Symphony of Light and Winter (21 page)

He pulled back from my neck and stared at me, concern lacing his features. “It’s OK.” He brushed a strand of hair from my face. “I thought the distraction might help. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m so sorry.” His words were panicked but offered a tone of reassurance. The soft kisses started again and he started to move. His strokes were gentle, almost coddling.

I wrapped my legs around him and urged him on. He sped up. I gave in to his rhythm. I could tell he was close by the look on his face and the determination of his hips as they pounded against mine. The muscles of his neck were tense. Instinctively I knew what he needed to hear. Wanting it to be over, I did the one thing I was sure would cause him to lose control. “I love you, Michael.”

Immediately after the words left my lips, he exploded, throwing his head back while his cock made sharp, deep thrusts within me. His breathing was punctuated. He thrust until every ounce of seed had been spent. He remained motionless for several minutes, sighing and taking deep breaths. He leaned forward, resting his arms near my head while he breathed heavily, eyes closed, pressing his forehead to mine.

He kissed me softly. “I love you too.” Then he rolled off to lie on his side. He wrapped his arms around me. His sighs of contentment were audible as we both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Several hours later, a strange gurgling sound pulled me from sleep. I ignored it but soon the room felt frigid. I needed to grab an extra blanket from the closet, or perhaps put on some clothes, and finding the toilet was a priority as well. Michael’s arm was still draped across me. His skin felt cold to the touch. When I tried to wiggle out from under him I noticed something was not right. His arm felt too rigid.

I called out to him, “Michael. Michael. I’m going to get us a blanket.” He did not respond. “Michael?”

I felt panic set in. I moved to shake him. His skin was stiff.

I reached for the bedside lamp and the moment the illumination hit, I cried, “No, no, no!”

I felt for a pulse. The cold skin produced no heat, no warmth. I felt sick, like my stomach turned inside out. The tears came and fell like raindrops on my feet. I stared at his lifeless form. There was blood dried on his lips from where it flowed from his mouth. It formed a red circlet just above where my head had lain, like a morbid halo.

Then I remembered Lance. He decided to stay the extra time in Vegas with us. I dialed his room on the desk phone. He answered in a groggy voice.

“Lance, I need you come to our room, something terrible has happened. Hurry, it’s Michael!”

“Linden?” he said groggily.

“Yes. Now!” I screamed.

Only a few minutes passed and Lance was at the door. I was wrapped in the sheet from the bed and couldn’t care less about my modesty.

“Oh God… Lance, you’ve got to help him. I think he’s dead. Please…”

He stood there for a moment, surveying Michael’s naked form and said, “How did you do it?”

Appalled, I screamed at him, “Do it? I didn’t do anything. I woke up to go to the bathroom and found him like that. I didn’t do this.”

Something that looked like a flash of lightning filled the room.

He walked toward Michael, checked his pulse and breathing. “Well…he’s dead.”

I openly sobbed while Lance stood cool and collected. There was a disturbance to the air and I started to feel woozy.

I glared at Lance. He didn’t seem the slightest bit upset. I guessed it was an occupational hazard. After your one-hundredth traffic fatality perhaps one gets desensitized, but it was Michael, his friend. Hell, he owed me a reaction.

He stood calmly and placed his hand on my shoulder. “Look…I’ll…take care of this. You go get dressed and let’s get you on the first flight back to Pittsburgh. There’s a protocol we have to follow. I’ll contact the authorities and then call you with arrangements.”

It was like my body had a mind of its own, following a script I wasn’t privy to. The physical me protested.

I heard myself ask, “Lance, what are you going to do? We got married tonight.” That seemed to get his attention. Something flashed. What the fuck was going on? Lance’s image shimmered. What the fuck?

Shimmering Lance ushered me toward the bathroom. I mindlessly took his cue, but first walked over and took one last look at Michael and kissed his forehead while dropping tears on his face, hoping they might bring him back to life. After an insanely long time, I closed my eyes, said a silent prayer, and did as Lance instructed.

Lance shoved my suitcase toward me and pointed to the bathroom. “Hurry up. I need to make a few calls and you need to be out of here before anyone arrives. It will be easier to explain.”

