Part 36 (2/2)

”!”(Meaning ”Enough” In Serbian) His booming voice made me jump and I wasn't the only one. All eyes had now taken their naked bodies back behind the curtains and we were left alone. He turned back to see my shocked face at his sudden outburst.

”I am sorry, did I frighten you?”

”N...no,” I lied. He smiled as he knew the truth. I couldn't help but wonder what he had said to make everyone leave us alone, so I couldn't help myself when I asked, ”Why is it your kind never stick to speaking just one language?” It's something I had always wanted to know but never asked Draven about.

”Ah, for a human this must seem very odd.” I nodded and thankfully he appeased my curiosity and enlightened me.

”You will not find all of us do this, just us oldies like me and Dom.” He winked at me before continuing, ”It goes back to a time when streets were thick with spies and humans were somewhat wiser, their beliefs a little more trusting in the supernatural. It made things complicated and more beneficial to speak in ways where only the old and the powerful could communicate openly. See, as old as we are comes with extensive knowledge. Languages are but one thing that we acquire over time. So as easy and natural as it is for you to speak English it is the same for us in many different ways...it is more habit than not.” Ok, well with him putting it like that I could understand it a little better and might not find it so annoying now.

”You make my friend very happy, I have never seen him so.” This turn in conversation made me smile.

”How long have you known him?” He raised an eyebrow at me making the scar on his face rise.

”Would you like me to tell you some stories about Dominic?” At this I nearly yelled out ”Oh G.o.d yes!” But thankfully I had the good sense not to. However he could read the eagerness on my face, so I explained.

”He doesn't tell me much about his past.” Leivic nodded.

”I understand... perhaps he does not wish to overwhelm you but I see that you are an intelligent girl, I think you can handle it.” He winked at me and I laughed. I was very much starting to like this friend of Draven's.

”Then let me enlighten you my dear, but first let me get you a drink to ease the shocking stories I have to tell.”

I was so excited I could have danced around giving the naked demons something really strange to watch....I dare say I'm not a great dancer!

I sat there with my legs folded like a child waiting to hear the greatest stories of my life....

The stories of the man I love.

Chapter 39.

Sacrifices.

Leivic took a seat next to me and made himself comfortable among the pillows. He cast me a curious look, like he was still trying to figure out if I was real or not. I wanted to ask him what it was that he seemed to find so interesting but my thoughts were interrupted by a waitress who had arrived with a tray of drinks in one hand and a large, ornate smoking pipe in another. He noted my raised eyebrow turn to scepticism and quickly added, ”It's for me.” To which I responded with a nod.

”Thank you Winnie,” he said kindly and reached out to take the tray from her before setting it down on a little side table. All the while I was thinking what an unusually tame name for a Demon and wondering if asking her where Pooh was, wouldn't get me a killer look. Needless to say I refrained.

Once Winnie left, Leivic started to light the coal that was under the metal case on the top of the pipe. It was a metre high with a large gla.s.s vase at the bottom which held some form of liquid. I had seen these before in bars in Spain where you would find groups of people all sharing one. They came with multiple tubes with the mouth pieces on the end where they were smoked through. This one however was only meant for the one smoker. Leivic had finished setting it up and started to suck on the end pulling the air through. He blew out a stream of smoke making the scent of the east cling to the surrounding air.

”I hope you don't mind?” He asked politely.

”Not at all.” What was I going to say, ”h.e.l.l yeah, don't you care about your health!” I don't think so somehow.

He pa.s.sed me a drink of what looked like red wine and only after a quick sip it was confirmed. I don't know why but I let out a sigh of relief. What did I think it would be...blood? He took another long suck from the pipe causing a bubbling noise to emanate from the liquid at the bottom before blowing it out from scarred lips. It seemed to swim from his mouth and then took on a life of its own as it formed a smoke dragon in the air in front of me. It pranced along with its snaky tail following it, then opened its mouth. Leivic then blew out more smoke making little blue sparks in the shape of flames come from its mouth.

”That was seriously cool!” I said with a ma.s.sive grin planted on my face. Leivic bowed his head to me and said, ”I'm glad you liked it.”

”I fear such little effort deserved such an adorable reward.” I turned to him shocked at his reply, not helping but ask what it was he meant.

”Your smile, I find it adorable. You are such an innocent soul yet you have witnessed so much horror in such a short life. However you still remain pure and untainted by the cruelty of human life, that is a rarity indeed.” I was both shaken and moved by his words. I must have shown my shock because he frowned.

