The Waning Moon Read online

  “Did you shut down our bond?”

  “No. Why do you think I did?”

  “Will you both stop asking questions?” Florence interrupted. Then, she laughed as she realized her inquiry fit the pattern of the conversation.

  “What’s going on with her?” Isaac demanded.

  “If I had to guess, I’d say she’s still high on gate energy, and her spirit wasn’t quite ready to accept that much Fae magic without an outlet.”

  “And that means?”

  “When she opens the gates and gets an infusion of the gate magic, it has an outlet. It goes into the gate opening, and then pools in the magical weirs before spreading over the region. When Finn interrupted last week, he left an open wound on her psyche. The gate magic didn’t finish channeling through her, and it left her not quite herself. When she stood at the gate site today, even though it wasn’t time to open it, the gate filled her back up. But since she’s not used to keeping the gate energy while conscious, it overwhelmed her. Usually her energy stores are drawn from earth magic, not Fae magic—every time she opens a gate, she gets a little more Fae magic, which is why her own talents are manifesting and strengthening. It gives her a chance to adjust, usually while unconscious. This was a huge infusion, but without the time for her body to adjust.”

  “Once more in five words or less,” Isaac said.

  “She’s becoming more Fae. Asshole,” Florence said, counting the words out on her fingers.

  “You watched Buffy, too?” I asked.

  Isaac laughed.

  “Of course,” Florence said. “You should know by now I couldn’t resist a hot, lesbian witch.”

  I was getting tired, and was beginning to feel a little sheepish. “I need a nap.”

  “Not surprised,” Florence replied. “You’ll probably sleep for quite a while. The magic needs to settle in. Try to remember who we are when you wake up. I’m even less immune to Fae fire than your wolf.”

  My eyes were growing heavy and it felt like someone had thrown a handful of sand into my eyes.

  “I’m going to lie down,” I said, heading towards the bed. I tripped and everything went black.

  I woke refreshed and a little hungover—like you do when you’ve slept too long. I rolled over and looked at the clock. Six. The curtains were drawn and I couldn’t tell if it was getting dark or getting light. I looked around. I was alone in the room, but I had to believe my friends wouldn’t have left me alone for too long while unconscious and unable to defend myself. I sat up and realized I’d been stripped down to my panties. I shivered. It was cool in the room. I became aware of an increasingly uncomfortable pressure on my bladder and got up to shuffle my way awkwardly to the bathroom. I flipped on the light and blinked several times before dropping my drawers and sitting on the toilet.

  After I finished doing my business, I heard the door open.

  “Shit,” someone said. “She’s gone.”

  I was about to announce my presence, but realized I didn’t recognize the voice.

  “She’s in the bathroom,” another unfamiliar voice said. “There’s light under the door.”

  “Where’re the bodyguards?”

  “Out grabbing coffee.”

  “If she’s in the bathroom,” first voice said, “that means she’s awake.”

  “Yeah,” the other guy agreed.

  “That means she can hear us,” he said. Score one for the Mensa member.

  “Shit,” second guy said.

  “We’d better do this now, then. Before she escapes.”

  I heard them rush towards the door and I prepared myself. One of the bodies hit the door hard like he thought he was going to break it down. It took three more crashes before the door collapsed under his considerable weight and he stumbled into the tiny bathroom. He pulled himself upright and then they both stared up at me.

  I was standing on the toilet tank in nothing but a pair of silk, thong panties, my hands glowing red with fire.

  “That shit won’t hurt us,” the second guy—clearly a shifter of some kind—said, sneering.

  “I don’t know,” Smartie Pants said. “Her magic doesn’t come from here.”

  “We’re immune to magic,” the other said. “And now that I’ve seen her, I think she won’t be nearly as hard to kill as the bounty suggests.”

