by Alix Sharpe
He exhaled and released the melancholy memories floating behind his yellow-green eyes. A small, hopeful smile grew on his lips.
“Are you going to share why you’ve only had one-night stands, since we’re sharing?” he asked, wrapping his hands around his knees.
She felt a twinge in her chest. He hadn’t said it in an accusatory way like she had. He genuinely wanted to know, even though he might not like the answer. It felt as if maybe he wanted to know how to break that cycle. She knew he wanted her, but maybe he wanted more than just one night.
She could give in, right now, but she wasn’t sure she was strong enough to break from his grasp if she did.
“The nightmares. The premonitions, like with my Ex,” she said. “I’ve had them with every single one. Not cheating, not always. Sometimes it’s a drinking problem, sometimes it’s a money problem, and one time, it was a crystal meth problem. After one night with a man, I always see how it ends.”
“Shit,” he said, smile fading. Guess that wasn’t what he was expecting.
“Makes it hard to start building something you know is just going to burn down later.”
“That sounds like a blessing and a curse,” he said.
“Yeah,” she let out a shuddering sigh, “And of course fate would see fit to make me a Diviner. My job literally forces me to seek the future when all I want to do is be blissfully ignorant of it. The irony. But at the same time, seeing it helps me stay strong. Stops me from being weak like before. I’m trapped in these visions.”
He tilted his head forward and caught her gaze. “Then don’t let it trap you. This shit is weighing you down, Keira. We can’t change the past, you even said so. And the future isn’t even promised, so why worry about it? I thought you hated being confined, boxed in.”
He paused for a moment, running his hand over the back of his neck as if deciding what to say next.
“I have an idea,” he said, cautiously. “Let’s try it, just for a second, I want us to throw out all the memories and eventualities…”
Keira watched in curious silence as Hale turned from her.
He slowly lifted his hands, cerulean blue beginning to coalesce around his wrists. The cave started to darken, little by little, until the only light left was the glow of his magic. His power churned tighter and tighter forming a tiny, phosphorescent sphere levitating between his palms. Then suddenly the ball burst and the room was bathed in glimmering dots, sparkling all around in whites, yellows, reds, pinks.
Keira gasped in pure awe as the specs of color danced in the dark, swirling together like clouds and spirals. Like galaxies. Like the vastness of space. Like a place so far from Earth and The Realm that none of her silly human problems mattered. Her existence was merely a divine illusion, her perception. Right then, in that moment, there was no haunting demon from her past. There was no terrifying, inescapable future. There was nothing else but her and Hale Draven.
“What does it feel like to just be you, in this moment?” he chuckled a little, “not to be as pretentious as all hell-“
She pounced on him knocking him backwards and smashed her lips against his. He was all she wanted to feel in that moment.
He hesitated.
“Hale,” she whispered against his lips, “I thought we were throwing out those damn memories and eventualities?”
With that, he gave in. His fingers slid into her hair as he pressed his mouth back against hers. He smiled into their kiss, pulling her closer, his touch gentle yet firm, anchoring her to that moment, to the present and nothing more. They were simply atoms colliding at that moment in space and time. She no longer needed to think, only to feel.
She rolled her tongue against his, immersing herself in the taste of him. His heavenly, musky scent enveloped her entirely as she breathed him in deep. He surrounded her like oxygen.
Her fingers flexed over the hard, firm muscles of his arms, each inch of him begging for her touch. And those sounds he was making. The moans, the whimpers of desperation betraying the struggle of trying to hold himself back. She let out her own whimper and ground against him, desperate to get closer.
Then there was the sight of him. She broke away to drink him in, to see his face reflecting in the stars. He gazed back at her with such intensity, such need beaming out from below his half-lowered lids. Like he was trying to take in all of her. It only fanned the flame of her desire. She dove back against him, thirsting for more, living for the sensation of him, for everything about Hale Draven that existed in that moment.
Then a flare of bright red flooded behind her closed eyes and shattered their world of beautiful solitude.
CHAPTER 12 – HALE
“Elves,” she said, tensing away from him.
“We’re okay. They can’t hear us in here. The illusion is sound proof,” he said, squeezing her reassuringly as he sat them both up right. “How close are they?”
She closed her eyes. “Half mile out.”
“How many?”
“Two.”
“Scouts. They could be ahead of that horde of 50 you saw. I need to capture one.”
“What can I do?”
“Stay hidden.”
“No.”
“You don’t have any offensive moves yet, how are you going to take one down?”
“I could… Why didn’t you teach me those?!”
“Because you’ve been here less than a week and Angeline is insane to send us out this early.”
“Oh sure, blame the Captain,” she said, crossing her arms. “I can use my Sight and tell you their next moves.”
“No. You stay hidden. It’ll be more distracting for me if I know you’re in danger. I can take down two, easily.”
“What’s the most you’ve ever taken down single handedly?”
“Twelve.”
“Okay,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Fine. I’ll stay hidden.”
Hale rolled onto his knees and grabbed his weapons: a long knife for either side of his hips, two throwing knives in each boot, and one in each arm band.
“You’re teaching me how to use those next,” she said, lower lip jutting out in a subtle pout.
