by Brey Willows
“Can I make love to you?” Selene asked softly.
“Of course you can. But you know I love touching you—”
“No. I mean, to you. The real you. Not the one you show me on a daily basis. The you without the magic stuff. I want to take my mind off everything and concentrate on you.”
Alec frowned and pulled Selene to her. “Why would you want that, baby? It’s all me, just a different outfit, so to speak.”
“But it’s not, is it? It’s a pretense. I want the real thing.”
Alec stared at her for a long time, searching her expression. Finally, she nodded slightly. “If you’re sure. But if you get freaked out, or change your mind, just say so. Or hell, just stop, and I’ll get the message.”
Selene gave her a long, lingering kiss, starting slightly when she felt Alec’s fangs at the sides of her lips. When she opened her eyes, Alec’s eyes were the color of the ocean at sunset, blues mixed with blacks and reds. Her pupils were oblong, like a cat’s, and her look was decidedly feral. Selene found the desire emanating from her intoxicating.
She crawled onto the bed and lay against Alec’s body, tracing her contours. She was all muscle, with no discernible body fat. Her skin wasn’t soft and mushy like a human’s, but rather firm, like a dolphin’s. Her hands, the ones Selene often thought about, looked the same, except for the deadly sharp, blackish-gray nails. Her six-pack trembled under Selene’s touch. It was then Selene felt powerful. This beautiful, deadly creature actually wanted, needed, her touch. She slid lower, exploring slowly. Her thighs were rock hard, like marble, as were her shins and feet. Her toes were slightly long, again tipped with lethal looking nails, and as Selene drew her fingertips over each toe individually, she gave Alec a questioning look.
“There were several early centuries we lived in trees and caves. We needed to be able to hang on properly.”
Selene nodded but kept exploring. She made her way up the inside of Alec’s thighs and stopped at the apex. She breathed in her musky, spicy scent, one she could almost taste. Heat radiated from her, and as Selene carefully parted her, she knew it was one area Alec was all woman.
She flicked Alec’s clit while keeping eye contact, and couldn’t help but smile when Alec groaned and let her head fall back. So beautiful. So astonishing. She tasted hot, if heat had a taste. Smooth, almost alcoholic. Selene reveled in it and licked, sucked, and swirled her tongue over Alec’s quickly engorging clit. Alec’s hands tangled in her hair, holding her still as she rode Selene’s mouth. Just as she was about to come, she looked down at Selene, who met her gaze with an expression she hoped conveyed just how sexy she found her.
Alec exploded with a cry, arching her back, her wings folding toward the ceiling, her tongue darting out, her nails raking Selene’s scalp. Selene swallowed and held on until Alec’s body relaxed again. She rested her head against Alec’s thigh as they both came down. She would need to ponder how it felt, making love to something not human, but for now, she just wanted to sink into the afterglow of the moment.
“Come here.”
She scooted up the bed to lay in Alec’s arms. When she looked up, Alec had returned to her more human looking self.
“Why did you change back?”
Alec kissed the top of her head. “I suppose I really only use my true form when I’m working now. Being in it with you during sex is hot, but I’m actually more comfortable in this form when I’m just relaxing. Is that okay?”
Selene laughed. “Okay? You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, in either form. Yes, I’m good with it.”
Alec wrapped her arms and wings around Selene. “You okay?”
Selene could hear the vulnerability in Alec’s question. “I’m more than okay. You’re breathtaking. Thank you for letting me.”
They lay quietly for a long time before Alec said softly, “I haven’t let anyone touch me that way in a long time. Since…well, a long time. I’m usually fine with giving. Thank you for wanting me.” She placed a gentle kiss on Selene’s head and held her a bit tighter.
Selene held tight but wasn’t sure what to say. What do you say to comfort a fury? Instead, she kissed Alec’s shoulder and snuggled in closer. Sometimes words aren’t necessary. She fell asleep, grateful for the respite from her overwhelming life.
