Twenty Nine
I opened the door and smiled.
The drawing room was filled with seating, side tables of food, and a bar. Bottles of drinks, from spirits to wines, crowded behind the bar. The curtains were open, gray light flooding the room. Classical music played from hidden speakers. The seating was plush, and comfortable.
It was perfect.
I lead everyone in. Bodies moved past me, Theo leading the charge for the bar. He moved behind it, a twinkle in his eye and a confident smile across his lips. He picked up cups and glasses. Dana and Beth walked up to the bar, asking for specific drinks. Theo simply nodded and went to work making their drinks.
I turned my attention to Nana, my mother, and her sisters. They were all talking and laughing, like no time had passed since they last saw each other. My heart quickened with a homey warmth that I had long forgotten. It was incredible to have my mother and aunts brought back, but having Nana here tied it all together into a harmonic song.
Victoria bowed in my direction, before stepping back and closing the door behind her, giving us our privacy.
My gaze shifted to Nana. Her eyes were so filled with life, looking upon her daughters, it made my soul weep. She was the magical bond that kept us together, and now, she was here, in our ancestorial home.
Rose guided Nana and her sisters to me. She motioned to a pair of large couches facing each other. We moved as one to them. Lily and Violet sat down on one. My mother and Nana sat on the other.
I looked at my nana, my heart beating with renewed excitement. "Can I get you anything, Nana?"
She gave me a loving smile. "Whiskey, straight."
I nodded before turning my attention to my mother and aunts.
"Whiskey," my mother said.
"Red wine," Lily said.
"Absinthine," Violet said with a wink.
I smiled at them before I turned and walked to the bar.
Dana and Beth were speaking with Theo as he placed their drinks before them. When I approached, he gave me a sly look.
"I heard. Preparing the drinks right now."
"Make me a whiskey as well," I added.
"Will do. Go hang with Nana. I'll bring your drinks," Theo winked at me.
It was nice to see him so happy and confident. Our vacation was mending us, a little at a time. With Nana here, I could taste the victory of our dark crusade on the horizon.
I quickly made my way back to the beautiful women sitting across from each other, deep in conversation.
"The last few years have been harrowing, but Gerald ensured this break necessary. Of course, we followed his will. Even we need a rest at time," my mother explained.
I sat down beside Nana. She glanced at me, and put her hand on my thigh. She gave me a loving squeeze, while turning her attention back to her daughters.
"We still remember parts of the dark dream. We were asleep until Gerald pulled us from the dream lands," Lily said.
Nana turned to me. Her hair was long, and free, it framed her pales features. The faint mark of freckles ran across her nose and upper cheeks. She squeezed my thigh again as her eyes gleamed with love.
"I always knew you had a powerful soul. It knew it when I first laid eyes on you as a baby," Nana said and turned her attention to Rose. "I knew your bond with your mother was so strong, even death could not stop it. You brought her back, you brought them all back. It is the greatest gift I could ever have."
"Beth, Dana, and Theo helped," I mentioned.
"But under your leadership," Nana beamed. "You followed the dark path many in the family were scared to journey. My handsome grandson opened ten rifts. The tide has shifted against the light. I'm so proud of you, of all of you."
I felt fuzzy as she gushed. Nana was usually stern, but loving. Everything in life and death was a lesson to learn from. It was something I took seriously.
She turned to her daughters, keeping her smile.
"I can hardly believe you're all here. It warms my heart."
"With our successes, we will be gifted with immortality, among many other gifts," Violet grinned.
Heads nodded in agreement.
Theo came over with a silver tray, filled with drinks. He handed the off to everyone before making his way back to the bar, and Dana and Beth.
I sipped my drink, enjoying the subtle burn. My mother, aunts, and Nana, sipped their drinks. The brightness in their eyes remained. Seeing them as they were when they were alive, made me forget of our deep, darker powers and knowledge. For a moment, I forgot about the dark crusade, and only focused on them.
"Gearld has been a wonderful leader, and high priest. He made me his high priestess to the blood coven," my mother said as she sipped her drink.
"He keeps us well fed. His come is delicious," Violet said, while licking her lips.
There was a shift in the happy moment. I knew my family dwelled with dark knowledge, spells, and mystical auras, but I wasn't sure I was ready to be so blunt with Nana. I remembered her being so innocent with me, even with her arcane knowledge. For the first time in a long time, I felt slightly uncomfortable.
Nana held her drink as she sat proper on the couch. "To anchor you to this realm, you have to feed on his come?"
Rose, Lily, and Violet nodded to their mother.
Nana turned and looked at me. "I bet you still have that large cock to feed them with."
I let out a nervous laugh. I was always attracted to Nana because of her free spirit. But to hear her like this, only fueled that attraction. Her hugs were always so warm, and much like when I spent time with Aunty Lily, she was understanding and listened to every word I said.
"I do, Nana," I said with a nervous smile.
Nana turned and lifted her leg onto the couch. She faced me, but her excited eyes turned into a sharpness I couldn't describe accurately. It was like a demon awakening in the abyss, or a succubus licking their lips before they attacked.
"Gearld, I may be older, but that doesn't mean I haven't had my share of experiences."
"I know," I said sheepishly.
"Gerald, Nana taught us many things," my mother said with a dark smile.
"Grandfather also showed us many things," Violet said with a dark giggle.
Nana patted my thigh. "No need to worry yourself. I know your mother took her time. She observed you, and wasn't confident you were like the rest of the family."
Nana turned to Rose, a warm understanding filling her eyes. "She told me what she said before she died. How she told you, she didn't want you to summon her back to this realm. She wasn't confident you would accept the song of our bloodline."
I gave a slow nod. "I felt the song in my blood. I...didn't act on it because, I was afraid mother would reject me. I know that to not be true, but my fear ruled me."
Rose nodded. "When I came back, he was so eager. Madness colored my mind, but my love for him aided in keeping my control. If not, I would have ripped his clothes off."
"We hinted to you," Violet said with a wicked smile. "We let you linger in your hugs. We kept you close, allowing you to know our body heat, and our scents."
"We gave you gentle touches, hoping you felt the spark, and acted on it," Lily added with shy eyes.
I looked at them with knowing eyes. "I felt it. I knew it. I didn't act, because, once the door was open, it would never close."
"As it should be," Nana said as she patted my thigh again.
I looked at her, my gaze dropping to her warm line of cleavage. My manhood stirred as I imagined myself kissing her skin.
"But, why did you come here now?" I asked, fighting my own growing darkness.
"Forgive me," Nana said. "I was in seclusion. I tended to my home, garden, and animals. I tried to forget that I lost all my daughters. It...was too much."
My mother spoke up, "But now that we have returned, we can be close again."
My mother turned her attention to me. "This surprise was not just about mending our broken hearts. Nana came back with us because she wants to help us."
"Help us?" I said, lifting my eyebrow.
Nana nodded. "Gerald, my handsome grandson, I too have heard the whispers from family on your father's side. In the past few months, some of them have spoken to me in short, cryptic phone calls. At the time, I didn't know they were testing what I knew, or didn't know."
My brow furled.
"Don't be mad at them. They are power hungry, and secretive. They felt your successes, from what your mother and Lily have gathered. They want to be on the winning side, which means, they will do anything to be in your good graces.
"I came back to you, because I wanted to help you navigate the politics of our family. I know you can manage, but we still have to be careful. Rose told me that you have the power of a dark blessing. If they join you, they will be under your power, but the bigger the coven, the harder it is to watch all of them, all the time.
"I know all of them well enough to give you an edge. To ensure, they will fall in line, and follow your dark crusade."