Eden Winters - In Shadow.pdf

(313 KB) Pobierz
Halloween Howl
Free Story from
Dreamspinner
Press.
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php
In Shadow | Eden Winters
2
A SHADOWY figure leaned casually against the side of the
darkened building. Four a.m. had come and gone, and the
city would soon be changing shifts. The law-abiding citizens
of the world would be waking up soon, while those who dwelt
in darkness hunkered down for a nice, long sleep. But not
him; not yet. He had hours to go as carefully laid plans
either came to fruition or failed miserably. He only hoped
that when it was all over, the payoff would be worth what
he‟d risked.
A scrape of wood against wood, the click of an old
fashioned lock, then the steady tap, tap, tap of his quarry‟s
boot heels crossing the road, leading away from the
darkened tavern. My, someone is working far too late these
days. The shadow blended with many others, following at a
distance.
The man for whom he‟d waited entered a secluded alley,
taking the shortcut home. The shadow chose that time to
reveal himself. “Hello, Peter.” A voice long unused gave his
words the smoky texture of fine whiskey.
“Y-you!” The man‟s eyes widened in fright, darting right
and left, seeking help.
The shadow knew his prey‟s habits well, and he‟d spent
the last few hours studying the lay of the land. They were
alone. “You didn‟t expect to see me again, did you?”
In Shadow | Eden Winters
3
“Wwwhaat, what are you?” Peter froze, following his
stalker with terrified eyes.
The shadow circled, wafting a fluttery breath against
Peter‟s nape. “A wraith, a phantom, a ghost of a ghost. Does
it matter?” Lips grazing the mortal‟s ear, the undead
whispered, “Aren‟t you glad to see me?”
Peter‟s tangled emotions poured out in great, pulsing
waves, the bittersweet taste lingering on the phantom‟s
tongue. He traced Peter‟s ear with his tongue, reveling in the
extra senses of his kind. To taste fear, to smell darkness, to
see music in the nighttime sky? How had he ever referred to
his former “life” as living? “I‟d far prefer your lust to your
fear,” he said, lowering his voice to a suggestive purr.
Applying his lips to Peter‟s skin, he lost himself in the
familiar essence, sensing the hope/despair/joy/sorrow on
the one he‟d gambled for. He raised a finger, stroking it
lightly over a firm brow, down one chiseled cheekbone,
zigzagging across nose and chin, then back up the other
cheek. The man at his mercy shivered as though in peril,
unaware of the rune of protection that now blazed like fire to
non-mortal eyes. Protection bought at great price, a price
that might cost the shadow dearly, yet that he‟d pay
willingly, and never think it too great.
Although not part of the ritual, he followed the glowing
spell with his lips, relearning his former lover‟s face. He
closed his eyes, employing senses that the living couldn‟t
comprehend, touching, tasting, seeing, hearing, being at one
with another, sliding into Peter‟s mind for the briefest of
moments, then dancing away again, presence undetected.
In Shadow | Eden Winters
4
Grasping Peter‟s cheeks between his palms, he forced
their mouths together, hoping the rasping of his scaled
hands didn‟t abrade that beautiful face. Peter
mmmmppppph ‟d, struggling against the onslaught of a
tongue stealing into his mouth.
Without pulling away, the shadow murmured, “Hush,
don‟t fight me. Remember me as I was before.” A few more
struggles, then the body against his became pliant, the
tension draining away. He’s remembering. Good. He’ll need
to.
“Martin.” That name, breathed on a sigh, sent
unexpected shivers up the shadow‟s spine.
“I am Martin no more.” Peter stiffened slightly in his
arms. “I‟m afraid you‟d find my new name unpronounceable.
Tonight, call me what you will.”
He left a trail of phosphorescent kisses down Peter‟s
neck, dipping into the V at the base with his forked tongue,
tasting this man‟s loneliness and the heady cocktail of
apprehension and elation. Pictures formed in his mind, as
they always did, of his prey‟s innermost thoughts and intent.
Sorrow filled him at what Peter had endured since
Martin-no-more had left their home one evening for the
market, never to return. The precious bundle of bittersweet
memory whimpered. “Hush, love. In human form or this, I‟d
die before I‟d harm you.”
One by one Peter‟s flimsy garments fell to the
cobblestones, gooseflesh rising on pale skin that the shadow
kissed and caressed away, marking the man “forbidden.” He
In Shadow | Eden Winters
5
wished Peter could view his handiwork, perceive the
stunning, intricate patterns of the runes. From this night
forward, no shadow-dweller would dare approach, and any
human planning ill intent would flee without knowing why.
Down work-muscled arms, across a well-made chest,
down a flat belly, tongue teasing a light dusting of hair, down
perfectly formed thighs, around the back to broad shoulders,
tapered waist, and the buttocks Martin had once praised in a
silly sonnet. No inch of Peter escaped the fluttering brush of
lips and soft words incanted in a language long ago lost to
the world of men.
Once satisfied he‟d performed the ritual properly, the
shadow began exploring. Peter‟s ball sac pulled tight to his
body in the chill of the early morn. The shadow flicked it
with his tongue, eliciting sweet moans.
He sucked the head of a full and leaking cock into his
mouth. How I’ve missed this! Three years‟ worth of
otherworldliness drifted away with the tendrils of fog that
ventured, curious, into the alley, banished by the shadow‟s
low growl . Mine! Peter‟s human eyes missed the trio of lesser
imps hiding within the mist.
The well-remembered taste of Peter‟s fluid hit the
specter‟s tongue, so much sweeter/saltier/satisfying with his
new senses, sorrow tugging at his heart to realize that
Peter‟d saved it for him. No other‟s scent marked the well-
remembered body or mind. He‟d kept himself in mourning all
those years.
A fiery tear sizzled down the shadow‟s cheek. In the
distance a bell tolled five, reminding him how little time

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika:

Zgłoś jeśli naruszono regulamin