Freewill Pt. 03

An unimaginable crime.

An unexpected hero.

An unbelievable reward.

Simon lived a comfortable life: a steady job; a wife that shared his interests; an active social life. Yet he knew deep down that something had gone awry; that perhaps the contentment he felt with his life was an illusion. That gnawing discomfort falls to the wayside, however, when his world is shattered after he crosses paths with a monster hell bent on committing a heinous crime; and his act of heroism attracts the attention of a divine presence who grants him literally unfathomable powers in recognition of his sacrifice.

This sets Simon on an epic adventure of discovery as he tries to evade those furious at his heroic intervention, and shadowy government figures intent on discovering the 'secret' behind his new-found abilities. His quest will lead him to parts of the world he never knew existed as he experiences passion, joy, betrayal and heartache unlike anything he could have imagined. In the end, he will grapple with the question of if his 'gift' was in fact a curse, and if a man with his abilities can ever truly deserve happiness.

Freewill is the tale of a simple man given abilities which make him a god among men, and his journey to find the one thing his powers cannot grant... but which all men desire.

Author's note:

This novel is a work of contemporary fantasy adventure. I've split it into five sections for publication here.

For fans of the Dean, this novel began as a thought experiment along the lines of, 'what if Stranger was about a regular guy being granted that powerset, instead of a man born on another planet and raised by aliens (not to mention swapping out a frankly unforgiveable amount of bigotry found in that seminal work with a whole heap of on-page sensuality and a sprinkling of ideas inspired by other works of popular fantasy)?' and grew from there.

Make no mistake, this novel delves into some weighty subject matter. Trigger warnings for significant on-page violence (including a mass shooting and multiple hate crimes), depression and suicidal ideation.

All sensuality (on page or otherwise) takes place between characters who are eighteen or older.

Twenty-Six (cont.)

Seven hours, and one extremely tearful goodbye, later found Simon alone on a private plane over international waters. Much to Simon's displeasure, the police had insisted on lengthy interviews following their return to the resort. This was despite the fact that the police did not even have an inkling of a theory which suggested that either Simon, or Rory and Edgar, had any hand in the foul play which had taken place. No fewer than twenty diners had seen the abduction, and the hotel's security camera clearly linked the van in the sea to the one they had been abducted in. In the end, Simon's decision to not disappear the body of the third assailant had been their saving grace. It had been found several meters from the van, which lent credence to the theory that the other two bodies had been swept out to sea. The police captain's parting admonition that Simon keep himself available for further interviews had been met with a strained smile from Simon, followed by a call to Paige and Max instructing them to get him the hell out of Montenegro.

The scene at the airport had been unexpectedly sorrowful. Max fully intended to accompany Simon, but he could already see the bond forming between the two beauties and he knew the last thing they needed as they figured out their lives together was a third wheel. He firmly told Max he needed to travel the next leg of his journey alone. The look she had given him when she figured out what he was doing would stick with him forever. It was a look of endless sorrow for the loneliness she knew awaited her friend, combined with endearing gratitude for the sacrifice he was making on their behalf. She had not tried to hide her tears. Neither had Paige, or even Simon, for that matter. He left with the small consolation that even though they were parting, the two of them would always be among his closest and most trusted friends.

Paige had been furious over the unsuitability of the security she had arranged. She vowed that Simon would have someone more suited to his needs meet him when his flight landed. Simon hoped she believed his insistence that he did not blame her for the attack. She had, he pointed out, expressed misgivings about Edgar. Simon knew that he needed a better method for vetting the inevitable additional 'Edgars' which would find him wherever he went. He was simply too well known for anything else to be reasonable. Perhaps Ibrahim had been right, and the only safe solution was to find a compound somewhere and consign himself to loneliness. But Simon refused to accept that future. He knew he would rather meet a violent end than live out the rest of his days alone.

Furthermore, he was not opposed to the idea of sharing the knowledge he had gained. In the short time since their flight from California, Simon had been able to teach Paige a handful of words in the First Language. He had focused on words which conveyed calm and reassurance. The words she learned afforded her the same benefits Simon himself had gained, at least for those few phrases. He knew this portended the possibility that he could actually teach someone to think in the First Language. But it must be the right person, and for the right reason. As to how to determine if a specific person was the right person, or even a right person, he had no clue. This quandary was still plaguing him when he landed in Dubai several hours later.

***

After completing his business with customs, Simon exited the plane onto the tarmac that was still superheated several hours after sundown. He made his way to an elongated, six-wheeled, black SUV and peered through the front window. A diminutive man of Asian descent looked back at him with a bored expression. After a few moments of inaction, the man sighed visibly and exited the vehicle. This caused Simon to downgrade his estimate of the man's size even further. He was roughly one-hundred-sixty centimeters tall and very slight of stature. He was wearing a rumpled black suit with a loosened tie and a torn, faded baseball cap carrying the logo of a team from Seattle.

"You Mr. York?" the man asked in heavily accented English.

"I am," Simon replied. "Who might you be?"

"I driver. Get in."

"Not so fast. I need to see some credentials. Who arranged for you to pick me up?"

The man just stared blankly at Simon, clearly having exceeded the boundaries of his limited vocabulary.

Simon frowned, more to himself than at the hapless soul before him. Before he could think of a way to resolve the impasse, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He removed it to see a text from Paige.

'I think I found a guy who might work for you. He comes very highly recommended from people I trust. Apparently, he's instant death with everything from a spoon to a sniper rifle. I'm also told he's very unassuming to look at, so no one will suspect he's security. I arranged for him to meet you at the airport. His name is Jo. Only possible downside is that I'm told his English isn't so great. Maybe you'll have to teach him the First Language :)'

Simon smiled at Paige's message. He was touched by the effort she was making on his behalf. He started to reply when the last sentence of her message truly sank in with him.

"Clever girl," he muttered.

This caused the driver to once again shake his head at Simon in confusion.

Simon smiled and, using the First Language, said, "What is your birth language?"

The man appeared momentarily confused, but Simon felt none of the discomfort he typically felt upon using compulsion.

The man's expression cleared up and he said, "Tagalog."

Simon silently repeated, 'Speak Tagalog' to himself a few times before speaking aloud. "Let's try this again. Can you understand me now?"

"You speak Tagalog?" the man replied with a small smile. "Why didn't you say so? I'm sorry about my English. I keep trying to improve it, but it's just such a strange language."

"No worries. Back to the matter at hand, would you mind telling me what you're doing here?"

"I come to your service via a mutual acquaintance of Paige Rozzer's. I was told you were in search of security, both consulting and bodyguard detail. I happened to be in the neighborhood, so I took the job. Now, if you don't mind, I suggest we complete our business somewhere a little more discreet."

Simon nodded his assent and said, "Very well. But I warn you not to try any funny business."

"I wouldn't worry about that, sir," the driver said once they had entered the preposterous SUV and were under way. "I know very well who you are and have no doubt you could make things quite unpleasant for me if I chose to try some, as you say, funny business."

"Indeed," Simon replied offhandedly. "Speaking of funny, what's the deal with this car?"

"You'll see," the driver said with a wink in the review mirror. "This is actually pretty pedestrian for Dubai. Speaking of which, I arranged a suite for you at a mid-tier hotel close to the city center. I find the highest end hotels tend to attract a bit too much attention. But I suspect that as an American not born to unimaginable wealth, you'll find even this modest establishment to be more than sufficient."

"I differ to your wisdom," Simon said with a wave. "By the way, you never told me your name."

"You already know my name, Mr. York. I saw your eyes flick from the message you got from Ms. Rozzer to the name tag I'm wearing, and I saw your irises constrict ever-so-slightly with recognition. But, in the interest of being cordial, my name is Jo."

"You're an interesting man, Jo."

"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment."

Twenty-Seven

"This is a mid-tier resort?" Simon asked disbelievingly as they pulled into a hotel which seemed like it would have been more at home in South Beach than in what was purported to be a middle-class section of a city surrounded by desert.

"Not even a resort," Jo responded with a chuckle. "This is what you Americans would call a motel. Self-respecting millionaires would never be caught dead here."

"Are you saying I have no self-respect?"

Jo said, "I'm saying you're trying to keep a low profile. Your enemies would no doubt expect you to live in accordance with your wealth. By staying here, it'll be easier to go unnoticed. Need I remind you that your prior attackers are not the only threat here? While this city tries to style itself as very modern and international, we're still in an Islamic country, with all the laws and customs that go along with that. They don't take too kindly to other religions. And they certainly wouldn't welcome a literal miracle worker in their midst unless he was one of the faithful. I suggest trying to limit the miracles you perform whenever possible."

"Noted," Simon muttered before stepping from the vehicle.

Jo tossed the keys to the shocked valet, who no doubt took him for the limo driver he appeared to be, and followed Simon into the lobby. He steered Simon past the reception desk and into the elevator. Soon, they were securely locked in a lavish suite. Jo subtly checked all the rooms before joining Simon in the living room.

"Drink?" Simon asked from where he stood at the bar.

"Depends. What did you have in mind for the remainder of the evening?"

"Talking to you about next steps. And then sleep. I've had a hell of a last few days."

"So I heard," Jo replied seriously. "And, sure, I'll take a drink."

Simon handed him a glass before taking his seat. He raised his own glass in salute before saying, "To our noble selves."

"There's damn few of us left," Jo replied before taking a sip.

"Indeed. So, what are your thoughts on how I should conduct myself as a moderately infamous man of the world with a definitively non-zero number of enemies?"

Jo looked thoughtful before replying, "Well, a little bird told me that suggesting that you do what is most logical, i. e., sequestering yourself in a safe haven and only permitting guests which are implicitly trusted to enter, was a non-starter."

Simon smirked and nodded in reply.

"So," Joe continued. "I suggest continuing to do as you have been doing. Stick to places built to cater to the wealthy. This type of establishment is inherently more secure, as few among the wealthy have any interest in associating with the proles. You should also become comfortable with constant security presence unless you're in a place known to be safe."

"You mean like this room?"

"Unfortunately, no. This suite has at least three obvious points of entry, and who knows how many unknown ones. A child could gain entry to this room in minutes. I cannot force you to do anything, but I highly recommend either myself, or one of my associates, be within whispering distance of you at all times. I can guarantee discretion, absent an overt act on your part which we find to be morally repugnant."

"That sounds reasonable," Simon offered. "But, out of curiosity, what types of acts do you consider to be morally repugnant?"

"I was working for a... man... in Burma. I heard a struggle in his room. When I entered, I found him molesting his stepson."

