Page 69 of Absolved In Death

“No she won’t. Fae can replenish blood, so she can never drain me. She can have a drink whenever she wants,” Q explained as he rubbed the back of her head. “Angela, I brought visitors for you.”

She licked over his wounds, closing them instantly. When she saw me, she rushed at me, but bounced off Ares’ shield.

“Quel, oh my gods! You brought her! Diana! I missed you so much,” she cried, swiping some of Q’s blood off her face and popping her red finger into her mouth.

“I missed you too. You’re so fast! I barely saw you coming before you knocked Q over.”

“Let’s sit on the couch and catch up,” she said, leading me through her open concept space. She seemed like herself, if not a hungrier, faster version.

Her space wasn’t huge, but it was exactly what someone needed to recover. She had a bed, armoire, small sitting area with a television, and the door on the other side of the room must have been her bathroom. We both sat on the same couch, and Bash immediately put a shield between us.

“Stop it. We don’t need a shield,” I insisted.

“Yes you do. Some days are great, and others are…” she trailed off, gazing up at Q. “Bad. I’ve been having more good than bad days recently, but I wouldn’t forgive myself if something happened to you. That’s why I asked Q to bring you. He can handle me when I’m feral.”

He smiled at her, and I saw the hearts in his eyes. He really adored her, and wasn’t put off by her struggles.

We caught up on everything. She described how her recovery was going so far, and I told her an abridged version of what our family was up to, the war efforts, and Michael’s medical condition. Ares told her about my training, and Bash had to ruin it all by bringing up the one person she didn’t want to talk about.

“I heard you’re not talking to Judas,” he commented.

“No, and I don’t see what that’s your business,” she flatly stated.

“Because he’s your sire. He’s supposed to be guiding you through your transition and helping you learn how to control yourself. Eventually, you’ll have to deal with him if you ever want to be able to function in the outside world,” he said, his tone harsh.

“Hey, you’re being a bit too rough right now, Bash. Talk about something else,” I firmly suggested. I knew exactly how Angie felt. When the guys captured me and faked my death, I felt trapped. If I could have avoided them, I would have.

“It’s the truth! It’s not safe to be around a newly created vampire if they aren’t getting guidance and training from their sire. I’m thinking of your safety, Birdie,” he pressed on, ignoring my suggestion.

I wasn’t dealing with him right now, I hadn’t seen my aunt in weeks, and I wanted to enjoy the little time I’d have with her. I tapped into my frustration, removing him from the room and imagining my magic dropping him off on the other side of Pit 13.

Ares cocked his head, as if he was listening to something. “You dropped him into the lake on the other side of the Pit. Nice,” he smirked, putting a new shield between us. “I’m sorry he’s such an asshole, Angela.”

“If it would make you feel more comfortable, I can be here while he visits,” Q offered.

“I don’t know, maybe…” she said.

I knew she and Judas had some issues before he turned her, but she never talked about them in depth. She just told me he was a good fuck buddy, and that it was fun, nothing serious. Now I wondered if she really felt that way, or if there was more to it.

“If you need me, you know what to do,” he reminded her.

We stayed long past dinner, talking and watching television. The only reason Ares and I left was because Lucifer mindlinked me.

“Can I hug you?” I asked her. I missed her hugs, but understood if she couldn’t.

“Hold on,” Ares said, closing his eyes and concentrating. “Now the shield is more malleable. You two should be able to hug, it’ll just feel like there’s a blanket between you.”

I wrapped my arms around her, melting into the embrace. We squeezed each other, and I silently made a promise to myself. I would make more time to visit her, and try to mend whatever was going on with her and Judas. Bash was rude, but unfortunately, he was right. Quelier could provide emotional support, but he wasn’t a vampire. She needed someone to guide her so she wasn’t a liability.

She inhaled deeply, scenting me. “I’m not going to bite you, but you smell really tasty.”

I laughed, because as creepy as it sounded, it was something ridiculous Angie would say. She always found humor in dark situations.

“Okay, time to go,” Ares said, taking my hand and leading me toward the door.

Quelier stayed behind. He said they were having a movie night, but judging by the way she eyes his neck, I assumed she’d be having dinner, too.

Bash was leaning against the far end of the hallway, waiting for us. I sighed, because I had such a great time reconnecting with Angela, and didn’t want to deal with him right now. Instead of starting an argument, he gave me a hug and kiss on the cheek, and asked me to tell him what he missed.

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