The Crystal Rainbow Ch. 26-30

"By the Goddess! Can it be? Sabratha and Cadmus are in the cottage! Oh, shit! Could I choose a worse time to interrupt? Damn it! My apologies Helen, and, you too, Khalid, but I have no choice. At least I need not disturb Erik and Christine. After all, in order that all go well this evening, those two must find their release in order for Christine's power to ripen fully. Ah, fuck it! Well, there is no getting around it. Helen and Khalid will just have to wait a little while longer."

His attention returned to the man he thought of as his best friend and to the woman whom his friend loved. His lips twisted in a grimace of regret as his eyes took in the desperate strength of their grip on one another, the frantic grinding of their bodies against each other, the deep throaty groans of Khalid and the light musical cries of Helen. As he watched, the pair began to sink to the ground, intent only on slaking their passion.

"Oh, shit! I had better do something and do it quick before things progress past the point of no return! I really have no wish to witness such an intimate moment!"

And with that thought, Edgar lifted up on his hind legs and began to slash against the stall door with his forelegs. An off-key, braying scream burst from him as he realized the barrier would not open to his current method of attack. Deciding upon an alternate means to gain his end, he turned and bucked his hind legs into the gate, which immediately disintegrated into a splintered mass. So intent upon his need to stop the frantic caresses of his friends, Edgar was only barely aware of his surroundings. He charged blindly toward the pair, his animal instincts drawn by the intoxicating perfume of Helen's arousal. At the last moment, he drew upon the last vestiges of his control, veered past the startled would-be lovers, burst through the barn door and charged out into the night.

"What the fuck?" Khalid sputtered.

"Heavenly Goddess! Whatever is the matter with him?" Helen gasped.

They stared in stunned confusion at one another for a moment, both panting and then with a shake to clear his head, Khalid sighed and spoke.

"Come on! We need to catch him before he gets lost in the woods."

Helen grimaced as she tugged at her dress, which swam about her newly restored body. She rolled her eyes in frustration and reluctantly nodded.

"Wonderful! Your timing is perfection itself, Edgar." She groused.

Khalid smiled ruefully as he leaned in to place a light kiss on her forehead and then he surprised her by playfully rubbing his nose against hers.

"I could not agree with your sentiment more, mon amour."

Taking her hand in his, he led her out of the barn, calling for Edgar as he strode briskly across the yard. He paused when he heard a woman's scream and Edgar's hoarse bray.

"Mon Dieu! Now what? Come on, Helen!"

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"Cadmus?"

Jacob took an involuntary step back from the vision kneeling before him on the bed. His eyes ran over the woman, taking in her mane of fire-red curls that cascaded about her body to pool about her on the bed, the delicate features of her face with its high cheek bones and bee-stung lips and the almost marble-like translucence of her skin. When his searching gaze met hers, he became blissfully lost in their hazel depths. The woman tore her eyes from his and Jacob watched as she took stock of his body. When her eyes once more met his own, her smile was both shy and seductive.

"It is good to see you again, Cadmus. You look well." She paused and a pained looked crossed her face. "You have no idea who I am, do you?"

Before Jacob could gather his wits to answer her, she turned away from him. Her movement sent her long tresses bouncing and she tossed them back over her shoulder. Jacob's mouth went dry and his reply caught in his throat as he noticed for the first time that the woman's curls were her only raiment. He cleared his throat and ran his tongue over his parched lips, but no sooner did he attempt to open his mouth to speak, when the woman began to scream. Another howl joined the woman and Jacob whipped his head around to the source of the second cry. He gaped in surprise as he saw the large head of the Persian's mule stuck through the bedroom window with its mouth open and braying at the top of its lungs. Without realizing what his body did, Jacob moved to the woman and wrapped her into a protective embrace. The woman reacted immediately to his touch, fell silent, turned and burrowed her face into his chest. Jacob shuddered. The woman's touch unlocked a hidden floodgate deep within him and released a wave of memories, which swept through his mind. Images of this woman he now held in his arms. He saw the woman lying beneath him, her hair a burning halo framing a face damp with perspiration and her eyes lit with passion. He remembered the sound of her laughter and the joy he felt knowing he caused her happiness. Another image, one of holding her hands and whispering words of love. And suddenly, he knew who she was and who he was. Jacob sighed and closed his eyes.

