| With Friends Like These ... |
| Harry woke to the sound of the phone ringing. Grumbling, he glanced at the clock � only 20 minutes since he�d laid down. He got up from the couch and went over to pick up the phone.
�Hello?� �Dresden? It�s me.� Murphy�s voice sounded strangely hushed. �Murph? What�s up?� �I�m at a crime scene. At least, it might be a crime scene. Old guy dead behind a locked door. Might just be a heart attack � but my necklace kind of � I don�t know, felt funny. And then, heart attacks aren�t always as natural as they used to be, are they?� The veiled reference to the death of Harry�s Uncle Justin was obvious. Harry frowned. �If black magic has been used, the necklace might be responding to any residual energy there, yeah �� Murphy sighed, and then suddenly the sound got muffled. Sort of in the background, he heard her talking and picked up the name Kirmani. Harry groaned; Kirmani was not his favorite person, and the feeling was very mutual. Finally the sound cleared. �Sorry about that, Harry. Had to get rid of Kirmani. Aside from the locked door, there�s nothing obviously �weird� about this one � but could you come check it out anyway?� �Sure, Murph. Give me the address.� Harry grabbed a notepad and scribbled down the address she gave him. �OK, I�ll be there in about 20 minutes.� After hanging up the phone, Harry glanced around looking for Bob, but the ghost wasn�t in sight. �Bob!� he called out. �Murphy�s got a case, I�m heading out.� When the ghost didn�t appear, Harry figured he was buried in some old book and it wasn�t worth the interruption to come out. So he just grabbed his jacket and headed out the door. Half an hour later he pulled into the parking lot of a slightly decrepit apartment building. Harry checked the address he�d written down � 8th floor. Sighing, he headed for the stairwell, not trusting an already run-down elevator around his magic. Breathing hard, Harry finally emerged on the 8th floor and quickly found Apt. 834. The door was open, and there were a number of police personnel swarming over the place. Kirmani stood by the door. When he saw Harry, he immediately frowned. �Dresden? What the heck are you doin� here?� Then he chuckled maliciously. �Gonna use your wizardly powers to tell us who tortured the old geezer?� Luckily Murphy heard him and intercepted before Harry could answer. �Harry! Thanks for meeting me here � I promise I won�t be long. This one�s pretty cut and dried. Then we can go to dinner, ok?� Harry had to bite back a laugh at the way Murphy was batting her eyes at him. She obviously didn�t want Kirmani to know she�d called Harry here for the case. So he played along. �Uh, sure, Murph, sure. I�ll just wait over here, out of everybody�s way, ok?� Kirmani looked back and forth between them, stunned. �Murphy? You actually going out on a date with this dirtball?� Murphy spun on him, confronting him with all the righteous fury she was capable of. �What, Kirmani, can�t I have a social life without your approval? Besides, compared to the bimbos I�ve seen YOU out with, Harry�s a prince!� Kirmani cowed under her pointed gaze and turned away, grumbling. Harry moved off to the side where he could see what was going on, but not get in the way of the police, trying not to laugh too hard. The ME�s were loading the body onto a stretcher to take it away. Harry got a glimpse before they threw the sheet over it. And old man, his upper body covered with a variety of bruises and burn marks of several vintages. And he could feel what the crime scene techs couldn�t, but Murphy�s necklace had responded to � the presence of black magic. After a few minutes, Murphy glanced over at him, and Harry nodded at her, confirming her suspicion. She nodded back and disappeared into the bedroom. The ME�s took the body away, and Kirmani disappeared somewhere down the hallway. Harry was alone in the apartment�s tiny living room. �Why am I not surprised to find you here, Dresden?� Harry jumped at the unexpected voice behind him then turned to face Morgan. �I REALLY wish you wouldn�t do that, Morgan. Look, it�s a crime scene. Murphy calls me in whenever she suspects something � odd � is involved.� Morgan frowned. �Get rid of her, Harry. This is not for her to solve. This was the black �� �Yeah, Morgan, I know. I�m very familiar with this particular kind of thing, as you very well know. But you know what, Morgan? So does she. You can stop hiding every time Murphy shows up because she knows about you. I�m sure she�d be happy to cooperate with your investigation, just like she�d cooperate with any outside agency �� Harry pointedly did not mention how well they�d �cooperated� with the FBI on that werewolf thing � Morgan�s fury boiled as Harry babbled on. �You WHAT?� he finally bellowed. Harry stopped in mid sentence and smirked at Morgan. �Told her. Everything.