By: M9
Disclaimer: O, what lies, doth protest our fair Lady, speak forth from yonder Beast! What savage and wicked the Beast of Fiction, known for it�s many tales. Hark! Hear the falsehoods, the deceits, the witch-cries of scoundrels and rapscallions to the race of men. (Not true, never happened, yadda yadda yadda.)
The Story:
He woke not with the pleasant ease of the previous night, but rather with a very unsettling feeling. It was knowledge, he realized, knowledge that this wasn�t Davey he was slowly humping in a pleasant daze upon waking; but even more so that he was quite enjoying the experience.
In fact, he wasn�t even sure who this person was, this person who was reacting to the motions and moving back in response. All Hunter knew was that this person was Not Davey. This Not Davey had his hands, yes, very manly hands with manly strength, gripping his hips and invited him closer.
It was the change in speed of the Not Davey�s breath that told Hunter he was awake. It picked up and gave a small, sharp gasp. Almost immediately, as if the Not Davey suddenly realized what was happening, hands that were eagerly pulling him closer were now pushing him back.
�No, no!� A small pleading voice from the man in bed with him. Hunter couldn�t understand what that meant. Of course this wasn�t his consort, but he could feel the other man�s erection rubbing against his own and knew their shared affliction could be better helped through mutual co-operation.
Hunter ignored the weak but insistent hands and burrowed closer still, burying his face into the crook of the man�s neck. He smelled nice, like Davey�s soaps. Soft, loose curls of thick hair invaded his mouth, coating his tongue and threatening to choke his air supply. Gods! He didn�t want to stop. He wanted this to last all day. There was no real way to start the morning unless you had an equally aroused man to hump.
�Hunter, please, don�t!� Adam�s voice suddenly broke. It was that second that Hunter felt the first of several tears soak into his own hair, the skin of his neck, that he realized what he was doing.
�Oh, shit� Hunter froze rigidly. His arms gripping Adam grew painfully, bruising-ly tight. He panted heavily, still hard and aching, and opened his eyes. There was Adam�s neck, speckled with his sweat and Hunter�s saliva. He watched as Adam�s breath hitched as he silently tried to get himself under control. He released his hold on the holy man and drew back slightly to see Adam draw in on himself slightly, obviously trying to hide his persistent erection.
Oh shit, Hunter thought, I�ve fucked up bigger than I have ever fucked up before.
Hunter sat up, not able to meet eye to eye. �Adam, I�m sorry, please forgive me.� His voice was soft and full of sorrow. �It seems I misled you into my bed with a false sense of security. I asked for your help and took advantage of you rather shamelessly. Please, my loyal and must trusted clergy, please say I am forgiven of my trespasses.�
Adam flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder, but it simply sat there, gentle and comforting. Oh, if Hunter only knew. . . Adam had been two seconds away from complying with the Lord�s carnal pleasures. It was still something he sought with Hunter (with Jade. . . with any man). But to betray Davey a second time would be damning a twice-cursed man, and Adam felt he needed as much of his faith as he could still muster.
He wiped his face clean of the moisture and shrugged off the hand (Oh, soft, strong hands, take me!) and ignored his rambling inner monologue that, like his lower body tried to betray him still. He even managed a shaky smile for Hunter�s benefit that gradually strengthened. �No. . . no need to apologize, my lord. You weren�t awake, that�s all. Besides, this must have been the first night in a long while that you slept so peacefully. For that, I am thankful. There is much to see to today, my lord, so I shall leave you to dress in peace. There are some people I must speak with today who wish an old holy man�s blessing. Good morning, my lord.�
Hunter looked a bit unsure, but if Adam was fine with this, then. . . �Uhm, oh, uh, yes, alright. Uh, good morning, Adam. And thank you.�
With only a sharp nod, Adam pulled his boots on, stood and walked out the door. Hunter paused, watching him go, then looked down at his own little tent still present. He didn�t know how Adam was going to lose his, but he now had some time to get rid of his own erection. He threw back the blanket, got a grip on himself, and thought of his consort (and a holy man, with a very nice stiffy, but who�d ever know about that?).
****************************
�He�s been at it all night.�
�Been at what?�
�THAT.� A gesture of hands.
