by M J Marstens
“Why couldn’t that be the answer?” He asks.
I roll my eyes.
“Must you always be so contrary?”
“Yes,” he says with a dopey grin, reminding me of Zahra’s expression.
Obviously, we need to get laid more. Sex is as necessary to us as breathing because it nourishes our immortality- but it also nurtures our shadow sides. We realized early on, each sexual encounter brought us closer to the zenith of our curses, so we worked out a system. Those of us with a better handle on our curses, or in need of reeling it in, would partake in the sins of the flesh and then share the power with the others. Only when we are all together can we manage to control our baser needs to feed properly. Feeling the power surge from this brief encounter with Zahra, we clearly need to do that again- and soon, as it has been too long since the last time. I did not realize how weak I had grown.
“Take Zahra back to her room. I have to clean up and tell the others what she said.”
I pass the slumbering girl to my twin. He gathers her gently to his chest. She’s such a petite thing in this body. I’m concerned about the extent that she produces these affectionate emotions inside of him.
“Don’t forget to tuck her in and kiss her good-night,” I say acerbically. “Lina will get a kick out of that when she remembers.”
Uranus doesn’t even bother to look at me as he disappears out of thin air. He knows I’m only ashamed about my own weaknesses.
CHAPTER 22
ZAHRA
I wake up late on Wednesday morning and get out of bed in a flurry. What time was I supposed to be at the office? I don’t recall Khal giving me a time. . . I send a quick, apologetic text to him. Fuck, it’s 10:45. How the hell did I sleep this late? I order a light breakfast and jump into the shower, leaving my ringtone on high to hear Khal’s incoming text. . . or worse, call. My phone pings just as I’m finishing up and I slide open the glass doors to get it.
We do not need you at the office today. Start working on those charts. Mary will contact you about your return flight, housing, and finances.
I let out a relieved breath. God, that could have been a disaster. I crack my neck and rub it to get out the kinks. My mind still feels heavy from sleep, the shower doing little to awaken me. Why am I so drowsy? What time did I go to bed? I try to recall last night’s events, but nothing comes to mind. Just blankness- no memories, no dreams. That makes day three of no nighttime visions. . . I actually kind of miss them a little. . . I mean, is it super fucked up to like to be dream-screwed by a monster while inside another woman’s body?
Don’t answer that.
I shuffle over to the table and open my laptop to get to work. I stifle a yawn. So sleepy. I hear a noise outside my door and go to open it, thinking my breakfast is here. Instead, a man in what looks like a hazard suit’s outside spraying something along the floor boards. Um, is it safe for those of us not in hazmat gear to be around whatever this guy is spraying? I don’t need my braincells scrambled any more than they have been this trip, thank you very much. I shut the door and call down to the front desk, expressing my concern.
“Of course, ma’am,” the concierge assures me. “Those workers are required by law to wear those uniforms, but the poison is not toxic to humans.”
I snort.
How likely is a poison not toxic to everything and everyone?
The lady is still rambling on, “We spray quarterly to mitigate insects, spiders, scorpions, and other creepy crawlers from being on the property.”
I shudder. Gross, no bugs for me. And scorpions?
Hell no.
I hang up the phone and go back to my computer. A sudden flash of me standing near a rock-strewn precipice looking at a small, but terrifying black shadow with a poison-barbed tail flits across my mind.
What the fuck was that?
My breathing has sped up and I unexpectedly feel anxious. I need some food in me. I push aside my discomfort and pull up Caed’s chart. Yeesh. And I thought my wheel had some hard aspects. This guy is a walking time bomb of volatility. The guys just want me to look at their moons, but astrology does not work that way. Their moon is only a small sliver of the overall picture and to find an anecdote to their ‘affliction’, the entire chart must be read and analyzed.
Fuck, this is going to take forever.
I see where the moon is placed, what aspects it, what houses and signs the aspected planets are in. . . There’s a lot of masculine energy in Caed’s chart, with fire and air being the dominant elements. Aries and Gemini are on the first and second angular house cusps. . . Looking at the glyph symbolizing the stellar twins , my mind drifts to Uryn and Illu.
An image of us locked in carnal delight flares to life in my mind’s eye.
The scene feels like a hazy dream I’m trying to remember, but my body reacts all the same. I relax, trying not to force anything, and more phantasmagorias come flooding in. Uryn kissing me ardently, Illu touching me explicitly, me rubbing Uryn through his pants. . . us all coming. . . I’m worked up, both mentally and physically.
Where the hell did these. . . mental pictures. . . come from?
Not only do I not recall fantasizing about them individually or as a pair, but my imaginings have never been that vivid. It’s official: those eight might literally be driving me past the brink of insanity. I need a break. I grab my sandals from the floor and plop down to put them on. As I’m tying the strap, some dust and pebbles fall off the bottom onto the floor. My heart freezes. . . I went for a walk yesterday. A hike through one of the resort’s trails. . . where I later took an unmarked path. . .
And Uryn showed up.
Then Illu.
Then shit hit the atmospheric barrier (because there is no fan in the sky) before raining back down on me. Because those visions were not dreams, but actual memories.
