44: Licking My Wounds

The night is long and terrible. With just that little amount of blood my body is on fire and my mind is consumed with thoughts of Gabriel. I’m not sure I slept at all. The sun had been down by time I left work, but I watched it rise and reach high noon before a knock on the door startles me off the couch.

My mind quickly becomes my enemy as I jump to my feet to answer the door, eager to see him. He stays away from the threshold to be polite or not wanting to feel the rejection of not being able to enter, but I’m thankful for the space even though my own blood is singing.

“Are you ready?” He asks.

“No, but does that matter?” My words sound stronger than I actually am. I step out, shutting and locking the door behind me. There’s no denying the hard beats of my heart as I follow him down the steps.

Like the gentleman Gabriel has always been, he opens the passenger door for me and speeds around to the driver’s side. I thought the drive would be quite and awkwardly peaceful, but it’s anything but. The tension between us is suffocating.

“I don’t like them. Any of them.” I say into the silent car.

“Neither do I. They think rules don’t apply to them because they’re doing Phillip’s great work. Even making ridiculous demands and threats to go along with them if they don’t get what they want.”

“It can’t be that bad.” I groan. My mind flashes with the image of Gabriel biting into Brooklynn’s neck.

“Isn’t it? You’re being made to do things with threats backing them up. Does it feel good?”

“It isn’t the same.”

“Oh, but it is. Brooklynn’s nothing more than a bully that demands all attention to be on her. She sees something she wants, she takes it, whatever the cost.”

“Sounds like someone else I know.” I say even though I should get as far away from where the conversation is leading to.

“Brooklynn and I are very different.”

“Sure you are.” I snap back. I hear his intake of breath ready to argue with me, but I stop him. “Not up for discussion.” I rest my head back against the seat.

Gabriel remains quiet not pushing it further. And I begin to relax in the warmth of the quiet car. What I don’t expect is me falling asleep, but I do. I’m startled awake by a nudge from Gabriel. Once I open my eyes his face is the first thing I see. Second is Phillip’s manor just behind him and I become fully awake in the matter of seconds.

“I didn’t want to wake you, but we’re here. If you aren’t up to it we can-”

“I’m fine.” I step out of the car and ignore Gabriel’s concerned gaze.

As I stand outside the too familiar manor, I take a deep breath. “I don’t think this is the most efficient way to go about this.” It shouldn’t feel as if I’m getting punished for other people’s inadequacy.

Gabriel comes to a stop beside me. “No, but it’s the most effective.”

“For who?” I grumble as we enter the manor.

I feel more nervous now than I did the very first time I was brought here. Something about the members of Jaded Divine makes my skin crawl. It could just be me hanging onto my residual feelings from my nightmare, from them being so eager to kill me or watch me die.

Gabriel leads us through the halls, halls that I’ve never been done. “Where are we going? We’re not doing this in the dungeons, are we?”

“There are no dungeons and no. We’re going to the kitchen.”

“You’re hungry?” I say appalled at the mention of food and eating.

“No.”

“Oooookay.” I follow along, feelings of dread tag along.

He rummages through some cabinets and drawers. With his back still to me he says, “You’re going to have a shot.”

“Liquid courage, okay.” But what I thought I was going to get is very different from what he meant.

Once he turns around I catch a twitch of a smile on his face and one glass and a knife in hand.

“No.” I shout as he places the glass on a counter and brings the knife to his wrist. “I just had some yesterday.”

“You don’t want to get lost in there, do you? This way we’ll be able to keep a good connection." He gives a puff of laugher, “I can have a shot too if it makes you feel better.”

“Very funny, but not happening.”

He doesn’t fill the glass with much. Maybe he is in need of a shot. I don’t argue, because all it does it prolong the inevitable and the sooner we get this done the sooner the better. I grab the glass with shaky hands and bring it to my lips. I pause, inhale, which is bad on my part.

I pull the glass away from my lips, take a breath of semi-fresh air and bring the glass back to my mouth and quickly tip it back. I try to shake the vile taste away. “I’m going to be so grateful when I don’t have to drink that anymore.”

“You were used to it once.”

“Don’t remind me.” I sway on my feet with a blood high. Was this the best idea? As I lean against the counter my fingers slide over the knife. “Ow.” I jerk back but not before the damage is done. A small swell of blood forms along a slice on one of my fingers.

Gabriel quickly examines it. “You’ll live.” He teases. His eyes struggle to remain on mine as he’s drawn to the blood that’s growing in size.

“Damn it Gabriel.” I hiss. “Just do it. Go ahead.” I’m not sure where my words came from. Not my better judgement that’s for sure. But there’s no taking them back.

Gabriel places his lips the small cut, flicking his tongue across the wound. It only lasts a second, so quick that I don’t have to pull away.

“You wouldn’t have a band-aid though. I don’t want to have you keep licking my wound.”

“I wouldn’t mind.” He keeps a stern, serious face as he says it, but quickly breaks away from me as he goes to dig through another drawer. “I’m sure there’s a bandage here somewhere, although, nobody minds a little blood in their food.”

“You’re making it worse.”

