Lady Clay

Chris:

“Is she okay?” He asked over his shoulder, hovering over his unconscious ass as we shared curious brows between us.

“If you mean the massive laceration along her head and shoulder, along with the mild concussion from slamming into the mirror wall. Yeah, she’s okay.” Elias growled darkly, catching Randi’s concerned expression as he flipped around, leaning over between Elias and me.

“Where is she at?” His facial expression darkened as he pulled out his phone, looking at her smiling face as he kissed her cheek posing for a selfie.

“At the Villa with Mama Eve and our folks. She was resting when we left for the airport.” Ben snarled darkly, slamming his hand into the horn as a burnt gold Long Horn Dually Ram truck cut us off in a shit packed traffic jam.

“Everything is “Long Horn” in this state, even his hood has a set of “Long Horns”.” Roger laughed darkly as we looked through the windshield with bright smiles.

“Well, Bless his Heart.” Randi laughed brightly as the GPS started chirping about our exit approaching, which was four lanes over from our current position in this “shit show parade of rubber and steel”.

Ben turned slightly to look out the windows as he started to merge over with a few colorful words of annoyance, waving to the polite trucker that held his position to allow us over.

“Thank the Fucking Gods!” Ben growled annoyed as other drivers shouted and honked their horns in a melody of annoyance.

Roger jumped out, running over to the trucker with a bright smile jumping up on the steps with a friendly conversation and handshake, before dashing back to us before we exited the highway.

“He was so “polite”.” Randi spoke like a southern belle, fanning his face for the extra dramatic emphasis of his comment.

Laughing lightly as Roger jumped back in with a bright smile, fanning his face with a dramatic sigh.

“What a colorful gentleman.” Roger laughed lightly as we finally exited the highway, following the lead of the GPS speaking in her mechanical monotone as soft grunts and groans sounded behind us.

Looking back as Randi leaned over the seat, smiling with a sinister smirk.

“Oh, our “sleeping beauty” is waking.” He gushed darkly, slapping Peyton’s face with a sharp snap of his fingers to the forehead.

“Good. Because we’re here.” Ben spoke coldly as we looked out the tinted windows at the “Guiding Light Orphanage” and a confused, sandy blonde woman with a deep sun kissed tan and bright blue eyes as she approached our vehicle.

Randi shoved his tie into Peyton’s groaning mouth as we exited into the sweltering heat, feeling as the denim and light cotton shirt stuck angerly to my sweating skin.

Smirking lightly as the woman stood dumbfounded with a perked brow of amusement.

“Well, this is certainly unexpected. I’m Miss Clay.” She shook our hands with a firm grip, signaling she was a tough woman that meant business.

A young girl walked out the royal blue double doors with frosted glass, wiping her hands dry against the apron with Deadpool sharping a knife with his smoking gun.

“I like her already.” Randi laughed brightly, flashing his megawatt smile as he leaned back onto his heels with his hands gently placed in his pockets.

“Hi ya’ll. I’m Bailey, Miss Clay’s daughter.” Her purple locks reminding me of Elicia’s ombre as her heavy southern accent twanged with the greeting.

“Pleasure. I’m Chris, and these are my brothers, Elias, Roger, and Ben. That’s Randi our family friend.” Shaking her hand with a warm smile as her cheeks dusted softly with a deep blush, nodding politely as she stood back with a questioning Miss Clay.

“Wait…are you the gentlemen Elicia spoke about on the phone?” Laughing lightly at the fact our “mate” had already spoken about us to her only parental figure.

“Yes, Ma’am. Is their somewhere we can speak privately?” Elias spoke with a strange calmness as Miss Clay nodded to follow her, while Bailey went back inside to loud laughter and talking as little heads peeked through the curtains with bright smiles.

Smiling back at the curious faces with a playful wave of the fingers.

“What about Peyton?” Ben asked smugly in link as we followed Miss Clay around the side of the old plantation styled house, sucking in sharp breaths as she motioned for us to enter the teal hand scraped door leading into Elicia’s old apartment.

“It even smells like her.” Roger purred in our link as we followed up the dark stained stairs to an open loft styled studio, scanning the homey décor of whitewashed bookshelves, blue denim sofa with red throw pillows and a freshly made bed with lavender and cream linens.

