by CJ Ellisson
"It's nothing as romantic as soul mates, Jace, but we kinda bonded. You're the best choice to keep me happy and comfortable. And I'm the best choice to get you what you want."
"Hmmm...so it's nothing romantic, then?" He trailed his hands over her back.
"It usually doesn't start that way, but I have heard that over time couples have grown fond of each other. Often it deals in the physical, I mean, there has to be an attraction and all, especially to propagate the species. It's chemical, but there's a few times, like now, when it delves deeper. I keep a piece of you with me, your powers manifested on my skin as a brand. Others would know that we go deeper with our bond, because I have truly given myself to you."
"Huh." He didn't know what else he could say. This was what he had wanted, more or less, but it was all just sounding a little too permanent. "And I'm not going to be pink forever?" he asked uncertainly.
"No, silly." she laughed. "I told you, it's like afterglow. Sex now is different with us. It reinforces the bond, and keeps your luck fresh."
"Keeps it fresh? It goes stale?"
"Kinda. Periodic refreshing is important, but it's not like we need each other to live." She sighed. "After tonight you can go back to your life without thinking much of me. Once you feel things start to go south you can look me up for a recharge. Because of this," she touched the shadow scar on her shoulder, "you'll always be able to find me. Think of me as your personal lucky rabbit's foot."
"Whoa, wait...what will you do?"
She sat up and shrugged. "Show up, fuck you blind, then be on my way. A few of my kind do things that way, it's more a business transaction."
He didn't so much like the thought of that. Granted, he'd get his luck, but he'd watched her for months. To have her just leave then show up now and again for sex didn't sit so well with him. "And how do the others do it?"
"Some get married, live together. Some date. It's a question of how the couple works it. I wouldn't presume any of what I just said with you, so I'm giving you the option of just seeing me when you need to. You're not the kinda guy to get strapped down."
"No, I'm not, really, but I guess some company now and again wouldn't hurt."
She smiled and touched his bottom lip, rubbing softly with the pad of her thumb. "I thought so. Not like I'm leaving this town really, you'll be able to find me."
"Well, I do know where you live." He smiled up at her.
"Yeah, you do." She giggled. "Look, this is probably a bit much for you to handle, so I'm just going to jet, okay? No doubt you got some gaming you wanna get to."
He laughed. "What, you're just gonna bolt after some great sex? Use me like some cheap whore?"
She shook her head. "No, it's not like that. I just thought..." she trailed off and looked about the room, avoiding his eyes.
He pulled her tighter, hugging her to him. "Just thought what?"
"That you got what you wanted. I don't have to hang out; it's a done deal. You got what you were obviously looking for if you sought me out like you did."
"I don't mind if you do, you know. I like your company and if you leave now, then it messes up our chances of amazing morning sex...and I'm not one to give up that chance."
She offered him a bright and wondrous smile and kissed him. "I want to stay."
"Well, that's a good thing, because you're not leaving, you sure as hell aren't going until I go back to my normal color."
She laughed and kissed him again. "It will go away, I swear. Though if we have another tumble, it might not for a while longer, but it should after a few hours sleep."
"Well, that's a good thing to know and something we should definitely look at. So, what do you wanna do now?"
Sydney grinned and palmed his length, squeezing softly. "Oh, I think you know."
He laughed. "And turn me pink for days?"
"It won't be as bad this time, I promise."
"It wouldn't matter so much if it was." He hugged her to him, kissing her deeply. "It'll be worth it."
She squeezed him harder and he groaned. "Then get to it, Shadow Demon..."
Chapter Four
The mid morning sunshine shining through the double paned glass warmed her, the slight chill in the air-conditioned room chased away by the slight heat. Sydney looked out over the now sleeping strip, the magic hour of clubs closing for the day and the late night shows finishing just passing her by. The scene below was quiet, with few cars on the road and even fewer people about. It wouldn't last, she knew, soon the day element of the city would be bustling about, and the whole thing would start again.