He opened his eyes to find he was no longer in Helen's bedroom, but walking down a long stone-lined corridor. Strangely, he felt no fear, only the strange anticipation one feels when nearing the end of a long journey. After walking a short time, he saw a tall figure walking toward him. The two men locked eyes, but said nothing. They paused for a moment before they passed each other, each quietly studying the other man's face. Still in silence, they nodded a greeting and then continued walking in opposite directions along the passageway.

As the other man's footfalls faded into the distance, Jacob called out to him, "Bonne chance!"

Without turning around, Cadmus replied.

"Merci, mon ami. Merci pour tout.¹"

Jacob sighed once more, blinked and found he now lie comfortably ensconced in a bed with a feather mattress and pillows, covered with satin sheets and a delightfully warm quilt. He snuggled deeper under the bedclothes, closed his eyes and Jacob fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

Cadmus became aware that he was no longer alone. He felt a woman's body wrapped within the protective embrace of his arms. He inhaled deeply the remembered scent of his beloved and opened his eyes.

"Sabratha? Do not fear. I am here with you." He whispered.

He pressed his lips to the top of her head, savoring the texture of the silky tresses against his mouth and allowed his hands to run over the remembered and well-loved curves of her body. His manhood awoke and swiftly rose to a throbbing hardness between them. A groan of desire escaped his lips.

She responded to the rising heat of his body with a soft gasp, her hands reached around him, clasped the taut globes of his buttocks and pulled him tightly to her. The two moaned a passionate duet as their bodies ground against one another. In a spiral of lust, the two descended to the bed, the beast at the window forgotten. A breathless Sabratha broke her lips away from the man she had almost given up hope of ever seeing again.

"Oh, Cadmus, you do remember me. I could feel your presence, but when I looked into your eyes …. I could not find you there."

He drew back from her slightly, so he could look fully into her eyes. His smile gentle. A look, which made Sabratha's heart jump in her chest and then he carefully brushed an errant lock of her fiery curls behind her ear.

"Oui. I remember you, but everything else is … well, a bit jumbled. I believe it may take some time for me to sort through everything. I need to separate which memories belong to Jacob and those that belong to me, but, now, the memories I have of you …. Well, I remember everything about you. Oh! What is this? Tears? Sweet Sabratha, do not cry. We have found one another at last and I shall never let you go again. I swear it!"

A sound, which was half chuckle and half sob, escaped the woman's lips before the pair once again melded their lips together in a searing kiss. Their hands began a trembling exploration of each other's body and when the man's hand brushed across the hardened tip of her bare nipple, a shocked exclamation escaped from Cadmus.

"Oh my love! I forget myself! You are unclothed and I fear someone shall soon discover us because of the beast's calls of alarm. We must cover your nakedness before the entire household arrives. I refuse to share the sight of your beauty with anyone."

He lifted his head to stare into the rippling colors of her hazel eyes. His perusal suddenly interrupted by the slight crinkling of the corners of her eyes and the tinkling tone of her bell-like laughter.

"Oh, this is perfect! Just one more way that I can shock Madame Helen!" She began to tease then paused as she noticed how Cadmus' face paled at the thought of her baring her body to anyone other than him. Lifting her hand, she gently caressed his cheek. "Do not concern yourself, mon amour. I can wrap myself in the comforter, but you need to move or I will have to wrap you up in it with me."

She bit her lip to suppress a giggle at the shocked look on his face.

"Mon Dieu! I almost giggled! I cannot remember the last time I laughed, much less giggled. Ah, love, it makes fools of us all!"

"Well? Do you plan on moving any time soon?"

And this time, a small, throaty chuckle escaped her lips.

He blinked, released her and scrambled off the bed. She quickly tugged the quilt around her body just as she heard the sound of voices approaching the window. Glancing at the window, she watched just as the great gray head of the mule lifted and backed away into the night. Sabratha heard a man's voice speaking in soothing tones to the animal, but it was the woman's words, which caused her to erupt in peels of unrestrained laughter.

