by Sadie Waters
“I love you, Jake,” Ember whispered, running a hand through his hair.
“I love you, too, Ember.” He smiled down at her and then kissed her sweetly before he pressed a finger inside of her, leaving her aching for breath. He rubbed her nub, using firm, circular motions that had her moaning again.
“I want you inside of me so bad,” she cried.
“I am inside of you,” he teased.
Ember reached down and took his dick in her hand. “I mean this.”
“Oh.” Jake removed his hand, grabbed ahold of her panties and tugged them off. “Why didn’t you say so?” He positioned himself between her legs but didn’t enter her just yet.
She raised her head to look him in the eyes again, and Jake leaned down, finding her lips, kissing her deep and sweet, and then, with the perfect thrust of his hips, he slid inside of her.
“God,” Ember moaned as he completely filled her, stretched her, and kept her gasping as he pulled in and then pressed back inside of her. She ran her fingernails down his back, her other hand tangling in his hair.
His mouth on her neck, one hand on her breast, his thumb working her nipple, Jake continued to send wave after wave of pleasure coursing through her as his power filled her with electricity and fire. Ember closed her eyes, her head tipped back, her mouth opened as she gasped for air and moaned in euphoria.
All three of her men were good in bed and never left her wanting. Jake was special, though because of the power he ignited within her. His energy, the light and fire that he passed off to her, sizzled and sparked as it weaved its way along her veins, through every fiber of her being.
It didn’t help that he knew how to use that enormous member he’d been blessed with. Ember slid her hands down to grasp his firm ass, wrapping her knees around him, and lifting herself to grind against him. Panting, her body went into full spasm, every muscle tightening and then releasing as she cried out, shouting his name.
Jake was capable of keeping her at the peak of euphoria for hours, but knowing she was tired and they both needed to rest. He kissed her one more time and then finished, his final thrust sending Ember back over the edge as well.
His hand slipped around her waist as he kissed her temple and pulled her tightly against his chest. Still gasping for breath, Ember brushed her damp hair back and trailed her fingers along his abs. “Thanks, Jake.”
“Thank you,” he said, kissing her head again. “You feel energized?”
“Energized… and exhausted.” She found his mouth, relishing in his sweet, minty taste, and then collapsed against his arm, thankful to be recharged but also grateful to be in the arms of this wonderful man.
Chapter Thirty-One
Zach walked out of the bathroom, wearing red and white striped pajamas. He stood in the middle of the walkway, near Ryan’s bed, his arms folded, a pensive look on his face.
“You all right, Zach?” Ryan asked, flipping through a social media site on his phone.
“You do hear that, right?” Zach asked, not turning to look at him.
Ryan couldn’t miss the pounding of the headboard next door against the shared wall or the unmistakable sound of Ember moaning and shouting Jake’s name. “Yeah. I hear it.”
“Does that not bother you?” Zach finally moved, rounding the end of his bed and flopping down on the twin bed on the other side of matching nightstands.
“No, not really.”
“But… that’s your girlfriend. Another dude is over there, banging your girl.”
“That’s his girlfriend, too. We’ve had this arrangement for a really long time, Zach. It’s nothing new to me.”
“Do you usually have to listen to it? I mean, don’t you usually have a buffer or something?”
“Sure. I don’t particularly love the sound of it. It’s not music to my ears or anything, but it’s not that big of a deal.”
“Well, it is to me. And she’s not even my girlfriend.” He pulled the blankets down on his bed and climbed inside, grabbing a pillow and shoving it over his head.
“Is that the problem?” Ryan asked, quietly, not even sure if Zach could hear him.
“Excuse me?” He sat up then, pillow gone. “What? Are you asking me if I wish Ember was my girlfriend?”
Ryan shrugged. “You seem awfully worried about it.”
“What? No. No! Gross. No. I don’t have feelings for Ember. Ember is… annoying. She’s not even that pretty.”
