Broken Girl (Book I of Anita Blake Adoptive Mother Series)

Chapter XX

~ Ahriman's Point of View ~

I sat in my chair anxiously waiting to see my daughter for the first time since she was 6. Thanks to her sister Jasika I knew she and her friends were here. I hissed painfully as my head got a sharp pain because of the darkness inside me trying to take over again.

*Not now! I will not let myself be possessed!* I thought to myself. The amulet gave off a green glow for a moment causing the darkness to retreat. I took a deep relieved breath.

I startled slightly as I heard a knock on my study door. Looking towards the door, and I said as I moved to stand in front of my desk my eyes watching the door in anticipation, "Come in."

As soon as I said those words they came in. First Jasika came in, followed by the Vampire King Jean-Claude, his soon to be Queen who was also a very powerful Necromancer named Anita Blake, Anita's vampire servant named Damian, a wolf shapeshifter named Richard who was also a king along with his guards and another wolf, a leopard shifter named Micah who was apparently a lover of Anita's and also a king, another leopard shifter named Nathaniel a lover to Anita and Micah and third in what is called a triumvirate between Anita and her vampire servant, a shapeshifter rat named Rafael who was also a king his bodyguards named Benito and Claudia, a hyena shifter who was a royal of some kind though I wasn't sure what kind named Narcissus his bodyguards, another hyena shifter named Kane who was almost a triumvirate with Asher who was in love with my daughter or becoming so, Kindle my daughter's sorceress, Asher who was Jean-Claude's second and had been a lover to him years ago and now has fallen for my daughter which I thought was good as long as he didn't hurt her, and last came my daughter who was named Brittany to them but she will always be Aylaska to me. I felt my breath stop when I saw her and my eyes widened because she had a lot of her mother's beauty though she also had me in her.

Our eyes locked and I felt myself freeze like a deer or stag that had been caught in a hunters sight. Before I could react she was standing in front of me. I stared at her feeling tears burn my eyes but I tried hard not to let them fall especially right now.

"Father?" She made the word a question and it came out as a whisper. I couldn't get words to come out right away so I nodded.

"May I hug you?" I asked her once I could finally speak. When she nodded I very gently hugged her after hesitating for a moment. Hugging her I felt the dam of tears finally break inside me and before I could stop it tears started flowing. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you that night." I whispered unable to speak louder even if I wanted to.

"It's not your fault. You didn't know anything was going to happen." She said as she hugged me more for comfort now than anything. Even though I knew she was right I still felt guilt. Which is what happened next that was unexpected let happen.

Because I felt the darkness inside me come full force trying to take over which the amulet I wore couldn't stop from happening. When I realized what was happening I tried to get away from her to protect her but she stopped me from moving too far away from her. Which made my eyes look at her while widening and saw that her own eyes were a bit wide but also had concern in them.

She looked at me as if she could see the darkness within me or something. Then her eyes hardened and her free hand moved to my chest. I gasped sharply as she firmly pushed on the middle of my chest while I didn't let myself move.

I felt sharp pain as she pushed the darkness out of me. Then I fell to my knees but looked behind me to see a dark female form out of the darkness. It stared at not only us but everyone in the room as if searching for a target to take over.

"Go away! You are not welcome here!" Brittany said her eyes glaring as she held onto my hand with one of hers. Causing the darkness shadow to glare back at her but also an evil smile formed on it's face, the look towards my daughter was predatory as it moved towards us slowly.

Both Anita Blake and Kindle move to join us. Which caused the darkness shadow stop. And a voice whispered in the room, it was female, and it was also arrogant or sounded arrogant.

"You will not stop me. I will take what I want." It said then an chilling pure laugh sounded throughout the room. The laugh sent unpleasant chills through everyone.

"You can try." Kindle glared smirking in a challenging way.

"And you will fail. Because we will stop you." Anita smirked as well.

"Do whatever you want. But as they said we will stop you. And even destroy you." Brittany said surprising me.

"Come and get us." Kindle dared her.

"We are waiting." Anita added.

The darkness shadow moved trying to attack. But Anita, Kindle, and Brittany's hands joined and started glowing at first low then brighter and brighter and directed that light towards the darkness. Which caused a loud shriek come from it before it disappeared.

I hugged Brittany again and even Kindle and Anita. And I said, "Thank you." To Brittany and Kindle I said, "I'm proud of you."

"Your welcome." Anita said smiling at me while moving back to Jean-Claude and her other lovers. While both Kindle and Brittany hugged me a bit longer both grinning first at each other, then at Asher, then at me. Jasika was also smiling, however, she also had a troubled look in her eyes.