He shook his head, still unconvinced. “I wish Mom and Dad were here. They’d know what to do or at least give us some sort of wisdom on why your gift is so wonky.”
She turned away. Their parents had been killed years ago in an explosion that collapsed the building they’d worked in. Many others had lost their lives as well. Her mother had held the same gift, the ability to heal and resurrect the dead, even if only for a short time.
“Well, we don’t have the benefit of their knowledge. We’ve consulted the elders of the city, the wise widows and no one has an answer. The only reason I’m not locked up somewhere is because of who our parents were, the fact you sit on the security council, and the fact that they don’t consider me an actual threat...yet.”
“You were never a threat.” Danny touched her gloved hand.
“Just a menace?”
“Whatever happened changed the way your gift works.”
“More like a curse.”
Simon entered the room at that moment. His head snapped up and he stared at them. “What? What did you say?”
Dana brushed a hair from her face. “About what?”
“You think you’re cursed?”
She shrugged. “Things have been a bit off with me for a while. Ever since the accident.”
Simon stood in front of her. Out of habit, she stepped away when he lifted a hand to touch her. He frowned.
I told you. You won’t hurt me.
It’s hard for me to remember that.
“You two realize I’m in the room,” Danny reminded them.
“Then maybe you should leave,” Dana said.
“I don’t know if his intentions are entirely honorable yet.” Danny eyed the other man as only a brother could.
Simon met his stare with equal arrogance. “Whenever you’re ready.” He flexed the muscles in his arms even as his energy bowed and bulged the walls of the room.
Dana shook her head. “Just take it outside. I’ve got stuff to do and no time to referee a pissing contest.” She stalked across the room. There was a box of Halloween decorations she needed to set out.
From the corner of her eye the two men engaged in a little shoving match before they left the room. She almost laughed.
“Don’t kill each other,” she called after them.
Laughter floated to her ears. She grinned, located the box and carried it to the front. What crazy ritual entailed smacking each other around? She set down the box to rub her temples. For a moment her vision blurred, then cleared. She glanced around the shop. Nothing out of the ordinary.
An occasional grunt drifted through the open door. Dana emptied the contents of the box, draping black tablecloths over the small round tables. Every now and then she’d stop to rub her temples. Again she got the impression she was being watched.
She paused and peered out the large display window. Cars whizzed by, while pedestrians navigated the darkened sidewalks. She resumed placing skull shaped candy dishes on the tables. Tomorrow she’d add the electric candles.
It’s your fault.
The menacing words hung in the air, bringing the metallic scent of blood and decay. Glimpses of a stone altar floated before her mind’s eye. Heaviness weighed on her shoulders. The tables and chairs of the shop wavered then were replaced by a dark, stormy night. A woman with honey-blonde hair and vivid blue eyes shimmered into view. Sandra! She wasn’t dying, not a scratch was on her.
Dana opened her mouth to speak and Sandra lifted a finger to her lips. Dana nodded in understanding. The woman pointed to the mangled car. Dana followed her long, frail arm and stared at—she tilted her head to the side—a dying man. The same man who’d grabbed her, stolen his life back.
A wave of anger washed over her. Again, she opened her mouth to speak and again Sandra pointed. A flicker. Dana squinted. Something in the shadows. She slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out. As the man’s soul departed his body, it was snatched and the shadowy creature slithered in and occupied the vacant space. No, oh no. A soul stealer. Only one entity had the power to do that, to crawl back into a body.
The ground shook at her feet, a chasm opening. She tried to move, but she was stuck. Hands reached for her, grabbing her ankles.
“No!” The word wrenched from her lips before she could stop it and then she was plummeting headlong into the abyss.
Strong arms cradled her close. The crisp clean scent of pine and warm masculinity enveloped her. Her eyes fluttered open and she stared into a sea of vivid green.
The coolness of the floor seeped through her clothes and she shivered. She glanced around. One of the tables lay on its side while the skull candy dish had rolled against the wall.
Danny knelt on her other side. He glanced at Simon, who nodded. When her brother rested his hand on her shoulder she jerked.
Warmth radiated from her shoulder throughout the rest of her body, gripped her heart and leaked from her eyes. It had been nearly a year or so since she’d felt her brother’s touch and now she soaked it up like a long bubble bath.
“What happened?” Simon smoothed her hair from her face. “Can you sit up?”
She nodded and with both their help, she shifted to lean against Simon. She found the gentle rise and fall of his chest against her back comforting and with Danny holding her hand, she was surrounded by love so unexpected she no longer doubted the role Simon had in her life. He was the only who could give her this priceless gift.
“The accident.” She caught the worried glances the men exchanged.
“What about the accident?”
She relaxed, nestled in Simon’s arms and with her brother by her side. She stared at Danny. “The guy.” She swallowed. “It was not my intention to heal him after what Sandra showed me. I was just going to walk away and let nature take its course. After what I saw, he didn’t deserve a second chance.”
Simon’s fingers running through her hair soothed her.
“He grabbed my hand. It felt like he was trying to rip my life away.” She shuddered as she recalled the sensation.