� Then suddenly his face got deadly serious. �Damn it, Morgan! How many times has she walked into danger she wasn�t equipped to face because I couldn�t tell her that magic was real? Her job is gonna make her walk into those situations no matter what. At least I can give her a measure of protection!� �Which you apparently didn�t want me to have.� The cold voice behind him startled Morgan. He spun around to face a pissed-off looking Murphy. �Let me guess � you�re Morgan. The Warden. I heard you bellow �� Morgan ignored her and turned back to Harry. �Dresden, you�ll pay for this. You heard Mai�s explicit command to tell her nothing.� Harry shook his head. �I heard Mai tell you to tell the drake imposter nothing. She knew it was an imposter, Morgan.� Morgan shook his head. �You�re assuming too much, Dresden.� �And as usual, you assume too little, Morgan. Murphy�s a cop. She doesn�t have a choice about investigating the death of this man.� Murphy cut in. �So either work with me, or work around me, but I�m not going anywhere, Morgan.� Morgan spun on her. �So you know something of magic. This murder was committed by black magic. What would you do if you found the killer? Arrest him? Incarcerate him? How long do you think you could keep a wizard locked up in one of your puny cells?� Murphy glared back at him. �That�s not my problem, Warden. The man he killed was human, even if he was also a wizard like Harry. I can�t just �let it go.� I�m not allowed to. I�d lose my job. That�s how the system works.� Morgan glowered. �It�s a flawed system.� �Name me one that isn�t?� Harry countered. �Is ours really any better? Look, if you two can put aside your jurisdictional pissing contest and agree to work together, when we figure this out, Murphy can concoct an explanation to satisfy her bosses, and Morgan can take the culprit away for Council-style �justice�.� Harry said it as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. Morgan and Murphy looked at each other, each eyeing the other up. Both had their hackles seriously raised, neither wanted to compromise. But finally Morgan realized that this very tough woman wasn�t going to duck, so he nodded. �How do I contact you?� Murphy asked. �I�ll be watching you, lieutenant.� Somehow it sounded like a threat. Like he assumed somewhere along the line she�d end up in over her head, and he�d have to come bail her out. Of course, that was actually Harry�s job, but she wasn�t about to mention that. She glanced at Harry, and by the time she looked back at Morgan he was gone. �What the �?� she gasped. Harry sighed. �Morgan likes the dramatic entrances and exits. He told me recently he doesn�t really teleport, just goes invisible.� Murphy frowned. �I see why you don�t like him.� Harry shrugged. �Don�t have to like him but do have to work with him.� Murphy made a face. �Just like Kirmani �� Harry chuckled. �Yeah, you could say that. Speaking of which, where�d he disappear to?� They found Kirmani lounging against the car smoking a cigarette, waiting for them. Murphy went up to him. �OK, Kirmani, guess we can call it a day. We�ll have to wait for the ME�s report before we do anything. Probably just a heart attack, but those burns and bruises �� Kirmani shrugged. �Whatever.� He smirked at the two of them. �Guess you won�t be ridin� back to the station with me, huh Murphy? Rather be off with your boyfriend �� Murphy just rolled her eyes at him and turned to Harry. �Dresden, save me from this clueless excuse for a detective �� Harry laughed and caught her offered arm, playing it to the hilt. �My pleasure, milady �� Murphy smiled at his intentional mimic of Bob�s gallantry. As soon as they heard Kirmani�s car door slam shut and the engine start, they broke out laughing. �Oh, god, Harry! That was priceless! Thanks for playing along!� Harry grinned at her as he settled into the driver�s seat. �Guess this means we�re ok on last night? Bob was kinda worried this morning �� Murphy shook her head. �God, I�m so sorry about that Harry. I just � he looked so sad, I just couldn�t stay there with you!� Harry nodded. �I get it, Murph. But maybe you need to tell him?� Murphy sighed. �I thought I did that this morning.� Harry shook his head. �He had too much time to think before I woke up. I swear, sometimes he�s more like a woman � I mean, come on. The frilly clothes, the delicate manners. My god, Murphy, he�s a neat freak! Always getting on my case about the mess. And about how I dress. And now this. Any normal guy wouldn�t have given it a second thought �� Murphy laughed. �You know, you two are already like an old married couple.