Chapter Twelve
I closed my eyes and shivered at the thought, “Yes, your lips against my throat, that was… erotic. I am still unsure about the logistics of how such a thing would work, but I am not opposed because of logistics. Give me a hundred years or so to get over my Humanity, and things might be significantly different. Of course, if after the Maturing, you touch me and set me on fire like that again, I may have to get over my Humanity much quicker. That was… breath-taking.”
“It would be cruel to tease me about such things.” He was very stoic with his jaw set hard and eyes just as unflinching.
“I agree and would never do such a thing,” I moved against him and scooting up, I touched his face. Traced the hard jaw with my fingers, enjoyed the feeling of the silky fur. “You have touched me a million times before and I have never had such a sensation from it. I don’t fully understand why it would happen now.”
“The other reason Elders do not have sex with Elders before the Maturing, our touch does nothing for them.” His jaw was still hard set. He still didn’t believe me.
“Anubis, believe me or not, I swear I would not tease you about such a thing. I am not comfortable enough in my own skin to do such a thing. What I can admit to though, at least with you, is that a single kiss has never caused my breath to escape me, and my heart to race. My skin felt like it was on fire and being electrified at the same time where you touched it. When you took my pulse, the sensation became even worse. I couldn’t catch my breath, I couldn’t think, and that is why I asked you to stop. Besides, if you hadn’t stopped, I’m not sure what would have happened to me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Really? Do I need to spell it out for you?” I didn’t yell, but I wanted to. Instead, I took his hand and placed it over my heart. I could feel it like a feather resting on top of my breast. My nipples hardened, they became visible through my shirt. I wanted him to see, I didn’t want to have to explain it. That seemed to take something away from it. His eyes were still locked on mine though, refusing to look anywhere but my face.
I took his hand from the top of my breast to my nipple and his hand set me on fire. I could feel my body tightening, stiffening. I wanted nothing more than for him to touch me, to explore every inch of me. I didn’t care that I wasn’t sure how I would kiss him, I only cared that his hand not leave my body.
His eyes widened. Finally, he understood that I wasn’t teasing but reacting to his touch. Reacting very positively to it. He moved his hand away, wrapping his arms around me.
“If I take a lover after the Maturing,” I whispered into his ears, “you will be at the top of the list, as long as you do not reject me.”
“Thirty days is a long time to change your mind,” he whispered back against my skin.
“No, it’s a very long time to wait to feel more of you. I still don’t entirely understand how it will work, but I’m willing to explore.”
“If you do not change your mind, I will ensure…”
“Stop,” I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of him. “I will not change my mind, Ani.”
I moved, changed positions to straddle him. I grabbed hold of his face, a hand on each side and brought his eyes to look at mine. I stared into them, enjoying the color, relishing the emotions that were rolling off of him. The sadness was gone, replaced by hope and lust.
“Brenna,” he nearly moaned my name, “you have to stop. Oh, God, you have to stop.”
“I’m not really doing anything,” I said to him.
“Yes, you are, you just don’t realize it,” his voice was becoming breathy. “The intimate eye contact, your body against mine, the Bloodletting from earlier, your own Demon powers, your soul, I feel it all, and you have to stop.”
“And if I don’t?” I leaned into him, brushed my face against his. I felt him jerk, his body stiffened. I knew what I had done. He pulled his face away from mine, took hold of my arms and kept me at arm’s length.
“I’m the prude and you’re embarrassed?” I asked him, my voice soft. “Ani, you have nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“I just came and you didn’t even touch me.”
“If you hadn’t jerked away from me, I was going to cum as well.” I told him. “Without you touching me.”
“Every being in this house knows what just happened.”
“Okay, that’s not exactly ideal,” I admitted, “should I apologize?”
Anubis hung his head and chuckled. The chuckle was almost as melodic as his laugh. Another sound that I loved hearing but was rare.
“No, no you shouldn’t apologize.” He pulled me into him, buried his face in my hair. “I could have stopped you if I had really wanted to do so. It is my fault.”
“You take too much blame.”
“Perhaps that is my biggest weakness.”
There was a knock on the door. I hid my face in Anubis’s neck as Gabriel entered. I couldn’t look at him.
“Hey guys, I hate to interrupt, I really do.” There was a note to his voice that told me he was trying to hold in a laugh, I buried myself deeper, tried to make myself smaller.
“What, Gabe?” Anubis had the same tone.
“Could you guys not do that again?” Gabriel closed the door. “The guys and I are sort of loathe admitting it, but…”
“I know, you heard.”