  He started forward and I threw my first fireball at him. He laughed for a brief second before he started to burn. I threw the second fireball and the smarter one, who’d already begun a strategic retreat, went up in flames. Neither of them had ever heard of stop, drop, and roll, because they both ran around like decapitated chickens fanning the flames into a frenzy. I wrapped them in shields to contain the flames and their screams and watched them burn. I felt more human than before, but still more detached than I should. I called the flames back into myself when they collapsed, but left my hands glowing in case they weren’t dead yet.

  And that’s when the rest of the team came back. I must have been quite the sight—mostly naked, glowing with fire, and standing over two charred corpses.

  “Hey guys,” I said, extinguishing my hands. “I hope you brought coffee.”

  Raj handed me a cup. He didn’t say a word, but eyed me appreciatively. “Isaac felt you wake up,” he said.

  “What happened?” Isaac asked. I took a long drink of the delightfully sweet and nutty latte.

  “I’m guessing these two woke me up when they hit the edge of my flypaper shields, but I didn’t realize right away what’d happened. They surprised me in the bathroom—hence my state of undress—and I burned them up. They were cocky because they thought magic wouldn’t hurt them. I’m glad we found out my magic does, in fact, damage shifters. Otherwise I might have tried to fight my way past them to my knives.”

  “You weren’t wearing your knives?” Isaac asked. “We’ve talked about this.”

  “You’re the one who stripped me and put me to bed without them. I was groggy when I woke up.”

  “Which makes sense if you didn’t wake up on your own, but only because someone breached your defenses,” Florence said, obviously trying to head off an argument.

  I smiled at her gratefully, and continued, “I lit them on fire and they died. And then, I was rewarded with coffee.” I took another long sip and couldn’t stop the look of bliss that washed over my face.

  “Maybe you should get dressed,” Isaac suggested.

  “Don’t hurry on my account,” Raj said.

  I rolled my eyes at both of them and grabbed my backpack. “I’ll be right back.” I went back into the bathroom and gingerly leaned the broken door in the doorway. I set my coffee down and stripped off my panties. I took a quick shower, got dressed, and headed back into the bedroom. “Where’s Raj?” I asked.

  “Disposing of corpses before he hits the sack,” Isaac said.

  I laughed.

  “How long was I out?”

  “Two nights,” Isaac said. “It’s Saturday.”

  “Hmm, I feel good. Really, really good. Well rested, back to myself, and all-around awesome.”

  “Do you feel our bond?” Isaac asked.

  “Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Before you fell asleep, you asked if I’d shut it down and I hadn’t. Florence thought your inability to sense my emotions was a product of your own being on the blink.”

  I contemplated that and reached down our bond and felt his concern radiating out at me.

  “I feel it now.” I said. I sent a pulse of affection—and a little lust—back down the bond towards him. His eyes immediately yellowed in response and Florence sighed.

  “I’ll leave,” she said in her most long-suffering voice.

  “Don’t you want to stay and help clean up?” I asked, looking at the charred spots on the floor.

  “I’ll pass. You made the mess; you should clean it up.” She waved her hand toward the small table in the corner. “I brought you a half dozen disgusting fast food breakfast sandwiches. Enjoy them while you
can. Supplies are rapidly running out, and I don’t know how much longer the southeast will be functioning like normal. Already places are starting to close down.”

  That was a sobering thought. I grimaced, felt my stomach try to wrap itself around my backbone, and went to retrieve the sandwiches. “Thank you,” I said. “For everything. The sandwiches, the updates, watching my back, being my friend.” Tears welled up in my eyes, and I blinked them back.

  “It looks like she’s back to her regular self,” Florence said as she opened the door.

  “This is not regular. I never cry, certainly not over friendships.”

  “Maybe you’re finally catching up.” She walked out and pulled the door closed behind her.

  I sniffled a couple of times and then opened the first sandwich. It was hot, greasy, disgusting, and delicious. I gulped it down in record time, chasing each bite with coffee. In fifteen minutes, I’d ploughed through half of the sandwiches and was still hungry, although I was at least slowing down. Amusement and horror warred for space on Isaac’s face as he watched me eat.