"Fuck," Simon whispered. "Did you report him to the authorities?"

"I killed him. In front of the boy. Then I found the boy a new family on another continent. Does this bother you?"

"On the contrary. It is the only appropriate response. I think we're going to get along just fine. But you can't keep an eye on me around the clock. What of these associates you speak of?"

Jo grinned and said, "I took the liberty, based on your association with Ms. Rozzer, of assuming you would be comfortable with individuals of both genders working your detail. Ms. Mason will be here in about an hour to take the overnight shift."

***

Simon spent the next hour catching Max and Hank up on recent developments, as well as reporting to Paige that Jo was perfect for the job. He was just wrapping up his calls when he became aware of a new person entering the suite. He exited his room to find Jo speaking with a woman who was roughly his size. She had a slim build and medium length black hair, which was tied up in a ponytail. She was wearing long, voluminous white pants and a matching white blouse. It initially struck Simon as curious attire for a bodyguard, but he then realized she would fit in perfectly with the hotel's other guests. Not to mention that the outfit could likely allow her to hide sufficient weapons to occupy Paris without arousing suspicions.

Jo led her over to Simon and said, "Mr. York, this is Dani Mason. Dani, Simon York."

"Pleasure to meet you," Dani said carefully, extending her hand to Simon.

"Same," Simon replied, taking her hand. She shook his hand firmly before returning her hands to her sides and taking a small step back, but Simon did not fail to notice the way her breath caught at his touch. She regarded him intently as a barely perceptible blush spread across her cheeks.

"Well," Jo interceded, breaking the building tension. "I'm going to retire for the evening. I'll see you tomorrow around lunch time, Mr. York."

Simon said, "Simon, please. For both of you. I can't have everyone mistering me all the time."

"Very well," Jo allowed. "I'll see you tomorrow, Simon. Ms. Mason, please notify me immediately if anything goes awry. Good evening."

Dani took her leave to inspect the suite, returning moments later to smile shyly at Simon.

He said, "So how'd you get into the security gig?"

"I'm sorry," Dani said haltingly. "I'm not very fluent in Tagalog. You'll have to go slow with me."

"What language would you prefer?" Simon asked with a grin.

"I'm much better in English or Korean."

"Do you have a preference?" Simon asked in Korean.

"Korean is fine," she replied in the same language with a surprised expression. "But I guess if I had a choice, I'd choose English."

"English it is then."

"How do you know so many languages? You don't even have an accent."

Simon shrugged and said, "I guess you could say it's a gift."

Another silence stretched out between them, one which Simon was content to let linger. But it clearly unnerved Dani. She began to fidget after a few moments, eventually getting up and checking around the suite again. "Well," she said a bit too loudly upon returning. "I suspect you'll be looking to turn in. I understand it's been quite a long day for you."

"Not necessarily. I don't sleep much. How about you? Is this the start of your day, or are you pulling an all-nighter?"

"More the latter than the former. But I assure you, I'll be fine."

"I was not questioning your dedication, merely trying to determine if you'd like some company to help pass the hours."

"I'd like that," she replied with a shy smile.

***

Sunrise found Dani and Simon still seated in the luxurious living room of the suite he was renting. The night had passed quickly. Simon found in Dani a kindred spirit to Max, someone with whom he could easily see himself becoming good friends. She had an easy going way about her, and her sense of humor aligned nicely with Simon's. As often as not, she was the one making him laugh. Their conversation had stayed, if not wholly professional, then certainly cordial. She gave him only brief glimpses into her past but tended to steer the conversation away from herself if he ever pushed for details. Conversely, he suspected she wanted to ask him about the amazing things that had happened to him but was holding off for reasons unknown.

Simon begged her indulgence and took an hour to rest and recharge, after giving her sufficient warning so as to avoid any embarrassing run-ins with paramedics. Upon waking, he found her desperately trying to stay awake by pacing around his suite. He approached her, inadvertently startling her and unintentionally answering a question which had been lingering in the back of his mind.

"I don't think you need that just yet," he said carefully, gesturing at the pistol she had produced seemingly from thin air.

"Shit," she muttered as she caused the pistol to disappear as suddenly as it had appeared. "I'm sorry Simon. You surprised me."

"It's fine. What would you say to breakfast?" She looked uncertain so Simon added, "It might wake you up."

"You're right. At this rate, I'll get fired before the end of my first shift."

"We couldn't have that, now could we. Come on. Let's get some coffee in you."

Despite her fatigue, she insisted on proceeding him into the hallway. And into the elevator, and into the restaurant. She ensured that they were seated where she could see all the entry points, and so that Simon was nearly invisible to anyone who was not standing directly in front of their table.

"Impressive," he remarked as he opened the menu. She quirked a questioning eyebrow at him, so he added, "Even nearly overcome with exhaustion, you're still on top of your game."

"It's the training, not to mention the fact that I'd feel terrible if something happened to you."

"Do you think that's likely?"

Her expression grew serious. She lowered her voice and said, "We have no specific intelligence to that effect. But usually, the people who hire us simply think they're in danger. You actually got kidnapped. Yesterday. Just changes your perspective a bit, you know?"

"I suppose it would. Although I prefer to think that now that they've gotten their noses bloodied twice, they'll move on to an easier target."

"Not likely. At least in my experience. But I did not intend to alarm you. I was simply trying to help you understand our wariness."

Simon considered this as the coffee was served. When they were once again alone, he said, "Am I a fool for refusing to sequester myself in some kind of fortress of solitude?"

"Is that what happened to you?" she asked with a smirk. "Were you turned into some kind of superhero?"

"Hardly," he scoffed. But then he thought about it for a moment and appended, "At least, I don't think so. Although, I suppose from a certain point of view, that label isn't too far off. But I'm certainly no man of steel."

"So, which one are you?"

Simon shrugged and said, "I was never a comic book guy. I only know the ones in the movies. I guess I would be the closest to the wheelchair bound bald guy."

"You're telepathic? That's pretty cool. What am I thinking right now?"

"I'm not telepathic. I can usually have a pretty good idea how someone is feeling, but that's not the same thing."

"If..." Dani paused mid-sentence, and then took a bite while avoiding Simon's eyes.

"Are you testing me? Or are you worried about what could happen if you finish your question?"

"More the latter than the former," she repeated. "I'm sorry. I know this might be a sore subject, but it could be important in our efforts to keep you safe."

Simon dropped his napkin on his plate and gave her a genuine smile. He said, "In that case, ask away. I promise to not take offense."

"Or use your black magic to make me forget all about this conversation?" Dani asked with only the barest hint of mirth. Simon merely made a 'get on with it gesture', and her expression told him that she noted this was not quite the same thing as a denial. She continued, "I will pretend that you emphatically denied you have the power to do that, and we'll all just move on. Anyway..." she dropped her voice to a whisper before continuing. "If you know how people feel, how did you end up getting kidnapped? Twice?"

"It only works if I really focus on someone. And I try not to do it as a matter of course. It makes conversations really boring, not to mention making me look like some sort of alien. It's also exhausting. Are you implying that I should have been more vigilant?"

She said, "No. I am unequivocally not saying that it was your fault. Either time. I guess I'm just saying, if you ever get some kind of a read on someone that gets your hackles up then please let us know. I promise we won't waste valuable time questioning your intuition."

"Fair enough. I think I see your boss heading this way. Your sleep deprivation may be nearly at an end."

"Thank goodness. I can't tell you how much it meant to me that you stayed up all night with me."

Simon bowed his head slightly and said, "I was glad to help."

Twenty-Eight

"Good evening," Simon said warmly as Dani entered his suite later that night. He had spent the day fiddling with his investments as it occurred to him that a lifestyle spent living in luxury hotels would strain even the most liberal budget. His net worth was now poised to hold steady despite his shocking level of expenditures, assuming the market continued to perform according to his intuition. He also spent an hour on a video call with Max and Paige as part of his promise to continue teaching them the First Language. Paige continued to exceed Max on her grasp of the language, but Simon was struggling to come up with a course of instruction which made logical sense to him. He had started treating it like grade school foreign language class, but he had found that the First Language was far too elemental to discuss things like the location of the library. Paige had given him some ideas that he intended to sort through during his next period of withdrawal.

He found himself genuinely glad for Dani's return. Jo was a pleasant enough fellow, but ultimately not much of a conversationalist. After Jo's departure, Dani joined Simon on the veranda where he was enjoying an unexpectedly pleasant desert evening. He gestured to the seat at his side and said, "How'd you sleep?"

She said, "Quite well. Thank you. And how was your day?"

"Uneventful. Perhaps even boring. You know, at some point I'll have to venture forth from this enclave."

"What would you like to do?"

"I don't know," he replied wistfully, aware that he was coming dangerously close to whining. "I know it sounds petulant of me to want to break free from this confinement, especially considering I don't actually know what I want to do. But I want to do something, you know? I recognize that in my old life, my wife and I used to sit home almost every night doing what amounts to nothing. But it seems akin to heresy to do that now."

"I wasn't aware you used to be married."

"Now that I think about it, it's possible that I still am. We never got officially divorced, at least to my knowledge."

She was quiet for a few moments before saying, "Were you opposed to splitting up?"

"Initially, sure. I'd been with Casey since college. We were... comfortable."

"I see," she said before falling silent.

Simon enjoyed the tranquility of the evening for several minutes before he realized that Dani was unhappy. He regarded her more intently and found her to be confused and anxious, but most of all frustrated. He quietly asked, "What is it?"

"It's nothing."

"It doesn't feel like nothing."

She huffed and said, "You're a client. An assignment. I should not be probing into your personal life unless it directly pertains to your safety."

"If that's how you want it," Simon responded.

The silence stretched between them for several more minutes. Simon could feel the frustration roiling off her like a sunbaked southern road in the middle of summer. He felt bad that he rather enjoyed her discomfort in this case. Not because she was unhappy, but because it was entirely self-inflicted on her part. During their long, meandering conversation the previous evening, he had repeatedly made it clear that his life was an open book. But now, Dani was clamming up. Simon was unsure why the topic of his ex-wife was a sore spot for her, but he was committed to waiting as long as it took to find out. In the end, it took nine-hundred and forty-three seconds for Dani to resume their conversation.

"Comfortable?!" she nearly shouted. "Comfortable? What are you, eighty?"

Simon chuckled before saying, "I'm not saying it was ideal. But, in hindsight, I'm not entirely certain I wouldn't have chosen to keep living that quote, un-quote comfortable life forever."

"But you have superpowers now."

"I'm not sure that's how I'd classify things. Besides, it's not all sunshine and daisies. After all, I've had three different instances of people trying to kill me."

