"The Dark Stranger"
© VeGirl 2014

About a week after the weekend at my parents' house, I am still contemplating the surprise visit of my angelic mother. What did she actually want me? What was the strange reaction when I told her to try again with somebody who'd be grateful for what she had to offer?

I had been thinking about her during the week that passed, and I want answers. Somehow she feels close even if neither Vincent nor I have spoken of her; I know he feels her presence as well. How can I contact her?

What if I just call her...? And I don't mean in the phone.

"Mother?" I feel a bit stupid as I stand there in the back of my garden calling out into the void. "Oh mo...ther..." I croon out into the air and through our angelic radio channel. "Come out, come out wherever you are." I keep the singsong voice for her to come back and suddenly she appears in front of me. "Oh good you made it!"

"You rang..." She makes the impersonation of Lurch from the Adams Family and I need to bite my tongue to prevent myself from laughing out loud. I had no idea she had a sense of humour at all.

"Yeah, I have a little question," I start. "None of us are especially young, but why haven't you just made another heir. I've been gone for many years."

There is suddenly a strained expression on her face; something I can't interpret. "It's not that easy," she snarls and I recall the angelic regal posture she had when I met her upstairs. "You can't just-" she breaks off in anger and have to breathe deep to compose herself.

I raise my brows expectantly, while observing what looks like her debating whether to tell me or not. "Go on," I say impatiently while pressing my brows down.

With another deep breath she comes to a decision. "You can only make a purebreed while you're... pure..."

"Virgin?" I say surprised; amazed that we are having this conversation at all.

"No!" She purses her lips in an annoyed manner. "As long as you're with a purebreed you can keep conceiving a pure lineage." She takes another deep breath. "I was assigned to someone else for a while."

"Assigned?"

"Yes, assigned just like you were assigned to Aurelius by the Opanim."

I can't believe this. "They're pimps?"

"No, of course not! Just as they're symbols of God's authority, they're in charge of keeping our bloodline pure," she explains this as if this is common knowledge and that I should already know this.

"So you cheated on my father?"

"Cheated? I didn't cheat; he was a purebreed!" She looks like this is another obvious fact.

I clench my teeth. "So what's the problem?"

"I had another daughter by him."

My brows fly up, first in something reminding me of jealousy, but then I see the opportunity this presents. "Good for you; make her your soul heir!" I smile pleased.

She presses her lips together, burning to tell me more. "I can't!"

"Why?"

"The man who I was assigned to conceive with, had an affair before me where he had been with a commoner so that meant he was tainted. Your sister is not a purebreed and cannot inherit the throne."

I sigh deep. "Does she want it?"

"Yes. But she is not the firstborn."

"Does she agree with your ways?"

"Of course she does!"

"Of course," I sigh and purse my lips. "Then give the throne to her! I'll gladly pass it on to her as the firstborn I am."

Amitiel gets a strained look in her face and she keeps studying me in contemplation.

"Are there more siblings I should know about?"

"No!"

I exhale a sigh and almost roll my eyes. "Then what's the problem? If she agrees with the fucked up life you live, just give her the throne!" I don't see the problem here. "What's her name?"

"Gazardiel; the angel of new beginnings..." My mother sighs.

My face lights up and I am a mere inch from clapping my hands in delight. "That is perfect!" I exclaim. "She can change all that crap and make something good; like not force her children to mate with someone they don't want," I add sourly. "Stopping the procuring business should be the first on her agenda."

"We can't give her the throne!"

"Why?" I almost yell out.

"Her father had been with a commoner!"

"I don't care," I yell in her face by now. "Give her the throne, or I will take it and hand it to her! I don't care if her father got the crabs from someone!"

Amitiel clench her jaws and spin around to regain some kind of balance or patience. "He didn't get the crabs; he knocked someone up," she calls out. "Oh dear lord help me; I start to talk like an earthling!"

My breathing halts momentarily. "Earthling," I ask icy. "You are such an elitist! Give the throne to Gazardiel or what's her name; I don't want it!" I simply turn and walk away from her where she stands on my back lawn. When I have shut the door from the inside, I peak out the tiny window of the door to find her gone.

Thank you!

