"Yes, yes!" the man yelled.
Yes, I thought. My muscles tensed, and the skin on my shoulder stretched, then split. Shawn's mark was tearing open. I ignored the pain because the pleasure building was greater. Besides, I didn't want to think about Shawn just then.
Elements raged, swirling above me in blue, gold, red, and shimmering brown. My legs straightened and my hips thrust up as the rest of my body was paralyzed with waves of pleasure. The climax lasted forever, straining my muscles to the point of snapping.
I dropped the rock before I hurt something, and my palm involuntarily closed around something hard and cool. When I realized what, it was already too late.
The Chalice.
I shot up, still riding waves that propelled me even faster. Within seconds I had arrived at the pinpoint of light that was all too familiar to me now. Only this time, I was a giant compared to the men. They turned toward me, caught off guard and in shock.
I lifted my arm and waved my hand across a small group standing closest to me. Each man disappeared in a tiny poof of smoke. Not murder; release. Mouths opened, the rest turned to me. Everyone paused; aftershocks still rocked my body. I squeezed my eyes closed, riding them out. When I opened them again, it was my turn to let my jaw drop. They were all bowing down to me.
The leader was the first to rise, a smile on his face. He nodded once to me. I nodded back, then returned to my body before I could do anything wrong. For once, I had managed to do something right.
I sat up on the rock, gasping for breath. I set the Chalice down and looked around me. The charms were losing their glow, and the elements above were dispersing. Still, energy hummed throughout my body.
I slowly lay back down with my hands behind my head when the notion hit me. "Damn, the Great Rite really does work." I rolled to my side, flush with contentment.
Chapter 21
Pieces
"Easy there, princess."
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "You again?" The sleep I was getting wasn't worth this.
He smiled, his gun aimed at my chest. "Where is the baby?"
I stepped forward so that it pressed against my shirt. I closed my fist, reared it back, and then forward. I connected with Shawn's jaw. His head lurched to the side, but he kept his balance. He rubbed his jaw and looked at me again. "Kaitlyn, the baby is mine."
I threw my hands up in frustration and stepped around him. Stopping Akasha wasn't the right decision, but nor was releasing it. Killing Shawn outright wouldn't have an effect; he was just a figment of my imagination – part of the dream, just like the landscape.
The wall of fire seemed real enough. I held my hand up to it. Searing heat greeted my palm, but the skin didn't blister. I bit my lip, then stuck my arm all the way through. After a few seconds, I pulled it back. My skin was unmarred.
I took a deep breath, stuck my foot straight out in front of me, and stepped forward. Two large strides with my eyes closed. On the other side of the wall was a gray, desolate landscape as far as I could see. I walked around the wall, still blazing with flame. The sky outside the wall was a dull blue. I kicked at the chalky dirt. A vast desert of nothingness. This wasn't where I belonged. I stepped back through the wall of flame.
* * *
Susan and Alex joined me by the fire the next morning. Still unsure if they were the pair I heard last night, I avoided eye contact anyway. At least until Alex said, "We have to tell you something."
I locked eyes with Susan. With what had occurred last night, I jumped to conclusions. My eyes traveled down to her midsection, looking for telltale signs of pregnancy. I hadn't noticed her morning sickness yet, but some women didn't get it – the lucky ones, anyway. I could definitely see Susan falling into that category.
Susan flinched, then turned to Alex. "We need more wood, would you mind?"
He looked confused; this obviously hadn't gone the way he expected.
"And take Bee with you?" Susan asked, fixing him with a pointed look of raised eyebrows.
"Come on, peanut, let's see if this state has any honeysuckle." He held out his hand for her and she hopped up, tempted by promises of dessert for breakfast.
After their voices were out of earshot, she turned back to me. "I'm not pregnant."
"Oh," was all I could say.
"If you must know, I have an intrauterine device for birth control, put there before Daybreak. The relationship between me and Alex has obviously…escalated." Her cheeks went red. "And we have definitely discussed kids; at least after this whole 'Shawn' thing is over. But there haven't exactly been any gynecologists running around the woods, or on gambling steamboats, and I'm too afraid to remove it myself." She took a deep breath and looked at me, "Satisfied?"