Palace of Moonlight

by Payton Taylor

  Even the actors who played Matches in screenplays obviously had no idea what it really felt like for the most part. They had no idea what it was like to be connected to someone the way he was now connected to Seph. Had no concept of what it was like to feel another person, not only physically but mentally. Emotionally.

  How it felt to yearn for them. The way he was yearning now, against his will.

  He wanted her.

  Leo had never wanted anything more than for Seph to turn around. His lust craned up to the surface like lava in a volcano.

  And it wasn't only him.

  Her desire floated in the air around him, so thick he felt he could almost see it.

  So, this is what it's like, he thought. Wanting and being wanted in return.

  Her eyes drew him in, and he couldn't focus. He scanned her face. Her lips.

  Oh, her lips.

  He wanted to taste those lips. He wondered idly how they would feel against his own. Would they be gentle, questioning?

  "You know what this means?" His voice was a hoarse whisper.

  "We're Matches." Her voice was just as strained.

  Then, Leo got his wish when she shocked them both by turning around. Leo hissed in a breath through his teeth.

  His eyes drank her in. He really was thirsty.

  Hadn't I come in for a drink? His thoughts were hazy, unfocused. Well, they were focused, just not on any drink.

  "When Sunny described it, I didn't think it would feel like this," she whispered. Her hands trembled as she reached for him, pressing her palms flat against his chest.

  Leo held absolutely still, sure that any sudden movement on his part would scare her off.

  Her hands trailed up his chest with tantalizing pressure, up over his shoulders to clasp the back of his neck. When her skin touched his, it burned. Her fingertips toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck, sending a shiver over him, the hairs on his arms rising.

  She glanced at his lips then back to his eyes in question, and he answered by leaning in. Closer and closer, until she pulled his face down to meet her own.

  She let out a sigh as her lips pressed against his. It was so soft, not quite a whimpe,r and that was almost Leo's undoing.

  He grabbed onto her hips desperately, one hand circling to her lower back, pressing her to him. Her hands tangled in his hair and she pressed herself even closer to him, her breasts against his chest.

  His hands moved almost of their own accord, slowly but firmly up her sides. He could feel it, how much she wanted him to touch her. How her skin ached for him the way his ached for her. His body couldn't help but respond, propelled by the emotion pouring off of her in waves.

  It was euphoria, him in his own world with Seph.

  His lips on hers. Her soft skin on his.

  Comfort. Satisfaction. Safety. Trust.

  Then his mind filled with quicksand and darkness swooped in.

  Strained. Compulsed. Hollow.

  He pulled back, breathing heavy, and Jo smiled up at him. The smile was so sweet. So trusting.

  Panic overtook him. He couldn't do this. She was a Murmur. Was he even really feeling this, or was she making him feel this way?

  She must've seen the change come over his face because she scooted back, quickly putting her suit back in place.

  "What is it?" she whispered, "Was that not okay?"

  I've shown her too much.

  He wanted to flirt. To revert back to jokes. Maybe he wanted to tell her the truth.

  He shook his head to clear his thoughts, but Seph took it to mean "no."

  Hurt and embarrassment oozed through their bond, killing the lust and desire as it did, and Leo's mind was too muddled to say anything.

  Seph's eyes bounced around his face and then around the tent. The rejection was setting in, and Leo was counting in his mind to try and get back on track to explain, but shouldn't he run? He wanted to run. Claustrophobia giving his feet flight.

  He couldn't let her in anymore.

  She's already in, a voice in the back of his mind said, and that brought his anger back.

  "You don't want me." Her voice was flat, emotionless.

  "We can't do this right now," he said through gritted teeth. mouth.

  He bit down hard on his tongue, and blood filled his Seph's eyes met his, angry and hard. "Fine. This never happened."

  "Good."

  Leo barely got the word out before he turned invisible and ran away as fast as he could.

  Chapter 22

  Jo

  Writhia, 5220

  The Wastes

  Stupid Leo.

