Between Light and Dark (27 page)

"What are you about down there?"

"Down here?" She teased him, brushing her chest over his engorged flesh, her supple skin like a whisper of silk
against him.

He groaned. "You could not sleep?"

"No. I want you again." Her tongue darted out and licked
the tip of him. His jaw tightened, and he sucked in air.

haven't done this for a while,"
I she murmured. "I didn't
think you'd mind if I practiced."

Practiced what? A second later he knew just what when
her plump lips closed over him and she suckled his engorged length. She took him deep into her mouth, impossibly deep, and the sucking motion sent rivers of pleasure
flowing through him.

"You have not done this to me before," he gasped. With
her free hand, she traced circles over his scrotum until the
flesh there grew taut.

She lifted her head for just a moment. "You never give
me a chance. You're so busy pleasuring me that by the time
we're done, I can barely keep my head up." Her breath tickled his wet skin. "Not that I'm complaining," she added.

Before he could respond, she took him into her mouth
again. Her hands and lips worked him until his heart raged
so fast he thought it would burst from his chest. He fought
to breathe.

The orgasm burst forth with such ferocity, he howled, a
sound that was rife with joy and ecstasy. Afterwards, she
curled next to him, wrapping her shapely curves around him
like a cat. She tucked her head beneath his chin and trailed
slender fingers in lazy patterns over his chest.

He cupped her shapely bottom in his palm and pulled
her closer. She sighed and pressed tiny kisses to his neck.
Goose bumps shivered over his skin.

Axiom lifted his free hand and trailed it through her
shiny hair, letting the strands fall from his fingers before repeating the process.

"You're petting me," she murmured into his neck.

His hand stilled. "Is that acceptable?"

"Hmmmm."

He continued his stroking. He was completely satiated,
one hundred percent satisfied. Laurell's warm body close to
his, her contented sighs, the ache in his chest, all of these
things made his heart dance with delight. In that moment
he could think of no place he would rather be.

"Laurell," he murmured.

"What?" came the sleepy reply.

"Is this what love feels like?"

She stiffened and tried to pull away, but he held her fast
and continued touching, smoothing her hair.

After what seemed like a very long time, she whispered,
"Yes."

The bird watched the women from the trees, cloaked in
night. It listened intently because They wished to hear. It
hopped to the furthest branch when the dark-haired witch
started to walk away from the light-haired one, careful not
to make a sound.

"Dawna, you've got to stop this. The group made a decision, and we have to support that decision," the blonde
said.

"I can't believe no one will listen to me. I'm so tired of
being treated like I'm some kid who needs the coven's protection. I have just as much power as any of them."

"Why are you taking this so personally?"

"Because it is personal. It's not only me they won't listen
to, it's Poe. He's never lied to us before. He has no reason to
lie to us now."

The blonde touched the black-haired woman's arm and
shook her head. "No one said Poe is lying. We said he may
be mistaken. You may be mistaken."

The black-haired one pulled her arm from the other's
grasp. "Doesn't my intuition count for anything?"

"We've gone over this a zillion times. It counts, but even
the most accurate psychic is only about eighty percent accurate, Dawna. You know that as well as I do."

"Except Anne was more like ninety-nine percent accurate."

"No one is expecting you to take Anne's place."

"Of course not. How could I? I clearly don't have the
same power she did." She stalked off, disappearing into the
trees, her black garment making a swooshing noise.

"Come on, Dawna. You know I didn't mean it like that!"
the blonde called after her.

Should I follow? the bird asked Them.

No. The rest of the evening is yours.

Several days later, Laurell stepped from Axiom's cabin on a
windy Saturday morning that was dark and overcast. It was
the most beautiful morning ever, to her, though. White powder dotted the frozen ground and clung to the tree branches.
Tiny flurries cascaded all around and landed on her nose and
lashes. She stuck her tongue out and tasted one as she used
to do as a kid. The flake immediately melted.

"Axiom, hurry up!" she called, descending the outside
stairs.

Axiom appeared behind her wrapped in his usual anklelength black coat and tugged the door to the cabin shut behind him. Together, they made their way to the main house
for breakfast. Axiom walked slowly, stopping to look at the
sky and touch the falling snow with his fingertips.

"You've never seen snow?" she asked.

"I know of it, but have not seen it firsthand."

Laurell grinned. "It's been ages for me." She bent and
scooped some snow into her palms, rolling it into a ball. She darted away from Axiom and tossed the snowball at him. It
smacked his chest and left a wet trail down the front of
his coat.

He frowned, confusion flashing over his face. "You pummeled me with ice."

She grabbed more snow, forming one, two, three little
balls. "Pummeled you? Hardly! This is pummeling!" She
threw the snow at him, each ball in quick succession. All
three hit their mark. Of course, she was only ten feet away.

"What-" he started, but then his mouth curved and his
eyes flashed with mischievousness as he realized it was a
game. He followed her lead, grabbing snow and packing it
into balls. Laurell figured she'd better put more distance between them and ran ahead, scooping another snowball as
she went.

He lifted his arm and a moment later, a snowball made
impact with her shoulder.

"Not bad for a beginner," she teased.

"Perhaps I can do better." Another chunk of snow hit
her in the thigh.

"Better, but still needs work." She tossed one back at
him, but missed.

"Ha!" he cried.

She took aim, and this time the snowball struck Axiom's
forehead, eliciting a wide-eyed look of surprise from him. His
eyes narrowed and suddenly his arms were a blur of motion
and a stream of snowballs came flying her way. Laurell yelped
and ducked behind a nearby oak just in time. The snowballs
made a loud whack, whack, whack as they hit the tree.

