Blood & Carrots Ep. 26

I take a long pull from my wineglass of blood, staring at the flames of the fire. You sit across from me in the other chair, sipping upon your tea. "I will need to jump ahead a bit for that tale, my pet."

Your question is expected and I nod. "Around my fifth year with this family." I see the look of surprise at such a large gap and shake my head. "It is just as well. I can do little but parrot the tales of sex and training, along with the small building blocks of friendship and love I slowly reinforced in my day to day. They would make for tiresome and repetitive stories, would they not?"

My teeth show in a grin and I shake my head. "If I recall something of importance, we shall revisit it. Do not stress over it, my sweet."

#

My life had become grounded in normality. The love and adoration of my fox, cat, and wolf. The trips to see Gloria and frequent visits to Lorelai. I had become good friends with Kazemde and Harold as well. Val and Kiley were also a constant. Yes, it all had become blissfully stable.

I had a few dozen adventures during that time. Hunting down crazed lycanthropes with Alex and rogue vampires with Katrina. Kazemde had even enlisted our help with circle issues a few times and Gloria was always with us. Lorelai had some special projects we worked on together, just the two of us finding misguided souls in less population-dense areas.

My training had been constant through it all. I never lost my diligence, the protection of my friends and family a constant motivation in my mind. It still felt too soon when it all came to bear upon me.

I was tangled in Katrina's arms in our master's bed the day of, Elias was a few cities away on business so it was just us in his bed. My ears rose at the sound of my phone going off with a text message. I never got messages or calls during the day unless it was important, so my body responded right away. I fumbled at the nightstand for my phone and checked it to find a text message from Gloria. My eyes widened and my heart shoved into overdrive at the words.

'Alice and Alex, It would appear our time is at an end. My superiors have caught wind of things and I quickly send you this message while they are at my door, demanding I open it to face charges of heresy. My tribunal will be immediate and I will doubtlessly be executed before the sun sets. I'm sorry I could not give you both a proper goodbye. However, know you two have made me so happy these last few years and Kat has been a true friend. I love all of you and I'm sorry.'

"Gloria!" I practically screamed her name as the phone shook in my hands.

"Alice? W-what's going on?" Katrina sat up right away and blinked at me in shock, trying to shake the sleep from her mind.

I shook my head several times and pushed my phone into her hands, climbing from the bed. "Fuck... fuck! W-what do I do... what can I do?" I was practically sobbing the words as I paced back and forth, panic gripping me.

Katrina's eyes widened at the text message and she stood from the bed. "Alice... calm down, let's think about this..."

"Think about what?! My angel is going to fucking die!" I screamed the words, tears rolling down my face. "I can't even... I can't even be there with-"

The door of the room slammed open and Alex came storming in, his teeth bared in a snarl. "Alice! Did you get this text message too?" He already had his answer seeing me shivering and tears flowing down my face as Katrina clutched me to her chest tightly.

"Alex..." Katrina sighed and put a hand on my head, drawing my face closer to her chest. "How good of a driver are you?"

The wolf perked his ears and showed his teeth in a scowl. "I like to think I'm pretty good. Why?"

"Alice..." Katrina called out to me but I just kept sobbing in my panic attack induced fit. The cat jerked me to look at her and slapped me across the face, "Snap out of it!"

With a yelp I felt my mind clear for a moment and blinked at Katrina holding my cheek, sniffling and lifting my ears. "K-Kat... Alex..."

Katrina hissed at me. "You going to let a couple of holier than thou goons take your retriever from you without a fight? What did we always tell Gloria?"

I shook my head and frowned, "B-but... it's day... what can we-"

"He isn't affected by the sun." Katrina cut her eyes back to Alex.

"I'm not, guess it's up to me alone then." The wolf clenched his fist with a grin.

"Don't be stupid. You can drive one of the cars that have fully UV shielded windows. We're all going," the cat showed her teeth in a defiant grin. My ears and his lifted up at the prospect of it.

"Right! Let me get my things and I will meet you two in the garage!" Alex stomped out of the room in almost a run.

"Katrina..." I folded my ears and grit my teeth, my eyes shifting to red and my teeth showing. "If they hurt her..."

"One problem at a time, Alice." She pushed her forehead to mine and stared hard into my eyes. "She's my friend too... we will keep our word. Prepare yourself and do so quickly, I will send word to our master that the three of us are going into battle."