  Jo swept her right sword, cutting through the dense vines that had overgrown their path. They were everywhere, and they had been for the last ten or so miles. Thick, stubborn vines that even Marzanna had had a hard time moving. She'd had to take a break, sweat dripping from her brow and blood pouring from her nose.

  While she rested, Jo, Sunny, Westin, and Kian were using their blades to slowly cut their way through.

  Leo, Khione, Seren, and Zahra had stayed back, Khione and Zahra watching over Marzanna while Seren and Leo searched for some kind of water source. Their water supply had finally run out, what had been more than enough for their trip to find Westin not lasting long enough to also cover their journey south.

  Jo cut through another clump of vines, rejoicing in the ache in her muscles.

  Memories from the night before flashed through her mind.

  Leo.

  His hands on her body.

  His voice, hoarse with desire. His eyes, dark with lust.

  His lips on hers, desperate, as if they couldn't get enough.

  She sliced her blades in a scissoring motion, sweat pouring down her face, plastering her hair to her neck as she fought the onslaught of images.

  His hands, holding her away from him. His voice, hard, shutting her out.

  His eyes, panicked and untrusting.

  His lips, refusing to tell her what she had done wrong.

  There had been fear in his eyes.

  He’s afraid of me , Jo thought.

  Why wouldn’t he be? Her inner voice agreed. Look at you. You can kill with a thought, who wouldn't be afraid?

  She let out a sound of frustration as she sliced, her sword embedding in a tree trunk she hadn't seen.

  Great , she thought. Just great.

  Sitting in the tree above her, Tweety gave a sympathetic chirp as he picked at the bugs on his branch. He grew every day, what had started as a black fluffball the size of a hummingbird was now closer to the size of a large raven. Jo wondered how big he would get.

  "I know," she said as she grabbed the sword's hilt, "this really isn't my week." She gave it a hard yank, but it refused to budge. Bracing a foot against the tree, she yanked again and again, but it was stuck.

  Let me, Sunny's voice entered her mind, startling her. She'd been so caught up in her anger she hadn't realized her sister had approached, which was saying something because their minds were almost always joined.

  Sunny grabbed the hilt and pulled, the strength boost she got from Westin allowing her to pull it free. She held it out to Jo who grumbled a thank you, wishing she had some super strength.

  I wish I could beat something up. Like a tree. Or a face.

  You wanna talk about it? Sunny asked. She didn't know what had happened, but she knew something was wrong.

  Jo shook her head. She wasn't ready, not yet.

  "We have a problem," Kian's voice startled them both. They looked to him and followed his gaze.

  "You've got to be kidding me," Sunny muttered as she and Jo watched the vines they had worked so hard to clear away slowly begin to cover their path once more.

  Further back, where they'd began, the vines had completely blocked their friends from view.

  Westin, still hacking away at the vines, finally turned to see why everyone had stopped working. He cursed softly, his eyes taking in their situation.

  "They're so quiet," Sunny said.
"I didn't even hear them growing back, even with Westin's Gift."

  Westin scowled at Sunny's mention of using his Gift, but he didn't say anything. He knew that telling her she couldn't use it would severely impact their group's fighting ability.

  Together, they walked down the path to where the vines had blocked their view of their friends.

  "Khione? Marzanna? Can you hear us?" Sunny yelled. She fell silent, listening for their answer. She shook her head when she didn't hear a reply.

  "Can you feel Zahra?" Jo asked Kian. Ever since her bond with Leo had formed, she'd known exactly where he was. She hated it, always being aware of him as if she hadn't already been in the first place. She could feel him, distantly in the north, but he felt further away than she knew he physically was.

  Kian shook his head. "She feels distant, like something is muffling the bond."

  "These vines must have some sort of suppressing magic," Westin said, squeezing his eyes shut in concentration.

  Then, he and Sunny's heads snapped up at the same time, both of them whirling in the opposite direction and taking a fighting stance.

