Wraithsong

  * * *

  Back at Anthony’s house and with twenty-four minutes before midnight, Anthony and I change into more comfortable clothes. I slip into the new jeans he picked up at the mall, and a scoop-neck dark gray floral-patterned t-shirt. Anthony looks handsome in his dark jeans and thin white linen short-sleeved shirt. My urges have mellowed a little, and I’m able to somewhat decipher between my Huldra urges and human urges. Having some physical distance between us lessens my desires, I figure. I tell myself I can resist him if I want to, but that’s a big if.

  “The apprentice priest will be here in a few minutes,” Anthony says. “His name is Karl, and I know him from soccer. He helps coach some of the kids.”

  “How did you get him to come at such a late hour? Wait, did you use your flair on him?”

  “A Huldus flair is called might, and yes, but it was an accident a few weeks back. I try not to take advantage.”

  “Except for now,” I challenge.

  Anthony rolls his eyes, but doesn’t answer me.

  We sit down in the living room and Anthony turns on the TV. “What do you want to watch?”

  “I’m not a big TV fan.” I sit down next to him. “Anything, really.”

  Anthony flips the channel to a soccer match and we watch for a few minutes. Being so close to him again, smelling his cologne, feeling his warmth, I can’t resist reaching out and taking his hand. The skin-to-skin touch causes my urges to come back in full force and before I know it, I have to have him. I lift my leg up and straddle him where he sits.

  He grabs my upper arms as if to restrain me. “Sonia—no.”

  But I’m not having it. I look him in the eyes and lean down so close that the tip of my nose touches his, and then I lick my lips.

  Anthony hesitates for a moment, but then he gets this wild look in his eyes and I know he wants me too. Placing his hands on my shoulders, he lifts his chin up and presses his lips against mine. Softly at first—almost too soft. Then he moves his lips across mine and the kiss comes to life. He grabs my hips, and then slides his hands up to my waist, then to my back and then to my face.

  “Anthony, I want you so bad,” I say. “I know I shouldn’t, but I just can’t stop.” All my hesitation, my anger and my distrust—gone.

  “I want you too, Sonia, but not like this. I won’t let it go any further than this,” he says between kisses.

  “Good, because I won’t…be able to…stop.”

  “Don’t worry, I will.” But he doesn’t stop. He flips me onto my back and climbs on top of me, his body pressing heavily against mine. I feel how strong he is and I can feel his muscles move underneath his thin linen shirt beneath my fingertips.

  Can this be more heavenly? Is this love? Or is it lust? All I know is that it feels right. His hands make their way to my shoulders, and move to my back. He gently pulls me closer. That makes my heart race even faster and I let out a sigh. He kisses a trail down my neck and to my chest, stopping at the edge of my shirt. Don’t stop. Please don’t stop. His hand continues down my waist and he grabs behind my leg, pulling it up toward him.

  “Sonia, you are so irresistible,” he says.

  Suddenly, the doorbell rings.

  “Don’t answer it,” I plead. I weave my fingers through his soft blond hair and pull at it gently. He lets out a laugh and comes in to kiss me again—deeply. My lips part and he takes full advantage. His tongue makes its way into my mouth, and I return his indulgence with great approval. His kisses are wet and deep, his hands hungry. Continuing to kiss me, he sits me up and pulls back.

  “Don’t answer the door,” I say.

  He looks at me, his eyes sad, and then straightens out my hair. “This will be the only time.”

  “What?”

  “Soon, you’ll understand.”

  “No, I won’t,” I say, still wanting him.

  He kisses me again, like it is the last time he ever will. His lips moving with tender emotion, with repressed passion. Then all too soon, he’s on his feet and answers the door.

  The last time until when? Forever? I don’t want that, or at least not at the moment. He left me so high and so wanting; I don’t know how to come back down. With my heart still racing, my knees still weak, I stagger to my feet. I straighten my clothes and go into the guest bathroom to make sure I look decent. My makeup looks fine, my clothes a little wrinkled, but who cares. The virgin apprentice priest won’t know.

  Back out in the living room, I see Karl. I thought he would be wearing a black robe of sorts, but instead, he’s wearing black suit pants and a light blue button up shirt. His face, however, looks almost exactly like I imagined it would. He has mousy-brown hair that’s slicked and parted to the right and he’s extremely conservative-looking, and about as un-sexy as they come. His nose is definitely the centerpiece of his face, long, crooked and trollish. Don’t judge him so harshly, I chastise myself.

  “Hi, I’m Sonia, nice to meet you.” I stretch out my hand to greet Karl.

  “I’m Karl, good to meet you too,” he says without a smile.

  “Let’s have a seat, shall we?” Anthony says, gesturing to the couch we just made out on. I smile a little, and think I see a smirk on Anthony’s still more-red-than-usual lips.