Chapter Eleven

Later that night, after everyone returned to the house, Merrick made dinner, and Luna and Karine sat down with him to eat.  Once finished, the trio went to the living room and began to play a board game in attempts to relieve the tension building above them waiting to snap.

About half-way through the game, a burst of light cut through the room, and Rathael sat on the couch behind Karine.  Hello again, my friends.  How have you been progressing?” she asked curiously.

“You’ve been watching us, so you should know, you idiot,” Karine answered sourly.  The game stopped upon Rathael’s entrance, and each took a seat on the couch like the goddess that Karine was avoiding.

You know I can’t watch everything down here…  I could be mentally scarred for life!  Rathael exclaimed lightly.  She got serious and continued, “I’ve come to further your knowledge of the prophecy.”

“Has it changed?”  Luna asked quickly before anyone else had a chance.

Only infinitesimally has it changed.  Now it speaks of an army going against evil in a final battle of sorts.  The four of you and a few others are woven through the words now.”  Rathael answered, not really telling them anything.

“Who?”  Luna asked, hoping they were people she knew.

The goddess sighed and spoke slowly, as if trying to remember exactly who name she’d read, “Merrick’s friend, Cavos, is one of them, and it speaks of a pair of sorts in his case; you must sway them to your cause sometime before time runs out.  Also, two others have been written, but I cannot speak of them; in time, you will know of whom I speak.”

“I hate your cryptic bull!  You know, and you can say, but you won’t!”  Karine exclaimed exasperatedly.  Her sister did not respond, but disappeared in the same light as she came in on.

“Well that was… helpful…”  Luna sarcastically stated.

“You know it,” Karine phrased as she moved to clean up the game and pack it back into the box, “Our game night is ruined, so why don’t we call it a night and start training tomorrow?”

“That sounds like a great idea, Karine; do you need help putting that game away?”  Luna asked helpfully.

“No, you guys go on to bed, and I’ll finish up down here.  Goodnight!” she called to the pair that was already half-way up the stairs.

Once Merrick closed the door of the room, he turned to let Luna change before they both settled under the covers on their distinct sides.

Luna spoke first, “Just curious, but do you sleep at night?  I mean, lore says you don’t, but I wanted to be sure.”

Merrick laughed and sat up to look down at her to answer, “Right now, it’s as if I have insomnia- only sleeping a few hours a day.  When I… turn… things will change.  I’ll only be able to walk in the darkness, so I will sleep in the daytime.”  She continued to look up at him and kept talking, “I won’t be able to consume solid food, and I’ll have to feed everyday.”

“Really?  But you love to cook!”  Luna exclaimed without thinking.

“Yes, I do.  But, again, it’s my problem and not yours.”  He stated despondently.

“What if I want to make it my problem?”  Luna asked, angry that he wouldn’t trust her with some of the burden, “When do you turn?”

“On my birthday next month; turning eighteen will be the last birthday I will ever have.”  Merrick answered stiffly.

“So you have to get used to biting people and not killing them, right?  I can help!”  Luna offered, “Bite me.”

“No way in hell!”  He growled as he moved from the bed to stand at the window, “Just go to sleep.”

“But I’m not tired.”

“Then you must be stupid.  Are you aware of how much I have to struggle to keep from your blood as it is?”  Merrick asked quietly, “Of course you don’t, but that’s why I can never take blood from you.  God, what if I enjoy it?”

“Just once, and I promise I will never let you do it again.  Come on, who better to try it out on than a girl who loves you unconditionally?”  Luna asked.

His darker self inside told him to oblige her request because she asked for it, but his conscience fought back with a vengeance.  Generally, you didn’t bite people you love; American society tended to frown upon that.  After a few moments of pros, small list, and cons, lots more than pros, he threw caution to the wind.  Merrick turned to face her, and it was the first time she’d seen anyone with teeth that sharp.  “You win.”  He muttered while nearing the bed slowly.  “But we do this my way.”

Luna swallowed heavily at the hot look in his eyes, and she knew it was a mirror to her own defiant eyes.  Then he was in front of her and claiming her mouth with his own.  In his kiss, she felt his need to connect to someone, and it burned deep inside of her.

So what else could she do?  She kissed him back, long and hard, reveling in his utterly masculine taste.  He drew her closer and broke away from her mouth, only to place feather-light kisses down her cheekbone as his strong fingers caressed her back.  Then his mouth was gone, and she felt her shirt leaving her body; a small sound of protest slipped from her lips.