“Excuse me?” Ryan asked, smirking at him.
“Well, I mean, she is pretty. But she’s not that pretty. She’s not as pretty as, you know, some girls or whatever. But no, I don’t like her like that. It’s like asking me if I liked… my cousin or something.”
“Okay.” Ryan chuckled.
“You don’t believe me?”
“What difference does it make what I think?”
“It doesn’t.”
“Okay.”
“But I don’t.”
“Great. I’m going to sleep.”
“Me, too. If those two ever shut up!” That last part was yelled, but from the sound of the moans coming from the next room, they didn’t reach the ears they were meant to. Ryan plugged his phone in and laid down, thinking Jake would probably get it over with soon, considering how tired Ember had been.
Sure enough, they finished in a few more minutes and then Zach let out a loud sigh, like prayers had been answered. Ryan hid a chuckle so they didn’t get into another argument. It had been obvious to him for days now that Zach was into Ember. If he played his cards right and could convince her that his powers were worth keeping around, she might add him to the team. She seemed annoyed by him most of the time, but Ryan had noticed how scared she was when she thought Zach was in danger. It was clear Ember was becoming more fond of him, too.
That was okay with Ryan. As long as Ember was happy and had everything she needed, that’s all that mattered to him. Sharing her wasn't a problem. It had always been that way. He knew he was up next, and that was enough.
Besides, no matter who she was sleeping next to, he could always find her in his dreams.
Water in Abigail’s house was not so warm, and not so forceful. Zach hurried through the lathering process and rinsed off as quickly as he could so that he could get out before it got really cold. He might’ve needed a cold shower earlier that morning, when he was listening to Ember and Jake canoodling through the thin wall, but now being sprayed with cold water would be about as welcome as the thought of listening to a monkey play the bagpipes.
He cranked the water off and stepped out, fumbling for a towel, and dragged it through his hair first before he ran it over the rest of his body. In the last few days, his life had changed so drastically, it was impossible to believe. From one day to the next, he had no idea where he was going to open his eyes--or even if he would open his eyes the next morning.
Pushing into his underwear and jeans, Zach thought about everything he’d learned from Ember and her team. It all sounded like something out of a bad horror movie, based on the Bible. But it was real. He believed it all now. What he was going to do about this, he didn’t know.
He finished getting dressed, put on his deodorant, brushed his teeth, and shoved everything back into his bag. He knew Ryan was awake, but he didn’t know where he’d gone. That guy, he liked. He trusted him. How he put up with all of this shit, like his girlfriend fucking his two best friends, he didn’t understand, but he had respect for him. He liked Jake most of the time, too, though he hadn’t been a big fan of his a few hours ago. Carson, on the other hand, could go fuck himself. Twice.
Zach dropped his bag back in his room down the hall and wandered toward the smell of coffee. He knew Carson wouldn’t be up yet, and he’d be surprised if Jake and Ember were, too. He expected to find Ryan in the kitchen, possibly some of the people who belonged to the other vehicles they’d seen the night before. Instead, he spotted Abigail sitting alone at a formal dining room table on the other side of a kitchen where a mostly full
coffee pot called his name.
He helped himself to a cup of coffee and a scone off of a plate nearby. Abigail must’ve been used to having so many guests because she was prepared. It was a wonder she was awake considering what time they’d gotten in. It was only a little past 8:00 now, which meant she’d gotten three hours sleep at best.
His footsteps caught her attention and she turned to him, a smile lighting her withered face. “Ah, Zachary. I would ask how you slept, but the fact that you’re up at this hour makes me think not well.”
With a shrug, he said, “The bed was comfortable, but I couldn’t turn my mind off.”
The old woman nodded. “Have a seat, son.” She gestured toward the chair at the end of the table, and he did as she suggested. “What you’ve been through the last few days is enough to make anyone crazy.”
“Thank you,” he said, with a soft chuckle.
