Dead Again

by Lisa Andel

  "Ashur. He's a friend of mine,” I told him absently.

  "If you're not home in an hour, I'm going to come there and drag you home."

  I grimaced. “He says if I'm not home in an hour he's going to come and get me."

  "Shit.” Trend let go of my jaw. “Tell me he's not your lover."

  I snorted. “He's not my lover.” I tilted my head and took a long look at Trend, trying to see if I could tell what he was.

  "What?"

  "He seemed upset about what you are."

  Trend's lips curved in a wicked, sexy smile. “He's a smart man."

  I raised my eyebrow and waited for him to enlighten me. Instead, he kissed me. “Maybe I'll tell you, next time."

  Trend had showered with me, helped me dress, and driven me back to my car.

  There was a note for Trend stuck under the windshield wiper. He didn't share with me what it said.

  He did give me a lingering kiss.

  "Next time.” He flashed his sexy smile.

  "Next time.” I grinned back.

  By the time I got home, I'd forgotten how mad Ashur had sounded. I'd just made it through the sally port doors when he grabbed me by my shoulders and shook me.

  "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?"

  "It couldn't have been too dangerous; Jack gave me the go-ahead."

  Ash blinked at me. “Captain Jack?"

  "At Percival's?"

  Ash blinked at me some more.

  "Did Delgado tell you what he is?"

  "No, and I didn't bother asking."

  Ash glared at me. “He's half demon."

  "Ah.” Maybe that explained why I came so close to death each time. Those suckers were powerful.

  "What's the other half?"

  "Sorcerer."

  Cool.

  Ash narrowed his eyes at me, and I just shrugged, heading to the kitchen in search of food.

  Demon sorcerer. Yeah, I liked the sound of that.

  I was reaching for the fridge door when Ash's big hand clamped down on my shoulder. He leaned in close, his mouth right next to my ear.

  "Are you going to start behaving yourself?"

  I spun around to glare at him, and found his lips dangerously close to my mouth. I forgot what I was going to say, as I was drawn closer to him.

  Ash suddenly pulled back from me, his eyes darkening with anger.

  "No,” he barked out, and retreated further.

  I grabbed some meat from the freezer, slapped it on the broiling pan and shoved it into the oven. Taking two beers from the fridge, I handed one to Ash and sat across from him at the table.

  "You're lucky he didn't kill you. Hell, he's lucky he didn't kill you.” Ash leaned back in his chair and sighed at me.

  I didn't say anything. I didn't figure Ash wanted to hear about the sex, and I wasn't sorry I'd slept with the guy.

  We ate without speaking to each other. Even though he was pissed at me, it was a comfortable silence, relaxing, and the fatigue I hadn't felt before started to descend on me.

  Next thing I knew, Ash was carrying me to my bed. He helped me undress, then tucked me under the covers. With a light kiss to my forehead, he bid me to get some rest.

  The doorbell woke me several hours later. I groaned, rolled out of bed, and shuffled over to the intercom.

  I checked the monitor. A man stood at my front door that I'd never seen before. His eyes turned to the camera, somehow knowing I was looking at him. He had dark auburn hair and green eyes. Something in those eyes said “dragon” to me.

  I toggled the transmitter. “Can I help you?"

  "You're Lisa?"

  "Yes.” I felt my nerves tightening.

  "Lache Varias. Zaituc told me about you and I wanted to get a look at you for myself."

  "Thanks, but I'm busy."

  His smile turned positively devilish.

  "I do so love a challenge."

  I left him standing there, and went to the kitchen to fix myself something for breakfast. The doorbell rang again, and I ignored it. Christ. Is every dragon in the state going to look me up now?

  I threw on a comfortable pair of worn jeans and a loose top, and went back to work in my studio. I'd made some serious progress the last time I'd worked on the medallions. Still, a hundred pieces was a lot of work and I had days of it yet ahead of me.

  Ash popped in toward evening. He'd brought two large pizzas with him and a case of beer. I took a break and ate the food with him at my kitchen table.

  The doorbell rang.

  I ignored it.

