Nocturnal Desires

Chapter Twelve

Gazing out into the inky darkness, Horatio pondered the events of the night, reliving them moment by moment, his demeanor sinking steadily. Calleigh had been perilously close to finding out his secret, a secret that had dangerous potential. He could feel it in Liliannah's touch that the older vampire was deadly serious when squaring off with the southern blonde. He was desperately grateful that she valued Caleb's well being over checking a mortal. The ending would've been a lot messier than filling Calleigh's head with lies and deceit.

Forcing a breath from his lips, he turned his back on the sky, knowing that shortly, it would betray him and he would have to flee from the oncoming of morning. For the first time in four days, he was despondent about missing a sunrise, feeling the heat of a new day dawning on his skin. Now, he would forever succumb to the darkness, never again to feel life in the merciless rays of the sun.

Immediately feeling his despair, Liliannah appeared at the door and then at his side, placing her arm on his. Staring up at him, she frowned and spoke softly, "Why are you in such turmoil, Horatio? I can feel it coming off of you like waves. It's so…heavy."

Attempting to fight the calmness, Horatio growled as he tried to release himself from her grasp, only to find that it was solid. Holding on to the last vestiges of his silent anger, he hissed, "I never asked for this. I was a man…a man who didn't have to fear the sun. Now…I have to hide from it. Like a common criminal."

"You are no common criminal, Horatio," Liliannah responded gently. She ran her hand up the length of his arm and smiled, "You are the most honorable man I've ever had the pleasure to make my acquaintance with, despite, of course, your attempts to end my Caleb's life."

A small smile came to his face, and momentarily, his ire was calmed. Glancing into the home, he saw Caleb appear and asked, "How is your Caleb? He looks as if he's…restless." Observing him more, Horatio could see that he was incessantly pacing, the speed at which he was doing so making him no more conducive than a blur. Narrowing his brow, he remarked, "He's anxious. Is there something wrong?"

Liliannah nodded and sighed, her smile dwindling ever so slightly. There had been times where Caleb would be so wound that he would seek out danger just to unwind. It was at those times that Liliannah had to be her most devious, keeping him out of trouble in both the mortal and immortal world. "He's just wound up. He's going to have to work it off. I suggested hunting, but we are just about out of time."

"What does he do when he's like this?" Horatio had never seen Caleb away from the job, not knowing how he calmed himself from his seemingly rock hard work ethic. Now that he had the luxury of standing behind the veil, he knew how Caleb could keep the hours. But Caleb was not totally a creature of the night, and at some point he was going to crash. Horatio was afraid that his new found brother was going to do something stupid. "Who looks after him when you rest, Lili?"

"I have a few eyes, but it's never anything that warrants more than a little intervention." Liliannah stared at his fast moving frame and sighed, "I've spent most of my life time protecting that boy, and even though I know he can take care of himself, I still worry. I love him so much."

Horatio could hear the concern and love in her voice and even the slightest bit of fear, placing his hand over hers, "He's going to be fine, Lili. He's done well so far."

Caleb? Horatio tried as he looked to the direction of him. He only met with a strong wall of silence, the oddest sensation flowing through him. Since this ordeal started, he'd never been alone with his thoughts, save for the moment that he'd unconsciously blocked Caleb, and he was finding the experience troubling. For the first time, Horatio was hesitant to face what was next.

Sensing his brother trying to reach him, Caleb slowed his pacing and directed his line of sight to them standing on the patio and sighed heavily. After being fed copiously, he found that he couldn't just fall into the slumber he knew he needed, instead, his body thrummed with anxious energy and the need to expend it fell directly onto his shoulders.

Approaching the doorway, he leaned on it and took in a deep breath, able to smell the sea even though they were miles away. A clean gust of wind hit him and he smirked, nodding towards them, "You know, you don't have to stick around, Cherie. Your Caleb's goin' to be just fine. I just need to unwind is all."

Liliannah nodded and released Horatio's arm, walking toward Caleb, "Yes, that's what I'm afraid of, Amoureux." Reaching for his cheek as she came to rest before him, she gazed into his ice blue eyes and smiled warmly, seeing the wildness that begged to be released. For the most part, Caleb was a mild mannered southern gentleman, but if allowed, she knew that he would ravage the city and think nothing of it.

Taking her hand in his, he kissed it and chuckled, "You don't have much of an option, belle." Pointing to the eastern sky, he nodded and sighed, "Your alarm clock is arriving."

Turning her eyes toward the horizon, she frowned, her exceptional eye sight able to see the vestiges of day coming. She looked to Horatio and saw that he'd recognized the thin strip of light and traced to him, taking his hand, "We've over stayed, Horatio. We must go."

