Seithe (31 page)

Crawling over him, I kneel, legs akimbo. Softly biting, kissing, licking, tasting, my hair trailing drowsily across his chest. A smug grin escapes when he exhales sharply as my wanton body slips over his.

Pressing myself down, I hold his hands, indulging in a moment of dominance.

"Green eyes baby, green green lusty eyes."

I close them in mute resistance, focusing wholly on pleasure. He ruins my moment as the pressure under my knees disappears. Opening my eyes I stare at my levitating lover with me seated on him.

"Seithe."

"Try love me now." His smile is so indulgent.

I'm just porridge inside around my heart. I love his quirky ways, his playfulness, his sheer compulsion to call the shots and name the games. "I love you."

"I never get tired of hearing that."

It's a moment between two lovers, so intimate, so completely open and vulnerable, my heart leaps up and smacks my intuition.

"Seithe..."

"Petal?"

I smile, he has to tease.

"Put us back on the bed for a moment."

"Why? I thought you liked riding me."

"You are the finest broomstick I could wish for ... but I'm serious."

Gently he descends until my knees are once again supported by the black clad bed.

I have a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. I wish I had realised this sooner.

"Baby girl?"

I can hear his worry but can't stop now.

Closing my eyes I choke back tears of adoration. Placing both of my petite hands palm down over his heart I say those words I could have said, but never thought to say.

"Seithe, I forgive you for everything you have ever done that caused your family to remain fallen. God lives inside me, I have God's voice. I have God's capacity to forgive, I have His Mercy, I have His Grace."

Opening my eyes I stare deeply into silver irises.

"You showed me how to have faith. You showed me what it means to truly forgive. You never stopped teaching me and reminding me of the power I have. I'm using this power to forgive you forever. I love you, you are forgiven. Mercy is yours, my unconditional love is yours, by the power invested inside me, with this Spirit, with this mustard seed that you awoke, I love you, and I would die for you and for your sins. I say you are forgiven, it is my will, and as God lives inside me, his Spirit and my will are joined. I love you, with all of my heart, with all of my Spirit."

Tears are running freely with the overwhelming flood of emotions drowning me.

His eyes glow so brightly, his face rapturous.

"I feel it from your Spirit. Joining with me, I feel it."

The ambience dulls as his eyes go brown, his hair fading softly to brown.

I am so caught up in the flood of my own emotions that I only now notice he has tears.

Draping over him I hold him tightly, hugging him, trying to infuse him with my love. Heart over heart. Hugging tight.

Excitement cleaves me off him, sitting bolt upright again, "You have a heartbeat!"

He nods, his expression is so indescribable. Beyond euphoric, or humble, or grateful. He's all emotions at once.

Strong hands grip my face and pull my lips back to his. His tongue invades the heated moisture, it's wild, it's the kiss of a man spared from death.

He flips us around, his hard sex deep inside me, pushing harder, his breath broken, jittery.

"Phoebe ... I ..."

"Ssssh, just love me."

It's tender and rough, it's fevered and lethargic. It's beautiful and tranquil.

I know it's still him, but for the first time Seithe's body sheens with moisture from exertion. Indulgently I place a finger on the hollow in his neck, feeling his excited pulse.

Squealing with delirious delight I squeeze my legs tight around his hips, keeping him a prisoner inside me, my arms becoming a thrilled tourniquet around his neck.

"Phoebe!"

"You're one of us!"

He withdraws when I release him, flopping down beside me, his smile could power a small country.

"How did you ..."

"You've told me again and again and again. I knew there was something obvious I was missing. Something I had that you wanted. You asked me for love and mercy, that was all you ever asked of me. It took me this long to figure it out."

His eyes sparkle, he leans close, kissing me, erratic breath bathing my face. Our intimate moment is shattered with the arrival of Jowendrhan and Darise.

Seithe snatches the sheet, covering us.

"What happened?" Darise demands in panic.

"I thought you'd died! You just fell off the radar!" Jowendrhan's fear is obvious in his expression.

"I'm forgiven."

That's all he says. His voice chokes his sentence into an early death. He turns to me, picking me up in his arms, squeezing me tightly, his head bowed in reverence above me, tears dripping off his nose into my own eyes.

My heart feels like a slush-puppy. I'm overwhelmed with emotion myself now.

He's shaking, choking on emotion, sobbing with relief, joy, what else I don't know.

"Seithe, you are still really strong. And I'm still really little. You're breaking me."

He laughs, releasing me, before cupping my face tenderly and gently placing his lips over mine. His whisper speaks so much, I am left with no doubt how much this means to him by the potent amount of emotion inside two words, "Thank you."

I nod, sniffing, the waterworks returning with emotional flood.

"This calls for a celebration!" announces Darise loudly.

Jowendrhan leans forward, slapping Seithe's shoulder, "Lucky bastard."

It reminds me of when I declined immortality. They both reacted as though they'd won the lottery. Now I understand why.

Wiping my face with the back of my hand I ask that question now.

"What would have happened if I'd said yes to Ellindt's offer of immortality?"

Seithe passes a robe to me before shrugging himself into one, "You would have been separated from your Spirit. No death, no mercy, no afterlife, no more of God's deep and unwavering love."

Darise smiles, "But you didn't fall for it. You are special, Phoebe."

Slipping my hand inside Seithe's, my heart surges with emotion, "No. Seithe's the special one."