“What can I do for you boys?” Miss Clay opened a cupboard with colorful mugs and plates, skillfully placed above the stove as she fired up the kettle with fresh water.

“Please tell me you replaced the bed?” Ben groaned lowly as he leaned against the butcher block island, catching Miss Clay off-guard as she spun around with a dark frown.

Struck a serious cord with that comment.

“Yes. That “bastard” defiled the only sanctuary Elicia had in her life.” She hissed the words as her eyes held a gentleness like Izzy would look at us with.

Nodding to her words as the silent rage swirled heavily in the pit of my stomach, sitting on the plush sofa with Ben, while Elias and Randi walked around the apartment studying photos and the vast collection of movies and books along her shelves.

Roger grabbed the keys from Ben as he disappeared back down the stairs, whistling a mocking tune as the door closed with a soft click.

“She really loves the “Supernatural”.” Randi smiled brightly with a devious wink as Elias studied a photo of Elicia dancing in the backyard with a bunch of kids sitting around with bright toothy grins.

“How do you boys like your coffee?” Miss Clay hummed happily as she poured six mugs of piping hot coffee, setting out the liquid sugar and Irish creamer.

Hearing the door close as Roger appeared from the stairwell with a shit eating grin.

“The “douchbag” is throwing a tantrum.” He linked with a haughty laugh, grabbing a mug of coffee as he helped Miss Clay carry over the rest with a polite smile.

“So, what brings you all the way across the “pond”?” She smiled softly as she took a seat on a wooden bench with her steaming mug of coffee, stirring with a gentle hand like Elicia.

“What can you tell us about Elicia? We know about being abandoned as an infant, and you, also Bain but what else?” Elias poured a hefty amount of liquid sugar into his mug before taking a sip with a heavy sigh.

“Diabetes much.” Randi chuckled darkly, receiving a pointed stare as we stifled our own laughs behind our mugs.

“Not much. The Fire Chief showed up to my door in the middle of the night, placing the tiniest little girl in my arms wrapped in a thermal blanket. She was a happy baby, quiet and inquisitive. This place is more of a foster house than an orphanage, because let’s face reality, small town not a lot of people looking to adopt these kids.” Her smile fell as she spoke about the kids in her care, and it struck a heavy cord within us being the same but with darker surroundings.

“Miss Clay...” She held her hand up to Roger as he went to ask her a question.

“Darling, call me Lady.” She looked up with a smartass wink as we shared questioning expressions between us.

“It’s my name. Lady Clay or LC like the older kids call me from time-to-time.” She took a swig of her coffee, setting the mug down beside her as she laughed softly at our expressions.

“Okay. That’s unique but it suits you, LC.” Randi saluted her with his mug, leaning against the back of the sofa with a bright smile as he looked out the skylights in the kitchen ceiling.

“LC, did Elicia ever show signs of being “special” besides her grades or dance and music?” Roger leaned forward with a curious expression, asking a question that lingered between us after the incident in Randi’s kitchen.

“Oh, you mean to ask if she has supernatural powers?” A pin could drop on the moon at the silence that blanketed the apartment as LC gently lifted her mug, sipping with a calm expression.

“This is weird.” Laughing shortly in our link as we stared at each other dumbfounded and speechless.

“Honestly, she never showed any of the classic shifter traits, and powers? I couldn’t say, because she never displayed anything we would consider an “ability”.” LC spoke casually as we sat in silence, racking every part of our brain to explain how she went so long without displaying any abilities, except the glowing blue eyes.

“We?” Asking in questioning as we leaned forward in curiosity she knew about the “supernatural” and shifters.

“Yes. The Fire Chief is my husband and mate, also we are the local elders of the Bloodstone Coven. We’re Witches.” Her laugher was like a breath of fresh air in this stuffy, confused haze we were stuck in.

“Bloodstone? Like Lady Morgan Bloodstone of N’Orleans?” Elias sounded excited as he stood up with a fluttering step as he paced along the sofa back.

“Well, yes. She’s, my cousin.” Things started clicking together as we shared a strange, deadpanned expressions.