  Ash raised an eyebrow at me.

  "Probably just another fucking dragon."

  "Been getting a lot of them?"

  "They're coming out of the woodwork."

  I helped myself to another greasy wedge and took a giant bite. Heaven. Almost as good as sex.

  Ash wandered over to the front door monitor and studied the man waiting on the stoop.

  "What,” Ash said to the man.

  "I'm looking for Lisa."

  "She's taken."

  "Not from what I hear."

  "You heard wrong."

  I watched Ash as he came back to the table. He was coiled for action, the muscles of his shoulders knotted with tension. His eyes glinted with a hard determination.

  He slouched into his seat, and stared at me. Hard.

  "You're canceling your date with Zaituc."

  That was tonight. I'd completely forgotten about it.

  I just nodded at him, not even surprised that he knew about my upcoming date. Seemed like sound advice to me.

  "Can I just not show up?"

  "No. I want you to tell him you've decided not to continue seeing him.” He stood, and grabbed my phone off its cradle. Then shoved it at me.

  "Now would be a good time."

  I took the phone from him and looked at it.

  "I don't know his number."

  Ash gave me the number, and I raised my eyebrow at him. He just glared at me until I'd punched in the numbers.

  Tyr answered on the third ring.

  "Tyr?"

  "Hey babe. I've been thinking about you."

  "Uh...” Ash kicked my shin under the table. “Look, Tyr, I had a great time, but I can't see you again."

  "What?” He sounded pissed.

  "I've got all these dragons ringing my doorbell now, and I don't want that."

  "I see.” Crap. He sounded like he was thinking. Thinking of doing something. Something that I was sure I wouldn't like.

  "So—goodbye.” Just before I hung up, I heard him say, “I don't think so."

  "Well, that went well.” I told Ashur what Tyr had said.

  The doorbell rang. Ash went to look at the monitor, but didn't talk to the man outside.

  "Another one,” he muttered.

  I finished my beer, and went back to work in my studio.

  Ash hung around for a few hours, checking out the guys that came to my door.

  It was after ten, and I was turning off my equipment for the night, when Rafe walked in.

  I blinked at him.

  "Ash asked me to take second shift.” His lazy smile let me know he had plans to occupy his time while he was here.

  "Christ. You'd think you were my boyfriend."

  Rafe wrapped his arms around me, and slid his lips against mine. “Don't worry, I won't get all boyfriendy on you. But Ash is right; the dragons are far too interested in you right now. You need someone to watch out for you."

  I smiled at him, a wicked thought crossing my mind.

  "Does this mean you'll go out with me so I can find another lover?"

  A strangled sound came from Rafe, and his arms tightened reflexively around me.

  "Not in this lifetime."

  "That's O.K. My next lifetime could come any day."

  He swatted my ass, and I ran to the sally port with him hot on my heels. He pressed me to the wall of the chamber between the doors.

  "Ever fuck anyone in here?"


  "Ash is inside."

  "He can wait.” Rafe captured my mouth in a heated kiss, his hands working their way under my shirt.

  He fondled my nipples, teasing them into tight peaks, then moving his hands to the waist of my jeans.

  He had them lowered down my legs, along with my panties, in a matter of moments. I kicked them aside, while he freed his cock.

  Then he grabbed my ass in his strong hands, and lifted me up against the wall. I wrapped my legs around him, and he shafted his way into my vagina. We groaned.

  He adjusted his grip, and began driving into me with hard, barely controlled thrusts.

  "You feel so fucking good,” he rasped.

  "Mmmm.” I was quickly losing the ability to think.

  He grabbed a section of flesh at the side of my neck between his teeth, and sucked on it. I came, and even through the wrenching shudders, felt his fangs break through my skin.

  Then his cum blasted hot across my womb, and I was lost.

  He leaned against me, against the wall, while he waited for his heart to slow, his breathing to return to normal.

  I clung to him, his cock half hard inside of me, still sending ripples of pleasure throughout my groin.

  He lowered me to my feet, and I pulled on my pants while he put himself together.

