| Title: Queen of the Night Author: Starlett Chapter 23 A few evenings later, Cordy sat, bundled in a sweater, on the lawn between the deck and the forest. She was trying to meditate. She hadn't given up on it. Yet. The words of the 23rd Psalm seemed to be working pretty well at keeping her focused. They were easy to remember and actually sort of comforting once she got past feeling like a dork for meditating in the first place. "I see you are experiencing more ease with the darkness," Mr. Zhou said, settling next to her on the grass. Cordy opened her eyes and smiled. "Yeah. It's kinda weird. The Hellmouth holds you hostage after awhile, you know?" "Not just the Hellmouth," he said, plucking a blade of grass and holding it up to the moonlight to study. "Nah, everything. Gang-bangers, rapists, jeez, it gets to the point that just going outside takes balls." She snickered. "Sometimes, literally." "Yes, it is more difficult for women than men in this respect," Mr. Zhou said, dropping the blade of grass and linking his fingers in his lap. "But you will no longer need to worry about that, now that you have discovered the link." "Really?" "Of course. Just close your eyes. Let it lead you." "Use the Force, Luke," she snickered. "As long as you don't call me Yoda," Zhou responded with a laugh. "But back to the subject at hand. If what you're saying is true, I should just be able to close my eyes and, what? Walk around without tripping over anything?" "Night creatures do it all the time, child. They have sonar, night vision, sense of smell," he replied. "One creature will call and another will respond, and in that way they will orient each other. It's not so different than day-walking. Strong light simply plays a smaller part." "Cool," Cordy said, her curiosity piqued. Mr. Zhou pushed himself gracefully to his feet. "I am going back to the house, now. I just wanted to check on you." "I'm great," said Cordy. "Just hangin'." Mr. Zhou patted her shoulder. "Come in soon, my dear, you need your rest," he commented. "All right," Cordy called as he disappeared. "I won't be long." She closed her eyes again and tried to imagine what it would be like to navigate without vision. Her ears began picking up on little sounds: rustlings in the bushes, the flutter of bird wings. Her skin felt like it was blooming, soaking up the atmosphere: a dampness in the air, the brush of the breeze, the individual grass blades tickling her ankles. She stood, keeping her eyes closed, and took a cautious step. The ground felt different this way, firmer, but she'd have to move really slowly so she didn't throw herself off balance. She put her hands out in front of her and took another step, letting her ears and her skin become her guide. As she walked, she felt the grass become the soft dirt of the path, then the springy undergrowth of the forest. Twigs snapped beneath her feet and tree roots rose out of the ground like hard ropes. Deciding to try an experiment, she rubbed her chest and took a breath, concentrating on the link. It opened beautifully, like a window sliding upward, and flooded her with light and warmth. She stopped as it permeated her body, and waited for its deep thrill to subside. Eyes still closed, she dropped her hands and let the link guide her through the woods. Through it she could see, not just in front of her, but all around. She felt attached to thousands of silken cords, almost as if she were part of a web. If she stepped one way, the web changed its pattern, and she could sense shapes like one would sense a shift in an energy field. Trees felt vibrant, alive. The shockwave of their power rippled through her, causing a giggle to rise from her throat. It was almost as if they were flirting with her, their branches tickling and nipping as she walked by. Rocks were silent, stoic. Their energy was lower, closer to the earth, more solid than the trees. She moved carefully around the larger ones, brushing them with her fingertips as she passed. Overhead a bird fluttered, its flapping wings startling her heart into a racing gallop. She gasped, then laughed at herself. The bird called, and another answered, and Cordy felt it reorient and fly in a new direction. "Cool," she whispered, following the bird until she couldn't hear it any more. Is this what Angel feels, she wondered as she mapped a wandering path back to the house. Connected to everything, open to everything. Able to hear the smallest sound, sense the tiniest movement of the leaves, smell the dirt and the grass and the pine needles? She knew his senses were far more honed than that, but using the link gave her a new appreciation for what he must feel, what he must know. For nearly 250 years he'd had the highly developed senses of a predator. How could he live with the intensity? And how could he stand to be around humans, who must seem plodding and dense? The answer to that was clear: he'd give up eternity to become like her, human and fallible. He'd give up the night vision, the heightened hearing, the crazy-intense ability to smell, just to feel his heart beat. Just to sleep at night. Just