Demonfire (15 page)

This was almost the same, and
yet so amazingly different, this rhythmic dance of Eddy’s. There was no pain,
but the pleasure was so extreme it was torture to lie here and accept it
without responding.

“Eddy?” He groaned, leaned
close, and kissed her soft lips. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”

Eddy’s eyes stayed shut, but
she nodded, smiling broadly. She kept up the slow thrust and retreat of her
hips against his flank, of her thigh over his erection.

Dax slipped away from her
clasping legs, wrapped his legs around hers, and rolled over on top of her. He
trapped her wrists in his hands above her head and held her legs close
together. His cock pressed against her pubic mound…close, but not close enough.

“We have to get moving,” he
said, leaning down and kissing her. She grinned at him, totally unrepentant.

“You’re not moving nearly
enough.” She pouted. He leaned close and nipped her full lower lip.

“We don’t have time. Not now,”
he said, though there was nothing he wanted more than to lift his hips, allow
her to spread her legs the way she would if he didn’t have them trapped between
his, and sink into her heat.

Just thinking about it made
him groan. He leaned his head down and rested his forehead on Eddy’s. “I will
make love to you, Eddy Marks, but it’s going to be when we have the time to do
it right. Not when your father is waiting outside the bedroom door.”

“Oh shit!” She twisted away,
stared at the door, and whispered, “Dad’s out there?”

Dax nodded, grinning, and
whispered just as softly. “He is. I’m getting up now. You can let him in when
you’re decent.”

Dax slipped out of bed, but
not so fast that Eddy didn’t get a good glimpse of what she’d been holding
trapped beneath her leg. She’d never seen him erect. If she had, she might not
have let him escape so easily.

Damn, but he was absolutely
gorgeous with his muscular butt and flat belly, the ripple of muscles across
his chest and shoulders. The smooth line of his back and the way it curved into
the most perfect manflank she’d ever seen in her life.

She swallowed back the first
thought that popped into her head, how she’d just love to take a big bite of
that beautiful sweep of muscle and warm male.

Even the tattoo was beautiful
in a terrible way. The curve and color emphasized Dax’s powerful physique, the
natural strength in his long, ropey muscles. When he paused beside the bed and
stretched his long arms up over his head, she heard the sound of his spine
popping and joints cracking.

The snake’s mouth gaped open.
She was almost certain she saw a gleam on one of the long fangs and a spark of
intelligence in the creature’s eyes, but then Dax turned away and grabbed his
clothes off the chair beside the bed. While he pulled on his pants, Eddy
snatched up her clothes and raced into the bathroom.

She glanced over her shoulder
as she clutched the door and realized Dax had turned and watched her bare-assed
run across the room with typical male appreciation. He winked at her. Then he
reached for the bedroom door.

Giggling, Eddy slammed the
door to the bathroom shut before Dax opened the bedroom door to her father. She
heard her dad’s voice but couldn’t tell what he said, or if the men even stayed
in the room. She used the bathroom, washed her face, and brushed her teeth.
Then she carefully opened the door.

The bed was straightened up,
though not made. The room was empty, and Dax and her father were gone. Eddy
wrapped a towel around herself and dug through her old dresser in search of
clean socks and fresh underwear.

In just a couple of hours,
they’d be going into battle. For some stupid reason, her mother’s warning about
always wearing clean undies in case you have an accident was planted firmly in
her head.

It was easier than thinking of
what lay ahead.

Tuesday night—day three

Dax and Alton sat at the
table, poring over the city map with a plate of sandwiches and a bowl of chips
in front of them. Dax heard Eddy come into the kitchen, but he didn’t turn
around. When she stood behind Dax and reached for half a roast beef sandwich,
he tilted back, leaned the top of his head against her belly, and grinned up at
her. “Ed makes good sandwiches. I could get used to these.”

