by S J Doran
“I’ll keep you warm.” He wrapped his body around hers, entwining their legs and crushing her to his chest.
“No.” She pushed him back with a finger. “You’re sweaty. Get me my pillows.”
“Yes, my lady. Anything you ask.” He gave her a cheeky grin and slid to the floor with a thud. “Hells Mara I’m all dizzy.”
She sat up behind him, giggling maniacally. “You’re just drunk. Light the fire.”
“You sure like giving orders. Ornery drunk.” With a careless flick of his hand, he called up the flames into the prepared fireplace.
“Pillow under my head and blankets. And hurry it up, demon.” She leaned up on her elbow, fighting a grin, gloriously nude and taunting him.
He got to his unsteady feet and leaned over her. “What makes you think I am obedient?” He watched her throat move, her tongue darting out to lick her lips.
With a wicked chuckle, he tore the fur out from beneath her as she squealed and tried to grab it. Instead, he tossed it on the floor in front of the hearth and picked her up.
“We’ll build ourselves a fortress where no one can interfere.” He sat her on the sofa and straightened out the fur, covering the rug that was already on the floor.
She leaned over the back of the couch, watching him gather pillows. “We’ll need a moat. Full of monsters.”
“Flames.” He nodded in all seriousness, tossing cushions to her. “Start building, wench.”
“Don’t make me throw this in your face,” she scowled, threatening him with a pillow.
With a wide grin, he tossed the cushion in his hands directly at her face.
She screeched and jumped over the back of the couch, tackling him and knocking them both to the floor in a clumsy tangle of limbs. He was immediately aware they were both still naked, and nearly the same instant was rock hard again.
“Mara,” he groaned against her neck as she tried to squirm out from under him. “You feel so fucking good underneath me.”
She licked her lips, her eyes liquid with desire. “Shows what you know demon. I prefer to be on top.” She shoved him hard, and he landed on his back with a hard thud. “Get up and start carrying books. Our walls need fortifications.”
He propped himself back up. “Yes, Mara.” He got to his feet and gave her a light smack on her tempting ass and ran off before she could retaliate.
Together they built up a secure dwelling, using the sofa and pillows for walls, the velvet comforter from Mara’s bed for a ceiling and books holding it all in place. They left the side facing the hearth open, and both lay facing the fire, heads together.
“The Lich will be the easy part. They fall under my rule,” they were debating their upcoming ‘quest’ as it was now deemed. “Rasputin’s idea that they’re guarded by something primordial is what’s disturbing.”
“Not the worst.” Mara looked sideways at him. “Worst of this is the fact we’re hunting for your father’s Rod,” she deadpanned.
Both of them burst out in uncontrolled snickers at that.
“My mother warned me about that rod,” Cass added in, making Mara laugh harder.
“I don’t know. Will you be able to wield the rod as well as your father?”
Both of their laughter died, like water over a flame.
“Wow. Too soon?” Mara bit her lip, her dimple still showing on her cheek.
“Listen here, brat.” He squeezed her ribs, and she elbowed him. “I need another drink. Yours okay?”
She nodded and stretched her arm out of the blankets, reaching for the bottle. He sat up and topped off his drink, pulling Mara over his lap, sipping his drink and contemplating the firelight in her hair.
“Why won’t you tell your Dominae we’re married?”
She turned and looked up at him, her brows bunching together. “Because we’re not. Not really.”
“But we are by divine law.” He picked up her hand and studied his sigil. “Consummated. Soul bound and all. I can draw up a contract right now, you’ll be Queen of the Hells before morning.”
“We can’t.” She tried to roll back over to face the fire, but he didn’t let her. “Let go Cass.” Her body went stiff with adrenaline and he released her. Never hurt her.
“You can’t have a consort that can’t even share your bed. And I can’t claim you as my husband.” Did her voice break on that word? “Until they no longer fear we will bring forth an apocalypse. They’ll see me dead first.”
