by Poppet
A lump lodges in my throat. "I had no idea..."
"Your love means more to them than anything on Earth. It's just awkward that you chose to love them both."
"But not in the same way at all!"
"That's your business, not mine."
"So how come you're okay?"
"I am not a red-eye."
"But you have red flickers."
"Without meaning it, I caused a human to fall. She was beautiful. She agreed to meet me, and I abandoned her in anger, she was consumed inside Pravus. Her death may not have been at my hands, but I caused it. "
"Oh."
"You only become a fully red eyed Vampyre when you have taken human life deliberately. But any death you had anything to do with, it shows."
"Darise, I'm so sorry ..."
"We all make mistakes, Phoebe."
"So what happened in the hearing?"
"If you had willingly chosen to go with Ellindt at her invitation, she would have marked you as her own, hoping the brothers would destroy each other. It's a chance she was willing to take. But you had a few surprises of your own."
Guilty grin.
"When they heard you, they chose to call a truce. The Daemon confirmed the truce, the hearing over, he cancelled the confrontation and dispute at their request."
He smiles sweetly at me, looking pretty again with his long eyelashes and doe eyes, "It seems that they'd both rather go without you, than have harm come to you because of their own ego and pride."
"So why the hell did they make you tell me?"
"Because you would be angry with them no doubt for forcing you into that position. To find out they both marked you as their own."
He winks, "Not to mention they say you have a soft spot for me."
"I do." I smile back widely.
The two of them manifest at the end of the bed, both looking like I caught them raiding the cookie jar.
"See why we don't have windows?" Seithe asks me.
"So what was all that shit about conditions at work?"
Jowendrhan perches next to my legs, offering me a fresh mug of steaming coffee. "If I could get your allegiance in writing, that would have been even better."
This is too much.
"The lot of you deserve bed without dinner!"
Seithe sinks into the padded mattress at my knee, holding my free hand, "Phoebe, you can't keep going to work. It's too crazy. I'll pay you everything you need to never work again if I have to."
"Uh huh. In return for what exactly?"
He gives me a charming smile, turning silver eyes and white hair - brown, instantly younger and irresistible, "Me?"
"So explain to me in your own words what the fuck happened?"
Jowendrhan smirks, dimpling his chin, "You happened. You and your seductive pheromones ..."
"And smile ..."
"And human voice ..."
"Soft hands ..."
"Your tight orgasms ..."
"And breathless sighs ..."
"WOULD YOU STOP IT!" I feel hotter than a fallen angel.
"Look it's easy. Seithe is the oldest and he always gets the hot chicks."
"And he's the youngest and he always steals them because his muscles are bigger ..."
"But we didn't give a shit about who you preferred when we heard your distress ..."
"Suddenly seemed stupid ...”
"Cos we can share you ..."
"Oh no you bloody can't!"
The laughter that resounds, points out to this half-wit they are joking.
Seithe looks into my eyes seriously, "I screwed up baby girl. My obsession is redemption."
Jowendrhan jokes, "Fuck redemption, I'll settle for you."
My cheeks are aching with the embarrassed burn now.
"We've gone back to friends, instead of rivals," Seithe continues explaining, "And I'm hoping you'll keep waking me up the way you did this morning, and not this fucker with bigger muscles that looks like me."
"Just keep your fuck me now pheromones to yourself please." Jowendrhan teases.
Darise is laughing, and I'm decidedly vulnerable and in need of female back up.
"You have free will, Minxy. No more games, no more pressure. What will be, will be."
For some reason, hearing Seithe say he'd willingly give up being in control, when I know he's a total control freak, it presses the emotional discharge button. And my eyes decide to spring a leak.
"How are you feeling? We thought we'd broken you for good."
I nod at Jowendrhan absently, wiping my eyes, "I'm feeling fine. Hungry."
A hot mouth snuggles into my neck, biting playfully, "Hmmm me too."
"Seithe!"
Jowendrhan interrupts, "And what's with all of these chef's blowtorches? You have some explaining to do young lady."
Hotter than ever, I explain, "I realised it's what you used in Pravus to separate them." I say to Darise, "And they're so hot, I figured if there's one thing that will make a vampire back off, it's flame. I didn't know who to trust, who was lying or telling the truth, and I feared for my life."
Jowendrhan grins guiltily, "If you ever decide to tell a convincing lie. Make sure half of it is truth. It fools the gut every time!"
"Bugger!"
I pause with an afterthought, staring at Darise, "So why did Seithe explode when you were the one talking?"
"You have to have a witness. I heard you confirm to Jowendrhan that you got off on his hand." Darise's grin couldn't be naughtier, or more uncomfortable if he tried.
"Phoebe, having a witness meant my fucking brother had a legitimate claim on you."
Sighing heavily I face Seithe, "It is over? Really over?"
Jowendrhan dimples his mouth at me, stubble giving him a rebel vibe, "We've called a truce in front of everyone. The only person making decisions about this now, is you."
Smiling back at Darise over my coffee mug I interrogate, "So who are you when you aren't bar tending, Darise?"
