Pulled to the Dark (The Siriena Series) (25 page)

I popped home.
To my old apartment.

Five seconds later I got sucked back to Andrea's tower.

"What the hell?"

"You're right," Petra said. "I should have told you everything. I'm sorry. I was afraid to tell you and I put it off. There's no excuse. You have every right to be angry."

I looked at her for a moment. "Is this a three-way conversation or a two-way conversation?"

"It should be a three-way conversation," Andrea said. "And in reality,
Renea
should be here if you want to know everything."

"Seeing as how I don't know how reasonable I'm going to be, maybe we should limit my bridge burning to the three of us," I said.

"Felicia," Petra said. "We need you. We need your help. Andrea and I can't do it alone. And it's too dangerous for Kelly and
Renea
to help."

I sighed. "I ate for crap. I am going to go get something. And I think a fresh bottle of wine, something chilled. If I promise to come back in a few minutes, will you let me leave?"
It stuck in my craw I had to ask like she
were
my mother and I was sixteen again.

Petra nodded.

I popped home. We had a fruit bowl. I set it on the kitchen island. I found a bottle of German white I liked and added it. I grabbed some cheese from the refrigerator and some crackers. I didn't know what I'd be hungry for. I also grabbed a cutting board and a couple of knives. I popped back with everything, taking two trips.

When I got back I asked, "Can we teleport when drunk?"

"Yes," said Petra, "But it's a bad idea. Last time I did it, I made a mess."

"Oh.
Eww
. Too much information."

I set all the food on the coffee table and handed the wine to Petra to open. Then I sat down on the sofa.

Petra opened the wine and poured three glasses while I cut up cheese and fruit. I looked at the bottle. "We're going to need a second bottle, aren't we?"

She nodded. I popped back, got one, and returned. I set it aside and sat back on the sofa. Petra tried to sit next to me, but I pointed to the far end of the sofa. "I may move dow
n to join you. I may put my feet
in your lap.
Or my head.
But I'm still upset."

She nodded
and sat at the other end
.

I picked through the food and grabbed something and drank some of the wine. Then I sat back and closed my eyes.

"Someone please talk."

"War isn't a good word," Andrea said. "War implies masses of armies. Feud would be a much better word."

"Between?"

"
Renea
and
Vincent Reynolds, your
old boss," said Petra.

"The asshole?"

"The asshole," agreed Andrea.

"He's here?" I opened my eyes. "Is the world that small?"

"No," Petra said. "He found you first. Not everyone can travel between the worlds. There are certain traits. You had the potential. It is unclear whether he would eventually have tried to draw you over or not. But he bragged about you and didn't know I could hear him."

"Erika and Beth both have the same traits?"

"Maybe," said Petra. "I don't know them well enough to be sure." She paused. "We need to go visit them."

"Oh, that's not happening."

"Please don't decide that until you know everything," Andrea said. "Think about this. The feud is temporary. Immortality is a very long time. You'd be offering them something people have dreamed about for a thousand years. You at least owe them the opportunity to decide for themselves."

Five minutes later, I had calmed down enough to thrust my feet into Petra's lap. She took my shoes off for me and massaged my feet. I let her do that for ten minutes, then switched end for end and had my head in her lap, lying on my side so I could still talk to Andrea as well.

"What is the feud over?"

"
Renea
was brought over by a man named Benjamin Reynolds."

"Oh hell," I said. "Vincent Reynolds' father?"

"Yes. Benjamin was an even less pleasant person than Vincent is."

"Was?"

"Seven years ago,
Renea
finally found a way to
kill him," said Petra.

Andrea went on. "She immediately claimed the entire castle by right of conquest, which shut down Vincent's only tie into
Siriena
. Without a place he could call his, he couldn't travel here."

"But he i
s here now?" I asked.

"Three years ago he made a credible threat of violence to
Renea's
employees," said Petra. "It was done in a fashion it couldn't be linked to him. He told her he was willing to accept a different home in
Siriena
and to arrange it. She traveled two weeks south of here, bought a small house, and gave it to him."

"It took him over two years," said Andrea, "but he finally worked his way back here. He wants the castle back and all of us gone forever.
Renea
would be forced to return to earth and would die fairly soon afterwards. Kelly would die even sooner."

I turned my face up and told Petra, "You're forgiven, but you have until movie time tomorrow to tell me anything else that's going to piss me off, because we're not doing this again."

"There's one more biggie," Petra said. "Remember Jeremy?"

"From the charity event? Lovely individual."

"He's involved
, probably belonging to Vincent
."

"Oh goodie. So I get to kick his ass again?"

"Don't be too glib," Andrea said. "We can't prove it, but we think he was behind your apartment invasion."

I didn't say anything for a while. I rolled over and looked at Petra again. "Is there some reason you're not touching me?"

Then I rolled back and closed my eyes for a while, thinking about it all. Neither of them said anything further. Finally I opened my eyes. "Anything else?"

"We have a lot to teach you," Petra said. "But no, that's everything."

I closed my eyes again, absorbing a little more. "Petra?"

"Yes, Felicia?"

"When you pulled me back, what determined where I landed?"

"You landed where I was looking," she said.