She frowned and said, "There is that. I guess I can see how it could be a burden. But the powers have to seem pretty awesome at least most of the time, right?"

"Not as much as you'd think. Most of these powers, as you call them, cause me nearly as much distress as my foes. That thing in Oklahoma? I was in a coma for over a week after that. Even when I don't end up in a coma, the use of these abilities causes me extreme pain far more often than not."

"Do you regret stopping the shooting?" she asked quietly.

He scoffed and said, "Of course not. But I wouldn't mind being able to just slip away into anonymity. I've never understood people who seek fame. I get wanting money, perhaps even power. But fame? It just doesn't compute."

"Trust me," she said severely. "I know all about the pitfalls of fame. I've spent my second career protecting famous people. It's the suck."

"How'd you get into the protection racket?"

"Well," she replied with a grin. "I'm not actually in the protection racket, as you call it. That's organized crime double-talk for protecting people from the terrible shit you'll do to them if they don't pay you. I merely try to protect people from those who would harm them. Or from themselves. As for how I got into it, I joined the Marines straight out of high school. Got deployed a couple times."

Simon heard the pain in her voice at the mention of her time in the service. He gently asked, "Was it bad?"

"Yeah. I mean, if you call watching your best friend and lover get taken out by an IED ten meters from you and then dying in your arms bad."

He reached out to rub her forearm reassuringly. "I'm so sorry, Dani. I cannot imagine what that must have been like for you."

"It was pretty fucking awful," she muttered before lapsing into silence. Simon took her hand in his and squeezed in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. She smiled wanly at him before continuing, "After that, I just couldn't keep going. Once I rotated back stateside, I took my discharge. I knew some guys overseas who did security, so I looked them up when I got out. They decided my looks," she made air-quotes for emphasis, "could be beneficial as I could masquerade as a friend, or romantic interest, of a protectee."

"That seems pretty demeaning," Simon replied with a touch of anger in his voice. "Granted, I've never seen you in action. But you certainly seem to know your craft. Even now, you've placed yourself between me and the door, and you're sitting so your face is in shadow, presumably to preserve your night vision."

"Indeed," she said, not without admiration. "But the assholes, I mean gentleman, I work for would never keep me on if I lost my looks. They tend to favor muscle-bound brutes whose mere presence frightens off all but the most dedicated threats."

"What about Jo?" Simon asked sincerely. "He doesn't exactly scare people away."

"He should. I've never met anyone more deadly. Jo could kill you five different ways before you managed to hit the ground. He's literally instant death with everything from a tank to a teaspoon. And if I had my druthers, I'd much rather take him on with the former over the latter. He might have the appearance of your run-of-the-mill Filipino nurse, but I assure you you'll never meet anyone more dangerous. Well, with the possible exception of yourself."

"How about you?" Simon asked with a grin.

"I can hold my own. I'm a pretty good shot and I'm decent in hand-to-hand. But there is a dollop of truth to the role they have me fill. I've already had a couple of instances where a would-be assailant tried to swat me aside like the fifty kilos soaking wet, sub one-hundred-sixty centimeters, girl I appear to be. Both were quite surprised when that attempted swat resulted in me beating the shit out of them."

Simon was quiet for a few minutes. He was relieved that Dani seemed to be content to enjoy the silence as well. But something she had said bothered him. He resolved to leave it alone as it was obviously a sore subject for her. Instead, he said, "So what about my wife and I being comfortable got you so riled up?"

"I'm sorry. I should have kept my cool."

"I don't mind at all. It's something I think about a lot, in fact. So, I'd be curious as to your thoughts."

"It's just... I've been there. Comfortable, you know? I've been in a relationship that was going nowhere, and we both knew it. But we were comfortable. So, we just stayed together. With you and your wife... shit. Never mind."

"What is it? I promise you won't upset me."

"Well, had things dried up in the bedroom as well?"

"Oh, definitely. We'd gone years without even the suggestion of intimacy. And not just sex. We hadn't even kissed in longer than I can remember. But we had the same hobbies, we liked doing the same things. So, we just kept at it, pretending we were perfect for each other as we grew further and further apart."

"Same here, although our timeline was a bit more compressed."

Simon reached out to take her hand and said, "Was it the lover you mentioned? The one who fell victim to the IED?"

"Yeah. We'd been stationed together for almost a year. We started hooking up within the first few weeks. It was great at first, but then things sort of started to get stale. We liked to do the same stuff when we were off duty. We had the same friends. But by the time we realized we didn't really have a spark we'd already entered the awkward phase. So, we just kept at it, month after month. Neither of us particularly happy, but neither of us willing to jeopardize our friendship by suggesting we break things off. I thought perhaps the hand of fate would solve the problem for us as our deployment was coming to an end and I thought it was unlikely that we'd get matching assignments. The morning..." her voice caught, and she took a deep breath before continuing, "The morning it happened, I had found out that we were both due to rotate to Germany for a six-month cool down. We'd still be together. I cursed that hand of fate for not granting me absolution. I guess fate got the last laugh," she concluded bitterly.

Simon squeezed her hand and said, "You cannot blame yourself."

"Easy for you to say," she muttered before pulling her hand away and standing to walk to the edge of the balcony. Simon followed her but kept a respectful distance. She continued, "I suppose you're going to tell me it's all part of God's plan."

"Oh, hell no. That sentiment is the worst kind of navel gazing, self-delusional nonsense. What I was going to say was that your partner did not die because you did not wish to continue your relationship." Her only response as to glare at him, as if defying him to say something to make it all better. He said, "Tell me something, did you ever have a close call? Other than that tragic day."

"Sure. Lotsa times. The folks back home don't have the first fucking clue just how much worse than hell war really is."

"Nor do I," Simon allowed. "But my point is, you had seen the horrors of war. Did you believe yourself somehow charmed?"

"How do you mean?"

"Were you convinced you would come home unharmed?"

"Fuck no. I was scared shitless. I had at least five different instances where I was certain I was gonna buy the farm."

"And your partner?"

"Same. I remember so many nights where we just held each other, scarcely able to believe that we'd made it. What are you getting at?"

Simon said, "You were soldiers. You accepted the possibility of your death, as did your brothers and sisters in arms. Whether you did it for country, or merely for esprit de corps, you were willing to risk everything on a daily basis. My point is merely this, your partner did not perish because you wished for an easy end to the relationship. It was the enemy's doing, and your partner's misfortune. Thousands of men and women far braver than me accepted that risk and made the ultimate sacrifice in that conflict. You cannot blame yourself for the loss of your partner any more than you could blame yourself for the loss of any of your other comrades."

She looked up at him with tear filled eyes. She took a breath to speak, but he interrupted her to say, "It was not your fault," in the First Language.

The words which had been on her lips evaporated and she released her held breath in a bone-weary sigh. Simon opened his arms and she melted into him as tears flowed unchecked down her face. He rubbed her back comfortingly as he reached out to examine her feelings. While his expanded perception did not give him the ability to actually see the weight lift from her shoulders, he could certainly recognize its absence. The shadow which had hung over her was gone. In its place was something which Simon struggled to recognize. His inspection was interrupted when he felt her hands twine into his hair, pulling his mouth down to meet her own.

Twenty-Nine

"I want you to make love to me," Dani gasped breathlessly as her lips left Simon's.

"But..." Simon objected weakly.

"No buts, Simon. I want you. More than I've ever wanted anyone in my whole fucking life. Please, baby. Give this to me. I need it."

Simon signaled his assent by lowering his lips to hers. This kiss lacked the urgency of their first attempt but conveyed far more emotion. She moaned loudly as his tongue slid along hers. Her hands relinquished their hold on his hair to explore his body while his own hands wrapped around her narrow waist. She tilted her head, deepening their kiss, while her hands sought to unfasten his trousers.

He reached for one of her supple breasts, savoring the way it filled his hand perfectly. Her nipple hardened at his touch through the thin fabric of her blouse. Her hands abandoned the front of his trousers to hastily pull her top over her head and discard her bra before reclaiming his lips once more. He brought his other hand up to caress her cheek with featherlight touches.

She succeeded in removing his trousers and boxers and gripped his throbbing erection as though it was a lifeline. She panted, "I need you inside me."

"Perhaps we should adjourn to the bedroom?" he asked with a playful smirk.

She glanced around, as if noticing for the first time that they were on the expansive balcony of Simon's suite and in full view of a countless number of rooms. She yelped softly and covered her naked breasts with her arm, lacing her fingers into Simon's with her other hand so she could lead him inside.

"There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world," he quoted. "It's a pity to conceal yours."

"That's not how the line goes," she responded with a grin, dropping her arm to allow Simon's gaze to fall upon her shapely breasts once more.

"Close enough," he murmured before reclaiming her lips.

She pulled him towards the bedroom, her hand using his cock like the tiller of a sailing vessel. When they reached the bedroom, she steered him toward the bed. She then released her hold on him and shimmied urgently out of what remained of her clothing before crawling alluringly onto the bed. Simon shed what remained of his clothing before following her. When he was within reach, she pulled him down to deliver another scorching kiss.

He raised up, a worried expression on his face, and said, "Honey, I just realized I don't have a condom. I'm so sorry."

"Check the bedside drawer."

Simon did as instructed, and found a box containing more condoms than a hair band could use over a holiday weekend. He grabbed one and said, "How did you know?"

"All part of the service," she responded with a wink. She reached out and snatched the condom from his hand, tearing the foil wrapper open and rolling the sheath over his throbbing member. She laid back and pulled him closer until the head of his cock was teasing her soaked entrance. "Go slow," she whispered.

Simon sank into her with agonizing slowness. "Oh fuck, honey. You're so tight," he panted. He felt agonizingly exquisite resistance, but Dani just kept nodding at him eagerly as he sank ever deeper into her heavenly depths. He paused when their hips met to allow her to adjust to his intrusion. Her eyes rolled back into her head in rapturous pleasure as a loud moan escaped her lips.

"Holy shit, that feels so fucking good baby," she whispered as he began slowly thrusting into her. Her hands sought out the headboard and gripped it like a lifeline, but her eyes never left his. The affection in her eyes drove his pleasure to all new heights.

Soon, the suite was filled with the sounds of their lovemaking. A sheen of perspiration coated both their bodies as they neared the peak of pleasure. Dani's nails dug into Simon's flanks as she urged him ever deeper into her silken channel. He felt her already incredible tightness constrict around his length even further as she neared release.

He leaned down to brush his lips along her ear and whispered, "You're so goddamned beautiful."

