Moonlight, Monsters & Magic

by Linda G. Hill

  He waited a breath, then another, and he heard it. The sweetest sound, a faint whisper: “I can hear you. Where are you? Who are you?”

  His heart soared. He focused again and spoke in a rushed voice. “Faith! It’s me, Gabe. Where are you, sweetheart? Tell me where you are—I’ll come to take you home.” He listened intently, waiting for her reply. But there was only silence. Blowing out a frustrated breath, he flipped the hourglass over and went back to work.

  He’d heard her. Faith had answered him. For the first time in ten years, she’d answered him. It was a start.

  Chapter Five

  Faith did not stop running until she was out of breath and had a cramp in her side. Bent over with her hands on her knees, she lifted her head and searched the area for a place to hide. It was getting harder to see in the waning light. The officer would be looking for her and had probably called in reinforcements. She couldn’t let them find her.

  In her mind, she tried to talk to the man she had heard earlier. Hello? Can you hear me? I need help. When no reply came, she continued to pick her way blindly through the woods, listening for both the voice and the police.

  Just before the sun set, she emerged from cold, dark woods into a clearing. Exhaustion was close to claiming her as she stumbled toward an outcropping of large rocks at the base of a sheer cliff. Settling on the ground between the three largest rocks, she stretched her t-shirt over her folded legs, tucking it under her sore bare feet. She pulled her arms through the sleeves and into her shirt and hugged her legs to her chest to stay warm. Attempting to call out to the voice again, she whispered, “Help me,” only to be met with more silence.

  ~~ * * * ~~

  Faith dreamed of a man with ebony hair, light-blue eyes, a chiseled jawline, and full, thick lips. Lips that were currently carving a path of soft kisses down her neck to her breast. They captured one nipple, and a tongue flicked against her hard nub. A moan escaped her as the man moved from one breast to the other before retracing his steps to kiss her lips. He whispered, “I love you,” as he slid his cock slowly into her and began a slow and steady rhythm. The blue-eyed man continued his light kisses along Faith’s jawline until he was nipping her ear, whispering sweet words of love while slowly making love to her.

  “Faith, are you there? Faith, answer me, sweetheart.”

  A low moan preceded her words. “Five more minutes,” she begged.

  The man chuckled. “No, sweetheart, wake up and tell me where you are. I promise, as soon as I have you safe in my arms again, you can sleep as long as you’d like. Just tell me where you are.”

  “Erm. Just five minutes,” she begged again. She opened her eyes only to find herself on the forest floor, surrounded by large rocks. “Who are you? What do you look like?”

  “Do you not remember anything? It’s me, Gabe. Look at your left hand. Do you see that diamond ring? That is your engagement ring, sweetheart.”

  “I see it,” Faith said, staring down at the ring. “Why don’t I remember you? Do you have dark hair and blue eyes? I was dreaming about a dark-haired man. We were making love.”

  “I’m sorry I missed that, but if you can tell me where you are, we can continue your dream together.”

  She pictured him smiling.

  “Can you tell me anything that could help me find you?”

  Faith explained everything through their telepathic connection, from waking up in the cottage, to running from the police officer and finding a hiding spot at the bottom of the cliff.

  “I think I know where you are. Stay where you are. I will find you,” the voice said when she’d finished.

  “What if the police find me first?” Faith asked, only to be met by silence again. She rested her head on her knees, shut her eyes, and faded off to sleep.

  ~~ * * * ~~

  A voice calling her name roused Faith from her slumber. Blinking her eyes to focus on the bright light in front of her, she watched as a petite older woman stepped forward. “Mom, is that you?” Faith tried to stand but her legs wouldn’t comply; she relaxed against the rock and waited for her mother to speak.

  Marla looked over her daughter for a moment. Her thin lips formed a smile, although she wore a look of sadness “Faith, I am so sorry. This was all my fault, but I have no regrets. You no longer need to fear the hunters, for they are no more. In your locket is a tiny scroll. Read the words out loud and everything will become clear. Goodbye, my precious girl.” The light grew dimmer, smaller, until it was a point of light that floated away on the breeze.

  Chapter Six

  Faith awoke with a start. She quickly unclasped the locket and opened it. In the pre-dawn light, she unrolled the tiny scroll and squinted at the faded script. She read out loud:

  “Show me now,

  Let me see,

  How all this,

  Came to be.”

  Closing her eyes, Faith watched as a decade of events passed by—her mother’s death in the fire, the takedown of the Paranormal Investigation Unit, Gabe searching for her—she saw it all and she finally understood.

  The crunch of leaves drew her away from the vision. She held her breath, not willing to make a sound, still fearing the police.

  A deep voice rumbled in the quiet air. “Faith, sweetheart, it’s Gabe. Answer me … Where are you?”

  Faith’s heart soared as she unfolded herself from the forest floor. “Over here. I’m over here!” Taking a few tentative steps out of her hiding place, she saw him, the dark-haired man from her dream. Gabe. She remembered him now. Running the few feet, she crashed into him and his large arms surrounded her with love. Faith lifted her face to look into his pale blue eyes. “You saved me,” she whispered, before placing a light kiss on his full lips.

