Chapter Three

Ward Home, Silver Lights District

Kaelen sighed as he walked through the door of his two story brown stone.  With a shrug he removed his trench coat and hung it in the small closet off the entrance.

"I'm happy you're here," drawled Kevin as he sauntered into the entryway.  "Can you tell me where the servants are?"

Kaelen took a deep breath as he willed away the fatigue he felt from a long day of tracking traitors.  "I don't have servants," responded Kaelen as he walked toward the kitchen.

"Then who cooks and cleans," asked Kevin staring around the large kitchen.

"We did," Kaelen answered exasperated.  Kaelen dismissed the appalled look on Kevin's face as he moved to the refrigerator and removed a small platter of smoked meats.

"Who are we," asked Kevin with a know-it-all smirk.

"Kevin I know for a fact that in the outskirts you didn't have servants," growled Kaelen between gritted teeth.  "Why are you acting like me not having any here is so hard to believe?"

"It's different," drawled Anthony as he walked into the kitchen staring at the meats with distaste.  "Are we supposed to eat that?"

Kaelen stared at both men shocked, "Yes!  Jael Quin smoked meats for sandwiches before she left.  The meat should last at least a month."

"You jest right," snickered Kevin as he stared down at the meats.  "Those don't even look edible!"

Kaelen frowned as he shook his head, "I'm too busy for this."  With a frown he walked to the bread box and pulled out a roll. "If you are not happy with what I have provided please feel free to fend for yourself."

Kevin rolled his eyes as he looked around the spartan kitchen.  "There isn't really anything here to eat," he whined as he pointed toward the bare refrigerator.

"Go grocery shopping," snarled Kaelen as he put his sandwich together.

"Where do you do that at," whined Anthony staring at the meats in disgust.

Kaelen bit into the sandwich and frowned as he chewed.  With a repulsed stare he placed the sandwich back on the plate.  "How does one go about hiring servants?"

"So you can't cook," asked Sebastian blandly as he dragged Xara into the kitchen with him.  "I know how to cook," he continued as he pulled Xara with him into the pantry.

Xara stared around nervously, "Why did you bring me in here?"

"So you can show them your womanly charms," chuckled Sebastian staring around at the bare shelves.

Xara brows knitted together as she stared at the floor, "I haven't cooked in a very long time."

"Are you serious," asked Sebastian with a surprised expression on his face.  "How old are you that you don't know how to cook?"

With a sigh Xara shook her head as she picked at her dress, "I guess I can try."

"That's the spirit," laughed Kevin as he walked into the pantry.  "Why don't we go shopping together?"

"S-s-sure," stuttered Xara as he gently grabbed her elbow.

"Before you leave I'd like to go over the rules for my house," drawled Kaelen as he lifted the black roll off the brownish pink colored meat.  "Why does this taste so bad," muttered Kaelen staring down at the meat in disgust.

"I don't know," snapped Anthony as he picked up a piece and sniffed it.  "Maybe it went bad after the crystals blew."

Kaelen threw the bread down on the plate as he leaned back in the chair, "What do you mean the crystals blew?"

Anthony shrugged as he waved a hand at the sandwich making it disappear.  "Kevin was trying to send a communication to the outlands and the lights in the house flickered and went out."

"What the hell," snapped Kaelen as he walked over to a hidden panel that housed the crystals that powered the house.  "How is it even possible to blow these crystals out?"

"That's what I said," muttered Kevin as he walked behind him to stare at the dull blue crystals.  "But I replaced them with stronger ones."

"Wow," laughed Anthony walking over to stare at the stones.  "I could swear these are the same crystals that power the palace."

"Yes," gloated Kevin with pride as he rocked on his heels.  "They can power the entire Silver Lights District or my lab."

"You moved your lab here?"  Kaelen stared at Kevin as if he were crazy.  "How could you do that without my permission?"

"I asked Clarence before him and Jael Quin left," lied Kevin as he stared in wide eyed innocence at Kaelen.  "No one thought you'd mind if I used the attic."

Kaelen sighed as a thought came back to him.  "We need to go over the house rules," he snapped as he walked back to the counter.

"Sounds good," chirped Kevin as he joined him.  "Oh before I forget, Xara was placed in a cute little pink room next to the large blue and grey one."

Kaelen blinked slowly at Kevin as he listened to Kevin talk about the outrageously dainty room next to his.  As he saw Kevin was winding down his lips curled up, "Ruby decorated that room on a whim."

"Ah," frowned Kevin as he thought of the woman he'd met twice.  "I believe Xara and I should redecorate it to her taste."

"Do whatever," sighed Kaelen impatiently.  "Now to the house rules that everyone is to obey."  Giving Kevin a hard look he began, "There is to be no powers used in my home, no fighting, yelling or screaming.  I would prefer if none of you bring company back to my house -."

"So you're the only one allowed to get some ass," scoffed Sebastian with an arched eyebrow.

Kaelen paused and stared at Sebastian, "Can I continue or did you want to continue bemoaning the fact that you'll not be having sex at my house."

