Nightshade Ch. 04

Through their clothes, he could feel Bella's soft curves push back against his hard body as she shifted. A cool tingle spread over her as the twilight mist seeped through her clothes and flowed down along her body. The mist caressed her as it swirled down along her breasts, up against her stomach, and as it pooled and teased along her inner thighs and covered crotch. The mist knew nothing of clothes or restrain as it swirled and pooled around them.

"My dear Bella, no god sent me to you. Twilight and shadow let me find you, and like a dream, I would comfort you." Ciro began moving his hands down along Bella's shoulders. Suddenly, he felt it. There was something in her that pushed his warming energy away. Ciro continued to press his hands against her shoulders as the passionate mist pooled and gathered against the unseen wall.

"Bella... why do you refuse my touch?" Ciro asked softly as he let his soft words and warm breath caress her ear. Though he could guide his energy into her arms, something kept it from spreading. Something was keeping him from reaching deeply into her to fill her with the warm mist. The dark mist swirled against her, pushing against the barrier harder and harder like growing waves against a dam. His energy loomed like black storm clouds gathering on the horizon. He could let the mist caress her, but she rejected it. It kept his energy from easing her from within.

Bella could feel the dark mist around her as her body rejected its warmth.

"Fear and pain keep you locked away, binding you to them. I've seen the memory that plagues your sleep. Will you let me ease this pain and calm this fear?" Ciro asked softly as he rested against her. It was a powerful emotional barrier that was keeping him out.

He had seen barriers like these before and he knew how to ease it away. Most recruits that the Righteous Sword found for their Shadow Warriors had these emotional barriers. These barriers were hard to understand, let alone detect. Ciro could feel it though. The force that kept Bella from accepting energy, the way his darkness sought to soothe her. Ciro had brought down many of these barriers, and he knew how to bring down the protective walls Bella had forged within her.

Bella sighed as the mist caressed, swirled and pulsed with a life of its own. Her body seemed to throb and come alive, her hands clenching in Ciro's hair as his lips brushed hers, the barest of kisses that only left in its wake a yearning for more. She arched her body against his as his hands slid over her arms, the dark mist seeping into her as hers had him. His to comfort. Hers to heal. One light. One dark. Yet two were equally just as powerful. The illusion of pleasure was shattered when he spoke of pain and her barriers. Scared to deal with her inner personal demons,, her breath hitched and she attempted to jerk from his arms, his arms wrapping around her and holding her tight even as she pushed and tried to pry herself from his grip.

It was his steady unflinching gaze meeting hers that stilled her. Her mind was chaos, a whirlwind of images and feelings - both nightmare and memory - that had plagued her for the last twenty one years. As a child of five she had had no knowledge of what happened to her, but every night for the last few weeks they had grown worse. And worse yet, was the feeling that another entity were directing her dreams. Almost as if they WANTED her to remember, to be afraid, to run. She stared at Ciro, a silent pleading in her eyes as she read the emotions in his eyes, what few she could see.

Strength and conviction, honesty and genuine concern. The first two went with her like the air she breathed. The third she knew could be an illusion. The last, she had never had from anyone outside her family. He blinked once, but his mercury eyes held her gaze, her body relaxing against him little by little till her breathing calmed and her heartbeat slowed to normal. Silently, she allowed her eyes to drift closed, the long black lashes a pair of dark crescents on her cheeks. She sought inward, attempting to block out all sounds and thoughts, feelings and emotions. It was then, and only then, in that calm that she found her barriers. They had been so much a part of her that it was hard to push against them, much less drop them. Inwardly she could see a high endless wall of solid brick. It stretched into the darkness of her mind, showing no end in any direction . . . north, south, east, west. . . every way she looked there was no weakness.

It occurred to her then that she had inherited her father's psychic abilities, the strong shields, the telepathy, the telekinesis . . . all of it had been passed on to her through her father's blood. But it was her mother's strength she summoned. Though she had never manifested into Laroux form in puberty, she still had the enhanced strength, speed, and flexibility of her wolf brethren. It was this that she called up on - not to break through the wall - but to chip away at it till a small hole appeared in her mind . . . one that let the memories out.

