by Louisa Bacio
The air around them crackled as she drew closer, and Lily could feel the surge pull from the universe into her being.
“Easy, child,” the woman said. “Be careful of what ye cannot yet control. Ye need to rein in your power.”
Lily shut her eyes and stood still for a moment, sensing the air around her, listening to the wind and telling herself that all was fine. She wasn't in immediate danger—so she thought. She needed to gather her strength and get home before Ari found her.
“Before you go,” the woman said, “let me help you remove those chains.”
Lily had been dragging them for so long, she'd almost forgotten about them. She more than half expected some sort of magic, but instead the woman pulled out a set of bolt cutters, and snapped the metal.
Instantly, Lily felt lighter, freer, as if the chain represented a more symbolic bond.
She looked back toward the tunnels. A scraping noise emanating from within was her cue to get the hell out of there.
“It's not safe here,” she started to say, turning back toward the woman. “We need to leave.”
“He doesn't want me,” the woman said. “He yearns for you.”
The wind picked up, whistling through the trees and whipping leaves around in a swirl. “I am Teresa Marie,” the woman said. “I can help you harness your powers. You could have so much potential, if you'd just believe in yourself.”
What? Was she back in high school? She'd heard those lines before. So much “potential.” Her life had been filled with potential. How about she just start living? Her body ached, from deep within her bones all the way to her hair follicles. This woman may be telling her that it was time to get going, but at the same time it seemed like she was keeping her here for much longer than she had intended.
“Thanks for the advice and all, I'll keep it in mind,” Lily said, standing up a bit straighter, and feeling the energy flow back into her body, bringing her much-needed additional strength. “But if you don't mind breaking up this little convo we have going here, I've got two hunky men waiting for me at home.”
Teresa began a chant, and circled her hands in the air, sprinkling out a fine powder around her that sifted through the air. “Tell Mr. Justice that he'll know when the time comes to visit me,” she said, “and you and I also have some unfinished business.”
Things started to get weirder and weirder by the second, and without waiting to give any sort of an answer, Lily set out. An old ladder hung onto the side of the aqueduct, and Lily grabbed onto the metal, pulling and testing its soundness with her weight. Seemed like it would hold her, and no way she wanted to hang around to see what Madame Teresa over there was conjuring up.
She began her ascent, wondering slightly how the old woman had found herself in this location. No way she climbed down this ladder on her own. Maybe she possessed some powers that even Lily couldn't imagine. To think, a year ago she had lived obliviously, no clue about the supernatural world, the existence of vampires, werewolves or witches for that matter. Now, she couldn't get away from it, and the world continued to expand to include more creepiness.
Cold cement greeted her searching hands at the top of the ladder. She pulled herself off, and finally stood on some solid ground. She looked below, and saw no one. Somehow, Teresa Maria had disappeared. Silly thought. Odds were that the long-time New Orleans resident simply knew of another, and better, way to get out of the tunnel.
Ignoring the pain in her feet, and the coldness of the damp air, Lily kept her head down and watched the pavement as she strode purposefully toward the bookstore. She hoped that both men were in residence, and awake. Damn—first, that both of them were alive, or undead in the case of Lawrence. They had some talking to do, some planning to do, and hopefully, the future would hold some lovemaking.
To rid herself of the demon in her shadows, it was time to shed this virginity of hers, and she knew just the two men to do it.
* * * *
When she arrived back at the loft, the building looked too quiet. While the bookstore usually stayed open all night, the lights inside were dark. Blinds covered the windows. It appeared downright unfriendly, and completely closed down. Lily thought about the lives of the two men who inhabited the building and how much energy they brought to the brick-and-mortar structure.
Had something happened to either Lawrence or Trevor, and was the building a physical entity that mourned? While physically, her body ached and she longed to lay down in a warm bed, psychically, she'd gained some control. Maybe it was that birthday that loomed. She put out her psychic feelers, opening herself up to the cosmic universe and simply trying to sense the location of the men. The house lay empty, devoid of life.
She used her guest key to unlock the side entrance, and slip inside. The shelves of books appeared so dark that she could imagine a shadow lurking, shifting from bookshelf to bookshelf, watching her. A creaking noise sounded from the far back of the store, and she high-tailed it upstairs to the living quarters. No way in hell was she sticking around to see who had decided to visit … or break in.
She strained her ears, hoping to capture some sort of sound from above, but it got lost within the sound of her own footsteps. Good Lord, it was cold this morning, and walking around mostly naked and shoeless wasn't doing her any good either. If only she could take a warm shower and wash the filth of the evening and the sewer systems off. She needed to find Trevor though … and Lawrence.
Finally, she reached her room and jostled with the thought of falling stomach first onto the bed, and sleeping for days on end. As soon as she flashed on the light, though, splashes of red and dried brown blood assaulted her senses. She screamed as a searing pain slashed through her neck and her head throbbed. The overwhelming experience made her drop to her knees and fight for her sanity and breath. She wasn't the one who had her throat slashed, she reminded herself. That had been Lawrence. The realization of Law's injuries overcame Lily, and she sank further down onto the floor. And Trevor, too. Ari had pounded Trevor so hard, that he'd smacked his head against the bed, and been knocked out.
