Devon Monk - Magic in the Shadows

A plunge of cool mint pressed me down. Like iron to lightning, he Grounded me, drinking down the magic that I poured into him. Magic rolled through me, through Zayvion, then rushed back through me again. I did not know where he began and I ended. Magic and need were one, and I was lost to it. Lost beneath his hands. I closed my eyes, arching, reaching, needing more. More.

Zayvion’s breathing became my breathing, his heartbeat my heartbeat. I wanted to wait, wanted him to beg for me to give him release, but I could not stop, too caught in our tempo, as we slipped up and up and up.

For a brief, bright moment, I was whole, alive, complete, hovering upon the crest of a wave that crashed through me, hot, rushing. I shuddered and trembled and clung to Zayvion, wrapped around him, not wanting to let him go.

Heat lapped over me, simmering into a languid warmth, releasing my breath and heartbeat slowly, and making every muscle in my body heavy.

Zayvion kissed the corner of my mouth, and I exhaled the taste of mint.

We rested there, sated, still embracing, unwilling to draw apart. Zayvion leaned his head against my shoulder-the good one-and I drew my fingertips lazily down the back of his head, tugged at his dark curls before sliding my fingers down the back of his neck.

I was exhausted. Tingling. I felt like I’d just taken a few hits of pure oxygen. Zayvion’s strong, wide body felt so right. This felt so right.

Why had I ever doubted him? Us?

He took a deep breath and kissed my shoulder, my collarbone. I moaned softly, pulsing gently to his touch, as he gently drew away from me and shifted to lie next to me.

I rolled onto my side, toward him, my back to the door. He wrapped his arms around me.

He stroked the curve of my cheek and temple with his thumb, calling magic to rise softly, then fall like mist away from his touch. “I never want to hurt you.”

It was a strange thing to say after making love.

Not knowing what else to do, I just nodded.

We lay there a while. I wanted more, wanted to make love to him again. Instead, I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A knock at the door woke me.

“I’m going out.” It was Nola. “There’s breakfast in the kitchen for both of you. I’ll be down at the courthouse, and later with Detective Stotts. I should be back around six.”

“Okay,” I said. “Thanks. Bye.” I clutched my blankets like they were going to fly away.

Zayvion wiped his hand over his face and grinned at me. “You didn’t forget she was here?”

And I knew I was blushing because I felt the heat of it spread across my chest and up my neck and face.

“No,” I lied. “Of course not.” I waited until I heard the front door close and then pushed the covers off. I felt the need to be dressed now. Just in case someone or something else decided to drop by. I found clean jeans, panties, bra, a tank, and green sweater. I managed the panties on my own. Then picked up my jeans.

“Gonna go that alone?” Zay asked.

The man lounged in my bed like a cat claiming a sun-beam, stretched out with only the corner of the blanket over his hips. I literally had to wait a second to get my breath back. It didn’t help when he smiled and stretched, flexing all the muscles down his hard stomach.

Maybe all I wanted to do was crawl back into bed with him.

“You offering to help?” I asked.

“Could. Might cost you.”

“So you’re going to blackmail me and leave me naked?”

Zayvion sat up and pulled to the edge of the bed. “You do see where it might be in my best interests to do so.”

“I can get into my own damn jeans,” I said.

“You didn’t ask what it would cost.”

“And I’m not going to.” I held the waistband, got one foot in, pulled the jeans up, reached my good hand across to get my other foot in, pulled the jeans up. Getting them over my hips was a little trickier and involved a lot of shim mying and wiggling.

I even zipped and buttoned the button. “Ha!” I said triumphantly.

“Very, very nice.” Zayvion lifted his gaze from my chest, a wicked grin on his face.

I wasn’t wearing a shirt. Or a bra. I’m sure I’d just given him quite a show.

“Bastard.”

“Worth it,” he said. “Need any help with your shirt, or would you like to prove it’s better if I stay out of your way with that too?”

“Get out.”

He stood, the sheet dropping completely away, then stretched before finding his boxers.

Okay, I really didn’t want him to leave.

I pulled my gaze away from his fine body and worked on getting into my bra. I got both straps over my shoulders, but couldn’t twist my arm backward to fasten the hooks.

Zayvion silently made his way up behind me.

“Hands off, flyboy,” I said.

“Promise I’ll be good,” he said. “Just use a couple fingers and a thumb.” He did just that, only one knuckle brushing my spine as he hooked my bra. Then he stepped back. “How’s that?”

“Nice.” I turned and wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head against his shoulder. So much for the tough-girl act.

He held me, waiting to see where I would take this. I had all sorts of ideas of where I wanted it to go, but my stomach rumbled. If I was going to be using magic today at Maeve’s class, I’d need food.

I let go of Zay, gave him a small smile. We both wordlessly went back to getting dressed. I managed the tank on my own, but by the time I found my sweater, I was tired and my shoulder was sore.

“How bad is my shoulder?”

Zay pulled his shirt down. “It’s healing. You have a couple punctures.”

I held out my sweater for him. He took it, and without a smirk, without a single smile, he helped position it over my head, and held the sleeves so I could push my arms into them.

“Anyone call a doctor?” I asked.

“As I understand it, Nola called her physician back home and asked him if he thought you needed medical care. He didn’t seem to think so. Do you want me to take you to the hospital?”

“Right now, I just want some of that breakfast I smell.”

Zayvion and I explored the kitchen together and discovered sausage, eggs, and pecan-maple French toast. We moved well together, comfortable in each other’s space. I liked that. It had been a long time since I had someone around me, this close to me, who made me feel good.

We also discovered a note from Davy that said,

Hound meeting 7:30, same place.

A phone started ringing, and I got up from the table to answer it. Except it wasn’t my phone.

Zayvion pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. I didn’t think he had a cell. This thing looked more like a Victorian card case, with metal swirls and gears and beveled glass and tinted mirrors. It took me a second, because I guess I was just slow today, but I finally recognized a Shield glyph etched into the case.

Heavily Warded didn’t begin to describe that thing.

“Yes?” he said.

Whoever was talking on the other line was quiet enough I couldn’t hear them, not even with my acute hearing. Either that or the phone had some sort of Privacy or Mute spell worked into it too.

All I know is the man before me went from a happy lover to a blank wall of Zen.

“Yes.” It was one, stilted word. The answer of a man having to fulfill an unwanted duty. I wondered who it was on the other line and what they had asked him to do.

He hung up and pocketed the phone.

“Nice gizmo, Batman,” I said.

He frowned, and it was strange to see him try to figure out what I was saying. That call must have shaken him up more than I thought.

“The phone,” I said. “It’s neat. All magical and stuff.”

He nodded. “I need to get you one like that. You said your cell keeps dying, didn’t you?”