He felt a tug in his chest, the desire to just stay, forget the world, get lost in her kiss.
“You got it,” he said, yanking his eyes away from her mouth. “How close are they now?”
“Shit. They just passed us, they must have been running.”
His stomach dropped. He turned and scrambled out of the cave without looking back. If he lost those Elves, and they really were scouts, he could have just gotten the whole camp killed because he was distracted. Because he’d let his guard down. Some soldier he was.
He popped out of the entrance and bolted South along the trodden path. His brain switched into warrior mode and blocked out all else. Well mostly. He could still taste Keira Clearwater on his lips.
Then he spotted them, massive silvery outlines lumbering along under the dim light of the crescent moon. He reached down and slid one of the smaller knives out of his boot and gripped the hilt tight in his palm. With the other hand, he grabbed one of the larger blades at his hip. He’d have to incapacitate one, and kill the other. He couldn’t miss. If he did, he was as good as dead. Twelve. He’d told her he’d killed twelve Elves at once. But that was in the daylight. There was a reason no one ever went after them at night. Elves could see in the dark. He couldn’t.
He held his hands out in front of him and aimed the blades. With a deep exhale, he ignited, a pulse of blue magic rippling out from the veins of his arms. The knives shot forward, launched by his power. One sank in. The other clattered.
The first Elf fell to the ground. The other lunged and disappeared into the shadows.
“Maaaage.” The sound came like a hiss, echoing all around.
Hale dove and rolled behind a tree. He listened, trying to hear over the pounding of his heart.
A crack behind to his left, then another to his right. It was toying with him. Intelligent. Dangerou
s. Definitely a scout. Well trained. Nearly impossible to kill.
He had to take it down before it memorized his moves. Hale dove out from behind the tree, dagger in one hand, straining his eyes for a glint of movement. For anything.
“10 o’clock!”
Hale spun and fired the blade and a ball of turquoise light into the abyss. The knife missed, but the spell landed, a net of blue illuminating the captured Elf.
The monster howled in rage. Hale clutched his fingers tighter, squeezing as the Elf writhed in the coils of his spell. This one was strong. Too strong. It snapped an arm free. Then the other. Then a leg. It twisted and lunged a spear into the dark. Towards her voice, towards Keira.
Hale froze as though ice had exploded in his gut. His own breath rattling in his ears. Fear paralyzing every muscle, extinguishing his magic. He dropped the Elf.
Then his mistake pounded inside his skull as he heard the thud of the spear, hitting the forest floor. She’d dodged. He should have trusted. Fucking fool. He gave up too soon. He didn’t even have time to draw another blade.
A flash of light flew straight toward him. It was all over. The last thing he saw was an image of her face. His skull cracked against the ground and all went black.
Then his angel was there, crouched above him, her voice, far off, heavenly.
“Hale, you better be okay. You jerk.”
Hale blinked away the haze and groaned, the pain reverberating through him.
“You idiot,” he heard her say.
He squinted his eyes and focused on her in the dim light. The Elf’s unmoving body lay less than a yard from him.
“Is it…” he rasped, trying to sit up.
“Yes. I killed it,” she said.
“What?” he said, shoving himself up right. He took her cheek in his palm and studied her face as best he could in the low light.
“I used the spear. I saw myself do it. I knew I wouldn’t miss,” she said.
“You,” he choked, an unrestrained smile contorting his lips for the words he couldn’t say.
“Yes me,” she said. He could hear the ‘I told you so’ dripping in her voice. But he also heard relief.
“Get up,” she said, “we need to get back. They weren’t part of the 50, I read its mind. But I don’t want to be surprised by any more of them if they come this way.”
By the time they got back to the cave, his head had mostly stopped pounding. He ducked down and slid inside behind her, recasting the illusion that had disappeared when he was knocked unconscious. He could keep them active in his sleep, but apparently not when knocked out cold.
“So,” he winced, “now that we’re back inside this soundproof illusion, you’re going to yell at me, aren’t you?”
Instant tears welled up in her eyes, a frown streaking across her beautiful face. “You…”
She flung herself against his chest and buried her face there, fists clutching in the front of his shirt. “You idiot. I know you don’t care about the future, but that doesn’t mean you should just go and die. You’re so much more than just some expendable battle pawn, Hale. Don’t just throw your life away like that. I could have helped.”
“I’m sorry,” he breathed, cradling her head against him. A strange feeling settled in his chest at her words. The future. He’d nearly had his snatched away. “You did help. You did more than help. You saved me. I was stupid not to believe in you. I just wanted to protect you.”
“I don’t need protecting,” she said, lifting her face. “Right now, I just need you.”
He needed her too and in that moment, he realized just how much.
He dropped his face lower and pressed his lips to hers, the warm saltiness of her tears dancing across his tongue. He’d never tasted a kiss so sweet. So alive.
He slid one arm around her waist, and gently leaned her backwards into their nest. The soft folds of the blankets fell around them as he climbed down beside her, unbroken at the lips.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him deeper, whimpering into his mouth. That noise, that cute little noise. She tilted her head backwards, shiny black hair sliding off her shoulder. The milky, sensitive skin of her neck glowed in the dim light. Begging for his touch.
