Page 105 of Born for Lace

“I make you feel sick?”

I laugh once. “Yes… We aresodifferent,” I breathe. The truth of that statement is in every inch of us, physically and emotionally.

I recall the sound of his inhumane growls, the strength no man should possess, the sight of his third eyelid sliding across, and the vision of his naked body. Too profoundly sculptured— I saw a picture of a stallion once. The long, lean muscles and the way the skin seemed to display each, seemed to mould to the figure, and… Lagos and his kind are not human.

And I let him inside me.

My thighs squeeze together, already wanting the space there touched and filled, insatiable for him—terrified of him, too. Intimidated each time he looms over me, but a willing victim to his lust and desires.

For a little while.

He is mine.

For always, I am his.

“I’m going to miss you,” I whisper, instantly hoping my words disappear into the cool bath water, never to reach his ears and display more vulnerability. I’ve shown him my body but not my entire heart—not yet.

A heavy, rough sigh rumbles from behind me.

I stroke Spero’s back while he dozes on my chest, half submerged in the water.

“I’ll be sad,” I say. “Never seeing you again will— It’ll… hurt, I think.” My throat tightens, just envisioning the moment he turns his back, and I am forced to watch his powerful body stride away for the very last time.

“Hurting you would be more pain than I could endure,” he states, voice a serious bass tone. “And I have endured a great deal of pain.”

At his words, at a glimpse of his past, I quickly swallow the lump expanding in my throat. Is this an opening to ask him more questions? I don’t want to ruin the peaceful energy; not like I did last time at the waterfall. But we don’t have years to share stories, don’t have the luxury of bonding over months, growing together—growing older… We only have now.

“I want to know you, Lagos… before you leave me.”Oh, my.My voice breaks. “When I think of you, remember you, I want to know who you are.”

“I don’t want you to know.”

“What about what I want?”

His hand slides around my neck and down to my collarbones before caressing up my throat again. “You might find it easier if I tell you.”

I don’t believe that, but I offer, “If that is true, then tell me, tell me so it doesn’t hurt so much when you leave.”

“What do you want to know?”

I hear the tense shift in his voice, but soon, our time will be up. I need to know now. Everything. I want to know everything. “Tomar said The Trade controls Shadows with magnetic fields… Or something? Can you explain that?”

“Hm.”

I blink ahead, absently stroking the baby at my chest and listening to his breathing deepen. I wait.

Lagos finally says, “I’m not a Trade Scientist, little flower. I don’t understand the complexities of what they did to engineer my kind, but I do know that I’m my own magnetic field. All Shadows are, including the infant. When I’m at full strength, it’s basic attraction and repulsion, like any magnetic field. The Trade uses this to steer us, or at least, guide us if we are willing to follow. That is, if we have an assignment.”

I exhale hard.

That is heavy.

I’ve heard of many things in my short life. Of a streaky, colourful arch in the sky called a rainbow and an animal called an elephant with a nose like a hose—wild concepts that are hard to imagine. But this is still a lot to absorb and accept.

And I’m not highly educated. It wasn’t necessary for my Trade to be so. But I know what a magnet is, and I have heard of birds using The Cradle’s magnetic fields to navigate, but to think we changed Common humanssomuch…

To suit a Purpose.

The Trade’s Purpose.

---