�Oh, I see. He get any rest? Any food at all?�
�Not since yesterday. Said he had plans to make.� Adrian scoffed and scratched the temple of his one blind eye. �Said he�d tell us when they�re done.�
Mal�s beady eyes turned from Adrian to Jade, who was now pacing back and forth in his room, muttering to himself. �You have any idea what he�s on about?�
Adrian reluctantly shook his head. �No. But he keeps mentioning his brother. . . Maybe that�s what it is, then. Maybe he�s finally gotten off his ass and realized we need to do something about robbing certain people. Or killing them. Or both. God, I�d love to kill that hard-ass Nim. Just to see how much blood gushes from that fucker.�
�I knew you would.� Mal snickered lightly, eyes still on Jade. He stopped pacing and stood over the table he had been using for a desk. Stacks of what must be his plans covered the entire surface. Jade blinked several times, then with a fierce cry, tossed everything to the floor which was already littered with scrolls.
�That�s the second time he�s done that.� Adrian muttered wearily. �In a few moments, he�ll get down on all fours and rummage through the piles until he gets them all back up on the table. He�ll be at it all day, I expect.�
Mal nodded slowly, then, just as Jade began to scramble about on hands and knees, she whispered softly to her comrade. �What news of the spy?�
Adrian grunted. �Says the Lord�s jewels are as good as ours. They know where the goods are kept. All we need to do is. . . �These instructions he whispered into her ear via cupped hand. He couldn�t trust the words to carry on a random breath to the man in the room.
Mal�s terrible smile slowly came to light. �And if he doesn�t,� Mal whispered as Adrian pulled back, �if he doesn�t agree to our plan? If he decides not to rob and kill his brother like he told us was the reason for coming to this God forsaken shit hole? What do we do then?�
Adrian smiled widely, glancing briefly at their �leader� absently muttering to himself in the next room. �Then, Malicious, we do what we do best.�
�Kill, destroy, annihilate.� She matched his expression and joined him in a truly sinister dark chuckle only evil master minds could achieve.
*****************************
However, after nearly ten minutes of watching Jade in a psychotic frenzy, all the dark humor fled from them both. Adrian scoffed and took off with disgust but Mal decided to give Jade a push in the right direction and pushed him out of the room and into the blinding light of day.
�But. . .I must plot!� Jade called back weakly. Too late, the door shut and locked behind him. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. All right, maybe he could use a break, after all. Those last three ideas of exacting revenge were his best yet, but they all consisted of bashing that no-good brother of his in the head with a heavy stick.
And now that he stood out here in the brilliant and painful daylight, Jade had to ask himself a strange but honest question: since when had the Scourge of the Desert, the Bandit of the Forests, the Monster in the Bed, have to resort to bashing someone�s head in as revenge? The Jade of one year ago would have found classic but quite enjoyable uses of a good blade. Or a piece of rope. Come to think of it, there was that Mayor he tied by the ankles, hung upside down, then bled like a pig to feed the dogs.
But Jade shook his head. No, not good. Nothing was good enough to get Hunter. Or Adam, that cheating bastard. Couldn�t forget the man that caused the more recent rift between the brothers. If there was ever a man who needed a good beating, it was Jade�s own whipping boy. His hands flexed and un-flexed as he imagined the horrific screams as he let the leather cord fly with all his might. Lightly, his finger tips ran over the handle of his whip hung at his hip.
Then inspiration struck him. He had the twin to this one tucked away in his bedroll. Two at once! Oh, the pleasure, oh, the blood! The skin-ripping! The agony and despair in voice and eyes of his helpless victims! Oh, how he missed that. What he wouldn�t give for the good old days�
Jade froze, then hd inside an empty alcove in the hall. He recognized that voice, that voice coming just around the corner. And sure enough, it was her.
�The old. . . what?� Armenia asked in surprise.
�The old shrine, my Lady.� This from one of the many pages that seem to constantly be about only for running about with messages. �We told him there was none, but he seemed to know where it was the entire time! It�s that one room, the one with no key. Over on the first floor? By the Library?�
�Well, if it has no key. . .�
�But he opened it, my Lady! Said only a holy man could know about opening it. We told him it hadn�t been opened since the last time we had a holy man at the court, but he says. . . my Lady, he says that it�s been even LONGER!� The apparent excitement of the page was rubbing off on Jade who seemed to realize just who they were talking about.