They look like ants, well organized ants, she thought to herself as she turned from the vast Nevada wasteland to the large bed and its sleeping occupant. Jace was fantastic the rest of the evening, his attentiveness to her needs and her body reinforcing the feeling that she had made the right choice. It felt so good, Jace's unintended mark on her. He might not be the kind of guy to marry, but he was the sort of guy she wanted. Her body was already aching for him, but she shook it off. Nothing positive ever came from a purely sexual relationship.
Still, he did look quite fetching lying there wrapped in the white sheets, his hair tousled, a sleepy grin ghosting his face. He was beautiful and powerful for an Opacus, which he informed her was the name for a bargained shadow demon, and she couldn't see herself with anyone else. Jace was going to be easy to fall for, but she wasn't giving her heart along with her power unless she knew that that was right as well.
Her stomach rumbled, and she realized that she was more hungry than anything. She crossed the room to the bed and crawled back in; shedding the robe she wore against the chill of the room, and went to him, nuzzling the skin just under his ear.
He grunted softly, snaking his arm around her and pulling her sleepily to him.
She chuckled and nibbled his neck. "Are you one of those night owls?" she asked quietly.
He frowned in his sleep. "Owls?" His eyes opened a crack, "Where?"
"Yeah, I thought so. Well, normally I am too but my tummy craves sustenance."
He groaned. "And you want owls?"
"No, I want breakfast. And by night owl I mean you sleep the day away."
"Too early for euphemisms and big words." He pulled covers over both of them. "If you're hungry order something."
"Umm, well, I don't eat alone, and I thought we could visit."
"Visit what?" he groaned, waking up fully.
"It's what my gram used to say when people got to know each other. We didn't do much besides fuck last night. I'd just like to get to know you, and have a plan for today. I should probably go to work, too."
"Work? You want to go back?" Surprise laced his voice.
"I need to make a living, Jace. This is fine and fun, but at the end of it all I'll still have to. You'll get tired of me quick, I'm sure."
"Doubtful, but it is your life, I guess. Let's talk about it after I've drunk some coffee." He sat up, the sheets pooling around his waist.
She looked him over and growled. Sitting there, his chest and abs were framed in the sunlight. His deep brown, flat nipples puckered from the cold in the room, matching hers. "You look yummy sitting there, Jace," she said and kissed his cheek. "Where did that menu go?"
"So the pink's died down then? You want to get something in or actually leave the room? It might be nice to see the sunlight."
"I'll need to take a shower; the smell of sex is clinging to me like a cheap cologne." She grinned and stretched. "But I could go out for breakfast. Carlton's is just downstairs. I haven't been there yet, but it's not like I am in the casino a lot."
"Well, hopefully that's something we'll remedy soon."
She smiled. "And we can sit outside in the Pavilion."
"In the sun, it's a deal."
She kissed him, not even minding the morning breath, and winked. Getting up from the bed, she sauntered into the bathroom, her right hand going to the opposite shoulder, and stroked her shadow scar.
* * *
He smiled at her as they moved into the elevator, returning to the scene of last night's crime. He'd dressed down today, favoring his favorite jeans and a comfy T-shirt instead of his formal attire. He wouldn’t be gambling until the night. Sydney still looked stunning in her Japanese dress, not that she'd had much of an opportunity to wear it the night before.
All his plans from the night before had been completely laid to waste. Things had worked out for the better, though, he'd gotten more than he'd set out for and he wasn't entirely sure how. He was sure it was mostly of Sydney's devising, which made him think that she'd been looking for someone like him for longer than he'd been looking for someone like her. Which was surprising, as she was perfect, more than perfect in fact. She was smart, patient, and most of all sympathetic to his love of gambling.
