Reflection
An excerpt from 'Little Ghost - Pt 2'
If you’re in the US, today is Father’s Day—Happy Father’s Day to those who celebrate. I got some good feedback last week about the new format for the substack, and I hope that continues this week with the continuation of last week’s story. As always, feel free to leave me your feedback and comments, I read and respond to everything I receive!
Mara practically danced as she lead the way back into the kitchen. I hesitated, wondering if I should bring up my appetite as she started to gather things to eat. Before I could talk myself out of it, I managed to get the words out.
“Last night I went on a haunt to replenish, and I didn’t get much sleep. I can’t eat food like I used to, and being around it is kind of weird for me.” Actually, I really missed food. But my body couldn’t process it, and eating made me violently ill. “I think I’ll turn in for the night and try to catch up on the sleep I missed, since it sounds like your boy is on his way back anyway.”
“If you want I can—“
“No, of course not. Eat, you need to. We can do something fun in the morning!” I gave her my brightest smile. After a beat, she threw her arms around me, startling me so much I phased, and her arms went through me. Physical contact had been another thing that vanished quickly when I’d become a phantom. Jessa and Mara were usually the only people who touched me.
And Ryker, I reminded myself bitterly.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you.” She took a step back.
“It’s fine, honestly.” I phased back, wrapping her in a hug that felt foreign against my skin. “I don’t get hugs very often anymore.”
Pity shimmered in Mara’s eyes, and I didn’t want any part of that. I whispered a good night before heading back to my room. Using my magic to change from the swim suit to my pajamas, I curled up with a book under the covers. Exhaustion settled in quickly, though, and I drifted off quickly.
Night had settled like a blanket over my room, and I looked at the small clock, its glowing red numbers telling me it was the middle of the night. I pushed the covers back, cursing the instinct to be awake at this hour, to hunt for fear, terror, panic. My eyes adjusted nearly as fast as Jessa’s would have, and to my horror they landed on a mirror in the corner of the room. I couldn’t tear my gaze away, but no echo of my death looked out at me, and I realized then I must be dreaming.
“It’s weird that you dream about looking at yourself in the mirror, little ghost.” Ryker’s voice came from behind me, and I whirled.
“I’m not surprised you don’t understand what trauma is like, mutt.” I growled. “Get out of my room.”
“This is your dream. Make me.” His smile, the same one from earlier in the day, was more of a threat than anything else.
Stalking over, I shoved at him, but he caught my arms, immobilizing me. I nearly stumbled as he started walking, forcing me backward until my shoulder blades bumped against the wall. His gaze raked hungrily over me, and for the second time today I wondered what it would be like to kiss him. To have him. To let him touch every part of me and lay claim to me. Stupid qarinah blood. I wish that power had never stirred in me, and I saw the moment he felt those things in me, his eyes flaring.
“You do want me.” The triumph in his voice was enough to stoke my anger.
“No, Ryker. I don’t. Latent magic that has been dormant in my body for a century and a half wants you. And it doesn’t want you, it wants to feed on you. The same way I’m positive your incubus side wants to feed on me.” I sighed, trying to force him from my dream.
“I don’t think so.” He shook his head, a smirk replacing the menacing smile from before. “I can sense your feelings, not your libido, little ghost.”
“Emotional magic doesn’t work on me.” I huffed, calling his bluff.
“That’s true, but I’m not trying to manipulate your feelings. I’m just reading them. And you want me.” Something flared in his eyes, and I felt a tether on my control snapping.
“What does that matter?” I growled. “It’s not real. It’s driven by the magic. The same way you don’t really want me, I just represent a challenge that appeals to both of your baser natures.”
“Only one way to find out.” He breathed.
I didn’t have time to figure out what he meant as his body pressed into mine, his mouth claiming mine in a searing kiss that seemed to disengage every defense mechanism I’d put up to keep people like him out. Desire barreled through me, and I could feel it rippling off of him as well as he pawed at my shirt, pulling open the silk buttons and scattering them over the floor.
The skin of his bare chest pressed against my now-exposed breasts, and what was left of my control evaporated. My hands fisted in his hair, his hands at the backs of my thighs all the incentive I needed to wrap my legs around his waist. I gasped at the feel of him now pressed against my center. Every single nerve ending in me was alive in a way I hadn’t felt since before I’d turned. I pulled my mouth away from his.
“Take me to bed.” I demanded, and he immediately obliged, his lips locking back into mine as he fell onto me.
Exhilaration flooded me, along with power. I could feel a well of magic filling within me, but I shoved that thought aside as another wave of arousal coursed through me. Reaching between us, I fumbled with the waistband of his pants, pushing them down, grazing the hot skin of his hips. Ryker moaned into my mouth, and his weight lifted off me.
A noise of protest I didn’t recognize escaped my throat at the loss of contact, and I watched greedily as he shoved the pants down his legs. The small voice in the back of my head telling him this was a bad idea finally fell silent as he dragged my silk shorts and underwear down my legs, tossing them aside.
“You’re stunning.” He breathed, his eyes catching mine again in the darkness, and I could see the hunger blazing in them.
“And you have me naked beneath you.” I shot back. “What do you intend to do about it?”
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xo
Grace