Stigmata

by L M Adams

  “What is it?” I ask as I snuggle further into Jack. Lucien’s stigmata is lighting up with blue sparkles tonight, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it that particular color.

  “Nothing truly, Wench – your book made me think of home.”

  “You mean…”

  “My childhood home,” he whispers.

  “How so?”

  He lays out on the bed, on his back, one hand behind his head. “Just that I understood it – that sometimes home isn’t home any longer and you have to leave it to find where you truly belong. And the people you truly belong with.”

  “You belong with us.”

  “Oh aye, there is no plainer truth than that… yet still, I wish I could have shown it to you both.”

  And then I realize the color of his stigmata is reflecting his melancholy. Sadness, but with a bitter sweetness. Just a reflection, not in anger or regret… just a reflection.

  Jack props his head up on his hand, “You know… we could go – to Africa. I know it wouldn’t be the same, but you may be able to find some connection there… perhaps some closure.”

  Lucien looks to Jack in surprise, “Do you believe this?”

  “We only know if we try. My sister lives near the Persian Gulf, we can go visit her and sail south down the coast… or travel over land – whichever you’d like more.”

  I look at Jack, “You never talk about her – your sister.”

  He shrugs, “We aren’t really close, she left Calloway when she was sixteen. Married a sultan… they live as proverbial recluses, but we keep in contact… it would be good to visit her.”

  “I like this idea, Capaneus.”

  “Good, then I’ll start planning when we get home. She already knows all about you both.”

  I raise an eyebrow at that. “And what in the world did you tell her?”

  “That the most powerful woman and man in the world had stolen my heart.”

  I smile, “And what did she say?”

  “I am glad brother.” He hums a bit in the back of his throat, “she knew how bad it could get with my stepfather – she’d begged me over the years to leave and come live with her – that she and Kareem would welcome me into their clutch.”

  “Your father wouldn’t have objected?”

  Jack huffs, “If you think I’m rich – you have no idea what rich is. They’re the wealthiest vampires in the world… perhaps in history… humans loved their oil and Kareem comes from a long line of oil rich sultans… old blood. My father wouldn’t have dared to upset Kareem.”

  “Black blood,” I whisper.

  “Black blood,” he nods. “Point is we could go, and we could do it in style and in safety.”

  Lucien rolls to his side to face us, “Only if you wish it so, Capaneus.”

  “I wish it so,” Jack says a bit mockingly.

  And Lucien gives us a good smile before bending to my lips for a quick kiss, when he lifts his head, he looks at Jack with longing.

  “Okay,” Jack whispers and they kiss each other quickly on the lips, both of them being a bit awkward but still unbelievably sexy.

  “That’s so hot,” I whisper.

  Lucien looks back down at me, “Oh aye, Wench?”

  I bite my lip and nod.

  “Maybe Capaneus should give your greedy little kitten a bit of cock.”

  “Please,” I look back to Jack with longing.

  “You don’t deserve it,” he murmurs low, but his hand begins roaming my body, his fingertips igniting the passion that’s always beneath the surface of my existence – waiting to break through.

  I look back to Lucien pouting, “Make him give it to me, Luey.”

  Lucien grins, a bit mischievously, “I have a better idea, since you like to watch us kiss so much.”

  He gives Jack a look I can’t quite decipher, and the two men move in on me. Jack kisses my neck, Lucien my lips and then there is nothing but tongue and teeth and tantalizing fingertips that all know how to taunt my body into an erotic fever.

  I close my eyes just to concentrate on the feel of them worshipping my very mortal flesh. They move down together, in perfect synchronicity… kissing and licking and sucking all the way; until Lucien lifts my leg up and nestles his head tightly between my thighs. Jack’s fingers spread the meat of my ass and their tongues touch both clit and anus at the same moment – giving me perfect kisses.

  “Oh,” I moan for them both not sure which sensation I enjoy more. Wishing to die before either of them stops.

