Shadow Rising

I let go of him and slipped around to the front, where I sat on the floor in front of his chair. I tipped my head back so I was staring into her pussy, and then, leaning up, began running my tongue over her clit. Nerissa let out a loud sigh, her mouth filled full with Roman’s girth. I began to tongue-bathe her, and slid three fingers inside the moist wetness between her legs. She squirmed against me, as she bobbed up and down on Roman’s cock, moving faster and faster. Roman did not breathe, nor pant, and I wondered if that seemed strange to her but then again, we’d been together for a while now, and neither did I.

But then he clutched her hair with both hands, and I could see he was holding himself back, trying not to hurt her, and in another moment, as I fluttered my tongue over her clit, he came, loud and crying out. He pulsed in her mouth, and I watched as clear liquid ran down the sides of her cheeks. She swallowed, draining him dry, then turned to me, and I tipped her over on her back, on the floor, my head between her legs, holding her by the waist.

“Menolly, oh harder, please, harder.” She was bucking, as I gave her what she wanted, what she craved.

I rose up, shaking my braids back from my face. “Baby, you love this, don’t you?” As she cried out “Yes,” I went back down, coaxing her, cajoling her, bringing her to the verge and then hanging back. I slid two fingers inside her and she clamped down, squeezing hard as I tickled her G-spot until I got a response.

As Nerissa gave a little shriek, Roman swung around behind me and the next moment, he was thrusting himself inside me, hard and demanding. The feel of his cock filling me full, of his balls swinging against my ass, sent me soaring, and the knowledge that Nerissa’s lips had been on him, that he’d been in her mouth, made everything that much more exciting. I worked Nerissa, worked her good, and as she came, shrieking, Roman came again, spurred on by her cries.

He rolled away, to the side, spent. As he lay on the floor, his head turned to the side as he watched us, Nerissa moved up to lay me back. She covered my face with kisses, as her fingers traced over my breasts.

And then, the world fell away, Roman included, as we focused on each other. Touching, teasing, persuading, tongue against skin, lips against breasts, legs entwining, her fingers tickling my stomach, until the room was filled with a sex haze so thick you could cut through it with a knife.

There was no end to me, no beginning to her. We moved as one, knowing each other so intimately, so intently, that every touch resonated through both of us, every kiss rocked the room. And then, the kindling caught a spark, and we were up, like a rocket, riding our passion. The world around us could have ended, and we would never have noticed.

I rested my head on her shoulder, still flush with the warmth of her love. Nerissa softly combed through my hair with her fingers, then traced down my arm to my hand, embracing it, threading her fingers between mine.

I murmured a soft “I love you” as everything came back into focus. And then I realized where we were. As I slowly sat up, Nerissa following suit, I looked around. Roman was gone.

“When did he leave?” He wasn’t anywhere in the room.

“I have no clue.” Nerissa stretched, a luxurious expression on her face. She wrapped her arms around her legs, hugging her knees to her chest. “This was…different. But not bad. Not nearly what I expected.”

“Me either.” I leaned against her shoulder. “How did you know?”

“Know what?” She shivered, and I grabbed a throw off one of the fainting couches and draped it around her shoulders.

“That Roman is lonely. I didn’t see it. I had no clue. I thought he just wanted…” But I stopped. He’d made gestures before, said things that caught me off guard. Maybe I had known, but hadn’t wanted to see it, because once something became apparent, it meant I had to deal with it.

“I think I knew at the VA meeting, when he was watching us. On the way home, we talked. He said…he started talking about our wedding, and that led to me asking about his weddings. He didn’t say much, but then he looked at me and said, ‘There can never be enough love in the world. I’m so glad Menolly has you.’ And he sounded lost, like a little boy out in the rain who doesn’t know where his home is.”

It was hard to imagine Roman saying that, but then again, Nerissa was a counselor. She brought out the confidential side in people.

I nodded. “If I showed the slightest move to being his mistress instead of just his official consort, he’d jump on it.” I stood, wrapping my arms around my shoulders. I really wanted a shower. Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was close to four a.m. We’d have to be leaving soon.