One that let Ciro in. . .

Ciro could feel the small chink that Bella had made for him. The black mist that had built up around her began to seep through the gap like water trickling from a dam. Feeling Bella's barriers slowly begin to give, Ciro knew that this would be his chance. As the mist breached the barrier, it began to eat away at the wall, widening the gap in the barrier. With control over the mist that took him years to master, he eased the pouring mist, keeping it from overtaking her like the deluge of a breaking dam. Without the control, the mist would have flooded into her with the crushing force of a nightmare. Using the mist, Ciro began to wash away the walls that Bella had hid behind for so long.

Ciro smiled softly as he felt it. The darkness that had begun reawakening memories within her while she slept. The walls that protected Bella also kept her beautiful light out. It was this light that had begun to cast shadows within her, shadows that began to act on their own. Bella needed this, she need Ciro to find a way to reach her. The black mist flowed through her like a powerful current of water. From within, he could see the scars along the barrier that the nightmare had chipped away at. Painful glimmers seeped through these cracks. This was the cause of her dreams.

~Be strong... ma Bella...~ The shadows whispered to her as they pulsed and ebbed along the wall, taking it down bit by bit. With the force of an ever-flowing tide, they washed away the nightmare and darkness within her. Ciro's darkness consumed the growing darkness within her, leaving Bella with the beautiful light that her energy held captive.

Through his hands, and only through his hands, the warm passionate mist seethed and smoldered into her. His hands moved down along her back, his palms pressing and gently massaging as they went. His fingers trailed down her spine as they pressed lightly against her through her shirt. Ciro's strong hands pressed down along her lower back before finding their way up to her shoulders again. He smiled softly as he massaged the passionately hot energy into Bella, letting it soak through her, soothing and caressing her from within.

Bella was washed back with the dark tide, finding herself in Ciro's embrace again. His lips rested against her neck, comfortingly as they had in the park. His hands moved along her back in broad, gentle strokes. She could feel her mind freed from the walls. Ciro embraced her warmly, not wanting to let her slip into darkness again.

~I was never in darkness, it just felt like that because . . .~ Bella froze, realizing for the first time she was protecting telepathically.

She could also read Ciro's thoughts.

It was different than with Dylan and Sage, to whom she had blood ties to. This, this was similar, but private. She could almost see the pathway in the depths of her mind. Slowly, Bella leaned back as she was held within Ciro's embrace. Her hands framed his face, emerald green meeting the startling slash of silver head on, her body trembling as the mist sought every corner of her body, soul and mind. It was like a hot burst of lava inside her after years spent in arctic chill. Her heartbeat kicked a rapid thudding in her chest, as she leaned her forehead against his, she felt his own heartbeat quicken against her chest. It reminded her of their positions, their close proximity. She closed her eyes and sighed, her breath warm and sweet against his face.

~They will try to kill you, mi moreno salvador , and take your life merely for being in this town.~ Her lips hovered mere inches from his own, her mind reaching out to his. He was not of her blood, but then again neither had her father been when he too had been able to talk through their own private channel in their minds. Her eyes, when they met his once again were filled with curiosity, consideration, and conviction.

~Never have i asked something so much for myself~ Her mind whispered, filled with images of passion and strength, loyalty and truth. ~Take me and we take on the world. Otherwise . . . i will leave now and we will meet again and I will be forced to kill you against my will.~

She leaned in, her hands sliding down to loosely hold his neck as once again she leaned in, the scent that was uniquely hers drifting around him as the mist had to her.

~What say you Ciro Terrago, mi moreno salvador. Return back to the world as we know it? Or accept what has come and fight the world?~

"I came here because you felt you had a debt to repay, it is repaid." Ciro told her softly, not wanting to deal with the cold choice that lay before him. His shadow had betrayed him, leading him to a woman he would desire and love, but could never have. His eyes echoed of the painful choice he had to make, but he could see it in her eyes as well. She was offering to throw everything away for him. Her family, her duty, everything she had, she had so much more to lose than he had.

