by L.H. Cosway
“What … what are you doing?” she gasped.
I couldn’t help grinning. “What do you think I’m doing?”
“Finn, you need to know something—”
“Tell me later,” I said, bringing my mouth back to her sweet pussy. I couldn’t get enough.
I sucked her clit, my finger still inside of her, moving slowly in and out. Judging from how tight she was, I suspected the thing she wanted to tell me was that she was a virgin. She’d only been twenty-one when Michael Ridley kidnapped her, so it made sense. But she didn’t need to worry. I wasn’t going to try and fuck her or anything. I just wanted to make her come, and if she told me to stop, I would.
Besides, she deserved a decent orgasm after everything she’d been through.
And I was a decent enough bloke to give it to her.
“You taste incredible,” I murmured, my mouth still going to work on her as I stared at her breasts and her flickering eyelids. I reached up and pinched her nipple, and she cried out, her hands fisting the sheets.
“I wish I could see you,” she said on a moan when I swirled my tongue in a big circle, sliding over her folds.
“Imagine it in your head,” I replied huskily. “Think about my face, what you think it looks like. Think about my mouth on you, my tongue …” I trailed off, groaning. I was going to make a mess of the sheets. She was just so fucking sexy.
“Oh, God,” she moaned, and I sensed she was almost there.
I sucked on her clit hard, and then she was coming, shaking against me and looking absolutely amazing. Moments later, I came, too. Kind of embarrassing, since she wasn’t even touching me, but like I said, it had been a while, and Alora was a wet dream come to life.
I crawled up her body and took her into my arms, kissing and nuzzling the hollow of her neck.
“Wow,” she whispered, her arms slipping around my torso and cuddling me tight.
“Yeah, wow,” I agreed, making a plan in my head to do that again as soon as possible.
A second later, there was a knock at the door, which was swiftly followed by Tegan’s voice calling, “Finn, are you awake yet?”
Perfect way to ruin the moment.
Tegan
“Why didn’t you inform me that Roman had found you?” Ethan demanded as he paced back and forth over the lush, expensive carpet in his bedroom.
I perched myself on the edge of the bed and rubbed at my arms, suddenly feeling a chill. “Well, I wasn’t sure that he had actually found me. He visited me in a dream, and I couldn’t tell if it was real or not. Tonight is the first time he came to me in the flesh.”
Ethan stopped abruptly and narrowed his gaze at me. “He visited you in a dream?”
I swallowed. “Yes.”
“And what happened in this dream?”
I didn’t get why he was being so icy all of a sudden, but I decided honesty was the best policy. I hated lying, and I didn’t want there to be any secrets between us. “He asked why I was searching for him, and I told him I was his granddaughter. Then he tried to kiss me in a very non-paternal way. I told him I wasn’t down with that, and he said that incest is the norm for magical folk. It creeped me out, to be honest.”
I paused and met Ethan’s gaze. He looked like he wanted to punch a hole in the wall or something. “He kissed you?”
I swallowed again. I seemed to be doing a lot of that tonight. “In the dream, so technically it doesn’t really count.”
“He’s a sorcerer,” Ethan growled. “It counts.”
Goosebumps claimed my skin at the rumble in his chest. “Well, anyway, as you can imagine, he took me completely by surprise. Where I come from, grandfathers don’t snog their granddaughters like that. I put a stop to the kiss right away, and he knows I don’t swing that way now. The plus side is that he’s agreed to help us.” I paused, worrying my lip. “He does want something in return though.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed to slits. “What does he want?”
I hesitated because I’d planned on keeping this to myself for a while longer so that I’d have time to properly think it through. But maybe telling Ethan was a good idea. He could give me some advice on the matter. “He wants to train me to become a sorceress,” I said.
“Absolutely out of the question,” Ethan argued, his jaw ticking.
I furrowed my brow. “Um, it’s not exactly your decision to make.”
