Best night of sleep EVER, and oh my Goddess this man is soooooo warm. Like uber warm! He's like a friggin space heater! Ok, Ok, Ok think un-sexy thoughts. Gotta get up carefully, hopefully he won't wake up before I can at least get a little shower in and some makeup. Wait, what the hell?!
It's not like we're getting married tomorrow or anything, hell I don't know if we'll even get married. Maybe he want's to take thing's slow and date for a while or something...WHY THE HELL AM I EVEN THINKING ABOUT THIS?!?!?! Ughhh, ok I need a shower anyway and some fresh clothes and possibly just a dab of "Eu Du Reality Check" for real!.
Ok so, just gotta wiggle a bit, maybe slide a lil here and there aaaaaaaaand boom! Feet on floor! (Along with my butt but oh well least I made it.) V-I-C-T-O-R-Y yeah!
"You know you coulda just asked me to move Searc."
"Your awake?!" Yea there ya go girl, high pitched squeal, that's the way to woo him. "Wait did you just call me a shark?"
"Ha Ha Ha no dear it's pronounced sher-k but spelled S-E-A-R-C it means love in Gaelic."
"Ya know I'm kinda diggin this whole, you calling me by Irish names and stuff. It's really pretty and I've always wanted to learn a bit of Irish. My family's descended from Irish Royalty ya know."
"Ya have ehh? I'd be happy to teach you."
"Really? Umm, I'm not all that great at.....other languages."
"Gaelic won't be to hard for you ma Searc, your blood is Irish, your native tongue is Irish...see where I'm going with this?"
"Ahhh yea, but seriously, I'm really bad at it. Once I had to go on a mission for THE ELITE, I was to stand trial in Arabia for killing one of their assassin's who had come here illegally and killed one of our own out of jealousy over a woman or some crap like that. Anyway so I was over there in what I like to refer to as "Hell's Sand Box" awaiting my turn to plead my case, well needless to say even after the three week's of Arabic study you'd think I could at least put together a sentence.....nope. Almost got myself be-headed for insulting their Sheikh. Apparently I said "'ummik hu abn awaa" which meant "Your mother is a jackal." I should have said "samukum 'ana huna fi 'an yahakim." which would have been "Your highness I am here to be tried." Needless to say I'm not allowed back in Saudi Arabia anymore."
".....Wow....and you had no idea you were insulting his mother?"
"Oh Goddess no! If I'd have known I would have shut my big trap!"
Well least this guy has a great laugh, as I soon found out because he belted out the deepest, most heart tenderizing laugh I'd ever heard. Damn, Mmmmm so handsome...HEY snap outta it girl!
"So you made a few mistakes..."
I shot him a raised eyebrow and a look that said "Really? A few?"
"Ok so you made ALOT of mistakes, that doesn't mean you should stop trying. If you want to learn Gaelic I'll teach you. It'll be a great way for us to get to know each other. If you want to I mean."
"Oh yea sure! Sound's great, but remember, you have been warned!"
I chuckled lightly as I strode off to the bathroom for my shower. I could feel his eyes on my back the whole time. That same tingling feeling from before slowly started creeping back up my spine, making the little hairs on my neck and arm's stand up. Goose-flesh appeared immediately after. Once inside the sanctity of my bathroom I shut the door and laid back against it, exhaling as I did so.
"Goddess give me strength to fight the irrational feeling's that seem to be popping up every time I'm around this guy." I whispered to myself.
Oh well no time for dilly dally. Off with the clothes on with the shower and in I go! Oh that's nice, like a warm waterfall. I shampooed, conditioned,exfoliated,and scrubbed myself pink with my Tone body wash. I LOVE this stuff! I actually, really dreaded getting out but knew at some point I really needed too. I also wanted to save some hot water for Conall.
Just then a picture of the hunk-a-licios man all naked and standing under the water, soap dripping off his broad, strong chest, sliding down his perfect abs all the way to his...SNAP OUT OF IT! Oh my Goddess what in the world?! Ok, now seriously I need to get laid or something! This was getting ridiculous.
I jumped out of the shower toweled off and in my flustered and aggravated state threw the door open and just waltzed out into my bedroom like I would any other day after my shower. I usually kept my tee-shirts hanging in my closet which was directly next to the bathroom but I had no time at all to focus on what color of the rainbow to wear today because in a moment's flash I realized I was stark naked and standing right in front of Conall!
I could feel the color rushing to my face and heating my cheek's yet I refused to turn away and run to the bathroom and lock the door for the rest of eternity. I squared my shoulder's, looked him right in the eye and said...