  “I told you I would,” Gabe whispered back against her lips. He deepened his kiss and walked her back to the outcropping of rocks. He paused a moment to look her over. “Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”

  “Well, my feet are kinda sore, but otherwise, I’m fine.” She looked down at her bare feet. “I never did like wearing shoes, did I?” A grin played at her lips before they connected with his again.

  Both hurried to undress the other, relinquishing the kiss only long enough to pull off clothes and toss them to the ground.

  Sinking onto the bed of discarded clothing, she heard Gabe’s words against her neck. “I never gave up. I knew we’d find each other. It’s been so long.” Those lips she had dreamed about were now working their way down her body, kissing a slow path from her navel to her pussy. She felt his thumbs glide along her smooth mound as he used them to separate her labia. The tip of his tongue met her clit, teasing it with quick flicks before sliding lower and into the moist heat of her cunt. He repeated the process until Faith was arching her back and begging him to fuck her hard and deep.

  With her pulse racing, she tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him away from her pussy. “Please. I need you,” she panted as Gabe slithered up her body, taking time to stop and suckle her breast before continuing the journey to her mouth. He slotted himself between her legs. Holding his cock at the base, he lined it up with her cunt, simultaneously plunging his tongue into her mouth and his throbbing member into her tight warmth. His thrusts were hard and deep, pulling all the way out and slamming back in. Now was not the time for slow lovemaking; now was the time for hot passion.

  “God, you feel so good. It’s been so long,” Gabe grunted, each word accompanied by a hard thrust. “Missed you. Missed this. Never want to be without you again.”

  “Yes. Deeper. Harder. Just like … Oh.” Faith arched her back as an orgasm rushed through her. Her toes curled, her breasts pressing into his chest, and her hands reaching down, she grabbed his ass and squeezed his flesh, attempting to pull him deeper. He clenched her hips as he rolled them both over. Holding Faith tightly, he bent his back to meet her downward thrust.

  “That’s it, sweetheart, right there,” Gabe panted, his warm breath tickling the side of her neck.

/>   Faith stared down into his eyes, watching as they glazed over with lust. She could tell that he was close. His cock throbbed once again. She placed her hands on his chest for support as she ramped up her pace. The sound of skin slapping skin echoed through the quiet forest. With one last hard thrust up, Gabe roared his release as Faith collapsed down on top of him.

  They lay there for what seemed like hours, though it surely wasn’t that long. Gabe finally spoke. “You are safe. You don’t have to worry anymore. The unit was disbanded after the death of …” His voice trailed off.

  “I know they killed her. I saw it. I saw it before any of this happened. She came to me last night. She said goodbye.” Faith sniffled, and a lump formed in her throat.

  Gabe brushed the hair back from her forehead and laid a gentle kiss there. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I tried to—”

  Faith silenced him with a light kiss “I know. I know everything.”

  She rested her head on Gabe’s chest, her hand lightly caressing his bicep. A vision began to form behind her closed eyelids.

  In a meadow, by a stream, she and Gabe stood beneath the large oak tree, its fallen leaves making a carpet of bright yellow and orange. Gabe placed a ring on her finger and recited his vow. “With this ring, I promise to love, honor, protect, and cherish you, from now ‘til the end of time. You are my love, my best friend, and mother of my child. You are my past, my present, and my future. My wish is for our love to grow as strong as this oak we stand under, as deep as the sea, and brighter than any star in the sky. You are my everything, I love you.” He placed a light kiss to her lips and then, bending lower, he kissed her round belly. Their child, a gift from their reunion four months earlier.

  As the vision faded away, Faith sighed contently and whispered out loud, “I love you too.”

  ~*The End*~

  I’d like to thank my fellow collaborators, it’s been a pleasure working with you. I’d like to thank my friends for encouraging me to chase my dreams. Thank you to my family, for not having me committed every time they’ve caught me talking with my characters. Finally, thank you, dear readers, for you’re the reason why I write.

  ~ AJ

  ~~ * * * ~~

  About the Author

  Allegra Johnson is an up-and-coming indie author who enjoys writing steamy love stories. She can be found stumbling throughout Romancelandia, figuring out this author thing one book at a time.

  You can follow her amusing adventures in writing and learn more about her books at:

  Facebook: stumblingauthor

  Instagram: allegra_johnson

  Twitter: @Allegra55302863

  PIXIE

  Linda G. Hill

  Merryn, a pixie temporarily exiled, wakes up to an unfamiliar world.

  Ivy, a lonely young widow, has a decision to make concerning a suitor who misses the mark in every way.

  When Merryn stumbles into Ivy’s life they dance around each other, knowing he will soon disappear.

  Can they resist? Yes. As long as they never touch.

  (m/f; heat level: smoking)

  PIXIE

  Chapter One

  The Pixie

  Merryn’s first thought when he awoke was, where is everybody? His second, why am I naked? The dirt beneath him smelled like the cave he called home, but there was also the faint odor of sulfur and … what was that? Marijuana? The pitch-black didn’t bother him—he could see in the dark. Even without sight, the lack of snoring told him he was in a strange place.

