by Lisa Daniels
There was a long pause. Zandra turned to look at him for a second until a small branch whipped her face. The blood began to trickle out of a small scratch.
“Woah, careful.” Anani stopped her and ran his hand near the side of her face, removing all traces of the blood. The scratch was nearly gone when he pulled his hand back. He frowned after realizing what he had done almost instinctively.
Zandra took a step back from him, uncertain what to say. Finally, she stuttered out, “Thank you.” Again she began moving at a quick pace away from him.
Again he appeared beside her. “I still want to hear the story.”
“No, you really don’t.”
Something about the way she said it caused Anani to stop and pause while she continued on. His attention went to her clothing and her movements. Without any effort, he caught up with her. “Why haven’t you changed your clothes? You hate being covered in blood or looking like you’ve done an honest day’s work.”
“I haven’t had time.” For a moment, she considered running a split of herself and trying to get away from Anani, but the thought left nearly as quickly as it arrived. Anani was incredibly smart. She had tried it on him once, so he would be expecting that as well. He had been right – Zandra had always run away when things got too difficult. Melzi had been the first time where she had not been able to run away, and she had not wanted to run.
“Well, you have time now, and we are in the woods. Why do I have to point this out?”
“Well, you are here, and with your delicate sensibilities, I didn’t think you would want to watch me change.”
“Is that the real reason? Or,” he grabbed her arm, stopping both of them, “are you planning on trying to use it for something?”
Zandra pulled her arm out of his grip. Without a word, she tore her top off and threw it to the ground. She didn’t look at him as she quickly ripped of her pants, using a little magic to make the seams weaker. “There. All yours.” She took off in a slightly different direction, her attention focused on getting as far from him as possible. He would be a little too embarrassed of her nakedness to come after her immediately, and that might be enough time to get far enough away to hide herself.
Having gone a ways from the shifter, Zandra decided it was best to try a split. All five of her would be naked, making his finding her a little more difficult. If he was flustered enough, Anani just might miss the real her until she could get far enough away. It would be incredibly difficult, but the woods were the best place to be to lose him. Creating a four-way split, she sent other versions of herself in several different directions, including the one she had been going in. The real version of her changed direction and headed toward the thickest part of the forest where daylight could not get through.
“Do you really think that I would fall for that?” The sound of his voice was just behind her as Zandra tried to get away.
Zandra suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked into those stormy blue eyes. “It was worth a shot. I'm trying to make this easier on both of us. For whatever reason, you seem intent on hurting both of us.” Snapping her fingers, she dismissed the splits, then turned to leave.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
Anani appeared by her side again, but this time she wasn’t going to bother trying to run. The amount of magic she had used over the last 24 hours was almost the full extent of what she could do. If she kept using her talent, her body would age. Given how old she was, it would likely kill her. If he wanted to follow her, she would just have to deal with it as best she could because she still had a purpose to fulfill.
“I admit that there were plenty of times when I would have been overjoyed to hear silence from you, but right now, I want answers. Your silence is actually unwelcome at this point. There is something you aren’t telling me, and until I hear it, I am going to be the tempest in your life that makes sure you know no rest.”
“There was a time when it would have pleased me to have you at my heels.” She cast a quick look at him and saw that he was blushing a little. “But can we just say that I helped you last night, and I need some time to recover from that? I’ve reached my limit now and–”
“Hey, I didn’t make you do any of that stuff this morning. That’s all on you.”
Zandra almost bit her lip again. Taking a deep breath she stopped and turned toward her tormentor. “Anani, please. I know that you no longer care what happens to me, but out of gratitude for what I did yesterday, if you would please just leave me in peace for a few days? If you still want answers when I reach…” Her voice trailed off. She couldn’t say where she was actually going because he would know what it meant. Running a hand over her eyes, she muttered, “Just let me get to Naucratis, and then I will tell you.” She looked into his eyes. “Please.”
His face was a shade of pink. “I am having a hard time taking you seriously with you running around naked. Why don’t you put some clothes on?”
“Because if it gets you to leave faster, I will try virtually anything at this point.”
Frowning at her, Anani took a step closer. “There is something wrong with you.”
She couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her lips. “That would be everything, right? Everything is wrong with me, so please just go.” There was pleading in her voice as she felt her knees get weak.
“No, your aura, it’s shifted. I didn’t notice it until just now, but your aura is as dark as I imagine your heart is. Did he really break your heart? Did he finally realize that someone else would be better for him? And it affected you this much?”
“Yes, he absolutely broke my heart, and two years later I still can’t get over it. Are you happy now? Can I be allowed to go and grieve in peace?”
“No.” His eyes were going over her figure, and it made her shiver to be fully exposed. Anani was not looking at her body, he was trying to read her past emotions to determine what had happened. “No, this is something else.” His eyes went to hers, and for the first time in more than 20 years, she could see concern in them.
A small sob escaped before she could stop it. Not caring about what it did to her, Zandra turned and tried to move as fast as she could away from him.