This wasn't her pain that she was feeling. It was their pain. She shut her eyes and willed herself to let the pain go. She could acknowledge it, and name its existence but to do more than that would give it power over her, and she could never have that. Neither of those two men would want her to be controlled by the residue of past events.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Lily
A soft caress stroked the side of her face, and Lily shifted on the pillow. The bed settled as if someone sat on the side of the mattress. She dreamt about being held, cherished, and loved. Sighing, she snuggled closer to the warmth.
“Hey, Sleeping Beauty,” Trevor said through the murkiness of her sleep, “or shall we call you Goldilocks or Snow White because you mysteriously appeared in our home, and in our bed?”
Consciousness came slowly, and when Lily opened her eyes, two very concerned faces greeted her.
“I missed you two,” she said, looking back and forth between Trevor and Lawrence. While she knew that lots of questions lingered and needed to be answered. Right now, she wanted something else so much more. “Can you hold me?”
“Well, it is our bed,” Lawrence joked, sliding underneath the covers next to her.
Trevor pulled her close to him, and she cradled her head beneath his chin, taking in the strength of his body. On the other side of her, Lawrence curved around her backside.
“What happened to you?” Trevor asked, in reverence. “How did you get home?”
After she'd recovered from the psychic onslaught of her room, Lily had showered, ate a little something and then curled into the bed in Trevor and Lawrence's room, hoping for their return. Her exhausted body must have shut down.
Not ready to talk yet, she silenced him with a kiss. Hungrily, Trevor returned her passion, and cranked it up to the next level. He ran his hand down the side of her body, cupping her ass, and bringing her against the hardness between his legs.
From
behind, Lawrence moved his hands over her breasts, not expecting her nakedness.
“What do you have on under here?” Lawrence asked.
“Not much.”
Trevor pulled up the covers, taking in her peach lace briefs. She thought that she would feel more “naked” in front of them, but instead, she felt comfortable, like the three of them were always meant to be this way.
He seemed to drink in her presence. When his eyes met hers once again, the adoration that she saw made her falter for a moment. What if she didn't live up to their expectations?
Now wasn't the time to think. Now was totally about feeling.
“Beautiful,” Trevor said, his warm hands moving over her inner thighs, and skimming just the surface of her underwear. “Can we take these off?”
He maneuvered her to a kneeling position, ever so slowly pulling off her panties while leaving little kisses along the way.
His warm hands slid down her thighs, leaving trails of sensation and pleasure, pushing away all inhibitions. Each fingertip became an instigator, pushing her, encouraging her to feel. Lily leaned into it, relishing the warmth of his skin against her skin. She felt like a wanton for the physical.
Trevor possessed the emotional side. It was a total stereotype, but he seemed to know what she was feeling. Any fears, and he would try to diffuse them. Both he and Law acted like protectors. Yet, Lawrence proved to be a harder nut to crack. She figured that it was the 180 years of living. Shit, she still couldn't understand all of her own influences; of course she felt a bit taken aback by Lawrence and his extensive history.
As if he realized that she'd started to drift away from the physical, Trevor moved down, trailing his tongue down her right leg, and then back up her left. A burning line of pleasure seared down one leg and up the other. She unconsciously leaned her hips in further hoping for some contact.
He laughed against her inner thigh, sending a rumble of vibration that cranked up her level of anticipation. Lily desperately wanted to grab the back of his head, twining her fingers within his thick curly hair, and pull him between her legs. Without acting upon it, or even voicing it, the mere thought shocked her. How quickly she went from mild-mannered lady to outright hussy.
Strong hands steadied her at the waist, and the other man of her fantasies whispered in her ear, “Tell us what you want, Lily?”
She leaned back, not quite sure what she would say, and Lawrence took her mouth. Soft lips covered hers, and his forceful tongue found entry into her mouth. As their tongues tangoed, Trevor hit home with his tongue: bull's eye directly on her clit.
Lily cried out in relief into Law's mouth, and he took it fueling her passion. She leaned into Law, feeling the muscles of his chest on her back and his cock seeking entry against her buttocks, and then she did exactly what felt right, fingers sliding into Trevor's hair and hips grinding against his talented mouth. She kissed Law with pent-up desire, with a fervor equal to what Trev unleashed below.
Exquisite. The feeling of being taken and taking from another at the same time. And she knew, or at least hoped, that this would only be the beginning.
Law seemed to drink in her desire. He ran his tongue across her bottom lip, and then nestled it between his, sucking the sensitive skin. The fire within her raged, and she could feel the passion of her two lovers equally. She would never have guessed that her power to read the minds and emotions of others would substantially wrack up the pleasure-quota of love making, but it only made sense. If she could read when someone needed help or was sad, why not feel their arousal?
Relentless, Trevor flicked his tongue against her clit, and she longed to be filled, to finally know what it felt like to be loved physically by another. So excited, and so wet, she could hear the slurping noises that he made while kissing her down there. He probed her opening with the tip of his tongue, and then pushed it up further inside of her. So slick and so ready, he followed with a finger, she felt a little resistance, but then she quickly expanded to allow him in, and he inserted a second finger, stretching her further. All the while continuing to pleasure her core with his talented mouth.
