by Wyatt Kane
Sure, his subconscious conjured images of the blonde woman naked. Turning a slow pirouette with her hands raised in the air so he could admire every last inch of her as she had done several times early in their relationship. Making love in the air as they flew high above the clouds over New Lincoln. Even locked in Lilith’s embrace as the two women floated above the bed, with Lilith’s tail questing for Tempest’s most intimate place.
But as well as those precious, sensual images, there were also those that spoke to the heart of the superhero’s power.
In the dead of the night, Ty dreamed of Tempest using her special attack, piledriving Bain into the earth from a vast height at supersonic speed. He dreamed of her supporting his desire to show off for Badger outside of the Concubine Club, and rising into the air with him, Ty, held in her arms.
And he dreamed of her carrying the weight of the pendulum ride that the Master had tried to destroy, saving the lives of fifty innocent people as she lowered them gently to the ground.
As well, sprinkled within these memories of Tempest’s beauty and power were a smattering of those that caught her at her most human, fragile and flawed.
In Ty’s mind’s eye, he saw her dressed in one of Dinah’s flimsy robes, looking distraught as she held the feeble form of her father in her arms. He remembered her look of rage as she pounded Spit Bitch with a metal club, determined to kill her in misplaced retaliation for her father’s treatment. And he remembered Tempest as she lay on the ground, an expression of shock on her face as she gripped Ty’s hands in her own, the left side of her torso no longer there.
To Ty, all these images and more seemed to make up Tempest’s life. Yet even in his dream, he knew she was more than that as well. The blonde superhero had memories Ty wasn’t part of, had hopes and dreams as well.
And now all those hopes and dreams were no more. Perhaps stopped altogether. But perhaps just placed on hold within the confines of the cryo chamber within which she was suspended.
It wasn’t an easy night for Ty. As well as his dreams, there was a part of him that remained conscious of Lilith and Dinah. He knew they were struggling in their sleep as well, tossing and turning in response to their own dreams and nightmares.
Yet even as they each kept each other from a full, restorative sleep, Ty wouldn’t have changed their sleeping arrangement for the world. Returning to his own apartment was no longer an option, but he could easily have sought out somewhere else to sleep. Zach’s bedroom, perhaps. One of the sofas in the cozy den. Another of the mansion’s many bedrooms, several of which remained unused.
But he didn’t. Despite the lack of full repose, there was comfort to be had sandwiched between Lilith and Dinah’s naked bodies.
Ty simply drifted, both asleep and partially awake at the same time, and counted the hours until dawn, knowing that at least they wouldn’t be woken before they were ready.
Except, in the last, he was wrong.
18: Unexpected Visitor
It wasn’t long after dawn when Ty’s fractured sleep was broken not by an alarm, but by a woman’s voice.
“Good morning sleepyheads! Ooh, Dinah, you have company! You should have said!”
Before the speaker had finished, Ty, Dinah and Lilith were all struggling to wake, trying to figure out what was going on. Ty sensed Lilith’s confusion, and the demon woman’s first instinct was to try to hide beneath the covers.
Ty’s instinct was more combative. Before he knew more than that there was somebody in Dinah’s room who shouldn’t be there, he’d worked his way into a partial sitting position.
“Who the hell–?” he began, only for Dinah to place a restraining hand on his arm.
“It’s okay,” the deerkin said with an audible sigh. “I know her. She’s one of us.”
A million questions bubbled through Ty’s brain. ‘One of us.’ Dinah had used exactly that phrase to describe Lilith the night before. At the time, it had been very clear Dinah meant more than just someone who wore the Architect’s device. Her tone had implied a sense of belonging. Of family.
Yet, when she spoke the same words in regard to the newcomer, Ty was equally sure the inclusion was less complete.
At the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder at the woman’s presence. Had he or one of the others inadvertently deactivated the mansion’s shield?
And why was she there? If this newcomer was ‘one of us,’ then Dinah had probably contacted her to discuss the issues they were facing in New Lincoln. But the deerkin had said she hadn’t yet asked for help.
