What Goes Bump In The Night

by C. R. Jane

  There's a ghost in the room.

  His back is turned to us, but I can see the wall opposite through his translucent shape. Somehow, he seems to be flickering like a candle flame, becoming more solid one second, then almost non-existent the next.

  He's not moving, nor giving off any threatening vibes. Maybe he's harmless.

  "Hello?" I ask, feeling a little silly. This is the first time I'm talking to a ghost, and hopefully, it' also the last time. "Can you hear me?"

  He still doesn't move.

  "He seems familiar," Crispin mutters. "That hair, it reminds me of someone."

  The ghost's hair is very distinctive indeed. It's long, longer than mine, and very shiny, held together by a band that looks like it may have been leather… before it turned ghostly.

  "I command you to leave," Storm growls in full Queen's guard mode, testosterone dripping from his words. "You're in the Royal Chambers in the presence of her Majesty, Queen Wynter. You're trespassing and if you don't leave at once, we'll have to take action against you."

  Again, no response.

  Crispin cautiously moves forward, circling the ghost.

  "Careful," Frost whispers, but Crisp ignores him.

  When he's standing opposite us, able to see the ghost's face, his expression darkens.

  "Adolfo."

  Immediately, my Guardians are in front of me, hiding the ghost from view. The magic in the room is almost palpable; everyone's on high alert.

  "Who's Adolfo?" I ask, both annoyed and flattered by my men being all protective.

  "A traitor," Arc grinds out between clenched teeth. "He used ta be one of us and then switched sides. He served the Summer King and gave him intelligence on Queen Beira. People died because of him."

  "Correct," the ghost suddenly says. His voice reminds me of a howling wind, but quieter.

  Slowly, he turns around.

  "What the fuck…" Storm gasps and my stomach clenches as I see the ghost's face. Or what's left of it. His right eye is missing, a bloody mess of flesh and bone is all that's left of where it was. Large gashes tear over his forehead. Silver blood is running down his cheeks, drops of it gathering on his chin, but never falling, trapped in time. He opens his mouth to speak and I shudder. There are only dark holes where his teeth should be. He didn't just lose them, they were torn out by force.

  "What happened to you?" I ask at the same time as Frost.

  "Angus happened," the ghost says with a grimace. Or maybe it's a smile; it's hard to tell with his distorted features. "I tried to switch sides, again."

  "You were tortured." Crispin's voice has turned hard and I can see the pain in his eyes. His past is throwing shadows over his face. Once, he used to be the person who did this to people. He was the torturer, the executioner, the man parents would warn their children about. Of course, he was forced to do it, he's not evil, but he's never quite forgiven himself. I don't think he ever will.

  "He killed me," Adolfo explains tonelessly. "And I deserved it for breaking her Majesty's trust."

  "When?" Storm asks.

  "A month ago."

  He died a month ago. Well, he looks like he's dead, but then why is he here? The dead are supposed to stay dead.

  "How come you're a ghost?" I ask. I have to stop myself from laughing hysterically at the absurdity of the situation. I'm talking to a ghost, in my bedroom, while being naked.

  Oh. I look down at myself, then at my men, then decide to do something about it. It doesn't need much magic to clothe us in armour. Better safe than sorry. If there's one ghost, who knows if there aren't more waiting for us.

  "I'm not sure," Adolfo replies, his voice a hollow howl. "I was on the other side, happily living my afterlife, but then I was pulled across the Veil without warning."

  "The Veil?"

  "The barrier between the dead and the living," Frost whispers.

  Oh yes. Thor mentioned that earlier.

  "What's the afterlife like?" Arc asks excitedly. He's right, this may be our only chance to find out what's next… well, until we die. Which, in our case, is unlikely. We're immortal, after all. Although Adolfo is living proof that Guardians can be killed. I swallow hard. No, this is never going to happen to my Guardians. I'm going to keep them safe.

  "We're not allowed to say," the ghost mutters. "There are rules."

  "Wait, if there are rules, that means that this isn't the first time this has happened, right?" Storm asks sharply. "There have been ghosts before?"

  Adolfo laughs. "Of course. The afterlife would be boring without a bit of haunting."

  This throws up so many questions. I don't even know which one to ask first. I decide on the most obvious.

  "If this happens regularly, why have we never seen a ghost before?"

  "We only become visible when the Veil is thinnest. Now, at Samhain, we take on physical shape. At other times, we're invisible." He grins. "We're the shadows in the corner of the room, the movement in the corner of your eye, the strange noises at night. There are more of us in the world of the living than you'll ever know."

  "But why?" Arc asks. "Why come back? Is the afterlife so terrible?"

  Adolfo's expression turns sad - if I'm interpreting it correctly. The missing eye and cheek are making it a bit hard.

  "We have urges. Missions, if you like. I didn't get to say this while I was alive, so now I'm haunted-" He chuckles darkly at his own joke. "I'm haunted by my desire to fulfil my dying wish."

  "Which was?" I ask, slowly beginning to understand what this is leading to.

  "I need to apologise. I did wrong, I did terrible things, I need to beg forgiveness to Queen Beira and her Realm. I want to repent."