to die. Cordy sighed and opened her eyes. She was within sight of the house now, and the porch lights beckoned her to her bed. Angel, dead, was a fear she faced every night. Like the Slayer, all he needed was one bad fight, and he was gone. What would happen to the link, then? Would it flicker, and go out? Or would she be left with visions that had no warrior to fight them? She stepped onto the deck, her tennis shoes slapping softly against the wood. The bedroom doors were open, and she slipped in through the dark, her eyes adjusting quickly after the glare of the porch lights. The bathroom floor was cool under her feet as she toed off her shoes. She stripped off her flannel shirt and sweat pants and pulled on her silk pajamas. The water was warm on her chilled skin. She washed her face slowly, carefully, and moisturized. Flossed and brushed. Ran a brush through her hair. She lay down on the bed, tucking herself under the covers and closed her eyes. Sleep took her down, slowly and easily. Title: Queen of the Night Author: Starlett Chapter 24 "I love you, Cordy," Angel crooned, running his lips over her neck, her jaw, her temples. His eyes were golden, like a cat's. His hands, so big, were all over her. He drew her down and kissed her, his tongue finding hers through the fangs. She pulled his tongue deeper into her mouth, swirling hers against it, not caring that his teeth were scraping her raw. Her eyes closed on a whimper. So big, so hot, so good. He caressed her breasts, pulling heat from her belly like strings of red fire. Her nipples scorched against his open palm, and she cried out when she felt him slip his fingers into her overheated core. She was slick with desire, her thighs damp against his hand. The scent rose up in the room, warm and heady. He growled, a sound of pure, male lust. It was like a match dropped in a dry forest, pushing her already aroused system nearly to the breaking point. "Please," she whimpered. "Angel, please." She rolled them over and wrapped her legs around his waist. He rammed into her, pinning her hips against the mattress. "Oh, God," she moaned. One thrust, two, she was already so close. He found her mouth with his, and the touch of his lips, his teeth was all she needed. The orgasm erupted like a volcano, melting the hollow between her legs into a river of fire. "Angel!" she screamed, her body jerking in ecstasy. "Yes," he hissed. He grabbed her hips, held her steady as he jerked against her. His body was steel-tight, his movements uncontrolled. He buried his face in her neck, and with a sharp cry, emptied himself into her. They lay, still connected, for several long heartbeats. Then Angel slid his hand up her, caressing her belly, her breasts, her lips. "Amazing." He pulled back, his face sweaty and pinker than she'd ever seen it, almost human. His eyes were as bright as little suns. "Yeah," she breathed. Angel scrubbed his hand over his face and it returned to normal. He leaned over and kissed her again, this time gently, his tongue swiping out to soothe the scrapes his fangs had left. "Hey," she said, a thought occurring to her. "This doesn't mean Angelus is coming out to play does it?" Angel stared off into space. "Doesn't feel like it," he said after a long moment. "Thank God," Cordy breathed. "Wait, should I be insulted?" Angel laughed. "Hardly," he grinned. The look he wore, a seductive mixture of awe, dark thrill and tenderness, made Cordy's insides quiver. He rolled them onto their sides and took her hand, bringing it to his lips. Cordy's heart turned over in her chest. "I bought something for you." He reached over and pulled a small wooden box from the bedside table. The inlaid jewels on the lid glinted in the dim light. "The five most beautiful words on the planet." Cordy sat up and took the box from his hand. Her heart rushed when she saw the tiny, hand-carved silver cross resting on the bed of velvet. It was about the size of her thumbnail, intricate and glowing and utterly feminine. She pulled it out by its chain. "It'll keep the big, bad vamps away," Angel said with a smile. "Not all of them, I hope." She put the cross on. It nestled in the hollow of her throat. Angel put his fingertips on her neck, touching her pulse as it beat next to the charm. "Beautiful," he breathed. She leaned over and kissed him. Cordy's eyes opened and the room came into focus. "Oh, God," she groaned, pressing the heels of her hands against her eyelids. She sat up. "It was a dream, Cordy," she whispered. "Another stupid dream." But she'd never had a dream like that about Angel in all the years she'd known him. Not one that left her craving him like a drug. That left her knowing how his hands felt, what he tasted like. How it felt to have him inside of her.... She shook her head. "Doesn't matter. He's strictly no-bone, you know that." She scrubbed her hands over her face, trying to get rid of the lingering wisps of desire. "Don't waste your time on something that can never, ever happen." Her heart gave a painful, grieving twist. She ignored it and closed her eyes, hoping she could go back to sleep. |