| Fantasy Fiction posted October 1, 2020 | Chapters: |
...24 25 -26- 27 
|
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What is it about this man...?
A chapter in the book Renaissance of Enchantment
Chapter 8 - Part 2
by Y. M. Roger
| Background With everyone settled at The Refuge for the night, Maggie is drawn to the gathering room where she meets Demetrius and others... |
End of Part One (of Chapter 8):
A loud ‘hooting’ outside the front window snapped her to attention. The alluring gentleman stopped his forward progress, his head turning sharply toward the window in the direction of the owl’s cry.
As Maggie sucked in a much needed breath, he turned back to face her, the tiniest of twitches playing in one corner of his lips. Those oh-so-piercing eyes seemed to suddenly dance with laughter, and Maggie had the unexpected urge to reach out and fix a stray black hair on the side of his head. Finding her wits and other senses that had seemed to have temporarily left, she fisted her hand to still it and took another cleansing breath. She had just opened her mouth to speak when he completely took her breath away: he bowed in front of her.
Ho. Ly. Crap.
Begin Part Two:
Okay, so it wasn’t a complete bend-at-the-waist with royal flourish bow, but it was a bow. Perhaps more like the greetings you’d imagine gentlemen of old did in acknowledgement of royalty or something. Maggie mentally shook herself back to reality, but good heavens, could his face and, well, just everything be more inviting? Though she didn’t look away, she noticeably swallowed and found her voice.
“Hi.” Wow, that was lame. But she held out her hand in greeting and continued. “I’m Maggie.” She felt a smile try to form in looking at the stories she could find in those infinite eyes of his. “And you are…”
She knew the others had talked of one more boarder here at The Refuge. She recalled Memphis making it clear that he would be around later. Of course, the friendly blonde had neglected to mention that he would be the sexiest damn thing she’d ever laid eyes on… like a mix between Fortune 500’s Man of the Year and something out of some seriously erotic dreams she’d never shared with anyone. Ever.
A few gasps ran through the small gathering of otherwise crazy actors and actresses – seriously, why else would they be dressed like that? And what in the world could be wrong or ‘gasp-worthy’ about her introducing herself?
Before she could reflect or question the situation further, his lips slowly turned up into a smile as his hand engulfed hers… and the effects could not have been more pronounced or even disconcerting.
A bright light flashed almost blindingly, and she found herself standing in the desert. Wait, no. Perhaps not the desert. Because in turning her head from the endless sun and sand, she found she was standing atop a small dune overlooking a lush river delta. There were trees and crops in the fields and dwellings and workers… but it was definitely not present-day with the farm implements and the construction of the buildings. No, it was more like something from a documentary on the ancient world and… wait! Were those pyramids in the distance?
Another flash and Maggie felt light-headed as she blinked and felt the man’s hand tighten around her own. Her eyes quickly found his as a warmth spread from their point of contact to add to the stirring in her chest. Instantly, her defenses kicked in, and she attempted to extricate her hand.
But Demetrius wasn’t letting go. Yet.
“Demetrius, my lady.”
Maggie froze, her hand in his. What was it about that name? Oh, and that voice? I could definitely get used to that voice… She searched her distant memories, searched her recent past, searched her dreams… Although he only said it once, it echoed in her head. Her eyes fell away from his as her mind desperately searched for the knowledge that she could feel was just out of reach…
He squeezed her hand again, bringing her attention back to the room. This time, a gentle smile graced his face and more than just laughter danced in those dark, handsome depths. And the smile that spread across her face was in direct response to all that he was.
He easily released her hand, but did not retreat. His face so bright with emotion, she could imagine the sunlight... yeah, maybe the sunlight from that desert... reflecting off of it.
“It is good to finally have you home, Maggie.”
Again, his words poured over and around her like the sweetest of refreshing water. And I want to hear so much more…
Maggie felt a soft blush creep up her face with that self-profession. She took a deep breath and returned his smile. Home? I guess that's what this is now…
“Thank you.” Nodding her head, she glanced around at all of the eyes now singularly fixated on her, their presence reminding her why she actually came out here in the first place.
She took a step back to recover her senses and felt her composure recover quickly with all the scrutinization, as if she was some sort of amoeba under a microscope. In fact, their curiosity-transitioning-to-condescending gazes were more than enough to set her back to her original mission. Sparing the potent Demetrius another glance before letting her focus fall around the room at the others, Maggie squared her shoulders and spoke.
“So, yeah.” She took another deep breath, steeled her resolve, and looked back up into Demetrius’ face. Good heavens he was so damn good looking! “Are they all with you?”
