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All That I Am	By : kitten7315 Category: Anita Blake > Het Views: 5396 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Anita Blake series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
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Chapter 5

It dawned on me that I couldn’t take Bernardo back to my house. Not knowing who might have betrayed me, I wasn’t too sure who to trust in the pard. I know I could trust my original pard, with the exception of Elizabeth. Maybe it was Elizabeth I mused. Not wanting to be wrong, I quickly pulled the jeep over and called the Circus. “Oui?” Hearing Asher’s voice sent shivers up and down my spine.

“Hey Asher, is Jean-Claude around?” I could almost hear Asher smile on the other line. “Ah mon amour. Oui, he is here. He has been smiling all night. You have made him truly happy Anita.”

Chuckling, “Glad I can make someone’s day.” I heard Asher call Jean-Claude over to the phone. “Ma petite? Have you taken care of Monsieur Spotted-Horse?

“That is sort of what I need to talk to you about” and I told him what I knew so far. “I was thinking maybe some of the leopards and I come and stay until this mystery is solved.”

“You and your leopards are always welcome here for as long as you like,” he said. At that moment I knew what he was thinking. Jean-Claude was more than happy to have me so close to him. Using his line, “You thoughts betray you Jean-Claude.” Smiling, I told him whom all I wanted to stay at the Circus.

“Are you bringing Monsieur Spotted-Horse?” Jean-Claude asked carefully. He was obviously remembering what I told him about Bernardo. “Do I hear a hint of jealousy Jean-Claude?” I couldn’t pass up the chance to tease him. Jean-Claude chuckled when he heard the amusement in my voice. “Non, not jealous, just…cautious. I shall see you soon ma petite. Je t’aime.” “Je t’aime aussi” hanging up the phone.

Now for what to say to Micah. Nathaniel answered at my house. “Hey Anita.”

“Hey Nathaniel. Can you do me a favor and pack a bag for me? Enough for a week or more and make sure to throw in some extra ammo as well. I want you and Zane to come stay with me at the circus as well. That won’t be a problem would it?” I asked him. I knew it wouldn’t. Nathaniel does everything I ask him to do. But it’s still polite to ask. Yet everyone says I have no manners.

“Of course not. I like staying at the Circus. But can I ask why we are staying there?” I hesitated slightly before answering. “I took the fourth mark from Jean-Claude today and I want to spend some time with him for a while. It would make me feel better if you guys would be there close to me plus I can’t have my pomme de sang too far away. Cherry is going to stay as well.” I told him, hoping that would suffice as an explanation.

“Sure. I’ll call Zane and let him know. Do you need to talk to Micah?” “Yeah, put him on.”

“Hey Anita. Is everything ok?” Micah said. Sighing, I really didn't know what to really say to him. “It will be ok. I was just explaining to Nathaniel that I wanted to spend about a week or so at the Circus with Jean-Claude. I wouldn’t feel right about just leaving Bernardo there at my house so I am taking him to the Circus with me.”

“Not a problem. Do you need me to stop by?” he asked. “Not tonight. I am going to have Lillian look Bernardo over. Why don’t you stop by tomorrow?” I said hoping that would give me some time to talk to Bernardo to get more of his story.

After getting off the phone with Micah, I passed the phone back to Cherry and asked her to call Lillian to see if she could meet us at the Circus in about 30 minutes while I got back on the road. “You don’t mind staying at the Circus do you Cherry? It would make sense for you to be there looking after Bernardo.”

“Of course I will Anita. Who do you think betrayed you or wants us?” she asked worry heavy in her voice.

“I wish I knew. We’ll figure it out though. Let’s get to the Circus and take it a step at a time.” I told her. No one is going to take my leopards. I have begun to think of them as family and you just don’t mess with the Executioner’s family. Not if you had a death wish that is.

It was almost 11 by the time we reached the Circus. Why did it feel like it should be later? I saw Damien and Jason standing outside the entrance. “Could you guys give us a hand?” I yelled over to them. As Damien got closer to me I felt my power surge and seek him out. It felt so strong, stronger than it ever had been. Must be a side effect of taking the fourth mark. I reached out and touched Damien’s arm and felt the power swell between us. Damien sighed and smiled, reveling in the power. “Could you grab the bags out the back Jason?” I asked turning to open the door to the back seat.

Damien took Bernardo from Cherry while she gathered her bag and followed him closely. Jason and I trailed after them. “Do you know what type of shape shifter cut him up?” Jason asked.

“I think it was a leopard,” I told him as we headed down into the Circus. “I will know more once he wakes up and tells me the full story,” waiting to tell him the rest until we had more privacy and Jean-Claude, Asher and some of my werpardpards were present.

Damien led us to a room down the hall from Jean-Claude’s. Placing him on the bed I saw that Lillian was already waiting there for us.

Lillian checked Bernardo to make sure there was nothing else that needed to be done. “You did a good job as usual Cherry.” Lillian said praising her. Cherry’s face was glowing with the praise that Lillian gave. “Now, you know what else that needs to be done” Lillian said looking at Cherry and I. Yep, that ‘s right, sleep in a pile time. Bernardo is not going to like this when he wakes up. “Nathaniel and Zane should be here soon,” I told Lillian. “They can take first shift. I have to talk to Jean-Claude first”.

“Gregory is here with Stephan and Vivian. I‘ll go get them. They stop by hoping to catch you and congratulate you on take the fourth mark” Jason said as he turned on his heel and left the room.

I felt Jean-Claude and Asher coming in our direction. Strange, but my senses seem to be extremely hypersensitive to the vampires. I stopped a moment and concentrated. I felt all the vampires at the Circus and their ages without really thinking about. Hmm….I am definitely going to explore this further when I have time.

Bernardo started to move restlessly on the bed. I climbed onto the bed and touched his arm to calm him. He immediately stilled. Cherry seems to know what that meant. She got undressed and climbed into the bed so he could be near another leopard. He needed the healing touch of the pard right now. Maybe he will like it when he wakes up.

Lillian left saying she will check on him tomorrow night. While she was leaving, Jean-Claude and Asher made an appearance through the door. They looked so beautiful together. Jean-Claude my Dark Angel and Asher my Golden one. My heart swelled at seeing them, things low in my body tightened. They both headed over to the side of bed where I was. Jean-Claude brushed his lips over mine with a naughty look in his eye and walked over to a chair in the room and sat down. Asher came up and kissed me gently on the cheek and moved briefly to my mouth. I swear they are going to be the death of me. Dealing with those two in close quarters for a week is going to test my stamina….ummm….I mean limits.

Asher took the other chair and the rest of my leopards that were here came in. Now that we were all gathered together I began to tell them what I knew. We brainstormed for a while until Bernardo woke. He tried getting out of the bed and was frowning when he saw Cherry next to him and the various other occupants in the room in his line of vision. He moved as if to reach for something…more likely his knife or gun….I touched his arm so he knew I was there. Bernardo was a highly trained assassin; bodyguard and preternatural bounty hunter, catching him off guard could prove hazardous to your health so I wanted to make sure he knew I was there. “Anita? What’s going on? Not that I don’t mind a strange naked woman in my bed but who are all these other people?” His voice sounded strained and tense.

“We are at the Circus of the Damned. I promise you will be safe here. Can you tell us what happened? What do you mean by someone betraying me and wanting my leopards? Did a wereleopard cut you up?” I know I was asking a lot of questions at once but I was tired of trying to second-guess what was going on and he had most of the answers I need to go forward.

Bernardo frowned and a wave of pain passed over his face. He closed his eyes as if to compose his self and will the pain away. He began his story…
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All That I Am