by Anna Lewis
As I did so, a presence brushed against my mind. It was familiar, but ancient. The Hanging Woman. I placed my hand in my jacket pocket, wrapping my fingers around the heavy golden statue tightly, feeling the cold emeralds dig in to my flesh. I closed my eyes and answered her.
Yes? I asked her, surprised that she had answered my call, for she was not one of the Dead. I had known from the first time that I had encountered her that she was, in fact, something more.
I could see her in my mind—yellowing skin, starving look, those dark and dangerous eyes. She reached out to me with her consciousness. She was speaking in a foreign language, which slowly became comprehensible to me.
Give him to me, Priestess, she said.
What will you do with him? I asked her.
Keep him, she promised me, and I could feel her extreme hunger. I will eat him whole.
It’s what you did with the Mayan’s sacrifices, I said, understanding washing over me.
Yes, she replied, and I could feel her pride as well as her ache for what powers she had lost. She was considerably weakened, having become a defunct goddess, but what she had left was still deeper than the roots of the World Tree.
He’ll never go free? I asked, begging for her promise.
Never again will he walk the earth, she agreed.
I nodded and opened my eyes to look at Lex, who was reaching out with his hand for my throat. He was close now, and I could smell him—the scent of fresh blood and burnt flesh. I fought against gagging—to show any sign of weakness at this moment would be disastrous. I looked into the twin red flames, split down the center by irises that were snake-like black slits. In that moment, I realized that I was stronger than he was. I had the only thing that could hurt him.
“Malak,” I said, confidently pronouncing his name. Malak’s face dissolved into terror. “Your soul is my gift to the goddess.”
He grinned, laughing.
“Your goddess won’t take a demon, you idiot,” he spat, assuming that I was talking about the witches’ nature goddess, Mielikki, who I followed. I pulled out the statue of the Hanging Lady and held it up.
“No,” I agreed. “But she will.” The smile drained from his face as a golden rope appeared around his neck. A large golden cloud appeared and evanesced around my hand, and Malak screamed as he was pulled in to the statue. His screams were cut short abruptly. Aiden and Ben fell out of the air with a concussive blow. The ground shook as they hit it. I stood for a moment, holding out the statue before me, waiting to be sure that Malak was truly gone. When nothing happened, I reached out with my power, touching the consciousness within the statue. I felt her satisfaction with her new toy, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
I looked around me. All was silent. Aiden and Ben were in the process of shifting back into their human forms, the sound of bone and sinew snapping into place. It was a strange process to behold, and I watched numbly, too exhausted to process it fully. Their scales gave way to tanned human flesh. I almost giggled to see two naked men rushing in my direction. With a start, I turned toward Dora, who lay crumpled on the ground in a heap. I began to run toward her. I reached her first, gently placing my hand on her back. To my relief, Dora rolled over, groaning.
“Oh, I’m too old for this,” she groaned in pain. I hugged her. She inhaled sharply. “Careful, careful!”
“Sorry—I’m just so glad that you’re okay.” She smiled at me, placing a soft hand against my face. I felt her power wash through me, sending calming vibrations through me. I looked up at Ben and Aiden, who were both deliciously naked. I decided to ignore it… for the moment. “And you two? Are you hurt?”
“We’re unbreakable,” Aiden replied. He looked behind him. “The only problem is…the Lamia was able to make her escape.”
“No—” I looked around, expecting to see her.
“She did,” Meroe said beside me. “Her allegiance with Lex only lasted so long as he had power. The second you mentioned his true name, she was out of here.”
“We need to stop her,” I said, tensing myself.
Meroe smiled.
“Let me,” she said, vanishing. Her last words echoed on the air. “Aurora and I have a score to settle.”
