Key to Redemption

by Talia Gryphon

  The gun did not quite go off.

  Moose. It was only Moose, who stood sorrowfully gazing down at her from widened liquid eyes, hideously twisted antlers bobbing a little in agitation.

  “Goddammit, Moose!” Gillian whispered fiercely. “Don’t sneak up like that!”

  The tragic Fey dipped her heavy head in acknowledgment, then clumsily pointed toward the road with her hoof-like hand. “You want me to go over there?” Gillian asked, hoping she was wrong.

  Nope. That’s what the creature wanted. Baldour’s balls. Sighing, Gillian started off, still angry with herself that a two-thousand-pound creature could get that close without her noticing it. Moose honked softly in fear and Gillian stopped.

  “What?”

  It moved in front of her and pointed back toward the castle, trying to convey something to her with its eyes.

  “Wait, you just told me to go that way; now you want me to go back to the castle?” Gillian was trying to separate a portion of her empathy and focus on exactly what Moose wanted, but her own personal radar was having conniption fits about the danger it sensed and wouldn’t free up any of itself.

  “Look, are you saying you want me to see what’s that way”—she pointed toward the road—“but you want me to go to the castle first?”

  Moose nodded.

  “For backup?”

  Again the nod.

  Relief. She understood. “Okay, look, I’m going to call Aleksei, then you go back to the castle and stay inside. Don’t come out and don’t come after me. Just point whoever asks toward where I am. Aleksei will find me.”

  Vigorous shake of the head. No.

  “Come on, Tuuli, I know something bad is out there. I just don’t want you getting hurt is all.” Gillian put her hand on the forelimb. “Please go inside. I’ll be fine.”

  Again a negation of her thought.

  “Are all of you Sidhe stubborn pains in the ass?”

  Enthusiastic nod.

  Gillian could have sworn Moose smiled. “Fine, hold on one second.” Mentally she reached for the one person she knew would hear her. “Aleksei, there’s something very bad out here. Moose is scared but won’t go inside. Send someone out right now because this is going to take more than me to handle it.”

  Aleksei returned the thought after a moment’s pause. Gillian sounded scared but in control, and she wasn’t too proud to ask for help. “I hear you, bellissima. Stay where you are; keep scanning around. I will stay with you until Tanis, Jenna and Dalton can get there. I am dealing with Oscar and do not want to let him out of my sight for the moment.”

  Gillian hated to admit it but she felt better just hearing his voice. If he was dealing with Oscar for that long, she was betting it wasn’t pretty. Tanis was suddenly beside her, materializing out of mist. She didn’t care how he got there as long as he was there.

  “Neat trick,” she said, meaning it. “Now how about you and I go look and see what’s scaring Moose so badly.”

  “The others are coming, piccola sorella. Wait until we are sure she is protected,” Tanis said, ruffling her hair affectionately. “You smell like sex. Take a shower when you go in, before you see Aleksei.”

  Gillian glowered at him, blushing. “Never mind.”

  Great Zeus, she was overreacting to every thought about Aleksei. This was ridiculous. Thank all the gods, Perrin was still in his house, occupied at the piano. One less thing for her to worry about.

  Ebony eyebrows rose. She didn’t just smell like sex; she was emanating sex like a beacon and it was permeating the area. And where was that music coming from? It was remarkable. Probably her patient, the one Aleksei was so angry about. But the music was indescribable. It sang to every cell in his body. Tanis felt himself unwillingly reacting to whatever she was putting out.

  Almost immediately he was full and needy, his ardor nearly tenting the tight blue jeans he wore. His focus on Gillian instantly became more intense. “Gillian, stop it! You need to stop it!”

  He grabbed her shoulder and gestured toward his groin. Gillian’s eyes widened at his tone and at what he was indicating. “How the hell did that happen?”

  “You are giving off an erotic flare like I have never encountered, and you need to turn it off!” Frowning, he looked around as he picked up on the oppressiveness she was feeling. His face darkened even more as he closed his eyes, concentrating, scanning the area and trying not to think about fucking Gillian’s brains out in the gravel parking lot.

