ONE PROPHECY FULFILLED
There were too many people inside this place, and Ardeth wasn't pleased. After Leven had locked up the shop, she announced that she had to go to Tunica. He had no idea what this Tunica was, but his patience had begun to wear thin. If she wanted to 'plan' to approach the minion, then he wanted to put it in motion. He had a very limited amount of time to find the amulet, and he vaguely wondered what was going through the minds of the elders. He should have returned yesterday, but didn't. Someone had stolen his amulet and he had no clear idea who did it or why. He knew he should be out searching, not sitting here in this noisy room filled with smoke. Yet, Leven insisted that he come along with her. She didn't trust leaving him alone in her apartment, because she figured he'd go on his search without her, and he would. His head had begun to pound from the noise and the smoke. About five or six women dressed scantily approached him asking what he wanted to drink. Every time, he asked for water, and every time, they stared at him as if he were insane. He wanted out of here. If he could find his way back to Memphis, he'd take his leave. He was a bit irritated with Leven. She had told him more than once that she believed his story, knew he was telling the truth. However, she didn't seem to be taking him seriously. After all, she went to work as if she had few cares in the world. He didn't think she understood the sheer urgency of this matter. If she were to come to his time, she would understand. He heard her voice calling his name and he hoped that it would be time to go soon. When he saw her, his jaw nearly dropped open and dangled to his chest. Of course, he had seen similar clothing on the others, but he hadn't seen it on Leven. Her arms and legs were almost completely bare and he saw her cleavage. He had the greatest desire to approach her and touch the flesh exposed. There was a lot to touch.
Leven stood back as she noticed the way he was looking at her. Surely, he had noticed the other servers in similar getups. He might have come from 1931, but damn, didn't women in his time show flesh? Then again, maybe they didn't. Regardless of his flustered stature, she sighed wearily. When would this night end? "I'm sorry I dragged you here, but when I get a chance, I'll leave. We can go back to Memphis and figure out how to approach Caldo."
He nodded. For a moment, he didn't know if he could speak. "Very good," he muttered. She turned away and disappeared into the crowd. He buried his face into his hands. He was torn. He wanted nothing more than to find the key and leave. He didn't want to stay here or risk bringing his visions into the reality of his world. He was very close to entangling both of them into something neither of them were ready for. Or were they? Ardeth looked up again and his eyes scanned the mass of people in search of Leven. He couldn't see her and he didn't want to get up and try to find her, not in this crowd. He didn't understand why so many people were attracted to this. As they were making their way to this particular building, Ardeth noticed dozens of them, and some were packed closely together. What purpose did they serve?
Right around two hours later, Leven finally returned. This time, she was fully clothed. Ardeth didn't know if he were happy about that or disappointed. Mutely, as he had done earlier today, he followed behind her to the car. Once in the close confines of the vehicle, Leven began to play her ignoring game again. It was killing them both. It really was. They were miserable and upset. Both knew where they needed to go, but they were denying it. Ardeth hoped that once they found Set's minion, it would all be over. Perhaps then, he could go home, she would stay here, and their lives would go back to normal [or as normal as his life could get]. When they arrived back at Leven's apartment, she went directly into her bedroom and to the chest where she had dug out the first set of clothes she had found for him. He stood at the doorway to the bedroom and watched curiously. She dug out four or five pairs of pants and an equal amount of shirts. She gave the armload of clothes to him.
"That should be enough for you to wear for a couple of days," she said. "I'll shower and change and then we can talk about approaching Caldo. If you're hungry, there should be some stuff in the refrigerator." Without a word, she closed her bedroom door right in his face.
Shaking his head incredulously, Ardeth took the pile of clothes and laid them out on the couch. Tonight, he wouldn't take her bed. But then, she probably didn't intend to let him have it again. The couch didn't really look all that comfortable, but he had slept on harder beds before. He ruffled through the pile and wondered how she had managed to maintain so many articles of men's clothing. His eyes fell on a pair of khaki colored slacks and a white button-down shirt. He closed his eyes and sighed. He had seen these in his vision right before he made love to Leven. He left the couch and went toward the refrigerator. He felt like an intruder, but his stomach had begun to grumble again. He found bread and a package with turkey inside it. Turkey and bread would definitely be better than those greasy burger sandwich things. He found a glass in the drainer by the sink and filled it with water from the tap. He couldn't get enough water. It seemed as if he had drunk a gallon since he woke up this morning.
"Wow, you're messy. A man after my heart," Leven said from behind him.
When he turned to face her, she was dressed in a long tee shirt and nothing else. Her hair was still wet and hung in ropes down her back. She was smiling a little and seemed more relaxed than she had all day. He drained the last of the water from his glass and moved to refill it. "I am sorry," he said. "I was looking through them to ensure they fit. The ones I have on are a little tight."
