Dark Callings (Phoenix Intelligence Agency) (11 page)

Harmony cut him off. “I told you he would be here when you get back. Go on, now, before Allure comes to get you.”

“Too late. Hey, Lennox.” Allure sounded amused.

“Christ, Harmony. Is there anyone else coming for a late-night visit?” Lennox flopped back on the bed, putting his arm over his eyes.

“Aunty Storm decided against it,” Allure said sarcastically and chuckled.

“Get out, Allure!” Harmony yelled.

“I didn’t mean to come into your bedroom. I was following Ebony’s power signature and didn’t pay attention to where it led. Sorry. Come on, Ebony.”

The room went silent. The bed dipped as Harmony cuddled against his side.

“Sorry. I’ll speak with Ebony about arriving into my room without knocking or warning us first.” She kissed his chest, settling against him.

“Why did you tell her I would be here on Sunday?” He lowered his arm.

Harmony laid her face sideways on his chest, looking up at him.

“She didn’t want to go when I told her you were sleeping over. I had to tell her you would still be here Sunday to get her to go.”

“You told her I was spending the night?”

“Of course. She has to get used to you in my bed. I’m in this for the long term.”

Lennox couldn’t think of anything to say. Instead, he pointed out, “I was planning to be gone before she got home.”

“I know. I was going to work on you over the weekend. Woo you with promises of caramel, and other things.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“What things?”

“Let me show you.”

At Harmony’s sultry alto, his cock went hard. He was going to enjoy being convinced to stay.

* * * *

Lennox stepped out of the shadows. Harmony looked up from where she sat on the couch, legs curled below her. He flopped down beside her.

“From your expression, nothing changed since yesterday. Did the training at least go well?”

“No. He still won’t clear them. The Shadow Cloak training went well. Lupo is proud of my progress. But any further training will be put on hold. Cipher banned me, too.”

“They have him on edge. Usually, he’s more even-tempered. His raving about his clash with Lupo at the pub was hilarious. Imagine going to arrest Lupo, and instead ending up drinking and having fun. By the time Cipher figured Lupo was no longer at the pub, he sent the men on a search for him. But Lupo was already back in containment, waiting for them. It will go down as one of the classic moments in the agency.” Harmony laughed.

“You were eavesdropping. You can find it funny, since you didn’t have to hear Cipher’s ravings first-hand.” Lennox yanked at his ear.

His eardrums were still ringing from Cipher’s raised voice. He had never known Cipher to yell before. He was even-tempered. Lupo and the others were taking a perverse thrill in riling the people in the agency. Lennox couldn’t even say they were not cooperating and making the process difficult. They all were, in a fashion. There were certain things about the Shadower culture they would never discuss. It came across as evasion, but wasn’t. Other beings understood races had different things only others of that race were privy too. Cipher accepted it, but, with the sensitivity of this case, he would not budge about checking them out thoroughly. It was the right thing to do. Frustrating, but correct.

“Wasn’t eavesdropping. I was linked on our path and heard.” She shifted, placing her feet in his lap.

Absently, Lennox rubbed Harmony’s toes in a circular motion. If they could get past this, they could start rounding up Blagden and his followers and avert any more ideas of bringing back A’rm Ageddon. Things could go back to the regular day to day of the agency work instead of the vigilance they all had even when they were not working. The waiting for someone to come at him was not in his nature. He was the hunter, not the hunted.

“Lennox.” Harmony’s breathy tone made him look at her.

She partially lowered her lids over her hazel-green eyes. She was breathing rapidly. Confused at her reaction, he quickly realised he was playing with her feet. He stroked between her big and second toe. Harmony shivered, a moan rippling from her mouth. He continued the caress on each of her appendages. Her breathing and sounds got louder. Lennox slid his hand along her leg, then raised it. Cupping his hand under the heel of her foot, he lowered his head, kissing each toe gently.