"Shower's free."
Then grabbed a maroon long sleeved, swoop neck, dress from my closet and threw it on as fast as I could. No bra, no panties just the dress. I wanted coverage and I wanted it now! As soon as I felt my face cooling off and the color leaving my cheek's I turned back around to face Conall. To my surprise he wasn't there.
He'd somehow managed to go right by me without me even seeing him and he was now in the shower. Though relieved a part of me was a little angry that he hadn't said....anything. I mean he literally said, nothing. I rummaged through my pantie drawer then my bra drawer until I found my favorite lacy black and purple set, pulled the dress up around my neck, and slipped them on then pulled the dress back down as I replaced my arm's into the sleeves, then I stood with my hand's on my hip's looking into my mirror.
I wasn't horrible looking, in fact I thought I was a beautiful plus sized girl. Well I don't really know if a size 16 is actually plus sized or not. I mean I'm pretty toned and athletic. I have basically very little fat on me, well, except for my caboose. But other than that I'm really just, kinda hippy and muscular. And in my defense you sorta have to be strong to be an assassin. I mean I pick people up and throw them for a living. Or repel down on a thin little line and snatch them up and break their neck's. What I see when I look in the mirror is a strong confident woman.
Violet eyes with silver spikes, long curly deep chocolate hair, high cheek bones, nice lip's, strong yet not overly toned arm's and a flat, strong stomach that just happens to have a set of actual hip's beneath it. I like to eat! Is that a crime? NO! I eat moderately and in controlled proportion's.(...most of the time.) The more I think about it the angrier I get. He SHOULD have said SOMETHING!
Anything really, he could have blushed or said "Wow" or something ya know? Hell, he coulda whistled....SOMETHING! Well I wasn't about to take this lying down. Oh no, no, no not me. I walked my hippy hind end right into that bathroom and flung the shower curtain back. Conall was like an Irish God! Water ran in stream's down his chest and back, soap still clung to his perfectly chiseled butt cheek. He looked down on me with what can only be described as hungry eye's.
Pretty sure I was lookin back with the same hunger raging behind my own. I shook myself inwardly and gave myself a mental bitch slap. Then I stood back and put my hand's on my hip's. I was ready for a fight.
"Can I help you?" he asked in mock surprise.
"Yea, yea you sure can. Now I know I'm no super model or anything, and the fact I walked out naked as a Jay bird was a total accident, but you could have at least said SOMETHING to the affect of a complement. I'm not vain, nor am I fishing for complement's but I walk out of a hot shower, steam rising off me, and stand stark naked in front of you and you don't even give me so much as a "Nice!!". That's just a shot to the pride there Fido."
Once my rant was over I had every intention of leaving him standing there, all soaped up and smelling good, and....STOP IT!
Anyway he stared me down and pretty much nailed me to the floor. But I stood my ground and squared up to him toe to toe once he stepped out of the shower. My nose barely came to the center of his chin. He looked down on me and smiled as he wrapped himself in a towel.
"Mo Chori I didn't say anything because I saw you were clearly embarrassed, though I don't know why. In my mind you have nothing to be embarrassed about. I have searched my whole life for you. To me you are perfect."
I scoffed as I turned on my heel and walked back to my bedroom. He caught up to me halfway to my bed and turned me around gently. He took his hand's and cupped my face. They were still slightly damp but oh so warm. I felt the warming sensation start pooling in my belly and my anger melted away.
"Red you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in all my life. I'm going to love you and I hope you'll love me too one day. Nothing about you needs changing. Any one who say's different can answer to me."
He sounded so sincere, I was like putty in his hand's. He pulled me close and hugged me tight. I have never in all my life felt so....at peace. In that moment I knew he was my real deal soul mate. He genuinely cared about me and wanted me to be happy and safe. I didn't want to believe it but how could I deny it, the prophecy was true. I was his and he was mine. In my excitement and peaceful bliss I didn't hear my doorbell. Then again Jaxon NEVER uses the doorbell.....Jaxon never knock's either come to think of it.
By the time I realized we were no longer alone in my room Conall had placed himself between Jax and I. Though he was still hugging me close he was now blocking most of me, using himself as a shield. The jealousy coming off of Jax and Conall both was so thick I could have bottled it up and sold it as bath gel. There seemed to be something else there though, not just jealousy...something deeper. It felt more like, hate. I had to get these two to see eye to eye.