“I know he would, too. I see the way he looks at you. Menolly, honey, he doesn’t want me. This was never about me. Which is why I suggested tonight. It’s about what you and I have together, and what he doesn’t have. He needed to see it for himself. To prove to himself that…that what we have is real. That he’ll never come between us. But Roman, thank the gods, is too much of a gentleman to move in and force the issue.”

I nodded. “Yeah, he is. Maybe he still has more feelings—emotion—than I give him credit for. Vampires tend to lose their humanity through the years. Some manage to keep it, but it takes nurturing. Roman’s done very well, but I thought…I didn’t think…he’d ever be interested in that side of life again. Sex is one thing…love, quite another.”

At that moment, the door opened and a maid came in. She curtsied. “Lord Roman offered the use of his bath if you’d like to shower. He’s indisposed, but he bids you take the limousine home, and he also asked me to give you this.” She held out a box wrapped in gold paper, with a large bow. “He said to tell you that it’s fragile, so please, be careful with it.”

I slowly took the box and peeked at the card.

Menolly and Nerissa—please accept this token of my esteem in light of your coming marriage. I regret that I shall not be able to attend. But thank you, for an evening well spent. Menolly, I will always and forever remain your humble paramour.—R

“A wedding gift.” I frowned, tapping the card against the package. “Let’s go home and shower there. The Wayfarer is closed, so we’ll just grab the Jag there and take off.”

Nerissa looked like she wanted to ask something, but I shook my head. I was getting a seriously weird feeling, and I wanted out of Roman’s place. She gave me a nod and we hurried into our clothes.

The limo driver dropped us off by the Jag and waited for us to get in and make sure everything was in working order, and then he took off back to Roman’s as we pulled out and headed home.

“What was it you wanted to ask?” I glanced at Nerissa as she leaned back against the seat. She was used to clubbing half the night, so I knew she wasn’t too worn out, although she did look tired. But I sensed something was bothering her.

“We haven’t even sent out invitations for our wedding. Roman passed, not even knowing when it would be. Why do you think so?”

That little fact hadn’t escaped my notice, either. “I have no clue, and I’m not sure I want to. But…I’m thinking…I don’t know. No, I don’t even want to speculate. Roman could have a thousand reasons for saying what he did, and I’d rather not assume. It’s dangerous to assume with vampires.”

“Yeah, I suppose. Just…the energy shifted, babe. By the time we left, I was totally creeped out. What happened? And why? And why do I never want to darken the inside of his house again?”

I didn’t answer as she turned her head to gaze out into the darkness. As we sped through the rain and mist rising off the asphalt, with the glittering rain splashing in the headlights, a dozen thoughts raced through my head, none of them pleasant to dwell on.

I went wandering in my dreams again, out on the Dream-Time, cloaked in mist and a burgundy hooded robe. I wasn’t looking for Roman—in fact, I didn’t want to see him at all for a while. Luckily, there were no official events coming up any time in the next few weeks.

As I skirted mist and rock, I tried to figure out why I was here. Sometimes I just dreamed, usually nightmares. And some days I slept in oblivion, blissfully unaware until the sunset called to me.

But when I went wandering out on the Dream-Time, there was usually a reason. I came to a boulder and sat down, waiting for some answer to come to me—a sign, or even just a tap on the shoulder.

The tap on the shoulder shocked the hell out of me, for two reasons. One, I really wasn’t expecting it, and two, it was a real tap on the shoulder and Chase was on the other end of the finger.

“Chase!” I jumped up. “What the hell are you doing out here on the Dream-Time?”

He was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a sports jacket, and his hair looked tousled, as if he hadn’t brushed it in a while. “I have no clue. Something must be wrong because I was sitting at my desk a little while ago and now I’m here and I have no memory of going home, or going to bed.”

“Pull up a rock and sit down.” I motioned to the space on the boulder next to me. At least, if I had to be stuck out here, I had company. “Can’t you just wake up or something? I can’t, but…you’re human.”

