Denigoddess2001
Denigoddess2001@aol.com
1/28/02 12:25 P.M.
Saga: Angels Amongst Us
Title: That Which Is Unseen 7.0
Rating: R (profanity and adult content)
Summary: Selene of The Weird Sisters takes a personal interest in the lives of Dominique and MacBeth.
Characters: Selene, Phoebe, Luna, Lennox Moray MacBeth, Dominique Denise Destine, Wren Summers-Nightkind, Demetrius Nightkind
Disclaimer: Gargoyles do not belong to me. They belong to Disney. No infringement intended. All original characters are property of their deity, Denigoddess2001.
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE SHORES OF AVALON:
Selene watched with great deliberation as her favorite pastime lamented over his long lost love. For a moment, she almost felt sorry for the pathetic human as his heart broke in the night's darkness. Then, she remembered her true course and station in the scheme of things. She was a member of an elite guard specifically designated by her Lord Oberon. Selene Weird knew that she was one of the most powerful members of the Seelie Court and she liked it that way. She watched the beleaguered immortal curse the Sisters and profane his fate. He had served her and the others well in the past.
"This immortal dares to blaspheme my and my sisters' name." She spoke darkly to the platinum-tressed beauty beside her. "Luna, did you hear me?"
The beauty basking in Avalon's sun turned absently toward her raven-tressed sister. "Yes, Selene, I heard you. Leave MacBeth be. He is of no use to us now. If he chooses to call us a few names, it is of no consequence."
"I wonder who this woman is that he loves so much?" Selene waved a delicate hand over the side of the pool. The water rippled and a shimmering figure emerged. "We deemed it that he would never have another love. We felt it to be to distracting for him. We needed him focused and alert to carry out our plans. Who has lifted that spell?"
"Selene," A woman with hair the hue of spun gold gently looked over her shoulder into the pool. Her head cocked prettily as she watched the Immortal Warrior King's heart break. Her voice was liquid warmth and tangible compassion. "When we were done with him, it was agreed that he would be allowed to assume a life of his choosing. That alone freed him from our influence. Let him be."
"Phoebe, you were always soft and indulgent." Selene scoffed. She brushed back an errant black tendril from her face. "He called us the Bitches of Avalon. You would think that the mortal-"
"An immortal, dear sister." The argent-haired sister corrected her. Phoebe nodded silently in agreement.
"Yes, Luna, of course." A sigh of annoyance escaped the dark sister. "Immortal. As I was saying, He called us the bitches of Avalon, you would think he would be a bit more thankful of the gift we bestowed upon him."
"Selene, we took away his youth and bound him to a maniacal demoness." Phoebe reminded her vengeful sibling. "Then, he was at our beck and call when the mortal Archmage manipulated us. Our pride was our undoing and we have paid the price. MacBeth bears the mark of our Magick for all time. Now, we are free to do as we please. Let MacBeth have the same right. Leave him alone."
"No." Selene gazed again at the image of MacBeth alone with his thoughts. "At least, not yet. I am curious. With whom has our handsome Immortal fallen in love? The spell we cast upon them to bind them to our whims specifically excluded love. What could have undone that?"
"I don't know, and I don't care." Luna whined. "I just want to get a tan before the next Gathering. Now, get out of my light."
"I want to know what could undo our Magick. There is nothing more powerful than we save Oberon's Magick." A harsh look of fury darkened blue eyes to cobalt. "To me, sisters. We owe MacBeth a visit."
"No, I'm not going." Phoebe shook her head vehemently. "If you want to pursue this, do it yourself. Lord Oberon has strictly forbidden us from direct intervention in the lives of mortals. I will not be a part of your petty games any longer, Selene."
"Let me remind you, Phoebe." The raven-tressed Weird sister hissed at her more compassionate sibling. "That Oberon has made us Guardians of Avalon. It is not for us to interpret his will loosely. If there is a magick more powerful than ours that can undo our spells, then we need to know of it. Something has allowed MacBeth to fall in love. Something has altered his fate and that means that something is a threat to our abilities. I want to know who or what that something is."
"Later." Luna lamented. "Just shut up! I am SO tired of hearing about what YOU want."
"Then I will do this alone. Lord Oberon will know of your insubordination." The Dark Angel's eyes darkened to stormy cobalt. "And MacBeth will know better than to defame the Weird Sister of Avalon."
Selene waved her hand over the image of the ancient Warrior King. With another flick of her wrist, she donned clothing suitable for a journey into the mortal world. She pulled a dark cloak around her pale porcelain features. "I will not tolerate anything usurping the power we have worked for so long to acquire. When I am done, MacBeth will be nothing more than a quivering mass of mortality begging for mercy."
Electric tendrils of lightning danced around the dark Angel of Fate. Luna and Phoebe watched mutely as Selene was swallowed in an orb of crackling flame and light. There were several flickers and then she simply vanished. Luna swept her platinum hair well above her neck and reclaimed her position by the side of the pool. "Finally, she's gone. Now, maybe she'll quit harping and just leave me alone."
"She is dangerous." Phoebe commented. "That is why Lord Oberon bound us together, so that none is more powerful than the other. Now, she wishes to act alone and that is dangerous. She wishes to commit more atrocities."
"You're just feeling guilty." Luna sniffed. "Let it go."
"No, not anymore. For the rest of eternity I have to live with the fact that we cannot undo the magickal mayhem we've enforced upon their lives. We can't undo it, but I cannot allow her to wreak further havoc in MacBeth's life. He loved my daughter, Gruoch. He was good to her. Now, excuse me, sister. I give a damn and I need to stop Selene."
"She's not going to like it." Luna teased in a singsong voice.
"Ask me if I care." Phoebe waved a hand over her form. Sparkling dust flurried around her and danced like a vortex. The silver gown she wore vanished and became worn blue jeans and a casual sweater. "MacBeth, if he is still under our jurisdiction, still deserves our protection."
With a crackle of fire and light, the Weird Sister of Compassion vanished. Only fate remained alone. "Finally, I get the pool to myself."
************
February 10, 2006
Selene knew time passed differently in the world of mortals verses the realm of the Fae. She pondered how much time had passed since she passed through the veils of Avalon into the world of men. No snow lay on the ground when she watched MacBeth through the scrying pool. Now, freshly fallen snow blanketed the cold, hard earth in pristine frost. She felt the frigid chill of this harsh land seep into her fragile bones. She drew her dark cloak around her and walked toward the mansion she knew called "Summerlands."
[I shall find what Magick has undone that of Avalon and I shall bring it before Oberon.] She silently promised. [No magick is powerful save Avalon's own.]
She saw no one outside the house. She gave the foolish mortals credit for being wise enough to stay out of the cold. Walls were nothing as she simply passed through them. The raven-haired Sister found herself standing in a large room filled with the fresh smell of baked bread and the sound of a roaring fire in the hearth. She wasn't disappointed. In one recliner, sat MacBeth with glasses perched comfortably on the bridge of his nose. Selene found him grading papers.
Dominique sat with wings cloaked by the fire. She poked at the log, turning it so that it crackled loudly. Selene instantly recognized one of Oberon's children sitting beneath the legs of an unknown Gargoyle. The Weird Sister gasped loudly when she noticed his striking color of frost and ebony.
"Zendrizan."