� Harry gave her a sideways look expressing his displeasure, but he really couldn�t argue with her. He sighed again and changed the subject. �So how about we pick up some Chinese take-out and eat at my place. He can join us �� Harry waggled his eyebrow suggestively. Murphy shook her head. �Don�t even think it, Dresden. Don�t get me wrong, I loved what we did last night. But you and Bob � you�ve got something special going on. You don�t need me. Maybe later, when you�ve got a handle on things, once in a while � but right now you need each other.� When they stopped at a red light, Harry turned to see the laughter had left her eyes. They were filled with affection and concern, but also resolve. She wasn�t going to budge on this. Harry had to admit that part of him was relieved. He�d been afraid that once Bob felt a woman�s touch again, he wouldn�t want what Harry could give him. And while he liked Murphy, Bob really was the one he really wanted. Now and forever. That scared him a little, but he knew he�d get used to the idea. They stopped and picked up the food, then headed back to Harry�s place. �Bob? We�ve got company,� Harry called out. Knowing the only company Harry would let see him, Bob materialized in a variation of his formal suit; the dark shirt, cravat, and velvet vest, just without the coat. He was pleased that Connie�s face lit up on seeing him. �Connie, my dear!� �Hey Bob!� She faced him as Harry took the food to lay out their dinner. They looked at each other without speaking for a moment. Then she reached out and brushed her hand over his ghostly cheek. �Harry said you were kind of upset this morning �� Bob sighed. �I suppose I was a bit taken aback by your sudden departure, my dear.� She shook her head. �Bob, I told you then. We�re ok. Really.� He looked deeply into her eyes, then finally nodded. Murphy smiled. �You just remember that promise you made this morning �� Bob raised one eyebrow, managing to leer through the surprise. �Trust me, my dear, I won�t forget it.� �What promise?� Harry asked, seemingly materializing out of nowhere. Murphy blushed while Bob grinned like the Cheshire cat. Harry looked back and forth between them and decided he wasn�t going to find out just now. �Oh, all right. Keep your secret. Chow�s on.� Harry chuckled as he headed back to the kitchen table. Murphy winked at Bob and headed to the kitchen table, taking a seat. Harry looked at Bob. �You want to �?� Bob hesitated, glancing at Connie. She grinned at him. �Please, Bob. Join us.� "Well, how can I refuse such a lovely lady?" Bob smiled and turned to Harry, dissolving his apparition as he moved into Harry's body. It was kind of interesting to watch as they adjusted to sharing the one body. There was a dreamy look on Harry's face for just a second. And then it was gone, and Bob reached out and took her hand, bowing over it, kissing the knuckles. She couldn't have said exactly how she knew it was Bob, except that Harry would never do something like that. Murphy realized that when Bob 'moved in', Harry stood straighter. "Thank you, my dear. I regret I never got the chance to properly do so last night ..." Murphy smiled and nodded at him. "You're very welcome. I had a wonderful time too." Bob held her hand just a moment longer, then squeezed her fingers before letting go. He sat down across the table from her. There was a small, almost imperceptible change in his face, and even before he spoke, Murphy knew it was Harry. "So Murph ... are you sure you want Kirmani thinking we're an item? He's gonna give you no end of grief about it!" Harry asked as he reached for a box of rice and began dumping some out onto his plate. // And exactly who is Kirmani, and why does he think you're an item? // Bob's thoughts demanded. Murphy laughed. "Yeah, I know. But I needed some reason for you to be there. And besides, lately he's been trying to set me up with guys he knows." Harry grimaced. // One of the detectives she works with. // He hoped Bob would figure out the why from her explanation. "Ugh. I can only guess ..." Murphy grinned as she shoveled some kung pao chicken onto her plate. "Yeah. Not the most charming lot I've ever met ... especially after I've been flattered by the best!" "I presume you're not talking about Harry," Bob chimed in. "No, Bob, I meant you!" Murphy laughed. She hadn't expected them to switch back and forth so easily. It really was kind of like having dinner with both of them. Conversation flowed easily among all three of them, the level of comfort growing with each passing moment. It was warm, inviting, friendly, almost family-like, except without the usual quibbling she'd been used to coming from a large family. When dinner was over, they put the dishes in the sink, tossed the cartons in the trash, and moved into the living area. There was a moment of hesitation as they tried to figure out how close together to sit. Murphy ended it by pushing Harry into the corner and snuggling up next to him. "Oh, come on, Harry. We've been naked together. Don't get all proper on me now!" Harry blushed. Bob rushed to take over, wrapping one long arm around Connie's