Or had Ty missed something?
“One of us?” the newcomer repeated, stressing the last word. Her gaze lingered on Ty and Lilith for a moment, one eyebrow raised high. “Dinah, you’ve been holding out on us,” she said, her tone filled with lascivious interest. “Who are these delightful people with whom you’re sharing your bed?”
As Ty reigned in his initial response, he took the time to study the newcomer.
She was tall, taller than Tempest, Dinah or Lilith, and slimmer as well, although none of the woman in Ty’s life could have been described as overweight. It was just that this newcomer was built more according to the standards of a catwalk model than an athlete. Although perhaps, Ty thought randomly, that was untrue. He thought maybe pole vaulters might share a similar physique.
With dark hair, an artificial, dark pigmentation to her skin, and eyes to match, the woman looking at them all with obvious lust was exotic. She would have been striking in any crowd, even without the modification to her ears that made them look like those of an elf.
Even her clothes made her stand out. Where Dinah, Tempest and Lilith all wore dark, one-piece costumes of various design, the newcomer had gone in a different direction. She wore a gold halter top, exposing her midriff, and separate trousers.
Ty didn’t want to admit it out of loyalty to Dinah, Lilith, and Tempest, but this woman, to his perception, was equally beautiful. At the same time, there was something about her expression that he didn’t immediately like.
And her voice. It should have been a warm contralto, but there was a hint of harshness to it that Ty felt found irritating.
Maybe it was just that she had jolted him out of his dreams of Tempest. Or it could have been something more basic than that. This woman’s sudden appearance and apparent brashness was at odds with the despondency he felt about what had happened to the woman he loved.
“Vixen, this is Ty and Lilith. The most recent additions to our team here in New Lincoln. Ty has a gift for technology, and Lilith…” Dinah hesitated for just an instant, as if unsure how best to describe the demon woman’s power. “She’s a teleporter, among other things.”
Dinah turned to Ty and Lilith, who still stared at the newcomer with suspicion from her place in the blankets.
“This is Vixen,” the deerkin said. “She was one of the earliest of us. Her skill allows her to borrow the powers of others, for a short time. She and Delve look after the city of Gensburg.”
The dark elf nodded her beautiful head, but still hadn’t taken her eyes away from Ty or Lilith.
“Teleportation and technology, huh?” she said, and Ty couldn’t help but get a sense of covetousness. “I wouldn’t mind trying those skills for a while.” The statement seemed to irritate Dinah a little, but before the deerkin said anything about it, Vixen continued. “I guess you’re responsible for the shield around here?” she asked Ty directly. “I had to phase to get through it.”
Ty didn’t know what the woman meant exactly, but nodded nevertheless.
“Oh,” and Dinah explained. “Delve’s skill enables her to phase between different dimensions. When Vixen borrows that skill, she can do it as well. It makes them an effective team.”
“We’re like ghosts,” Vixen supplied. “Well, poltergeists, really. We can move through walls and eavesdrop on any conversation without being noticed. And if we need to take down the bad guys directly, we can do it from complete safety.”
As she spoke
, she beamed at each of them, as if proud of what she and her partner could do. Then she changed the topic of conversation completely. She licked her lips with obvious hunger as she studied them all.
“So, it’s been a while since I’ve been with anyone other than Delve—” she began.
“Maybe now isn’t the best time for that,” Dinah interrupted, her tone completely neutral.
Vixen looked curiously at Dinah. “I would have thought with all of you still in bed–” she started, but Dinah interrupted.
“No,” the deerkin said flatly. “This isn’t the time.”
Ty wondered what had happened in the past for Vixen to even suggest what he thought she was suggesting. The newcomer’s expression grew puzzled, but she didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she gave a small smirk and changed the topic of conversation again.
“Oh, well. Maybe later. In the meantime, do you think I could power up a bit? Is Tempest around? Or even Zach, maybe?”