  My body moves like a snake, slithering between two tongues, I want them both to lap up every bit of my come, and my Goddess do I come. Lucien slides a finger into me first, and then Jack and together they finger fuck me in perfect tandem as well.

  They take their time, there is no rush… they try to find the end of my need, yet that is a thing I’ve never been able to find myself. At times I believe I could fuck every person in the world and still wish for seconds.

  “Someone, fuck me,” I moan, because fingers are nice – but sometimes you just want some dick.

  They move up the bed again, it’s Jack that presses into me and pushes inside of my core. I whimper with the pleasure of having him, how his body moves, how his cock is always a perfect fit.

  I open my eyes to see Lucien stroking himself, enjoying watching us together, but we can do better than this. I reach behind me and hold on to Jack’s side as I think of how I wish our bodies to be.

  Our thoughts are always so open when we’re fucking. He rolls us both, him on his back, me on mine, laying on his chest, his cock still in me. I spread my thighs and put my feet flat on the bed, opening myself up for Luey’s viewing pleasure.

  He needs no urging and moves to kneel between our thighs, watching Jack’s cock reappear and disappear into my very wet and greedy kitten.

  “Yes,” he growls low and begins stroking himself again. He grabs my thigh, almost kneading it with his left hand as he taps his cock on my engorged clit.

  “Come in her,” he orders Jack low and Jack always ready to come and to please, obliges with a low groan, hardly missing his next stroke.

  I can feel Jack’s pleasure pouring out of me and down his cock and sack. Lucien’s hand speeds up. He’s ready to come, fuck he loves seeing my pussy used. Next to being inside of it, this is his favorite way to have me.

  “Not until Jack gives you permission,” I order him low.

  He groans and digs his fingers into my thigh tighter.

  “Permission Capaneus!”

  “No, you don’t deserve it,” Jack whispers and begins fondling my breasts, pinching the nipples around my piercings, tugging them. Lucien drinks it all in and the low fire burning in his eyes ignites.

  “Capaneus…” his voice cracks over Jack’s name, “please… let me enjoy you both.”

  “No.”

  Lucien’s hand moves faster, “I will do anything.”

  “Tell me why you need to.”

  “Because,” Lucien whispers, his bottom lip shaking, “I need you to love me back.”

  Jack whimpers with heartache – Luey just gets to him. It’s always wonderful to see a strong man be vulnerable. Jack and I have mirrored thoughts that these moments are what we love most about Lucien.

  When he begs he means it, he needs it, he’ll set aside his pride to show us how desperate he is to have us. How desperate he is for us to love him back. Lucien expresses and understands love physically. It’s why he doesn’t share his body with others, why he’ll never really like it when we share ourselves with others.

  Now we tease him with the things that are his love language – and he needs us to say I love you back.

  Jack pulls from me, “Come inside of her.”

  Lucien pushes up to his knees and looms over us as he slides into me, coating his cock in my essence and Jack’s come. He doesn’t last more than a few moments.

  Lucien likes me filthy – just on his terms… he likes me filthy when it’s between us and for us – he likes me
filthy when the filth was created with love.

  60

  Jaevia – The Vow

  Lucien wakes us up early on our last day… the sun isn’t even up yet.

  “I want to do the ceremony,” he murmurs gently sitting up in the bed.

  Jack rolls to his side and wraps an arm around me as I drag my consciousness from the depths of oblivion.

  “But everything is… not great,” Jack says gently “are you sure you want to bind yourself… to me?”

  “More than ever, Capaneus. I understand what and who you are. I love you, that is all that matters in the end.”

  “You’re a good man, Luey.”

  He shrugs, seeming a little shy with the compliment, “I just try. I want you both to know that I am yours, and that will never change… no matter what. I know this won’t be easy, but I wish this commitment to you both.”

  I know in my heart that this probably isn’t the greatest idea – but what can we do at this point? We cannot be without one another, now we must strive to survive each other… or perhaps do more – heal each other.

  Lucien doesn’t like uncertainty… not when it comes to our hearts. Jack and I are of one accord, there’s not another man we’d trust like this, to be our dominant and protector, to give ourselves over to so completely. Lucien is it for us, there is no question, in this life and the next until the end of time.