This pushed her over the brink. Her muscles locked as pleasure ripped through her body like wildfire. Her eyes were clenched shut but her mouth was wide open in a soundless moan. Her inner walls clamped down so tightly that Simon was forced to still his thrusting lest he suffer permanent injury. He gently kissed her neck, savoring the taste of their combined ecstasy in the sweat beaded along her skin. As her pleasure began to recede, she sank into the bed as though lifeless.

She sighed mightily and whispered, "That was fucking amazing, baby. I just need a few minutes."

"Take all the time you need, honey," Simon replied as he laid down next to her. He gently ran his fingertips along her skin, tracing the rivulets of her perspiration. Soon, her breathing began to quicken once more, and he felt her fingers wrap around his throbbing shaft. She shifted her hips to crawl onto Simon, quickly aligning him with her entrance and sinking down with a loud moan.

"Oh, Jesus. That feels even better," she gasped as she completed her downward journey and their centers met. Simon's hands sought out her breasts, gently tweaking her nipples which elicited a groan of pleasure from Dani. She began riding him fervently, her hands on either side of his head to give him full access to her bouncing breasts. "That feels amazing," she panted as she collapsed onto him.

He lifted his hips to resume his thrusts. Their lips meant with feverish urgency. Their tongues intermingled as they neared release. His hands found her ass, worshipping its rounded suppleness as he kneaded her pleasantly rounded derriere.

"I'm so close," she whispered.

Simon felt his own release approaching, so he sped up his thrusts into her eager womb before burying himself in her depths. His cock expanded as his orgasm arrived with gusto and he erupted within her. She screamed in pleasure as the pulsing of his member sent her over the edge into her own release. Simon held her closely as waves of pleasure washed over his body, peppering gentle kisses along her forehead as they reveled in their combined bliss. At length, the spasming of their bodies receded and they collapsed spent onto the bed.

Simon took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly as their breathing slowed. He smiled up at her, cherishing the look of absolute happiness he saw there. He whispered, "That was wonderful, my dear."

"You have no idea," she whispered tiredly as she drifted off to sleep.

Simon stayed in bed with her, since her position on top of him meant waking her would be effectively certain if he tried to rise. He managed to pull some covers across the bed to keep her from getting a chill as her perspiration evaporated. As his hands cradled her small body, he reflected on the truly bizarre twists and turns of his recent life. He was in bed with an impossibly beautiful woman who he had just met. And she had thrown herself at him. This was something unknown to Simon before the shooting and his subsequent transformation, and it was taking some getting used to. He had a momentary twinge of unease, or perhaps even regret, related to having sex with Dani. But then he remembered the look on her face before she drifted off to sleep. He had, if not caused, then certainly contributed to a moment of perfect happiness for her. And while his feelings toward her did not extend past friendship, he found that he was made happy that he had been able to be there for her. He considered it a goodness. But with this realization came the recognition that the previous hours activities had done nothing to assuage the loneliness he felt growing within himself.

He had tried to attenuate that loneliness with the closeness he found with Max, but that avenue was cut off to him once she started to develop feelings for Paige. This is not to say he did not enjoy the company, clothed or otherwise, of his recent companions. He found their company to be agreeable, even enjoyable. But each day, he became more keenly aware of the part of him that was missing. The part he thought he had found in Casey. The part which seemed to spring into being fully formed when he was with Karen, and whose absence was all the more poignant due to her betrayal and disappearance. He found that he craved to complete that part of himself with a passion bordering on obsession.

Simon glanced down once more at Dani. All the worries and fears which typically dominated her features had faded away in sleep, leaving only her natural beauty behind. Almost as if she could feel his gaze upon her, she sighed contentedly and snuggled deeper into his chest. Simon found himself at an impasse. Should he try, as gently as possible, to break things off with Dani based on what he felt was a certainty that she was not the one he sought? Or should he commit himself to her happiness under the auspices of either developing the feelings for her which she so clearly felt toward him, or simply because she was his friend and thus deserved anything he could do to ensure her happiness? In the end, the way forward was clear. He only hoped that he was not sacrificing a flicker of happiness now for the warm embrace of long-lasting happiness for them both.

This decided, Simon allowed himself to rest for a bit. It was not the full withdrawal he typically favored. While he had fully briefed both Dani and Jo on what this entailed, he did not want to inflict even an instant of unease on her should she wake to find herself snuggled against someone whose heart was not beating and whose breathing had stopped. Instead, he indulged in a sleep more akin to his former life. It was challenging for him to still his mind, which is why he otherwise would have withdrawn, but he enjoyed the challenge. He also took the opportunity to practice separating his consciousness from his body.

He carefully slowed his breathing to something akin to a profoundly deep sleep, about a breath every ten seconds, and slowed his heartrate accordingly. He then focused his concentration on separating his consciousness, leaving behind a fraction of himself to ensure he would not expire, while the remainder stepped away from his bed. It was mildly disconcerting to turn back to the bed and see himself laying there with a devastatingly beautiful woman in his arms, but he had done this enough that the experience did not unmoor him. He had found in past experiments that any attempt to move in ways which would be impossible with his body were profoundly disorienting, so he avoided things like passing through the floors or flying. He did, however, have to accept the disquiet that came with passing through doors or walls as there was no other way to move around.

He limited his excursion to his hotel suite, having no taste for voyeurism. But placing his consciousness in the living area allowed him to keep watch over things more effectively, and he had no wish for Dani's employment to be in danger as she was, quite literally, asleep on the job. His position allowed him to sense the approach of a figure hurrying down the hallway. He quickly identified Jo and rushed back to his body in hopes of waking Dani in time.

Thirty

"Jesus Christ, Dani. What the fuck is wrong with you?" Jo whispered fiercely at Dani in what he believed was the relative privacy of the second bedroom in Simon's suite. He had done everything short of dragging her in there by the arm like an embarrassed parent escorting a misbehaving toddler out of a parent-teacher conference. Jo had burst into Simon's suite like a man possessed and quickly found them in the bedroom. Dani was only starting to wake up as Simon had only made his way back to his body seconds before Jo burst into the room.

Jo had seemed to calm quickly upon discovering that they were both safe and unharmed. It had obviously taken a Herculean act of self-control for Jo to calmly ask Dani to speak with him in private. The look Dani gave Simon as she hurriedly got dressed was a mixture of fear and impish self-satisfaction. He tried to silently offer her reassurance, but she only shrugged in reply before following Jo into the other bedroom.

Simon knew he would not be satisfied at hearing second-hand about the meeting, so he quickly departed his body to allow his ethereal form to enter the room with Jo and Dani in time to hear Jo's expletive laden opening question. Dani stood mute so Jo elaborated.

"You fucked the client. You know what that means. Not to mention the fact that you were sleeping on the job. Either would be more than enough. Not only to terminate you but to keep you from ever working in this field again. What were you thinking?"

"I... I don't know. I just couldn't take one more minute of being so... empty."

"I have to report this, De. When you didn't check in, it triggered an alert that came to me through headquarters. They know something happened here tonight. I can't cover for you."

"I know. I'll resign without any fuss. But I appreciate the sentiment."

Jo sighed and said, "I promised her I'd look after you."

Dani laid a hand on his forearm and said, "You've done far more than you know, my friend. Far more. I assume you'll be staying with him until they send a replacement?"

"Yup."

"What about me?"

"That's up to Mr. York," Jo replied with a shrug. "What are you going to tell him?"

She said, "The truth, obviously. A word of advice, never try to mislead him. His perception is unparalleled. Even you pale in comparison."

At this point, Simon smiled to himself and returned to his body. He had just awoken when Dani stuck her head in the room to look at him inquisitively.

"Um... hey. Do you mind if I..."

"Have a seat," Simon said indicating the spot next to him on the bed.

Her face was serene, but her eyes were moist. She looked up to meet his eyes and said, "I have to go."

"I thought you just said you'd need to resign."

"How did you..." she began before frowning and taking a breath. "You know what, never mind. You're correct, I have to resign. My replacement should be here tomorrow. But I'm not sorry Simon. Not even a little bit. Tonight was... well... I'll never forget it. Or you."

"Nor will I. But I'm still confused about why you said you need to go."

"I can't really afford to live here without a company who covers my expenses."

"Go if you wish. But please feel welcome to stay with me if you like."

"You wouldn't mind?" she asked with so much vulnerability that Simon pulled her into an embrace and held her for several moments.

"Of course I wouldn't mind. I'd really like it if you would stay."

She smiled shyly and said, "I'd like that too."

Simon kissed the top of her head and said, "Besides, now that you don't have a job to do, maybe you could show me around a bit. Not to mention that if you're at my side in addition to Jo, or his counterpart, I'll be doubly protected."

"As you wish," she said with a wink.

***

Late the following afternoon, Simon and Dani strolled hand in hand across the expansive pool deck of the hotel trailed by Dani's replacement with the security firm. Where Dani was slight to the point of disappearing into the background, her replacement would only have blended in in a football locker room. They found a covered area to get out of the sun and took the opportunity to sit for a while and just people-watch.

"Gracious, it's hot," Simon exclaimed as he mopped his brow.

Dani fanned herself and replied, "I heard it got up to forty-five today."

"But at least it's a dry heat, right?"

"Not as much as you'd think. We are right next to the water, after all."

"Remind me again why this town is such a destination," Simon huffed. In response, Dani held up her hand and rubbed her thumb in a circular motion against her index and middle fingers. He continued, "There has to be something beyond money. The nutjobs in charge would still be able to be oil billionaires without an inexplicable resort community."

"Who knows how these things happen. It makes no sense that people from Europe stream to tiny islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean each summer, yet the Seychelles remain popular. My theory is that these things sometime just take on a life of their own. The scenery sure is nice though," she replied as she gestured to a scantily dressed voluptuous young lady passing by.

He said, "She doesn't hold a candle to you, my dear."

"My dear man. Don't patronize me. I'm not embarrassed about my looks, but my eyes work just fine. That woman likely has millions of followers on the 'gram. I look fine, perhaps even pretty if I put in the effort, but she's a ten. That long blonde hair; that rounded face despite basically zero body fat; those enormous boobs with that impossibly sexy jiggle whenever she moves; that ass which you could spend all day feasting on. I sure as hell wouldn't kick her out of bed."

"You sound like you're one of her many followers," he replied with a crooked grin.

"Not really. I have no idea who she is. In fact, I've never seen her before today. I just know what I like." She watched Simon for his reaction, but he merely sat placidly while never losing the smile on his face. She continued, "I guess that requires a bit of explanation."

