There’d be an obvious learning curve in my intrinsic druid magic, but I also figured if we ran into supernatural resistance, my power over water would suffice for the moment. I wasn’t sure how violent my new world would end up being, except nature was a big clue, wasn’t it? I mean, the whole reason this was even a thing was because of a supernatural war and the humans hunting us down to kill us.

  On top of that I wasn’t really a great fighter. I was built and had done sports, and I was a decent hunter with a bow or rifle, but the strength and speed of a tiger would avail me little if I didn’t know how to use it. I’d have to look into training for hand-to-hand combat, or maybe I’d just start carrying around that Sig Sauer subcompact nine millimeter P365 I had locked in the gun safe at home.

  Of course, that wouldn’t work if I had to travel overseas, but it’d probably be decent protection when I was staying local. Maybe I should do both. It was all a bit surreal still, to be honest, and it was hard to imagine danger when really all I’d done was fuck two beauties all day and night. Sure, the bonding too, but that part hadn’t been dangerous either.

  Rosaria claimed her own kiss from me, then slid up on top of my body with a look of hunger in her eyes. Maybe my night wasn’t over after all…

  Chapter Four

  The forest and nature and being far from civilization had helped I think, with the surrealness of those first two days of my new life. We’d stayed at the campsite for half the day the next day, and it was really weird having both of them in my little apartment back in the city. Almost like they didn’t belong there in my mind, and it was obvious I still had some accepting to do in my head.

  Humans were good at change, but it took time. I also didn’t feel any regret, or any concerns about magic, or the rest of it. No feelings of needing to run, nor did I foolishly ask myself why me. I suspected that very much had to do with the constant sex we’ve been having, what man would complain about that?

  We were all freshly showered and I was in a pair of jeans and a pullover shirt. Rosaria was back in her ocean blue dress covered with flowers, and even had a blue flower in her hair. The curtain of shimmering golden blonde hair was tickling her lower back right above her ass, and she had on a pair of white open toed sandals I’d never seen before.

  I got the idea Rose had more powers than she shared in the bonding. I mean, obviously I couldn’t hide from cameras or other humans, but I was pretty sure she’d also created those shoes on the spot.

  Nora had on thin and light pink sweater dress that hugged every single one of her sinfully lush curves. It only showed a small amount of cleavage, and it had an around the back of the neck cross strap to hold it up. It also came down into a pencil skirt that was slightly below her thighs. She also had on black high heels. It was both sexy and semi-professional, and at the moment she had her wavy liquid midnight hair up, revealing the subtle curves of her long neck.

  At the moment we were all sitting around the table, the remains of a hearty omelet breakfast the only evidence we’d eaten. Nora was an amazing cook.

  “Okay, so who has the first stone, and how do we get it?”

  Rosaria replied, “The local kiss has it, which might be an issue. Vampires and druids didn’t really get along in the past, and I don’t imagine that’s changed. There’s no benefit in the vampires or Wizards seeing us gain our former power and glory.”

  They’d mentioned that before in passing, when all the information had been coming fast in an overview of the supernatural world.

  “Why?”

  Nora tilted her head, “Why what?”

  “Why didn’t we get along?”

  Nora said, “They’re a mockery of life, of nature.”

  I sighed, “Yes, and we kept slaves in the past. So, full disclosure time, all the details. I want to make my own judgement, a modern judgement,” I looked at Rosaria, “That is my purpose in our bond, to make you see through the eyes of the current age, and for both of us to be bridge to humanity. I’m not going to take anything at face value, anything you can tell me about interactions between past supernaturals might not apply anymore.”

  I turned back to Nora, “Do they mock nature, or are they just separate from nature. Talk to me.”

