“I have power,” Rose cried. “I have lots of power. All the souls of those creatures I murdered and sent to Hermana. They can help me.” She raised her hands high, her eyes flashing. “I call upon the spirits of the universe, of my victims, of my soul mates. Fill me with power and rid me of these annoyances.”
A wind whipped up in the room, and Rose grew larger, transforming into the ugly, old woman Adele had first laid eyes, the one weeping in the front room.
Devin kept his arm around Adele as he ran his fingers through Adele’s wet palette. He pointed at Rose with his hand.
“You can’t hurt us,” he shouted, circling their bodies with his fingers. The blues from his fingers and in his aura created a sphere around the couple.
Rose threw several energy balls at them, which bounced off Devin’s shield. “Let us go,” Devin said. “Let us go back to Hermana and leave us alone.”
“Never,” the old lady screeched. Her face was deteriorating before their eyes as her wild, white hair rose and fell in the wind.
The room was a sheen of flashing energy balls and stray bolts of electricity. Adele fingered the herb pouch and opened it, grabbing a pinch of herbs from inside. She waited until Rose drew closer and threw the herbs at her.
They sparked and burst in the air, burning Rose as they landed on her. “Ow!” she cried. “Get it off me.” She tried again to shoot fireballs at the couple, and again they bounced off the shield.
Devin grabbed the painting from the easel and held it up to Rose.
“You want painting? You can have painting,” he said as he walloped her across the head with it. Rose fell back, and Adele took the opportunity to throw whatever she could find nearby at Rose. A steady stream of books and paints flew at the old woman, who batted them away before finally crawling upright.
“Okay, you two, you win,” she panted. “I’ve had enough.”
“Can we go home?” Adele said.
“Yes, but only if Devin kisses me good-bye.”
Devin scowled at her. “I’m not kissing you.”
Rose’s face flickered, the young woman melding with the old. She reached plaintively toward him. “Please. One last kiss, for old times...”
Devin’s eyes widened and he leaned toward her.
Rose locked her lips on Devin’s and hooked her fingers into his face. He tried to push her back, but she wouldn’t let go.
“Leave him alone,” Adele cried, beating the woman with her free hand.
Rose was sucking the soul from Devin. His face grew pale, his eyes widened, as Adele heard the wheezing whistling sound of him being taken.
“No!” Adele cried, smashing the obsidian ball against Rose’s skull. There was a sickening crack and a shower of sparks, and the woman fell to the ground.
Adele grabbed Devin’s hand. “Let’s go,” she cried, pulling him along. She didn’t look back as they ran down the long corridor.
When they reached the end of the tunnel, they came to a locked door. “Oh no!” Adele said. “Now what?”
“We have to get out of here; she’ll be coming anytime.” Devin beat at the door with his hands, then smashed his body heavily against it.
“Oh shit! I know.” Adele produced the key from her pocket. “Let’s try it.”
The key slipped easily into the lock.
“Thank you, Lucy,” Adele muttered as they pushed the door open. They ran through the house, unlocking door after door with Lucy’s key.
“How did she know?” Devin asked.
“I don’t know, but I’m just glad she did.”
They finally made it to the front door and ran as far as they could without stopping. They huddled in the woods, under a tree.
“We need to get back,” Adele said. “Before it’s too late.”
“I know how,” Devin said, kissing Adele on the lips. Adele hungrily sank into his mouth, feeling the vibrations of their bodies charging up and the air around them changing.
Chapter Eleven
It’s never too late for new beginnings. Assess your situation and start fresh.
Adele woke suddenly from a dreamless sleep to find herself on Devin’s couch. Her body ached as she sat up. The smell of fresh paint filled her nostrils.
“Devin?” she called out as she shook her head. She looked over at the mural wall. It was covered over in white paint.
“I’m here,” Devin said as he turned to her with a grin. He wore jeans and nothing else but paint splatters along his body.
“What are you doing?” Adele asked in wonderment.