“Heard yes, but uh…” The door opened again. Another person entered the room.
“Heard hell, we felt it,” Fenrir’s voice came to me. “And it was impressive and messy.”
“Fen, don’t be crude,” Gabriel admonished him.
“Fine, that was amazing. The next time the two of you want to have sex or at least foreplay, will you make sure I’m in the building somewhere. I don’t think I have orgasmed that hard in at least a couple of millennia.”
“Sire,” Jonathan’s voice came into the room. “I think I was the only one immune to that tryst. I heard it, but that was it.”
“The three of you though, you felt it? You experienced it?” Anubis asked. I was wishing I could crawl under my covers.
“Yes,” Gabriel and Fenrir said in unison.
“That might be something we need to experiment with once the Maturing has ended,” Anubis said. “Stop hiding.”
I was guessing this was directed at me. I thought about it for a moment and decided I would continue as I was. No need to show my incredibly purple face, as I could feel myself blushing.
“Brenna,” Gabriel’s voice was soft and soothing, “Anubis is right; there is no need for you to hide. It is only natural.”
“Let me try,” Ba’al’s voice came to me. I felt the velvety wings encircle Anubis and I. A Gargoyle’s wings are a thing of amazing power. They are sound proof and can protect just about anyone from any power.
“Brenna,” Ba’al’s voice was even more soothing, “I know you’re embarrassed, but you just managed to make all four of us climax by simply touching Anubis’s face. That isn’t just impressive. It’s amazing. Despite Fenrir’s more crude interpretation of the situation, we are all, well, overjoyed. Hiding your blushing face inside Anubis’s shoulder isn’t doing you any good. Better to face it, get it over with and move on. I imagine it has something to do with our bond and the fact that you still have the residue of Vishnu’s power on you. We all felt what he felt, what you felt is a Djinn power. It is also probably why Anubis climaxed. You feed off of our powers, increased your own, which channeled into Vishnu’s power of mind reading and implantation and gave us all a happy ending. It’s not that embarrassing. At least it was the four of us and not four complete strangers.”
“Or Jonathan,” Anubis added.
“Between the Maturing and the psychic link and the binding that holds us all together, the circumstances just came together to create a situation that you find embarrassing, and the rest of us find enlightening. You not only fed off of our power, we were able to feed of
f yours.”
“Really?” I asked raising my head slightly.
“Really,” Ba’al responded. “While none of us have Demonic powers, we all feel invigorated and energized.”
“I think we should send the extras away,” I told them.
“What extras?” Anubis asked.
“All the extras. What if something else weird happens? What if we go into battle and I manage to infuse you guys with something special, and it backfires and someone dies or gets hurt?”
“She might have a point,” Ba’al frowned. “Do we think the four of us can handle everything that might come her way?”
“If we can’t, we can always use the Call to get reinforcements. As a Lieutenant, she can call Demonnation,” Anubis said slowly. “I suppose it might be fine.”
“You’re very reluctant,” I told him.
“The more the merrier in my opinion,” he told me.
“Even if it means they get hurt for no reason?”
“No, not then,” Anubis gave a heavy sigh. “Ba’al, drop your wings.”
Ba’al stepped away from us. I returned to hiding within as much of Anubis’s body as I could. I just didn’t think I could look at Jonathan right that moment.
“Jonathan, scratch the rotation. Considering the powers that Brenna is acquiring, we are worried about safety. What if she channels a power that is specific to an Overlord and kills one of our own that is trying to protect her?”
“What would you have us do instead?” He asked Anubis.
“Leave the four of us here with her. We will use the Call if necessary. I am wondering if there is a way to move the guard closer.”
“My parents’ house,” I said quietly.
“What?”
“My parents’ house, they are leaving for Europe today. We can take up in the main residence and put the extra guards at a safe distance in the guesthouse. Plus all the Lieutenants of Demonnation live within five miles of my father with me being the exception. Actually, excluding me, most of Demonnation lives within fifteen miles of my father. They can answer my call quickly. The guards in the guest house would be able to see what was happening if we were attacked, and yet be far enough away that if I lose control while we aren’t under attack, they won’t be impacted.”
“The guest house is rather far,” Jonathan agreed, “it is on the other side of the property. There has to be at least thirty acres between the two buildings.”
“I’ll call my parents.” I uncurled and avoided eye contact with everyone in the room as I dug out my cell phone. The sun was starting to rise again. I could feel it. I looked out the window and then at Gabriel.
