Forsaken Talisman Read online

  “I like…the way that sounds,” Skylar gasped as Dusty thrust even deeper. “Mrs. Clements…”

  She lowered her hands to his chest, the new diamond ring on her finger shining brilliantly. Yesterday, Stephan and Mariah, Dusty and Skylar had gotten married in a small service at city hall. They’d kept it simple, to avoid the press and the potential problem of David inviting himself to their wedding.

  But today was the real ceremony.

  Skylar could feel the beginnings of her orgasm rippling across her skin, could feel the tension of Dusty’s impending release, and could “feel” Mariah in her mind. It still took some getting used to, considering she pretty much always knew what was going on in her sister’s head. Since the very first moment they’d hugged a month ago, a link had flared to life between them. Senses, emotions, and even thoughts and phrases passed unhindered from mind to mind. Sometimes they were able to block, but it seemed the higher the emotion, the stronger the connection.

  Skylar had gotten used to tangibly experiencing Mariah and Stephan’s sexual interludes. It was an interesting type of voyeurism that the sisters had learned to live with and even enjoy.

  But sometimes the voyeurism went a little farther.

  Skylar moaned as Dusty sped up his movements. She was so close, she had trouble forming a coherent thought, let alone a complete sentence. “Dusty…more than just you…are going to…watch me come,” she panted.

  “Oh God, not again,” he groaned as Mariah stepped out of his closet.

  Skylar just smiled. The mental bond between her and Mariah was so strong, it didn’t bother Skylar to have her sister watch her make love to Dusty. They already felt what the other felt, and watching was just a continuation of that shared connection.

  But their men still weren’t quite used to it.

  Dusty stopped thrusting and dropped Skylar’s dress so it covered where they were joined. “Dammit. I thought The Order fixed that portal—” He broke on a moan as Skylar shifted her hips “—so it didn’t dump you off in my closet anymore,” he finished in a mad rush.

  Mariah laughed. “Oh, they did. There’s another door in the main room…but I had them keep this one available in case I need to get to Skylar fast, or if she needs to get to me…”

  “Or if she wants to catch us in the act,” Skylar finished between panting breaths.

  “Which isn’t hard considering it’s a frequent pastime.” Mariah snorted.

  “Oh, it’s hard, all right,” Skylar teased as she rocked on Dusty. He let out a muffled groan, his jaw locked as he tried to hold back. Skylar fought the desire to come right then. Too close…

  She closed her eyes and immediately got lost in the moment, letting herself go completely, forgetting about anything but the need to take Dusty and herself to paradise. Her whole body shuddered, the waves of release shaking her to her core. Dusty moaned and came inside her. His warm spurts of semen bursting against her womb took her over the edge again.

  In the corner of the room, Mariah let out a soft gasp.

  As the three of them began to recover, Stephan called out from the closet. “Mariah, you in there?”

  Skylar’s eyes shot open as Stephan stepped out of the closet. “God, not again,” he groaned.

  “Again,” Mariah growled, tackling Stephan and pushing him back through the closet.

  “Again?” Skylar asked Dusty.

  “Again,” he replied, his cock already thickening inside her.

  * * * * *

  “Can I come in?” Twyla asked as she walked in the door of Skylar and Dusty’s room in the compound.

  “Nope,” Mariah teased.

  “Hey Twyla.” Skylar threw a casual smile at Mariah’s best friend. Twyla returned the smile before looking away, moving toward the mirror, adjusting her dark green velvet dress.

  In the past month, Skylar had spent a lot of time with Twyla. Yet even with Mariah’s memories and feelings toward Twyla filling Skylar’s subconscious, she still didn’t feel like she really knew Twyla. Skylar couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but it was like Twyla was unapproachable, as though she was wearing a big “do not trespass” sign. Skylar wondered if even Mariah knew Twyla as well as she thought she did.

  Skylar swiped on her deodorant, then tossed it to her sister. “You and Stephan were going at it pretty hard so you should probably reapply.”

  “Subtle hint taken.” Mariah rolled her eyes and slid a hand down the front of her silver and lavender dress, putting on the deodorant.

