Summoning Stone

Chapter 2

Lifting his hand from the bed, the grey-skinned man held it out to her like an invitation. There was plenty of lore about demons, sidhe and other such creatures being masters of temptation and manipulation. But, even so, it did put her at ease somewhat.

One expects a powerful being to just take whatever he wants. But he wasn't. He didn't attack her. In fact, he patiently explained what he wanted. Because he wanted her to feel pleasure and feed off that. She was inclined to believe what he said.

Taking a tight breath, Tessa lifted her hand to take his. He was slightly cold to the touch and his skin was smooth, like worn stone. His fingers folded around her hand with a firm grasp and he lifted a little to encourage her to get up.

She did. Guided by the gentle pull of his hand, she moved across to the bed and sat down again, now beside him. The sidhe turned, sliding his leg onto the mattress, so that he could face her. Tessa did the same, looking up at him. He was taller by about a foot, but the height difference was lessened by the fact that he sank more than she did on the old bed.

"Right," Tessa swallowed again. "So, what is your name?"

He smiled, "I do not have one."

"Really? But, then, what do people call you?"

"Any of those names: Demon, Sidhe. There are others."

"That's, uh, kind of rude, isn't it? And not really specific. I mean, I assume you're not the only one."

"I am not."

"So, how do you know they mean you?"

"Because I am the one summoned."

"Only one of you is ever summoned at a time?"

"By a single person. We do not share."

"Heh, right." Tessa gave another awkward laugh and looked away.

The way the sidhe was looking at her, it was intense. Nobody had ever looked at her that way. It made her feel funny and she was certain her cheeks were bright red.

"Try to take deep breaths," he coaxed. His gravelly voice managed to be surprisingly gentle.

Opening her mouth more, Tessa took in a big breath with a nervous nod.

"Through your nose," he added with another small smile.

She did so on the next breath. Her nose filled with the sweet slate scent of him. She took another.

"I am turning off the light," he warned her.

Tessa gave a little nod. She expected him to stand up, but all he did was lift his hand and mime pressing the switch in the air. The desk lamp clicked off. With the artificial light gone there was only the glow in the windows, making his features harder to see. But his scent increased; it reached all the way down into her belly with the next breath.

"You smell good," she announced awkwardly.

"Yes," he acknowledged. Gently, he touched the side of her head and then reached around with his other hand. He removed the clip securing her hair. His body leaned to put it on the bedside table. It clicked as it touched down on the wood.

Tessa took a deep breath through her nose, filling herself with his alluring scent. Scent which seemed to embrace her with a tender gentleness that was not only welcomed but reassuring.

The sidhe pulled back again, but the power of his scent remained. With the windows behind him no light should have been catching in his eyes but they still glittered. So did his skin, more than it did when the lamp was on. Tiny mineral flecks like he was made of polished granite that reacted not to light but to her.