by Jaye Shields
He helped her. Placing his hands on the sides of her arms, he slid the garment off her body slowly, his golden gaze never wavering from her eyes. The gauzy pink lingerie fell to the floor in a woosh. The air fanned against her nipples and made her all the more aware of her nakedness.
“Remove my pants.” The command both shocked and thrilled her. His voice was steady, and the deep tone assured her that she would enjoy whatever he demanded of her.
She pulled the drawstring resting on his hips. The cloth fell to the ground, but she was not allowed to look, for the man called Pyrrhus still held her chin in his hand, forcing her gaze upon his face. His eyes were an endless golden abyss that any woman would die to get lost in. But she found not a hint of his inner thoughts. Pyrrhus was simply a calm, peaceful, and highly erotic presence.
His free hand moved to the top of her head and wound its fingers through her hair. The massage sent electricity from his fingertips against her scalp in a mesmerizing dance. Slowly, he pressed down, ushering her to her knees but keeping her chin pointed up at him. She anticipated a cold ground, but instead, her knees met with the soft abyss of her dream world. She rested comfortably and listened to his next words.
“You will taste a Quetzalem for the second time.”
Instead of waiting for reality to kick in, she let confusion become ready anticipation. Her naked skin was covered in goosebumps as the man finally let go of her chin and directed her to his hard erection. For the first time she was able to take in the sight of it. It was a thick, pale blue mass with intricate navy blue tattoos winding across the shaft. She thought it looked like an inscription in another language, but before she could wonder, her head was directed closer to his tip.
The gorging head was beaded with evidence of his virility, and she shocked herself by reaching out with her tongue to taste the shining wetness.
Yum.
The taste was pure smoke and fire; she juggled the ecstasy of flames against her tongue, reaching farther with her lips and tongue, tasting his skin. The tattooed inscriptions on his cock hardened and softened magickally inside her mouth, and she pushed herself farther. No sounds of encouragement escaped her partner, but she continued on for her own pleasure.
As her tongue traced the tattoos, she became addicted to the beautiful, mysterious creature. She worked hard, sliding her mouth up and down on the pulsing erection. The hands woven into her hair were firm and gentle, massaging yet commanding.
She sucked with an intense fervor that shocked her, until finally, his hot liquid jetted into her mouth. The taste of flames intensified, and at that moment, she was a vixen, a slave to her own lust and need for the powerful creature standing before her. The last of the hot desire left his shaft and soaked her needy tongue.
Submission. Her own thought disturbed the rush of her passion.
And then she woke up.
• • •
Nothing was more awkward than waking up in an erotic rush and seeing your aunts and mother. Actually, the room was packed with all her closest friends. Eager eyes looked down on her resting on her bed. Her mother’s blue eyes were teary-eyed saucers, and her white teeth chewed her bottom lip. Great, the flood gate was about to break. Morgana, Melissandra, and her mom, Egret, had obviously been worried.
“Did I die?” Sparrow tried to joke as she gazed up at her loved ones. She offered up her signature sheepish grin; her mom burst into tears, although her aunts laughed.
“Oh, Egret! Don’t shower the girl with drama the minute she wakes up.”
“I’ll sob as much as I like and none of you will give me hell about it.” Sparrow watched her mom’s usually bright blue eyes become a violent gray storm. “My daughter takes off with my older sisters — much older might I add — and heads off to some sort of hell on earth without even consulting me. I’ll get teary if I want to.” Egret threw back her lightning blond hair and placed her hand on Sparrow’s cheek.
“Mom, your whole palm is drenched in tears.” Egret’s cheeks were moist, the lids of her brilliant blue eyes puffy and pink. Apparently this wasn’t the first cloud burst. “I’m sorry, Mom. It was spur of the moment. I plan on inviting you the next time the aunts and I go on a demon battle vacay.”
Melissandra chuckled.
“Where’s Grandma?” Sparrow gazed around the room. Tera and Sabin were present along with Michelle and Duncan.