  I knew the moment we walked through the inner doors that Ash had watched us on the monitor. Shit.

  His lips curved in a grin; he was sprawled in a chair beside the fire. He waggled his beer at us.

  "See you came, Rafe."

  Rafe's grin was pure male satisfaction.

  I jabbed him in the ribs with my elbow.

  Ashur finished his beer and stood. He tossed the empty to me. “Think I'll head out."

  "Behave yourself,” I told him, having no idea what Ash did with his time when he wasn't with me.

  I let the answering machine pick up my calls. Three were from Tyr. A few other dragons had gotten my phone number as well. One was from a store that carried my jewelry, requesting I come in and replenish the stock.

  I figured I'd do that tomorrow, during daylight hours. Daylight didn't bother dragons, but there were creatures out there that couldn't tolerate the sun that wouldn't think twice about helping them.

  Rafe and I ended up going to bed early. We still didn't get to sleep until after four in the morning.

  He was kind enough to wake me up later that morning, as well.

  I was lying there, sated, and feeling really good about sex, when he got out of bed.

  "I've got an appointment I can't get out of. You'll be O.K. here for a few hours by yourself?"

  I swung my feet to the floor, and found I could still stand.

  "I'll take some jewelry over to Marissa. Won't take me that long. I'll be back before you get here."

  He pulled me up against him, tilting my chin up so he could look into my eyes.

  "I'm not sure you should go out there alone."

  "I can't let what's going on run my life. I'll be fine.” Even if I wasn't, I would be.

  He finally relented, and I stepped into the shower to get ready.

  I stopped in the studio, grabbed a carrying case, and selected several pieces that I knew would appeal to Marissa. Then I swung the bag over my shoulder and headed for the garage.

  It was an uneventful drive to her store. She raved about my work, for which I loved her. She turned over my commissions, and asked me to up my restocking days.

  I promised her I would, then headed for my car. I'd just slung the bag into the passenger seat, when a hand clamped down on my shoulder.

  I spun around, keys out, in a defensive position.

  * * * *

  "What?” I blinked my eyes open, and found myself staring at the ceiling of my bedroom.

  First Ash's, then Rafe's, faces tilted into my line of sight.

  "Fuck. How'd I die?"

  Ash sat on the edge of the bed, and waited until I'd propped myself up against the headboard. Rafe took the other side of the bed, resting a hand on my ankle.

  Ash grinned. “It was really gruesome. I do so wish you'd remember your deaths."

  Rafe gaped at him.

  I patted Rafe's hand. “I'm used to it. Besides, it's kind of funny when you think about it. They go to so much trouble to kill me."

  I eyed Ash, until he relented. “Several dragons converged on you when you were out in the open by your car. They fought over you. Ended up dismembering you. If any one of them had thought to gather all the pieces together, they might have you now. Or if they knew the key. I brought the key here, knowing the rest of you would follow."

  The key is, actually, a key. It's embedded in the tissue of my heart. It's been there since I was born. It holds the power, and the secret of my living after death. Wherever the key ends up, that's where my body reconstitutes itself.

  The key is indestructible.

  Good thing for me.

  Rafe's hand stroked my leg. It was less sexual than a gesture to reassure himself I was really there.

  I started scooching myself to the edge of the bed, ready to get up.

  "How much time did I lose?"

  Rafe wrapped his arms around me and held me in place.

  "Should you be moving so soon?"

  "Christ, Rafe, you'd think I was wounded or something."

  Ash laughed. “You were only dead a day. This is Sunday."

  "You were killed!” Rafe tried to wrestle me back to the center of the bed.

  "Rafe.” I twisted around until I was facing him. “I come back to life, good as new. Usually hungry, and often horny."

  "Oh.” He relaxed his hold on me. “Oh!” He grinned.

  "Food first,” I told him, hopping out of bed, grabbing my robe, and wrapping it around me. Both men had a slightly glazed look in their eyes when I turned toward them.

  "Did I restock Marissa's?” I couldn't remember anything after Rafe's waking me up. At least I remembered Rafe. I also remembered Tyr, and why I was in the trouble I was in right now.

