Chapter 44 –Claire's POV– Pink Ponies
Claire was stunned as she knelt next to her best friend and whispered assurances and comfort to her. Who would do this? She tried to make sense of it in her mind and couldn't.
She listened as Myrnin spoke to Amelie behind her, "Did you get a sufficient look at their faces?"
Amelie murmured, "Yes", before lapsing into to silent contemplation again.
Claire didn't understand. How could Amelie have seen them? Claire stood and gently stretched her stiff leg muscles after sitting for so long on the floor. She positioned herself in a chair next to Myrnin at the table. He took her hand and answered the unspoken question in her eyes as he explained quietly, "She accessed the transfer between Michael and me."
Claire was trying to keep her surprise under control. She had known Myrnin could read her emotions and he had power to compel. Her Myrnin had even spoken directly into her mind when they were lost in 1409. However, she had no idea his skills were at a level where he could freely trespass into someone's brain and 'see' images that even the person wasn't aware of. And if that were not enough, he could then 'float' those same images to others in the room.
Claire remembered that fateful day in 2015 – when her entire world was irrevocably changed. She sighed. It felt like an eternity ago, but she still recalled every detail with crystal clear clarity – the day he told her that he had lost yesterday. She remembered walking to the lab and considering his talents of mind control. She had suspected then that his true skill went beyond her understanding, but she never imagined this. Why hadn't he told her? Now, she would never know the answer....because he was gone to her forever. A wave of sorrow flowed through her.
Myrnin looked intently at her but she avoided his gaze. She knew he was feeling her emotions, and was most likely alarmed by the sudden spike of sadness in her.
Amelie spoke, "We will search for the men and the building. Can you determine how they breached the border security unnoticed?"
Myrnin nodded, "I will find the answer."
"Do you have any initial theories?"
"...there haven't been any obvious signs. There was an anomaly with gravity...but the equipment did not reveal anything out of the ordinary. It will take more research...but I will find the answer," Myrnin's tone was hard with determination.
"I have no doubts, old friend," Amelie spoke so quietly that Claire wasn't even sure if she spoke at all.
"What about Eve?" Michael asked; his voice threadbare with anxiety.
"Of course, she will have added protection. You both will." Amelie looked down at Eve, "You will have a driver and you are not to go anywhere unattended."
"What about work?" Eve whispered.
"Common Grounds will have added security under Oliver's direction."
Oliver's eyes flashed red as he spoke, "They will not be able to get anywhere near you again."
Amelie stood; a clear dismissal that the meeting was over.
Claire hugged Eve and Michael, before following Myrnin out to the car. She sat in contemplative silence on the ride home. Myrnin didn't interrupt her reverie until they walked through the door of the lab. He gently picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, setting her on her feet as he gently undid the buttons on her shirt.
Claire watched his eyes. There was no sexual intent, just loving concern and care. He knew what her mind and her body needed right then – rest. He finished undressing her and tucked her under the soft sheet, before pulling a light blanket over her. Claire could barely keep her eyes open; she was spent both physically and emotionally.
"Rest now, love. We have much to discuss when you wake up," he murmured.
Claire wasn't sure how long she had been asleep when she finally stirred. She looked around; trying to get her bearings, but the room was dark. "Myrnin?" she spoke so softly that she barely heard the words come out of her mouth, but she knew he could hear her, if he was anywhere in the lab.
He walked into the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. "Hello, love...you look much more rested. How did you sleep?"
"Good..." she spoke tentatively.
There was understanding in his eyes. They needed to talk, but she didn't know where to begin. Claire bit her lip. Myrnin gazed at her intently, making it difficult for her to breathe, as he waited for her to speak. She knew the question that burned in his eyes – why did her emotions dip so suddenly and severely during their meeting? But what words were possible, that could both answer his question and not hurt him, at the same time? She twisted her hands together.
"Is it that bad?" Myrnin murmured when she remained silent.
She glanced up. "No..." she breathed quickly, trying to soothe the pain evident in his eyes. "It's...just that sometimes you...remind me of him."
"...and the thought of him still causes you pain?"
Claire nodded from under her eyelashes.
"Is this...not enough?" he spoke earnestly, wanting to know the truth, as he stood and stepped away from the bed.
"What?" Claire asked in surprise, reaching her hand out reflexively to stop him from backing away from her. "Of course...of course it is!"
He shook his head and stepped further from her outstretched hand.
