I've Been Waiting for You (13 page)

“Next Wednesday is the last day
, you must be out by then but I would appreciate it if you were out sooner.”

Colum smiled at Thor. “
Wednesday it is.”

“I will be popping by tomorrow and bring
ing some of my things to move in. I want to get a feel for the place and I have plans, a demolition of some of the rooms.”

Thor was ma
king motions of hanging her and driving her nuts and scribbling notes when he heard her last comment. He flew off into a whirlwind and sent a rare Ming vase crashing.

“I heard something crash, you know you will be charged for anything that is damaged because I bought the castle, lock, stock and barrel
. Everything is mine.”

With that books came flying out and crashing to the floor, a lamp and other objects. Thor was tearing through the library at a fast rate.

Odin, Sally and Thor along with the babies were coming down the hall when they heard crashing coming from the library. Odin pulled out his Glock, had Sally take her baby sister and brother. He and Thor crashed through the door, guns drawn.

Colum had heard them before they came crashing in. “I’m afraid I will have to run, see you tomorrow.”

Odin along with big Thor, followed by Sally with the babies came rushing in. “What the hell is going on?” The brothers said.

Colum smirked and pointed to the shimmering whirlwind. “Guys, Sally let me introduce you to your younger brother or cousin however you want to look at it
, this is Thor, Slaine’s step-son, but more importantly, Katherine’s step-son.” Colum had put the phone down and went to the shimmer who stood in the corner. “Son, come here and meet your family.”

* * * * * * * *

Katherine looked up at the mantle clock and saw it was three am. She was nursing both babies and Olaf sat next to Liam, gently touching the baby’s head. Liam was trying to crane his neck as he nursed.

“
So let me get this straight, this Madison Smith has bought the castle and is ordering us out.”

Colum sat behind Katherine. “I called Joseph
, our attorney, who by the way is a vampire, and he said nothing has gone through yet. He thinks he smells a witch.”

Katherine craned her head back to see her husband. Hisses could be heard throughout the room. Witches and vampires didn’t make the best of friends. There were a few but rarely did it happen.

Thor sat perched on a bookcase. He had said he would behave and not destroy anything else but hearing this newest piece of news he jumped down. “That would explain a lot, most of the spirits here sensed something off. Olaf and I are results of her handiwork, even if it wasn’t directly by her hand. The others said they had never felt such an evil presence.”

Colum clasped his wife’s shoulder. As he looked around he saw human, spirit, and vampire. “We have a few hours to get things started. I think it’s go
ing to be a wing-it operation but you all need to know I rented this castle because it was Katherine’s at one time. I should have tried earlier to purchase it, but that is hindsight. What I want is this castle for Sally’s wedding.

“
Once, a very long time ago, Katherine and I were married here when she was Brian Boru’s daughter, Slaine. What we must remember is her parents and brother and sister-in-law are not to know of our activities. If this Madison is truly a witch then she’s going to be a harder nut to crack. We can do it, but it’s going to take all of us. Also the babies, Sally and Fatima are to not be left with just humans at all. We are to be on a high alert status, just like dealing with terrorists. Father will have more of our men here within twenty-four hours.”

Cormac stood. “I will have all the men w
ho are not in the field come here.” He kissed Elsabet’s cheek and left for the library.

Travis stood. “I think your family
, Ma’am, should go to Dublin for a wedding shopping trip, or better yet send them to London or somewhere on the continent.”

Katherine smiled. “Good idea
, Travis. Set up a trip for the four, no, six of them. They can take John and Patrick with them. That will get them out of harm’s way.”

Sally looked up at Odin
, and wrapped her arm around Fatima, who didn’t sleep well, and usually was up wandering the halls.

Tho
r had come and settled down next to the little girl. He had heard her history and knew what she was going through, having lost her mother.

Fatima looked first at Sally and then at Thor the spirit.
Sally reached up and drew Odin down so she could whisper in his ear. “Should we send Fatima with the rest, to keep her safe?”

The younger Thor reached up and tapped Odin. “I will keep her safe. I will show her places that she can hide
.”

Odin smiled down at his family. He had waited a very long time for his Sally and nothing was going to take that away. He would change
her right now if need be, to keep her safe. “OK, Thor. But if I feel we need a better solution, I will send at least Fatima away.”

Fatima looked around at her new family. She didn’t understand half of what was being said but she knew one thing
, she wasn’t going to lose her new mother. “Mama Sally?”

As Sally held Fatima
, she felt her tremble. “You need not fear, little one. If we have to, both of us will go to keep safe. But I will be with you. Thor here will show you hiding places. We will play games tomorrow before this woman arrives.”

Fatima glanced over at the shimmery object that kept
looking more like a boy and then fading away. She had already played with him and the little one a few times. “Can we play now?”

Sally stood. “O
K, let’s go boys, let’s see some really good hiding places that only you two know.”

Olaf climbed down
off of Katherine’s lap. “Mama, may I go? I will see you before dawn.”

Katherine reached over to Olaf and brushed a kiss on the fading forehead. “Go ahead
, son. Keep them safe.”

Olaf smiled. “I will Mama.”

* * * * * * * *

Sally told Fatima to
only play for a little longer while she took Liam to the nursery. Fatima still had Olivia. Those two along with the young Thor, Olaf and bigger Thor, were combing the castle grounds for hiding places, should the need arise.

Fatima was just a little girl but she had cared for young ones before and Olivia really liked having her hold her. They stayed hiding, quiet as mice while the others hunted for them. She could see big Thor
looking. Fatima knew he would be able to find them very easily but he pretended to not know where they were. She had to keep telling Olivia to be quiet. Olivia would smile and make wordless sounds and bounce.