What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck!
I have a mini freak out. How did I get back to my hotel room? What happened after our inappropriate grope-fest? Why couldn’t I remember everything?
WAIT!
Did those dickbags drug me?!
Suddenly, I’m a ball of rage.
How dare they?
How fucking dare they?!
They took advantage of me.
I did not give them consent to touch me. (And let’s not quibble over the fact that I would probably always welcome their hands on me, regardless of the situation. That’s not the point right now. Let’s circle back to them touching me without my permission- that’s the point.)
Well, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. . . also, a woman taken advantage of and potentially drugged.
Those bastards were going to get a taste of my medicine. I would sue them for sexual assault (if I could find a lawyer willing to believe I didn’t truly want those two touching me. . . ), take their millions, and set myself up on a private island! I’m storming about my room, when I suddenly recall Illu’s strange questions. The whole scenario seems like a déjà vu of my time with Mio and Nyam. . . and a chill runs down my spine.
What the fuck was really going on?
They were hiding something and using me to get the answers. Well, fuck them. Now I was going to get some answers. I slip out of my room and downstairs, until I’m outside the main entrance. A taxi is just dropping off a couple and I quickly get in before he can drive away.
“Downtown, please, to the Miraval Corporate Building.”
I give him an approximation of the address and settle back, letting myself work into a fit of temper.
Those cocksuckers are going to rue the day they messed with Zahra Delsol!
When the taxi pulls in front of the reflective edifice, I throw some money at the cab driver and jump out, slamming the door. I let my anger simmer just under the surface, careful not to unleash it on some poor passerby. Although, in retrospect, I’m sure this place is jam-packed with disgruntled employees who want to tell the company heads where they can shove it.
I should lead a coup. Unfor
tunately, I’m on a personal quest for justice.
And vengeance.
Those two go together, right?
I’ll just graciously start the revolution and the discontented souls of this establishment could follow in my footsteps afterwards.
You’re welcome, fellow employees.
CHAPTER 23
ZAHRA
I tap my foot impatiently in the elevator. When the doors open, I march out. Again, Mary is not at the desk. A good thing. I would hate to have to alienate her, in case she chose the boys over me. I whip open the big, oak door. My anger gives me strength and it silently swings ajar. With that, I burst into the room, hellbent on a mission for some answers. I take two steps inside and skid to a stop. My eyes widen and my mind blanks. . .
What the fuck am I even looking at?
Words actually fail to describe this indecent scene. . . let’s just say the spectacle before me would make the dirtiest hooker blush.
Two girls are draped over the twins’ laps, kissing and fondling each other’s breasts; another girl is sucking Arawn’s dick like it’s a lollipop. Kane and Mio are simply taking in the erotic tableau, while Nyam is stroking himself through his dress slacks. To finish this inappropriate office scene, Caed has a girl spread eagle over Khal’s desk, and is licking her pussy like a cat with a bowl of cream, while Khal is holding the girl’s arms above her head and watching the entire thing. I make sure I have an appropriately appalled look on my face, but in truth, I’m equal parts turned on and jealous.
Lucky skanks.
Before I can even formulate a plan of action- I mean, seriously, what the fuck does someone say to this level of debauchery, Khal shifts and his unbuttoned dress shirt parts. A tattoo comes into focus.
It’s a sickle.
Right above his left pectoral.
I suck in a horrified breath, which somehow, he hears across the room and over the revelry.
Do vampires have super hearing?
Our eyes lock, mine widen in shock, his narrow in something more sinister and I do the only logical thing:
I scream.
A bloodcurdling, ear-piercing, window-shattering scream.
I mean, what would you do if the monster from your dreams was real?
Of course, this gets an immediate reaction and all sexual activity comes to a halt. I’m like a screaming cock block. My terrified wail has not even begun to taper off, and to my surprise, the other girls in the room start joining in. . . . are they screaming because they know they are in a room full of monsters, too?
Huh, well, I scream, you scream, we all scream because we are going to get killed by vampires!
The guys honestly don’t look like they are going to kill us. . . well, Khal does, but the rest just seem a little confused. I let my scream die down. Slowly, the other girls quiet down, too.
“Why are you guys- ah, I mean, girls screaming?”
The one in front of Arawn peers over from between his legs and says, “We thought you saw a mouse.”
As if this were an obvious thing.
How the hell does she know that is what the other girls are screaming about?
But the other three are nodding emphatically in agreement.
Now I’m confused.
Are these women stupid?
How dare Khal insinuate my lack of competency when he has a gaggle of leg-spreading morons at his beck and call!
The proverbial light bulb blinks on above my head and I get an evil idea.
“There is!” I shout, pointing towards where Mr. Al-Zahil the Verified Vampire is standing. “It just scurried under the desk. Oh, there it goes!”
And I start screeching like a maniac again.
This gets an immediate (and expected) reaction:
The girls lose their shit and start screaming, while now running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
“Watch out! You almost stepped on it!” I’m adding fuel to this hilarious fire.