Lady Armenia stopped and stared at the page until he calmed and bowed his head respectfully. �And what does he want, if he�s got the door open, then?�
The page made a short bow. �My Lady, The Royal Clergy begs to use the room for official blessing and prayers to anyone who wishes to join. He says it won�t take up too much space and since no one was using the room to begin with. . .� he cleared his throat at a piercing look from Armenia. �I. . Uh, I mean, he would like to know if it would be allowed, My Lady.�
Armenia paused to consider this. What was that room then? No one ever went there, and really, she had no idea it even existed! So they had their own small shrine in the castle? Hmph. Armenia arched a brow but shrugged. �So long as that�s all he�s asking for: one, unused room. I�m sure Hunter won�t be needing it. And when did he get this title? �Royal Clergy�? Who bestowed that to him?�
The page shrugged. �I�m not sure my Lady. But the Lord often refers to the Holy Man Adam as such.�
Armenia frowned, but nodded. �Off you go, then.� She made a dismissing gesture and began walking off.
�Th-thank you, my Lady! Thank you very much!� The page bowed and grinned in delight. By the way he dashed off hurriedly, Jade got the impression he had been present when Adam had opened the shrine�s doors.
Jade glanced back to make sure Armenia was out of sight before quickly following after the page, sure the kid would lead him to his slave.
*******************************
This was fun, really. Actually, just slightly stimulating. Well, calming, anyway. Jade was making hiding a habit today.
He entered the tiny �shrine� a quarter past two and was still there after sunset. He remained there because so did Adam.
Adam was still overjoyed at finding the room. For days, when he wasn�t tagging along behind Lord Hunter, making sure he ate well or groomed sufficiently, Adam had at least one or two people coming to him for advice, a blessing, or to learn a prayer. It had been years since a proper man of religion had been to this region. He thought maybe this was the reason he had everyone�s interest peaked. That he no longer had the gold chain welded around his waist, no one minded. Nor did they care about his past that didn�t relate to the Red Stone Shrine. They heard his title uttered by their lord himself and knew he was genuine.
So they flocked to him, and Adam found a few promising students in several pages as well as servants who needed something small like learning how to pray, why, and to whom. He blessed two babies, prayed for four traveling knights, sanctified an elopement, and heard the somewhat shocking but still forgivable confessions of a certain seamstress. This last he sent off with a final prayer and sent her back on her way, gratefully wiping her eyes as she left with a clear conscience.
Adam looked about the room and nodded slowly to himself. This wasn�t bad. Not at all. He had help from several pages this afternoon in getting the room clear of dust, grime and critters of all sizes. Now what was left was a small room big enough to hold nearly fifty people in the small, wooden pews and small altar for him to lay his Good Book (if he had one, which he doesn�t) and speak the day�s prayers (if he was a true Father, which he isn�t).
But still, this was a start, he knew. A start on a new life, with a new purpose. His resolve was weaker than he�d thought it should be, but what did that matter? He was a religious man, had plenty of study for several years. No one, not even Ja�. . . no one could beat that ingrained truth out of him. These people running about this castle day after day never truly traveled out of their region. They had no wish for religion because no one showed them what it was. They had vague ideas but little else. Adam could change that. He could bring religion to this heathen place and redeem many a soul.
That was the current plan, anyway. When Davey got back, he�d see if there was any real interest in this Lodd place. Perhaps there were religious scholars in such a place? Adam pondered this as he pulled out his ruby red prayer beads. Jade had broken the string, once or twice, and Adam had to re-thread the beads onto new string. He was pretty sure all the beads were accounted for, but it really didn�t matter. They were simply there to occupy his hands as he prayed.
From his hiding place in a dark corner at the back of the room, Jade watched Adam pull the beads out from under his shirt and begin the familiar chanting. He then walked the length of the room to kneel in front of the altar, soft voice carrying through the emptiness.
Jade had enough. Enough watching, enough waiting. This man had dared to defy Jade and not only nearly succeeded in murdering Jade, he freed himself and was now embracing his religion once again. This was not the behavior of a broken man. This was the behavior of a man reborn. Despite his anger, Jade looked up and down that bowed, powerful back and realized he missed having Adam at his beck and call. He missed him terribly. Painfully, really, especially in the pants area. He shifted and began moving forward.
If Adam heard the creaking of boots on the stone floor or the creaking of fingers running across a leather whip, he ignored it. This was his time for prayer and he was just into his favorite one at the moment that he couldn�t find the ability to stop. The words found their way to his mind and out his mouth just as fast as he could find them. The beads ran through his fingers with expert dexterity and a speed that was uncanny. Prayer after prayer until. . .
