A Wicked Beginning Read online

  “And what way is that?”

  “It is like this, chère, or have you forgotten that too?” He clapped his hands together forcefully over my head, and a thunderclap of pleasure shot down my spine.

  I arched backwards, but did not fall, held in place by a torrent of energy. I moaned in bliss in a long, loud, jungle cat-like howl. I hoped the neighbors could not hear me. Kayden pulled his hands back, and the surge stopped just as quickly.

  “Geez, Kayden, stop that. This feels like betrayal to me.”

  “Only to your human brain…not to your Galaxy Dancer brain…not to the ka’kriyayaga.”

  “I’m confused, Kayden.”

  “And I’m done for the day. You’ll figure it out.” He started strolling down the driveway.

  “Wait a minute, Kayden. Don’t we have a lesson?”

  “Not until you figure out this bit, chère. I sure hope it’s soon. I’d hoped this would be a more pleasant reunion.”

  “Kayden…” I called to him.

  “Sexy girl…” he called back to me before disappearing into thin air with a dismissive flick of his hand.

  Chapter 9 – Chérie

  Confounded by Kayden’s new mental challenge for me to figure out, I pushed him out of my head, went back upstairs, and patted around on the bedspread for my phone. Feeling lazy, I tugged off my clothes and slipped back into bed. Pressing #1 on the phone, I listened to it ring until Cam picked up. He sounded exhausted and lethargic. This was not good. “You doing alright, love?”

  I heard a muffled yawn. “Yeah…I think I’m okay. You?”

  “Yeah…I seem to be.”

  “I miss you, babe,” Cam stated.

  “I miss you too. Why aren’t you here, next to me?” I teased.

  I heard him snort. “I could be there in a snap.”

  I felt the stirrings of arousal between my legs. “Better not go there…yet.”

  “Right… What are you up to today?”

  “Not sure yet… I’ve got to call Zuri, and then check in at work.”

  “Hell, you still work at the community center don’t you?”

  Cam hated my former boss Jill Primcott and the two women who worked for her, which he referred to as the Jackal Twins.

  “Yeah, but I forgot to tell you that she quit after that incident last fall. I never saw her again. I work for someone different…Susie Jeevers. She’s nice, innocuous, lets me do my own thing, loves it that my classes are so successful. She even gave me a pay raise.”

  “Thank God, Chér. I’ve worried about you every day since that incident.”

  “Have you…? We haven’t really stayed in contact.”

  “Hell, yeah. Chérie, I’ve probably thought of you every hour of every day since we last saw one another. I’ve never been able to get you out of my mind…and I don’t want to. In fact, I’d like to get deeper inside of you, right now.”

  “Ha! So what are you going to do about that, Cam? Since we don’t want to go there until I figure out how to channel this energy properly, and we figure out what the star dreamling wants of you.”

  “Oh, there’s always me and Mr. Hand,” he sighed.

  I laughed. “I’d be careful with that Cam. I imagine that even thinking about me can bring about some stuff with the star dreamling…you know…now that we’re…close again.” I quivered again as a jolt of arousal shot up my back.

  “Yeah, yeah…put that away, Mr. Hand,” he joked.

  “You’re not really joking, are you?” I asked. When he didn’t respond, I asked, “What are you going to do today, Cam?”

  “Oh, I’ve got to go pick up my last paycheck at the High Road. Talk to James about opportunities with teens. A little of this, a little of that…I’m going to be tied up most of the day, in other words.”

  “Too bad…”

  “Yeah…”

  “Maybe we can touch base later…?”

  “I’d like to touch more than base,” Cam growled.

  I gulped. Stepping outside of my comfort zone, I whispered, “Maybe we could test this out…”

  “Test what?”

  “The long distance connection…like…er…what would you like to touch?”

  “The inside of you with the outside of me, for starters...”

  I ran my tongue along my lips. “What do you imagine that would feel like, lover?”

  “I like your new sweet talk…” Cam replied in a husky voice. “You never used to call me that…so let me ask you…how would you like me slipping inside of you, real slow…?” The words swirled off of his tongue, laced with longing.

