Nikki woke up to the sound of rain gently drumming on her window. The blue glow of the city lights filtered through the curtains and illuminated the muscular body of the man sleeping beside her. What was his name? Ryan? Ron?
Aleister… a voice inside her head whispered.
She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, trying her best to calm her suddenly alarmed heart. Turning on her side, she stared at the shadows of the rain trickling down the window glass. She wondered where he was- the freeman. What was he doing? Asleep perhaps. With whom? She imagined him with that witch in his arms and the thought of it sank like a dagger in her breast.
Oh stop it!
She sat up on the edge of the bed and rubbed her eyes. In the dim light, she searched for her nightgown.
“What are you doing?” the man said in a raspy voice.
“Nothing. I just can’t sleep.”
“Take some SleepX,” he said groggily.
“I’ll brew some tea.”
The man didn’t answer and soon began to snore.
Closing the door behind her, she walked across the warm wooden floor towards the kitchen, where she began to prepare herself a cup of tea. Then thinking better of it, she took an ornate bottle from a cabinet instead and poured its pale green liquid into a short narrow glass. The crystal shimmered as it filtered the light like a multifaceted prism. From a drawer, she took out a flat spoon and lay it across the rim of the glass. On top of the spoon, she placed a blue sugar cube, then slowly and deliberately, she poured a dash of water until the cube had fully dissolved, leaving only wet pools of radiance clinging to the spoon.
She stood by the balcony door and watched the rain sweep across the city- illuminated like a ghostly ring, molded to the architectural curvature of Jezebel city, and the traffic lights receding…
When she slid open the door, the cool breeze blew through her copper hair. Beneath her feet, the balcony floor was cool. She made a mental note: add a heating pad to the balcony floor.
Although she was sheltered from the rain, she could feel the mist on her skin. It was like a touch. She closed her eyes. Yes. Like a lover's touch.
Her lips moved of their own accord. “Aleister,” they whispered.
She gasped and raising her glass, she downed the emerald liquid.
What was she thinking?
Emerald thoughts. The city and the rain were one. Lights swirling in the atmosphere. The cool breeze cocooned her in its undulating waves. Inhaling deeply the crisp clean air. The biosphere spun around her. She felt light-headed, as if falling down a micro-gravity well of cognition. It was her jewel. Jezebel city. But she didn't want any jewels, she wanted...
Aleister!
She rushed back inside and taking off her gown, she slipped into bed. Her hands searched for him under the covers but her consort simply stirred and turned away. She turned and braced herself, swollen with desire, reaching beneath her diaphanous gown, in vain trying to quench an alien thirst until she murmured a single name...
Aleister!
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