But what he had to lose was control. Only the Righteous Sword knew how to bring him back from the black abyss of the shadows. If he lost himself to the darkness, could Bella handle it? He knew that she had no idea of what she asked of him. Who he was, how dangerous he could be. She never needed to know...

Ciro took in Bella's scent. It was warm and inviting, full of life and hope. Hope... He had long since given up on hope. With Bella's hands loosely around his neck, Ciro lifted his to cradle the side of her face. He guided her into a gentle kiss, tasting her lips for the first time. As his lips caressed hers, Bella could feel the dark mist ease away, hidden again within Ciro.

"My Bella, mi ángel, my world is death. I would protect you from it if I could. This world I have does not frighten me... As a shadow, this is the closest I've ever been to a woman, the closest I've ever known to compassion.... Let me show you the nightmare within... is this the dream you so desire?" Ciro asks as he continued to cradle the side of her face against his warm palm. Doubt filled his mind again, and Bella could see it. Ciro opened himself up to Bella, letting her see the dark despair that he harbored.

For a moment, she let Ciro give her a taste of the darkness within him as his energy flooded into her, washing away the growing nightmares. Now he was going to let her go as deep as she dared. His mind unravels before her, a labyrinth of living shadows. The world inside his mind was cold. The only light that shone was the silver moonlight, shimmering off of nightmarish darkness. Screams of agony and fear echoed through the maze of shadows. And there...

Bella could see it. Silver eyes where none should shine. Shadows that moved and rasped against the ground. It was a Nightmare, as real as she was. Real... the thought was frightening. Could this creature of shadows and illusion be real? The Nightmare hissed and turned to lunge. Dropping to the ground, shadows swirled violently in its wake. Wings of nightmare pitch darkened the skies as hungry fangs bared at Bella. Then, the Nightmare Dragon lunged....

Bella's body and soul may have been in the world of the living, but her mind was firmly buried in Ciro's mind. She saw everything, every memory both good and bad, his past, his fears and his nightmares. Bella was never one to turn down an opportunity as golden as this. Her mind simply became a sponge.

Then they came. The shadows. The dark and the darker than dark that moved through him like a living breathing entity. Then it awoke. Focused on her. It took every ounce of her training and strength of will not to flinch. Fear burst though her like lightening, but she tapped it down. She fought monsters and worse day in and day out. Though fear may reside in her, and at times come from the nightmarish memories of her own past, she was never one to back down and recovered quickly.

The Nightmare Dragon lunged, soaring toward her like a slash of ice cold chills up her side. Bella stood as if relaxed . . . her hand upheld, palm out, and merely waited . . . her eyes steady and open to face that which was within Ciro.

And in the room two people sat, on the bed with bodies entwined in comfort, their minds connected, as the black mist and green light pulsed and writhed together like lovers . . . the next few minutes determining the fate of them both.

The world of Nightmares glimmered silver as the world around her froze. The Dragon's silver eyes glimmered with hate and pain as it held fast in the air, inches from Bella. Talons of bladed twilight reached towards her, straining against the shadows.

"This... this is the world I wanted you to see..." Ciro spoke softly as he stood behind her. She could feel the cold calculated mastery over his own darkness as he held frozen the Labyrinth of Nightmares around her. He wanted her to understand. Memories swirled like shadows around her.

"I would not leave you alone, in this madness." He spoke softly as he walked past her, gently placing his hand on the dragon. The Nightmare rippled softly and vanished.

The few memories that he let trickle through to her flitted around her like butterflies as she walked towards him, deeper into the labyrinth. Visions of pain and loss laced his thoughts as he watched the black butterflies flit around them. Many memories were held captive, each echoed of the sorrow that came with the strength of the shadow's embrace. Rigorous training bordering on torture strengthened the darkness within him. Training with sword and steel, each session was a fight to survive.

Visions of torture, black scars cut deep into Ciro's tanned skin, chains and the cracks of a whip, curses and runes that only brought wracking pain, these were the visions of Ciro's past. Bella could see nothing of his childhood. There were no warm memories of family, only the swarm of black butterflies.

