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Prelude to the Beast	By : snakecharms Category: Anita Blake > General Views: 5019 -:- 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
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Chapter 8

Silk and Sea Glass

“ Where’s my dog?” I asked. My voice came out a bit too strained for my taste, but I was on the verge of panic and still trying to keep the thundering pain in my head at bay. Multitasking was usually something I was good at but tonight I felt like I was falling apart. Coming here had been such a mistake. David deserved a lynching when I got out of this place.

When he didn’t answer me and continued to stair off into space I felt like grabbing hold of him and shaking him by the shoulders. Angus was alive. I knew that because he had been the one who woke me from what ever spell I was under in bed. But even the mere idea of them actually being able to kill Angus was enough to cause a stabbing pain in my gut.

I had to take a few deep breaths to steady myself. “Please, I’m asking you, just tell me my dog is alright.”

“Calm yourself, sakura.” The words floated across my skin once again, calming me. The hairs stood on the back of my neck, not because I was scared but because I had just gotten a small taste of power. “What you went through before was easily comparable to shock.” He held a thick Asian accent, making the word shock sound like something else entirely. “If you are not careful I cannot guarantee that it won't happen again.”

Another deep breath. “Well, after I find my dog I want to know what that man, Harok…Har,” after the second time trying to pronounce his name I just gave up. “Whatever his name was, did to me.”

“Haroku,” he corrected, voice not giving anything away. Almost every vampire I had ever met held that same tone that meant everything and nothing at the same time. But this one, he was a professional. “And he will apologize.”

I didn’t like the fact that he was looking away from me while I spoke, but I wasn’t sure if him looking at me was what I wanted either. But… “I don’t mean to sound rude…” I touched my forehead, I wasn’t sure how long I could hold the pain back. “but could you possibly turn around.”

Slowly, his body shifted, as if this was nothing but a horror movie and I was the big bad monster. But there was no evidence of fear, or any other emotion for that matter. I gasped as my eyes watched him turn that wonderfully sculpted body in my direction. Like the man on the steps he too was art. When he finally turned all the way around I was left staring at the largest eyes I had ever seen. Makeup had been applied to the corners giving him large, dark cat eyes that seemed almost Egyptian in nature. Then I quickly turned away. A little too fast. And just like an old twig in the middle of a windstorm, that barrier I had forged with my concentration snapped.

I was falling as if a soft ball had struck me in my temple. I reached out, trying to grab onto anything to keep me from hitting the hard floor, the bed post maybe. But I was too far away and only clutching air. Then suddenly I wasn’t falling anymore, instead I was cradled in silk and thinking, I almost looked into his eyes…I almost fucked up.

The world was once again a whirl of colors and light and I was lost in it. I didn’t know what was up or down. But I did know that I was drowning. Drowning in pain. It was a million times worse than before, as if me holding it back had caused it to rise like water behind a dam. My eyes stung with hot tears that my body wanted me to shed. But I would not. My hands reached out ward, wanting to grasp onto anything to keep me from drowning in this labyrinth of pain. I pushed my hand outward until I felt something. Finally there was something I could hold onto, to anchor me and keep me from drifting away into the nothingness that was pain. Soft silk that was warm to the touch graced my fingertips. My hand slid along until I felt something else. It was curved, moist, yet still soft. Then suddenly it moved and I heard a voice like sea glass caressing the most inner parts of my body.

“May I take your pain?”

I moved my own lips but realized I couldn’t speak a coherent sentence. The pain made me feel intoxicated in a way, unable to produce one solid thought. But I knew I wanted the pain to stop, nothing could deter that. I felt my dry lips move, tongue pushing forth the word. “Yes.”

The world slowly began to stand still, the whirls pulling back like the tide until solid shapes surrounded me. Then the overwhelming pain also began to fade but in an odd manor. For a moment I thought my head was bleeding but it was the pain itself that was crawling out of my body. I didn’t know how long I had been lying there with my hand caressing that moist silk. It could have been an hour for all I knew. But when the pain had gone, and my eyes fully focused, I blinked and was rewarded with no pain.

