“Do you think if we lit the bonfire, it would stop this?” Daniel asked.
“No idea, but I suppose it’s worth a try, right?” I stepped out of our hiding place and led the way, creeping down the midway, back the way we’d come. I could feel Daniel behind me, grateful I didn’t have to keep checking over my shoulder. We crouched behind an overturned picnic table once we were out of the midway. The closest beast was still a few yards off, but I was deathly afraid that he’d realize we were there at any moment. We saw that the torches were now pulled out of the ground and no longer burning.
“All of the torches are out,” Daniel whispered. “How’re we supposed to light the damn thing?”
“I suppose I could try,” I said, snapping my fingers close to his face, showing him the spark of magic that ignited. “Although I don’t know how much I have left after what I did to that first beast.” I tried not to dwell on that thought. Daniel placed a comforting hand on my shoulder; I nodded, accepting his support.
Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the residual energy swirling inside of me again, calling it back to the surface of my hands. I could see the bright white light through my eyelids, and when I opened them, I saw my hands were laced with the electric power of my elfin magic. I stood up slowly, trying not to make any sudden moves and attract any attention to me before I accomplished my task, but the beasts were too preoccupied to notice me. I lifted my hands above my head, feeling the power jumping between them, growing in intensity as I concentrated, until my arms were vibrating with the contained power. In one sweeping motion, I brought my hands down as I spun on the spot and threw the magnitude of power at what was left of the bonfire.
A swarming ball rushed out of me and struck the wooden structure with a powerful boom. I flew backwards with the force of it, landing on my back, the breath rushing from my body. I heard the snap and crackle of the wood catching fire and the rush of heat that came from it as the blessed oils that had been poured over the base of the bonfire caught fire. My body trembled on the ground, having expelled so much of my power I was left with just enough to live. Daniel was at my side in a moment, but the world seemed to be moving slower to me now. I could see Daniel’s lips moving, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying at first, his voice coming to me as if from a great distance.
“Taryn!” Daniel said, dread clear in his voice as his hands gripped my shoulders. His rich brown eyes looked black in the half light. I blinked, wondering why I was thinking about his eyes when murderous, horrifying beasts were just yards away from us.
“I’m okay,” I finally said in a low voice. I lifted a hand to my head, pushing my bangs back, out of my eyes. I moved my hand to his face, feeling the heat of his skin on my palm, making my fingers tingle. I felt the first gentle stirrings of the depleted magic reaching out for him, making my belly warm and my hips shift.
“No,” Daniel said softly, pulling my hand away from his face, “none of that right now.”
“Sorry,” I said. “That’s what happens when you expel so much power; what’s left tries to seek out more.” I closed my hand into a fist, digging my nails into the skin until it hurt. The pain cleared the fog in my mind, and I was able to pull my eyes away from Daniel’s face and sit up. I pushed Daniel away when he tried to help me, afraid too much contact with him would overwhelm me, and I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from ripping his clothing off to raise the magic my body was now craving. For his part, Daniel didn’t take offense.
We peeked over the edge of the table again and saw that the bonfire was well lit now. Though the beasts had made some progress tearing it apart, the damn thing was well over eight feet tall and ten feet around, so there was still a massive structure when I threw my power at it. The flames danced and bowed in the breeze, reaching higher and higher to the sky. The black smoke billowed and swept out around it. When I followed its progression to the ground, I saw the first body. It was no longer a beast; the bones of its face had slid back into place, the claws and abnormal limbs retracted to a normal, mundane human body.
Slowly, I stood up, moving around the table while trying to keep an eye out for any movement. The smoke rolled over and through me, and I breathed it in gratefully. Daniel was right behind me as I walked around the table and crept forward, stopping just a few feet away from the nearest body that had so recently been the stuff of nightmares. Now it was just a simple human girl with chestnut brown hair and a freckled face. Her glassy eyes stared up at the night sky, unblinking and lifeless. I sighed sadly, shaking my head at the pointless loss of such a young life.