“He was.” Simon said.
She tilted her head back to meet his eyes. “I heard a voice.” Realization dawned. “Your voice.” He smiled and nodded. “I was just going to let go.”
Danny squeezed her fingers. “You didn’t tell me that.”
“I couldn’t.”
“Why didn’t you?” Curiosity clung to her brother’s voice.
“I was ready to give up and I knew you wouldn’t like that.” She lowered her lashes, not wanting to see the condemnation in her brother’s eyes. “After what happened with Sandra, what she’d shown me and she still refused a second chance. Then her boyfriend just reached out and grabbed my hand. A soul stealer.”
Both men went still at her admission. She didn’t need to look at either one to know she’d messed up. A tear seeped beneath her lashes. “I’m responsible for letting her die and just as responsible for letting that man live.”
Gentle pressure on her fingers made her open her eyes. Not disapproval, but understanding greeted her. “You couldn’t have known what he was going to do,” Danny said.
Simon stroked her hair. “He’s right. You couldn’t have known he was going to grab your hand.”
She moistened her lips. This next part was hard. “It doesn’t matter now.”
Green eyes pinned her. “Dana?”
“Tomorrow he’s going to kill me.”
****
Music pulsed through the speakers while costumed and masked people gyrated beneath a silver disco ball and black light. Black and orange streamers were strategically draped from the ceiling and windows. Fat, round pumpkins, some with smiling faces and others with baleful grins guarded the shadows.
Angelo ladled green punch into a cup and passed it to a scantily clad angel. It was a good thing her halo was slipping. She sashayed away, tossing a coquettish wink over her shoulder.
He surveyed the room. Every year his boss managed to throw a slammin’ Hallowee
n party. The power and energy vibrating in the air made it easy for him to slip in and out of thoughts. Even with that added boost, he still couldn’t get close to Dana. Heck, he couldn’t even find her. Every time he tried he met a wall he couldn’t breach.
A pair of green eyes hovered in the crowd. The impression of danger slinked down his spine and he backed up a step.
“What’s the matter Angelo? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
He stumbled away from the man in black. Danny. Even the mask covering the upper half of his face added to his ominous presence. Angelo swallowed, taking another step back. Danger oozed from every cell of the man before him. Danny flexed his arms, the muscles rippling beneath his form hugging shirt. The black cape to his costume drifted over one shoulder.
“N-nothing, Danny. Just doing my job.”
Danny shifted. “You know the Council truly frowns on abusing one’s abilities.” He ladled punch into a cup. “Whatever the reason may be.”
Angelo gulped a breath while sweat trickled between his shoulder blades. He plucked at the hem of his apron, failing miserably at containing his fear. “You don’t have to report this.” He tried to smile and it drooped. “I promise...”
Danny waved his hand, cutting off any further reply and stepped closer. “You’ve been warned numerous times.”
“So now what happens?”
He smiled. “It’s All Hallows Eve, so anything I do is amplified.” He held up the punch cup, balancing the glass and liquid in his palm. When he removed his hand the cup remained suspended in midair and slowly rotated, not spilling a drop. “Including binding your powers.”
Angelo gasped. “You wouldn’t?”
“Tonight would be a terrible night not to have any powers, wouldn’t it?”
The cup righted itself and floated toward the smaller man. Angelo nodded, holding out his hand.
“Drink the punch, Angelo, and stop messing with people’s heads.”
“What about your sister? She does it all the time.” The punch tipped and spilled down the front of his shirt.
“At least she knows how not to get caught.” With that he disappeared into the crowd.
Angelo grabbed a handful of napkins and blotted his now sodden shirt.
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
Hairs on his arm stood on end almost like he had a hand on a static electricity ball. Power, slick and oily, oozed and reached for him.
“He thinks he’s so high and mighty. Got a double standard and...” Angelo clawed at the air as invisible fingers tightened around his throat.
“You were supposed to weaken her control, not have the Council take an extra look at her.
Angelo fell to the floor gasping greedy gulps of air. “S-sorry.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know. I can’t sense her.”
The hooded figure frowned. “Very well. We’ll just have a little fun with her.”
****
Simon held Dana close, savoring the way her head rested on his shoulder. He’d chosen to go as a sorcerer and every now and then his pointy cap tilted to the front, forcing him to shove it back in place, but he really loved Dana’s costume.
She wore sheer harem pants. A heavier material stretched over her lush bottom, but the effect was still the same. She’d captivated most of the male attention. The matching bra cupped her breasts, while the long split sleeves cuffed at her wrists.
He drifted his fingers down her spine, caressing the bare skin above her waistband. Each time he brushed where material wasn’t, she sighed. He glanced down.
“You all right?”
She angled her head back to look into his face. “Wonderful.”
“Is the party always like this?” He moved her deeper into the crush of dancers.
She nodded, then lifted a hand to rub at her temples.
“Headache?”
“No, a couple people are doing a rather inept job of trying to read my mind.” She shrugged. “Teenagers practicing.”
He frowned. No one should even be able to tell she was here. He held her a little closer searching for the would-be interlopers. Nothing.