I huffed out through clenched teeth and quickly pulled away, turning to the closet to gather my clothes as well as my weapons. I felt the fury and rage flood into me and snatched my phone up. I quickly sent a message to Val sending him my love, in the event I did not return from this. I then left a message with Lorelai, telling her how much I loved her and how happy she had made me if I didn't see her again.

Heavy black boots and jeans, along with my ballistic jacket over a shirt were my outfit. I strapped my guns on along with my whip, grabbing my speed loaders and a box of bullets. "How are we going to get into wherever they will be?"

"Very quickly, that's how. We can throw some heavy cloaks on to get a few extra seconds in the sunlight." Katrina spoke the words while putting her phone away, having obviously just finished messaging Elias.

"What if they are holding it outside?" I ask with worry in my voice.

"Then we snatch Gloria and let them follow us to a place inside." Katrina spoke the words in a calm calculated tone of voice as she dressed as well.

"Thank you..." I took a calming breath and nodded at her, thankful she was being the voice of reason. I quickly filled a duffle bag with a few spare bottles of blood and boxes of ammo.

"We can prepare the bullets on the way, let's get to Alex." Katrina spoke the words as she gripped my hand and pulled me out of the room.

The car ride was spent going over details and plans while prepping our bullets for thaumaturgy. Alex drove like he was possessed, seamlessly navigating the car through the midday traffic of the connecting roads at breakneck speeds.

"Hey..." The wolf called out back to us. "If we don't make it out of this shit... I love you guys and... sorry you're getting dragged into mine and Alice's fight, Kat..."

"You dogs are so damn dramatic... She is my friend too Alex and no one is dying today. Well not on our side anyway." The cat hissed the words while loading her revolver.

#

We finally made our way to the location of the supposed trial. It was an old historic lodge on the outskirts of the city, near a popular natural waterfall and several hiking trails. It would have been bustling in the warmer months, but given we were in the dead of winter, it was practically deserted except the small skeleton crew that manned it during the off-season.

"At least it's not outside..." I grumbled the words as I tightened the large cloak onto my body, thick black gloves worn on my hands.

'They probably used some sort of charm on the staff and are using the conference or dining room to hold it." Katrina clenched her teeth and pulled the hood of the cloak over her head. "Alex, get us as close to the entrance as you can, the less exposure we get, the better."

The wolf grinned and pulled off the road, pulling the car through the dirt, grass, and slush of snow until we were only a few yards to the entrance. "How's that?" He barked the words.

"Good, park the car normally then join us. Don't leave it here, we don't need mundane authorities on top of everything else." Katrina hissed the words then grabbed my hand hard giving me a nod.

I swallowed before jerking the hood over my head with my free hand and gave her my own nod. She kicked the door of the car open and sunlight flooded into the cabin of the vehicle. Just the presence of it made me feel sick and my head spin. I felt faint but clenched my teeth, thinking of my dog and cat.

She pulled me forward and we were at the entrance and in the building in less than a second. I took a knee and panted, trying to regain my composure, the brief touch of sunlight even through the heavy cloak having taken a toll.

Kat panted and passed me a sports bottle. "Drink half of it then pass it back to me." I nodded and pulled heavily from it before standing and passing it back to her. The staff was obviously charmed, they didn't even so much as bat an eye at us.

Katrina finished the last of the blood and tossed the bottle into a trashcan. She took a moment to focus and nodded. "Wow... do you feel that?"

I nodded. "Yeah... it's like the energy Gloria gives, but on steroids..." I shuddered and cut my eyes to a room with double doors and two imposing males flanking it. They were dressed in professional business suits like they were hired security, but they were dripping with divine energy. Both of them were canines but I couldn't make the breeds out.

Katrina clenched her teeth from inside the hood. "We've got the element of surprise, we drop them, bust in and get Gloria, then we-"

"Why drop them?" I showed her my red eyes and gave her a hungry grin.

"You want to play it another way my rabbit?" She quirked a brow.

"Oh yes... We are outgunned and so we need all the help we can get, even from their own ranks." I cooed the words, malice dripping in my voice.

Katrina gave me a knowing smile. "Alright, love. I've got your back."

