concentrated hard on drawing the voice forward. It became louder and clearer. Her
hands trembled.
“Please,” she whimpered.
Then the familiar voice shot through her mind like a bullet. Her head jerk
back.
“Sharayna!”
Gasping, she shot to her feet. “Demetri!”
A hand grabbed her throat and slammed her back into the wall. She opened
her eyes and glared at the creature who was now in human form.
“You dare say that muthafucka"s name in front of me, puta!” he spat,
squeezing her neck.
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Before she could think about what to do, her hands made a swift, reflexive
move.
He released her, weaved backwards like a drunken fool and stared at her,
eyes stretched in shock. A waterfall of blood spilled from his sides. A crimson
puddle pooled at his feet. She looked down dazed and giggled headily. In her
bloody hands, she held two of his ribs.
Silver from the bullet holes trailed through his body. His veins protruded, he
staggered deliriously, but remained on his feet.
Through the two gaping holes in his torso, his ribs started to repair
themselves. He snarled and released a challenging growl.
“Seriously though…?” she asked wearily. “Brah, I just snatched two ribs out
of your ass and you still wanna come at me?”
Canines bared, he rushed her. As soon as he was within arm"s reach, she
reared back then surged forward, lodging the ribs deep into his gut. Before he had
a chance to fall to the ground, she smashed her palm into the center of his chest
and sent him flying back through the kitchen wall, all the way to the front door.
Once again, she fell to her knees, her arms hanging loosely at her sides. That
was it. She"d used the last bit of energy she had to push him back. If he came at her
again, she was done.
“That"s all I got,” she whispered. “I"m spent, baby. I need you.”
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“And I am here for you.” Demetri"s smooth voice was like a soft kiss on her lips.
“Allow me to take away your pain.”
Her head swirled in delight. A weakened smile curved her lips as she sought
the floor for rest. The cool tile instantly warmed beneath her. She drew her knees
to her chest and stared at the creature through the huge hole in her kitchen wall.
“Baby, I"m sorry I didn"t call to you earlier,” she whispered, watching
Armando gather himself. “I had to do this…”
He yanked the ribs out of his stomach. His regenerative powers healed his
flesh in an instant. As if he could get any angrier, he roared and shifted back into
wolf form.
“Oh my God, this bastard just won"t die—”
“Shhh. Quiet yourself, Angel.”
In mid charge, the lupine beast was seized by a dark mist and yanked back
against the door.
A woman"s beautiful soprano entered her mind as a blade shot through the
creature"s head and out his mouth. The alluring song became louder, soothing her
mind, compelling her to close her eyes, but she fought it. She needed to see him, lay
her eyes upon his beautiful face once more before the darkness took her mind.
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A hand came through the door and snatched the wolf"s thick throat
completely from his body. The headless form turned human and slowly dropped to
its knees before falling limply to the floor.
She stared at Armando"s head pinned to her door with the glowing blade
protruding out of his mouth.
It was done. Blood for blood.
The blade retracted and the head fell with a loud thud. Like a balloon, the
front door inflated, popped and broke into numerous small pieces that scattered
about, giving way to Demetri. Eyes blazed in scarlet fury and fangs bared, he stood
in the doorway, his sword gripped tightly in hand.
Splintered wood hovered in the air as if the force of gravity had been
suspended. He stepped over the threshold and decapitated body. Once inside, the
shards of mahogany regrouped back into her stylish six paneled door.
The woman"s song echoed through the walls of her mind as he approached
with long graceful strides. His hair lifted off his shoulders like he was moving
through wind.
Lawd have mercy on me, if this man got any sexier…
She wanted to reach out to him, but didn"t have the energy to move. She
could only lay there and watch his gorgeous ass saunter toward her. He stepped
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through the hole in the wall and flashed across the kitchen. He sheathed his sword
and brought the beautiful song of death to an end.
Kneeling by her side, he looped his arms beneath her shoulders and knees,
then cradled her close to his chest. A whimper seeped out on a deep sigh.
“We got his bitch ass,” she chortled on a slur.
A quirky smiled graced his face and his eyes glazed with tears. “Don"t you
ever block me out like that again,” he whispered, brushing his lips over her brow.
His silky hair fell over the side of her face, tickling her sensitive skin.
Struggling to keep her eyes open, she gazed into his turquoise paradise. Lust
for him heated her to the core. Moisture built between her thighs. As if the night
hadn"t been weird enough with all of the traumatic happenings and pain, she
couldn"t think to do nothing else but make love to this beautiful man of hers. Even
in her enervated state, she wanted to spread her legs right there on her bloody
kitchen floor and take all of him until she passed the hell out.