"Merde! Khalid! Leave Edgar the fuck alone and get your ass over here! There is a strange woman in my bed and I believe she is naked!"

The words of Robert Southey's "The Story of the Three Bears" ran unbidden through Sabratha's head.

"And when the Little, Small, Wee Bear came to look at his bed, there was the bolster in its place; and the pillow in its place upon the bolster; and upon the pillow was the little old Woman's ugly, dirty head – which was not in its place, for she had no business there. "Somebody has been lying in my bed and here she is!" said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.²"

And, Sabratha found herself laughing so hard that for the first time in millennia, she laughed so hard that she cried.

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¹ "Merci, mon ami. Merci pour tout." – Translation: Thank you, my friend. Thank you for everything.

² "And when the Little, Small, Wee Bear came to look at his bed, there was the bolster in its place; and the pillow in its place upon the bolster; and upon the pillow was the little old Woman's ugly, dirty head – which was not in its place, for she had no business there. "Somebody has been lying in my bed and here she is!" said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice." – "The Story of the Three Bears" from "The Doctor" by Robert Southey, 1837.

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Chapter Twenty-Nine – Peril

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The perilous tides of deceit do rise,
beckoning precipitous fate with all of its lies.

"A Fool's Book of Wisdom"

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A sharp, yet soft cry of pain escaped Christine's mouth as her body surrendered its innocence to Erik. She sucked in a hissing breath then released both the breath and the tense muscles of her body. With trembling hands, she took hold of Erik's shoulders, firmly grasped the taut body of the man above her and began to rock her body against him.

"Christine?"

His voice barely a whisper, she knew what he asked without him speaking the words. She answered him by pulling down on his shoulders and thrusting up with her hips. The momentary pain had been surprisingly intense, but her burning desire for something more soon overcame the brief discomfort. She burned for him. For months, they both denied their bodies this long awaited joining. The titillating torture of allowing Erik to touch her every day as he retrained her body was now at last at an end. They were one now.

"Always yours …."

"Forever mine …."

"Together …."

"For all time …."

Christine heard the words, but she was so lost in her desperate need to slake the fire, which raged through her body that she had no idea if she spoke or if Erik spoke them. And, she did not care.

"Oh, Erik! Oui!"

He allowed a relieved groan to slip free as her words shattered the last bonds of his restraint and he began to fulfill her need with his own urgent rhythm. His mouth moved down the delicate column of her throat and he nipped at her delicate flesh. Dragging his hands away from her breasts, he planted them on either side of her and held his torso above her.

"Look at me, Christine!"

His words were a plea, not a command. Gentle and beseeching. She opened her eyes and lifted them to his. Their eyes met. Flaming amber and burnt umber. They could not look away from each other. They had no wish to look away. Erik surrendered to his body's overwhelming need. His hard shaft pistoned into the welcoming wetness of her sheath with an ever increasing rapidity. Christine met each of his thrusts with powerful, fluid movements of her own. Still their eyes held fast, one to the other. And, in the depths of their eyes, a small flame sparked and a fire ignited. The fire kindled and burned brighter as time seemed to hold its breath and waited for the moment of their completion. They hovered at the brink of ecstasy, the joy of their coupling evident in the passionate duet of their gasps and sighs. At the moment of their release, the fire within their eyes seemed to explode, which caused a mystical shower of sparks visible only to the eyes of the lovers. The fiery bits of light danced about their heads before slowly drifting down to settle like snowflakes on their naked bodies entwined on the bed. They panted heavily and smiled dreamily. The flaming amber eyes now held flecks of burnt umber. The eyes of burnt umber held sparks of flaming amber.

"Je t'aime, Christine."

"Je t'aime aussi, Erik."

The lovers sighed, sated and exhausted. Then, in the wondrous stillness of the chilly autumn night, the two held one another close, rolled onto their sides to face one another, kissed tenderly, smiled sleepily, closed their eyes and allowed Hypnos to lead them together into a corner of his realm prepared especially for them.

