This was the book from my dream. The book I'd buried and put a spell on, so it would always bring me back here. So I could keep building from one life to another, gaining greater power with each life.
I sat on the floor and read. And read. And read some more.
I read about the power and how to use it. I read about my past and those in it. And I read about me and Sydney—our multifarious lives and names. There was always just the one love: each other.
And as I read I felt the power welling up within me, gathering for greater things to come.
Chapter 6
I took the sword with me when I used my new-found telekinesis to propel myself back into my home. As I'd read, I'd worked on some of the things the book was teaching me—tapping into the powers I had. I knew I had a ways to go to master them all, but I was beginning to know what I could do and how to do it.
But for now, I could try to learn more from the book, or else I could see what I could teach myself.
The bar was crowded. Noisy.
The bass pumped through me. My feet started moving all on their own, even as my palms started to itch.
I looked around the dimly lit joint, assessing the space and sitch. There were a lot of women here, including a bunch of butches and andro-dykes. Fortunately, there were also some major femme hotties.
I took a deep breath, centering myself and my energies. I'd always had a problem cruising and trying to pick up women—or even just a woman—as in singular. You'd think I could simply slip on another persona and become someone else, like I did when I auditioned. But even though I was in the biz, I was rather shy.
But as I stood now being ignored, the power gathered within me.
I felt my hand ready to rise, to command, to pull power from the universe and focus it toward altering this reality—forcing my will upon my surroundings and those in it.
"Hello," said the voice of reason, coming up behind me and tapping me on the shoulder. "That's not quite right. You shouldn't make others into your puppets, your play things." It gave me a sharp rap on the head. "Hello? Free Will? And you're not exactly evil, y'know. 'Cause that would be Bad. Way Bad."
"But then why did I come here if not to play?" I answered back.
"Excuse me," someone said, pushing past me.
Again my hand went up of its own volition. I stayed it before it could do whatever it was planning.
This isn't good. Your limbs are doing whatever they want. Who's in control—them or you?
"Whatever," I said, going to the bar for a drink.
I kept my temper and patiently waited my turn at the bar, ignoring those who shoved in front of me. / wanted to turn them into toads, and considering everything was feeling at the moment, I was pretty sure I could do it.
The Rainbow Room was a simple, dark cavern. I stalked the perimeter, sizing it up as I sipped my beer. The pounding bass was so overwhelming I could barely think.
"You new—"
I whipped around on my heel with my hands up and... Wow.
"—here?" She was a cute, slight brunette with long hair, a bit taller than me, and wearing wicked red come-fuck-me pumps and a slinky red dress that showed off very nice cleavage.
"Uh, yeah. I am." I came to my senses and held out my hand. "I'm Ty. Tyler. I just moved here from California and dear sweet Jesus, could I sound any more like a geek if I tried?"
She shook my hand. "Glad to meet you, Tyler from Californy." (She did pronounce it like that—as if she was talking part of the Beverly Hillbillies theme song.) "I'm Zoe."
I brought her hand up to my lips and kissed it. "Pleasure to meet you, sweet Zoe." I looked at our clasped hands, and knew I could control her.
I looked up at her. Tin scared.
"No reason to be. You just looked like you needed a friend," Zoe said.
I felt my cheeks heat up. "Did I say that out loud?"
"Yeah, you did. You're cute when you blush."
"I'm a Big Bad Butch. I. Don't. Blush."
"Fine. You don't blush. But maybe you can explain something to me?"
"What's that?"
"Why is it that the femmes always have to make the first move?" She tightened her grasp on my hand and led me to the dance floor.
I used my body and hands, not my mind, to control her moves. We danced song after song—fast, slow, in-between, it didn't matter. We had a connection.
"You ready for a breather?" Zoe asked after an hour or so.
"I guess so." She wrapped her arm through mine, squeezing my bicep teasingly, and I took her to the bar.
"Redcoat, double the body, and can I get an umbrella?" she said to the bartender.