  Twyla grinned. “Do the four of you do anything else but fuck like rabid bunnies?”

  “I still eat chocolate,” Mariah called out as though it was a huge accomplishment.

  Twyla snorted. “Yeah, I know. I brought you a little…ur…a big something. Probably not as big as Stephan though.” She tossed Mariah a gaily-wrapped package then tossed one to Skylar, too. “Not like either of you need a backup…”

  Skylar and Mariah looked at each other, then tore into their packages. Both of them burst into laughter when they opened their boxes.

  A beautiful, large and solid chocolate cock was nestled in red satin. It was decadent, luscious and Skylar had to take a bite. She put the sweet package up to her lips at the same moment Mariah did the same with hers.

  “Such a Kodak moment,” Twyla said wryly. “The two of you all dressed up fancy for this binding ceremony, big chocolate dicks hanging out of your mouths.”

  Mariah bit the tip off, and grinned. “Thanks, Twyla.”

  Tucking the luscious dessert back in the box for later, Skylar wiped her hands free of any remaining chocolate before straightening her simple white silk sheath dress, and slipping into a pair of matching sandals. “I’m ready to go.”

  “Let’s do this.” Mariah’s dress shimmered as she stood up from the bed. The sometimes-lavender, sometimes-silver fabric was gorgeous, and somehow managed to both reveal and conceal. The necklace Twyla had made for her months ago, that had helped bring her and Stephan together, hung proudly around her neck.

  “Not yet.” Twyla halted them. “C’mere you two. I’m gonna get mushy. I want to offer up a toast…a blessing…whatever you want to call it. Something about you two finding the men of your dreams, you lucky bitches.” She put a hand to her chest, then winked. “Oh, did I say that? Naw, seriously, I want to endow you with further…umm…sanctity.” She grinned.

  Twyla took one of each woman’s hands, but hers was cold to the touch and Skylar shivered. Twyla squeezed their hands and her eyes fell shut as the mere whisper of strange sounding words fell from her lips. Every time Skylar tried to focus on what she was saying, the words seemed to become even less clear.

  Twyla’s eyes blinked open and she smiled just as the door behind them burst open. Michael ran in, weapons drawn, eyes sharp as he scanned the room. “What’s going on? You okay?” He stepped closer to Mariah. “What just happened? I felt you in danger.”

  “Ummm, no, we’re fine.” Twyla pulled her hands from the two sisters and stepped away.

  Mariah narrowed her eyes. “Danger? We’re fine. Girl-talkin’ and getting ready. Your senses must be off.”

  Michael shook his head and warily watched Twyla as she walked through the door and into the hallway.

  He turned back to Mariah, somehow managing to look even more striking than usual in his dark charcoal gray high-collared suit. “It’s time.”

  “You two ready in there?” Jake shouted from down the hall. “I’m getting gray hairs waitin’ for this thing to start.”

  “You can’t rush perfection,” Skylar called back. She linked arms with Mariah and together they exited the room, Michael following.

  The group waiting for them in the living area was almost unrecognizable. Quite a motley crew, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Jake was done up in a green button-down shirt and dark blue trousers—quite the departure from his patrol clothes. Marlin, dapper but sleek in a gray silk shirt and black pants. Ana stood next to him, dressed in a pale blue strapless dres
s that made her look like an elegant starlet from the fifties. Ryan in neatly cut all black. Stephan wore a sharp ultra-dark plum tuxedo with tails, and a bowtie the same shimmery material of Mariah’s dress. Few men could get away with what he was wearing, but Stephan looked stunning. Skylar could feel Mariah’s appreciation, and her desire to remove Stephan’s tuxedo as soon as possible.

  But the only one Skylar really had eyes for was Dusty. He was dressed to the nines in a royal blue tuxedo similar to Stephan’s, but finished off with a pair of white sneakers. Skylar smiled. At least they were new sneakers.

  She stepped up to him, straightening his bowtie. “Some things never change,” she teased. Sliding her hands around his neck, she pulled him down to her level so she could kiss him.

  He grinned against her mouth and lifted her to face level, holding her tight to his chest so he could kiss her more thoroughly.