“Do you think they’re all dead?” Daniel asked softly, as if afraid to disturb the girl at our feet.
“Maybe, probably,” I said, tearing my eyes away from the girl, looking around the clearing. Through the shifting smoke, I could see the other bodies of the moon-stricken, still on the ground and all looking tragically human.
“I saw humans running away; hell, I’m human,” Daniel said as we moved around the bonfire, checking for anyone still alive. “Why didn’t everyone flip out?”
“Why do some people survive werewolf attacks and others die?” I proposed. “No one knows.”
Daniel made a noise of agreement and didn’t press the subject. I could still hear distant howls and screams, far outside the park, but now they were mingled with the sounds of sirens and echoing gunshots. We would need to get the other moon-stricken back to the park and into the smoke before they tore through the whole city.
“That brownie fellow,” Daniel said, bringing me out of my thoughts. “He knew what this was.”
“Yeah. And?” I prompted.
“So this must’ve happened before.”
“You’re probably right.”
“But there aren’t any of these beasties still running around,” he continued. “I mean, if there were, we’d all know about them, right?”
“Right.”
“So I imagine there’s another way to stop them.”
“Well, he called it the ‘moon-madness,’” I said, looking up to the sky, finding the full moon easily.
“Maybe when the sun rises, that’ll stop them too.”
“Could be,” I agreed again, turning towards the midway and leading the way through the abandoned stalls and tents. I didn’t really care about finding all of the beasts or what would get rid of them; I only cared about finding Roxy and finding her alive.
“Where are you going?” Daniel asked, keeping pace with me. My body was so in tuned with his at the moment, craving some much needed power, I would’ve known where he was even if I couldn’t see him.
“To find Roxy, I told you that,” I said just as I spotted a pay phone and ran for it. Times like these, I wished elves didn’t have such an aversion to human technology because neither of us had cell phones. At least we had house phones, so I fished a coin out of my pocket and dialed Roxy’s number. It rang to her voicemail. I left a quick message, telling her I was fine and looking for her, so she needed to figure out a way to let me know if she was fine too.
I set the phone back on the cradle and started walking down the deserted street; we got about a half a block before I had to catch myself from falling with a hand on a building. The world went sideways for a nauseating moment, making me close my eyes until it righted itself.
“Luv,” Daniel’s hand was on my back, and he was leaning close, his warm breath washing over my neck, sending a chill down my back. “What’s the matter?”
“I think I used up too much energy,” I said, keeping my eyes closed. “Killing that thing and then setting the bonfire on fire. Usually I don’t perform two big acts like that so close together.”
“What, you mean you need to…” Daniel let the question trail off. I knew it sounded crazy, suggesting we stop and have a quickie when I didn’t know whether or not my friend was alive or if one of those beasts were going to come running around the corner at any moment. The very thought of that set my heart racing and I felt a little flush. All that combined with
the dizzy spell made me feel drunk.
“I know,” I said, finally opening my eyes and turning to look at him. “It’s ridiculous, right?”
“Crazy maybe, but not…” he paused, shook his head, and chuckled. “Yeah, all right, it is a little ridiculous.”
“I’m sorry, you don’t have to…” Before I could finish, he stopped me.
“No, no, I’m happy to oblige,” he said quickly, that same cocky half-smile pulling at his mouth. “It’s just we’re out in the open; one of those beasts could show up at any minute…” His voice trailed off again as the thought of us being caught began to sink into our minds, and it felt… exciting.
Daniel swept me up in his arms; his mouth crushed mine as he kissed me. I fed from his mouth, feeling the seeking magic inside of me answering the heat of his need immediately. He lifted me off of my feet and I threw my legs around his waist, feeling my tights stretch against my legs, and I mentally cursed myself for putting them back on. Daniel walked forward until I pressed against a wall, the rough brick pressed into my back through the thin fabric of my sweater. He ground his hips into me, pushing my skirt up my hips until it was loose around my waist and I could feel the roughness of his jeans through my tights.