She understood him, and because of that he knew she'd have no problem with them playing the poker tournament that he'd signed them up for while she'd been in the shower. It was a monthly entry game. One that, if won, would get him a ticket to the twenty-million dollar game held at the end of the month. It was a big event; all the casinos were in on it, collaborating for possibly the only time this year. Tickets, if you were to participate, were five hundred thousand. However, winning them at a qualifier was how most of the entrants would get in. He'd been trying to win a ticket since he'd arrived in Vegas, but he'd always failed. At five grand a pop just to get into a qualifying game, it had been getting an expensive obsession as well. Hopefully this time he'd have a better shot at it.
Her hair was still damp from her shower, and she smelled faintly of his shower gel as he held her back to him, resting his head on her shoulder. "So, what are you in the mood for?"
Sydney rubbed her body against him and stretched. "Oh, you mean food? Something hearty, like an omelet with spinach and cheese and croissants. I hear Carlton's has the best pastries on the strip, too."
He raised an eyebrow at her thoughts of something hearty but didn't comment. Personally his view on a hearty breakfast was coffee with creamer in it, anything more substantial was likely to mess his day up and cut off his midday siesta. "I'm sure we're about to find out."
Sydney giggled and turned in his embrace. "You know, I had hoped you would meet me in the shower, not take one yourself...or was that 'come hither' saunter not enough of a hint?" she teased.
His body reacted to her as it had done last night. Unfortunately, this time they weren't the only occupants in the elevator. He bent forward, kissing along her cheek and over to her soft earlobe, nipping it between his teeth. “Oh, it was hint enough…but I knew if we’d started we wouldn’t have left the room all day.”
"True. Still, I could have used your strong hands to scrub down my back."
"Mmmm, I didn't think of that," He ground himself into her, letting her feel just how much he'd wished he had followed her. "You wanna go back up?" he asked, only half joking.
She giggled and shook her head. "No, no, I think I'll let you sweat it out over breakfast. After that, well, I'm up for anything."
"God, I hope so." The elevator reached the ground floor and people spilled from the open doors. He turned her around and smacked her lightly on the ass.
Sydney chuckled and walked ahead of him a few steps, shaking her bottom at him, then turned and winked. "What did you do while I was in the shower, since you didn't come and defile me?"
"I'll tell you over breakfast, it's a sitting down conversation." He gave her what he hoped was a secretive mysterious smile.
Sydney shook her head and grinned. "Well, we better sit then, shouldn't we? I hope they have pomegranate mimosas here."
He nodded noncommittally, not sure what a mimosa was, but hoping she wouldn't call him on it. "Well, you never know, it's Vegas, you get all kind of things here. I'm just hoping they have coffee."
"Coffee is easy. The only place I have had a pom mimosa is the Riviera, though I have to say they are quite good for morning alcohol."
"Coffee isn't easy, here there's so many different choices, and you'll struggle to get just plain French coffee. Most of its all infused with spices or laced with syrup, it's hard to get a straight cup."
"Ah, I don't drink coffee, so I wouldn't know. Vile stuff."
"Now that's akin to blasphemy," he muttered in her ear as he steered her towards the Carlton.
They were seated quickly out in the bright sunshine, away from the air-conditioned casino. Sydney ordered her breakfast, a three-egg omelet with spinach, cheddar cheese, and mushrooms, and was delighted when they did indeed have pom mimosas. The waiter smiled at her and looked at her as if she were a dish herself. She smiled back at him and looked at Jace. "Just coffee, you stick in the mud?" she asked and licked her lips, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "You really should eat something substantial; I don't need you passing out later from the lack of energy. This breakfast is a lot to work off, you know."
"No, I don't eat before one, my body wouldn't know what was happening to it if I did. I'm sure I'll manage to help you work it off, though. I can do many things on an empty stomach." He took his coffee, gratefully taking a sip. "So, what was I doing today?"
"I don't have a clue, and I think not eating is a copout. I think you should have something, a croissant?" she asked, grabbing a piece of pineapple the waiter set down with the fruit and bread.