"I'll take a Miller Lite," I said, laying a twenty on the counter. "Keep the change."
We picked up our drinks.
"Let me introduce you to my friends," she said, leading me to a table with six women sitting around it. "Ethel, Andy, Cheryl, Jacquie, Stacy and Cori." I shook hands with each during the introductions.
"So all your exes are taking you out for your birthday?" I asked.
"They're not all my exes," Zoe said. "Hold on, I didn't tell you who any of them were. How'd you know?"
I knew because I shook their hands. I shrugged. "You're a lesbian— of course you're with your exes."
"Then how'd you know it was her birthday?" Cheryl said, standing. She was rather broad across the shoulders and I didn't want to rumble with her. Or maybe I did. I could win, after all. I’d always win.
"Um, balloons?" I said, pointing to the b-day balloons. "And since all of you," I waved my hand, indicating the couples, "are paired off, well, it made sense it'd be Zoe."
This conversation was pointless, I abruptly realized. I'd come here to work my power and increase my knowledge, but I'd chickened out. Now I was flirting with a stranger, even though I knew Syd was the one for me.
It suddenly occurred to me that I had no reason for being here.
I leaned over and laid a light one on Zoe's lips. "I need to go." I feigned a yawn. "Moving and all has been taxing."
I was walking out when a fight broke out over the pool table. A bunch of drunken straight boys started arguing and one threw the cue ball at the wide-screen TV, fracturing it. Now that sucked moldy moose meat.
All of the worst badass butches were charging toward the boys who were now armed with pool cues. I raised my hand and laid out a sweet peace spell, calming everyone.
Wow. I wondered if I could do that to the world? That'd be wicked cool—world peace through magick. I wondered if there was a de-testosteroning spell in my repertoire as well?
As everyone stopped in mid-roar, looking lost as they wondered why they had been upset in the first place, I walked up to the boys and looked right at them.
"So you're all leaving now, right?" I said. "And you're never coming back again since you had such a suck time."
"Yeah, man, this place is the pits," one guy said, leading the rest of the pack outside, and forgetting whatever it was that had caused issues in die first place.
That left the broken screen, and after a long stare from me, it wasn't broken anymore. I felt wicked cool. Oh, dude, I was so the stud tonight. I was handsome and charming and smart and could have any girl in this bar. I was in better shape than most butches here, and sure-as-shit dressed better than they were.
And for ruck's sake, this was the Midwest, and I was a gen-u-wine Hollyweird stunt person. My stories could so rock their worlds.
"I thought you were leaving." Zoe' slipped her warm hand up my arm, and it broke me out of my reverie.
I looked at her. I was in tune with so much now, it was as if all my nerve endings were standing on end like little radio towers picking up every single feeling in the room.
Many eyes were upon me. I touched Zoe's elbow, ran my hand down her arm till I grasped her hand, which I brought to my lips and kissed gently, looking up to wink at her. "Yeah, I was. I'm going, now."
I loo
ked around the bar, meeting many eyes. And then I left. After all, you always gotta leave them wanting more.
I felt Zoe still reaching for me when I was long gone. I was now in tune with so much; my power grew with each moment.
I was on the highway, my Harley purring in the night as I merged to the right when a Hummer shot up from behind me, almost running me over. I swerved to the left, but someone was already there. I was about to be sandwiched when the Hummer yielded me enough room to bolt ahead.
I looked over and noticed it was a boy driving the beast. Of course.
People who drive big vehicles can't seem to behave like normal people, so less than half-a-mile down, that same damn Hummer decided it needed to exit and damn anyone in his way. I needed that de-testosteroning spell again.
He cut me and two other cars off, then rammed his brakes so I almost rear-ended him. He needed to wreck himself before he took others out with him.
The light turned green. He veered to the right and I passed him, hoping that was the last I'd see of him. I happened to glance in my rearview mirror and the Hummer was spinning down the embankment, rolling over and over.
He deserved it.