Then he was back by her ear and whispered, “Trust me.”  She nodded, that being the only response she was capable of with him that close to her, and he moved them so he was on top of her.  He moved his head so it rested on her chest and rubbed his cheek over the rough material of the bra she wore to bed. 

Her stomach tightened at the unfamiliar intimate contact.  Yeah, she’d gotten the sex talk from mother-dearest and watched the video in health, but nothing prepared her for the real thing.  Luna never had a boyfriend...

While Luna was focused on other thoughts, and caught up in her feelings, Merrick drew closer to her neck and took a deep whiff of the blood coursing through the artery in her neck.  He felt the drum of her pulse under his lips before he slid his teeth into her skin.

In that moment, pleasure rocketed through Luna’s body and a moan escaped from her lips.  She reached for his head and held him to her neck as the sensations grew.  Finally, as if someone flipped a switch, the pleasure heightened to a crescendo, and she began to see stars as waves rolled through her body; she thought she may have even called out his name.

At the same time, Merrick was sorting through the same feelings.  When she called out his name, it was enough for him to let the waves of pleasure take him as well.  Through her blood he felt her desire for him and her love; it was this love that allowed him to hold onto her shuddering form as he slowly began to journey back to reality.  Shortly after, both of them were asleep.

The next morning, Luna awoke from a burning sensation on her wrist.  When she first woke, Luna noticed her lack of shirt and Merrick’s close presence and remembered everything from last night.  Then, she saw her wrist and cried out.

Merrick jolted awake.  “What is it?  What’s going on?”  Merrick asked frantically, now wide awake.  Luna didn’t respond, but he saw what scared her; and it scared him too.  Written on the underside of her wrist were the words verum vestigium redimio, or truth marks the binding in Latin.

He didn’t know why it was there, but he had a sinking suspicion that he really did.  He did the only thing he could think of.  “I’ll call Luc; he’ll know what it is.”  Merrick guaranteed as he rummaged through his drawer to find his cell phone.  Merrick had only four numbers programmed into it: Luc, Jean-Paul, Ràmone, and Jerémie.  He pressed the button to connect the call to Luc and waited.

“Eh, Salut?”  Luc answered from the other side of the phone.

Merrick exhaled in relief.  “Luc, thank god; we have a problème grand.  A big problem and I… need your help.”

“How can I be of service, mon ami?”  Luc asked, suddenly standing next to Merrick in the small room.  Luna dove under the covers until she found her shirt and pulled it back on before coming out once more.  Luc laughed at this, “I am sorry, une peu, and I should have warned you before I materialized.”

“Luna, this if Luc.  Luc, this is Luna; she is most likely my vita cruor.”  Merrick introduced.

“Ah!  Je me souviens…  This is the lucky girl we have heard about.  Enchanter, Luna,” Luc responded as he gave a little bow, “So what seems to be your big issue?  I highly doubt you summoned me to merely introduce us.”

“You would be correct,” Merrick answered, “Je suis dans la purèe.  Look at her wrist.”

“Oui, Ils sont dans la purèe.  Je parle français!”  Luna exclaimed, using her high school language skills, “So cut the crap and speak in English.”

Luc laughed in his good-natured deep tone, “Oh, she’s a fighter, that one.  Can I see your wrist before Merrick has my head?”  Luna nodded and reached out to the shorter man.

Luc examined the words before turning to his friend, “Mon ami, would you mind stepping out of the room for a few minutes?  I would like to speak to her myself.”  Merrick obliged, and the two were left alone.  “That’s better, now, isn’t it?”  Luc asked Luna who remained still.

“What does it mean?”  Luna asked cautiously.

Luc looked at the floor and then back up at her, “Cher, it means you two are bound.  He can never love another, and neither can you.  Did you force him to bite you?”

“Why would you ask that?”  Luna asked suspiciously.

“Because I know my friend, and he is too squeamish to bite humans.  He was afraid of being bound.  To bind, both of you must love each other without question; that’s what happened when he took your blood.”  Luc explained.

“Why didn’t he tell me that before?  I can’t be bound to him- eventually I’ll die, and he’ll live forever in mourning…”  Luna trailed off, “You know I can’t stay with him now.”

“I do know that, ma chérie, but it will break his heart and kill the last piece of humanity he has been holding on to,” Luc intoned sadly, “He will never be the same again.  I must go, but do you have anything you wish to request of me before I leave?”

Luna thought carefully, trying to find a way to have Luc do something to benefit his friend.  “Can you set Eleni and her goons back?  If he doesn’t have to fight them he won’t have to be around me.  It will be more humane.”