Hands. Strong, skillful hands on his shoulders, his chest, now on his stomach.
Adam frowned, thinking this was his sinful mind trying to recall the morning�s activities back to the forefront. He urged those memories back down and continued praying.
Fingers now. . . fingers making trails up and down his chest, along his stomach, then past the lacings of his shirt to rub the left nipple to hardness. Adam caught his breath but continued to mumble his prayers. That scent! He knew who it was, this man groping him and calling blasphemy to the shrine. Adam stopped and hung his head in despair. No, no, please no. . .
�Keep praying,� came the husky demand from behind. Already hips were pressing to his backside, an erection rubbing and pressing his rear. �Keep praying, holy man. Don�t you dare stop.� There was some struggle behind him and then a heavy groan, telling him Jade had just opened his trousers.
He gave a small noise of helplessness but continued praying nonetheless. What could he do? He was torn. It was wrong, so utterly and completely wrong to defile a shrine, any shrine, in such a foul and twisted way. Yet. . . yet he didn�t wish to stop. He wanted Jade to continue teasing that nipple and, yes oh yes, that one too. And yes, he wanted Jade to press his body closer as his other hand stroked down to Adam�s crotch. He desperately wanted to feel that erect, naked prick trying to get to him through his clothing, trying to dig into him, to complete him over and over again. To rape him and use him like all the other times.
Adam shuddered at this confession. He made a small whining noise and arched his back the moment he felt Jade�s hand on his member, stroking lovingly and with just the right grip.
Jade heard these noises and groaned himself. �Oh, ohhh!� He panted and pushed down Adam�s pants quickly, his own member dripping and happy at the quick turn of events. He kissed and sucked Adam�s neck, the same place where, unknown to him, his brother had also found delectable. He mumbled, also, but not a prayer, not really. It mainly consisted of �Adam� and �Ohhh!� so there wasn�t much to it.
Adam clutched the prayer beads in one fist as the other reached behind him to grab a steady hold of Jade�s hip. He gasped and hitched his breath as fingers probed his anus with a warm sticky liquid. It wasn�t enough but when he felt Jade beginning to push into him eagerly, he realized it would have to do.
�Jade, Jade, no, wait, I�m not. . . AAAAGHmmmm!� Adam�s cry was muffled by Jade�s hand quickly covering his mouth. Jade relished in the torture he was inflicting on Adam�s healed body as much as he relished in the exquisitely tight ass he was pushing into. When he was mostly in, he stopped and simply knelt there, behind Adam, securing his mouth with one hand and grasping his dick in the other.
�Shit,� he whispered breathlessly into Adam�s ear, �shit, oh shit. Adam. . . gods, Adam! Oh, how I�ve missed this. You miss this?� A long slow pull with one hand. Adam tried to thrust but was unsuccessful. �I see that you did. You want it? You want me to give it to you? You want me to fuck your brains out? Just say it, holy man. Say it and I will. Or scream for help. Either way, I�m not pulling out �till I�m done. So go ahead. Scream.� Abruptly, the hand was gone and Adam found he was able to use his mouth again.
He hesitated, feeling the ghost of Jade�s fingers run down his length. �Jade,� he whispered, then found a slightly louder voice, �Jade, I. . .� want you to fuck me senseless.
He couldn�t do it. He couldn�t say it. He probably could have said it in Jade�s chamber, in his own, hell, even in the middle of the courtyard, but not here, not in the shrine, not with one hand resting on the altar.
Jade waited, but it was clear Adam wasn�t going to say more. He grinned. �Good enough.� And with that, he began thrusting. He pushed in and pulled out randomly at first but found his rhythm soon enough. Adam choked on his unspoken words and braced himself against the altar, right hand going back and forth from steadying his balance to gripping Jade�s bare hip and urging him on.
�Uhhgg, gggkaa!� Adam cried out, face flushing red as Jade pounded into him, filling him for a second before pulling back and leaving him empty again. Over and over while the hand below now fondled his balls and squeezed just slightly. His body heaved and shuddered, trembled and sighed with the sensations, the emotions, the very fact of their forbidden acts in a no longer blessed room.
The sweat from their bodies collected and mingled together as their flesh smacked soundly together, the noise echoing in the quickly stifling room. Jade drilled harder, not caring what the damage might be and to whom, but rather to get them both off as quickly as he could. His hand jerked Adam�s prick viciously with each flick of his wrist, reminiscent of his beloved whip now on the floor. His own dick buried deep within warm flesh and trying desperately to dig deeper each time, trying to find the limit of the man he fucked.
