Page 64 of Kiss of Wrath

Maggie inhaled sharply with consternation at that last name and smacked Larry on the arm.

He smacked her back and soon four of the children were rolling on the floor wrestling with each other, except for Linda, who had attached herself to Mordr's thigh once again.

Mordr looked over to his two brothers for help. They stood leaning against the open door jambs, arms crossed over their chests, grins on their fool faces. At first, they just shook their heads at his apparent clumsiness in explaining the situation to Miranda.

“Come, children,” Harek said finally. “You can see that your aunt is safe.”

“Let us go have more ice cream,” Cnut suggested.

Five heads rose with interest, then turned to their aunt for approval. She nodded, reluctantly. “Go ahead. I’ll be out shortly.”

No longer frightened, although she had every reason to be, Miranda turned on Mordr once the door was shut. Putting a hand on each hip, she glared up at him. “Who are you?” she asked, not for the first time.

He sighed. “I am a vangel, a Viking vampire angel. St. Michael the Archangel, whom we sometimes refer to with irreverence as Mike, sent me here to protect you.”

“A vampire angel! I didn’t believe it before, and I don’t believe it now. But just for the sake of discussion, why do you feel the need to reveal this big secret now? If I told anyone what you’ve said, they’d be carting you off to the funny farm.”

He frowned with confusion. “Why would I go to a farm? I am a warrior, not a farmer.”

“It was just a manner of speech. It means a place they take crazy people. And see what you are doing to me? I’m a psychologist. I should not be using words like funny farm or crazy.”

“Nor should I call you wench,” he conceded.

They nodded at each other to acknowledge the compromise.

“There would be no advantage to your telling anyone about us vangels, Miranda. First of all, no one would believe you. Second, if you shine the light of publicity on us, I would be hampered in my efforts to protect you.”

“I still don’t understand any of this.”

“As I said before, I was sent here to protect you and your children. Leastways, I thought that was my mission. But then, Harek and Cnut arrived, telling me of the presence of Lucies in Las Vegas. Top that off with the call from Roger. Too many dangers are converging here at once. Yes, yes, I know. You don’t know what Lucies are. Lucipires are demon vampires. Evil, frightening creatures that roam the earth seeking lost souls or those humans on the verge of some great sin. They were created by Satan long before the beginning of Christianity. We vangels came much later, about eight hundred years after the death of Christ. Our specific purpose is to defeat Lucipires and save those sinners or potential sinners before it is too late.”

“First, vampire angels. Now, demon vampires. What next? Zombies who fly?”

“You may jest all you want, but I am telling you the truth.”

“What? That we have a True Blood society here in Las Vegas, just like in Charlaine Harris’s books about Louisiana? That I’m going to be the next Sookie Stackhouse?”

“Do you deliberately missay me?” Mordr was familiar with the True Blood series that was shown on cable television. He and his brothers had watched the program with amusement, though it was not the usual fare for vangels, being R-rated and heavy on graphic sex. In his opinion, Miranda was far more attractive than that dimwitted Sookie Stackhouse character. But suddenly one line from the opening music of the show hummed in his brain. A husky, male voice crooning, “I want to do bad things to you.” An instant erection hit Mordr right where he was humming the most, and he glanced over with alarm to see if Miranda noticed.

She had not, thank the saints! She was off on her own line of thinking.

“Mordr,” she said with excessive sympathy. “In my profession, I deal with delusions all the time. One of my patients is convinced he’s an alien sent to this planet to impregnate as many human women as possible to create mutant ETs. Another client believes carbonated soft drinks are beverages the government invented to subdue all people into a stupor of compliance. Actually, the delusion of some fictional threat, like demons, is very common and can be cured, or controlled, with medication.”

At first, he just gaped at her. Then he made a tsking sound. “This is no delusion. Believe you me, I could not make up the specter of evil that Lucipires represent. Medication will not change anything.”

She went on, as if he hadn’t even spoken. “In fact, and I know your brothers said I shouldn’t mention this to you, but . . .” She paused.

He stiffened, bracing himself for whatever his brothers had warned her about.

“. . . grief can play games with a person’s mind.” She reached over and took one of his hands in both of hers. A gesture of sympathy!

He gazed at her hands on his for a long moment, savoring the sweet emotion that flooded him at the mere touch of her skin on his, postponing the knowledge of the subject she dared to broach with him. Finally, he yanked his hand away and stood. “I do not discuss my . . . grief. Not with anyone. And it has naught to do with the danger that looms around this city at the moment. You and your children need to be far away from here. Until the evil presences is gone.”

She rolled her eyes. “Why should my family leave and not all the other people who live and work here? Is there something about us that calls to these . . . creatures?”

“No. Under normal circumstances, innocents have no appeal for Lucipires. They seek out those who are already evil, having committed grave sins, turning them before their normal time, giving them no chance for repentance before death. But if anyone gets in their way, whether it be you or your children, they would mow you down and take you to a world far worse than the Hell painted in Christian lore.”

“There you have it then. We stay out of their way.”