Dreamer (10 page)

“You have the most beautiful skin, soft as rabbit's fur.”
The novice's voice came out in a husky purr, and desire filled her pale green
eyes.

The power that stroked against the novice moved through Shan
as well. She had a moment of panic when she felt the rebounding of that desire
and realized that the craving cut both ways. Instead of answering, she turned
her cheek into the woman's hand and gently bit the tip of her finger.

Low voices swelled around them, but Shan's world was reduced
to the woman giving her a heartbreakingly shy smile. Shan could feel an echo of
her desires, her hidden wants. Her passion was warm and gentle, full of soft
stroking hands and slow kisses. Images of them wrapped together on clean cotton
sheets filled her head, and she knew the novice's imagination was the source.

Dark spice flowed over her and brought her breath out in a
shudder of need. Big hands, warm even through her leather jacket, gripped her
arms and gently pulled her away. Without thought she pressed her nose to his
wrist and took a deep inhale. Fuck he smelled good.

Devon’s voice was surprisingly gentle as he said, “Time to
go, Shan.”

Even with Devon’s scent filling her, she could feel the
novice’s need like sunlight against her back. Turning in Devon’s arms, Shan
reached out to the novice. An older woman in an elaborate white robe, her
blonde hair done in careful curls, stepped in between Shan and the novice. She
looked vaguely familiar, and it was only when she spoke that Shan realized it
was Daisy's mother, Nina.

“Shan, Daisy is waiting for you.” Her tone was gentle, but
she kept herself firmly between Shan and the novice, who kept trying to move
past Nina. Big arms scooped Shan up, and Nina said, “Follow me, Captain.” Nina
didn't look back, but her voice held an angry edge. “I can't believe you didn't
shield her properly before she came in here.”

“How was I supposed to know she would react like this?” His
body moved against hers as he walked, and Shan delighted in his strength.
“Nothing like this has happened so far.”

Nina gave Shan a considering look. “Interesting. If being in
Aphrodite’s Temple is a catalyst for her powers that may mean she’s destined
for a love deity. Is she more appealing to you now than before?”

“She’s always been appealing, fascinating, driving me crazy”
Devon muttered.

Wow, when he wasn’t being a dick he could be rather nice.
She wanted to tell him the feeling was mutual, but that would require too much
effort. She felt really, really good and relaxed fully into his arms. The power
still racing through her body reached out to Devon and tasted him. She had no
idea what was happening, or how she was doing it, but somehow she was able to
touch his soul, his energy, and his masculine energy washed over her. Strong,
secure, dominant, Devon King was a strong man in control of his fate and she
found it very arousing.

Desire brought a rush of liquid heat to her pussy and moved
through her as she rocked in Devon's arms with his movements. Looking up at
him, she traced his lips with the tip of her finger. That warmth, that power,
stretched out of her body again, and she could almost see a glimmer of rose on
his lips following the trail of her finger. She didn’t fight it, instead
fascinated by this sudden extension of her senses.

He stumbled and looked down at her. So beautiful, he was a
work of masculine art. His fingers dug into her as he tore his eyes away.
“What's going on?” He hissed. The tension in his voice upset her, and she
sought to soothe him by rubbing her face against the solid wall of his chest.

“I don't know who she is intended for, but her aura's giving
off enough sensual energy to turn my temple into an orgy.” Nina stopped at an
unfamiliar room and knocked on the door. Giving Shan a worried look, she said,
“Erin is waiting for her inside. Hopefully she can contain Shan’s aura to this
room, otherwise we’ll have to send her out into the countryside until she can
control her emerging powers.”

Shan couldn’t have cared less what they were saying. She was
too busy running her hands over Devon's outstanding shoulders. Every muscle
stood out in sharp relief, and she could feel his heat beneath the thin fabric
of his shirt. Inhaling his spicy scent, she actually purred.

Nina ushered them inside. “I'll wait out here. I'm too
mortal for this type of power.”

Her words washed over Shan in a meaningless babble. Devon
occupied the center of her universe, and she made a low sound of hunger as she
discovered the bump of his nipple ring beneath his shirt. So unbelievably sexy,
she wanted to lick every inch of his body.

“Fuck.” Devon breathed out and leaned against the wall,
still holding her close as her lips worked that warm bit of metal.

“Oh my.” A woman chuckled. “What have you brought me?”

A gentle, cool mist settled over Shan, easing back the
desire that burned through her blood, allowing her to return to herself.
Removing her lips from the now wet cloth covering Devon's left nipple, she
said, “What is going on?”

Devon slowly slid her down his body, and she became aware of
how happy he was to see her. Even without the desire, her breath caught in her
throat at the size of his erection. He would be the darling of the porno world
if what she felt was true.

