Chapter 14

Rebekah felt herself staring and shook herself slightly breaking the trance. Julian was wearing a strange expression on his face, as though he had just discovered the secret of life itself straight from the mouth of the Almighty God.

She turned her attention back towards the box -- a monopoly game size box, not a mark on it. She recognized it of course. Inside the box was a cardboard dollhouse, and a game. It was the game she bought for Ryan -Tom- for his birthday. As soon as you start the game however, Julain pulled you into his world only to then force you to live your worst nightmares. He had used it to try to trick her, Jenny, into giving in and being with him forever.

Rebekah didn't even see Julian move away from the counter to move directly behind her. She was completely enthralled by the box's presence that she didn't notice him move so close, yet not touching. He leaned over her shoulder to whisper directly into her ear. "Mystery."

Rebekah jumped slightly, but his hands clasped her arms and held her still. He move to her other ear to whisper again. "Danger."

Rebekah squirmed, but Julian's grip held her still. His right hand let go suddenly and he grasped her hip, gently squeezing suggestively, and then sliding it tentatively down her thigh. "Seduction."

Rebekah felt her knees shaking violently, threatening to give way. He turned her to face him, eyes glinting in the light of the stained glass. The small antique game shop looked sinister in the lack of light. "Fear," he said suddenly nipping the side of her neck and causing her to whimper, and goosebumps to spring to life across her body. She hadn't even seen him bend in towards her to do it.

She heard the sound of bones clunking together from her right. Julian held a leather cup of the bone carved runes in his left hand, shaking it. She looked up into his eyes and felt her self control suddenly failing at a rapid pace. He flung the contents of the cup onto the counter, spilling over the white surface of the box. Runes scattered everywhere, tumbling off the counterand onto the floor. All but one.

"Secrets revealed." Julian said, but she barely heard him and stared at the one rune left on top of the glossy surface. Gebo. The rune of sacrifice, love, death, and sexuality. It was shaped as a capital 'X,' but it's deep carving into the bone gaped wickedly up at her. Gebo. She used it to free the souls in her trip in Niflheim, she remembered it vaguely. Her grandfather was trapped in the arcade as the fortune teller. Julian took her place as the Elders demanded her soul in place of the ones she set free. Sacrifice. Although not just a sacrifice; a gift. Julian told her before he faded away, Did you know Gebo isn't just the rune of sacrifice? It means a gift, too. You gave me a gift you know. You showed me what it was like to love. What the universe could be like, if. Rebekah controled the tears that threatened to spill at the memory of it.

Her gaze shifted to him. His eyes burned into her, like two blue flames. Before she knew what he would do he pulled the black T-shirt over his head leaving nothing but a golden tanned torso, lean but ripped with muscle, and screaming-to-be-touched silky, smooth skin. "Desires Unveiled." His gaze didn't waver.

He didn't have to say the last word, she remembered it all too well now. "Temptation." She had said it slowly, pronouncing each syllable distinctly like he had done in this very spot before, in another lifetime. Although…he had kept his shirt on then, and had a snake tattooed around his wrist.

His lips curled into a smile, but he didn't make a move towards her. His chest lifted and fell heavily, as though each second that passed by was even harder to bear.

Her mind had lost all ability to function. Her body on the other hand, took complete control. Her hands had found their way to his chest. The body beneath them was solid, smooth, and warm. His eyes closed and he slowly exhaled as though he was trying to keep himself contained. Her hands ran upward, grazing his nipples and going to his shoulders, then down his arms to his hands. She took his hands in hers and brought them to her waist. His hands trembled slightly, and he opened his eyes, unsure of what she was suggesting to him.

"It's okay," Rebekah said slowly, taking a deep breath. "I want you to."

Julian swallowed, and stared. His hands tightened on her hips, but she didn't seem to mind it.

"Julian." She said, breathlessly. " I need you to."

"You don't know what you are asking? How long I've… not here. I can't do it here." He pulled his hands from her and turned his back towards her. "Not this place. This is where I deceived her,…deceived you. It isn't right. Not in this place between my world and yours."

He ran his fingers lightly over a sheet of paper on a bulletin board that Rebekah was only able to decipher having seen it once before.

WELC

OMET

OMYW

ORLD

Welcome to my world. She needed to be in his world. Her body was screaming for it. She kept him in celibacy for centuries, and her soul felt equally constrained and needed a release. Damn him for his insufferable mood swings.

"Okay then. Where would you like to be then?"

Julian turned around, a look of shock crossed his features. "Nowhere but with you."

"You are with me, damn it. Julian! You are with me right now!" She didn't recall reaching for him, but she had him in her arms. His shoulders threatened to tremble, and she felt his inward struggle fighting itself within him. She also felt his more external struggle against her left thigh, which only worsened the situation for her. Damn, being a virgin could royally suck….not that it was a bad thing, but damn. Nuns must not be entirely human to live without some things becoming a burden…

"Julian," She said soothingly, hand rubbing his back in comforting maner, "Where do you want us to go. We can be together Julian, you just got to let me in. Stop trying to keep control all the time. We are going to get through this, I am with you. And I have never felt safer."

Julian pulled back and looked at her, searching for a catch. He couldn't find any hint that she was being less thn sincere. He had had an epiphany only moments ago that she would finaly be his, and now she was offering herself to him freely. She wanted to give him her body.

He shouldn't do it. Every ounce of logic told him not to. Every molecule in his body told him he had to. The true nature of his being demanded him to do it without a second thought, and no remorse. He needed her. He needed to have her, to taste her, to claim her.Now.

One hand went to her waist, and the other caressed her cheek. The he pulled her to him and kissed her so fiercely her legs did give way.

"What are you going to do?" She gasped, asking the question she had once asked, when he visited her in a dream, giving her hints to help her in his little game.

"I'm going to kiss you…" he said, echoing the memory perfectly, smiling against her lips, "Until you faint."

The world got blurry and she felt as though gravity had stopped and she was floating aimlessly, while still in Julian's arms. Frantic kisses stealing her breath, and her consciousness level on a dangerous brink of actually fainting.

Suddenly the world righted itself, but instead of being in the More Games store, where Jenny and Julian's story had began, they were in the middle of a tropical jungle. The trees were so tall that they canopied over them and only small rays of sun beamed down on to them. A crystal clear lake was to her left, a massive waterfall spilling into it. Julian broke the kiss and smiled at her.

Before Rebekah knew what was going to happen next, she was lifted from the ground and held tightly against his chest. He was walking towards the waterfall, where she saw a dark cave peeking out from behind it.

She felt like she was in a dream , though she knew this time she was wide awake. She was going to give something to this man, to Julian, that she had never thought of giving away to anyone. Yet, she knew she had to. If something were to go wrong this time, she couldn't let him go through another lifetime not knowing what he so desperately needed to know. Gebo, she thought. His gift to her was life - which she didn't get to live, but he was giving her another shot at it. Now, she was going to give him a gift in return, even if he fails to keep her alive, she would repay his sacrifice with one of her own. Julian wanted to claim her body and soul, and this time she would let him.