Claire was stunned by her body's reaction. A shockingly strong pain assaulted her senses at his rejection; her face crumpled and she clutched her pillow against her chest to try to keep the pieces of herself together.
Myrnin was by her side instantly, struck by her sudden rush of sorrow. "I'm sorry," he whispered urgently as he stroked her hair and held her tightly.
"I...can't lose you..." she murmured against his chest, still trying to manage the building panic attack threatening to bubble out of her throat, at the mere idea of being without him.
"You will never lose me," he swore to her fervently.
She hiccupped slightly as she regulated her airflow, "Even if...thoughts of the past...still cause me pain sometimes?"
"I would never turn my back on your sorrow...I just need to understand what it means...I am a guy you know," he spoke softly, nudging her chin up to smile at her. "Why don't you just walk me though what you were thinking about during the meeting?"
Claire breathed in deeply to steady herself and kept her head buried against his chest as she spoke, "There were some things that...surprised me...about your mental abilities..."
"Yes..." he acknowledged.
"Wondering why he never told me, suddenly brought me back to that day...the day that he...you...changed my life."
"Tell me about it," he whispered.
Claire shook her head, "You cannot want to know that....I....won't hurt you like that."
"I do...want to know...I have often wondered what brought us together."
Claire searched his eyes. His face was smooth and calm. Her mouth curved into a small smile as she remembered, "We worked together. I came to the lab almost daily in between my college studies. But, I was dating someone else."
Myrnin raised his eyebrows.
"I know. I...thought...I was head over heels in love with him. Until...you looked at me for the first time with undisguised desire in your eyes.
"Hmmm...bold of me." Myrnin grinned.
Claire nudged him in the ribs, "Yeah...subtlety was never your strong suit. However, denial appears to be mine..." she stopped, chagrined at the memory.
"I could see that..." he teased her lightly.
She nudged him harder.
"When you looked at me...like that...my body knew exactly what it wanted, but you let me decide whether to kiss you or not. I...had never...felt anything close to the rush that flowed through me. I wondered later if you had compelled me."
"Had I?" he asked innocently.
"No..." Claire whispered, "...because it didn't matter whether you were close to me or miles...or years... away, that feeling hasn't left me since."
"...and did you...decide to kiss me?" he murmured.
Claire laughed mischievously, "Against my better judgement at the time, I pulled you to me, so that I could have my way with you."
"Always pleased to be at your service," he said in a mock waiter's voice.
"Humph...you owed me...you had just tried to kill me."
That caught his attention. Myrnin pulled back to see if she was serious.
"Oh yes...our relationship was 'complicated' to say the least. Shortly after I arrived to Morganville, Amelie decided I would be your apprentice. You needed me. All of the vampires in Morganville were afflicted with a disease that caused them to slowly go insane."
"What?!" he hissed.
Claire touched his chest to calm him down. "You were lucid...most...of the time."
"Most? And the rest of the time...?!"
"The rest of the time, we played 'cat and mouse'...any guesses; who was the cat, and who was the mouse?" she asked wryly.
"I could have killed you!" he exclaimed.
"Oh yes," she murmured. "You came very close...many times. The odds were against me surviving...you had already killed your last three apprentices."
"What the fück?!" he hissed, anger overriding his features.
"Shhh..." Claire lifted from beneath the covers to straddle him, wrapping her naked body around his furious frame to calm him down.
He inhaled her scent deeply, relaxing under her touch. "Who stopped me?"
"Ha...I did." Claire smirked. "I never backed down from you; I refused to show fear. And I even threatened you with a silver dagger – of course, I found out later, that that just made you hungry – and horny. And because even in your insane haze...you loved me and you fought it...harder than I have seen anyone fight for anything," she finished quietly.
He looked at her in amazement, "Why would you kiss me if I was insane?"
"Oh...you weren't insane by that point. We had found a cure. You just had some left-over 'tendencies'..."
He shook his head, "You have zero sense of self-preservation, don't you?"
She giggled and then sighed, "Not when it comes to you..."
"So, after our earth-shattering kiss, what happened?"
"Who said it was earth-shattering?" she teased.
His eyes changed intensity as he leaned slowly toward her lips. Claire flushed as a hot rush of desire washed over her; her heart beating sporadically in anticipation. He hesitated, less than an inch from her mouth, letting her body prove his point, as he replied, "I do."
