Chapter Thirty-Two

Alexander had tracked the girl all the way to Fallen Oak, South Carolina, which made him smirk. He’d spent a previous lifetime here, infusing the place with his energy, really having fun with it. It only made sense that it would attract others of his kind. He should have checked up on this place. But he was into bigger things now, bigger experiments far south and west of here. Things he needed her to power.

He sat inside the empty, never-sold house in Ashleigh’s cul-de-sac, watching out through the window curtains in the master bedroom. He could watch them through the side windows. He’d been occupying this house a couple of days, curious to watch the convocation underway.

There was the fear-giver and his opposite, the love-charmer.

And then the third person. Esmeralda, Alexander’s opposite, the one who could listen to the dead, while Alexander could command them. He watched her closely.

She was infatuated with the fear-giver, it seemed. Alexander had watched them in the kitchen. When they’d finally gone upstairs together, he guessed they would be distracted for a while, especially with the stereo blasting downstairs.

So he’d crept into the house and planted a couple of tiny microphones here and there. Since then, he’d sat here in the empty house and listened to their conversations. Interesting stuff.

Tonight, the fear-giver had left town on an errand, but the two girls were here.

He tore open a yogurt-granola bar—he’d bought a case of them, and he’d been living mostly on those and some cheese crackers while he spied on the others. He stretched out on the bare hardwood floor, closed his eyes, and listened over his headphones.

“What’s all that?” Esmeralda asked.

Ashleigh was coming down the stairs with a big wicker basket stuffed with lotions, gels and big, fluffy pink towels rolled up inside.

“Since he’s off doing his thing, I thought we could really girl out tonight,” Ashleigh said. “I’ve got stuff for your feet, face, and hair, and I’ve got every single Hugh Grant movie on Blu-Ray.”

Esmeralda laughed. “Whatever you want to do.”

“This is what I want to do.” She dropped onto the couch next to Esmeralda and put a hand on her, and poured the love into her. “I want to thank you for bringing me back to life, and keeping me alive. I don’t even know how to say how much I appreciate it, and how deeply grateful I am to you.”

“It’s okay,” Esmeralda said. “I’m glad I brought you back. It’s been a great time.”

“You may not know this, but there are some real benefits to my touch, and I want to share them with you.” Ashleigh said. She stood up and unrolled one of the fluffy pink towels across the couch. “Lie down on your stomach.”

Esmeralda looked puzzled, but she was still smiling. She stretched out facedown on the pink towel. “What are you going to do?”

“You’re going to get the best thing in the world.” Ashleigh uncorked a bottle of expensive organic lotion. “An Ashleigh massage.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I know. People used to beg me for these.” Ashleigh lifted the back of Esmeralda’s shirt and hiked it up to her shoulders.

“Hey!” Esmeralda said.

“I’m going to use my best lotion, too.” Ashleigh unhooked Esmeralda’s bra. “It’s got royal bee jelly, and like twenty South American herbs.” She spread the lotion on her fingers and began to rub Esmeralda’s back. She poured her special energy into it, infusing Esmeralda’s deep muscle tissue with love.

Esmeralda gave a deep sigh.

“I told you, I’m awesome at this,” Ashleigh said.

“Yeah,” Esmeralda said.

Ashleigh rubbed her way up Esmeralda’s back, feeling the girl relax under her fingers.

“So, did you have fun with Tommy last night?” Ashleigh asked.

“Oh, yeah.”

“What did you guys do?”

“We made chili.” Esmeralda giggled. “Vegetarian chili.”

“Yeah? Was it good?”

“Oh, yeah. It was hot.”

Ashleigh moved her hands down to Esmeralda’s lower back and started over, working her way up to Esmeralda’s shoulder blades. “Then what did you do?”

“We danced. I showed him how to salsa.” She giggled again. “He was funny.”

“Yeah? Don’t you get scared when he touches you?”

“Oh, yeah,” she sighed. “So scared. But I like feeling scared.”

“Oh?” Ashleigh said. “That’s interesting.”

“I like your touch, too. Keep touching me.”

“Take your shirt off.”

Esmeralda slowly tugged away her shirt and bra, moving at half-speed as if tranquilized. She dropped them on the floor and snuggled into her thick pink towel.

“Then what else did you guys do?” Ashleigh rubbed her shoulders and neck.

“We played around.”

“Did you kiss?”

“Yes.” Esmeralda giggled again, drunk on Ashleigh’s energy.

“And he played with your tits?” Ashleigh rubbed her hands up along Esmeralda’s sides.

“Yeah.”

“And then you had sex?”

“No,” Esmeralda held up a finger and wagged it. “No, no. But I sucked his dick.”

“And then what?”

“He came in my face and fell asleep.”

Ashleigh snickered. “Turn over, Esmeralda.”

Esmeralda turned over. Ashleigh looked at her old finger bone, resting between Esmeralda’s erect nipples. Esmeralda held too much power over Ashleigh to be trusted.

“You’re so important to me,” Ashleigh said. “I can give you a massage like this every day if you want.”

“Oh, yeah?” Esmeralda looked at her with dilated pupils and languid eyes, and gave her a drugged smile. “That would be perfect.”

“I know.” Ashleigh tugged down Esmeralda’s pajama pants, and the girl didn’t even protest.

Ashleigh slid a finger into the damp between Esmeralda’s legs and rubbed the girl’s clit. Esmeralda gasped.

“Do you love me?” Ashleigh asked.

“Yes, I love you.” Esmeralda’s eyes closed.

Ashleigh rubbed her faster, and she turned her love-energy way up, pumping it into her. Esmeralda’s body quivered, and her hips hitched up off the couch.

“Do you love me more than you love Tommy?”

“Yes, more!”

“A lot more?”

“So much more!” Esmeralda cried out.

“You belong to me, don’t you?” Ashleigh asked.

“Yes.”

“Say it.”

“I belong to you…I belong to you…”

“That’s right,” Ashleigh said.