Beyond the Stone, page 3
He wondered how Madison had met the mortal. Supernaturals and mortals ran in different circles. They always had. The supernaturals were afraid of what the mortals could do without magic and the mortals were just afraid of magic and what the supernaturals could do. It was a fucking mess. No wonder Madison had come to find him in the morning when he was alone in the office; everyone knew that he always came in early to be alone for a bit.
Bane was inclined to refuse; in fact, he was going to get up from his desk and do just that. He couldn’t be seen with a mortal. He didn’t want to have them track him to the black market. Aside from that, his hand did the job fine. He didn’t need some fucking man, let alone a mortal, getting in the way.
Then he heard the ding of an incoming email on his cell phone. Bane sat back down at his desk and clicked open his inbox. It was a message from Madison. Opening the message, he read:
This is the guy I would like you to meet. His name is Jackson. :)
Bane’s jaw dropped. The mortal, Jackson, had brown hair that framed his face in a mane that looked windswept. His eyes were almost gold, and they shone. His mouth was open, as if he were laughing at something the photographer had said.
Bane didn’t believe in love. He never had. Love was for chumps and fuckwits, and normally he didn’t have time for them; but he fell a little bit in love with this man at first sight. At least, he thought it was love. His heart was palpitating, he had started to sweat all over and he was breathing shallowly. Well, he could be having a heart attack, but how was he to know?
Madison sat down beside him. “I can hear you from the other side of the office.”
“Shut up.”
“In fact, I think I heard the L word! You’re basing it on looks though, but don’t worry, Jackson is lovely inside and out.”
“What’s the size of his junk?” Bane asked, with a grin.
Madison let out a bark of laughter. “You’re such a fucking pig.”
Chapter Five
Bane tried not to let the thought of Jackson distract him as Edwards talked.
“The thing about curbing the problems with the black market is to think about it like a real live object that is filled with objects. They all move and interact with each other. You have to find a way to observe the black market and how it moves and breathes.”
Taking a breath of his own, Bane reminded himself that shoving a large stick up his ass would be a bad thing to do, no matter how funny it would be to hear him squeak in a very high voice. He tried to picture Jackson’s face over top of Edwards’s face to make the meeting bearable, but the whine of his voice kept making the picture of Jackson’s face waver and shake.
Bane held up his hand. “I’m sorry, but do you fucking hear yourself?”
There was a look of light shock on Edwards’s noodle-like face. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean by saying such a thing.”
“See, that’s the thing. You talk and talk and talk but you say nothing.”
“Yes, but we have to attempt to solve the problem with the black market and how it is curbing the profit margin of the Clocktower corporation.”
Holding up his hand again, Bane said, “Listen, I already got it covered. I’ve found a way in and I think they are beginning to trust me.”
Surprised, Edwards said, “Oh, that is excellent news thank you, Bane. Excellent news indeed I must say that I’m very impressed with your actions since you normally don’t seem to be motivated but thank you for the actions you have taken so far. The one thing I’d like you to do is make a list of who you would like on the task force and maybe think of an idea for uniforms that would be flattering.”
Edwards got up and walked away. Bane tried to picture Jackson’s ass, but the only problem was that he hadn’t met Jackson yet and had no idea what his ass looked like or if he even had an ass to speak of.
Sighing loudly, he turned back to his computer and continued working on a document that would outline his infiltration of the black market as well as a spreadsheet that covered the costs of the takedown. It was all bullshit of course, but he could bullshit with the best of them. To make Edwards happy, he also started a spreadsheet for uniforms.
“There is no way that I’m going to wear a uniform,” Madison said, behind him. “The last one I wore got covered in grease stains that would never wash out and did horrible things for my boobs.”
Bane turned around and tried to keep the smile off his face. “What kind of things did it do? And why was it covered in grease? You into the naughty stuff?”
“Well, as I’m a vegetarian, selling burgers was a really naughty thing for me to do. And the top squished my boobs so that they stuck out farther than they normally did. Made me look like I was eating them like ice cream.” She shivered. “Not a good look.”
Bane actually let out a little laugh before he covered it up by pretending to cough. “No, not a good look.”
A smile slipped over her face. “Why, Bane! You can laugh! I thought it was a muscle that you were born without.”
“Har de har har,” he said.
“So here you go.” She handed him a piece of paper. It had a phone number written on it.
“What? We’re not going to meet up together so you can introduce us?”
“Bane, it hasn’t been that long since you last dated. You do remember how the mating ritual works, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do, thank you.” He held the phone number in between two fingers. “So, I just call him?”
“Yes, Bane. And then you talk to him, introduce yourself and try not to be an asshole. I’ve told him that your interest is piqued and he’s expecting your call.”
“Thanks,” Bane said. “I’m really looking forward to meeting him.”
“He says he already knows you.” Madison gave him another small smile. “Who are you going to put on this task force?”
Bane didn’t know what to say to her statement about Jackson already knowing him, so he answered her question instead. “I hadn’t thought about it yet.”