  We gather outside on the beach, the men in pajama bottoms, Luey in red bottoms and Jack in dark blue. I’m wearing a black silk nightie, my purple hair as wild and as untamed as our love for one another.

  The morning is filled with the smell of salt and earth. A moving and living thing… much like our love. Ever changing, ever evolving, and just as delicate in some ways.

  This ceremony is a little different than our marriage. We said our vows with a more passive magic. We are magical creatures; it made our wedding magical. But now we will use active magic, true power with intent to bind ourselves together.

  Although this is Luey’s idea, and we will be using a spell from Luey’s homeland, I will be the focal point. Instead of us bonding ourselves to him, they will bond themselves to me. We think this will be enough to keep Lucien’s curse from traveling into our souls.

  Lucien teaches me the words we need to say and even explains them – it’s all pretty simple and translates – from my soul to your blood and my body to your spirit bound in time yet without form.

  Goddess knows I have my misgivings, but then I feel Jack’s pleasure in knowing he’s been invited to be bonded as well – and hell, I can’t be the flipping party pooper.

  Lucien gathers some fallen wood from the small jungle and builds a small fire out on the sandy beach. The wind that rolls off of the ocean smells of a coming storm, we’re heading into the heart of hurricane season.

  The fire sparks and holds, if it wasn’t magical, I’d be worried the flame wouldn’t burn – but this is a fire Lucien built, and his power is greater than a gust of wind from the ocean.

  I watch the wood burn, cracking and turning to gray ash and then darkening further into a pitch black as the fire consumes it. Luey’s magic makes the fire burn more red than yellow, sparks of gold lifting from the flame.

  He unsheathes his sword and stands. His sword, a gift from his father. The only thing he had for a very long time to connect him to his past and to his people. Most Kindred Reapers carry modified katanas… but not Lucien. He carries a god killer, one the few weapons that can actually end a god’s life… and it looks it. Large and heavy, it reminds me of a broadsword. The pommel made to be gripped by hands not of this earth – yet Lucien can wield it with perfection. Does this mean he is not of this earth?

  Lucien holds it up above the fire, tip pointed down, with one hand, and uses his other to grab the sword blade at the bottom. Jack and I grab the sword as well, stacking our hands between Lucien’s, cutting our flesh and letting our blood flow down the silver blade mingling together before it falls into the fire that separates us….

  Lucien pledges himself to me and then Jack, Jack pledges himself to me and then to Lucien – I repeat the words as the focal point…

  From my soul to your blood and my body to your spirit – bound in time yet without form.

  Our blood flows into the fire, making it spit and hiss. After I finish the words… the fire grows, the tip of the flame licking the tip of the silver sword.

  “Hold,” Lucien whispers and we do just that, we let the fire burn up the blood covered sword… up and up it grows, covering our hands… yet it doesn’t burn at all. I look down and see the fire is gone from the small blackened logs, it’s actually moving.

  When it reaches Lucien’s hand at the top, he whispers something and the fire swirls again, leaving our hands and his sword, and flies up into the air like a ribbon with a tail of reddish gold, traveling in the direction of the sun that’s hidden behind the dark sky above us.

  “What did you say?” I ask as Jack and I let go of his sword.

  “Tell my father… I’m at peace.”

  Who knows where the tail of fire will end up, maybe it will run out of magic and fall to the ocean only to become extinguished? Maybe it will reach the ear of Ra. Maybe it doesn’t matter as long as Lucien is at peace with his choice.

  I hope to god it stays that way.

  Our hands heal easily as a roar of thunder cracks in the air… it’s not from the coming storm.

  “Right on time,” Jack whispers and turns back to the house to greet Tabari and the others… and probably to go and worry and see to our baggage being taken home. Jack does like to worry.

  I loop my arm in Luey’s as we walk back to the house at a more leisurely pace.

  “You seem sad, Luey, already regretting binding yourself?”