Luc began to disappear into nothingness as he answered to her request, “I will do that for both of you, and I hope you both find happiness.  Au revoir, ma chérie!”

As soon as he was gone, Merrick burst into the room.  “Well?”  He questioned, “What does it mean?”

“Nothing,” Luna answered, her cheeks heating up from her lie.  She knew she was blushing because she was a terrible liar and always had been.  “Let’s do some training today, so I can hold my own against the bad guys.”

Merrick shook traitorous thoughts out of his head.  It was impossible, he knew she was lying, but in essence there was nothing to lie about.  “Yes, we will visit the virtual reality world in which I learned to fight.”

Merrick then left the room, while Luna changed clothes in preparation to follow him.  With some thought, she pulled off the necklace that was around her neck and laid it next to the note explaining her absence.  She’d get separated, somehow, in the game and leave him with the note.  Yeah, that was a good idea.

In the training room, Merrick had the console set up and waiting for her.  “You have to touch the console with me while I turn it on, and then we’ll be in the alternate world,” Merrick instructed when Luna drew close.

She did as he asked; trying to ignore the fact that this may be the last time they were this close.  Within seconds that thought was forgotten as the disk whisked them into the busy city sidewalks of Tokyo.

 “This is awesome!”  Luna exclaimed in shock, “What do we do here?”  She got closer to him as a tram pulled up to the curb they were standing at and people began to stream out.

“We wait because if my memory serves me right, someone should meet us here at the tram stop,” he stated slowly as he peered around to see if he saw anyone familiar, “You see all of these people?  They’re players in this game just like us.  This is the only game that is internet led when you pop the game in.”

As soon as he said that, a person tapped him on the shoulder and Merrick turned to face them.  They briefly shook hands before they hugged in the male ‘I really don’t want to touch you, but you mean something to me’ way.  The older man spoke first, “I see you have returned, Merrick, and brought someone else with you.  There is a competition today if you’d grace us with your attendance.”

“Actually, I was planning on taking Luna to one.  I learned most of how I fight by these competitions, and Luna could do the same.  Luna, this is Giovanni Chiuso- my master and friend.  Sensei, this is my very close friend, Luna Avaya.”  Merrick introduced them at the end and Luna timidly shook hands with him.  Giovanni had black hair pulled into a ponytail that was turning slightly silver and green eyes, just like Merrick except for the silvering-hair part.

“I would be happy to lead Avaya-san to the competition area.  I’ve heard that there’s a wonderful competitor in the black-belt division, Merrick.”  Giovanni stated as he led the way.  Luna followed close to Merrick, but couldn’t bring herself to hold his hand.  She feared that contact would make her confess her whole plan, and that would be the meanest thing of all.

The small group stopped at the entrance to a building that looked like an old traditional Japanese temple.  The wood and the door were made of polished wood with some being painted black and a swirled pointy roof.

Giovanni waited as they entered the solid doors and followed them into the enormous building.  Inside, Luna was dazzled by the size of the inside.  All around her, mats of varied difficulty levels held student after student. 

The sound of small voices talking excitedly, the sheer numbers of people in the room enjoying martial arts, and watching others perform their katas made Luna feel comfortable.

“Have you had any training, Avaya-san?  I’m sure one of the basic instructors could show you the ropes?”  The master asked as Luna was looking around excitedly.

“Oh yes, I’ve trained for quite some time.  I’m actually a black belt if you could believe that of me…  I used to teach too, but that was before I entered high school.”  Luna answered truthfully.

The two men stood there, Merrick in more shock than Giovanni at the fact that she was a black belt.  “You’re a black belt in karate?  Why didn’t you tell me?  I was thinking that you were a beginner and a liability the whole time.”  Merrick stated as Giovanni left them.

He returned in a few minutes carrying two uniforms.  One was completely black, Luna guessed that this one was Merrick’s, and the other was the traditional white like Luna was used to.  Each had a black belt with it and matching pants.

“I know you don’t need to be told this, but these are required to compete and hey, they look cool when you’re a master.”  Giovanni stated as Merrick grabbed his uniform and Luna reached for hers.

They both changed behind separate female and male screens and met back by Giovanni, who had moved to stand in front of a large section of whiteboards with many different colored markers scattered around them.

Merrick knew what the boards were about, but Luna still was watching with a blank look on her face.  “See these lines?”  Merrick pointed to the black set of lines before continuing, “These are the ones that the black belts sign up on.  We should make sure that we don’t have to fight each other.  I’ll choose the far line and you write your name down at the other end.”