* * *

When Vincent returns from his visit in Never-land to regain more info on Aoleon he halts a few steps from me. "Do you care to tell me what that was about?" He keeps his dark silvery eyes on me.

I sigh. "My mother is an ass."

"We already knew that!" His look is still accusing. "You don't summon the enemy in your backyard without back-up!"

I take a deep breath and resign to the concealed concern. "I know, I'm sorry. I just needed some answers." My eyes suddenly well up. "See, I'm crying again; what's wrong with me!"

"Come here!" Vincent wraps his strong arms around me and I am finally feeling safe again. "I know I am rough on you, but I worry," he murmurs.

"Yeah I know. I think we need a holiday; how about Mauritius?" I try and joke the tension away.

"How about a day in town?"

I smile. "That works also."

We take the car downtown and wander among the old part of town. Not many people are around here, not since all the major boutiques have moved out of the inner city to the malls in the outskirts of town. A few clothingstores and interior-design shops are still open for business and I love those. Here is a second hand shop that I have visited a few times and we walk in there. A premonition in the shape of a simple feeling starts to bug me.

'Is here someone around?' I ask Vincent through our private line and without him looking around; I can feel him probing the premises.

'I can't find anyone' he sends and holds up a butt ugly jacket with a hopeful look.

I frown and shake my head. "I think you'll look better naked, sweetie."

"Of course I will, and so will you!"

"Yeah, with that ugly jacket anything is an improvement," I snicker and get a playful threatening arm around my neck which only makes me giggle like a school-girl.

"I think we should head for a lingerie shop; I'm getting in the mood," he whisper into my hair and my body reacts again with a whole choir of cheer-leaders chanting 'Go Vincent!'.

"So now you're saying you don't want me naked?" I say; offense is the best defence, right?

"Why not say yes to both?"

I keep snickering, feeling fabulous as we walk out of the store with only a dress for me in tow. As soon as we get out on the sidewalk the eerie feeling is getting worse and I first look around before I decide to ignore it.

"You seem anxious," Vincent whisper.

"Not about the prospect of seeing you naked," I joke. The feeling won't leave my senses. "Is Esme around?"

Vincent looks surprised around. I can hear him call her name internally but hear no reply. "No, but the feeling of being followed is more clear here." He has a troubled expression on his face. "I think we should take precautions." He takes my hand and we walk a little more briskly ahead.

"Do we need to get out if here?" I whisper.

Somebody just exit a store in front of us and I nearly walk straight into the man. "Watch it!"

"Oh, sorry!" He turns around and it is the guy that worked in the magic shop Vincent and I visited a long time ago. His pupils widen and I know he recognizes me.

I furrow my brows and look around just to see that it is in fact that same shop he exited. "It's you!" I can feel my skin prickle. "You were the one asking questions about me!"

"No, I didn't," he answers and just as the words slip through his lips he realizes his blunder; I have spoken Enochian and he has answered in the same language.

I can see in his eyes how he curses himself for fallen for the trick he once laid for me. I didn't fall for it. "Okay, spit it out, what do you want with me?" I furrow my brows and feel the anger radiate from me. I am tired of these people trying to use me for every reason.

"I don't know what you mean?" He is trying for the innocent approach, but both Vincent and I take a step closer.

"Stop harassing the man, I'm the one you want." Aoleon is suddenly standing in front of me.

Both Vincent and I are baffled by this turn of event. "Friends and enemies are intimately intertwined it seems," Vincent murmurs.

"You can't tell if it's a friend or enemy before you know what they are here for," Aoleon snarls.

"Wow that was really insightful," I say impressed, while wondering what she is referring to. "So, what do you want?"

Before any of us has time to react, Esme is there and has snarled her and the guy with a magical twine, prohibiting their every move. "What do you want with Sam?"

"Why should I answer you?" Aoleon is feisty.

"Then I'll ask; what do you want with me?" I cut in while I notice magic-shop-guy has nailed Esme with wide eyes as if she is a legend.

"What is it?" Esme looks uncomfortable and glares at Mr Magic. "Have I forgotten to button up or something?"

"You are Esmeralda Gibbon aren't you; one of the Mighty?"

Esme clenches her jaw. "Yes, I am," she snaps and finally gets Aoleon's attention. "So, don't mess with me!"

"No ma'am, I certainly won't."

