Dashing Devil Omnibus 2: Books 4-6, page 12
“Okay,” Boyd agreed. “I understand that being in my company isn’t ideal for you right now, so I’ll put together a list of questions for Raev and send her by shortly to ask them. Please answer those honestly and to the best of your ability, and I’ll find a way for you to safely contribute.”
Sinoe’s gemstone eyes blinked twice, slowly. “Just like that? You aren’t going to make me convince you?”
“I’m convinced,” Boyd shrugged one shoulder. “I saw you pull enough stone out of a mountain to block one of its breath attacks, and that was after you were exhausted from doing the same nigh-impossible thing for several minutes on end. The plan just so happens to involve grounding the beast between two mountains.”
She frowned at him, apparently unable to decide whether she should take the easy win or still argue with him, for argument’s sake.
“We are ending a mythic terror here,” Boyd explained. “It’s an all-hands-on-deck operation and you’ve proven yourself more than capable of being able to assist.”
“Oh… well, then…” Sinoe’s brow crinkled in confusion, “then I’ll wait for Raev in my room.” She turned to walk away.
“I also think you have the right to be party to killing the monster that took your husband from you,” Boyd completed the explanation of his reasoning.
At this, Sinoe turned and met his gaze. Her eyes narrowed at him, but then she nodded. Part of him had expected her to ask and Boyd had already thought of several ways for her to assist—though the details depended on the specifics of her Power.
Before she could turn away again, he continued, “We recovered Silas’ bow. It survived the Last Dragon’s breath weapon, though it needs to be restrung. I believe it is sitting on a table on the tier below. If you would like, Raev can get it for you.”
Boyd felt a little bad about making an offer that would interrupt his kitsune’s meal, but he knew her well enough that he was sure she wouldn’t mind, under the circumstances.
“Thank you,” Sinoe’s response was stiff, matching the set of her shoulders.
She did not turn around, but there was gratitude in her tone. “It meant a lot to Silas… Raev can bring it with the questions, though. I do not wish to interrupt your meal. I will leave now.”
And with that, she walked away.
Boyd found it impossible, even with Mindy’s assistance, to keep his eyes from locking on to her splendidly bare ass as it swayed away.
“Well,” Laura inserted with a snort, “I’ll take advantage of Boyd’s distracted state to say that I, too, would like to be part of the mission.”
Boyd blinked and dragged his eyes over to a smirking Laura. Her grin was wide, although her eyes contained a challenge. She seemed to think he might deny her as well.
“Okay,” Boyd shrugged. “You can join Tinker on the ship…”
“On the Astral Osprey,” Silvie interjected. “Tinker suggested the name, but it’s an awesome name. Because an Osprey is bigger and better than a hawk, and her ship is a better version of the Night Hawk. So unless anybody objects, I think we should name the ship the Astral Osprey.”
When Silvie looked at Boyd, he got the impression he was the only one who hadn’t already been asked. Even Laura wore a knowing smirk.
“I like it.” Boyd nodded before turning back to Laura.
With a shrug, he continued, “Tinker will be on the Osprey, so you can join her there. That’s actually a great idea—just in case we need emergency medical attention.” He hadn’t been going to ask her to join them, but having a skilled medic on hand might save him or one of his lovers if things went badly.
“Well…” Laura blinked at him in surprise, much the same way Sinoe had done, “good.”
She seemed to deflate a little, likely having marshalled her arguments about why she should be allowed to do what he’d just said was a good idea. Like Sinoe, her qualifications made the argument for her in Boyd’s eyes.
“Astral Osprey,” Silvie pouted at him, “because it can go into space.”
“Yes, and I love the name, but it’s a mouthful.” Boyd smiled at her. “So… Osprey for short.”
“Oh,” Silvie chirped, brightening right up, “okay then.”
“You really like it?” Tinker asked, a little uncertain.
He nudged her cheek with the side of his head and chuckled. It was close enough to a certain ship’s name from her favorite movie franchise that he saw the connection. “Yeah, Tink,” he rumbled softly, “I love it.”
Neither Tinker nor he was ready for him to say it yet, but that ‘it’ might as well have been a ‘you’. And Boyd was quickly coming to accept that he was okay with that.
Chapter 13
Boyd was taking a break from his more or less continuous training with the wing-mounted boosters his tiny inventor had created. Tinker had more than delivered with these. He had gotten fairly good with them literally overnight, as he usually did with her inventions.
All the devices Tink made for him were incredibly intuitive, and he was sure he would be ready in time for what they had taken to calling D-Day—Dragon Day. They had only forty-six hours left to prepare before they were scheduled to leave their mountain base. Boyd intended to make use of every one of them—including the next.
He had changed out of his suit into a pair of athletic shorts for a session with Mindy, which he was counting as a break from training. Boyd stepped out of the elevator and threw himself into the air of the great room, his wings snapping open. Without thinking about it, he soared around once silently before gliding down for a gentle landing behind Mindy. She was waiting for him on the massive couch-bed, sitting Criss-Cross-Applesauce at its center.