Runes and rituals wrought by man's hand burned and scarred Ciro's soul, twisting him into something inhuman. The blurred memories showed the crackling of cruel magic as the Seekers of the Righteous Sword corrupted his body, changing it... many of the visions blurred away only to leave more questions.

Suddenly a glint of gold caught Bella's eye as a single golden butterfly flitted forward to rest on her hands. As it did, she could make out the soft glisten of golden scales. Through the butterfly, Bella could see Ciro, cold and alone, holding himself tightly. Scars of magic faded into his skin as he sat alone. Pale moonlight streamed through a tinted window, glowing softly off his bare arms and back. The darkness in the room made things hard to make out, but every now and again she could see the glint of gold in the darkness. As quickly as the vision came, it left her as the golden butterfly disappeared into the shadows.

"Know that this darkness... this cruelty lies within me. I would lie with you, and love you, ma bella, but understand, I can never be free... I can show you no more, less my memories betray me." The endless dark of the Labyrinth sprawled out before her as Ciro offered her his hand. Though he offered his hand invitingly, he barred the path any further. He no longer trusted himself or his memories. A soft sad smile rested on his face. His dark golden hair seemed to glow faintly in the swirling darkness that lay beyond him.

Bella studied the swirling darkness around him, the nightmares and ears that plagued his existence and felt her heart ache in response. Tilting her head as if considering him and his offer, she looked down and raised her left hand palm up and waist high. Her palm sparkled as if a wielder's spark had embedded itself in her hand, her head tilted again; studying the spark like a child would a butterfly seen for the first time. Her brows drew together and the spark doubled, both of them leaping in her palm like Mexican jumping beans and multiplying till a ball of green mist the size of a soccer ball hovered around her hand. Her hand grabbed his before he could pull back, the power surging between them white hot yet burning neither. Immediately the mist spread and twisted around them both, pulling, nudging, till both were close as dancers.

Bella held both her hands in his as his shadows and her mist seemed to twist and twine around each other like pups playing. Her right hand reached up and grabbed his shirt, pulling his face to hers close enough to feel the rapidness of her breaths. The light and darkness swirled together till it was a marble massed entity, the two so firmly entwined that neither seemed to begin or end without the other. Bella's lips hovered against his, drawing out the moment, the anticipation of that final touch and melding hovering just beneath her skin. Her left hand slid up his arm and over his shoulder to caress his neck, her right hand loosening on his shirt to pull him closer as her lips met his. Her body seemed to slide against his, fitting perfectly . . . her softness to his solid strength, her light to his dark. As she deepened the kiss slowly, the mist and shadows writhed and burst outward in a shower of purple sparks that light up the darkness around them like a beacon. And among it all, Bella's voice clear and true in his head, purity, truth, honesty, and trust that sent pleasurable chills darting up his spine.

"Wake us Ciro. Wake us so we know this is neither dream nor nightmare . . . but life and living. So that we know this is the one thing they cannot take from us." Bella wrapped her arms around him and kissed him again; drawing him ever deeper under the passionate spell they seemed to weave upon each other.

***

Rosemund was not a quiet task mistress, nor was she normally easy to get along with. Her word, her drive, and her position in the Sidhe court was her world. Vane had accepted such and so after their meal that she insisted they attend the council meeting being held that eve he simply bowed his head and accepted what his princess bid. That she would stubbornly go without him told him really there was no choice.

Once within the mansion that served as headquarters for the De Los Muertos Rosemund had the call for Dante placed. There was much to discuss and the wolf women need not be involved. Despite the vampire's grogginess and grouchy tone he knew when it was best to obey. 'Good Boy' Rosemund found herself silently thinking. Dante's parents were mere babes when Rosemund was coming into her powers. He was a child to one who held the age she did.

Indeed the conference waited until all managed to dress and ready themselves. All of the family would be there, including the one whose fate called her. Dignified Rose moved within the dining hall. Her smile gentle as she bowed her head "Dama... it is a pleasure to see you cousin..." The secret of their success and of the power behind the ruling family. They had indeed made a bargain with the very devil. A binding contract into the beauty and grace of the Sidhe, the powers of glamour and magic, but also their weaknesses. That they did not possess the longevity of the Sidhe was from the thinning of the blood.