Page 58 of Up In Flames

“Why are you here, Xy? How did you find Sampson?” I ask, once the strain of quiet wears on me.

For a moment, I think he’s not going to answer, but then he clears his throat. “My people have their fingers in just about every pie. What we don’t know, or can’t learn by regular means, we ask our forefathers. They may be imprisoned, their powers dampened, but they’re not without the use of certain gifts. That’s as much as I can say in front of a human, unless your Neph owner insists that he wishes you to be included in the conversation.” His eyes flicker towards Sampson again. “Do you insist?”

“What do you think?” Sampson demands. “And as we already told you, I’m not Nina’s owner.”

“Good as, by our laws. You’re either her owner, or she’s available to any who want to fuck her. That’s the way it is, boy”

Sampson growls. I’m certain he’s about to leap across the table, but he restrains himself. Again. Seriously, he’s incredibly self-disciplined. It’s kind of amazing to watch him.

“Look,” Xy adds, “It doesn’t matter what I think; you need to expressly put your desire into words. Devil’s orders. Fucker wants free will across the board. It’s a legal thing.” And Xy smiles a smile that I don’t like seeing, even with Sampson beside me. It’s full of worms and darkness, the slide of evil, and the shuffle of dirt. “No talking until you say the word.”

But saying the word, so to speak, requires Sampson to admit that he’s my owner. I can admire the bind, but I don’t like it. But I want to know what Xy has to say.

But then the other giant reaches for his beer, resetting the mood. He takes a swig, the bottle tiny in his hand. One long pull nearly drains the beverage, and when he replaces it on the table with a long sigh, it’s enough to shatter the uneasy spell he’s woven around us.

Sampson sits back, taking me with him. “Nina learns what I learn, however you choose to characterize our relationship. That’s your problem. So, say what you’ve come to say rather than dancing around it, because Nina and I have plans. Important plans. Don’t we, Jelly Bean?”

For just a moment, I get my laughing Sampson back. He smiles at me, his turn of lips wicked, delighted, and full of his earlier promise to lay me over his lap and spank me.

I don’t know if I’m going to like being spanked, but everything in me corkscrews just thinking about it.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s a problem with us, kid. Hornier than the day is long. That’s how we were created. Do you insist?” Xy asks.

Stupid asshat. I wish he would leave.

CHAPTER 19

Nina

“Fine.” Almost lazily, Sampson reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. His gaze on me is warm before he turns it on the other giant. “I insist.” But the tension winds in him again, and I feel every ounce of it.

“Makes this easier, I suppose. You’ve been reading up on us, you said, so in general, you know what we are.”

“Evil cannibals. Descended from fallen angels.”

Xy nods, not seeming the least bit worried about Sampson’s characterization. “Blood and flesh have their power. We aren’t the same mighty men of renown that we used to be—too much interbreeding with humans has caused our genetic gifts to wear thin—but the consumption of blood and flesh heals a lot of ills. And yes, we are the offspring of the Watchers.”

“See? And you thought I was an angel. Turns out, you are.” I nudge Sampson in the hopes of relaxing him again, but this time, it doesn’t work.

Xy rolls his eyes. “Lovers. It’ll pass.”

“No.” Sampson objects before I can. “It won’t. Never mind about us. Tell me what you want me to know so you can be on your way.”

Clearly, Sampson no longer feels an obligation to be polite.

Xy doesn’t look insulted. “Our angelic forebears pretended to love, too. Maybe they even deceived themselves, I don’t know. Point was, they had a plan. It began with lust, as most things do, but making wives of the human females was also a power move against a dictatorial divine creator. Angels are slaves, you see. They wanted more for themselves, as is only natural. Every living thing seeks freedom.”

And yes, I flinch and search the ceiling. I’m not overly religious, but when lightning fails to strike the other giant dead, I have to admit to being surprised.

Sampson just squeezes me tighter into his side.

“When the Watchers saw the daughters of men, man, of course, being the legal inheritor of the earth through Adam, they understood that a claim could be made to the planet by breeding offspring on the women. That’s why they married the silly females rather than simply fucking them. Legal claim, all tied up by meaningless vows. Their children were part human, and thus, by law, allowed to rule, but they were also part angelic and, as such, subject to their fathers’ dictates. It was indirect rule, but still power, and absolute. The Deity is punctilious with His laws. He never breaks them. So, a little technological and magickal assistance here, a little threat and terror there, and the planet became the property of the Watchers in all but name.

“Humans knew the Watchers as gods. When The Deity finally got around to cleaning up, our angelic forebears were imprisoned. That left demi-gods, Nephilim, to rule as they would. Mostly, that involved power plays and iron fists, so that no one could take away what was rightfully theirs.”

“Say all thieving invaders,” I mutter.

Xy shrugs. “The smart ones, sure. Some of you humans are enough like us that we can stand the sight of you, though we like you better when you’re roasted over an open flame.”