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” He downed his drink and stared into the bottom of his glass.
“I never wanted to talk about it in the first place,” she huffed.
“I want to watch you come again. And maybe one more time after that for good measure.” He set his glass beside them and trailed his fingertips from the bottom of her throat, down between her breasts and still further.
“Pull up the drawbridge and secure our defenses.” She smiled, running her own hand up his chest. “The King is about to be out of commission.”
He scoffed. “Think you’re enough to take me on?”
“I’ve always hoped so,” she said, gasping as his fingers gave a long stroke between her thighs.
“The thing is amata,” he said, licking the very peak of a nipple. “We’ve always been better as a team.” He licked the other and her breathing grew frantic. “Us versus the world. Us holding each other up.” He suckled on one breast as his fingers squeezed her clit. “Even when I didn’t remember you, you made me stronger.”
“Demon,” she moaned. “Stop…” she lost her breath when he sunk a finger deep inside, lightly stroking her swollen g-spot.
“That’s it. Come for me. Then you can tell me I’m the only one for you.”
“Caaass.” She clawed at his arms, trying to find something to hold on to, so he leaned over and captured her mouth again, her hands gripping his hair as her hips rocked against his hand, urging him on.
Her lust hit him like a flash as she screamed and came apart under his hand. He grunted with the force of it, taking it all, already greedy for more.
Both of them were panting hard by the time the last pulses of her orgasm washed through her.
“Bet they heard you screaming,” he laughed, faintly because he was still out of breath, and lay down with her wrapped completely in his arms. “They’ll know you’re in here with me. And that I do it for you.”
“Cheeky demon,” she laughed, turning in his arms to face him. “What about you?”
“Completely sated. Ready to go fight a dozen Lich and a primordial demon.” He flexed a bicep, and she giggled.
“I meant this.” She wrapped her hand around his cock and squeezed.
He hissed in a breath, covered her hand in his and stroked a few times, then moved it away. “No.”
“No?” She looked up at him, confusion plain on her face.
“I can’t.” He rolled onto his back and pulled his hands beneath his head, dropping her back to the cold blankets. “I was with her. I don’t deserve you.” He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing the floor would stop turning.
Mara gripped his jaw hard, wrenching his face to hers. “You’re not defined by your nature.”
“Au contraire.” He raised his brows. “That’s the only thing I have left to define me. What else do I have Mara? I’m stumbling through the dark here trying to reconcile my past with who I am now and it’s leaving me nothing but a mess. I’m losing grip on my kingdom, I don’t have you…”
“You’ll always have me,” she said, letting go of his jaw and running her hand back into his hair.
“But you won’t let me claim you as wife.”
“Not yet, demon. Just not yet.”
“What do we have to wait for? Can you give me a list to check off? I don’t know what to do.” Tears burned his eyes, and he fought them back with everything he had.
“Let’s start with a bedtime story. Remember when you used to read to me?” She rested her head on his shoulder and his body went lax.
/>
“Not enough light,” he snorted. “Hells and I guess I know why I can’t see properly in low light now don’t I?”
“Stop it Cass or I’ll never let you drink again.” Her hand rubbed up and down his chest, soothing him. “Tell me a story. You’ve got to have something memorized, I’ve seen you with the same books many times.”
He smiled wanly. “Been reading Harry Potter again.”
“Any good?”
“The little boy gets rescued. I like those ones.”
“Is there a girl?”
“A smart one.” He nodded and began telling her the story of the boy wizard and his best friend, the smart girl with all the power.
Bliss
His tongue went numb, saliva flooding his mouth before his stomach flipped over, waking him fully. He nearly tripped over Mara in his scramble to get to his feet, making a mad dash to the bathroom.
“Christ, Cass. Clothing!” Jez’s voice called after him, and he managed to slam the door closed with his foot before he started puking up his insides.
A gentle knock sounded against the door in between heaves.