“Lennox…mmmm…”

He sucked her big toe, then worked his way down to the smallest. Her leg stiffened and relaxed in time with her murmurings. He kissed along the top of her foot, then around the ankle before continuing his trek up her leg to her knee. He lowered her leg, then crouched over her. He divested her of her clothing, then removed his own, before donning protection. He moved from her knee upwards. She gripped his head, then released and as he widened her leg, Harmony shifted her ass a little off the couch. He licked at the fleshy part of her inner thigh, then moved onward. At the juncture of her thighs, he inhaled her sweet scent.

He licked along her slit. Her body jerked, then she shook. He burrowed inside her pussy lips and suckled her essence. He flicked his tongue, licking inside her. With a groan, he swirled his tongue around.

“Lennnooox…please… Yesssssssss…right there. Ummm…” Harmony’s voice rose with each swipe of his tongue.

Harmony gushed, her release coating his tongue. He licked her, pushing into her with his tongue. She rocked her hips, countering his motions. Lennox rose over her. Harmony’s gaze locked with his. He lined up his cock, stroking forward into her wetness. Harmony closed her eyes, gripping his hips, rocking with him. They moved in tandem, striving towards release. A trickle of energy flickered across his skin.

Lennox stilled, frowning. The feeling receded. He thrust deeper. She clenched her pussy around him then gyrated, moving quicker and quicker against him. Groaning, he braced his arms beside her head. Seeking out her mouth, he kissed her. Harmony met him, duelling their tongues together. She wrenched away. Her eyes flashed open, blazing hazel. Power hit him in the centre of his chest, making his back arch.

Chapter Six

Lennox’s shield dropped, and his shadow encompassed them, searching to bond. He yanked it back, but it resisted. Harmony undulated under him. The steady strum of power rose, guiding it.

“Why would you trigger my shadow? What are you doing, Harmony?”

“It’s time to complete our bond.”
Her tone was firm.

“You don’t know what you’re doing
.”

“I do. Bond with me.”
Harmony increased her pull on his shadow.

There was determination on her face, yet, it was the look in her eyes that convinced him to give in.

While thrusting into her, he murmured in Shadower language. “
Kuirnioe meirino neirnos umbrage
.” He repeated it in the
Maji
language, “
Bruisosn ultras mari me quiliys neri sksk keieism sbehheh umreask a illes. Uil hueres, teie oksksk, Uil susu
.”

Harmony undulated against him, whispering, “You are my bond shadow, and we will be joined for all time. One shadow, two hearts. One soul.”

Energy filled under his skin, pouring out to drench her in its light. The emerald glow muffled all sound and stilled time. Harmony screamed. The pain in it made his heart clench. He dived into her body with his senses. She stiffened, and her heart sputtered, going sluggish. Power poured from him as her heart slowed even more, and her arms dropped weakly to her sides. Her power had pulled his shadow out, had flickered then let go.

Lennox continued to pump, even as he felt her dying. He wouldn’t allow her to die. With a yank, he pulled his shadow back into himself, praying he was not too late. His shadow snapped back to him. Talons of pain sliced through him. He felt her clench around him. Her lids fluttered open.

“Live happy.” Lennox felt himself fade. The shadows beckoned him into their embrace.

The vicious pain filling Harmony receded. Her thoughts condensed. Her heart began to stabilise. She opened her eyes.

“Live happy,” Lennox said.

His body wavered, a black film coming over him. Behind him, an angry dark swirl circled him. Flickers of colours intersected it. Harmony stiffened, realising he was going to the shadows. The colours she saw were the Shadowers lost to the darkness of the shadows.

“
Noooooo
!” Harmony roared.

She tightened her legs around his hips and with her power she traced the thread of his retreating soul. It flickered and wavered.

“Fight for us. Damn you, Lennox. Have faith in us.”