She shook her head, and the
damp strands of her short hair slapped the sides of her face. “Then you’d
better learn to make them. I only cook when I have to.” She took a bite and
pointed to a spot on the map. He glanced down and followed where her finger
led.

“There’s a big nursery here. I
thought of it while I was in the shower—it’s got a whole section devoted to
ceramic garden creatures. Deer, mice, birds—all sorts of things. There’s a huge
statue of a grizzly bear just outside the front. I can’t remember if it’s stone
or plastic or maybe concrete. I guess it’s okay if it’s plastic, right?”

Dax nodded. “Stone and ceramic
seem to be the avatars of choice. I’m not sure about plastic. Its basic component
is petroleum, but that might be a stretch.”

“Well, we haven’t seen any
plastic flamingoes flapping around, and all the garden gnomes I’ve seen have
been made of cheap ceramic.” She chewed and swallowed a big bite. “Alton, the
nursery is here on the southeastern end of town, so you and Dad need to check
it out.”

Alton nodded and made a note
on a small tablet. His list was already long. Willow buzzed across the room and
hovered in between the Lemurian and Dax, but her focus was entirely on Dax. Her
tiny wings beat so fast they practically disappeared.

You must
see if you can achieve the transfer
, she said, speaking telepathically
to him.

Damn.
He’d completely forgotten. Dax nodded, and Willow zipped across the room again
to hover beside Bumper.

Dax turned to Eddy and
shrugged. “Maybe I need to make lists the way Alton does. Willow just reminded
me I have to see if I can disincorporate and transfer into Bumper.” He grabbed
a sandwich and pushed his chair back. When Eddy started to follow, he stopped
her. “Watch from here if you like, but don’t come close. Not until I’ve done
the transfer a few times. There’s a risk that I could take over the body of the
wrong living entity. I only want to do this with Bumper. It might be too
confusing if I end up sharing your body.”

Eddy stared at him a minute.
Then she burst out laughing and leaned close. He caught a whiff of her fresh
scent and the flowery essence of her shampoo. His delight in her scent was so
great he had to close his eyes. Would he ever grow used to such pleasure?

Whispering in his ear, so
close that her breath tickled him, she said, “Dax, you can share my body any
time you want.”

Dax took a long, slow breath,
giving himself time to grasp whatever control he could. Then, as calmly as he
was able, he cast her a sidelong glance. “How come you didn’t tell me that
before I fell asleep?” Before she could move away, he planted a quick kiss on
her full lips.

She blinked in surprise. He
liked that he’d gotten her back after her tease. Then he stood up, grabbed
another half of a sandwich off the plate, and went out in the backyard with
Bumper and Willow on his heels.

He left Eddy sitting in the
kitchen with a big smile on her face. One almost as broad as the smile on his.

Dax found a quiet corner out
in the backyard near Ed’s workshop. Someone nearby had recently mowed their
lawn, and the rich scent of freshly cut grass tickled his nostrils. The air was
still, the early evening quiet. It was as good a time as any to practice
something he wasn’t really certain he could do.

Bumper sniffed around the
bushes, peed on a tuft of grass, and then planted her butt at his feet. Willow
flitted around, checking the area as he’d asked her to, making sure there were
no demons in hiding. He knew he’d be vulnerable until he got the hang of this.

“Okay, Willow. Have you
explained to Bumper what we’re planning?”

Willow hovered in front of
Dax’s face. Bumper yipped. It appeared they were ready. He wished he felt
better prepared. Wished he had a better understanding of what he could and
couldn’t do.

“You’ll need to show me what
to do first.”

She continued to hover in
front of his face. Instead of speaking in his head, Willow let him see visually
how to transfer his consciousness from his human body into a living creature.
It was a three-part process—moving his consciousness, the part that made him
Dax, out of the human body; reducing the human body to all its separate
molecular components so that he wouldn’t be leaving a mindless shell behind
that could be captured or destroyed by his enemies; and transferring his
consciousness into a living avatar.