  “Are you touching yourself, Cam…right now?”

  “What if I were…?”

  “I’d like to know so I can…um…er…imagine it.”

  “Picture this instead….what do you imagine it feels like to have me inside of you stroking your slickness with my hard cock?”

  “It feels like I’m in my kayak, racing down the river…only much, much, better…”

  “How much better?” Cam was beginning to pant into the phone.

  “Way better…it feels like the force of the waves is moving up inside of me, rushing past that tiny pearl…”

  “What pearl is that…?” Cam’s voice came out thick and rough.

  “You know…the one that gets all pleasured and aroused when you touch it…”

  “The one that my cock presses against when I’m making love to you…when I’m deep…way deep…inside of you?”

  “Yeah…” I whispered.

  “Are you touching it right now?”

  “No…” I replied shyly.

  “Are you wearing anything?”

  “Only my underwear…”

  “Push aside your panties, babe, and touch yourself.”

  “I’m shy.”

  “Do it and imagine that it’s my cock.”

  “Cam…”

  “You’ll like it…”

  I gulped again. “Okay, my panties are off.”

  “All the way off?” Now Cam’s breath was coming fast and hard. “Shit, Chér, I wish I was inside of you right now.”

  “The door isn’t glowing is it?”

  “Don’t remind me of the fucking door.”

  “Cam, tell me.”

  “No, the fucking door isn’t glowing.”

  “Okay. This means that whatever we’re doing is okay.”

  “It’s way okay, Chér. So tell me…are you touching the pearl?”

  “No, I’m still feeling shy.”

  “Chérie, I’m about to come…please touch yourself.”

  I bit my lip. “I’m not very good at this.”

  “You’ll learn…” he insisted with a growl. “How does it feel?”

  “It felt better when you were inside of me.”

  “You’ve got a powerful imagination, Chér. Imagine that I’m stroking you in and out…that I’m pushing inside of your wet slippery opening and pulling out again just as slow.”

  “Okay…okay, Cam, that’s a good image.”

  “Yeah, babe, I’m making love to you, and now I’m kissing you, my lips are crushed against yours, and my tongue is deep inside your mouth, and my cock is filling you with pleasure.”

  “Oh, yeah, Cam, I like that…”

  “How do you feel?”

  “Like that river…that river…the feel of you…oh, God, Cam, keep pushing up inside of me.”

  “I’m pushing…pushing and pulling and stroking and kissing and licking…I can’t hold it much longer, babe.”

  “The ka’kriyayaga is opening her eyes, Cam, oh, God, the wave of ecstasy is starting…” I moaned and writhed on the bed.

  “Augh, Chér, fuck…” Cam yelled into the phone. “You’re going to have to stop.” He howled in pain.

  I heard indistinguishable sounds coming through the phone. The anguish in his voice was intense and alarming. I stopped touching myself. “What’s the matter, Cam?”

  “Shit…these claw marks…are fucking intense…God…the pai
n…shit.”

  “Cam…go get Manoko…call Severe…do something.”

  “I can’t…can’t…move…augh, fuck.” He barely managed to get the words out.

  I heard barking in the background and a big commotion in Cam’s room. Then Manoko bellowed into the phone. “Whatever you are doing, Chérie, stop. Stop it now.”

  “I’ve stopped, I’ve stopped!” My voice sounded hysterical. He must’ve flung the phone against the wall because a sharp bang resonated in my ear. “What’s going on? Tell me? Manoko? …Cam…?” All I heard was Severe barking, Cam yelling, and Manoko chanting. There were footsteps pounding through the room, too, like Manoko was moving to and fro. I flung the covers back, threw on my clothes, and raced out the door to my sputtering VW. It would take me 35 or 40 minutes to get from my north of Seattle home to West Seattle…that was too long. I needed to be there now.

  “In a hurry, ma chère?” a mellifluous voice purred.

  “Kayden…! Quick…! Take me over to Cam’s – he’s in trouble!”

  “Did you figure out that little betrayal puzzle, yet, hmmm?”

