by Jeff Hale
“Cain’t it wait? Fer jus’ a while longer?” She pulled me back down to the couch and then maneuvered herself so that she was sitting on my lap, legs hanging off my right leg, arms draped across my shoulders around my neck. I put my left arm around her waist to help hold her in place. She leaned down and started nibbling on my neck, occasionally playing her tongue across it, causing tingles to swarm over my body.
“Yeah. Yeah it can wait,” I whispered. I looked at her and allowed myself to be completely taken in by her eyes again and the promises they held. I reached up with my right hand and caressed her face, pushing away an errant strand of hair while I was at it. I placed my hand on the back of her head and gently pulled her close.
She leaned in and kissed me, softly at first, nibbling on my lips with hers, then she opened her mouth and I did the same. Soon we were kissing each other passionately, desperately moving our mouths and tongues in concert with one another. She moaned softly at one point, and I tasted salt. I pulled back and realized she was crying.
“You okay?” I asked softly.
“Yeah. Jus’… happy. I’ve missed ya so much. Ya have no idea. I was so scared before… but now I feel safe. I know you’ll keep me safe. I knew that, even as Celeste.”
I just smiled slightly and then resumed kissing her, then I shifted my angle and started to nibble on the right side of her neck, eventually biting at it tenderly. She moaned softly again. I moved my right hand down to the left side of her neck and caressed it, slowly moving down to her shoulder.
I pushed the strap of her shirt aside and pushed the shirt down some, reaching inside and cupping her breast in my hand. I felt her body stiffen and heard her let out another moan, louder this time. I rubbed at her breast and continued to nibble on her neck. She moved her head and used her hand to pull my face towards hers. She started kissing me again while I continued to fondle her.
She removed her arms from around my neck and shoulders and started tugging at my shirt to pull it off. I stopped everything I was doing and raised my arms to make it easier on her. After she had gotten rid of it, I pulled her top off of her, and then unsnapped her bra and pulled it off.
Not able to resist any further, I buried my face in her bare breasts, lavishing them with attention. I dropped one of my hands to her thigh and then moved it cautiously under her skirt, ready to stop if she indicated as much. She didn’t, so I let my hand explore further, feeling her shudder against me. She put a finger under my chin and pushed slightly, telling me that she wanted my attention elsewhere. She started to kiss me, and then quickly moved to bite at my neck, her teeth sinking in harder as my hand continued its play. Her hands were on my back and I felt her nails dig into my skin. Obviously not able to take it any longer she suddenly stood and gave me that mischievous grin that promised many things. She knelt and unbuttoned and unzipped my pants with her teeth. Smiling up at me, she pulled them off.
“Still not wearing underwear?”
“No.”
“Hmmm. Not complaining, mind ya.” It was her turn to tease me and she seemed to relish doing it. When she felt I’d had enough, she stood again and I unzipped her skirt. It fell down to her feet, revealing a lacey thong.
“Nice,” I commented in appreciation.
“Ya like it? I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about it.”
“Not what I’d expect from you but… I like it.”
“Good.”
“Not that it’s gonna be there for long,” I said, divesting her of it.
She giggled and I picked her up and carried her to the couch. When our bodies fused together, her eyes widened a bit, and I knew exactly why.
“Um, Serena? You’re…”
“A virgin? Again? How?”
“I don’t know… not gonna complain though.”
“Of course you wouldn’t.”
“We don’t have to…”
“No. It’s okay. Go ahead.” She clenched her eyes closed and bit her lip. I felt the same snap I had felt all those years ago and she looked up at me with fresh tears on her cheeks. “I love ya,” she whispered.
“I love you, too,” I whispered back.
We made love several times that evening. Each time seemed more intense than the last, each time more pleasurable than the last as we tried different things to please each other and enjoy the experience of having each other again.
