Feather-light touches danced across Callista's bare back, a whisper against the heat-flushed skin that still tingled from their encounter. A choked laugh escaped her lips, tangled with sleep and a yearning she couldn't quite place. "I should get going," she mumbled, the words lacking conviction. The sheets tangled around her legs felt suddenly restrictive. "It's been a while."
Two days. Her phone had been a relentless tormentor, buzzing with unanswered calls from "Unknown." Damien or Indigo, it hardly mattered. Still, here she was, allowing herself to be devoured so completely.
A knowing smile curved Athena's lips. Her fingers, like liquid flame, dipped lower, igniting a spark deep within Callista. "You should, but then again..." she murmured, her voice a silken caress against Callista's ear. "Can you?"
Callista's breath hitched. The playful defiance she'd intended dissolved under the touch, replaced by a hunger that left her breathless. "I-I can," she stammered, the lie thick on her tongue. Her voice betrayed the delicious ache spreading through her limbs. The caress deepened, a possessive hand slipping beneath the curve of her spine, anchoring her to the warmth of Athena's body. The press of Athena's breasts against her back was a silent invitation both tempting and perilous.
Just one more touch. Then, she'd leave. Definitely. Maybe.
A low chuckle vibrated against Callista's neck, sending a tremor through her limbs. "Then it seems I haven't been persuasive enough," Athena whispered. The words were a promise, followed by the invasion of Athena's tongue in her ear. Fingers grazed the sensitive skin of Callista's inner thigh, slick with her arousal, sending a fresh wave of raw pleasure through her.
A sinuous smile played on Athena's lips as she let out a breathy sigh. "My, my, what have we here? Perhaps you should retreat before I'm tempted to explore this more... thoroughly.” Athena teased, her fingers continuing their maddening dance, deliberately skirting the edges of Callista's desire. Her other hand trailed upward, fingertips grazing the rigid peak of Callista's nipple. With a firm twist, she elicited a moan from deep within Callista's throat.
Frustration battled with the desperate need clawing at her insides. With a desperate roll of her hips, she pressed into Athena's palm, a silent demand for more. Athena grinned, her golden eyes flickering with a hint of mischief as she complied.
Athena's fingertips ghosted along Callista's drenched folds, the lightest whispers of contact igniting sparks of pleasure that danced agonisingly shy of satisfaction. Slick arousal coated her digits as they teased the velvet heat, each torturous spiral and swirl caressing everywhere except that bundle of nerves throbbing for firmer attention.
The very tips of Athena's fingers barely dipped into Callista's entrance. But just as quickly, they vanished, leaving an aching emptiness in their wake. A growl rumbled in Callista's throat, frustration warring with a simmering vulnerability. "Damn it, Athena," she hissed, the words barely a whisper.
“Can’t hear you, darling.” Athena murmured, her palm finally ground firmly against Callista's swollen flesh. The touch was a balm, yet fleeting as her fingers resumed their dance, swirling through the slick heat without offering complete release.
“I-inside,” Callista breathed, her voice ragged with desire. A flush crept up her cheeks, fueled not just by shame but by the building intensity. Her fingers dug into the crimson satin sheets, seeking an anchor against the rising tide of need.
Athena's grin was a predator's delight as her fingers, finally relenting, plunged deep in one smooth stroke. The slow, deliberate rhythm ignited a wildfire within Callista. Each languid exploration sent shivers through her body, her back arching with every delicious stroke. Whimpers gave way to moans that escalated with each thrust of Athena's fingers, a symphony of pleasure building towards an inevitable peak.
"A-Athena!" Callista bit her lips to stifle an embarrassing moan.
A low, throaty purr escaped Athena's lips as her touch travelled beyond, her hand finding Callista's breast in a gentle caress. Hot breath trailed along her neck, punctuated by nips at the sensitive pulse points exposed by her arched back. Every frantic roll of Callista's hips fueled Athena's own desire.
"Why can't I get enough of you?" Athena growled, her voice ragged with building passion.
She twisted her fingers, dragging firmly across Callista's most sensitive spots. Broken moans spilled out as the hunter trembled on the edge, overwhelmed by the ecstasy Athena unleashed at last.
Athena lingered, her gaze locked with Callista's in the aftermath. A tremor ran through her own hand, barely perceptible. Finally, a single word escaped her lips, a question whispered against Callista's heated skin. "Enough?"
Callista, drained and breathless, met Athena's gaze with a soft smile. A playful glint danced in her eyes, but a deeper vulnerability shone beneath the surface. She reached out, her fingers tracing a gentle path down Athena's cheek, a silent answer. "Maybe a little...more convincing wouldn't hurt," she whispered, her voice husky with desire.
Athena's surprised chuckle softened into a disbelieving smile, her eyes flickering with a newfound intensity. The space between them crackled with unspoken promises. Their lips collided in a heated kiss, a silent vow for more to come.
"You're insatiable," the vampire princess murmured against her lips. A delicious warmth bloomed in Callista's chest as she deepened the kiss.
"Who am I to deny you, sweetie?"