I gripped the back of his Mohawk, pulling until he made a sound for me, muffled against my mouth, and his fingers curled into my waist until it hurt and I echoed his sound for him. My magic swirled through me and out of me, pushing into him, and I felt him grow hard and long as his hips shifted against me again. He pulled one hand out from behind my back and ran it up my thigh and gripped my tights, pulling at the fabric with a frustrated growl. They weren’t nylons, so they wouldn’t tear easily. I snickered against his mouth, breaking our kiss.
“Sorry about those,” I said, but Daniel didn’t respond. Instead he spun around, still holding me up, and walked us over to an empty bus stop. I was more than a little confused when he set me down behind the bench meant for people waiting for the bus, but before I could ask him what he was doing, Daniel turned me around and bent me over the back of the bench. I braced myself with my hands on the seat of the bench as his fingers gripped the elastic band of my tights and then ripped them down, baring my ass.
I gasped as the cool night air hit my skin, causing goosebumps to rise on the back of my thighs. The bench I was bent over was metal and it bit into my skin; so many cold sensations made me shiver and I felt my nipples harden under the lacy fabric of my bra. I made a noise of pleasure, picking one hand up and reaching to tease my eager nipples further, pinching them lightly through my sweater as I listened to Daniel undoing his belt and the buttons of his jeans. I expected to feel him press the tip of his cock against my waiting pussy, but instead he knelt behind me and I gasped as the flat of his tongue was suddenly pressing a deep, long line up my opening.
I dropped my wandering hand to brace myself again as I pushed my ass back, inviting his tongue deeper into my pussy as he pushed my lips open, flicking the tip of his tongue inside of me. I felt myself becoming wetter with his ministrations as my clit throbbed happily. The magic inside of me was feeding off of his lips and tongue as he worked at me, and as the moments passed, my head was becoming clearer, but I wasn’t about to stop him just yet. Daniel spun around, corkscrewing his tongue inside of me as he did so, and making me giggle with the movement, so that he could drag his tongue all the way up to my clit.
I moaned happily and with relief when I felt his tongue seek out and find my clit. He latched onto it with his warm, warm lips and began to suck on me. I pushed myself up so that I was gripping the back of the bench and able to press my hips forward, grinding my clit into his mouth, feeling the rolling pleasure low in my body. I closed my eyes and threw my head back, enjoying the increasing pressure, when suddenly I felt Daniel’s fingers pressing against me and then were inside of me. My legs began to shake as he sucked on my clit and fingered me.
“No, Daniel,” I finally managed to say, even though it pained me to stop him. “Not like this; I need you inside of me, I need your pleasure with mine to feed me.” He didn’t need any more convincing than that; his lips and fingers were abruptly gone and he was standing behind me again. I bent forward again, my hands on the seat of the bench, presenting myself to him.
Daniel pressed the tip of his cock, swollen and a little wet, against my wet and desperate pussy. He hesitated, and I couldn’t help but wriggle my hips, pushing against him, making that tempting head slip inside of me. I groaned with relief as he pressed the rest of his length inside of me, stretching my walls with his thick, hard cock. I gripped the edge of the bench seat until my knuckles were white, and then Daniel was pumping in and out of me. His hands gripped my hips as he guided me back and forwards, making my breasts bounce in time with his hips as they pounded against my bare, round ass. I could still hear the sounds in the distance, making me more than a little afraid that we’d be found out; knowing the only thing saving us from being spotted by anyone in the nearby buildings was that this was a commercial district and everything had been shut down early for the festivities. Hopefully the commotion of the moonstruck and police had stopped the buses too. But the idea that anyone could come around a corner at any moment made my heart race and my body clench around Daniel.
He growled and slammed his cock into me, fighting against the tightening of my pussy, fucking me all the harder and bringing me closer to the edge of my orgasm. My clit was still throbbing from his earlier attention, but I knew if I wanted this to happen quickly, I’d need more of that attention. As if reading my mind, Daniel’s right hand slid around my hip, across my thigh, and into the soft down until he found my clit with the tips of his fingers. He began massaging me slowly, making tiny circles as he increased his pressure. Happy noises fell from my mouth, encouraging him, and he began to rub me faster as his hips continued to pump into me.