“He’s only requesting this so that he can spend more time with you … and seduce you, most likely. Sorcerers are selfish beings. They aren’t interested in passing on their knowledge because they know they are never going to die. If anything, he wants to bed you out of curiosity, and then he will probably leech your power and keep it for himself. He is not to be trusted.”
Ethan’s words gave me pause. I hadn’t even considered that Roman might only be out for what he could gain. But he seemed so different from Theodore, like he was a good sorcerer and Theodore was an evil one. The same way Rita told me there was good and bad magic.
“He said he wanted to help me. Apparently, becoming a sorceress would allow me to be with you for longer. Because I’m not sure if you’ve thought about this, Ethan, but I’m going to age and die, and you’re going to stay the same.” Saying it out loud made my stomach drop. “You’re not going to want to be with an old woman when you’re still young and virile.”
Ethan shook his head and walked toward me, shooting me a look like I was being ridiculous. “That’s not true. Your mortality is one of the most intrinsically beautiful things about you. Yes, you are beautiful on the outside, but physical attraction is a shallow thing. It’s attraction of the soul that links two people together.” He paused and gazed at me lovingly. “Besides, I’m not exactly a young pup myself. I will age a little over the next few years.”
I snorted and quipped, “Yeah, you’ll look thirty-six instead of thirty-five. How awful for you.” A pause as I thought about it. “Actually, since you’ve transformed, you probably won’t age at all. You’re immortal now, remember?”
He knelt in front of me and clasped each of my thighs in his hands. “Right, how could I forget?”
His hand moved up my thigh and along my stomach and chest to my heart. “Our bodies are mere shells, and you will always be beautiful where it matters.” His hand patted lightly against my chest, and I breathed deeply.
“You’re far too charming, Ethan Cristescu, but I’m still not convinced.”
“And you are far too edible,” he replied, pushing me back so that I was lying on the bed. He pulled my jeans off quickly and situated himself between my legs, pressing his face to my sex and nuzzling gently. Seconds later, my underwear had disappeared and his tongue was on me, his hands roaming under my shirt to squeeze at my breasts.
What was it we were arguing about again?
***
When I woke up the next morning, Ethan was already showered and standing by the window, yanking a T-shirt on over his head. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to the thrill of seeing him standing in direct sunlight, how it brought out the striking gold colour of his hair.
“Where are you off to so early?” I asked, stretching out in the bed like a happy cat.
“Nicu Arcos is throwing a party at Crimson tonight. He’s been taking care of the club in my absence and wants to celebrate my new position of power. I’m going to visit the place while it’s empty to see how things have been going.”
“Is a party wise though? Things seem a little strained among your people at the moment.”
“And that is exactly why a party is such a great idea. They’ll be able to let off some steam.”
“Are any non-vampires invited?”
“Of course. Who else will be providing the drinks?” he joked.
“Ethan, be serious. Are Finn and the others allowed to come?”
“They may come if they wish. I’ll see to it that they are kept safe.”
“Great. I’ll mention it to them. Now that I think of it, perhaps we all need something to take our minds
off Theodore.”
“Exactly,” Ethan smiled and came to kiss me on the cheek. “Now, I have much to see to today. Will you be okay here at the house?”
“Sure, but, um, there’s something else I need to tell you that we didn’t get to discuss last night.”
Ethan stared at me silently and waited for me to speak.
“It’s about the barrier around the city. Roman said he thinks it was Emilia who constructed it, not Theodore. He believes she wants to keep the humans trapped until she can figure out how to cast a spell that will wipe their memories so that the city can go back to normal.”
Ethan studied me, rubbing his chin, his eyebrows drawn together. “Hmm, I can’t say I hate the idea.”
“Me neither. Roman also said that the barrier only keeps humans and vampires trapped inside. Those of us with magic can move through it freely. So, I was planning on going through it today to call my dad. The phone signals are still crappy, and I haven’t been able to get a call through to him. I think the barrier is interfering with the cell towers somehow.”
“Okay, but you’re not going alone. Get Gabriel to go with you … and maybe the slayer, too.”
I suppressed a grin. “He does have a name, you know.”