Yes, but they're tight in all the right places, she thought. "Yeah, but the others should fit better. The shower is free if you're interested."
"Yes," he said with a nod. "Thank you."
When Ardeth returned to the living room, Leven was curled up on the couch half asleep. He had dressed in a pair of black slacks and a matching shirt. He had purposely avoided the khaki and white. He had no desire to fulfill that aspect of his vision [or did he]. He chose to sit in a chair near the couch, but not close enough where his body would make contact with hers. It would be a shame to disturb her, but they had to set their plan in motion. He leaned over and touched her shoulder. She awoke and gazed over at Ardeth. His hair was wet and his feet bare, but his body was swaddled in black. Wow. He was fucking gorgeous! She felt like a pervert. She sat up and straightened her tee shirt and smoothed her partially dry hair. She was sure she looked quite attractive. It was obvious he was ready to talk about Caldo.
She gazed at him a moment before speaking. She was very tempted to touch his tattoos. Keeping her hands to herself, she said, "Caldo came into the shop to get that dagger, and he and I were together for drinks that same night." She was too ashamed to tell him she went to bed with him because she thought Caldo was he. "He left the next day and I never thought I'd hear from him again. But I did. He called here and left a message, telling me he was back in town, staying at the Peabody Hotel. All I have to do is call him and set up a date. I could have him to meet me here. If he's after the same thing you are, he'll show up."
Her words haunted him: If he's after the same thing you are, he'll show up. He gazed into her golden eyes, searching them, reaching out to her soul. He wasn't sure he could ask the question lingering on his mind. He knew little of Set's minions, but he had heard of an old legend that told of Sharr, a faithful servant of Set who had also been a shape changer. He had a weakness for sins of the flesh and often failed his lord to quench his need. Set had cursed Sharr to walking the Earth for all eternity. He cleared his throat and sighed. After gathering his courage, he asked, "Did this man take advantage of you?"
"He didn't rape me, if that's what you mean." She swallowed hard, "We were…together, but…" Her words died out totally. She couldn't tell him that she'd only slept with him because she had been mistaken. She looked down, embarrassed, feeling like a slut. After a silent moment, she felt Ardeth's finger beneath her chin, coaxing her face toward his. She looked into his eyes and they were asking 'but what?' Could she tell him? Should she tell him? She had been giving herself so very carelessly to men as of late. It was one reason why she didn't mind holding down two jobs. It kept her out of trouble. She was swiftly becoming the woman her Grandpa Q loathed. "I…I," she stammered. Goddamn, this was so hard. "I let him take me, but the only reason I did was because…because I thought it was you."
At that point, she thought he would drop his hand and pull away from her. It was obvious what kind of girl she was. Hell, he was from 1931, but she was pretty damn sure they had sluts and whores where he dwelled. However, she knew deeply within her heart that he was a man pure of heart. He was a good man, strong, loyal, and fearless. In his world, she was the kind of girl who would be stoned too death in public. She hated herself, hated herself more as each second passed. When he didn't immediately remove his hand from her chin, she drew away and stood. She didn't want him to touch her. She would probably taint him. For weeks, she had dreamed of this man, had dreamed of touching, kissing, and making love to him. She had been inside his mind, had touched his past, had seen his present with her, but couldn't lay a finger on the future. There was no future. He couldn't stay with her regardless of what happened to him. In her heart and mind, she had lived with him day and night for so very long. However, in real time, they had only known each other less than twenty-four hours. She felt closer to him now than she ever had in her dreams. You're mad, Leven. He will be another one time deal, just like all the others. You know that. Don't touch him, don't taint him. You're not good enough for him.
Ardeth came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She wanted to shrug them off. He was clean. She was dirty. Leven felt the solid wall of his body behind her and his body heat radiated toward her. He smelled nice. It wasn't the spicy smell of Caldo; it was different. She couldn't describe it, but she was certain that it was his smell. It was in him, not on. She ached to lean into him, to feel that wall pressed against her, but she hesitated. She could hear him breathing evenly and it seemed as if his hands were warming her entire body. God. If she could just move, if she could get away… She couldn't. She didn't want to.
"You have had those dreams," he asked, his voice low and soft. She didn't speak; she nodded. "I have had them as well. I was having them up until yesterday and they stopped. They tormented me because I did not understand. I can't be sure I understand now, but I came to you, I found you. It means something, can you not see that?"
"I don't know," she said softly.
He turned her unyielding body toward his so that she was facing him. "I do. You invaded every waking moment. I thought it was grief, but I was wrong. It was something else, something stronger." He lowered his head ever so slightly and kissed her.