I hummed to myself and started making my way over to the conference hall. They had their divine energy to ward off things like me from touching them, but the game was rigged this time and I wasn't playing fair. I sauntered up to the two dogs and showed my pointed teeth. "Hello boys, mind letting me in?"

Both of them started to draw handguns with practiced precision but I simply blurred between them and shoved my now gloveless hands to their faces. They were mine in an instant. I took a few heartbeats to slip into each of their minds and fully break and coax them to my way of thinking.

I pulled away from them and looked to each of the broken angels. "So... who do you love?"

Both of them spoke in unison to my question. "You, Mistress..."

"The retriever, this cat, and the wolf that comes behind us. They are my friends. Please protect them as you would me, alright my pets?" I cooed the words lovingly towards them. Both the dogs gave me sharp nods, holding their large caliber handguns to the ready.

"Damn... impressive..." Katrina spoke the words and I saw the pride in her eyes.

We stalled a moment to let Alex catch up with us then I showed my two new friends a hungry grin. "Open the doors."

The doors to the conference room swung open wide and the three of us strode in. Alex stood at the center looking large and imposing, me and Katrina much smaller cloaked figures flanking him.

There were six other occupants in the room. Three were seated at a large conference table two males, one some sort of serpent, like Kazemde but without the hood, on the left. The central figure and second male was a lion of a similar build to Harold's with long flowing golden hair and nearly ivory skin. The third member was a female fox with dark brown ears and tail along with platinum blonde hair.

Two more flanked the trio and were standing, the one on the left was a male tabby cat dressed in a suit, but the one on the right was in a full outfit of half armor with a long sword to her side. She was a retriever like Gloria but wore her hair short, the length only brushing her cheeks.

The final being in the room was my dog. Her ears lifted upon us entering and she didn't even need to turn to see us. Her tail began to wag, her body had been facing the seated trio. She turned to look upon us as we entered, her eyes widening and tears filling them. "Alex... Alice... Katrina?"

"What is the meaning of this?! What sorcery did you use to find this proceeding?" The lion in the center of the group yelled out, the armored dog already drawing her long sword, the other suited guard pulling his own.

"We followed the GPS signal on her phone." Katrina spat the words out in a matter of fact tone, pulling her hood down, letting blood-red eyes be seen plainly. "As to why we are here, we're here for Gloria."

"That's right, I won't let you take her from me." Alex snarled the words and I could see the hair on his arms starting to grow thicker and look more like fur.

I pulled my own hood down and gave a grin to the group of celestials, my own eyes red and blazing. "I love that angel and no one is laying a finger upon her."

The armored dog and cat closed upon us in a flash but I was between them in a blink and touching them like I had been the others. The cat broke instantly to my will but the dog handily swatted my will away.

I whistled in appreciation as she lunged and thrust her sword at me with blinding speed. I blurred from the strike and moved behind the cat, huffing into his ear hotly. "Protect me..."

The turned celestial quickly struck his sword out against the armored dog. She barked out in shock and parried the blow as he kept the attack up, driving her back several paces. "D-damnation! Snap out of it, Francis!" The retriever growled the words, obviously fighting defensively.

"That's enough my pet. Just protect us from her." I looked back at the other two I had charmed. "Shut the doors and join the cat. Lay your lives down for your Mistress and her friends if you must, but do not attack anyone unless they strike out against us first."

"Demon!" The armored dog snarled the curse at me and I showed her a defiant grin.

Alex had already moved over to Gloria and the two of them were embraced tightly. Katrina stayed by my side and had drawn her guns, I noted drops of blood were already at her thumbs.

"Do you abominations think you will leave this room alive after having interrupted these holy proceedings?" The lion snarled the words, looking between the four of us.

"Why don't you blow it out your holy ass, buddy." Katrina hissed the words, keeping her guns trained on the armored dog, her sword still at the ready.

"Alex, bring Gloria over here away from them." I spoke the words and narrowed my eyes upon the three of them.

"Knight Gloria, you are to maintain your station, you follow my orders, not theirs!" The armored retriever barked the words in commandment and I felt her crushing will push out with them.

"Y-yes commander!" She spoke the words dutifully but Alex gripped her hand and gently pulled her along, the dog walking with him towards us.

"What are you doing? Stop walking!" The larger dog snarled the words in anger at her, gripping her sword tighter.