  “More coffee?” He extended another cup towards me.

  “Yes, thank you.” It took me another thirty minutes to finish the last three sandwiches and my coffee, and when I wiped the last greasy crumbs from my face, I patted my new food baby in satisfaction.

  “I feel good,” I said. I drained the last drops of my coffee, threw away all the garbage, and started towards Isaac. I had a specific idea of what would come next in the quest to assuage my appetites. Then I slipped on a stray piece of burnt flesh. “Dammit!”

  Isaac laughed. “We should take care of these,” he said, nudging one with his foot. A limb detached from the corpse and dusted into the carpet. I wrinkled my nose at it.

  Isaac grabbed some industrial-strength garbage bags and some rubber gloves from his backpack and tossed them to me. He geared up in the same way, and we went to work. After gingerly pulling the pieces off my assigned corpse and stowing them in the bag, I closed it up and headed to the door.

  “Where are you going?”

  “The front desk to borrow a vacuum and book a new room. I can’t sleep here,” I said.

  “Good thinking,” he said.

  I was back in fifteen minutes with a vacuum and the key to another room. A few minutes later, the carpet was looking as good as…well, not new, but at least as good as it had before I burned up a couple shifters. Maybe better, even. There were a few scorch marks on the wall I couldn’t get out, but considering the state of the rest of the room, I doubted anyone would notice.

  “We should talk,” Isaac said after we moved our stuff into the less stinky room.

  “That sounds serious.”

  “I’m concerned about your propensity to fight all your battles basically nude.”

  “That concerns me a little, too. Although the first time you and I fought, I wasn’t the naked one.”

  “I wasn’t sure you’d noticed,” Isaac grinned at me.

  “Are you kidding? You may have been filthy and stinking, but your true…qualities…shone through the dirt.”

  “My true qualities?”

  “Speaking of those qualities, we should probably examine them in detail now.”

  “My sparkling wit, my blinding intellect, or my great wisdom?”

  “How about your huge—” Isaac quirked an eyebrow at me, “—ego?”

  He laughed, then grabbed me, threw me down on to the bed, and pinned me spread-eagle. “Tell me more about my huge…ego,” he demanded.

  I wriggled under him, but couldn’t free myself. Isaac pulled my arms up above my head and held both wrists with one hand. The other hand he trailed down my cheek, brushing his thumb over my lips. My lips parted, and I darted my tongue out to moisten them. His eyes followed the movement, so I did it again, more slowly this time. He leaned forward and lightly kissed me. I jerked my face upwards, trying to claim more of his lips, but he laughed and moved away.

  “Patience, princess,” he said.

  His hand resumed its journey, trailing down the side of my neck, and his lips followed. When he’d gone as far as he could while still holding my arms overhead, he released me and said, “Grab the headboard and don’t let go.”

  “Make me,” I said.

  “Do it or I’ll stop.”

  I grabbed the headboard.

  He brushed his hands over my breasts, cupping them and raising them towards his mouth. He sucked through the material of my shirt and bra, and the roughness of the material combined with the wet heat of his mouth sent bolts of electricity through my body and into my groin. I moaned.

  Isaac pushed my shirt up and slid his hands under my back. I arched my back, and he unhooked my bra.

  “Arms,” he said.

  I let go of the headboard and he pulled my shirt and bra off.

  “Headboard.”

  “Bossy.”

  “Now.”

  I grabbed the headboard again, and he resumed his actions. He repeated his earlier actions with my breasts, and pulled another soft moan from me. He sucked and bit at my nipples until I was writhing against him. Then he unloosed his secret weapon. He ran his calloused, rough fingers along the soft skin on the underside of my breasts. How he’d ever found that this was even more sensitive than my nipples, I don’t know, but I wasn’t about to look a gift horse—or gift wolf, rather—in the mouth. In seconds, I was on the verge of orgasm, and he hadn’t even touched me below the waist yet.

  “Isaac,” I moaned. “Need.”

  “Tell me,” he commanded.