shoulders. "I'm glad you feel that way, my dear." Murphy turned to look up into brown eyes that somehow sparkled blue. She reached out and gently touched Bob's face. "I know I'm not the one you really want to be holding, Bob. Or you, Harry. But I do care an awful lot about both of you. I'm not ready to repeat last night, at least not until you two are a lot more secure in your relationship. But that doesn't mean we have to act like strangers. We crossed a boundary last night, and I don't want to go all the way back to the beginning. I've been lonely too ... it's nice to have somebody to lean on." Her words reached straight into Harry's heart. He sighed and pulled her close, bending down to kiss the top of her head. "Yeah, it is," he responded. "Thanks, Harry," she sighed happily. The lack of accent told her who had spoken. Harry smiled, his hand running gently over her arm. It was nice having a real, solid body to hold. He wondered what it would be like if someday it really was Bob sitting beside him like this. While Harry's mind was off on that tangent, Bob had taken over the conversation with Connie. They were discussing this afternoon's case. "So Bob ... do you know this Warden, Morgan?" Murphy asked. Bob's face ... or Harry's, depending on your viewpoint ... made a sour frown. "Oh, yes. One cannot escape Morgan's attention in this city. I take it you met him today? I don't suppose that went at all well." Murphy shook her head. "He was furious that I knew about him. I think he may give you guys some trouble about that ..." Bob smiled grimly. "We'll deal with it, my dear. I fully agree with Harry that it was well past time to bring you into our 'world' and give you some protection." He reached out and touched her newly charmed necklace. She smiled and caught his hand, squeezing his fingers gently. "I appreciate it, Bob. A lot." They smiled at each other, sharing the moment of warmth. Then Murphy let go and cocked her head sideways, mischief sparkling in her eyes. Harry had been out of the conversation for a while. Time to tweak his attention. "So tell me, Bob. Does Morgan hate Harry so much because he killed his uncle, or because he violates the Wizard fashion codes? I mean, for all his self-righteousness, the man looks damned good! And you, Bob, well, there just aren't words! But what's with Harry? I don't think he even owns a suit?!" As expected, that got Harry's wandering attention. "Hey! Since when do you notice what I'm wearing? And more importantly, that's what you remember about Morgan? That he's a sharp dresser?" Murphy laughed at the petulant tone of Harry's voice. "Hey, a woman has her standards. Kirmani thinks we're dating ... if it were true, you'd be trying to impress me. So if you want this to work, you really ought to ..." Bob chuckled. "Give it up, Connie. I've been trying for years ... I've had to settle for just getting him naked more often!" Harry started to say something, then stopped, trying to figure out just how badly he'd been insulted. But somehow Bob wanting him naked just couldn't get him upset. And actually triggered an entirely different reaction in his body. He suddenly remembered their shopping trip this afternoon and the 'toys' they hadn't had a chance to play with yet. A red tinge was creeping up his neck as he glanced at the plain brown package sitting on the desk. Murphy tracked where he was looking, but before she could say anything, they were interrupted by her cell phone. She had to squirm against Harry to reach where it was clipped to her belt. "Yeah? Oh, hey Butters. Yeah, give it to me." She was quiet as the person on the other end talked for a while. Finally, she nodded. "OK, thanks. I'll let you know." As she closed the phone, she looked up at Harry. "That was the ME's office. They've issued cause of death to be a heart attack. The burns and scars were already healing by the time of death; not a contributing factor. Or so it seems ..." She looked the question at her 'magical expert.' Harry nodded. "Yeah, that�s probably right. I definitely felt black magic there, Murph. The burns and scars could have been preliminary rounds, inflicted the same way, but a while ago. Not a direct cause of death." "Could our vic have been one of you?" Harry thought about it, then shook his head. "Not likely. If he'd been a practitioner, I would have sensed more power there. There would have been wards against magical attack. And you'd have seen signs ... I didn't get back into the bedroom. Did you see anything unusual? Like the stuff around here?" Murphy shook her head. "So some badass wizard takes out an ordinary old man ... who never had any chance, did he?" Harry shook his head. Murphy chewed on her lower lip. "Morgan's right about one thing ... even if I catch this guy, what am I gonna do with him?" Harry nodded. He knew this didn't sit well with her. Handing