_________________________________
I lay on the couch, Serena held close to me, as we lazed after our last bout of lovemaking. We’d fallen asleep there the night before and when she’d woken me with her kisses, I was almost noon. I stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. I started to get up but she groaned in protest.
“Do we have ta get up?” she whined.
“Yeah. I need to check in with Raven. For all I know I have a paying client waiting for me,” I said as I got up and started pulling my clothes back on. I looked back as I did so and watched her stretch on the couch, admiring the view and etching it into my memory. “Not that I want to. I’d much rather stay right here for the rest of my life. The view’s nice.”
She caught my meaning and swatted me in the small of my back. She kept playfully punching me in various spots on my back, smiling all the while.
“Perv. Well, can I at least drive ya?” She stood and started to pull on her clothing as well. I pouted visibly when she put her bra back on. She stuck her tongue out at me. “Ya want ta continue looking at those ya can jus’ stay here. Then ya can look at ‘em all ya want,” she teased, pulling her bra down just enough to show a bit more skin.
“Aaaggh. I can’t. Darlin’, you have to understand how badly I want these moments to last forever. I mean, I’m afraid if I go away you won’t be here when I get back. I still can’t believe you’re here. But I have to get back to my life. It’s been postponed for too long now what with you and the trial and everything.”
“No. I know you’re right. So can I drive ya?”
“Sure. Why not? Maybe we can get Raven to look into what you’ve been seeing.”
“Sounds good. Hey, maybe I can drive ya on yer case? Ya say ya don’t drive, and Raven is usually off on her own cases, ya need transportation, right? Ya cain’t be teleporting everywhere, can ya?”
“Absolutely not! Didn’t you catch the part where I’m trying to keep you away from all this?” I didn’t even want to think about what losing her again might do to me.
“Yeah, but…”
“No, Ser. Just, no. Okay? It’s gonna be dangerous enough us being together.”
“Fine. Anyway, shall we?” she asked, heading towards the door, grabbing up her purse as she did so. I just stared at her, willing this to not end, but knowing it had to.
“Yeah. Sure.” I followed her out and locked the door behind me, then out to her car which was one of those new convertible VW bugs. It was a dark forest green, and as I got in I noticed that the seats had covers with unicorns on them as did the floor mats and the steering wheel cover. She started the car up and Roxette’s “Fading like a Flower” came from the speakers. I groaned inwardly as she dropped the ragtop.
I had a certain image to maintain, so I reached down and switched the stereo so that it was playing the radio. I then switched the station until I heard Rob Zombie’s distinctive voice singing “Living Dead Girl”. I nodded in satisfaction as Serena gave me a horrified look.
“Absolutely not! This is mah car and we’ll listen ta what I want ta.”
“Fine. I can walk.” I started to get out of the car and Serena reached and grabbed for my arm.
“No, it’s fine. I guess. Jus’… what’s wrong with Roxette?”
“Nothing really. I will never admit I like them, and I’ll never listen to them while others can hear it and see me at the same time.”
“Why not?”
“Image.” I shrugged.
“That is so lame.”
“Maybe, but it’s who I am. Deal with it. At least I quit smoking.” I didn’t even look at her as I said it because I already knew wh
at her opinion would be on that.
“Ya were smoking?!”
And there it is.
“Yeah, but I quit… about a year ago now, I think. Kat didn’t like the smell on me while we were together for that short time. So I quit. Never really missed it either,” I admitted.
“Whatever. So why this noise? It’s… offensive at best,” she said, quickly changing the subject from Kat. I got the impression that she didn’t like the idea of Kat and me as a couple. At all. Might have to do with the fact that she saw us kissing. And that Kat was her friend.
“I like it, that’s why. I told you, I changed since you died.”
“I cain’t believe that anyone would like this stuff.”
“I can’t believe that anyone would still listen to music almost twenty years old.”
“That song is not almost twenty years old!”
“Yeah, sure.”
“It isn’t,” she said, mock pouting as she pulled us out of the driveway.