“I’m done with Harmoni, as you are too. Might as well be rid of it.”
He had been at work while she slept. All his Harmoni paintings had been piled by the door.
“What are you going to do with those?”
“Burn them,” he said. “Or maybe just take them to a dumpster.”
“All that canvas... you know, you can always paint over them. All the greats did that.”
“Nope. I don’t want to take the chance. A fresh start to a fresh life.”
Adele leaned back on the couch and smiled. She sniffed the air again. “Is that coffee I smell?”
“Sure is. You’d better get some and get to work,” Devin said, putting down his brush. “It’s late.”
“Oh shit,” Adele said, glancing at the clock. “Well, I was smart enough to have Shira come in this morning for me. If indeed it’s still the next day.”
“We were only in Harmoni a few hours, though it seemed like days,” Devin said as he walked over to Adele. He leaned down to kiss her. “I’m sorry about Harmoni, Adele. I never meant to hurt you. I don’t even know what happened.”
“It’s all right, Devin. You were under a spell. I can’t fault you for that.”
Devin grinned. “It’s no wonder I love you. Now, get ready and I’ll make you a cup of coffee.”
Adele pulled herself together and grabbed her purse as she went into the bathroom. She didn’t have time for a shower, so she settled for a quick sink wash. The motions made her queasy as she remembered her Harmoni sponge bath. No matter—that was then and this was now. Rose wouldn’t be bothering them again.
She fixed her makeup and returned to the living room, where Devin had put a cup of coffee out for her. She drank it quickly and put on her coat.
“Bye, Devin.”
“Make sure you come back after work,” he said. “I want to make you dinner.”
“I will.”
* * *
Adele arrived at the store and was delighted to see everything was running smoothly. As she hung up her coat, Natasha came in. She was smiling.
“Has my order arrived yet?” Natasha asked.
“I believe it has,” Adele said. “Let me check in the back.”
She found the boxes and brought them out. Maggie had come into the store and was excitedly talking to Natasha.
“Oh, Maggie, yours is here too, I just saw it.” Adele put Natasha’s packages on the counter and went back for Maggie’s.
“I hope everyone is happy with their orders.”
Natasha had opened the boxes and was looking at her outfit and the one for Gus. “These are going to be fantastic,” she said. “Aren’t they gorgeous?”
Maggie opened her box and pulled out a stunning green corset. “Oh, my, this is going to be perfect for the weekend.”
“Seems like everyone is going away,” Adele said.
“You should come too,” Maggie said. “Weldon and I are going to have a fabulous time.”
“Not this time, I’m too busy. But maybe another time.”
“Where are you going, Natasha?” Maggie asked.
“Boston. Gus and I are having a little getaway.” She grinned.
“I take it things are going better with you two?” Adele asked.
“Yes. Things seemed to shift the past couple of days. I guess it was in the stars. Gus kept telling me about his charts and stuff, but sometimes I just can’t really follow it all. But he’s back to normal fo
r now. At least, as normal as he can be for him.”
The ladies laughed.
“Who knows what’s normal for men, anyway?” Maggie said.
“Does the word normal even work for men?” Adele chimed in.
“No. And I’ve met a lot in my lifetime.” Natasha sighed. “Normal is just a word that means ‘sane enough to deal with.’” She held up her new corset. “It looks like it will work.”
“Are you going to try it on?” Adele asked.
“No. I’m exhausted and going to bed.” Natasha yawned. “I’m just glad spring is coming.” Natasha held her hands out to Adele and clasped them. “You and Devin have gotten through the worst.”
“I hope so. It’s been quite a ride,” Adele said.
“You’ll have some peace now. For a little while.” Natasha smiled. She dropped Adele’s hands and scooped up her packages. “Good night, ladies.”
“Good-bye, Natasha.” They waved.
Maggie turned to Adele. “So, tell me about Devin. What’s going on now?”
“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you,” Adele said. “Suffice to say, we went through what seemed like days of intensity in the painting of Harmoni, but really only hours here in Hermana.”