her case over to somebody else, somebody she didn't particularly like. She had to work it out herself. She looked up at him. "We can push this ... the signs of previous abuse ... although without the victim's testimony, it'd be hard ... or we can just let it go as a heart attack." Harry nodded again. "Except you'll know that Morgan won't let it go, Murphy. Whoever did this WILL pay ... probably a hell of a lot worse than he'd pay in your system." Murphy frowned. "You guys don't have prisons, do you?" Harry shook his head again. "So I'm releasing this killer to an automatic death sentence. Am I gonna have to investigate HIS murder?" "His disappearance, perhaps ..." Bob's cultured tones slipped in. "But there will be no evidence. No body, no witnesses ..." "No trial?" Murphy's voice was cold. "Oh, there'll be a trial." Harry again. "The council has occasionally been known to see reason ..." Murphy frowned, finally putting together the pieces. "You. They put you on trial for killing your Uncle?" Harry nodded. "You wouldn't recognize it as a trial, Murphy. But it served its purpose. Bob's testimony that Justin Morningway was trying to kill me at the time saved my skin. But it's also why Morgan will never really trust me." Murphy sighed. She sat there, thinking, for almost a minute before she continued. "OK, Harry. I'll let you guys have this one. But it won't always be this easy for me to 'bow out.' " Harry nodded. "I know, Murph. But at least now you can understand why sometimes it's for the better." She nodded, then took her phone out again, dialed a number. "Butters? It's Murphy. Cut him loose, it's a heart attack. Yeah. Good night." She shut the phone and tucked it back on its clip on her belt. Things had gotten too serious. She remembered where the conversation had been going before the phone call, and turned her attention to the brown paper bag on the desk that Harry had been staring at. "So Harry ... what's in the bag?" she asked coyly, a slow grin spreading across her face. As expected, his face turned entirely red. "Um ... uh, well, uh, wait, Murphy, no don't!" When he started stuttering, she'd gotten up and reached for the bag. She wasn�t at all surprised at what she found when she opened it. She grinned at Harry. �Looks like somebody had other plans for the evening �� She let it become a question, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Harry buried his face in his hands. �Um, Murph � I, uh �� // Oh, for the love of god, Harry � // Bob muttered in the background before taking over. �We had planned some time alone together,� Bob�s cultured tones took over as he reached for the bag and gently took it from her, his poise giving no hint that there was anything unusual about their plans. It was an odd contrast with Harry�s beet red face. Murphy laughed. �Well, then, I guess it�s time for me to head out.� Bob cocked his head to one side. �You don�t have to leave, Connie �� She sighed softly. �Yes I do, Bob. You two need each other right now. I love you both, I hope you know that. And I�ll be waiting �� She grinned and winked at Bob. Bob laughed and nodded. �So it shall be.� He could feel Harry�s curiosity, but ignored it for the moment since Connie had moved close and was hugging him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged back. It really did feel wonderful to have a warm body to hold like this. Connie wasn�t really that short, but Harry was so tall that the top of her head tucked nicely under his chin. Bob couldn�t resist placing a gentle kiss atop her head. But even as he held her, part of his mind was wishing it could be Harry he was holding. That would be different, if only because he�d be the shorter one there. Before he could chase down that road, they separated, and Connie stood on tiptoe to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. �Good night, guys,� she said softly, reaching for her purse. �Good night, Connie, my dear,� Bob managed to remember to say. �Yeah, night, Murph,� Harry chimed in. It amazed her how much his voice changed depending on who was talking. Murphy chuckled and shut the door behind her. �So, are you gonna let me in on the big �secret�?� Harry nudged. // What? Oh, that � Just, she said once I have a real body, she wanted one night with me as me � // �Ah. Just one night?