He wrote his name lightly on the board and dropped the marker into Luna’s hand.  She hesitantly uncapped the marker and scrawled her name in swirling script on the line.  Luna then recapped the marker and placed it gently onto the metal rim around the board.

The trio watched a few matches of little kids, and when it became lunchtime, they ate sitting next to a street vendor’s cart outside.  Luna had never eaten real Japanese food, so it was a real treat.  “Merrick, where are we really?”  Luna asked as she looked around and watched the people pass by.

“We’re in another world that stays parallel to ours; time passes the same way and the seasons change the same.  I used to come here to forget my troubles when I couldn’t stand to return to school the next day.”  Merrick explained as he downed the rest of his soda.

“That’s really cool…”  Luna said as she took another bite; she savored the sweet flavor before she swallowed and continued, “Where do you live, Giovanni?”

“I chose a while back to live my eternity in this world.  There is no crime, and I feel needed here.”  He answered stiffly.  He seemed to be like Merrick first was when she had asked a personal question.  Or rather, how he would be again once she walked away.  Why did she have to keep convincing herself that it was best for him?

“I’ll be right back; I am going to throw our trash away.”  Merrick said as he left his spot in the group.  Luna was relieved to put distance between them, but it was just creepy to be sitting next to an older copy of the man she loved.

“Why do you and Merrick look so much alike?  His dad doesn’t even look like him.”  Luna asked finally.  The similarities were eerie, and she had a feeling the answer was just as important as the question.

“You should be proud, you caught on faster than Merrick,” he stated quietly.  Even his tone of voice matched Merrick.  Giovanni answered Luna’s question, “I am his real father.”

“Why haven’t you told him?  He’s lived thinking he’s been all alone since birth!”  Luna exclaimed angrily, “He deserves better from you; after all, you’re the one who left him.”

“Leim was my only friend, and soon after Merrick’s birth I was… infected.  I sent Merrick to live with Leim so he would have a chance at normal life.”  Giovanni elaborated.

“But you know that never happened, right?”  Luna asked, in tears.

“Of course.”  He looked to the ground at this point in obvious shame over the lies he’d told for years now.  Then he found a new tangent to focus on, “You would cry over my son’s past; why?”

Then it was Luna’s turn to look at the ground masking her own shame.  “I love him a lot, yes, but I’m not good for him.  Can you help me get separated from him today?”

“I cannot do anything to push him farther away, but I will think on it.”  Giovanni answered, stiff again, as Merrick returned to the group.

“What are you up in arms about, mea carus?  Has he offended you?”  Merrick asked, concerned.  He still didn’t guess she wasn’t returning home with him, and it broke her heart once again to see his concern.  He’d known Giovanni the longest, but he was still willing to fight him to please her.

“No… no…  It’s fine.  We were just talking,” Luna answered, biting back the real truth behind her tears, “We should go back to the ring; I’m sure they’re starting soon.”

Merrick helped her up, and the trio entered the building once again.  They split at the front, Giovanni being required to sit in the observation area, and Merrick and Luna continued alone to the ring’s holding room.  Around the room many people with various shades of belts and clothing talked in hushed, excited tones.

“This is where we wait?”  Luna asked while Merrick steered them to a less populated area, “There’s so many people!”

“We shouldn’t have long to wait now,” Merrick said absentmindedly, “What did you and Giovanni talk about?  He seemed very into it, and that is rare for him; in a way, he and I are very much alike.”  Because he’s your father!  Luna wanted to shout, but it wasn’t her secret to tell.

The gong signaled the first matches, the one that Merrick was signed up in.  As he silently walked towards the open door where the attendants would lead to the correct area, Luna watched his back- wondering if he would ever find out on his own or if this secret would die with the end of her short mortal life.

After a long wait, Luna began to get anxious.  Merrick hadn’t returned to the room, and others had.  Was he okay?  She was almost frantic by the time the screen slid open at the front of the room and the winners returned.

She stood on her toes to try and find Merrick, but everyone in front of her topped her by a few feet.  Did everyone in the room have to be six or seven feet tall?  Giving up, she sat on the bench and waited for him to push his own way through.

He was the very last person through the door, and he seemed fine on the outside.  He sported no visible injuries, but seemed a bit tired.  He noticed her appraising look, “The brute was eight feet tall and three hundred pounds.  He got a few hits, but I can heal them; that’s why I’m tired.”

Relieved once again, obviously the feeling of the day, Luna thought back to her decision and spoke, hoping she wasn’t making a mistake, “Merrick, Giovanni…  Well, he is…”  She tried, but she just couldn’t do it.

