“Imps, elemental demons, greater demons and their lords,” Lisa answered quickly. “But I guess the casualty rate was pretty high. Finally, when only a handful of human fighters remained, one of the strongest fighters, who had the gift of second sight, decided he’d had enough. Our numbers dwindled under the persistent onslaught. If all we did was fight off invasions, humanity wouldn’t last much longer. So he brought together two others, with different talents, and devised a way of closing a tear as it developed. That way we could stop invasions before they happened. So the first Three was born.”
“The Three?”
Lisa ticked off the roles by rout. “One Visionary, who can see what is to come and can remember what needs to be done to seal the tear. An Empath who can both sense emotions in others and channel his or her own emotions into others. And finally a Catalyst, who is able to bind and amplify the powers of the other two. Once the first Three met with success, they trained other surviving fighters to do the same. Somehow this first Three were able to imprint those abilities on the souls of the others so that even after reincarnation we could regroup and fight on.”
“Where is this all coming from?” For a moment Janice was truly frightened for her friend. It couldn’t be possible but Lisa believed. You could hear it in every word she uttered.
“Julian and Tim. Mainly Julian. He’s our Visionary, so he remembers everything. But he can pull members of his Three into his visions when he needs to. So I’ve seen some of it firsthand. Kinda like what your Ryuu did with you.”
“He’s not my Ryuu,” Janice said in quick retort, though an image of Ryuu’s nude form from her last dream contradicted the statement. She should’ve known Lisa’s guys were involved. But she’d never thought the two men were delusional. Sexy, horny and possessive, yeah. Delusional, not so much.
“Looks like he’s yours from this angle. He’s probably been yours for several lifetimes and probably wonders why he’s not considered yours right now.”
“Well you better look again.” Janice scooted back, straightening her legs and stretching out. “I’m here with Eric, remember? The guy you were trying to convince me to consider marriage to before I came out here. That Eric.”
“And what part of the number three are you not getting? The way these things work out, since you’re already involved, I’d bet Eric is your Catalyst.” She stopped, letting Janice absorb that before tossing her own words back at her. “Think of it as a two for one sale. You’re the one who pushed me to have at it with my two boys. Now sounds like you’ve got your own chance. What do you think about that?”
“I think you’re crazy,” she growled, refusing to acknowledge Lisa’s reminder of what she’d told her friend when Lisa was faced with two guys chasing her. And that was a different situation anyway. The two guys in question were already a couple, a highly sexed and motivated couple who wanted Lisa and each other. Eric with Ryuu was so not gonna happen, no matter what her subconscious might want in dreams. He wasn’t a homophobe or anything but she couldn’t picture him wanting to get it on with another guy. His macho persona wouldn’t stand for it. “I think all the wild nights of sex have melted what brains you started out with, that’s what I think.”
Lisa sighed. “I didn’t think this would be easy. I wish I was there with you. You could use a friend right now, someone who isn’t trying to get in your pants for whatever reason. I’m passing you to Tim. Maybe he can convince you or at least give you a better understanding of where you fit into the equation.”
“And why would he be able to get me to buy into your schizophrenic episode?”
“He’s our Empath. He can talk to you about things you already experience. Maybe then you’ll understand what’s happening. Because you’ve gotta get it through that thick skull of yours pretty quick. If something big enough to kidnap a woman is getting through the tear you guys have up there, time is something you don’t have.”
Janice snorted but didn’t argue. Her story did sound insane but something about it resonated with Janice. Her smart-ass core might not want to hear it but that tiny romantic spark hidden deep in her heart flickered with possibilities. Past lives and loves that followed you through time. A never-ending love. If only an emotion could actually last that long.
“Hello.” Tim’s melodic voice sent shivers down her spine even long-distance. Her best friend would shack up with sex on a stick. And she would expect her best friend to listen to him.
“Hey, Tim,” she replied, proud of how normal her voice sounded. “So are you in on this thing too?”