My body rocked back and forth, into his hand and back into his hips, frantic and nearly losing our rhythm, but I was desperate for the orgasm. I could feel it building inside of me, pressing closer and closer as I began to shake. His cock swelled inside of me and I knew he was close. His fingers curled into me, almost painfully, and then I was screaming my pleasure as the orgasm ripped through me. I heard Daniel yell incoherently behind me and his body suddenly spasmed and he was coming inside of me. The magic swelled inside of me, drinking from our combined pleasure, pulling from where our bodies were wedded together. My body arched against him, pressing into his fingers, savoring every last euphoric wave until the magic found a home inside of me, filling me as well as Daniel had.
When I opened my eyes, the darkened street seemed as bright as day; the buildings were thrown into crystal clear relief. The sounds that were so far off before seemed like they were only feet away from us now. I could even hear the thudding beat of Daniel’s heart. My head was clear again and I felt as strong as ever. Daniel pulled out of me with a moan of regret that brought a smile to my face. I knew exactly how he felt; I would’ve much preferred that this little interlude could’ve been the start of a long, sweaty evening culminating in our exhausted bodies collapsing in a tangled heap on my bed. But no, I had to find Roxy, make sure she was safe and unharmed. The coiling fingers of guilt were already beginning to creep back into my mind, so I couldn’t tarry any longer.
“Feeling better, luv?” Daniel asked as we were putting our clothing back in order.
“Yes, much,” I said, tugging my skirt down over my hips and tossing my hair back over my shoulder. “But now I really do have to look for Roxy.”
“Yeah,” he chuckled, “so you said.”
We started on our way again, following the direction of the loudest sirens and howls. I wasn’t entirely wrong about the noises sounding closer than they had a little while ago; the commotion of police and beasts seemed to be circling back towards the direction of the park. When Daniel and I came around a corner about three blocks away from the bus stop, we saw a barricade of police cars blocking the road. The pendant around my neck
began to pulse again, and I could see it giving off a bright light just under my face. Numerous officers knelt behind their cars, weapons drawn and aimed down the road. It might’ve been hard for a human to see past the swirling blue and red lights and the smoke from the gas cans, but, with my renewed power, I could see clearly.
Bodies lay in growing puddles of blood on the pavement, but not a one of them was a beast. Each body was mangled in some way, so I assumed they were victims of the beasts. The police were firing on the beasts, but their bullets were doing no damage whatsoever. Daniel and I stood back, not wanting to sneak up on any of the officers and startle them. Eventually one glanced our way and I waved a hand at him to get his attention.
“You really need to go home and stay out of the way,” the officer said, walking towards us with his hands braced on his tool belt.
“No, officer,” I said, picking my hands up to show him we were a couple of harmless, unarmed people. “I know how to stop the moon-stricken.”
“And how could you know that?” he asked, one eyebrow arching under the brim of his cap.
“Pure luck,” I said with a shrug.
“How’s that?”
“We were still in the park when everyone fled,” I began explaining. “A pack of beasts came back and tried to tear apart the bonfire.”
“And?”
“Well, it seemed strange to me,” I said. “So I figured they didn’t want it lit. So,” I shrugged, “I lit it.” I explained what happened to the moon-stricken once the smoke washed over them. His face paled visibly when I told him they turned back into humans and didn’t survive the cleansing. He stood there and questioned us for a while, another officer joined him eventually and when I thought my head was going to explode, they started questioning us all over again. It wasn’t until they all agreed that bullets weren’t working on the beasts that they would even consider trying to herd the beasts back to the park. The officers ran back to the barricade, shouting to the other police. There was a flurry of movement, and suddenly two officers converged on us and rushed us into a police cruiser, slamming the doors behind us.
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