“Don’t worry, mea carus, I know he’s my father.”  Merrick consoled as he meticulously popped each knuckle on his hands, “Everyone says that we look alike, and he was the one to find me.  I need no more proof.”

 “He didn’t want you to know because he wanted your life to be better without him!”  Luna exclaimed breathlessly.  Then it hit her: Isn’t that exactly what I’m doing now?  Guilt consumed her, so she had to amend her sentence, “He’s a vampire, like you.  He wanted you to live a normal life, but he didn’t know until it was too late.”

Now that shocked him.  Merrick had spent more time in the past with him than anywhere else, so how hadn’t he noticed it?  How had he forgotten that he looked the same now as when they first met ten years ago?  Selective recognition?

Merrick didn’t speak again, and when the gong rang, ages later, Luna left him to sulk in the room alone as she went to face her opponent…

…an opponent who never really faced her.  The first bell rang, the two girls bowed, and then dropped into stances.  That was obviously enough to win because the girl stood back up, bowed once again, and walked off into the waiting crowd.

“I don’t believe it!  You got the easy match.”  Merrick commented as they met back up again.  The girl was the only other person in the room, and was staring intently at Luna.  Merrick spoke up to discourage her, “What are you looking at?  Your mother never loved you.”

The girl turned around to face the opposite direction muttering something odd about him being a freak and the world being doomed from his stupidity.  Luna laughed as she changed into her normal clothing and pushed the uniforms into a bag from a locker around her.  Merrick, who had already done the same, followed her outside into the sunlight where they met Giovanni again.

Knowing that it would soon be time to head home, Merrick led the group to a park to enjoy the peace.  On the way, they stopped at an onigiri vendor to pick up something to eat before they left- with Giovanni handling the orders and money.

The group finally settled down at a picnic table, in between the dojo and the portal home.  They sat around the square table and passed the paper bag of food around, each taking a small steaming ball of rice while a contained silence took over.

After a while of staring at his food, Merrick took a deep breath and said what was on his mind, “Will you just say it already?”  He met eyes with the others at the table but he only meant the phrase for one of them.

“Say what?”  Luna and Giovanni asked in unison.  Luna had an idea of what he might be asking, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. Besides, if she was right, she would be the one in the hot seat for spilling a secret.

“Giovanni, I know you’ve been hiding our relation.  Is it because you are ashamed of me?”  Merrick asked cruelly.

There was a short pause and a heavy sigh before Giovanni spoke up, “You have to understand Merrick, once your mother had you she left me to care for you alone.  That is a heavy burden by itself, and then I was called to repay a debt to an old friend; a debt in which I would lose my humanity.”  He took a deep breath.  “Yes, I am like you in more ways than the obvious ones, but I didn’t want you to have to face the same fate as I.  My best friend offered to raise you in my stead, and I agreed, as long as you were allowed access to my world.”  His speech faltered as he finished the sentence.

This wasn’t Luna conversation, or her business.  At least, not anymore.  This was the moment she needed; she’d get away from Merrick during his conversation and start a fresh life around here.  Virtual Tokyo was nice enough, right?

Luna watched the noisy, excited crowd mingle and separate between each port of the nearby portal house.  Some were families visiting others in this world and some were sightseers who would have already paid to see all of what Tokyo could offer.  Still others were individuals who seemed to be just as awed at the size of this place as Luna.  The crowd provided enough places to hide.

Suddenly, someone ran her down from behind and landed on top of her.  “I’m so sorry, miss?”

“Avaya- Luna Avaya.  I’m alright, thanks.”  Luna stated as a tall boy with dark spiked hair and deep chocolate eyes pulled her to her feet.

“Terry Richards, pleased to meet you; or should I say ‘hajimemashite’?  Are you from around here?”  He asked as he brushed the wrinkles from his clothing.  He was wearing a pair of cargo jeans and a neutral layered top with a kanji word on it in dark print.  His sense of humor was light and easy to understand without being over-the-top.

“Not really, this is my first time here.  My friend was showing me some of the ways that he trained when he was younger, and we ended up here.”

“So where is your friend?  A pretty girl like you could get lost in a town like this without her man.  If he’s been here before I’m surprised that he’d let you out of his sight.”  Terry stated after they moved to sit on a bench.

Sitting down next to Terry, Luna almost laughed at his statement, “You think-?  There’s nothing going on between Merrick and me anymore, I promise.  He’s just a friend and strictly nothing more.  It’s for the best, really.”

“I can’t imagine why; how about we go and get a chai latte at the corner café?  It’s the least I can do for running you down.”  Terry reasoned as he stood and reached for Luna’s hand.