Chapter Twenty-four
Selene looked around the lovely café. With oddly matched wooden tables and rustic chairs, the canopied outside allowed for a perfect view over the lake, as Picus had promised. The vodka and orange juice relaxed her somewhat, and she dipped her bread in a beautiful tasting olive oil mixture.
“So, how far away does my mother live?” Selene asked.
Picus grinned slightly and motioned across the lake. “You can see her house from here.”
Selene scanned the area but saw only a ruined castle… “The castle? She lives in a ruin?”
He laughed. “That’s not a ruin, child. It might look a little run-down from here, but believe me when I say it’s fully functional. She’s renting it from the family who owns it. They’re away for the winter, because they like to go to the Caribbean this time of year. They won’t be back until June, and by then she will have moved on, as she does.”
Selene stared at the castle, trying to imagine what was beyond the forbidding stone walls. So close. She’s so close. She started when Alec put a hand over hers.
“Just a little while longer, okay? Let’s have dinner, and then we’ll head over.”
Picus turned to Alec. “Oh, I have a message from your sister, Tisera. She wanted to join us, but she’s working on a case in Syria and can’t make it over. She said she’d catch you when she gets back to the States.”
Alec thanked him, and Selene saw the flash of disappointment in her eyes before she covered it with a joke. I wonder what that would be like. To have siblings to miss? Selene turned her attention back to the conversation at hand, but her stomach was doing backflips, and she didn’t think she could eat anything. She picked at her pasta, but when the strawberry dessert came, she moaned at the sweetness of the strawberries. Alec grinned and held one up after dipping it in cream.
“Want it?” She placed the stem end between her teeth and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Selene gladly went for it, closing her mouth slowly around it while keeping her eyes on Alec’s. She watched the desire flare in them as she bit through the strawberry and leaned back.
Picus gave a low laugh and pretended to fan himself. “I have an entirely new appreciation for strawberries.”
“Me too,” Alec said, chewing the rest of the strawberry while gazing at Selene.
They finished their dessert and coffee, and Selene’s stomach backflips turned into swan dives. She wasn’t sure her legs would support her.
Alec slipped her hand under Selene’s elbow as they walked to the car. “You can do this. And I’ll be right beside you the whole time. If you want to leave, all you have to do is say so.”
Selene nodded, unable to speak her mouth was so dry.
They made the short drive around the lake, and Picus parked at the bottom of the ramp leading into the castle. “I’ll wait for you here, ladies. I have the greatest respect for Chandra, but I also have a healthy dose of fear.” He blew Selene a kiss. “Good luck, bella.”
They got out, and Selene’s legs felt like they’d collapse. I can do this. I can do this.
They got to the main gate and Alec used the enormous metal ring to knock, creating a resounding thudding sound that echoed all around them. She closed her eyes and her brow furrowed.
“What are you doing? What’s going on?” Selene whispered.
“I’m trying to let her know it’s us, not some people who want to tour the castle.”
“What, you’re trying to mind-meld with her? Now you’ve got telepathy?” Selene’s nerves were getting the best of her, and she found herself wanting to shake Alec.
Alec opened one eye and looked at her. “Would you shush? I can explain later, but for n
ow—”
“It’s rude to tell someone not to speak.”
Selene spun around to face the woman speaking, and if it hadn’t been for Alec’s arm around her waist, she might have collapsed to her knees.
She was staring at a spitting image of herself. If I glowed, I’d look just like her. And if I looked…harder. The woman was unmistakably her mother, and the strange halo around her told the truth of what Alec and Zed had told her. There was nothing earthly about her.
“It’s not rude if they’re interrupting a conversation in progress,” Alec said. She slowly withdrew her arm from around Selene’s waist and moved toward Chandra. She held open her arms. “It’s nice to see you again.”
Chandra’s glow dimmed slightly and she smiled. She stepped into Alec’s embrace and held her tightly. Her eyes were closed, and her face softened. Selene thought she looked genuinely happy to see Alec, and she was glad. It would have been a difficult visit if she’d turned them away.
They pulled apart and Chandra looked over Alec’s shoulder at Selene. Her chin went up and her glow increased. “Selene.”
