Free Lizzy Ford by Damian Eternal) Xander's Chance (#1

confirm she changed her ticket then rose.
    “See you in a week,” he said, striding into the condo. He went to his room to change for the meeting with his producer.
    A few minutes later, the cat meowed at his door, indicating its entertainment – Ingrid – was gone. Xander stretched his senses to seek out any other minds in the condo. There were none. Xander cracked the door for the animal to enter and pulled on a shirt. The animal wound its way through his legs until he picked it up. His cat was as emotionally needy as Ingrid on a good day.
    His wards gave off alarms again, this time indicating he had a visitor. He recognized this one and set the cat down to put on boots. When he emerged from his hallway, the Guardian he expected was seated in his living room.
    “Nice place.” The dark-skinned Guardian was covered in tattoos and muscular, smaller than Xander but still a worthy adversary. The most patient of the White God’s brothers, Jule had a calming influence on those around him, including Xander, who felt his ever-present restlessness retreat some.
    Jule, the Original Immortal, was the only Guardian that dared set foot in Xander’s home. Their truce was formed pre-Schism; they had no choice but to be friendly to one another. Or at least, not to attack one another. With so few remaining from his time, Xander was usually pleased to see the man responsible for killing any vamps Xander created.
    “It works for me,” Xander said.
    “I saw your show. You are the king of subtle, aren’t you?” Jule’s gaze fell to the cat. “Is that a vamp-cat?”
    “Yeah,” Xander replied and set down the animal. “Long story.”
    “It can’t infect humans, can it?” Jule asked.
    “No. Those …things Jonny’s predecessor created in Ohio were freaks. This is a real vamp. She just kills things smaller than she is.”
    “Sounds a lot like you.”
    Xander sat down across from Jule. “Whatever Damian wants, the answer is no.” Damian, the White God, had tried to task him twice in the past few months. “You can’t use our truce to ask for favors. You’re out of those.”
    “He doesn’t want anything,” Jule said with a small smile, unfazed. “Believe it or not, Sofi sent me.”
    Xander eyed him. “That’s worse. The day that bitch is alone, I’ll take her head off.” Sofi, the wife of the White God, Damian, was the most powerful Oracle Xander had ever met in his long history. She used it against him one time too many and burned any bridge he might consider passable.
    Gods, but he hated Oracles. His own upbringing did nothing but convince him that Oracles in general were never to be trusted.
    “She shares the sentiment,” Jule said, laughing. “But she is a lot like you. She understands the bigger picture and does what she must.”
    “It must be bad, if she sent you.”
    “It’s the Others. You’re like a magnet lately. All our intel tells us they’re after you for some reason.”
    “Hmmm. The one creature I can’t kill is after me.”
    “With your long list of enemies, I’m not certain which would’ve sent them. But they want something. They’ve been watching you.”
    Xander considered the information. He wasn’t able to track the Others, a set of creatures known for favoring the Black God’s dominance of the human world. The Others were mortal enemies of the Watchers, whose more lenient approach on good and evil made them fickle allies for the White God. Neither sect was supposed to interfere in mortal affairs, a fact they selectively ignored. He knew better than to trust either of them.
    “We still have the vamp Jonny lent us to help track Others. If you want to borrow him and kill some Others, let me know. Darian and I will join you.”
    The sole immortal able to disable Others and Watchers, the Grey God – Darian – was known for being fearless to the point of reckless. He had newly assumed his position after thousands of years without the Gatekeeper existing, since Xander killed the last