"If you like," he offered. "But it's up to you, honey."

She took a deep breath before saying, "I really like you, Simon. I mean, a lot. Last night was one of the most wonderful nights of my life." She paused to take a breath.

Simon reached out to take her hand and squeeze it reassuringly. He said, "For me as well."

Dani started to speak several times before sound actually left her lips. She said, "I don't think you understand, Simon. I've never been with a man before."

"But what about..." He paused before he crammed his foot further into his mouth.

"What about my partner from the service? The one who your American male mind naturally assumed was a man?"

"I'm an idiot, and I throw myself on the mercy of the court to beg for the forgiveness which I certainly do not deserve."

"Don't beat yourself up, baby. It's not like its necessarily wrong of you to assume that I was hetero considering that we had sex."

"So, why me," he asked after careful consideration.

"You heard the conversation Jo and I had last night, no?"

"Guilty."

"I'm not mad, so long as you teach me how to do that someday."

"That's easier said than done. But I promise to try."

She smiled at him and said, "I guess that's all I can ask. Anyway, why you? It's a hard question to answer. It just seemed so right, so essential, in the moment. And that feeling only intensified after the fact. I am profoundly attracted to you, both emotionally and physically. Your touch makes my body come alive in ways I didn't think were possible. But, and I'm not sure if this will make any sense, you are the exception for me. Outside of your devastatingly handsome self, I have been and likely will continue to be attracted to women. I deeply desire to make love to you. It's hard to think of anything else. But I still consider myself a lesbian. I guess that sounds insane."

He shrugged and said, "Not really. I've long held an opinion which is either progressive or small minded, but I can't decide. I consider concepts like straight; gay; bi; lesbian; etcetera to be kind of... wrong-headed." Dani's expression darkened, so Simon quickly continued. "What I mean is, I don't think we should constrain ourselves with a label which defines who we love. Or even, who we might enjoy a romp in the sheets with. Personally, I have always been attracted to women. But if I happened to see a man to whom I was attracted, I would not stop myself to say 'That can't be! I'm straight!' I'd just go with it.

"I recognize the traditional progressive mindset is to believe that people are born a certain way and thus cannot help who they love. I see the wisdom of this. It puts conservatives in the position of having to either accept people whom they would normally abhor or rejecting the natural order of things. But I just don't hold with that way of thinking. In my mind, someone doesn't have to prove they were born a certain way in order to justify the people with whom they want to have naked time. It should be their business. End of story. Modern society has far too much tragedy in it for right-thinking people to in any way limit the amount of love that can exist in the world."

She regarded him intently for a moment before saying, "Where were you when I was a lonely, confused teenager who couldn't figure out why I thought football players were Neanderthals and fantasized about my chorus teacher asking me to stay after class to go down on her?"

"Probably in the midst of starting to suspect that my wife might not be my soulmate. But fear not, I had the exact same mindset in high school."

They sat in companionable silence for several minutes, just watching the endless procession of beautiful people pass before them. At length, Dani said, "Do you mind if I ask you why you came here? I suspect it was not the floor show."

Simon chuckled at her words, especially considering the fact that the seemingly endless parade of beautiful people had, at that moment, been interrupted by a corpulent middle-aged man strolling past them looking like he could discorporate at any moment due to the extreme temperatures. He said, "Chosen at random, really. When we left the states, we decided it would be easier to exist for a while without any roots. So rather than buying, or even renting, a house somewhere we decided to just exist in hotels for a while. That having been decided, we figured there was no reason not to stay in nicer places but felt staying off the beaten path could be helpful. When I left Montenegro, I really didn't choose my next destination with care. I ended up here because it was relatively close and because it was beyond the reach of the authorities in my home country. Why do you ask?"

She said, "Just trying to figure out what you're looking for out of life."

"The same thing as everyone else. I'd like to be happy. And safe. Easy enough for most people. The folks I went to college with all enjoy that without even knowing that it's atypical for most of the denizens of this planet. But now I've apparently got a target on my back. And I wonder if I can ever truly find peace. Not to mention that I'm constantly worried that anyone close to me could become a victim of my faceless enemies."

"Well, anyone looking to turn me into a victim is in for a rude awakening. But if happiness is what you seek, perhaps we should adjourn back to your suite and see if we can think of something to do to pass the time."

Thirty-One

Simon emerged from his daily period of withdrawal to discover Dani sobbing softly at his side. He reached for her and pulled her into his arms.

He whispered, "What's wrong, honey?"

She wiped her tears and said, "I'm sorry, baby. I just needed a good cry. I thought you'd be gone for another twenty minutes or so."

He had indeed intended to stay withdrawn for the amount of time she mentioned, but he had sensed her unease and cut his time short. He said, "I sensed something was wrong. What is it?"

"It's nothing. Just silly girl stuff."

He kissed the top of her head and said, "In the two weeks we've been together, has there ever been even a moment when you thought such a flimsy excuse would work on me?"

She chuckled ruefully and said, "No, I guess not. It's just that you're everything I ever dreamed of in a friend; in a lover; in a mentor. What right do I have to ask for more?"

He sighed and said, "I cannot lie to you Dani. You are very important to me, one of a handful of people who I trust implicitly and consider to be my closest friends."

"But you don't love me," she finished bitterly.

"Not in the way that I believe you love me. I wish for both our sakes it were otherwise."

She sighed and said, "I know. And I truly appreciate your honesty. And, like I said last night, I'm happy when I'm with you. Even if you don't love me quite the same way I very much love you. The way I feel when we're together, the way you make me feel all the time, is a million times better than I've ever felt before. You make me happy, Simon. I'm sorry I was crying. I really am happy. I was just overtaken by a bout of feminine weakness. Pay it no mind."

"That's hardly an improvement over your first denial. I truly wish I could give you everything you desire, honey. That's why I asked that you remain open to the possibility of being with other people."

"Just because your last lover fell in love with your security guard doesn't mean that could happen to me," she replied with a wry smile.

"I'm not saying it's likely. Just saying it could happen. I would just hate for you to pass up your soulmate because you're with me."

"I won't," she responded a bit too quickly. "But enough about my silliness. Since you're up, we may as well start getting ready for our adventure."

***

Three hours, and nearly a kilometer in altitude, later found Simon and Dani atop the city's infamous skyscraper. He admired the engineering marvel while simultaneously wondering why such a building was necessary when he could spot the emptiness of the surrounding desert from his vantage point. It was not as if this was Honk Kong or New York where there was quite literally no more space upon which to build. In the end, he thought ruefully, sometimes his gender just found it necessary to do things to prove they could. As he considered the sins of excess, he realized his behavior with Dani was not so different. There was no objective reason for them to be romantically involved. While they were good friends, he did not feel the sizzling sexual chemistry with her he had with Karen. And he was not yet as close with Dani as he had been with Max when their relationship had turned physical. He realized his motivations did not extend beyond the fact that she was a beautiful woman with whom he enjoyed spending time, and who happened to be enthusiastic about having sex with him.

His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle touch on his arm. He glanced over, expecting to find Dani by his side, but instead found himself confronted by the woman his companion had so effusively described the day she had lost her job. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the simultaneous arrival of both Dani and Jo. Simon gaped at the latter, as he had not even been aware Jo was even on the same floor, having last seen him when they departed their preposterous vehicle. The woman's eyes widened alarmingly.

Simon sighed at the necessity of such security. He said, "Can I help you?"

"I didn't mean to interrupt," the woman said breathlessly with a hint of an eastern European accent. "I remembered seeing you at hotel, and I was going to ask if I could get ride when you go back. My friends seem to have disappeared, along with my phone."

Jo looked suspicious but said nothing. Dani glanced at Simon, who could only shrug in response, before saying, "What's your name?"

"Annabelle."

"You got a last name, Annabelle?"

"Mussorgsky. Do you also need to know birth date and passport number?"

"I'll let you know," Dani deadpanned.

Simon watched Jo step away and begin tapping on his phone. He said, "Sorry about all this."

"It's ok," she replied demurely. "I used to date man who had way more security than this."

"How'd he feel about it?"

"It did not seem to bother him, but he grew up with it."

Simon spied Dani and Jo speaking, and shortly the former joined him. She whispered, "No obvious red flags. By the way, I was right about her being Insta-famous. It's up to you about giving her a ride. She's certainly fun to look at."

Simon did not fail to notice a grin tickle the corners of Annabelle's mouth, making it clear she had heard every word Dani had said. The blonde ducked her head slightly and looked up at Simon through her long eyelashes. She said, "So... about ride..."

***

That evening found Simon, Dani and Annabelle at their hotel's excellent restaurant with Jo seated a few meters away at the bar. The ride back to the hotel had led to an afternoon together at the pool. Simon found Annabelle's insight into the world of the rich and famous to be both fascinating and illuminating. Between her millions of followers and her colorful romantic history, the beauty had seen a stunning variety of different situations where the need for security had been all too obvious. She had had multiple instances of having to deal with stalkers in her own right. She had also dated everyone from world-famous athletes to oligarchs Simon had never heard of, but who were nonetheless amongst the world's richest men. She was currently between boyfriends and enjoying a free holiday at the expense of the hotel in exchange for tagging them in her many social media posts.

Simon also could not deny how alluring he found her beauty. In addition to being traditionally beautiful, in a staggeringly voluptuous way, she also had a ready smile which both Simon and Dani found infectious. During the course of their dinner, Simon spotted several diners slow down to glance in her direction. A few tried to stop to take her picture but were quickly convinced of the error of their ways when Jo's hulking compatriot laid a hand on their shoulder. The combination of relative privacy and beautiful company provided Simon with the best time he could remember since leaving the States. Their dinner lasted long into the evening. When it came time for the restaurant to close, none of the trio was eager to end their time together. Simon and Dani had a quick conversation, using nothing but their eyes, and came to a consensus.

Dani gave voice to their thoughts. "I think they're going to kick us out of here soon. Care to join us upstairs?"

"I'd love to," Annabelle said as she rose. Simon noticed that every eye left in the restaurant followed her every move. She truly did possess an almost inhuman beauty. She had chosen an outfit for this evening which was, at once, demure and scandalizing. It showed very little skin, outside of her lower arms and her head, but the filminess of the white material gave the impression of transparency and every move she made provided the observer with a display of supple magnificence.

As they entered the elevator, Annabelle coquettishly said, "Do you mind if we stop by my room so I can get changed?"

"Not at all," Simon replied quickly. "Just meet us upstairs whenever you're ready."

He and Dani followed suit, getting changed when they reached the suite and making some cocktails while they waited.

