by Lil Hamilton
“Mmm,” he said, seeming to be entranced by my skin, running a finger down my cheek, neck and collar bone. My aura wanted to reach out to him, as that was the nature of a demon aura, but the fae in me was quite able to make sure he skimmed the surface rather than merging. It was why they were so dangerous and tempting. The demon in me was a raging force and I didn’t like close contact with demon kind just in case it riled the beast. “I feel the pulse of your essence, yet you keep it constrained. You didn’t do this in the Hells.”
I stepped away from him, not remembering him from that time. My father had many warriors in the high court and three fourths were male. “In the Hells things are different. I was being taught how to use my demon blood and interact with others. After most of them were brutally stripped from me. Besides, it is next to impossible to constrain my aura there. You keep yours in check as well.”
“Yes, I do. Here. I can’t be inconspicuous otherwise. We Hunters master the skill so we can spend long durations top side. You and I are to see if we are compatible and at the very least to see if your core essence is capable of the bond.”
I gently shoved him, which did very little. The man was like iron. I made a sweeping gesture around myself. “This is my space and in this realm you respect peoples’ personal space.”
He leaned against the wall giving me a lazy smile. “I’m amazed at your skill to layer your aura and maybe that is the mixed blood. I can sense your presence several feet away, physically when I’m a foot away and yet your essence remains concealed. A fine skill, but it impairs you to limit yourself so and thus I assume you do release it when you want to.”
“When I need to. But not the core.”
“The core?” he asked, raising a brow.
I sighed. “Think of the fae as layered. Like a cake with lots of sugar. External shields are designed to repress the aura, to hold a glamour or illusion or some other defense. They are not needed. It is something that must be done when living in the border realm. When our aura is not held back the human mind cannot take it. So, in order to abide the Accords ruling, we must shield our essence. Generally, we add in a glamour illusion to help us blend and be less noticed. Internal layers are fundamental. They compartmentalize the mind. The core is the very center of our being, the part of us and our mind, that holds our true self, our sense of identity. It is the core because if in a fae battle of wills someone breaks that, then they have broken their enemy completely and utterly. We then segment off our lower consciousness, what a human would call the subconscious, and that is where we can spin spells while actively doing other things. The upper consciousness is segmented in any way that is suitable to the person. Often memories are segmented, since in a fae a battle to use one’s memories against a person can mean victory.”
He frowned slightly. “Complicated.”
“It needs to be so. High demons love their battles and so do the Seelie fae, the difference is you attack physically and the fae attack mentally. In the Hells you can kill someone, if you put enough effort into it. In Faerie to cause death you must break the mind and force them into the Fade.”
“Yet, if you chose to you could lower them all.”
“All but the core. In theory.”
“Then it shouldn’t be such a trial. Whatever basic shields lie beneath the rest, they will fall. I’ll not push the issue right now, but understand I’ve looked centuries for a mate and will not be denied a potential one. I don’t believe you understand how difficult it is to be without a mate. It is a blending of essence that is needed to keep us sane through time. Without it, the vastness of time will consume us and we are known to go insane with terrible rages.”
I smiled wryly. “I’m aware of the terrible rages. I have my own rages.”
“It is not only this world that drives us crazy; renegades are lost before they ever come here, consumed by blood rages because they cannot find their other half. We die if we lose our mate, because once we have that connection and balance, you cannot live without it. If it means losing fewer men to the madness then we should seek our mates among the fae. And it might be vital to the survival of our race. The fae multiply faster than we do, because we need to have a mate to have children. Your queen fears losing her control over her people if more mate with us and now that she knows it is possible it is just another way to keep us from gaining strength.”
“No, the Queen loves purity in all things.”
His explanation was not all that comforting to me. Not sure why he bothered sharing really. I didn’t want to be the other half of anyone, just myself. And the thought that the savagery of renegades was due to the lack of a mate was frightening. I knew unmated demons were more violent, but potentially mad was not a perk. I could see why the quest for the ‘one’ would be a little more persistent. “That is interesting to know. Thanks for clearing that up. Really. Just awesome.”
“I insist you take this seriously.”
I didn’t take it seriously. I was just being political about the whole thing so my elusive father would resist the temptation to kidnap me. However, I had to at least make a show of it. I leaned against the wall, eying him up and down. He was a damn fine piece of eye candy; the least I could do was make a show of it. “What would it take this moment to show you I’m serious?”
His aura fluxed at the comment and I didn’t need to merge with his energy to know what crossed his mind at that moment. He smoothed his features and said, “For now, just a kiss.”
I raised one brow. “That seems reasonable.”
He didn’t give me the opportunity to specify parameters, just swooped in. At first it was just a light caress, teasing and gentle. When he nibbled my lip, burying one hand in my hair, I began to melt. He took this as surrender, which is was, and pulled me up close to his body, his hand pulling my head back to give him the angle to slant his mouth over mine. I lost the ability to think at this point, my hands sliding over his shoulders, immersing myself in the heat of his skin and other worldly aura. The scent of burning wood, emitting from his essence, thickened around me. The smell of a campfire burning in the woods after a spring rain. I felt his hand on my waist, slide upwards until his thumb gently caressed and brushed the underside of my breast. Oh man, he was making my girlie parts tingle.