“Good intensity or bad?” Maggie asked, taking the corset to try it on. Adele pushed back one of the changing room curtains for her to enter.
“A bit of both. There was a nasty witch there who tried to steal my powers, but luckily, I had some good luck charms with me and we managed to escape.” Adele fingered the pouch around her neck while Maggie changed behind the curtain.
“Wow. I’m glad I’ve never had to actually battle another witch. I’ve had my share of other horrors, though.”
“What would life be like without them?” Adele laughed.
Maggie stepped out of the changing room, clutching the corset to her chest.
“Can you do the laces? I don’t think they’re strung properly yet,” Maggie said.
“Ah, yes, the last ones in the middle aren’t done yet,” Adele said as she slipped the laces through the empty eyeholes. When she was done, she tied the four loose laces into sets of two so Maggie could adjust the corset herself in the future. Adele tightened the laces, smoothing them across into clean lines. When she was done, she had Maggie turn around.
The corset was stunning, even with Maggie’s jeans. The rich, emerald paisley patterns made Maggie’s red hair shine. And that was when Adele realized she could look at Maggie. The blinding auras were gone. In fact, she had looked Devin in the eye that very morning and was able to hold his gaze.
“You look fabulous,” Adele said. “Turn around.”
As Maggie did, Adele admired the way the corset cinched in her narrow waist and pushed up her already lovely breasts. Her hips swelled pleasingly into her jeans.
“Weldon is going to love it,” Adele said.
“This is great work,” Maggie said, pushing at the fabric.
“You’re going to have fun.”
“I can hardly wait. I know he’s needed some time off. With spring coming, he’s been so busy.”
“It’s good he’s in demand,” Adele mused.
Maggie went back into the changing room to take off the corset.
“He does all kinds of odd jobs. Heck, sometimes I don’t see him for days, he’s so busy.”
“Making money to take you out,” Adele said. “We all gotta do it.”
“Oh, I’m not complaining. I like having time to myself to do my own thing.”
“As long as you stay out of trouble.” Adele winked.
“I’ve been good.” Maggie opened the curtain and gave the corset to Adele, who wrapped it in tissue.
“Good. I’d hate to see you screw up a good thing.”
“I won’t. I’m smart enough to spot a keeper.”
“And he’s damn cute.” Adele winked again.
“So’s Devin. My Lord...” Maggie grinned.
Adele held the box out to Maggie. “Have a great weekend.”
By the time Adele was ready to close up, she realized the shop had been busier than it had been in long time. Many of the customers had been tourists, and that gave her hope spring really was just out of reach. With spring came tourists, and with the tourists came business. And new beginnings.
* * *
Adele stopped at her home to shower and change. She didn’t spend nearly as long as she would have liked under the warm, soothing pulse of the water, but she didn’t want to keep Devin waiting. She pulled on a soft, purple sweater and jeans, as well as a large crystal necklace. A bit of makeup brightened her face, and she was ready to go.
Devin had left the door open, and she entered. The loft was dark with the exception of many votive candles flickering across the room. A path was lit to the dining table. Adele walked to the table, and as she sat, she spotted Devin frantically painting the mural.
“It’s almost done,” he gasped. “I’m sorry I didn’t actually cook dinner. I ordered pizza. It should be here soon.”
Adele laughed. “Oh, Devin. You’re so romantic. Look at this.” She waved her hands around at the lights.
“They aren’t real. They’re those battery ones, less of a fire hazard with all the paintings.”
“They look the same as the real ones in those frosted holders. I love it.” Adele said took off her coat and hung it over her chair, then walked over to where Devin was putting the finishing touches on a painting.
“I can hardly see it,” Adele said.
“I know. Wait, just give me a few more minutes. Go away,” he said. Adele stared at him, and he laughed. “I don’t mean leave. Just go have some wine. I promise I won’t be long.”