No control. No control. No control. She broke away before the kiss could deepen. "We…I…I can't. I…you…it's only been…a…a day."
He ran the back of his hand over her cheek. "It has been much longer than a day. I count days, weeks, months…our entire lives…an eternity. If it was not meant to happen, we never would have found each other."
Everything he said was so true, so right, but she couldn't give into it. They'd both had dreams about the other, big damn deal. Yet, wasn't it a big damn deal? Wasn't it? Two people who have never met simply didn't just dream about each other. It wasn't an every day occurrence, especially considering the type of dreams they'd been having. She stepped back just an inch or two, just enough to allow his hand to drop away from her cheek. She didn't want him to touch her; it would only serve to make her want him more. "In your time," she began with a harsh whisper, "who you are is someone noble, brave, a warrior, and sacred. That's not who I am now, that's not someone I ever was. I'm not…not…"
He drew close to her again and took hold of her upper arm gently. He gazed down at her with his lovely eyes, consuming her, pulling her into his mind, body, and soul. It was a trip she had taken thousands of times before. "What are you not, Leven? You are not good enough for me? Is that what you are trying to say?" She didn't answer him. She didn't need to. It was written all over her, it was a feeling she couldn't hide regardless how hard she tried. He kissed her again, very, very gently, his lips just barely touching hers. "I am far from perfect, far from sacred. I am merely a mortal man, prone to mistakes and imperfection, as any other." His words were whispered against her lips and he could feel her body quaking before him. "If anything, it is I who is beneath you. Tonight will mark the first time I have ever made love to a malak [angel]."
Ardeth pressed his lips against hers harder, more demandingly. At first, she resisted, thinking he would withdraw and move away. He didn't. Instead, his free arm went around her waist and he brought her body up against his. She sighed tremblingly against his lips as tears began to fall out of her eyes. He drew her even closer, held her even tighter. She broke away from his kiss for half a second to release a shaky sob. She then kissed him back, hard and passionately. Her hands came up and went for his shirt. Almost blindly, she began unbuttoning it. Within moments her hands were on his warm flesh. A moment after that, her hands went down to his pants. Before she had the chance to open them, he broke the consuming kiss and took hold of her wrists. At first, she thought he had changed his mind. She looked at him, confused and a little rebuffed. After all, this was his idea. His eyes were giving her another message, not one of rejection.
"Allow me," he said softly.
She wasn't sure what he meant, but she withdrew her hands and waited patiently, curiously, longing for his touch. He kissed her again, gently, and allowed his hands to move to the very edge of her tee shirt. She finally understood and she wanted to cry again, but she bit down on her lip to prevent the tears from spilling down her face. She was accustomed to being forward, making the first move, and giving more than taking. He wanted her to take, not give, and she had never met a man like that. Although the clock said she had known him for one day, she had begun to see it, to feel it as Ardeth did. It was a lifetime, an eternity. He slid his large, warm hands beneath her shirt, running them slowly from the side of her hips up to her bare waist. They progressed further upward, coming to rest at the side swell of her breasts. He hadn't touched anything else, hadn't moved beyond that point. It didn't matter. Her nipples had grown rock hard and she breathed heavily, longing for the moment he would touch them, touch her. Instead of moving around as she so desperately hoped he would, he continued to slide his hands up, pushing the shirt along as he did. Eventually, she raised her arms up and allowed him to discard the shirt. She was completely naked underneath. She was one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen. He gave her another brief, gentle kiss on the lips before taking her hand into his and leading her to the bed. She had no idea how he intended for both of them to fit in it, but she was fairly certain they'd find a way.
He gave her another gentle, tentative kiss before lifting her up and laying her down on the bed. He came down on top of her, covering her body with his. For a brief moment, she gazed up helplessly into his eyes. She leaned up a bit and placed gentle kisses where each tattoo adorned his face. She ended her short journey with his lips and plunged her hands into his thick hair. He broke away after a moment and allowed his mouth to move down to her chin before progressing lower to the slope of her throat. His hand came up to cup her breast gently as his thumb made maddeningly slow circles around the hardened peak. Soon, his mouth sought it, found it, and he drew it between his lips, suckling gently before stopping just long enough to run his wet tongue around it. She sighed and writhed beneath him as she felt a gentle push of air from his mouth. He wasn't just breathing. He was doing this on purpose, blowing on the nipple. He had, in effect, declared war on her body, but it was of the passionate variety. He quickly moved to the other nipple and treated it the very same before his lips and tongue went to the valley between her breasts. He left a trail of kisses and heat from her ribcage down to the slope of her flat abdomen before moving back up to her lips. During their deep kiss, she slid her hands inside the opened shirt and began to push it away from his body. He leaned up the slightest bit, breaking contact with her lips, to allow her to strip it away. She raised her head and began running her tongue along his ear, nipping the lobe, flicking it as much as he had done with her nipples. He came down atop her again, luxuriating in the feel of her mouth along his jaw line and throat. He brought his hips down between her thighs and her legs went around him. She felt him against her, even through the slacks. As they kissed again, her hands traveled down his back onto his buttocks and she squeezed the firm flesh, pressing him down, pressing him against her. His hand slid down to the side of her hip and he squeezed her in return, crushing her against him, and she arched her body up, pushing against him for all she was worth.