  “You. Inside me. Now.”

  “Now who’s being bossy?”

  I arched my hips against him and felt the hard length of him straining against his jeans. I rubbed back and forth and the friction sent me over the edge quickly. “Cheater,” Isaac accused.

  “Just doing what needs to be done.”

  “You’re okay with stopping now?”

  “Sure,” I said, calling his bluff. “If you are.”

  He grinned and unbuttoned his pants. “Maybe we can play a little bit longer.” I watched him shimmy his jeans off and licked my lips involuntarily when I saw his magnificent erection straining against his boxer briefs. “Are you sure you want to stop now?”

  “Maybe a little longer.” I licked my lips again.

  “And what would you like next?” he asked as he slowly removed his underwear.

  “You in my mouth.” My voice was hoarse with desire.

  “Let go of the headboard.” I hadn’t even realized I was still holding on. I let go and rolled over onto my hands and knees. I crawled towards him and without ceremony took as much of his length as I could into my mouth. He gasped and grabbed my shoulders. “Christ, Eleanor. A little warning next time.”

  I didn’t answer, but instead started to move up and down, going a little further down each time. I wouldn’t ever be able to take his full length, but I was determined to do my best to get as close as possible. Soon, he was bucking against my mouth. “Stop. I’m going to come.”

  I didn’t stop, but instead increased my rhythm and reached down to grasp his balls and gave them one gentle squeeze. He swore loudly in an unfamiliar language and came. I swallowed him down and then slowly withdrew, cleaning him as I retreated. I leaned back on my knees and gazed at him in satisfaction. I was still aching with desire, and knew we weren’t quite finished yet.

  “You’ll pay for that,” he growled at me.

  “I’m counting on it.”

  He pushed me back into the bed and plundered my mouth with his tongue. His hands fumbled with the button on my jeans and I lifted my hips to help him remove them.

  “You’re not wearing panties,” he said.

  “I know.”

  “Taking them off is my favorite part.”

  “Your favorite part? Really?”

  “Maybe not my favorite part.” That was all the warning I got before he buried his face between my thighs. One long lick and I was quivering and then he re
ally went to town.

  Isaac brought me to the edge over and over until I was begging him for release. My legs trembled and I was hoarse by the time he finally helped me with the thrust of three well-placed fingers. I rode his hand to completion and lay gasping and sweating while he crawled his way up my body.

  “Are you ready to beg for mercy yet?”

  I reached down between his legs and found he was hard and ready to go again. “Never.”

  That was all the invitation he needed before spearing me with his entire length. It didn’t take much to send me spiraling into the abyss of pleasure again, and Isaac quickly followed me over the edge. We lay gasping in each other’s arms for a long time and eventually I drifted off again.

  When I awoke, it was early afternoon based on the angle of the sun through the cheap blinds. Isaac was nowhere in sight, and I began to feel a little frustrated by the number of times people were willing to leave me alone while unconscious. I may have insisted I didn’t need taking care of, and I had woken up and defended myself every time someone had tried to sneak up on me in my sleep, but I kind of thought a lot of my naked battles could be avoided if someone would hang out and keep an eye on me.

  “I’m in the bathroom. I haven’t abandoned you.”

  I blushed. I was broadcasting a little bit more than I’d thought.

  “Florence warded the door this morning before we went for coffee.”

  “It didn’t really take all three of you to go get coffee, did it? Someone could’ve stayed. It’s weird you’d all take off when I was practically comatose.”

  Isaac walked back into the bedroom. “You were bait.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Do you remember Florence saying there were a couple of minds in the cemetery on Thursday that were intrigued but when they sensed her they shut down?”

  I thought back and answered slowly, “Maybe?”

  “Those minds had been popping up in the perimeter of her abilities for the last couple of days, but the minute they sensed any of us, they retreated. Since they kept coming back, even though you were well guarded, we decided they would pounce the second they saw an opportunity.”

  “So you used me as bait. While I was unconscious and unable to agree to this plan?”