  "My mother is dead. You'll have to find her in the afterlife to apologise to her."

  "I already have. But now I'm here to seek forgiveness from you."

  He drops onto his knees, bowing his head.

  "You may not know this, but I served as your mother's guard while she was pregnant. I was one of the few who knew that she gave birth to a baby girl. Queen Beira kept you secret to keep you safe. She knew she couldn't let you grow up in the Realm, the dangers of your magic erupting was too great. There had been other demigods in the past who'd accidentally killed others and themselves, so she couldn't risk it. She had to bring you to Earth, to let you live amongst humans until you became of age."

  None of that is news to me. My mother told me when I first came to the Realm, explained why she'd had to keep her distance, why I never got to visit her until I was twenty-two.

  Adolfo sighs and bows his head even further. "I told Angus of your existence. He had enough goodness in him to resist killing a child, but as soon as you became of age, he sent his men to kill you. It's because of me that he tried to assassinate you on the way to the Realm. You almost died because of me."

  He holds up his hands. "I'd ask you to kill me if I wasn't already dead."

  "I'd do it with pleasure," Storm growls.

  "Why did you do it?" I ask him. I'm completely out of my depth. Am I supposed to give him absolution? Can I? He broke my mother's trust, he endangered my life and probably many more, but also… he's dead. He was tortured. How can I not pity a dead man haunted by his deeds?

  "She rejected me," he says quietly. "I was in love with her and she rejected me. She laughed, then she created herself a Guardian lover who was the complete opposite of me. He didn't even want her, but instead of accepting me, she did all she could to get him back."

  I know he's talking about my father, Colan. It's a very strange story. My mum created him because she was lonely, but he wasn't interested in being her lover. He fled, unwilling to submit to h
er, but later returned to warn her of an impending attack by Summer soldiers. He died, but not before sleeping with her, which resulted in me. I shake my head. I don't want to imagine my parents having sex. That's just yuck.

  "So you went to Angus because my mother rejected you? That doesn't make sense."

  He sighs, not looking at me. "It did at the time. I was feeling so angry. I needed to get away from her; I couldn't stand looking at her. I had nowhere to go until I thought of the Summer Realm. Of course, King Angus distrusted me when I came to his Realm, so I had to prove that I really wanted to abandon my Queen. I had to tell him secrets."

  "Traitor," Storm growls. He's doing a lot of growling today. It's kind of sexy.

  "You're right, I am a traitor," Adolfo mutters. "Which is why I'm here now. I can't rest until I've apologised."

  "Then hurry up," Arc says, sliding an arm around my waist. Now that it's clear that the ghost isn't an immediate threat, my men have relaxed a little. They probably want to go back to what we were doing before we were so rudely interrupted. Heat pools between my legs when I think of our naked dance. Yes, let's get this over with as soon as possible.

  The ghost presses his palms against the floor and prostrates himself in a gesture of utter submission.

  "Your Majesty, I humbly beg for forgiveness. I endangered your life and I will never be able to make up for it, now that I'm dead. Will you forgive me nonetheless? I beg of you, please absolve me of my sins."

  "You have suffered for what you did," I say slowly, glad I'm not having to look at his ruined face just now. "I'd say your crimes have been punished enough."

  He lifts his head and meets my gaze. His silvery eyes are full of hope as he watches me take a deep breath.

  "I forgive you. May you find peace."

  The ghosts smiles and for a second, he turns corporeal, colours returning to his body, then he's gone, leaving behind a very confused Queen.

  "That was strange," I mutter, turning to face my men. Crispin hugs me from behind as I look at Frost, Storm and Arc, not sure what to say or do. We just saw a ghost.

  "Strange doesn't even cover it," Frost says with a grimace. "Life was so normal before we met you. No ghosts, no weird magic, no tight armour that's pressing against my dick."

  I break into laughter at the last bit. "What?"

  He points at his crotch. "I think you misjudged my clothes size," he says with a groan. "It's a little tight."

  "Well, I better do something about that," I grin and take off his clothes with a single thought. For stuff like this, my magic really comes in handy.

  "Thanks," Frost chuckles and rubs his cock. "Next time, plan in some extra space."

  "Storm leans over until his lips touch my ear. "I think you should kiss him better. To say sorry." His voice is full of barely veiled desire. "And take off my clothes too. It's getting too tight."

  Chapter 3

  Storm puts his hands on my shoulders and gently pushes me down until I'm on my knees. Frost steps forward until his cock touches my lips. As instructed, I kiss him, more a tease than an actual kiss.

  Frost sucks in a breath as my lips graze his velvety skin. I look up at him, smiling innocently. I've done as asked. I kissed him.

  "Open your mouth," Storm commands and wraps his hands around my head, pushing me towards his brother. He knows how much I love it when he gets dominant, especially when Frost is involved.

  I do as he says and Frost pushes his cock into my mouth. I'm straining to accommodate his girth.

  "Take off your clothes," Storm whispers. "And ours."

  Oops, I forgot that except for Frost, we're all still dressed. I remedy that with a trickle of magic. While I slowly run my lips up and down Frost's length, Crispin goes on his knees in front of me.