He ignores me as he still searches. I’m just about to call off the search when he shouts too loudy for the small space. “Got it.” He slowly approaches me and I’m not sure if it’s for me or for him. The gentle, slow motion of his actions is troubling and I let out a breath of relief when my cut is finally covered.

“Shall we?” He lingers by the door waiting for me to join him.

I don’t answer, instead I just give him a sharp, tight lipped smile. No, we shall not is what I want to say. With the fresh blood mixing with my own, at this moment all I want is to stay in the kitchen and do very bad things. It takes all the strength I can muster to leave the room.

I can feel Gabriel’s eyes on me as we retrace our steps to the more familiar parts of the manor. To me, I’m not stumbling over my feet or walking in a weaving line, but to Gabriel’s concerning eyes, I’m a little tipsy. Too much blood.

We walk into the dining room to find the seven of them sitting on one side of the large table. The last time I was at this table, I was made to eat dinner with vampires, now I’m forced to put on a show for witches. The thought of then and now instantly sobers me up.

Phillip isn’t present. Apparently, this isn’t important enough for him. If he were here I’m sure I wouldn’t be jumping through hoops to impress or prove myself to people who hate me...then again, he would enjoy the entertainment.

“Ladies.” Gabriel greets them as we come to stand on the empty side of the table.

Most say a hello back some way or another, vocally or with just a nod, but some glare, Brooklynn and her bestest witches keep their mouths pressed tightly together, arms crossed over their chests not acknowledging me or Gabriel. At first.

Brooklynn, queen bee speaks directly to Gabriel after a small awkward silence. “Gabriel, so nice of you to show up with your precious puppy.” Her words only make it more awkward.

“Enough with the insults, Brooklynn.” Gabriel takes a couple of steps forward, body squared up to the witch. “Hazel isn’t here for you to ridicule, she’s here because you’re a stubborn bitch.”

It seems as if all the air in the room gets sucked out as several people all heave in a breath at the same exact moment. Everyone wide eyed and speechless for a handful of seconds. My mind scrambles with a list of never ending questions. Did he mean it? Who is trying to impress? Can I believe any of this? Did he insult her because he hates her or did he insult her to please me? He definitely didn’t look like he despised her this much at Young & Restless.

My thoughts come to a screeching halt as Brooklynn’s falsely sweet voice echoes through the room. “Like I said before, I don’t believe it.”

Another member, the woman that gave the small acceptance speech at the gala says with her back straight and head high, “we are very confident in our success. And so is Phillip.”

“Sure he is, Evangeline.” Gabriel retorts silencing the murmur of whispers.

Brooklynn stands to her feet. “Can we talk for a minute, Gabriel?” Her eyes flash to me for a second before going back on Gabriel. “Privately.”

“Anything you have to say can be said here, in front of everyone.”

She squares her shoulders, “you think just because you can get her to do the ritual puts a stop to my requests, you’re wrong.”

I think I’m gonna be sick. Maybe it’s the blood or maybe it’s my mind thinking of what Brooklynn’s requests of Gabriel consist of. The last request she made was to ‘have’ Gabriel for the night, which consisted of biting and whatever else.

Brooklynn continues, “why can’t you see her for what she is?” Her hand shoots out to point at me, “an average, nothing.” She reaches across the table groping for Gabriel’s hands. “We are doing greatness. We, Gabriel. Not her.”

Gabriel keeps his hands out of reach and her face falls with concern. A furrow becomes etched between her brows as Gabriel speaks. “There is no we and there never has been. And you know better than anyone that your threats no longer hold any weight in Phillip’s eyes.” He pauses letting it sink in before he continues. “You should be grateful that an ‘average witch’ is saving your ass.” He pulls out the chair in front of me before he takes a seat next to me. “Now let’s get this done.”

Brooklynn plops back down in her chair with a huff at being put in her place, but I can see right through her. She isn’t one to give up.

Taking charge of the conversation, I blurt out, “I can only take one.”

“That’s lame.” One of the other witches mutters under her breath and a small wave of laughter rolls through the coven.

“I usually don’t bring anybody with me. It isn’t safe. The dream realm is not what you think it is. We could get stuck, separated. You could die in there and...die in real life. It’s unpredictable and shouldn’t be tested.”

“Are you trying to cover your tracks in getting rid of me?” Brooklynn snaps.

I huff at her bickering. “This isn’t going to work if you don’t listen. You don’t have to like me, but it’s best if you do as I tell you to. Otherwise, your choices are your choices and I won’t be held responsible for a brat that thinks she’s owed something.”

Brooklyn bounces to her feet once again, her chair scratching against the hardwood floor. Her venomous glare set straight on me. Gabriel stands up meeting her stare. Brooklynn tips her head to the side trying to meet my gaze, “I don’t believe a single thing you say and scaring me isn’t going to work. So show me your worst.” She sits back down in her seat as if nothing happened.

Gabriel sits back down in his chair and grabs a hold of my left hand with my injured finger. Our eyes meet. “Your anchor.”

“Because that worked well the last time.” I say through clenched teeth.

“We have back up, but if you have to punch anyone try to go in a different direction.” He whispers back.

“Oh, I know what direction to go in.” I flash a phoney smile to Brooklynn and reach across the table, palm up. “Let’s go.”