Chapter 27 #2
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t ‘Mr. You Can’t Solve All Your Problems With Witchcraft,’” she says, a smug tease that makes me shake my head.
Am I her favorite person? Doubtful. I’d bet the only person she’s ever truly liked is Becca, but we’ve established a friendly back-and-forth that I can appreciate.
Honestly, I’m just grateful that I don’t see mistrust in her eyes anymore.
To be fair, I wasn’t exactly at my best when I met them, still reeling from my loss, burying myself in work–a bit begrudgingly at that. Trying to figure out who I was without Sol. But we’ve all come a long way since then.
“And I stand by it,” I point out. “I have a very unique problem that may or may not require your expertise. Which is why I’m here. To be frank, I’m desperate.”
“Wow, really sell me on it,” Stasi quips, taking a seat on the couch. “By the way, even the most basic summoning is absolutely witchcraft.” She’s got me there, and she knows it. “But I’ll bite, what wisdom may I bestow upon you?” Becca sits next to her, taking Stasi’s hand.
“Do you happen to know anything about binding spells?”
“I mean, yeah. But in what context? Binding spells are pretty broad.” Stasi leans forward, her interest piqued.
Licking my lips, I hesitate, trying to figure out the best way to phrase my request, but I don’t think there’s any way to make it sound better than it is. “I need to bind a soul to an object.”
“Damn, brutal.” Stasi coughs out a laugh of surprise. “Hawthorne, you naughty little minx. What are you up to?” She’s the cat with the canary, eyes brightening, her smile genuine.
“I won’t bother bullshitting you. I need to get rid of someone who’s hurt Sol.”
“This is for your girl? You should have led with that. I’m absolutely on board with this plan.”
“Wait, Solaneen is back?” Becca’s attention sharpens as her eyes meet mine. “Why didn’t you tell us immediately?”
“I was going to, but things have been…chaotic.”
“You can’t just be vague.” On the edge of her seat, Becca demands details. “Hawthorne, this is our soap opera—no offense—but you know we’re invested in this.”
“She’s right. You’ve waxed poetic over her for years. Told us your whole goddamned life story, and you don’t give us possibly the biggest update ever? Kind of fucking rude, don’t you think?” Stasi backs her up.
“I know, I know. And I promise, I’ll give you both the full play-by-play next time I visit. But this is urgent. She’s not safe for long.” They’re right, they’re invested in this, too. I owe them updates.
“Fine, next time.” Becca sinks back into the couch, defeated but understanding.
“I’m not super well-versed in binding spells, or the death magic slash paranormal side of things, but theoretically you’re going to need something that’s significant to that person, or an object that’s already pretty powerful on its own.”
“I’ve got that part covered. I’m just not too sure about the rest.”
“Well, in my opinion, a lot of spell work comes down to intent. And, I know you say you don’t dabble in this stuff, but I feel like the fact that you came back from the dead, and you have your whole freaky half-ghost thing going on, you’ve started from a pretty strong place.”
“You can’t really be half-ghost, but—”
“Not the point. The point is, that whether you exercise it or not, you’ve got a foothold in the occult that’ll work to your advantage. You shouldn’t have any trouble with a binding spell when you’re dealing with pure spiritual energies on the regular.”
“That’s good, I guess. So, how do I do it?”
Stasi stands, grabbing a pen and paper. “Let me write out a spell you can use.”
“This will work?” I ask, hopeful but cautious, as she hands me the paper.
“I think so. Emphasis on the think. But like I said, this isn’t really my area of expertise.
Personally, I would probably get a secondary source.
” There’s no time for that. She sits back down, resting her hand on Becca’s knee, but not fully relaxing into the couch.
“You know, if you really want to be sure that”—she bites her lip—“you know what, never mind.”
“You can’t do that.” I level her with a ‘spit it out’ look.
“It’s kind of deranged. Don’t judge me,” Stasi warns as she holds up her hands in innocence. “I’ve never dabbled in it, but I have done a bit of…research.” Becca turns to face her. “If you want to make him suffer first, you could trap him in a body.”
“Anastasia Eden, are you insinuating that he should not only torture someone, but kill someone in the process?” Becca protests.
She’s horrified, but when I turn to Stasi, there’s a fire in her eyes that I recognize, a desire to protect what’s hers but also the need to make them pay.
“Tell me more.”