Wren looked up from her book that she was reading. Demetrius was startled by her sudden shift. Her brows furrowed in suspicion. She looked around the room. She cast her eyes directly in the direction of Selene and stared for several seconds. Selene stood frozen to her spot as Wren's piercing eyes seared a whole through her ethereal being. Demetrius slowly leaned forward and laid two comforting hands on her stiff shoulders.
"Milady, what ails thee?" He asked softly. "I sense anxiety lacing your thoughts this night."
"We're not alone." She quietly closed the book and set it beside her. She warily rose to her feet. Selene silently cursed the Mireblood's growing abilities. No mere mortal ever since the presence of a Fae. Only Fae had such gifts.
"I can't put my finger on it. I get the strange feeling that we're being watched." Wren growled. Her tail twitched in anxiety as her hazel eyes darted a glance around the room. "Can't you feel it?"
Demetrius closed his lavender eyes and inhaled deeply. He rarely used his gifts of empathy to see beyond the realm of reality. He nodded silently. "I concur. We have a presence in our home."
MacBeth looked up from his paperwork and sat down his red pen. "What is it?"
Wren shrugged. "I'm not sure. I've never had the feeling before. All I know is that it's so strong that I could reach out and touch it."
She walked to where the Raven-haired Fae stood. A delicate hand passed harmlessly through the non-corporeal being that watched them intently. A small smile crossed Selene's features. [Her mixed blood allows her to sense me, but not see me. Intriguing.]
"It's probably just my imagination." Wren waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. Slowly, she settled back in her spot before Demetrius.
Dominique turned the log again and glanced at the Nightkind near her. "Just what powers do you have?"
"Enough to know they're best kept to myself." Was the cryptic reply.
"Sorry!" Dominique's wings flared in offense.
"No, it's just that I'm not comfortable discussing the issue." Wren quickly amended. The last thing she needed was the young Dame to feel slighted. The group had worked hard these past several days to instill a feeling of clan amongst the six of them. Timron had been best at it by having Dominique join him nightly on patrol. It was now tradition that the three winged warriors did so nightly. Tonight, he wished to spread his wings and glide alone.
[So, the Dame is still impetuous and passionate.] Selene mused. [Yet, she sits peaceably with MacBeth as though they are old friends. Has someone enchanted them for their own ends?]
"Well," Wren glanced at her watch. "It's almost midnight and I have to work tomorrow at eight in the morning. I'm going to call it a night. I have a date with a bed."
"Milady, no date shall be kept without me in the bed with you." Demetrius murmured in a deep silky voice.
[The beast is certainly handsome in a rather feral fashion.] Selene thought as she noticed the broad expanse of shoulder and wing. [Perhaps there's something said for slumming after all.]
She watched the two mates ascend the stairs and vanish from sight. Left remaining in the den were MacBeth and Dominique. The duo was silent for several minutes as MacBeth tended his paperwork and Dominique tidied the den. Finally, she rested where Demetrius had sat. Selene watched with rapidly growing boredom as MacBeth finally addressed the azure Dame.
"I have twenty questions for you."
"I've been waiting for days." The words from Dominique sounded akin to a purr. "By all means, please...ask away."
"Remember your promise to me." He spoke in a low voice. "You must wait until the end of the semester."
"I understand." She pouted prettily. "Haven't I kept that promise?"
"To the letter." He sighed. It almost seemed that his voice held a tinge of regret. "To the letter."
MacBeth reveled in the fierce, wild beauty of the Dame sitting before him. Wren's touch of clan was not lost on Dominique as he noticed her new coif. Long scarlet braids no rounder than a pencil cascaded down her back until they brushed the belt of her loincloth. Brilliant turquoise bead adorned each micro-plait upon her head. Dominique became entirely another creature with her new appearance. Gone were the white rags that consisted of a halter-top and loincloth. Now, she wore a similar design of rich green velvet. The bony headpiece Dominique once wore no longer graced her brow. Instead, a thin circlet of gold adorned her head. [Shopping at Badges Fashion Boutique has certainly changed her wardrobe. It's a welcome improvement.]
"You know. We could renegotiate our agreement." Demona knelt before him part goddess and all temptress. "All it takes is for you to change your mind, Lennox."
"No." He said with more resolution than he possessed. "We made our choices wisely, Dominique. We wait."
Her eyes glared at him with crimson flame. "Damn."
She was a Celtic Battle Queen basking in the firelight. She was a highland princess with dignity and decorum. Dominique was a young Dame on the verge of awakening. She was a temptation that threatened to best the Warrior King's iron restraint. "Have you enjoyed your stay here at Summerlands?"
"Definitely!" She answered enthusiastically.
"What have you enjoyed most?" He figured it was a safe line of questioning.
"I love Demetrius' cooking." She flashed him a smile. "I don't mind patrol and stretching my wings and I enjoy my roommates. I'm learning so much about the outside world."
There was little doubt as to what and whom she meant. MacBeth nervously cleared his throat. "Are you enjoying your classes?"
"For the most part, I HATE Anatomy." She stuck out her long, smooth vermilion tongue. "I'm certainly enjoying your class."
Who was the hunter and who was the prey? Even as an ingénue, she posed a formidable threat to his sound judgment. She sounded like the typical college student. MacBeth wanted to probe more deeply "How do you feel about being Human by day and Gargoyle by night?"
"I like it except that the sun bothers my eyes. It hurts horribly when I change forms. That is the worst. It feels like somebody's attacking me with a baseball bat while something on the inside is ripping me inside out."
"Which form do you like better, Lass?" MacBeth patiently awaited her answer. Now, he wanted to see within the true Dominique.
"I like both. I've never given it a lot of thought. It seems natural to be both." She mused. She cocked her head to one side. "Do I have to choose?"
"No, Dominique." He reassured her quickly. "You can have and be both."
"Coolness!" He was happy to see her jubilant response. She leaned forward so that she was only a few feet away from him. "I just thought that you'd ask me something more...personal."
"Ahem." He coughed. Enticement taunted the Warrior King and her name was Dominique. [What is the harm in a bit of l'affaire du coeur ?] MacBeth noticed that they were alone. He deliberately set his paperwork aside and rose from his recliner. Soon, he was kneeling beside Dominique Destine. Glimmering emerald eyes stared into the dark, hungry eyes of a man longing for the forbidden. He heard her breathing catch and the young Dame's wings came uncloaked for an instant. He shot her a devilish smile that had wooed the hearts of many ladies throughout time.
"So, have any of the fine young sires captured your fancy?" The timbre of his voice dropped to a huskier note as he sat across from her not touching her. "Have you found any of them interesting?"
"Not really..." Her eyes widened slightly at his instantaneous change in conduct. She hurriedly looked away. She reached for the poker and tended the fire. "I'm not... interested in anyone right now."
"What about Timron?" MacBeth thought of the Scarlet warrior with the philosopher's soul.
"Too rigid." She gave him a glance that told him all he needed to know. He found it ironic that she wasn't smitten with Clan Manhattan's leader. "He's great to talk with, but he's more interested in watch paint dry than girls."
"A beautiful Dame like you could woo him away if you truly wanted." He inhaled deeply of her scent. She wore a subtle fragrance that was reminiscent of heather and roses. MacBeth smiled when he realized that she reveled in her femininity.
"But, he's not you." Her outraged tone knew that he had deeply offended Dominique. "Besides, his heart belongs to a Dame on Avalon. He's off limits."