Adam came first, crying out loudly and spilling a constant stream of cum against the altar and the floor. He shook through his orgasm and would have fallen had Jade not been holding him up. Jade, hearing Adam climax, cupped the man�s balls, bit into his shoulder, and thrust manically as he too was pushed over the edge. Blood filled his mouth and trailed down Adam�s chest to soak into his skewed shirt. Both men slowed to a stop, trying to catch their breath in the process. Weak and drained, they collapsed as one to the cold stone floor, the chill helping to cool their overheated skin.
Jade didn�t pull out. He resisted the urge to do so and simply wrapped his arms around Adam, pulling him closer until his mouth found his neck once more. Adam sighed and settled with Jade�s arms settled around him protectively, lovingly. His eyes closed and rolled as he felt the delicious feel of Jade�s mouth running along his skin, his tongue trailing the outer edge of his ear.
�Mine,� Jade muttered low, huskily, �you�re mine. Don�t you dare fucking forget it, holy man. You belong to me. I�m the only one to fuck you. You understand? You�re MY piece of ass, mine. I make you come. Don�t you get me confused with that dip shit.�
�H-how. . .� Adam struggled to speak, eyes flying open in shock. �How did you know?� How did he know about this morning? Who told him? Hunter? No, not possible. Right? Oh, Gods!
Jade bared his teeth in hate as his fingers found purchase and dug cruelly into soft flesh. �I know everything about you, holy man. I know you�re screwing my brother just as my dick�s still in you.�
�No, wait, no!� Adam protested, but Jade�s hand covered his mouth, silencing him sharply. Adam swallowed thickly as Jade pulled his head back, exposing his neck.
�Shut it. Save it for someone who cares for your lies.� Jade rubbed his cheek against Adam�s, feeling the man�s heartbeat through his skin. �I know what his price was in freeing you. I know you sleep in his bed at night. I SAW you. Holding him, rubbing him, KISSING him. You love him? Hhmm? That it? You love him for freeing you? Love him, but you let ME fuck you? Damn, you�re one sick fuck, aren�t you? Maybe we DO belong together, holy man. From one twisted pervert to another, tell me; who�s bigger? Who puts it to you better? Which brother do you prefer? Or do you like topping him, then letting me top you? That the situation? Did I get it right?�
Silence. Adam knew even if Jade moved his hand and let him talk, Adam would still keep quiet. There was no trying to argue with Jade when he was convinced so utterly. It was like talking to a stone wall that was convinced that it should fall on you.
Forgetting he still had his hand in place, Jade growled in anger. �No answer, I see? Fine, that�s just fine, Adam. Have it your way. You�re caught, anyway. No use in trying to deny it. Everyone knows you�re a whore to the Lord and his bastard brother. They humor you with a false title and this room while secretly laughing behind your back. You are scum to them; something to ridicule and scorn. They no longer gossip about me, did I tell you? Oh, no, seems I�ve redeemed myself in the public eye by letting you go. But you, my little harlot, you have grown ill favor from the masses by not being satisfied by my bed, but hurrying to my brother�s as well! Oh, yes! They KNOW about your little �comforts� to their lord while his consort is away. They know all about what goes on behind closed doors.�
Here, Jade whispered heatedly into Adam�s ear. �The doors have ears and the walls have eyes. What you think is secret is only yesterday�s news. Try to escape this castle without me knowing and I�ll not only now it, I�ll be two steps ahead of you, ready to trip you and send you sprawling to the dirt from which you came.�
And with one more final lick to Adam�s wounded shoulder, Jade pulled out, straightened himself, and left. Adam waited until he was gone before pulling his clothes back on but continued to lay there on the ground, filthy and abused, just like the old days.
**********************************
�There�s a camp just ahead of ours.� Smith reported on return from scouting.
�How many?� Nim asked. The four of them stood in the light of the moon, waiting the arrival word that it was safe to light a fire.
�Just one,� Smith shook his head, �and you�ll never guess who it is.�
*********************************
The old witch woman tossed two more sticks to the fire and waited. She heard his footsteps before she sensed his aura, which she�d always known to be rather diminished.
