Midnight Cove

WARNING: This chapter mentions sexual relations. It's not extra descriptive but if that makes you uncomfortable please feel free to skip ahead. Although parts of this chapter are vital to the overall story later. I would say PG-13 rating

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Making love with Cove was unlike anything or anyone else. Cove was gentle, kind, mindful of each soft caress. I was lost in a sea of his kisses. He would hesitate at times, but I didn't care. I dug my nails into his glistening flesh, craving the very depth of him. Hours had seemed to pass when we had finally finished. Cove could tell that despite my spirit's yearning to continue, I physically could not go on.

I began to sob. Softly at first, the big salty tears started to roll silently down my cheeks and then I was uncontrollable, my tiny frame shaking under the overwhelming pressure of my emotions. For the first time in my life, I felt that nothing was missing. I was awake inside. I could never go back to my sleeping existence. Cove held my sweating body as I wracked with sobs. He didn't ask me any questions. I didn't have any answers; I just needed him close to me. His gentle, soothing kisses eased my qualms and I drifted off into a deep slumber.

It was night, everything around me was dark. There was no moon, a black sky without the relief of stars. A harsh breeze was blowing as I stood in my white dress, waiting by the sea cliff. The smell of salt filled my nose and I could hear the threatening sound of the pounding surf as it crashed against the rocks far below. Cove was there, walking towards me, a worried look on his face. I was so happy to see him, I couldn't understand why he looked so worried. I held out my hand for him to join me. I wanted so badly to run to him but I was frozen in place. I began to worry. As Cove closed the distance between us, he changed, his face became that of Phoenix's and I tried to scream but no sound came out. He smiled wickedly at me his lips dripping with blood.

"I want you, Bonnie," he said. His smile faded but it afforded me no relief, for it was replaced by a look of pure malice. A frown filled with hate formed as he looked at me, "I will not be denied what I desire, and I desire you."

He grabbed me and roughly forced a kiss on my unwilling lips. I tried to push him away but he was far too strong. Unhappy with my objection, he pulled back and stared me in the face, but the face had changed again. Some older man with grey hair and soft, milky white skin was glaring at me. "You can't win," he said, "you will be mine, even if I have to kill you myself." With no more warning, he pushed me from the precipice. I began to freefall into the darkness. My only thought was of Cove. 'What happened to him, where was my Cove?'

I woke up in my bed, the sunlight streaming into my room. “Bonnie, what’s wrong? Are you alright?” Cove’s face was marred with worry as he wrapped his strong arms around me and stroked my hair. He was a safe haven, true to his name he was my shelter from life’s vicious storms, he was my Cove.

“Do you want to tell me what that was all about?” Cove was bothered. His concern clearly written on his face was endearing.

“Well,” I said, pondering, “It was just a bad dream.” Though I did want to unburden myself from the awful dream, the idea of bringing up the topic of his brother was not at all appealing.

“Dreams are important, Bonnie.” Cove, still contemplating, didn’t appear to be his usual happy self. “Is it normal for you to scream while you sleep? I don’t think so. If it was, I would have heard you the many nights I have spent in the garden. You did scream," he paused to stare at me, his right eyebrow lifted and head half cocked in my direction. "Quite loudly. Now, tell me what this bad dream was about.” He was so pensive and I realized that the subject wasn’t going to be dropped until I told him.

I gave an exaggerated sigh. “I dreamt about Phoenix.” Cove’s eyebrow lifted a fraction more. He seemed curious, but he didn’t look upset so, I decided to continue, “He pushed me off the cliffs, I think.”

His pensive face took on a deep scowl marring his good looks. “Did he say anything to you?” He suddenly demanded. He was definitely unhappy.

I started to grimace. Why couldn’t he just let it go? It was beginning to grate on my nerves. “It was just a dream, Cove. It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, Bonnie, it does.” Cove was acting so serious and I was a little taken aback. He was being ridiculous; totally overreacting. It was a silly dream that meant nothing.

“I made love to you last night,” the words made me blush as he said them and I looked down at my fingertips as I fiddled with the bed sheet, “and this morning you tell me you’ve been dreaming of my brother. That means nothing?”

That wasn’t what I had meant. The memory of last night was still at the forefront of my mind even after the stupid nightmare. My mouth fell open, “No, Cove! It wasn’t like that. He said I couldn’t win, that I would be his even if he had to kill me. Then, I fell off a cliff. I would never dream of Phoenix like that, and yet...”.

I couldn’t help the tears that welled inside. I couldn’t live without Cove. I would never want anyone like I wanted him. I couldn't. Like a first love, he had claimed some virgin part of my soul I didn't realize I had been saving, hiding it from the world. Deep inside myself I had been housing a better, purer aspect of who I was and Cove brought it out of me. There could be none other than him. I didn’t know how to emphasize that enough. I was mortified to think, he suspected me of dreaming of another man. Where was the trust?

“Bonnie, I know you love me,” his voice softened, placating my fears, “but faeries are not of this realm. We are not bound to this same plane of existence as mortals. If you dreamt of Phoenix, well...then, that is because my brother visited you. What he told you, whatever he did, was him there with you.” Cove looked more than worried, he looked depressed.

“I believe you, Cove, but I don’t understand. How is that possible?” The worried look on Cove’s face started to frighten me. Again, I thought of the terrifying old man as the vision from last night replayed in my mind.

“When you dream, your spirit goes to another plane of existence. It is similar to becoming a ghost. This plane of existence is a neutral space for all faeries. Normally, Dark Faeries only deal with spirits that have passed on, but that doesn’t mean they can’t influence dreams. If Phoenix, visited you last night, he has become a threat.” Cove’s voice was stern and full of conviction. His anger only worried me more.