  Jo did the same, her mind linked with Sunny's so she heard the noise at the same time her sister did.

  Footsteps. Lots of them.

  Sunny reached out, trying to touch Leo's Gift to make them invisible, but she couldn't get a grasp on it through the vines.

  Looks like we’re fighting, Jo thought.

  Hadn't she just wanted to beat something up?

  The people poured from the trees, the vines parting easily to let them through. Jo cursed as she watched the vines slither out of the way at the wave of one of the men's hands.

  He’s a Botani, like Marzanna, Sunny thought at her.

  He made these vines.

  One of the men stepped forward and Sunny and Jo immediately knew he was the leader. He was tall and muscular, his pale skin covered in scars, even on his bald head.

  "What in Agares' bloody bird are you doing on Nid land?" he asked, his eyes roaming over the group. They swept up and down Jo and Sunny appreciatively before settling on Westin and Kian, deeming them the bigger threats. Tweety sensed their hostility and flew from Jo's shoulder.

  Jo wanted to laugh but held her tongue.

  Westin held up his hands, palms out. "We're just passing through. We don't want any trouble."

  The man sneered, "You expect me to believe that?"

  Jo felt something on her leg and looked down to find vines snaking around her ankles, holding her in place. Looking around, she saw they were doing the same to the others. The vines worked their way up, pulling Jo's arms against her body, causing her to drop her swords.

  She let them, refusing to struggle.

  Once the group was completely ensnared, the man began walking in a slow circle around them.

  Jo brushed her mind against every mind around her, including her friends, and felt Sunny do the same. Westin and Kian were both weighing their options, their soldiers' minds analyzing numbers and risks in a way that Jo found impressive.

  There were thirty men and women surrounding them. Thirty against the four of them. They all had some amount of ability, some form of weapon at their disposal.

  Jo focused on the leader, slipping into his mind so quietly he didn't even notice. She saw her group through his eyes. Felt his need to destroy. Felt the lust that heated his veins when he looked at Jo and Sunny. His need to show his strength, prove he was the strongest.

  He wasn't going to let them go.

  Jo felt her sister come to the same conclusion the moment she did.

  They would kill Westin and Kian and take their clothes and weapons. Then, they would take Sunny and Jo, pass them around until they'd had their fill, then kill them as well. Well, Jo sensed they might keep them around if they were docile enough.

  The leader approached them, his eyes sliding over them, making Jo feel dirty in a way that mud and leaves never could. He stopped in front of Jo first and his smell hit her. Body odor and animal scent mingled together strongly enough to make her want to gag.

  He touched one of the curls that fell over her shoulder, keeping his eyes on hers as he lifted it to his nose and inhaled.

  "Still fresh," he grinned, showing off rotten teeth. "You're new here."

  Jo met his eyes evenly, waiting for her chance.

  Then he approached Sunny. She stiffened almost imperceptibly as he neared her. He reached out slowly, trailing a finger down the side of her face.

  Next to Sunny, Westin tensed, his eyes conveying his murderous thoughts.

  Sunny herself had stopped breathing, fear and rage laced through her body.

  Jo saw Azmodeous' face flash through her mind.

  Her every muscle was tight, ready to spring. Ready to explode.

  Westin laughed, the sound coming out harsh and a tad unhinged. "Is that the only way you can get a woman? Tie them up and force them?"

  Westin put on a good show, but Jo felt his insides quivering with fear. Felt a fierce protectiveness settle over him.

  The man grinned at Westin. "It's worked pretty well for me in the past."

  "Don't touch her," Jo growled at him, revulsion sparking through her.

  The man sneered at her and grabbed Sunny's throat.

  His last mistake.

  Harnessing the Botani's power, Sunny let it sing through the air, commanding the vines around them all to fall away. The leader backed up a step, caution entering his eyes.

  "I see you have some powe-"

  His words were cut off as his head fell to the ground. Sunny came to a stop, her spiked whip dripping with blood. Using Westin's Gift, she had moved so fast that even Jo had had a hard time tracking her movements.