  “No…crap…Okay, if you won’t take me I’ll have to drive.”

  “Don’t bother; the Neanderthal won’t last long unless you get there soon.” He stood there, hands on his hips looking like he had all the time in the world.

  “Can’t you help me…? Please…?” Hot tears were flowing down my cheeks.

  “I can, but you’ll need to figure out the puzzle…”

  “I don’t know what it is, Kayden…please…I’ve got to hurry.”

  “What did I teach you last year, mon amour?”

  I scanned my brain for the list of things I had learned from him in our lessons. Channeling erotic energy? No, that couldn’t be it. Remember something about me – I’m more than I think I am – that could be a start. Hmmm…when in danger I always have a breath left in which to relax, plan, and figure out my next move. That’s it! I took a deep breath, let my panic subside, and reflected for a moment. “Okay…the puzzle…has something to do with you being a part of me…or me being a part of you…something like that…something essential that we share.”

  “Is there more?” Kayden purred.

  “That’s all I can get at this moment. Am I close?” I asked hopefully.

  Kayden tapped his chin with one long, elegant finger. “You are close…okay…I’ll do a favor for you for getting closer.” At this he whisked me over to Cam’s door in a nanosecond. Before disappearing, he swept his hands up my spine, causing the ka’kriyayaga to unfurl.

  “Wait…I can’t go in there with this kind of energy. That’s what caused the star dreamling to strike…”

  “No, ma chère, that wasn’t it. It’s what you and the Neanderthal were doing with the energy that caused the breach. Try focusing on something different.”

  I started to panic again. “Like what?”

  I managed to see him tap his heart, his throat, and his third eye before fading into nonexistence.

  Chapter 10 – Chérie

  I burst through the door to Cam’s room to see a terrible sight. Cam looked utterly ghostly. He was sweating profusely. His leg shone with green, purple, and red swirling light and a brown ooze of pus leaked out the gouges in his leg. Manoko was focused on his prayers, but he was heaving with exertion. The only calm being was Severe who trotted over to me and wagged her tail when she saw me. Then, she turned around and trotted back over to Cam, and sat down. I heard her quiet voice say, Over here ka’kriyayaga. It may be too late but you can try.

  I projected back to her I don’t know what to do…

  She wagged her tail again. You are the ka’kriyayaga. If you don’t know, who does?

  Probably Kayden, I thought, but he’s not giving it up. Okay, then. Manoko managed to look up from his labors and glare at me, probably thinking that I was still in that sexually aroused place. Well, I still was, but I managed to funnel it throughout my being; not keep it concentrated on my…ahem…pearl. I put my palms up and said with authority, “I’ve got this, Manoko. Back off.” Then I proceeded to get very still. Not knowing what to do, exactly, I focused on my heart, throat, and forehead as Kayden had indicated. In my mind’s eye, I saw Cam, running and racing through horrible woods of jagged branches, knife-edged rocks, and greedy vines, ravenously reaching out to grab his legs. Chasing him were the specters I had grown familiar with last year – the ta-ak’tiyani. Of course they’d be involved in this. Their ghoulish faces and empty eye sockets were gleaming with evil as they streamed towards Cam. Some of them had already attached to him and were hungrily devouring his heart. To the left of him, Figment raced with unnatural speed, keeping pace with the specters of fright. To the right of him, the star dreamling ran, snarling and snapping and making unreal, nightmarish sounds.

  Think, Chérie, think. This was Cam’s dream, not mine. Cam was gasping as he charged through these brutal woods, his lungs heaving ragged breaths. The only thing I could think to do was recall the village I had dreamt. I brought to mind the chiming streams, the tinkling flowers, and the brilliant cascade of sounds flowing from the gardens. I sent that vision straight into Cam’s heart. I urged him to choose between warmth and violence, between terror and surrender. I told him he was safe. Honestly, it was all I could think to do. And then I witnessed a remarkable thing: as Cam ran, he became younger and younger. I watched a rage-filled 20-something Cam in self-destructive oblivion, wrenching branches off the trees, tearing open the flesh of his palms, slamming against the razor sharp rocks until his legs were raw and bloody. I watched a teenage Cam run with paranoia, looking every which way like he was skirting along a mine field searching for the source of destruction. Then, I observed a small, scared boy racing through this surreal landscape, wondering where he could possibly go that was safe. I reached out to this small Cam, picked him up, and held him while he sobbed with heart twisting snuffles. Only then did I notice that the room had become very, very quiet.