“I’d be honored; a nice latte would do me good.  Lead the way Mr. Richards!”  Luna answered blushing.  Luna took his hand and got up to follow him outside to the street where he led the way to the café on the corner.  New life, here I come…

Following the stereotype of the typical coffee shop, the café had a short line of booth seating leaving the rest of the space to be occupied by circular Plexiglas tables with ornate metal chairs.  Small pictures depicting famous Japanese celebrities drinking various coffee drinks and young kittens rubbing their heads against their mother hung on each wall in random patterns.

Terry led the way to a table in the back corner by the window.  A short while later, Terry ordered their lattes, and they sat steaming on the table while they talked and enjoyed each other’s company.

“So, do you speak native Japanese?”  Luna asked, wondering how he was so great at speaking for himself in this world, “I can hear an accent in your English.”

“Not so much, I actually discovered this place by a letter from the makers asking if I would try their dimension out before they released the portal to the public.  I lived in England at the time during the most boring summer of my life; I was willing to do anything to get out of there.  I loved the society here so much that I tied up the loose ends in England and decided to stay.  That’s probably what you hear in my voice.”

For the next few hours, Luna and Terry talked about random memories from their childhoods and about their unloving family members.  At the same time, Merrick was having a decidedly less pleasant night.

“Where the hell is she?  She couldn’t have gone far…”  Merrick anxiously growled as he paced the platform.

“Go on home, my son.  I do not want to break your heart, but this is the position I am in.  Go home, and read the note on your dresser.”  Giovanni dipped his head down to conceal his sorrow at the loss that radiated from the younger boy.

“I’ve had a bad feeling all day.”  Merrick stated as he pressed his hand to the location scanner.  The flash of light enveloped him before he could say anything else, but as his molecules deteriorated, Giovanni watched his son drop to the ground in despair and hurt because he couldn’t do anything to ease his pain.  Only time would heal that wound.

* * * * *

 “It is very late now, Luna.  Do you need to return home?”  Terry asked after he realized the sky outside was black.

“I don’t…  I don’t have a home anymore.  I am not welcome where I was before, so I may just sleep on a bench tonight and look for a job tomorrow.

  “A bench?  Haven’t you heard what the bad guys do to pretty woman who sleep on benches?”  Terry joked in return.  Then he had an idea, “Why don’t you sleep at my house tonight and head out tomorrow?  I have a nice couch with fuzzy pillows.  What do you say?”

“I don’t want to impose…”

“No, you won’t be.  I have this huge house, and I’m the only one that lives in it; you won’t be any trouble at all.”  He responded with a smile, “Shall I lead the way?”

Taking his hand for the second time that night, Luna answered, “Yes, lead on.”  She didn’t know why he was being so accommodating, but living anywhere else was better than living with someone she could only hurt more.

Terry wasn’t kidding when he told Luna that he had a big house.  Even though it was built in an oddly Japanese neighborhood, his house was a tall English-styled mansion in the center of the circle.

The tall boy led Luna through a thick redwood door and down an ornate hallway with a high ceiling.  At the end of the hallway was a large living room attached to a larger kitchen with another high-domed ceiling.

“This is the living room, as you can see the couch is in the back along the wall.  I’m going to head to my room, but feel free to eat anything in the kitchen; the bathroom is just down the hall to your immediate left.  If you go the wrong way, you hit a closet door, so I wouldn’t advise you to try that.  Do you need anything else?  I’ve never had a guest before, so I can’t even begin to know what to provide.”  Terry asked as he pointed out the major features of his home.

“No, I’ll be just fine.  Thank you for letting me stay here,” Luna answered.  She was still in awe of the house, and speechless was a poor word for what she felt.

“You’re welcome; have a good night Luna.”  He walked over to the stairs in the corner of the kitchen and started to head up them two at a time. 

Luna watched until she couldn’t see him anymore before heading over to the green fuzzy couch.  Fixing the pillows to sit under her head, Luna lay on the couch and stared up at the ceiling until the dim light faded in the darkness of sleep.

* * * * *

          Terry stopped after he knew that Luna couldn’t see him and waited until he heard absolute silence before heading back down the stairs.  He saw Luna in a troubled sleep on the couch.  He called on his limited magical strength and felt a force attacking her subconscious mind.  She was a guest in his home, and he damn well knew that no one was going to attack his guest and get away with it.

Quietly slipping down the hall, he stopped in front of a locked door and pulled a small key attached to a light silver chain from around his neck, unlocked the door, and slid into the darkness, shutting the door behind him.