At this, all of the grief and sadness of the day before came crashing back. Ty felt Dinah’s and Lilith’s response as if it was his own. For a moment, none of them said anything, and Vixen’s expression faded.
“Dinah?” she said. “What’s going on?”
The deerkin breathed a sigh filled with sadness and gave the woman a nod. Without any modesty at all, she threw back the covers and stood, giving Vixen a full view of her beautiful self. The newcomer responded with an instant grin of appreciation, but the deerkin just ignored Vixen’s response and climbed into one of her robes, sashing it around her waist.
“We have a few things to talk about,” Dinah said to the newcomer. “Come with me.”
With that, Dinah led the dark elf from the room. Vixen hesitated, her expression a mix of uncertainty and burgeoning worry, and followed her out. A few moments later, Ty and Lilith both clearly heard the woman’s undeniable wail of anguish.
Ty felt the cold hand of grief caressing his heart. Vixen’s verbal response to the news of Tempest and Zach matched the sound produced by his own soul at what had happened. He remained as he was, lying in Dinah’s bed with Lilith beside him, and listened until Vixen’s wail died away.
Then Lilith moved toward him, propped herself up on an elbow and placed a hand on his chest.
“How are you feeling this morning?” she asked.
Ty looked into the demon woman’s large, green-tinted eyes. “I’m okay,” he lied. “You?”
The demon woman nodded. “Same,” she said. Then she bit her lip and blushed. “I wouldn’t mind feeling a little better, though.” She blushed even more as she played with the skin on his chest. “If it’s not … wrong, somehow. You know?”
Ty understood. He reached for the demon woman and kissed her on the lips. “I don’t think it’s wrong. And I don’t think Tempest would think so either. She seduced me the day after Zach died. It seems to be how we’re wired now.”
At this, Lilith managed a grin. “Not that I’m complaining,” she said. “It seems better. Healthier, in a way.” She blushed again. “Or maybe I’m just trying to rationalize it.”
Ty smiled back, and that was all the invitation the demon woman needed. She climbed on top of him, straddling his hips, and returned his kiss.
They made love slowly at first, gently, without much of the passion of previous sessions. Yet, Ty was more than happy with that. He let Lilith do most of the work, riding on top of him, with his hands resting on her hips.
Soon, Ty managed to forget about Tempest for a while and just enjoyed being with Lilith, the feel of her skin against his as she slowly ramped up her pace. He wondered briefly what Dinah might think, of whether or not the newcomer would guess what he and Lilith were up to. But then he forgot about that as well as he moved beneath the demon woman, gripping her ever more tightly, vaguely aware she was flapping her wings in time with their movements.
Then it seemed that flapping her wings wasn’t enough. She ground against him with building passion, her fingernails creasing the skin of his shoulders, her breathing sharper and her eyes clenched tightly shut. Ty held on and thrust as hard as he could, and Lilith let out a gasp of pleasure, then a long, follow-up moan as she shuddered against him.
19: Attitude
When they were done, Lilith lay on top with Ty still inside her, each of them lost in their own thoughts as they recovered.
After a time, into the silence, Lilith asked the same question Ty had asked himself a million times already.
“Do you really think you can bring her back?” she said.
“I don’t know,” Ty replied. “I hope so.”
Ty and Lilith shared a quick shower, climbed into their clothes, and made their way downstairs accompanied by Gremlin. Showing no concern for her own safety at all, the cat ran down half way, then sat down in front of them, lifting a paw to clean herself. As soon as Ty and Lilith passed her by, Gremlin charged down the rest of the stairs.
When the cat saw Vixen sitting in Tempest’s usual place at the breakfast bar, however, she paused and actually growled out loud. Perhaps she saw something in the newcomer she didn’t like. Whether she did or not, she abruptly turned around and sauntered off as if she’d always intended to head toward the conservatory rather than the kitchen.
As Ty and Lilith approached, Vixen glanced their way. The newcomer’s eyes were rimmed with red, but she’d reined in her grief over Tempest and Zach. She gave a surly sniff and said to Dinah, “Here come the lovebirds now.” Then she did a double take, as if noticing something for the first time. “Ooh, I like your wings,” she said to Lilith.