I felt that moist silk move again. “You awaken…”

I slowly began to make sense of things. I was laying on my back, cradled in his lap. He was leaning over me with his hair hanging around his face like a frame. My hand was outstretched, touching lips that reminded me of cherry blossoms. I dare not look up at his eyes though my soul was begging me to take a glimpse of those large, intense gems. He was gazing down at me. His very stare forced chills to run down my arm. Instinct was telling me to move and get away, but I was frozen-we were frozen.

I’d like to believe it was shock that kept me there against his lips. I wasn’t sure what kept him so still and motionless but I doubted it came anywhere near shock. A moment passed between us. Easily comparable to when one meets their best friend for the first time, or the love of their life, or even their greatest enemy. I was reminded of when I had met Beth a year ago. One look at her with that precious smile and I knew there would be something that would connect us for as long as time would allow. And now with me lying in his lap, hair strewn about his tucked knees, it felt as if I were having that same moment again. But whether he was a would be friend or enemy was anyone’s guess.

“Ah, there we are.” I watched the cherry blossom petals move under my fingertips ever so gently. Those mere four words slid along the sensitive skin of my fingers and trickled down my arm like running water. I shivered against him. To him it may have looked as if I was snuggling against his lap because after the shiver passed he reached down with his free hand, ready to smooth the long bangs away from my face.

Then reality struck.

I pulled my hand away as if I’d been scalded by something white hot and rolled off his lap as fast as I could. There was no searing pain involved or whirl of colors. If only I could pause time to do a little victory dance. I got to my feet with ease, rolling with thanks to many years of kickboxing. But I still wasn’t as quick as I wanted to be. Maybe more time in the gym was in order.

“I will not hurt you,” He said as I got to my feet. The Master was now standing before me with the light glistening off his naked upper half. His skin looked like the finest ivory and felt like the softest silk. I knew the last because he had cradled me with that very body. He was young. Perhaps only twenty when he was turned. My eyes couldn’t help but marvel at his tone arms and chest. He had been so perfect and young when he had been embraced. I looked up at that silky black hair that was half pulled away from his face while the rest was down and barely touched his shoulders.

“I mean no offense but after what happened in front of the steps, I don’t think I can trust anyone.”

He spread his arms somewhat wide to bring emphasis to his words. “I do not think I can apologize enough, Alicia.”

I nodded, “You’re right.” I resisted the urge to fold my arms over my chest. I was mad but I didn’t want to come across as being too mad, if there was such a thing, since I did believed him to be THE Master. I put my hands upon my hip, hoping it didn’t make me seem aggressive.

“Do I not get some gratitude for relieving your pain?” He asked with out so much as a hair out of place.

I subconsciously rubbed my two fingers together, a part of me wondering if I could still feel that soft silk between my fingers. The heat rose to my cheeks. “I do owe you a thank you.” In mid pause I wondered what other effects his ‘touch’ would have on me. I wasn’t the most trusting person when it came to vampires or lycanthropes. “So,” I began again, “Thanks…a lot. But I still want my dog and I still want to know what happened.” I think I may have stressed ‘still’ a bit much.

I watched him stand still, taking in all I had said with a posture comparable to a marble statue. Then a deep voice erupted from his throat. One that did not suit his body structure.

“Haruko!”

His words were not sooth glass anymore. No. This glass was jagged and sharp. I was getting a sense that this was what it was like when the master was upset. I took a step back. If only I had my gun…and if only I knew where my dog was.

The man from the steps wasted no time in coming onto the room with his long hair swaying and piercings glistening. He didn’t seem to happy either so that made three of us and, as luck had it, we were all in the same room. Couldn't we all just get along?

That wondrously chiseled face looked in my direction. What did I expect from him? I don’t know. But I felt that the deep guttural growl that reverberated from his throat was pushing it. Wasn’t I the one who got flung across the floor?

The Master outstretched his hand to me and looked over to Haruko. ”Apologize to her.” His tone was smooth again. I felt a bit immature standing here and waiting for an apology like a first grader who had just gotten glue thrown in her hair by another rambunctious student. But I’ll be damned if I didn't at least deserve an apology tonight after coming all the way out here to do a favor for the boss and then in turn get pummeled like a crash test dummy. Oh yeah I was going to savor this.

