Intruder

I walked out the door and in the direction of the sanctuary, hurrying to get to Valkyrie. I wanted to know what that crazy guy wanted and how to help. I got there just in time to see people running about and shouting at each other. Some were fighting and some weren't. It was like a riot. I made my way to Valkyrie and Skulduggery's office to see them yelling at each other too. What was going on here? "Why do you always treat me like a child?" Valkyrie yelled and Skulduggery fumed. "I am not a child anymore as you can see and I know you've been looking!" She was angry at him and him at her but I could find no reason behind it.

I turned on my aura seeing ability and noticed that they were both a really strong purple but Valkyrie's was clouded by grey, that wasn't even a colour that was meant to be seen in auras. I sent out wave of calm emotions and let it settle on them and you could visibly see them both look at each other in confusion and then turned to see me standing in the hallway staring at them in concentration. "Legacy?" Skulduggery asked and I nodded. He seemed to be disorientated which you didn't see too often in Skull. 'You guys all right? Why were you fighting?" I asked and Valkyrie looked down at her shoes and blushed and Skulduggery looked to the wall in the opposite direction of her. I shook my head in amusement and sighed.

Valkyrie's head suddenly snapped up and she looked as if she had just remembered something really important. "The bomb went off. But it wasn't a literal bomb. It let out some kind of smoke stuff and it affected everyone. They all went crazy yelling and fighting. Skull and I went out to see what the fuss was, because at the time we didn't know what had happened, so we were exposed to the smoke and it got to us too." I nodded in understanding and she turned to Skulduggery who looked relieved, probably because he wasn't affected by the smoke. He was probably wondering why Valkyrie had randomly snapped at him.

I smiled to myself as Valkyrie said something to Skull. "We need to go and check on the prisoners." She said and he nodded, they both looked at me and I saw the recognition in their eyes. "Can you do that to everyone else in the sanctuary? Calm them down and reverse the effects of the bomb?" Skull asked and I nodded. I could do that. It would be a challenge because I had never really used my powers on such a large scale but it would be fun. I made my way back out of their office and into the lobby area where there were fights everywhere and people yelling profanities left right and centre. I spread my arms out in front of me and imagined that a calming emotion was like invisible smoke streaming out of my hands and into the room, filling up and washing over everybody.

It took a while before it hit everyone. Eventually everyone was standing around confused and looking at me for answers. I swayed a bit with exhaustion and stepped back and leaned against the wall. I looked out over the people in the room and wondered what I should tell them. Well, the truth is better than nothing. "A bomb was set off today and it exuded a smoke that affected your emotions, heightened your anger. Valkyrie, Skulduggery and I are working on finding out who did this and why. You will all be a bit irritable for a couple of days but should be fine after that. If you have any problems let Valkyrie know and she will arrange a meeting for you with me and I will sort it out." And with that I collapsed on the ground, needing to rest and not being able to stand any longer.

I woke up to bright lights, in a stiff bed. It took me a while to adjust to the light but when I did I saw that I was in the sanctuary hospital. I had a headache but other that I was fine. I saw Amy walk over to my bed and I smiled at her. She was in her uniform and must have come here right after we met at Ben's café. "Hey, you're awake." I nodded and looked around to see that there were more people in here than was usual. They must be all the people injured in the fighting earlier. "Yeah, can I go now? I have a lot to do, helping Skull and Valkyrie with this case and all." She nodded and I got out of bed. I had to sign some forms and then I was free to go. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. Dexter was here earlier, but I told him to go home. You weren't going to wake up any time soon and he looked really banged up and tired."

She was the worried look on my face and kept speaking. "I checked him out first; it was nothing serious, just some bruises." I wondered what she meant by not waking up any time soon. "How long have I been asleep?" I asked and she hesitated. I narrowed my eyes at my friend and she flinched under my gaze but smiled, remembering back when I used to do this to get her to do things for me when we were younger. "You came in unconscious yesterday afternoon. It's about five o'clock now, nearly dinner time. I didn't try to wake you because when people use their powers extraneously they always end up better off if you let their bodies recover on their own, without disturbances. Valkyrie came and checked on you as well. She told me to get you to call her when you were feeling better." I nodded and said my goodbyes.

