S.P.I.R.I.T (7 page)

Like I belong to something, to someone.
The tears ran down my cheeks, even as I tried to stop them, and I turned away from him as I caught my breath. Zander’s finger brushed my chin, turning me back to face him and he smiled. “It’s not bad, you know, finding someplace that you belong.”

“I’ve just never…” I whispered, shaking my head. “It’s always been hard to fit in.”

“Come here.” He gestured as he pulled me towards him. His strong arms wrapped around me, holding me close to the warmth of his body, and he placed his cheek against the top of my head. “We’re going to get down to the bottom of whatever is going on, Sam, I promise.”

“That’s the thing, the more time I spend with you, the less I want to solve anything,” I admitted, and closed my eyes afraid that my confession would get the same reaction that it always did, but I felt Zander smile.

“I’m not going anywhere, Sam,” he said, and squeezed me gently. I could feel the tightness leave my muscles as I gave into the feeling of being so close to him.

There was a loud clank that echoed in the back of the cave, and both of us stood to face the darkness. The sound grew louder, ricocheting off the solid rock walls before us, and Zander moved to stand in front of me, ever the protector.

“Light it up!” He whispered, and I raised my hand chest level and concentrated on the ball of fire that swirled in my palm. With a quick flick of my wrist, I sent the fireball sailing into the blackness that stood before us.

My eyes widened at the sight of the grotesque creature whose image was burnt into my memory. Its skin was taunt and gray, pulled over deteriorating muscles and exposed bones. Its eyes, balls of white and red, sat in hallowed sockets and teeth snarled from under transparent lips. It growled loudly, a sound that I had expected but Zander covered his ears to drown out the noise as it shook the cave.

Get out! Get OUT! GET OUT!
The mental onslaught of the creatures screaming voice made me wince with pain, but Zander doubled over as it struck his nervous system.

I watched through eyes that were not my own as the walking corpse moved at us. Zander’s unique vision made it possible to see in the dark and I was terrified as it approached. The pain behind my eyes grew as the visions faltered and I realized that Zander’s pain was much more intense than mine was. He was hearing the ghoul, for the first time, and it had targeted Zander for that weakness.

I concentrated on throwing up some sort of block, to keep Zander out and keep the demon from getting in. Once I saw him lower his hands, his head still throbbing from the attack, I raised up my own. I drew on the power that I had been given and placed a firewall between us and the oncoming enemy.

“We have to move!” I yelled above the roar of the fire as it spread over the dried foliage that littered the cavern floor, and reached down to grab his arm. Zander stood, shaking off the last remaining effects and took my hand. We waded across the water, which at its highest point was mid-thigh, and stopped on the rocks on the other side. Zander slumped against them, his hands pressed to his eyes, and I moved quickly to tend to him. “I’m sorry, I completely forgot about the connection. I didn’t mean for him to hurt you.”

“Sam,” he whispered, looking up at me with red eyes, but I placed my hands on his cheeks, feeling for any outward injuries. “Sam!” His voice boomed with authority, catching my attention and I stopped playing with his hair as he gently took my wrist. “It’s not your fault.”

“Oh my God!” I whispered, the strength going out of my legs as I sat down on the ground in front of him. “I’ve never seen one of them, how is it that you don’t have nightmares from them?”

Zander smiled, sliding down to meet me on the hard packed dirt. “I’m used to the way they look, just like you are used to the way they sound. Thank you for blocking him. It felt like a drill inside my head.”

“Your eyes, do they always see that clearly in the dark?” I asked softly, reaching up to touch his cheek. Zander took my hand and kissed the palm, still warm from the power I had sent out.

“More so when they are around.” He closed his eyes and let out his breath, relaxing enough to make his heart rate slow. “We need to move. Obviously we’re still in the zone; otherwise he wouldn’t have been so powerful.”

“What zone?” I started and then shook my head. “You know what, never mind. Let’s just go, I’m sure the answers will come in due time.”

“Sam, don’t worry about the questions.” Zander looked at me; his brown eyes flickered with light as he looked over my face. “I would be asking a million of them right about now if I was in your place, so don’t ever feel that you can’t question your sanity or what you are experiencing.”