“Fine. Bring Finn with you,” he replied begrudgingly, not admitting to the fact that he knew Finn would do his best to keep me safe.
With that, he came over, gave me a spine-tingling kiss, and left the room. I lay back, smiling. It made me happy that Ethan was finally coming around to accepting Finn as an ally, even if we still hadn’t come to an agreement about Roman. I had to admit, a part of me was excited by the idea of training to become a sorceress, but perhaps that was a little premature. I barely knew how to be a witch yet.
A little while later, I showered, dressed, and went downstairs. Gabriel was in the dining room eating breakfast with Alvie, Amanda, and Rebecca. I took a seat beside him and poured myself a bowl of cereal.
“Can I commandeer you to bring me to the barrier today?” I asked.
“Of course,” Gabriel replied. “But why do you want to go there?”
I quickly filled everyone in on Roman’s appearance in my life and about the new information he provided about the barrier. Once I was done eating, I went to the room Finn was staying in to check if he was awake yet. I knocked on his door and called for him, hearing some shuffling but no answer.
When I knocked a second time, he opened the door a smidge and stuck his head out.
“What’s up?” he asked, his hair all mussed.
“Hmm, it’s not like you to sleep so late,” I commented. “Got a girl in there or something?”
I only meant to tease him, but when I saw the look in his eyes, I realised I’d inadvertently hit the nail on the head. A little rush of curiosity went through me as a grin split my lips. “Is it Alora?” I whispered as quietly as I could. I knew I sensed some chemistry between them.
Finn coughed and straightened, and I’d never seen him look so embarrassed. “I’ll be down shortly.”
Then he closed the door, and I turned away, feeling giddy. Alora was beautiful and sweet, and Finn was one of the best people I knew. He deserved someone like her in his life.
A little while later, he made an appearance downstairs, grabbing a quick bite to eat. I told him about wanting to go to the barrier, and he offered to drive. Gabriel, Alvie, and I sat in the back while Finn slipped into the driver’s seat, and I noticed that Alora wasn’t with him.
I slid forward and peeked around the driver’s seat. “Sooo, spill the beans, lover boy. Who were you with last night?”
“You’re very nosy this morning,” he replied, still evading giving me any details.
“Oh, come on, don’t be like that,” I said, folding my arms in annoyance.
“Yeah,” Alvie joined in. “Who were you with last night?”
“God, you’re like a pair of gossipy old ladies. Give it a rest,” Finn grumped.
“Oh, oh, oh! Let me guess, have you and Lucas finally decided to declare your undying love for one another?” Alvie asked jokingly.
Finn chuckled. “Yeah, that’s it. Not only have I turned into a vamp lover, I’ve also turned gay. Well done, Sherlock.”
“Come on you two, leave Finn alone,” Gabriel chided, the voice of reason. There was a moment of silence before he continued with a big smile and a wink. “Besides, it’s quite obvious he was with Alora.”
“Ha! I knew it!” I exclaimed, clapping my hands together in glee.
“You lot are incredibly irritating sometimes,” Finn muttered, but there was a smile tugging at his lips, and something squeezed in my stomach to see him happy.
When we reached the barrier, Finn took us to a less populated spot, saying we should try avoiding the crowds of crazies camped out awaiting the arrival of aliens, and I wholeheartedly agreed.
There were some woods along the barrier that were pretty much empty. We parked the van nearby and trekked through the trees until we arrived at the shimmering purple bubble that blocked out the rest of the world. I wondered if Emilia made it purple to make everyone believe Theodore was its architect and deflect attention from her.
I ran my hand over the barrier, and it fizzled at my touch. I felt that hum of recognition that told me I had a connection to the magic within. Yep, this had definitely been Emilia’s doing. Hesitantly, I stepped forward and waved my hand through it. My hand moved past the barrier as though it were thin air, and I gasped.
With a deep breath for courage, I walked through it and came out the other side. I looked back at my friends and saw them calling to me, but I couldn’t hear a sound. Wind whistled past my ears, and I suddenly felt terribly alone. Finn, Alvie, and Gabriel were all tinted purple, and the longer I stared at them, the blurrier they became.