Desire hit me like a wave, one moment simply enjoying the moment and the next liquid heat spreading through me. I always found desire to be my worst enemy; while my head was saying maybe I should slow down, the desire just wanted satisfaction, regardless of the consequences. I let the war go on for longer than I might usually because the man had some serious skills. There was just something so appealing about the demon or maybe he was just exotic to me and unknown. When I did start to pull away he immediately switched tactics, going back to teasing in a devious ploy to keep me intrigued. I felt like I was melting in the rolling sensations, which is saying a lot from a kiss. The first kiss from a man was a thing full of anticipation and raw desire. Women made judgments about a man from a first kiss.
It came to some surprise that he had me pressed against the wall, having carefully manoeuvred himself against me. He released my lips to kiss along my neck and I arched into the touch. He nibbled his way down, while his hand slipped under my shirt; his touch was light, fleeting and burning. I felt my aura begin to stir, it was only natural, since I was having some troubles concentrating and intimacy naturally led to energy overlap.
I started to push him away and he actually growled a deep rumbling in his throat, which shot a flare of raw lust from my stomach to my core. My body certainly had no doubts on what to do with this man. He bit me a little harder on the shoulder before stepping back. He looked very predatory with the raw desire in his eyes. I could recognize it, although most could read nothing from our black gaze. It was the inner glow they held sometimes, a glint in the inky depths like a bright star in the night sky.
I took two quick steps away. “Are you satisfied?”
“Not very,” he replied.
“Of my i
ntentions,” I specified flashing him an amused grin.
He gave me a lazy half smile. “For now. And now I know you maintain a certain control over your aura even when distracted.”
My eyes widened slightly. Sly bastard. As if it would be that easy.
“It would be easier if you just let us merge and I will be able to tell right away.”
“What you ask, for me, is more intimate than kissing. Just because you come from a culture that brushes souls on a regular basis doesn’t mean I do.”
“And yet you do. I have decided I won’t leave until merge energy. To be sure,” he stated.
“You know this whole merge to know bit you guys have really just means you’re a bunch of horn dogs.”
He laughed and shook his head. “Horn dogs?”
“Chera told me the phrase once. It totally applies.”
I let my eyes slide down him; debating my desire over the firm knowledge this stubborn man would be more trouble than he was worth.
“Hate to disappoint you, but a roll between the sheets doesn’t evaporate all my shields. Nothing can make me drop all my internal protections. Certainly not enough to establish a demon bonding.”
He stepped close to me, leaned forward without touching. Held his head near my ear and said, “That sounds like a challenge. I imagine you can hold those shields when you ‘roll’ with fae or humans. I am neither and my nature is partly your nature. If I go slow enough I am sure we can strip you of every… last… one.”
I shivered, quite welcoming the attempt.
“I’ll do it,” I said. “Obviously you can’t get a hint of this bonding unless I do, so I will. Just don’t push me. I suppose when the next male on the list comes I will just get right to it, until father bores of this idea.”
More than likely I wouldn’t play fair with any of the studs my father threw at me. Just to be contrary. It was ludicrous. Even if I was capable of such a bond, I didn’t want it. Even if he sent me such gorgeous samples did not mean I was inclined to get intimate with one of them or any of them. It was inevitable that I would be going to the Hells to have a chat with my father about this, but I had time to procrastinate on that. That always took some planning. I could not just spin a fae circle and arrive in the Hells like I could into Faerie and likewise I could not get out of the Hells that way either. It was in my nature to always have an escape route or two.
He scowled. “You’re so sure I’m not your mate then?”
“I’m fairly sure I won’t be susceptible.”
“Oh really? Yet, full blooded fae are. Your own mother was.”
“I’m a half-breed and you should know we don’t follow any of the normal rules for any kind. I don’t doubt that the fae do, believe me, but not in the same way demons do right? You’re the ones that feel the bond, not the fae. And I think it requires a deep merging of energy to trigger. That isn’t something easily done. It is simply second nature to guard our essence, since the we only expand our aura to engulf someone else‘s, consume them with an illusion or enchantment. Above all, we don’t allow others to mess with our perception of reality. And this, hormonal or mystical, bond does affect perception.”
“You’re not pure fae,” he said. “I can tell your aura seeks to explore its environment and you hold it at bay. The pure born fae don’t have an expansive aura as part of their senses.”
“Lan, I have been tried and tested since I was a child to make sure I could hold them. All the time, no matter the conditions. Father tried to break them as well. And he did not succeed.” I shrugged. “And the chances of my father being able to hand pick candidates makes it an even slimmer possibility. Even if I am capable of this wilful vulnerability, I doubt very much he would be able to find a match for me.”
He laughed. “Jaylan knew what he was doing. Even before the mating bond is known, there are some symptoms, as soon as there is contact between the pair.”
I scowled. “Well, maybe, but I don’t recall having much contact with you.”
