***Tessera***

This shit ain’t real. It simply can’t be. He’s holding Dio prisoner? It seems like it...but it would mean...she’s alive! I rush over and grab a piece of paper and a pen along the way, quickly scribbling a message for Tria. I need for her to understand to stay put inside the clubhouse. The way she smacked his face was awesome but I’m not risking her. I mean this Vike guy has her sister in an inked-up prison on his freaking chest, what the hell else is he capable of?

I grab Tria’s arm and hold the paper in front of her. She glances down to read it and meets my eyes. I can tell she’s deciding if she should follow my request. I asked her to stay put so we can get more info about this guy and fight together instead of her ending up in that guy’s chest too. But then I see it, her shoulders go back and her chin lifts. She’s made her decision and I do hope she will stay put to fight another day...one where we’ll be ready to face this man and know exactly how to deal with him.

“Here’s a tip for you...don’t ask about when we were kids, she’s bound to burn your ears straight off.” Tria smiles but it’s anything but genuine, try eerie and creepy as shit. “Now run along and tell my sister to stay put, I’ll have her out of your so-called cage soon enough.”

“Again, with the mighty words, little firefly.” Vike rubs his thumb along his jaw. “Care to blink again so I can finally get what belongs to me? I challenge you little Fae, are you up for it?”

Shit. I wrap my fingers around Tria’s wrist. “Don’t let him get to you,” I murmur, giving her a tight squeeze.

We discussed a lot of things together when it was just us girls and all of them gave me insight of all kinds of Paranormals. Tria told me about Fae and Phoenix. And what Vike just did? Challenge a Fae? Not good. They can rarely pass it up and will gladly die to see to it that they face the challenge and come out on the winning side.

Not only is this a huge problem, but when you have something they fancy, or take something from them? They need to have it, the urge is branded in their bones and it can’t be denied. Now I know why this guy came here alone. He doesn’t need any of his guys for backup. A chill creeps up my spine; this man is dangerous. Coming here with all the odds in his favor, knowing just how to have the right handle on Tria, even manages to make a deal with my grandfather and passing me up to make sure they don’t interfere. Easily, like he wasn’t a Demon who hunts Angels on a regular basis.

“Tria, please,” I urge.

She turns her head toward me. “No worries, sis. This guy doesn’t push my buttons enough. I don’t need him to get my sister back,” she simply states and steps away from the window.

A fierce growl rips through the air, making me rush back behind Jagger. I watch how Vike’s hands turn blood red, fire licking his skin as veins trickle the redness up his arms.

“This ain’t over, she belongs to me!” he bellows, turning on his heels to straddle his bike and racing away, leaving a trail of flames on the ground.

I hear Nixie shout my name. I start to run toward the hallway and follow Velma who runs into Jagger’s office.

“Quickly, take her other hand, Eliana. Velma, take Eliana’s hand, Tessera, grab mine and make a circle, we need to channel her anger through us. She’s going to hurt herself if she keeps it all inside,” Nixie orders and it’s then I see the smoke wafting off Tria’s skin that’s turned an angry red with scales.

Dammit, she’s going against all her instincts, fighting herself to prevent from going after Vike to get her sister. She’s doing what I asked, knowing it’s the right thing to do and yet it’s killing her. We all join hands as Nixie starts to chant. Minutes pass but there’s no change. I feel a presence coming up behind me, a hand touches my shoulder. I glance back but there’s nothing there. Nixie gasps and glances at me but right after her attention goes back to Tria who immediately calms down. The redness and scales fade and she sighs in relief. Nixie lets go of my hand and hugs Tria.

“Are you okay? Do you have control, did we do it?” Concern is heavy in Nixie’s voice.

It’s crazy how we just met today but it’s like all of us have been together for years.

Tria gives Nixie one more squeeze before she steps back. “At first it didn’t help but then something changed and it was like a switch being flipped. It’s gone now, I don’t have the urge to go after him, my mind is clear. I have to think things through and know everything there is to know before I hunt him down to find my sister and kill that asshole.”

“You shall not kill Viking Hemlocks, for he is your mate,” a crystal-clear voice states from behind us.

We all spin around and see the man standing there who was facing Vike outside a moment ago; my grandfather. I glance at the door thinking of a way to alert Jagger but I also don’t want him hurt. And strangely I somehow know my grandfather isn’t going to hurt me. I mean why else would he warn Vike away from me?

“Grandfather,” I state, and realize he helped with calming down Tria just now. I felt him standing behind me and placing his hand on my shoulder. It makes perfect sense with what Jagger told me, how he felt his presence a few times.

His eyes land on me and they soften. “Tessera. I had no knowledge of your existence or I would have come for you the day you were born.”

“Soooo, you don’t want to kill me?” I question...you know, just to make sure.

Surprise hits his face. “Why would I want to harm you, for you have my blood?”

He’s weird with his talk and appearance. Even his name; Azrael. It reminds me of a cat in a freaking cartoon, yet his appearance resembles one of those hot young actors who played in that musketeer movie. Ooookay, freaky and twisted is an understatement, seeing he’s my grandfather and looks more like a hottie women should swoon over.

Okay, I need to focus here...so he’s the good guy, maybe it’s good to have him, and keep him at our side. “Thank you for helping with Tria.”

A slight smile tugs his lips as he gives me a nod and adds, “You’re welcome.”

Seeing my sisters and Nixie are all mute and googly eyes, it’s up to me to lead this discussion and have a chance to get some answers for Tria and Dio. “You mentioned Tria can’t kill Vike because he’s her mate? But how’s that even possible? Are you sure? Because it felt like he would fight to get her because she killed a few of his men, not because he’s her mate...he could have just said that, right?”