“Well, you really should consider having a medium, a Dryad, a spark and a star. That way you have all your bases covered and can be prepared for anything.”
“What do you think is going to happen?”
A far away look came over Madison’s face. “I don’t know. I’m just not getting a good feeling from this.” She went to walk away but turned to face him again. “You should really try some magic to put your mom to sleep, not pixie dust. That stuff will give you the runs.”
Bane felt a chill run down his spine. “What do you mean? I don’t know anything about pixie dust.”
Madison let out a soft little laugh. She turned and tapped a red fingernail on her nametag. “Crystal balls mean-”
“Psychics or mediums,” Bane said. “I know.”
“So, when you’re assembling that task force, make sure I’m on it. And make sure our uniforms are awesome.” Madison patted him on the cheek, gave him a smile, and then turned to walk away.
Maybe I’ll shove the stick up Madison’s ass instead of Edwards’s ass, Bane thought.
“I heard that,” Madison said.
***
Bane continued to work, but Jackson’s number was burning a hole in his pocket. The piece of paperwas hot with anticipation and would freeze with fear the next moment. Trying to concentrate, Bane kept having thoughts of the last time he had hooked up with someone. The thoughts kept playing through his mind like an old film reel that he couldn’t shut off.
He had met Russel in a bar. It had been a random hookup. Their eyes met across the bar and they walked towards each other. Bane had felt pulled towards Russel as if destined to meet—that he had come to the bar for this reason.
They had had a few drinks and danced the night away. When Russel asked if they could go somewhere more comfortable, Bane hadn’t thought twice. His mother was comatose from the pixie dust and Bane didn’t think that they would be interrupted, so he took Russel home.
They kissed and Russel had taken off Bane’s shirt. Getting into it, Bane had gone to take Russel’s shirt off, too, as it only seemed fair but was stopped by the look on Russel’s face. It wasn’t one of want, need, or desire, but of growing horror.
Reaching out with a shaking hand, Russel touched Bane’s chest. Looking down, Bane saw the rock formation that covered his skin when he was angry, excited, or stressed had already started to cover his skin. When he was aroused, the covering would shimmer slightly as if the rock had mica or quartz running through it.
“What’s that?” Russel asked.
The fear that Bane heard in Russel’s voice made any arousal he had been feeling dissipate and the shining covering of rock on his skin began to fade. “It’s part of who I am,” Bane whispered.
“What? You’re a fucking Rook? Don’t they have a cure for your kind now?” Russel said.
Bane shook his head. “There is medication that you can take to control it.”
“So, you’re taking the meds, right? You’re cured?”
Bane shook his head again. “It doesn’t work like that. The medication stops the magic running inside me from taking over completely, but there is no real cure. This is part of who I am.”
“But you’re like crippled, right? You’re like a supernatural who can’t do magic but the magic you have can kill you.”
Bane sighed inwardly. “If you want to look at it that way, sure.”
Russel looked like he wanted to spit at Bane. “I had a friend of mine, got fucked by a Rook once, tore his asshole to shreds. You think I want you to fuck me with your diseased cock? You want me to catch what you got?”
“You can’t become a Rook by sleeping with one. It’s not like that at all.”
Letting out a laugh that shrieked with derision, Russel pointed at Bane. “How does it feel, then?”
“How does what feel?” Bane asked.
“How does it feel to be half a man?” Russel spat out.
Bane saw darkness tinged with red. When his eyes were able to refocus, Bane was looking into Russel’s frightened gaze and his breathing was rough and unsteady. He could feel the stone covering his skin. Looking down, he saw that the stone covering his body was also tinged with red and black. It looked as if his skin was made from rubies and dark obsidian melding with human skin.
He tried to back away from Russel who had started to whimper and found that he couldn’t. Looking around, he saw that his right fist was plunged into the wall. Moving his hand around, he could feel broken bits of wood and insulation.
When Bane took his hand out of the wall, he saw that his hand looked as if he were wearing a stone gauntlet, only there was no gauntlet; only his skin. He tried to calm his breathing. He had never lost control like that before. Bane figured that being called half a man would do that to anybody.
Looking at Russel’s panicked face, Bane said, “You disgust me. Get out before I throw you through the fucking wall.”
“Freak,” Russel whispered. “Fucking freak.”
“So, what if I am? I’m still twice the man you are. Get the fuck out.”
Russel whimpered some more and scurried out of the house, leaving Bane alone.
That had been the last time he had been with a man, the last time that he had known another man’s touch.
He was terrified and excited all at the same time. Bane wanted to call and didn’t want to call. Yet, there was something within him that said it would be okay, no matter how terrified he was. Why would Madison have given him Jackson’s number?
She had no way of knowing about his last disastrous date. He may not have been able to block everything from her, but he was able to keep some things a secret. He had to as he could not afford to be an open book to every psychic.
However, the fact remained that Madison had given him Jackson’s phone number. Knowing Madison as well as he did, having worked with her for years now, he knew that she wouldn’t have given him Jackson’s number without having taken a deep look into Jackson’s mind and soul. It was what she did.