I didn’t argue. I couldn’t. Strange feelings assaulted me as I grasped the handle of the suitcase and turned around. I was met by another flash of blinding light. As my eyes refocused, the room contorted and in the distance I saw the piano room in Cyril’s house. From behind me, Lance was saying something about Michael’s family and that he’d call me. It was then I remembered Cyril’s tight grip on my head, his mumbled apology, and the fading of reality just before I relived every moment with him and his enemy. Prick!

He was in my damn head. I channeled all my fury and screamed at him through the haze. “Damn you, Cyril! You stupid fucking asshole!”

There weren’t enough expletives to throw at him. I think at one point I even made up a few. “Get the fuck out of my head, you. You motherfu—”

Overwhelmed by the sensation of falling forward, I put my arms out to brace myself and landed on my hands and knees. I closed my eyes tightly, not wanting to see what had happened. It had all been so weird; I wouldn’t be surprised if I ended up in Oz or Wonderland. I held still, waiting for the room to stop spinning. When I felt it was safe, I opened my eyes. I was in the piano hall as suspected. Son of a bitch.

Chapter Twelve

Apology

My gown was drawn up over my back, breasts hanging free from the bodice, when I remembered I didn’t have any fucking underwear on. That son of a bitch distracted me, and then violated my mind. Looking over my shoulder, I spotted Cyril sitting on the floor opposite the piano bench, staring at me. The bastard had a seat with a view; my panty-less bottom faced his direction. The most startling thing of all was the look on his face. Was it surprise or…fear? Apparently I had fallen face forward off the piano bench at the same time he had fallen off the back. On my hands and knees, I turned to face him. He didn’t move.

My menacing stare met his eyes as I stalked toward him, not bothering to lace my top or pull down my nightgown. Modesty would have made me look weak, and at that moment, I had control. Otherwise he wouldn’t look the way he did.

Passing the piano bench, I knocked it aside. I wanted him to know I didn’t come in peace. He remained motionless as I rose up on my knees, greeting him at eye level. Staring at him, picturing my rage boring through his skull, I swallowed and cracked my neck to the right.

Our eyes locked and I wasn’t sure if I could speak. When I did, malice laced each word. I wanted him to have no doubt how bad he fucked up. I punctuated each syllable through my gritted teeth. “I told you to
never
do that.”

His brow furrowed and reflected some of my anger. “And I warned you, I’m a selfish bastard.”

I slapped him. He embraced it, unflinching. Overcome with fury, I struck him. Punch after punch met his chest and he made no move to stop me. The anger had to be realized, and after what he did, he owed me. Growling, my fists slowed with each impact. My breathing labored. He grabbed both my wrists, pulling me to his chest, and wrapped his steel arms around me.

“Let me go!”

“Calm down and listen to me. It’s the only way I’m releasing you.”

I struggled for a few minutes, before realizing there was no way to break free.

“Are you done?” he chided. Not waiting for my response, he continued, “I’m only going to explain this once. So listen carefully.”

Condescending bastard!

“Before tonight, I was convinced you were in league with Myghal. You were married to him, so you can see how I might be suspicious. Many things caused me to wonder. For one, you had my blood and I had no memory of how it happened. Add in my inability to read your mind before tonight and you have to admit, you looked guilty of something nefarious. It occurred to me you might be a new manifestation of someone I thought I rid myself of long ago. Your immunity to my curse, coupled with the constant need to bury myself inside you, made it impossible for me to walk away.”

Heat flooded my traitorous body, but I wouldn’t allow his words to take hold of me. “I knew you couldn’t read my mind before tonight. You were too damn stubborn to admit it.” I tried to pull away to look at him.

He squeezed. “Silence, and stop wiggling!” His groan of frustration echoed through the room. “I tried to read your mind in the restroom the first night but got distracted by the feel of you. Your emotions overwhelmed me, especially how much you wanted me, and I nearly lost control. After finding Myghal’s shit statues at your apartment, I tried again.”

I struggled again in his arms.

“Stop it, I’m not done.”