"Not fair! You can't use your powers," she called from her
hiding spot. She'd forgotten how quick he was.

"You did not explain that rule to me." Axiom's deep
voice directly behind her and his breath tickling her nape
made her jump and whirl. He wound one arm around her and pulled her close to his body. With his free hand he
brushed stray hair from her eyes. The snow fell more densely
around them, and little specks of white dotted Axiom's
thick ebony hair.

His gaze was soft, adoring. "You are beautiful," he said.

Laurell's insides turned mushy. Her throat constricted.
Right then, in his strong arms, she felt beautiful.

Later that day, Axiom left Laurell with Fiona, who was intent on teaching her various aspects of spell work, and took
a walk in the woods. Wayne was finishing his lunch and said
he would join him shortly to assist in their weekly sweeps
for any indication of the Umbrae nearby. Laurell promised
him she would attempt astral contact with her mother that
night. He knew she did not wish to interact with her Liaison, but he pushed her to do so anyway. He would feel better about their safety if the Council were to confirm it. He
could not seem to erase his feelings of unease.

It did not help matters that ever since her warning of
doom was disregarded by the coven, Dawna had been sullen
and withdrawn. She spent most of her time with the raven
Poe, conversing silently with the bird. Her partner, Lynn,
had expressed her worry to Axiom just that morning. He
had reassured her all would be well, but was not so certain of
this himself.

He trudged toward the north side of the property, keeping his senses open for any hint of Umbrae. He took in
each tree branch, each leaf left on every plant or bush. All
appeared normal.

His midsection suddenly burned, and it became difficult
for him to breathe. He almost lost his footing but managed
to stumble a few feet to a nearby tree, where he leaned and
struggled for air. Pain sliced his stomach, sharp and hot.
Every muscle in his body clenched, released, clenched again.

"Ahhhh," he groaned as a wave of dark energy made his
body spasm. His teeth ground together hard enough that,
had be been human, they would have cracked. He knew
what it was, of course.

Earth's dark side. The evil force that was spreading corruption, depravity, and cruelty over the planet like a virus.
That same malicious power seeped into his veins, pulsed
through his heart, and called to the part of him buried deep.
Axiom gasped and willed it away. Not now. No. Not ever.

Would it never admit defeat? How many times must he
fight the dark force before he was left in peace? Images vulgar and horrifying flooded him: hatred, blood and pain, unspeakable and repulsive things that made bile rise in his
throat and his stomach lurch with nausea.

He called to his own light, focused it, and made an effort
to strengthen his aura. The black power still clung. It assaulted all that was bright and luminous in him, and he
fought against the attempt to defile his spirit.

"Ax, what is it?"

With great effort, Axiom lifted his head. Wayne stood a
few feet away, wearing an expression of concern. Axiom
tried to speak, but could not. The evil sensed Wayne's luminosity, his inner radiance. And wanted to stamp it out.
Wayne stepped closer to him, and the Gray God held his
hands up to ward him off.

"Don't!" Axiom managed to grunt the word from between jaws tense with his inner struggle. He closed his eyes
tight, clenched his hands into fists, and pushed, thrusting
his light force through his entire being until he was flooded
with the potent wash of its vibrant current. Air returned to
his lungs and he gasped it in greedily. The god force pulsed
and threaded its way through his aura, dug beneath his skin
and through his organs, soothing, calming, battling the
shadow force until it had dissipated completely.

Seeming to realize the threat was gone, Wayne stepped
close and grabbed Axiom's arm. "Are you alright? What
just happened?"

Axiom nodded and focused on the other man's open
face, the warm concern in his eyes. He would have to explain this to Wayne. His shame would no longer be just his
own private disgrace.

"I will tell you, but I must have your complete and total
silence on the matter. No one else may know of this." His
heart was finally slowing, his pulse returning to normal. He
could actually hear more than the sound of his own blood
rushing.

Wayne's eyebrows rose. "You have my word, Ax. Now
tell me what the hell is going on."

Laurell stepped onto the Astral Plane and willed the place
into a symphony of metallic colors. Gold, bronze, silver, and
rose hues sparkled and shone over the ground and sky, brilliant, dazzling. She scented the air with lilacs and waited.
She took a seat on a large crystal boulder and smoothed the
plain white gown she wore.

"Mom," she called out. "I'm here." No answer. She turned
her head this way and that, searching for any sign of life.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite granddaughter from my
favorite past life." A familiar voice broke the silence, and
she whirled to see her grandmother, Helen, striding across
the silver turf, resplendent in a flowing pink gown. Pink
was Helen's favorite color.

Laurell jumped from her seat, heart swelling with joy.
"Grandma," she gasped. Helen pulled her into a hug, swift
and earnest; then Laurell took a step back and took a good
look at her grandmother. Helen's skin was smooth, save for
small laugh lines at her eyes and forehead. Her dark hair
was thick, with only very slight touches of gray. "You look
so young!"

Helen chuckled. "We get to decide our appearance here.
Most folks choose to look as as they did in their twenties.
Not me, though. I chose somewhere in my mid-forties." Helen's eyes grew distant. "That was the happiest time in my last life. My body was still strong and your grandfather was
alive and well."

Laurell shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe it's
you. I'm so happy to see you." Her stomach clenched with
guilt. "I'm so sorry I didn't see you before you died. I didn't
know you were sick." Of course, that had been her own
fault, because she'd cut off all contact with her mother and
refused to provide a forwarding address or phone number
when she moved to her last apartment.

Helen put a finger to Laurell's lips. "No apologies now,
my dear. They simply aren't necessary. We have bigger
things to talk about."