“I didn’t really see anyone to tell.” Oh, I am so glad I am not Pinocchio.
“Oh.”
“When I finally did get my hands on her phone, which was just before I came back, I Googled you,” I say truthfully, now running my hand down his chest casually, but it’s enough to distract him. “I wanted to know where you were so I could come and find you.”
His eyes light up at that. “And, where was I? Here in Miami?”
“Yes. Just as you are now, only human.” Nicely diverted, as that will give him something else to think about.
“Human. Wow, I just can’t even imagine it. Were you going to come and find me?”
“Of course. If I had been stuck there, I would have come for you.”
He grins but then his smile fades. “That must have been difficult for you to know that Devon was…gone.”
“It was, but I held onto the hope that I would get back to you both and I did,” I say, wishing this conversation closed as I kiss him. It works and he kisses me back, pushing me on to my back and making love to me, and then I just have to take him, so I straddle him, wrapping my legs around him and dropping my fangs. He hisses as I bite him harshly and, savoring the taste of him, we come together, and I pull back just as another unwelcomed visitor makes a sudden appearance. I sigh as Cole looks startled and she narrows her eyes at me and says, “What happened here?”
I shake my head imperceptibly and she projects into my head, “Well, Lil’ Sis, not sure how you managed to shift time like this, but you will have to tell me about it sometime.”
“May we help you?” Cole asks, struggling to pull the covers up over us as she focuses on him, hands on her hips. Purple leather this time. Does she wear anything else?
“Hm, I can think of plenty of things you could help me with,” she murmurs seductively at him, as she sits next to us on the bed.
He looks mortified and I put my hand up to her face. “Look at him like that again and I will rip your eyes out.”
She chuckles and flops onto her back, putting her legs straight up in the air and crossing them at the ankles.
“It worked,” she says to me casually.
“Oh?” I ask.
She turns her head to me. “Don’t sound so surprised, I am capable of being you.”
“Erm, Liv? What is she doing here?” Cole asks, shuffling uncomfortably as I am still straddling him and of course we are both naked under the thin sheet.
“Your wife here is helping me with a project in return for some information I have.”
“Oh? And what would that be exactly?”
“I am helping her to be nicer,” I say as I pull a face at her. “So, if it’s working, tell me what I want to know.”
“Don’t you want to hear how it is working?” she asks.
“Not particularly,” I say, as I really don’t want to hear the gory details.
She rolls onto her stomach now and, keeping her legs in the air, bent at the knee, ankles crossed, she says anyway, “Oh, he is responding to me. As in, for the first time in forever he looked at me. Really looked at me.”
Cole clears his throat, not wanting to hear this either.
“Look, Liv. We don’t really want to hear this. I am glad that it is working, but can you tell me what I want to know now, please,” I press with earnest.
“Sure.” She sits up now and we both lean forward. “As I said before, you can only defeat him in the Spirit Realms with the real sword which is also there. In order to get to the Spirit Realms, you have to piggyback a ride.”
“Beg pardon?” I say. “How do I do that?”
“Stop interrupting and I will tell you,” she chides. “When he is here you have to banish him and just before he disappears you have to take hold of him. Sink your claws in for good measure, as he will not want you following him back. You will get one chance so pick your moment. Not too soon and not too late. Once he knows what you are going to do, he will fight tooth and nail, excuse the pun,” she snickers at her own joke, “to stop you.”
Okay, this is good. Useful stuff, finally. “Then what?”