Page 88 of Semblance

I moaned with delight, begging for him not to stop.

Eventually he erupted and let out a loud groan as he unleashed his pleasure, filling me with hot cum.

Afterwards I rested my head on his massive chest and wrapped my arms around his body, listening to the sounds of his steady breathing.

The aches from my wounds were returning, but I didn’t care. It was worth it to have Shadow once again.

“The stitches on my shoulder must look hideous,” I said. “Probably makes me look like some Frankenstein woman.”

“You’re as sexy as ever,” Shadow said. “Your scar is a reminder of how strong and dangerous you are. You killed a Crow.”

I sighed and closed my eyes, recalling the events of my near-demise.

Death never did get its clutches on me, but Abraham on the other hand…

I looked up to see Shadow lost in thought. No doubt he was thinking about the old man as well.

“It’s okay to cry in front of me,” I said. “I was never one for this macho heart of stone bullshit. Men have emotions too.”

Shadow shook his head. “I have no time for tears. I need to find out who hired the Crows and destroy him.”

“Does the Midnight Society have enemies?” I asked.

Shadow practically snorted. “Every day the Midnight Society makes enemies,” he said. “I’ve lost track the number of times in our organization’s history that we went to war.”

“Is that what’s going to happen? War?”

Shadow nodded. “One of the council of seven is dead, murdered by a Crow. They also took a shot at you and nearly succeeded. If this doesn’t spell out war, then the word’s not in the dictionary.”

“People are going to die aren’t they?” I asked.

“Yes. Being a part of the Midnight Society, you get used to it,” he said. “In our world, death is as common as the rising of the sun.”

#

The funeral for Abraham was two days later. As people gathered around his solid oak coffin, watching it descend slowly into the earth, I couldn’t help but feel that the weather was too nice for such an occasion. How could the clear blue sky smile down on us with a bright yellow sun, when Abraham was sealed in a casket, ready to decay in the earth for the rest of eternity? It just wasn’t fair.

I sat by Shadow’s side—first row dead center—as the ceremony took place. Words were spoken by several of the key members of the council. Takeshi gave a particularly beautiful speech, comparing the life cycle of man to that of a cherry blossom tree. Meanwhile, Shadow remained in his seat, his sunglasses making him seem distant and cold.

He was shutting down, both mentally and emotionally. Being the leader of our organization, he couldn’t show any signs of weakness. I felt sorry for him.

A person should always be allowed to grieve for their loved one.

When Abraham was finally buried, the massive crowd made their way towards the funeral home—though it was more like a funeral mansion given the size of it.

I looked over at Shadow and squeezed him gently on the arm. His face was a mask of stone, hiding all his emotions underneath a grim exterior.

I wanted to say something to him but decided that silence was probably best at the moment.

He was lost in his own dark world, one that was haunted by the death of his parents, and now Abraham. It was a place I could never understand.

Takeshi strolled over to us and bowed his head.

“I know how much he meant to you,” he said. “He was and always will be a man that has my respect.”

“He was the last of the Constantines,” Shadow said. “It’s sad to know that the legacy and future of his house has now ended.”

“A new house will have to rise and take his spot,” Takeshi agreed. “Perhaps we should start this dialogue with the rest of the council sooner rather than later.”

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