In a very quick movement he shifted my position, placing my legs on either side of him. Seated on his outstretched legs facing his chest, I struggled as he pulled me in tight. I would never get away from him in the new position. It also placed my very naked womanly flesh in direct contact with his jean-covered arousal. I willed myself not to think about it, but it didn’t keep my body from responding.

He cleared his throat. “At your apartment I was very frustrated. You made it clear you wouldn’t consent, so I brought you home with me to try to get you to open up. I waited until you slept to try, but it didn’t work, your mind was closed. So I visited you each night, thinking you’d confide in me but instead you ignored me. Well, most of the time you did. I seemed to get your attention when I undressed.”

I pinched his side, causing me to slide against his cock; his arms stiffened and he groaned. “Stop that! This is hard enough without you making it more difficult.”

It was hard, all right.

“Occasionally, when I drink from someone, I see flashes of their memories. Most times it’s not a welcome side effect. I don’t care to be bothered with pointless human drama, but since you were so hard to read, I thought if I drank from you it would let me into your mind. So I injured myself, hoping you would nurse me back to health and give me a forgivable reason for requesting it from you.”

“You have got to be kidding me! You did that to yourself? You asshole!” I tried to pull away but he wouldn’t allow it.

“Selfish bastard,” he corrected.

“Whatever.”

“There were times when I thought I felt love emanating from you. As you bandaged me, offered yourself to me, and when you cleaned me of my release. My response to drinking from you is not my usual reaction. That night all I could think of were two things. One, how could you be so kind, loving, and selfless, and be allied with Myghal? Two, how fucking incredible it will feel to have my cock buried inside you while I sink my teeth into your neck. Mmmmm…this position will work nicely.” He wiggled his hips and held me tight against his arousal.

I pinched him hard.

“Ow, I do feel pain you know.”

“Good! There is hope.”

“Oh, you like it rough? There is hope indeed.”

I bit him hard on the shoulder.

“Careful, Light, don’t start something you’re not willing to finish. I’m sure you can feel how ready I am and I’m running out of patience.”

My face flushed. Even as I wished they didn’t, his words excited me.

He stroked my back with soft caresses as he continued his confession. “You were driving me insane with desire and I couldn’t hold out much longer. I needed to know for sure. It was a difficult situation. I didn’t know if I could trust you, but couldn’t afford to betray you.”

“This was your solution? How fucking clueless are you?”

“I work with energy, Linden. There are different types and sexual energy is extremely malleable. My plan was to seduce you into the lack of consciousness that accompanies orgasm and slip into your mind undetected. But watching you and feeling you come undone in my arms overwhelmed me. That moment of distraction caused you to be aware of what was happening. No one has ever forced me out of his or her mind before. I’m convinced you’re not in on Myghal’s plans, but nothing about you makes sense.”

“So tricking me made sense? Didn’t you even consider you were violating me?”

His voice low and laced with remorse. “No. I was desperate. I couldn’t afford to be deceived with so much at risk, but I also can’t bear to lose you.”

I said nothing. I figured the less I protested the sooner he’d let me go.

“Linden… What we had was beautiful and I am so sorry I didn’t remember. It’s hard for me to see myself that way because I’ve never been tender with anyone. I could be with you, given your immunity to the curse and the love always in your eyes for me.”

I refused to acknowledge his words.

He continued. “I can feel all your emotions in your memories. I am humbled by what you felt for me, especially since I’m the one to blame. I’m going to let you go and give you time to think but before I do, I beg your forgiveness.”

I burrowed my head into his chest but remained silent.

“There is something else you should know.” He kissed the top of my head. “Do you remember the chant I whispered as I died?”

Reluctantly I answered, “Yes.”

“It is a very powerful spell. Your memories unlocked the pieces missing in mine. I intended to someday ask you to stay with me, but only after you enjoyed your life and all of the pleasures humanity had to offer. My world can be harsh and only once you had enough experience to make a sound decision would I have offered you the option. I wanted you to love others so when I finally came for you, you would know how strong the bond between us was. There has been something between us from the first look in your eyes. You didn’t run, scream, or cower from me, and my astonishment made me a fool.”