“Well, for starters, you’d need to convince him to possess the living person. How the hell you’d do that, I have no idea. You’ll have one chance to trap him.” I nod, encouraging her to continue. “Once he’s in there, you’ll use the object to anchor him there.”
“Then?”
“I mean…then you do your thing, whatever that entails.” She avoids Becca’s prying gaze. “And then obviously, you’d have to kill them, pretty straightforward stuff.”
“Right, just casually kill someone,” I laugh. It’s not that I’m unwilling, like I said, I’ll do anything for Sol. But finding someone, that’s a whole other story.
“Yeah, you know.” Stasi waves her hand flippantly. “If you need a target, go to any frat party and I assure you, you’ll find someone you have no problem removing from this earth.” That’s not going to happen. I’m way too old for that. But it gives me an idea.
“How the hell do you know so much about this?” Becca asks.
“Just dabbled in a little harmless research, Angel. Nothing to worry your pretty little head about.” Stasi cups her cheek. “I’m not hiding anything, I promise.”
A look passes between them, but the tension recedes.
“I’m really grateful you never truly hated me.
” Becca shudders but laughs all the same.
She sees Stasi exactly for who she is, and while they’ve really been through it, it’s obvious she wouldn’t change a thing about her.
That’s the kind of unconditional love most people spend their entire lives trying to find.
They’re so lucky they found it in death.
Watching them together makes the yawning ache for Sol widen. I just want us to be able to live this peacefully once and for all.
“I really appreciate your help, but like I said, time is of the essence.” I stand and give Becca a quick hug—thankful that Stasi doesn’t watch me like I’m some kind of potential pervert anymore.
They’re like younger sisters to me. All I want is to watch out for them and help protect this rare thing they’ve coveted.
They’ve suffered way more than they ever should have in their short lives.
It’s really the least I can do with my gift.
“Hawthorne,” Stasi says hesitantly as she stands too. “If you really want to ensure this sticks, make sure you keep the body somewhere safe.” She squeezes my arm. “You deserve your happy ending too.” Probably the closest thing to genuine care she’s ever shown me.
“Thank you.” Holding up the paper, I wave a quick goodbye.
“Sure. Also, remember that I’m dead, so like, I can’t be held liable if this goes terribly wrong.” She shrugs. “But I really hope it doesn’t.”
Very reassuring.
“You better come back next month; you owe us that story,” Becca chimes in as I close the door quietly behind me.
“Promise.”
When I get back to my car, I take a picture of the spell with my phone and put the original in the glove box for safekeeping. Taking a deep breath, I lean back in my seat, giving myself a second to process everything we talked about.
Can I truly kill someone? I ask myself again, like it’ll change the answer, like I’ll have some moral crisis.
But of course, it’s a yes. The resounding, easy answer should shock me, concern me. But the only thing I care about is setting Sol free. All that matters is her happiness, her safety.
With that reassurance, I continue to the hotel I reserved and check in for the night. My eyes are heavy when I finally get to my room. Throwing my bag on the desk, I grab my toiletries and quickly take a shower.
Finding the second half of this whole binding equation is going to have to wait until tomorrow. No matter what, I’m returning to her with a real solution.
That reassurance helps me drift off into a guilt-free sleep. As if in approval, Sol is there waiting for me just like old times.
“I miss you,” she admits as she crawls on top of me, gloriously naked.
She takes a seat on my hips, leaving no question that she’s dripping fucking wet already.
“I can’t stop thinking about you. All alone in your bed.
” Sol twists her nipples between her fingers and rolls her hips back, teasing my aching dick with her perfect ass.
“Fuck, I miss you too.” I drag my hands up her thighs, appreciating their thickness and every dimple as I explore her.
“Let me show you how much.” Taking her hands in mine, I help her position her pussy over my face.
Sol grabs onto the headboard but doesn’t bother hovering.
She already knows I want to drown in her.
“So good for me,” I praise, then take my first lick.
Like a man starved, it just takes one for me to grow ravenous; I eat her without restraint, grateful for the memory of her taste…I’d hate to lose out on that just because it’s a dream.
“Yes, right there.” Sol doesn’t hold back as she grinds down on my mouth, chasing every bit of pleasure she can get.
Wrapping my arms around her, I pin her to me, using my mouth and her greedy hips to send her spiraling toward an orgasm. Plunging my tongue inside her, I don’t miss a single clenching spasm.