Demetrius’ faint smile never faltered, that beguiling face practically set in stone. But all around the two of them, the people began whispering amongst themselves. Whether she could make out the words or not, it was obvious that she was the reason for ‘whisperings’. A few of the well-dressed gentlemen gave her a very disturbing once-over before turning and, under their breaths, making some snide comment about her clothing. The little girl started whining and tugging on the lady’s skirt she had originally hidden behind, her pitiful “Mommy, I’m scared” making no sense whatsoever. It’s not like she had threatened anyone in any way…
Finally, his eyes still concentrating on Maggie’s face, Demetrius responded with a very pronounced nod. He simultaneously raised a hand, effectively silencing the people and bringing all of the activity in the room to a halt.
“They are good company for long night hours, my lady.” Maggie saw a spark of mischief in those onyx eyes.
Silence reigned as Demetrius’ eyes continued to telegraph his subtle amusement. Maggie took another moment to examine all the people in the room, her eyes finally returning to his face. But before she could ask the obvious question of their presence again, Demetrius’ eyes transitioned from their childlike wonderment to a mixture of surprise and scrutiny. But the most surprising emotion she thought she saw there before his gaze shuttered once again was disappointment. Even his shoulders seemed to sag if only in the slightest as he spoke.
“You truly do not realize it, do you, my h– ?”
To be continued…
Maggie - Marguerite B. Atkinson. Maggie is Rosemary’s great-niece.
Addison (Addy) Westmorland - little boy with Maggie, being raised by her
Dorothy Westmorland - Addy's mother (deceased)
Bongo - Maggie & Addy's large, black cat
Twilight - Great Gray Owl seen outside the diner and at Maggie's apartment in New York. It has somehow found its way to the Refuge.
Rosemary - (deceased) Rosemary Fenna, Sister of the World Wide Hecate Order (WWHO) and Guardian Protectress of The Refuge
Demetrius - tall, mysterious male resident of The Refuge, marked for death (perhaps more) by the WWHO [World Wide Hecate Order]
Peadar - Irish male resident of The Refuge, helped Rosemary with upkeep
Lycaois - (aka Lyca) Goth, warrior-looking female resident of The Refuge
Freki - Lyca's over-sized pet 'dog'
Koko - Native American male resident of The Refuge, has unending optimism and warmth about him...most of the time
Kato - large male Refuge resident who wears the clothes of a teenager. Kato is a young lion-shifter.
Memphis - nymph from Demetrius' original homeland, now auberge factotum to The Refuge
Geoffrey Staltson - Rosemary's lawyer and friend to the residents at The Refuge
Stephen - private investigator employed by Geoffrey
Jinx - computer hack/whiz working with Stephen, handles all the tech-forensics for investigations (Jinx and Stephen are also domestic partners)
Charlise Staltson - Geoffrey's wife (they have a three-way marriage - Geoffrey, Gary, and Charlie)
Gary Staltson - Geoffrey's husband
A loud ‘hooting’ outside the front window snapped her to attention. The alluring gentleman stopped his forward progress, his head turning sharply toward the window in the direction of the owl’s cry.
As Maggie sucked in a much needed breath, he turned back to face her, the tiniest of twitches playing in one corner of his lips. Those oh-so-piercing eyes seemed to suddenly dance with laughter, and Maggie had the unexpected urge to reach out and fix a stray black hair on the side of his head. Finding her wits and other senses that had seemed to have temporarily left, she fisted her hand to still it and took another cleansing breath. She had just opened her mouth to speak when he completely took her breath away: he bowed in front of her.
Ho. Ly. Crap.
Begin Part Two:
Okay, so it wasn’t a complete bend-at-the-waist with royal flourish bow, but it was a bow. Perhaps more like the greetings you’d imagine gentlemen of old did in acknowledgement of royalty or something. Maggie mentally shook herself back to reality, but good heavens, could his face and, well, just everything be more inviting? Though she didn’t look away, she noticeably swallowed and found her voice.
“Hi.” Wow, that was lame. But she held out her hand in greeting and continued. “I’m Maggie.” She felt a smile try to form in looking at the stories she could find in those infinite eyes of his. “And you are…”
She knew the others had talked of one more boarder here at The Refuge. She recalled Memphis making it clear that he would be around later. Of course, the friendly blonde had neglected to mention that he would be the sexiest damn thing she’d ever laid eyes on… like a mix between Fortune 500’s Man of the Year and something out of some seriously erotic dreams she’d never shared with anyone. Ever.
A few gasps ran through the small gathering of otherwise crazy actors and actresses – seriously, why else would they be dressed like that? And what in the world could be wrong or ‘gasp-worthy’ about her introducing herself?
Before she could reflect or question the situation further, his lips slowly turned up into a smile as his hand engulfed hers… and the effects could not have been more pronounced or even disconcerting.
A bright light flashed almost blindingly, and she found herself standing in the desert. Wait, no. Perhaps not the desert. Because in turning her head from the endless sun and sand, she found she was standing atop a small dune overlooking a lush river delta. There were trees and crops in the fields and dwellings and workers… but it was definitely not present-day with the farm implements and the construction of the buildings. No, it was more like something from a documentary on the ancient world and… wait! Were those pyramids in the distance?