Selene stepped forward, trembling. “Mother.”
Chandra’s head tilted slightly, and the moment seemed to stretch unbearably. Slowly, her glow dimmed so Selene could see her properly again, and she began to smile. “I knew I’d see you again one day. I’m so glad that day has come.” She opened her arms.
Selene couldn’t move. Her hands twitched, and although she wanted to move, desperately wanted to go to her mother, the shock of the moment, the surreal feeling, all became overwhelming. Fortunately, her mother took the initiative and came to her instead.
She enfolded Selene in her embrace, and Selene began to cry. She let the tears come, let the sobs tear through her. “I can’t believe…I just don’t…” There were no words for what she was feeling.
Her mother left an arm around her shoulders and motioned to Alec. “Let’s go inside.” She waved at the door and it opened in front of them, and after they’d entered, it closed loudly behind them.
Selene stopped crying long enough to look around. There were thick, sumptuous rugs lining the long, wide hallway. Arched doorways led to rooms off to the left and right, but they headed for the largest archway ahead of them and into an enormous, ornately decorated living room. Heavy draperies covered the stone walls, with depictions of Roman myths beautifully worked into the fabric. Overstuffed sofas sat before a huge fireplace with a roaring fire already burning brightly. Chandra sat beside Selene on one of the sofas, and Alec sat across from them on another.
“Would you like a drink? Something to eat?”
Selene sniffed, hoping there wasn’t snot running down her face. “Tea, if you have it?”
Chandra rang a small bell next to her, and a stunning young woman appeared in the doorway, wearing a sheer, flowing white gown. “Bring some green tea, please.” She looked at Alec. “For you, my dark friend?”
Alec shook her head. “I’m good, thanks.”
Chandra turned to Selene. “You must have so many questions.”
“You have no idea.”
“No, I probably don’t. But why don’t you start with the most important ones to you at the moment, and we’ll go from there?”
Selene thought for a moment, trying to gather herself. What do you ask your goddess mother? “Why did you give me up? I suppose that’s the one that has haunted me all my life.”
Chandra sighed and her face hardened. “The most complicated question first.” She stood and moved toward the fireplace. She looked at Alec. “You know about the oracle, I assume, or she wouldn’t be here with you?”
Alec nodded.
Chandra turned back to Selene. “How much have you been told about the oracle?”
“Not much. Nothing I truly understand.”
“Then it’s fitting you hear it from me.”
The young woman in the beautiful dress entered with a tray and set the tea items down in front of them. Selene was no expert, but they looked like they might have come with the original castle. They were heavy, ornate, and probably irreplaceable. Please don’t let me drop them.
Chandra laughed softly. “They’re just things, Selene. Nothing more. Items are meant to be used, and they eventually disappear. As do all things.” Her cold gaze slid over Alec, who moved to pour the tea.
“The oracle?” Selene studied her mother, trying to take her in. She was tall, but not as tall as Alec. Slim, but somehow solid. Her cheekbones were high, her face sharp angles and shadows. She was attractive, beautiful, perhaps, but distant and cold. Is that how people see me?
“Yes.” Chandra stared into the flames. “Do you know, there have been very few female demigods, the most famous of whom is Helen, daughter of Zeus and Leda. Achilles, Hercules, Perseus…names you know. But rarely do you know the women.” She took a cup of tea from Alec and inclined her head in thanks. “I was on one of my many jaunts here. I watched the people around me in a dance club, swaying, making connections through the music and intoxicants of various kinds, and I realized how alone I was. Granted, I don’t often desire anyone near me, and I usually stay in the heavens where I’m most comfortable, but on that occasion…I wanted a companion.”
Selene sat gripping her tea, fascinated. Lonely. I know that feeling.
“I found one. I knew at the time he wasn’t human, not entirely. But he was human enough. We went to a nearby woodland and had sex. It was good.” Chandra’s smile was wistful. “Very good. In the morning, he kissed my forehead and went on his way. It wasn’t meant to be anything more than what it was.” She sat on a straight-backed chair near the fireplace, the flames lighting up the wall behind her. “You can imagine my surprise when you came along shortly after.”