It was essentially what the
Edenites had done to him after they found him in the void. He’d existed there
as consciousness only. His demon form had stayed in Abyss, probably as a meal
for one of his many enemies. The group from Eden must have reached into the
maelstrom of time and found this soldier’s body after its spirit had already
flown.

Of course, they had
refurbished it, added the tattoo and a few upgrades, and Dax had been sent
through the portal as a human. Yet in essence, he was still the demon. The very
soul of this body was demonkind. The powers that coursed through the tattoo,
bound though they were by the curse, were still those of a once-powerful demon.

He vaguely recalled he’d been
quite powerful on Abyss. So many of the memories of his life before the void
were faded, the recollections twisted and confused by the memories still a part
of this body.

He hoped the power he’d once
wielded as a demon would help him now. He stared at Willow, studying the
process she showed him, imagining each step that would disassemble the
molecules of the human body and yet leave his conscious mind intact.

It all made such perfect
sense. He had to be certain to separate his consciousness first, or even his
thoughts would dissipate with the evening breeze, never to recombine again.

Still, what sounded
complicated and confusing was really a very simple process—as long as he didn’t
screw anything up. The idea of floating free of his body without an anchor
scared the crap out of him, but he had Bumper standing by, ready and willing to
play host, and Willow for advice. He should be fine.

He glanced once toward the
house and saw Eddy’s face in the kitchen window. Her hands were clasped in
front of her lips, as if in prayer. Knowing she was so close, so worried about
him, gave Dax the courage he needed to take the next step.

He gazed once again at Willow.
She glowed brightly, drawing energy out of the air and sending it to him. Dax
absorbed it, inhaling as if he filled his lungs with oxygen, but taking all the
energy Willow had to give.

He paused a moment and allowed
his mind to absorb the energy. Felt the pressure build inside until power
literally pulsed in his veins. Then he began the process that should separate
him from his human body. The sensation was unlike anything he’d felt before—a
sudden twisting of reality, as if he’d been sucked down a long, narrow tube.

Then nothing. He blinked.
Looked down at his human hands, his large human feet. Ran his fingers over his arms
and stared at Bumper.

She wagged her tail and
yipped.

He tried it again, drawing
power, taking each step that should free his consciousness and disassemble his
body.

He should have been looking at
the world from less than two feet off the ground. He wasn’t. He was still Dax,
still human, still staring down at the dog and wondering what had gone wrong.

“Willow? What the hell
happened?”

There was no sign of the
sprite. “Willow? Willow, where are you?”

I am here.

He stared down at the dog.
Bumper’s tail swished in rapid delight. There was a suspicious blue sparkle in
her big, brown eyes.

“You’re in Bumper? I’m
supposed to be in Bumper. What happened?”

Obviously
your human body is unable to disassemble. Mine, however, does it beautifully.

“I can see that.” He planted
his hands on his hips and realized he felt mildly ridiculous talking to the
dog. “How come you can do it and I can’t?”

Bumper yipped.

Willow answered.
I imagine it has something to do with your powers, the tattoo,
and the curse. If you disincorporated your body, what happens to the tattoo? If
it dissipates, do your powers disappear?

Dax let out a big sigh. “I
hadn’t even thought of that. So, you can take on an avatar but I can’t.”

That’s how
it appears.

“Will you be able to get your
body back?”

He heard Willow’s laughter.
Feminine, almost sultry, she said,
I certainly hope so!

“Great.” He wasn’t used to
being bested by a sprite. Dax folded his arms across his chest and tried once
more to draw the power, to make the switch.

And again, nothing happened.

He glared down at the dog from
his usual height.

She stared at him out of
intelligent eyes.

“Willow? Are you still there?”

Yes. I
like this body. I can’t fly, but I’m stronger and I feel more sensations. Watch!
She took off and ran around the yard a few times. Dax watched, frustrated, as
Willow discovered what it was like to run like a dog, to smell the different
scents and hear the sounds through Bumper’s ultrasensitive ears.

