Page 45 of Peacock Me Like a Hurricane

~Yes.~Like she just remembered it, her head tilts, and she raises a limp hand to gesture at the fridge. A glass of orange juice appears in her hand and she gulps it.~Never done this for so long. I’m going to drop off soon.~

My lungs burn like I’ve swallowed hot ash, and everything hurts. Some part of me knows that I’m healing. Another part knows I’m not done yet, so I bite down harder. Her gasp twigs my senses and I touch her heart with mine, feeling her breathing getting shallow. Her pulse jumps and I re-assess.

I can’t kill her; I won’t. I feel her heart inside me like I’m inside it and I focus on it. She stutters and falls next to me, and I realize that my staunchest supporter, the person willing to put up with my every whim, is unconscious. There’s some healing to go, but I must stop now. I lift my head from her wrist and lick the wound closed, watching it seal. “Deli? Love?”

She doesn’t move and anguish fills me. I was so bloody distracted with the magic and the wounds and her sodding scars that I wasn’t paying attention. Her breathing is light and wispy, her pulse thready, and I can feel the haze in her mind as I try to get her to respond. Every inch of my body hurts, but since I’m not in danger of kicking it, I roll to my side and squeeze her hand.~Love?~

Exhaustion is pulling me dangerously close to slumber, but I have to try again.~Baby, talk to me.~

~Tired.~

I collapse next to her and pull her to me, my flesh still tingling and healing. Once I get her curled into my arms, I feel relieved.~Thank you, baby. Now, sleep. The world will wait for you on the other side. And so will I.~

~Love you.~

~Love you, too, heart of mine.~

The Cat Tries

THE CAT TRIES

They called Taurus in before I woke up this morning. He’s still at HQ, I assume, because he left and I haven’t heard a word since. It’s nerve wracking because I know he’s in trouble. After last night, he wouldn’t have stayed away for anything else.

There’s too much to discuss.

I couldn’t just sit around while he was gone, but I didn’t want to leave. I decided that it was finally time to explore. All these doors and hallways have appeared, and I haven't investigated anything but our current room.

Exploration led me to find a gorgeous extension off the back of the room filled with everything a person could want in a bathroom: Jacuzzi, huge shower with rainwater spouts, an enormous vanity, and a built-in sound system with AI controls in one of the wall cabinets. Another short walk leads to the walk-in closet that is the size of a small bedroom. It’s for both of us, I suppose, since his clothes and accessories line one side. My side is awaiting my attention, save for the things he’s been buying me. They scare me, as his taste runs toward royally expensive and I’m certain I’ll destroy it all by accident.

I’m not used to spending enough to buy a car on a coat.

The stairway I saw between the closet and our bed goes downstairs to a kitchen so state-of-the art that Leo is going to have an aneurysm. It has French doors that lead out to the patio, pool, and garden area. I didn’t stay downstairs long, instead coming back up to wander down the hallway he usually enters from. That took me to a wing with a piano room, a half a dozen guest bedrooms, and quite a few empty rooms that I don’t know what he’s going to do with. When I re-enter our bedroom, I note a singular panel just past the bathroom that I haven’t accessed.

Stepping inside, my jaw drops. I’ll be damned. He saw me do thisonce.

The mystery panel leads to a full-fledged gym outfitted with not only a punching bag, mats, assorted weaponry of every type, and a sound system, but a trampoline, a full set of bars and beams, rings, wedges, a chalk station, and everything that I’d need to work on my gymnastics skills. The setup makes me wonder if he’s prepping me for something. It certainly looks like I could train any skill right from home.

This might be for hunting—we enjoy a good hunt as much as we enjoy indoor sports. Having my skills up to snuff is integral in case we run into something that my basic kitty-ness can’t handle.

It couldn’t hurt to get started while he’s gone, right?

Working off all this nervous energy will keep me from fretting until he gets home. I set the music to blast and start by working on floor exercises. Being able to use my beast powers to do more intricate flips and twists than I’d ever been able to do in the past is outstanding. I’m favoring my left arm a bit because it’s not healing as fast as I’m used to. It might be because of how much he took.

Next I move to the trampoline, bouncing to the beat. I spring into the air, ready to complete a half tuck back flip, when itoccurs to me that I feel like I’m forgetting something important. As I hit the straps again, it comes back to me.

“Oh, shit!” My hand flies to my mouth and I don’t tuck at the right moment, causing me to skid across the trampoline on my ass. Good thing no one sawthatgraceful landing.

Snorting, I slide off the tramp and limp over to turn off the sound system. I’m sure this one is as fancy as the bathroom one, but I haven’t figured out how to work it yet. Wiping off my face and neck with a towel, I look at the friction burns on my legs with a frustrated growl.

First, a shower, because I’m stinky. Then I have to get this present for Shea’s birthday. In the mess of this week, I lost track of that obligation. People will call for my head if I miss one of the birthday bashes entirely.

I can do this. I made it from the chair to the bed.

It was a rough landing, but I got there. I’m magickal. I’m mated to Taurus. I can do this because he can do it. That makes sense, right? I’m going to ignore the fact that Talia didn’t gain this power and that I am neither an artist nor an engineer after Rafe and Victor.

That’s loser talk.

I can’t believe that I’m ‘abusive football coach’ pep-talking myself.

---