth with her index finger, telling her to come around the table. Maeve waited until Azeneth stood in front of her, then patted her legs, letting Azeneth sit on her lap before saying anything more. "I know what it's like, being a teenager, and I know how hard it is to bite your tongue, but you have to try."

"I didn't mean to say it out loud! I didn't mean to think it, but it just came out." Azeneth responded, her eyes filled with tears as she looked over at Sinclair, who hadn't so much as glanced in her direction.

"Aye, welcome to being a teenager, love. It's not all fun and games, is it? Listen, I know that you're having a hell of a time getting used to all of these new things you're learning about yourself, and I swear to you, it won't all be like a tsunami."

"It's not like it's all-new, Maeve. For as long as we can remember, we've had to learn how to adjust to all of these powers without any break because if we didn't, we'd end up hurting someone. Like when we realized that we could use the power of anyone around us, there was no warning. Just, BAM, a vision out of fucking nowhere! And then when we learned that we could go into other people's dreams, we didn't have a warning for that either." Azeneth gasped, crying out as she lost the fight against her tears, groaning as she used Maeve's sleeve to dry her cheeks.

"Oi, I didn't ask for your germs!" Maeve gasped out, successfully causing Azeneth to giggle, which seemed to be Maeve's intent as she put an arm around Azeneth's shoulder, pulling her into a hug. "Careful on the language, love. It's not very lady-like."

"What would you know about lady-like? I distinctly remember you calling us miniature pricks. Is that lady-like?" Ciaran taunted with a grin, mocking Maeve's accent as he spoke.

"Oh, feeling mouthy today, are we?" Maeve responded, raising an eyebrow at Ciaran as he sat on her lap across from Azeneth, resting his head on her shoulder with a sigh of contentment. "I see you didn't tell them why you like being around me yet, as I can feel the glare on the back of my head."

"We didn't, no. Um, I imagine Sinclair was first drawn to Maeve because he couldn't use his ability on her, and it's kind of the same for us, I guess?" Azeneth said, then twisted her lips to the side, narrowing her eyes in thought.

"Maeve is like a power dead-zone for us, and Rafferty too. We like being around her because, in a sense, she shuts off our power, and it's the only time we aren't constantly bombarded with everyone's thoughts and emotions and everything else." Ciaran explained as he looked over Maeve's shoulder to Damien, casting him a smile before setting his head back down.

"I suppose that makes sense, yes. I feel the same way when I am with her." Sinclair said with a knowing smile, then shooed Rafferty away so that he could lean closer, whispering something to Maeve and the twins that no one else could understand, as it was not in any language I'd ever heard.

"Yes, Sir." Azeneth and Ciaran said simultaneously, giving Sinclair a nod of understanding when he'd finished talking, and pulled away from their huddle.

"Though I'm sure I know the answer already, should I be worried? What have you said to my children?" Damien asked after watching the four of them for a few moments in silence.

"We had a small chat about what they'd done and what they swear they will never again do in the future," Sinclair responded as he poured himself a fresh cup of tea, sighing when he saw that the water had gone cold.

"Since you're leaving when dinner is over, we should make a special dinner for you, Maeve. Ah, no, shut up." Bast said as she stood, walking around the table to clasp a hand over Maeve's mouth, narrowing her eyes with a growl as Maeve tried to pry her hand loose. "Sinclair doesn't need to eat, and Rafferty doesn't know a single thing about food, so he'll be happy with anything."

"Hanna, why don't you invite Amber?" Samantha asked her, smiling when Hanna's eyes widened with happiness at the idea.

"Would that be alright?" Hanna asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked over to Damien, smiling her thanks as he nodded.

"Yes, of course. Please, invite her. Maeve, what would you like for dinner?" Damien asked her after washing his hands, walking around the counter as he grabbed a towel to dry his hands, chuckling softly when he saw that Bast still had her hand over Maeve's mouth. "How is she to respond if you will not allow her?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Bast said, then leaned over to kiss the top of Azeneth's head before going to make a pot of coffee. "I need coffee, not your shit." She added when she saw the way Damien was watching her, sticking her tongue out at him with a grin.

"Stick your tongue out at me again, and I'll show you where to stick it," Damien growled playfully, laughing as the twins cried out in disgust. "You know where you come from. Do not act as if you don't."

"Oh my god!" Maeve shrieked softly as she jumped to her feet, biting her lip, trying and failing to bite back her gasp of excitement. "I've a grand idea!"