I walked out of the sanctuary and took my phone out to see that I had multiple missed calls from Dexter and Tanith. I decided to call Tanith first on my way home and the others later. I dialled her number and she picked up right away. "Hello? Legacy?" She asked and I could feel her worry. "Hi Tan, I'm fine, just bit off more than I could chew with my power, but it needed to be done. I'm just walking home now." She sighed her relief and I smiled as I could feel Ghastly's emotions hovering around Tan. "Tell Ghastly to stop hovering, I'm fine." Tan laughed and I heard Ghastly grunt and heavy footsteps lead away from her. "Do you want to come over for dinner tomorrow night?" She asked and I agreed. She might tell me about the whole marriage thing.

"Dexter came over today and apologised. For the way he has acted and the things he's done over the years. He apologised to Valkyrie and Skull and the rest too. I'm pretty sure that everyone but Skull forgave him. I wondered if you had anything to do with it?" I smiled at the thought of Dex making amends with his friends. He was really trying to get it together. But I never asked him to do anything, I was just happy that he was alive and okay and he forgave me for leaving him. 'Nope, I didn't ask him to do anything." I could feel her smile through the phone and I did the same. 'Well I invited him to dinner too, and Val and Skull, so it should be interesting. Just like last time huh?" We talked for a little longer about trivial things, until I finally got to my door. We said our goodbyes and I went to unlock my door.

But it was already open. Had someone broken in? I mentally prepared myself to bring out my defensive power. I steadied and focused on anger, which helped to bring it out and felt the tendrils role over my arms and into my hands. I held them like whips and pushed the door with my hip and took a step inside. I looked around the kitchen and could see nothing. I moved my head around to the lounge and saw a figure standing there facing the bookshelf that I had moved out here last week. I moved forward, fast and attacked, not wanting to waste the element of surprise. As I swooped in the Figure turned around and in the glow of my magic I saw Dexter's face. I quickly retracted my magic, but couldn't stop myself from slamming into him, which sent us tumbling onto the ground.

He turned us so that he was on top of me and my back slammed into the ground with a thud. We stayed like that for a moment before he realised that I was me. I smiled sheepishly up at him and he laughed at my foolishness. "I thought that you were an intruder or something, so I attacked you. At the last minute I saw it was you so I extinguished my magic, but I could stop from crashing into you. Sorry." His face went from amused to serious as I went to get up and push him off me. My body pressed against his and I felt him shiver. I really don't think I was going to get to call Val back tonight. "Can I get up?" I said and he growled at me. Okay then, that's a no. I knew that he was turned on but I was tired and I needed to go to sleep.

"I'm not in the mood." I said and he kissed me hard on the lips anyway, hoping to inspire some arousal in me. We kissed for a while and his hands roamed around my body. I leaned into it and tried to sit up, using my arms to push him backwards. But I only succeeded in letting him wrap his arms around my waist and pull me closer. He was on his knees in front of me now and I leaned back from his kisses. He looked me in the eyes and I could see only lust there. "I'm sorry Dexter, not today." I sent a wave of relaxation towards him and moved backwards, removing his arms from me and standing up. I went to the kitchen and poured two glasses of wine as he sat on the couch.

I reached out to him and felt his emotions. He was feeling sad and aroused and in need of attention. I went over with a glass of wine in each hand and sat next to him. I held out one glass to him and he took it, not looking at me. He felt embarrassed about what he had done, forcing himself on to me like that. I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, trying to let him know that I wasn't mad. He turned his head towards me and kissed me gently on the lips and hovered there. I leaned back and took a long drink, put the glass on the coffee table in front of the couch and fell back onto in exhaustion. Dexter did the same.

