Thanks Maggie and
Luna for letting me rant and rave!
I ended up
back at work on New Years Eve, yay for me. The station was having a big party
with about a hundred fans invited. It was at one of the hotels. So, besides me
and the lone security guard downstairs, the place was pretty much empty.
That was until
about ten when Mai showed up with pizza and beer. I told her she could help me
go through the contest entries. So in between news, ads and music, we managed
to choose a winner. I told her I'd announce it on New Years Day, since I was
probably going to be there all day anyway.
“Want some company? We're closed tomorrow.” She offered.
“Are you a glutton for punishment or something?”
She laughed. “You think spending time with you is punishment?”
I nodded. “Depending on who you ask.” I checked the time remaining
on the block of music I had on. “I need some caffeine. Be right back.”
I left the sound studio and walked down to the break room. There
were two vending machines full of stuff that wasn't good for me. I bought two
cokes and a couple of candy bars before heading back.
Mai was on the phone with a listener. She was trying to keep from
laughing. She held up her hand and finished the conversation. Hanging up, she
looked up at me.
“What was that all about?” I wondered aloud.
“Oh she was just wondering if you would play Head Like A Hole.”
I was sure the look I gave her was a bit confused. “That's what
was so funny?”
She smothered another laugh before explaining. “She was trying to
sing it. Poor thing.”
Shaking my head I sat everything down and put on my headphones.
There was one more song to go.
Pulling the headphones down around my neck I turned to Mai. “So
you want to stay and keep me company? Or keep me out of trouble?”
“Do you plan on getting into trouble?”
I shrugged. “Depends. It's almost the new year.”
She looked at the wall clock. There was five minutes to go. “So it
is. You're not going to turn into a
pumpkin are you?”
“Would you eat me?” I asked before I could stop myself. She just
blushed.
I turned back to the console and adjusted the headphones. I
mentally kicked myself for saying something so stupid.
Focusing on the board, I pulled the mike down. “This is 93X. It's
almost that time. Another year is about to begin. I'm glad we can share it
together. This is the last song of
2004, Metallica's ‘Enter Sandman.’ See ya next year.”
The phone rang. It was Mitch. He wanted me to do a telephone
remote from the party at precisely midnight. If I cued it right it would mesh.
Five seconds to midnight I set the phone in front of the mike and turned up the
volume. You could hear people counting down and then a massive wave of voices
as the clock struck midnight. There was lot's of shouting and noise.
I let it go for a couple of minutes then hit the next block of
music thinking ‘to hell with the news and ads.’ They'd be a little late. Taking
off the headphones I turned toward Mai.
She put her arms around my neck and kissed me. She whispered in my
ear. “With whipped cream.” Then she left and women wonder why men are so
confused.
The rest of the night into morning was entertaining. Between the
drunks calling in to request music and an annoying little twerp calling and
hanging up, it wasn't boring. That was especially true when a group of people
showed up downstairs trying to get into the station. The guard had to call the
cops. I laughed. It was just people trying to party.
By the end of New Years Day I was beat but at least everybody else
got time off. The morning of the second, I drove home barely awake. It had been
a long time since I'd stayed up this long. So it wasn't surprising that I slept
all day. Again there were no dreams. I was beginning to miss them.
I was still a little strung out when I got to work that night. I
hadn't seen Mai but she had left me a note that she would be out of town a few
days. Getting off the elevator I noticed lights in Mitch's office. I knocked
and went in. Mitch was sitting on a corner of the desk, his arms crossed over
his chest.
Sitting in Mitch's chair, was Acheron. It took all my will power
not to run over and hug the guy. I swear I was that relieved to see him. It
meant that things must have calmed down.
It occurred to me why he might be there. “You're gonna lay into me
aren't ya?”
He tilted his head to one side. “Are you healed?”
“Yeah. Mai did something. I healed a lot faster.”
He nodded. “Mai is an expert at the arts.”
“You sent her?”
He shook his head. “Actually, no but I know her.”
I grumbled. “Great. Another babysitter.” Ash raised his hand and I
was suddenly picking myself up off the floor. “Sorry,” was all I could manage
as I got up.
“I told you not to go to the District. You went, twice.” Yeah, he
didn’t sound happy.
“The first time I had an escort. The second time they came and
'escorted' me. The third time I was granted safe passage.”
Mitch chimed in. “Which got revoked.”
Looking from Mitch to Acheron, I explained. “Not by Asher. Look if
you're so worried that I'll upset the apple cart here, send me home or at least
find out who sent the Daimons.”
“Daimons? Here?” Acheron snapped.
I nodded. “Four of them popped out of a bolt hole in Asher's
office.”
Ash looked at Mitch. “You didn't tell me that.”
“I didn't know.” He told the big guy. Now they were both looking
at me.
“We took care of them.” I told them.
“We?” Acheron asked.
“The Princess and I. Um… Luna. She's a shifter.”
“Katagari? or Arcadian?” Ash wanted to know.
Mitch explained. “They don't go by those terms here.”
Ash nodded and turned back to me. “Did you explain what they
were?”
“I tried. They thought they were your run of the mill demons.
Nathaniel liked Simi though.”
“Nathaniel?” My leader asked.
I shrugged. “He's a stripper slash leopard.”
Acheron ran a hand through his hair. “This just gets better and
better.”
I sighed. “Then I guess you won't want to hear the whole blood
thing.”
“The what?” Acheron practically roared.
I glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Look at the time. I need
to get going.” I had never seen Ash move so fast. He had me pinned to the wall
in a flash. I struggled to tell him. “I need to breathe.”
“Not unless I say so! What did you do?” He was barely giving me
enough air to answer.
“I let Asher have a taste of my blood. It was a trade off. He gave
me my weapons back.”
“Did you take his?” I shook my head as much as I could against the
wall. He finally told me. “Well at least you haven't lost your mind
completely.” He eased off before adding, “You need a squire.”
“I have a one, at home, where I would rather be but for some
mysterious reason I'm here. I want to go home.”
Acheron shook his head. “Not yet. It's too dangerous.”
“For who!” I snapped back.
Mitch broke in. “Go get your show started. Ash?” The big guy let
me go.
I looked from one man to the other. “I didn't ask to be sent here.
I didn't ask for any of this.”
“Get out Nathan.” Mitch ordered.
I left the office slamming the door. Myra came out of the studio
as I went in. She started to say something. I just glared at her and she
stopped in her tracks. I entered the control room and started setting up.
The house phone rang. Thinking it was probably Mitch I let it
ring. Then I realized that Mitch would just come and get me, I answered it.
“93X. This is Nathan.”
“Are you all right?” It was Asher.
“Yeah. Why?”
“You feel angry.” He cautiously replied.
“I am.” Then something hit my tiny excuse for a brain. “Asher, how
did you know I was angry?”
“We are bound by blood. I can sense your emotions.” He explained.
“How can you do that? Because I gave you blood?” I was confused.
“Non. Because I gave you, mine.”
That little piece of knowledge hit me like a sledgehammer. I
almost dropped the phone. The door to the control room opened and Mitch walked
in. He started punching buttons for ads to play. I stood there watching that
and holding the phone to my ear. Asher was saying something about a bond or
something.
Mitch put him on hold and took the phone. “What's wrong with you?
A station can't have dead air. It isn't good for the ratings!”
“Yeah. Dead is a good word right now. Dead oh yeah. I am so dead.”
I mumbled.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
I just shook my head. How could I explain it when I wasn't sure
how it had happened in the first place? Oh crap! They had said I needed blood.
Oh crap!