He smiled as he dragged his lips down her jaw, brushing along her skin, down to her collar. He placed a gentle peck on the dip in her chest. Her heart beat under his kiss.
She shivered beneath him, clawing at his shirt in desperation.
“Patience,” he smirked, “I thought we were enjoying the present? Why are you rushing to the future?”
“Shut up and kiss me, before I give you another concussion.”
He lowered back down and laughed against her neck. Maybe he should torment her, just a little. Just like she did to him in the quarry. He traced a slow line up the center of her throat with his tongue, grazing his teeth along the delicate flesh.
Her cute little whimpers trailed off, replaced by deep, desperate moans. Fuck. Maybe he was tormenting himself just as much by making her wait.
“You know, you really shouldn’t take it too slow,” she breathed, eyes flickering with amusement. “If more Elves come back that’s probably going to ruin the mood for the entire evening.”
“Maybe I’ll invite them to join us,” he laughed kissing along the underside of her jaw.
“Maybe you should just get naked already.”
“Maybe you should,” he said, sliding his grip down to her waist. He ran his hand along the smooth curve of her hip and squeezed gently. He snagged the hem of her shirt. “Here I’ll help you.”
He peeled her shirt up exposing her sports bra, her nipples straining through the fabric.
She arched her shoulders upwards and lifted her head, pulling her shirt off the rest of the way.
A helpless groan escaped his lips and he collapsed back on top of her, rubbing his face against the creamy skin peeking out of her bra. He placed a single kiss on her amulet then moved back down grazing his tongue across the top of each breast while he used his hand to massage the underside of each.
He shifted, allowing her to reach down and remove his shirt.
She tossed it aside and gazed up at his body, the hunger in her eyes sharpening tenfold. Her thighs slid up the side of his legs and squeezed against his hips, pressing his erection between them. She laughed mischievously and slowly rotated her hips, grinding against him.
He wasn’t going to be able to hold back much longer. She may be beneath him, but there was no denying she had the upper hand. As much as she wanted him in that moment, he knew irrefutably that he wanted her more. But he needed her to be sure.
He pulled away from her lips, panting, eyes flitting over her perfect body beneath him.
“Keira,” he breathed, voice deep with concern, “are you sure you want this?”
“I thought I made my intentions clear,” she said, rolling her palm over the bulge wrenching against the fabric of his pants.
He shivered at her touch, growing harder in her hand. “Promise me then,” he said, lifting his head to capture her gaze. “Promise me that if you dream tonight, if you have a nightmare, you’ll tell me how it ends, so that I can stop it.”
“It won’t matter,” she said, dropping her eyes.
“It will, I can change it,” he said. “Promise me.”
“Okay,” she whispered, lifting her eyes back to his. “I promise.”
CHAPTER 13 – KEIRA
She would dream. She knew it. But right now, she was awake. Tomorrow didn’t matter. She tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled him back to her lips.
He snaked his hand between them, running his palm teasingly between her thighs. Massaging, kneading, he slowly worked her into a writhing, moaning mess in his palm. Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more, he released her, sliding his hand up to unclasp her pants.
She lifted her hips, savoring the feel of the fabric sliding down her skin under his grasp. His hands so steady, yet his eyes so hungry, th
at brilliant yellow-green scorching down on her like summer’s heat. The warmth of him radiated through her core. A gush of wet, hot anticipation slicked between her legs.
He tossed her pants aside and sat back on his knees, his visage simmering with want as he stared down at her. He reached forward and slid under the edges of her panties, dipping a finger inside her, tormenting her with a few long, teasing strokes. It wasn’t fair. He knew exactly what he was doing to her.
Finally, he leaned back and gently peeled down the barrier between them, gasping as he exposed her slick sex.
Her turn. She spread her legs wider, teasing him with the sight of her, tempting him with the scent of her arousal. She grinned as pure helplessness washed over his handsome face, his mouth parted in desire. She closed her eyes, satisfied with his response, and let her fingers fall to her amulet. She Saw nothing but the beautiful swirl of purple and gold unfurling before them. An aura of sheer feeling.
She batted her eyes back open and watched as he pushed down the hem of his pants, his swollen shaft springing out and even larger than she estimated through his clothes. She grew wetter at the sight of him, with the carnal knowledge that he’d soon be inside her.
He settled back between her legs, and pressed his cock against her slick, shivering entrance. A soft moan escaped his lips as he lifted his eyes to hers. “Promise.”
She nodded and closed her eyes.
He pushed inside her, melting into her sticky heat.
She gasped, her walls tightening around him, clenching at the sensation as he spread her wide, filling her completely. Her arms found his shoulders and pulled him to her mouth for a slow, deep kiss.
Slowly, carefully, he began to roll his hips, rubbing against her sopping slit. He leaned forward, arching over her, pressing his chest to hers and began to pump inside her.
She rolled her head back, a moan of pleasure ripping through her at the sensation of him shifting within her. She slid her hands down and gripped the hard lines of his obliques, marveling at the sheer strength of him as he pushed in and out. Her thighs quivered as he bucked against her over and over.
