NOVEL NEXT 144: Wind Of Power
SHAH
I woke up because I needed to pee, so I slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom down the hall. When I got back, there was just barely enough dim morning light to see Euri on his side, facing the windows, under the covers, and I slid in next to him.
I didn't want to wake him, but he was so warm and comfy that I couldn't stay away. So, I scooted behind him and spooned him, with one arm around his waist and my face pushed against the back of his neck. He wiggled against me, and I felt his mind starting to wake. He rolled over and pulled me on top of him.
Better. That was better. I smiled against his neck and started sucking his skin while his hands roamed over my back.
Ummm. You feel good Euri.
So do you, Shay. I love you.
I love you too. I kissed him, and he kissed me back, hands gripping my back, pulling me tight against him. I wiggled my sandwich against him. He laughed into my mouth.
You feel soo, soo good, Euri. I laughed. This is the best sausage sandwich ever.
Euri laughed so hard he couldn't kiss me anymore. "Say that out loud for me, baby?"
"Mmmm, Euri. This is the best sausage sandwich ever," I giggled, and he laughed against my mouth.
"I think this sandwich could use some mayo," he said, reaching for the lube tube.
He handed it to me, and I showed him just how good I was at buttering my own bread. He laughed, and then lust raged off of him because I got really into it. I mean, it felt really good, lying on top of him, feeling him so hard, and sliding my fingers over the neediest places, knowing he liked watching. I slid off my shorts and tank top, and he kicked off his boxers.
That's better, I told him.
Say that again, Shay.
That's better, Euri. So much better. Umm, so, so good. Think I can do it?
Baby, you can do anything you want. I'm here with you. We're in this together. You feel so, so good. I caught his thoughts. Euri wanted to taste my nipples. His hands roamed up, stroking the outside of my breasts.
So good, Euri. Yes!
He rolled me onto my back, and his tongue lathed my right nipple while his fingers stroked down my belly. I was on fire. I needed him to touch me!
I've got you, baby. You taste so good, Shay. So good. Ummm. Your body feels so good. Do you feel how hard I am for you right now? Ummm. You're so wet for me. You need me so bad. Oh yeah, that's my girl. You go ahead and writhe for me, Shay. That's it. So good. You wanna come like this for me, baby? I can touch you til you come so hard. That's it. You feel so good. Come for me, Shay.
And I did, with his fingers inside me and his thumb on my clit, my world shattered. I'd meant to be quiet, but I think I shouted. Euri pulled me against his chest as my heart tore open, and my climax tore through both of us.
I was okay. It was okay. I pushed Euri onto his back and guided him into me as he groaned.
Euri! You feel so good, so good. Ahhh. It's so good, Euri. So, so, good. Don't stop.
Euri groaned. He was lost, trying to hold on, his hands on my hips pumping me up and down on him. I needed more, so much more.
More, Euri, more! He grunted and pumped me harder. Annhhhh! I shouted in his mind as we tore open again. I felt him empty himself into me, and it was like a rush of a cold stream, a shock wave that went from my pelvis to my forehead.
Then everything was teal light and peach stars and a golden sunset. I remembered to breathe.
Shay. So good, baby. Oh sands, so good. I love you so much.
I gasped for breath and tried to blink. Slowly, slowly, my breathing stilled. I was lying on Euri's chest, his arms around me, but we weren't in my grandparents house.
I know, Shay. It's so pretty here.
There was greenery. Ferns. Were we in ferns? In a forest of ferns? It smelled fresh and clean and the air was warm with a cool breeze. I snuggled against Euri's neck and chest and knew no more.
EURI
"Here," I cleaned us up with my discarded boxers so we didn't make a mess of Shah's grandparents bed, then wrapped my arms around her. "You did so good, Shah. It's so good when we're together. And two heart-openers in a row. Hmmm," I smiled into her hair
"Isn't it technically three, since it was two for me plus yours?"
"Well, then we can be triple-ly pleased. You're doing okay with the heart-openers, right?"
"Umm hmm. You always make it good, Euri."
I smiled at that. I mean, who didn't want to hear that?
She chuckled, "You always make it so good, Euri. You're so good in bed I just might scream your name for the fun of it!"
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I laughed, "Hey now, no teasing. Unless you mean it. You really wanna scream my name?"
We laughed and got up to shower and get ready for the day. Something smelled amazing.
"Special treat for you, this morning, Wind of Power: mushroom bacon! Give this a taste," Nanna commanded, handing me a plate of shriveled-up mushrooms. I took a little sliver.
"Oh, wow! Nanna! Oh, skies above, this is the best thing I've ever tasted!" It was salty, smoky, peppery and a little sweet.
"Nanna! Yum! What's in it?" Shay asked. Ronnie and Frank were already at the table eating pancakes with syrup.
"You know that's not how it works, Portia."
"Hmmm," Shah considered. "Well, salt, obviously, and pepper, and what, honey or something sweet, but how is it smoky? What did you do? Smoke the mushrooms?"
"Smoked paprika, Shah. Smoked paprika! Soak it all then pop them in the dehydrator. Little mushroomy bacon pieces. So, what do you say? Omelettes? Cheddar with green onion sound good?"
"Amazing, Nanna, amazing! What can we do to help?" I asked, looking around the kitchen.
"You two can pour the juice while I finish up this giant omelette. Frank, you look plump and ready for a morning stroll. Ronnie, you done?"
Ronnie nodded and let Frank outside, but came back to the table. I tucked into the best omelette I'd ever had and told Nanna I needed to know exactly how she made mushroom bacon since my stomach didn't seem to handle meat very well.