I pulled into my garage, listening to my neighborhood—the sounds as well as thoughts. I knew I could hear more, but it was only this cul-de-sac I was interested in. I wasn't interested in all the dirty, nasty thoughts the neighbor boys were having. None of them were original in the least. And, well, the girls' thoughts were equally gross to me. Ick!
Sydney was having sex with Tom. But she was thinking about me.
I made my way to my bedroom without moving a muscle, and only when I got there did I realize my feet weren't on the floor. I was hovering.
This was a dream. This couldn't be happening. No one should have this much power. Strength.
I raised my hands and looked at them. When I touched my fingertips sparks fell off them.
I was strong. Too strong. I could make things happen. I could do things purely by the power of my will.
No one should have this much power. But I did.
For a reason, I thought, even though right then I didn't know what the reason might be.
I went to bed. I fell asleep without undressing or even brushing my teeth.
I ran along the edge of the forest, leaping logs and other debris. I loved the sure and graceful feel of this body. I looked up and saw them talking at the edge of a cliff. Fog shrouded their figures, but I would always know her, as I would always know him.
She seemed so small and frail next to his large and ungainly form. I watched from afar, ensuring her safety as he took her into his arms and kissed her.
She let him kiss her. I stepped out of the forest, revealing myself to them. He grinned wolfishly at me, reaching for the crossbow on his hip, but she kissed him and sent him on his way.
I felt arms entwine around my neck, pulling me down. I reared from the unexpected grasp, bucking away from her, surprised at the strength in this lithe form.
"Ice, oh Ice," she said, practically swooning about me. "We are to be wed! He proposed marriage to me and I accepted!" She was kissing all over my furry face. I caught a glance at my appearance in a puddle and realized I was hidden in the guise of a doe.
I felt my body... melt and change and twist and... morph, until I was in human form again, holding her lithe body in my very human arms.
She was on top of me, still kissing me. "Isolde, I am sorry, truly. I sometimes forget myself when you take such shapes!"
Chapter 7
The next morning I awoke feeling gratified and powerful and... guilty. And then I felt a particular sense ting, letting me know where Syd was. She was my soul mate. What I kept searching for.
Lifting the drape, I peeked at my neighbor's drive. Syd was just parking her Honda. She was nearly to her front door when she turned sharply to look at where I stood.
I dropped the drape. I didn't want to appear the stalker. I stood with my back against the curtain, panting. She'd seen me. I’d been made. She'd caught me.
"I’ll always love you," I called out with what was left of my voice as the flames engulfed me. It took more than an hour for me to die. The lucky ones died from the smoke early on. The not-so-lucky ones were slow-cooked.
I’d never been lucky.
It was excruciating as the fire peeled the skin from my body.
I could no longer speak. I couldn't use what was left of my hands or arms, since they'd been chained behind me to the stake, but I focused everything I was, had been, would ever be, to ensure we'd be together— some day, some time.
I was crying, screaming from the pain, but still I wove the complex web of spells necessary—knowing that years and lifetimes of spells would some day come to fruition.
In my dreams, she came back to me—again and again. She wore different bodies—blonde, brunette, tall, short, slender, full-figured. I wore different bodies, too. But it always came down to us two, meeting life after life.
I followed her, knowing some day I’d win. We'd be together. Some day I would have the power to make it happen.
Someday it'd happen. Some time, if’d be forever. Like it was meant to be.
I showered, thinking about how those pissed-off guys at the bar would've ended up hurting others, and instead I'd calmed them (and everyone else) down.
I hadn't actually meant to hurt the dude in the Hummer, but now I wasn't so sure I hadn't simply taken him out just before he killed someone else.
I was good. Not bad. Not evil. I did right. By stopping him I had saved countless others.
I slicked back my still-wet hair, dressed in all black, and finished my unpacking (telekinesis is wicked cool), while eating breakfast.
I wanted to know what was going on with Sydney and Tom, so I reached out to her mind with mine but barely brushed into it before I pulled back.