“It’s complicated. Viking Hemlocks will never ask for anything.”

“He asked you to stay out of him going after Tria,” I state, remembering their discussion.

Azrael gives a short shake of his head. “He demanded, not asked. But even if he didn’t, I am to stay out of it and let this run its path, for some legends needs to be untouched.”

“Whaaaaat?” My mind and mouth team up and that slips out before I can ask more clearly what he just said.

I look at the girls but they’re eyeing me and have yet to say or do anything. They are clearly leaving me to handle this but I could use their help. I mean, this is about Tria for heaven’s sake, she could chime in and help me out, right?

I release a deep sigh when no one says anything. “Okay, come on, spell it out for me. Why won’t you,” Shit, rephrase. “Why is it important to let this run its path? Because of a legend? What legend and how is this connected with Tria?”

Azrael doesn’t address me but locks eyes with Tria. “Centuries ago Viking Hemlocks’ twin, Gunnar, was the Prez of the Demon Charter. Lower level Demons caused an uproar when they placed a curse on Gunnar, causing him to change. Viking had no other choice but to contain his twin. He locked him away in a dungeon to keep him safe while he searched for a solution, a cure, so to speak. The uproar is what caused this charter to distance itself, turning into outlaws because of the killing spree those lower level Demons caused before Viking became the President and managed to kill most of those who went after his brother. You might say he is trying to get the Demon Charter back to what it once was, but the damage has been done, they are never to be trusted again. Especially when the Demon who lead them, who ordered the curse to be lain upon Gunnar, is still alive and has now grown quite the following.”

“Hmmm.” I let this little weird spew of information bounce inside my head before I summon it up to make sure I get it right. “So Gunnar was the victim here, Vike tried to make it better... and is still working his ass off to hunt down the leader, facing all of this alone...but it’s all useless because they will never be accepted again, thanks to some bad seeds who tried to ruin it for the rest of the Demons? Wow. You guys are quite the judgy fuckers.”

I hear the girls snicker behind me. Shit, that came out of my mouth without thinking things through, but dammit...that’s just insane.

My grandfather crosses his arms defensively in front of his chest. “It is not I who decides. Rules are not meant to be broken.”

“Riiiiight.” Like I said; judgy fuckers. There’s no way we would get on the same side in this discussion and I need more answers before he vanishes. “Would you say Vike is relatively good...you know, for a Demon? Since you say he’s my sister’s mate and I need to know if my future brother-in-law to be isn’t the devil who will drag her off and sacrifice her for the sake of the apocalypse or something.”

“It is not him who will evoke an apocalypse. There is a legend unraveling that needs to be seen through, Tria and her sisters are a part of this. Viking Hemlocks is a reasonable Demon and President. But do not mistake Viking as relatively good, for he is not,” Azrael states, though he shakes his head and releases a deep sigh. “He is called Viking for he was like them in his younger years; violent, ruthless, a piratical heathen.”

“Oh, wow.” Tria sighs.

She earns a glare from me and I seriously need to hold back not to roll my eyes at her. Somehow, I think she knew deep down Vike was her mate before Azrael mentioned it.

“What was up with Vike’s chest? The tattoo where he has Dio? How do we free her from it?” I need to tick every question I have off my list, seeing my grandfather has most of the answers.

“It is a window. He has the ability to show anything in his reach...his possessions. Dio is held by him and therefore he can let you see her through the window that is branded on his chest with ink. Only the President and the VP have this ability. It is the same with the ability they share when one of their own gets killed, they get to see the last few minutes before their death. I believe this is where Viking recognized Tria. And to make you understand, the three Demons Viking sent, those who were killed, they were sent to collect. The fireball directed at Dio captured her and sent her straight to the Demon’s dungeon. They were never sent to kill, for it was you two who did the killing.” Azrael’s tone changes at the end, clearly letting Tria know how distasteful and disappointed he was by their actions.

“Oops,” Eliana whispers.

“Well, how the hell were we supposed to know? They crashed their way through the ceiling, throwing demands. It’s not like they knocked on the door, being polite and shit,” Tria states.

My grandfather completely ignores her and addresses me. “Call on me if you should ever need me and I shall come.”

What the heck does he mean by this? “Like through a phone or something?”

The corner of his mouth twitches. “Like how you teleported the knife to you, for it alerted me to your presence here on earth. If you would repeat this action, I would be able to pinpoint you at any time.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t do it on purpose and didn’t even know why, or how I did it, or where the knife came from.”

“It does not matter,” he simply states. “I shall come.”

“I don’t have the knife anymore. Jagger made it disappear because he said it attracted Demons.”

Again, he graces me with a tiny smile. “You have found yourself a good mate, he has proven himself to be very worthy of you.”

I wince, being reminded of the fact that Jagger addressed him a few hours ago to go away because we were going to have sex.

“The knife is back in my possession. But you can also concentrate on this ring.” He holds out his hand where there’s a golden band wrapped around it, a large detailed A is engraved on it.

“Pretty,” I compliment.

“Think about the ring and hold out your hand so it can appear, then I shall come.” And then he’s gone.

No goodbye, see you later, it was fun but my date is waiting...nothing. Just poof, gone into thin air. I’m still thinking things through when I realize the silence in the room is deafening. Turning, I look at all the girls who are just staring back at me.

That is until Nixie clears her throat. “Well, I must say...you have the youngest, hottest grandpa I’ve ever seen.” She chuckles, making all of us laugh along with her.