Acknowledging the importance of her tone, Horatio complied as she began to move through the door, turning back to see him watching intently. There was something in his gaze that he just didn't trust. Stopping their forward motion, he could see Liliannah's frantic gaze ,letting her hand go.

"Horatio, what are you doing?"

Choosing to turn to Caleb, he issued a terse warning, "Whatever you're planning, Caleb, don't."

Pushing himself off of the door, Caleb sauntered toward Horatio and arched a brow, "And what are you thinking that I'm going to do, brother? Surely, I cannot do a thing in the day time. I was just going to prance about the house some before going to sleep." Passing by his ear, he whispered, "And even if I did choose to do something, you couldn't do anything to stop me."

"Caleb?" The confusion hit him just as the gleam in his eyes did and he realized that Caleb was right. Even if he was about to engage in something tremendously wrong, there wasn't anything Horatio could do about it. Feeling her hand come over his, he kept his gaze on him and implored, "Think this through, Caleb."

It's time for you to go to sleep, Horatio. Don't worry, I'll be a good boy. Caleb taunted with a slight tilt of his head.

Unable to prolong his plea, Horatio relinquished his gaze and traced into the night toward Liliannah's car, suddenly anxious as to what the mild mannered medical examiner would do. As they settled in, Horatio pondered silently on the look in Caleb's eyes and as the engine roared to life and pulled out of the drive, he turned to her and asked quietly, "Can you get someone to watch him while we sleep. I don't quite trust him, Liliannah."

Liliannah bit her lip and acknowledged her own misgivings, nodding slightly, "I'll call Max. He's a close friend of the coven, he's even watched over me. He's very loyal and very big. He will know what to do." Placing a hand on Horatio's thigh, she shot him a look, feeling the waves and waves of doubt pulsating through him. "Horatio…he's going to be fine."

Grateful for her calming touch, Horatio stared out into the darkness that had begun to recede to the daylight slightly, his fear growing. "I can only hope that you're right."

Pushing the car past its limits, Liliannah concentrated on getting them home and within the safety of the darkened walls. Screaming through the deserted streets of Miami, only a few minutes passed before she was pulling into her drive, the both of them tracing to the door. Slipping her key in, she waited for Horatio to pass through the threshold before closing the door. As soon as the door closed, the sounds of the shutters coming over the windows filled her ears and she smirked, relieved to be ensconced within the blessed darkness.

Horatio could feel the exhaustion coming over him almost immediately as he followed her through to the kitchen, hearing the button snap and the counter top sliding away. The scent of blood caught his attention and he felt her hand over his, offering him a glass.

"This will tide you over. Remember, two or three glasses will make all the difference." Taking the bottle in hand, she smirked, knowing he could see it and gestured toward her room, "We can sleep in here."

Glancing back at the living room, Horatio laughed lightly, feeling drowsy, "There's a perfectly good couch…"

"That will continue to be unmanned. Horatio, we will rest together. There is no harm in sleeping in a bed with a woman. Now, merci, honor a woman's request."

Following her blindly, he took a sip of the blood and enjoyed the way it felt in his mouth, the coppery taste inflaming his taste buds. As the warmth flowed down his throat, he looked to see her entering into the room and traced to the bed, his fingers skimming the silk sheets. Arching a brow, he looked to her and saw her beaming smile through the darkness, "Silk?"

"The only way to sleep, Bienaime`." Liliannah practically purred. The darkness swathed over her like a protective blanket and she reveled in it, laughing lightly as she placed the bottle down on the night stand. In one smooth movement, she unzipped her dress and slowly pulled it down the length of her body the air coupled with his stare sending shivers of pleasure through her. The feeling of his eyes devouring her unintentionally pulled at her arousal and she licked her lips decorously, reaching to turn the bed down. "Come, Horatio. It's time we rested."

Stunned slightly by her blatant actions, he then began to undress swiftly, leaving nothing. Following her under the silk sheets, Horatio felt complete pleasure as the silkiness slipped off his skin, his eyes threatening to drop. Even in this exhaustive state, he still felt apprehension at his close proximity to her in this manner.

"Liliannah…Someone else has my heart," Horatio said lazily, perceiving her hands on his skin. Her touch calmed and yet ignited a dormant fire within him, the conflict confusing him. He wanted Calleigh above any other, yet he felt the desire to take Liliannah as it strummed through his body, laying claim to his actions.

Exhaling softly as she melded her nude frame to his, she whispered almost breathlessly, "She may have your heart, but I have your body. Rest, Horatio…"

At her command, his eyes drifted shut and he relaxed as he fell deeper and deeper into a slumber, his conscious state pulling away from him. Even as the darkness won, his last thought was that of Calleigh, praying for her safety when he could not be there to protect her.

TBC…