Chapter 43: Checkmate

So many little things make perfect sense now. The way Seithe felt comfortable leaving me with Darise. The fact that when Seithe sponsored me, I was given admission into Pravus. The verbal digging between Jowendrhan and Darise. It all makes sense knowing their family own Pravus, and they are related. I now understand why Seithe didn't have to pay admission or for his drinks, all perks of being the owner's brother.

Curious, I look at my newly human boyfriend, "Why brand me?"

A chagrinned grin spreads over his face, "I changed my name. Despite what Jowendrhan told you, I have dominion over the mark of the S. What he told you isn't a lie, it's just an older truth, so it still felt honest. I was created from the bloodline that was born to worship the Spirit. I am named after my father, Seth. By marking you with the S, you would have had his protection."

One thing is still bothering me. "Why do you have demons working for you?"

The three brothers seem mildly amused, and I'm watching silent visual exchanges taking place before Seithe explains.

"Dad's a heavyweight. A serious heavyweight. The Daemon don't try anything with us, in case we gain redemption. Some of them hope that by getting in our good graces, we'll put in a good word with the boss when the time comes."

Nibbling my lip, I verbalise my final thought on the subject, "So why can't I just forgive all of you?"

Jowendrhan answers, his tone wistful, "It's the condition. So many fairy-tales play on this concept. True love, unconditional love, comes along once in a lifetime. Snow White rescued from death with the kiss of life. Cinderella rescued from servitude by true love. We get one chance. One person can't save us all, we each have to find one human who can accept us for who and what we are, and see beyond that. Love us anyway. You've made your choice, and you freed him from his prison with your love, with the power inside you."

He glances at Darise, "We just have to keep searching for ours."

*

I'm thrilled. Seithe being human means we can finally have a semblance of normal. I can introduce him to my friends and Mum. It seems the only thing he can't do now is handle the cold. He has kept all of his abilities, because he understands how the physics or whatever it is works. He can still manifest whatever he wants when he chooses to.

He's installed air-conditioning inside his home now. He can still transport us at will, although now it seems to tire him and make him weak. I've moved in with him as I no longer have to work. I'm enjoying sharing human life with him. And now I'm cooking everyday, because he's experiencing real hunger.

I have a roast in the oven, which is his new favourite. His thrill at tasting everything as if for the first time, has me walking around with a permanent grin on my face.

Riiiiiiing...

"Seithe, would you get that please?"

"Phoebe, I don't know how!"

"Liar! Don't be afraid. Just pick it up!"

"Why can't you get it?"

"I'm busy in the kitchen!"

I hear him grumble. I can't help smiling as he picks up the new phone on his desk.

"Hello."

Trying so hard not to laugh, I cradle my cellphone and speak sexily into it, "Mr Lange?"

He hesitates, leaning off his chair to stare down the passage toward the kitchen, "Yes?"

A giggle escapes me, "I've been a very naughty girl."

I sneak a peek out the door, catching a glimpse of his widely smiling face.

"Oh, have you now?"

"Yes," gushy.

"What makes you a naughty girl, Miss Martin?"

"I'm not wearing any underwear Mr Lange. I'm such a bad girl."

His chuckle makes my skin tingle, "Miss Martin this is unacceptable. I expect to see you in my office immediately for punishment for lascivious behaviour and unacceptable wanton tendencies."

I walk out of the kitchen, twisting hair absently around my finger as I continue speaking, "You excite me Mr Lange. I couldn't help myself."

His hand reaches out and snatches me out of the passage. In his dimly lit office, my nipples tense with his breath on my neck, "Hang up the phone Miss Martin."

I snap my phone closed as he twists me, bending me over his desk and keyboard. His foot moves my legs wider as a hand slides under the skirt and up my thigh.

"You are a naughty girl. Coming to work without underwear on."

"Cumming to work is why I'm here Mr Lange."

My skirt rides up, and a giggle bursts out of me as I hear his zip.

Click. Blackness.

"Naughty girls must be restrained and blindfolded Miss Martin."

"You sneaky man! How did you know?"

"I had a feeling you'd be making a house call soon enough."

He just turns me on. He is still completely Seithe, just without the scorching heat. And I love his wicked ways, he thrills me.

My cheeks heat up as my breath cuts short with the way he's arousing me, a gasp escapes as he rides me against his desk.

"I love you, Seithe."

Hands hold me tight as his hot voice caresses my ear along with his body caressing mine, "I love you, Miss Martin. I like it when you're naughty."

As he detonates his excitement inside me and allows my eyes to see again, I stare up at him when he releases my wrists.

"Seithe?"

"Petal?"

That always makes me laugh without fail.

"Stop it."

"But you started it."

"Seithe, be serious for a second."

He picks me up and props me on his desk, standing between my legs, looking down at me with adoration softening his features, "Yes darling?"

"We aren't protected anymore are we? I can get pregnant now, can't I?"

He laughs, "I hadn't thought of that. But hey, at least baby Seithe was made on a Mac."

My cheeks explode with blazing heat along with a gust of laughter. "So you want children now?"

"Phoebe, I want whatever you want. But making a life is like being God. You can create life with a soul and a Spirit."

Right now I don't care if I fall pregnant, I'm simply horny with his sexy body so close to mine.

He rubs a hand over his arm, "How do you cope with the insane cold?"

Trailing hot lips around his navel my voice responds softly, "Passion baby! Pure unadulterated passion keeps the blood pumping, the heart beating, and that pink flush in your cheeks."

Lifting me so we're eye to eye, "I think I chose the right human."