Page 30 of Love Lives

“And since when can you read Ancestral?” Puck asked.

“What’s Ancestral?” Remy asked.

“A language used by the paranormal community so long ago that hardly anyone remembers it ever existed,” Puck explained. “I spent all night matching that mark on your skin with old textbooks, but I suppose I could have just let you tell me.”

“It… just looks like a seven to me,” Remy said with a half-shrug.

“Perhaps that is because it goes deeper than your skin,” Puck mused.

“All that aside,” Aldrich said, “what does it mean?”

Puck turned to him. “Ancestral used to be known as the language of the Gods. I always assumed that was just to make it sound fancier, but what if there’s a kernel of truth to the moniker?”

“Get to the point, Puck.”

Puck’s lips curled in displeasure, but he spoke on anyway. “There’s only one God I can think of that Remy was in contact with yesterday.”

"The God of Death," Remy said, propping his chin on his fingers, his expression grim.

So this was because of that stupid summoning ritual after all.

"It's nottheGod of Death butaGod of death," Puck corrected, as if that mattered. "I've done some research on that too. I believe the God in question was called Komori. He used to visit the world in the form of a bat." Puck's lips quirked just a little bit. "Guess now we know where that little vampire myth comes from. In any case, he dropped out of the mythology books shortly after the first vampire sightings."

"While that is all very interesting," Aldrich said in a tone of voice that left no doubt as to how interesting he was really finding all this, "I'd rather know why he would put a mark on Remy’s skin."

"He’s a God of death,” Remy said. “Maybe he’s telling me how many days I have left.” Remy swallowed visibly, but other than that, he showed no signs of fear as he spoke.

"You're not dying," Aldrich declared. "That's not part of the plan."

"What plan?" Remy asked.

"Mine." Aldrich folded his arms in front of himself, brows furrowing. "I don't care what the numbers say. The future isn't set in stone. No way I'm gonna believe that."

Remy gave him a wry smile. "Some things can be foretold. Like when Silas ran out on Jared and he was nearly killed." He directed his gaze to the floor now, his hands intertwined and squeezing so hard that the white of his knuckles showed.

Elena lay an arm around her brother’s shoulders. “We don’t know that’s what the number means.”

Remy only nodded.

"Did you see Silas die in your vision?" Aldrich asked.

Another nod.

"But he didn't die."

"The God of Death probably has more accurate visions than I do."

"I don't care how accurate his visions are or how powerful he is. He doesn't dictate my future, and I'm not gonna let him dictate yours either."

That said, Aldrich turned and stalked out of the room. There would be more conversation, but he didn't have the patience for it. This was the time for action, not for words.

"Where are you going?"

Aldrich almost startled, halfway to the front door. He hadn't seen Talon come down the stairs. "Gonna try to see what the vampires are up to," he explained to his former partner. "If we know what they're planning, we can stop it."

"They'll be watching out for you."

"I'll be careful." Aldrich blew out a breath. "We need to take control of this situation." He motioned around himself, at the sparely decorated entrance hall of Morgan's overcrowded little house. "Things can't go on like this forever. I'm a free vampire now. I should get to feel like one."