“So. Still into the unicorn thing, huh?” I asked, flicking the unicorn air freshener she had dangling from the mirror.
“Yeah. So? Somethin’ wrong with unicorns now?” She sounded hurt.
“What, besides the fact that they would run you through on sight? No. Of course not, I was just wondering.”
“Oh. Yeah, I’m actually studyin’ them on the side now. I was thinkin’ about going inta cryptozoology since all of this stuff ended up being real, but it would have taken me away from… wait. I just realized, I could do it now. I could go inta cryptozoology, and specialize in unicorns! I don’t have Travis holding me back anymore.”
“That’s true.” I nodded.
“Oh no. But what about ya? I couldn’t stand being away from ya anymore. Ya have yer business here and…”
“Ser. Stop. You do what you really want to do. We can visit whenever you want to. I can fly and teleport, and failing that, I can always get a private jet through some of my connections.” Anything, as long as she got to have as close to normal of a life as possible.
“I don’t know. The idea of becoming a doctor here isn’t bad either. I can help people that way.”
“Like I said, do what you want. But… I won’t complain if you became a doctor here. You could wear one of those sexy outfits to bed.”
“Ricky! Is that all ya think about?”
“Come on, tell me you weren’t thinking the same thing.”
“Okay, maybe a little.” She giggled and blushed. I pointed for her to turn and a few minutes later to turn into the parking lot of the complex that the office was part of.
“We’re here.” I got out of the car as she put the top back up and locked it up. I headed in, holding the door open for Serena. Raven was in her office on the phone. She was constantly hustling clients, trying to get more money or pull people from other similar agencies, which wasn’t hard considering our unique agents.
Most similar agencies were run by sorcerers, though there was a rumored agency that was run by a vampire, a werelioness, and a rakshasa. Supposedly they were also a love triangle. That was just… weird.
I waved and she held up a finger, indicating she wouldn’t be very much longer. A few minutes later she hung the phone up and came into my office where I was busy showing Serena what I did every day now.
“Celeste! Good to see you again,” she said as she entered.
“Um. Mah name’s Serena,” she corrected.
“Oh! Someone should have told me,” Raven said, pointedly looking in my direction.
I just shrugged. “You assumed and greeted her before I could say anything,” I said. “Got anything for me?”
“Nah, nothing right now. Business is unusually slow.”
“Weird. Anyway, I have a favor to ask,” I said hesitantly. After what I had asked in regards to getting into the Fae realms, I wasn’t sure how she would react.
“Another one? Aren’t we just racking up a debt.” Raven gave me a calculating look. “Not that I mind. What is it this time?”
“Serena’s been having some strange… visions of a sort.” I motioned for Serena to fill Raven in, which she did, quickly and concisely, leaving no detail out.
“I have never heard of anything like that. Are you sure you’re not just insane? Maybe you came back broken,” Raven said bluntly.
Serena looked confused, and then hurt, her eyes shimmering with tears.
“Raven,” I said in warning.
“What? Like that’s not a possibility? I mean, not everything is supernatural just because the Aether is more prevalent you know. But whatever, I’ll check into it, see if any of my kind have heard of anything like that.” She sighed, obviously believing it to be a waste of her time.
“She’s right, Rick. It could jus’ be me. Maybe I did come back wrong and that’s why I’m feelin’ that way,” Serena said, putting her head into her hands as if she had a bad headache.
“No. I think that maybe you came back and something tried to follow you. We really don’t know what happens when we die. We know that in some cases the soul goes into the Aetheric Winds to be recycled and is eventually reincarnated. But not all souls have that happen, and we have no idea what happens to them. You were obviously not reincarnated, so you went to wherever the other place is.”
“Purgatory,” Raven said.
“What?” Serena looked up at Raven in surprise.
“Name sound familiar?”
“Yeah. Kind of. I think. I don’t know,” Serena muttered.
“What is it?” I asked
“A legend at worst, a rumor at best. But a possible lead. I’ll look into it.” Raven turned to leave.
