Daniel Taylor Between Two Worlds (11 page)

Marla nodded eagerly. As long as Mike was talking, she couldn’t say anything wrong. She also liked listening to his voice. “Okay, but only if you pay for my dinner,” she said with a laugh. She hadn’t felt this good in a long time.

After a leisurely stroll, during which Mike actually showed her the few sights that Little Peak had to offer — the monument to the city’s founders, the historical Carnegie library, and the mining museum — they turned into a street that Marla recognized. The sign said “Willow Street.” Of course …

“This is where I live, by the way,” Mike said, coming to a halt in front of the entrance to number four.

I know …
Marla almost blurted out. She quickly said, “Okay, well … I guess I’ll be going.”

He had put his jacket around her earlier, wrapping her in his warmth and that irresistible scent. Demons weren’t sensitive to the cold, but she still appreciated the gesture. Marla gave a quiet sigh as she took off the jacket to hand it back to him. She would have liked to keep it as a souvenir.

“Do you really think I’d let you go home alone in the dark?” Mike’s gaze was so intense that Marla felt a little dizzy.

If you only knew … Where I come from, there’s eternal darkness.
She smirked. “I’m a big girl; I can take care of myself.”

“I’m sure you can,” Mike said softly, tossing his jacket over his shoulder and moving closer to her.

Marla automatically took a step back, but she couldn’t escape; she had her back to a wall and could feel Mike’s chest pressing lightly against her.

Marla shut her eyes. She knew exactly what Mike wanted, and she wanted it, too. How she wanted it!

But it was wrong, so wrong … He was a human! Marla didn’t want to make the same mistake her mother had. Why did she have such strong feelings for Mike?

“Marla,” he whispered, his lips grazing her cheek. His hands were gripping her arms, and his warm body was right up against hers.

Mike’s breathing quickened, as did Marla’s. She wanted to push him away with demonic magic, but her mental powers failed her. His proximity, his warmth, and his scent were sufficient to render her defenseless.

“Don’t,” she whispered into his cheek, eyes still shut. His stubble tickled her lips, and Marla recalled how gloriously it had shone in the evening sun … like gold.

“I won’t do anything you don’t want me to,” he promised, and these words were enough to break down her resistance. She turned her head a little and found herself kissing Mike on the lips.

Marla’s heart stopped for a moment, then beat twice as fast as before. She had never experienced such feelings before — how soft his lips were, and how tenderly he was kissing her! She thought she might melt from pure happiness.

For demons, sex was normally a way to pass the time — unbridled lust without any romantic meaning. But had Marla ever really been “normal,” for a demon? If so, how could a kiss knock her off her feet like this?

She had probably been exposed to humans and their emotions too much as a child; it must have rubbed off on her. Like Obron always said, Kitana had ruined her.

Marla
had
to be emotionless; she was a demon, damn it all!

She instinctively felt that this had something to do with Kitana. There had always been something not quite right about her. Marla had dreams about her mother that were so real, like she was inhabiting her mother’s body. In her dreams, she experienced these same emotions — not only for Mike, but also for James, the man Marla abhorred.

Marla didn’t want to think about Carpenter or the underworlders, nor about the mission she had to complete. Right then, she only wanted to find peace in Mike’s arms.

He pulled her to him, and Marla could feel the contours of his muscular body. Usually, physical closeness was difficult for her, but with Mike, she didn’t feel afraid. For one thing, she knew that she was stronger than him, thanks to her powers; and for another, she sensed that he would never hurt her.

Finally, she took the initiative and stuck a hand under Mike’s shirt to caress the smooth, warm skin of his back. It felt good to be so close to someone who she … liked.

Her body tingled, and her heart raced so fast that she began to feel dizzy.

“Do you want to come up?” Mike asked. “Just so we don’t get cited for public indecency.”

