The Second Covenant

I was happy, my demons not completely gone, but I felt so free as I rode Necromancer through the woods that surround my home. Tristan, Riley and Peyton were with me, today was the last day they had before their school break was over. The day was beautiful, the air crisp and cold, just the way I liked it. Necromancer suddenly stopped, feet braced, his ears flicking back and forth nervously. I stroked his shoulder soothingly. “What is it boy?” I looked around, listening hard…something was here. Necromancer pranced again and I got down to soothe him, tied him to a nearby limb and moved deeper into the trees.
Which was a bad idea.
I felt a rush of power slide up from under the ground, piercing through my boots and up into me. A rush of air washed up, out of me and raced away, leaving behind a sickly trail to follow.

I gulped back a whimper and stood stock still “Cherish?” I heard them coming to me, but I put up my hand and they stopped. “What Cherish?” Peyton’s voice was now low, deadly serious. I was shaking, the breath in front of me coming in puffs. “I stepped on a grave. Someone’s home.”

It wasn’t full dark yet, at least three more hours before the sun would set, but all around me, spirits were rising. “You don’t feel it?” I whispered, letting my hood fall back with the next gust of wind. “No baby, where is it?” My heart started to race, I wasn’t afraid, but my body was reacting strangely to whatever was happening. I couldn’t see the dead, but I could feel them sometimes. It was like the touch of a darkling, but colder, how could they not feel it?

I was starting to pant as the power inside me rose up uncalled. “Peyton?” I whimpered now, now I was starting to get afraid. As soon as he touched me, the power raced along him too, but it warmed, his hands tightened on my arms before sliding around my waist, pulling me back into his arms. “I’ve got you.” There was heat now instead of cold, warmth seeping back into my numbing body. I was like being wrapped in an electric blanket, cuddling under the covers while the snow and sleet cam down outside. Comforting, safe. “You guys have to feel this.” Peyton said, his voice rough, almost like he was being pleasured by the heat. Riley touched my hand, Tristan took the other and both men gasped as the heat raced to them too. “Holy shit.”

With all four of us touching, linked, the air around us sizzled and sparked. “What are you doing?” Tristan asked me, and I blinked at him, at his solid black eyes. “Nothing.” I whispered back, feeling the chill intensify outside our little huddle. Necromancer pranced and tossed his black head high.

I called up my power in earnest and sent a wave of soothing calm to the stallion, he quieted instantly, but under us, the ground rolled and then, out of the trees came the baleful howl of a wolf, the freezing wind retreated, and the feeling of malice was gone.
“We need to go. Now.” Peyton said tightly and whistled shrilly. I heard the drum of hoof beats and realized that the guys had walked, leaving their horses a fair enough distance away.

We rode home like the hounds of hell were on our heels. The power that had arched between us was amazing, it had felt so good, so right to be the apex of that circle, the conduit that connected all of us. We told our parents what had happened, even tried to replicate the moment by touching me, but only a low humm buzzed between us. I was told to stay home and be safe while every one else went to the Homestead to look through the books to see if there was any information about linking powers. But Peyton stayed behind, gave me a grin and shrugged. “If I don’t stay, you’ll probably go running off just to be defiant.” I glared at him, but inwardly appreciated that he knew me so well.

I stomped to the kitchen for a soda and waited for him to follow, he always hovered more than the other guys, always made sure I was safe. It was nice and it was annoying. But it seemed that now he knew my terrible secret he was sticking to me like glue. I wasn’t sure I wanted that. We stared at each other for a minute or two and I was disappointed when I broke the tension. “What’s up Peyton, why are you looking at me like that?” He was staring at me, his eyes wandering all over my face, like he was trying to memorize it.

It wasn’t an uncomfortable look, but it was something I wasn’t used to seeing from him and I was on edge. “Like what?” He asked softly and I waved my hand at him. “I don’t know, what’s wrong with you?” his lip curled in a half sneer, I hated that look, it usually meant he was about to be mean. “What’s wrong with you?” He snapped back. I set my soda down and lifted my brow at him. “I think I’m allergic to testosterone.”

