Lost in a haze of need, my breath lodged itself in my chest. I indulged in the feel of him braising his sinful lips along my neck, praying that this glorious experience would never end. His kisses along my neck were slow, sensual, and exhilarating—it felt as if he had all the time in the world to sit there and brand me in a way that no human man ever could. An involuntary mewl of pleasure escaped my lips, and he groaned in approval, his lips becoming more fervent.
I was becoming mindless from the extravagant pleasure when I felt warm blood trickle from my nose.
Aware that my body was getting ready to deteriorate from the intimacy of his touch, Eclipse reluctantly extracted his lips from my neck and gave me one last lingering kiss to my collarbone.
I came out of my hypnotic state the moment he lifted his head.
I stared at him, dumbfounded by his satisfied smile.
“Wh–what?” I asked him dazedly.
“It would appear that the key to being intimate with you is starting off small and gradually increasing the intensity. A little bit of kissing here and there to get your body warmed up for what I want to ultimately give you.” When he saw that the confusion was still present on my face, a dangerous expression marked his own. He then verbalized his explanation in clearer terms that had my heart pounding in shock. “It took you longer to get your nosebleed tonight, Teacup.”
I gaped at him. My entire face was beet red from his words.
“You were experimenting with my nosebleeds?” I asked in disbelief, nearly choking on my own outrage.
He chuckled teasingly. The rich sound came out so sexually charged that it took all my willpower to not pounce on him right then and there. “You didn’t truly believe I’d be a good boy this whole time, did you? That I’d merely resort to playing teasing games with you when I want you this much?”
“So, what?” I asked tightly, inwardly trembling from what he was insinuating. I was inebriated, but I was aware enough to know when my existence was on the line. “You’re going to keep ‘warming’ me up every night?”
He nodded mischievously, proudly finishing the last of his whiskey. “Until the marathon comes, yeah. I think that’s what I have to do.”
I gulped, nervously clenching onto my cold alcohol bottle. “Marathon?”
A devilish grin played on the corner of his lips as he nipped our noses together. “Oh, yes. It’s going to be one hell of a marathon, Teacup.”
I blinked at him in disbelief. “I could’ve died,” I uttered in a horrified voice. “If your theory didn’t pan out, I could’ve died right here.”
“But you didn’t,” he crooned cheerily. He laughed while openly staring at my lips. “If anything, I think you’re more alive than before.”
The fire on my cheeks burned brighter. It was true that I had never felt more alive, but I feared what admitting this would do. I did not want to encourage Eclipse to continue to tempt me. I didn’t want to encourage my own death if he should one day miscalculate and kill me on the spot.
Deciding that giving no response was the better tactic, I nervously tucked my bangs behind my ears and shifted away—at least as much as being in a Ferris wheel seat would allow me.
Taking note of my evasive actions, Eclipse maintained his pleasant mood by asking, “Going to play hard to get again, Teacup?”
“Shut up,” I mumbled instinctively.
“I thought I’d be on your good side now,” he continued slyly, “considering all those pretty sounds you were making while I was teasing you.”
“No,” I lied quickly. “You’ve only managed to make me more bitter.” I sighed, wanting nothing more than to move the conversation along. I lightly nudged his arm to distract him from continuing with his advances. “Tell me something else.”
Eclipse bunched his brows together. “Something else?” he repeated perplexedly.
I bounced my head, feeling extremely curious now that I had steered the conversation in another direction. Although I was still feeling disconcerted with my behavior seconds prior, it wasn’t enough to override my curiosity about him. Eclipse was the embodiment of an enigma; he was outspoken, but he was also extremely private. It went without saying that I loved it whenever he was open with me. If I could, I would spend the rest of my lifetime listening to his life story.
“Come on,” I coaxed, trying to use my charms. I sweetly batted my eyelashes at him, silently urging him to give me one more hit of the truth before we ended the evening.
Truthfully, I didn’t think he would continue to be so open with me. I suppose he was still pleased from being intimate with me—or perhaps he was really drunk—because, much to my own surprise, he actually answered me.
“In addition to being here with you,” he shared in a low voice, his voice hushed and teeming with secrecy. Judging by the undertone in his voice, he was surprised that he was getting ready to tell me this as well. “There is something else that I have to seek while I’m here.”
Interest piqued in my drunken eyes. “What?” I whispered just as quietly, hearing nothing but the wind crash against my ears. “What else do you have to seek—?”
“Am I interrupting something?”
And just like that, our heartfelt moment was placed aside when Eclipse finally heard from the one we had been waiting for. I could feel Eclipse’s secretiveness return again. Perhaps in another broken moment in time, we’d reconvene with this conversation. As of now, there were more important matters to tend to.
The green light we had been waiting for was finally here.
“Not even God can break us now.”
Epilogue: In the Beginning
Standing three seats below us, dressed in another one of her black dresses, Lyna peered up at us. Her eyes rippled with dry amusement.
“Don’t you two look adorable together?” she stated mockingly, her face void of emotions.
“Is everything cleared?” Eclipse prompted without delay, not even deigning to give a response to her derisive comment.
“Enough of it,” she told him, nodding and giving us the okay. A tint of unease darkened her expression. “Be careful. I’d go as soon as possible if I were you, before more Demons come and more trouble finds you. If possible, travel only by car. The less public transportation and interaction with the general public, the better.”