[The lass has a conscience.] It was a welcome sign that he willingly embraced. She poked at the glowing embers and remained silent. The stillness fell between them and MacBeth noticed her wings furled tight around her shoulders. He recognized it as a sign of discomfort.
"What brings you the greatest joy?" MacBeth longed to bring levity to the tension lingering between them.
"Clan, school, friends." Her quiet voice broke the lull between them. "In the past month, I've learned so much about myself and the world around me. Yet, I feel so confused. I guess the one thing I've found joy in are those simple things."
He never expected that answer to fall from Dominique's lips. "Is this what you want from life?"
"I'm just getting my bearings." Dominique slowly admitted. "But, I've made some friends in Elisa and Fox. Tina has been great helping me figure out my 'unique' place in the world. She's a great lady. "
"If you like your ladies 450 years old with a penchant for blood." He gave the young Dame a wry grin. His chuckle eased the anxiety lurking between them.
"Well, she's helped me figure out my blood type and how to adjust to this strange world." Dominique shrugged helplessly. "Tina is helping me to reconcile my human and Gargoyle mindsets. She and Wren have been a great help. If Tina wants a little nip of hemoglobin now and then, I can look the other way."
Dominique returned her attention to the fire. She poked and prodded the burning embers in silence. There was a crackle, a pop and a sharp yelp of pain as an errant ember jumped from the fireplace hearth. It landed squarely on the suede mauve of her wing membrane. With her startled jump, it flew back into the fireplace. MacBeth experienced a searing pain in his lower back. He bellowed in shock and surprise.
The azure Dame became abruptly silent. He brow furrowed in bewilderment. She watched her Professor clutching his side. With a speed that defied convention, she lifted his sweater to see exposed skin. On his back just above his waist was a red scorch mark that precisely matched the one on her wing. Her eyes widened in disbelief as the realization slowly came to her. For MacBeth, he felt as though he had just been sentenced to death.
The searing agony of the burn coursed through him. It was a tangible force that sent his mind reeling. He brought his hand to her wing to study the extent of the burn. She stared frightened and bewildered at the man who moved as she and felt as she did. Her hand went over her mouth. "You felt that just now, didn't you?"
"Yes." He said briskly. He quickly rose from their spot and returned a few minutes later with a first aid kit. He devoted attended to her injured wing applying a salve and a bandage. "With the sunrise, that should heal nicely."
Jade eyes met green. He fought the impetuous urge to plant a kiss on the bandaged burn. He bit his lip to remind himself where he was and whom he was with: Dominique Destine. She was a former ally turned enemy turned friend. Now, she was an innocent who was also his student. He heard every shred of his conscience demand that he leave her and return to his chambers. The body of the man wanted to linger in her presence just a bit longer.
"MacBeth, how can that be? What is this strange connection between us?" He turned away to close the lid of the first aid kit but strong feminine talons cupped his face and forced him to meet her gaze. "What is it that you're not telling me? How can it be that when I'm hurt you feel my pain and suffer the same injury? What is going on!?"
"Ask me no questions and I'll not lie to you. You don't want to know." He nearly choked on the words.
"I DO want to know." She retorted. "Don't tell me you haven't felt it these past few weeks. Ever since we stepped off that plane there has been some unseen connection between us. At first, I just blew it off as something wild and outrageous. Now, I know better. Why won't you tell me?"
"Dominique, I don't want you to be frightened or to get hurt." He never felt more vulnerable or helpless than at that point in time. MacBeth clenched his fist and pounded it solidly once into the stone heart. "Damn it, woman! You should leave well enough alone! You don't know what you're asking."
"Can't you tell me?" She laid a gentle taloned hand on his shoulder. "Please? I have to know."
MacBeth buried his face in his hands. He was a warrior standing in the face of defeat and its name was Dominique Destine. He was certain that, one ay or another; they were each other's mutual destruction. "All right, Lass. But, if I tell you, you must promise to never to mention it again. Do you understand?"
"I do. Please, tell me." She nodded vehemently. The young Dame entreated him. "She crossed her heart. "I swear it. I won't ask anymore. I need to know. MacBeth, what is this connection between us?"
"Dominique, you lived more than ten life times. You ... had made choices that burdened you. You wanted..." To lie to her, by far, was a worse transgression than telling the truth. Frustration welled up in his chest as MacBeth frantically sought gentle and truthful words. "Repose, rest. You are immortal and will never know age, infirmity or death. You were given a chance to start a new life with a free conscience. You asked no one to tell you about your past life or deeds. I'm asking you to trust me. Let yourself have the second chance that you've been given."
"How long have we known each other?" She brought a talon to his jaw. Dominique traced a gentle path along its strong bearded contour. "Why do I feel as though I've known you all my life?"
MacBeth's stoic resolve wavered. A millennium of hatred and vengeance haunted him in that one moment. The Scotsman's heart crumbled to dust from her relentless questioning. Against his will, he found his fingers entwined with four blue talons. He looked down and pondered how that happened. He saw Dominique glance at their fingers and talons meshed together. Then, she cast that glance at him that posed a silent query. He knew that he was a defeated man. "Dominique, we've known each other a thousand years. We have been friends and enemies. Before your rebirth, we had made our peace. There was a time when we were ...close."
"Were we lovers?" She whispered. "Is that why I feel what you feel and vice versa?"
"No, lass." He shook his head in regret. "Time was never ...right for us... We were bound magickally long ago so that we'd always be together for all time. I've answered your question and I don't want to discuss it anymore with you. I ask you to accept my answer and leave it alone."
She paused for a moment and opened her mouth as though to ask more, but thought better of it. A slow smile crossed her lips. "Thank you, MacBeth. I believe you have twelve more questions for me."
A warning voice screamed at MacBeth... [Get away, man, while you still have your wits about you.]
"Have you ever been kissed?" The words blurted from him before he could stop them. He watched cheeks taint with a deep cobalt. [Damn it! I never wanted to embarrass her.]
Then the revelation made him feel like a fool. [The act of temptress is just that: an act. She is no more a vixen than I am a rake. Gently, MacBeth, gently.]
"No."
He wondered if her body remembered a kiss. He knew it wasn't typical Gargoyle custom. The Demona he knew never indulged in bestial human customs. But, Dominique? He ruthlessly suppressed the temptation to find out.
Or so he thought. "What do you want most in the world?" [Will she say power, money, or riches? Does she want vengeance of some kind?]
"I want you to kiss me." She said simply.
"Lass-" He warned her.
"MacBeth, we both feel this something growing between us. I'm not asking you to make love to me in front of the fire, for God's sake! I just want you to kiss me."
"Do you realize that we're courting disaster?" He demanded tersely. MacBeth abruptly let go her hand and ran callused fingers through his luxuriant russet mane. "You don't know what you're asking. You're better off with one of your kind."
Dominique contemplated his words with great deliberation. Her head cocked prettily in classic Gargoyle pose. MacBeth was unlike any human she had ever met. He appeared fierce and far more perilous than any sire she had seen. For some reason, he that eluded her, Dominique knew that this immortal human held her heart and enthralled her spirit. He was her elder, her professor and was unobtainable. By all ethics, she knew better than to engage in this dangerous flirtation with him. Something ancient and primal within her yearned to know more of him. It longed to merge and meld with Lennox MacBeth.
"My kind?" She raised a querying brow. "How many Human-by-Day/ Gargoyle-by-night immortals do you know?"