It just felt wrong. I couldn't do that. Not to Syd.
But I didn't trust myself to listen through him without controlling him and making him do things. After the Hummer, I didn't know what I could set in motion. But as I pulled back, I realized I could still see what was happening in the room, even if I wasn't in either of their heads. I could see places I wasn't at.
Yet another new power. Cool beans.
"Tom," Sydney said, putting a plate of food in front of him, "we need to talk."
Uh-oh. That sounds serious. Where's the syrup?" he replied, digging in.
"I’ll get it for you." She left her food to serve him. "Where's this relationship going?"
He was such a selfish bastard he just started chowing down, mumbling between mouthfuls. "I was thinking maybe marriage—sometime.
Children. A family. I mean, that is what you want, right?" I was surprised he was already awake.
"Tom, I’m just not feeling it. I’m not sure if I’ve ever felt it."
"Sydney, what are you saying?"
"Tm not in love with you."
"Sydney, are you breaking up with me? Was last night just a... what's it called? Sympathy fuck? I thought you were there with me. I thought you were feeling everything too. Sydney, I love your
"I thought I loved you, too." She was crying now.
He left his food to pull her into his arms. "I know all of this stuff can get scary. But see, I love you, so Tm not gonna give up so easily."
She pulled away, staring up at him as she backed up. "Tom, I... I hate that I’ve hurt you and, but—it might be best if you left. Now." She was afraid. I didn't have to read her mind to know that.
I stood. If she was afraid, I was worried. I hadn't even needed to look inside her to see her fear, but now I tried to read Tom and realized I couldn't. I could see inside Syd, but not Tom. I used my mind to pull a book from my upstairs' shelves and I intercepted it at the door. If things started going downhill, I could run over to her place pretending to either loan or return the book to her.
"Sydney..." he said. "I love you and I don't wa
nt to lose you."
"There's someone else. You do need to leave. Now."
"I can't... I can't believe you're doing this to me."
"It's not about you. I just don't feel it."
Part of me wanted to lean into his brain and make him be an asshole, but I knew that would be wrong. And since I couldn't read him, I wasn't sure I could do it. So I just listened to make sure he didn't hurt her, poised with the book should I need a plausible excuse to ring Syd's doorbell.
I should just destroy him, my inner demons whispered. I could practically see the burning mass of his vehicle—how they wouldn't be able to get him out of it, how he'd be stuck ...
My doorbell startled me. I let Sydney in.
"I broke up with Tom," she said.
"Omigod, really?" She slipped past me into the house and I could feel her confusion and depression.
She sat on my sofa, holding her head in her hands. "I don't love him. And I don't want him touching me."
I knelt in front of her. "Sydney, what are you telling me?"
"I always thought I was straight, but then I met you... and I can't help the way I feel when you touch me."
"So you like it when I touch you?"
"Yes."
In a single motion, I picked her up, tossed her over my shoulder and carried her upstairs.
"Ty, what are you doing?" she squealed, kicking slightly.
I tossed her onto my bed. "Isn't this what you wanted? Get me out of your system?" I raised an eyebrow.
The phone rang. I ignored it.
"Ty," Syd squealed, squirming up the bed against the headboard.
"What?" I said, jumping on top of her. I had the thrill of watching her light up because being with me made her feel better. I grabbed the remote and rolled over and said, "I thought we could snuggle and watch some TV."
"You are so evil," she said, beating me.
I held her hands and pulled her into my arms.
"Aren't you going to answer the telephone?"
"It's just Michele again," I said, burying my face in her hair and breathing deeply of her scent. With a flick of my brain, I turned down the answering machine so we couldn't hear what was said.
We lay on the bed, spooning, all innocent-like, and she entwined our fingers and laid our hands under her shirt on her tummy. I felt her shudder at the intimate touch. It worked for me, too.
Bell, Book and Dyke - New Exploits of Magical Lesbians Page 13
