Page 51 of Redeeming the Angel

“I’m ready.”I bit the insides of my cheeks to keep from grinning in amusement.Kerainne was so obsessed with punctuality that she’d never meet up with a person so late that it left no time for the other one to get ready.Unless she was looking for an excuse to call it off.

We stepped through the portal and arrived at the same fountain by Lake Coeur d’Alene.I remembered that twenty-five years ago, the portal had been inside a tunnel under a building.Had the portal been moved?Or was the building gone?I would have to ask Kerainne later.

Unlike yesterday, the area was crowded.Cars clogged the streets and people milled about everywhere.Large vessels that resembled riverboats were on the lake.

“The parade’s on Sherman, so we better head that way,” she said brusquely.

The cold gave her an excuse to keep her gloved hands in her pockets and her hood made it harder for me to see her facial expression.Though I was dying to talk about what happened last night, I held back.The next move would have to be hers.And if she wanted to pretend nothing happened, so be it.

Instead, I pointed at the various decorations outside of the restaurants and storefronts, asking her the meanings of each.As I’d hoped, this cheered her, and soon I was treated to a never ending stream of cheerful chatter about garlands, wreathes, and some figure called Frosty the Snowman, who she seemed to adore as much as Santa Claus and his reindeer.

When we reached the crowded street, found a vantage point, and the parade began, Kerainne’s giddiness increased.I hadn’t seen her like this since Nikkita was a child and we took her to fairs and festivals.Now she was basking in the happiness of all the other children in our vicinity, exchanging smiles with them and clapping as various floats, vehicles, and even people on horseback came through all decorated for Christmas.Though I didn’t dare remark on it, I found it odd that everyone here was behaving as if it was Christmas now when that was a whole month away.Even though yesterday was Thanksgiving, I hadn’t seen any harvest or turkey decorations.

After the parade, we followed the crowd to the park to watch the fireworks.Since Kerainne was so short, she had trouble seeing everything, and it was only amusing to see her turning and weaving to peer around the people in front of her before I felt bad.With a whispered word, I used a levitation spell so she floated high enough to see.

Fireworks were at least something I knew.Originating in China and perfected even better by the people of Mei Lu in Aisthanesthai, they evoked a primitive delight in almost every bipedal being.It was a pity the technology behind them eventually led to weapons of war.

Watching Kerainne light up at the children’s shrieks of delight brought back question I’d often asked myself over the centuries.Why hadn’t she and I had a child of our own?She had to have experienced at least a few Yearnings, but she must have made certain to avoid me when those came.The few times I’d tentatively began to broach the topic of having a baby, she’d shut me down or change the subject.

I forced the depressing subject from my mind and instead focused on being here with her now, while she was happy.I reveled in that happiness to the point when the Christmas tree and other lights downtown came on, I cheered with Kerainne until my throat was raw.

When it was over, I tried to hide the plea from my voice.“Are we going to Silas’s house to watch the rest of those funny movies?”

For a moment, it looked like she was going to refuse.Then, after multiple unreadable thoughts flickered in her green eyes, she nodded.“If you want to.But afterward, I need to talk to you about something important.”

I shoved back the spike of alarm that threatened to pierce my insides and gave her the cheeriest smile I could manage.“That sounds fine.I’m already adapting to this nocturnal schedule the vampires keep us on.”

When we reached an alley where we could teleport without the humans seeing, I stopped Kerainne with a gesture.“I can take us to Lord McNaught’s home now that I’ve been there.The cold doesn’t impact my powers as badly.”

Her stiff nod didn’t hide the relief in her eyes.

When we arrived at the Lord Vampire’s castle, an engine roared behind us.I turned to see Silas McNaught behind the wheel of a very attractive black muscle car.His green eyes widened in astonishment at how we’d appeared out in his driveway.

“Oops,” I managed as I struggled not to slip on a patch of ice.

Silas got out of the car, shaking his head.“Och, can ye mages watch where you decide to poof?If I’d run over the Queen Mother, I’d never forgive myself.”

“Sorry.”

He nodded and tilted his seat forward to reveal his and Akasha’s halfling daughter in the backseat.Once Kiara was free from her car seat, she squirmed out of her father’s grip and came barreling toward Kerainne.

“Auntie Rainne!”she shouted as Kerainne scooped her up.“I saw Santa Clause on a firetruck and got candy and saw fireworks!”

“Me too!”Kerainne grinned.“Lucian and I were there.I’m sorry we didn’t see you two.Akasha didn’t go?”

“She has a hard time with crowds,” Silas said over his shoulder as he opened the trunk and pulled out a case of beer and another of that delicious hard cider I loved.“So she’s on hot chocolate duty.”

When we entered the house, I heard Kerainne’s visible sigh of bliss at the warmth.Her gloved hands shivered as she fumbled with her coat, so I unzipped it for her.Her eyes flashed with heat and a palpable melancholy that alarmed me.

Akasha was stirring a vat of hot chocolate in a large pot.She smiled warmly at Kerainne and Kiara, then gave me a teasing smirk.“You’re here for more torture?”

“I am,” I admitted.In more ways than one.The floor vibrated beneath my feet in a pulsing rhythm.

Before I could ask about that, Razvan Nicolae appeared and clapped my shoulders with jovial friendliness.“Rage of Angels is having band practice before movie time.Come watch them with me.They’re playing some of their new songs!”

Akasha filled our mugs with steaming cocoa and followed us downstairs.

The basement was rearranged from last night.A makeshift stage took up one corner of the huge room and many of the speakers around the giant TV were commandeered for the band’s use.The couches and beanbag chairs were also moved to face the stage instead of the TV.Kiara scampered to a corner of the room and picked up a pair of what looked like headphones.

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