Lilith gave Vixen a narrow look, ignored the compliment completely, and seated herself at the breakfast bar as far away from her as she could, leaving Ty the seat in the middle.
As for Ty, Vixen’s ‘lovebirds’ comment rubbed Ty the wrong way. It was as if she was judging Ty’s and Lilith’s behavior, and from Ty’s point of view, she didn’t have the right.
“Just in time,” Dinah said from next to the stove. She was dishing up a mixture of eggs, bacon, sausages and beans, with side orders of thick, buttered toast. There was even a roasted tomato in the mix, and to Ty’s senses, the smell was delicious. In moments, the deerkin had deposited a full plate in front of each of them, and furnished them all with cutlery to suit.
“Dig in,” the deerkin said. “Even if you don’t want to.”
Ty’s objection died in his throat. Instead, he did as the deerkin suggested and picked up his fork.
This was a different form of cooking from what he was used to from Dinah. Most of the food the deerkin produced wouldn’t have been out of place in a Michelin star restaurant, but this was more the type of thing he might expect from a short order cook in a diner.
And yet, as he chewed his first mouthful, he couldn’t help but be amazed at what she had been able to accomplish with the flavors.
The eggs were perfect. She’d seasoned the beans to elevate them far beyond what he expected, and even the toast carried a hint of cinnamon, and offered a delightful light crunch with each bite.
While the meal was more subdued than if Tempest had been there to enjoy it with them, all four of them made sounds of appreciation as they ate.
But it wasn’t long before Vixen found the space between mouthfuls to speak.
“Okay,” she said. “So, Dinah has told me about Zach, and Tempest. It’s sad. I get that. But I need to know more. Tempest was the strongest of us. What the hell has been happening in your city to lead to this?”
She turned and looked both Ty and Lilith up and down. “How come, after all these years, there are suddenly two new device wearers?” She turned an annoyed gaze toward Dinah. “For an expert in information, it’s like you’ve gone out of your way to keep important bits of news to yourself.”
Ty bridled at the accusation. He frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but Dinah seemed to accept Vixen’s words without rancor. She waved him off.
“I didn’t want anyone to worry unnecessarily,” she said. “Remember
, I monitor not just what’s going on here in New Lincoln, but all of what’s going on in your cities as well. I can see what you’re dealing with on a day-to-day basis. And besides, it isn’t as if I was going to keep you all in the dark forever. I mean, why are you here, if it isn’t in response to my earlier message?”
The dark elf chewed Dinah’s words over. When she spoke again, her tone was less confrontational.
“Just tell me what happened,” she said. “What are you dealing with? And, while I’m at it, where did you find this beautiful man and gorgeous woman?” At this, Vixen’s lips quirked into a smile. “You could have at least told us about them. Or did you think we’d get jealous?”
It was an obvious attempt to lighten the mood, and it worked. As they finished their breakfast, Dinah told her story, effectively starting with the fight between Bain and Zach in the alley which resulted in Ty gaining his device. Ty added what details he could, and Lilith chimed in as well when they reached her part of the story.
They spoke briefly, but did their best to cover the main points, including what had happened to Tempest and Ty’s efforts to save her.
By the end of the meal, Vixen understood the lay of the land.
“So, it’s mostly this Master and his men you’re up against. And this Rubio guy as well,” she said. She frowned as if thinking about it. “He’s doing his best to change things, and wants to pull everything apart. But why doesn’t he just source a big bomb and blow it all up? Why is he going to the trouble of manufacturing these devices and that drug? I don’t get it.”
It was a question Ty had wondered about several times in the past, but hadn’t yet put it into words. But Dinah just smiled.
“That would be my fault,” she said. “Of course, he’s as crazy as a bag full of rats, but remember, he had the Architect in his control.”
She might have gone on, but as soon as she mentioned the Architect, Vixen looked quickly about. “The Architect! You said he is alive. Where is he?”