His eyes darkened when I mentioned her. “Melanie, whatever you are, it won’t change the fact that I love you, and that woman better pray that I’ll never catch up with her.” He stared out the window with a flare of hate burning in his eyes, and a disconcerting smile on his lips. “I know precisely what I would do to her,” he said, his voice filled with too much yearning for my taste.
Perturbed by his intensity, I pointed at myself. “Michael, I’m sensitive. Spare me the details, please.” I rose and headed for the lounge. I stopped in the hallway and glanced back over my shoulder. “Oh, by the way, you’re under my protection now,” I said casually and gave him a provocative look.
“Right.” He was in front of me with one of those preternaturally fast moves, cornering me and putting his hands against the wall on both sides of my head. His mouth was mere inches away from mine. “The Senaven won’t bother us again anytime soon. They thought we would be vulnerable after the recent unrest, easy prey. Which of course was the case, but they didn’t reckon with you.” He was actually proud of me! Then his lips curved into a smile and he gave me a mock superior look. “I still can’t imagine how anyone could be frightened by you.” His mouth was on mine and he kissed me. I had missed his warm lips so badly! He slowly unbuttoned my blouse and then pushed the two halves aside. I had gone without his caresses for far too long. I could barely wait for him to touch me. I was completely at his mercy when he started kissing his way south.
I lay next to him on the couch, satisfied and naked, while he studied me lovingly. “You have no idea how much I missed you. Do you know how many people made fun of me last week? ‘Ooh, Michael’s in love with a human.’” He sounded peaceful and happy, despite the complaint. “What do you mean?” I asked, curious.
“We don’t respect Peris who fall for a mortal. The others look down on my sister for her attachment to Katja. I was just as bad, making fun of the poor sods, and now look at me. I’m lying on the couch with my little human woman and she is the most important thing in my world.”
I made a face and teased: “But I’m not merely human.”
“Oh, look at that. Who is proud of their supernatural half all of a sudden?”
I gave him a sheepish smile and blushed, but I shrugged it off. Michael no longer wanted to talk; his mind was set on something else, and so was mine. We didn’t get to do it, however, because Stefan arrived, ready to pick up Michael for the official birthday festivities, which would take place at Martellius’ manor house. Since there would be many high-ranking and dangerous creatures at the event, including Hugorio, Michael did not want me to be there. I wasn’t keen on going either. There would be human guests as well, but only for the entertainment or sustainment of the supernatural guests, which meant that Annette and the other fans had been invited.
When I woke up the following morning, I heard voices downstairs, coming from the lounge. I remembered the day I had come here to get my things, and how three Peri strangers had harassed me. I tiptoed down the stairs and peeked around the corner; caution was my middle name. I did not want to get into a dangerous situation again. Birgit, Stefan, and Michael were sitting together and talking. Michael had heard me creep up on them and was waiting for me to come in. He gave me a worried look. “Please don’t be scared. You’re safe here.” As if to belie his statement, Birgit rushed towards me.
I flinched. What did she want? She ignored my frightened reaction and flung her arms around me. “You saved my son, thank you! How did you do that? They had practically torn him apart already.” She hugged me a little too tightly.
“Can’t breathe,” I croaked. Her eyes widened and she quickly loosened her grip. “Oops, after all you accomplished I had thought you would be … sturdier.”
Michael was still watching me with concern in his eyes.
The rest of the week passed without incident. Michael worked a lot and barely had any time for me. He and Andreas were negotiating a new peace contract.