His chuckle sent another wave of shivers through her. Damn, he was almost as good as Eric at phone voice. “Sorry to say. But at least we were able to pull things together and get the job done in time to stop the invasion here in Vegas. Sounds like you three are cutting it close up north.”
“Listen, I might, and I mean might, buy that Ryuu can see the future. But the whole saving the world from demons crap, get real.” She laughed, a sudden image of herself all in black leather wielding a silver sword the size of her arm flashing through her mind. “And I’m certainly no demon hunter.”
Tim’s masculine laughter boomed again, louder this time. “What a sick mental picture that makes. Bad BDSM movie night. Not a hunter. That’s not what an Empath does anyway. We feel. We channel strong emotions, hopefully positive but it can be negative if we’re not careful. You can’t tell me that you don’t feel the emotions of those around you, that you don’t know the good or bad that’s in their hearts. Lisa might not have noticed right away but you can’t hide from one of your own. We know what to look for. We also understand how hard that ability really is to deal with.”
She flashed on the moment when her ex had come home and she’d known that he’d cheated on her. She felt his satisfaction, both sexual and emotional. She’d known that his sense of accomplishment at getting away with something far outweighed his guilt at possibly hurting her. And she’d known that whatever love he’d once held for her had died.
Yes, she knew what people were feeling, whether she wanted to or not. Whether she admitted it to herself or not. And she knew how fleeting those emotions were.
Tim continued without waiting for an answer, “As an Empath, you can channel those emotions. You can draw away anger, fear or hate. You can give out and expand on love, security and joy. You’ve probably been doing this instinctively in your job for years.”
“Which is also how I work with the Catalyst and the Visionary to save the world,” she replied, repeating word for word what Lisa had told her earlier. “What do we do, stand around the crystal ball and chant?”
“Well the Visionary does do some chanting but believe me when I say you don’t really notice it. And doing it while standing would be difficult. You’d have to have some serious strength, stamina and at least one very limber participant.”
“Huh?”
“Sex.” His voice oozed seduction as he drew out that single word. “You have sex. The emotions released during sex close the tear.”
“The three of us? Together?” she squeaked. Sure, she got the whole two guy thing in theory but doing them at once could save the world? Again her dreams teased the edges of her mind. Could they be memories?
Tim chuckled. “We don’t call it a Three for nothing.”
Images of a nude Eric and Ryuu, wrapped around each other with mouths fused, danced through her head. Okay, insanity had some definite advantages. As long as it was a mutual insanity. “So all I have to do to stop a demon invasion of apocalyptic proportion is have sex with two attractive men at the same time. Sounds like one hell of a deal to me. You do realize if you were one of the men in question I’d never believe a word coming out of your mouth. As it is I have to ask, are they paying you?”
“Nope, but they should since they so owe me.” Finally the laughter faded from his voice. “And it isn’t just sex. There is a ritual involved that the Visionary knows how to set up. And you’re not saving the whole world, just San Francisco.”
“You comprehend how this sounds. I mean, my sarcasm isn’t going over your head now is it?”
“Oh no, I can hear it practically dripping through the line. Doesn’t change the truth of the matter or the fact that if Julian’s visionary dream comes true you’ll all die. So you can either listen to me, go talk to your Visionary and figure out how to get your Catalyst on board, or Lisa will be planning your memorial. Since there won’t be a body, we won’t have to worry about funeral planning.”
Morbid curiosity had her asking, “What did he see exactly?”
“Something that would make the San Francisco earthquake and inferno of 1906 look like a cakewalk. But why listen to us? Talk to this Ryuu guy. If he’s your Visionary he’d know. Talking couldn’t hurt, right?”
She thought about the look on Eric’s face when he found her kissing Ryuu. “Right, it couldn’t hurt.” But it could break my heart.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Empty, his home sat empty. His heart felt empty. His life was empty. And to top it all off, he was a failure. He’d dared go for broke and lost. He couldn’t even picture what to do from here. All possible futures stretched out in bleak desolation. So Ryuu sat in his living room, staring down at his clutched hands, struggling to form some contingency plan. There must be something, some path he hadn’t considered. His mind raced as he tested out different strategies. He wanted to sprint downstairs, kick down Janice’s door and make certain that she wasn’t leaving. Force her to stay if he had to. He’d called the front desk and told them to contact him the minute she started to check out. So far, she was staying in her room.