"What's wrong?" I asked him and he sighed, running his hand through his hair in exasperation. He didn't answer me for a while and it made me think it was something serious. "Don't make me read your mind Dexter Vex." I said in a serious and threatening voice that wasn't at all intimidating or convincing. He laughed at my attempt and I sighed, feeling tired still from the excessive use of power yesterday. I wrapped my arms around his arm and he put his hand in my lap as I curled my legs up on the couch. We sat like that for a while; I'm not sure how long until finally he started to speak. "I want you so badly but you're different. You've changed so much in the years you have been away and I want to get to know you again, in every way that I can. You even kiss differently. I don't know whether it's because you gained some experience with someone else or if you're just reading me better but it's different.

"For someone who had been alive for as long as I have, I have trouble with fast change. Gradual is fine like computers, their great but I don't know. I just don't like the feeling that you grew into a new person and I wasn't there to see it every day. I missed you so much and I don't know if I can stand being away from you for so long again. I don't want to lose you again. It's been a week and I haven't been able to touch you or hear your voice and then you go and use too much of your power all at once and hurt yourself. It made me worry about you and want to be with you at every moment to protect you from danger." He finished and I smiled up at him. He cared so much the he couldn't bear to be apart. I kissed his shoulder and snuggled up to him some more.

"I'm not going anywhere. Not again and it had never been anyone but you. But you have to understand that I'm not the innocent little girl that I was when I first met you Dex, I've grown up. I can take care of myself. But I appreciate that you care so much." He nodded and pulled me closer to him, not saying a word. We sat in silence until I fell asleep next to him on the couch.

I woke up to find that sun was shining through my window and I was in bed with strong arms wrapped around my middle. I felt Dexter's sweet hot breath on my neck and I smiled moving closer to him. He shifted and his arms tightened around me as he said "Good morning love." His voice was gruff and croaky, as he woke and I took his hand from where it lay on my stomach and brought it up to my lips, kissing it tenderly. He moved his pelvis forward so that every part of our bodies were touching and I felt his penis harden against my thigh. My already smiling face brightened considerably at the thought of an orgasm.

I turned in his arms and rolled us so that I was sitting on top of him. I was still wearing my jumper from thursday but I noticed that my skinny jeans were on the floor near the end of the bed. I looked back at Dex who was fully alert and I could feel his eagerness flow through me. "You took off my jeans." I said in a disapproving voice and he smiled a guilty smile. "I thought you would be more comfortable not wearing jeans to bed." He said as his hands went to my waist and sliding them up under my purple jumper. His hands on my skin felt like magic and I sighed against him. I raised my arms and he pulled my jumper off over my head. I was wearing blue cotton underwear with little flowers on them and a red bra.

Not matching or very pretty and I blushed as he looked at them and laughed. I smacked him on the chest and leaned down to kiss his cheek. "I didn't know I was going to have company or I would have put on my good underwear." I said and he laughed again. "Legacy, I don't care about your underwear. Back in the day we had corsets and they were so difficult to get off, although I mastered it after many, many practices. But the point is, I have easy access with this." He wrapped his arms around my back and unhooked my bra, sliding it down over my arms as I sat back up. He chucked it away and sat up too, so that his body was pressed up against mine. He kissed my neck and I leaned my head back, giving him more space to roam around. His hands moved down to my butt and squeezed tightly. I squeaked at the unexpected roughness and he laughed against my skin.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and he moved his lips in a trail up my neck and to my lips. We kissed hard and passionately and then broke apart. I saw that he was only wearing boxers and I shifted off of him so he could take them off and I took underwear off too. I went over to my bedside table and found some protection and we were ready to go. We got back into position, with me on his lap and we moved together as we made love. He moved inside of me as he pressed his arms around my back and touched me tenderly, as If I would break if he pressed to hard. We went on like that enjoying each other's bodies and pleasure until finally we came. I kissed his shoulder as we sat there in silence for a while, embracing each other lovingly.

