Witchlight

by Sonya Clark

He wrapped one hand around hers, tightening her grip on his cock. “I didn’t get to see your face the other night. I want to see you come.”

  To her surprise he loosened her hand and lifted her from his lap, pointing her to the bed while he stayed in the chair. She said, “I’m not sure I follow.”

  “I should have said, ‘I want to watch you come.’ As in, make yourself come. Do that for me.”

  It wasn’t exactly an order, but he wasn’t asking, either.

  She licked her lips and brushed her hair back, unsure if she wanted to take things so far. It seemed such an intimate act, somehow far more revealing than having sex with someone else. Every time she threw down a challenge, he tossed it back at her. It was exhilarating going toe-to-toe with someone who could not only keep up with her but push her, as well.

  Vadim said, “Take off your shirt.”

  This time it did sound like an order. Curious about how far they could push each other, she let the garment drop to her feet. Then she stood, silent, watching him with a faint smile.

  He tilted his head to one side, wearing an incredulous look. “Do I need to give you a step-by-step here?”

  Lizzie clasped her hands behind her back and arranged her face in mock innocence. “You seem to be in the mood to give orders. I’m just trying to do what you want.”

  “Okay, then. If that’s what you want.” He wagged a finger at her. “Just remember you gave me the opening. Lose the pretty underthings.”

  She complied without hesitation. Her nipples pebbled in the cool air, or maybe it was his hungry stare that did it. Impatience ticked against her nerves.

  “I want you to run your hands over your skin.” His silken voice had a slight rasp to it that made her wonder just how in control he really was. “Start with your breasts.”

  She followed his every direction, his orders leading her on an exploration of her body. She mapped every line and curve with her fingertips and her palms in a deliberate, erotic display. Every inch of her breasts. The column of her neck and the planes of her stomach. Thighs and calves and even her feet. Up one arm and down the other. Her skin tingled at her touch. The dim blue light and steady rhythm of the music worked alongside the timbre of his voice, all of it ratcheting up the heat of her arousal. He kept his eyes on her the entire time, making her acutely aware of his presence. At some point—she wasn’t aware when—it crossed over into something different. Less carnal, less about putting on a show for the man who stared at her avidly and more about something she couldn’t name.

  “Run your hands through your hair,” he said. “Shake it loose.”

  The soft strands were featherlight on her back, almost unbearably sensuous in her heightened state.

  “Sit on the end of the bed and spread your legs.”

  A sigh escaped as she settled on the bed and pushed her knees apart with her hands.

  “That’s perfect, sweetheart. Just perfect. Now I want you to move your hands up your thighs, nice and slow.”

  Lizzie maintained eye contact with him as she did so but the feeling of being on display was well and truly gone. She felt not just skin but muscle and sinew and all the stupid hours in the gym that were never enough to make up for her favorite ice cream, vanilla with a ribbon of rich caramel.

  “Now farther up. Yes, that’s it.”

  She had better luck with her abs, thanks to crunches and genetics. A faint bruise marred the flesh to the left of her navel. She’d punched herself in the middle of a meltdown—she couldn’t remember which one. The hardest blows were always reserved for parts of her body not normally on display. She ran a fingertip over the mark, shivering.

  “Once more over those lovely breasts, if you please. Then up to your throat.”

  Her breasts were small and firm, the nipples so sensitive at this point she could barely stand to touch them. One hand at her throat, the other resting on the bed, she waited for his next command.

  Vadim left the chair to stand between her knees. “Your jaw. Your cheeks. Touch your face, Lizzie.”

  In all the years she’d relied on pain to keep the magic at bay, no one had ever witnessed one of her meltdowns. Vadim was the first and only. Shame burned the cheeks he wanted her to touch and she couldn’t bring herself to do as he ordered. “Surely there’s someplace more interesting you’d rather I put my hands?”