He chuckled against her lips, the sound emitting from the depths of his throat. "I do assure you I want you just as much," he whispered.
"Mmm," she moaned in his ear, "no you don't. If you did, those pants would be off you, on the floor, and you'd be inside me."
He rose up the tiniest bit, just enough to make a little room. One wrong move, and they'd both wind up on the floor. Before he had the chance to withdraw again, she reached for the snap and zipper, releasing him from his confines. She went to work helping him push them down and away from his body. She didn't know how they managed without tumbling onto the floor, but neither of them was in the mood to analyze much of anything. At the sight of him, she ran her tongue along her lips and her hand reached for him. He stopped her just short of her destination.
"No," he said. "Allow me."
"Aren't you ever going to allow me?"
He nodded and smiled a little. "Next time."
Next time. Leven drew away again as Ardeth's hand drifted to her cheek, gliding down along her body, barely touching her. He kissed her again as his hand drifted even lower. She drew her leg up as he moved to touch the inside of her thigh. He laid his hand upon her and she gasped against his lips. His caress was slow and deliberately torturous. Tired of waiting, tired of longing for him to be inside her, she reached around his waist, guiding him toward her. Her work was almost done until he did the unexpected. He ran his fingers very gently along her, stroking her, driving her mad.
"Please," she whispered. "Oh please." She knew he was ready for her, knew he wanted her. She could feel his tumescent hardness pressing against the side of her hip. It was maddening feeling him against her, but not within her. "Ardeth? Please," she whispered urgently.
"Shh." He moved his hand away from her. His patience was wearing as thin as hers.
Ardeth leaned over her again, running his tongue along her lips, and his arm went around her. He pulled her to her side, facing him, so he could look into her eyes. His hand moved down the slope of her spine and her leg came up over his hip. He kissed her softly, doing something sight unseen with his hand. Her eyes were closed but she could feel him moving. He slipped into her when she least expected it and she gasped aloud at the unexpected, but oh so welcome, intrusion. He pushed her back down to the bed without their bodies losing contact. He moved within her slowly, propping his body on his hands so that he could gaze down at her face. Her thighs pressed firmly against his hips and her fingers dug into his buttocks. At first, he held her captive to his lovemaking. She lay beneath him passively, as if she had never taken a lover before in her life and didn't know what to do. In relative short order, her hands moved from his buttocks as her arms twined around his neck. She leaned up into him, straining her body against his. Sensing her effort, one of his arms slid below to grasp her buttocks as her body came off the bed to thrust madly against his. Her breath came in jagged, quiet little screams. She held onto him for dear life as he filled her, completed her, and rocked her body so very steadily. Holding her tightly, breaking their connection for the briefest of moments, he rose up to his knees. Lifting her body slightly, he entered her again easily enough and her arms and legs enveloped him. One of his arms remained around her while the other reached out. He anchored his body firmly by placing his palm flat against the wall behind her.
Leven's small even teeth nipped at the flesh at the side of his throat. A sound escaped her [huh uh] as she felt strong rhythmic contractions overtaking her, shaking her. Ardeth felt them deeply within her, increasing the friction and pushing him so very close to his own release. She recovered quickly only to experience it again just seconds later. Then again and again and again. Shaking and crying at the same time, her lips met his, and she kissed him deeply, her tongue seeking his, stroking it, and making love to it.
"It's your turn," she whispered against his lips.
"No," he sighed, his breathing coming in quick and heavy.
"Yes," she said as her lips went back to his ear. "Yes, yes, yes."
"No," he moaned. "No, I…"
"Yes," she whispered, exaggerating the 's.'
"Na…oh," he sighed. His fingers dug into her waist and he released his hold on the wall to steady her body against his. He tensed suddenly, abruptly, as waves of euphoria rushed through him. She felt it deeply inside her and it warmed her as he went again and again. His lips found her shoulder and he drank in the salty tang of her sweat. "Yes," he whispered against her skin, smiling a little.