  Nora blushed, “Alright. Like pop culture says, they are undead, so they need to feed on the lifeforce of others through blood to maintain their unnatural existence. They’re fast and strong and grow more so with age. They can get lost in the bloodlust and kill, but as a rule they do not since it’d be counter-productive to survival. Drinking a human’s blood links them to that human, think of it like a temporary bond, and the link lasts for three to five days. Through that link they siphon off the life energy that powers their dark existence. A vampire with only one link will be weak, and none of their powers will work very well. Speed, strength, compulsion, incredibly fast healing. A vampire with no links will fall into a torpor quickly, and they can only be revived if one of their allies feeds them a blood link.

  “For that reason, most of them connect to one human a day, so they’re always guaranteed at least three to five active links at all times, rather than trying to find five victims every five days, or three every three. The link amounts and duration depend on the strength of the vampire and age as well, a young vampire gets three and each one will last three days, the ancient ones can hold five for five days, to be clear.

  “It doesn’t kill the humans, but it does make them feel drained for a few days, not unlike a cold or flu, just without the other symptoms. I suppose it’s not entirely negative either, a human that has been bitten will have a small boost to their metabolism and immune system for around a month. When they recover, they’ll feel more vital, and they’ll have a lot of energy.

  “Am I forgetting anything?”

  Rosaria replied, “The sun harms them, but it’s not instant death, it’d take hours for them to die that way, but they’d be in pain the whole time, like severe sunburn. So they are nocturnal for that reason, but they don’t fall into a death sleep during the day either. They all tend to live together, the maker is the head of the kiss, and all his or her children in the same mansion or in some cases apartment buildings. Sometimes they go to war over territory, a new vampire master will have to win a territory, and their internal wars can be extremely violent. A kiss will not share territory with another kiss.

  “A kill usually requires brain damage or heart damage, or decapitation, they simply heal too fast to bleed out from a lesser wound, even the neck arteries or other wounds that would be mortal for the rest of us.”

  I nodded thoughtfully, “Do they torture kittens, or set forest fires?”

  Nora frowned, “It’s no joking matter.”

  I sighed, “Sorry to be flip, but it’s a real question. Do they purposefully harm nature. It sounds like they are a mockery of death, not life. They don’t kill as a rule, and I’m not seeing how they’ll in any way interfere with my work. They live in cities where most of their food is, and my responsibilities as a druid are outside the cities in the wilderness. So… we have zero common interests or needed resources as far as I can figure, so why would we be at odds, exactly?”

  Rosaria had a smirk on her face, “No, they don’t drown kittens, or kick puppies.”

  Nora said pointedly, “No. They just prey on humans and steal life force to fuel their unnatural life.”

  I looked down pointedly at the plate, “All of nature kills to survive. A pig, and several potential chickens died this morning, to fuel us, and to fill us with life, so we could live. Vampires don’t even have to kill to do it, and I think they’re an exception to death, not an exception to life. You also just told me humans benefit for a short time, a month or two, after feeling a bit down for three days?

  “Lots of things in nature can and do kill humans, so it sounds like nature is far more dangerous to humanity than vampires. It sounds like the old feud between druids and vampires was nothing but prejudice and racism. They aren’t like anything in nature, so they must be destroyed, which is ridiculous. Not if they’re not harming nature by mere virtue of their existence. Nature is full of exceptions, but vampires are an exception of death. Dead, but still here, and still alive in a way.

  “So, I think we should go talk to the head of the kiss, and to see if we can come to an understanding. They probably bought the stone at auction to prevent the return of druids, who hunted them in the past and no doubt called them abominations of nature. I can’t blame them for wanting to keep the druid lines out there powerless and ignorant of their birthright, but maybe this new generation of us can do better?”

  Nora shook her head, “That’s totally naïve. They aren’t warm, fuzzy, kind, or sparkly. They’re cold predators, and they have no reason to help us witches regain our true power or in seeing the druids return. Why take the risk on your word, when its likely other druids won’t be nearly as kind.”

