A Twist of Fate

by Donna Raider

  “And did you say, ‘do whatever you want with me, darling, I’m your bitc—” Leah’s kisses stopped Mika’s mouth from talking.

  “It’s not nice to repeat what a lady says in the throes of passion,” Leah murmured, kissing her hard. “If you don’t like it, I can refrain from such statements in the future.”

  “Oh! No!” Mika gasped. “I loved it. It was just new and unexpected. But very exciting.”

  “I noticed it did have the desired effect,” Leah giggled.

  “How about this,” Mika said slowly, “we’re married, so in the bedroom let’s forget you are the mayor, and I’m the priest. Whatever happens in our bed stays in our bed?”

  “I could live with that for a very, very long time,” Leah whispered.

  ##

  On the morning of their third day at sea, Mika awoke to the smell of bacon and coffee. Pulling on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts, she joined Leah in the galley.

  “I was about to bring you coffee,” Leah kissed her gently.

  “I smelled food,” Mika grinned.

  “Bacon, eggs, and toast sound okay,” Leah poured coffee in the two cups she had placed on the table.

  “Sounds great,” Mika slipped her arms around Leah’s waist and kissed her. “Thank you for…for being my wife.”

  “I would never want to be anyone else,” Leah murmured.

  Mika carried their breakfast up onto the deck, and Leah followed her with an insulated carafe of coffee. They had worked up an appetite and ate in silence. Finishing her breakfast, Mika refilled their cups and leaned back to enjoy the light sea breeze in her face.

  “You know, we have to prepare for the inevitable?” Mika frowned.

  “I know,” Leah looked away from her. “The Vile One is not going to let me walk away from his contract.”

  “Who does he serve?” Mika asked.

  “I don’t know,” she answered thoughtfully. “The devil.”

  “The devil rarely bothers with the likes of Legion,” Mika spoke as if her statement were a fact. “Lucifer is into much larger projects to cause the suffering of mankind.”

  “You speak as if you are an authority on the subject,” Leah tilted her head to the side and studied her wife.

  “Remember I told you I was enamored of humans, particularly the females?” Mika explained.

  She nodded.

  “There are demons who are just as fascinated with your kind. When God asked me to lead his forces against the angels who were trying to take over heaven, the final angel you saw me battle was Lucifer.” Mika said. “The entire battle was over Earth and the humans on it. There was a segment of the angels obsessed with humans and wanted to rule over them. God believes in freedom of choice and would not allow the interaction between humans and angels.”

  “You aren’t just any angel,” Leah gasped, covering her mouth in surprise. Mika! Of course, you are the Archangel Michael, God’s right hand!”

  “I was,” Mika nodded.

  “You gave that up for me?” she gasped.

  “No. Not for you,” Mika looked down, “for my ideal mate. It just turned out to be you. God allowed me to come to earth because he knew I had no desire to rule over anyone, just a strong desire to find a mate worthy of our kind.”

  “I see,” Leah said softly.

  “He didn’t strip me of my powers, just gave me the rules and consequences of using them. I have been very vigilant in obeying his rules, with your help, of course. Marrying you has made the rules easy to obey. The children were the final request God made of me. That, too, was your decision. Even without knowing the rules, you have won the game, just doing what came naturally and honestly to your wonderful nature.”

  “And now, because of my contract with Legion, we will have to battle to protect our children, won’t we?” Darkness passed over Leah’s beautiful face and fear filled her eyes.

  “Yes,” Mika said softly. “But we won’t be battling the devil. He can’t challenge me again. God’s rules. After all is said and done, God does rule over both heaven and hell.”

  “Then hopefully the Vile One is all we have to deal with,” Leah shrugged.

  “Legion is no challenge for you,” Mika informed her. “You could incinerate him in a heartbeat. The trick is to be faster than he is. If he ever engages you in a battle for the children, instantly, without hesitation, you must incinerate him. Don’t let him put you on the defensive.”

  “I would assume that to be the best mode of operation to deal with anyone who threatens our children,” Leah nodded.