"I see your point." MacBeth felt as though he were drowning in an endless sea of madness.
"I'm not sure what I'm asking, but I at least I'm not afraid of it." Her taunt caused an unanticipated response in the Warrior King. His eyes darkened to jade as they seared her with their glare. His lips became a grim, stoic line as if he were battling within himself for control.
"Dominique, go now." He managed finally to speak. "For the love of God, go!"
"What happens if I don't?" She countered. "Who's more afraid of a simple kiss, you or me? What harm is there in just a kiss?"
With an arresting onslaught of longing, MacBeth ascertained the he only needed to move forward just a little to give her the kiss she so instinctively wanted. Urgent words of Gaelic fell from his lips as a curse as every fiber of propriety fell by the wayside. Two large, callused hands gently cupped her gamine face and drew Dominique to him.
MacBeth's bearded jaw felt like rough velvet against her silky skin. His lips came to hers in an innocent kiss pressed firmly against her mouth. The masculine redolences of mead, soap and leather mingled about him as she delighted in such a tender, cherished affection. His lips brushed gently against hers. It was a kiss that sought, that asked, that basked in the affinity they shared. Dominique stiffened in surprise. She was unused to anyone's touch or kiss. What little she knew about kissing from television faded into oblivion as she immersed herself in this one moment.
Green eyes gleamed with a dim crimson fire as sparks of want and curiosity welled within the young Dame. She found that MacBeth's eyes shone with an intense glimmer that reflected her conflicting feelings. The glowing jade embers darkened so that she felt as though he were setting her ablaze. A rough groan of desire mixed with surrender erupted from him. She felt two strong arms pull her to him so that he was drawn against his broad chest. Pure instinct compelled her. Dominique's arms and tail wrapped themselves around MacBeth as he settled her against him. He finally drew away, visibly undone, and looked down at the young Dame staring enchanted by his touch and taste.
"Dominique, are you frightened?" The ragged resonance in his voice made it sound as though he were in pain. It was exquisite hot pain that coursed throughout his body. Dominique's eyes widened as a rush of delight claimed her. She found enough coherence to shake her head. [Whatever she's feeling, it's not fright.]
"Are you?" She challenged MacBeth.
"You can still walk away and no harm done." He reminded her.
"I know." She managed to find her voice. "But, I can't. I don't think that I want to walk away from this."
"I'd never hurt you, Dominique." MacBeth pressed a kiss to her lips. "I never could."
Dominique believed him. Her talons grasped at his strong shoulders. MacBeth teased her skin with gentle butterfly kisses. He trailed a path along her cheeks and brow. She remained still in his embrace except for those talons that curled in sheer delight into his shoulders. An unfamiliar sensation of warmth coiled within her and washed over her. Strong hands moved to caress the braided scarlet tresses adorning her head. MacBeth felt truly humbled that she melted this way only for him. No other male, Sire or man, made her feel like this. He knew it and he felt triumphant in that knowledge.
"Is this where you promise to be gentle?" She coyly teased him.
"Close your eyes, Dominique." He pressed tender kisses to each eyelid. She complied without hesitation. A quavering anticipation flooded her as he brought his mouth to hers.
MacBeth's mouth tasted of mead and honey as his lips teased hers with their gentle caress. He stroked her with gentle brushes in an almost invisible touch. He kissed her gently and well as not to alarm the young Dame in his arms. When he felt her tremble in his embrace, he traced her lower lip with the tip of his tongue. She gasped at the alien sensation. A human tongue was rougher than a Gargoyle's. He used the differences between them to heighten her response. He probed her intimately and groaned as he tasted cinnamon and vanilla.
Tina had warned her how the physiological chemistry between certain humans and Gargoyles culminated in a longing and passion that was infamous amongst their kinds. Dominique had seen such magnetism and devotion between Goliath and Elisa. She witnessed it daily between Wren and Demetrius. Now, she knew that the whispered stories of irresistible attraction were true. She felt she would die by degrees if MacBeth stopped kissing her.
"MacBeth," Dominique managed to whisper. She felt his callused hands moving with familiarity along her back until they reached the sensitive apex of her wings. As he whispered her name, he stroked the tender skin where wings and back met. He tasted her deeply and without hesitation. The bold double onslaught of kiss and caress caused Dominique to fight for breath. She froze as his tongue explored the sweet darkness of her kiss.
MacBeth realized her insecurity and slowly brought the kiss to a more innocent place. He planted another kiss on her swollen lips. Dominique marveled that this ancient warrior trembled even as he held her. She felt every hard, sculpted contour of him pressing against her.
She marveled how their bodies were dissimilar. His skin felt like satin to her touch while hers carried the consistency of suede. MacBeth's body was corded, sculpted masculinity while hers was a combination of softness and toned muscle. He had neither wings nor tail as she, yet his beard carried a rough sensuality as it brushed against her skin. He was tightly wound from the tension while she exulted in the sensuality that flowed between them. Every touch and caress he gave her enraptured her heightened senses. She felt the strong, stoic warrior tremble from her embrace. Feminine intuition told her he was as enthralled as she by their tentative physical exchange.
"MacBeth." His name came as a seraph's canticle from her lips. MacBeth's breath came in harsh, ragged gasps. The warrior and man within him claimed her mouth with a great assertion of need.
He tasted her deeply. His tongue stroked hers in an ancient rhythm of dance and seduction. The languid seduction of his lips upon hers drove Dominique to the point of abandon. Shyly, she returned each taste and touch. Her unlearned reaction caused want and need for the Dame to explode inside him. MacBeth mesmerized Dominique with a series of taste and touches, kisses that drove her Gargoyle need to the edge. The Great MacBeth quaked as he held her.
He violently shoved her from him and rose to his feet. "Damnation! We can't do this. Go! Otherwise, you'll be losing your virtue with me in front of the fire."
"MacBeth, what did I do wrong?" She asked plaintively.
"Nothing, Lass. It was me and I should have known better." He gave her a hand and helped her to her feet. "I'm sorry. You're my student and you're barely a babe out of the woods."
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
"Don't be. It wasn't your fault." He turned away to gather some semblance of control. The throbbing erection threatening to burst through his jeans wasn't something he was willing to reveal to her then "I will not be some lech corrupting you. You've regained something precious; your innocence. I won't be one to take that from you."
"I'm not a hatchling or some child." She exclaimed.
'No, you're not. You are a Nightkind." He sighed. He made his way to the stairs. "Forget this happened, Dominique. You've just reminded me that I'm only too human."
Silent tears fell from emerald eyes as she watched him ascend the stairwell.
Guilt clashed with need. Ethics collided with affection as he made his way to his bedroom. Dominique had every right to a life where she wasn't endangered by their past. He berated himself for letting his baser instincts getting the better of him. MacBeth knew he wouldn't know any peace that night.
"The decision to kiss for the first time is the
most crucial in any love story. It changes the
relationship of two people much more strongly
than even the final surrender; because this kiss
already has within it that surrender."
-Emil Ludwig (1881-1948)
*************
"Hmmm.... They both have a weakness." Selene smiled gleefully as she watched the intriguing exchanged between the Immortal and the Nightkind. "Now, I need only find what magick undid the spell cast upon them."
She nodded as a plan came to mind. "When I do, that magick is going to be quelled with a vengeance. I'll enjoy watching these two bury themselves in the process."
TO BE CONTINUED...