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Edgar allowed Khalid to lead him away from the window, but when Helen began to shout, the man dropped his hold on Edgar's lead rope and rushed to her side. The mule's lips curled in a bestial approximation of a smirk when he heard the indignant tone of Helen's voice.

"Poor thing! Today has brought some rather unexpected changes to her life, but the largest shock of the day still awaits her. For sitting on her bed is …. Well, someone she never thought of as a person. But, I allow my mind to wander and I do not have time to muse. I need to find help. As I no longer seem the center of their attention, there is no better time than the present, I suppose. Well, off I go!"

And, with surprisingly little sound, the beast with a soul that once belonged to a king, trotted away into the forest unnoticed. He wandered for quite some time, pausing only to lift his nose to scent the air. The trees became thicker, the forest floor dense with deadfall and the light dimmed by the impenetrable canopy of branches overhead. After stumbling over a tree stump hidden under a pile of moldering leaves, Edgar halted, flexing his forelock. He sighed with relief as he noted he had done no serious damage to his leg and then stood there panting for a moment as he tried to catch his breath.

"I need to slow down if I intend to catch the scent of the being that is the subject of my search. It would be just my luck to run past in my hurry and miss it altogether. Very well old boy … breathe in … breathe out. In. Out. That is much better. I just wish I could find some water … stop it! Concentrate! Time is short! Taste the air … can you catch the scent?"

Lifting his head high to clear the air of his own scent, he closed his eyes and breathed. He concentrated on each flavor carried on the breeze into his large, flaring nostrils. He was not certain what he sought, but for some reason unknown to him, he knew he would know it as soon as he smelled it. Long minutes passed and he began to despair. A gray squirrel, a red fox, a brown hare and the almost overwhelming scent of decaying autumn leaves surrounded him. Somewhere, far in the distance, the odor of wild boar and freshly dug truffles lightly teased his nose. It was the truffles, which caused a thrill of excitement to course through his body, although he was unsure as to the reason why. He inhaled deeply once more, curling his upper lip to hold the scent inside his nostrils and caught it. He tossed his head and gave an excited snort.

"Yes! That is it! I must follow that scent! Now, I can only pray that I am not too late!"

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"And, just what do you find so amusing? How dare you laugh at me? How dare you? This is my home … that is my bed! This is the one place that no one could …."

The woman bit her lip. Her fury clearly visible in her glowering eyes, her flushed face and in every inch of her trembling body. Helen whirled suddenly to Khalid.

"Lend me a hand." She demanded with narrowed eyes.

"I beg your pardon?" He stammered uncertainly.

"Bend over and hold out your hands. I need your help to climb through the window. You do not think that I will allow them out of my sight for even one moment. Do you?" As he continued to stare at her in stunned silence, she repeated angrily. "Well, do you? Now, come on, help me up!"

As if awakening from a trance, Khalid snapped into action. He laced his fingers together, bent down and offered his cupped palms to Helen. She rested a steadying hand on his shoulder, stepped up into his hands and then hoisted herself onto the windowsill. Her feet scrabbled against the wall for a moment in an attempt to lift the rest of her body into the room. She gasped in surprise as she felt two hands push against her bottom and lift her to safety. She sucked in a sharp breath when she felt a finger run quickly along the cleft of her womanhood. But, before she could respond to the touch, she found herself perched in the window. Before turning her attention to the couple in her room, she threw Khalid a heated glance and shook her head at him.

"Khalid …." She moaned softly.

He grinned and shrugged his shoulder.

"Sorry, my dear. When it comes to you, I find that I simply cannot help myself! Well, actually, I wish to help myself … to you!" He smirked. "Tend to the matter at hand and then we will have the rest of the night for us."

She swung her legs through the window and hopped down. Turning to gaze upon the strangers in her bedroom, she felt her fury disappear and a strange sense of familiarity tugged at her consciousness. Helen gave herself a slight shake to dispel the odd sensations crawling through her gut, but she suddenly realized these two were no strangers. Her voluminous dress felt twisted and she tugged at the bodice to right it. She smoothed down the skirt and took several calming breaths before she finally managed to speak.