“You okay?” Jez said, the knob rattling. “Here. Robe. I brought you some clothes. You’re not upset… you’re ill?”
Jez crouched beside him and Cass feebly slapped him away.
“Fuck off. Noisy.”
Jez’s face split into a wide grin. “You’re hungover. Shit. Okay, I’ll get you something to fix that up, I’m sure Gatie knows what to do. Then you’ve got to head back to the Malsheem — Aza is going stir-crazy worrying about Levistus.”
“Uh-uh.” He heaved again, spitting to get the taste out of his mouth when nothing came up. “Sit in for me today? I need a sick day.”
“Wuss.” Jez laughed, getting to his feet. “Headache pills, water, and some greasy food.”
“Don’t.” He felt the color drain from his face again, his body going cold. Jez held up a hand with a smirk.
“No food yet. Got it. Go lay back down in your pillow fort…”
“Fortress,” he rasped. “Too much planning went into that for you to be calling it a fort.”
“Okay. Be a good boy and go lay back down in your fortress of fabric with your princess and I’ll cover for you until you’re feeling better.”
“Queen.” He groaned when his stomach turned again.
“Say what now?” Jez said, his tone sarcastic.
“She’s my Queen.” He spit again, trying to rid his mouth of the taste of acid. “And we all lived happily ever after.” He giggled, resting his head on his arm.
“Lord and you’re still drunk. I’m off then before this hangover fully kicks in. I don’t want to feel any effects by osmosis or what have you.”
Jez left the bathroom, shouting for Agate, louder than necessary. The jerk.
After thoroughly rinsing his mouth, he rolled back into the blankets, careful not to disturb the carefully constructed walls or Mara who still slept soundly.
He heard Agate come back into the room and she peeked around the entrance with a tray full of goodies and a smile that was even too loud.
“Tonic. Crackers. And water.” She pointed out each obvious item. “When Sarratum-sa wakes tell her I’m in the sitting room, fending off angry Dominae.”
He scowled, opening his eyes a crack. “Why’re they angry?”
She leaned in close to whisper conspiratorially, “demons, invading. They’re everywhere you know.” And with a saucy wink, she was gone.
He tipped back the bitter tonic and nibbled at the edge of a cracker, not trusting his stomach to handle water quite yet.
“Demon. Are you eating crackers in my bed?” Mara’s voice was rough with sleep, her eyes still closed.
“Not your bed. Ours. The fortress is neutral territory. Thought we covered all this.”
“Cass,” she groaned, “my silk sheets.”
“Cracker?” He sat the tray on his lap, careful not to disturb the pitcher of water.
“Water?” She peeked open one eye. “And whiskey.”
His turn to groan. “Don’t even say the word.”
She smiled wide, opening her eyes all the way. “I don’t think we can marry after all, Sin.”
“What?” He stopped chewing. “Why?”
“You’re a morning person? You never told me this dirty secret in all the years I’ve known you.”
He laughed, spraying cracker crumbs all over her silk sheets, then poured her a glass of water before setting the tray down to brush them away.
“Only when my stomach wakes me up threatening to empty its contents — all over your silk sheets.”
“Oh.” She lay sideways, awkwardly sipping at her water. “The Hangover fairy visited I see.”
“Agate. Sweet girl,” he said with a sardonic smirk. “She wanted me to tell you that she’s in the sitting room, but I don’t think I want to.”
Mara giggled and passed him her glass. “Yeah, I figured I’d be facing some backlash today.”
“Don’t get up.” He grabbed her arm as she made move to stand. “Don’t go. Not yet.”
She smiled and patted his cheek. “Now demon, surely you can manage without me for a few hours.”
“Hmm. How many minutes?” He smiled and let her go. “Come to the Mont, Mara. We can have a movie night.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Who’s picking?”
He sighed. “We can watch one of yours, long as we watch a comedy after.”
“And you’ll get fresh pastries?”
He feigned offense, scoffing. “Like I’d ever go without.”