  “Yes. We must prepare,” Mika stood, pulling Leah into her arms. “Your abilities are only limited by your imagination.”

  Mika wrapped strong arms around Leah, and they began ascending into the heavens. She cloaked them in invisibility until they were far beyond earth’s ever watching satellites. She took them to another universe to a planet that was a deserted wasteland.

  As Mika sat their feet down on the planet’s surface, Leah looked around. There was a lifeless desert in one direction and a stark, rugged mountain range in the other. Sheer cliff sides of flint glistened in the red sun of the planet.

  “As you can see,” Mika grinned sheepishly, “we can’t harm this planet. There is no vegetation or life of any kind. It is a perfect training ground for us.”

  “Okay,” Leah exhaled loudly. “What now?”

  “I will conjure demonic creatures to attack you. Let’s see how you handle that,” Mika smiled. “Then you will do the same to me.”

  Before Leah could respond a serpent rose out of the ground behind the angel. “Mika,” Leah screamed, pulling her wife into her arms. The serpent encircled them and began to crush the life out of them. Just as Leah was beginning to lose consciousness the serpent disappeared. They both fell to the ground.

  “Your first reaction was to save me,” Mika told her. “That was the wrong reaction. You should have instantly destroyed the serpent. Then you would have saved both of us.”

  Leah nodded. She was a fast learner. “Try me again.”

  Mika disappeared. An earth-shattering roar from behind Leah shook the ground. Turning, she was confronted with a fierce beast charging her. Without flinching a muscle, she threw a fireball engulfing the beast and reducing him to ashes. Immediately ten of the beasts sprang up, howling and charging her from all directions. She sent out a shockwave so strong that it slammed all the monsters against the hard sides of the mountains, crushing them.

  “That was very good, Leah,” a smooth, calm voice spoke behind her. She knew it wasn’t her wife’s voice, and immediately froze whatever was behind her before ever turning to look at it.

  A darkly handsome man, dressed in red and black, stood crystallized in front of her. She immediately dropped a piece of the mountain on him, crushing anything that might have been there.

  “You’re wonderful,” Mika laughed. “Your reactions and instincts are as incredible as I knew they would be.”

  Leah smiled, basking in her praise. Before Leah could move, thick, heavy vines began to wrap around her legs and up her body. She instantly transported herself to another place, turned and incinerated the vines.

  “You’re amazing,” Mika laughed, ducking the fireball that was flying at her. Standing tall, Mika was shocked to find herself in a chokehold. A being she could tell was over nine feet tall held her off the ground and shook her like a ragdoll. Summing her full height and power, Mika exploded from the giant’s grip then dissolved the creation Leah had sent after her.

  “A truce, darling,” Mika held up her hands in surrender.

  “For real,” Leah watched her suspiciously, “or another one of your tricks.”

  “For real. That is enough for today. “We will do this again tomorrow,” Mika promised, “but right now let’s enjoy the other universes.”

  Leah was invigorated. The adrenaline was pumping through her veins. She felt as if she could move mountains. Mika wrapped her wings around Leah. “Don’t tear them off,” she teased a
s she lifted them from the planet.

  Mika could feel Leah’s magic sizzling throughout her body. She ran her hands from Leah’s shoulders to her calves, thrilling at the taut muscles flexing to do battle.

  “Satiate me, Priest,” Leah hissed into her ear, kissing her aggressively.

  “My pleasure,” Mika moaned, pushing Leah against her wings.

  It appeared that Mika’s statement about their abilities, ‘We are only limited by our imagination,’ also applied to their lovemaking. For hours, they floated around the universe, lost in each other. They had always been vocal lovers, but words ceased to be needed as they read each other’s thoughts and desires. Leah was even more powerful than Mika had ever imagined. For the first time, Mika knew she had an ally equal to her.

  ##

  Mika lowered them back onto the deck of their boat just before sunrise. She unfurled her wings. Leah inhaled as she surveyed her gorgeous wife in all her glory. Mika was well over nine feet tall, and her wingspan was breathtaking.