“Would you like to step outside for a moment?”
She glanced at the window. “It’s freezing out there.”
He smiled. “Let me rephrase that. The back room? Just for a moment?”
“That would be nice. It’s getting a little crowded in here.”
Nodding, he draped an arm over her shoulders and led her from the room. The temp dropped several degrees by the time they reached the relative quiet of the store-room.
“This is such a relief.” She leaned a hip on the corner of the desk.
He stood in front of her a moment, tracing the curve of her cheek, then her lips before he lowered his head. His mouth caressed hers, feathering a kiss from one corner to the other.
She made a little noise in her throat and he pressed closer. This was so much better than a dream. He shifted until he was wedged between her thighs, his arms curving around her waist to bring her core against his erection.
Within his dream he’d always imagined her skin would be petal soft, but the satiny slide of her arms beneath his roughened palms just seemed too incredible to believe. The intoxicating sweetness of her lips was more than he could stand and he wanted to imbibe until he could only stagger beneath her love.
He cupped her lush apple bottom, tilting her hips until her heat enveloped him. He thrust against her. She whimpered and it tightened his groin. Her lips were soft and moist as they swept over his mouth then his jaw.
He buried his nose in her hair, while drifting his fingers to the back of her bra. He fumbled the clasp and her breasts spilled free. Angling away from her, he marveled at the ripe swell.
He squeezed the soft globes in his hands, brushing his thumbs over the pebbled nipples. “Are you sure?”
She nodded, dragging her fingers through his hair.
Clothing rustled and was tossed haphazardly around the room. Despite months of dream sex this was the real thing. She should’ve been nervous, but all she could think about was how he was real. Dana savored every caress, each slide of his fingertips along her skin. She imprinted the rasp of his tongue as it swirled around her nipples, the glide of his hands as they skimmed her flesh.
A moan of pleasure eased from her lips. This was what she craved. The anticipation of skin-to-skin contact was almost as scintillating as his caresses.
For once she didn’t have to worry about hurting anyone, least of all him. When his fingers sought the dampness of her feminine core she quivered in excitement. Her belly clenched as his hand drifted closer. She held her breath as he grazed her pelvic bone, ran his fingertips over the sensitive skin of her inner thighs.
Her pussy pulsed and flooded with anticipation. Dana spread her legs wider in invitation, her scent perfuming the air. As she’d done when he first arrived in her office, she placed her hands on his chest. His skin was warm and smooth beneath her palms. She drifted her fingers over rounded pecs, across broad muscular shoulders, down his sculpted arms and back again.
He trembled beneath her exploration and it was such an erotic aphrodisiac she had to do it again. Her palms tingled and her juices flowed with each swipe.
“Enjoying yourself?”
“Enjoying you,” she said, closing her fingers around his erection. Even this was a contradiction, iron encased in velvet. She squeezed, and he thrust against her fist. No more waiting. She guided him to her center.
Simon settled between her thighs, the smoothness of his manhood penetrating, joining them in ways she’d only dreamed. When he’d filled her, she closed her eyes and squeezed. Wonderful tingles and flashes floated along nerves and she wanted this moment to never end.
He grasped her hips, drawing her closer until his pelvis teased her clit. She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed his firm buttocks. A sigh escaped his lips as she ran her hands up and down his spine, then back to his butt.
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Slowly he rocked his hips, moving in and out, thrusting harder and harder until there was only him. Each slap of flesh on flesh drove home that he was not part of her imagination, but solid. Real. Hers.
Light and energy seemed to dance along her skin, filling nooks and crannies she’d never known existed. His fingers bit into the tender skin of her buttocks. She pulled his head down for a kiss, needing as much contact as possible.
His mouth met hers, eager and dominating. Dana curved her arms around his neck and let him draw her closer still. She loved how her nipples scraped against his chest, adding to the myriad zips and sizzles arcing through her veins. The desk squeaked with the additional activity. Tension coiled in her belly as everything she was centered on their intimate joining.
She wanted to prolong the buildup, to draw out her climax, but having him, delighting in his sweat slicked body sliding against hers, surrounded by his musky masculine scent while he filled and pounded into her tight folds, hitting all the right spots, was just too much. The only thing better would be to take him with her. She shattered, dragging him with her in her ecstasy.
Simon brushed a kiss to the hollow of her throat, then claimed her lips. “This isn’t what I had in mind when we came back here, but I’m really glad it happened.” He eased away from her.
A protest undulated her body and she was bereft without him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him, in hopes of staving off the inevitable. As if sensing her anxiety, he pulled her into the haven of his body, infusing her with warmth and love.
“When I’m with you it seems everything is the way it’s supposed to be,” she murmured. “The only thing that got me through the last year was you.”
“I couldn’t let you go. Not like that.”
“Why did you wait so long to find me?” She angled away from him, just enough to see his face.
“The Council made it very difficult to see you.”
She nodded. She should’ve known they would try to interfere. He smoothed her damp hair from her face, then stiffened in her arms. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone’s looking for you.” He glanced around the room, wiggled his fingers and her clothes came floating toward them. “Here. Get dressed.”
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