  Jo looked around at the outraged people around her.

  "I told him not to touch her," she said.

  With a cry, they rushed forward, some misplaced sense of loyalty causing them to want vengeance for their now dead leader.

  Jo picked up her swords.

  Westin and Kian moved to lunge, but they were cut off as Jo and Sunny surged forward, weapons ready, minds synced.

  Jo sliced through a man's neck with an ease and detachment that would have shocked her nine months ago. Now? She was just getting warmed up.

  A blade flashed to her right and she ducked, bringing her sword up in an arc that cut through the attacker's abdomen. Blood sprayed as his guts spilled forth.

  Four people rushed her at once and she dove into their minds. Shutting down their brains was as simple as a blink and they fell to the ground, dead.

  Nearby, Sunny swung her whip with lightning speed and super strength, cutting through three bodies at once.

  Jo and Sunny stood back to back, moving in perfect synchronization. Jo murmured to several people to die, while Sunny paralyzed some of them. They were completely focused as the hazy fog of blood lust washed over them.

  Jo kneeled, allowing Sunny to roll sideways over her back, the momentum stretching out her whip to kill a Rifter she had sensed was about to move.

  Jo latched onto a Fire Elemental's mind and saw that she was going to burn Kian. So, naturally, Jo commanded some nearby gang members to turn on her, beating her to death.

  Jo was so focused on turning the gang members against each other, that she sensed the man behind her too late.

  Adrenaline dulled the pain from the slice on her leg as untamed fury filled her.

  Sunny let out a feral scream, sensing Jo had gotten hurt.

  And that was it.

  They ripped through the remaining members with stormy brutality.

  Images raced through their minds of being punished.

  Of being abused. Of feeling helpless.

  Of Azmodeous' face.

  The memories were like adding salt to the wound. Jo felt the heat of her anger stain her cheeks as her heart went to her throat.

  She wouldn't be helpless anymore.

  With the vehemence of an avalanche, Jo kept up the slaughter.

  He
r anger had captured her wholly, like an old friend welcoming her home. A home in which she now lived where all she wanted was revenge. Justice.

  The entire gang lay in bloody ribbons surrounding them, but she was comfortable in her new home. Satisfied. She wasn't ready to leave.

  So, she stayed straddled on the man, his face a disfigured mess, as she continued to pummel her fist into it.

  But then, it ended.

  Hands grabbed her shoulders and jerked her off the man.

  Kian.

  "Pull yourself together!" he said, shaking her. Some of the fog left her brain, and the mind link to her sister cleared. Her brain just as muddled as her own. Splattered specks of blood covered Sunny head to toe. Jo could only guess she didn't look any better.

  Westin held onto her sister's shoulders, staring into her eyes, and Jo felt him break through to her as well.

  Jo felt Leo's presence as the Botani's Gift faded with his death.

  As she looked up, the parting vines revealed him and the rest of the group about one hundred feet away.

  They gaped at the carnage surrounding them.

  Tweety's wings fluttered as he landed among the dead and began picking his way through what was left behind, scavenging. He flapped again, flying the short distance to land on Jo's shoulder as he munched on a piece of entrail.

  Leo's eyes found Jo.

  What must he think of me? He must be sickened.

  This is who you are, a dark, unfamiliar voice whispered. This is what you were made for.

  Leo's eyes didn't leave her. Though they were wary, they weren't afraid.

  Could it be, Jo thought, that I’m not what he’s afraid of?

  Chapter 23

  Sunny

  Writhia, 5220

  The Wastes

  As the group got closer to the destruction, their eyes bounced off each body, then back to Jo and Sunny as if they didn't know them at all.

  What did they expect? Sunny thought. It was either them or us.

  She wouldn't apologize.

  She lifted her chin cockily and smiled. She knew it was a slightly crazed smile and that there was blood splattered over her face. "Come to join the party?" she asked.