“Thanks. I owe you one,” I said as she left.
She turned and looked at me. “Anytime. And that’s two you owe me. When are you paying up?” she asked, shooting a quick glance Serena’s way.
“Business. Remember?”
“Yeah. Whatever.” She closed the door as she left my office.
“Wow. She is just… wow. I cain’t get over it, especially since I don’t like girls that way. Except her maybe. Does she always dress like that?” Serena asked, staring after Raven through the window as she left the building. Raven had been wearing vinyl hotpants and a black bikini top.
“Yeah. Pretty much. Not like you dress all that conservatively,” I pointed out and Serena just shrugged.
“And you’ve been able ta resist that every day since ya guys started working together? I wanted ta touch her when we were in the court room,” she admitted, her cheeks going pink.
“Yep.”
“How?”
“I keep reminding myself that she’s a fae and can’t be trusted in a relationship, ever.”
“Who said anything about a relationship? I’m about as straight as they come and even I want ta do her.” Serena licked her lips.
“Ser!” Great. Now Raven’s got my girlfriend lusting after her.
“Well, it’s true!”
“Calm down. One last stop, I need to talk to Lucien about this. I don’t want you going near that place though, just in case Henry and his group are still there. I know Darien placed his protection over us, but I don’t want to test it, so if you could stay home for this one?”
“Okay. I’ll wait up fer ya.”
“Please do.”
“I’ll have ice cream an’ whip cream waiting. Maybe I’ll make mahself a sundae.”
“As in…?” Naughty images flashed through my mind.
“Yeah.” She gave me that crooked grin that promised the right kind of mischief.
“I could be a long while,” I warned her.
“So call me when you’re on yer way home.”
“Okay, then.”
I rode with her back to her house, just to make sure she got home okay. Travis was still in the hospital, so she had the place to herself, at least for now. She headed into the house, and I teleported to the Flame. I waited for a while and eventually got told by one of the Cyclopes that Lucien was in meditati
ons to finalize the magic that would complete the renovations of the club for tonight. I did find out that Henry was long gone though. I knew I’d have to come back later to talk to Lucien. Maybe tonight when the club was open.
I went back to the house and found Serena asleep on the couch, TV still on. I pulled the blanket that was on the back of the couch over her and turned the TV off. I sat down in the recliner and watched her sleep. A few hours later she sat up, screaming. I immediately went to her and put my arms around her. She hit me several times and pushed me away.
“Whoa! Serena! It’s me. It’s Ricky, it’s okay. You’re okay now,” I said, standing back up.
She didn’t even recognize me, and she kept screaming, staring at something I couldn’t see. I switched to my Aetheric Sight and still didn’t see anything, until I noticed what I wasn’t seeing. There was a small tear in the Aether near Serena. A tear where nothing existed. The Aether was dead in that spot.
Serena finally stopped screaming, and started sobbing instead. I cautiously put my arm around her to try and comfort her again. This time she wrapped her arms around me and buried her head into my chest, taking in great shuddering sobs.
“It’s horrible, Ricky. They’re everywhere, and they want me. They want ta devour me,” she whispered tearfully.
“It’s okay. We’re going to find out what’s going on. Come on, Raven may not have a clue. But I know someone who might.” I stood and headed towards the stairs. I needed to get cleaned up.
Serena followed me and watched me shower. She didn’t want to be alone and I couldn’t blame her. I knew for a fact now that she was seeing something. The question was what, and why could she see it when no one else could?
“You might want to get cleaned up too, and dress to go clubbing. This is one of Lucien’s open nights for the club, and at this time of night it’s going to be busy, especially with the reopening.”
“Rick. I don’t feel like….” She shook her head, her face still pale.
“Just do it. You’ll thank me later, I guarantee it. It’ll help take your mind off of it. Trust me.”
“What’s the point? Not like you’re going ta dance with me anyway.”