I spent Saturday night in front of the TV. Around midnight I dialed his number. He was at Peri’s Night and planned on staying longer. Apparently he and his people still had business to take care of. It was frustrating: we had finally found each other again and yet couldn’t spend any time together. It made no sense to wait up for him, so I went to bed. When the new day dawned, I was still alone. I marched into the garage, grabbed the keys to the BMW, and headed for Peri’s Night. When I arrived, the club was closed. It had begun to snow. Entranced, I watched the snowflakes dance and whirl in the beams of my headlights, driven by the wind. I braced myself for the cold before I got out of the warm car. The short walk from the car to the back entrance was enough to bedraggle my hair. I knew that the door would not be locked, so I quickly let myself in. I found Michael, Phillipe, Nicky, and Anastasia in the small room with the pool table. I stood in the doorway with my hair dripping wet and my eyes met Michael’s. He returned my gaze, just as mesmerized as I was. Drops of water fell from my hair to the floor, while I drowned in his blue eyes.
“Leave us alone!” he ordered without taking his eyes off me. Not a second later, the others were gone. He slowly stalked towards me, while I stood there still as a statue. He put one hand on my cheek and the other on my arm, and then he kissed me. Soon I was wearing nothing but my underwear, maneuvered backwards until my legs hit the pool table. Satisfied, he stepped back again to appraise me. I was wearing one of the sets of lingerie he had bought for me at Europark. I loved it when he looked at me like that, when his gaze promised that there was only one thing on his mind. He lifted me up on the pool table and joined me on the smooth green felt with a fluid motion. Michael possessed fifteen hundred years of experience and he knew what to do with it.
Sweaty and satisfied, we lay on the table, our limbs intertwined. Though the club was heated, I was slowly beginning to feel cold, stark naked and with my hair still wet. When he noticed the goose bumps on my skin, he kissed my forehead.
“Stay where you are, I’ll be back in a second,” he said caringly, brought a blanket and wrapped us both in it, cuddling with me underneath. His finger traced the contours of my scarred bullet wound, then he moved to the scar from Nikelaus’ cut. “How could I ever let any of this happen?”
Peaceful and pensive, I put my hand on his cheek, turned his face towards mine, and kissed him. I would not let him destroy the moment with self-reproach. The way he returned my kiss and let his hands roam my body, I knew he was no longer focused on cuddling. Distracted by his lust, Michael missed the arrival of a stranger, who came creeping into the room. “Now look at that, what do we have here?” The man was obviously human. He wore a ski mask over his head and sounded obnoxious. He was pointing a gun at Michael’s chest. “You will give me tonight’s earnings and nobody will get hurt,” he ordered, once he had our attention.
“Oh my, what are we going to do now? We don’t have anything to defend ourselves with.” I made myself sound utterly bored.
“I have no idea. We’re totally defenseless,” Michael agreed with me, sounding just as unimpressed. Then we exchanged a look and burst into hysterical laughter.
The burglar seemed offended. “I’m serious. I will shoot you.”
Michael and I hadn’t laughed this heartily in a long time. When the stranger pointed his gun at me, Michael’s face snapped into an instant scowl. And when the man said: “See, now you no longer think it’s that funny anymore, huh?” it took him a moment to realize that the weapon had vanished from his hand, and that Michael was aiming it at his chest now. Michael looked as if he was debating whether to pull the trigger, but then he pulled out his phone with his free hand and called the police. He led the man from the room so I could get dressed. Before the officers arrived, Michael had already taken away some of the wannabe robber’s memories and intimidated him sufficiently. The guy was so relieved to see the men in uniform that he confessed everything.
27 THE VISIT
In Michael’s house, different creatures came and went all the time, but none of th
em dared bother me anymore. Nikelaus’ goons had spread the word about Michael’s swift and aggressive reaction. I gave in to his pleas and moved back in with him, at least until he and the other factions had negotiated peace or come to an agreement.
I spent the day alone in the house, until Martellius came by in the evening. He had a meeting with his son and had arrived early. He seized the opportunity to confide in me: “I heard them say you don’t believe that your father was a dragon. Just to be clear, I don’t believe that either,” he said to my surprise. He was the first supernatural creature to agree with me in this matter. I could not reply to his statement however, because he put a finger over his mouth and the next moment, Michael entered the house. He greeted his father, grabbed me excitedly by the arm, and practically dragged me into the kitchen. Then he spread some construction plans on the table. They showed a small house.