  “Feel that? What the hell is that?” Gillian ignored the commentary on her aura and watched him. Tanis had been her first lover in this Country and was now her solid friend. She trusted him to do whatever he needed to do but not get in her way either.

  The golden eyes opened and he looked at her intently, his entire demeanor shifting. Tanis looked suddenly very dangerous. “Gillian, do not argue with what I am about to tell you now.” His tone was soft, but his voice held a compulsory command. “Take Tuuli, get to the castle and remain inside. Find Aleksei and stay right by his side. I do not know if you are in more immediate danger from what is coming toward us or from me.”

  That statement and his using her actual name got her attention. She stared at him in disbelief. “Tanis, you would never hurt me. I trust you.”

  “Normally you can, yes. Right now, I am deadly serious. Whatever it is that you are inadvertently giving off has me literally fighting with myself not to tear your pants off so I can bend you over the car hood and fuck you senseless. I cannot divide my focus between you and whatever it is out there.”

  She had enough sense to step back from him a little. Tanis never swore, at least not like that. “Aw, shit! It’s glamour. Perrin—!”

  “I do not care what it is, get away from me, now!” Tanis interrupted, practically roaring at her, terrified that she wouldn’t go while his aching groin was nearly weeping with hope that she would stay. “I do not want to take you by force, Gillian. I cannot control this feeling. Please. Leave.”

  His voice was strained and his golden eyes burned as they raked over her. Mentally he called to his brother, praying that someone else would get there in time.

  When his hands moved to his belt, golden eyes burning with hunger for her, she backed up again, knowing with complete certainty that he was serious. She really should get away from him, but it wasn’t right to leave him to fight alone. Reluctantly she took another step backward, bringing the gun around to a two-handed grip, keeping it lowered but between her and Tanis. Where the hell were Jenna and Dalton?

  Tanis fought not to move, wanting to turn away from the little blonde in order to compel the disfigured Fey’s obedience so Gillian would follow her. Gillian saw and felt what he was attempting, sensed something ephemeral winding through the atmosphere like a coiled spring.

  “There’s no time,” she whispered to no one in particular.

  A surge of metaphysical power wrenched the environment itself with a nauseating twist and three figures appeared out of the mist she hadn’t noticed, in a large semicircle about twelve yards away. Gill brought the gun up and moved toward the trio except Tanis stepped in front of her, still fastening and unfastening his belt, trying desperately to focus on the potential danger instead of Gillian’s shapely ass, but she elbowed him aside.

  Placing herself in front of Moose, she ordered, “Stay out of my line of fire.”

  “Your bullets will not work, piccola sorella,” he said flatly, then added, “You are like a sex goddess signaling to her devotees, Gillian. You are attracting them; however, it is not blood they want.”

  There was the sound of running behind her, then a gasp. “Good goddess! What is that?” Jenna. Flamethrower in hand.

  Gill turned to watch her friend go from soldier to slut in milliseconds. Jenna’s glassy-eyed, glazed look focused on her for a moment, then took in Tanis’s tall figure. Practically drooling, she dropped the flamethrower and moved toward him.

  “Tanis?” she said in a throaty whisper.

  The Vam
pire turned her way, almost groaning with need. “Jenna.”

  His voice was deep, rasping and heavy with sex. As she ran to him, he caught her in his arms, fastening his mouth on hers as she wrapped her legs around his hips. Tanis turned to lay her on the car hood as he’d threatened to do to Gillian, tearing away her pants, opening his own, then thrusting hard. Jenna arched back, screaming, and it wasn’t from pain. Gillian looked away as they commenced with a vigorous act of lovemaking, which rocked the car in the gravel.

  Mother Gaia, now what. Gillian turned as Dalton came into her peripheral vision. There was no mistaking the gold, orange, blue and violet hair of the Prince of the Light Court. The three things were still coming but moving very slowly, almost as if they were in a trance. Dalton began singing in a remarkable voice, blending seamlessly with the music that was pouring from the piano in the guesthouse, staring at her. No, he was staring at Moose. Uh-oh. The prince had an unfocused look in his wonderful lavender eyes and a hard-on down to his knees from what Gillian could tell at that distance. Worse, Moose was staring at him with undisguised adoration and honking provocatively.