“I don’t mean you are crazy. Hell, I don’t know. Maybe you are. But you don’t seem like it to me. Not yet anyway. Tell me, what are your thoughts about all of this?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted, taking a sip. “It’s hard to wrap my mind around. I mean… Ember said she always knows who she is when she comes back as a baby. You used to know her before, right? When she was someone else?”
Abigail nodded. “I’ve known Ember her entire existence, which dates back thousands of years. I know it’s hard to get your mind around all of that, dear. I can’t blame you. But it is so.”
“And sometimes… she’s younger than you. Sometimes she’s older?”
“Yes. Sometimes we are practically the same age. It all depends on when we die.”
“But why is it so easy for you to die and not the demons? I mean, in all of these years, Ember, as powerful as she is, has never been able to get Lil?”
Abigail looked away for a moment, as if she had to contemplate her answer. “It’s not as simple as all that, dear. You see, Ember is a powerful celestial being trapped in a fragile human body, as are all of us. Lil is a fallen angel who exists as a spirit on this plane. Trying to kill her is much like trying to stab smoke above a raging fire. You can get your blade in it, but how much damage have you done?”
Zach nodded, wanting to understand, but it was still a struggle. “How do you find one another, after you come back?”
“It was difficult before all of this technology. Even when I died the last time, it took me decades to find the ones I knew before. Now, with the Internet, social media, all of that, it’s not so hard. Before, it was impossible just to find myself.” She chuckled, and he couldn’t tell if she was making a joke or if that truly meant what it sounded like.
So he asked for clarification. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you see, it’s difficult to start over. Poor souls like Ruby who end up with nothing upon a reincarnation can take centuries to rebuild what she once had. Take Ember, for instance, she’s had an apartment in that building since it was built. But that’s come through a lot of planning and luck. That’s one of the reasons I started this place. I wanted all of us to have a location to bring our important papers and keepsakes so we can easily collect them one day. There have been other places like this in the past, but often enough, they were robbed, bombed, burned to the ground. I hope that doesn’t happen this time.”
“Bombed and burned by who?”
“The Germans mostly,” she replied with a snort that let him know she was still unhappy about historical choices of that particular group of people. “This place is remote enough for the time being it shouldn’t be an issue. And I have purchased a great deal of land.”
“But what happens when you die this time?”
“Well, I’ve left it to my adopted daughter. She’ll keep it safe until I am old enough to re-inherit it, I hope.”
“Who is that?”
With a smile, Abigail said, “Ember, of course.”
“Wait--Ember’s your daughter?”
“No. She’s my adopted daughter. I adopted her when she was sixteen. She’s never lived with me, though. Even then, she was on her own. She’d reclaimed her apartment, began to reassemble her team. No, I’ve never been a parent to her in any way--except on paper.”
“I see. And what if she dies before you?”
“I hope that doesn’t happen, but if it does, it’ll go to her team, and they’ll look after it until one of us is back.”
“And if they all die, too?”
“Zach, dear, there are contingencies in place so that this place will return to me once I’m of my majority again.”
He nodded, finally getting it. “Is that what Ember did? Left her apartment to someone who left it to her?”
“No, it belongs to her and Sylas Ford, on paper. So he had it until she was old enough to reclaim it.”
“But what happened to her birth parents?”
“They died in a car accident when she was fifteen. She lived on her own for a bit until the state stepped in. We came up with our adoption scheme, and then she was free to go live in her apartment. By then, she’d found Carson and Tanner. Not long after, she found Jake and then Ryan.”
“Who’s Tanner?”
“He’s a Thrower. He was killed a few years ago.”
“Oh.” Zach hadn’t heard about him. “I thought Jake was always her Thrower.”
“It doesn't work that way, honey. Jake has been her Thrower most of the time, but there have been times when he’s been gone, or too young, and she’s had to find someone else.”
“So where is Tanner now?”
“We’re not sure. Until he contacts us, there’s no way to know. His legal name is something other than Tanner Lunsford, at the moment, after all.”
