Beware the Kiss by J. Alex Acker

Author:J. Alex Acker
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781930874022
Publisher: Women's Work Press
Published: 2001-07-01T03:00:00+00:00

"No!"

Raven's face contorted with anger. "You will kiss me and then I will destroy you." Her cold hands grabbed Tayler by the shoulders and fiercely shook her.

"No, no — " Tayler struggled against the cold hands.

"Tayler," Erica's voice rang through the fog. "Tayler, wake up. You're dreaming."

"Help me." Tayler sobbed.

"It's only a dream, darling, open your eyes," Erica coaxed.

Tayler's eyes fluttered open. Upon seeing Erica she sat up quickly and clung to her. Through her tears she saw Ana standing next to the bed. Ana's forehead was creased and her lips were drawn into a line.

"What time is it?" Tayler shivered.

"It's midnight," Ana replied. She walked across the room to shut the balcony doors, which had been blown open by the wind.

"Are you all right?" Erica asked. She smoothed the damp hair away from Tayler's eyes.

"She was in my dream —Raven."

Erica stared at Tayler and then looked at Ana.

"It wasn't a dream, was it?" Tayler demanded.

"No, not really." Ana turned and looked at the crystals. They were spinning.

"She was going to kill me," Tayler whispered.

"How? Did she say?" Erica asked.

"Dirt. She picked up some dirt from the floor of the cave, like she did this afternoon. But in the dream she sprinkled it over me. I tried to brush it off, but I couldn't."

"The fourth element." Ana said. She looked directly at Tayler. "Tayler, this is important. What did she say exactly?"

"I just want to forget this, please don't make me— "

"Tayler, it's important. What did Raven say to you?"

Tayler cringed trying to remember. "She said I had no choice."

"No choice in what?"

"She wanted me to kiss her. She said if I kissed her the world would be mine." Tayler shut her eyes. "But then she said she would destroy me." She leaned against Erica's shoulder and hoarsely pleaded, "Please don't leave me alone tonight."

The waxing moon lit the bedroom and cast shadows on the walls. Tayler laid on her side studying Erica's long dark eyelashes, listening to her breathing, soft and steady. The impulse to touch the velvety skin was strong. Instead, Tayler resigned herself to a visual caress of Erica's body.

Her eyes wandered over Erica's face. Dark half-moons attached themselves below the sleeping woman's eyes. Tayler could see the lines of worry stretched across the surface of Erica's face. Tayler gently lifted her hand to touch Erica, but stopped. She didn't want to disturb the sleeping woman.

"Why the hesitation?" Erica's voice was as soft and lush as the sheets that enclosed them.

Tayler looked into two black pools. "Did I wake you?"

"I wasn't asleep," Erica took Tayler's hand and guided it to her face.

The feeling of her dry hand on the smooth, moist skin pierced Tayler's composure.

"You've fallen in love with a woman who could kill you." Ana's earlier warning stopped Tayler's hand. She looked away.

Erica brought Tayler's head up so she could look into the younger woman's eyes. "I frighten you."

"No —well, maybe a little," Tayler confessed.

"Why?" Erica leaned on her elbow so she could look into Tayler's eyes.

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