  A flash of blue light interrupted their kiss and Fiero appeared, a pleased smile wide across his face. He was dressed in a silver-grey ceremonial robe with runic lettering embroidered on thick white ribbons streaming down from his neck to the floor.

  “Nice robe,” Jake snickered.

  “Jealous, Jake?” asked Ana. “You wouldn’t look that hot in it.”

  “Hey!” Jake interjected. “You didn’t say anything last time you saw me in a robe.”

  Ana rolled her eyes. “You were wearing a fuzzy, stained and full of holes bathrobe and were about as far from sexy as I’ve ever seen.”

  As Jake fumbled for a reply, Fiero chimed in. “Just because I’m dead doesn’t mean I don’t make a pretty corpse.” He walked over to Ana, took her in his arms and dipped her deeply before ravishing her with a kiss. “If you were dead, I’d be in heaven.”

  Ana playfully swatted Fiero as he set her back on her feet. He waved a hand while uttering a low chant and a portal opened up. “Come on through. The party’s just beginning. Go on in to the sacellum. That’s where the ceremony will take place.”

  “Are you nervous?” Skylar whispered to Dusty.

  “Not about being bound to you. I’m just wondering about the rest of this…”

  Together, they stepped into a whole new world. The binding ceremony would take place on a sacred level, a dimension not often opened to anyone outside of the Sacred Order. Skylar stood at Dusty’s side, her eyes wide as her gaze drifted from the façade of a huge white castle-like building and over the grounds surrounding it.

  Everything seemed a little brighter, a little cleaner, a little more colorful here. Sunlight—was it a sun?—shone down on them with a pleasant warmth. The sky was a crystal blue, completely pure in its color. Brilliant green grass stretched for miles and miles, over rolling hills and valleys.

  It was almost too perfect. Skylar was afraid that by breathing she would somehow damage the perfection. But she inhaled anyway, and even her lungs seemed to wallow in the glory of this place.

  Dusty leaned over and whispered in her ear. “I’m afraid I’m going to burp and lightning will strike me down.”

  Skylar slapped a hand over her mouth before she could snort out her laughter. “You are horrible,” she mumbled between her gaping fingers.

  “I know,” he replied mischievously, then pulled her fingers from her mouth and brushed his lips over hers. “You ready to do this?”

  “Of course. You trying to back out?”

  “Oh, hell no. I want to be bound to you forever. I want to know that through this life and into the next and even the one after that, you’ll be at my side. In fact, I won’t give you a chance to back out.” He picked her up and carefully slung her over his shoulder. “Where’s this ceremony taking place?”

  Skylar giggled as she bounced along, Dusty lightly smacking her ass in time with his footsteps.

  Without warning, he quickly lowered her to the ground. Still somewhat dizzy, she stumbled, and turned around.

  Adrian stood a few feet away, watching them. “Hey Skye…”

  It had been a month since she’d seen him. A month of wondering if he was okay, if the strange new world they’d both stumbled into would ever allow her to see her best friend again.

  Her heart stuttered as she discovered the changes in him. He’d gained muscle and his eyes looked more intense. Like he was becoming a sharpened version of himself. A man who used instinct and cunning to find his prey. But he was still her Adrian. She ran into his arms, the tears blurring her vision. “Adrian? God, I can hardly believe it’s you. How?”

  “Got the day off for good behavior.”

  She pulled back to look into his eyes to see if he was telling the truth, if his new life was really that bad. He smiled. “I’m joking, Skye. Well, kinda. But I wouldn’t miss this for the world. I wouldn’t miss seeing you…” He brushed a stray lock of hair off her face then dropped his hand back to his side.

  “But you’re okay?”

  “Yeah. They’re working me hard, but I feel like I’m really getting somewhere. I can almost find a needle in a haystack.” At that, he grinned, and a spark of the old Adrian shone through. She smiled.

  Skylar…come…something to see…

  Mariah’s thoughts registered enough to bring Skylar out of the shock of seeing Adrian again. She reached out for Dusty’s hand. “I need to go inside now.” She gestured to the sacellum behind them. “You’re coming, right?” she asked Adrian.

