Damn, he wanted her, and not just for the next twenty-four hours but forever. Let off, he ordered himself. There’s nothing good that can come from wishing for a miracle. A miracle? He was shooting low. To save Lyra from death would take divine intervention.
“It’s beautiful here.”
Her voice drew him from his macabre musings. He breathed deeply of the clean air and listened to the sound of the waterfall rushing. Peeking through the veil of his lashes, he watched the pocket watch suspended in thin air turn slowly on its axis. He lifted Lyra off his lap once Morpheus’s hooves had hit the ground. “This was my last mate’s grotto.
She’d come here to sit and think about the direction of time.”
“Morpheus told me you were married before.” Lyra waited for him to dismount.
“I’m sorry.”
“About?” He frowned at her. Removing his gloves, he reverted to his mortal form.
He felt the pall of death release him from its cold grip.
Lyra patted the Pegasus’s side. “He said she wasn’t around anymore.”
“She’s always with me,” Niko contradicted. It was true too. Eternity was never far from him even though she resided on another plane of existence. “She lives in my thoughts and my memories of the time we shared before Ragnarok.”
“It must be nice…”
“What?” he asked when her words trailed off and she turned to stare at the waterfall.
“To have loved someone so deeply that you think about them often.”
“Eternity and I had a special relationship.” He brushed his knuckles down the side of Lyra’s cheek. “Morpheus, if you’d give us a few minutes.” Holding out his hand to her, he waited to see if she would take it. “We were very good friends.”
“Morpheus said she might be paying penance in Hell.” Reading only sadness in her thoughts, Niko exhaled slowly. “She’s not.” Niko walked with her along the banks of the pool. He tilted his eyes to the sky. “If you look really hard, you can see the Ethereal Gate that leads to her plane of existence.” He pointed at the distant bright spot. “The Gate, like all the others leading up and through the remaining levels of Heaven are closed to everybody who resides in the Third Realm.”
“Why?” she asked. “I mean, you don’t have to answer me if you don’t want to.” It was a long and somewhat complicated explanation so Niko decided to keep it simple. “Let’s just say this is the ancients’ slice of heaven and leave it at that for the time being.” It was a disgustingly cowardly out, but he wasn’t ready to tell her that she was going to be released from her mortal body soon. Too soon.
“It’s nice here.” Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “You brought me here before.
Telepathically.”
“Yes.” His cock hardened more when she peeked at him. Coming around her, he cupped her head in his hands and lowered his lips. “Did you like what I was doing to you in the dream?”
“Very much,” she whispered against his lips. “Care to go for a dip?”
“Would you?”
“I’d love to. I’ve never…”
“Your wish is my command,” he muttered before he took her mouth in a soul-searing kiss. He snapped his fingers and their clothes disappeared. Molding her curves to his, he sank his tongue between her parted lips. Their tongues dueled. His hand caressed her ass and slid up her back to hold her closer. He couldn’t get enough of her.
He captured her tiny moans of pleasure, absorbed her shivers of desire as he lifted her in his arms and carried her into the crystal clear water. Tearing his mouth from hers, he strode into the water. “Can you swim?”
“You’ve hit upon the one thing that is a guarantee in Strange Hollow—there’s always somebody around who can teach you something.” She laughed with abandon as he went to toss her in. She only held on all the harder. “I was taught how to swim by a water dragon.”
Releasing his hold on her thighs, she slid down his ridged body. “Good.” He pulled her arms from around his neck, and tossed her into the deeper end of the pool. She came up sputtering. Laughing, she pounded huge plumes of water at him.
“Who taught you how to do that?” he asked.
“Same water dragon.”
“I see.” He dove and resurfaced directly behind her. His desire stroked upward until it was at a fevered pitch. Grabbing her from behind, he palmed her breasts. He dipped his hand to the juncture of her thighs. “Tell me this is what you want.” She responded in a long, low moan.
“You have to say the words, Lyra.” His cock ached to sink into her welcoming heat.