  "Spread your legs," he asks. He's so much less demanding than Storm, yet I immediately do as he says.

  He bends down until he's almost lying on the floor, his nose touching my bellybutton. He kisses me just beneath and begins to trail small, delicate kisses along my skin, downwards, ever closer to where I really want to feel him. When he's just about to touch my clit, something is suddenly wrapped around my eyes, something soft. A blindfold. That must be Arc's doing.

  I lean back to take a deep breath, Frost's taste filling my mouth.

  "Feeling kinky?" I ask, a moan escaping along with my words.

  "Always," Arc whispers in my ear, his breath tickling me. "Guys, let's change position. I don't want her to know who's doing what."

  A shiver runs over my body. It shouldn't matter that I can't see, I know them all inside out, but still, the sensation of being unable to see is making heat pool between my legs.

  Storm takes his hands off my head and Crispin gets up, taking his beautiful kisses with him. I groan in frustration. He'd been so close to my clit.

  I can hear them moving around the room, but nobody is touching me. What are they up to now? These men will be the death of me.

  Suddenly, something wraps around me. Not a person, none of my guys. No, it's wind, warm air, gentle yet strong. I'm lifted by the waist and spun around, faster and faster, until I no longer know where my men were standing. Probably exactly what Storm intended. I'm floating a little until I'm gently lowered onto the bed. The silk sheets are cool beneath my naked skin, but I know that they'll warm up quickly. They always do.

  Wind wraps around my wrists, bending my arms until they're spread to both sides. Another warm breeze caresses my breasts, making my nipples hard. More wind, this time around my ankles. A moment later, I'm spread-eagled, exposed, ripe to the touch.

  "Come on," I groan, "Get started."

  Chuckles from all my men. I can't tell who's where.

  "Not yet, my Queen," Arc whispers, his voice close to my right. "Touch yourself."

  I shiver again. My body is flooded with heat and ice, ready to explode. And they haven't even touched me yet.

  I want to lift my right hand, but it's glued to the mattress by Frost's wind.

  "Not with your fingers," Storm admonishes me gently. "With your magic. Use the air."

  I gasp a little. That's new. I've never even thought of using magic to pleasure myself. Now that I think about it, it seems like a major oversight, especially now that I have more control of my magic. In the past, before I became a Goddess, it would have been too dangerous - I'd probably have burned my uterus or something like that - but now, there's nothing to stop me.

  I wrap some air around itself until it forms a rod. No, make that a dildo. A wind dildo. That's just crazy. I model it on Arc's cock - the one that's just the perfect length and girth - and press it against my opening. It feels weird. I know it's just air, it's not an actual physical object, but it feels solid enough to slip into me. I'm so wet it's an easy fit. Not that I need any lube to get air into me. Well, this is just confusing. The air is a little cool so I add some warmth, then begin to move it out again, slowly, as if one of the guys was inside of me.

  "That's so hot," Frost groans to my left.

  I make the air expand a little once it's back inside me until I feel thoroughly full. I love that sensation, the tense stretch just before it gets painful.

  With some more air, this time a much smaller amount, I begin to rub my clit. Crispin moans and the sound of his excitement almost drives me over the edge. I imagine them stroking themselves, watching me as I fuck myself with air. My back arches and my hands grip the bedsheets, looking for something to hold on to.

  "Come for us," Storm whispers hoarsely.

  "Now," Arc adds for emphasis, and I don't need any further encouragement.

  I turn the air above my clit into a tiny tornado, stimulating me in the
most delicious manner. Combined with the wind dildo that's pounding in and out of me, it takes mere seconds to reach the point of no return. I moan loudly as I jump off the edge, my body twitching, my mind escaping into clouds of bliss. Dimly, I hear my men groan as they come as well. One of them shoots his cum onto my stomach and that almost makes me come a second time.

  Lips meet mine, a tongue plunges into my mouth while hands begin to caress my breast. Someone kisses thighs, then licks up the wetness between my legs. Fingers enter me, hands run through my hair, someone's cock is pushed against my hand, hard again already. I let myself go, responding to their touch, barely aware of what I'm doing. There's nothing but pleasure and touch and the bond connecting me to my men. We're a tangle of limbs and mouths and cocks, all one, all feeling the same. We'll be together, forever, for the rest of our immortal lives.

  Chapter 4

  I fix my tousled hair with a bit of magic, but there's nothing I can do about my flushed cheeks and swollen lips. But then, who cares. I'm the bloody Queen and nobody is going to dare comment on my appearance.

  We've had a quick shower, all five of us, but I kept it quick because I was so tempted to devour my guys all over again. I know Dewi and Thor are waiting for us, but to be honest, having some alone time with my Guardians was more important than yet another ghost hunt.

  Dewi is alone when we find her in my sitting room.

  "Thor is having a ghost crisis of his own," she explains with a wry smile. "There are reports of ghosts appearing all over the Realms."

  "Tell me about it," I mutter. "I had one appear in my bedroom."

  The dragoness laughs. "Did he join in?"

  A blush heats my cheeks. "Not exactly. It was a Guardian wanting to apologise for his past misdeeds. Do you think your ghost might want to do the same? Does he have anything to apologise for?"