The Witch's Dream - A Love Letter to Paranormal Romance (Black Swan 2) (37 page)

He remembered what she had said the first time she ever spoke to him.
There's something about the rumble of thunder that’s so primal, so carnal It’s the ultimate turn on. Add the smell of a rainstorm coming and it’s a witch’s dream.

Litha didn't set the odometer. She didn't know how Deliverance had managed to have the car waiting in that parking lot under a spotlight with zero miles on it, but having seen some of his best tricks, it would take more than that to surprise her. He said thirteen miles. She didn't know exactly how far she'd gone, but she knew her pendulum was more reliable than any satellite direction-finder technology.

The thunder was getting closer and the lightning was starting to put on a fine show. When silver white streaks forked and fired across the sky, it made the surrounding darkness look like the dark purple of magick.

Her intuition told her it was time to slow down seconds before the pendulum took a sharp left at a white gravel driveway and almost jerked out of her hand. She turned in and eased slowly forward when the pendulum resumed pointing straight ahead. Between claps of thunder she could hear the crush of gravel and white shells under the tires as the car ground over them.

On either side of the drive tall oleanders bloomed profusely with white flowers. The wind was whipping them back and forth so that some of the blooms gave way. After a minute the oleanders opened up to an expanse of lawn and a white, two-story house. She immediately killed the car lights.

She had no idea what she was walking into. It could be a relative's house. It could even be a girlfriend's place. She tried to set it aside as pesky, self-sabotaging imagination. The house was completely dark, but that wasn't going to stop her. Nothing would. That very night she was letting him know that she was back in Loti Dimension and still hot for him. Only him. No matter what. He could run from Edinburgh to Siena to the Texas Hill Country. Until she had reason to believe that she would never stand a chance with him, she was all in.

Just as she turned the car off raindrops started to hit the windshield. She had taken her shoes off for the drive and decided to just run for it as she was. She was pelted by big drops as she bypassed the front door. For whatever reason, intuition probably, the back door
felt
like a better option. She ran across the St. Augustine grass barefoot, around the silent house, rain falling harder with every step. She grabbed her hair away from her eyes where it was being blown and tangled, so that she could see where she was going. The screen porch door was unlocked. It squeaked when she opened it and stepped onto the threshold.

Her eyes had adjusted to the dark and she could see well enough to make out the figure sprawled on top of the cot, but even if she couldn't see him, she would have known he was there. Her spirit was drawn to his essence like creation had calibrated them to be magnetic to each other.

Storm hadn’t heard her approach because of the noise of the storm, but the squeaky hinge worked as well as an electronic alert. He turned his head to see who might be trying to enter, uninvited so far as he knew, in the middle of the night. There, framed in the doorway with a series of lightning flashes behind her, stood a wild and beautiful witch wearing a romantic, white dress just damp enough to cling to every curve. It was a vision no fantasy could ever hope to match. Storm held his breath, marveling at the complexity of the mind and the torturous nature of the tricks it can play. Even though his heart could barely stand looking at the vision, at the same time he was afraid to blink because it might vanish with the tiniest movement.

She took a step toward him, away from the door. "Do you want me here?" She asked her question and now stood motionless, heart beating fast, but not breathing - waiting for his answer.

The instant he heard her voice he knew it was no dream. Litha had no idea how fast a Black Swan knight in his prime can move. Before she had time to register that he was coming for her, Storm had her in his arms, smothering her mouth in a kiss that said: "I learned my lesson. Mountains may crumble. Seas may go dry. But I will
never
let you go again." She moaned against his mouth as her body went soft against him. He responded by tightening his arms and pulling her upward until she could wrap herself around him.

The feel of his bare skin under her hands was heaven, just as she'd known it would be. The heat of the witch's damp body, molded to his own, escalated his arousal to a frenzy of desire he hadn't known was possible as both of them were discovering that waking sex with each other was a hundred times more potent than nightwalking. He said her name against her lips like he was reassuring himself that she was real, then renewed the fervor of his silent pledge to kiss her mindless.

A near deafening crack of thunder shook the house. The wind whipped up, making trees bend and shake while wind chimes danced hysterically and almost flew off their hangers. The steady rain turned into a driving downpour that sounded like a tropical storm. The lovers paused when they heard noise coming from the house. It was hard to place because it sounded like a stampede.

Kay's sisters pounded down the wooden stairs, each trying to be first. They hit the screen door without stopping, as they had countless times as children. It didn't occur to any of them that it might be latched and it wasn't. It swung open in immediate surrender. They ran out into the night laughing, exhilarated by the cool rain and the exuberance of youth, without ever noticing Litha entangled in Storm’s strong arms, wrapped firmly around her waist while her legs wrapped firmly around his.

In seconds the girls were drenched to the bone, still determined to get the lawn furniture cushions in out of the rain even though it was far too late to rescue them.

Reluctantly Storm let Litha slide down his body until her feet could touch the floor, but he did not relinquish the hold he had on her.

When the Norns had dashed out of the bunkroom to gather lawn cushions, Katrina had set out to close all the windows open to the north, the direction the rain was coming from. The four women had passed by Ram and Elora.

Thirty minutes earlier Ram had walked Elora to the door of the bunk room holding her hand, then set about giving her a goodnight kiss that would make her remember why sleeping without him was a dumb idea. Half an hour later they were still standing there necking like teenagers on dormitory steps with him alternately kissing and whispering in her ear what he would do to her if she came back to his room.

"Phone sex in person, Ram?" She put her lips to his ear and whispered back, "I like it. It could be a new trend."