”I have upset you...forgive me, I spend so little time around humans these days that I forget myself. My gift is reading souls and I find it hard when I come across such a rare beauty in one, as to not express my feelings so forth. You are strong though, unusually so for a breather and for this Dom is a lucky man. There are not many that would be able to adapt so quickly with the blind faith like you have... Oh please don't get me wrong but I say so in paying you a compliment. You are truly destined for my dear friend indeed and I could not be more happy for him. He is the one Being in the world that deserves it the most, I think.”

I still didn't quite know what to say to this without br.i.m.m.i.n.g over with emotion. It had touched me that this man whom I had only just met thought so much of me. I felt blessed. I was about to speak but as if by knowing my thoughts he held up his hand to stop me.

”Please, there is no need to thank me for words that are true. I speak them because it is fact and something you need to hear. Like my friend Dom, I never just speak to flatter.” This made me smile, to know Draven wasn't the type of man to say what he didn't not mean, just for the sake of provoking a response. Although saying things that would provoke a jealous response was a different matter!

”I would like to thank you all the same.” I said feeling better.

I took a long slip of my drink, which helped me to relax a little at my current situation. I wondered how long I would be with Draven before places like this became the norm to me? If I thought my life was complicated before, then now it was off the charts crazy! Leivic was silent during my thoughts but when I heard the bubbling of liquid once again it pulled me away from the hectic track of my mind.

”So...how do you know Draven?” I asked before thinking about the question in my head. Man I sounded dumb! However Leivic wore an amused smile that crept up on one side before he answered me.

”Well there are very few of our kind who have not heard of their natural Master but there are those foolish enough not to obey him. I am lucky enough to call him friend and I hold that t.i.tle with great pride.” I couldn't help but smile at the affection in his voice when talking about the man I loved.

”I owe my life to Dominic and would give it undeniably in return. He saved me from my fate which was far worse than my death.” He watched as my eyes widened in horror. What could be worse than death?

”Would like to hear my story?” I think he was checking that I was up to it and when I nodded he look glad, as if he had been wanting to tell someone for so long and now, finally, was his chance.

”I would.” I answered prompting another trademark bow from him and I found this all very endearing.

”First I feel that I should tell you it is not a happy tale that I speak of, but one of great meaning and sacrifice. See in my Demon form, for I am a Demon, did you know that?” He asked shooting me a look making his colossal scar twitch. I coughed out my answer.

”Um..m...no I didn't,” I said trying to hide the shock of such a nice, polite man as a scary Demon. I know I was being naive again but it is hard to dismiss what history has taught about who are the goodies and the badies. I think Sunday school would have been quite a different lesson if the world knew the truth.

”I am, what you would call ....a Reaper s.h.i.+fter.” At this I couldn't help the sudden intake of air causing him to look hurt. I mean what else was I suppose to do, here I was having a very personal conversation with a....with a b.l.o.o.d.y Reaper! A Demonic merchant of death!

”Please do not be frightened, I did not just take souls at a whim. I had contracts just like anyone would.”

”You don't do it anymore then?” I asked when he said the words ”Did” instead of ”do”.

”No, I gave up that right long ago. See, I worked for h.e.l.l, gathering souls that were on my list until one day there was one on my list I didn't want to take.” His silver blue eyes glazed over with the memory and I couldn't help but put my hand on his arm. I wanted to comfort him as it was obvious that this was not an easy story to tell. He smiled making the scar across face rise and fall. There were laughter lines around his eyes that creased at my gesture and he looked touched by my concern.

”Have you ever heard of the Goths?” I narrowed my eyes trying to understand what he meant, then I looked around seeing many that were in this very club but he started to shake his head.

”Forgive me, not the Goths you see today, all those lost people that dress in black and like to believe in our kind. I'm talking about an East Germanic tribe who played an important role in the history of the Roman Empire.” When I was still at a loss, he winked at me.

”It is of no matter, I guess the second century is little taught in education today. Let's see...the Goth war was in 375, so that would put me in The Dniester about 365 AD.” I could barely nod I was in that much shock...that would make the man I was speaking to now at over 1600 years old! Is that possible? How many life times is that? Ok, so now I had a headache.

”Where is Dni...umm what you said?” He laughed at me giving up on trying to say the right name and then said it again only slower...like it would somehow help!

”Dniester is a river in Eastern Europe. The Dniester rises in Ukraine, near the city of Drohobych, close to the border with Poland, and flows toward the Black Sea. That's where the tribe was situated at the time and being how I looked, I was being hunted.”

”HUNTED! But why, did they know who you were?” I was horrified by the idea of Draven's friend being hunted like an animal but I soon understood enough as the next words out of his mouth were the last ones I could have ever expected.

”I didn't look human then, see I was in my Demon form, which is a bear.” I coughed out my disbelief.

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