His
disintegrating soul paused, then she felt a shift as he struggled to meet her energy. She increased the stream of power. Lennox was powerful. Combined with her
Maji
power, they would be strong enough to keep him from being taken by the shadows. Their people were older than the earth itself, and he would not die this day. She latched her power onto his and spread it around him, funnelling him closer with her will. Lennox’s body slowly reformed. His dear silver eyes met hers. Tears filled her eyes. He kissed them away as they fell. She pumped her hips as she took his cock. The energy rose again, hitting her. This time she controlled it, moulding it. It filled her up, ricocheting through her.

Lennox stroked deeper and deeper. She felt part of his shadow inside her then their hearts synchronised. Their souls touched and recognised each other. She arched, wrenched with pain. A rich wine smoke mingled with his emerald green as her shadow flowed upwards to meet his. Harmony was startled her shadow was that colour.

“
It stems from who you are—your love of people, life, and your giving nature.”
Lennox’s voice in her mind slid along her like a caress.

Sensations of pleasure coated her skin. His and her shadow melded, then parted, then joined again. Harmony laughed as they played with each other. Lennox pumped into her, his erection rubbing against her walls. Urgently, he thrust as their shadows mixed in a dazzling display of colour. Harmony jerked as the pleasure hit her with a sensual fire. She gasped, gripping his shoulder, shuddering violently. She clenched, orgasming. Lennox came with her. He slumped against her, his heart racing. Instinctively, she slowed her own heart, and his matched hers. She wiggled her fingers, and the quilt on the back of the couch covered them.

Lennox’s breathing deepened as he slipped into slumber. She held him and was grateful he was safe with her. They would work everything else out… They needed to.

* * * *

The next day, she gritted her teeth and tried to sound reasonable. “Lennox, you’ve been lecturing me about this all day. It’s done. We’re bond shadowed. Let it go.”

“What you did was reckless. A Pebbles scheme.” There was a twinkle in his gaze.

Relief filled her. She took it as a signal he was through lecturing her.

“But, Bammer, it worked.” Harmony chuckled. She straddled his lap, kissing him briefly. A small smile was on Lennox’s face.

“When are we going to get to Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm as teenagers?”

“Someone has been so into watching
Law and Order,
Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm have been put to the side. They are so hurt.” She put her hand against her forehead, closing her eyes.

“We can watch one tonight, after we watch another
Law and Order
episode.”

Harmony lowered her hand and opened her eyes. “We can do that.”

She slid to his side, snuggling in. Lennox played with her hair as they watched TV. A thrilling sound echoed.

“Mommy! I’m home!” Ebony appeared before them.

Harmony glanced at Allure and Vaughn, who had arrived with her.

“After the ‘incident’, we had a chat about announcing her presence when she’s popping in on family and friends. Ummm…Christos mentioned she’s getting the hang of it.”

There was a wealth of meaning in the way Allure had spoken. A flash of images filled Harmony’s thoughts, filtered by Allure from Ebony. Harmony stifled a chuckle as one image showed Christos tripping over Ebony, who appeared in front of him as he was walking in his home library. The scene changed to an unfamiliar one. Harmony frowned. It was a solarium filled with a profusion of flowers and a pool. A woman rose from the water, her head appearing at the lip of the pool. Harmony recognised Eve. Eve smiled, beckoning Ebony closer. She waved a hand, clothing Ebony in a bathing suit. They frolicked. The image shifted, and Eve showed Ebony some things about her power. The images faded.

“We’re going to have a talk about curtailing your going all over the place.” She stared at Ebony.

“Sorry, Mommy.” Ebony lowered her head.

“I know this is all fairly new and fun, but you need to be careful,” Harmony said.

“Harmony,” Lennox interjected.

She glanced up at him. By his look, he was asking for permission. She studied Ebony’s lowered head, then back at him, nodding.

“Come here, Ebony,” Lennox said gently.

Ebony came towards them, dragging her feet. Harmony scooted over. Vaughn sat in a chair and Allure curled up in his lap. Ebony paused before Harmony and Lennox.