by D. R. Rosier
Although I doubted they could push away the asteroids, I think they were only here to bump them into a better attack profile, which would be a lot easier.
I added, “Hopefully the communities will fight back now that death is imminent. You could probably depend on Jeremy and Bell too if you contact them.”
Then I told them what I’m doing, “I’m the backup plan, I’m going to go ask for help from the grays. Johnson, I need permission to negotiate for us, and no, I can’t bring anyone with me.”
No one looked especially happy about me going alone, especially Bree and Callie. But it was what it was. I wished I could take them with me, but it wasn’t an option.
Johnson picked up his phone and said, “I’ll call the president and see what he says. If he’s as smart as I think he is, he’ll let you speak for us.”
When he walked off Bree said, “I want you to pull me there in spirit form, I don’t care if you need me…”
I sighed. I should have expected that, and truthfully I was glad of it. There was one more thing I could do, so I could still help back here. It would be as close to being here as was possible, if Callie were willing. I couldn’t use Bree for it, though she would be my first choice. One, she’d hate to be locked into her body, two was she wasn’t a vampire.
I said with a smile, “Okay, I promise I’ll try. It should work…”
I grabbed Callie by the hand and pulled her into the other room, Bree followed. Rafe didn’t, but then he always knows what I want, and he probably knew what I was up to already.
I kissed her softly and caressed her hair. She looked back at me concerned.
I said softly, “There is a way for us to stay in communication, and for me to even act through you. It would also give you access to my magic directly, as a result you would be very strong and even able to self heal. All my ghosts would be bound to you through me, and you could order them. It is not a small thing I ask.
“You met my Aunt Amy right? She’s my father’s lich, that’s what I’m talking about. I won’t get angry if you say no, once it’s done you would die without the bond, so it does come with risks. If I ever died, you would follow me quickly.”
Callie’s eyes widened, “You would trust me with your magic and the spirits under your dominion?”
I smiled, “More than that love, I’d trust you with my soul, which is what we would be sharing.”
I could feel Bree was content, and understood the reasons behind my choice.
Callie smiled brightly and pulled me into a hug, “I’d be honored, I love you so much Hope…”
I reached for her soul… and mine, and bonded them together. It was so much more intimate than the mind bond; there was no closing this one, or keeping anything private. Callie was a part of me, and I was a part of her. Literally until death do us part, there was no going back, and I honestly couldn’t imagine ever wanting to.
I kissed her softly and we walked as one to the sofa. Bree watched with love in her heart as Callie and I stripped. She was breathtaking. Despite her previous strength she was so much stronger now.
But in my arms she was soft, yielding, and gentle. I lowered her onto the couch and lay beside her. There would be no mistress Hope this time. We explored each other with soft fingertips and light caresses and the intimacy seemed to build as our souls also explored each other’s. Her skin felt like silk against mine and I felt a fingertip run up my inner thigh, and then teasingly circle around my heating core.
I barely brushed against her labia and she gasped loudly, which was quickly followed by mine. I had no idea just how sensitive I’d made her, and I could feel it clearly through our new soul bond. I broke our seemingly endless kiss, I had to taste her, and I wanted her sweet wet tongue on me as well.
I couldn’t tell where my desire for it ended and where hers began, we both sighed in pleasure as I straddled her head, while I lowered my head down between her legs. Her labia were puffy and ever so sensitive. I ran my tongue under her hood and flicked her clit, twice, and gasped as she licked mine. She was so sensitive we both fell into bliss together as our need, feelings, and pleasure all mixed together.
It was only a small one, but it was fantastic, I felt decadent and sexy… loved and cherished, all at the same time. We dove into each other again and I moaned into her velvety pleasure at her taste. We teased each other, rising slowly to our height, going higher and higher until we broke in rapturous pleasure.
When we came down there was no reason to talk, her want was mine and mine was hers. We turned to Bree and beckoned her over, a duplicate smile of wicked anticipation on our faces. Bree came over to join us, and things got a little naughtier at that point. Both Callie and I were subs at heart, so when we finished stripping Bree we dropped to our knees and each took a side.
Our knees were touching between Bree’s spread legs as we both started tonguing a hole each.
Bree gasped, “God, yes… lick deeper.”
A bolt of pleasure went through me at her words, and while I doubled my efforts to enter her tight hot body with my tongue I reached down and slipped two fingers into my hot wet molten core. A short few seconds later we all fed back on each other’s pleasure and went into ecstatic bliss. We worked together on Bree for a while longer, and reluctantly stopped when she reached her third orgasm.
It had been important, almost a necessity to come together like this after the bond formed. But we were well aware the World’s time was running out. We got dressed and walked back into the room. We were all flushed and sweaty, blushing as everyone took us in.
Johnson said, “He said yes, but try not to sell our souls okay?”
I grinned, “Don’t you trust me?”
I winked when he glared.
I said, “Sorry, too much pressure you know? I’ll contact you through Callie if it seems like too much, or something I’m not comfortable with approving.”