� Harry kept his tone light, but he wasn�t entirely sure he wasn�t jealous. But Bob could feel Harry�s feelings, could sense just a hint of jealousy. // Harry, my dear, you know you�re the one I really want. Let me show you � // And with that he caught Harry�s hand, lifted it to his mouth and gently kissed the palm. His lips slowly worked their way down over the heel of the hand, coming to rest on his wrist, right over the pulse point, kissing and licking. They slowly trailed down to Harry�s elbow, where Bob�s tongue teased over the bend several times before working it�s way back up the arm back to the wrist again, sucking gently. Finally, he moved up further still, back over the palm, and sucked the tip of Harry�s long middle finger into his mouth. // I want you, Harry. // The mental voice came in very handy with his mouth full. // I want to smell you, taste you, feel your hot hardness in my mouth. I want to give you such pleasure as you�ve never felt before. I want to feel myself buried in your heated depths, and you in mine. I want it all, Harry. All with you. // Both of them were rapidly becoming aroused, their shared body eagerly responding to the dual stimulus. Hearing Bob�s thoughts was turning Harry on in a big way. The way Bob was sucking on his finger as if it was his dick was interesting, too. His breathing was already shallow and labored. // God, yes! // was all he could manage in response. // Upstairs. // Somehow, his fevered brain managed to remember the package, which had been dropped onto the desk somewhere along the line. He grabbed it with his free hand. Bob stayed focused on sucking on Harry�s finger while letting Harry get them up to the sleeping loft. He only let go to allow Harry to undress, his clothes left scattered across the floor. Bob grinned as he retrieved the package and extracted their new toys. He also retrieved the bottle of lube, and set it aside for the moment. They settled onto the bed, propping up on a pile of pillows. Bob eagerly tore open the package with the string of graduated beads. Harry hovered in the background, curious, but letting Bob take center stage. And then he felt Bob call up his magic, and the little pile of silicon beads in his hand began to glow and pulse. Harry watched, wide-eyed, as Bob anointed them with the lube, then reached down and gently slipped the first, smallest one into Harry's opening. It was small enough that it slipped right in without any discomfort at all. Once inside, Harry could feel it pulsing, dancing inside him. It was ... different. Quite ... interesting. Bob sat up and leaned back into the pillows. // All right, Harry. I want you to just relax now and concentrate on what you're feeling. // Bob's mellifluous tones filled his mind. There was just something about that voice that did him in every time. Harry sighed and let Bob have full control. He closed his eyes; when he wasn't looking and Bob was controlling his amrs, he almost wasn't quite sure what was coming next. It was almost as good as having a separate body. He felt Bob's hands on his dick, gently stroking, playing with his balls. And he felt something else, too ... a tingly sensation, warming him, exciting him. Bob was using magic to enhance his touch. Harry was thoroughly enjoying it when suddenly another bead pushed into his cavity. The unexpectedness of it heightened the sharp sensation when it popped in. For a moment, Harry was confused. He could still feel Bob's hands on his dick. But then he remembered the magic; Bob had enchanted the beads before inserting the first one. They would likely take care of themselves. Bob's chuckle deep in his mind confirmed his assessment. // Weren't expecting that, were you, my love? // // No ... // // Good ... // Harry's cock was fully hard and leaking, so Bob slid one hand up over his belly, up his chest, coming to rest on a nipple. He tweaked and squeezed it a bit, then sent out a pulse of magic. Harry jumped as if he'd gotten a mild electric shock. It seemed to flow from the nipple right down to his cock. A few moments later, another one came. And right after it, another of the beads inserted itself, drawing his concentration elsewhere. Harry was panting. The array of sensations was almost dizzying. The three beads now buried inside him were pulsing, moving. It felt very weird ... and entirely delightful. // Hey Bob ... how many beads on that string? // // You think I'm going to tell you? This is much more fun! // Bob chuckled and silently urged the next bead into Harry. This one was nearly an inch in diameter, and Harry gasped as it popped in. Bob could also feel them pulsing inside him, and had to admit that it was a very unique sensation. Just the four beads was already quite noticeable. And the pulsing effect he'd added ... perfect. Bob kept him guessing, never knowing where the next burst of pleasure was going to come from. By the time the ninth bead had inserted itself, the mass had pushed itself in far enough to reach Harry's prostate. Each pulse pressed against it, drawing deep moans from Harry. Bob struggled to maintain control. He held them there, the magic tingling all over their body, the beads pulsing inside them, until he simply couldn't hold it any more. Then with a flick of one finger, he commanded the beads to reverse direction. The last, largest one, a good inch and a half thick, popped out, drawing a harsh cry from Harry. The sensation