“What are those?” I asked, confused.
“It’s going to be our house. I’ll have them build it at the back end of the property, where the sun shines the whole day. Only you, me, my closest family members, and maybe one or two more people will be able to enter it. You will be safe there, and since my business partners will be denied entry, you won’t have to be scared all the time, and peek around corners before you enter a room. Plus you could invite your human friends into this house. I don’t want you to be isolated from your kind because of me,” he gushed.
Overwhelmed by his generous offer, I hesitated: “Michael, I don’t know. I can’t promise you that I’ll move in. I feel a little steamrolled.” He was still euphoric and wouldn’t be daunted. “Even if you insist on finding your own apartment, I want you to feel comfortable and safe when you come here. And once you’re okay with the idea, you can move in.”
“What if you change your mind and no longer want me? You would have built a house for nothing.”
“Trust me, that’s not going to happen. You won’t ever get rid of me again.” He paused and pondered his words, adding a hectic: “Unless you want to be rid of me.”
“Michael, I was a total wreck without you. I missed you like crazy and couldn’t think about anything else.”
He hugged me tightly. “I won’t let anyone take you away from me,” he threatened, before throwing Martellius a meaningful look.
That evening, when we were alone again, Michael had another surprise for me. He offered me a job in his company, as his personal assistant. My main task would be accompanying me on business dinners and meetings, and eavesdropping on his partners. So far, only a few people knew that I was capable of that. He suggested a regular three-year contract, so it would be a real job, not me simply catering to his whims. I promised that I would think about it, and he said to take my own sweet time.
He spent every spare minute with me and anticipated my every wish. Yes, he loved me. There was no way I could deny that.
When I arrived at the university on Monday, Andreas was already waiting for me. “Hello, Melanie, I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a while, but Michael prevented that. I’m sorry I almost killed you.”
“It’s okay. So you are one of the three most powerful beings in Salzburg?” I countered as casually as he had apologized for almost killing me.
He smirked. “If we’re being candid, not just in Salzburg.”
“Why are your negotiations taking so long?”
Andreas smiled sheepishly. “That might be my fault. You know, about a hundred years ago, I was head over heels in love with Alexei’s mother, and Michael … let’s just say he was anything but helpful, and now that he is in love with you, I’m enjoying my chance at paying him back.”
Worried what that might mean, I drew back. “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything that might harm you. We’re friends after all. Plus you saved both my life and Alexei’s,” he continued with a grin.
“You mean, after I ran Alexei over with a car and almost killed him.” Andreas shrugged his shoulders. “Your actions were not surprising, given that you had no idea who he was.” I was thoughtful for a moment, not really listening to him.
“Melanie, what are you thinking about?” He had to ask twice before I realized that he was talking to me. I shook my head and explained: “Something just occurred to me. There is something I don’t understand.”
“Tell me. Maybe I can help? I might act like a twenty-year-old womanizer when I’m among humans, but I’m really an ancient and experienced creature.”
“And that is exactly my problem. You’re a magical creature, and we had already spent a lot of time together before I met Michael. First question: Why did you never notice that I was more than an ordinary human? Second question: Why wasn’t my second nature awakened by you? Why did it take Michael to do that?”
“I don’t know why I missed the fact that you were not merely human. I always thought that your studies were making you happy in some twisted way I didn’t understand. I only realized what it means when you’re really happy when we went out and you had such a great time dancing. And I can only guess why your second nature was not awakened by me but by Michael. Maybe you first had to reach a certain age, or it has to do with the circumstances of meeting someone. You seem to pose a riddle for all of us, and I think we’ll have to simply accept that, whether we like it or not.” He sounded frightfully mature. I wasn’t used to this behavior from him, so I was almost relieved when he reverted to his usual self. “Melanie, if you want to, we could try and see what intimacy with me does to you … maybe right after our seminar?” He studied me and added seductively: “Or we don’t have to wait until the seminar is over.” I patted his shoulder and walked past him without an answer, heading for the lecture hall. I heard him chuckle behind me.