“She’s been in Reno.” Morgana huffed. “Can you believe it? We leave for five minutes to fight off demons on Alcatraz, and she heads off for a gambling extravaganza without us.”
“Apparently she’s figured out a wicked payout detector incantation.” Melissandra smoothed the hair against Sparrow’s pillow adoringly. “She swears that sources of payout will pull her across the casino floor like a magnet.”
“We’ll see,” Morgana chuckled. “Darling, you’re looking pretty healthy — your cheeks are actually flush.”
“Great!” Her voice came out a high-pitched yelp. Mortified, she could feel her cheeks becoming branded by another round of heat. The area between her legs was still damp and tingly from the erotic scene that had unfolded. Having company after such an illicit dream was certainly awkward.
“Thank God that dragon demon was there. What are they called, sister? Pretzels? Gretzels?” Melissandra furrowed her forehead as she concentrated.
“Quetzal demon. Quetzalem to be politically correct, right, Sabin?”
“Yes. Just as you don’t refer to vampires as vamp demons, in the other world we generally leave out the word ‘demon’ since there are so many different kinds across the realms. Speaking of realms, I should be going back now.” The handsome knight by her best friend’s side looked at Sparrow kindly. “It is good that you took to the Quetzalem blood so well. If you have problems with side effects, let me know, and I’ll bring you some medicine upon my return.”
“You don’t have any now?” she shrieked desperately. Everyone leaned toward the bed curiously to appraise her — apparently they were still in the dark about the side effects. Thank God. Her aunts would never let her live it down.
“Have the side effects begun already?” Sabin’s eyes were surprised and concerned.
“Um, nope.”
“What are we talking about?” Egret asked.
“Mom! Sabin has to go,” she chided her mother, and knew she’d hear about it later. But she didn’t exactly want her family aware of the porno taking place while she slept.
When he was gone, Egret heaved a sigh. “Don’t interrupt me young lady, it’s not an attractive quality.” Her mom was irritated, but Sparrow could still make out a hint of a smile on her gorgeous face. Her mom couldn’t hide her love and adoration, and Sparrow basked in the warmth.
“I love you, Mom.”
“Alright then, I’ll leave you to your new friends. But we are definitely going to talk later. Michelle, Duncan, it was a pleasure to meet you.” Egret left the room in a graceful sweep, her shoulder-length white-blond hair swishing behind her.
Sparrow smiled after her mom and let happiness fill her. Thank goodness she wasn’t dead. And there could be worse side effects from a miraculous healing than erotic dreams.
“Well, I guess we’ll let you get some sleep.” A sweet voice interrupted Sparrow’s thoughts. It was Michelle, her new friend that she had barely ever spoken to, yet had just finished fighting a battle with.
“Stay, you guys. I just woke up.” Her demand left a pink flush to Michelle’s tan sun-kissed skin. She had to admit, the young woman was drop-dead gorgeous with her long, thick black hair contrasting against dark blue eyes. And the sexy vamp arm-candy didn’t hurt either. “So are you guys officially out of the couple closet now? The last time I saw you in the coffee shop together was when Michelle applied for a job, and Duncan’s Casanova routine didn’t seem to be working.”
“First time a wo
man ever ran from my presence,” Duncan joked as his dark eyes teased the woman at his side.
“I did not run.” Michelle poked his stomach in return, and Sparrow took note of the way her finger bent against the hard torso.
“You definitely lit out of the coffee shop pretty quick. I’ve never seen someone chug a cappuccino like that before,” she teased her new friend.
“Well,” Michelle inquired playfully, “how would you react after finding Tall, Dark, Handsome here swimming in the bay at midnight, fangs glinting in the moonlight?”
Sparrow didn’t miss a beat, only sucked in a huge breath to let out a follow-up rant. “How would you react if you never realized a portal existed above the Alcatraz prison, and only a week later, demons are spilling out and your best friend is using her one phone-a-friend option for help?”