"You know, should you change your mind, I'll be in that room there." He pointed across the hall. "And I would no' mind wakin' to find you crawlin' into my bed in the middle of the night."

The voices of the Norns carried up the stairs as they were shrieking and laughing about being wet through and through. Then, abruptly, everything went quiet. Katrina came out into the hall and looked at Ram and Elora. Something about the sudden silence was alarming. Kay must have thought so, too. He opened his door. "What's happened?"

The four of them hurried downstairs and out onto the now-crowded screen porch.

When Katrina saw Litha she let out a sob and rushed to throw her arms around the witch.

Elora turned to Kay's sisters. "Go change now before you cool off too much. I'll make you some nice chocolate tea." The sisters were torn between their curiosity and their shivering. Plus, they were used to giving the orders, not taking them. To the relief of all Order personnel present for the homecoming, the three sisters seemed to telepathically agree that they could ask questions later and silently withdrew to find towels and dry clothes.

When they were gone, Elora whispered: "We have five minutes to come up with a cover story." Then to Litha, Elora said: "We're all so glad to see you. And it just so happens we have an extra bed."

At Ram's suggestion, they agreed on an explanation and nominated Ram to tell it. He told Kay's sisters that Litha had helped Katrina get through her emotional trauma after she was returned and that Katrina had invited her to come to the wedding if she could. They were satisfied by that explanation. And, truthfully, he was so convincing Elora almost believed it herself.

She told him privately that it concerned her how easily he came up with an extemporaneous story that was a completely manufactured lie, not to mention the aplomb with which he told it. Ram just laughed and said: "I was no' born the day we met, you know."

Litha borrowed something to sleep in because it was raining too hard to retrieve her Gucci luggage from the car.

After disgusting chocolate tea and a celebration cigar, Storm went back to the cot on the porch to sleep alone, or stay awake alone, his heart swollen almost to the size of the erection he was still packing.

As he thought about how quickly things can change those thoughts turned to the future and what might be on the next page after Kay's wedding.

He confronted the fact that his feelings of loss were only partially about Kay leaving The Order. The truth was that he was on a collision course with anachronism - a vampire slayer with no vampires to slay. He didn't know how long it would take Baka's task force to eradicate the virus, but it was coming. Soon. The sooner the better.

He had been there to help usher in a new age and that was really something. Something to tell grandchildren if his work was common knowledge by then. Fact remained, a wise person knew when it was time to turn the page.

He'd spent more than half his life saving to buy a vineyard while, at the same time, never
really
picturing himself as anything but a Black Swan knight. He thanked providence that sometimes fate had a way of arranging change even when you were too dumb to find the path on your own.

He didn't know what he'd done to deserve a gorgeous witch who wanted to make love to him, make wine with him, and make a life with him, but he found himself imagining sharing a bed in a Sonoma Coast villa with a green-eyed, demon's daughter. And that time he knew he'd got it right.

In the darkness, lying on his back on a screen porch cot, listening to the rain that had turned into a quiet, soothing drizzle, he smiled at the ceiling.

Life is good. Strange. But good.

Sweet delicious Litha.

***

CHAPTER
20

The women had stayed up too late talking in the darkness, giggling like kids away at camp. Things that might not be funny otherwise were funnier when you were supposed to be going to sleep.

Katrina had previously arranged the wedding party as three bridesmaids, not wanting to distinguish between any of her future sisters-in-law. She shocked everyone, Litha most of all, by insisting that she would be maid of honor, and Katrina made it clear she wouldn't take no for an answer.

When the fairer sex woke the next morning, the men were not in the house. They were found at the front of the house on the gravel drive standing around a fire engine red, convertible Aston Martin like it was an altar. The rain had not done a thing to sully the mirror finish paint.

On her approach Litha used the remote key to pop the trunk open. "Would somebody help me with my luggage?"

Storm settled an instantly heated gaze on her and walked toward her like she was the only person alive. This attention from him was such an abrupt about face from when she had slipped dimension that she hadn't even begun to adjust to seeing him with an expression of desire on his face. Desire for her. Barely suppressing a full on shiver, she leaned up and whispered in his ear, "It's a gift from my father."

Storm's eyes were lit like firecrackers when he looked down at her with just a hint of a smile. Life was going to be
so
interesting. "I take it you had a good time."

She laughed. "I confess."

"How 'bout a ride?"

She smiled. His eyes went straight to her mouth and stayed there while he watched her lips form the question: "Want to drive?"

He dragged his gaze up to her eyes and without looking away said loud enough for the others to hear: "We're going to go pick up stuff for breakfast. What do...
y'all
want?"

They got a list and directions to the H.E.B. in Kerrville. The sun was out and, after the big rain, every leaf was shiny. The world looked and smelled new, like it had been polished bright for a wedding. Litha handed Storm the keys. He stopped right before they pulled out onto the highway.

"Did I mention I missed you?"

Litha's heart turned over. "No," she said quietly, grasping at the anticipation of what she hoped was coming next.

"Well." He treated her to a suggestive smile that she'd had no idea he possessed. "I did. A lot."

After breakfast Litha went to the bunkroom to open her luggage and shake out some clothes to see what might look good enough to wear into town with the other women for the ritual preparing of nails, both finger and toe. That was when she discovered her father's bigger surprise.

One of the two Gucci suitcases was filled with clothes she had bought while Deliverance was "busy". Each item of clothing was a memory: this one bought in Buenos Aires, this one in Paris, and so on.