  “Of course not, Jaevia,” he sighs, “as foolish as it is, I really wish for you and Capaneus to have been able to see my home – if only for a bit. The way I remember it... that felt like saying goodbye to a dream.”

  “It’s not, and I know it will be out of your time, but we will see it and it will always be your home in the past, the present, or the future.”

  He smiles down at me with a nod, but I know it’s not really good enough – it’s just all the world has to offer him.

  We go and get cleaned up and dressed, it’s time to leave our perfect little nowhere. I get dressed in a pair of jeans, a black tank top and a pair of chucks. I’m the last to make my way downstairs… I really don’t want to leave.

  Tabari has returned with Kiah and Adam in tow to help move what we’re taking back home through the portal. The concrete room is awash with light from the magic filled mirror. They’re carrying the last trunk through now; everything is gone except Luey’s sword which sits leaning against the wall near the door. He won’t let anyone carry it through a portal but him, not to say he doesn't trust others with it – he just doesn't trust others with it.

  “How are things at the warehouse?” I ask as I watch the young berserkers carry the last trunk between them through the portal… both of them laugh as they disappear into the shimmering mirror.

  I huff, “That good,” I look at my wayward brother.

  I just want to make sure I’m not walking into a shitshow, I really might just stay here. Jack is to the side going through one of his check lists to make sure we don’t forget anything. Luey goes to turn off the electric and shut down the plumbing lines.

  “All is well,” Tabari says as he closes the portal so we can wait for Luey to get done. No effort at all to manipulate the portals… he could make me feel better by at least pretending some things are hard for him to do. “No one killed anything humanoid, and Kitty only blew up the kitchen,” he shrugs nonchalantly.

  Jack turns around, looking up from his tablet… horror covering his features, “My kitchen?”

  Tabari nods, “One and the same.”

  “Why did you let her use my kitchen for spell casting?”

  “Let? Kitty?” Tabari raises an eyebrow. />
  “Yes! She knows the rules, you all know the rules.”

  Tabari nods, “But she did it in the dead of the night… the witching hour, we didn’t know until the warehouse went boom and shook from the force.”

  “How bad is it?” I ask in a whisper.

  “Well… you can have a skylight in the kitchen now too… if you want one.”

  “What in the Blood King’s name was she casting?!”

  Tabari sighs, “She’s trying to make a binding spell for Azazael so we can capture him, but to make the spell powerful enough…” he makes a little explosion motion with his hands.

  “And you let her experiment with that level of a spell?” I ask just as flabbergasted as Jack.

  Tabari nods, “She’s a powerful witch, it was worth the try… although, I did tell her to do the testing outside, she just didn’t listen to me. Don’t worry I told her very firmly to go outside from now on.”

  “Well thank goddess for that,” I dry pan, “I’m sure she’ll listen to you now.”

  “It’s not my fault that Kitty doesn’t listen to me… she’ll listen to Frank sometimes – but Lucien is about the only one she’ll heed without the risk of losing a limb… do you know at the wedding she was eating someone’s…”

  I hold up a hand, stopping him midsentence.

  Jack sighs and begins typing on his tablet furiously, “I’ll see what we can salvage and get a repair crew in… the woman needs her own spelling house… a shack or something, we can’t keep going like this, she does five thousand credits worth of damage a month… if we’re lucky!”

  I sigh agreeing but, “She’s doing it for sweet reasons.” Because yes, Kitty is irritating, but she’s our Kitty, she’s our batshit crazy witch and she loves us all in her weird half dead zombie witch way – she’s the eventide house den-mother.

  “Well, I wanted to redo the kitchen anyway…” Jack just goes with the flow – going against it takes too much work especially when it’s a Kitty wave.

  Luey comes out of the mechanical area and joins us in the portal room, he closes and locks the heavy metal door behind him. The runes of power glow with red and gold, sealing it tight… no one can get in but us – this is ours… our little slice of the world. “All is good,” he picks up his sword and turns to look at Tabari, “now what’s this I hear about Kitty blowing up the kitchen?”