Michelle laughed. “I kinda got the same phone call from you, Sparrow.”
“Touché.” She laughed, but stopped midway as a slight pain throbbed in her ribcage.
“Duncan, why don’t you see if your blood will help her heal faster? It worked for me that time we were in Mexico.”
“Oh no,” Sparrow interjected. “I’ve already had who knows what kind of blood in my system for healing purposes. That’s enough for me. If I have any more, my veins will be flowing with some kind of mystical monster cocktail. Not that you’re a monster, Duncan.”
“Of course.” Luckily, Duncan didn’t seem offended. “Sometimes being the bad guy comes in handy.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re alright. And sorry you guys had to head into danger. It caught me off-guard too.”
“Yeah, what exactly was that about?”
“Well, there’s a lot more to the world, or worlds … okay let’s just say existence, than I originally thought. From what Tera told me last week, Sabin is a Knight of the Fog. I guess those guys are a band of studly, shirtless heroes who work in a realm that exists purely for beings to travel between different planes, realms of existence. They’re kinda like sheriffs of inter-world travel.”
“Interesting.”
“What’s with the gray hair?” Duncan inquired in an unimpressed, yet mischievous tone.
Sparrow couldn’t help but be entertained. “It’s more like electric silver. Hot if you ask me. I guess it has something to do with their fog-control abilities. I haven’t seen the portal realm myself, but I guess the knights can control fog, and use it to put their foes to sleep.”
“Convenient aid. I am surprised they are versed in combat with an out like that.” Apparently the vampire couldn’t help making another dig at the new immortals in town.
“Well, I guess Sabin is like a bazillion years old or something, so he’s had some practice.” Sparrow joked, happy to be on familiar terms with her friends.
“Hey!” Tera’s voice came from the hallway as she made her way back into the room. Her lean height filled the doorway, and her long auburn hair cascaded in messy waves, as if Sabin had just been running his hands through it. “He is not that old. And he doesn’t look a day over thirty-two.”
“I dunno,” Sparrow smiled. “I still think it’s semi cradle-robbing.”
“I’m four-hundred years old.” Her best friend’s eyes glittered like emeralds as she stuck up for her fledgling soul-mate status. “Anyway, I haven’t really gotten to say thank you.” She reached out and embraced Michelle. Sparrow noticed the raven-haired beauty nibble on her lip, as if holding back a gigantic smile. Duncan, too, seemed to notice his love’s happiness, and he glowed as he watched. Her heart throbbed, heavy within her chest. Everyone around her was in love. And all she had were frighteningly erotic dreams.
• • •
Egret walked down the hallway to the kitchen. After all, nothing took her mind off matters like doing the dishes, and right now, she definitely needed some scrub therapy. As she turned on the hot water and plugged the sink to get a soapy bath going, she frowned.
She loved her sisters to death, but how could they?
She had come home from a long day of selling real estate in Monterey to find only a simple note. A simple note that was now in shreds on her bedroom floor.
Egret, not sure when we’ll return. Went to Alcatraz with Sparrow to help Tera fight demons. TTYL. — Melissandra.
At first she thought it had been a joke. After all, she expected it from her sisters these days — she swore they got more mischievous with age. And TTYL? She didn’t even know what the hell that meant. She had to resort to reading tea leaves to figure out what was unfolding behind her back. And she hated reading tea leaves.
“Egret, please don’t be upset.” Her oldest sister came up behind her. The hand placed on her shoulder was soft and gentle. Unlike Melissandra, Morgana could flip the switch and decide when to be serious. Something Egret would have appreciated before her sisters decided to take her daughter to some sort of demon riot.
“Not now, Morgana.” She didn’t spare a glance behind her. Instead, she focused on the tiny rainbow-tinted bubbles swishing around her sink as her palms slid expertly from dish to dish.
“Really, Egret,” Melissandra exclaimed. “What did you expect us to do?”
“How about dial nine-one-one?”