Johnson said, “Good, now can you send me back to the meeting you stole me out of? I’ve already given Vinnie and you’re parents the contact information they will need to get their side rolling.”
I shook his hand and told him thanks, then sent him on his way, back where came from.
Vinnie asked, “Are you sure about this sis, you don’t have to do this.”
I nodded, “Just in case. We have a lot to do, and only a week to do it.”
I hugged everyone self consciously, I really did think I’d be back, but just in case…
I kissed and hugged Rafe and Callie last, then took Bree’s hand and teleported home. I took a quick shower and changed my clothes. Bree was with me in spirit, her body lying on the bed. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. It was habit, simple and easy to walk into limbo. But this time I was looking for another Earth. I focused my magic to access that ability and stretched it out.
It was almost overwhelming how many worlds there actually were. Uncountable. It didn’t take as long as I thought it would. The magical… essence of worlds were closely related. The further apart, the more different. I strummed across them with my magic and went in the direction that felt right.
Every world I sampled came closer and closer to the memory in my mind, until it finally happened. I found it. I took a deep breath and stepped into grays’ world, dragging Bree’s spirit behind me…
Chapter 11 – Vinnie
It felt strange letting her go without me. But I had my own task to do and only a few days in which to do it. The first thing I did was call Abby; she would definitely help and perhaps bring a unique perspective. Toni and I packed a few things and I spent some time talking to and kissing Kristi and Alicia.
I didn’t like the idea of them fighting without me, but I wouldn’t embarrass any of us by expressing any doubts in their abilities, so I only told them to be careful. We met Abby at the building and grabbed the information we would need. I explained to Abby what we needed and she had an objection almost immediately.
Abby explained as I teleported us to a hidden army base, “We need
to figure out how much acceleration one of the missiles can handle without burning up flying through the atmosphere. I wouldn’t be surprised if we needed to leave at least a half G or maybe a quarter G until it leaves the atmosphere.”
I snickered, “I knew there was a reason I called you.”
She smiled, “So are you two official yet?”
Toni blushed, “Is it that obvious? We are kind of dating right now.”
She snickered, “No need to worry, it’s only obvious to a budding empath, so you know, only six billion or so people would know by taking one look at you.”
I snorted a laugh and Toni elbowed my side.
A few men came out in uniform and jogged over to greet us.
“Please come with us, we can get you settled and get anything you need that we don’t have.”
We followed the two men to a warehouse.
One of them said, “I’m Mike, this here is Bob. I’m instructed to make sure you only have access to this building, so remember it and try not to get lost.”
I nodded and they brought us inside. There were three fabricators, they looked much bigger than the one we had at work. I also figured all the feature restrictions on what could be made had been removed on these.
Abby had a big smile on her face and sat down at the interface and started typing. Then she turned and started to talk excitedly.
“These three will create what we need, making five at once every hour. That’s… three hundred twenty a day. That will give us two days tops to try different approaches and see what will work. Most of that will be programming though.”
I asked Mike, “Do you have one of the missiles we’ll be using.”
He nodded and pointed to a crate in the corner. I brought one out. It was small, but shouldn’t have trouble leaving atmosphere with the gravity reduced. The tradeoff was fuel though, the more stable the climb the more fuel it would take. That gave me another idea.
“Can these be fired remotely?”
He nodded, “Yes.”
I turned to Abby, “What if I teleported them up there, then we wouldn’t have to worry about them burning up in the atmosphere. I’m sure I could get them to L.E.O.”
She nodded, “That should work, I’m going to build one out now, we can try it in an hour.”
An hour was so fast to make one, and so damned slow at the same time. Still, we threw ideas back and forth for a while as it was built. Toni added her earth magic ward to the tip of the missile while we waited. It didn’t look too hard and I thought I could duplicate it, but it didn’t look easy either.
When the device came out we added it to the missile. We had to wait another ten minutes for Bob to get back with the control device for the missile. It looked like a small laptop. Once it was up, I teleported the missile straight up to low earth orbit. The gravity up there was still close to earth normal, but out of the atmosphere, so with the anti-gravity switched on, it just hung there.
We waited a few seconds as the telemetry came in, and then launched the missile at one of the closer meteors. It went fast, accelerating toward the target. Space was big it still took some time.
The missile hit the asteroid, so as far as it went, that part was a success. Not so much on the destroying it part though. I stared in disbelief at the image, it didn’t look touched.
I said, pointing out the obvious, “You don’t suppose they shielded them do you?”
Abby frowned at me and Toni sighed in disgust.
I shrugged, “Well it worked as far as the AG and missile goes, so why don’t you start printing them out. In the meantime we need to figure out what to deliver once we have them.”
Toni asked, “Any ideas?”
I shook my head, “Just a crazy one,” I turned to Bob and Mike, “I need two things, an EVA suit that will fit me and someone to remote view an asteroid and give me a picture. If you can’t get that last one I can bring in someone who can.”
Abby looked at me like I’d lost my mind, “You’re going to teleport out there?”
