Fleur Di Lis

Chapter Eighteen

When I re-emerged from my dream, I saw Nate standing behind the bar mixing up something fruity in two tall glasses.  He looked so carelessly handsome; the top two buttons in his shirt unfastened and his hair tousled like he'd run his fingers through one too many times.  The plane had brightened as we were now above the fluffy white plains, the sunlight bringing out the chestnut highlights in his hair.  He was so focused on what he was making that he didn't even notice that I had woken up.  I took advantage of it; watching him silently.  Despite the actions of the day; from rescuing me in my own apartment, Luka's attack, to now heading to New Orleans to face his brother, Nate seemed to be holding up pretty well.  

Too well, in my opinion.  Then again, he was probably getting used to his brother being a megalomaniac by now.

He must've been quite a catch as a human, I thought absently as I watched his hands work on the fruit that he was putting into the drinks.  I'd bet families were falling over themselves to give him dowries for their daughters.

I doubt he needed it, given he had the stance of a man who was accustomed to power. 

He lifted his head, and our eyes met.  Blue on green.  My heart thumped hard against my chest, feeling like a deer being caught in the headlights.  His expression, once furrowed in concentration and deep thought, softened, and his lips curled into a smile that made his eyes sparkle.  That sent my heart into overdrive; threatening to explode from my chest.

God, that man was Adonis personified. 

"Hey you," he greeted warmly.

"Hey.  That looks good," I nodded towards the concoction, my stomach rumbling. 

"It's just a little something to help with the hunger," Nate carried the two smoothie-like drinks and sat down beside me, handing one over.  One sip confirmed that it was, indeed, a fruit smoothie.  An alcoholic one.  I let out a contented sigh.  "Good nap?"

"It was...  Interesting," I finished.

"Oh, interesting, was it?"  His smirk widened into a smile that was oozing with mischief.  Unbidden, my own lips curled upwards.  Damn.  A hottie with a wicked personality to boot?  What else?  "Do tell.  Leave nothing out."

I sighed heavily, placing my smoothie in the chair's cup holder.  "This is gonna sound crazy..."

Nate scoffed.  "Please.  You're on the run from a crazed vampire who's trying to resurrect his psycho ex-girlfriend, you've found out that the paranormal world exists, and we're going to New Orleans to seek help from a witch who's been around long enough to see Braveheart in person.  It can't get any crazier than this.  So," Nate placed his own drink in a holder and turned to me.  "I'm all ears."

I exhaled.  He had a point there.  "Okay," I shifted in my seat so I was turned towards him.  "Try this on for size - that witch you're talking about?  Alexandria?  Well...  She just hijacked my dreams."

To my chagrin, Nate didn't look the least bit surprised.  If anything, he looked defeated.  He sighed.  "Then, Baxter's gotten to her already..."

I stared, taken aback by his accurate estimation.  Admittedly, a creeping suspicion slithered through.  "How did you get that from what I just said?"

"When I stayed in New Orleans in the twenties," Nate explained.  "After the big fight with me and Bax, Alexandria and I had come up with an agreement.  If she was ever in trouble, she could access my dreams and alert me so that I could help in any way I could.  Whether it be concerning my troublesome brother, or anything to do with the Fleur Di Lis...  Anything at all.  I promised that I would be there for her."  He paused, regarding me with his head cocked to the side, curious.  "She must've known you were trustworthy enough to alert me about it."

I shrugged.  In truth, I was still unnerved about the fact that someone could access my dreams.  Surely, there had to be some kind of invasion of privacy charge in there somewhere?  "She seemed a little shaken up, sure."

"What was she saying to you?"

So, I told him everything.  From the warning to not enter New Orleans directly, to the white wolves of Georgia -- which he was less than impressed about, if his facial expression was anything to go by.  I also surmised to him that Baxter was using her powers for something big; the fact that she looked so drained coupled with the fact that he'd threatened Nate's life to persuade the witch to help him, was proof of that.  The anguish in Nate's eyes when I was explaining his friend's deteriorating condition was heartbreaking; he'd promised that he'd always be there for her, to protect her from anything that may come to her door. 

 In a way, with Baxter now having her, he'd failed her.

"He's using her for Ana's resurrection," Nate concluded grimly, rising to his feet.  "Just like we knew he would.  Damn it, Bax," he cursed, running his fingers through his hair.  "And, she said it wasn't safe for us to land in New Orleans?"

"Apparently Bax is expecting us."

"Of course he is," Nate scoffed.  "He'd know she'd find some way to tell me about this.  She's probably paying the price right now."

"Alexandria said that the white wolves stand against everything Bax is doing, Nate," I pointed out, also rising to my feet.  "They're a sucker for the natural order, right?  If they find out what he's doing, surely they'll be only too happy to help us stop him?"

"The white wolves stand against everything unnatural, Nicki," Nate reasoned.  "Including me.  To them, vampires aren't even supposed to exist.  A witch's magic is born from nature, and wolves are borne from natural magic, which means they would only help witches, and even then it's with reluctance.  They won't listen to a vampire, especially the brother of one who's hellbent on upsetting that particular natural order.  They'll kill us on sight."

"What if I spoke to them?"  I piped up.  Nate turned to me, confused.  "What?  I'm human, I'm about as natural as you can get...  Surely they'll listen to me about it all?"

He considered it.  Knowing the white wolves like he did, I'm guessing I had made a pretty valid point.  Sure, witches had powers derived from nature, but humans were nature.  Humans were nothing supernatural, nothing extraordinary.  Just pure, natural procreation and generations.  No immortality, no full moons disrupting their cycles, nothing. 

In some cases -- especially when it came to Rik -- humans were just full of pure, pride-filled stupidity.

"We could try it," Nate conceded finally with a nod.  "It's worth a shot, anyway.  I'll try and set up a meeting with the alpha of the white wolves; Abraham, I think his name is.  Apparently, he and Alexandria go way back, so...  Hopefully we'll get somewhere with him.  Common interests and all."

"And, then what?"  

"Then," Nate shrugged.  "Hopefully...  We have allies when we bring the fight to Bax.  If not, then we go it alone.  Like the original plan was."

"So, it's decided, then?"  I asked.  "We're going to Georgia?"

Nate met my gaze, a fiery determination in his eyes.  "We're going to Georgia."