“Demetri…”
He covered her mouth with his and thrust his tongue between her parted
lips. Delightfulness tapped at her taste buds. She released a husky, muffled moan.
The lurching in her gut ceased then the sheer exoticness of his essence set her
insides on fire. Hungrily, she swirled her tongue around his, absorbing every bit of
what he had to give.
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Places unknown flashed behind her eyelids. Cityscapes, oceans, deserts,
pyramids, caves, temples—they all washed into her mind as if she"d seen them
with her very own eyes. Times of old, languages, and historical events filled her
brain all at once, bringing about a nerve shattering orgasm. She grabbed his collar,
quickened in his arms and wailed sweet glory into his mouth.
Desperately wanting to feel him inside of her, she tried to push away from
the delicious kiss, if only to rip his clothes off and attack him with unbridled
passion, but he wouldn"t allow her to move. He held her tight against his chest,
feeding her more and more, nearly choking her with his essence.
“Please, be still, Sharayna,” he cajoled softly. “Absorb my love in this kiss for I have
much to give.”
Surrendering herself over to his plea, she fell under his spell and became
still.
“Open your mind and allow me to sooth you to sleep. When you awake, I will be at your
side. And then when you have an understanding of your existence…I will love you. I will love you
easy, I will love you slow and I will love you hard, for all eternity.”
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Chapter Twenty-Four
Graceful Geisha
“Open your eyes, my lady.”
Rayne"s eyelids fluttered open. A black
lit lavender sky greeted her. Colors
of coral and soft blues danced across a reddish orange orb, which looked like a
distant planet. Flashes of white and blue light darted around it like the pulse of a
heartbeat. She blinked a few times, thinking maybe she"d wake up from what had
to be a dream, only to find the more she blinked, the lovelier the sky became.
Where in the world was she?
She sat upright and swept her gaze over the area. A lush hilly terrain of
bright green grass tinged with a glimmer of iridescent blue spread out before her.
The caress of Demetri"s presence was all around her, but the only thing in
sight was the dreamy landscape. Where was he?
“Demetri,” she whispered.
Something squeaked behind her. Startled, she twisted around.
A squirrel-like creature stared curiously at her. Covered in a coat of spiky
tan fur, it had enormous black eyes, a long bushy tail and a pair of large brown
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gossamer wings, speckled with small red spots sticking out from its shoulder
blades.
It leaned in closely and sniffed her inquisitively, its tiny nose twitching on
each inhale. It drew back on it hind legs and turned its head from side to side as if
trying to figure her out. It reminded her of a Pokémon.
Rayne got to her feet and noticed she wasn"t wearing the bloody, sweat
soaked Tinker Bell t-shirt and sweat pants she had on when she fell asleep in
Demetri"s arms. Instead, she was draped in a sleeveless, white, silver spangled
gown. The breezy material fitted closely around her neck, left her back bare, and
clung gently on the top of her buttocks, where a long elegant train trailed behind
her.
A flirtatious gust of wind brushed by. The free flowing fabric swept against
her skin and the silver bracelets around her wrist chimed gleefully, gaining her
attention. She raised her arms and appraised matching bands rounding her biceps.
Nice.
She reached up and patted a tightly drawn do. Her hair was twisted and
wound up into a style, which was probably just as glamorous as the gown.
Lost and confused in some surreal world, but at least she looked good.
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Smiling inwardly, she glanced down at the curious Pokémon then lifted the
front of the gown to peek at her silver painted toenails. She wiggled her toes in the
grass. Squeaking, the little creature leaped on her feet like a playful puppy.
“Aren"t you adorable?”
The sound of delighted giggles behind her snapped her attention. She spun
around with a start.
Two young girls stood before her with bluish white auras gleaming from
their forms. They were identical, but set apart by the color of their hair and eyes.
Long violet tresses accented with silver highlights hung down to the ankles of one
of girls, while the other girl"s hair was a brilliant fuchsia. Eyes exotically slanted,
matched their hair colors and complemented soft features set out against snow
white complexions.
The creature scurried up the dress of the fuchsia haired girl and perched on
her shoulder.
Sheer excitement brightened their uncanny beauty. They kept opening their
mouths to speak, but would only offer girlish grins as if they didn"t know what to
say.
“Hi,” Rayne chimed, breaking the nervous silence.
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A look of pure astonishment fell across their faces then they erupted into a
fit of giggles. She felt a little awkward, but tickled at the same time, so she tittered
along with them.
Once the laughter abated, they pressed their hands together and bowed to
her. Since that was their manner of greeting, she put her hands together and
returned the respectful gesture.
Shocked, they tottered back then gaped at her. Turning to each other, they
began to speak in an unfamiliar language.
She tilted her head and listened carefully, trying to make out what language
it was. It sounded a bit like French, but it definitely wasn"t.