  “Can you fly?” Leah asked hesitantly.

  “Of course,” Mika laughed. “Tonight, I will show you. It is too dangerous now.”

  Somewhere along the way, their clothes had disappeared. Leah quickly clothed them then led her below deck.

  ##

  Mika leaned back in the chair, watching her sleep. Leah had both surprised and thrilled her with how quickly she had learned to go on the offensive. Most battles were lost because warriors took a defensive position. While the priest was a strong proponent of the turn the other cheek philosophy for mortals, she had learned the hard way not to adopt it when dealing with demons.

  Leah seemed to thrive on their battles, conjuring battle techniques and attacks that surprised even Mika. Leah relished the power and abilities she had never fully used. She was the consummate strategist. She was certainly letting go of all the pent-up emotions concerning her magic and becoming even more comfortable with who she was and of what she was capable. Mika hoped she wasn’t creating a monster.

  Leah was awake. Her eyes were closed but she was very aware that Mika was watching her. I love you so much, Priest , she thought.

  I love you, Leah . Mika’s thoughts answered hers.

  Telepathy is one ability we need to hone to the nth degree . Leah tossed back at her. It will give us an advantage in any situation.

  You’re brilliant ; Mika smiled as her thought flashed into her mind.

  We must set sail for home tomorrow , Leah thought. How do you want to spend our last night?

  Making love to you.

  My thoughts exactly. I like this way of communicating. It removes all the filters. Leah smiled at her. Come into my bed, said the spider to the fly.

  I don’t believe that is the correct wording. Mika slipped into bed beside her.

  Same intentions, Leah smiled sensuously.

  ##

  Richie’s ringtone woke them just as the sun was setting.

  “Hello, son,” Mika pushed the speakerphone button. “Is everything okay?’

  “Yes,” the boy laughed, “the babies are wonderful. Amber and I have been relieving Nana and having so much fun with them. Is Mom close by?”

  “Yes, sweetheart, I’m here,” Leah answered. “I can’t wait to see you. We miss you all.”

  “I just called to see if you were going to tack on your usual two extra days. If you want to, it’s okay,” Richie offered. We have everything under control here.”

  “Aren’t you the little mind reader,” Leah laughed. “We would love two more days. Are you sure that is okay?”

  “Yes, of course,” the boy said. “Amber and I took the twins to the park today. They loved it. When will they start talking?”

  “Between twelve and fifteen months they will begin talking and walking,” his mother answered knowingly. “Believe me; it happens before you know it. You grew up so fast.”

  “Cool,” Richie exclaimed. “I am reading to them a lot, so maybe they will talk even sooner. I can’t wait to discuss things with them.”

  “They are lucky to have a big brother like you,” Mika joined the conversation.

  “We are all lucky to have parents like you,” Richie said sincerely. “Anyway, take two more days. We’ll hold down the fort. I will call Gloria and Odette for you.”

  “You are the best wingman ever,” the priest laughed. “Thanks, son.”

  “We will see you in a few days,” his mother added. “I love you.”

  “Love you, too, Mom. Bye.”

  “Two more days, whatever shall we do,” Leah smiled wickedly, pushing Mika onto her back and straddling her.

  “Want to fly?” Mika asked, raising up to capture her lips.

  “I was thinking a little ride, first,” Leah cooed.

  “Umm, Your Majesty,” Mika moaned as Leah moved against her. Mika levitated them off the bed so Leah could wrap her legs around her.

  ##

  Leah was softly slumbering when Mika slipped from their bed and went into the galley. She prepared chicken salad for sandwiches and was searching for chips when Leah joined her.

  Leah slipped her arms around Mika from behind and laid her cheek against Mika’s firm, smooth back. “Have I ever told you how much I love your muscles,” she murmured, kissing between Mika’s shoulder blades and down her spine as she reached around her to caress her breasts.

  “Not nearly enough,” Mika groaned.

  The toaster popped up the toast. “Want a sandwich?” Mika tilted her head back as Leah raked her teeth between her shoulder blades.