She managed a nod, although the ramifications of the decision made her long to open a portal to escape. Mike pulled her to the main door and up the steps to the first floor. His hands were shaking so much that he could scarcely unlock his door, and Marla was tempted to help him by magical means.

Finally he succeeded, and they quickly landed on his big, circular bed, not even bothering to turn on the light.

Marla could see perfectly well in the dark, so she knew that little had changed in Mike’s bedroom since she had been there the last time: The walls were still painted bright red — at least, Marla assumed they were from their shade of grey, since she couldn’t recognize colors in the dark — but now the sheets were white satin instead of black.

White … white stood for innocence.

Marla was anything but innocent with regard to sexual experience.

She was a demon, after all! Corrupted, evil to the core … but had she ever truly felt that way?

Mike had completely shattered her worldview, broken it into tiny pieces like a jigsaw puzzle. Marla would never be able to put it back together, she knew that already. Was Mike an angel freeing her from Hell? Had James been an angel who had saved her mother? Was there any such thing as salvation for a demon?

These thoughts were banished as Mike gripped her sweater to pull it off. She hesitantly did the same to him. It was easier than she thought to take off another person’s clothes — another thing that was new for her.

So many new and confusing things, all at once …
Mike, what are you doing to me?

He gently pushed her onto the bed and kissed her throat. Her lace bra suddenly seemed to constrict her chest, and she was glad when Mike unfastened it. How dexterously he did so … He was clearly a man with some experience. And so gentle … Marla felt safe with him.

Her hands ran over his perfect torso, over his slightly pronounced pectoral muscles and his flat stomach. Marla stroked his narrow hips and then slid her hands across his back. His skin was crazily soft — as silky as the satin sheets she was lying on.

After Mike had stripped off her bra — chosen with Vanessa’s help — he lay down on top of her. Marla thought she might swoon from the sensation of skin against skin. The pressure of his body and his passionate kisses almost made her lose her mind.

Their tongues did a wild dance as their bodies rubbed and pressed against each other. Was it always this way between a man and a woman, a human and a demon?

Now Marla understood why her mother had left the underworld. There was no question, she would give up her old life for these feelings … if she weren’t Metistakles’ slave. She was bound to the high lord by her father’s oath. Only he — or the death of Metistakles — could annul it. Marla would never be free to be with Mike unless she killed James.

Damn it, what kind of thoughts were these? But she suddenly had an overwhelming desire to belong to Mike, body and corrupted soul. She knew she’d kill for it, even though she had never killed another living creature. “What are you doing to me?” she whispered.

“Seducing you.” Mike laughed, and his breath on her cheek sent a wave of goose bumps over Marla’s entire body.

Why did he have to be so damn sexy?

He abruptly pulled away, and Marla felt oddly abandoned. “What’s wrong?” she asked woozily. She saw that Mike was fumbling around on the nightstand.

“I want to see you,” he replied, reaching for the switch on his bedside lamp.

No! He couldn’t see her naked!

She rolled over him, grabbed his arm, and pulled him back; in her fit of panic, she used a little magic. Mike was deftly flipped back onto the bed.

“What …” He gasped. “Wow, I didn’t think you were that strong!”

Marla sat astride his torso (so that he didn’t get any more bright ideas about the light) and caressed his chest. She liked having him under her, defenseless, arms bent behind his head.

Moaning, Mike closed his eyes and pressed his hips into hers.

“Why can’t I turn on the light?” he asked between kisses.

“I’m just shy,” Marla answered as she bent to unzip Mike’s trousers.

He laughed. “I can see that!”

Mike helped her slide off his trousers, but left his boxers on — and then it was Marla’s turn. He had a little trouble unbuttoning her jeans in the dark, which amused her, but she soon relented and helped him; she could scarcely wait to feel his skin against hers again.

Marla lay on her back in only her panties, watching with fascination as Mike slipped out of his tight boxers. He had the body of a god — if a demon was allowed to say that.