�Old woman,� Nim spoke softly, even though they were alone, �what brings you out here so far from your ca�, uh, home?�
The old woman stirred the small pot over her tiny fire and gestured for Nim to take a seat closer to the fire. �I came out here several days before you started out. I knew you�d come this way, Nimmarrow. You�re as predictable as an old stray cat.�
Nim bristled. �I�ve chosen this course not only for its security, but for its many random turns��
She silenced him with a single gesture. �Nevertheless. Here I am, and here you are. Our paths meet once more. And yet, strange as it would seem, it is not I who is struggling, is it soldier?� Her blind, milky white eyes regarded him with something akin to sympathy.
He felt lead weigh his heart down. �What do you mean?�
The old witch pressed her thin, wrinkled lips together. �Don�t bother, Nimmarrow. I know what you keep in that box. I know what that. . . woman gave you. I know what she told you to do. I�m here to help you do the right thing, to tell you what you need to hear.�
Nim grew wary. �And what is it that I need to hear?�
The old witch drew lines in the dirt as she spoke, creating paths that crossed, erased and began new ones again. �The lives of those in the castle are so close together that it�s not always easy to see a clear path. Your thread, Nim, was always one that vexed me. I never liked you, and you never liked me. It�s mutual. But I have good reason, where as you merely go on appearances.�
It was true, well, the last part. Nim didn�t like the old woman mostly because she smelled, had body lice and lived in a cave, of all places. And she predicted fake prophecies and sold water-tonic as �potions� that never worked and costed gold better spent elsewhere.
�My reason,� the old witch resumed, �was that I knew one day I might meet you on this road, with a heavy decision on your shoulders. Only recently did I learn what that decision was. So I give you advice, the only place you�ll find it, I�ll say. Ask one question, Nim, one question of me that will help you make up your own mind on what to do. Because, I tell you, tonight you must decide. Tonight, your traveling is done. You�ll go no further. Kill the Server, or let him live. It is your choice, so ask the question.�
Nim paused before speaking. �Old woman, SHOULD he be killed?�
The woman hissed violently, scoffing. �The first thing I tell you, the first thing you ask! Idiot! I can�t tell you what to do, like a man would listen to a woman once his mind is made up, anyway. No, you�ve already made up your mind as we sit here now. You know what must be done. Here, now, I give you the reason for it.�
Nim�s face hardened and his jaw set. He hated others knowing his next move. �Then what good are you, if I�ve already made up my mind?� he stood and started off when he stopped. Slowly, he turned back. �Yes, one question. Answer truthfully. Davey. Is he a threat to. . . no, wait, better yet. . . WHO is the current threat to Hunter?�
And the old witch spoke the names, truthfully. She said it with sadness, but honesty that cleansed all the doubt from Nim�s mind. He blinked, mouth gaped slightly open. After a second, he grit his teeth, eyes blurred in rage.
�I�ve made up my mind, you said,� he spoke in a guttural voice dripping with malice as he moved toward her, hand going for a weapon, �one question, you said. So tell me, witch,� three steps away, two, one, �what good are you alive?�
Far off in the distance, an owl gives a soft call before diving down to retrieve it�s prey, a rabbit dives safely into it�s burrow, and the blood of an old witch seeps quickly into the dirt beside a slowly cooling campfire. He doesn�t bother to hide her body. He leaves her there to be food for carrion birds.
Nimmarrow Farwind doesn�t clean his weapon. He doesn�t sheath it, either. He goes to finish the job. The job he set out to do.
To protect and serve his Lord.
********************************
Hunter, perhaps sensing the unease of the night, looks out the window and up at the full moon. The very same moon Davey is currently looking at as he wades ankle deep in a freezing river, waiting for Nim to come back from talking to the old witch woman.
Hunter doesn�t know this. He believes Davey is at Lodd now, working diligently on returning. He doesn�t know how far it takes to travel to Lodd, but he knows his Davey isn�t that far. He can still feel his presence, only distantly.
The door behind him slowly creaks open, revealing one person. She carefully takes two steps in, then stops and waits. He does not answer her silent question but waits as she does. Finally, when he almost gives in and turns, she clears her throat in a dignified way.
�My Lord,� Lilith says clearly, �tonight.�
He doesn�t turn, but gives her a single, quick nod of consent. He sighs heavily and turns wide, sorrowful eyes back up. Behind him, Lilith walks in all the way and closes the door behind her. She walks toward the bed, stripping as she does.
********************************