I stand there with everything spinning in my head, unable to get in this last thing to add up at all. "Care to elaborate?" I glare at Esme.

"Not particularly..." she smiles.

I narrow my eyes at her, not ready to let this slide just yet.

"I've told you many years ago, and I've told you this last year," she exclaims in an exhausted way. "Google nephilim!" she snarls. "Can we deal with Mr and Mrs Enemy here now?"

I almost shake my head to snap back into business again and turn to glare at the couple who is still meshed together. "I guess you pretty much do what she tells you." I direct that particular part to Mr Magic. "But what do you have against me; what do you want?" I ask Aoleon exasperated.

"We are here to make sure that you will never reach the throne, that you won't be the mother of our next ruler."

This puts the ire back into me instantly again. "You're here to make sure I don't fuck Aurelius? Get in line sister!" I mutter. "What part of I hate Aurelius did you miss, Aoleon?" I snarl at her. "I will not bare a child for him."

"Especially not since you're already pregnant."

We all turn and look at an approaching Damian with our mouths wide open. "What did you say?"

"That you're pregnant?"

"Pregnant, I'm not pregnant!"

"You are!"

"How would you know?"

"Can't you sense it? I can hear that soft thuddering and have heard it for weeks now."

Instinctively my hands cover the nonexistent nudge on my stomach and my mouth is open in surprise. "I'm pregnant?" I am blown away and when I look up at Vincent, he has suddenly gone very pale.

"Didn't you know?"

I look up at Damian again with wide eyes that are starting to fill up with tears. "Really?" I keep looking down on my stomach and it must be imagination because I think it is getting slightly bigger before my eyes. "A baby?" The word is barely more than a whisper.

"You're pregnant?" Aoleon's shrill voice interrupts us. "You slut!"

My mouth falls open in surprise and rage fills me instantly. "Slut?" I yell. "I've been married to the guy for what... three hundred years?" I turn and look at Vincent who is nodding.

"Three hundred years?" Damian asked baffled. "Wow, you're old!"

His insult barely touches me since Aoleon keeps pouring insults over me. "How could you get yourself pregnant without authorization?"

"Authorization?" I shout. "You are worse than my mother!" Something hits me once the words reached my ears. "Are you in cahoots with my parents?"

Her eyes widen. "No," she says a little too late.

"You are! You two-timing... lousy..."

Vincent grabs me when I am just about to throw myself over the only friend I had upstairs. "Stop it; anger solves nothing!" He is chastising both parties here. "What are you afraid Sam will do, Aoleon?"

The girl actually stops as if thinking of it really would sum up the essence; the pin of the needle. "She stands for everything that is wrong up there."

I gaped, actually feeling sad. "You were my friend." Sadness shines through. "The only one that made me keep my whit when Vincent had left." I shake my head resigned before I turn and walk away.

"Sam," Vincent calls after me but I keep walking. Am I supposed to be haunted just because of who I am when I haven't done anything and haven't even got any bad intentions? I actually rather be left out of their drama.

"Sam!" Vincent snakes an arm around my waist and slow my speed a little. "Don't just walk away from me."

"I can't do this anymore, no matter what I do I have people after me. I can't keep running for my life." The voice is barely more than a whisper now. Fatigue is paralysing me. "How am I supposed to protect this little one?" My hands cover my stomach.

Vincent grabs my shoulder and engulf me in his arms. "I've protected you for threehundred and sixtyfour years, give or take a few months," he jokes. "I am not about to stop now; not with that little bundle inside you." He presses his brows down as this new development is too amazing to grasp. "A baby?"

Somehow that tiny sentence made a weak smile appear on my face. "Yeah." I lift my brows. "It looks like you're gonna be a dad."

The smile spreads on his face and transfer to me. "Do you think he'll think I'm too old?" he jokes and I start to laugh so hard that my stomach hurt.

"I'm older than you," I laugh. "But damn you if you'll tell him."

Vincent laughs out loud. "I could never do that to you." He hugs me close to him again. "We'll make it, heck I even offer to change the diapers."

I laugh and we head towards the car. "Hey, I apparently have a sister I didn't know about."

"A sister? That's nice."

"You know my mother; my sister probably is a complete nightmare!"

.