With his heart blasting in his chest, he swam the two of them to the shallow end. “Say it,” he whispered huskily.
“I … want … you.”
He carried her onto the shoreline. Laying her on the fertile ground, he brushed her wet hair from her face before kissing her. Slow down. He could have done slow if he wasn’t so hot for her. Raking his teeth down her neck, he wanted her so crazed for sex she’d beg him to fuck her. Get a hold of yourself. “So sweet.” He teased his lips across her shoulder blades and down her chest. Weighing her breast in his hand, he pinched her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. He laved the other.
“Yes,” she hissed. Her fingers tangled in his hair. “Please.” Working his way down her chest, he slid his free hand to her inner thigh. He spread her legs and adjusted his position. She wriggled against him. Kissing the delicate skin of her tummy, he dipped his tongue into the hollow of her navel. Slowly, he continued his journey south until his hot breath stroked her wet sex.
She arched her back when he ran his tongue up her slit. He flicked his tongue over her clit until she moaned. Spearing her channel with his tongue, he reveled in her groan of ecstasy. He fucked her with his tongue until she was clawing at the ground.
“Please!”
“Right now?” he asked huskily.
“Yes. Now!”
He positioned himself between her legs, and in a single thrust was fully embedded.
Gritting his teeth, he leaned forward, propping his weight on his straight arms. Her vagina hugged him like a new glove. “Give it to me.”
“I will.” He started a slow dance. In the back of his mind he knew the healing waters of the pool should have eased any of the aches she might have experienced, but he still kept his discipline in check. Sucking in deep breaths, he measured his thrusts. His cock ached for release. His sac tightened.
No. Not before she climaxes. Pulling up the last tattered remnants of his discipline, he drove into her again and again until he was mindless to everything except the woman clutching him. “Come for me.”
She did on a shout of his name. “Niko!”
“I’m here.”
The strong contractions rifling down her channel brought on his climax. And still he continued to plunge into her after he’d spilled his seed.
Nearly collapsing on top of her, he had the wherewithal to prop his weight on his elbows. He felt her soul lift from her chest. The filmy bit of her reaching for the solace only a member of the death caste could provide to one touched by death. “Not yet.” With a will born from sheer self-preservation, he rolled off her. Unlike the first time he’d made love to her, he didn’t pull her along. Trying to drag air into his lungs, he laid his hand on her hair. All he wanted to do was hold her for eternity. Sliding his gaze to the passionate woman beside him, he watched her struggle to regain her composure. “Are you all right? Did I hurt you?”
“I’m fine,” she rasped. “That was good. Really, really good.” He chuckled low in his throat. His heart beat a rapid tattoo. For the first time in a millennia he felt alive—as if his immortality was thriving simply because he was in her presence.
“Was it good … for you?” she asked, breathless.
“If it gets any better you might just kill me.” His statement struck him as if he’d been gored by a bull. One more day. He closed his eyes against the nightmare he was living.
She giggled. �
��As if that’s possible.”
Rolling onto his side, he laid a kiss on her forehead. He settled his hand over her heart. Her soul reached for him. Snatching his arm back, he gritted his teeth. “I better get you home.”
“Is anything wrong?” she asked as he helped her to her feet.
Rising, he loomed over her. Not for the first time did he realize just how tiny Lyra was. “No. It’s getting late, and, as you said, tomorrow will be a long day.”
* * * *
Lyra couldn’t stop sighing. Worst, was every time she thought about Niko a funny feeling filled her chest. It was a lightness she’d never experienced before. She liked it.
The sensation brought a smile to her face.
The bang of the front door hitting the wall and angry footsteps in the hall brought her around. Peeking over the banister, Lyra huffed with exasperation. She set the dustcloth she’d been using on the framed paintings over the railing. “Good afternoon, Mrs.
VanNess. How are you today?”
