(Blue Fire 05) Heartless [A] Page 8

  “Dig in,” Judy said.

  Everyone grabbed a slice and began to eat. Max stayed in the corner of the room, happily gnawing on a big steak bone Janet had picked up at the butcher shop on the way here.

  Leesa bit carefully into the end of her slice, not wanting to burn the roof of her mouth. As she expected, the pizza was delicious.

  Conversation and laughter flowed freely as they ate. Leesa and Bradley talked about school and classes, while Judy told everyone the latest about her job. As always, Uncle Roger had some funny stories from his bakery.

  All the talk did not get in the way of anyone’s eating, though. Two big pieces were enough for Leesa—as good as the pizza was, she was determined to leave plenty of room for dessert. She noticed that her mom and her aunt were also content with two slices, while Bradley and Uncle Roger each put away three. She loved seeing Bradley’s appetite—he was still a bit too thin as far as she was concerned.

  “That hit the spot,” Uncle Roger said, rubbing his rotund stomach. “I hope you all left room for some real pie, though.”

  “You bet, Uncle Roger,” Leesa said.

  As good as the pizza was, the fresh baked apple pie was even tastier.

  “There’s an extra pie in the kitchen,” Uncle Roger told Leesa, “for you to take back to the dorm. I’m sure your friends will appreciate it, especially during midterms.”

  Leesa grinned. “I’m going to be very popular, for sure.”

  “I’m certain everybody has been working hard,” Uncle Roger said. “They deserve a treat.”

  Finally, dessert was done, leaving everyone very full and very content.

  “Leesa, why don’t you and Bradley take Max out for a little after dinner walk while we old folks clean up in here,” Aunt Janet suggested.

  “We’d love to,” Leesa replied, since walking Max had been part of her plan all along.

  She got up and slipped her sweatshirt over her head, then grabbed Max’s leash from where it hung on the doorknob. Max was already waiting in front of the door, so she fastened the leash to his collar and pulled the door open.

  “We won’t be gone long,” she said as she and Bradley stepped out into the cold night air.

  A band of clouds hid the moon, but plenty of stars sparkled in the uncovered section of the sky. Max strained playfully at his leash as Leesa and Bradley walked on the grass along the apartment complex driveway, following it until it curved out of sight from their mom’s apartment.

  As soon as they were no longer visible from the apartment, Leesa pulled Max to a halt and knelt down beside him. Bradley watched with interest, still skeptical about what Leesa was going to do.

  Max seemed to know what was expected of him, so he sat quietly on his haunches while Leesa wrapped her arms around his neck and spoke softly into his ear. She kept her message simple.

  “I miss you, Rave. And I love you bunches.”

  Max remained perfectly still for fifteen or twenty seconds, then barked four times in quick succession and gave Leesa a big, wet, sloppy lick across her cheek.

  Bradley grinned. “I don’t believe it,” he said, shaking his head in amazement. “Woof, woof, woof, woof—that had to be ‘I love you, too.’ And that kiss must have come from Rave as well.”

  Leesa stood up, a big smile on her face. She couldn’t be sure what Max’s bark and lick really meant, but she certainly liked Bradley’s interpretation.

  “See, I told you,” she said. “It’s not quite as good as Rave having a cell phone, but it’s definitely better than nothing.”

  13. AZURE

  The last thing Leesa thought about before she fell asleep that night was the sound of Max’s four short barks and the feel of his wet tongue across her cheek. She was certain that woof, woof, woof, woof just had to mean “I love you, too,” and the lick could have been nothing else but a kiss from Rave. After all, Max’s tongue had felt unusually warm, hadn’t it? And Bradley had been the first to voice that interpretation, so that gave it extra credibility.

  She drifted off to sleep with a peaceful smile on her face.

  Rave carried her in his arms, holding her tightly against his chest as he ran through the woods, moving faster than any forest animal could dream of running. The scent of the green growing things filled her lungs, awakening her senses. Rave’s chest felt even warmer than usual and she turned her face into it, feeling the hard beat of his heart against her lips.

