The Dark Stranger

Friends and enemies

"The Dark Stranger"
© VeGirl 2014

About a week after the weekend at my parents' house, I am still contemplating the surprise visit of my angelic mother. What did she actually want me? What was the strange reaction when I told her to try again with somebody who'd be grateful for what she had to offer?

I had been thinking about her during the week that passed, and I want answers. Somehow she feels close even if neither Vincent nor I have spoken of her; I know he feels her presence as well. How can I contact her?

What if I just call her...? And I don't mean in the phone.

"Mother?" I feel a bit stupid as I stand there in the back of my garden calling out into the void. "Oh mo...ther..." I croon out into the air and through our angelic radio channel. "Come out, come out wherever you are." I keep the singsong voice for her to come back and suddenly she appears in front of me. "Oh good you made it!"

"You rang..." She makes the impersonation of Lurch from the Adams Family and I need to bite my tongue to prevent myself from laughing out loud. I had no idea she had a sense of humour at all.

"Yeah, I have a little question," I start. "None of us are especially young, but why haven't you just made another heir. I've been gone for many years."

There is suddenly a strained expression on her face; something I can't interpret. "It's not that easy," she snarls and I recall the angelic regal posture she had when I met her upstairs. "You can't just-" she breaks off in anger and have to breathe deep to compose herself.

I raise my brows expectantly, while observing what looks like her debating whether to tell me or not. "Go on," I say impatiently while pressing my brows down.

With another deep breath she comes to a decision. "You can only make a purebreed while you're... pure..."

"Virgin?" I say surprised; amazed that we are having this conversation at all.

"No!" She purses her lips in an annoyed manner. "As long as you're with a purebreed you can keep conceiving a pure lineage." She takes another deep breath. "I was assigned to someone else for a while."

"Assigned?"

"Yes, assigned just like you were assigned to Aurelius by the Opanim."

I can't believe this. "They're pimps?"

"No, of course not! Just as they're symbols of God's authority, they're in charge of keeping our bloodline pure," she explains this as if this is common knowledge and that I should already know this.

"So you cheated on my father?"

"Cheated? I didn't cheat; he was a purebreed!" She looks like this is another obvious fact.

I clench my teeth. "So what's the problem?"

"I had another daughter by him."

My brows fly up, first in something reminding me of jealousy, but then I see the opportunity this presents. "Good for you; make her your soul heir!" I smile pleased.

She presses her lips together, burning to tell me more. "I can't!"

"Why?"

"The man who I was assigned to conceive with, had an affair before me where he had been with a commoner so that meant he was tainted. Your sister is not a purebreed and cannot inherit the throne."

I sigh deep. "Does she want it?"

"Yes. But she is not the firstborn."

"Does she agree with your ways?"