We had several exams the following week. My most important one would take place on Wednesday, so I wasn’t disappointed when Michael said that he had to attend an out-of-town convention Tuesday and Wednesday.
The morning of the exam, I did not want to make myself nervous, so I decided to take a long, hot shower. When I stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a large towel, Hugorio appeared before me. “Hello, I’m thrilled to meet you again,” he greeted me in a polite voice. I had never before been alone with him. I instinctively took a step backwards and asked him what he wanted, trying to sound overly confident. In reality I was mortally afraid of him.
He put a hand on his chin in a show of giving my question serious thought. “Over the last few days I’ve been wondering why Michael is collecting information on Filguri Sybielles.” he took a step towards me and his gaze was scrutinizing and relentless. “I suppose you could say I just had an epiphany.” With a triumphant smile, he spoke the words that made the lines on my body appear. He lifted a casual finger and the towel was torn from my body by an invisible hand, landing over the back of a chair. “What a work of art. I think the last time I saw something like this was …” He paused briefly and shook his head with a smile. “Actually I can’t even remember the last time I saw a thing like this.” He came closer and I wanted to back off, but with another casual flick of his finger I was unable to move. Did Michael and the others even know that he could do these things?
He slowly circled me, analyzing every inch of my body with an appreciative smile on his face. His gaze was not sexual at all, but much rather scientific and curious. He touched the lines on my forehead with delighted awe, then pointed at the symbol around my belly button. “This one is unnecessary and totally wrong. It doesn’t exist. Who in the world might be able to accomplish such a masterpiece? Certainly not a dragon,” he whispered to himself. He threw me another look, one that started with my face and ended with my toes. And this time, there was no scientific curiosity in his greedy eyes. Then he disappeared just as quickly as he’d come, but it was different from the way Michael and Stefan tended to appear and disappear: He simply vanished into thin air in front of my eyes. I ran to the desk where I had left my phone. Michael answered on the first ring: “You’re in luck, we’re currently on a break. Hugorio insists on s
ending his regards. He’s sitting right next to me. What’s up?”
I was confused and didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t tell him what had happened, not if Hugorio was there with him.
“Melanie?”
“I love you and simply wanted to hear your voice. Tell Hugorio he can go to hell.”
A short while later I left the house to get to my exam, still shaken by the inexplicable visit. When I returned, I was alone. Michael returned only two days later. He had barely opened the front door, when I rushed to meet him and tell him about the strange encounter in his bedroom. Michael was sure that it couldn’t have been Hugorio, since he had been in the same room at the time, except for maybe a minute or two. Still, my tale upset him. He immediately called the builders and ordered them to start construction on the house right away. We hadn’t been together in a few days, which led to a very satisfying and sleep-deprived night.
The next morning Michael came into our bedroom and woke me with a nervous expression. “Melanie, love, you need to get up. We’ll have company.”
He paced the room while I got dressed. I had seldom seen him this tense. His behavior was frightening me. His people were gathered in the kitchen, waiting for us. Before Michael could enlighten me as to who was the reason for his anxiety, the door opened and Ryoko came in. I had fully expected to see something indescribably terrible, so I was glad that it was merely the turquoise dragon. Thanks to Kadeijosch, I already knew what to do to see him in his human form.
I was happy to see Ryoko and smiled at him. He ignored the other people in the room and approached me first. “Hello, little sister,” he greeted me affectionately. Only then did he acknowledge Michael and the others with curt nods, before asking me to leave them alone for a minute or two. Wanting to follow his request, I left the house and took a short walk in the garden. “It is not my decision, and it’s only a contraposition. My hands are tied, but don’t force me to call in an assembly,” I heard Ryoko say when I returned. He sounded irritated, and Michael did too, when he answered: “Contraposition, my ass. I saw him mark her.”
Peris Night: Terakon (Secret Language) Page 42