  His every movement echoed through her body; each footfall filling her mind with dreamlike colors. Looking up at his handsome face, her body warmed still further as he smiled down at her.

  At the edge of a clearing, he stopped and lowered her gently to the ground. Surrounding them were Technicolor green trees, their leaves brighter than any she had ever seen. Song birds flitted from branch to branch, whistling their melodic calls to one another when they alighted. Her breath caught at the sight of a doe with her fawn, standing comfortable and unafraid, grazing on the bark of young saplings near the edge of the woods.

  “What is this place?” she whispered, as if to speak too loudly might disturb the beauty of the place.

  “It is Azure,” Rave replied softly.

  “Azure?” Her gaze shifted to the left. Caught in a misty haze, she could just make out the shape of something hanging from the branches of the giant trees. “What do you mean, Azure?”

  Rave shrugged. “Azure is simply Azure. It is a special place—an alternate magical dimension, a kind of heaven on earth, or so our legends say.”

  Leesa took a step toward the white mist, but Rave gently grabbed her hand, keeping her beside him a moment longer before letting go. She glanced up into his face, wondering why he had stopped her. He smiled and nodded to her, signaling it was all right for her to go now. She had no idea what the pause had been for.

  She moved slowly toward the mist. The temperature seemed to rise a degree or two as she drew nearer to the object hanging from the trees. A strong breeze suddenly enveloped her. Halting, she turned back to Rave. His smile was wider than ever, so she knew that nothing was wrong.

  “Look at your clothes,” he called softly.

  She looked down and saw that her jeans and T-shirt were gone, replaced by a gossamer gown of the most gentle shade of silver. Above her waist, the dress hugged her body, softly accenting her slender curves, and then fell away from her hips in loose folds to just below her knees. Carefully, she ran her hand across her stomach. The material glowed brightly when she touched it, leaving a shining trail behind her hand that faded after a few seconds.

  “Rave!” she whispered in wonderment. “What is this?”

  “It is a dress fashioned of magical silk created by Tylwyths. The light that shines from it is your light, Leesa, the pure light of your soul. You look incredibly beautiful.”

  Leesa glanced down at the lovely dress again. She wished she had a mirror so she could really see how she looked in this wondrous garment. No sooner had she thought about the mirror than she noticed a small pond just a few feet away to her right. Her eyes narrowed in thought—she was almost certain there had been nothing but grassy ground beside her a moment ago.

  Two steps brought her to the edge of the pond, whose waters were still and clear. Looking up at her from the glassy surface was a beautiful young blond woman in a shining silver dress. It took her a moment to realize she was looking at her own reflection. For the first time in her life, she truly felt beautiful. All her doubts and insecurities about herself had suddenly vanished. Azure really was a magical place.

  She studied her reflection for a few moments, loving the way she looked, before turning back toward the strange mist, which seemed to have thinned slightly now. Wondering what magic the fog might be hiding, she walked toward it and discovered the most surprising thing yet in a place full of surprises. Thick vines stretched down from the towering trees in four long ropes. At the end of the vines hung a huge bed!

  One end of the bed was filled by a pile of fluffy white lace pillows; the rest of i
t was covered by a thick cotton coverlet. Real yellow rosebuds seemed to have somehow been woven into the fabric. Even from here, she could smell their sweet, fragrant scent.

  She turned back to Rave. “It’s a bed! Hanging from the trees! I don’t believe it.”

  Rave grinned. “That is not just any bed, my love. It’s a bed of the Tylwyth Teg—an invitation to take part in a piece of Azure.” He walked toward her. “The bed itself is a minor otherworld dimension within Azure. It softens all other magic—including volkaane fire.”

  As they approached the bed, it slowly lowered to the ground. Rave circled his arms around Leesa’s waist from behind. She leaned into him and he softly kissed the back of her neck.

  “Sit down,” he said.