She hadn’t gotten more than a few feet from where they had been when arms wrapped around her. Anani was pressed up against her, and she could feel his concern in the way the air around them moved. As he spoke, she could feel his voice vibrating through his body. “What happened?”
“Let me go.” She wanted to yell at him, to push him away and tell him that it was none of his business, but that would only expose the truth faster and more cruelly. Anani would be able to tell that she was lying, and then he would be able to figure out the rest. That was not how she wanted him to learn about what had happened to his best friend. Instead, she tried to push whatever anger she could muster to the surface, but it was nearly impossible when Anani was being kind.
“Please tell me what happened.” He placed his head against the top of hers. “He didn’t leave you, did he?”
“He did. He left me and I can never get him back.” She moved a little, trying to get out of Anani’s grasp. “Please, Anani. I have things that I need to do, and I can’t do it by standing here.” As hard as she tried, her voice wavered and began to crack as she implored him to let go.
Anani’s arms wrapped more firmly around her. “Something is wrong with you, but I cannot tell what. Please. I need to know what happened. I–” His voice was gentle as his arms shifted. His hands moved down to her hips so that he was leaning over her a little. To her surprise, Anani buried his face in her neck. “I need someone to talk to now, and I’m afraid you are the only person I have left.”
Zandra froze at the words and a sense of fear rose in her. “What did you do?” She closed her eyes and began to search around her to feel the history of the last few days. Suddenly the fact that Anani had been seriously injured took on a more sinister twist. “How did you get hurt? What happened?”
She fe
lt something trickle down her chest, and she knew that Anani was crying. Zandra tried to turn around to look at him, to tell him it would be alright, but she knew that there was nothing she could say or do. All of the comfort that she would instinctively give would be a lie. His arms held her firm, so she put her hands over his. “Anani, you are scaring me. What happened?”
He shook his head but said nothing.
Over two years, it had become like second nature to her. Zandra focused on the warmth and began to draw the pain from Anani. It wasn’t like the pain of the plague victims, it was much more emotionally intense and by the time she finished, the witch felt a deep sense of loss. It was nearly overpowering.
His arms relaxed a little, and Zandra turned to face him. “You don’t have to tell me, my little Anani. Just rest until you are ready–”
Before she could finish, he was pressing his mouth to hers, the feel of his bare skin like a warm breeze on a beautiful spring day. She wanted to fight it, but Zandra found she couldn’t. For the first time in more than two years, she felt something beyond pain and loss.
Anani picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his hips. He pulled her to him before one of his hands moved up her back and rested on her neck. Zandra squeezed her legs and felt Anani remove his hand from her lower back. A moment later he slowly lowered her down onto a small cushion of air. He continued to kiss her as he removed the rest of his clothing, then he removed her boots. He pressed his body against hers, running his hands down her sides and resting them against her hips. Pulling back for a second, he shifted a little, then began to kiss her neck. Zandra arched up, her body acting on the gentle sensations that his body caused wherever he touched her. She could feel the little spurts of electricity from him as he placed his mouth over one of her nipples and she moaned. Gently, he began to press inside of her, never taking his mouth off of her breast. His hand moved up and down her back, gently massaging her as he worked further into her. Before he was completely inside of her, Zandra let out a small shudder and climaxed. In response, he slowed down and pulled out a little. He gave her a few seconds to catch her breath, then pressed fully into her, causing her to orgasm again.
She had no idea how long it lasted; shifters like Anani could last for several days when they were really aroused, although after his injury, she knew that was unlikely. When he finally stopped, her body was fatigued. He remained on top of her, one hand moving around her hip, the other gently playing with one of her breasts. Anani’s face was buried in her neck, and he was still inside of her. Zandra ran her hands through his soft hair, gently kissing his forehead and humming a lullaby. His breathing slowed and she could tell that he had finally drifted off to sleep.
When he woke, there would be hell to pay, but for the moment, Zandra didn’t care. Wrapping her legs around him, she felt him shift a little, becoming a little harder as he did so. She gave her muscles a little squeeze, and his body responded automatically. Running her hand down his back, Zandra released the tension in his body. She was a little sad when he went soft, but she wasn't about to wake him again – she doubted that her body would be able to handle any more anyway. As tempted as she was to delve into the pain that was now so obvious, Zandra did not want to wake him.
Shifting ever so slightly, she kissed the top of his head and closed her eyes. Just a few moments of peace. That’s all I need, then I will finish the rest without regrets. Please, her mind begged the world at large, just a little bit of comfort.
Chapter 4
Fighting the Inevitable
When Zandra’s mind began to stir, the comforting pressure on top of her caused her to moan a little. Her legs squeezed what she thought must be a body pillow from one of the Melzi mansions, then she felt something else. Still trying to comb the cobwebs of sleep from her mind, her body automatically squeezed, and the pillow reacted by getting harder.
Her eyes popped open. Now fully awake, Zandra looked at the still sleeping Anani. He had started to stir, but not quite in the way she would have expected. His hand moved up and down her sides, and he began to grow inside of her. With a low moan, he seemed to pick up where they had left off.
