Synergy

Chapter Thirteen

Equinox took in a deep breath, filling his lungs. He let in out in a slow, even stream, clearing his mind.

He continued to breath in and out until he felt relaxed and centered. When it seemed like the only thing in that moment was the rustle of the willow leaves in the gentle night breeze and the lap of the koi's fins in the reflecting pond. He began humming.

The vibration moved through his body, massaging the tense emotions out of him. He continued in this manner until he was in the zone so deeply the garden felt like a ward bubble with nothing beyond it.

He started his mantra. Om mani padme hum.

The sound of his own voice was a hypnotic drone that joined the breeze to slip through the cool, clear night.

If he hadn't been in such a mesmerized state, Equinox would have heard the grass wisping in the silence of the night as steps approached.

The owner of the footsteps saw the unaware Equinox, sitting under the willow tree in mudra, the dim moonlight casting silver shadows on the vampire's handsome face. He looked so relaxed, so calm.

The man watched Equinox as he chanted softly to himself. Peace wrapped the vampire's aura, the slight furrow his brow normally sported was ironed out into ease.

If the vampire had been raise with unconditional love and treated differently in his youth, this would be his everyday countenance. But with his heart filled with haunting shadows and deep, slicing scars Equinox's face was only this tranquil during meditation.

Meditation was a small window of time when the vampire let down his guard completely, letting his jaded mask fall. The man in the garden wished those deep shadows would fade from the vampire's heart for more that just a moment. He wished they'd fade forever.

The man's thoughts were broken as the mew of a cat sounded at his feet.

                                                                      ****

Equinox chanted over and over, the same mantra. What was it about repetition that soothed? He was halfway through another repetition of his mantra when the sound of a cat's meow caused his eyes to flutter open. He knew that mew.

He looked in the direction of the noise. Elysium was a dark, sultry silhouette twining around the ankles of a man. Equinox realized his meditation must have been deep indeed if he didn't sense human energy enter the garden. Elysium continued her dance around the man's legs, rubbing her head on his calf. Equinox smiled at his pet--she was a shameless hussy of an attention-whore.

Suddenly, Elysium turned, noticing her vampire. Her tail shot up; she trotted eagerly toward him.

Equinox scratched the under chin of the black cat.

"Hello, my precious." he cooed as the cat purred.

Equinox lifted his gaze to the man standing midway through the garden, "Going for a late-night walk, mate? Or just lurking in the shadows?"

Bay took a few step forwards, moving into the sparse moonlight, "I didn't want to disturb your meditation."

"Well, this princess had no problem distracting me, so you may as well." a smirk teased Equinox lips, but he didn't indulge its desire.

As Bay continued his advancement to Equinox, the vampire remembered his dream. Bay had approached him under a tree, and then Bay had--suddenly Equinox felt his flesh flush . . .surely the dream wasn't prophetic. Was it?

Equinox quelled the rush of emotion by noting the tree in the dream had been an ash; this was a willow. Surely that technicality meant something.

Bay sauntered up to where Equinox sat, flip-flops brushing the grass as he moved. Equinox watched him come closer. The warlock held a new mystery in his countenance that made the vampire's pulse quicken.

Bay stopped at the tree, pressing a palm onto the bark, he leaned against the willow.

"That was some fight last night," Bay's voice was soft, "The whole coven won't stop talking about it."

Equinox nodded, stroking Elysium's shiny ebony fur with a pensive hand. Bay's eyes roamed over Equinox's body, he was still sitting in Lotus Position. Love ached in Bay's being as he watched Equinox pet his cat, bending to kiss her ear.

Bay took a deep breath, Goddess give me courage.

Bay's eyes still admired Equinox as he sat under the tree. Bay's voice was low, his brogue soft, "I was afraid I was goin' to lose you." he confessed

A pause.

"I was afraid I was going to fail you." Equinox cast a gaze through his shadowy brow to Bay.

Equinox senses quickly noticed how sexy Bay's stance was as he leaned one-handed on the willow tree. Silence fell, the only sound vibrating through the night air was Elysium's purring.

Bay eased his body weight off the tree and walked under it to join Equinox. Equinox's body froze, not knowing what to expect.

Bay sat down next to Equinox, their knees touching. Equinox's eyes were fixed on the ground as he waited for whatever was coming next. Elysium slowly climbed over Equinox's lap and nestled between the two men's bodies, purring vividly. Bay looked down at the cat and smiled.

Equinox looked over to his pet, the feline looked up at him with an expression of contentment.

Oh, to be as comfortable as that cat was right now.

After a few pregnant moments, the silence deafening, Bay slowly reached a hand out. With a touch as light as an angel wing, Bay laid his hand on Equinox's thigh. Equinox didn't look down at Bay's hand, he was afraid of what would happen if he did.

Bay's palm slowly eased down only a few inches toward Equinox's knee; he rested it there, his touch heavier then before.

Equinox could hear his blood pounding in his ears. He gave quiet thanks that Bay wasn't a vampire or he would have been able to smell how Equinox's blood raced in his veins. As it was, Equinox could smell Bay's blood quicken as he caressed the vampire's thigh.

The atmosphere was static with emotion and chemistry. Equinox was nervous what was about to happen; yet he waited with baited breath to see what exactly it was that was coming.

Bay took a breath, a pause, then finally, "About last night--"

"There you two are!" an exasperated female voice shot through the night like a shock wave.

Bay quickly snatched his hand back off Equinox's thigh. Both men looked over to the voice's owner, wondering what she'd seen.

It was the witch Alyssa. Though human, Alyssa was often up til the early hours because of her work with the Moon Phases.

Though Bay and Equinox were wary of what she'd noticed between them, it appeared she'd noticed nothing as she continued, "Malcolm is gathering everyone who's awake to the Common Room. He has a message for us all."

Bay stood, the hand he'd rested on Equinox's thigh was shaky.

Equinox stood as well, "We're coming," his voice felt like the tremor of an earthquake's aftershock.

Equinox lifted Elysium up off the grass and cuddled her in one arm. He and Bay's eyes met before the two men followed Alyssa back to the mansion. Equinox checked the desire to take Bay's hand as they walked.

Equinox wondered what Bay was going to say about last night.

Maybe the interruption was for the best.