I released Conall, though I seriously didn't want too and moved to stand in between them. I looked at each of them then settled on Jaxon as my first target. Jaxon's always been a bit of a hot head when it came to men and me and my love life...or lack there of. So his attitude didn't surprise me a bit. What it did do, however, was tick me off...royally!
"Jax, calm down. Your smothering me with all the jealousy your puttin off in your aura."
"What's he doin standin here holdin you while he's practically naked Redalia? Did he force himself on you?!"
"How dare you! I would never force myself on anyone! Especially not..."
Oh no don't say it he'll go nut's!!
"...my MATE!"
Ohhhh and he said it. A quick glance at Jaxon and I knew the proverbial shit was about to hit the fan. Luckily for me I was born a witch and the Dearg Mac Tire Banrion (Talk about a two for one am I right!) I've been trained since birth to use my Goddess given talent of elemental magic. I geared up for a showdown. The spell on the Manor wouldn't allow harm to be done to anyone inside the gate's only thing is, that particular rule didn't apply to me and Jaxon. I figured I'd better call up my power's and be prepared.
"WHAT?! What did you just call her...DOG!"
I literally jumped when Conall actually full blown growled! It was a deep, non-human sound. Fear is not well known to me, yet at that moment I knew exactly what it was and I have to say, I didn't like the feeling. I stepped back quickly, just then Conall snapped his head towards me and his fierce gaze softened. He let all the tension in his body go and relaxed a bit. He closed his eye's and lowered his head for a moment before looking back at me. Sorrow shone like a waxed diamond in those deep emerald and gold orb's.
"I never meant to scare you Mo Chori. I'll get dressed and meet you down stair's." he said softly.
I touched his forearm as he passed me and offered him my sweetest smile. He was being the bigger man, he wasn't going to stoop to the level of high school jock on roid's just lookin to fight and I really appreciated that. I turned back to give Jaxon a piece of my mind but he wasn't there, instead he was mid jump. Dagger in hand, face twisted in a horribly wicked grin. I'd never seen him look like this before, it was like he wasn't himself.
I threw myself in front of Conall's exposed back, fully expecting a dagger to the chest. In my final moment's all I could think was "He'll have to run, no harm can come to Jaxon here." All I wanted was for Conall to be safe. I understood then, what he really meant when he was talking about our bond. This must be it. A love rooted so deep no evil could penetrate it or destroy it. I barely knew this guy and yet I'm standing here moment's from death just trying to make sure he lives.
Suddenly I was thrown aside, in the next instant I saw dagger meet and rip flesh as Jaxon drove it into Conall's chest. Conall had turned with lightning speed and at the last moment he'd thrown me aside, taking the dagger into himself as his reward for saving me. I screamed as pain ripped through my body. My chest burned and ached as if someone had thrown me in a vat of acid. Seething pain mixed with what could only be described as sheer rage tore a path through my body.
I pulled in a ragged breath and called up my magic. I was an Elemental Witch. I could manipulate all the element's to do my bidding and today I was going to use them all! I slowly opened my glowing hand and in my palm a ball of fire rested. As I willed it to grow it happily obliged. I then took aim at an exposed chest and hurled it with all my force towards Jaxon. It hit it's mark, dead center. He screamed in pain and fell to the floor. For a moment my heart began to break and my chest burn but I quickly shrugged the feeling away.
I closed the distance between Jaxon and myself in a heartbeat. He was on his feet now and ready to go for round two. I slid my hands against each other a few times as we circled each other and a blade constructed of fiery essence appeared between them.
I drew my flaming sword up and prepared to attack. Wait, what was I doing? Jaxon was my guardian! More than that he was my best friend. Why in the name of the Goddess was I drawing against him. I stood up and lowered my sword. It dissipated as I walked towards Jax.
"Jax what the hell are we doing?"
Jaxon spun around to face me. His eye's glowed a bright orange shade. His lips were pulled back to expose his teeth, barred together and grinding as he looked on. The way he stared at me made my skin crawl, it was like he hated my very existence. My heart was breaking, what had I done to him to make him hate me?
I caught a glimpse of Conall lying in a pool of his own blood on my bedroom floor. He had saved me, risked his own life for me, I was not about to let that go. I concentrated on the sword again and in the next instant it was in my hand, burning bright as ever. Then I cleared my head, bent my knee's, spread my feet and prepared to fight my best friend.
"Why Jax? Why did you do it? He's done nothing to you, nothing to me...and you've nearly killed him." I could see Conall's wound was nearly closed, he needed to get that knife out though. It being silver had no effect (That's a myth people) it being lodged in his chest though, yea that was a bit of a problem.