***
SAMARA:
I woke suddenly. The sun was streaming through the window, warming my skin deliciously. It appeared to be late afternoon…which meant I had slept through most of the day. I was in the luxuriously soft bed in the guest room of the dragons’ house. They had insisted that I come with them. Dora was staying with a friend in town until the B&B could be repaired. It had taken me hours to fall asleep. I had watched through the window beside the bed as the sun rose over the desert, turning the sandy soil from blue to pink to tan.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” said Aiden. He stood beside the door, his arms crossed over his chest. He was shirtless, clad in only a pair of jeans. He was smiling at me.
“What time is it?” I asked him.
“A little after four,” he replied. “Do you want some dinner?” I shook my head, no. I sat up in bed and stretched, letting the soft white down comforter fall down. He raised an eyebrow as he saw that I had slept naked. I sat up straight, letting him look at me.
“Come here,” I invited him.
“Yes, ma’am.” He walked over to the bed, and I reached for his fly, opening it and then easing the soft, well-worn jeans down over his hips. He placed his hands on either side of me on the bed, leaning in and kissing me. He was being gentler than before. I pulled away, squinting at him questioningly.
“What is the matter?” he asked.
“You’re going easy on me,” I accused him. He cocked an eyebrow in surprise. He nodded, grabbing me by the hips. He flipped me over on my stomach. “What are you going to do to me?” I asked, excited for him to get dirty. He cupped my breasts in his hands as he leaned in and whispered in my ear.
“I am not going to ‘go easy on you,’” he explained in a husky voice. “I am going to make you scream. And then some.” He grabbed a handful of my hair and gave it a gentle tug. Pulling my head back, he kissed my neck. He placed his other hand on my hip, and with his knee, opened my legs. My heart raced and my skin tingled in anticipation. I bit my lip, moaning as I felt his cock slipping inside of my already wet slit.
“Do you like that?” he asked.
“Mhmmm,” I replied. He pushed inward, filling me with his cock. He pulled me close to him, his hand moving from my hip to my stomach, and down in between my legs where he toyed with my clit. My whole body responded, waves of endorphins flooding my bloodstream.
“Are you playing without me?” Ben asked. Aiden let go of my hair, wrapping his arm around my ribcage.
“We were waiting for you,” Aiden said brazenly. He turned me so that I was facing Ben. Aiden was still inside of me. He leaned me forward, his hand on my lower back. He wrapped his fingers in my hair, pulling my face up so that I was looking at Ben. Ben’s eyes were glowing—green fire. His skin shifted to green scales, and he growled, a light rumbling in his ribcage. “Do you want her to come, Benny?” A light smile played over Ben’s lips. He nodded.
Aiden began to thrust in and out of me. I felt as though electricity was surging through my slit. I panted, my mouth dropping open. Ben was looking right in my eyes, hunger evident on his face. I reached for him, and he walked to me. Unzipping his pants, I pulled his member out, taking him into my mouth. I sucked on him, coaxing him with my tongue, traveling his length. He moaned, placing his hand on my head, caressing my hair.
Aiden pulled out of me suddenly. Ben, seeing some sign from Aiden, pulled out, as well. Confused, I stood up, looking at them. Aiden lay down on the bed, beckoning to me, a crooked, mischievous smile on his face. I climbed on to the bed, sitting astride him. He guided me with his hands, helping me lower myself onto his amply-sized girth. I felt Ben behind me, rubbing lube onto the bud of my asshole. I gasped at the cool sensation of the liquid.
Aiden placed his large hand on my ribcage, just b
elow my breasts, as Ben positioned himself on his knees behind me. He entered me, and I cried out in pleasure. I was filled up, poised above Aiden. I held my hands out to steady myself. With his other hand, Aiden pushed a curl of my hair off of my perspiring face.
“God, you’re so beautiful,” he whispered huskily. “Your skin…it’s so flushed.”
“You like that?” I asked, panting. Every one of my nerve-endings screamed out for release. They both began to move, rhythmically surging back and forth within me together. I cried out.
“That’s it, baby,” Aiden prompted. Ben’s face was tucked in beside my neck and ear, his lips and his beard brushing the tender skin. My orgasm crashed through me, my body writhing in absolute pleasure. I yelled out. Aiden surged faster, his release coming soon after, and then Ben, his cries rang softly in my ear.