Dani sank into an easy chair and said, "She's pretty great, isn't she?"

"Sure," Simon replied easily. "She makes it easy to smile."

"Not to mention that she's completely gorgeous."

"This feels like a trap," Simon said with a smirk.

"How could it be? I've made no secret of my sexual preference, present company excluded. I think she's fucking hot. And if you can't admit that you're either lying or blind."

"Fine, you're not wrong."

Dani smiled in triumph and said, "I'm just going to put this out there, if you're interested in having a..." She was interrupted by a knock at the door. She merely waved him in the direction of the door with an impish grin at his raised eyebrow in response to her unsaid words.

Simon nodded at the bodyguard stationed at the door. As the door opened, a gasp escaped from Dani behind him, but Simon could hardly hear it due to, what seemed to Simon's mind, to be a cacophony of angelic voices crescendoing in the background.

"Is everything ok?" Annabelle asked in a worried voice.

Simon beheld the woman before him. He had seen her wearing everything from evening wear to a skimpy bathing suit. But that all paled in comparison to the outfit she had chosen for this evening. She was dressed simply in white shorts and a t-shirt, but both seemed custom designed to accentuate her staggering voluptuousness with their almost scandalous lack of material. The t-shirt bared her belly and was tight enough to make it obvious that she was not wearing a bra. The shorts rode low on her hips and terminated just below the junction of her thighs. She had also let her hair down so that it flowed down her back like a waterfall of honey.

Annabelle cleared her throat, bringing Simon back to reality. He said, "Um... no. Nothing's wrong. Sorry, I... I mean we..."

Dani strode past him and took Annabelle's hand. The former said, "Sorry about him. You'd think he'd never seen a beautiful woman before."

"I worried this clothes would be too informal. But decided since you had seen me in bikini, that this should be fine. I can go change if would help."

"Don't be ridiculous. Would you care for a drink?"

"Thank you, yes."

Dani led Annabelle over to the couch while Simon headed for the bar to prepare the requested beverage. He looked over his shoulder a few times, almost as if to make certain he had not dreamt the entire encounter. Not since the shooting had he felt so unmoored. Something about Annabelle's almost supernatural beauty captivated his thoughts in a way he had never felt before. And the way her beauty was elevated when wrapped in clothing which was utterly simplistic and obviously intended for comfort made the affect all the more striking.

It was something for which Simon was wholly unprepared. In his mind, Karen had been the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. But Annabelle effortlessly surpassed her in every measurable way. Most especially in the way she was so effortless about her beauty. What must it do to a person, Simon mused, to have been the most beautiful person in the room for one's entire adult life? It was something he found himself increasingly coming to terms with after his transformation to arguably one of the more powerful humans on the planet.

His thoughts were interrupted by a burst of laughter from his companions. He glanced around to find them both regarding him jovially. He said, "What?"

Dani said, "We thought we'd lost you there for a minute. Your face just sort of shut down and you went all still. I thought you'd gone into one of your things."

"No," Simon replied awkwardly. "Just can't believe I'm here with such beautiful company."

Annabelle patted the spot next to her on the couch and said, "If you think we are beautiful now, just wait until you get our clothes off."

Thirty-Two

"Excuse me?" Simon sputtered.

"I think you heard me," Annabelle replied with a wicked gleam in her eye.

He turned to Dani, who merely shrugged and said, "I tried to tell you before."

Simon said, "So, you're on board with this?"

Dani turned to Annabelle and said, "Will you excuse us for just a moment?" Annabelle looked confused but then started to get up. Dani said, "Oh, no. Please don't go anywhere. I just need a moment with Simon."

Annabelle shrugged and pulled out her phone. Dani beckoned Simon toward the bedroom. Upon entering, she closed the door and whirled to face him.

"What's wrong?" she whispered fiercely.

Simon replied, "I'm not sure wrong is the right sentiment in this situation."

"Don't get technical with me. You just got done ogling her like an awkward teenager getting a peek at his first pair of boobies, so I know you agree with me that she's beautiful. But when she proposes that we play with each other's naughty bits, you get cold feet. Isn't this every guy's fantasy? Two chicks at the same time?"

"Sure. I mean, I guess so."

Dani huffed and said, "It either is or it isn't."

"What about our relationship?" Simon asked weakly.

"What relationship?" Dani exploded before giving the door a chagrinned glance.

"Just because I don't share your feelings for me doesn't mean I don't care about you."

"Then do this for me, Simon. You told me to be open to being with other people. Well, I'm telling you that I want to fuck her. But I think her compass points mostly in the hetero direction. She's clearly smitten with you, enough so that she's willing to give it a go with both of us. So even if this isn't numero uno on your sexual bucket list, it is for me. So how 'bout you help a girl out?"

"How do you know she's even interested in a threesome?" Simon asked unconvinced.

"Because I asked her earlier while we were in the ladies room. That's likely why she's being so forward. She probably assumed that you figured we were all gonna get it on."

"I'd hate for her to feel obligated."

"Would you lighten up? I assure you she doesn't feel obligated. She's fascinated by you, baby. Maybe she wants a relationship. Maybe she just wants a casual fuck. Who cares? Just go with it. I promise we'll have a wonderful time."

"What about..." Simon's words were cut off by Dani crushing her lips against his in a fierce kiss. Her tongue flashed into his mouth, eagerly slicking along his own. A moan rumbled in her throat as she groped his cock through his trousers. She broke the kiss and regarded him with hooded eyes. A flush spread across her cleavage and her breath was ragged.

She said, "No more questions, Simon. Let's go have some fun."

She led him back into the main living area, but Annabelle was no longer seated on the couch. Their eyes swept around the room but found no trace of her presence. When their eyes settled on the door, Simon gave a questioning look to the hulking security guard stationed there. He grinned widely and pointed toward the suite's second bedroom.

When they reached the door, they found it partially ajar. Simon gave it a small push. As the door opened, Annabelle was revealed. She was laying across the bed looking at her phone. Her head was propped on a sea of pillows and her legs were crossed at the ankles. She was also quite naked.

She set her phone aside and said, "Everything ok?"

Dani let out a barely audible whimper before stammering, "Yeah... everything's um... great."

"Splendid. So, where were we?"

Simon stood rooted in the doorway. It was as if his nervous system had completely shut down. Annabelle was not beautiful. Nor was she lovely, pretty, gorgeous, or even hot. It would blaspheme her stunningly, radiant magnificence to infer she debased herself with any of these plebian adjectives. She was Helen of Troy, Cleopatra and the Goddess Athene all rolled into one. Sex appeal radiated off her like heat shimmering above a desert highway on a hot summer day. She stretched her arms above her head which caused remarkable things to happen along her body. Her legs parted slightly giving the enthralled couple a glimpse of the lips of her perfectly hairless pussy. Her breasts fell apart slightly while still retaining a staggering amount of firmness. Her nipples hardened under their gaze and rose above her almost invisible areola heroically.

She smiled at them and said, "I do not mind if you look. But would you not prefer to touch?"

Simon saw movement in his peripheral vision, but he could no more have torn his eyes from the vision before him than he could have sprouted wings and taken flight. He next heard a whimper escape from Dani's lips and felt her hand squeeze his own. She entered his field of vision as she crawled onto the bed. Simon saw that her outfit now matched Annabelle's, the movement he saw at his side having clearly been her hastily disrobing.

Simon quickly followed suit and approached the bed. Dani was slowly settling between Annabelle's thighs, a look of desperate hunger on her face. Annabelle crooked a finger at Simon, prompting him to approach as if he had been enthralled. She reached out to grasp his throbbing member, regarding it intently before giving a satisfied nod. She pulled him closer using his manhood. She sighed in contentment as Dani's tongue delved into her folds at the same time as she took Simon's cock into her mouth.

Her sighs were quickly drowned out by her lovers. Dani moaned in rapturous delight as she tasted Annabelle's nectar and Simon groaned as pleasure washed over him. Annabelle's mouth worked his cock masterfully. She was still laying on the bed beneath her lovers, but there could be no doubt as to who ruled here. She reached down to guide Dani's head with one hand while her other hand gently massaged Simon's balls.

Simon reached down to stroke her face briefly before allowing his hand to move to one of her incomparable breasts. The suppleness he found there was like nothing he could have imagined. Her breasts should not have been possible. They were larger than he had previously believed. Much larger than any other lover he had ever had. Their softness spoke to their naturalness. Yet they firmly stood on her chest even when she was laying on her back.

Her nipples grew even harder at his touch. She released his cock and he gasped at the quick change in sensation from her mouth's warm embrace to the relative chill of the bedroom. She grinned at him and said, "You want to fuck them?"

"Huh?"

She laughed the laugh of an angel and said, "My tits. You want to fuck them. Yes?"

"Oh fuck yes," Simon gasped.

He quickly moved to straddle her. She wrapped her amazing breasts around his cock and gave him a wink as he started to thrust between them. She then sighed loudly and a flush spread across her chest.

Annabelle gasped, "Bojemoi, Dani! You are very good."

Simon continued to fuck Annabelle's heavenly tits as she grew closer to orgasm until she came undone under the ministrations of Dani's tongue and fingers. She moaned loudly, her eyes squeezed shut, as she shuddered beneath them. Simon climbed off her and pulled Dani up to give her a passionate kiss. She sighed into him as he tasted Annabelle's nectar on her lips.

She broke the kiss and said, "I need you inside me."

Simon glanced at the nightstand and said, "I don't think we have any condoms in here, baby."

"I don't fucking care. I just want you inside me. Please."

She crawled over Annabelle to kneel at her side. Dani began licking her lover's breasts, moaning loudly into them as Simon sank into her. Simon knew his lover was in no mood for a slow, methodical climb to her orgasm. She needed release. And she was so turned on that she was already on the precipice.

Simon slammed his cock into her, time and again. Each thrust elicited a grunt of pleasure from Dani. So frenzied was their lovemaking that Simon pushed Dani up the bed until she was facing Annabelle. The blonde stunner smiled up at Simon before taking Dani's face in her hands and kissing her passionately.

This sent Dani over the edge. Simon felt her inner walls clamp down on him as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her body. Wetness surged from her core as her orgasm crested and then slowly receded. She had continued kissing Annabelle as she rode the waves of her pleasure.

When she was spent, she whispered, "Thank you," before sinking into the pillows, conscious but incapable of movement.

Annabelle said, "I am not certain who she was thanking."

"No reason it can't be both of us."

"Perhaps," Annabelle said, the wicked gleam returning to her eye. "But I cannot be certain without more thorough study."