There was a slam of a door and I heard someone say my name. "Legacy?" They yelled and I recognised the voice as belonging to Ben. Shit. I was still entangled in Dexter's arms and he looked into my eyes with amusement at my panic. He held me closer and tighter to him as I moved to get up. I growled at him and smacked his shoulder as he let me go. I stood, naked and annoyed as I heard footsteps coming down the hallway. I turned to Dexter to find that he had lain back in bed with a sheet covering him only barely. I shook my head as I pulled his shirt on and did up a couple of the buttons. There was a knock on the door and the handle started to move, opening it. I ran to it quickly and stepped out into the hall to see Ben standing there wearing a ridiculously bright green blazer type jacket and staring at me. I blushed as I realised that I was basically naked and only wearing a shirt.

"What are you doing here? And why didn't you knock on the door and wait like a normal human being?" I asked as I moved up the hallway and into the laundry, opening the dryer to find a pair of pants. "Why are you naked?" He asked completely ignoring my questions and going straight for the big, obvious elephant in the room. I pulled out a pair of denim cut off shorts and pulled them on behind the door while he awaited my answer. I walked into the kitchen and sat on one for the bar stools and turned to look at him. I felt his confusion and annoyance. I laughed at his facial expression as he crinkled his nose and eyes narrowed. He shook his head at my antics and sat down next to me.

"I just came over to see if you wanted to do something today?" He asked and I nodded enthusiastically. Right at that moment, I heard a door open and close then footsteps coming down the hall way and into the bathroom. Ben looked to the hall and then back at me, his sass coming out and taking over. He looked expectant as if he was waiting for me to spill the beans about who was in my apartment and using my shower. "What?" I said innocently, deciding that I was going to play dumb. "Who is that?" He asked and then looked down at my clothing, noticing the way too big shirt and realisation gleamed in his eyes. "Who is he?" He asked and I blushed as Ben stood and started pacing around the room. "It's Dexter Vex." I said quietly and he stopped pacing to look at me, a smile plastered over his face.

"Right, I forgot about him. You told me before didn't you? But I never knew… that you guys were 'together' together." He winked at me and then realisation washed over him once again. "Did I interrupt you?" He asked still smiling at me, but it morphed into a cheeky grin. "Yes you did in fact." I said confidently and he laughed out loud. "Well I have to meet him, make sure he is worthy of the great Legacy Grace. But after that I will leave you to get back to what you were going before." Another wink. I hit him in the shoulder and asked him to wait there while I got dressed decently. I was also planning on warning Dex about the onslaught of questions and interrogation that was awaiting him in the kitchen.

I made my way down the hallway and into my bedroom and found a decent bra, which was navy blue with lace and some matching underwear, put my shorts back on and Dexter's long sleaved grey shirt that he gave me before I left for Cassandras. It was really comfortable and I pulled the sleeves down over my hands, walking back out, down the hallway. Hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me back into the bathroom and I panicked for a moment before I remembered Dexter was in the bathroom. He kissed my neck and I leaned back into him. "Who's here?" He asked in between kisses. I put my arms on top of his arms that were sitting on my stomach and tried to form a coherent sentence but failed. I pulled myself away from his body and turned to face him.

He was completely naked! I looked down and blushed, looking straight into his eyes to see his laughter. He wasn't bashful nor was he self-conscious about his nudity but I was struggling with it. I looked at the wall and avoided his body but he took my chin in his hands and forced me to look at him. "We just had sex and now you're embarrassed to see me naked?" he asked teasingly and I blushed again, still uncomfortable but not so much now as the tension in the room was diffused by his joking manner. "Well we will just have to get you more used to seeing me naked then hadn't we?" He said as he stepped forward and put his arms against the wall behind me, trapping me between him and the door.

"Ben is here. My friend from before, I met with him and Amy on Thursday and he wants to meet you." I stuttered and fumbled my way through the words. I was too close to Dexter for me not to be nervous and excited and a bit aroused. He was distracting and I couldn't not be affected by it. He smiled at me in a knowing manner and kissed me on the neck and then drifted down and down and down until he was on his knees in front of me. I heard someone speaking in the kitchen faintly and realised that I had kept Ben waiting for far too long. I pushed Dexter back a bit and after last night, he was very aware of even the slightest protest that I may make. He stood up again and kissed me on the lips, lingering there for a moment, teasing me. I growled at him and stepped aside and opened the door. "Put on some clothes and come out to the kitchen." I said in a low voice, so that Ben couldn't hear me from where he was waiting for me.