  “I’m very hungry,” Leah kissed Mika’s back one last time and walked to the toaster. She spread the chicken salad onto the toasted bread as Mika placed water and chips on the table.

  “So, tonight we soar,” Leah crinkled her nose in excitement.

  “I don’t know about you,” Mika smiled, “but I always soar when I’m with you.”

  “You know what I mean, Priest.”

  “Of course,” Mika replied. “Do you want to sit on my back, or do you want me to hold you in my arms against my stomach?”

  “Which gives me the most control of you,” Leah grinned wickedly at her.

  “On my back,” Mika licked her lips that had suddenly gone dry. “You will sit between my wings. Your legs will go over the top of my wings and just under my armpits. How is that for a romantic description?”

  Leah threw back her head and laughed. The deep, sultry, uninhibited laugh that made Mika want to do anything to hear it again.

  “Use my hair to hold on to, like you would a horse’s mane when riding bareback.”

  They set on the deck and talked as they waited for the sun to disappear from the heavens.

  “This is probably a good time to discuss something we need to be in complete agreement on,” Leah smiled shyly.

  Mika nodded encouraging her to continue.

  “How should we schedule our children?” Leah blurted out.

  “For what?” Mika asked, unsure what she was asking her.

  “How many years should we wait before we have our next baby or babies?” Leah shrugged, shaking her head. She flipped her hand in front of her face as if the discussion was just too much for her.

  Mika’s smile almost lit up the night sky. “You want more of my children?” She asked joyously.

  “Of course, I do,” Leah laughed. “I will always want your babies running around our house. I have read from several authorities that children are pretty much set in who they will be by the time they are five.”

  “That is true,” Mika grinned from ear to ear.

  “So, I’m thinking that when Sara and Adam turn four, we can begin trying for our next baby.” Leah tilted her head to the side, making Mika’s heart skip a beat. “They will be five when our next child is born. I think we should give each baby five years of everyone’s undivided attention so we can nurture and teach them. You know, lay the groundwork for good human beings.”

  “Let me be sure I understand what you want
,” Mika smiled. “We will have children ranging from newborn to eighteen in our house at all times. The oldest will go away to college.”

  “Something like that,” Leah smiled.

  “You’ve put a lot of thought into this,” Mika beamed.

  “I have, darling. Don’t make fun of me. It’s important.” Leah smiled beautifully. “I love children. You are the one with whom I want to have them.”

  “You know I will always do anything you want,” Mika grinned. “I’m seriously whipped, remember.”

  ##

  They finished their dinner then ascended to a faraway planet, in another universe. Leah watched in wonder as Mika unfurled her wings. They were magnificent. Mika dropped to her hands and knees, and Leah climbed onto her back, settling herself between Mika’s wings. Doing as Mika had instructed, Leah found she was securely wedged between her shoulders and wings. Mika’s hands wrapped firmly around her ankles. There was no way she could fall.

  “Let me know when you’re ready,” Mika said.

  As she would do a steed, Leah kicked her heels against Mika and pulled her hair slightly. Mika rose slowly at first, picking up speed as she left the planet’s surface. She flapped her glorious wings and the rush of air as they sped forward took away Leah’s breath. With each downward stroke of her wings, they picked up speed until Leah was almost dizzy.

  Just as quickly as she had picked up speed, Mika leveled off, spread her wings and began to glide. The feeling was indescribable. Leah had never experienced such a sensation in her life. Mika glided downward then picked up a wind current and soared higher and higher.

  Leah briefly thought of a mythological youth who had flown too close to the sun and died.

  Icarus , her wife, thought to her.

  I love your knowledge , Leah responded.

  Umm, I love the feel of you riding me , Mika flashed back. How do you like it?

  It is the most exhilarating experience in the world. It isn’t the most wonderful experience I have ever shared with you, but definitely at the top of the list. Leah thought.

  They soared through many universes and wonders, which they had passed before, but in the cocoon of Mika’s wings, Leah had never seen. Riding her wife’s back was a completely different experience.