  “I want you to caress your face.” He knelt and placed his hands on her knees. She flicked her gaze to the wall, the ceiling, everywhere but at him. He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and gently guided her to meet his eyes. Her breath caught at the tenderness she found there. “What I want more than anything is for you to love yourself enough to stop harming yourself. Do you think you could ever do that? Not for me. For yourself.”

  Tears slid down her cheeks. “I can try.” She wiped her face and took a steadying breath. “I want to. I don’t want to keep feeling like this.”

  “I know.” He shook his head, one side of his mouth curling up in a smile. “I feel like an idiot, asking you to fix yourself when I can’t offer any help. I don’t know what to do for you. There’s no spell or charm that can change what you’ve dealt with, or make it go away.” The words came out in a rush. He cupped her face in his hands and brought it to his, kissing her with a tenderness that matched the look in his eyes. “All I know to do is take you as you are, for as long as we’ve got.”

  Emotion welled up inside and threatened to spill out in tears or words she wasn’t sure how to say, or perhaps in inappropriate laughter at the absurdity of it all. This man had meant to blackmail her. How did it get to this?

  Before she could sort out any kind of reaction, Vadim said, “Do you know what we call smoking nightshade?”

  “No.”

  “Dancing with the Goddess.”

  For some reason that made her smile.

  He said, “Nice bit of poetry, isn’t it?” He ran his hands up the outsides of her thighs. “I am an avowed connoisseur of nightshade. Many a full moon and a random Tuesday have found me dancing with the Goddess. But you, sweetheart...” His fingers tiptoed across the top of her thighs and fanned out to caress the insides. Her pulse pounded and she widened her smile. Every part of her felt alive and bright, thrumming with magic.

  “You are the most addictive sweet stuff I’ve ever tasted.”

  “Does that make me your goddess?”

  “It surely must.”

  She leaned over to give him the barest touch of her lips. “I think it’s time you danced with me.”

  “Oh, we’ll get to that. Don’t you worry. Right now, I’m in a worshipful mood.” He moved lower, keeping a firm grip on her thighs.

  Pleasure swamped her senses and shut down all thought as he explored her body with his tongue. At first slow, then teasing, and finally merciless in intensity, he wrung an orgasm from her that left her gasping, collapsed on the bed. She reached for him, intending to take things further, but he gathered her in his arms and held her. Her head resting on his chest, she listened to the sound of his heart beating until they both fell asleep.

  Chapter Twenty

  The council elders had long ago renovated an old storefront for indoor rites and ceremonies. Barely attended for years, in more recent times their esbats had seen an uptick in participation. Vadim understood the need some had to return to “the old ways” or some approximation, at least in theory. Celtic mythology and learning the names of trees did nothing for him personally, but he supposed it was healthier than other possible pursuits. He much preferred drawing down the mirrorball than the moon, but if Zinnia and some of her friends wanted to listen to the elders and stand out in the freezing cold and chant, what the hell. He was just glad tonight’s ceremony was planned for inside.

  Candles and witchlight lit the large space. Cloth in varying shades of purple and hot pink covered t
ables laden with food, wine and champagne. Matching silk streamers hung in a bell shape from a hook in the ceiling at the back wall. A variety of pink-and-white flowers provided more decoration. The plain space looked surprisingly lovely for such a hurried, last-minute event. Vadim spotted a face he hadn’t been sure he’d see tonight and made his way through the other guests.

  He said, “The flowers and the champagne from you?”

  Jason Beckwith smiled. “I was so shocked she let me do anything, I may have gone a bit overboard.” Calla had been slow to build a relationship with her secret brother. They’d had to navigate a lot of difficult territory, not the least of which was Jason’s status as a Normal. Their parents had bought a fake DNA test after losing their first child to the Magic Laws. Jason had an affinity for electric magic, like his sister and Vadim. He was a decent sort and his presence in her life seemed to make Calla happy now that they’d figured out how to be siblings.

  She would lose that if the ordinance passed. A rock settled in Vadim’s stomach, heavy with anger for which he had no outlet. He turned his focus to the reason they were there.