She felt a building inside of her, a tightness that began low in her abdomen, and then flowed out through her limbs. The excitement coursed through her body, as if it was carried through her bloodstream. The overwhelming feeling of building toward orgasm tightened her muscles, and the end become inevitable.
“More, more,” she cried out. “I want you to take me. I want more.”
Damn. She didn't just want more. She needed more.
And then, right as the stream of feeling reached its ultimate crescendo, she got all that she could want and more. From behind, Law's solid cock nudged against her opening and he leaned her over ever so slightly. She tensed, waiting for the pain to come, but with all of Trevor's ministrations, the slickness helped ease Law in until he met her barrier.
“Do you give yourself to us, Lily?” Law asked. “Do you surrender your virginity to me?”
She knew that this answer, her answer, would change everything, but it was everything that she wanted to change. She'd have to live with the consequences. They'd have to live with the consequences.
“Yes,” she cried out. “Yes, take me. I am yours. I love you.”
And with that, Law plunged in full force, stretching her wide open, breaking through her barrier and destroying any hold or bond that the demon held upon her. Love set her free to explore the wonders of the flesh.
She heard a dim “nooo” through her mind, as if Ari immediately knew what had happened, and then she shut down those mental connections and once again lost herself in the feeling of being fucked. The final freedom catapulted her over.
“Happy birthday, my love,” Law said.
Law slowed his pace, eking out every little tremor. As she came, her skin tingled like a fine mist danced across it, tantalizing her body, making her feel more alive than ever before. She barely had a moment to catch her breath to revel in the moment before Lawrence increased his thrusts again, pounding into her.
Trevor now knelt in front of her, his own member in his hand, stroking it as he watched his long-time lover take Lily. As Lawrence leaned her over even further, his balls slapping her ass with each thrust, her face met with Trevor's cock and she happily took it in her mouth, returning the favor until they all found their pleasure peak.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Lily
Sated, the threesome lay in bed, legs entangled. Trevor lazily traced a pattern on Lily's thigh with his fingertips. Too soon, Lawrence got out of bed, and pulled one of the thick curtains from the window.
“The city of New Orleans continues to be resilient,” Lawrence said, looking outside at a history that not many could say they remembered. “She's weathered many storms, suffered too many fires, and fell victim to many diseases; yet, she continues to come back, live, and thrive.”
In recent times, Lily knew that Hurricane Katrina had wreaked havoc, bursting of the city's levees, and then, just when it seemed like recovery was underway, oil spilled with horrendous affect along the Gulf Coast. They probably wouldn't know the potential ecological implications of that for years to come.
Lily took in the richness of her surroundings and tried to imagine the past. The men had decorated the bedroom in dark hues of jeweled colors: deep purple, royal blue, and burgundy. The velvety bedspread was a complementary patchwork with a thick gold rope of ribbon running throughout in an intricate pattern.
“What was your favorite time to live here?” Lily asked, catching the tone of reflection in Law's voice. Something weighed on his mind.
“You mean besides now, with the two of you here in my bed?” Lawrence glibly responded.
He absentmindedly rearranged a bouquet of mixed flowers on the side table, and strode over toward the French doors of the balcony. Pulling back the chiffon drapes, he didn't immediately respond. Lily noticed that both herself and Trevor were admiring Lawrence's fine profile, his tall frame, wide shoulders,
slender but muscular chest and curved Venetian ass.
“The city has always been blessed and unique,” Lawrence explained. “Many of the foolish human tendencies such as racism didn't exist within New Orleans. People were allowed to live their own lives as they saw fit, which included free people of color.
“And let me tell you, you've never seen a party like the Quadroon Balls. That is, until legislation shut them down. The free women of color could often pass for white, but were not allowed to marry into a white family, for fear of what their offspring may look like, so instead they took a lover.”
Something in the way Lawrence reminisced made Lily think that he was talking from firsthand knowledge. “What was her name?” she asked. “Your lover from those days.”
“Ah, her name was Delia Brion,” the vampire sighed. “Her hair was this rich dark golden hue, with long ringlets of curls. How she loved to dress up, her tender breasts peeking out from a low-cut bodice, and dance.”
With one arm extended, as if he was holding the hand of an imaginary partner, he did a half-twirl in the room. “We were together for a short five years, but those five years were magnificent.”
“What happened to her?” Lily asked in a whisper, afraid to ask but curious for the answer. The mood shifted in the room, and Lily could feel the sadness before Lawrence responded.
“She was murdered coming home from a carnival one afternoon … I always warned her about going out during the daytime, when I couldn't protect her,” Lawrence said, “but she enjoyed her freedom.”
“And?” Lily said.
“And what?” he replied. “And how did it affect me? How did I react? I hunted down her killers, and provided justice for her death. When I caught up to them, I could smell her blood on their clothes.
“And then I didn't take another human as a long-term lover for a very long time afterward,” he finished.
So, the start of Mr. Law Justice, Lily thought, which brought them back to this moment, and Lawrence saving Trevor on the street, and then bringing her into their home.