  Leesa turned and carefully lowered her backside onto the edge of the bed. Rave sat down next her. Suddenly, the bed began to slowly rise off the ground, startling Leesa. She reached for Rave and the movement caused them to fall back onto the bed. They laughed and wrapped their arms around each other.

  “I love you,” Leesa whispered into Rave’s ear.

  “I love you, too,” he replied, and then trailed warm, wet kisses across her cheek until his lips met hers.

  Leesa sighed at the familiar taste and warmth of him. She wanted nothing more than to kiss him deeply, but caution and force of habit made her pull away.

  Rave tenderly cradled her chin in his strong fingers. “My fire will not hurt you here,” he assured her.

  Leesa reached out and ran a trembling finger along his bottom lip. As she gazed lovingly into his beautiful chocolate brown eyes, she knew he was speaking the truth. She pressed her lips against his once again, more firmly this time. Her kiss was both delicate and intense, her body yearning to fold itself against his.

  As if responding to her unspoken thought, the magical bed tilted slightly and she found herself in Rave’s arms. He returned her kiss, opening his mouth and tracing the inside of her upper lip with his tongue.

  Leesa’s fingers curled into Rave’s thick, dark copper hair as their kiss deepened, her body pressing hungrily into his. As always, his amazing magical heat flowed into her, but she knew that somehow, in this place, his fire would not harm her.

  With no need to pull back, their tongues explored each other slowly, in no hurry, yet filled with love and passion. This was what Leesa had been waiting for, and it was even better than she had imagined it would be.

  Finally, their lips parted, and a soft, satisfied sigh escaped into the magic of Azure.

  Leesa had never felt so loved, so cherished, so fulfilled. And yet a part of her wanted still more.

  “Rave…” she whispered into his neck as she held him close.

  “Shhhh, I know,” he said, pressing his finger across her lips.

  Leesa rolled away from him and sat up. Rave did likewise, gazing into her eyes as they sat side by side. She saw his dark brown eyes burning deeply and her excitement grew. Lifting his hand, he slid his finger softly down her face, along her neck and to a spot just above the swell of her breasts, where he halted.

  “Don’t stop,” she whispered.

  Rave kissed her as his hands began gently undoing the silver buttons of her gown. As the dress slipped off her shoulders, she felt herself blushing and suddenly found it difficult to meet Rave’s eyes. She folded her arms across her chest, trying to hide her nakedness.

  Delicately, Rave touched his fingers to her chin and lifted her eyes to his.

  “You are so beautiful, Leesa.”

  Reassured by the love she saw in his face, Leesa unfolded her arms from around her body, her breath quickening at the instant warmth that shone from his eyes. Pulling her back into his arms, Rave kissed her gently, his lips barely touching hers.

  He slid his lips down her chin and along her neck to the cleft between her breasts, retracing the route his fingers had followed just a few moments before. This time, though, he did not stop.

  Warm rivers of pleasure flowed through Leesa’s body as Rave licked and kissed her. Never in her life had she felt anything close to this. Her hands found the back of his head and pressed him tighter against her. The wondrous feelings intensified. She wasn’t sure how much more of this she could stand. She only knew that she wanted more.

  Reaching for the bottom of his shirt, she pulled it up over his head.

  His body reminded her of the ancient statues of Greek gods, perfectly proportioned and lined with taut muscle. She ran her hands over his chest and down across his rippled stomach, thrilling to the feel of him. Her body began to tremble in desire and delight.

  “Don’t be afraid,” Rave whispered. “We can stop now if you want.”

  Leesa realized he thought she was trembling out of fear, rather than from nervous anticipation.

  “No, I want you…want this…more than I have ever wanted anything. We’ve waited so very long.”

  To prove that she meant it, Leesa wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body tightly against his. Something that felt like lightning bolts of energy shot through her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She didn’t know if it was his magic heat or merely her reaction to the feel of her bare skin against his. She guessed it was probably some of both.

  Rave placed one arm around her shoulders and gently lowered her to the bed. Several moments of silence passed as they explored each other’s bodies. Leesa’s excitement grew until she thought she might explode. Rave looked into her eyes.