“Eek!” His raven-haired soon-to-be-lover squeaked as he smoothly slid his legs around her from behind and pulled her back into an encompassing embrace. His strong and flexible tail guided his motion, years of practice moving his body making it seem effortless.
Mindy wasn’t easy to startle, often seeing ideas in people’s heads before they settled on a scheme. But Boyd had acted on an impulse supplied by his other self—not allowing himself even to consider it before acting on it. Boyd wasn’t sure why his other self had wanted to give their plush love a small scare, but thought it fitting after the fact.
She was the one who’d encouraged him to act on these urges, after all.
Mind Witch locked him down completely, taking away all voluntary movement—but his thick arms had already wrapped around her middle and oh-so-soft chest, and his legs wrapped around her hips from behind. Boyd wasn’t about to complain about freezing in this position. While she had gotten in better shape, Mindy still had a wonderfully soft layer covering her firm core.
“Kuh-he… You are such a little shit,” Mindy hissed a second later when her brain caught up with what had happened. She took a deep breath and the stiffness his sudden arrival had caused melted as she leaned back into him.
‘And no, I did not ask for it.’
Boyd could hear the roll of her eyes in her mental tone, although he couldn’t see them. Which was a shame, because her bright and pretty amethyst pupils had rapidly grown on him. His body shifted—still not back under his command—adjusting to settle in more comfortably behind her and pulling her just a little closer.
Mindy leaned her head back onto his shoulder and turned her face to nuzzle into his neck for a moment. Her arms settled down over his where they encircled her, fingers tracing his wrists and forearms in gentle circles.
Still under Mindy’s control, Boyd’s head shifted to the side, turning until her darkly painted lips hovered just below his ear.
“You wanted to do it just to get my heart rate up a little, since you’re curious about why your other self was such a little shit,” she breathed into his ear.
The warmth of it sent tingles through him.
“I’ve been withholding physical affection like this,” she gently brushed her lips against his ear in the gentlest of kisses, “which I know is how you would prefer to… arouse me.
Mindy’s breathy voice sent a warm thrill through him as she murmured in his ear, “Because I’ve denied you your preferred method, you wanted to excite me in another way. Partially in hopes that it might lead to something more, but mostly because you wanted to make sure you are on my mind.”
She brushed her lips against his sensitive earlobe again. “Honestly, it was sweet… but you were still a little shit, so I turned the tables on you.”
With that, she gave his ear a nip that sent sparks ricocheting through his brain. Mindy was wearing another one of those marvelous kaftans, this one with a deep V-cut neckline that hung dangerously low from her shoulders. It left much of her pale, creamy neck and upper chest exposed. Boyd was almost certain she had opted to go completely nude underneath it.
At least, he couldn’t feel any panty or bra lines under the garment that covered her like a thin, flowing sheet.
Besides taking control of his voluntary movements, Mindy had also temporarily modified his senses. She dulled his perception of anything that wasn’t her. His awareness shrank down to just her softness, her warmth, and her rich jasmine scent.
Boyd could still sense his Bonds in the background. They were there if he wanted to check on his lovers. Otherwise, Mindy became his whole world.
And what a world it was. She was a paradise of soft skin and smooth fabric, firm muscle and pillowy curves, with a heady, floral smell that soothed him to his core. Boyd luxuriated in it, and all thoughts of dragons that needed slaying or angels that needed saving faded away.
Mindy loosened her control over his movements, guiding instead of puppeting him to let his arms shift a little, slowly letting his hands stroke up and down her sides and across her waist. His big hands happily complied, trying to memorize every inch of his love’s new figure—well, new… since their second-first reunion.
‘Mhmm,’ Mindy agreed with one of Boyd’s thoughts. ‘I did promise you more cuddling and touching. I know you’re counting this as a rest period, but I’m still grateful that you set time aside during your preparations, so… I’ve decided to try an exercise I was going to save for later. I know you’ll enjoy it.’
Mindy had spent enough time in his mind for him to be confident that few knew him well enough to boldly state something with such certainty. He was already agreeing with her, especially if it got better than this.
“Hmmm,” she hummed as she kissed his ear again.
Her one hand stayed where it was, tracing the back of his arm in feathery touches while the other came up so her warm fingers could brush against his jaw and cheek.
‘It will… I promise.’ Mindy’s mental communication was as sultry and velvety smooth as Raev when she played seductress. ‘Bad Boyd, keep focusing on me… only on me… on how soft and warm I feel.’ She let out a breathy moan. ‘Good… just like that.’
It truly wasn’t a difficult task.
‘No, it’s not. I’m here, right here with you—it’s just us right now.’ Her mental voice didn’t pause as she pressed another kiss to his ear. ‘I know you’ve figured out I’m waiting for something other than things settling with Tinker before we push further.’
That was true. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be holding their base Bond at bay, even now. Tinker had already progressed beyond that.
‘I’m waiting for you to be whole.’ Mindy cut to the chase. ‘I’m waiting for you to merge with your other self… to become who you are meant to be. I know it’s silly, but I want the next first time we are together to be with the you that I will spend the rest of my life with.’
Boyd would have grunted his understanding if he could have. But he knew he needn’t bother. She was in his head; she already knew he understood.