Flipping on the bare bulb in the middle of the room, Terry noted, as usual, that this room was the only one that didn’t measure up to the rest of the pristine house. 

But, he thought, it didn’t really have to; this room was the home of his elite and very secret collections, if anyone ever saw this place, things could get really dangerous fast.  Not to mention that some of the things that he had collected over the years weren’t acquired from entirely legal methods.  The things stored in here didn’t need to be in the hands of idiots.

After making sure that everything was in its proper place, he walked silently over to the only unprotected set of shelves in the room.  These shelves generally held less valuable and safer artifacts that he felt didn’t need to be locked away.  The other cases in the room were spelled with ancient dark magic to keep the evil and destructive power of their contents from destroying all civilization.

Thankfully, no one but him had access.

He grabbed a woven leather cord attached to stone with an intricate pattern and pocketed it before heading back up the stairs, shutting off the light, and relocking the door.  He hid the key back around his neck once more, and stuffed it under his shirt.

Stalking back down the hall, Terry leapt deftly on top of the thick table in the kitchen across from the living room that Luna was asleep in.  For a long time he sat there, quietly meditating and calculating the risks of having another girlfriend.

A long time ago he’d had a girlfriend, but things didn’t quite work out.  Actually, she disappeared after falling into a black hole created by too much excess dark energy.  Not his power, but some stupid human sorcerer who thought he was the greatest chilupa in the bag.

He actually looked a lot like the girl asleep in front of him, but there was probably no connection.  Terry wanted to ask, but better reasoning kept him silent.  Where ever she came from, she was beautiful and intelligent; a far cry from the local whores who followed him everywhere and hoped to win him over.

So there he stayed, watching Luna and meditating, though his trance was broken as her dreams became more and more intense.  He felt what she felt, and he didn’t like it, so the boy on the table concentrated harder at sending his strength into her to help her fight whatever she was up against.

After a while, the struggle seemed to end and Terry leaned back on the table, his head hanging over the edge leaving him staring at the wall behind him, exhausted.  Never had he used so much energy to defeat a fictional situation.

“Terry?  What are you doing?”  Luna’s voice rang through the silent room, making Terry sit up and stare intently at her.  She stretched briefly after this statement.

“Just sitting here; however, I believe it is you who must explain.  Why are you so tormented in your sleep?”  He asked curious, his energy reserves starting to build up once again.  The more he acted like a normal person, the more his strength built, and the opposite to use it all up.

“What do you mean?” she asked, tilting her head in confusion, “Do you mean the dream I just had?  You saw it?”  Her eyes widened while Terry shifted through various responses that would steer the conversation away from him.  He failed and ended up staying quiet.

“What are you Terry?” she asked quietly.  All afternoon she had reveled in the normal, human outing, but now she didn’t feel quite so confident in her first assumption.  Were all men on Earth inhuman?  “Lay it on me.  My ex-boyfriend is a vampire, so it can’t get much worse.”

“Are you serious?”  He asked curiously, “I’ve never met a vampire before…  Wait, I could have sworn you were a human.”  He unfolded his legs, feeling the familiar burn from sitting still too long; his body needed the constant motion.

“Yup, one hundred percent human… sorceress,” she answered sarcastically, “but that doesn’t tell me squat.  What kind of night predator are you, because the normal human boys don’t save me from evil vampire females bent on taking over the world.”

“Fine, I’ll admit it, but you can’t tell a soul.  What you felt, and what saved you, was a lesser form of demon magic.  It’s both a blessing and a curse…”

“You’re a demon?”  Luna asked, piecing together the logic.  Of course, she remembered many lectures from her father about the dangers of hanging with his kind, “But not by that name.  I just don’t remember the proper name.”

His eyes flashed to a golden color, and he uttered a rich guttural sound that could only be in another language.  “But demon is an applicable substitute,” he added afterwards as he moved to the edge of the couch to sit next to his guest, “I guess this will change everything between us?”

“Why would you say that?”

He tilted his head curiously, and murmured, “Because most relationships do not include a demon and a human sorceress with binding marks on her wrist.”

“They mean nothing,” she stated warily as she pulled her sleeve down past the faint signs that had moved up past her elbow.  Now she could clearly read Merrick’s name in the same swirling lettering as the rest of it.  Funny how she’d never asked to see his…  Weren’t binding marks always reciprocated?

She shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts and focused on the man in front of her.  She smelled fear and something else; Terry smelled like the first spring rain after winter.  Cool and refreshing.