"O-oh... I'm walking... uhm..." She looked upon the armored dog curiously and lifted her ears. "Can I say no to you? Y-yes... I can. So... no, I won't listen to you." She spoke the words in a childish almost innocent voice like she wasn't sure they would even come out.

The trio and the armored dog all looked stunned at her words and willing movement. I gave a cocky laugh and looked between the three of them. "So she's a heretic, is that it?"

"The council will not answer your questions, monster!" The armored dog spat the words at me bitterly.

"That right?" I folded my arms and looked upon the three of them. The blonde foxes' eyes shifted from blue to brilliant gold, I had seen Gloria do it a few times when we were in the throes or she was heavily channeling her divine powers. I grit my teeth and moved a hand to my whip in response.

The lion cut his dark eyes to the fox. "What say you, seer?"

She peered hard upon the four of us and narrowed her eyes. "The rabbit has not broken them fully, she has obviously intended it to be a temporary thing. They are still themselves."

I saw the larger retriever's stance ease slightly, her relief obvious. I showed my teeth and extended my hand. "That's right, I'm not here to start a war, just protect my girlfriend."

"Our girlfriend." Alex barked out while still holding Gloria protectively.

"You mean our friend." Katrina spoke out, pulling her aim away from the retriever after seeing her stance relax.

"They..." The fox blinked her eyes a few times before they shifted back to blue. "They are speaking the truth, your eminence. They are not showing any hostility, only concern and... love."

"Love?" The lion laughed and looked to the serpent next to him. "They speak of love, brother."

The snake shifted his eyes over us and then back to the lion. "Why not humor them, I would be interested in the tale." His words came out in a hiss that reminded me of how Kazemde would drag his words.

"This is not a house of curiosity, this is a house of law and order." The central figure growled the words and folded his arms.

"Actually this is a hotel." Katrina gave the lion a coy grin.

"How about we talk about this? This doesn't have to go south." I folded my arms and looked hard upon the lion, pushing my will forth.

"You come in here, enthrall my men, disrupt out sacred-"

"What's fucking scared about killing your own?!" Alex snarled out, interrupting his statement.

"She is tainted and corrupt. She must be purified in the light of judgment." The lion spoke the words pointedly.

"Gloria has done nothing but protect and serve to your ends. Do you have any idea how many 'abominations' we have put down with her over the years?" Katrina spat the words out bitterly.

"We?" The snake hissed out curiously.

"Yeah. We... The three of us have been helping Gloria fulfill her duty and protect your flock for years now." Alex spoke the words, clutching the smaller dog tighter while she buried her face into his chest, her tail drooped but wagging.

"Seer! Tell me they spread falsehoods!" The lion growled and jerked his gaze to the fox once more.

She closed her eyes then opened them to gold once more, scanning the four of us. "I sense no falsehoods from any of them." The fox cleared her throat and called out. "Knight Gloria, how many abominations have you struck down?"

The dog pulled from Alex and looked upon the blonde fox. "In the five years of my duty, I have personally laid low three. However, between the four of us, seventeen."

"She... speaks the truth, your eminence..." The fox spoke the words hesitantly.

"What is this madness... are you sure your powers work against the corrupted?" He spat the words out in a bitter voice.

"Do you doubt the word of Toroah? He told me my gaze could discern all but the most ancient and powerful of beings." She spoke the words in a neutral tone of voice, as if she took no offense to the question.

"Fine, monster. Explain what trickery you have used to-"

"You call me a monster one more time and see what I do." I showed my teeth, my eyes flushing a brighter red as I threw my cloak off to the floor. "You threaten to kill the dog I love, then presume to talk to me and my family in such a way?"

"Your bravado will leave you a pile of ash, rabbit." The lion snarled the words and rose from his seat. I could see large feathered wings now against his back that were obscured before. I noted that all of them but the three guards I had enthralled were actually sporting wings.

I felt his will wash over me like a storm, I clenched my teeth feeling my resolve waver in the sheer presence of the elite angel. I gritted my teeth and looked back to see Gloria then snapped them together as I glared back at the lion. "No trickery you stupid cat, just us loving her and protecting our family." I snapped the words out and straightened myself, folding my arms over my chest, showing him I wouldn't waver before him.