  I opened my eyes and saw Manoko and Severe watching me intently. Manoko’s face had a look of amazement on it. Severe’s face bore an expression of overjoyed dog-ness. I knew you could do it, she projected in doggy telepathy. She held her front paw up in a kind of salute.

  Cam was resting peacefully, the color having returned to him, the ugly light receded from the claw marks, a soft smile curving on his face. His eyes were still closed, but he looked like he was in a profound rest.

  “Ka’kriyayaga,” Manoko said, pushing himself off the bed. He looked haggard and worn. He bowed his head slightly before calling Severe to his side and heading towards the door. His arm reached out to steady his body against the door jam, and he paused, as if about to turn around and say something. Then, apparently thinking better of it, he stumbled down the hallway, with Severe skittering along by his side.

  I sat next to Cam with my hand on his side until he stirred. Opening his eyelids, he asked, “Okay, what happened this time?”

  “Don’t you remember any of it?”

  “Not sure if I want to remember…strange dark shapes trying to eat me…hurtling through an inexplicable landscape. I was terrified. That fucking star dreamling was in there somewhere.” He tried to push up to sitting then fell back. “Whoa…”

  “Too fast?” I inquired.

  “You could say that…the room started to spin.” He reached out and pulled my hand towards his lips. He kissed the palm, then took each finger into his mouth, one at a time, and gently sucked it. Each fingertip made a tiny pop when he released it. “Tell me you’re not going to the ka’ place when I do this…”

  “No, this feels sweet, Cam.” I smiled and wiped my saliva covered fingers on the bedspread before snuggling down next to him on the bed. “I did learn a little more about channeling that energy, though.” I traced his face with a finger then smoothed his sweat soaked hair.

  He took hold of my hand again and once more kissed the palm. “That’s good…but I guess there’ll be no more consummation, huh?” He sai
d the word consummation like “con-soo-may-shun” in a silly, mocking voice.

  “Not until I figure a few things out, I guess. So tell me…how did you pull out of the terror place?” I kissed his cheek lovingly. He pushed an arm underneath my shoulders and pulled me on top of him. “Cam…” I began.

  “Shhh…” he soothed. “I just want to hold you. No monkey business. That knocked the stuffing out of me.” His hands moved gently up and down my back. “To answer your question, I remember running and running and thinking of my asshole father beating the crap out of my mother, week after week. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got, the more those black gooey things attacked me. I felt all this rage and helplessness. Then this beautiful…light being or something like that…enveloped me. It felt like someone was holding me. It made me feel safe. Then I just calmed down. And I came back and there you were. I guess that’s one way to get you over here,” he teased.

  “I was scared to death…I leapt out of bed and came right over.”

  “In your beat up VW? That thing’s a piece of shit…” he muttered. “I know a guy I want to talk to – I think he can get you into something better.”

  I burrowed my face into his neck, unwilling to let him see my lying eyes. How was I going to tell him that Kayden was back? Luckily, he didn’t say anything else about my car. His hands just kept on moving in slow, gentle caresses. He whispered into my hair, “I guess there goes my busy day…I’ll have to flip the sick card, huh?”

  “I guess so…” I whispered. And then we both fell into an exhausted sleep.

  Chapter 11 – Cam

  The afternoon sun was pouring through the bedroom window, lighting up the room in a rosy hue when Cam woke up a couple hours later with Chérie snuggled by his side. Mmm, nice, he thought. This was another thing he had missed. “Hey, sleepyhead…” he whispered in Chérie’s ear.

  “Hmmm…?”

  “Let’s get up…the day still has lots of daylight left. I’ve pared my list down to two doable things.”

  “Mm hmmm,” she murmured, eyes still closed.