Another flash and Maggie felt light-headed as she blinked and felt the man’s hand tighten around her own. Her eyes quickly found his as a warmth spread from their point of contact to add to the stirring in her chest. Instantly, her defenses kicked in, and she attempted to extricate her hand.
But Demetrius wasn’t letting go. Yet.
“Demetrius, my lady.”
Maggie froze, her hand in his. What was it about that name? Oh, and that voice? I could definitely get used to that voice… She searched her distant memories, searched her recent past, searched her dreams… Although he only said it once, it echoed in her head. Her eyes fell away from his as her mind desperately searched for the knowledge that she could feel was just out of reach…
He squeezed her hand again, bringing her attention back to the room. This time, a gentle smile graced his face and more than just laughter danced in those dark, handsome depths. And the smile that spread across her face was in direct response to all that he was.
He easily released her hand, but did not retreat. His face so bright with emotion, she could imagine the sunlight... yeah, maybe the sunlight from that desert... reflecting off of it.
“It is good to finally have you home, Maggie.”
Again, his words poured over and around her like the sweetest of refreshing water. And I want to hear so much more…
Maggie felt a soft blush creep up her face with that self-profession. She took a deep breath and returned his smile. Home? I guess that's what this is now…
“Thank you.” Nodding her head, she glanced around at all of the eyes now singularly fixated on her, their presence reminding her why she actually came out here in the first place.
She took a step back to recover her senses and felt her composure recover quickly with all the scrutinization, as if she was some sort of amoeba under a microscope. In fact, their curiosity-transitioning-to-condescending gazes were more than enough to set her back to her original mission. Sparing the potent Demetrius another glance before letting her focus fall around the room at the others, Maggie squared her shoulders and spoke.
“So, yeah.” She took another deep breath, steeled her resolve, and looked back up into Demetrius’ face. Good heavens he was so damn good looking! “Are they all with you?”
Demetrius’ faint smile never faltered, that beguiling face practically set in stone. But all around the two of them, the people began whispering amongst themselves. Whether she could make out the words or not, it was obvious that she was the reason for ‘whisperings’. A few of the well-dressed gentlemen gave her a very disturbing once-over before turning and, under their breaths, making some snide comment about her clothing. The little girl started whining and tugging on the lady’s skirt she had originally hidden behind, her pitiful “Mommy, I’m scared” making no sense whatsoever. It’s not like she had threatened anyone in any way…
Finally, his eyes still concentrating on Maggie’s face, Demetrius responded with a very pronounced nod. He simultaneously raised a hand, effectively silencing the people and bringing all of the activity in the room to a halt.
“They are good company for long night hours, my lady.” Maggie saw a spark of mischief in those onyx eyes.
Silence reigned as Demetrius’ eyes continued to telegraph his subtle amusement. Maggie took another moment to examine all the people in the room, her eyes finally returning to his face. But before she could ask the obvious question of their presence again, Demetrius’ eyes transitioned from their childlike wonderment to a mixture of surprise and scrutiny. But the most surprising emotion she thought she saw there before his gaze shuttered once again was disappointment. Even his shoulders seemed to sag if only in the slightest as he spoke.
“You truly do not realize it, do you, my h– ?”
To be continued…
Maggie - Marguerite B. Atkinson. Maggie is Rosemary’s great-niece.
Addison (Addy) Westmorland - little boy with Maggie, being raised by her
Dorothy Westmorland - Addy's mother (deceased)
Bongo - Maggie & Addy's large, black cat
Twilight - Great Gray Owl seen outside the diner and at Maggie's apartment in New York. It has somehow found its way to the Refuge.
Rosemary - (deceased) Rosemary Fenna, Sister of the World Wide Hecate Order (WWHO) and Guardian Protectress of The Refuge
Demetrius - tall, mysterious male resident of The Refuge, marked for death (perhaps more) by the WWHO [World Wide Hecate Order]
Peadar - Irish male resident of The Refuge, helped Rosemary with upkeep
Lycaois - (aka Lyca) Goth, warrior-looking female resident of The Refuge
Freki - Lyca's over-sized pet 'dog'
Koko - Native American male resident of The Refuge, has unending optimism and warmth about him...most of the time
Kato - large male Refuge resident who wears the clothes of a teenager. Kato is a young lion-shifter.
Memphis - nymph from Demetrius' original homeland, now auberge factotum to The Refuge
Geoffrey Staltson - Rosemary's lawyer and friend to the residents at The Refuge
Stephen - private investigator employed by Geoffrey
Jinx - computer hack/whiz working with Stephen, handles all the tech-forensics for investigations (Jinx and Stephen are also domestic partners)
Charlise Staltson - Geoffrey's wife (they have a three-way marriage - Geoffrey, Gary, and Charlie)
Gary Staltson - Geoffrey's husband
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