Denigoddess2001@aol.com
1/28/02 12:25 P.M.
Saga: Angels Amongst Us
Title: That Which Is Unseen 7.0
Rating: R (profanity and adult content)
Summary: Selene of The Weird Sisters takes a personal interest in the lives of Dominique and MacBeth.
Characters: Selene, Phoebe, Luna, Lennox Moray MacBeth, Dominique Denise Destine, Wren Summers-Nightkind, Demetrius Nightkind
Disclaimer: Gargoyles do not belong to me. They belong to Disney. No infringement intended. All original characters are property of their deity, Denigoddess2001.
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE SHORES OF AVALON:
Selene watched with great deliberation as her favorite pastime lamented over his long lost love. For a moment, she almost felt sorry for the pathetic human as his heart broke in the night's darkness. Then, she remembered her true course and station in the scheme of things. She was a member of an elite guard specifically designated by her Lord Oberon. Selene Weird knew that she was one of the most powerful members of the Seelie Court and she liked it that way. She watched the beleaguered immortal curse the Sisters and profane his fate. He had served her and the others well in the past.
"This immortal dares to blaspheme my and my sisters' name." She spoke darkly to the platinum-tressed beauty beside her. "Luna, did you hear me?"
The beauty basking in Avalon's sun turned absently toward her raven-tressed sister. "Yes, Selene, I heard you. Leave MacBeth be. He is of no use to us now. If he chooses to call us a few names, it is of no consequence."
"I wonder who this woman is that he loves so much?" Selene waved a delicate hand over the side of the pool. The water rippled and a shimmering figure emerged. "We deemed it that he would never have another love. We felt it to be to distracting for him. We needed him focused and alert to carry out our plans. Who has lifted that spell?"
"Selene," A woman with hair the hue of spun gold gently looked over her shoulder into the pool. Her head cocked prettily as she watched the Immortal Warrior King's heart break. Her voice was liquid warmth and tangible compassion. "When we were done with him, it was agreed that he would be allowed to assume a life of his choosing. That alone freed him from our influence. Let him be."
"Phoebe, you were always soft and indulgent." Selene scoffed. She brushed back an errant black tendril from her face. "He called us the Bitches of Avalon. You would think that the mortal-"
"An immortal, dear sister." The argent-haired sister corrected her. Phoebe nodded silently in agreement.
"Yes, Luna, of course." A sigh of annoyance escaped the dark sister. "Immortal. As I was saying, He called us the bitches of Avalon, you would think he would be a bit more thankful of the gift we bestowed upon him."
"Selene, we took away his youth and bound him to a maniacal demoness." Phoebe reminded her vengeful sibling. "Then, he was at our beck and call when the mortal Archmage manipulated us. Our pride was our undoing and we have paid the price. MacBeth bears the mark of our Magick for all time. Now, we are free to do as we please. Let MacBeth have the same right. Leave him alone."
"No." Selene gazed again at the image of MacBeth alone with his thoughts. "At least, not yet. I am curious. With whom has our handsome Immortal fallen in love? The spell we cast upon them to bind them to our whims specifically excluded love. What could have undone that?"
"I don't know, and I don't care." Luna whined. "I just want to get a tan before the next Gathering. Now, get out of my light."
"I want to know what could undo our Magick. There is nothing more powerful than we save Oberon's Magick." A harsh look of fury darkened blue eyes to cobalt. "To me, sisters. We owe MacBeth a visit."
"No, I'm not going." Phoebe shook her head vehemently. "If you want to pursue this, do it yourself. Lord Oberon has strictly forbidden us from direct intervention in the lives of mortals. I will not be a part of your petty games any longer, Selene."
"Let me remind you, Phoebe." The raven-tressed Weird sister hissed at her more compassionate sibling. "That Oberon has made us Guardians of Avalon. It is not for us to interpret his will loosely. If there is a magick more powerful than ours that can undo our spells, then we need to know of it. Something has allowed MacBeth to fall in love. Something has altered his fate and that means that something is a threat to our abilities. I want to know who or what that something is."
"Later." Luna lamented. "Just shut up! I am SO tired of hearing about what YOU want."
"Then I will do this alone. Lord Oberon will know of your insubordination." The Dark Angel's eyes darkened to stormy cobalt. "And MacBeth will know better than to defame the Weird Sister of Avalon."
Selene waved her hand over the image of the ancient Warrior King. With another flick of her wrist, she donned clothing suitable for a journey into the mortal world. She pulled a dark cloak around her pale porcelain features. "I will not tolerate anything usurping the power we have worked for so long to acquire. When I am done, MacBeth will be nothing more than a quivering mass of mortality begging for mercy."
Electric tendrils of lightning danced around the dark Angel of Fate. Luna and Phoebe watched mutely as Selene was swallowed in an orb of crackling flame and light. There were several flickers and then she simply vanished. Luna swept her platinum hair well above her neck and reclaimed her position by the side of the pool. "Finally, she's gone. Now, maybe she'll quit harping and just leave me alone."
"She is dangerous." Phoebe commented. "That is why Lord Oberon bound us together, so that none is more powerful than the other. Now, she wishes to act alone and that is dangerous. She wishes to commit more atrocities."
"You're just feeling guilty." Luna sniffed. "Let it go."
"No, not anymore. For the rest of eternity I have to live with the fact that we cannot undo the magickal mayhem we've enforced upon their lives. We can't undo it, but I cannot allow her to wreak further havoc in MacBeth's life. He loved my daughter, Gruoch. He was good to her. Now, excuse me, sister. I give a damn and I need to stop Selene."
"She's not going to like it." Luna teased in a singsong voice.
"Ask me if I care." Phoebe waved a hand over her form. Sparkling dust flurried around her and danced like a vortex. The silver gown she wore vanished and became worn blue jeans and a casual sweater. "MacBeth, if he is still under our jurisdiction, still deserves our protection."
With a crackle of fire and light, the Weird Sister of Compassion vanished. Only fate remained alone. "Finally, I get the pool to myself."
************
February 10, 2006
Selene knew time passed differently in the world of mortals verses the realm of the Fae. She pondered how much time had passed since she passed through the veils of Avalon into the world of men. No snow lay on the ground when she watched MacBeth through the scrying pool. Now, freshly fallen snow blanketed the cold, hard earth in pristine frost. She felt the frigid chill of this harsh land seep into her fragile bones. She drew her dark cloak around her and walked toward the mansion she knew called "Summerlands."
[I shall find what Magick has undone that of Avalon and I shall bring it before Oberon.] She silently promised. [No magick is powerful save Avalon's own.]
She saw no one outside the house. She gave the foolish mortals credit for being wise enough to stay out of the cold. Walls were nothing as she simply passed through them. The raven-haired Sister found herself standing in a large room filled with the fresh smell of baked bread and the sound of a roaring fire in the hearth. She wasn't disappointed. In one recliner, sat MacBeth with glasses perched comfortably on the bridge of his nose. Selene found him grading papers.
Dominique sat with wings cloaked by the fire. She poked at the log, turning it so that it crackled loudly. Selene instantly recognized one of Oberon's children sitting beneath the legs of an unknown Gargoyle. The Weird Sister gasped loudly when she noticed his striking color of frost and ebony.
"Zendrizan."