Taking advantage of every sleeping moment I have with her, I don’t even bother letting her catch her breath before I roll us over and notch my tip at her entrance. When she meets my gaze, I slam into her.
Her answering moan is all I need to know.
“What have I done to you, huh?” I pull out and thrust into her again as deep as I can, my hips flush to her thick thighs. “I’ve turned you into such a slutty little mess you can’t even go one night without me inside this needy cunt. Can you?”
“No. I can’t.”
“We have so much time to make up for.” I lean down and catch her nipple in my mouth, sucking as I make a fun game out of trying to trace the spider web with my tongue.
“Don’t stop,” Sol arches toward me as her hand slips up the nape of my neck into my hair like she can trap me there. I’d never tell my girl no. Turning my attention to the other, I tease her until she’s writhing beneath me, whimpering and thrusting her hips, begging for more.
Releasing her with a pop, I admire the string of spit that keeps us tethered for several seconds before it breaks and drizzles across her stomach. I’ve always loved that she’s not averse to being a little messy.
“I just want to feel you.” With her hands on her knees, her thighs fall open, spreading her wider. “I just want a reminder that you’re really mine.”
“You know I am.” Kissing her, I bring my thumb to her clit to gently toy with it. “I’m going to fuck you, Nightingale. But first, I want something from you.”
“What?” she gasps as I press down on her inner thighs, stretching her further.
A flood of arousal drips from her as we both watch.
So fucking responsive. So fucking perfect.
“Tell me, how many nights did you stay up aching for me, riding those sweet little fingers that could never fill you quite like I do?”
“Too many,” she moans as I slide two fingers along my shaft and inside her. Her legs shake against me.
“Give me a number so I know how many ways I need to fuck you to make up for lost time,” I demand as I shift my fingers up and down, sending an electric current of pleasure down my own spine.
“I can’t,” she whines as she drags her hands over her body, desperate.
“I guess it’ll be every day then.” She nods, biting her lip as she endears me with her doe eyes to give her what she needs.
“Good thing you’re so good at taking me,” I groan as I thrust into her again, mesmerized by the way her tits bounce, the furrow of her brow before her eyes roll, the gasp that turns into a sigh—all of it, every sound, every micro expression.
Her body is mine, molded and shaped to be beheld and worshipped by me. She’s simply divine.
“Thorne,” she moans as she laces her fingers through mine, balancing our hands atop her knees. “Don’t stop. I’m so close.”
All she needs is to ask, and I would do anything, but especially this.
Always this. With smooth strokes, I pound into her, dragging my dick in and out of her, filling and feeling every inch of her.
“Not yet, baby. I’m not ready for this to end.
” Slowing my hips, I move at a painfully slow pace that earns a flustered sigh from her as she reaches down to play with her clit.
I capture her hand and put it right back where I wanted it.
“Mmm mmm, hold on, I’m setting the pace.
This is my dream you came into, after all.
” Massaging her inner thighs, I continue the slow slide in and out of her as I lean over and let my spit drip down her center. “Look at that.”
Her hips buck upward in response, her lips parted in silence, but the dilation of her pupils confirms how much she enjoys the way I toy with her.
Sliding my hand up the soft expanse of her stomach, I lean forward, burying myself completely inside her gripping cunt, then I kiss her. “You’re so fucking beautiful. Every inch of you inside”— I thrust—“and out,” I groan.
“Make me come, please.”
“If you want an orgasm, you’re going to have to take it because I could stay buried in this pussy all night.” Pulling her into a sitting position on my lap, I fist her hair. “Ride my dick, baby, use me to make yourself feel good. I want to watch you bounce on it.”
Without hesitation, she eases herself up and down my shaft, speeding her movements as she finds her rhythm until she’s riding me with greedy abandon. I devour every moan and sigh as she gives exactly what I asked of her.
“Fuck, I’m going to come.” I match her pace as our bodies meet in harsh momentum, forcing her to cry out.
“I’m going to,” the words are lost to a grunt as I empty inside of her.
She tightens mercilessly, and it all feels so real as she pulses around me.
I guess for us, in every way it matters, it is.
I want to stay buried inside of her forever, but I’m forced back into the sad disappointment of my empty hotel room with a mess in my sheets to deal with.
Just another reason for me to hurry up and get this over with so I can get back to her.