"What do you..." Simon's words were cut off as she grasped his throbbing manhood and pulled him closer. She spread her legs and stoked her glistening pussy lasciviously.

"I wish to feel you."

"I'd love that, sweetheart. Let me go grab a condom real quick."

Annabelle pulled his cock against her opening, slicking the head in her wetness. She said, "As she said, I do not care. I just want you inside me."

Before Simon could respond, she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him into her depths. He groaned loudly at the feel of her velvety heat. She reached for him and pulled him into her breasts. He mindlessly began thrusting into her pussy. Her moans filled the room as he feasted on her nipples.

Dani stirred beside them and rolled over to begin sucking on Annabelle's other breast. Simon rose up to change the angle of his thrusts to delve even deeper into her core. The sight before him nearly sent him over the edge. Dani was eagerly suckling at Annabelle's spectacular breasts while fingering her own clit. Annabelle gazed up at him and grinned as she tracked his eyes.

She said, "You want me to lick her pussy while you fuck me?" Simon could do nothing but nod. She said, "Sit on my face while he watch us, Dani. We will give him best orgasm."

Dani eagerly scrambled to straddle Annabelle's face. Simon leaned forward to kiss her, and he could sense the way her entire being celebrated this moment. Her love for him shown brighter than a thousand suns. Wrapped around that, like a vine climbing a trellis, was her delight in sharing him with an impossibly beautiful woman. Simon could feel that Dani was quickly approaching another orgasm and he raced to join her.

He sensed Annabelle was also nearing her peek. He sped up his thrusts as his eyes took in the sight before him, memorizing it so he could spend a lifetime cherishing the memory. Annabelle was lewdly lapping at Dani's clit while her hands roamed across Dani's breasts. Dani was groping Annabelle's breasts while her eyes were locked upon Simon's cock repeatedly plunging into Annabelle's core.

Dani's moans grew louder until Simon could see her muscles lock. A low grown escaped her lips as her body began to spasm. Annabelle quickly joined her in the throes of orgasm. Her inner walls tightened around Simon's cock while her legs locked around him. Simon thrust a final time deep into her womb and allowed his own pleasure to overtake him.

He grunted loudly as his seed erupted into her womb. He reached out with his consciousness, first cherishing Dani who was experiencing heretofore unknown heights of pleasure. He then reached out for Annabelle, feeling the bond between them beginning to form as they grew closer. But as Simon reached out for her, he recoiled in horror at what he encountered. Far from the incomparable beauty of her corporeal form, the soul he found as he reached for Annabelle was gnarled and twisted. Instead of the form of beautiful loving energy he had found in Karen, his senses perceived in Annabelle something dark and rotted. He recoiled from the form before him, but he felt it latch onto him like a snake ensnaring its prey. He felt trapped, unable to escape the ugliness which threatened to surround him. He reached out in desperation, like a drowning man thrashing in hopes of gaining purchase on a life ring. The last thing he heard before losing consciousness was Dani's sweet voice calling to him.

Thirty-Three

Simon awoke with a start, his eyes scanning around the room in a panic. He quickly realized that he was in the bedroom he typically shared with Dani, as opposed to the secondary bedroom where they had had their encounter with Annabelle. He looked around urgently and quickly ascertained two important details. The first was that he was alone. The second was that the sun was up, meaning he had been unconscious for at least several hours.

Simon tried to reach out his consciousness to see who else was in the suite, but he found it impossible to concentrate. He rose from bed as he tried to shake off the soreness that pervaded his body. He approached the door warily. He took a moment to listen before slowly opening the door after hearing nothing from the next room. He opened the door and found the living area to be empty except for Jo, who sat on the couch reading a newspaper.

"Hi," Simon began warily.

"Good afternoon, Mr. York," Jo replied formally in Tagalog.

"Right," Simon answered in the same language. "So, where is everybody?"

"Ms. Mason and Ms. Mussorgsky left a few hours ago. Together."

"Anything else of note happen since I went to sleep?"

Jo smirked and said, "Other than my associate being asked to remove your nude, unconscious form from a bedroom which reeked of sex and contained one nude and another mostly nude woman? No, that was it."

"I see. Well... have you had breakfast?"

"I've had breakfast and lunch. But I'd be delighted to join you for an early dinner."

Simon allowed Jo to lead him down to the hotel's restaurant where he polished off several thousand calories while Jo contented himself with a cup of coffee. The meal passed quietly as Simon focused on refueling his body. A small part of him felt the urge to break the silence, which was threatening to grow awkward, but he realized that Jo likely found nothing unusual about having a client engage in a threesome. After all, Jo was used to guarding individuals much wealthier, and much more accustomed to wealth, then Simon was. This train of thought led him to finally speak up.

"So, what's the strangest situation you've ever encountered in your line of work?"

"Strange as in terrifying or bizarre? Or are you just asking what's the most debaucherous scene I've ever been faced with?"

Simon grinned and said, "The latter."

"I once did a gig for a brother and sister who had grown fantastically wealthy because the brother invented something. He tried telling me what it was, but he never learned how to speak Tagalog, so I wasn't really sure what he was on about. In any case, they had set up some kind of sex commune. I don't think they ever slept with each other directly, but they each had at least three lovers and they shared liberally. They'd also all light up the sheets together, the brother and sister just stayed on opposite sides of the room. We needed a whole squadron of maids to clean up after one of their orgies."

"Wow. Brother and sister each having orgies simultaneously? And, in the same room? That's... something."

"A damn sight more exciting than a run-of-the-mill threesome. Don't sweat it about us thinking worse of you, Mr. York. Ms. Mason is quite a woman. And Ms. Mussorgsky is..."

"Indeed," Simon answered darkly. He still had not fully come to grips with the horrifying visage of Annabelle's... for lack of a better term, soul. But, while he could not explain what he had seen, he knew emphatically that he had no wish to encounter it again.

***

Simon was relieved to see that the suite was empty when he returned with Jo. He quickly texted Dani and asked to see her: alone and in person. He then climbed into the shower for an overdue scrubbing of the reek of sex from his body. He emerged from the shower feeling slightly refreshed. That feeling was dashed when he picked up his phone and saw several texts from Dani, which ranged from questioning to annoyed.

Before he could formulate a response, he heard the suite's outer door open. He waited in the room for Dani's arrival. When she opened the door, her dark expression stood in stark contrast to the bright micro bikini she was wearing beneath a filmy coverup.

She said, "What's going on, Simon?"

"Well... um... I guess before I answer that I should get some clarification. It occurs to me that kind of a lot has happened since we last spoke."

"You mean the totally amazing threesome? Or the fact that you apparently did to yourself what you have so often done to me, namely fucking yourself into unconsciousness? Or the fact that you made me leave Annabelle with no explanation, even though we were having a fabulous time by the pool?"

"I'm glad you were having fun," he said distractedly.

"We could be having fun. You can't tell me last night wasn't one of the greatest sexual experiences of your life. It certainly was for me."

"Dani," he began worriedly.

"What?!" she practically exploded. "What's wrong? You're acting really strange, Simon."

"I recognize that, honey. But you didn't see what I saw last night. If you had... well..."

"What is it?" she asked, much more calmly. "All I saw was a devastatingly handsome man and a hall-of-fame gorgeous woman who were having unforgettable sex with me."

"I saw that too. And it was great. But right before I passed out, I saw something which shook me to my core."

"I don't understand. All I saw was that you passed out just as you orgasmed. It seemed no different than what you've done to me so many times. That's why I wasn't worried. I just had Thanos move you to the other room so..."

"So, what?"

"So Annabelle and I could continue our evening?" she offered demurely.

"You're concerned I'd be upset?"

"Well... maybe? I don't know. I know you told me to be open to being with other people. I guess I just worried you'd only want that if we were together."

"Did you have fun?" he asked gently.

"So much. She said she'd never really done more than kiss another girl before. But she seemed really into it. I can tell you this much, she didn't hold anything back. She even suggested we film some of it on her phone so we could show you later."

"I'm glad you had fun, my dear. But we're getting off topic." Dani appeared about to speak, but Simon held up a hand to beg for a moment more of patience. "Do you remember what I told you happened with Karen? The last time we were intimate?"

"Yeah. You said you tried to make a connection with her, but you couldn't get through."

"Right. But do you remember what I said I saw?"

"You said she looked like an angel," Dani provided glumly.

"Oh, honey. I meant this as no comparison to you. I was just trying to help you understand what happened."

"Why not me, Simon?"

"I'm sorry?" he responded lamely.

"Why do Casey, and Karen, and Max, and Annabelle get to experience this growing closer, but you won't share it with me? I know you said you don't love me like I love you, but you claimed to care for me. We've been together for weeks, and you never showed the slightest willingness to grant me this boon until it was a means to an end with Annabelle. Not to mention that she got it on the first go. I know she's more beautiful than me..."

Simon pulled her into his arms and kissed the tears from her cheeks. He whispered, "I'm so sorry, baby. I never meant to place her before you. I just got caught up in the moment. And I promise you, she can't hold a candle to your beauty."

"Bullshit," she muttered sullenly.

"I swear, honey. That's what I've been trying to tell you. You're beautiful inside and out. And I never meant to withhold myself from you. I was merely being cautious."

"Then why did you give your seed to her, but not me? You've never even let me go down on you."

Simon sighed and said, "I was afraid." Dani merely glared at him, but her tears continued to flow. He continued, "Its hard to explain, but I feel like I was both afraid that you'd leave me and that you'd fall in love with me."

"At this pace, you'll get both. Good job, super genius."

"I know, honey. And I truly am sorry. I'm new to all of this. I told myself I was just trying to protect you. But, in hindsight, its obvious I only succeeded in hurting you more."

"I don't get it. Protect me from what?"

He said, "From whatever happened to Karen. I know it's horrible of me to equate your situations. And I should be better than to allow what happened with her to influence how I behave with you. But my motivations are irrelevant. I wronged you, Dani. And I'm so sorry. Just please believe I care about you deeply and I'd never do anything to hurt you."

"I want to believe you. And I know you've never lied to me. But I still don't understand what you saw with Annabelle."

"Ugliness. I looked at her and what I saw was terrifying to behold."

Dani's expression went from upset to genuinely confused. She said, "Are we talking about the same woman?"

"I know what she looks like on the outside. We were both intensely attracted to her physically. But that's not what I'm talking about. What I saw was her..."

"Her what?" Dani finished.

"Her... I don't know how to say it. The words are so clear to me in my mind, but I guess they don't work in English."

"How about Korean?"

Simon's brow furrowed momentarily before he sighed in defeat and shook his head.