“Oh yes, because the Alameda Fire Department and local cops can really put the curb on vampires and brimstone.” Melissandra’s hand invaded her space and spun Egret around. “They let someone drown just last year because they didn’t have proper certification. It was five feet of water for Christ’s sake!”
Morgana shoved the middle sister aside. “What she’s trying to say, Egret, is that your daughter is very compassionate as well as very capable. You should spend more ti-”
“Oh yes, capable of selling out the crowd at Café Cauldron, no problem. Seducing an army of men with just a smile, sure. But my daughter is not capable of mortal combat! The proof lies in her still-mending bones.” As she turned back to her dishes, she heard the soft ping of her tears hitting the dishwater. “She’s my little girl.” Her voice shook as it escaped her throat in a desperate cry. She let the anguish wash over her completely as she hunkered over the sink and clutched the edge of the counter for dear life. The weight of both of her sisters descended on her as they hugged her cheek to cheek. The wetness of their skin against her own reminded Egret she’d never be alone.
“She is our little girl, too.” Morgana’s voice was thin, the rasp betraying the depth of her hurt. “I couldn’t live in a world without her. I would die before I let any harm come to her, I thought you understood that, sister.”
“We would die for her.” Melissandra’s voice shook with sincerity, sadness laced within her words.
“I believe you!” Egret shouted at her sister through tears. “But I never wanted to put it to the test.”
As she sank to the floor and sobbed, her sisters grabbed her soapy hands and joined her on the floor. They embraced each other for endless minutes, until the warmth of family finally dried Egret’s tears.
• • •
23 Years Earlier …
Just a couple of days after her twenty-first birthday, Egret Reed was having the morning from hell. Once again, she was curled over her toilet, emptying the content of her stomach. Except this time, hardly anything was in it, and pain scorched her throat as hot acid fought its way up.
“Oh, you poor thing.” Morgana’s calm, healing hands rested on Egret’s back. Warmth began to spread through her body, and she knew that her sister was using her natural-born Wiccan powers to heal.
Clinging to the toilet, Egret heard Morgana poke her head into the room. “She still feeling the effects of the twenty-first birthday bash we threw her?”
“No.” Morgana’s voice was soft, and Egret was thankful. She loved her sisters, but she wasn’t in the mood to be cheered up with Melissandra’s comedic relief.
“I told you, we should’ve done absinthe, not tequila.” The silence that followed the statement led Egret to believe Morgana had sent a very effective glare in Melissandra’s direction.
Egret stared down into the murky depths of the toilet hole. The clear water was tainted by swirls of yellow stomach fluid and tiny unidentified chunks. Probably the lining of her stomach. Past the point of no return, Egret had no choice but to hover above the disgusting hole.
And then, just when she would have died to keep it away, her Wiccan instinct kicked in and couldn’t be stopped. Slowly, images formed before her eyes. The filthy toilet water became a picture of the future. But instead of reading tea leaves, she was reading remnant of puke.
The outline of a tiny baby was etched there, an undeniable portrait before her eyes. Egret was a virgin, and yet she’d never had a vision that did not come true.
She heaved again, splattering the image that had manifested in the water before her eyes.
When she was done, Egret dragged a roll of toilet paper across her mouth and turned to her sisters. She looked at them both, embraced the love emanating from their sparkly blue eyes.
“I’m pregnant.”
“Baby sister, just because you’re puking doesn’t mean you’re pregnant.”
“Yeah, besides, since when did you start getting some?” Melissandra questioned her with a raised brow.
“I had a vision.”
“Darling, you’ve been on medication for some time now. That’s probably what’s got you seeing things.”
“Yeah, it’s not a real vision,” Melissandra added. “It’s just like those damn sleep aids that make people do and see crazy stuff.”
Egret embraced what she knew to be reality. “I haven’t been taking that medication for three months now.”
Her sisters looked at each other, shocked that neither of them had been told. Finally they looked back at her and crouched before where she still sat next to the toilet.
“Why didn’t you tell us?”