He consoled himself by saying that her not leaving had to be a good sign. But if so, why did it feel like someone had ripped a hole in his gut?
He had to admit his plan had blown up in his face. He’d miscalculated every stage in a colossal way and had no one to blame but himself. First, they didn’t recognize him. They felt none of the kinship that warmed his soul. And neither one of them accepted his advances. At this point he might even be doing damage to the relationship they’d built together. Now the demons had Ishi and Janice didn’t believe anything he told her. Worse, she thought he was certifiable.
There had to be something he could do or say to salvage the situation. They didn’t have time for this. Ishi didn’t have time. Even if he lost them, he couldn’t lose his city too.
Bang. The knock rattled his door, bringing him to his feet. He hadn’t seen Janice coming back to him at all. Her future still sat too undecided. But he couldn’t help but hope as he calmed himself and went to answer the door.
Eric stood at the other side, fists clenched and at the ready. Ryuu barely had time to step aside before he shouldered his way in.
“Isn’t it a bit late to discussing business?” Ryuu asked as he closed the door, not bothering to lock it. Either he’d heard about Janice being attacked or she’d told him about earlier. Either way, it didn’t take an Empath to see how upset he was.
“We need to talk,” Eric said through gritted teeth, vibrating with agitation as he locked eyes with Ryuu.
“About what exactly?” he stalled. He had to read this situation carefully and his track record in that area was pretty shitty at the moment. “I got the impression that the last thing you wanted to do was talk to me.”
“That’s what I want to discuss,” Eric growled, stepping close. He used his height and presence as a weapon aimed at intimidation. “We need to clear the air, you and I. You need to understand about what happened and what is not going to happen again.”
So this isn’t about Janice, at least not about this evening and Janice. “Well you’re going to have to be clearer than that.”
“What do you think you’re doing with the two of us?” Eric accused, shoving a finger against his chest. “Do you get off on tearing people apart, seeing if you can shoulder your way in and take one or the other?”
Ryuu felt his temper rise as Eric challenged his honor. How dare he say something like that? He should damn well know better. He valued his loyalty and honesty above all else. In many of his past lives those were all he had. If Eric would just remember already there wouldn’t be any questions. He reached out and slapped Eric’s hand away from him. He stepped closer, chest bumping chest. “I’ve been very clear about what I want and it isn’t a game. I want you both. I don’t want to tear you apart or steal anyone. I want to be with you, both of you together. I want you to make room for me in both your hearts. Why can’t you get that through that thick skull of yours?”
“Because you barely know either one of us.” Eric sneered, not backing down one iota. “Lust is a game if that’s all there is. And you can’t tell me there’s more to it. I don’t want you hurting Janice by playing games with her. I won’t let you.”
Ryuu snorted, shoving his chest against Eric again. “You won’t let me. That’s rich. Like you could do a damn thing to stop me if I put my mind to it. And let’s not delude ourselves. You might want to protect Janice but it’s your own chastity that you’re really defending.”
Eric didn’t budge. He continued glaring down at Ryuu. “Fuck you.”
A smirk twisted Ryuu’s lips as he tilted his head up, considering. “That’s what I keep trying to do but you keep resisting.” He reached down with one hand to cup the growing hardness that the other man’s black jeans couldn’t hope to restrain. “You shouldn’t, you know. Not when it’s so obvious that you don’t want to.”
Utter panic widened Eric’s eyes as he hopped back, nearly stumbling over his own feet. “Quit with that shit already,” he gasped. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. When are you going to stop playing around? We have work here. That’s all. Anything more is harassment.”