Haruko looked from the Master to me. His eyes were aglow and I could feel that beast underneath his skin, pacing back and forth, unsure on what action to take. But I knew the emotion that leaked through his skin like smoke through a screen. It was pure anger.

“Why should I apologize? She was the one who entered me? I only tried to get her out!” He jabbed his finger in my direction.

“You should have been prepared, Haruko. I made you aware of her powers well before she came.”

Powers? Though I may have referred to my psychic gift as a power once or twice in all actuality it wasn’t. Some people were just born with an overactive psyche and others weren’t. Just as some people have green eyes and others brown.

“Power?” I asked.

“Kanaye,” Haruko began again, drowning out my voice. “With all do respect, you never made it clear that she could touch my beast.”

I began to shuffle in my bare feet. “Excuse me.”

“Do not raise your voice.” The air began to grow thick with energy comparable to static electricity. I smoothed my hair down. “And do not forget to whom you are speaking to. Do not blame me for you incompetence.”

The rest was followed by rapid Japanese that I couldn’t follow. But when I could feel Haruko’s beast boiling beneath his skin I felt as if I needed to get my dog and leave.

“Hey, how about you guys give me my dog and then I’ll leave you two to argue with out an audience.”

No answer, the two were still enamored by one another. The energy grew thicker yet until it was pricking the skin along my arms. Master or no master I had to get out.

“Do whatever the hell you two want but I’m gone!” I threw my hands up in the air to give my words more of an effect and stomped toward the door. I’d get my dog with or without their help.

“Wait!” I could hear Kanaye step toward me with that voice pressing against my skin gently. I stopped only inches from the door. “I apologize. You deserve to know what happened, Alicia. Not to listen to a minor squabble.

Haruko mumbled something behind him but Kanaye paid it no mind. The Master’s politeness to me was now beginning to feel odd. He was a master. Wasn’t their some rule book that said he had to be cold, heartless, and power hungry?

I turned and let my eyes rest on his cheek. “Then what the hell happened…?”

His chest rose, then fell slowly. “In simple terms, you entered him and he cast you out.”

“I figured that was what it was but that’s never happened before.”

“Have you entered a were animal with your powers before?”

There was the word power again but I’d let it go. “A few times, two or three to be exact.”

“And have they ever been alpha’s?”

I shook my head no. I went out of my way to not be near many alpha’s.

“Well then that is why you have never experienced it before.”

There was a long pause and I thought he was going to go on but after the silence began to thicken I realized he’d said all he was going to.

“Haruko is an alpha then?” I asked.

He nodded his head.

“Wait wait. But he’s a were-tiger. The tigers are mostly loners or join up with other groups who are sparse. They don’t really have ranks.”

He cocked an eyebrow, the first actual display of emotion I’d seen. “And how do you know that, Alicia? Are you a were tiger?”

Point taken. But I still wasn’t buying it. I knew lycanthropes and it would take more than him to replace what I knew. But it was too late and I had enough action for one night to care about the on goings of were tigers.

“Forgive me for not believing.” I said with a shrug. “Now I just want to get my dog…” I stepped back toward the door. “By the way what time is it?”

Kanlooklooked back at Haruko as if he had no sense of time. Those tiger eyes flickered to mine.

“Four in the morning.”

“Four?!” The men looked at me as if I’d sprouted a second head. I was late. No. Beyond late. Beth would never have waited this long for me. I smacked my hand against my forehead a few times. I was sure Kanaye and Haruko thought I was having a conniption. My hand fumbled with the door handle. “I need to go now.” I said twisting the knob. “And I need my dog.”

Kanaye nodded. “As you wish, but you may not want to…”

I didn’t let him finish his sentence. Instead I shoved the door open and nearly fell into a crowd of vampires.

The first words that came to mind were ‘HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!’ The oxygen had abandoned me, leaving me standing in the middle of them all, unable to speak. They were mostly women, their hair so shinny and black. One of them reached out to me with such speed. One minute she was standing in front of me in a crimson red gown that made her skin translucent then next she was grabbing me by the shoulders with bone crushing strength. She had been so beautiful while she gazed at me along with the other vampires. Her lips as red as her gown and hair as black pitch. But now she was so feral I thought she was going to eat my face off. Times like these make me wish i would have never gotten out of bed.
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Prelude to the Beast