Stepping back quickly, she blushed as she realized the other
person in the room wasn't Daisy. The pale peach walls seemed to have been made
purely for the purpose of displaying the blonde woman's beauty. Built like
Marilyn Monroe, her pale flaxen hair hung in waves to her waist. She wore a
lilac pleated toga, and the shoulder clasp was a golden shell. Silvery blue
eyes regarded her with compassion and a hint of humor. Something about her
called to Shan, and the smell of peaches mixed in with Devon's spice.

“Can you help her, Erin?” he asked and moved in front of the
door.

He caught Shan staring at his crotch and snapped his fingers
in front of his dick. “You looking at me like that is not helping.”

Totally embarrassed, she hid her face behind her hands.
“Sorry about that.”

Erin's laughter tinkled like bells, and Shan felt even more
mortified, if that was even possible.

A soft touch pulled her hands down. “Don't apologize.” Erin
examined her closely until Shan squirmed. “You are lovely. Such beautiful
lips.” A gentle stroke of energy moved over her and brought her breath out in a
gasp. Without taking her eyes off Shan, Erin said, “Devon, wait outside
please.”

“No,” Devon growled out.

Erin looked away from her and gave Devon a sympathetic look.
“I understand your...dilemma. But I can't work with her while you're here.
You're too big of a distraction to her.”

Ducking her head, Shan looked at him out of the corner of
her eye. His handsome face was cold and shut down, but his eyes burned with intense
emotion. With an abrupt nod, he turned on his heel with his hands flexing into
fists.

The door snicked shut, and Shan was left alone in the small
room with Erin. Moving away from Erin's disturbing presence, she put the tan
loveseat between them and crossed her arms. “What's going on? Why am I acting
like a nympho?”

Erin reclined on the loveseat and looked up at Shan.
“Darling, the nature of your powers is gaining strength.”

“You mean my power is nymphomania?” Shan closed her eyes and
shook her head. “Fantastic. Well, at least I didn't end up with super asshole
powers like Devon.”

Erin's voice became chilled. “Don't judge Devon too harshly.
He would sacrifice everything to keep you safe.” A strange, shuddery feeling
moved over her as Erin's smile returned. “Ah, so that's why you're so
antagonistic toward him.”

Shan’s embarrassment flared, and she glared at Erin, taking
out her frustration on her. “I don't know what you're talking about. And who
are you? Where is Daisy?” Changing the subject seemed like the best idea.
Especially after she’d practically molested Devon.

“I am a Chosen of Aphrodite, and you will not be seeing
Daisy today.” Erin leaned closer and raised a hand to cut off Shan's protest.
“That is, unless you want to end up having sex with your best friend.”

Even in her aroused state, the thought of being intimate
with Daisy just seemed...wrong. “Uh, no. We're best friends, and I love her,
but like a sister.”

Erin watched her and tapped her lips with a red nail. A
gentle brush of energy hummed over Shan again, and she rubbed her arms as the
hair stood up. “Can you please cut that out? It feels weird.”

Biting her lips to hide a smile, Erin nodded. “I'm sorry. I
needed to make sure of your emotions.” She patted a spot on the couch next to
her and demurely arranged her robes. “Please, have a seat.”

Hands still locked around her elbows, Shan glowered at her.
“Why?”

“So distrustful.” Erin clucked her tongue. “I'm going to
show you how to shield yourself so you don't fall prey to your...what did you
call it? Nymphomania.” Erin's lips twitched, and laughter twinkled in her eyes.
“Aphrodite asked me to come see you.”

That statement broke through her confusion and anger. Never
a good idea to mess with the will of a goddess. She moved around the loveseat
to perch on the end. “Okay. So—um, what does Aphrodite want?”

“I'm here to teach you how to shield.”

Shan searched her memory, trying to figure out what she
meant.

Erin's beautiful face grew solemn. “Your passion is going to
be much closer to the surface, and you'll be much more responsive to the
desires of those around you. Without proper shielding, you won't be able to
resist anyone's needs. You would find yourself having an episode like you did
with the novice, but in the middle of the mall.”

Shan blinked at her and tried to gather her wits. “Wait, you
mean I’m going to start molesting random people.”

“Not if you shield yourself.”

“Okay, umm how?”

“Shielding is learning how to protect your energy, your
aura, from outside influences, and keep it from influencing others.”

“Is that what happened out there? My energy went wild?”

“Sort of.” Erin pursed her lips. “It's more like you're an
open door right now, and anything can get in and out. In this case, your innate
sensual energy responded to the power of my goddess.”

“Oh.” Being called sensual by a woman who was the walking
embodiment of the term made her feel insecure. “I'm not really all that
sensual. Are you sure that’s what’s going on?”