The four girls, in varying levels of disarray, run in circles still yelling, and then make a stampede toward the door. I quickly jump to the side as they crash out as one and slam the door shut behind them, hopefully locking the ‘mouse’ inside. I let out a little chuckle.
What gullible little fools.
I turn back and realize I’m alone in a room of monsters.
Khal is right. I’m an idiot.
So, again, I do the only logical thing (which is not scream this time, because I’m certain Mr. Al-Zahil will strangle me):
I get defensive.
And mouthy.
A wonderful combination to pacify angry monsters.
“I knew you were a vampire!” I shout, jabbing a finger towards Khal.
I feel ever so vindicated in this moment, but I’m sure I’ll later question my reasoning in goading someone who drinks human blood for sustenance.
“I’m not a vampire,” comes his cool and irritated response.
Gasp! He’s already trying to use his mind powers on me, but I’ll not be swayed! I assess my mental state for any indication of mind control taking hold. . . nope, his unnatural influences do not work on me!
“Ha!” I crow. “Your vampire mind controlling powers have no sway over me!
He looks at me like I’m a bulb short of a fuse.
“Vampires do not have mind control powers.”
“So, you admit you’re a vampire!”
He raises an eyebrow, but it comes across as an eye roll.
“Vampires don’t have mind control powers because there are no such things as vampires. And since there are no such thing as vampires, then I clearly cannot be one.”
How dare he sound so reasonable!
“Well, I do know you’re a dick,” I mumble under my breath.
“Excuse me?”
Shit, I forgot about his not-vampire, super ability to hear. Maybe I should pretend I see another mouse and make a break for it? Probably one of my better ideas. I take a step back and pivot on my heel. I keep my head turned towards the guys as I run for my escape and slam headlong into Arawn. I crane my head back, confused.
He was just sitting down!
Oh. . . these non-vampires also have super speed.
Afraid I might do something even dumber, like piss myself, I allow the dark fog of unconsciousness to take me under.
“You’re not real, just a figment of my subconscious, overactive mind. This is just a dream again.”
Barely hanging on, I weakly tack on some threats, too, just in case.
“Don’t eat me. I taste terrible. And I’ll come back and haunt you. I’ll break up your every orgy.”
Then I faint away.
“You already haunt us,” is the echoing retort.
CHAPTER 24
MARS
I look down at the unconscious girl Pluto passed to me. It seems Zahra’s past is catching up with her. Saturn is pissed. He never planned to let the little wraith know our true identities. Initially, he lured her here to finish her, but only after getting those crucial answers first, of course. But when we learned of her apparent forgetfulness, we agreed to work it to our advantage. The most important thing was to use her knowledge to help us without her remembering Lina. Paramount to this was not letting her know about the real men we housed inside these human bodies.
She stirs in my arms.
This should be interesting.
When her eyelashes flutter open, I expect fear and panic to envelope her. To her credit, she did just learn monsters were real. What I do not expect is the blazing indignation swirling in the depths of her glass-green eyes. She sits up in my lap, glaring at me, before snapping:
“If you fuckers took advantage of me again, so help m-”
“We didn’t make you touch us, little girl.”
I effectively cut off her invective. I swear some steam leaks out of her ears. I try to hold my grin in check. I never know what she’s going to do next and damned if I don’t actually admire her spunk a bit.
“Little g
irl?” She all but spews the word like it’s a filthy epithet.
“Yes. Are you not little and a girl?” I cock my head to the side, like I’m truly questioning her words, adding patronizing stress to my logic. Zahra hates when we intimate that she’s dimwitted.
“Of course,” she says smoothly. “But I can’t want something I’m not cognizant for, now can I, dickhead?”
I blink. What did she just call me?
She smiles obnoxiously.
“Do you not have a dick and a head?” She asks in mock innocence.
Everyone holds their breath, waiting for the predictable explosion. . .
Instead, I tip my head back and laugh. Fuck. This girl, she’s an unforeseen firebrand. I look down on her upturned face, seeing the irritation roll across her features at my reaction. She lets out a grumble before shoving off me. . . and falling to the floor. I don’t waste my time trying to help her. She doesn’t want it anyway.
“Well then, just let me make myself perfectly clear: If one of you whoremongering bastards touches me one more damn time without my permission, I’m going to cut off your dicks, slap a choking hazard on it, and shove ‘em down your fucking throats!”
Bloodthirsty, little vixen. I definitely can see the Lina in her now.
“Did she just call our dicks tiny?” Sunny laughs. He finds her even more amusing than me.
Zahra throws her hands up in exasperation. She’s tangoing with eight men who are gods trapped in human bodies- we have some complexes. Complexes of her doing, so she can deal with it. I frown, thinking of our human forms. Part of Lina’s curse was to demasculinize our pride by placing us in a weaker, human shell. This also ensured we would continually experience an afflicted moon with every earthly reincarnation.
Our true forms could come out on occasion, if we have fed, and only for short bursts of time. We have not been at our full strength in nearly 4,000 years. I miss the Hellenistic era.
I look at Zahra: sweet, clueless Zahra.
The key to our freedom.
Unfortunately, that probably means we are going to have to break her.
A shame.