"What is it?" I asked her curiously, unable to stop myself from joining in with her excitement, as it was near impossible not to.

"It's a surprise!" Maeve gasped as she took Sinclair and Rafferty's hands, pulling them out of the kitchen and out of the house without another word.

"If you take away the insanity and murderous intent, she and Sinclair are just alike." Octavia breathed out softly, pushing the curtain to the side as she watched Maeve continue to pull the two men along the side of the house until they were out of sight and too far for us to hear what was said.

"Oh, she's insane, just like he is. But not in the same sense of the word. Like a match made in heaven, the two of them." Alaric commented as he stood and washed his hands in the kitchen sink, taking the towel from Damien to dry his hands.

"Ha, match made in heaven. You're funny." Samantha giggled softly, then threw her hands up with a sigh and a small growl. "Seriously, guys? How do you not see the irony in that? Maeve is a literal angel. A fallen one, but an angel nonetheless!"

"Yes, and Sinclair is very close to becoming one himself. I imagine everyone saw his newest eye color just as I did, yes?" Sam agreed with a nod, then smiled softly when he saw the bewilderment on Hanna's face as she looked up from the message she was typing out.

"I'm sorry, what?" Hanna gasped, her golden eyes wild with confusion and disbelief as she looked around at the group, waiting for someone to explain what she'd missed.

"Okay, long back story short, Rafferty is an angel who was cast into the earth as punishment for loving a human and accidentally creating a new breed of demon. The woman he fell in love with was the first fae, which is just a human with an angel's abilities. An anodyne is a fae who'd fallen but didn't do something bad enough to be robbed entirely of their angelic nature, making her a fallen angel just like Rafferty." I explained, stopping to give Hanna a few moments to permeate what I'd just said.

"No, no, give her a moment," Sam said, shaking his head as I started to speak, cutting me off before I could get a word out as he watched Hanna.

"Okay, I'm ready," Hanna said with a small noise of disbelief, nodding as she rotated her hands in a circular motion, telling us she was ready for us to continue.

"Rafferty explained to us that a recreant is not a vampire losing their bloodline, but it's an evolution of sorts. When the vampire severs all ties to humanity, they become a recreant. It can seem as if it happens when the bloodline ends because of the timing, but that is not why a vampire becomes a recreant. He refuses to tell us what causes the next step of the vampire evolution, but he did tell us that Sinclair was very close to it." Samantha said, smiling softly to Hanna as she sat where Sinclair was previously, putting her arm around Hanna's shoulder to try and comfort her.

"Okay, I get it so far. Sinclair is close to the next step of the vampire evolution. I'm guessing that has a lot to do with the fact that his girlfriend is a fallen angel and the fact that she's now pregnant, right?"

"You know, I didn't make that connection until now. But, now that you say it, yes, I believe you are correct." Damien responded with a small scoff of amusement, then sighed as he checked out of the window to see if Maeve, Rafferty, and Sinclair were coming back yet. "She did not say what she wanted for dinner."

"Maeve isn't picky, as long as you don't put onions in it, I honestly don't think she really cares," Azeneth said thoughtfully with a shrug, then furrowed her brows when Damien turned to watch her curiously. "What? I'm just being honest. Onions and mushrooms. She picks those things out of her food, but other than that, she doesn't seem to have any preferences."

"Hmm, she also doesn't seem too fond of bell peppers, either," Ciaran added with a nod, then leaned back in his chair as Damien started laughing. "We aren't allowed to notice things about our friend?"

"Your friend, is that what you think of her? Do not think I do not notice the way you watch Maeve. Both of you are attracted to her in a way not befitting of children." Damien commented, a smile peeking at the ends of his mouth as the twins tried to argue.

"I- No! We- Whatever!" Azeneth growled as she and Ciaran ran out of the kitchen and stomped up the stairs, slamming the door closed to their room.

"Not to change the subject, but did you say that the twins are attracted to Maeve, in more than a friendly way?" Kerr asked after a few moments of silence, scoffing softly in amusement as he looked over his shoulder in the direction the twins had run.

"You didn't notice? At first, I thought they just really liked Maeve, until I realized that they really like Maeve." Bast giggled as she sat back in her chair, her eyes going wide as she laughed.

"I did not notice, but now I cannot stop myself from thinking back to the way they've been acting around her since they met," Alaric commented softly, then raised an eyebrow as he turned to look at me.

"So, Azzie and Ciaran both like Sinclair's girlfriend? Eesh." I responded with a shake of my head, then looked up through the kitchen window when I saw Maeve, Rafferty, and Sinclair walking past.

