Blood and Apples: An Annora Park Novel: Book One

Chapter Forty-Five: Disparity and Desperation

"He's not here," I say, as disappointment wells up fast and floods me.
"Are you certain...we haven't checked out the entire building, baby girl." Walker says.
I nod my head. "I'm certain." The apartment is filthy, seriously disgusting. But it wasn't like I was excepting anything else. I knew when we had pulled up and entered the building that G'harna wasn't on the premises. His signature was faint. Oh, don't get me wrong, it clung like a loving memory, however it was too faint, which meant he wasn't around.
"Well, I'm going to check out a few of the other apartments, if you don't mind," Walker counters.
I snort. "Knock yourself out." I was a little annoyed that he wasn't taking my word for it. But whatever. A flash of fear strikes me as I think of him getting hurt because he was alone and I stop. "Take Terrenel with you. Terrenel would you mind going with Walker to check out a few of the other apartments?"
"If that is what you wish, my beautiful queen." I smile at him.
"Thank you."
"I'm hurt that you think I can't take care of myself, baby girl."
I roll my eyes, "Oh trust me, I know you can take care of yourself. Think of this as precautionary, okay? Hell, backup it always a good thing to have."
Walker snaps his fingers and a long, lethal looking blade appears in his hand. "That's what this is, baby...my backup."
I can't help it, I roll my eyes again. "Go on, get outta here. Go and check your apartments."
Walker strides off with Terrenel fast on his heels. I look around again. There's almost no furniture in this scrap of an apartment. A scarred, beat up, table, and a mattress in the corner seem to be about it.
"G'harna has never needed comfort or care, none in the Midnight Court do. Although, however low and cursed his birth was, he is still royal born and thus enjoys a few creature comforts. I do not see him staying in a place such as this." Branuel says, frowning.
I nod. "It's terrible. But he wouldn't need much, right? You said it yourself, he's never needed 'softer' things." I laugh dryly, "Hell, this is probably right up his alley. No, but really, his signature is all over the place, he's definitely been here." I catch Branuel's look, the look that seems to say, "then where is he now?" I shake my head. "I don't know," I murmur out loud. "I don't know where he is right now. The signature is weak, but it's present. Like I said, he's definitely spent considerable time here. But I'm not a bloodhound. I can't just 'sniff'' and pick up his trail."
"Oh, but you can, can you not?" Branuel says sliding up next to me. "And you are better, more accurate, than a bloodhound, my midnight queen. If you let down those formidable shields and open up you can find the trail."
"You mean Tread without a body?" I blink rapidly at him, having turned so as to see his eyes.
"Yes, in essence. I've seen what you can do. I've felt the power. You are beloved by Death, and the ghosts of those who haunt this plane, perhaps every plane...we shall see. They, and not the body, will lead you to him."
"NO!" Chamuel comes to stand at my back. I feel his arms wrap around me from behind. "No, she will not do such a thing. Is it possible, yes, but she cannot take such a chance. She has had two close Treads and cannot open the pathways up again so soon after the last. Each one invites Death to her door and—"
"—But she is safe from Death since completing the bond with you," Branuel spits out, and I startle. Could it be that simple? Was Branuel jealous. Was this about jealousy? No. It couldn't be that simple. "She shares your immortal soul, and Death cannot claim her. Which bodes well for all of us, correct, for if she had not completed the bond we would have had to watch her fade and die, while we lived forever...forever without her." Branuel says the words as if trying to convince himself of the sincerity of them. And I'm wondering if he now worries or regrets the decision, the 'trade-off.' Would he rather have had me die, truly, than complete the bond with Branuel?
"Careful, Dark Fae King," Chamuel says quietly, "Careful now...your envy burns bright and fierce right now."
"What have I to be envious of?" Branuel spits out.
"Nothing," I say, before Chamuel can answer him. "Nothing. You have no reason to be jealous right now, Branuel Or De A'lanuel," I finish on a murmur.
"Jealous," he scoffs, "I'm hardly jealous."
Uh-huh, okay then. "Fine. You're not jealous. We'll go with that. But listen, I think Chamuel is correct, I don't think Treading right now would be a good idea."
"Do you, or do you not with to find, G'harna?"
I pull out of Chamuel's embrace and round on Branuel. "Don't you ever question my dedication, Branuel Or De A'lanuel. Don't you EVER!"
Branuel holds out his hands and shrugs, "I was merely making a simple, innocent, statement."
"No, you questioned my desire to close this case. Don't do that shit. There is no one, no one," I slam my hand down on my thigh, "...no one more than I that wishes to close this case and to catch him."
"He is my nephew," Branuel says dryly. "I believe I wish to catch him as well."
"But he came after ME!" I shout at him now, "He came after me, Branuel!!" And suddenly Branuel's hands are gripping both of my upper arms and he's shaking me.
"Exactly, mo bhanrigh meadhan oidhche, he targeted you...you who are more precious to me than a million hoards! He had the audacity to go after you, my queen, my one and only! How dare he! He will suffer, he will scream before the end of it. I shall see it so!"
I gulp. Perhaps this wasn't about jealousy. Was it about...worry? Was the big bad Fairy King scared for me? "It...it...it's okay, Branuel." I say quietly. "Seriously, we're going to catch him. We're going to stop him. And I'm...I'm fine. You see, I'm perfectly fine." Branuel stops shaking me and then pulls me against his chest. My head fits under his chin and he snuggles me close. This was unexpected, so unexpected from him.