I sailed past him, intended to leave and go somewhere else, but his hand whipped out and heat flared between us, our powers rubbing together like live wires. I gasped and let his strength pull me back but I wasn’t expecting what happened next. He had my arm in one hand and reached up to frame my jaw with the other, lifting me right into his lips. I was so shocked that for a second I didn’t respond, but his kiss was so gentle, so damn soft and teasing that I moved closer, resting my hand on his arm to kiss him back.

Apparently it’s what he’d been waiting for, permission or something because he made a low murmur and slipped his hand back into my hair. There was still a rational part of my brain that compared the way his kiss made me feel, to the way Druex’s kisses made me feel.

With Peyton’s mouth feeding at mine, I felt…in awe of his seductive powers. It wasn’t that explosion of heat that happened when I kissed Druex, it was more like a sun rising inside me, slowly warming me from the toes up. I felt safe, relaxed, loved when he wrapped his arms around me and held me close. Not like the reaction I had with Druex at all. With him, it was like my skin would vibrate right off my body. With Peyton it was gentle, a hesitant first kiss, like he was afraid I’d pull back and punch him or something.

With Druex’s mouth against mine, there was both gentleness and a ruthless claiming of heat and just then, with Peyton so close, so gently kissing me like he thought I was going to break in his arms, I couldn’t have chosen which kiss I preferred more.

When he finally lifted his mouth from mine, my lips felt swollen, pleasantly tingly and I looked up at him with I’m sure, a shocked expression. He looked steadily down at me, no hint of emotion on his face or in his eyes to tell me what he was thinking. “Should I apologize?” he asked in a husky voice and I blinked at him a few times. “Do you want to?”
“No. But you’re thinking, what are you thinking?”

I heard the wariness in his tone and swallowed thickly. I was really hard to hide anything from him, it always had been. “I just kissed a man who up until now I regarded as a brother, and realized that you aren’t my brother and I don’t know if I want to think of you that way. You surprised me.”
He licked his lips, like he was savoring the kiss and looked at my mouth. “Good surprise or bad?” I lifted my fingers to my mouth and thought really hard. “I don’t know Peyton. Both I guess. I didn’t know you…”
I was nervous, wondering what I could say that wouldn’t damage this, not sure if I wanted to explore where this might go between my childhood love, or pursue what was unfolding with Druex. I looked up into Peyton’s seal soft eyes and saw a hardness there that made me wary. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings with my question, so I slid my hand over his cheek. “Why did you kiss me Peyton?” I murmured.

He was quiet for a moment, looking back and forth between my eyes. “You’ve got a thing for that other guy.” I dropped my hand from his face and frowned. “I don’t know.” But the protest felt weak. Peyton shook his head slowly and stepped away from me. “You do.” He all but spat the words and I felt tears burn my eyes, but I didn’t know why. “You don’t even know him and I saw the way your face lit up when you saw him at the Ball.”

He’d been watching me, instead of paying attention to his date? “What do you want me to say Peyton? You’re acting like I’ve cheated on you. How could I have known you…” I waved my hand at him and swallowed tightly. “You trust me, you know me.” He said thickly, his eyes swimming with emotions I didn’t understand. “But you don’t love me do you.” Tears spilled down my cheeks and I covered the distance between us, throwing my arms around him. “Of course I love you.” My voice trembled and he put his arms around me, cradled the back of my head in his hand. I felt him sigh against my throat. “Do you love me or are you IN love with me?”

I was panicking inside. He was pushing me for an answer, one I didn’t know the answer to. “That’s not fair Peyton. You’ve not given me any indications to love you as something other than a friend.” he nodded and pressed a kiss to my throat, pulling back to look down at me. His brown eyes flickering with fire as he stared at me. “You’re right. But remember this when you’re out with Druex.” he kissed me hard, almost punishing and I took it, let his cradle my face, gave a little whimper when he stroked his tongue along mine.

Tingles started in my toes, my belly coiled tightly and I shivered in his hold, gripping his hips for all I was worth. “I fell in love with you first.” he growled and stalked away, leaving me in the kitchen, slumped against the counter, dazed and confused. What could I possibly say to him right now? Sorry but I don’t think I’m ready to put you in the boyfriend box? I heard the family returning and escaped out the back door, grabbing my red cloak on the way out.