“How do you expect us to hide from the bad lady who is coming if you make noises
, be quiet Livee,” she had started calling her that when the baby had attached herself to Fatima. Fatima went to cover Olivia’s mouth but jumped when Olivia chomped down on her hand. Fatima screamed out and Olivia started to cry.

Thor heard Fatima’s scream, so he knew it was time to end the game. Young Thor and Olaf appeared with concern written on their faces.
They rounded the corner and there sat Fatima holding her bleeding hand. They all stopped dead in their tracks. Olivia took Fatima’s hand and instead of kissing the boo-boo like everyone did with a little one hurt, she licked the blood and then said something that sounded like yum!

Thor walked over quickly, scooping Olivia up. Olivia was not happy with that. She bent her head and bit into Thor’s neck.

Thor pulled away, shock showing on his face but then smiled. “Let me see what you have going on in that mouth, little one. He made her open her mouth and instead of seeing baby teeth, he saw baby vampire fangs.

Fatima came up holding her hand still. “You are a naughty girl
, Livee.”

Olivia laughed and reached for Fatima’s hand. It was still bleeding so Olivia licked and licked
until the blood stopped running. She let Fatima’s hand go and smiled at her first, then at Thor.

Young Thor and Olaf squeezed in towards big Thor, Fatima and Olivia
. Little Thor looked up at Olivia’s smile and nodded his head. “We have another blood feeder among us.”

Olaf looked from his bro
ther to Olivia and then back. “What will happen to Fatima?”

Big Thor had put his finger in Olivia’s mouth
and she started sucking on it like a pacifier. “I’d say she is teething but got her fangs in really early, with that comes a thirst for blood. We will talk to the King and Queen. Apparently, she is growing even faster than we thought until she matures.”

* * * * * * * *

Colum held Fatima’s hand and inspected the sight, which barely had a mark. “Fatima, how many times has Olivia done this to you?”

Fatima felt like she was going to cry. She knew Sally’s father was kind but he was so big. She looked over to door and saw Sally and Odin running in.

Sally scooped up the child. “What happened?”

Fatima bent close to Sally’s ear. “She bit me
.”

Sally looked at her parents and then into Odin’s eyes. Turning her attention back to Fatima
, “How many times, honey?”

“I don’t remember
, but I am thirsty.”

Colum looked over at Katherine. “This is going to be wonderful
, trying to contain a hungry little vampire and one in the making.”

“It could be a blessing
, darling,” Katherine said as she nursed Olivia.

Colum went and sat down next to his wife. “I’m not worried about that woman if that’s what you mean
, but I am concerned for the staff. We will have to keep them away from these two.” He turned towards Fatima. “What do you thirst for?”

Fatima leaned again into Sally’s ear. “I meant I am really hungry, like when your father goes to feed and brings back meat
, like that. When I see raw meat my mouth gets lots of water.” She looked up into her adoptive mother’s face not sure how anyone would react.

Sally looked up at Odin and then at her parents. “I think we have a new creature here
.” She had tried to shield Fatima from the feeding habits of her family but Fatima had been around when the men came back hunting a couple of times.

“Mama Sally
, will I be OK?”

Sally smiled and hugged her little girl that she had adopted. “Yes honey, you will just be different that’s all. Maybe it’s better this way
, don’t worry.”

Katherine started to laugh. So much that Olivia stopped nursing and reached for Thor.

Colum wrapped his arms around his wife. “What has tickled your funny bone, my darling Kat?”

Katherine wiped the tears from her eyes and pointed and then started to laugh again. “Do you realize she, Madison Smith, aka Gormflaith is wal
king into quite the paranormal situation. We have ghosts and vampires here and she is, if the boys are correct, a witch. This could be a battle royale, and coming right to us.”

Sally coughed.

Colum looked at his daughter. “Yes, honey?”

Sally grabbed Odin’s hand. “And we have a wedding to plan
.”

* * * * * * * *

After every one who needed sleep had left to go lay down for a while, Katherine sat on the couch with her feet up and Colum lying with his head on her lap. Katherine had a notebook in her hand and was writing. “We will have Sally and Odin continue with wedding plans. We have Travis securing your castle and everything is going to be changed if we don’t see a favorable outcome by next week.”

Colum reached up and ran his fingers through Katherine’s hair. “We still have a chance. Who knows
, she may be all hot air, and doesn’t even have a clue she is a witch or who and what she was in the past.”

Katherine put the notebook to the side. “She is wal
king into a live bomb here. You know your parents as much as said they would take her out if they saw her even make a move towards anyone of us.”

Colum laughed, “A
nd with Thor and Odin on heightened alert, and our newest vampires in the making, I didn’t see that coming.”

Katherine la
id her head back on the cool leather of the couch and closed her eyes. “We have a week to figure this all out before my family gets back, or it could be a feeding frenzy, or an end to this world as we know it with so many creatures in one place. She opened her eyes at the sound that came from above. It didn’t sound good. “Oh God, what are the boys up to now, I thought they had gone to rest.”

Colum got up and pulled Katherine to her feet. “We will settle them down and then I need a bit of alone time with my wife. I have a feeling that kind of time is going to come at a premium price the next week or so
.”

Young Thor and Olaf had the library all back together but they had la
id booby traps all over the place. Thor turned to Olaf, “I think mother and father are coming up.”

Olaf was off to the door. “Mama
.”

The door opened up and a bucket of honey fell on Katherine’s head.