  I shrugged, “And we aren’t predators? Flash floods, mud slides, hurricanes, or a tornado blowing through a street and tearing up houses. Nature is not kind, nor cruel, though it can appear to be both from humanity’s point of view, it is truly neither. It just is. My power over water has no morality, except that which I give it by how I use it. If we have to, we’ll fight for it, and we will get the stone and then worry about the next two. But I have to try a path of peace first, I won’t make the first act of the returning druids an attack on a vampire kiss, not unless they force me to. Not when it will inform the rest of my life, I don’t want to live in a world where I’m always at war with vampires, not if I can prevent it.

  “Maybe I am naïve, but I will do what I believe is right. It’s time to bring the druids back, but also bring them into the new age of live and let live, if it harm none. I won’t kill someone, just because they’re different, but I will defend my life and yours, and take what we need by force only if it’s necessary. I think I have an argument to convince them, but I suppose we’ll find out.”

  Nora said, “It will tip them off to our presence and they’ll be ready for an attack if we do it your way first, but I do concede you have a point. There are very little practical reasons for a feud, outside of the past, and the history between your kinds. Witches as well, by the way.”

  I turned to Rosaria, “So, where are they?”

  “North Philly, in a twenty-room mansion, the kiss has fourteen members including the master vampire, and six human guards and servants. I’ll guide you there this evening, while its still light out. The kiss should be awake and indoors until nightfall, which will make escaping easier if it comes down to that. They tend to sleep at dawn, so showing up in the next eight hours would be an imposition.”

  “Do we know where the stone is?”

  She nodded, “In a safe in the office on the ground floor.”

  I pondered that, then asked, “Do you have any rules of engagement as a nature spirit, a Fae?”

  She tilted her head, “I can defend my life if directly attacked, but I can’t kill or fight directly if ignored. The vampires will be sure to know that.”

  I considered that, “Not directly, but through me. I think I understand,” I turned back to Nora, “So witches live in covens. Where is yours?”

  Nora replied, “South Carolina, there are nine of us. I was given the mission to find you, and to aid you in helping the spirits come back if possible. Our spirits are bound to the coven, and that kind of magic work is usually done in concert with the coven. But our intrinsic powers of the mind are more suited to solo actions.”

  I smiled, “So you thought it likely you’d have to seduce me back on track?”

  Nora giggled, “Something like that, yes. I’m here to advise and protect you if I can, but I can’t do it for you. This is your mission and duty, and we doubted Rosaria would’ve tolerated a whole coven around you besides. I’m willing to sacrifice my life for this, on behalf of my coven and the rest of our kind, and I’m not disappointed with what I’ve found here.”

  “But you can work with the spirits by yourself.”

  She nodded, “Yes, I had to in order to bring up that thunderstorm. I have a minor storm spirit and a fire spirit with me, the rest are back with the coven.”

  A minor storm spirit spun up that squall with torrential downpours and lightning, not to mention gale force winds. It made me wonder what a powerful storm spirit could accomplish.

  I shook my head, “What’s the difference. I mean, between a nature fire spirit and one of yours… power and principality.”

  She replied, “Nature spirits, Fae, Nymphs, and Sprites, can interact with humans if they wish and even walk the world in created physical bodies of flesh and blood. They have free will with small caveats. They are a part of nature. Spirits of power and principality have no physical forms, nor can they interact directly with humans in any meaningful way. Only witches, and of course with themselves. They are a natural part of the world, not unnatural as not being named nature spirits might suggest. It’s just that they aren’t under the dominion of the druids.

  “They can also directly harm humans under our orders, while you couldn’t order Rosaria to kill someone. I suppose that makes the term nature spirits imprecise, because mine are as natural to this world as they are, but they are different in the scope of their abilities and most importantly their intrinsic nature as a being. They are also almost impossible to kill, where Rosaria’s immortal existence would end if her body was slain.”