“Human with not so much elf in him?” He grinned. When I looked confused, he sighed and leaned back on his elbows. “Oh come on, you’ve been over here this long and you haven’t seen Monty Python? The rat skit?”

Again, I shook my head. “TV is Delilah’s department.”

“Never mind; if I have to explain the joke, it’s not funny.” He sighed and then sat upright again. “I feel like I should be remembering something, but it’s not coming to me.”

“I know—only for me, I feel like I should be finding something out, and I have no clue what it is.” I paused, then decided, what the hell, since we were here, we might as well shoot the bull. “How’s Sharah?”

“About the same. Crying a lot. Throwing up a lot. She and Iris are getting together to talk all things baby. Oh, she asked me this morning to pass along the info that Siobhan Morgan has left for the Isle of Man. She and Mitch need to get over there early enough before the baby is due. They left last week.”

I nodded. “I’m not down much with the baby thing, but I’m glad to hear she actually gets to do that. I can’t believe it’s been this long already since we helped her. That was a rough time…for both her and Mitch.”

Last year, shortly before the fall equinox, we’d helped a friend who had been stalked by an enemy of more than a hundred years. Now she was off to the Isle of Man Selkie Pod to have her baby and to reclaim a royal lineage.

“I hope she comes back. I hope she doesn’t stay there.” I paused, then drew swirls in the mist with my fingers. “So much has changed.”

“You can say that again.” Chase kicked a loose stone on the ground. “For Siobhan. For all of us.”

I wasn’t bored, but I was getting confused. What the hell were we doing out here? Especially Chase, who should be awake, at his desk. I stood up and dusted off the back of my robe. It was also confusing—I didn’t own a burgundy robe and had never even contemplated owning one. I could change my clothes at will out on the Dream-Time, since it was only my dream-self here, but I usually picked something that was more akin to my nature.

I turned back to ask Chase whether Carter had contacted him but stopped cold. Chase was slumped over on the boulder. I raced back to him.

“Chase, Chase!”

His head lolled to the side and I saw claw marks on his neck. Fuck! What the hell had happened?

“Chase, wake up! Can you hear me? Chase!” I shook him, pulling him up to a seated position, but he was out good.

“What the fuck do I do? Is anybody out here? Can anybody hear me?”

I didn’t like calling attention to myself on the Dream-Time, but I couldn’t wake up in order to get help, and it was obvious that Chase was in some sort of a crisis. I thought quickly. Who could hear me out here? And where was out here? I had no clue how to contact anybody.

Chase moaned and began to shake. I went down on my knees beside him and tried to take hold of him, to keep him from hitting his head on the ground. Logically, I knew that he wasn’t here in body, but I couldn’t help it—I had to do something. As he thrashed, I wondered what the hell was going on with him. Was there anybody on the way who might be able to hear me? If he was unconscious, maybe they’d send somebody out to the Dream-Time for him.

And then, I jumped as a crash sounded behind me. I whirled around, still holding Chase in my arms. A creature was aimed right at us. It was nebulous, as translucent as the mist itself, looking very much like a jellyfish. As it neared, I moved to place myself between it and Chase.

The thing paused, then moved to the right, several of its tendrils drifting out toward Chase. I moved with it, interfering with its goal. As one of the tentacles touched me, I felt a little spark but nothing more. Maybe it wasn’t dangerous? Maybe it was just curious?

But then it moved to the left, more aggressively, and I had the gut feeling that if it reached Chase, he’d be in serious trouble. More than he already was. I launched myself and tried to land a strike, but my foot went right through it. I did, however, get a nice tingling shock down my leg. What the hell? It could touch me, but I couldn’t touch it?

“Play fair, bitch!” I was darting now, as its tentacles swept this way and that, attempting to reach beyond me to grab Chase. He lay there, unconscious, paling as the minutes passed. Great, I was playing keep-away with a freaking jellyfish and Chase was the ball.