  He nodded and the three of them walked into the building.

  It was just as beautiful as the rest of everything she’d seen so far since stepping through the portal. Roses and other flowering vines climbed sections of the walls giving off an incredibly delicate fragrance. The ceiling was the brilliant blue sky and birds perched among the crenellations as though in audience of the ceremony. It was almost like a sacred walled garden, but it felt more powerful. Fountains poured scented water into a pool at the heart of the sacellum.

  There were people milling around. A lot of people. Skylar wondered who they all were and why they’d turned out to see the binding ceremony. “Do you know who any of these people are?” Skylar asked both Dusty and Adrian.

  Dusty shook his head. “A few. But mostly not.”

  “Higher beings, and some lookie loos. Your joining today is being celebrated all over,” Adrian said. Although his voice was casual, there was a bit of pain behind his words. “This doesn’t happen often.”

  Mariah came rushing through the crowd, her eyes alight with love and excitement. “Skylar, come here. There’s someone…well, someones, I want you to meet.”

  Hands clasped, Mariah and Skylar stepped through the crowd. Eyes followed their every move. Mariah didn’t seem to notice, but Skylar did. It was strange. Very strange to be considered so important. She wanted to shout out that she was just Skylar, nothing more than that…but she knew it wouldn’t do any good. Somewhere along the way someone had decided she was important. She stifled a nervous giggle.

  Mariah suddenly drew to a halt in front of a stunning couple. The man was incredibly handsome, his dark brown hair and mustache both sprinkled with gray, his eyes a deep silver blue. The woman standing next to him was obviously his wife or partner—the love pulsing between the two was obvious. Her dark blonde hair fell in long waves over her shoulders and tears filled her light hazel green eyes. Skylar smiled lightly, and looked to Mariah for the answer to why they were here.

  “Skylar, this…” Mariah choked up. “I want you to meet our mom and dad.”

  Amazement. Shock. The world seemed to spin as she stared into the faces of the parents she’d never known. The parents who had died before she’d even known of their existence.

  Mariah? How?

  Instead of Mariah answering, her father stepped forward, taking her hand. His eyes sparkled, a mix of happiness and tears. “My little one. Death does not always signify the end. Just as in life, there are many levels of existence. Sometimes life and death can meet. This is one of those places.”

  Skylar stepped into her parents waiting arms, Mariah at her side. Alt
hough the story of her strange birth still seemed unbelievable to her, at this moment, everything became real. These were her parents. Somehow, someway, she’d come from them.

  Thirty minutes later, the couples stood side by side, as the ceremony commenced. The crowd from earlier, including Adrian and her parents—had gathered en masse, watching as the binding took place.

  A spiritual aura emanated from Fiero, surrounding the couples as he spoke the binding words, only a few of which Skylar understood. But the meaning was clear. Their souls were linked, their lives, their very existences forever joined through this life and beyond.

  Fiero led the couples to a nearby fountain and in turn, dipped their hands in the viscous fluid. It was warm and comforting to the touch, almost like paraffin. Dusty intertwined his fingers with hers beneath the liquid and together they pulled their hands free. Skylar was surprised that they were completely devoid of any residue.

  Dusty looked down at her and winked, his sweet smile touching her heart the way it always did. Skylar could feel the excitement of the crowd, could feel Mariah’s joy, could feel Dusty’s love wrapping around her, through her, completing her.

  Skylar sighed contentedly as Dusty lowered his mouth to hers, sealing the ceremony. They’d won. Nothing and no one would ever come between them.

  * * * * *

  The binding ceremony was lovely, but it was no less than what Twyla had expected. Stephan and Mariah, Dusty and Skylar, they were the lucky ones. They got their happy ending.

  And that was wonderful. It was great. Really.

  A vase of roses on the nightstand perfumed the air of her bedroom. Candlelight glinted off the amethyst in her hand as she pondered the powerful purple hued crystal point. Her happy ending would never come. Without Freeze, there was no happiness to be found. Months had passed, the memories hadn’t faded and she was feeling just as dead as Freeze.

  Letting him go would likely pain her forever.