Duae

Duae

Enlightened

               I felt finger tips brush down the length of the inside of my arm and sat up in a rush that made my head spin. I jerked my arm away and reached down to my hip for my pistol, but it wasn’t there. I gaped down at my empty hip and then took a deep breath and looked up from where I had scrambled over in the corner of my yurt by my bed.

               My eyes met his silver ones and I gasped, knowing that I hadn’t dreamed him.

               My fingers felt tingly as we stared at each other and I raked my gaze over him as he stood.

               He wasn’t terribly tall, maybe a few inches below six foot tall. His hair was a dirty blonde that begged your fingers to run through it. His eyes were black pupils ringed with silver mirrors and a dark ring around them. His face was angular and sharp and a beard a tiny bit darker than his hair ran along his jaw up to past his nose. His body was lean and muscular, but not bulky, he was built like the dancers I had seen when I was a little girl. He wore leathers like I did and a black shirt.

               I stood then as I dragged my gaze back up to his face and saw a slight smirk on his face, like he knew I liked what I saw.

               “Who are you?” I asked as I jammed my shoulders back, I would be damned if I looked weak in front of him again.

               He didn’t answer at first, taking the time to walk over to the edge of the bed and scratch Hank behind his ear. I gaped, my dogs had never met another person before, but they were all laid about the place asleep as if he wasn’t a threat.

               I narrowed my eyes, I wasn’t convinced. He had just tried to kill me.

               “My name is Lennox. You can call me Nox.” His voice was deep and rumbling and it made me shiver. I shook myself, what was wrong with me?

               I opened my mouth to ask him why he had tried to kill me, but he spoke before I could.

               “I apologize for trying to murder you, but then, you would have shot me no questions asked.” He gave an amused smile though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Who are you?”

               Despite myself, I felt myself beginning to relax near him. I couldn’t make my guard go up properly though, and after a few minutes of silence while he waited for me to answer, I gave up altogether. I suck down onto the bed and crossed my legs.

               “My name is Io.”

               His eyebrows rose, “Is that really your-“

               “Yes, damn you, that is really my name.” I surprised myself, my tone harsh, and I remembered that I had always hated when people asked me that as a kid.

               He sat down on the other end of the bed and I drew my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. We sat in silence for another long while as he continued to stare at me and eventually Hank came over and curled himself up on top of my feet and I smiled down at him and ruffled his head. He gave my hand a lick and I leaned down and kissed the side of his face.

               When I looked back up, I was surprised to see that Nox was not at the edge of my bed anymore, I looked around and couldn’t find him.

               And then I felt his breath at my ear and his hand brushed my braids back from my neck.

               I jumped in shock and then his face was right before mine and I couldn’t move. His eyes held me as his fingers caressed my neck and then he leaned into me and put his forehead against mine.

               “What are you?” I asked, the question falling from my lips and I had no idea where it came from. He was a human, obviously, as if there were any other choice.

               He smiled a full smile then and his eyes lit up. He put his lips to mine as he answered. “I am shadow.”

               My mind whirled, not understanding, but a moment later it didn’t matter as his lips pressed against mine. My body jack hammered off the mattress and his arms wrapped around my waist like he had been expecting my body to react as it did. He pulled me off the mattress and pressed my body against his, completely enveloping me. He groaned against my lips and I gasped as my eyes slid closed. And then his hands pulled my tucked in shirt out of my pants and his hands touched my skin. My eyes flew open and he gave a harsh groan and his lips moved to my neck and down to my collarbone. My skin felt sensitized and I wondered dimly if it always felt this way when a man touched you, but I knew it couldn’t. I couldn’t always feel like your skin was buzzing and heat like lava poured in a slow burn through your veins.

               Mindless to him, I wrapped my arms around his neck and ran my fingers through his hair.

               His breath was hot on my skin as he kissed along my chin and when he spoke I shivered again and his grip tightened on me. “Io, I finally found you.”

               His lips returned to mine before I could form a reply and his tongue slid through my teeth. I opened to him, reacting on instinct, and twined my tongue with his, deepening our kiss.

               He shuddered but pulled away from me, holding me at arm’s length, and his eyes went wide as he stared at me.

               Only then did I realize that electricity crackled around us and moved through my braids, making sharp cracking sounds as it escaped out the end of them. My body buzzed with energy and I felt different but utterly amazing.

               I looked down at my hands and they were glowing with light, but it came from underneath my skin, making our corner light up like a night light.

               He staggered back, letting go of me, and I rose up from the ground a few inches, bolts going through my feet to the floor.

               I got a wicked smile on my face and I felt unbeatable, full of power. Delicious power.

               “Wh-what are you, Io?” His silver eyes gleamed as he stared at me.

               “I am a Valkyrie.” I said with perfect certainty, feeling down to my bones. “And you, Nox, are mine.”