  Slowly, as he stood, it all started to come back. The drunken argument with Gruffydd over whether the other pixie was descended from kings (he wasn’t), and whether Gruffydd deserved the title of Prince (he didn’t).

  Gruffydd alone possessed the power to send others on vacations to wherever he chose, but he needed to be better at everything. So Merryn suspected Gruffydd’s jealousy came from the single thing he couldn’t change: Merryn’s height. He was the tallest of their entire community of pixies, a fact that Gruffydd found disturbing and impossible to witness, especially when he’d consumed too much wine. The last thing Merryn remembered was a flash of light and Gruffydd’s voice saying, “See you later, sucker!” Merryn could only hope Gruffydd had sent him somewhere with people, unlike last time. That faint smell of stale weed was a good sign. For now, he had to find his way out of this cave. He followed the scent of fresh air.

  He reached the mouth the cave and found it still dark outside. Which meant nothing, since he could have been unconscious for many hours, and he might have landed in any time zone. He sniffed the chill late-summer air with his pixie nose and headed for the fragrance of horses. Unless they were wild—which was fine; they’d give him some companionship—there would be people. And maybe a barn to sleep in. Where there were people, there were also clothes. Last time, Gruffydd had waited a month to bring him back home—Merryn didn’t want to spend what might be thirty days in the buff.

  Chapter Two

  The Widow

  Ivy woke to the sound of her alarm. Her first thought was, ugh. I have so much to do today. Her second, fuck it, I’m hitting the snooze button.

  Rather than drift off again, her mind returned to last night. To Dirk, her neighbor who had dropped off the part she needed to fix her tractor. She’d have been just as happy to ask FedEx to deliver it, but Dirk had a way of talking her into things she didn’t particularly want to do, because they were “best.” His insistence reminded her of Carl. Only Dirk seemed somewhat kinder. He’d driven into the city, an hour away, to pick up the part.

  But Dirk’s visit itself hadn’t bothered her as much as his choice of clothing. Out of his dirty overalls, he’d worn a suit, his usually wild hair slicked down with grease and his fingernails clean. She’d been so sure that he would propose, she’d practically shut the door in his face.

  It wasn’t that she didn’t want to marry him. Again, he made some good points in favor of it when he’d hinted at it before. But she didn’t want to marry him. Apart from being rather sexually frustrated (an ongoing condition—even before Carl had died) and having to do all the farm chores herself from sunup to sundown, she could see herself living alone. At least until the right man came along. The chances of that happening were slim, though—score one for Dirk.

  Her alarm went off again and this time she got up. Her breakfast finished, she went out to feed the horses before Josh, Dirk’s grandson, showed up to help her fix the tractor. Dirk was convinced he was the most helpful lad on the planet, but as soon as his grandfather turned his back, fourteen-year-old Josh was off watching YouTube videos on his phone.

  The first thing Ivy noticed when she got to the barn was the quiet. Usually the horses whinnied at her, eager for their breakfast. She turned on the light and her three horses looked up from their hay.

  “How did you get …” she started. Then she heard a footstep behind her.

  “Josh …” she began. She turned. It wasn’t Josh. Ivy jumped and took a step back.

  The stranger’s blond hair was long enough to cover his nipples, which were bare. He held a saddle blanket at the level of his waist—he wore nothing from the knee down. That, alone, stayed her hand from snatching the blanket away from him.

  “Who are you?” Ivy demanded.

  “I’m … um … Merryn,” he said with a strange accent that was a cross between Scottish and British. He gazed at her as if he wished to flirt with her, making her vaguely uncomfortable. It wasn’t a totally unpleasant discomfort.

  She narrowed her eyes. “What are you doing in my barn?”

  “Feeding your horses. They were hungry.”

  “Well, thank you,” she said. “But perhaps it’s best you leave, Mr. Merryn.”

  “Yes. But, um … You wouldn’t have any clothes to spare, would you? Perhaps your husband has some?”

  She nodded. “I do have some of my husband’s clothes.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t pay for them. But I could work off my debt … If you don’t think your husban
d would mind.”

  “No—you can have the clothes. Just …” She looked up then and saw Dirk’s truck pulling into her laneway.

  “Hide!” she said.

  In a flash of pale skin he was gone, climbing the ladder to the hayloft. She watched his bare ass disappear over the top.

  “You used salt on the hay recently?” she heard from above.

  Stifling a giggle, she replied, “Yes.”

  “Forgive me if I bathe in your water trough when I come down.”

  “That won’t be a problem.”

  Chapter Three

  The Suitor

  Merryn crouched on his hands and his feet. He peered over the edge and looked longingly at the saddle blanket, the salt irritating his soles and fingertips already.

  The lady walked to the barn door. Her brown hair shone as a ray of sun descended to encompass her form. Her tight blue t-shirt hugged her curves like a lover, and she had legs that Merryn believed he could stare at all day.

  “Dirk,” she said. She greeted the man—who had arrived in a large North American vehicle—with a sharp voice, not unlike the one she had used on Merryn. “I thought you were sending Josh today.”

  “Lad’s feeling under the weather. Personally, I think it’s girl troubles. You know kids.”

  The lady made a noise of non-commitment.