“Yes, that’s me,” Gabriel told me.
“I’ve never felt the sunrise before.”
“It is rather amazing,” he agreed.
“Hi, Papa,” I said as my father answered the phone.
“Oh, what’s happened now?” His voice sounded desperate.
“Well, I could tell you, but it’s embarrassing. Since you guys are going to Europe, could we take up in your house? We want to put the guards in the guest house and just have the five of us in the main house.”
“Why would you want to do such a thing? Where is Anubis? He knows that is not…”
“Papa,” I sighed, “I nearly had sex with Anubis and for some reason, everyone but Jonathan climaxed when he did.”
I felt myself blushing again.
“Anubis, huh?” He seemed to think about this for a minute. “That makes sense. Good choice.”
“No, no, no, we are not going to discuss that,” I nearly hung up. “Just don’t go there, Dad. I channeled Vishnu, I’m channeling Gabriel at the moment, and I felt the sunrise. I’ve channeled Anubis. What if along with their base abilities comes their Overlord powers? I could kill a member of my guard by accident. However, if they are in the guesthouse, they are far enough away that I can’t accidentally hurt them. They are still close enough to be of use and you live in the middle of Demonnation. All the powerful, important Demons live within fifteen miles of you. I could call them and they could come much faster if we were at your house than in the city in my condo.”
“That makes sense, and Ani agrees?”
“Talk to my father.” I handed Anubis the phone and began packing some bags.
“Yes,” Anubis said and followed it by a long pause. The pause was broken by several more “yeses.”
“It is something to be experimented with later,” Anubis said to my father and I felt myself blushing again. “It could just be the Maturing.”
“Stop,” I took the phone back in time to hear my mother say, “I think it’s great that she has decided to take you as a lover. I hear Vampires are amazing lovers, can do amazing things with their...”
“Really, Mom?” I asked in the phone.
“Oh, hello again, dear.”
“Can we use the house?”
“Of course, dear, your siblings and nieces and nephews are all going with us to Europe. You’ll have the entire compound to yourself. Feel free to use it as your own.” There was a tone in her voice.
“Mom, stop, it was an accident.”
“Yes, I’m sure the first time was. It usually is,” my mother was trying not to giggle at me.
“Damn it,” I shook my head and realized she couldn’t see it. “Fine, I know you want to talk about this, but I don’t. Not now at least. Maybe when you come back from Europe we’ll sit down and have a girl talk.”
“I’m holding you to that, Brenna.” Oh fuck, open mouth, insert clawed toes.
“Fine, love you, when do you leave?”
“The plane will be at the airport in an hour. We were about to leave when you called. I knew you were going to, I told your father we had to wait another five minutes.”
“Great, mom, enjoy Europe.”
“Brenna,” my father’s voice came over the line.
“Oh, man, you are both on the phone listening to this conversation.”
“Oh, Brenna, it isn’t a big deal, try to resist the urge to engage in sex during the Maturing. It causes a loss of control and bad things can happen.”
“Bye, dad, bye, mom, enjoy your trip. Give my love,” I hung up and put my head on the dresser.
“Brenna…”
“Nope, I don’t care what you are about to say, I don’t want to hear it. It’s that simple. You don’t have parents, you were born of the sea, you don’t have a clue what it is like to talk to your parents about sex or have them talk to you about your sex life.”
“I do have parents,” Jonathan responded.
“Okay, maybe you do, but you are the only one of this group.”
“Now, I was going to say, you get used to it. It takes several centuries, but eventually, your parents meddling in your sex life becomes routine. It seems to be an Elder thing. Every time you change partners, your parents are going to know, and one or both is going to start offering you advice.”
“Really?” I looked at Jonathan.
“Really. My parents both still meddle in mine.”
“Great. One more thing to look forward to… Eternity is looking like a very long time.” I finished packing and met the others in my living room. Since they were all doing important looking things on their phones, I waited patiently. I had thrown together my sparse wardrobe quickly, grabbed a couple of talismans, one of them a cross my mother had enchanted for me long ago. I was still wearing the Anubis pendant.
“Ready?” Gabriel asked me, moving the phone from his mouth.
“Yes,” I pointed to my three bags and the sword.
“Okay,” Gabriel led us out the door. Everyone was still on their phones. I shut it behind us and realized it was too damaged to lock. I told the lobby man as we exited into the parking garage. We were moving quickly, very quickly. I was nearly jogging to keep up with them.