  I had a million more questions, but I also had more than enough to digest as it was. I’d have to depend on her and Rosaria to fill me in on the important bits if it became necessary, I imagined it would take years to learn all the subtleties of the supernatural world. But at least I had a basic idea of the supernatural races and the non-human spirits.

  “I suppose I should start on learning spells to enhance my body.”

  She nodded and got up and left, presumably to fetch the spell book she’d mentioned, the one that belonged to my family line.

  Rosaria said, “Nature spirits can also understand human concerns and morality, when bonded to a druid. The spirits of powers and principality can never truly understand a mortal life or existence, and they are as such completely amoral. We can be as well, until we are bonded, but even before then, we at least perceive and understand mortal life to an extent. We understand birth and death, and finite lives, while the other spirits really don’t.”

  I got up and took her hand, then got a little lost in her eyes as she stood up. So beautiful, it truly was overwhelming, almost constantly, that this exquisite female creature was mine. I suppressed the desire to take her right there, over the table. I knew she’d not only do it because I wanted it, but that she’d revel in it in an insatiable way.

  But I couldn’t spend every waking moment pounding my goddess and witch into blissful ecstasy, I’d never get anything done. While I hoped to make a deal or create an understanding with the local kiss, so at least my city would have peace between vampire and druid, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t prepare for the worst. That meant learning some spells.

  My water Fae powers were incredible, but it wouldn’t hurt to start learning my own either. Sex could wait, and we had all day to play together before the mission started. It could wait.

  Mortal human life was an issue as well, eventually I needed to get a job. My student loans, part time job on campus, and my adoptive parents had been paying my way through college. But the loans wouldn’t help anymore, and my job on campus had ended with my graduation last week, and my parents couldn’t pay my way indefinitely. I got the idea Nora’s coven was loaded, mostly due to the black BMW M5 she was driving, which would cover our world tour to bring back the old magic, but my pride and self-worth wouldn’t allow me to sponge off of her to pay the bills and rent.

  I wondered if there was a way to leverage my powers for an income, even as I wondered just exactly what my duties as a druid were. You know, when I wasn’t fighting other supernaturals for reasons I wasn’t quite sure of at the moment. Cleanse the land on my camping trips, and even cleanup polluted rivers and lakes, but was that it? I could only cleanse water and liquids, it would take another druid or gaining another spirit, to deal with things related to Earth.

  Still, if I could manage to avoid notice, I could heal deadly diseases including cancer victims. The only question was if I could manage to set up such a thing while keeping magic hidden from my clients. Probably not. Which was too bad, because such a personal business would be a goldmine.

  Were there other druid lines in the area, or was I it for the Philly area. Would they be my ally or my competition if there were more around here? Would we fight over the best spirits, or work in harmony? I had a million questions, and I wasn’t sure where to start. Except, none of it mattered if I didn’t fulfill the duty for the druid renewal. Without more spirits I couldn’t gain more power, nor druid allies.

  Would they agree with my vampire interpretation, or would they choose a more savage path despite being brought up in modern society? It wasn’t like prejudice didn’t exist anymore in the world, though it had come a long way, at least in western civilization.

  In short, it was all starting to overwhelm me that morning. Maybe it’d been the recharge of breakfast, and not being lost in a storm of intimacies since last night, but it was all starting to sink in. I needed to know all that and more before I could chart a life course.

  I’d have to take it one day at a time, but in the end the longer it took the deeper in debt I’d become. Well, that one thing at least, was about to become less of a worry. Even minus the money issue, my life had way too many unknowns in it for my comfort.

  I took a seat on the couch, and Rosaria sat against me snugly, still as clingy as ever as she put her head on my shoulder with a contented sigh and started to stroke my leg absently with her fingertips. I was painfully aware of her sexiness, and I didn’t mind that clinginess a bit. I imagined it’d be a very long time before it started to get old. It was even a bit of a feedback loop, now that I could feel her emotions and needs as well, and of course she knew I was enjoying the hell out of her hanging all over me.