Then, the scene fractured. A flash of blonde hair, not quite Athena's golden shade, bathed in the harsh glow of a pink neon sign. The sizzle of electricity filled the air. Was it another memory? A vision flickered to life - a smile with a flash of fang, biting into a plump cherry. Back to the blonde hair, whipping in the wind as the woman turned. She had Athena's height, but her beauty was sharper, defined by thinner lips and golden eyes that seemed to flicker... glitch.
Amelia!
Callista jolted awake, a gasp escaping her lips. The crisp linen sheets of her bed were cool and rough against her sweat-dampened body, a stark contrast to the cool silk that clung to her in memory. A premonition?
The scent of freshly brewed coffee and buttery croissants drifted in through the doorway, a grounding aroma in the confusing aftermath of her vision. Pushing herself out of bed, Callista felt a bitter taste linger in her mouth, a mix of fragmented memories and the aftertaste of a forbidden indulgence.
After a quick, cold shower, she found Indigo in the kitchen, his signature porcelain cup cradled in his hands. He seemed lost in thought, the lingering fog clinging to the glass mirroring the haze in his eyes.
"We need to talk, Callie," Indigo murmured, his voice laced with a concern that made her heart clench. The use of her shortened nickname, usually a source of comfort, did little to ease the tension that crackled between them.
She slumped into the chair beside him, a sigh escaping her lips. Reaching for the croissant, she attempted a forced lighthearted tone. "Everything alright, Watcher? Existential crisis because the tea isn't exactly ‘sencha green’ today?"
Indigo's gaze held hers steadily. "I'm putting in a request to pull you out of the academy," he said, his voice heavy.
The fragile dam holding back her emotions crumbled. "No," she retorted, her voice cracking. "I can do this." The words rang empty, a feeble attempt to convince herself as much as him.
Indigo's voice softened, his brown eyes searching hers. "Can you, honestly? Every time Athena's name comes up, you tense up. And the exhaustion... the bar isn't exactly known for its intel these days. This is the third time I've had to drag you out of there." He left the rest hanging.
Callista flinched. A tremor ran through her as Indigo mentioned Athena. She slammed the croissant down on the table, the clatter echoing in the tense silence. "Not because of the mission? Not because of some prophecy or whatever?" she spat, her voice raw with barely contained emotion.
Indigo's eyes widened in realisation. A heavy sigh escaped him. "Callie," he said, his voice laced with a fatherly tenderness, "it's never been about the mission. It's always been about you. You're hurting, and this... this isn't helping."
Silence descended, thick and heavy. Callista turned away, her shoulders slumped in defeat. She forced a mask of composure onto her face, but the tremor in her hands betrayed her effort. "Thank you, Indigo," she whispered.
A gentle hand grasped her shoulder. Indigo's touch was warm and grounding, a silent anchor in the storm of her emotions. "Callie," he said gently, "avoidance won't heal this. Maybe... talking to her, facing this head-on, is what you need."
Callista let out a humourless laugh, a hint of bitterness clinging to the sound. "What's there to say? 'Here's my application to join your harem?'" she scoffed, a tremor in her voice betraying the depth of her feelings. “Her being Eydis's lover wouldn't be that far of a stretch, would it?"
"Because of her... flirtatious nature?" Indigo ventured, his voice laced with a hint of curiosity.
"Because..." Callista's voice trailed off, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. It was a sigh that carried the weight of unspoken desires and a truth she could no longer deny. Finally, the words tumbled out, raw and unfiltered, "Who wouldn't fall for her?" Shame flooded her cheeks, a burning tide that threatened to consume her. But for the first time, the truth felt liberating, even if it scorched.
Indigo's gaze softened further. He pulled her into a hug, his embrace offering a silent comfort she couldn't deny.
"Oh, Callie..."
*****
The city's symphony of sirens and honking horns mocked Callista as she stalked through the night. It couldn't drown out her memories of Athena, a brutal tango of pleasure and pain that left her raw and reeling. A harsh laugh ripped from her throat - this self-pity was a betrayal of everything she stood for.
Normally, Callista thrived in the aftermath of a battle. The one with Eydis would have been dissected, strategies refined. Not this wallowing in some angsty teenager's melodrama.
But then again, normal was a foreign concept in her life.
But a question continued to haunt her: why did Eydis let her go? Did Amelia, the enigmatic vampire, see through Callista’s facade? Their twisted ‘relationship’ was nothing but mind games, a game neither took seriously. Yet surely it wouldn’t have spared Callista from death.
Her steps led her back to Fangtastic, the bar's neon sign an unsettling reminder of her premonition dream. A smiling mouth with fangs sank into a plump cherry. With a flick of Callista's lighter, a flame flared, sending a wisp of smoke curling into the night. She braced herself against the cold brick wall, watching couples steal kisses and linger in embraces with annoyance.
A flicker of familiarity snagged her attention. Across the street, bathed in the harsh glow of a streetlamp, stood a figure - blonde hair, a shade darker than Athena's, catching the light.
Amelia. The Queen of the Damned, in flesh and blood.