  Ack! Gillian thought. This is not going to be pretty. She backed up farther away from what was going to amount to a sexual train wreck, knowing she did not want to watch but was not going to have a choice. There was nowhere to run to, and she really didn’t want to leave the area or the music at the moment.

  A whimpering sound distracted her and she turned. Pavel and Kimber were by the edge of the forest, engaged in what could only be described as puppy . . . love. They were nearest the woods across from the guesthouse, Kimber was on all fours and Pavel was behind her . . . Oh, well, Pavel was pretty happy from the looks of things. Kimber too if all the wriggling and squealing could be considered good.

  Mind spinning, completely grossed out though completely turned on, Gillian bolted for the castle and ran into Aleksei halfway across the manicured lawn. Literally. They both tipped over and Aleksei rolled to take the brunt of the fall, turning so that Gillian wound up straddling him. Green eyes rose and locked with his icy gray ones. Between her legs she could feel him hardening, lengthening, as his arms tightened around her.

  “Bellissima,” he managed to pant before she fastened herself onto his mouth, small pink tongue teasing his own. He barely registered the astonishing music, singing and the indeterminate sexual noises that were going on, seemingly all around them.

  Desire flooded him and overwhelmed every other sensation but the woman in his arms. Rolling her under him, Aleksei nearly ripped her pants away, tearing at the laces of his own to allow his rigid, aching sex to spring free, then penetrating her with no preamble, a deep flex of his hips, a primal growl coming from his throat.

  Gillian had no reservations, no hesitation. Aleksei made her feel safe in every way. As he tore her clothes off and pushed himself into her, she was so grateful that she nearly cried. Hazily, she was aware that after having sex with a Gargoyle-enhanced penis, she should have been tender, but Aleksei just felt so incredibly wonderful that she urged him on, nipping his neck and ear and driving him into a turbulent act of lovemaking that put Perrin’s newly acquired skills to shame.

  Climax after climax hit her and she felt Aleksei come, straining into her time after time, pouring his heavy liquid heat inside her with each shattering orgasm. Both were insatiable in their hunger, rutting like animals on the lawn of the castle.

  She felt limp as Aleksei positioned her again, crying out in delight as his mouth came down on her swollen flesh and he lapped at her, the rush hitting quickly and hard. The taste of her orgasm excited him beyond endurance as he lifted her and impaled her on his own body, still as hard and thick as the first time. Gillian leaned back, enraptured by the feel of him as he moved her up and down on his shaft. A glow in the corner of her eye drew her gaze.

  Dalton was on his back not fifty feet away and something was on him. It glowed and shimmered, the shape vaguely familiar. Moose. He was obviously very happy as he bucked upward, crying out in the sweet voice that only the Fey have, blending with the music Perrin was playing in the guesthouse. The shape on top of him shifted, the glow dribbling down from the misshapen antlers, leaving nothing in its path as it continued down and began to form a woman’s body. A woman who was crying out as Dalton was, in the throes of a titanic sexual peak, and he was calling out his love for her.

  Dreamily, Gillian watched the transformation as Aleksei continued to drive up into her, then was taken by the feelings that he was producing and rewarded him with all her attention again. Straining together, they were on the edge of another explosion when she became aware that the music had stopped. Aleksei thrust upward again, finishing them both off with another near-blackout experience. Gillian collapsed on top of him and he gathered her close, kissing her, murmuring to her in Italian and Romanian.

  “Listen!” she said suddenly, rising up from his embrace.

  Aleksei looked around warily from his vantage point on the ground, ice gray eyes curious. “Piccola, I do not hear anything.”

  “Exactly. The music stopped.”

  CHAPTER 12

  “THE music . . . it was the music?” Aleksei asked, as Gillian eased herself off him and gathered what was left of her pants and shirt. It was useless, they were shredded. Aleksei gallantly removed his shirt and drew it over her head, where it transformed into a dress as it came down to her thighs owing to their height difference. Oh well, at least her ass was covered. Aleksei managed to salvage the lacings on his own pants, assuring his modesty.

