Chapter 5 Introduction

Simion

We entered the kitchen, and I felt more than heard her pause. Everyone is here around the huge kitchen island having breakfast. I lead her to the coffee pot and grab a cup. She cradles it between her hands like it's precious and she's afraid to spill it.

I led her to an open stool at the island. "What do you usually put in your coffee?"

She clears her throat, "I remember I used to put these flavored creamers in it." She tells me.

I smile and point to several on the counter. I move them closer to her so she can see them. She reads the labels and chooses one. I hand her a spoon, and after it's mixed, she takes a sip. Her eyes grow huge, and she stares at her cup.

"I haven't had coffee in so long, this is so good, thank you." She sounds like she's trying not to get choked up.

She timidly looks at me. "What's the date?"

That surprises me, "It's September 10th actually."

She fidgets, then whispers, "What year?"

I tell her, and she freezes utterly. She doesn't even breathe for a moment. Then she grips the edge of the counter and breathes slowly. She's focused on her coffee as she obviously fights for control. Finally, she reaches for her coffee again.

I decide we can ask later, right now I let her enjoy her coffee. I fix my own cup and plate up breakfast. I sit and observe her from the corner of my eye.

She wasn't interested in food, but she's slowly sipping a second cup of coffee. We all move to the living room as it's got lots of big, comfortable furniture.

"Okay, I promised you a conversation this morning. I am sorry, but I gave you Zahaine's name last night, but not the rest of us. I am Simion, that's Balkalor, and our dark-skinned brother is Meliyan."

She nods as I give out names. "Another man is joining us in a few minutes. He was here last night. His name is Michael."

"Was everything in your room okay?"

"Yes, it was great, thank you."

"Do you need anything?"

She pauses, "I honestly don't know how to answer that."

"Okay, we'll table that for now and address it again later. Is that okay?" She nods at me.

Then the bell rings, and Balkalor goes to admit Michael. This is going to prove interesting, I think.

"Tali, you said earlier you hadn't had coffee in a long time, and you were extremely upset when you found out what year it was. How long had you been a prisoner of those people?"

I can see her swallow, and her breathing picks up, but she fights to keep control.

"Three years." She looks like she's about to say more, but doesn't.

"You were taken by those animals when you were 15?" Michael blurts out.

Natalia gets very still, then slowly raises her face to meet Michael's eyes. "How do you know how old I am?"

Michael looks at me, and I nod, "Because I'm your father."

I am immediately worried that her reaction will not be good as she says not a word, and I see Michael puzzling over her lack of response to his words.

"Did you hear what I said, Natalia?" He asks her, and I see her slightly flinch at his use of her name.

"Yes, I heard you." She sounds almost robotic.

"I think this leads into the explanation we need to give you. You are going to want to not believe us, but we can prove everything I am going to tell you."

She nods and looks at me, not Michael.

"Last night I told you that we are protectors, but what we are not is human. Centuries ago, the barrier around Earth tore, and due to that, species from other realms entered."

She nods, "It has always been our job to police, for lack of a better word, all species. This didn't change because they went to Earth. Men were enamored of the protectors of that time. They made us into Angels and Demons. They also call us vampires." With that, I extend my fangs and then pull them back.

"We have never fed on people. There's no Heaven, it's just what men call our home realm. There are light and dark protectors. This only points to the skill set they fall into; it has nothing to do with good and evil."

Her eyes are huge as they watch me, "Some protectors let the adoration of men get to them and are fueled by the worship. We very much try to curtail that. Your father is a light protector, and the rest of us are dark." I get up and move over, and allow my wings to emerge and expand.

Michael moves in the other direction and releases his white wings. She eyes us both, still not saying anything.

She looks at Michael as he pulls in his wings, "If you're my father, are you trying to say I am like you?"

He shakes his head. "You are a hybrid; your mother was human."

She looks skeptical but doesn't say anything," as a species, our numbers are dwindling. There's been no cause or cure found. Now, with us policing other species, you can understand that our disappearance would be bad."

She reluctantly nods, "18 years ago, the protector council, the closest thing we have to a government, thought they'd found the cure in a way. They thought if a hybrid was born to input new blood into our species, it could pull us back from extinction." He tells her.

"Do you mean use my blood?" She asks, alarmed.

"No, your father is being delicate. They mean you mate and breed with protector males. That was the council's grand plan." I explain.

Her face loses all color," You are expecting me to mate and breed? Are you talking marriage or just your version of where I was?"

I jump up," Never, never in a hundred centuries would you be used like that. Mating is exactly like marriage; it's just more physical than a ceremony. Also, with our numbers so low, and the majority of our females unable to have children, our society has become polyamorous." I sit back down.

"Do I have a choice?" She asks softly.

"I can't honestly answer that. I want to tell you yes, of course, but the council is desperate, and I'm afraid of the pressure they might put on you." I tell her honestly.

"Another aspect of this is that when you hit 18, your powers would have begun to awaken. I'm not sure what yours is. You might need our help to learn control and mastery of your powers."

She dropped her head back against the armchair and curled in on herself. She was starting to crack under the onslaught of information.

"We've dumped a shit load on you. How about we give you a break and we can revisit whatever you need to later."

She took the offered exit and fled to the bedroom she had been in last night.