“All right,” I answered, still unsure of what would happen next. “It’s almost dark, we should move.”

“I agree.” He stood, pulling me to my feet and the two of us made our way up and around the side of the cliff, taking an overgrown path that followed the inlet stream.

Neither of us talked as we moved upwards, but as he took my hand, helping me up some of the steeper parts, I realized that we didn’t have to speak to know what was going on in the mind of the other. I knew he was concerned for me, for how well I would take all of this excitement and whether or not I would be there when it all ended, if it ever did. He knew that I was terrified of that was to happen next, but he also knew that he was more connected to me than anyone in my past, and that I felt safe with him.

When we rounded the top of the cliff, Zander stopped and stood breathless as he looked over the valley below that held the small town in is protection. I gasped at the similarity of it all.

“There can’t be two of them, can there?” I whispered, and stepped closer to the town, leaving Zander to stand behind me. “How can there be two of them exactly alike in every way?”

“This isn’t Vermont, Sam,” he replied, knowing just what I was talking about.

“But everything, including the sight that the church was on, is exactly how Wilton is. I thought I was there when I first arrived, I thought how could I have gotten three hundred miles from home, only to find out I was so much more further away.” I crossed my arms over my chest and shook my head. “Miller’s Point.”

“What about it?” he asked, as I turned to look at him.

“That’s got to be it. Everything here is the same as Wilton, so there has to be a Miller’s Point and a house just like the one my dad…owns.”

He noticed the pause as I turned and looked back at the glowing township. I rubbed my chin, feeling the cobwebs of nervousness creeping up on my face, and Zander stepped forward, catching my wrists, holding me captive in his warmth. The pulse of his body skimmed over mine, and the creeping feeling dissolved as he moved closer, kissing my lips gently with his.

“I’m not home,” I murmured shaking against him, the tears of a frightening childhood streamed down my face. “I can’t be home, Zander. Not here, any place but here.”

“Sam,” he mumbled, his lips against the flesh of my neck. “You’re safe, Sam. I’m here with you. No one is going to hurt you.”

“You don’t understand.” I replied, holding him tighter. “I was never safe here.”

7

It had taken several minutes to convince myself to ease the hold I had on Zander’s neck. The man had to breathe, after all, but he kept his arms wrapped firmly around me as he stood looking into my eyes. The electricity flashed over the deep pools before me and I felt his fingers tighten on my shirt. It was almost torture to be so close to him and still have clothes between us, but I wasn’t going to chance stripping down in the middle of the evening just to calm my nerves.

“We need to come up with a plan.” He smiled. “You’re freezing and we need something to eat.”

“Not having money doesn’t help,” I answered, feeling him release me and step back. His grin grew wider and he winked. “Oh, no! What exactly does that mean?”

“You’ll see,” he answered and began the slow march down the path to the south side of the town.

“No, no, no, you are not going to get away with that, Mr. Smith.” I laughed as I followed him down, surprised at how suddenly the feeling of calmness took over. “Tell me what you have up your sleeve, Zander.”

“I can’t give away all my secrets, Sammy, not this early in our relationship. That would just take all the interest out of it.” He chuckled, looking back to see how closely I followed, and then he stopped and turned, catching me as I failed to put on the brakes. “This seems oddly familiar. Didn’t we do this before but in different positions?”

“Yes, but as I recall you said that if I did it again, you were just going to knock me over,” I replied, his hands resting on my hips. I pressed at him with my hands and broke his embrace, then walked around him to continue with the trek.

“Do you even know where you’re going?” he inquired.

“No, but I thought that it would be best to keep you on track by taking the temptation of wrapping yourself around me again, right out of the equation,” I answered, keeping my eyes on the footpath before me. It was then that I had the wind knocked out of me and I found myself rolling around in the soft fern bed beside the path. Zander had me pinned to the ground, his body crushing down on mine as his arms raised him up to smile down on me. “Quite happy with yourself now, aren’t you?”

“Woman, this is what I should have done to you when we first met. You are in dire need of a damn good kissing, and I know just how to resolve that,” he announced.