“If you hadn’t noticed, missy, it’s evening.” She took her time gazing around the parlor. “Where is he?” the crotchety old woman asked. Her normally pinched expression tightened more. “I want to see Mr. Thorton immediately.” Vigor popped his head out of the wall behind Mrs. VanNess to stick his tongue out at her. He retreated quickly when the nosy vampire, whose claim to fame was she was afraid of the dark, spun on her heel. “I believe Mr. Thorton is in his office.” Lyra almost stumbled over Niko’s cover name. “I’ll announce you.”
“Of course you will.” Miriam VanNess grumbled something under her breath, but Lyra didn’t catch any of the grumbled words. Whatever had the woman in a tizzy-fit was beyond Lyra.
“Can I ask what this is in regards to?” Lyra asked after she’d strolled down the stairs.
“I want to make sure my final wishes are followed to the letter when my time comes.” Mrs. VanNess glowered at Lyra. “You know how funeral directors are. All they want is your money. They don’t care about flowers or music.” She glared down her hawkish nose at Lyra. “I, for one, care about how I’m sent off.”
“I understand that, Mrs. VanNess.” Lyra walked to where Niko’s office was located and tapped on the door. She opened the door a crack. “Mrs. VanNess is here to see you Mr.—Thorton,” she called.
“Send her in,” Niko responded.
The mere sound of his voice had her throat going dry and her pulse accelerating. The lightness in her chest bloomed. “You can go in.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my hearing.” She waved her hand in the air.
“Beg pardon, ma’am.” Lyra backed away from the door. She was about to pull the door closed when Niko asked her to join them. “Yes, Mr. Thorton.”
“I’d like you to take some notes for me.” He rose, shook Mrs. VanNess’s hand, and then motioned for the aged blood-sucker to sit. “Please.” Not sure why she was shaking, Lyra strode forward and took the pen and pad of paper from him. Sitting in the companion chair, she nibbled on her lower lip. They waited and waited some more.
“I’ll tell you this, Mr. Thorton, I want my wishes carried out to the letter.” Mrs.
VanNess placed her clutch-style handbag on the corner of his desk. “I don’t want purple pansies at my funeral. I want violets and lots of them.”
“I see.”
Lyra had the distinct impression Niko couldn’t have cared less if the woman wanted to be buried on the moon or not.
“You should be writing this down, Lyra. These are my final arrangements, after all.” Mrs. VanNess opened her purse and took out a hand-written list of things she expected to have at her funeral. “There will be two viewings, one at precisely ten o’clock at night and the other at midnight. Do you understand, Mr. Thorton?” Niko nodded. “Will it make you feel better if I told you that you weren’t going to die anytime soon?”
“Absolutely not.” Mrs. VanNess took out another list. “This is the music I’ve selected to be played at the service. I’ve marked three preferences for singers. My first choice, of course, would be the one I expect you to play.”
“You wouldn’t like them there in person?” Niko drawled.
Lyra couldn’t tell if Niko was teasing the woman or being sarcastic. Taking in the cold, black stare he’d planted on the vampiress, she took the list from Mrs. VanNess while the two tried to stare each other down. “I’ll see that this is filed with your other preferences.”
“See that you do.” Mrs. VanNess frowned.
Many of the residents of Strange Hollow considered Mrs. VanNess an eccentric.
They whispered her bark was far worse than her bite. Lyra always thought the snob was a royal pain in the ass.
“Also, on the first anniversary of my death, I wish my body to be exhumed, a light placed in the casket with my remains and reburied. That is not open to debate.”
“Fine.” Niko nodded.
“You’ll see to this personally.”
“I said, ‘fine’.”
“There is no need to be rude, Mr. Thorton.”
He didn’t apologize. He did stand and walk to the door. “I will see that your wishes are carried out to the letter, but don’t expect me to sit idly by while you malign my assistant with your thoughts.”
“You read my mind?”
“Didn’t I just say I did?”
“How dare you.”
“Mrs. VanNess, I dare anything.”
“Mayor Fergus will hear about this.” Grumpily, Mrs. VanNess grabbed her purse, snorted at Lyra and headed for the door. “You can count on that, elitist. ” Pure panic ripped through Lyra. Oh no.