  “Nah.” Vadim returned the smile. “Looks good.” He jerked his chin in the direction of a man about the same age as Jason who was talking to Zinnia several feet away. “That Shawn?”

  Jason’s smile turned deeper and warmer, his eyes glowing with happiness. “Yeah. That’s Shawn.”

  “You met at university, right?”

  Jason nodded. “In the library. He’s a grad student too, just in a different field. I’d see him there all the time but it took me a month to work up the nerve to ask him out.”

  Vadim was silent for a moment. “How long did it take to tell him the truth about you?”

  The smile faded for a moment as Jason gave Vadim a look he’d seen on Calla’s face more times than he could count. It was a mix of mind your own business and go fuck yourself. Delighted to see it on the younger man’s face, Vadim wanted to laugh but didn’t, mindful for once of another’s feelings. Jason said, “That took a bit longer.”

  “But it went okay? That’s the impression I got from your sister, anyway. I mean, it must have.” He gestured at the slender, dark-haired, dark-skinned man in question. “He came with you to this. That’s a pretty big deal, right?”

  Jason watched his boyfriend laugh and chat with Calla’s friends. “I know about the ordinance.”

  “I thought you might, what with tonight’s marquee event.”

  “Calla knows I’ll do whatever I can, no matter what happens.”

  Vadim squeezed his shoulder. “You’re a good brother. I’m glad...well, I’m glad she got to know you.”

  Jason looked at him. “I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but you are in a really weird mood tonight.”

  Vadim chuckled. “Yeah, I guess I am. How are you two here, anyway?”

  “Zinnia’s telling people we’re friends of Nate’s.”

  “So where’s our girl? And our boy?” They were now several minutes late.

  “I don’t know,” Jason said. “But I don’t want to be the one to go looking for them.” A grin brightened his face as he strode to Shawn’s side.

  It was too early for champagne so Vadim served himself a glass of wine. The stuff made him think of Lizzie and down that path lay all manner of uncharacteristic wistfulness. He pinched the bridge of his nose and checked the time on his cell. If they didn’t start the ceremony soon, he was going to have to do something obnoxious to keep from sliding into a maudlin vat of self-pity.

  He followed Jason and draped an arm around Zinnia. “They’re late.”

  “They’ll be here. Don’t you dare suggest she changed her mind.”

  “Oh, I’m sure they’re around here somewhere, fighting or screwing.” He sipped his wine as the others laughed. “I say if they’re not here in five minutes, we start playing Naked Bingo or something. It is, after all, the solstice. Let’s do this right.”

  Zinnia said, “I think Naked Bingo is more of a spring and summer thing.”

  Braeden clapped his hands then clasped them together and pointed both at the side door at the back of the room. “They’re here!”

  Nate and Calla came out of the back room. Calla was radiant in an amethyst dress, her hair its natural blond. Nate hurriedly buttoned his shirt.

  “So they weren’t fighting,” Vadim said. “That’s a good sign.”

  Zinnia lightly punched his shoulder, then stepped away to link arms with Jason and Shawn. Braeden ushered people to their seats, not that many were in attendance. Calla was particular about her friends and a lot of people in FreakTown were still a bit wary of Nate. Vadim had a feeling that was going to change, or at least he hoped it would.

  The handfasting ceremony was brief but lovely, filled with plenty of laughter and a few tears. Calla had been one of Vadim’s strays since she was fourteen. She’d grown into someone he admired as well as trusted. Seeing her eyes shine with happy tears as she pledged herself to a man worthy of her made Vadim slightly ashamed of all the times he’d warned her not to get involved with a Normal. Their hands joined with long strips of pale pink silk, the couple kissed to cheers from the small gathering.

  Vadim waited his turn to congratulate them. He hugged Calla and kissed her cheek. Nate shook his hand. Vadim drew him aside. “What happens if the ordinance passes?”