Anthony lip poked out as he stared around the luxury kitchen, "Why not?  This is a bachelor's pad!  Bachelors should be allowed to have their dicks sucked by pretty women while lazing in the bed."

"Gods," sighed Kaelen as he stared at them.  "You are not to have women in my house!  It is disrespectful to my step-mother."

"But she's not here," pointed out Kevin as he smiled ruthlessly at Kaelen.  "And they aren't expected back for at least 6 months."

"Next," continued Kaelen as he ignored Kevin's observation.  "Clean up after yourself -."

"Without our powers," moaned Anthony as he took in Xara and Sebastian expressions.  "They should have to do that but why should I," he whined as he glared Kaelen.  "Can I not hire myself a maid?"

Kaelen stared blankly at Anthony, "Did you have a made on Jiju or Ollyum?"

"Yes," snapped Anthony.  "She was part time but I had one."

"Hmm," nodded Kaelen as he raised a hand to call for his hand held.  "It's getting late and we need dinner," with a glance to Xara he frowned.   "Go shopping with Kevin and prepare dinner without killing us."

"Okay," whispered Xara as she watched Kaelen walk out the kitchen.

"Let's go," enthused Kevin as he held a hand toward Xara.

*******

Xara stared in the mirror of her newly redecorated pale blue and cream room with pride.  Earlier in the day she'd made a delicious beef stew with golden cornbread that everyone seemed to like.  With a smile she ran her hand over the crystal griffin that Kevin had purchased her.

"You seem happy," drawled Kaelen amused when Xara released a startled gasp.

Xara snatched her hand away from the knick knack as if it had burned her.  "I apologize," she began as she turned to face Kaelen.  "I didn't mean -."

"Stop!" frustrated Kaelen cut her off.   "I don't believe I can take another apology from you."  When she appeared to be about to object Kaelen raised his hand.  "You apologized for the stew being too spicy, the cornbread to fluffy and the strawberry tarts too sweet."

"I didn't mean to upset you."

"Did you," asked Kaelen completely annoyed.  "You're voice started to grated on my nerves the more I listened to you apologize."

"Ah," began Xara as she turned to stare at the locked door.  "How did you get in here?"

"I walked," laughed Kaelen waving toward the wall.

"Oh," nodded Xara as she concluded he walked through their connecting wall.

Kaelen shook his head as he watched her stare at the wall that connected their rooms.  "The last owner used this room as a sleeping chamber for his paramour while he and his wife slept in the other room.   The wall will allow a person to walk through if they know the words."

Xara nodded as she walked toward the bed, "May I ask why you've come to visit me tonight?"

"I'm not sure," answered Kaelen honestly as he took in her high neck, long-sleeve nightgown.  "I decided I wanted to talk to you for a little," he announced as he felt his fangs start to drop.

Xara sat down on the dark blue covers and tried to muster a smile.  "You want to bite me, right?"

Kaelen shrugged as he walked to the bed and placed his hands on her shoulders.  With an unnecessary grunt he pulled Xara to her feet, "Are you going to complain."  Even as she shook her head he snatched the white material from her shoulder.  "Just be quiet," he snapped as he sank his teeth into her shoulder.

Xara's body froze as he started to pull and she wondered if he'd kill her.  She balled her hands into fist at her side as she felt pain radiate through her body.  With a moan of pain she willed him to finish as her vision blurred and the bright lights started to dim.   Soon her body tilted backwards and she could hear soft cries leave her lips.

Kaelen pulled away as Xara's body crumpled.   With a frown he stared at her closed eyes as he mumbled to himself, "Did she pass out?"

"Yes," came Kevin's voice from the door as he walked further into the room.  "I believe if she wouldn't have passed out you'd probably have killed her."

Kaelen licked his lips as he stared down at her limp body, "Oh well."  

"You know you need to gain more self-control," sighed Kevin as he picked Xara up for Kaelen's lax grip.

"She's alive," drawled Kaelen drily as he watched Kevin lay her gently on the bed.

Humming to himself Kevin tucked Xara into bed before he turned to stare at Kaelen.  "She's only alive because her blood has healing properties if she were normal you would have killed her."

Kaelen dragged his hand through his hair as he stared from Kevin to Xara.  "So how am I supposed to gain this magical control that you keep referring too?  I would ask Lucas or Jacob but neither has that much control."

"They control themselves better then you," laughed Kevin as he waved a purple crystal over Xara.  "I believe you should learn from them and their mistakes."

"I pass," replied Kaelen as he walked toward the wall.

"Oh," mocked Kevin as he watched Kaelen disappear into the wall.  With an amused sigh he walked out of Xara's room and down the hall pass first Anthony's and then Sebastian's bedrooms.  With a flick of his wrist the door to the attic opened and he walked up the stairs slowly. "I should make a pretty stone that will alert him with a small pulse when he's close to killing her," murmured Kevin as the door closed behind him.

A/N

It's short I know but I had writers block for the majority of the day and yesterday I spend it at the hosptial welcoming my nephew into the world.