Wren looked up from her book that she was reading. Demetrius was startled by her sudden shift. Her brows furrowed in suspicion. She looked around the room. She cast her eyes directly in the direction of Selene and stared for several seconds. Selene stood frozen to her spot as Wren's piercing eyes seared a whole through her ethereal being. Demetrius slowly leaned forward and laid two comforting hands on her stiff shoulders.
"Milady, what ails thee?" He asked softly. "I sense anxiety lacing your thoughts this night."
"We're not alone." She quietly closed the book and set it beside her. She warily rose to her feet. Selene silently cursed the Mireblood's growing abilities. No mere mortal ever since the presence of a Fae. Only Fae had such gifts.
"I can't put my finger on it. I get the strange feeling that we're being watched." Wren growled. Her tail twitched in anxiety as her hazel eyes darted a glance around the room. "Can't you feel it?"
Demetrius closed his lavender eyes and inhaled deeply. He rarely used his gifts of empathy to see beyond the realm of reality. He nodded silently. "I concur. We have a presence in our home."
MacBeth looked up from his paperwork and sat down his red pen. "What is it?"
Wren shrugged. "I'm not sure. I've never had the feeling before. All I know is that it's so strong that I could reach out and touch it."
She walked to where the Raven-haired Fae stood. A delicate hand passed harmlessly through the non-corporeal being that watched them intently. A small smile crossed Selene's features. [Her mixed blood allows her to sense me, but not see me. Intriguing.]
"It's probably just my imagination." Wren waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. Slowly, she settled back in her spot before Demetrius.
Dominique turned the log again and glanced at the Nightkind near her. "Just what powers do you have?"
"Enough to know they're best kept to myself." Was the cryptic reply.
"Sorry!" Dominique's wings flared in offense.
"No, it's just that I'm not comfortable discussing the issue." Wren quickly amended. The last thing she needed was the young Dame to feel slighted. The group had worked hard these past several days to instill a feeling of clan amongst the six of them. Timron had been best at it by having Dominique join him nightly on patrol. It was now tradition that the three winged warriors did so nightly. Tonight, he wished to spread his wings and glide alone.
[So, the Dame is still impetuous and passionate.] Selene mused. [Yet, she sits peaceably with MacBeth as though they are old friends. Has someone enchanted them for their own ends?]
"Well," Wren glanced at her watch. "It's almost midnight and I have to work tomorrow at eight in the morning. I'm going to call it a night. I have a date with a bed."
"Milady, no date shall be kept without me in the bed with you." Demetrius murmured in a deep silky voice.
[The beast is certainly handsome in a rather feral fashion.] Selene thought as she noticed the broad expanse of shoulder and wing. [Perhaps there's something said for slumming after all.]
She watched the two mates ascend the stairs and vanish from sight. Left remaining in the den were MacBeth and Dominique. The duo was silent for several minutes as MacBeth tended his paperwork and Dominique tidied the den. Finally, she rested where Demetrius had sat. Selene watched with rapidly growing boredom as MacBeth finally addressed the azure Dame.
"I have twenty questions for you."
"I've been waiting for days." The words from Dominique sounded akin to a purr. "By all means, please...ask away."
"Remember your promise to me." He spoke in a low voice. "You must wait until the end of the semester."
"I understand." She pouted prettily. "Haven't I kept that promise?"
"To the letter." He sighed. It almost seemed that his voice held a tinge of regret. "To the letter."
MacBeth reveled in the fierce, wild beauty of the Dame sitting before him. Wren's touch of clan was not lost on Dominique as he noticed her new coif. Long scarlet braids no rounder than a pencil cascaded down her back until they brushed the belt of her loincloth. Brilliant turquoise bead adorned each micro-plait upon her head. Dominique became entirely another creature with her new appearance. Gone were the white rags that consisted of a halter-top and loincloth. Now, she wore a similar design of rich green velvet. The bony headpiece Dominique once wore no longer graced her brow. Instead, a thin circlet of gold adorned her head. [Shopping at Badges Fashion Boutique has certainly changed her wardrobe. It's a welcome improvement.]
"You know. We could renegotiate our agreement." Demona knelt before him part goddess and all temptress. "All it takes is for you to change your mind, Lennox."
"No." He said with more resolution than he possessed. "We made our choices wisely, Dominique. We wait."
Her eyes glared at him with crimson flame. "Damn."
She was a Celtic Battle Queen basking in the firelight. She was a highland princess with dignity and decorum. Dominique was a young Dame on the verge of awakening. She was a temptation that threatened to best the Warrior King's iron restraint. "Have you enjoyed your stay here at Summerlands?"
"Definitely!" She answered enthusiastically.
"What have you enjoyed most?" He figured it was a safe line of questioning.
"I love Demetrius' cooking." She flashed him a smile. "I don't mind patrol and stretching my wings and I enjoy my roommates. I'm learning so much about the outside world."
There was little doubt as to what and whom she meant. MacBeth nervously cleared his throat. "Are you enjoying your classes?"
"For the most part, I HATE Anatomy." She stuck out her long, smooth vermilion tongue. "I'm certainly enjoying your class."
Who was the hunter and who was the prey? Even as an ingénue, she posed a formidable threat to his sound judgment. She sounded like the typical college student. MacBeth wanted to probe more deeply "How do you feel about being Human by day and Gargoyle by night?"
"I like it except that the sun bothers my eyes. It hurts horribly when I change forms. That is the worst. It feels like somebody's attacking me with a baseball bat while something on the inside is ripping me inside out."
"Which form do you like better, Lass?" MacBeth patiently awaited her answer. Now, he wanted to see within the true Dominique.
"I like both. I've never given it a lot of thought. It seems natural to be both." She mused. She cocked her head to one side. "Do I have to choose?"
"No, Dominique." He reassured her quickly. "You can have and be both."
"Coolness!" He was happy to see her jubilant response. She leaned forward so that she was only a few feet away from him. "I just thought that you'd ask me something more...personal."
"Ahem." He coughed. Enticement taunted the Warrior King and her name was Dominique. [What is the harm in a bit of l'affaire du coeur ?] MacBeth noticed that they were alone. He deliberately set his paperwork aside and rose from his recliner. Soon, he was kneeling beside Dominique Destine. Glimmering emerald eyes stared into the dark, hungry eyes of a man longing for the forbidden. He heard her breathing catch and the young Dame's wings came uncloaked for an instant. He shot her a devilish smile that had wooed the hearts of many ladies throughout time.
"So, have any of the fine young sires captured your fancy?" The timbre of his voice dropped to a huskier note as he sat across from her not touching her. "Have you found any of them interesting?"
"Not really..." Her eyes widened slightly at his instantaneous change in conduct. She hurriedly looked away. She reached for the poker and tended the fire. "I'm not... interested in anyone right now."
"What about Timron?" MacBeth thought of the Scarlet warrior with the philosopher's soul.
"Too rigid." She gave him a glance that told him all he needed to know. He found it ironic that she wasn't smitten with Clan Manhattan's leader. "He's great to talk with, but he's more interested in watch paint dry than girls."
"A beautiful Dame like you could woo him away if you truly wanted." He inhaled deeply of her scent. She wore a subtle fragrance that was reminiscent of heather and roses. MacBeth smiled when he realized that she reveled in her femininity.
"But, he's not you." Her outraged tone knew that he had deeply offended Dominique. "Besides, his heart belongs to a Dame on Avalon. He's off limits."