The scent of peaches, ripe and delicious, washed over her
tongue. Erin reached over and traced one fingernail down Shan’s arm. The light,
delicate touch spun along her skin like a hundred kisses and Shan sighed. Heat
flooded her body, passionate and hunger-filled, and made her wet with desire.
Part of her mind struggled against this overwhelming desire, but she didn’t
stand a chance of resisting the will of a goddess. Need filled her and her
nipples ached, drawing into rock hard buds. Her heart started to slam against
her ribs, and need made her lean into Erin's touch with a gasp.

Erin's voice stroked over her like her touch. “This is what
it feels like when my shields are lowered.” Shan stared at her, memorized by
the luminous hints of silver in the other woman’s blue eyes. So beautiful, so
full of life and love. Touching her would be bliss. Shan’s hand rose of its own
accord and moved to stroke against Erin's lips.

As Erin's shielding slid back into place, Shan regained
control of herself and blushed to the roots of her hair. “I'm so sorry, Erin. I
didn’t mean to…you know.”

“Darling, that is what it feels like to be around you right
now. Though your energy tastes like honey instead of peaches. Can you
understand now why you need to shield?”

No wonder Devon had reacted like he did. It wasn't because
he was really attracted to her. More like her energy was forcing him to be
aroused. That thought brought an unexpected flicker of hurt to her heart.
“Crap. I feel so bad about that poor novice. She isn't going to get fired or
anything, is she? I mean if my aura is molesting her she shouldn't be the one
who gets—”

“She will be fine.” Erin's grin was definitely amused now.
“I wasn't able to leave the temple for three days after I was Chosen. I wanted
to share Aphrodite's gift with every beautiful woman who walked by.” Erin
rubbed her lips as a blush burned her cheeks. “This happened in my hometown of
Flint, Michigan. We didn't have any Chosen in the area, so the High Priestess
was totally unprepared for what happened when Aphrodite blessed me with her
gift. Before they were able to find someone to help me shield, I was having a
fun time with six other priestesses.”

Shan's jaw dropped, and she tried to cover her shock with a
bland expression.

“Which brings us back to you. I'm sure you would like to be
able to leave the room without jumping on some random cute guy?”

“That might be helpful.”

“I thought as much. I need you to enter a tranquil state,
like you feel right before you go to sleep.” A little rill of energy moved over
her, but it was no more intrusive than the breeze. “Look at your hand and let
yourself go soft.”

The sound of Erin's voice made her body even more sensitive.
She could feel the air moving over her and the difference between a breeze from
under the door and the slightly cooler and purified air of the vent. Her
eyelashes tickled on her cheeks, and she felt the blood moving beneath her
skin.

“Envision your aura, a lovely soft rose pink, hovering over
your skin.”

She looked at her hand, noticing the small chips in her
fingernail polish, the lines on her knuckles. Scars crisscrossed her hands in
thin lines from where she’d accidentally cut and burned herself while learning
how to smith. Being an artist meant seeing what others couldn't. Learning to
envision what wasn't there—yet. Another soft stroke of energy, barely moving
against her mind but making her vision somehow deepen, intensify.

A glow began to form around her hand, as pink as the dawn.
Before her astonished eyes, the glow grew more solid until it looked like her
arm and hand were enveloped in a pink mist. She gently moved her hand, and the
mist traveled with it, leaving a faint trail that curled in a manner that no
true mist could duplicate. Oddly enough the vapor didn’t feel like anything,
yet there was a weight to wherever it was, like the air was heavier.

“Now, slowly look at me, keeping yourself relaxed. You're
doing great.”

Shan's breath left her body in a wordless gasp. Erin was
covered in a cream mist the color of a satin bridal gown that moved and flexed
around her. Shan watched the swirls form patterns within patterns, each as
delicate as lace. It was so beautiful. As she looked closer, she began to see
little shimmers of golden lightning fork through Erin's aura with slow
brilliance. “Does everyone look like this? How do you function around so much...exquisiteness?”

“It usually isn't this easy for someone to see auras. You’re
very gifted.” Erin's aura drew in on itself, sinking into her skin like smoke
from a fire in reverse. “I just shielded myself. Do you smell peaches anymore?”

Taking a deep breath, Shan shook her head. The mist around
her hand dispersed as well. “Hey, I can't see my aura anymore!”

“You lost your concentration. Don't worry. Devon will help
you practice.”

The mention of Devon brought back a warm burn through her
body at the memory of his stiff nipple beneath her lips. And the size of his
cock. Clearing her throat, she pretended not to see Erin's smirk.

“Let's get you shielded. Visualize your energy, please.”

Finding the way to see her aura was even easier this time.
Warmth bathed her body as her energy floated above her in a pink mist. It ran
along her skin, silken as warm water. She watched in fascination as it floated
over to Erin's cream-colored aura, softly folding around it like a blanket.
Amazingly, she could feel Erin's skin, taste the faint hint of peaches. It was
like she was barely grazed Erin with the tips of her fingers, getting faint
impressions of what she touched.

