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

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"Would you like to escort me to the ball?" She smiled back, a touch shy. Not used to asking.

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

"I would be honored."

He's not really in a position to bow over her hand or kneel before her or anything. But he wriggles around so that he can bring her hand to his lips anyway.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She chuckled at the wriggling, brushing fingers through his hair. "I'm glad."

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

He smiled, snuggled up again. "Besides, I love to watch you work a crowd." It was innocent and darkly amused all at once. Innocuous from anyone else, except that they were discussing manipulation and gathering of secrets.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

A flicker of darkness in her smile for just a moment.

"Sugar, you haven't seen anything, yet." He'd seen her play. Work was different.

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

"Mmm. I look forward to the discovery."

Oh yes, yes he did.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She smiled a bit at that and kissed him.

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

He kissed her back, nipping gently at her lower lip.

Wondering, now that he was thinking about it, how they would both deal with each other's darker impulses and thoughts and dreams.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She nipped back, fingers trailing back up his spine, her thoughts following a similar line. It was hers that had at least partly driven Falonar away.

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

Her fingertips made him shiver, just a little, pressing closer more for contact and touch than out of sexual desire or cold. Soft little kisses over her mouth, wondering. Thinking.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She stroked his skin almost idly, kissing him more deeply. They'd see how he reacted tomorrow. No sense worrying about it tonight.

[oldestbeloved.livejournal.com]

He tightened his arm around her, kissing back. Trailing phantom fingertips down the sides of her legs with little static edges to it. Thought was rapidly retreating in the absence of conversation or new data. All he could do would be to chase his thoughts around in circles anyway.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She moaned slightly against his lips, body reawakening fairly easily. She rocked up against him in teasing invitation, reminder that while he'd taken her to the brink, he'd yet to take his own pleasure.

Not that it wouldn't be hers to provide.

[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.