We all came apart, falling back onto the bed. I lay for all of one second before I turned to Ben, still hungry. I slipped my leg over his slim, sinewy body, and he wrapped his arms around me as I kissed him. I looked at Aiden out of the corner of my eye to find him watching, touching himself. I placed my hand around Ben’s member, tightening my fingers around it, teasing him towards hardness before I lowered myself down onto him. He placed his hands on my hips as I rode him.
Ben studied me, his eyes glowing bright green. His hands traveled my body, his fingers touching me lightly, making my skin tingle from the heat of his. I could feel myself building again. Ben sat up, taking my left nipple in his mouth, sucking on it, teasing it with the tip of his tongue. I threw my head back, and he placed his hand on my collarbone. I felt electric, another orgasm surging through me. Ben pumped in and out of me and I came, the muscle of my core contracting around him. He exhaled, moaning as he came too. I placed my hand on his cheek, feeling so much love for him.
I leaned forward, kissing him gently. I could feel him smiling against my lips. I got off of him; I wasn’t done yet. I turned toward Aiden, who smiled at me, his head cocked to the side. Yet again, my heart soared, full of my love for Aiden. I thought of how confusing this should be, realizing that it wasn’t. I simply loved two men. And they did nothing but love me back. The heart, I realized in that moment, has the capacity to grow, enough to hold more than one.
“Come here, you,” Aiden said, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me toward him. I found myself on his lap, my nipples touching his warm, smooth skin. He leaned his nose up against mine as he took me. He guided me, up and down in a flurry of motion. I was tired—but not too tired. I ran my fingers through his short-cropped hair, pulling his face close to mine. His kisses were deep, hungry. My body was reacting—on the verge of exploding, catching Aiden’s fire.
When we had finished, the three of us lay entangled on the bed. I was in between the two of them, on my back. Ben’s arm was wrapped around my stomach, his face tucked within the curve between my ear and my shoulder. Aiden was on his side, his leg entwined with my own.
“What happens now?” I whispered, sitting up and glancing at both of them. “Will you come back to my city with me?” Ben sighed deeply.
“We don’t belong near large groups of people,” he said sadly. He reached up, his fingertips touching my skin and sending a tingling sensation across my skin. I took his hand in mine and kissed it.
“Please?” I asked gently. “I don’t want to be without either of you.” I looked toward Aiden.
“Our kind is rarely welcome among the general population,” Aiden explained. “We tend to ruin buildings and set fire to things. And anyway, our home is here.” He reached out and caressed my chin with his fingers.
“You’re always welcome here,” Ben added. “With us.” I smiled at both of them. I knew that I had been chosen before my birth to be the next High Priestess of my coven, but I did not want to leave them. I breathed in. I knew the choice that I would have to make. But that choice didn’t have to be made today.
“Do you mind if I stay then, for a little while?” I asked hesitantly. They both looked at each other, then back at me, grinning.
“Of course,” Ben replied. “You can stay as long as you like.”
“Always,” Aiden chimed in. I smiled and flopped back on the bed, exhausted.
“I’m tired again,” I complained. They both laughed mischievously.
“Well, Benny,” Aiden remarked with pride. “Evidently, the two of us are a match for a Necromancer.”
“Mhmm,” Ben agreed as he pulled the soft down comforter over the three of us, and they both snuggled in close to me, their arms wrapped around my mid-section.
* * *
I awoke a little while later to someone calling my name. It was dark, and both dragons were asleep on either side of me. I looked out across the room, where Meroe's ghost stood looking at me. She beckoned, and I got out of the bed, easing myself gently out from under Ben and Aiden’s arms. I slipped silently out of the bed, wrapping myself in a throw blanket that was folded over the back of an armchair around me. I followed her into the library. She paused, turning to look at me, her smile triumphant.
“I have taken care of Aurora,” she said lightly.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing that she didn’t deserve.” I cocked an eyebrow. She wasn’t going to explain further.