She laughed and stood up, tugging one of the sheets from under him and wrapping it around herself. “It’s a date then. Me, you, mortal realm and Zombieland.”
He screwed up his face, “zombies...”
“It’s a comedy and therefore counts as a compromise,” she grinned. “Run along then, and make sure there’s actually a sofa or bed hidden away beneath those piles of books in your apartment. Last I saw it, the place looked as if you’d robbed a library.”
“A monastery, actually.” He grinned down at her while pressing his nose into her untidy braid.
“Shameless demon.” She smiled up at him, and somehow the sight of it helped settle some of the queasiness.
He made his way through the portal to his favorite café, more than ready to enjoy a day off. They had a small covered patio with tables set up overlooking the sea and their café-au-lait and pain au chocolat was perfection.
He’d buy some fresh pastries to bring home for Mara, the creme puffs and danishes she preferred. Might even stop at the market and see what they had for fresh fruit.
He was floating on a cloud of euphoria today, nothing could bust his bubble.
He loved Mara.
Actual love, unselfish, undemanding, her mere presence being enough to ease his soul. He could bask in this feeling forever.
He felt the thrumming in his bones and let out an exasperated sigh. The waitress approached at the same time as Jez’s sister. The concept of forever was dimmed at the reminder that the celestials, this angel in particular, were out for his head.
He met her eyes and pushed the chair across from him with his foot, sliding it back from the table and turning to the waitress, who was speaking to him in rapid-fire French.
He looked over to Ziva, for some recognition in her gaze, but she just stood there, glaring at him. So he turned back to the waitress and ordered her a coffee and food.
“Might as well sit down. You can’t draw your weapon here,” he said, nodding toward the empty seat.
She hissed out a breath and sat down in a huff, crossing her arms and raising her stubborn chin. He popped the last of his pastry into his mouth, licking the honey and chocolate off his fingers, making zero attempts at politeness.
He sucked the chocolate off his thumb, his tongue swiping out to catch a drop and she gasped. He looked up in time to see her averting her eyes; her face bright red. So. It was going to be like th
at, was it?
The intoxicating draw of her shiny golden soul wasn’t fazing him today. She was intruding on his basking time.
She continued to glare at him. He kept sipping his coffee, staring back. What was she going to do? They were completely surrounded by mortals.
The waitress returned, setting down a cup in front of Ziva, a fresh cup for him and a chocolate-covered éclair with a dish of berries.
“Bien. Merci.” He nodded to the waitress and waited until she left before turning back to the angel.
She opened her mouth as though to say something, and he reached over and plucked up a particularly juicy looking strawberry and popped it into his mouth.
“Hey.” She frowned and pulled the dish closer to her side.
She looked between the berries and the chocolate and whipped cream covered confectionary, deciding on the éclair. She took a bite and moaned in bliss, and he stopped chewing. This was a bad idea.
“Why are you here… Ziva?” He picked up his coffee and leaned back in his chair, turning to watch the squawking sea birds instead of her.
“Well,” she said, swiping a bit of whipped cream from off her chin. “I need to get a letter to my brother.”
She expected, what? For him to act as messenger boy and pass along notes to Jez in the Nessus — even though, given the chance, she’d separate his head from his body?
He looked her over, pondering the ramifications of just getting rid of her — would Jez forgive him for that? She was staring down at her spoon, turning it over and back. Her clothes were wrinkled, her hair mussed… realization dawned.
“You’re still staying in my apartment?” Hells, how was he supposed to bring Mara there? Her scent… would be everywhere. His mouth dried at the thought and he quickly gulped down his hot latte.
“I haven’t seen baby mama around.” Her chin notched, her sapphire-blue eyes defiant.
He lost his breath. It was just gone. His hand shook and his cup clattered back on the saucer, sloshing hot coffee onto his hand.
“Just go. You can stay there, just,” he rasped, “leave me be. I’m not fucking hurting anything.” He swiped his still shaking hand down his face.