"I do not believe they like her in that sense, but they are both attracted to her. I cannot say I blame them, as she is quite literally of angelic beauty. It does make me curious, however, how elementals came to be if we all started out as demoted angels." Damien commented as he placed a pan in the oven, nodding hello as the group walked into the kitchen.

"I want to give you all a gift, one that can be used however you see fit. Damien, close your eyes." Maeve said as she walked around the counter to stand in front of Damien, holding something in her hands behind her back.

"Close my eyes? No offense, Maeve, but I do not think so." Damien said, shaking his head apologetically, looking down at Maeve as she let out a dejected sigh.

"Oh, let off it, I can't do anything to hurt you. I'm trying to give you a gift." Maeve groaned, watching Damien curiously as he began laughing.

"You cannot hurt me? There are many things you can do to hurt me, Maeve!" Damien roared out in laughter, shaking his head once his laughter had come to a stop, watching Maeve for a long few moments before reluctantly nodding and closing his eyes.

"Thank you, arsehole," Maeve mumbled as she stood on the tips of her toes to put something around Damien's neck, then took a step back, grinning as she waited for Damien to open his eyes and look at the present.

"What is this?" Damien asked as he picked up the crimson-colored vial at the end of the chain, inspecting it curiously as he held it under the nearest lamp above the counter.

"I figured since my blood can heal pretty much anything, I should leave you all with a bit of it, should you need it," Maeve said with a shrug as she walked to the table and motioned for Rafferty and Sinclair to set the rest of the vials in the center of the table.

"Where did you get the supplies for all of this?" Hanna asked as she picked up one of the necklaces and inspected it closely, popping the cork off of it to sniff the blood it held. "Wow, it smells amazing." She whispered, her golden eyes lighting up with desire when she caught the scent of Maeve's blood.

"Hmm, that's slightly terrifying," Maeve said, eyeing Hanna suspiciously as she picked up one of the necklaces and tied it around my neck, smiling as she sat down on the other side of Alaric. "If the two of you ever decide to have a wee one, you don't need a potion to do it."

"Oh," I whispered, trying to hide my smile when I realized what she was saying, looking to my right at Alaric, my face flushing when I saw the way he was watching me.

"I had considered asking you if it would be something you'd be willing to do, but I'm glad I did not have to ask, as I wouldn't have known where to start," Alaric responded as he held his hand out to Maeve, trying to shake her hand.

"You damn vampires," Maeve groaned with a roll of her eyes as she stood to put her arms around Alaric's shoulders, pulling him into a hug. "I figured this is the best gift I could leave, seeing as how many uses it can have. If you're in trouble, a drop of it can heal you, or you can use it to turn yourself human."

"Maeve, you wanted to spell them as well, correct?" Rafferty asked her as he pointed to the necklace around my neck, then pointed to the pile on the table, telling me to take it off.

"Aye. So, the crest is a big deal, so I decided that you all can choose whether you want it. Raffey will show me how to do it, but I'm going to put a spell on the vials so that you can give yourself the crest if you want it."

"How would we do such a thing?" Kerr asked as he picked up a vial, then set it down, holding up his hands in a show of surrender when Rafferty whipped around to glare at him.

"Observe," Rafferty said, taking a vial and holding it on display for the rest of us to see, then positioned the tip of the vial above his heart, drawing a symbol above it before crushing the vial against his chest. "Your body will absorb Maeve's blood and fill in the symbol you've drawn, successfully leaving her crest on your being." He said, showing us as the blood dissolved in a small spiral design, then dissipated.

"Woah!" Maeve gasped, holding up her arm as a purple spiral traced itself around her shoulder, then turned into a bright white light, disappearing. "Why didn't mine stay like yours?"

"I have a crest of my own, and so I cannot take yours unless my crest were to be destroyed. That is why I used myself as an example because it cannot be permanent on me."

"Well, it is not as if I have any plans on leaving," Sinclair said with a shrug as he picked up a vial, then did as Rafferty showed us, tracing the design around his heart, crushing the vial against his chest.

"You're stuck with me now," Maeve grinned softly, pushing his shirt over his head so that we could watch as her intricate design imprinted itself on both of their shoulders, like a tribal tattoo. Though the patterns were simple, they were beautiful, making it difficult to look away.

"Perfect. There is no place I'd rather be." Sinclair grinned, pulling Maeve into a hug before kissing her so gingerly, it made my heartache.