“You kiss me, Smith, and I will knock you so far out, that you will not get up for two days,” I threatened, and watched the mischievous smile spread across his face.

“You think you’re that good?” He taunted.

“Better than you think,” I answered, confidence in every word. He nodded, the smile turning into a smirk as he lowered his arms, bringing his lips only a breath away from mine.

“I see.” His tongue ran along his lips, touching mine in the process. I couldn’t help but close my eyes at the onslaught of emotions as his stimulating touch scattered any resolve I had left. “I want to taste you so badly.”

“What are you waiting for, Army boy?” I questioned, my voice becoming low and husky. He smiled and closed the gap between us.

Desire flared and the need to touch skin to skin was overwhelming. There was no time wasted as our shirts were removed quickly from our bodies, the heat that built up was undeniable. His kiss was powerful, giving and taking every emotion he could until it built up into a lust that couldn’t be ignored.

It was my turn to be forward and I reached for his belt before he had time to breathe. As it gave way, loosening the hold on his waist, I felt him stop; his lips froze in place as he looked down into my eyes.

Say no and I’ll stop,
I said softly, my eyes scanning his for any doubt, but he licked his lips and nodded before pressing them hard against mine.

His zipper came next, retreating with ease as I pushed the army issued pants down over his firm bottom. I felt him gasp as I raked my hands over the skin of his back. I could feel him against me, hard and heavy, as he popped out from the confines of his clothes and gently I reached around to hold him. The moan that left his lips was agony on my senses.

Sam, I…
He started, but stopped as I felt him start to slide from my fingers.

His mouth moved from mine, venturing lower to tease the engorged pink nipples that raked against his chest. I whimpered at the feel of his hot mouth brushing over them.

His hands fumbling with the zipper of my own, annoyed at the lack of finesse, he moved his whole body and tugged the pants down over my hips. I wanted to laugh, but as his heated mouth moved down over my navel, it was all I could do to breath let alone think.

Fire erupted within me as he parted my thighs and flicked at the budging tip. I gripped a handful of his hair, trying not to pull as he dipped lower, his tongue parting the sensitive lips. Delving in and out of the wetness, I could feel myself surging over the top and the climax came faster than I had wanted as his fingers slipped inside.

Zander!
I pleaded, both hands on his shoulders now, and I felt him kick out of his jeans as he did away quite nicely with mine. Gently he moved, looking down at me as the thick tip of him pushed against the entrance of my womb. My breathing quickened, waiting for him to make the move, but he just stared, his mouth slightly open, and his eyes blazing with lightening. Slowly I reached up, cupping his face in my hands.
Now, Zander, please, I can’t wait anymore.

His eyes closed at my words and slowly he pushed in, separating the tightly clenched muscles, surrounding himself in the molten fire of my body. I had never felt so filled, unsure that I could take much more of him, but he moved, gently gliding with the motion of the waves of pleasure that spiraled through me. He kissed my neck, leaning down to my ear, and gently he rocked, my body surging upwards to another earth-shattering explosion. Inside I could feel the muscles tighten and grip him with such ferocity that I thought he wouldn’t be able to move, but the friction was what he needed. Quietly, the small sounds that he made became soft moans of pleasure.

My nails dug into his back as he surged forward and I raised my forehead to his shoulder, wrapping my legs tightly around his hips. Zander rocked, his hands tangling in my hair, and I felt him swell within me. He was close to the edge, but hanging on until I couldn’t take any more. It hit me like a tidal wave, a blast of heat and pleasure that seared me to the bone. Just as the fire inside me burst into an inferno, I felt him stiffen for a moment, then gently rock, slowing his pace until waves of passion died down and we were both left shaking.

I felt him relax after a moment of uncertainty, as if he were afraid that his weight was going to smother me, but then I heard him sigh, and quietly moan.

“Uh,” he complained. “Should I get up and check for fires?”

“Smartass!” I mumbled, snuggling closer to his warm neck. “I’m pretty sure the fire was contained.”

“Good, I really didn’t feel like moving,” he replied, kissing my shoulder. He turned his head and looked me in the eyes. “Did I hurt you?”