“Okay,” Adele said as she went into the kitchen to choose a bottle of wine. She opened it and returned to the table, where there were crystal glasses at the place settings. She poured two glasses, returned to her chair and looked at the table. He had tried his best to create a formal ambience: long, white tablecloth that was really a bed sheet, runners that appeared to be left over from Christmas, candles and candleholders made from a cheap plastic with silk flowers glue-gunned around them.
In the center of the table was a large bouquet of fake orchids.
Not roses. She smiled. No roses for her ever again.
She reached over to touch one and thought about how sweet he was and how Harmoni was just a bad dream.
“Okay, I’m ready,” Devin said.
Adele realized she had finished her glass of wine. She stood up, a little woozy since she hadn’t really eaten all day and walked over to Devin.
“No wait,” he said as he ran over to her. He clapped his hands playfully over her eyes. “Wait.” He turned her around. “Stay here.”
She heard him cross the room and flip on the overhead lights.
“Now look,” he said.
Adele turned around and saw the mural. Tears sprang to her eyes as webs of love and lust spiralled toward her. She walked to it, marveling at the colors, the texture.
“You captured the beach perfectly,” she said as she studied the sand and the foaming waves kissing it. “I hope there are no sharks in those waters.”
“No sharks that I know of. Keep looking,” Devin said.
Adele could almost smell the fresh, crisp scent of the ocean and hear the stray calls of the seagulls over rolling waves. There were people on the beach, mostly faceless or looking away. But her eyes were drawn to one couple almost immediately. A handsome man held hands with a voluptuous woman in a caftan as they walked toward the gleaming sun.
“It’s us,” Adele said in delight. She leaned over to Devin and hugged him as she continued to stare at the painting. “We’re on the beach at Hermana. It’s great,” she sighed as she kissed him. He kissed her back hungrily.
They fell back on the couch as a salty breeze whipped through the living room and seagulls called around them.
Aries: Swinging Into Spring
Chapter One
The moon i
n Leo stirs horny and self-absorbed vibes to the surface.
“More,” Toni cried out as the nameless, dark-haired man thrust into her repeatedly. She lay on her back on a mattress in the middle of a room surrounded by several other mattresses with couples copulating on them all. A dull, red hue glowed from tall, gelled lamps in the corners of the room. Thick, red drapes with golden cords hung along the walls, and shadows played along the ceiling. Toni thought of nothing but the pleasure of the man’s cock pumping in and out of her. His lovely wife, a muscular Amazon with golden tresses and firm breasts, massaged Toni’s breasts.
The sounds of bodies slapping together and moans and groans of pleasure filled the room. Toni revelled in the nameless, faceless hands touching and caressing her. Lips on her own lips were soft and firm and rough and gentle as the couple inspired her pleasure. Her body quivered and throbbed with her orgasm, her cries of joy joining the other sounds in the night. Her partner leaned over her to kiss his wife’s mouth as he pushed into Toni one last time and came with a shout.
* * *
Toni flicked on the lights of her apartment and looked around. Everything was as she had left it, and that was good. She tossed her purse on the couch and stripped off her clothes as she made her way into the kitchen. Naked, she peered into the refrigerator and pulled out a beer. With a grin, she pushed the fridge door shut with her foot as she popped open the beer. She drank deeply from it as she made her way over to her computer. As she sank into her chair, she flicked the mouse. The screen lit up, and she started to surf.
The first thing she checked was her horoscope. The one for Sunday had come in.
A chance meeting with friends will lead to new situations.
She wondered if the horoscope had meant what she had just done. She laughed.
No, group sex was not a new situation, though it wasn’t exactly an old habit either. It was a hobby she indulged in now and again when the mood hit her or when she was horny and single.
There were two swingers clubs right in Hermana. They were secret to the average person, but anyone in the scene would have no problem accessing them. There were even web sites and messages boards for people to meet and flirt on when the clubs weren’t open. For those who didn’t want the locals to know, there were several other swingers clubs and events dotted in discreet places in many of the little towns leading to Boston.
Pisces: Teacher's Pet Page 18