“When are you going to realize that I’m not playing?” Ryuu snarled, all the pent-up stress and frustration bubbling to the surface. “Screw work. Screw the hotel. Fucking screw everything. I want you. I want Janice. I miss having the two of you in my life. It’s been so damned lonely, I don’t know how I’ve survived. Sometimes I feel like I’m losing my mind. Try for one second to understand that I mean what I’m saying.”
Eric stood speechless as Ryuu came closer to him again. “I know you’re scared, or at least upset, with how I make you feel.” Ryuu grabbed Eric’s shoulders, shaking him and keeping him from retreating again. “But you’ve got to understand the truth in what I’m saying. I’m completely serious and it’s insulting to think that you can brush off my feelings as some kind of juvenile prank.”
“It’s not the same,” Eric said as he tried to shrug off Ryuu’s grip. “I’ve known Janice for months. I know I love her. There’s not a doubt in my mind. You might want us but you know nothing about us.”
“Let me ask you something.” Ryuu angled a bit closer, pleased that Eric still couldn’t quite manage to break his embrace. It was almost as if he wasn’t really trying. “Think about the first time you met Janice, the first time you spoke to her. How did you feel about her?”
Taking him seriously, Eric waited a moment before answering. “I thought she was attractive. She was hardworking and had an excellent professional reputation.”
Ryuu rolled his eyes at the halfhearted reply. “You’re giving me a description. I’m talking feelings here.”
“If you’re asking me if it was love at first sight, of course not. That shit doesn’t happen in real life.”
“But you liked her,” Ryuu said. No way was he going to allow Eric to cop out on this one. “You might even have felt drawn to her. You wanted to be around her.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Eric shrugged his shoulders, finally freeing himself from Ryuu’s grasp. “I wouldn’t have asked her out if there wasn’t some chemistry there. Why?”
Ryuu reached up again, this time sinking his fingers in Eric’s hair, dislodging the tie and setting it flowing around his shoulders. Silky, it wrapped around his hand like a living thing. “That’s exactly how I feel about the two of you.”
Eric
opened his mouth to argue more but Ryuu sealed it with his own. Ryuu kept the kiss gentle, not a battle to be won or a conquest but a soft seduction of warm flesh on flesh. He lapped at Eric’s tongue, the rough slide pulling a moan from the core of Eric’s being. Eric tasted so familiar, rich and spicy. Even his scent, a mixture of woodsy cologne and pure male musk, lured Ryuu to make deeper contact. He sucked at Eric’s tongue, drawing it into his own mouth to savor.
Eric melted under the erotic ploy, sinking into Ryuu, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into a tight embrace.
The moment Ryuu’s straining cock rubbed against Eric’s any semblance of control he might have had flew out the window. Knowing he caused the other man’s erection sent a sharp spike to his own arousal. Ryuu growled. Leaving one hand in Eric’s hair, he slammed the man’s mouth down on his own. His other hand slid down to clutch at Eric’s hard, round ass. He couldn’t wait to see it, touch it, bite it.
Fuck it.
“I promised myself I wouldn’t do this. I swore,” Eric growled. But he didn’t try to pull away.
“Damare! Shut up and enjoy it already,” Ryuu snarled back. He’d had enough. It wasn’t as if things weren’t a screwed up mess already anyway. At least he could have this one thing before the world went to hell. Literally.
He shoved his hand between the two of them again, this time reaching for Eric’s zipper. He brushed his knuckles against the bulge. Eric gasped and jerked. The sound of the metal teeth giving way under the pressure of his hardening cock echoed through the room like a gunshot. No turning back.
Ryuu sealed Eric’s mouth with his own, reaching to pull out the man’s cock. He held it in his hand, savoring the weight and heat of it. Ryuu traced the head with his thumb and gave the length two short strokes. Eric tore his mouth away with a harsh groan. He gripped Ryuu’s shoulders and spun around, slamming Ryuu back against the wall. His frantic hands jerked at Ryuu’s shirt, ripping at buttons and whipping it over Ryuu’s head the moment he had it loose. Rough, calloused thumbs stroked Ryuu’s nipples.
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