“Shortly after? Was I premature?”
Chandra’s laugh was hollow, eerie. “No, child. We don’t have the need to carry a child as long as humans do. What surprised me, however, was the guests who arrived at the time of your birth.” She held out her mug and Alec quickly refilled it. “The Fates showed up in my room, all three of them. I hadn’t seen the Sisters in many, many years, and I admit I wasn’t happy they showed up that night. Like Death, they’re rarely bearers of good news. They told me—”
She stopped and stared off, seemingly lost in her thoughts.
“Yes?”
She looked at Selene, and Selene shivered slightly under the cold, distant stare.
“In their usual infuriatingly vague way, they told me you were going to be a savior. A bridge between worlds, to keep both from destroying each other and themselves. But to be that bridge, you had to be hidden away, kept safe from those who would harm you when the time came for you to act. Without you, the world as we know it, human and god, would cease to exist. They wrote most of it down in the version of the oracle you have in California, but the other information they imparted only to me. Apparently, your father, as a being of both your world and mine, was important somehow. That way you had enough of my world to belong in it, but enough of your world to exist there as well.” She gave a strangely stiff shrug. “The Fates know, and to disbelieve the oracles they pass down is to be reckless, no matter what kind of being you are. So I brought you to the orphanage, so they could find a proper family to bring you up. Of course, I kept an eye on you, always. I knew what you were doing, where you were, and what you’d made of yourself, despite the oafish humans you ended up with. I knew, however, that I couldn’t come to you and risk showing your enemies where you were.” She looked at Selene and her gaze softened so much that she looked almost real. “I’m sorry, daughter. I had to do what was best.”
Once again, words failed her. Alec came and wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned thankfully into the embrace. “I won’t pretend to understand. What does that mean? A bridge?” She turned to Alec. “And where do you fit in?”
“The oracle only gives us pieces, never the full picture. The Fates figure that if people knew exactly what was coming, they’d stop doing other
things, or do stupid things, because they knew there wouldn’t be consequences. So we each only get a piece of the puzzle.” She looked at Chandra. “For instance, I didn’t know what your mother just told us about your father.” She sighed and shook her head. “Chandra’s right, the Fates are infuriating that way. They alone know the whole story, but they’ll never just tell you the whole damn thing and save everyone a lot of headaches and frustration. They’ve dictated people’s lives in their weaving, and the rest of us abide by what they say. Truthfully, they’re more powerful than any of us. And it’s true, we’re fading at an alarming rate these days. Something needs to be done to stop it, or everything at Afterlife will fade away. You know, except those few of us who exist without believers. But I don’t know about the part where the human world falls apart too. Maybe because they need the gods after all? I don’t know.”
Selene felt like she was going to be sick, but the idea of vomiting on the ancient carpet kept her mouth shut. “You’re saying I’m responsible for saving all those people you’ve introduced me to? People I didn’t believe in.” She looked at her mother. “And you’re telling me bad people are out to get me, because I’m supposed to be a bridge of some kind, although we don’t know what kind, to save the planet.” She could feel the hysteria rising, but didn’t bother to keep it down. “Great. Excellent. That sounds just fucking fabulous. No problem, let’s go save the world, Alec. Or worlds, as the case may be. That should be nice and simple.” The room started to spin, and Alec pulled her over so her head was between her knees.
“Breathe, baby. Come on, Selene. I know it’s a lot to take in. But you can’t fall apart.”
“Can’t I?” Selene pulled away from Alec and stood. She started pacing, gesticulating at the air violently. “I think I can, thank you very much. I think I can completely fall apart. You know why?” She pointed at them both in turn. “Because evidently, it won’t matter. The oracle says I’m the one, which means I can fall apart, have a breakdown, if I’m not already having one, become a heroin addict, get involved in gang wars, eat peanut butter and banana sandwiches on the toilet, and have unprotected sex with a ton of people, and it won’t matter. Because the Fates say so.”