“Are you ready to go?” I asked her, and she nodded. “I’m going to miss you so much.”
“And I will miss you, love.”
I held up my hand toward my friend, releasing my powers and letting them envelop my friend’s spirit.
“Meroe, best of friends, most loyal,” I began, opening up the final path, the one to send her into the afterlife, where she could find the rest that she deserved. “Goddess, let Meroe go. Send her with love. I will walk on with her in my heart forever.” As I said it, I felt Meroe kiss me on the cheek. I felt her spirit leave the material plane, walking along the silver paths and into the light. My heart ached. My friend had been so brave and selfless. I opened my eyes, tears streaming down my cheeks.
A hand rested lightly on my shoulder. I turned and found myself wrapped tightly within Ben’s arms. His beard was rough and wiry against my cheek. I held on to his slim form as snugly as I could, listening to the comforting thrumming noise within him.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I whispered.
“What about me?” Aiden yelled from the other room. Ben and I laughed. I pulled away and looked up and into his eyes.
“You lied.”
“Did not.”
“Then how come he’s telepathic in human form?” I asked and Ben smiled.
“He listens in on everything.”
“I do not!” Aiden hollered. Ben shrugged.
“There are no secrets in this house.”
“None at all,” I agreed.
EPILOGUE
I sat on the floor in the library…our library. Ben would return home from the shop at any moment. Aiden had gone in search of a new treasure and was set to return from a treasure hunt any day now. The room was lit by three black candles which sat before me. I sat, letting myself be still inside, letting my powers rise within me. I called to the spirit of my mother, feeling her consciousness communicating with me along the silver threads.
She appeared before me, a mist forming a soft contour line with a glowing yellow heart. She tilted her head. Her flower crown looked strangely wilted.
My daughter, her voice said, although her lips did not move. Like most of the Dead, she spoke without emotion.
Mother, I replied. Thank you for your guidance.
It is as you required.
I am safe now, I said, And happy. I am in love with two dragons, of all people. My mother was silent for a moment. The room grew icy by several degrees. I felt a sudden sense of…wrongness. My mother’s spirit seemed to vanish as another presence filled the room. My stomach grew queasy. The dark presence pressed in around me, causing me to feel claustrophobic. The next time that someone spoke, it was not the voice of my mother.
You are not sa
fe, little goose, Lex’s voice hissed. I could feel his presence pressing in around me like a load of bricks falling on top of my body. He was trying to oppress me.
Wait, I said, my eyes going to the golden statue on the mantelpiece where we had agreed to keep it. You were imprisoned.
You should not trust things that you do not understand, you fool. Lex laughed. I will come and I will extinguish the fires of your dragons. My minions shall hunt you down, I shall hunt you. You will never have peace. I will come for you and the child that you now carry.
Fear flooded me, and the lights of my candles were blown out by a fell wind, leaving me in darkness. I placed my shaking hand on my stomach.
THE END
= Bonus Book 7 of 8 =
More Than Human -
Scifi Cyborg Romance
Book 1: World War Interrupted
In a lush field under a cloudy gray sky occurred a great battle of which the people of the West had never before witnessed. Between bloodied trees, men collided in a thunderous roar, shaking the very heavens which frowned upon them with a darkening gaze. A man clad in a Navy uniform carrying an electric ray gun pushed aside some shrapnel with his foot and stepped behind a bush, watching a small troop of soldiers march past him. His name was Trevor Noble and he was a decorated Navy SEAL officer. He thought himself more capable on ocean than land, but here he was. This field was filled with mines and vicious men. It was no place for a sea dog such as himself who took pride in the lavish ships that he helped build.
Around the corner, a general for the opposing side shouted orders to the troop, which spread out as soon as its members received their directions. It wouldn’t be long until Trevor had the general cornered. A few steps to the left and one step forward would reveal the man who had taken his brother’s life. The memory of his slain body was still raw in his mind from the last raid they made.