was all they needed to push them over the edge. The rest of the beads came out just as suddenly, each one adding a spike to the pleasure of the orgasm that took them. When it was done, Harry lay limply, exhausted, completed sated. Bob wasn't exactly inclined to move, either ... Harry floated in a semi-conscious state. In his mind he pictured Bob lying beside him, his head pillowed on Harry�s shoulder, Harry�s fingers playing absently with that silky soft white-blond hair. // That�s what it should be after sex like that � // Bob couldn�t actually see Harry�s thoughts that had led up to that statement, but from his emotions it was pretty obvious what he was thinking. He ran his fingers lightly over Harry�s arm, up to the shoulder, caressing. // I know, Harry � // The ghost�s voice sounded as wistful as Harry felt. // How�s the research coming? // // Ah! // Bob�s attitude perked up. // Connie brought over some translations. Between those and what I was able to piece together myself, I have the legend. It seems Tsukata was a young woman in ancient Japan. She was apprenticed to an old wizard; apparently she had some power of her own. But when she came of age, she was more interested in a local boy than in her mentor. The old man expected her to become his wife, and when she refused he turned her into a cat to serve as his �familiar.� Everybody thought she had run away to avoid marrying him. // Harry frowned. �Ok, a transformation spell. Really, a curse. That�s black, we can�t go there. Besides, that would take a whole hell of a lot of power to permanently transform a person �� //Agreed. But there�s more. It seems her young lover was also an adept, studying with a rival of the old master. He did not believe she would have run away like that. But he was intrigued by a black cat that had taken to the old wizard. Believing it to be his love, he tried to reverse the spell, but he didn�t have the power to completely counter it. But by tapping into the power of the moon, he was able to restore her to her human form during each full moon. // �Moon powered, huh? Smacks of lycanthropy � more of the black.� // I�m not so sure of that, Harry � // Bob sounded thoughtful. �What do you mean?� // Well � // While Harry had been out at the crime scene, he�d begun to seriously consider the implications of the story. And talking about it now something snapped into place. Bob suddenly ghosted out of Harry�s body and appeared standing beside the bed in his blue silk pajamas. He started scribbling in the air, trailing fiery symbols behind his index finger. �The spell would simply be restoring the �victim� to their natural state. Using the moon as the power source actually avoids the sacrificial component that would otherwise be needed!� Harry�s eyes got wide as he took in the magical formula hovering in the air over his bed. It might just work � �Bob �� Harry�s voice was hesitant. �It wouldn�t be permanent� I mean, it�d only be a couple of nights a month, right?� He was almost afraid to believe. Bob turned at Harry�s quiet comment. The expression on that beloved face was � hopeful? Afraid? �It�s far better than what we�ve got now, Harry.� Bob�s voice was soft, reassuring. �Think of it this way � it only gives me a reprieve, not a release from my curse. There are some who would not like it at all if I were completely freed �. This way is much simpler. And avoids the black.� Harry nodded, and after a moment, Bob turned back to his equation, frowning in concentration. �It would definitely be driven by lunar cycles � but perhaps we could add a solar component as well, at least allowing it to last during the day as well? How many days might be a factor of how much power WE can put into it �� Bob continued to scribble in the air as Harry got up and vanished into the bathroom. He re-emerged a few minutes later to find the ghost staring intently at his work. Harry chuckled softly. �Bob. It�s late. You can stay up all night figuring this out. I�m going to bed.� The ghost blinked; he�d almost forgotten about Harry in those few intervening minutes. "Oh. I ... " Harry laughed. "Don't worry, your werelight chalkboard won't bother me." He reached out one hand and gently caressed the ghostly face. "One of these days I'll be able to actually kiss you goodnight. Properly." Their eyes locked, and Bob nodded, smiling. "Yes, I do believe that, Harry." "But now I'm going to bed." Harry turned away and pulled down the covers. Crawling into the bed, he rolled onto his side facing away from the weirdly glowing red light of Bob's equations, one arm wrapped over the oversized pillow in a blue satin pillowcase. Someday he wouldn't need it anymore ... continue to Moondance Send me some Feedback Back to my Dresden Home page Back to the Jade Palace Home Disclaimer: I don't own them, just borrowing them for fun, not profit. |
| Chapter 9 |