“Give her my best.” Niko slammed the door behind her.
“Go after her,” Lyra commanded. “She’ll have the whole town after you.”
“Elitists will be eaten on sight, my ass.” Niko returned to his seat. “But snobs don’t count. This town makes no sense.”
“You have to understand. Mrs. VanNess was one of the first people to move to Strange Hollow after it was founded. She’s been given some leeway with her attitude.” Lyra reconsidered her explanation when he cocked an eyebrow at her. “Okay, she’s been given a lot of leeway with her attitude, but you have to come to grips with the fact she is a fixture in this town.”
“I don’t have to come to grips with anything.” He raked his hand through his hair.
What part of this don’t you understand? That you can’t win against Mayor Fergus or that these people will come after you? “Niko, you can’t fight the whole town.”
“That was never my intention, Lyra.”
Something snapped inside her. Tears filled her eyes. “Then what is your intention?
Tell me? Are you on vacation or something? Are you hunting?” She surged to her feet so fast she knocked the chair over. “Why the hell are you here? To turn Strange Hollow on its ear? To make my life miserable?”
His sigh was ripe with exasperation. “I’m hunting.” He picked up his fountain pen and tapped it against the blotter. “Now that I’ve acquired the location of my target, I will perform my duty and get the hell out of this town.” Her heart broke on his statement of truth. “You found who you were looking for?”
“Thanks to Mrs. VanNess and her wayward thoughts, yes. She was complaining about the new renter next door to her house allowing his dog to dig up her flowerbeds.”
“Mr. Carney?”
“You know him?” There wasn’t a hint of accusation in his tone.
“No. I’ve never met the man.” She brushed the tears from her cheeks. What did I expect? Him to hang around here forever? God, I’m such a fool. She swallowed hard, trying to choke down the truth and the sobs inching up her throat. “Gossip is like dry leaves in the fall around here. Before you hit the city limits everybody is buzzing about it.”
“I suspected as much. I also concluded Mayor Fergus has put a binding spell on him, thinking she’ll prevent me from releasing his soul.”
“That won’t stop you.”
“She’s not aware of that, nor is Leslie Carney.”
“Then you’ll leave…”
“Yes.”
She wanted to sob. I’ll never see you again. “If you’ll excuse me.” Moving toward the door, she looked at him. The feelings she’d felt less than an hour ago burned to ash.
In its place was a sickening heaviness.
“Lyra, don’t regret what we’ve shared.”
“I don’t.” Wishing she could muster the energy to get angry at him, she sent him a shaky smile. “Don’t worry about me,” she said when he scowled. “I’ll land on my feet.” It’ll just take a little longer this time.
Her hand hit the doorknob. His presence encroached on her being. He held the door closed with a hand on the wood. “Please, I have to go.” She leaned her forehead against the cold wood. Tears dripped from her cheeks to splash on her sneakers. The sobs inched higher.
“Lyra.” His warm breath rushed over her. He turned her and wrapped his arms around her. The dam on the tears broke. Curling her fingers into his shirt, she sobbed.
“Shh,” he hushed. “It’ll be all right.”
“How?” She wanted to know. “How will it be okay?” Her world might as well have been crashing down on her. That’s how devastated she was. Her breath hitched. A pang of pain smacked her in the middle of her chest.
“I’ll make it all better,” he said. He kissed the top of her head. “Trust me.” Her hands slipped around his waist. I do. Beneath her ear she listened to the steady beat of his heart. Dying is probably less painful than this.
Chapter Five
It’s always darkest before the dawn.
“Death.” Vigor’s slithering, hissing voice rose from the floor. “There is a mob gathering at the end of the street.”
Niko exhaled sharply. “Nothing less than I should have expected.” It had taken him hours to calm Lyra down. Once he’d achieved that feat, he’d ordered her to get some sleep. Like the first night, he employed the use of sleep sand to give her some solace.
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