“Ahum, I hate to break up the pow wow, „cause the language is beautiful, so
melodious, but uhm, where are we? Do you understand me? What is this place
we"re in?” she asked, articulating each word.
They glanced at one another then looked puzzlingly at her.
“Great. Ya"ll don"t understand a word I"m saying.”
Suddenly, an enthralling voice came over the hills in song. It was the same
melody that"d captured her mind earlier when she watched Demetri take the head
of a wolf shifter. The mystical voice rose and fell, singing in the notes of an aria,
pulling her forward, stimulating her very soul. It spun in beautiful, amazing
octaves that brought tears to her eyes.
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The girls rushed ahead, waving their hands for her to follow. She lifted the
foot of her gown and ran behind them.
Up ahead, a woman robed in a long white kimono, stood on top of a small
mountain, arms out, face tilted to the sky, serenading the whole terrain.
Her long salt and pepper hair danced in the wind as her smooth porcelain
face soaked in the lavender atmosphere. Once she cooed out the last note, the
woman floated down the mound and stood before her, beauty unparalleled.
Gazing fondly at her, the two girls stood on either side.
The woman had presence of royalty. The way she held her shoulders back
and her head up…Rayne had the urge to bow out of respect, but was stuck in place
staring into her extraordinary eyes. Darkened grey almost like liquid metal flowed
beneath her lids.
Freakish, although insanely attractive.
“Young beautiful Queen, you have come to me.”
Her voice… “I feel like I know you.”
“Yes, you do. I am Katsumi, your high priestess.” Elegantly, she bent her legs
and bowed her head.
“Katsumi? Demetri"s sword,” she whispered.
Was it coincidence or was she really bugging out? No. It was her voice who
told her to strike the mirror when the team was in trouble. It was her voice who
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begged her not to open the door when Troy rolled by. This woman was definitely
the sword, but how?
Katsumi put both her hands over her heart and bowed once more. “My spirit
is bound to my master"s sword by choice.”
“Ohh,” Rayne murmured. “Okay, so if you"re a spirit, does that mean I"m…I"m
dead?”
Had she just dreamt the wolf"s demise? Had he actually killed her?
Katsumi smiled. “No, my lady, you are not dead and I am not a spirit. I"m
simply a priestess who sought refuge in the spirit realm.” With the graceful
movements of a geisha, she spread her arms out in a wide gesture. “Here, in this
place of beauty and serenity, I will never perish and I will continue to seize the
souls of those who are damned through the hand of my master.”
“So, how did I get here?”
“I summoned your soul when Lord Demetri laid you to sleep. Please forgive
me for my haste, but I could no longer wait for Princess Narri to impart the truth
of your existence. Time is of essence.”
“Princess? Narri"s a Princess?”
“Yes, Princess of Arna, soon to be Queen. She will be summoned by her tribe
soon and will
no longer be at your side. Her world is in chaos and her guidance is
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required.” She turned and floated across the field. “The world you live in is also in
chaos, and as Queen of the Dragons, you are to set balance between good and evil.”
“Whoa.” Unable to move, Rayne watched her drift away. “Queen of the
Dragons? You serious?”
The priestess"s words smacked her brain repeatedly. Now that it was said
out loud, some things started to make sense to her, but still…
“So, what does that make me? I get the Xsonri part but, am I like a—I can"t
even believe I have to ask this, but am I a dragon too, or something?” she asked,
looking to the sky, oddly searching for dragons.
Katsumi spun around to face her, a pleasant smile brightening her striking
features. “No, my lady, the base form of your demon is a dragon, but that is not
your full make. You are the first and only of your kind.” Her voice rose with
authority. Her face became stern. “You were born in the demon realm, a parallel
universe much like the one you call home. You are a Xsonri, a creature spawned
from Satan"s loins and cursed with the dark force. You are also a battle angel, a
creature created in the heavens and blessed with the divine power to purify and
eliminate darkness. The Dragon Queen; stronger than a battle angel and demon
vampire alike. This is who you are. Soon you will learn to embrace your true nature
and use it for its purpose, but the journey to completion will be long and difficult.”
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Turning back to her path, she brushed her long flowing hair over her shoulder.
“Now, come with me, your highness, so I may prepare you for what lies ahead.”
The girls took her hands and pulled her along to follow the priestess.
Rayne was slammed with mixed feeling about everything that had been
revealed to her. She dipped her head and stared at the grass as the girls led her
across the meadow. This overwhelming night wasn"t letting up and it all boiled
down to this point.
Demon vampire? Battle angel? Dragon Queen? What?
“My lady…”
The sweet whisper of Katsumi"s voice snapped her head up.
She had a commanding presence about her, determined and solemn. “There
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