I shrugged, “Only way to see what’s shielding them, and to experiment in a reasonable amount of time. It takes too long to get a missile up there and we learned nothing from the failure. There has to be something we can do. Plus, it sounds kind of fun.”
I’d never really dreamed of being an astronaut, but space was cool, I wouldn’t pass up the chance to go up there now that I had a good reason to.
Bob got off the phone and said, “It will be here in four hours, along with an astronaut to put it on you and make sure you don’t kill yourself.”
I thought that a little insulting, but probably accurate.
Then we heard screams outside, and the sounds of gunfire.
Toni said in an alarmed voice, “Shit, they must have traced that test here somehow.”
The sound of fire was getting closer, so I casted my sword and armor and made for the door. I could feel about fifteen of them attacking. There were a lot more humans but I wished they were better at magic. We had to protect the warehouse, and I hoped I wasn’t stupid for charging them. I stepped into limbo, fifteen to one odds means it was time to cheat.
The first one I came up to I blinked back to the Earth side a moment before my sword went through his shield and into his neck, the next step I was hidden again. I took about three out that way, but the humans were still losing, and the fae were still gaining ground.
There were still ten left when I stepped out and took my fourth head. This time I stayed out, hoping to give them a target and slow them down… hopefully without dying. I got close to the next one when I was hit by a jeep and slammed into the wall of another building.
That was such a bad idea.
I slipped into limbo and started to snipe them again with my sword. I got two more when they reached the warehouse. I growled in frustration. I knew I didn’t have a chance at stopping them but I was still pissed off. I teleported into the warehouse long enough to grab Abby, Toni, Mike and Bob, and then I got us out of there with my magic.
Mike glared at me as if it was my fault, and then got on the phone.
What I wanted to know was why my parents hadn’t been notified immediately. It wasn’t like my project was important or anything. I realized if my sister had been there, they would have been by ghost messenger. We’d have probably also won the fight.
Mike got off the phone and said, “We have another site, can you get us there?”
I shook my head, “Bad idea. They traced my magic somehow. They didn’t even check other buildings and went to the exact spot we were in. How about I leave a wild goose chase while you guys take Abby and Toni to the new site and get started on the making what we need.
“Just tell me where to end up, and when, to get my space suit on. When I have something figured out, you’ll have to come get me and bring me in. Also, you need to have my parent’s attack team on speed dial and call next time. They could have stomped those fifteen easy.”
He scowled but nodded. “Be in Edward’s AFB in three hours. They’ll know how to get in touch with me when you want to come in.”
He got back on the phone and ordered a helicopter. I waited with them, not willing to risk them to another ambush without me here. If my theory was right, the fae knew where we were right now. I told Abby to be careful, gave Toni a hard lingering kiss and gave Mike and Bob the glare that said they better be okay when I catch back up.
Once they lifted off, I began my tour of the world. I popped in and out of Hawaii, NYC, California, France, Japan, Russia, Chicago, Seattle… I hoped I was driving them crazy.
I stopped for a while New Orleans and got some Cajun for dinner. I missed my mates and wondered how they were doing. Normally a few hours I wouldn’t turn a hair, but it was the end of the world and I couldn’t be there to protect them. I had to protect them in a different way.
I hopped to the AFB when it was time. I was ushered quickly to a hanger where a gruff looking old man looked at me like I was dirt he’d found under his shoe.
“Listen up boy. This ain’t a track suit. You will pay attention to what I tell you or I’m taking the suit and going home. I could be fishing out the end of the world, so don’t waste my time.”
I couldn’t help the smile and said, “Yes sir.”
He frowned, “Something funny boy?”
I shook my head, “Just one of those days.”
He grunted and finally got to cases. He gave me a bottle of high content oxygen to breath while he explained how everything worked. The mask muffled my voice, but he seemed satisfied with my answers when he checked on me.
He helped me get the suit on, which was a genuine pain in the ass. Then to my surprise, he sent the location straight to my mind. I grinned; he must have worked on that so he could see Earth from space again…
Once he gave me the all clear, I teleported to the asteroid…
Chapter 12 – Vincent Sr. & Anise
-Anise-
I shut my eyes to contain my anger when Johnson finished explaining what happened with Vinnie and Toni.
I said as evenly as I could, “Vincent, why did you not have a ghost on our son and his new mate? They were alone and the most vulnerable.”
I could swear I heard him wince and I fell into light meditation to deal with my anger.
Vince replied cautiously, “It didn’t occur to me; I figured they were safe in some hidden government facility,” he paused for a moment, “There, I have one on each of them now.”
I blew out a breath and nodded. I’ve been perpetually angry lately. First, four years ago I had to let them find their own way and learn how to stand. That was hard enough. But now I was frustrated, my children had asked for help and the communities seemed to have their heads buried farther in the past than the humans did.
I flinched when I felt Vince’s arms go around me, but then I melted into him as he kissed the top of my head. I hugged him back.
I asked impatiently, “Johnson, we have a target yet?”
He nodded and I felt guilty when he said warily, “There are close to a hundred that seem to be gathering near NORAD, we think they are going to attack to take out our ability to track the meteors.”