He licks his luscious lips, glancing first at Seithe, then Jowendrhan, before enlightening me in a very deep baritone, "The oldest brother."
Chapter 42: Forgiven
"Hmmm, I missed this."
His hot tongue trails my nape while delicate fingers distract my nipples, splitting my mind in twain.
Lounging between long legs, I trace his inner thighs with softly scratching nails. There's a mild sting when he bites, before the heat of his mouth covers the mark, sucking erotically.
My eyes close of their own volition, indulging in his heat increasing by increments. His desire presses into the small of my back and I absently run my fingers over his neck, holding his head tightly into my neck, craving nerve annihilation with every cell in my body.
Twisting I cover his lips with my own. Drinking deeply, I can never get enough of these kisses, I'm hopelessly addicted. An intruding finger separates our connection, tracing my lips.
"Such submissive lips."
Crawling over him, I kneel, legs akimbo. Softly biting, kissing, licking, tasting, my hair trailing drowsily across his chest. A smug grin escapes when he exhales sharply as my wanton body slips over his.
Pressing myself down, I hold his hands, indulging in a moment of dominance.
"Green eyes baby, green green lusty eyes."
I close them in mute resistance, focusing wholly on pleasure. He ruins my moment as the pressure under my knees disappears. Opening my eyes I stare at my levitating lover with me seated on him.
"Seithe."
"Try love me now." His smile is so indulgent.
I'm just porridge inside around my heart. I love his quirky ways, his playfulness, his sheer compulsion to call the shots and name the games. "I love you."
"I never get tired of hearing that."
It's a moment between two lovers, so intimate, so completely open and vulnerable, my heart leaps up and smacks my intuition.
"Seithe..."
"Petal?"
I smile, he has to tease.
"Put us back on the bed for a moment."
"Why? I thought you liked riding me."
"You are the finest broomstick I could wish for ... but I'm serious."
Gently he descends until my knees are once again supported by the black clad bed.
I have a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. I wish I had realised this sooner.
"Baby girl?"
I can hear his worry but can't stop now.
Closing my eyes I choke back tears of adoration. Placing both of my petite hands palm down over his heart I say those words I could have said, but never thought to say.
"Seithe, I forgive you for everything you have ever done that caused your family to remain fallen. God lives inside me, I have God's voice. I have God's capacity to forgive, I have His Mercy, I have His Grace."
Opening my eyes I stare deeply into silver irises.
"You showed me how to have faith. You showed me what it means to truly forgive. You never stopped teaching me and reminding me of the power I have. I'm using this power to forgive you forever. I love you, you are forgiven. Mercy is yours, my unconditional love is yours, by the power invested inside me, with this Spirit, with this mustard seed that you awoke, I love you, and I would die for you and for your sins. I say you are forgiven, it is my will, and as God lives inside me, his Spirit and my will are joined. I love you, with all of my heart, with all of my Spirit."
Tears are running freely with the overwhelming flood of emotions drowning me.
His eyes glow so brightly, his face rapturous.
"I feel it from your Spirit. Joining with me, I feel it."
The ambience dulls as his eyes go brown, his hair fading softly to brown.
I am so caught up in the flood of my own emotions that I only now notice he has tears.
Draping over him I hold him tightly, hugging him, trying to infuse him with my love. Heart over heart. Hugging tight.
Excitement cleaves me off him, sitting bolt upright again, "You have a heartbeat!"
He nods, his expression is so indescribable. Beyond euphoric, or humble, or grateful. He's all emotions at once.
Strong hands grip my face and pull my lips back to his. His tongue invades the heated moisture, it's wild, it's the kiss of a man spared from death.
He flips us around, his hard sex deep inside me, pushing harder, his breath broken, jittery.
"Phoebe ... I ..."
"Ssssh, just love me."
It's tender and rough, it's fevered and lethargic. It's beautiful and tranquil.
I know it's still him, but for the first time Seithe's body sheens with moisture from exertion. Indulgently I place a finger on the hollow in his neck, feeling his excited pulse.
Squealing with delirious delight I squeeze my legs tight around his hips, keeping him a prisoner inside me, my arms becoming a thrilled tourniquet around his neck.
"Phoebe!"
"You're one of us!"
He withdraws when I release him, flopping down beside me, his smile could power a small country.
"How did you ..."
"You've told me again and again and again. I knew there was something obvious I was missing. Something I had that you wanted. You asked me for love and mercy, that was all you ever asked of me. It took me this long to figure it out."
His eyes sparkle, he leans close, kissing me, erratic breath bathing my face. Our intimate moment is shattered with the arrival of Jowendrhan and Darise.
Seithe snatches the sheet, covering us.
"What happened?" Darise demands in panic.
"I thought you'd died! You just fell off the radar!" Jowendrhan's fear is obvious in his expression.
"I'm forgiven."
That's all he says. His voice chokes his sentence into an early death. He turns to me, picking me up in his arms, squeezing me tightly, his head bowed in reverence above me, tears dripping off his nose into my own eyes.
My heart feels like a slush-puppy. I'm overwhelmed with emotion myself now.