Panic began to rise, but it fought with the pleasure that he was inspiring in his half-wakened state. Knowing that things could get a lot worse between them if she didn’t find some way out of the current situation, Zandra began to gently tap on his muscular arm as she tried to slide out from under him. “Anani. Anani. Please wake up.”
“Just a little longer.” His arms wrapped around her and kept her from moving any further. “I know I’ve been unkind in the past, but just a little longer. I need to feel something other than loss, even if it won’t last.” His voice was thick and heavy with emotion and sleep.
Zandra looked at the top of his head and tried to figure out if he was awake enough to know what he was saying or doing. “Anani, I–”
“Please, Zandra, even if it is a dream, let me have it a little longer.”
The mention of her name caused the witch to stop trying to find a way out. Wrapping her arms around him, she gently stroked his hair. “I will give you as much time as you need. Just please forgive my weakness for not pushing you away.”
He shook his head, his warm breath brushing against her nipples. She couldn't help but shudder under his weight. Apparently, Anani didn’t miss the movement, and he squeezed her tighter. Slowly, he lifted his head from her neck and looked at her, his beautiful greyish-blue eyes like a sea before a storm. There was so much pain in them. Zandra leaned forward and kissed his forehead. He moved up in response and gently kissed her. At first the kiss was innocent, inspiring only a longing to help Anani, then he grew hungry. The tighter he held her the harder he grew. His tongue slid into her mouth as he began to set a rhythm.
Zandra gasped and tried to pull away. She looked at him, concern clearly etched across her face. “Are you sure?”
“It’s too late to ask now, isn’t it?” His tone was almost mocking as he moved down her neck and pulled a small part up with his teeth. Zandra moaned and finally allowed her body to give into the moment.
The second time was more violent, and more than once she screamed out with the thrill of more animalistic love-making. As Anani lost himself in the action of the moment, Zandra worked out as much of his pain as she could pull while her body reveled in the feel of the man she had loved for the last 60 years. He needed her and was willing to accept whatever she could do for him. It was obvious that whatever had happened to him wasn’t something that he could just lose up on the mountains the way he had given up on her. There was some kind of much deeper and more painful loss in him.
When he finally tired, Anani rolled away from her. Pulling close to him, the sweat rolling down her body, Zandra placed a hand on his arm.
“Don’t touch me.” His voice was almost a snarl as he jerked away from her.
Sitting up, Zandra looked at his amazing and yet somehow fragile-looking body. “I’m not going to make you talk, but I do want to be here for you as long as you need me.”
He rolled part of the way over and looked in her eyes. “You just want to use me for your own gains. I’ve learned that already, but I need…” His voice trailed off as if he was disgusted with himself.
Fighting the instinct to put a hand on his arm, Zandra pulled her legs up to her chest, and rocked a little before putting her feet on the ground. “I will only be what you need, for as long as you need. But I will have to request that it not interfere with something I have to do.”
There was a pause as if the shifter were considering the options. “And what is that?”
“Someone has asked me to deliver something, and I need to get to S–” She stopped herself from saying where she was going. “To Naucratis, just a little ways from the Sima border.”
He narrowed his eyes for a moment, but didn’t say anything against it. Instead, he stood and offered her a hand.
Zandra looked at him, his face turned away from her. Reaching out, she took his ha
nd was quickly pulled to her feet. Without looking at her, he moved over to his clothes. “We need to get moving then. You’ve lost nearly two days in the woods.”
“Two da–” Zandra covered her mouth. Time with Anani had always seemed to go to fast, but that seemed impossible. She quickly moved to her stuff and began pulling out clothing.
“Why don’t you just snap it on?” His words were a bit cold as he watched her fumble to get a different pair of pants on.
“I’ve used up most of my reserve for…” She wasn’t quite sure how much magic she had used, but her body told her that she was still well beyond her limit. She could feel Anani’s pain rattling around inside of her, and knew that she would have to move quickly to make it before her body started to show the misuse over two years. She gave a curt laugh as she realized that returning Akeno was likely to be the last thing she ever did. It seemed somehow fitting. She had loved Anani, but it was Akeno who loved her, and she had never deserved him. Tears rushed to her eyes as she thought about how she would never again see him.
“Why are you crying?” Anani had approached her as she tried to pull on her boots.
“I just got my hair caught in something. You know how sensitive my scalp is.”
“If only your heart were so tender.” There was a hint of reproach in his voice, and she knew that he was expressing pain more than trying to hurt her.
“If my heart were so tender, Akeno wouldn’t have ever loved me, and I would never have caught your eye.”
Anani raised an eyebrow.
Zandra wiped the tear away. “A witch with a tender heart is like a shifter with a crusade.”
“How’s that?”
“Extremely passionate with a very short life expectancy.”
Anani threw his head back and laughed. “You knew Cyprian. How can you possibly believe that?”
“I have met Cyprian. And he had never actively crusaded against anything.”
