When in your life did you know you were not alone?

[birthrightgreen]

Even after everything I'd been told, after Jaenelle's messages, after meeting the High Lord of Hell...even after all of that, a part of me still couldn't believe. I didn't believe travel like that was possible. And despite always being careful to finish the kill lest I run into one of my victims wanting revenge one day, I still didn't really believe in the demon-dead. Not that they were still themselves, still sentient, and living in the way that matters. Dead, but not gone.

Or mayhap I'd just hoped she'd been spared that. I think I thought it was bad, to make the transition to demon-dead instead of sliding into the Darkness. An in between world where they were trapped. Would you want to be consigned to live in Hell? (No offense, Uncle Saetan) At least, as I had heard the tales, the answer was no. No. I didn't care if only the strongest made the transition. The Darkness seemed preferable, and I wished that for her. That final peace instead of continuing agony.

When he told me what she was, that she was not only demon-dead but Queen of the Harpies, I struck out in denial and fury. She couldn't be. Not her. Not something so filled with hatred and rage. But harpies are witches who die violently by a man's hand, and that is what happened to her. To Titian.

The Hall is an odd amalgamation of the living and the demon-dead and a Guardian. Nowhere else does it exist. The dead are supposed to stay in the Dark Realm. They shouldn't keep following the ties of the living. But Saetan's sons, his friends, they still follow him, dead or not. And she was still there.

All those years, just a passage through a gate away. All those years, crying for her when no one could see. Missing her. Alone, save for Sadi and no matter how wonderful a friend he is, he's no substitute for a mother. For my mother.

I stood on the other side of the door, my hand resting there, feeling the pulse of the room, the power of the Black, of the Ebony, that seems to make the Hall breathe. My hands were shaking and I wasn't sure how to make the knob turn. In the end I had to use Craft. And there she sat, looking like I remembered her, only far more nervous. Fear still in her eyes, though perhaps of rejection not the horrors my father visited on her. A moment. Two. We stared at each other.

And then I was in her arms, and she was holding me and humming softly the songs she sang to me as a child. And for once, I wasn't alone.

Comments

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

He bit her lip, shuddering against her body, hard again in a second even after the conversation and relaxing of earlier. His hand slid down to her hip, stroking gently as the phantom hands continued to tease along her skin.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

A soft little cry at the flare of pain in her lip, then she bit back. Her legs tightened around him, squirming a little at the touch of the phantom fingers.

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

It made him growl, a little, stimulating to hear and feel her responding against him.

Although it also reminded him of something, as his fingertips moved to tease over her breast.

*Have you anything you'd like to try?* he asked, inquiring and seductive all together.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Her eyes opened, dark with desire and a touch of confusion. "Try?"

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

He opened his eyes too, tilted his head slightly, hands stilling on her. *Experiment?* Sexually speaking. *Things we haven't yet done that you would like to do?*

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Unfamiliar question, and she frowned a little. *What would you like to try?*

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

Too much uncertainty in that. Or perhaps uncertainty wasn't the right word, but. Not the casual sensuality he'd hoped to conduct the conversation with.

He trailed his fingertips down her cheek. *We don't have to talk about it now...* Or they could. He wasn't sure which would be better.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She lowered her lashes, turning her head to nip at his fingers. Her fingers trailed up his outer thigh.

*It's all right...* A little smile along her lips. *How do you want me?*

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

His skin almost shivered, running hot again. His breath came out, slow and a little unsteady.

*What do you want?*

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Her leg tightened again. *I want you*

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

*Then take what you want* He pressed into her, moving slowly, insistantly against her.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She frowned a little, but slid her hands over him, around him, guiding him into her and pulling him deep.

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

He gasped, arching into her, fingertips pressing into her hips. A tiny moan slipped out, pleasure coiling through him, electricity along his skin.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Her lips moved over his jaw, tongue lightly teased him as she arched up to meet him, setting a rhythm and matching it as she tightened and released around him.

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

One hand slipped up, into her hair, stroking lightly and tangling up for a moment. He nuzzled at her cheek, shaking a bit as he kept his rhythm controlled and even, at least for the moment.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She purred slightly in his ear, with a slight moan, rocking against him. Her hands ran up and down his back, stroking and then scratching.

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

Scratching earned a gasp, a low moan as his thrusts went ragged for a moment, then back to even. One hand slipped up, between them, cuppnig her breast, thumb stroking lightly over her nipple.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She whimpered a little, trying to arch into his hand and still keep thrusting up at him. Her teeth closed around his earlobe and she sucked at it greedily.

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

Little nip brought a playful growl, and this time he pinched her nipple, just lightly. His breathing started to go ragged, the static, phantom hands playing along her sides again, down over her hips.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She gasped, wriggling a bit under his hands, then moaned in his ear, trying to find breath. Her leg tightened again, pulling him deeper and rocking against him as her hands scratched deep down his back.

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

Tongue grazing along her collarbone, nipping gently at her neck. Faster, now, more ragged, more urgent, breath robbing him of most sounds, static pouring over him like sweat.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She matched him, what she could, the rhythm faltering for both of them as it slipped away and she just got close to near sobbing, only she couldn't quite, because she wasn't sure she could breathe enough to do it.

"Samael..." The world seemed to explode behind her eyelids in colors and light as she came.

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

*Surreal...* Soft, loving, carried away on the undercurrent of lust and need. He kissed her, half-kissed her, breathless and shaking as he moves inside her and fingers tight in her hair as he cries out, climaxes.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She whimpered a little, then just arched into him, holding him tight, feeling him pulse inside, setting off new shivers.

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

He shivered, slowly relaxing, for a moment before easing out, settling to one side. Pulling her into his arms. Stroking shaking fingers through her hair, pressing soft kisses over her face.