“Thank you—that was just what I needed.”
“Welcome.” The Dark Twin took the used bulb and tossed it with ease into a recycling container on the other side of the living area. Lexi became aware that both of the big Kindred were looking at her with a mixture of worry and expectation. She shook her head.
“I’ll try to tell you but…I can’t believe it’s gone. My house, I mean. My mother left it to me.”
“Try not to think about it now,” Gaze said gently. “And if you don’t feel like talking.”
“No, I do. I need to…need to tell somebody.”
Haltingly at first, Lexi told them about the scratching in the closet and then her horror on seeing what it contained. She told how Mistress Crueltongue had showed up and told her that she had been growing the three-headed bodyslave creature for the past month, planning to get back at Lexi.
“I knew she couldn’t be trusted,” Bound growled. “That female was fuckin’ crazy, Angel! You shoulda let us stay with you!”
“What’s done is done.” Gaze frowned at his brother and then looked back at Lexi. “What happened next? How did you get away from it? Did the creature set your house on fire? Or did Mistress Crueltongue?”
“Neither of them,” Lexi told him. “I…I set it on fire myself. But I didn’t mean to…”
She told them about grabbing the incandescent, which was the only thing she could find for a weapon, and using it on the enormous bodyslave.
“Holy shit! You burned his balls?” Bound crowed with disbelief and Gaze grinned as well.
“I’ll give you one thing, Alexa—you certainly know how to take care of yourself,” he told her.
“The thing was, I was just trying to fight back,” Lexi explained. “I didn’t know the whole damn thing would go up like a torch!”
“If it was vat-grown, I’m not surprised,” Gaze said. “Those chemicals they made clones in are very flammable.”
“I thought they might be,” Lexi said. “But then it went crazy, and it grabbed Mistress Crueltongue and it…” She shivered at the horrible memory and for a moment she couldn’t go on.
“What did it do, Angel?” Bound rumbled gently.
“Or would you rather not say?” Gaze asked.
“It…it bit her head off,” Lexi got out at last. “Which I think was what she wanted it to do to me. But it just went insane when I set it on fire.”
“Yeah, well getting your nuts roasted like that would make any male go crazy,” Bound remarked.
“After it fell over and blocked the doorway, I thought I was going to die,” Lexi said softly. “But then…” She paused. She had come to what—in her mind anyway—was the most unbelievable part of the story. For a moment, she hesitated, but then she decided the two Kindred deserved to hear it all.
“Then what? Go on,” Gaze said gently.
“Then I heard a voice and I felt this…this presence is the only way I can describe it,” Lexi told them. “It was comforting and soothing and it told me that I wasn’t going to die—that help was on the way.”
“You heard a voice? Who’s voice?” Bound sat forward, looking excited.
“Well, you may not believe me or think I hallucinated the whole thing in the heat of the moment, but the voice said it was the Kindred goddess.”
Lexi expected them to laugh or brush off the strange, supernatural experience she’d had. So their reaction surprised her.
“You heard the Goddess too?” Bound demanded. He looked at Gaze. “Brother, did you hear that?”
“Of course I heard! The Goddess spoke to Alexa too!” Gaze exclaimed.
“Wait a minute—what do you mean she spoke to me too?” Lexi looked back and forth between them. “Are you saying she spoke to the two of you as well?”
“How do you think we got to you in the nick of time?” Bound demanded.
“The Goddess spoke to us while we were still on Tranq Prime, not an hour ago, and told us you were in trouble,” Gaze added.
“An hour ago?” She shook her head. “But your home world and mine are light years apart. How did you get to me so fast?”
“The Goddess opened a wormhole for us,” Bound rumbled, looking grave. “If she hadn’t, we never would have gotten to you in time.”
“That’s amazing…” Lexi shook her head. “I had no idea your Goddess was so involved in her people’s lives.”
“She is, though,” Gaze said seriously. “I truly believe she sent you to save us back on Yonnie Six.”
“And she sent you to save me just now,” Lexi said softly.
“I’m just sorry we had to pull your house apart to do it,” Bound added. “But there didn’t seem to be any other way to get you outta there.”
Lexi shook her head.
“Don’t worry about it. If it was either the house or my life, I pick my life.” She shook her head. “I nearly died tonight.”
“But you didn’t. You’re safe, here with us,” Gaze told her, smiling.
“And you can always go back and live in that fancy-ass tower your Great Aunt left you,” Bound pointed out.
Lexi shook her head again.
“I’m afraid not. I sold Trindall Tower and gave the proceeds to charity. In fact, I pretty much gave it all away. I didn’t think I’d need it—I like living a simple life—not like the way they live on Yonnie Six.”
“I always thought you seemed out of place there,” Gaze said thoughtfully. “I think it’s admirable that you gave your wealth away instead of letting it change you.”
“So…you don’t care that I’m poor now? Well, not completely poor, I do still own my bakery,” Lexi said. Though to be honest, the bakery didn’t seem nearly as important to her as it once had.
“Hell no, Angel,” Bound rumbled. “Hope you didn’t think we wanted you for your money.”
“Bound is right—we wanted you for you,” Gaze said earnestly.
“Exactly,” Bound said firmly. He sighed. “Though it does mean that the three of us are basically homeless now.”
“What?” Lexi looked at them in surprise. “Did you two lose your home as well?”
“I’m afraid so,” Gaze said, shaking his head. “Our GrandSire kicked us out.”
“He heard us talkin’ about you—about how we both care for you,” Bound added as he gave Lexi a meaningful look. He shrugged. “He never could stand it when we acted like Twin Kindred instead of Blood Kindred, which is how he raised us.”
“You got kicked out because of me?” Lexi exclaimed. “Oh Gaze…Bound…I’m so sorry!”
“Don’t be,” Gaze said. “He’s a judgmental old male—we should have moved out of his domicile a long time ago. But on Tranq Prime, families stay together.”
“Well, maybe the three of us should form our own family now,” Bound suggested. “Two males and one female—the way the Goddess intended.”
“Bound…” Gaze frowned at his brother warningly. “We’ve been down this road before. Don’t pressure Alexa—she just lost her home.” He looked at Lexi. “I want you to know, there’s no obligation here. We don’t want you to feel like you have to stay with us just because—”