“Right. About how old would he be?”
“Likely five or six. It’s hard to say. We don’t always come back directly. Sometimes circumstances prevent that from happening.”
“Do you ever have a layover, like in heaven?”
She chuckled. “No, nothing like that. At least, not that we remember. I don’t usually keep my memories from between my death and about four years old. Occasionally, I will get flashes of a memory--being in a bassinet or held against a mother’s breast. But most of the time, it takes a few years for it all to come back to me, and then I start to recall who I’ve been before.”
Zach reveled in her comments, taking a sip of his now cold coffee. “I can’t imagine what all of that’s like. Remembering thousands of years of history.”
“Well, dear, if you are what they say you are, it’s all in there somewhere. Seers have been around since the beginning as well. So… you must have memories. You just need to find them.”
He nodded, but it was impossible for him to imagine that was the case. There was no way he’d been around as long as the rest of these people had been. How could he forget something like that? And if it were true, that would also mean he had a few hundred years of disappearance to account for.
Zach ran a hand through his hair. “Thank you for your explanation, Abigail. And your hospitality.”
“You’re quite welcome, dear. I like you. I can see why Ember’s decided to keep you around.”
That made him laugh. “I think the only reason Ember’s kept me around is because she thinks I’m valuable, and she doesn’t want me to fall into the wrong hands.”
“Oh, no, dear. I’ve seen the way she looks at you. There’s more to it than that.”
Zach lifted an eyebrow but didn’t know what to say. He thought Abigail might need to get her eyesight checked. She patted his hand and headed toward the kitchen.
“I see it,” she said again without turning around.
His coffee was far too cold to be good now, but he drank it anyway, thinking Abigail had that last bit wrong for sure. The rest, however, he thought was fascinating, especially the part about reincarnation. It was also one more thing to feel overwhelmed about. With a sigh, he dropped his head on the table, wishing he could turn his brain off and go back to sleep. Something told h
im it was all going to get worse before it got any better.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Morning was long gone by the time Ember opened her eyes. She squinted and looked around the room, remembering where she was and why at the same time. Jake was gone, but that was just as well. She needed to be alone to collect her thoughts.
Lil had tried to take Zach. She’d almost had him, too. Someone had been in her apartment, had tampered with her magic, and she thought it was probably Lane and his gang. But why hadn’t Ruby let her know? Unless, she was in on it. Ruby had been her friend for as long as she could recall, which was forever, so how in the world was that a possibility?
She stretched and wandered to the bathroom to let the shower heat up while she did other things. Abigail’s water pressure sucked, and it took forever to get any hot water, too, but at least the tanks should be full since everyone else was probably up hours ago. She’d needed to rest and rejuvenate, though. Now that her battery was recharged, and the other two were practically full as well, she felt unstoppable, like she was ready to take on Lane and Lil at the same time.
She wouldn’t be doing that, though. It was evident why Lil wanted Zach, but what Lane had to do with any of it, she couldn’t decide. Yes, he would be a valuable asset to anyone’s team, but if Lane wanted another dude around his ladies, that would be a first in the history of Sorcha. No, there had to be something else going on, something that would benefit Lane but didn’t involve Zach directly.
Once she was showered, dressed, and presentable, Ember went out to see what everyone else was doing. Carson and a few other Inks she recognized were sitting in the main living area of the house chatting. He smiled at her when he saw her. “If it isn’t Sleeping Beauty herself.”
“Sorry. I was wiped out.”
“Can’t blame you, as late as you got in. Or should I say early?” Dan, a Thrower in his mid-forties with graying temples and an easy smile chuckled as he spoke. “How have you been Ember?”
She walked over and he stood to give her a hug. They’d worked together before, once or twice, when Jake was out of commission, but he was working with a Xana by the name of Pippa now, and she was extremely territorial about her team. Ember assumed she was there somewhere. “I’m good, Dan. How are you?”