Claire's breath caught as he pulled back with a smirk. She cleared her throat, hoping it would help ease the craving in her body. "You are going to pay for that," she murmured, her tone still laced with desire.
"I certainly hope so," he grinned darkly at her, before going back to his earlier question. "...after the mind-blowing kiss...?"
Claire rolled her eyes. "After that, I felt guilty."
The corners of his mouth turned down.
Claire touched his lips gently with her fingertip. "Only because I had hurt the boy I was dating. And foolishly, I tried to stay away from you – it was the only way I knew how to repair the damage I had done. After a week apart, I thought I was going to be strong enough to do it. I came to the lab to tell you...but...," Claire struggled as she recalled the pain of their goodbye. "...but, I never got the words out because...you already knew...what I came to say. You could...smell him on me."
He held her tighter as he stroked her hair.
"...and you...left me...through a time portal."
Claire heard his sharp intake of breath.
"I couldn't be without you...I simply couldn't exist without you in my life...so I jumped through the portal after you."
"Zero sense of self-preservation," he murmured under his breath.
She smiled softy, "No...not when it comes to you."
"Thank you...for telling me."
Claire looked at him anxiously, "Are you sure you are all right?"
He nodded calmly.
Claire relaxed and mused, "I think it is like someone who loses a spouse...they didn't break up, so they never had time to fall out of love."
"Hmmm..." Myrnin fell silent with her.
"Okay, not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but..."
"Exactly what the hell does that mean?" he asked confused.
"Oh never mind that...You do seem very okay with it...why?"
"Are we doing 'complete honesty' in this relationship? Because I am not certain you are going to like the answer."
Claire tilted her head at him, "Uh...yeah on the honesty thing...particularly after I just had my turn at share-time."
"Okay...because I felt your pain both times. When you were in the meeting...and...when I pulled away from you. That gave me the answer I needed."
Claire stared at him, trying to determine if she wanted to be angry or not. She had asked him for the truth. After the shit day she had, she decided she would rather snuggle up against his chest than be mad. She was curious though. "Are there any other mind-tricks you have up your sleeve that I don't know about now?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know...can you levitate someone or make pink ponies appear?"
He laughed, "Do you want to see a pink pony?"
"Oh, shit..." Claire breathed.
"Don't worry. You know I don't do that to you. You would feel it if I did," he assured her.
Claire fell silent, thinking.
He gently stroked her cheek. "What are you thinking about...or do I have to go in there myself and get it?" he teased her mischievously.
She landed another elbow to his ribs, before asking, "Tell me how compulsion works."
He raised an eyebrow. "Okay...by forcing my will on a person, I can make them do, say or feel however I want. In addition, instead of imposing my behavior on them, I can use compulsion to accelerate and enhance what is already inside of them."
Claire murmured, "...accelerate and enhance what is already there..."
Myrnin rested his forehead against hers. "I can feel that, you know..." he whispered.
"Feel what?" she asked innocently.
"You're aroused...why?"
"I want you to accelerate and enhance me," she purred.
He chuckled softly, "I don't think you really understand what you are asking for..."
Claire let her fingers wind around his back and into his hair, curling them to grip him tightly. Her lips followed a trail up his neck and whispered in his ear, "I'm not asking..."
Claire felt him get hard beneath her. "Good boy," she murmured, as she stroked her fingers along his cheek.
He was still trying to hold back, but his voice broke unevenly as he explained, "I don't compel you...because I want it to be real."
"So...make it real for me," she said forcefully. "I believe it is my turn for 'anything I want'." She tightened her legs around him and rolled her hips forward, grinding against him.
Instantly, she found herself on her back with Myrnin still between her legs. She gasped as he lightly ran his hand along her breast, growling softly, "If I touch you like this, what do you feel?"
Claire moaned.
"And if I do this," sliding his hand between her legs, "How do you feel?"
"I want you..." she whispered.
"Do you?" he murmured into her ear, bringing his fingers to her temple. "And if I speak into your mind...?"
Claire's eyes widened in shock as unbearably delicious heat coursed through her body. "Oh!" she breathed.
"And now...?" He purred.
Claire didn't think it was possible, but the heat in her body increased until it consumed her, wrapping its way to her very center, pulsing with an intensity that was making it hard for her to maintain rational thought.
She screamed his name as he forcefully slid into her.
Claire couldn't believe he had held this part of himself from her. She knew she was immediately addicted – this was better than any drug. Anything less than both his mind and his body inside of her, would pale in comparison.