  "Yes, you also promised her to up your restock schedule for her store."

  I nodded while I rummaged in the freezer and came up with six fat strip steaks. I cranked the broiler on, arranged the meat on a broiler pan, and slid it into the oven. Then I poured myself a big glass of wine.

  I took a sip, and savored the flavor. “Everything always tastes so good after I die."

  Rafe rolled his eyes, still visibly uncomfortable with my resurrection.

  "You're not a vampire now,” he said, turning to Ash, “she's not a vampire now, or something, is she?"

  "No.” Ash and I answered at the same time.

  "I'm just the same as I was before I died. Maybe a little replenished, refreshed even. I'm just missing a day, and a few hours from my memory."

  I checked on the meat, dropping a foil-wrapped loaf of garlic bread on the rack below the broiling pan.

  Rafe drew me down into his lap when I returned to the table. I could feel his erection against my butt. I wiggled around on it until he clamped a hand across my thighs, stopping my motion.

  The phone rang, and Ash answered it.

  "Look, Tyr, I'm kind of pissed off at you right now.” Ash waited while Tyr said something to him.

  "You're going to have to go through me to get to her.” I'd never heard Ash sound so lethal. I liked it.

  "Call the fucking dragons off.” Ash didn't raise his voice, but the menace in it increased.

  He cursed, and hung up.

  "Asshole,” he mumbled at the phone.

  He helped himself to another beer, and slouched into his chair.

  "So?"

  "Tyr thinks he's got some kind of claim on you. He's decided that you're his. He intends to have you."

  I snorted, then sobered when Ash didn't grin.

  "He doesn't, does he? Have a claim?"

  Ash kept his eyes on the table. A muscle ticked in his jaw.

  "Maybe. I'll have to check into it."

  I removed the broi
ling pan from the oven, and the loaf of bread. Ash got plates and silverware out for everyone. He handed me a platter for the meat, and a dish for the bread.

  Rafe refilled my wine, and got himself a beer. We made a nice little family. Well, a smooth working unit anyway.

  None of us talked while we dug into our food. I ate most of the bread, and one and a half steaks. Hey, coming back to life makes me really hungry.

  Rafe and Ash both eyed the other half of my steak. Ash decided he'd rather have another beer.

  Rafe suddenly went on alert. His entire body vibrated as his muscles snapped tense. He cocked his head, then swiveled it towards the sally port.

  Ash was on his feet, heading for the monitors.

  "Is this room soundproof?” Rafe asked me under his breath.

  "Pretty much."

  He nodded, moving to Ash's side.

  I tagged along to see what had gotten their attention.

  My downstairs living area was on fire. Ash punched the sprinkler system, but it didn't respond. Cursing, he began weaving a spell. I had no idea what Ash was, but I could feel his magic, and tell that it was powerful.

  Rafe slanted him a look, then looked back at the monitors to see the fire dying, the smoke clearing.

  Ash gave Rafe a hard look. “Stay with her."

  He waited until Rafe had nodded his assent, then zapped himself out of the room.

  "What is he?” Rafe asked, a trace of apprehension in his voice.

  "I don't know.” I didn't. For all I knew Ashur could be a demon himself. I didn't think so, though; he'd always been real nice to me, took care of me. Didn't matter to me what he was.

  Rafe's expression, when I made that comment, said he thought I was insane; crazy for hanging out with someone when I didn't know what they were.

  I just shrugged at him, and went back to the kitchen to clear up our dinner mess.

  Rafe helped, tension radiating off his body.

  "How long have you known Ash?"

  I thought about the day I'd met Ashur. I met Ash the day my mother died. He took me in. I didn't question it. He could tell I was other and he knew I shouldn't be in the human system.

  "He raised me after my mother died. I was seven when he took me in."

  Not many people knew this fact. Ash was extremely secretive. Even I knew that I'd never learned half of what there was to know about the man.

  "Who'd have thought?” The tension drained out of Rafe's body.

  "I'd like to go out tonight.” I headed towards my closet, with the idea that I'd find something I wanted to wear to go out in.