Obviously, this was one demon
power he’d lost. At least he still had his fire and ice. “Willow?”

I’m here.

“I want you to come out so I
can see how long it takes you to get your body back.”

Do I have
to?

“Please, Willow. This isn’t a
game. Even though I can’t switch, we may have need for you to be able to do it.
I need to know how fast you are.”

I know.
Okay.

Willow took a bit longer than
Dax expected, but within a few seconds she buzzed by him, leaving a trail of
blue sparkles in her wake.

I want to
do it again!

Should he really feel jealous
of a sprite? “As often as you like, Willow. As long as Bumper doesn’t mind.”

Willow buzzed around him, then
disappeared into the dog. Bumper didn’t seem the least bit concerned when
Willow popped in and out of her consciousness.

Disappointed in his own lack
of ability, Dax watched as the sprite improved the speed of her shift with each
attempt. The tattoo throbbed across his torso, energized most likely by his
failed attempts and frustration. It seemed that the thing was more painful
whenever he used his demon skills. The pain appeared to be worse, if that was
at all possible, when he attempted something and failed.

How long before it was too
much? How long before he couldn’t handle it, couldn’t keep the damned thing
from gaining sentience? That’s what was happening. He knew it, sensed the snake
growing stronger, more self-aware each time it began to move across his body.

“Dax? Are you okay?” Eddy
walked across the lawn. He could barely see her. Hadn’t realized it had grown
dark while he’d been out here. “Alton and Dad are ready to leave. I thought we
should probably get going too. Are you okay? Are you ready?”

He nodded. “I am.” He studied
his shoes. “I failed to make the transfer.”

“I know. We watched.” She
grabbed his hands in hers. “I’m sorry. Did Willow? We couldn’t tell for sure.”

He nodded. “Yes. With ease.”
His failure left a sour taste in his mouth. He couldn’t believe he was jealous
of a will-o’-the-wisp, but Willow had managed something he’d been so sure he
could do, and she’d done it perfectly.

Eddy gazed into his eyes with
more awareness than he wished she had. “It’s not really an ability you’ll need,
is it? I know you thought for sure you’d be able to make the switch, but it
shouldn’t affect how you fight, should it?”

He shook his head. “I can
still fight. Willow thinks it’s because my powers are in the tattoo. Maybe I
can’t disassemble the tattoo and retain my demon powers. I wish I had a better
understanding of what I can and can’t do.”

Bumper shoved her nose against
his leg. He rubbed her curly head. “At least Bumper didn’t seem to mind a bit
when Willow moved in.”

Eddy reached down and rubbed
Bumper’s ears. “Bumper doesn’t mind anything as long as someone’s paying her
attention, do you, girl?”

Bumper leaned against Eddy’s
leg and groaned.

“See? What’d I tell you?
C’mon. The guys wanted to talk to you before they leave.”

Dax grabbed her hand. “First,
I need…”

“I wondered if all that stuff
would make this worse.” She sighed, shook her head, and quickly unbuttoned his
shirt. When her cool hands covered the snake, he almost wept. The moment she
touched him, the pain seemed more manageable. Even his frustration faded away.
The longer she pressed her palms to the tattoo, the better he felt.

When Eddy leaned close and
pressed her lips against the snake’s vicious head, the pain disappeared
entirely. His body felt strong again. Whole. He leaned forward and rested his
forehead against Eddy’s. “I could not do this without you. Thank you.”

She flashed him a bright
smile, though he still sensed the worry she hid from him. Then she buttoned his
shirt closed for him, touched his cheek with her fingertips, and turned toward the
house. “C’mon. They’re waiting.”

He heard the tremor in her
voice. She was definitely worried. What could he do, to take the worry away?

The only thing he knew. Kill
the demons. Make the world safe before he either returned to the void or took
his place in Paradise.