[The lass has a conscience.] It was a welcome sign that he willingly embraced. She poked at the glowing embers and remained silent. The stillness fell between them and MacBeth noticed her wings furled tight around her shoulders. He recognized it as a sign of discomfort.
"What brings you the greatest joy?" MacBeth longed to bring levity to the tension lingering between them.
"Clan, school, friends." Her quiet voice broke the lull between them. "In the past month, I've learned so much about myself and the world around me. Yet, I feel so confused. I guess the one thing I've found joy in are those simple things."
He never expected that answer to fall from Dominique's lips. "Is this what you want from life?"
"I'm just getting my bearings." Dominique slowly admitted. "But, I've made some friends in Elisa and Fox. Tina has been great helping me figure out my 'unique' place in the world. She's a great lady. "
"If you like your ladies 450 years old with a penchant for blood." He gave the young Dame a wry grin. His chuckle eased the anxiety lurking between them.
"Well, she's helped me figure out my blood type and how to adjust to this strange world." Dominique shrugged helplessly. "Tina is helping me to reconcile my human and Gargoyle mindsets. She and Wren have been a great help. If Tina wants a little nip of hemoglobin now and then, I can look the other way."
Dominique returned her attention to the fire. She poked and prodded the burning embers in silence. There was a crackle, a pop and a sharp yelp of pain as an errant ember jumped from the fireplace hearth. It landed squarely on the suede mauve of her wing membrane. With her startled jump, it flew back into the fireplace. MacBeth experienced a searing pain in his lower back. He bellowed in shock and surprise.
The azure Dame became abruptly silent. He brow furrowed in bewilderment. She watched her Professor clutching his side. With a speed that defied convention, she lifted his sweater to see exposed skin. On his back just above his waist was a red scorch mark that precisely matched the one on her wing. Her eyes widened in disbelief as the realization slowly came to her. For MacBeth, he felt as though he had just been sentenced to death.
The searing agony of the burn coursed through him. It was a tangible force that sent his mind reeling. He brought his hand to her wing to study the extent of the burn. She stared frightened and bewildered at the man who moved as she and felt as she did. Her hand went over her mouth. "You felt that just now, didn't you?"
"Yes." He said briskly. He quickly rose from their spot and returned a few minutes later with a first aid kit. He devoted attended to her injured wing applying a salve and a bandage. "With the sunrise, that should heal nicely."
Jade eyes met green. He fought the impetuous urge to plant a kiss on the bandaged burn. He bit his lip to remind himself where he was and whom he was with: Dominique Destine. She was a former ally turned enemy turned friend. Now, she was an innocent who was also his student. He heard every shred of his conscience demand that he leave her and return to his chambers. The body of the man wanted to linger in her presence just a bit longer.
"MacBeth, how can that be? What is this strange connection between us?" He turned away to close the lid of the first aid kit but strong feminine talons cupped his face and forced him to meet her gaze. "What is it that you're not telling me? How can it be that when I'm hurt you feel my pain and suffer the same injury? What is going on!?"
"Ask me no questions and I'll not lie to you. You don't want to know." He nearly choked on the words.
"I DO want to know." She retorted. "Don't tell me you haven't felt it these past few weeks. Ever since we stepped off that plane there has been some unseen connection between us. At first, I just blew it off as something wild and outrageous. Now, I know better. Why won't you tell me?"
"Dominique, I don't want you to be frightened or to get hurt." He never felt more vulnerable or helpless than at that point in time. MacBeth clenched his fist and pounded it solidly once into the stone heart. "Damn it, woman! You should leave well enough alone! You don't know what you're asking."
"Can't you tell me?" She laid a gentle taloned hand on his shoulder. "Please? I have to know."
MacBeth buried his face in his hands. He was a warrior standing in the face of defeat and its name was Dominique Destine. He was certain that, one ay or another; they were each other's mutual destruction. "All right, Lass. But, if I tell you, you must promise to never to mention it again. Do you understand?"
"I do. Please, tell me." She nodded vehemently. The young Dame entreated him. "She crossed her heart. "I swear it. I won't ask anymore. I need to know. MacBeth, what is this connection between us?"
"Dominique, you lived more than ten life times. You ... had made choices that burdened you. You wanted..." To lie to her, by far, was a worse transgression than telling the truth. Frustration welled up in his chest as MacBeth frantically sought gentle and truthful words. "Repose, rest. You are immortal and will never know age, infirmity or death. You were given a chance to start a new life with a free conscience. You asked no one to tell you about your past life or deeds. I'm asking you to trust me. Let yourself have the second chance that you've been given."
"How long have we known each other?" She brought a talon to his jaw. Dominique traced a gentle path along its strong bearded contour. "Why do I feel as though I've known you all my life?"
MacBeth's stoic resolve wavered. A millennium of hatred and vengeance haunted him in that one moment. The Scotsman's heart crumbled to dust from her relentless questioning. Against his will, he found his fingers entwined with four blue talons. He looked down and pondered how that happened. He saw Dominique glance at their fingers and talons meshed together. Then, she cast that glance at him that posed a silent query. He knew that he was a defeated man. "Dominique, we've known each other a thousand years. We have been friends and enemies. Before your rebirth, we had made our peace. There was a time when we were ...close."
"Were we lovers?" She whispered. "Is that why I feel what you feel and vice versa?"
"No, lass." He shook his head in regret. "Time was never ...right for us... We were bound magickally long ago so that we'd always be together for all time. I've answered your question and I don't want to discuss it anymore with you. I ask you to accept my answer and leave it alone."
She paused for a moment and opened her mouth as though to ask more, but thought better of it. A slow smile crossed her lips. "Thank you, MacBeth. I believe you have twelve more questions for me."
A warning voice screamed at MacBeth... [Get away, man, while you still have your wits about you.]
"Have you ever been kissed?" The words blurted from him before he could stop them. He watched cheeks taint with a deep cobalt. [Damn it! I never wanted to embarrass her.]
Then the revelation made him feel like a fool. [The act of temptress is just that: an act. She is no more a vixen than I am a rake. Gently, MacBeth, gently.]
"No."
He wondered if her body remembered a kiss. He knew it wasn't typical Gargoyle custom. The Demona he knew never indulged in bestial human customs. But, Dominique? He ruthlessly suppressed the temptation to find out.
Or so he thought. "What do you want most in the world?" [Will she say power, money, or riches? Does she want vengeance of some kind?]
"I want you to kiss me." She said simply.
"Lass-" He warned her.
"MacBeth, we both feel this something growing between us. I'm not asking you to make love to me in front of the fire, for God's sake! I just want you to kiss me."
"Do you realize that we're courting disaster?" He demanded tersely. MacBeth abruptly let go her hand and ran callused fingers through his luxuriant russet mane. "You don't know what you're asking. You're better off with one of your kind."
Dominique contemplated his words with great deliberation. Her head cocked prettily in classic Gargoyle pose. MacBeth was unlike any human she had ever met. He appeared fierce and far more perilous than any sire she had seen. For some reason, he that eluded her, Dominique knew that this immortal human held her heart and enthralled her spirit. He was her elder, her professor and was unobtainable. By all ethics, she knew better than to engage in this dangerous flirtation with him. Something ancient and primal within her yearned to know more of him. It longed to merge and meld with Lennox MacBeth.
"My kind?" She raised a querying brow. "How many Human-by-Day/ Gargoyle-by-night immortals do you know?"