"I'll pack you a whole bunch to take on the Good Time. Now, we need to go over what you three want to do while you're here. Shows? Surely Euri needs to see the troubadours?"
And that's how it went. Two weeks we stayed on Trauton 4, seeing shows, watching the dances and songs. Sometimes they were plays, sometimes they were all orchestral and celebrations of the troubadour history. Always, it was music, dancing, great food, and people full of love.
On our last night, Poppie said at dinner, "Well, we finally figured out that the best way to talk about troubadour history is to not talk about troubadour history. Because no one knows where we came from. Or, at least, no one can agree!"
"So, Nanna and I gathered all the stories we could and complied them into one big script. We thought we'd finally be the ones to crack it! To finally figure out the true story, but it was just terrible!"
He rocked with laugher, making fun of himself. "Everything we wrote just seemed to fall apart. Like the idea itself is just cursed. You can't tell the history of our people— it won't let you!"
Nanna set a box on the table. Our dishes had long been pushed aside. She reached into the box and started passing around reams of paper.
"We scrapped the history idea, and instead wrote a song for each of our friends who passed. Forty-nine we have so far. Forty-nine of our closest singing, dancing troubadour friends have crossed over, and each has a song telling about their lives."
"Nanna! This is amazing! A treasure trove! It is troubadour history, just your friends!" Shah said.
Ronnie flipped through the reams of paper eagerly and motioned to me. I opened up one of the songs and started singing about Lourde The Longsufferer who bore the trials of mending torn costumes after every performance. Then it was Shreem the Stout, the keeper of sets building frame after frame through long years of performing. And Grabenly Gorven, the Glockenspiel player. My voice grew too dry to continue singing.
"You can't be finished yet," Nanna chided. "You still owe me the song of your birth. Bring us your quadruple good luck, and sing us the song about you, Euridyne."
I opened the song on my pad and played it. My dad singing it with Dwin on harmonies was far more beautiful than anything I could sing.
Play "Euridyne, Wind Divine."
"Euridyne, Wind Divine"
Conceptio!
Oh, Wind Divine!
Tell us the tale of Euridyne!
Force of Nature, Field of Light,
Sparkling fury, Feel thy might!
Conceptio!
Oh, Wind Divine!
Tell us the tale of Euridyne!
Beyond all fury, In all things,
Power of nature, Breathe in me.
Conceptio!
Oh, Wind Divine!
Tell us the tale of Euridyne!
What hast thou wraught?
Wraught in me?
Tales of the future? Of what might be?
Conceptio!
Oh, Wind Divine!
Tell us the tale of Euridyne!
Speak all truths, Know them sure.
Hear the story. Be the lure.
Conceptio!
Oh, Wind Divine!
Tell us the tale of Euridyne!
Oh! Friend of Mine, From space and time,
Lend me a moment; Help me unwind.
Mystery so vast. Beyond all things.
Who can measure? The bearer of dreams?
Wind of Power, Beyond all might.
Whisper your secret, Reveal the Light!
Conceptio!
Oh, Wind Divine!
Tell us the tale of Euridyne!
- Ren Crieve-Madrano, 2744
The kitchen windows were open; the air outside cool with autumn. A breeze picked up as the song beat through the kitchen, and the window curtains started whipping. Frank ran on top of Ronnie's head, holding onto his hair as Poppie banged the beat on the dining table.
Nanna stood up and pulled Shah into a dance. They swayed and twirled while Poppie kept the beat against the table, and the curtains whipped furiously. Papers flew. Musical scores rose and swirled all over the room. The lights flickered.
My voice rose to join my father's: "Who can measure the bearer of dreams?"
The house shook, and there was laughter behind it as the final stanza played, "Whisper your secret, reveal the light!" The smell of costamelon breezed through the house, then all fell still.
"Well, now. That is more than a song, my dear Euridyne," Nanna said. "That was something altogether otherworldly. You have friends on that Wind of Power, do you not?"
And suddenly, something was made clear to me that I had never seen before. My father often wrote songs about things on the breeze. Years before I'd been born, he'd written a song for my Aunt Ryst with the line, "I heard you on the breeze, just like always."
She'd been with us then, in the flesh, not just a ghostly presence who wafted the scent of costamelons. She'd been my adopted Auntie, always loving me and my brother, always wrapped around us telepathically. But then she'd vanished with Uncle Nayth nine years ago, and we'd only had vague impressions of them since: dreams of Nayth laughing, or Auntie showing up as a warm breeze.
But it was becoming more frequent. Tonight, two weeks ago, and a few months ago. Three times they'd shown up since the twins had come to stay. Me, Shah, Ronnie. The three of us. And me with the name "Euridyne, Wind of Power."
My dad wrote songs about things carried on the wind, and he'd given me the name "Wind of Power." What could I do and how did it relate to my Auntie? What did it mean to be "the bearer of dreams?"
My dreams weren't particularly interesting or prophetic. But, if Auntie Ryst was the dreamer, what if I was the bearer? Was I somehow, someway, a powerful wind connecting to the wisps of Ryst and Nayth? And were Ronnie and Shah a part of it?
Three times now within just a few months I'd heard Nayth laughing and smelled Auntie's costamelons. I looked at Ronnie. He was grinning at me.
I said the words aloud that Ronnie was thinking, "Something just happened, Nanna. Something has been happening, and I think you just might be right: my name is quadruply blessed, and I keep extraordinary company. But the real question is: where is all of this leading?"