  “Are you ready?” he asked. “Are you sure?”

  Leesa smiled. “Yes, I’m sure. And yes, I’m ready. So very ready.”

  A gentle rain began to fall around them, but Leesa barely noticed. A tiny part of her brain recognized that it was raining everywhere except on the bed. Soon even that piece of her awareness was gone, lost in an indescribable kaleidoscope of feelings and sensations flooding her body and mind.

  Leesa opened her eyes, expecting to see Rave lying beside her, but she was alone in her bed. Disappointment surged through her as she realized it had all been just a dream and that Rave was still somewhere far away. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold onto the wondrous feeling of rapture engendered by her dream for a few moments longer, but it was gone, replaced by a sweet, wistful longing. She tried hard to recapture the feelings, but they eluded her. The dream had seemed so real, the images and feelings so clear and sharp that she wondered if it might have been one of her magic dreams. She hoped so, because those visions had a way of coming true, and she wanted this one to come to pass with all her heart.

  Sighing, she pushed the covers aside and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Sweet dream or no dream, it was time to start her day. She had enjoyed her night with her family and the amazing dream about her and Rave, but she had two midterms tomorrow. The fun was over. Today was going to be a day of studying, and probably most of the night as well. She wondered if she would get enough sleep tonight even to try for a repeat of her dream.

  As she got up off her bed and headed for the sink to wash the sleep from her face, she was struck by a sudden, troubling thought. If the dream had been a magic one, would the xenorian woman be able to sense the magic? The dream had arisen on its own accord, but Leesa did not know if that mattered. She hoped that such things were beyond the woman’s ability to detect, but if they weren’t, then sleeping here in the dorm was dangerous. She certainly was not going to try to summon any dream—that would be using active magic for sure.

  Even staying here now to study might be risky, she realized, if the BSI agents were anywhere nearby.

  She reached for her cell. Maybe Dominic would know the answer.

  14. RELIEF

  A little more than an hour later, Leesa and Cali sat across from each other at their favorite table up in the fourth floor stacks, their books and notebooks spread out in disarray in front of them. For once, they were actually here to study, not to practice magic. Leesa was also here to meet with Dominic so she could tell him about her dream and find out if she migh
t be in any danger because of it. Still paranoid about the BSI agents’ ability to listen in on her calls, she had simply told Dominic that she needed to talk to him, and that she would be in the last place they had seen each other. She said she would be there all day, so he should come whenever he could. The library made a perfect rendezvous point—it was a good place to study as well as the safest place she could think of to meet.

  For the first time since they had been coming here, Leesa and Cali did not have the fourth floor completely to themselves. Several other students had chosen the stacks as the ideal spot to cram for their exams; it was totally quiet up here and offered no distractions—unless, of course, you were distracted by the proximity of thousands of dusty old books. The other kids had squirreled themselves away at desks in isolated cubbyholes along the outer edges of the cavernous room. None were close enough for Leesa and Cali to see, and the only evidence of their presence was the occasional slap of a book closing or the screech of a chair sliding across the floor. Leesa expected she would have plenty of privacy to discuss her concerns with Dominic.

  She and Cali had not been there long when Dominic materialized from behind the bookshelves and sat down at the table beside Leesa. Both girls were slightly startled by his arrival—they had not heard his approach. Such was the way with wizards.

  As usual, Dominic’s dark shirt and khaki pants looked like they were fresh from his closet. Leesa smiled inwardly at the thought—with Dominic’s penchant for staying on the move, she didn’t know if he even had a room, let alone a closet.

  Dominic nodded toward the books and papers strewn atop the table.

  “It looks like you two have a quite a bit of work ahead of you.” He picked up one of Leesa’s notebooks thumbed absently through the pages. “Or is all of this just camouflage for our meeting?”

  Leesa stuck a sheet of paper into her textbook to mark her place and closed the book.

  “I wish. We both have two midterms tomorrow. We’ll be hitting the books until pretty late tonight, I think.”