Bane wondered what to do. Should he or shouldn’t he? Could he risk getting hurt again? Could he open himself up to someone else?
An email pinged and he clicked open an email from Madison. It read:
Just fucking call him already. I can hear you all the way over here, you’re thinking so loud. And you want to bet that I’m going to know if you do.
Bane sighed. Fucking psychics.
Chapter Six
Bane waited until he got home to call Jackson.
He was thankful that Madison couldn’t follow him this far. A medium had to have you in close proximity to be able to read your thoughts. The same was true of most magic. It required closeness to be effective.
When Bane opened the door, he heard music playing. The light sound of flutes rang through the house and was joined by birdsong. His mother was in a good mood. He could hear her humming along with the music. Bane could almost hear her smiling. Walking into the house, he closed the door behind him and made his way to the kitchen where the music was coming from.
Eliza moved around the kitchen as if she were dancing. In fact, she was moving around the kitchen like she was made of liquid and smoke or quicksilver. The lights in the kitchen flashed and kept tune with the music that was playing. The birdsong, Bane saw, was made by real birds. They flew and flittered around the ceiling and Bane saw that the air literally sparkled with magic.
Bane relished times like these. When his mother was coherent and together; when she was her old self. Bane never knew how long these times would last, maybe an hour, maybe a day, maybe a week. These times, when Eliza was the mother that he remembered, were like a salve to his soul. He knew that his time with her like this was limited, no matter what he did.
If he’d been a star as opposed to a Rook, he would have somehow frozen her like this, kept this part of her alive at the forefront of herself, so that she would never retreat to the dark forest that was within her.
He watched his mother as she bent at the stove and checked on something that smelled wonderful. Bane smelled banana bread and knew the scent well from his youth. It filled him with a warmth that he had not felt within himself for a long time.
Stepping into the kitchen, he said, “Hello, Mother.”
Eliza turned at his voice and when she saw him, broke into a beautiful smile. “My darling Asher!” The flute song and sound of birds grew more intense. “How lovely. I’m making banana bread. I know it’s your favourite, and it’s been so long since I made it for you.”
She came toward him and caressed his cheek with her right hand. “You look tired, sweet Asher. Are you sleeping well?” Eliza tapped the bags under his eyes. “You’re carrying luggage around with you that will weigh you down. I will make you a salve for that luggage, Asher. And where are Edgar, Gabriella, and Justine? I can’t find them in their rooms.”
He told her the same thing he usually did when this old version of her appeared. “They are travelling with Father. They left me here with you because I have to work a lot of hours and couldn’t go. They send their love, though.”
“Oh, well that’s all right. I do hope your father thought to bring his sweater. He gets cold so easily.”
“I made sure of it before they left, Mom.”
“Good! Oh Asher, you’re such a sweet boy. Are you seeing anybody?”
He felt a blush beginning to bloom in his cheeks. “No, Mom.”
“I know that look, Asher. You tell me who it is! I have ways of finding out.” She tickled him and he was moved almost to tears to see the big happy smile on her face.
He let out a little laugh. “I haven’t met him yet, Mom. I’m just about to call him. My friend at work, well do you remember Madison?”
“The crystal ball trollop with the gorgeous hair that always has a perfect manicure?” his mother asked.
“Yes, that’s the one.”
“Yes, she always does look fabulous. Too bad she’s a floozy.”
“You don’t know that, Mom.”
“You’re right, I don’t, but she’s just so darn pretty. I love to hate her, and I love to love her.”
“Well, she wants me to call someone she knows. So that we can meet.”
“You go call him then, Asher, my son! Call him and invite him over here for dinner so that I can meet him and give you my approval.”
He laughed. “Mom, we haven’t met yet. We haven’t even had a conversation. I don’t know if I’m going to like him yet.”
“You have that twinkle in your eye. You like something about him.” She gave her son a raised eyebrow.
“I’ve seen a photo and I liked what I saw.”
Eliza raised her eyebrows even further. “Well, you go and call him now, Asher. You must remember not to base all your feelings on looks alone. That’s not the way to build a relationship. You must build it based on trust, love, companionship, and good sex.”
Bane choked out a cough. “Geez, Mom!’
“What? You think I’m an old fuddy-duddy? How do you think I had you, Edgar, Gabriella, and Justine? Do you think I created them from magic?”
“No, Mom.”
“Well, okay then.” She patted his cheek. “Go and call your mystery man, my son. I want to make you some scalloped potatoes and fried chicken for dinner with some coleslaw. That will go well with the banana bread and whipped cream for dessert.” She gave him one last smile before she shooed him out of the kitchen.
He hoped she stayed this way for a while. He hadn’t had a real meal in weeks, and it would be good to have real food in his stomach again.
***
Upstairs in his bedroom, he paced while holding the phone.
The note clutched in his hand like a talisman, he looked at Jackson’s name hoping to learn something about him just from staring at the paper. Would he be kind? Would Jackson like him, even though Bane was afflicted with something that even he struggled to understand?
