Chapter 13 Basil
Basil
Her eyes sparkle in the waning light, and I kiss her forehead, taking in her citrus scent that now carries with it a lingering smokiness.
She’s right that we still need to figure out the portal, but I didn’t lie. Opening the portal does not mean I plan to leave her. The way she feels in my arms—soft, comforting, and right—proves just that.
Iris places her head back on my chest, running her hand over it and through the smattering of hair present. “So… that feeding…”
“Yes?”
“Do you think it helped?” she asks.
More than she’ll ever know. Not only did it help boost my powers, but I feel more connected to her.
Able to sense more of her. I’ve never experienced anything like this before, which makes sense as we generally consume the entire soul, not just a part.
Partial feeds are often frowned upon as it is believed that it will lead to empathy and that is not something we can have as monsters of the night.
I breathe deep, hugging her tighter against me. “I believe it did. I feel stronger than before.”
“That’s good, right?” she asks, trying to sound more eager than she is. “More power would mean you should be able to open the portal again?”
“It can’t hurt. But there’s only one way to know.”
There’s that unspoken meaning hanging between us again. Opening that portal changes things and pulls us out of the post-coital haze we are in. But we need to check sooner rather than later. As glorious as it was to feed from her, I don’t want to have to do it again, especially so soon.
I push us up to a seated position, gazing longingly into those emeralds of hers.
“As I said, I do not plan to leave you. But I do need to know if it is possible to go home. We can open it and then figure out what’s next.
” I kiss her lips, getting lost in the taste of her again.
“You, Iris, are my reason for existence. You are my soul. My being. My everything. I’ve known it since the moment I stepped into that portal, and I will continue to know it for the rest of time.
Our different worlds are merely a challenge to overcome. ”
Her hands rest on the side of my face, pulling me back into her, kissing me with fervor. Our tongues clash and teeth nip on whatever bits of flesh we can. When we break apart, our breath is ragged, and her eyes are filled with pure fire.
It takes everything in me to pull away. To not lean back and let her ride my quickly hardening cocks. But I assure myself there will be plenty of time for that after we’ve figured out how to get me home.
“Let’s get you some food, and then we can try the portal again,” I suggest.
Disappointment flashes across her face, but vanishes just as quickly.
I watch her curiously as she pulls her shoulders back, straightening her spine as if preparing for a shock to the system.
A part of me wonders if she still doesn’t believe me.
That she doesn’t think I’m serious. That we can find a way to make this work.
“Okay,” Iris finally says, crawling out of bed and walking to the bathroom, giving me a full view of her glorious curves.
A little while later, Iris sits cross-legged on the sofa with a container of fried noodles in one hand and chopsticks in the other while she balances her laptop on the side of one knee.
Wearing a pair of oversized sweatpants and a T-shirt that she found at the bottom of a drawer, I can’t help but watch her as she feeds herself.
She looks absolutely ravishing as she shovels the spicy noodle mix into her mouth.
There is perhaps nothing sexier than a woman who isn’t afraid to eat.
Granted, in my experience, it has involved feeding on the souls of humans, but Iris is helping me see that beauty in a new light.
And the more I watch her, the more I fall in love with her.
Love.
Huh.
Heart palpitations. Fluttery stomach. All-consuming thoughts. Feeling calmer around her.
Yeah. That’s love.
“So, it took a while, but I think I’ve landed on something worth trying,” she says, pulling me from my thoughts.
I poke at my bowl of pho—something Iris recommended as she says it fills her soul—and ask, “What does it say to do?”
“Says that the barriers to other worlds are weaker on a full moon. And that at exactly midnight on the night of a full moon, the veil between worlds should be weak enough for you to channel your power to a strong enough level to be able to break through the barrier, opening up your way home,” Iris explains.
“Okay. That sounds easy enough.”
Continuing, she says, “It also suggests that if you possess an item from home, it helps to strengthen your connection and increases the chances of success.”
“Okay.” I look around, trying to figure out what I could use as my item, and my eyes settle on my pants strewn just inside her bedroom door. They will have to do, I guess. “When is the next full moon?”
She taps away on her computer, pausing before she answers. “Tomorrow night.”
One more day. We get one more day to spend together.
“Tomorrow night, it is, then,” I respond, attempting to sound light and reassuring, while knowing the implications of this brief timeline.
“Tomorrow,” she confirms.