"Your blood will open the path, it will free all, and when he dies..." he nodded towards Conall's now very motionless body. If it weren't for me being able to see his aura I'd have believed him dead. "...your bond dies with him. So will the prophecy."
"The Prophecy? Jaxon your not making sense! Seriously, have you lost your damn mind?!"
"I AM NOT JAXON YOU IDIOTIC TRAMP!! This pathetic sack of waste was merely my ticket in this dump. All I needed once I was in, was to get you alone or in a vulnerable state so I could attack! Unfortunately for me you seem to have taken a liking to this, Dog. I thought I was going to have to abort my mission but then I felt something when we saw you in the Dog's arm's. This body became angry and enraged, Honestly I had no idea how strong he truly was until he got mad, and now...he's mine!"
"What the...What the hell are you? Get out of him!"
"Now why would I do a thing like that? As long as I'm inside this body and inside this house I'm basically untouchable. You can't even force me to leave this vessel, unless you plan on killing your friend."
"What are you talking about?! What are you dammit!? Besides deaf!"
"I can answer that." It was Conall. He had finally healed himself. Though he still looked a bit pale, he came to stand beside me.
"He's what's known as a Scáth an Bháis or in your language, a Shadow of Death though I believe most people call them Shade's. He enter's the bodies of creatures or human's and uses them as hosts. He exploits the darkness that lives in everyone, and then takes control of them. The owner of the body is put into a sort of stasis or coma like state while he is in control. The downside to this is, he's right. If we kill him we will inevitably be killing Jaxon."
"Oh, well isn't this just peachy?! So what do we do now?"
"How about you die?"
The Shade, creature, thing...let out a heart stopping screach as he charged towards us. I didn't know what to do other than just try to avoid serious injury. I pushed off of Conall, throwing myself and him in sepreate direction's just as the Shadow went flying between us. I looked to Conall and sent him a message through our link..
"What do we do now? We can't kill him! And I meán that literally and figuratively! He's my best friend!"
"Well, if we cant kill him..."
He ducked as the Shade cut through the air where his throat had just been. Conall came up with a hard right hook to the stomach, the Shade went flying backward's. Poor Jax will be feeling that one for day's. If he lives that long.
"Let's try to at least knock him out. Can't you use your magic and conjure up a sleeping spell or something?"
The creature was back up and locked ón to Conall. He threw punch after punch, dagger still in hand. Conall ducked then dodged then parried with his own multitude of blows. The men were nearly equally matched. I could tell however that Conall was only using about a quarter of his true strength. He was diliberatly holding back, so he didn't seriously hurt Jaxon's body by accident. The spell ón the house would protect us from death not harm.
"Conall I'm an elemantal, I can't conjure up a sleeping spell....however....hey when I say "GO" jump as far away from him as you can ok?"
"Uh ok?"
"Just...trust mé."
He spared a glance in my direction as the Shade picked himself up from the floor. I took the opportunity to focus my energy into calling down the lightning I needed to complete my plan. My arm's began to tingle then my hand's and finally my finger tip's and nails. Suddenly my hand's began to emit a soft crackilng sound as I watched the waves of electricity course over and through them. Like waves in the ocean.
I felt the power of the lightning, and it was amazing! Once I was sure I had enough to knock him out without frying his brain I readied myself and took position. Conall had him cornered by my bathroom wall, I could only hope he would jump in time. I took a deep breath focused myself and called out to Conall.
"GO!!"
Before I'd finished the word he was in the air. I released the lightning. It was as if I were watching in slow motion. I saw Conall flying backward's with the grace of a dancer, as The lightning bolt made it's way toward's Jaxon's body. It's golden essence crackling and stabbing it's way through the space between us. Just as quickly as time had slowed it sped back up and I watched as Jaxon's body was electrocuted.
For a moment I thought I'd given him to much of a shock but then I saw his chest rise raggedly and then fall. Conall quickly ran to him and checked. He signaled the universal sign for "He's ok." (A thumbs up) I quickly gathered myself and ran to my dresser drawer where I usually kept the nick nacks I found under my bed and in the other room's while I did spring cleaning. I found what I was looking for and ran back to Conall.
We picked Jaxon's limp body up and carried him to my chair by the window and proceeded to duct tape the crap outta him. By the time we were done we'd gone through about 3 roll's of the stuff. Good thing I didn't need any duct work done because I was officially out of tape.