I walked back out to see that Ben was actually on the phone and as I walked up to him he turned around, with a frown on his face. I waited as he finished his conversation and then he looked at me. I could feel his anger and frustration as he sat down on the couch in a defeated flop. "What was all that about?" I asked, concerned for my friend and his drastically changed mood. "The guy that I was seeing just broke it off because he wanted something more serious. He broke it off with me because he didn't think that I could be serious in a relationship." He was angry and I could feel it building up inside of him. He stood and went over to the window, his breathing getting heavier. At that moment Dexter came out of the hall way in denim jeans and the shirt that I had on previously hanging open around his torso, which wasn't as chiselled as before.

I looked back over to see Ben was shaking now and he moved so fast towards Dex that I barely had time to register what was going on before he was punching him square in the jaw. I stood up and summoned my magic, the anger I felt towards Ben for hitting Dex was fuel for the fire. I stepped forward and extended my arms, sending the tendrils of gold wrapping them around Ben and pulling him off Dexter who had his arms raised over his face to protect it and was smiling, slightly amused at the sudden and unexpected thrashing he had received upon entry to the room.

I pushed Ben back and held him against the window with one hand and used the other to see if Dexter was okay. The tendril floated over to him and I raised his chin with it to see his face, noting that he was going to have bruises later on. He looked at me in awe as he had never seen this part of my magic in action. I imagined seeing myself from his point of view, with the tendrils of gold curling around my arms and pouring from my hands, playing with my hair and whipping around the room as if they were alive, separate from me. They weren't of course but they reflected my mind and its thoughts, so if I thought that I wanted to hold something, the tendrils would coil themselves around that thing.

He walked over to me and put his hand out to touch them. I was conscious now so he wasn't going to get hurt by it like the first time I experienced this magic. I was in control. I smiled at him as one of the golden vines wrapped itself around his hand and another played with his hair. He looked astounded and genuinely surprised at their gentleness. I looked back over to see that Ben was staring at me too but his stare was more of a 'you'd better not kill me you little bitch' facial expression which made me laugh. I retracted my magic and calmed myself before going over to him, still leaning up against the window and slapping him in the face. "I know you're hurting over being rejected but there is no reason to hit my boyfriend." I said and Dex came to stand by my side and whispered into my ear "So I'm your boyfriend, now?" He asked in a sarcastic tone, putting emphasise on the word boyfriend, saying it as if it was something undesirable. He was totally going to bring that one up again later.

"Why did you hit him?" I asked and Ben looked at Dex with fury in his eyes. "He was the one who told Saracen that he should be looking for something serious, right in front of my face." I was shocked as I turned to face Dexter who was conveniently looking down at his shoes. I smacked him in the arm, hard. "Ben you didn't tell me that you were seeing Saracen. When did that happen?" I asked, kind of happy for them. Now that I thought about it, they certainly would make a good pair. But Dexter had gone and stuffed it up. An idea popped into my head and I smiled mischievously at Ben who recognised the look and shook his head.

"No. Whatever you're planning, no, I want no part in it." Dexter looked up to see my face and burst out laughing. After he composed himself he turned to Ben and said "I also told him, after you had left, that with a little fine tuning, that you could be long term material." Ben looked taken back and I sighed. He had always been rash character, always doing things without thinking first or having all the information. "Look, why don't you just tell Saracen that you want to be in a committed relationship with him and then it will be solved. I have to go to a dinner at Tanith's house tonight and he'll be there. You can come with me and Dex and sort it all out then." He nodded and I gave him the time and location of tan's house ad he left. I got out my phone and texted Tanith, letting her know that we had an extra. I just hoped Ghastly was cooking this time or it might not go well.