The Stars Lie {Myrnin, Morganville Vampires}

Your Cruelty Astounds Me

Her laugh was pure and unaffected as she noticed the wistful look in my eyes, and teased, "Is someone still hungry?"

My eyes widened at her boldness. This was a whole new side to her. I couldn't determine if she completely trusted me not to bite her or wanted me to.

She laughed again at my inability to respond, and held out a book. "Look, I found something. There is reference to time and 'magic'. But from the description, it sounds like what we refer to as energy."

I crossed the room and settled on a low couch next to the table, accepting the text from her, and commented, "Indeed, many facets of their magic were precursors to scientific principles we hold true today. It's a shame so many of them burned at the hands of zealots, fearful of change."

I read through a few pages quickly and then remember the illustrations I had found earlier. I jumped up, and extracted them from a pile on the table, excited to share them with her. "Here! These drawings, they are alchemical symbols for many processes fundamental to portal theory and manipulation." I sorted the pages and continued, "These four are most promising."

Claire walked around the table to view them from my vantage point, wrapping her arms around me from behind as she peeked around my side to see the drawings.

Instinctually, I lifted my arm so that it did not impede her field of vision, letting it rest gently over her shoulder.

"Yes, I recognize these features here," she said, moving her hand to outline each one with her finger.

But I had stopped listening the moment she touched me.

I vaguely recalled her pointing to something on the table, but was much more interested in the way her other hand slid up my chest. I turned in her embrace to face her, coiling one arm around the small of her back, while sliding the other up to cradle her head in my hand, closing the distance between our lips.

Her lips were warm as they moved against mine. "Wait," she whispered. "We...Need to...Portals..."

I growled and deepened the kiss, effectively stopping the conversation.

Claire moaned softly, surrendering to me again.

I curled my fingers into the hair on the nape of her neck and gently pulled her head back, so that I had better access to trail kisses from her neck down to her chest.

"Myrnin," she said breathlessly.

I quite enjoyed when she did that.

"We...We need...To get back to work."

Hmmm...Clearly, I never should have left her mouth available to speak. I sighed and stopped moving, knowing she was right, but finding it almost impossible to let her go.

She felt my internal struggle, laughed softly and promised, "Tonight..."

I growled again as I softened my grip on her.

She took a tiny step back and murmured, "Teach me..."

Without letting her finish her sentence, I pulled her back to me tightly, and whispered suggestively, "Anything...What would you like to learn?"

She laughed, "Focus...Portals..."

I sighed heavily in resignation and let her go. "Okay, a time portal takes a tremendous amount of strength. You have to meld all of your senses and your thoughts together. And then force the energy to submit to your imagination. Let me show you."

As I mentally forced the portal open, the horrendous pain hit and I slumped forward to absorb the shock of it.

I felt Claire's hands on my face as she whispered urgently, "Stop."