“If a faerie is threatening me, then how am I going to stop him?” I thought of the brothers fighting in the woods. The power of their bodies and the magick that followed through them so easily. Wings, Elementals, it was all so much. I didn’t see a way out.

“You are not going to do anything, Bonnie." He placed his hand ontop of my own. It felt almost the same temperature as my own for once. We both stared down as our fingers interlaced. Then he turned away and looked out the window. His voice cold and hard like steel when he spoke, "I am.”

“No, Cove,” I shook my head, “I don’t want you to get hurt. He was so strong. I..." I didn't know what to say. I couldn't handle the idea of Cove getting hurt. I didn't know if Cove could fight him off, if that's what it came down to. My whole being felt defeated. I bowed my head and my shoulders slumped, "He tried to force himself on me.” I didn’t really want to admit this part of the dream, but I wanted us to be in danger even less.

Cove clenched his teeth. I could see the muscles twitching under his jaw. I scolded myself for being dumb enough to say something about the part where he tried to kiss me. I didn't even know for sure if the faerie from my dream really was Phoenix. It looked like Phoenix, but then it didn't. The old man frightened me much more and I didn't let my mind focus on him.

“Cove it’s okay, it wasn’t that bad. He just tried to kiss me.”

Slowly, Cove turned his face towards me. His wide, chocolate-brown eyes were fading to black. He looked dark, dangerous. He reminded me of Phoenix yesterday before Cove knocked him into the tree. I leaned away from him. It was too frightening to stay near him.

Cove’s velvet voice came calm and slow, “He will pay.” The look on his face told me, Phoenix’s fate had just been sealed.

I couldn’t think of anything to calm him down so, I slowly got off the bed. I walked, as lightly as possible, to the bathroom. My legs were sore and throbbing from last night, but my mind reeled from the turmoil surrounding me. I needed an escape; a few minutes to regroup my thoughts.

I decided a hot shower would be the perfect refuge. Softly, I closed the door. Cove was sitting like a statue in the middle of my bed, unmoving. I don’t think he was reading my feelings at that moment. He must’ve been too lost in his own world; otherwise, he would have noticed how uncomfortable he was making me.

The shower felt good. A few minutes under the hot water made it easy to forget the bad dream I had and the bad mood Cove was in; surrounded by the savory smells of my perfumed soaps, I felt restored. I could finally focus on last night. Cove holding me while my emotions were raw and the excruciating pleasure of my body. Each motion brought me to a new peak. His tenderness was the most powerful magic he had yet shown me. He could fly, have wings, change shape and size, but it was nothing compared to this. He could fill me with pure bliss.

I smoothed over my body, touching the same curves he had touched but a few hours ago. I heaved a satisfied sigh and stepped out of the bath. My towel wrapped around me, I made my way to the door. For a split second, I thought about peeking to see if Cove was still upset, but decided I wasn’t going to be a coward. I sucked in a deep breath and opened the door into the bedroom.

I looked at the bed for Cove, but he wasn’t there. Confused, I quickly scanned the rest of the room. Panic started to fill my chest, the thought of him going to start some epic battle with his brother and not telling me. Cove leaving, and not bothering to even kiss me goodbye.

I heard soft footsteps and snapped my head in their direction. Cove walked around the partition, stopping next to my dresser. Those beautiful chocolate eyes of his looked glum.

“I must apologize for my behavior. I am sorry if I frightened you, Bonnie.” He was standing there, worried I had somehow changed my view of him. A vulnerable Cove, a melancholy face etched onto a porcelain doll. How beautiful he looked in that moment. I ached inside.

I walked towards him, taking in more of his beautiful form. His only clothing was his boxer shorts. A half-smile formed on my face, the thought of a faery wearing boxers. I closed the short distance between us and looked up into that melancholy face, the vision of a sad angel.

“You should be sorry,” I said, “but I’m sorry too.”

“What do you have to be sorry for?” he asked like it was unfathomable that I could make mistakes. How much I loved this man.

“Neither one of us should have let anything ruin this.” I interlaced our fingers and smiled. Cove smiled back. I dropped my towel, “Let’s try that again.” I didn’t have to say more, the gleam in Cove’s eyes was enough.

When Cove bedded me again, he didn’t mind my zealous nature. Which was good and I wouldn’t have helped curb it, even if I could have. The floodgates had been opened, for us both.

It was afternoon by the time we ventured out of the bedroom. Hunger demanded it; otherwise, I don’t think I could have pried myself off of Cove’s body. He followed me into the kitchen whilst I made myself a sandwich.

“Do you want one?” The offer was just force of habit, I didn’t want to be rude, but then a thought occurred to me, “Can you eat? I’ve never thought about it before but you’ve never said you’re hungry or thirsty.” He had never expressed the need for either.

“Hmm,” Cove’s mouth tucked in at the corners. He was contemplating something.

“What?” I asked. My eyes wide, my brows lifting in unison.

“Well, yes I can eat but I don’t really eat people food. I don’t need to eat though. I was trying to remember the last time I ate a meal with a human.” He folded his hands on the counter and leaned closer, watching me wolf down a ham and swiss sandwich on rye.

To avoid his close scrutiny I asked another question as soon as the food had cleared my throat. “Hmm, that’s interesting. So, what does a faerie eat? You don’t eat toadstools and fungus do you?” I wrinkled my nose at the thought.

“No,” Cove laughed his warm throaty chuckle. I felt myself drawn to the sound. “I eat faerie food of course.” He grinned at me like a Cheshire cat. Not wanting to be ensnared in his antics, I shook my head and rolled my eyes. I couldn't tell if he was teasing me again or being honest. But when he played with me I was lost; lost in pools of trepidation. A sense of foreboding gnawed at me, fraying the corners of my mind. There was so much more he wasn't telling me.