  Gillian giggled, knowing she looked ridiculous, and pulled on her boots, which weren’t in pieces, then belted the shirt so it wouldn’t flap up and embarrass her, using a piece torn from her pants. Lastly, she retrieved her gun from where it gleamed dully in the grass and stuck it haphazardly in the makeshift belt.

  “Well, it was at least partly the music. Look around at the assembled bodies. Pavel and Kimber, Jenna and your brother, Dalton and . . . oh Sweet Mother, Aleksei!” His eyes turned to follow where she pointed. “Is that Moose?”

  They walked toward the entwined couple, Gillian not noticing when Aleksei took her hand, enveloping it in his larger one as they moved along. A remarkably beautiful woman was lying in Lord Dalton’s arms.

  Her hair was scarlet, shot with gold and framing a delicate heart-shaped face flushed with delight. The eyes opened and looked up at Gillian. They were liquid chocolate brown, framed by thick black lashes, the result of her being in animal form for so long, but they carried the signature Sidhe starlight. Above the eyes, dark winged eyebrows complemented the golden cast to her skin.

  Dalton’s golden locks were streaked with the colors of the dawn sun, his lavender eyes radiant with their frame of black lashes. His own dark brows were arched and perfectly complementary to his glowing ivory complexion.

  The soft brown eyes continued to look at Gillian. “Dr. Key?” said the voice that was as soft and lovely as a spring day.

  “Moose? Er . . . Tuuli?” Gillian managed to get out, trying not to stare at body parts.

  Laughter like bells came then from Tuuli’s throat. “Moose is fine. I rather like that name, Dr. Key. Thank you for what you have done for me.”

  “It’s ‘Gillian,’ and I didn’t do a damn thing!”

  Aleksei nodded his head in agreement and both of them pointed toward Perrin in the guesthouse. “Him!”

  Dalton joined his laughter with Moose’s. “Him? I would say that ‘him’ is at least part Sidhe. Fertility magic woven into music or simply his heritage from a music Fey would be my guess. He is projecting his emotions into his music and it is affecting us all. I should like to meet him.”

  He lovingly smoothed his partner’s hair. “Gillian, I believe you know Tuuli. Her curse has been lifted; she is loved by one lesser than herself and returns that love. We shall have to draw up a compact between the Court of Light and the Twilight Court, if we are to be married.”

  Tuuli’s happy squeal was his answer, and
they lost themselves in a rapidly heating embrace that had nothing to do with Perrin’s music. Gillian and Aleksei kept moving, happy the lonely Fey had been relieved of her thousand-year-old burden but wanting to assess what had happened. Gillian was getting a pretty good idea based on what Dalton had said and what they’d all just been through.

  Aleksei’s time sense was working better than a watch. It was about two in the morning, which meant they’d all been having marathon sex for the last four or five hours. She was so not going to be able to walk tomorrow. He related quickly to her the situation with Oscar now that he could think again. It had taken the blond Vampire quite a while to convince Aleksei that he was trying to distance himself from Dracula and was there only because of Luis.

  When Aleksei had finally demanded a Blood Oath from him, he had complied instantly, offering his wrist to the newly evolved Vampire Lord and taking Aleksei’s blood in return. Luis had stood near, pleased and happy that they all could remain.

  Aleksei had no illusions about the other Vampire’s motives. He knew that Oscar was there only because he’d calculated the odds and figured that Dracula was eventually going to come out on the losing end of the deal. As long as he was on Aleksei’s turf, the Oath would hold him. Any deviation from it and his life would be forfeit by any Vampire loyal to the Rachlav Line.

  Gillian wasn’t crazy about having one of Dracula’s progeny in the castle with them, but since Aleksei seemed sure that there was no danger, she let it go. It was his call and she’d trust it. Her inner rebel yelled at her to bitch and protest but she drop-kicked it to a corner and kept her hand in his as they walked.

  Walking away from the castle and ignoring Tanis and Jenna, who were still sprawled on the car in the parking area, Gillian saw that the lights in the guesthouse were off. Perrin was probably having lovely dreams in his nice clean bed. She was starting to itch from rolling around in the grass and probably looked like hell.