"Not eating breakfast hasn't killed me yet, I don't think it's likely to start. I eat like a wolf after one, so it all evens out in the end. I can rarely handle the chewing and swallowing this early on."
She giggled and slipped the pineapple between her lips, sucking the juice and looking at him. "Fair enough. So, we are sitting, what were you up to while I was in the rain locker?"
"Well, it had to be done today, tonight's their last qualifier, I've been trying to get in all year." Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out the flyer for the main event and passed it over to her and watched her read it.
She smiled. "So that's why you didn't mind not going back down last night. Tonight's higher stakes. Main event is in less than a week. Hope you got something spiffy to wear."
"We'll see. It sure would be nice to get in."
"Why are you doubting it?" she asked as she munched on the pineapple.
"I'm not, but these games are crooked, often it's all rigged. Like I said, I've been trying since last year and it's not my poker skills that are lacking...at least, not that much."
She grinned. "Crooked is crooked, but you got an edge the others won’t have. It's something you want, and I can't deny you the ability to achieve it, but the powers are tricky. There are rules, especially if I'm present."
"What kind of rules?"
"Well, you gotta play on your ability. The luck factor comes into play with the cards you get. It's up to you to decide how to play them in sequence. You won't get aces every time, but you will get great betting hands, and you'll get some shit hands. It's all a question of how you use things. Also, I can only push things along once, so save that till you really need it, like at the main event. At this qualifier you won't have to do much, just play like you do."
"Ah, well, that's expected, I wouldn't play it any other way. I don't think I'd know how." Her breakfast came and she thanked the waiter, who winked at her. "So, as I said, you better have something spiffy to wear to the main event."
He watched the waiter walk off, amused at his reaction to Sydney. "I'm sure you'll help me pick out something, Peaches."
"Of course I will, though I dare say you'd need it, you have amazing taste." She tried her omelet and purred with satisfaction. "Umm, this is yummy. So tell me about your bargain."
He paused, drinking his coffee. "Bargain?"
"Well, if you're not eating I expect to be entertained. Why did you bargain for Demon status? Who was it? Must have been a high royal, your control of the shadows are superb."
Talking about Shade and his bargain wasn't something he liked to do, but she'd told him about herself last night, so it was his turn. "Well, it's not really a go
od story."
She chomped on a bit of her omelet and then swallowed. "It can't be that bad. You're a strong person and assertive, and you're doing what you want in life, so spill."
"I don't know really, I rarely think about it." And he tried not to, the thought that he sold his soul always left a bad taste in his mouth. "I was young and bored and possibly down on my luck. Shade offered me a bargain—powers for my soul, and who out there actually believes that they have a soul? The whole thing happened quite quickly. Shade stuck around for a while, teaching me to use the powers she'd given me. She was one hell of a card counter, too. I think she was some kind of royalty in her world but she never talked about it. Even she seemed to be surprised by the amount of power that I had, apparently, Shadow Demons are different from the rest of the others. It's all about the shadows themselves and how much they respond to you. They seem to like me for now."
"Indeed they do. They marked me, and that's no small feat, nor is the implication," she said between bites of omelet.
"Yeah, it sure isn't." He could practically picture the frown Shade would have trying to figure out how it'd happened. He'd puzzled her; it was one of the reasons that she'd stuck around. "But, apparently the shadows don't stick around forever, even with full Demons. One day they can wake up and the shadows just won't answer their call anymore. I'd half expected them to leave with her."
"It seems, though, that they like you well enough, but this mark will be with me my entire life, Jace. Shadows are funny things, but they know more than they let on, I think. Your power set recognizes something in the two of us, I think it was its way of..." she trailed off. "Never mind, I'm not sure where I was going with that."
Neither did he. "The shadows know everything that happens in their domain, anything in the darkness."
"I have always thought the Caligo were the most intriguing of Demon races, I'm glad I'm bound to one," she said and sipped her pom mimosa, closing her eyes. "So yummy."
