The Witch: Book Two of The Sorceress Saga by Taliesin Govannon (important books to read .txt) 📕

the monsters were being either teleported or airlifted in,” Gaia said, shaking her head, “when this thing was acting like a portal all along! It wasn’t the literal manifestation spot, so we never traced it back.”

                “Whoever’s behind this, they’re smart.” I replied.

                The sky was rapidly growing to be a brighter blue every minute at that point. I saw a mist begin to rise from the water, creeping through the tall reeds and grass at the lake’s shore.

                At that point, I didn't want to talk about portals, or enemies, or anything like that. I turned towards my green-skinned lover and took her in my arms.

                “You know,” I said, looking lovingly into her eyes, “I never dreamed that feeling stir crazy could turn out so well. The only reason that I went to the Twilight Fae realm was to get out of the house.”

                “I wanted to come to you so many times,” Gaia said, “but I was counseled to be patient. Now I realize that we met at the right time… that you weren’t ready to deal with our past until now.”

                “I want to explore the lives we’ve lived together,” I said, “but not now. I just want to focus on the beautiful present right in front of me.”

                We kissed, and eased ourselves down onto the earth.

                                                                                                *                *                *

                “So,” I said, lighting a joint and handing it to Jack, “I’m surprised you’re up.”

                He took it from me as I lit another. “Yeah, well after you and Gaia went off to roll around in the dirt, it gave Katsu ideas.” he said. “So she brought me back to our room and fucked the high right out of me. She’s asleep, and I’ll smoke a couple of these and then probably collapse.”

                Jack eased back in his patio seat as he exhaled. I sat next to him, having stopped off there when Gaia and I came back from the woods.

                “Look at you, in a stable relationship.” I said, playfully punching his shoulder. “All you needed to do was to date an older woman.”

                “And look at you, in three stable relationships!” he teased back. “Four, if you count the thing with you, Vincent, and Gaia together as its own thing."

                “I have no idea.” I said, hitting my joint. “I was barely used to being in one relationship, let alone multiples.” I exhaled. “I still have a lot of social conditioning to overcome before it stops feeling weird.”

                “My girlfriend cleans my room naked, and it’s not to turn me on.” Jack said, holding in a hit. He exhaled and continued. “You want social conditioning to get over, it’s shit like that!”

                “And she’s five thousand years old.” I added.

                “Your Fae girlfriend is older.” Jack shot back.

                “Fair point.” I took a hit and exhaled, watching the smoke drift away on the wind.

                “Jesus, if Drew could see us now!” Jack exclaimed, smiling.

                I grinned back. I hadn't thought about our old chess club friend in a long time, his family having moved to California in our Sophomore year. He shared our love of all things science fiction and had helped us build a three-dimensional chess set like they had in Star Trek. He was also a big horror and fantasy fan, and if the universe made sense it would have been him who was involved with vampires, Fae, and the like.

                “If any of our extended high school crowd could see us now!" I replied. "You're dating a five-thousand-year-old Japanese Witch… "

                “… and you're dating a four hundred and twenty-year-old vampire, a sixteen hundred-year-old vampire, and a damn near ten thousand-year-old Fae woman… " he continued.

                “… to say nothing about the fact that we live in a mansion,” I finished.

                “I guess my old youth pastor was right.” Jack said. “He said that I’d wind up as a Satanic communist, and I’m dating a Witch and living in a commune, so… close enough!”

                We laughed, and things felt just a little less strange for a moment.

                                                                                                *                *                *

                “This is heavenly!”

                I took another bite of my chicken saag… boneless white meat in a creamy Indian spinach sauce… that Vincent had fixed for my lunch. We had spent the late morning making love, and my lack of food was starting to wear on me.

                “Glad you like it.” He said, sitting on the side of the bed. He was dressed, while I was still naked, sitting up in bed to eat.

                “Unfortunately, you should probably keep your clothes on.” I said, disappointed. “I’m going to have to pass out for a while after I eat this.”

                “It’s all good.” he said, smiling. “Everyone needs a little time to themselves.”

                “You’re not going to be disappointed if I don’t always come to you first for sex, are you?” I asked. “I mean, with three people to be with, it could probably get kind of hectic… “

                “Annabelle, I’ve told you… I’m not jealous. I’m overjoyed that you’ve connected with Gaia again, and especially with Angelique.” He cupped my cheek and looked into my eyes. “I had you to myself for a year. I never dreamed it would last so long. Now I’m ready to share you with those I love as well.”

                I put my finished plate aside and pulled him over to me. “Maybe you should take those clothes off one more time… “

                                                                                                *                *                *

                I found Tiffany later that afternoon, after a much-needed power nap.  She was sitting at the same patio table that Jack and I had been sitting at earlier that morning, rooting around the ashtray. I walked over and saw a small pile of joint-stubs next to her on the glass table-top.

                “What are you doing?” I asked as I sat down.

                “Recycling.” she said, tearing each roach open and spilling the leftover weed on a