"I see your point." MacBeth felt as though he were drowning in an endless sea of madness.
"I'm not sure what I'm asking, but I at least I'm not afraid of it." Her taunt caused an unanticipated response in the Warrior King. His eyes darkened to jade as they seared her with their glare. His lips became a grim, stoic line as if he were battling within himself for control.
"Dominique, go now." He managed finally to speak. "For the love of God, go!"
"What happens if I don't?" She countered. "Who's more afraid of a simple kiss, you or me? What harm is there in just a kiss?"
With an arresting onslaught of longing, MacBeth ascertained the he only needed to move forward just a little to give her the kiss she so instinctively wanted. Urgent words of Gaelic fell from his lips as a curse as every fiber of propriety fell by the wayside. Two large, callused hands gently cupped her gamine face and drew Dominique to him.
MacBeth's bearded jaw felt like rough velvet against her silky skin. His lips came to hers in an innocent kiss pressed firmly against her mouth. The masculine redolences of mead, soap and leather mingled about him as she delighted in such a tender, cherished affection. His lips brushed gently against hers. It was a kiss that sought, that asked, that basked in the affinity they shared. Dominique stiffened in surprise. She was unused to anyone's touch or kiss. What little she knew about kissing from television faded into oblivion as she immersed herself in this one moment.
Green eyes gleamed with a dim crimson fire as sparks of want and curiosity welled within the young Dame. She found that MacBeth's eyes shone with an intense glimmer that reflected her conflicting feelings. The glowing jade embers darkened so that she felt as though he were setting her ablaze. A rough groan of desire mixed with surrender erupted from him. She felt two strong arms pull her to him so that he was drawn against his broad chest. Pure instinct compelled her. Dominique's arms and tail wrapped themselves around MacBeth as he settled her against him. He finally drew away, visibly undone, and looked down at the young Dame staring enchanted by his touch and taste.
"Dominique, are you frightened?" The ragged resonance in his voice made it sound as though he were in pain. It was exquisite hot pain that coursed throughout his body. Dominique's eyes widened as a rush of delight claimed her. She found enough coherence to shake her head. [Whatever she's feeling, it's not fright.]
"Are you?" She challenged MacBeth.
"You can still walk away and no harm done." He reminded her.
"I know." She managed to find her voice. "But, I can't. I don't think that I want to walk away from this."
"I'd never hurt you, Dominique." MacBeth pressed a kiss to her lips. "I never could."
Dominique believed him. Her talons grasped at his strong shoulders. MacBeth teased her skin with gentle butterfly kisses. He trailed a path along her cheeks and brow. She remained still in his embrace except for those talons that curled in sheer delight into his shoulders. An unfamiliar sensation of warmth coiled within her and washed over her. Strong hands moved to caress the braided scarlet tresses adorning her head. MacBeth felt truly humbled that she melted this way only for him. No other male, Sire or man, made her feel like this. He knew it and he felt triumphant in that knowledge.
"Is this where you promise to be gentle?" She coyly teased him.
"Close your eyes, Dominique." He pressed tender kisses to each eyelid. She complied without hesitation. A quavering anticipation flooded her as he brought his mouth to hers.
MacBeth's mouth tasted of mead and honey as his lips teased hers with their gentle caress. He stroked her with gentle brushes in an almost invisible touch. He kissed her gently and well as not to alarm the young Dame in his arms. When he felt her tremble in his embrace, he traced her lower lip with the tip of his tongue. She gasped at the alien sensation. A human tongue was rougher than a Gargoyle's. He used the differences between them to heighten her response. He probed her intimately and groaned as he tasted cinnamon and vanilla.
Tina had warned her how the physiological chemistry between certain humans and Gargoyles culminated in a longing and passion that was infamous amongst their kinds. Dominique had seen such magnetism and devotion between Goliath and Elisa. She witnessed it daily between Wren and Demetrius. Now, she knew that the whispered stories of irresistible attraction were true. She felt she would die by degrees if MacBeth stopped kissing her.
"MacBeth," Dominique managed to whisper. She felt his callused hands moving with familiarity along her back until they reached the sensitive apex of her wings. As he whispered her name, he stroked the tender skin where wings and back met. He tasted her deeply and without hesitation. The bold double onslaught of kiss and caress caused Dominique to fight for breath. She froze as his tongue explored the sweet darkness of her kiss.
MacBeth realized her insecurity and slowly brought the kiss to a more innocent place. He planted another kiss on her swollen lips. Dominique marveled that this ancient warrior trembled even as he held her. She felt every hard, sculpted contour of him pressing against her.
She marveled how their bodies were dissimilar. His skin felt like satin to her touch while hers carried the consistency of suede. MacBeth's body was corded, sculpted masculinity while hers was a combination of softness and toned muscle. He had neither wings nor tail as she, yet his beard carried a rough sensuality as it brushed against her skin. He was tightly wound from the tension while she exulted in the sensuality that flowed between them. Every touch and caress he gave her enraptured her heightened senses. She felt the strong, stoic warrior tremble from her embrace. Feminine intuition told her he was as enthralled as she by their tentative physical exchange.
"MacBeth." His name came as a seraph's canticle from her lips. MacBeth's breath came in harsh, ragged gasps. The warrior and man within him claimed her mouth with a great assertion of need.
He tasted her deeply. His tongue stroked hers in an ancient rhythm of dance and seduction. The languid seduction of his lips upon hers drove Dominique to the point of abandon. Shyly, she returned each taste and touch. Her unlearned reaction caused want and need for the Dame to explode inside him. MacBeth mesmerized Dominique with a series of taste and touches, kisses that drove her Gargoyle need to the edge. The Great MacBeth quaked as he held her.
He violently shoved her from him and rose to his feet. "Damnation! We can't do this. Go! Otherwise, you'll be losing your virtue with me in front of the fire."
"MacBeth, what did I do wrong?" She asked plaintively.
"Nothing, Lass. It was me and I should have known better." He gave her a hand and helped her to her feet. "I'm sorry. You're my student and you're barely a babe out of the woods."
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
"Don't be. It wasn't your fault." He turned away to gather some semblance of control. The throbbing erection threatening to burst through his jeans wasn't something he was willing to reveal to her then "I will not be some lech corrupting you. You've regained something precious; your innocence. I won't be one to take that from you."
"I'm not a hatchling or some child." She exclaimed.
'No, you're not. You are a Nightkind." He sighed. He made his way to the stairs. "Forget this happened, Dominique. You've just reminded me that I'm only too human."
Silent tears fell from emerald eyes as she watched him ascend the stairwell.
Guilt clashed with need. Ethics collided with affection as he made his way to his bedroom. Dominique had every right to a life where she wasn't endangered by their past. He berated himself for letting his baser instincts getting the better of him. MacBeth knew he wouldn't know any peace that night.
"The decision to kiss for the first time is the
most crucial in any love story. It changes the
relationship of two people much more strongly
than even the final surrender; because this kiss
already has within it that surrender."
-Emil Ludwig (1881-1948)
*************
"Hmmm.... They both have a weakness." Selene smiled gleefully as she watched the intriguing exchanged between the Immortal and the Nightkind. "Now, I need only find what magick undid the spell cast upon them."
She nodded as a plan came to mind. "When I do, that magick is going to be quelled with a vengeance. I'll enjoy watching these two bury themselves in the process."
TO BE CONTINUED...