Right, on to the task at hand. I pulled my phone out and dialled the number E.J. Edwards gave me to contact him. It rang, but no one answered. Frustrated, I hit ‘call’ a second time. After three rings, he finally picked up, “Hello, is that you, Tegan dear? I’m so sorry. I was putting a pie in the oven a moment ago.”
I smiled because the image of Edwards putting a pie in the oven was kind of adorable. “That’s alright. How’s my dad doing?”
Edwards sucked in a breath before letting it out. “He’s making progress, but it’s slow. It will probably be several more weeks before he’s back to his old self.”
I held the phone tighter to my ear and tried to keep the disappointment from my voice. A selfish part of me wanted him to be better already. “Well, at least he’s progressing, even if it is slow.”
“Very true,” Edwards agreed, and a silence fell between us.
“Do you … do you think I might be able to talk to him?” I asked hopefully.
“That might not be the best idea just yet. But do call back in a fortnight; he could be up to speaking to you then.”
My gut sank with disappointment, but I tried to keep a brave face. “Okay. I’ll call back in two weeks then.”
“Right you are. Listen, I better get going. I need to administer your father’s medicine for the day.”
“No problem. Please, tell him I called,” I said, hanging up and slipping my phone back in my pocket before sinking to my knees. Being on the other side of the barrier, away from everyone else, I let myself be upset for a minute. Tears filled my eyes, and several sobs escaped me. Not being able to talk to my dad made me realise just how much I missed him and how much I needed to hear his voice.
Finally, I pulled a tissue from my pocket and wiped away the tears. I steeled myself and turned back around, walking through the barrier and returning to the other side.
11.
Finn
Even though I couldn’t see much of Tegan through all that purple shit, I could still tell she was upset. Her blurry form was knelt on the ground, her back turned to us. I hoped she hadn’t gotten bad news about her dad. A few minutes later, she stood, brushed herself off, and walked straight back through the
barrier.
“Dad’s still not better yet. Edwards said it’ll be another two weeks at least before he’s up to talking to me,” she said, clearly disappointed.
I threw my arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick hug. “Two weeks will go by in a flash.”
She nodded quietly, and we walked back to the van. I decided to go for a drive instead of heading straight back to Cristescu’s. There was a deserted old farmer’s field on the outskirts of the city that I liked to go to sometimes when I needed some thinking time.
“By the way, everyone’s invited to a party at Crimson tonight,” Tegan said. “The vampires are throwing it for Ethan to celebrate his new position as their leader.”
“Yeah, no offence, but I’m not going to that,” I scoffed.
“You can count me out, too,” Gabriel added.
“Oh, come on, it might be fun for us to blow off some steam,” Tegan urged.
“I’m not in the habit of blowing off steam in the company of vampires I’ve tried to kill and who’ve tried to kill me. It’s just not a smart idea. And anyway, I know a better way of blowing off steam.”
Tegan raised an eyebrow, assuming I was making an innuendo. “Finn …”
“Ah, now, look where your filthy mind wanders,” I chided. “I didn’t mean sex. I meant something else. You’ll see.”
When we reached the empty field, I parked the van and hopped out, going around to the back, and they all followed suit. Taking out a handgun, I gave it to Tegan.
“You know how to use this?” I asked her.
“I have a fair idea.”
“Good, let’s go.”
At the back of the field, there was a low wall littered with empty cans. I’d set them up the last time I was here.
“What is this place?” Alvie asked.
“It’s sort of like target practice,” I said before I started shooting at the cans. I’d always found it liberating, the sensation of letting the bullets loose, kind of the same way some people loved bursting the bubbles in bubble wrap.
Taking a break, I turned to look at Tegan. “Go on. Have a go.”
Gabriel and Alvie sat on the hood of the van, their arms linked as they watched us. Tegan glanced down at the gun in her hand. A moment passed, and when she finally decided to shoot, she actually wasn’t half bad.