“You wound me, Raylien. It was during the festival of the Hallow Moon. We danced several times, although you were a bit drunk, as you were not accustomed to our wines.”
I studied him closely, but truthfully I didn’t remember much of that night. It was shortly after my ‘arrival’ and I had been blowing off steam. Even in the decade I had been there, I hadn’t paid too much attention to the male demon Hunters, as I was having enough trouble with my numerous brothers, my sisters and testy father. That and plotting my escape. “Huh,” I said.
“I will endeavour to leave a greater impression on you this time,” he said suggestively.
What I did remember is that demons had flirty down to an art. I remember being shocked by it at the time. They were an openly passionate people. To them making love was an art form. I had explored that side of my demon nature while I was there and enjoyed the experiences immensely. That had been all in good fun. No commitment, just mutual enjoyment. That was not what my father wanted. He wanted me bonded to one of his Hunters. Linked forever and claimed by the Hells. I would like to say that so was not going to happen. Unfortunately, if father was making a push for it, it was for some reason I was unaware of.
“I think you have at least succeeded in that. Now, I really should get to this case.”
Lan bowed his head slightly but followed me when I went downstairs. I did my best to ignore him as I booted up my computer. As I logged into the fae data base Lan explored the basement.
When I was online I went to Facebook and changed my status to ‘uninvited guests are a bitch’. Then saw Chera was on chat, but waited to get a hold of her. There were so many diverting applications on the site, but I resisted the temptation. Facebook was an addiction I couldn’t quite shake. Honestly, humans created so many diverting things to escape reality it was amazing they ever had the desire to leave the house. Like the Seelie fae they wrapped themselves in illusions.
It was obvious to the casual eye I spent most of my time in the basement. I had a long, expensive, desk cluttered with books I was currently doing research with. The wall fluttered with a multitude of sticky notes, mostly notations on Unseelie breeds I had yet to enter into my personal database. A very illegal database because the Queen didn’t want humans to know our traits and weaknesses. There was another couch and on a side table, several more books, all fiction. There was a bar along the far wall, with a mini fridge. A pool table centered in the room. A round dining room table, that when I needed I could teleport upstairs, but was used in the basement for causal meetings and poker night.
The small basement windows were covered with thick curtains and all the lighting was soft and indirect. There was a laundry room and two other rooms closed off from the main area. When Lan made his way to the one closed door I called out, “Hey, that is my ritual room, there is an open circle in there. So unless you want to visit Faerie, I would not go in there.”
“You have a direct link to Faerie?”
He sounded so astounded that my lips curled into a smirk.
I focused back on the computer going to my secure site and entering the database I shared with the human Inter police force. Scanning the list of names, descriptions and occupations of all registered fae lower circle half breeds. It hit on several missing Other species over the last couple of months. Other than the five faelings I knew were missing there were five demi-demons and six witches missing. I wasn’t sure whether they were working the cases together and suspected a link, if there even was one, but there was no way I was going to bring my missing faelings to their attention. I wouldn’t wait for them to build a legal case. Not when I knew what would happen to the victims in the interim. When scrolling through the lists made me fear I might go blind I started narrowing my search down with some key words. “Yeah, of course. It’s a long incantation. So I have a permanent one leading to my home that side of the border. I can spin a circle better than most my age, since it helps me get out of trouble, but it expends a great deal of energy. Having a perman
ent one from my home to my plot in Faerie simplifies the matter.”
It saved me a great deal of time and unlike demons it was not easy to just will myself some place. I could, by making myself a circle transport spell. I could do a circle to teleport myself anywhere really, assuming I had a clear idea of where I was going, wasn’t distracted and no one broke my circle in the process. It was far less dangerous for me to use a structured circle or to whip up a circle to take me to my structured one. Far easier to circle to my Faerie patch as well since I had a deep connection to it.
“That is dangerous, Raylien.”
I just grunted. “Don’t demons live for adventure? Anyway, call me Ray.”
Like a computer a circle and the protections could be hacked, if anyone desired to do so. However, like all fae my home was isolated from the rest of Faerie. I had my own little island within the whole of the place. All of Faerie was a sort of patch work quilt of different wills imposed upon it. Unless you knew where you were going and how to go about getting there, a person could be easily lost. Not the sort of place where you could have a map that was accurate for more than a few moments, because strong fae held large portions of the landscape and constantly tried to overwhelm their neighbours.
Ever being the multi-tasker I flipped back to Facebook and onto chat. There was a fae only version of Facebook, but I had contacts throughout the preternatural world and if Chera was online she would be on the Facebook, like everyone her age. Hells, she was likely texting, tweeting and flipping back and forth from Facebook to Tumblr. Lucky for me she was, not that it was surprising. She was a student at the local university and anytime she was on the computer doing research or writing a paper she was also on Facebook. Since her life ran on a human timetable she was usually awake by ten.
-Hey, u up’n about?-
I waited a moment and Chera replied. -Barely. Didn’t I warn u bout unexpected guests?-
-I believe a drunken tarot card reading is not usually taken as reliable.-
-Pls, way more reliable. ;)-
