| Title: Queen of the Night Author: Starlett Chapter 35 There was a knock on the door. "Cordy? You okay?" "Yeah. Why?" "It's been nearly an hour. You wanna come out?" She shifted, and the now-cool water sloshed against the side of the tub. "Yeah. I'll be right out." It was difficult to stand, and she had to use the soap dish to lever herself up. She let the water out, then wrapped herself in a towel and opened the door. Angel sat on the bed, clean and bandaged, and wearing fresh clothes. "You look better," she said. "You don't," he countered. She laughed. "Thanks. You got any aspirin?" He held up a bottle. "And water, and disinfectant, and bandages. Sit down." She collapsed onto the side of the bed, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Don't go to sleep," he said. "We'll never get you taken care of." He handed her the aspirin and the glass. She took them gratefully and swallowed almost half the glass of water. "Better?" "Much," she rasped. He turned, sitting sideways on the bed. "Let's take care of this one first," he said, spreading ointment on the gash on her chest. His fingers were gentle and cool, but she still flinched. "That's gotta hurt," he said. She nodded. "Not too comfy." He taped a bandage over it, pressing the tape against her skin. "There. Now let me see your arms." He picked up one hand, examining her entire arm for abrasions, and applying ointment when he found one. "Legs okay?" he asked, glancing down. Cordy nodded. "Those pants are like armor. But I think my feet..." He knelt and picked up her foot. "Yeah, these need some work." He was quiet while he doctored her feet, and he rubbed the arches soothingly as he finished. Her head was nodding against her chest when he slid back up on the bed. "Cordy, turn around," he whispered. She presented her back and felt his fingers pull the towel aside. He hissed. "What did he do to you?" he asked, running his fingers across the long, horizontal scratches. "That must be from the shelves. Or maybe it was one of the tackles." She shrugged. Angel sighed and cleaned the cuts. "You'll have to get the rest," he said, capping the tube of ointment and setting it on the bedside table. "They can wait till tomorrow, though." He patted her shoulder and handed her a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. "Put those on." He turned his back and Cordy slid the clothes over her stinging skin. "Okay," she said, pulling the covers back and climbing into the bed. Her eyelids drooped and Angel turned out the light. Her breathing evened out and Angel stood. Cordy reached for him. "No," she breathed. He took her hand. "No?" "Stay," she said. Angel looked around for a chair, but there wasn't one in reach. "Cordy," he whispered. "I've got to go find a chair. I'll be back." She opened her eyes, blinking owlishly. "Why? It's a big bed." She scooted over. "Come on, Angel, don't be a wuss." He laughed and climbed in next to her. "I don't think anyone's ever called me that," he said. She turned on her side and pulled him against her. "I don't know why not," she said. And then she was asleep. She slept for nearly 24 hours, waking to find it night again. Title: Queen of the Night Author: Starlett Chapter 36 Cordelia stood in the woods, collecting as much of the night as she could hold. She was saying farewell, for now, though she knew she would never really leave. Some part of her, some wild, primitive part, would always be here. She remained motionless, feeling the snow beneath her boots, smelling its damp, wintry fragrance. The stars glittered above her, twinkling their good-byes. She watched the trees bend and sway and thought of the city she was returning to. Loud, bright, crowded, smelly. Home. She smiled and wrapped her arms around her waist. She was going home. There was a tug on the link then, and she knew Angel was looking for her. A bittersweet wave swept over her. She was going home, yes, but she was also leaving home behind. A bird called, another answered. She understood, now, how night creatures navigated, and so she waited for him, outside the reach of the porch lights, a shadow among shadows. He was soundless on the path, but she felt him, and as he approached she turned. He was inseparable from the darkness, nothing more a shift in the energy field. Then he gained an outline, gathered form and became a man. Out of the darkness he approached, tall and broad and pale as milk, his features a chiaroscuro in the silver light. He flowed to a halt in front of her. Remembering the ancient greeting, she bared her throat to him. His face was silvered, fey in the moonlight, half-hidden by shadows. But his eyes glowed, dark and joyful. The smile bloomed across his face like jasmine. He bowed formally from the waist. When he stood his eyes glowed gold and he wore his game face. He tilted his head and gently, reverently touched one of his long canines to her jugular. "I offer you my fealty," he said in Gaelic. Then he slipped his arms around her and nestled his face in the crook of her neck, no longer Angelus the Scourge, but Angel, her beloved. He breathed her in, taking her scent into his body and blanketing himself in it. She recognized his action, and the knowledge weakened her knees so that she had to clutch his shoulders to remain standing. "Angel," she whispered, leaning into him, feeling the hard planes of his body pressing against her. "Hey," he said. He lifted her off the ground, held her against him fiercely, pressing his cheek to hers in a move so sweet it brought tears to her eyes. "I missed you," she whispered into the shell of his ear. She leaned her head on his shoulder and pressed her lips to his neck, opening her mouth and placing a wet kiss to the quiet hollow that rested there. He smelled like soap and turf fires, as if he carried the scent of his homeland in his very cells. "Oh, I missed you," he breathed, setting her gently down on the ground. "You look better," he said. He drank her in, his eyes warm and happy. She took his hand and linked her fingers through his. "Come with me," she said, tugging him down the trail. They walked in silence, following the path Cordelia knew by heart. She'd been waiting for him so she could walk it one last time. "It's beautiful," Angel breathed, as they came into the clearing. Cordy stopped to let him take it all in. "I know," she said reverently. "I wanted to see it through your eyes." Angel raised his face to the moon and held up an open palm. "It's like sunbathing, you know. Except the moon's rays wax and wane. The scents, the textures, the way the birds call. They all change according to her whim." He turned to look at her. "You're not scared," he said, smiling. Cordelia started walking again, ambling through the clearing and back onto the tree-lined path. "No," she said. "I woke up one night and the moon was full. It was incredibly bright; almost like the sun." She looked at him, and he was watching her, his face curious, intent. "I went for a walk, by myself. It was the first time in a long time that I walked unprotected." She smiled at the memory, at the feeling of feral power that had rushed through her. "I felt like an animal." "Or a woman," Angel replied. Heat rushed through her, loosening her muscles and coiling in her belly. "Yes," she said, shivering. "I understood why you love it." They listened to the night sounds, then started walking again. They didn't talk until they started up the hill to the house. "It'll be hard for you," he commented, stopping her on a small rise. He turned her toward him. "Yes. Part of me wants to stay." He nodded and cupped her face with his hand. "You can come back anytime. I'll come with you." "You'd better," Cordy said. "You're the only one who gets it." Angel smiled and shrugged. "Some creatures live their entire lives at night." He started walking again, and put his arm around her shoulders. "You balance me, Angel," she said quietly. "We balance each other, Cordy," he said. |