He's shaking, choking on emotion, sobbing with relief, joy, what else I don't know.
"Seithe, you are still really strong. And I'm still really little. You're breaking me."
He laughs, releasing me, before cupping my face tenderly and gently placing his lips over mine. His whisper speaks so much, I am left with no doubt how much this means to him by the potent amount of emotion inside two words, "Thank you."
I nod, sniffing, the waterworks returning with emotional flood.
"This calls for a celebration!" announces Darise loudly.
Jowendrhan leans forward, slapping Seithe's shoulder, "Lucky bastard."
It reminds me of when I declined immortality. They both reacted as though they'd won the lottery. Now I understand why.
Wiping my face with the back of my hand I ask that question now.
"What would have happened if I'd said yes to Ellindt's offer of immortality?"
Seithe passes a robe to me before shrugging himself into one, "You would have been separated from your Spirit. No death, no mercy, no afterlife, no more of God's deep and unwavering love."
Darise smiles, "But you didn't fall for it. You are special, Phoebe."
Slipping my hand inside Seithe's, my heart surges with emotion, "No. Seithe's the special one."
Chapter 43: Checkmate
So many little things make perfect sense now. The way Seithe felt comfortable leaving me with Darise. The fact that when Seithe sponsored me, I was given admission into Pravus. The verbal digging between Jowendrhan and Darise. It all makes sense knowing their family own Pravus, and they are related. I now understand why Seithe didn't have to pay admission or for his drinks, all perks of being the owner's brother.
Curious, I look at my newly human boyfriend, "Why brand me?"
A chagrinned grin spreads over his face, "I changed my name. Despite what Jowendrhan told you, I have dominion over the mark of the S. What he told you isn't a lie, it's just an older truth, so it still felt honest. I was created from the bloodline that was born to worship the Spirit. I am named after my father, Seth. By marking you with the S, you would have had his protection."
One thing is still bothering me. "Why do you have demons working for you?"
The three brothers seem mildly amused, and I'm watching silent visual exchanges taking place before Seithe explains.
"Dad's a heavyweight. A serious heavyweight. The Daemon don't try anything with us, in case we gain redemption. Some of them hope that by getting in our good graces, we'll put in a good word with the boss when the time comes."
Nibbling my lip, I verbalise my final thought on the subject, "So why can't I just forgive all of you?"
Jowendrhan answers, his tone wistful, "It's the condition. So many fairy-tales play on this concept. True love, unconditional love, comes along once in a lifetime. Snow White rescued from death with the kiss of life. Cinderella rescued from servitude by true love. We get one chance. One person can't save us all, we each have to find one human who can accept us for who and what we are, and see beyond that. Love us anyway. You've made your choice, and you freed him from his prison with your love, with the power inside you."
He glances at Darise, "We just have to keep searching for ours."
*
I'm thrilled. Seithe being human means we can finally have a semblance of normal. I can introduce him to my friends and Mum. It seems the only thing he can't do now is handle the cold. He has kept all of his abilities, because he understands how the physics or whatever it is works. He can still manifest whatever he wants when he chooses to.
He's installed air-conditioning inside his home now. He can still transport us at will, although now it seems to tire him and make him weak. I've moved in with him as I no longer have to work. I'm enjoying sharing human life with him. And now I'm cooking everyday, because he's experiencing real hunger.
I have a roast in the oven, which is his new favourite. His thrill at tasting everything as if for the first time, has me walking around with a permanent grin on my fac
e.
Riiiiiiing...
"Seithe, would you get that please?"
"Phoebe, I don't know how!"
"Liar! Don't be afraid. Just pick it up!"
"Why can't you get it?"
"I'm busy in the kitchen!"
I hear him grumble. I can't help smiling as he picks up the new phone on his desk.
"Hello."
Trying so hard not to laugh, I cradle my cellphone and speak sexily into it, "Mr Lange?"
He hesitates, leaning off his chair to stare down the passage toward the kitchen, "Yes?"
A giggle escapes me, "I've been a very naughty girl."
I sneak a peek out the door, catching a glimpse of his widely smiling face.
"Oh, have you now?"
"Yes," gushy.
"What makes you a naughty girl, Miss Martin?"
"I'm not wearing any underwear Mr Lange. I'm such a bad girl."
His chuckle makes my skin tingle, "Miss Martin this is unacceptable. I expect to see you in my office immediately for punishment for lascivious behaviour and unacceptable wanton tendencies."
I walk out of the kitchen, twisting hair absently around my finger as I continue speaking, "You excite me Mr Lange. I couldn't help myself."
His hand reaches out and snatches me out of the passage. In his dimly lit office, my nipples tense with his breath on my neck, "Hang up the phone Miss Martin."
I snap my phone closed as he twists me, bending me over his desk and keyboard. His foot moves my legs wider as a hand slides under the skirt and up my thigh.
"You are a naughty girl. Coming to work without underwear on."
"Cumming to work is why I'm here Mr Lange."
My skirt rides up, and a giggle bursts out of me as I hear his zip.
Click. Blackness.
"Naughty girls must be restrained and blindfolded Miss Martin."