"Really?" I rolled over and looked at her. "Have you thought about how effective that could be in a fight?"

"No," she said, starting to smile. "I hadn't."

I smiled back. "I will finish forgiving you after I have received two mind-blowing orgasms."

"All right," she said. She reached down and laid her hand in my crotch over the dress.

"Not here!" I said.

A wave of bliss exploded through me and I screamed her name.

When I could think again, the two of them were both smirking at
me.
"That is so not fair," I said. "I can't do that to you."

"Yet," she said. Then she did it again.

My next coherent thought took several minutes to arrive. By then, I was naked and in our bed at the apartment. Petra was sitting on the bed, watching me. "I believe that qualifies as t
w
o mind-blowing orgasms," she said.

"How did you get me naked so easily?" I asked her.

"When I sent you home, I didn't send your dress. Don't worry, it's hanging up in the closet."

"You're forgiven of all past sins," I said. "I hope you aren't expecting me to pleasure you tonight. I don't think I can move."

She laughed. "No. I can wait until morning."

She popped out of the room and her clothes fluttered to the floor. A second later she was back in the room and crawling under the covers with me.

* * *

The next night was movie night. Beth and Erika were right on
time
. Andrea was a few minutes late, but texted she was coming. Karen arrived bringing a dessert. "Don't worry," she said. "Beth and Andrea have the same desserts. I mail ordered them for each of us."

"Thank you!" Erika said. "It looks
nummy
."

"That was very sweet, Karen," I said.

"Erika, Beth," I said. "Do you notice anything different about my apartment?"

I gave them a tour.

"This isn't the same apartment you showed me before," Erika said. "It's even bigger." I took them into the closet in the bedroom.

"Here are my clothes," I said. Then I swept the room. "And here are Petra's."

"Holy shit!" said Beth. "A week ago you were dreaming about her, and now you've moved in with her."

I turned the computer around and grinned. "She gives even better orgasms in person than she does in my dreams."

"I heard that!" Petra said "And you're welcome."

We moved into the kitchen and started cooking. Andrea showed up fu
ll of apologies, but I told her, "D
on't be silly.
"

"Beth," I said. "Erika. Do you two have any time off this month?
Maybe a long weekend?
Petra and Andrea are treating all of us. You too, Karen."

"Really?" said Karen. "A vacation somewhere?"

"Well,
it's
November," I said. "It
kinda
sucks to be anywhere that isn't
warm. We have choices. Erika and Beth
could come here and we could just have a big party, or we can all go somewhere warm. How much time can you get?"

"I still have a week I have to use by end of year," Beth said. "I haven't bothered using it cause I can't afford anywhere fun." She paused. "Are you guys really treating?"

Petra and Andrea looked at each other for a moment. "Yes," she said. "We are. It will have to be partly a working trip for us."

"I could do an extended weekend," Erika said. "Leave either Wednesday or Thursday and return either Sunday or Monday.
Either of the next two weekends.
Then we start getting into the holidays."

"Those work for me," said Beth. "Just tell me where to go and what to bring!"

"Karen and I will make all the arrangements," I said. "And we'll get back to you early this week. I'm voting for this coming week
end
.
I know that is sudden.
Is that good for everyone?"

* * *

Later, Petra told me, "So we're funding a vacation for everyone? You better have a good reason or your pay is going to be docked a very long time to pay for it."

"You wanted to find out if they're possible recruits. I didn't hear you coming up with better ideas. If we're doing it, we're doing it my way."

"Oh," she said. "You could have said something."

I grinned. "It was more fun my way. I wasn't sure you and Andrea were going to go for it."

"We decided to trust you."

"Oh," I said. "Damn it. It makes it a lot harder to be playful when someone is trusting me."

She laughed. "Where are we going?"

"Hell if I know," I said. "How much money can I spend?"

* * *

They gave me a generous budget. Karen and I spent two hours on Monday reviewing options and picked a resort in the Bahamas. We ran it past Andrea and Petra and got the go ahead. We would all fly to Fort Lauderdale Wednesday evening and take a private charter straight to the resort Thursday morning. I called Erika and asked how long she could stay.

"
I told
m
y boss I've been working too hard and
asked
for a week."

"I'll call you back."

I got a similar answer from Beth.

So then I pulled Petra and Andrea into Andrea's office and asked them what they really wanted to do. "Let's go for the whole week," Petra said. "We're already going to be there, and we can work a little if we're feeling too guilty."

I called them both back and verified they had passports. Karen and I booked it.

That evening, I prepped my tower.

* * *

"This place is amazing!" said Erika. "Which room is mine?"

The resort consisted of individual bungalows. This was one of their bigger places, but it was
off season
so we'd gotten it for a very good price. Petra and I shared a room. The other four each got their own room. Karen, Beth and Erika had all expressed a willingness to share a room while we were making plans, but I'd specifically looked for something with separate rooms. I didn't want to think what would happen if anyone saw others disappearing in her sleep.
The bungalow was U-shaped; the open end of the U held a lovely swimming pool.

We spent Thursday relaxing on the beach. Erika and Beth were both amazed at how I looked. I was pleased they noticed.