  “Nothing. I’ve already made my decision.”

  “You mean about your citizenship?”

  “I’ve got a lawyer helping me. We’re going to use the guidelines that are in place for a parent who decides to move to a zone with their Magic Born child.”

  “So you’re doing this, no matter what?”

  “Why are you so surprised? You know how I feel about Calla.”

  “I’m not surprised. I don’t know.” Vadim raised his glass in Calla’s direction. “Go. Dance with your lady.” Nate started to walk away but Vadim thought of something and grabbed his arm. “Come see me when you’re ready. I’ve got good contacts, I can help you with a job.” At the dubious look Nate gave him, he added, “A legit job.” He laughed. “Go on. And congratulations.”

  “Thank you. And I will come talk to you about a job. I appreciate that.” Nate shook his hand again and returned to Calla’s side.

  Vadim thought about heading back to Sinsuality for the solstice party underway. He knew he should at least put in an appearance but the truth was, he didn’t want to take the time. He needed a hit of the sweet stuff and these days, that meant Lizzie.

  The trains were slow and clogged with people despite the cold. He kept moving the entire length of the trip across the city. Tapping a foot, his fingers on the handhold, shifting his weight and walking from one car to another. He changed trains in Midtown, shuffling through the crowd as best he could.

  A group of teenagers, well-dressed and out for a night of unsupervised fun, caught his eye. Or rather, what they were watching drew his attention. Enchanted graffiti spread across a section of the grungy subway station wall, images of glittering flowers sprouting one after another. One of the kids, a boy in a dark-green coat, touched a finger to a confetti rose. It brightened at the contact, then spread out from the wall to hang in the air. Pleased laughter sounded from the teens.

  A transit cop approached the kids, who quickly scattered. The last flower in the graffiti chain reworked itself into the words Tyler was here before dissolving. Vadim kept his face impassive while his heart nearly burst from his chest.

  It took another forty minutes to finish the trip thanks to the slow trains, then another ten of half running, half walking at a hurried clip through the sedate neighborhood. At the end of the drive he sent a pulse of energy into the lights inside the house, a friendly hello.

  Her greeting was even better. Lizzie pulled him through the door and into her arms with a fierce kiss, her teeth
nipping at his lower lip. He trailed a hand south to cup her bottom.

  “You’re late.” She bit his earlobe none too gently.

  “The trains are running for shit.” He stepped away and shrugged out of his coat.

  “Well, I’m glad you’re here now, Vadya.” She said the name with an awkward deliberateness.

  “What did you just call me?”

  “I called you Vadya. I was reading about Russian names and it’s one of the diminutives for Vadim.”

  He knew that, of course, but the level of familiarity, of intimacy, that using such a nickname implied surprised him. “So you have a pet name for me now?”

  “It’s not a pet name. It’s just another name for you, that’s all.” She backed up against the wall.

  He stalked across the space between them. “Say it again.”

  “I don’t have to call you that if you don’t want me to.”

  He stood before her and placed his hands on the wall on either side of her head. “Say it again.” He grinned. “Please.”

  Her lips twitched in amusement. She knew she had him, and she knew he knew it. “Vadya.”

  The sound of it was a caress that touched him in all the right places. He took another step, their lips fitting together perfectly in a kiss as sweet as it was sensual. She darted her tongue in and out of his mouth, teasing, drawing him in ever closer. As if she had to work that hard to bring him to the edge. She could do it with a look. Her fingers curled in the hair above his nape, her body molded to his.

  Then she was gone, having squirmed out of his grasp while his head was still muddled. “What would you like to talk about first?”

  “There’s to be talking? Really?” He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the stairs.

  “Of course there’s to be talking. Now tell me about your day.” She stopped at the bottom step.

  This teasing business from her was new. He couldn’t decide if he liked it or not. “You have an odd sense of humor.”

  She raised an elegant eyebrow, waiting—he supposed for him to tell her about his day.