She gasped as he lay down on top of her, fully naked. The sensation of being so intensely close was indescribable. As they caressed each other, Mike kissed her throat, her breasts, and her stomach before sliding his hand into her panties.

Marla suddenly froze in place.

Mike immediately removed his hand. “Is this going too fast for you?”

“A little,” she whispered, breathless. “But what you were doing with your hand …” She blushed. “… that’s okay.”

Mike carefully retraced his steps, this time more slowly, and when he found her most sensitive spot, Marla’s body arched against his.

A heavenly sensation spread out from the site. The tingling between her legs became a tightening and a throbbing — Marla couldn’t exactly describe the feeling. She just knew that it was … overwhelming.

As Mike continued stroking her, something gigantic raced toward her. “Mike … I … help me!” Moaning, she shut her eyes tight and clung to his shoulders.

“What’s wrong?” He stopped abruptly.

“Don’t stop!” she ordered, and he understood.

A million stars exploded before her eyes, and every cell in her body seemed to burst. All her pent-up emotions were released in one fell swoop, such that she barely noticed Mike rubbing against her thigh and also finding fulfillment. For a fraction of a second, she saw his face, twisted in ecstasy, bathed in a bright glare as the light bulb in his bedside lamp lit up and burst.

Mike flinched. “What the …!”

Marla quickly took hold of his cheeks to kiss them. Suddenly she tasted … salt?

“Why are you crying?” Mike sounded shocked.

She was crying? Incredulous, she ran a hand over her face.

It was in fact wet. When was the last time she had cried in front of another person? It must have been the day they killed her mother before her eyes. Otherwise, she only shed tears when she awoke from the strange nightmares that she sometimes had.

“Did I do something wrong?” Mike stroked her hair, bewildered. “Marla?”

“No, no,” she said hastily. “It’s just because it was so beautiful.” And she meant it. Mike had been so tender and considerate, and then her first orgasm — that had driven her over the edge. Sirina had often raved about this feeling, but Marla had never enjoyed it herself.

She heard Mike exhale in relief. Then he grabbed the blanket and pulled it over them both. Marla nestled herself happily against his warm chest and shut her eyes, exhausted.

Happy … yes, that’s what she was. Happy and satisfied.

She felt Mike put his arm around her — and then she fell asleep.

No, not again
, Marla thought in her sleep. In her dream, she had turned into her mother, as she so often did. Why did she always have the same dream? Now she was … Kitana.

Kitana couldn’t bear it any longer. She had used up all her mental powers, and she was sick of this hide-and-seek. Sooner or later, the day would come when the High Council found her and took Silvan away. That would mean certain death for her, her daughter Marla, and James.

Sighing, she looked over at Silvan, who was fast asleep in James’ arms. Even though the baby was only a few days old, Kitana knew that he would grow up to be just as attractive as his father. James was standing with the baby in front of the fireplace, looking with obvious pride at the bundle in his arms.

Kitana sighed again. Her lover had no idea what she was about to do — it was better that way, since he would never have allowed it.

Her heart was heavy as she gazed upon her family, who were all gathered around the fire in the wooden cabin. When she walked over to the window and touched the spiderwebs of icy frost on the glass, she could feel the cold invade her fingertips. She wistfully watched the snowflakes drifting lazily down from the heavens. This patch of land in the Rocky Mountains that was serving as their current hideaway was lovely, but not secure enough to be used for very long.

“Mama, take me with you!” Her two-year-old daughter Marla pulled at Kitana’s trouser leg. Her big eyes had such a pitiful expression that Kitana’s decisiveness wavered for a brief moment.

She pushed a black strand of hair behind the girl’s ear and took her in her arms. “No, dearest. You stay here with James and Silvan. I’ll be right back.” It hurt her to lie to the people she loved most, but she had no other choice. Kitana couldn’t protect them any longer. She hadn’t fed on the souls the Oracle of Memnost supplied to her for two years now, and her demonic powers were steadily waning. Human meals couldn’t replenish her magical reserves.