From what she told him, he would change as a result of merging with his other self. He would become the him that only existed in his most intense moments—in his desperate battles and most passionate lovemaking sessions. The big difference would be that this would be full time.
Looking back, he realized he’d always felt different during those moments—more alive… truly present. He’d always attributed it before to adrenaline and other, more pleasant things, like hormones.
‘It partially was related to your base biology,’ Mindy confirmed his thought, ‘but a lot of that was because sudden shifts in your brain chemistry make it easier for your other self to come to the surface.’
Boyd would have made a noise of confirmation but settled for giving her wonderfully soft hip a little squeeze with the hand that had wandered there.
Mindy gave his ear another kiss, this time gently pulling the lobe between her plush lips. ‘Good job not letting that scare you,’ she said into his mind while nibbling on his ear. ‘That is important; there is nothing to fear. It’s just you and me here, no one else.’
And just like that, they appeared in the wood slat room that housed the formless dark smoke that represented his other self. The smoke lay pooled on the enormous round bed that took up the center of the space, flowing over the two pillows that vaguely resembled and apparently smelled like Silvie and Raev. The other him took notice of their arrival, turning towards where they stood just inside his space, off to the side of the bed closest to the door.
The other him seemed to sit up and blink. Only Boyd wasn’t actually there, because he could still feel himself wrapped around Mindy’s delicious body. His hands still roamed along her sides and hips, relearning her shape through the thin garment. She tilted both of their heads a little differently, allowing her to press tender kisses along his jawline and neck.
‘Neither of you are ready to merge with the other,’ Mindy said within the wood slat room tucked away somewhere in the recesses of Boyd’s mind.
The her in his mind looked between them, standing a few feet apart. Leaning back, she shifted her shoulders back and forth against his chest, slowly writhing against him.
‘You,’ she turned to look up at him, ‘still think that the second your other self can exert control, he’ll do something terrible. Essentially, you don’t trust yourself.’
She turned to the smoky mass on the bed. ‘And you’re just grumpy because you’ve been locked up for so long. We’re going to try an exercise, using a construct I came up with.’
Mindy turned back to the him by the door. ‘Picture your other self transforming into a smoky cloak. It should be easy.’
She must have used her Power to implant something to make the process simple, because he thought about doing what he had been asked and, just like that, he was holding a massive cloak made of roiling black smoke. It looked like what his Black Flame would give off, if his strange energy-consuming energy gave off smoke.
His other self vanished from the bed at that same moment.
‘When you put it on, you will temporarily merge,’ Mindy explained. ‘It will not be as complete a merger as you will achieve in time, but will mirror the level that you have occasionally achieved. Either of you will be able to end the state with a thought, returning to how you are now.’
With that, the cloak vanished from Boyd’s hands and his formless, smoky other self returned to the bed.
“Kuh-he!” The real Mindy let her breathy laugh out against his neck, but she spoke into the mental space. ‘Both of you tested it at the same moment. Okay, do it again—but this time pull it on. You’ll be surprised by how NOT different you feel.’
Once again, thinking the thought that turned his other self into a garment was simple—but putting it on was not.
After the moment of hesitation dragged on, Mindy added, ‘Once you put it on, we’ll be able to begin the exercise.’ The words carried a heated tone that made him very curious about what this exercise would involve.
‘It’s simple really,’ Mindy said, giving him a coy smirk in the mental space and shifting her stance so the kaftan tugged invitingly against her form. ‘I want you to spend as much time merged as possible so you can get used to it. As an incentive, the longer you last the more of me I’ll let you touch. Last long enough… and nothing will be off limits.’
That had both of their attention.
They could tolerate each other for as long as was required. Boyd swung the smoke cloak around and pulled it over his shoulders, finding himself back in the Great Room wrapped around Mindy. Boyd sensed it as it happened… a moment of unity.
His wings came forward, tenting the two of them on the couch. Boyd could tell it was his other self, not Mindy, who had controlled the action.
Mindy purred into his neck, “Naughty Boyd, using your Power to get past mine… we can’t have that.”
He felt her reassert control over his movement, but she allowed him to settle his wings around them both, leaving a gap at the top for air and light.
“No one is around, and they won’t be for some time,” Mindy breathed into his neck as his hands were allowed to drift over her stomach and down to her wonderful thighs.
His hand happily traced over her splendid new curves, the thin garment not hiding them from his touch the way it did from his eyes.
‘Our clothing will be staying on,’ she clarified the moment he pondered the topic. ‘And no, both of you didn’t think it at the same time—because right now, as is always the case, you are one and the same person.’
The reminder served to, temporarily, drag his attention from his love’s delicious curves long enough to engage in a bit of introspection. Boyd didn’t feel any different, but he knew that Mindy had not been the one who had drawn his wings around them. He wasn’t supposed to move.
‘You instinctively used your Mental Domination to send a signal to MY mind, which moved your wings. Could you normally do that?’ Mindy asked as she continued to nuzzle his neck.
He could feel a satisfied smile against his skin. Boyd didn’t know why Mindy had asked that. Of course he could—he just did. Except… No, he could not. At least he had never done it before. And he was fairly well trained.