Without thinking, she buried her face against his neck, feeling his warmth.  It wasn’t like Merrick was cold or any cliché like that, but this was a different feeling.  Comforting.  Compelling.

Likewise, Terry’s thoughts were focused solely on Luna.  How small she was for the fighting spirit she housed inside.  She’d taken everything about him in stride with fiery ambition.  Luna moved to touch him, and his body jerked in response as her scent enveloped him.

It was more than his control could bear.  Growling, he shoved on top of her and claimed her mouth.  Needless to say, she tasted even better than she smelled, and that fact on turned him on even more.  His groin burned in anticipation.

Somehow, his hands ended up under her shirt the very second before it vanished over her head; the bra following soon after.  Terry stared down at Luna with a reverent look in his eyes before coming down on her.

Luna moaned at the feeling of his rough cheek against her breasts, and arched into him when he began to finger and lick the hardened nubs.  It was an incredibly erotic movement, and it was all she could do not to cry out when he slid a hand down the front of her jeans to touch her intimately.

“You have… too many clothes on, Terry.” She whispered through her pleasure.  Luna then squeaked in protest as he moved away from her, but in seconds he wished his clothing gone and returned to her.  Naked, he was an even better work of art than he was when dressed.

Without clothing, Terry’s muscles defined and sculpted a body gifted by the heavens.  Her abdomen clenched at the sight of him, bulky and hard, expectant of what was to come.  The moment stole her breath as they bared everything to each other.

He returned to her and started to strip her jeans away; the little scrap of cotton lost the battle as well.  Now it was his turn to observe her with no barrier between them.  She was beautiful, from the flush on her face to the muscles sliding just beneath her skin.  If it was possible, he was even harder now than before.

He dropped to his knees and used two fingers to spread apart her fold before taking her into his mouth.  Luna hissed at the sensation of her tongue drawing patterns across her swollen clit and arched her hips, matching his ragged thrusts.  He wedged his tongue deeper to taste her sweet nectar, causing Luna to come violently, grabbing hold of the couch behind her.  She breathed his name in ecstasy.

It was then, as she writhed from his touch that he straightened and pushed inside of her.  A brief shot of pain jolted Luna from her previous pleasure, but the feeling of him moving inside of her drove every thought and concern from her mind.  The rhythm settled into a fierce grind as they lost themselves to the passion.

When her second orgasm broke, Terry stroked twice more and joined her in bliss.  Moments later, as they lay sweaty and spent, Luna realized that she no longer was a virgin, and that she’d just had sex with a man she’d only known for a few hours.  The part of her that still yearned for Merrick screamed in displeasure.

However, deep in her mind, Luna knew that she could never stay with Terry forever, so it wouldn’t hurt him when she died.  She couldn’t say the same of Merrick, and that small voice in the back of her head was effectively silence.

“I don’t believe what came over me…”  Terry pondered anxiously.  Sarcasm colored his next statement, “I apologize for losing so much control- I promise you, I don’t usually do everyone who sits on my couch.”  He flashed them to his unused bedroom, a place he usually skipped to sleep on the roof.

“Do you regret it?”  Luna asked hurt at the possibility that she’d repulsed him.

Terry was actually shocked she could come to that conclusion, “Of course not- it was incredible.  You’re incredible.”

“Then you have nothing to apologize for.”

Terry pulled her closer to him in a tight embrace, easily portraying his happiness at her acceptance of him.  She should hate him right now, but she didn’t.  Likewise, he should hate himself, but he was having a hard time managing that too.

He manifested the amulet from his pocket into his hand and strung it around her neck.  “Before I forget again, this will protect you from your nightmares.  No one will touch you under my protection.”

Fighting a blanket of déjà vu from overtaking her, Luna fingered the small stone and thanked him.  “You’re so sweet, Terry…  How do you live here alone?”

“It just gets a little lonely, that’s all,” he stated, brushing off her question.  Luna watched his eyes cloud as if he was remembering something painful and knew he was lying.  He hesitated, and then spoke again, quieter, “But if you stayed here, with me, I’d feel better.”

With nowhere else to go, Luna thought logically about staying.  Terry was a really great guy who made her feel more than human. Literally.  Her choice was obvious, and it surprised no one when she accepted.

 



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About Me. Who is me? I am not a very exotic 'me' either... I like to write and read and listen to music. People either matter to me, or they don't: I don't do the hot and cold thing with anyone. Cats are my favored animal and Lapis my stone of choice. I am 17 and in college, hoping to major in Food Science and minor in Culinary Arts. Enjoy.