"Oh, mo bhanrigh meadhan oidhche, when I realized what he had done I wished to tear the planets asunder to find him for you...to bring you your justice. It has killed me not to be able to...it IS killing me. I feel this burning hatred, this near debilitating desire to hunt him down and lay his wretched body before your feet."
That was kinda sweet, in a weird way. "Ohhhh, Branuel," I pull away and place my hand on his perfect cheek. "You don't have to do any of that for me," My eyes I know must be dancing with mirth, "Because I'll do it myself."
Branuel smiles now, "But what if I wish to, my midnight queen? What if I wish to be the one that delivers him to you...watching as you dispense your justice."
"There is no need. This is a team effort."
"But what if I need to...to..."
"—To what, Branuel?"
Branuel sighs, "You bring out, and inspire such...such...emotion within me, my midnight queen. I have lived eons feeling nothing but death and dark, reveling in the madness of the night and partaking of the wickedness of the Midnight Court. But with you...it is still there, mind you, the madness and wickedness, but there is a wild within my now, as well. You are this wild. You fill me to the brim. You threaten to overtake me, if I am not careful."
"I don't want to overtake you, Branuel." And I was surprised to realize I meant it. I didn't wish for him to lose himself. Maybe in the beginning I'd wished perhaps that he could be a little less...well, nuts, but now, now I was realizing that I was beginning to accept him for who he actually was. Branuel was a total psycho, absolutely batshit crazy, and yet...yet...that was just him.
And it begins to make sense to you, my amour. Chamuel murmurs soothingly in my mind.
Jeez. I sigh, This is heady, deep shit, Chamuel. I can't believe I'm actually admitting this, allowing myself to admit it to myself...
What? That you may actually like the Dark Fae King, that you may actually see yourself falling in love with him.
Whoa now! Don't jump the fucking gun. I never said anything about love. I do not love him.
Annora...he chastises
NO! I do not love him.
If that is how you wish to play this, my amour, then we shall do it your way.
I'm not playing, Chamuel. You know me, I hate games.
All right my amour. You do not love the Dark Fae King—yet.
I groan. And there was that big, YET.
"You do it again, High Heavenly Host, talk to my midnight queen, to her mind."
"Yes," Chamuel says simply.
   "What did I say earlier, Branuel," I say teasingly, "You're just going to have to get used to it.  This is how Chamuel and I communicate.  It's our 'normal' okay."
   "Okay? I don't think I like this 'okay' word.  O-Kaaaay..." He exaggerates the letters.
   I laugh.  "Okay, you don't like the word, okay."
   "It has no...fluidity, no grace, it does not melt on your tongue, merely clanks down like Fae steel.  No, I do not like the word."
   "Well, well, who knew the Big Bad Fae King could be so poetic," And I can't help it, I laugh at the affronted look that crosses his face.
   "Nothing.  We found nothing, Annora, baby girl," Walker's voice booms through the tiny room.  "Hey, any reason why you're holding my girl like that?"
   "Nothing we care to share with you, Walker Sergei Romanoff," I shoot out.  And am lightened by the fact that he laughs heartily.
   "Love when you get feisty with me, sweetheart." Walker says, and I watch as he claps Terrenel on his shoulder making the other Fae startle considerably.  "This one is pretty handle to have around when you're walking around in a dirty crypt.  He can juice up like a lighting bug.  Did you know that, Annora baby girl? He's better than a glow bug."
   "Well, it would make sense," I say smiling.  "He is the Light Fae King.  Oh and maybe you should stop comparing him to bugs."
   Walker slaps Terrenel's shoulder again, and laughs.  "Aweee he doesn't mind, do you, man, you don't mind?"
   "I find the comparison disagreeable," Terrenel says dryly. And Walker holds his hands out in front of him as if to say "sorry man," but I know it's all just for show...he's not really sorry at all.  That's just not Walker's way.
   "I did tell you he wasn't here, Walker." I say, twisting around in Branuel's embrace so that he's now holding me from behind.
   "That you did, baby girl, that you did," His eyes seem to narrow as he watches Branuel's embrace grow tighter.  "Well, then what do you say to all of us returning to my place for a night cap."
   "Night cap?" Branuel says questioningly.  "You have night caps here? I thought they only resided in my Court.  Do you also partake in their blood rituals?  That could be an amusing away to pass the time we have.  But be forewarned, they may be small, but they're deadly."
   I roll my eyes.  "Walker you take this one.  I'm all outta patience in explaining Earth little saying to these guys."
   "A night cap is a way of saying a drink, Big Baddie.  Let's all go back to my place and have a drink, okay.  It has been a long ass day, Annora baby girl looks ready to drop," he ignores my "Am not," and continues.  "I'll make dinner, or we can pick it up, and we can all have a night cap."
   Terrenel smiles softly.  "I would like to share a supper with my beautiful queen.  But you will have to forgive me if I pass upon your night cap."
   Branuel brings me closer to his body, I didn't even know that was possible.  And I feel his hard, sculpted chest against my back.  "I too would enjoy a supper with my midnight queen.  And I might be persuaded in trying this night cap ritual you have."
   I pull out of his embrace and smile brightly.  Ooohhhh okay, we sooooo needed this after the day we've had.  And the possibility of seeing Big Baddie Branuel drinking made me bubble and feel a little giddy.  "Okay, sounds like a plan.  Back to Walker's we go."