She gave us a bored smile that didn’t reach her eyes. With a stiff wave of goodbye and an exit statement that sounded more like a forewarning than well-wishing, she disappeared into the night.
“Be careful, don’t get into too much trouble, and good luck. You two will need it.”
We lapsed into a strained silence after she vanished into thin air. After days of waiting for Lyna’s appearance, I thought we’d be giddy with excitement. Our reactions turned out to be the complete opposite. Rather than being excited, we were wrought with anxiety. It was startling to know that we were finally permitted to venture out into the world to find the missing part of my soul. We were finally permitted to start this perilous journey.
I swallowed uneasily as I felt rain begin to cascade over us. The cold droplets hit my face, causing me to shiver uncontrollably. I did not anticipate being this afraid.
After what felt like an eternity, Eclipse finally broke the silence. “You ready to go find your soul?”
I nodded shakily, my heart racing. I was deathly afraid, but I had to overcome it if I wanted a chance of being a normal human “Yes. Where should we start?”
“Where it all began.”
My heartbeat slowed. I had always known that Serenity would be our first destination outside of this city, but I did not mentally prepare myself enough for this moment. I had not stepped foot into my family’s home since I was six. Now that it was confirmed that I was the one who murdered my family—and that an evil entity was likely with me that night—I had never wanted to avoid that house more. I desperately wanted to find my soul, but I was terrified of what I would unearth from my past.
I hesitantly peered out into the rai
n-strewn world and attempted to rally all the strength I had left. Prior to this moment, I would simply look into the horizon with great amazement. After being given the green light to return to my hometown, all I saw now was a vicious world filled with malevolent entities that were waiting to kill me. The world felt so much more dangerous. If I could, I would never go out there.
“Everything looks so much more menacing out there, doesn’t it?” I whispered thoughtlessly.
Eclipse sighed in agreement, his expression conveying to me that in order to gain riches, we must take risks.
“Yes.” As though reading my worried thoughts, he tightened his jaw. “But in order to get to you, they must go through me.” Resolve shrouded his features. His eyes held mine and promised me unwavering protection. “I will destroy anyone who dares to come after you. I will keep you safe until the very end.”
“Whose end? Yours or mine?” I murmured lightly, surprised at myself for being able to make a joke—if only minutely—at a time like this. The overwhelming fear must have completely fried my rationale.
Delight colored Eclipse’s expression. He found utter amusement in my attempt at a joke.
“Ours,” he amended softly, playing along with me. “Until our story together ends.” An enigmatic smile graced his lips. “Fortunately for us, I think our story together has only just started. We have a long journey ahead of us—it will be a while until we reach our end.”
My heart expanded at his words.
In that frozen moment, Eclipse no longer appeared like a seductive Demon, but a lethal instrument of mass destruction. All of creation may have been after me, but I had the most dangerous weapon in my corner. For better or for worse, our lives were intertwined. It was us against the world and I was grateful to have him by my side. There was no one better to accompany me on this dangerous mission than the spawn of Satan himself.
Feeling marginally better, I returned his smile. Together, we lapsed into another thoughtful silence. Like sleepwalkers, we gazed at the world beneath us. The city night twinkled while the land that lay beyond it looked dark and ominous. I felt as though this city was telling me to stay, to not leave and venture into a world where danger awaited me.
During my silence, I drew my focus to Eclipse.
He was staring out into the vista where a new storm was brewing in the distance. Streaks of lightning lit up that dark part of the world while thunder rumbled throughout the skies. Despite his assuring words, I saw in Eclipse’s eyes that there were more secrets he was holding—secrets that told me this expedition to find my soul was going to be a hundred times harder than he let on.
Eclipse continued to look ahead, gazing in the direction where the entire city of Serenity awaited us—where the next part of our journey awaited us.
“Are you really ready for this one, Teacup?” he asked seconds later, sensing the trepidation that continued to canvass over me. “Are you sure you’re ready for what’s to come?”
I knew what he was referencing. He was asking if I was ready to revisit my home, if I was ready to confront my sadistic past.
In that instant, it seemed as if the Heavens were watching in anticipation for my answer as well.
I remained quiet because I couldn’t find the strength to answer him.
“It’s only going to get more dangerous from here,” he went on, wanting to ensure that I was ready. He wanted to find the missing part of my soul, but he also wanted me to be fully prepared. “If you want to turn back, now is the time to do so.”
I peered into the vastness of the horizon where my hometown laid—the place where it all began and the place I feared most. My entire being quivered in dread. If Eclipse’s apprehension was a precursor of things to come, then I knew we were in for a world of Hell.
With the fresh rain pelting down, I continued to stare into the distance for several lingering seconds before I inhaled deeply.
I may have been afraid of what was to come, but I was afraid of losing my soul more.
“I don’t want to turn back,” I finally said with decisiveness. I locked eyes with Eclipse, voicing irrevocable words that would set the next stage of our unforgettable journey into motion.
“I’m going back to where this whole nightmare started. I’m going home.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Con Template currently resides in California. When she is not daydreaming about her next overseas destination, you can find her in between realities when she is writing about the Underworld, the Anointed Stars, the Omegas, the Ancients, and the Covenant.
She is currently working on the second book of the An Eternity of Eclipse series and looking to introduce a new thriller series, Petals to Wonderland, in 2016.
You can follow her at contemplate13.wordpress.com or twitter.com/contemplate13
Con Template, An Eternity of Eclipse
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