“Shan,” Erin said in a strained voice.

“Sorry!” The embarrassment of her wandering aura gave her
the concentration to pull it back. It washed over her skin again, and her body
tingled.

“Now, pull that energy into your soul and think of it as
being ice over fire. A cold shield, but warm beneath. It's hard, unbreakable,
and sinking into your skin.”

She had no idea how long they had been sitting there before
the soft pink warmth of her aura began to gel and then turn solid. The strength
of her imagination helped her visualize what she wanted her aura to do, and
just like her mind controlling her hands or feet, her aura obeyed. It was
fascinating, a clear hard layer with the rose pink swirling beneath. The colors
concentrated then faded into her skin. She felt better, less sensitive, and not
as aware of Erin.

“Feeling more in control?” Erin stood from the edge of the
loveseat and smoothed her dress. The shimmer of the fabric momentarily
distracted Shan.

“Much.” She stretched and held her hand up to her face.
“It's so amazing.”

“When you want the sensations to return, visualize melting
that ice.” Erin hesitated, biting her lower lip. “Sometimes you will have no
choice, and that ice will be melted for you. If the other person's desire is
strong enough, or your god wishes it, you may find yourself in...situations you
might not normally consider.”

She paused as she stood and tugged at her jacket. “What do
you mean,
situations
?”

Erin shook her head and moved to the door. “We'll worry
about that after you've been Chosen. Until we know who your god or goddess is,
I don't want to give you information that might not apply to you. Besides,
Devon won't let anything happen to you.”

“Do I get to see Daisy now?” With her world turned upside
down, she needed the security and comfort of her best friend. “I don't think
I'll jump her bones.”

“I'll send her in, along with Devon.”

“But—”

Erin turned, her beautiful face severe. “I don't think you
understand how much danger you're in. My future sister-in-law recently survived
a kidnapping, attempted rape and murder—all done to prevent her from becoming a
Chosen.”

Shan fiddled with the steel rose zipper of her jacket.
“But—”

“Devon isn't here only to protect you. He is here to protect
those around you as well. You are a walking target, and Destruction won't
hesitate to hurt those around you to get to you.” Erin closed her eyes and took
a deep breath. “Let him protect you. Let him fight for you. He can't help the
need to defend any more than you can help the need to submit.”

“Fine,” Shan grumbled and tossed her hair back. “Can I see
Daisy now?”

She hated how petulant that sounded, but she was tired and
hungry and wanted to go home. Erin opened the door and went out without another
word, closing it after herself. A few moments later, Daisy came in dressed in
her temple gown, with Devon at her heels.

“Shan!” Daisy cried out in a rough rasp and grabbed her in a
hug. They clung to each other, and Shan had to choke back tears. Devon watched
them impassively, took out an iPod from his pocket, and put the earbuds in. He
was handsome and cold as ever, and she felt a shivering energy around her
shield and concentrated on strengthening it.

Looking up at Daisy, she smoothed back a stray dreadlock.
“You look like crap.” Dark purple circles cast shadows under her blue eyes, and
Shan noticed several deep scratch marks on her cheek and neck. “What happened?”

Daisy traced the marks, and Shan noticed her nails were
bitten down to nubs. “I scratched myself in a dream.” Daisy laid her head onto
Shan’s. Usually Shan hated the reminder of how short she was, but Daisy's
shiver stilled her tongue. “I've been having some really bad dreams.”

Glancing over at Devon, who leaned against the wall with his
eyes closed, Shan led Daisy over to the loveseat. “What kind of dreams?”

“They are all so weird and foul. I've never had anything
like them before.” Daisy gave a dry chuckle and gripped her hand. “If this is
anything like the nightmares you've always had, I can't believe you’re sane.”

Shan squeezed her hand back. “Did you scratch yourself in
your sleep? My parents used to put socks on my hands so I wouldn't hurt
myself.” She glanced over at Devon and hoped he couldn't hear them. The last
thing she needed was for him to know what kind of freak she was.

Daisy said in a whisper, “Some of the dreams are fantastic,
amazing even.”

A rush of what Shan now identified as desire brushed over
her aura, and she gently removed her hand from Daisy's. “Like sexy-time
dreams?”

This remark made Daisy smile. “Yeah, big time sexy dreams.
They feel so real and… Well, let's say I wake up very happy from them.”

Clearing her throat, Shan said, “Oh.” She waited for Daisy
to continue about the nightmares, but she was avoiding her gaze now. “Daisy,
what about the bad dreams?”

“There were bugs coming out of my skin, eating me from the
inside out.” Now Daisy did meet her gaze, and she looked terrified. “I could
feel them tearing at the muscle fiber, slicing through my veins. I tried to dig
them out, anything to get rid of the terrible feeling.”