"Simon," Dani said gently. "You've spoken to me before in that other language, haven't you. The night I fell in love with you."

Simon held up his hands in surrender and said, "You must believe me, honey. I'd never manipulate you that way. If I did, it would..."

"I know. It was cause you extreme discomfort. But I don't believe you manipulated me, my dear. I do believe you said something to me. I didn't fully understand what you said on a cognitive level, but I understood it perfectly on a deeper level. It was like you were able to bypass all of my fears and insecurities and speak directly to my soul."

"I only meant to ease your pain."

"And you did. In a way a million hours of therapy never could have. I'd heard so many people tell me her death wasn't my fault. That I shouldn't feel guilty about being alive. But I never believed it. Not until I heard it from you."

Simon shrugged and said, "I'm glad I could help. I meant every word."

"I know you did. It's one of the reasons I love you. But... I bring it up because perhaps you could use that other language to tell me what you saw."

"My dear, you are a genius."

"I know," she answered brightly. "So, out with it."

Simon took her hands in his and gazed into her eyes before beginning to speak. He started slowly, concerned that hearing the First Language would cause her discomfort, as Sam had warned him it would for most humans. But, while she did not seem to comprehend his words at first, she also did not seem to be in any way distressed. As he continued, he found the interaction to be somewhat unnerving. After all, while Dani listening attentively, almost rapturously, she also did not display any of the normal nonverbal indicators one would normally expect from one to whom they were speaking. Her facial expression never wavered. She also never nodded or made a sound. She merely listened.

When he finished, she merely sighed dramatically and said, "Thank you."

Simon sat still for several minutes, staring into her eyes and trying to comprehend the moment. He was unwilling to probe her emotions, considering it to be an invasion of privacy in such a moment. So he instead made use of the almost inhuman patience which he had intuited was a side-effect of the gift he had been given.

At length, she said, "I understand. At least, I think I do. I understood what you have told me, and I of course believe you. It's just... Well... Imagine if the world's most gifted poet described a sunset in such vibrant and aching detail that everyone present wept at the beauty of her words. Even a blind person would be moved and made richer for the experience. But they still wouldn't really know what a sunset looked like."

"I see," Simon said carefully.

"I believe you, my love. Moreover, I believe that you are correct, as much as it pains me. I don't fully understand it, but we must not see Annabelle again."

Thirty-Four

A knock at the door interrupted a quiet morning Simon was sharing with Dani in the living room of their luxurious suite. Their hulking security guard, who likely loathed the endless carrousel of villainous nicknames Dani assigned him, rose from his spot near the entrance to peer through the peep hole.

He returned shortly and said, "Ms. Mussorgsky is at the door, Mr. York."

Dani grimaced and said, "So much for taking a hint." Simon quirked an eyebrow at her. "I figured totally ghosting her would have her moving on to the next tasty looking slab of man meat in no time. But that's one persistent super model. She's been blowing up my phone for days."

Simon stood and said, "While I certainly have no wish to see her again, perhaps more direct persuasion is called for."

Dani said, "I'll handle it, baby. I was the one who started all of this. It's up to me to end it."

She started to get up, but their towering security guard stilled them both. He said, "Don't sweat it, Ms. Mason. I'll get rid of her."

Simon said, "Much obliged, Mel."

As their guard made for the door, Dani said, "Mel? I never would have guessed."

"So, you just called him all those ridiculous names because you were too chicken to..."

A shout from the direction of the front door interrupted him. They could clearly hear Annabelle's heavily accented voice calling out, "No. I must see Simon. Is urgent."

"I'm afraid that's not possible, ma'am."

"Get out of way you fucking, cunt-faced, ass-eating fuck-mother. I will report your brains of shit to hotel security for rape unless you get out of way."

"Someone's English slips a bit when she's angry," Dani observed with a grin.

They then heard the unmistakable sound of a meaty slap, which wiped the smile right off of Dani's face.

Mel said, "You do whatever you want lady. But you ain't comin' in here. Now, beat it. You get the first shot on the house on account of me getting a peek at them spectacular titties the other night. But you raise your hand again, and I'm gonna hit you back. And believe me when I tell you, you don't want that."

They heard a growl of frustration, followed by the rapid retreat of stomping heels and the door slamming. Mel returned with a satisfied expression on his face.

Simon said, "I'm sorry about that Mel. I had no idea she'd get violent."

"She couldn't hurt a fly, Mr. York. I barely felt it. I just said that about hitting her back to make her leave. I wouldn't a done it."

"Perhaps, but you still got injured in the line of duty, as it were. I'll see to it that I properly show my appreciation."

Mel merely shrugged before resuming his seat near the doorway. No sooner had he taken his seat than another knock sounded at the door. He sighed in frustration, muttering, "Please don't be the crazy broad with the great titties. I fucking hate violent women."

Simon and Dani heard a muffled exchange, but Mel shortly returned. He said, "I got a Ms. Rozzer and a Ms. Harris at the door. They says they knows you. One's a skinny redhead, the other's taller than I am and has huge..."

Simon held up his hand, forestalling whatever Mel intended to say was huge on Paige, and said, "I know them well. Please, send them in. And they're to be accorded the same level of access as Dani going forward."

Mel only grinned in reply before returning to the door. Shortly, Max and Paige were escorted in. Max broke into a run upon seeing Simon and rushed over to embrace him. He enveloped her in his arms gladly, taking a moment to cherish the warmth of her unconditional friendship. After a moment, he pulled back and gave her a quick appraisal.

He said, "You look good, my friend. You look happy."

"I am so happy. We are so happy."

Simon turned to Paige and said, "You as well. A tan looks good on you. Missing wearing pantsuits all the time yet?"

"No," Paige replied simply.

Simon said, "And thanks so much for the recommendation on the security company. They're working out great, as you saw with our friend at the door."

Paige merely nodded in response before her eyes fell upon Dani.

Max elbowed him in the ribs and said, "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

"I was getting to it," Simon replied as he rubbed his wounded ribs. "Max? Paige? Meet Dani Mason. I met her because she was part of my security detail before she was unfairly relieved of duty."

"That's terrible," Max said sincerely. "What happened?"

"I slept with the principal," Dani said with a gleam in her eye.

"The what?" Max responded.

Paige leaned over and whispered in her ear. Realization dawned on Max's face, quickly replaced by a flush on her cheeks as Paige nipped Max's earlobe.

Dani shrugged and said, "What can I say? He's perfect. You both know what I'm talking about, am I right?"

Paige said, "I have not had the pleasure. But my partner is quite familiar. She has told me a great deal of what you speak."

Max said, "Ain't nothin' stoppin' you from having the pleasure, my love."

"I would never cheat on you."

"I know, baby. But Simon's not cheating. He's on the exempt list."

"Does that mean he is also on your exempt, as you call it, list?" Paige asked with a wicked grin.

"Only if you say so, babe. And apparently if Dani says so."

"What about me?" Simon interrupted. "Don't I get a say?"

"No," all three women said at once.

***

Later that afternoon, the foursome was seated on the thankfully shaded balcony of Simon's suite. They had briefly flirted with the idea of adjourning to the pool, but they spied Annabelle sitting by the pool glaring up at them and decided the balcony suited them just fine. The three women had become fast friends. A fact about which Simon was greatly relieved. He had thought it likely that Max and Paige would not make things weird with respect to Dani, just as he thought it unlikely that Dani would be jealous around Max considering Simon's recent intimate relationship with the fiery redhead. But theory is one thing, actually getting people together is another.

Simon had used the same method of describing the encounter with Annabelle to Max and Paige that he had used with Dani. Simon had suspected that Paige's capacity for learning the First Language, thanks to his daily instructional sessions to them both via encrypted video conference, had started to outstrip Max's. But it was not until she asked a follow up question in that language that he truly understood how great the gulf was.

Max squeezed Paige's hand affectionately and said, "Before we know it, you'll be able to make people disappear with your mind and talk them into having sex with you."

"I can already do the second one," Paige quipped.

Max grinned and said, "It doesn't count when I want it even more than you do, beautiful."

Paige turned her attention to Simon and said, "It is clear that you are able to grow closer with your partners during intercourse than is possible for other humans, likely due to your preternatural level of empathy. Max's descriptions of your lovemaking, specifically her physiological and psychological responses as it pertains to the aforementioned intercourse, make this hypothesis almost unimpeachable."

"Baby, you have such sweet pillow talk," Max gushed.

"This is not pillow talk, I am speaking of Simon's effect on his intimate partners. But, and correct me if I'm wrong honey, you and he never engaged in intercourse without a barrier between you."

"Well, I did go down on him once."

"Indeed. Perhaps that could be instructive as well," Paige continued. "If I recall correctly, that experience was profound in a different way."

Max said, "Totally. When Simon makes love to you, you feel as though the entire world has come to a halt because he willed it, and that you are everything to him. But when you go down on him, it's different. I think it's because he's not really doing anything." She appeared to think for a moment before continuing, "No, that's not right. I mean, you're still his entire universe. But since I was doing all the work, it was... No, that's not right either. Damn it, I'm sounding like an addled schoolgirl. Dani, can you help a sister out?"

Dani's face, which had been smiling happily throughout the afternoon, fell quickly. She murmured, "I wish I could."

Max said, "Huh? I'm sorry, perhaps I stuck my foot in my mouth up to my ass. I just assumed based on our conversation that you and Simon were having sex."

"We were," Dani replied disconsolately. "But even then, Simon didn't want me to finish him with my mouth. I figured it was because I wasn't any good at it. How could I be, he's the only guy I've ever been with."

"Wait," Max said dramatically to Dani before turning to Simon. "What in the hell is going on?"

"First off," he said before turning to Dani. "I'm so sorry if I let you believe you were in any way unskilled, honey. You're perfect. It was nothing you did, or didn't do. It was all me." He sighed and turned back to Max before saying, "I told you about what happened with Annabelle. I still haven't gained a full understanding of what happened. Until I do, I'm wary of putting Dani in danger."

"Oh, that's such bullshit!" Max cried. "We saw that chick slap the shit out of Mel in the hallway. She's an asshole. That's what you saw, Simon. Can't you see that?"

"Sure, that seems obvious now," Simon retorted. "But what if I did that to her?"

"Huh," the three women replied in unison.

"She seemed so, I don't know, wonderful before we were intimate. Then, I saw that... thing. Now she's slapping Mel and screaming grammatically deficient epithets. Maybe it was me."

Dani said, "Baby, you know that's not true. Annabelle was always kind of a self-centered shit. We just overlooked it because she's so hot. I can't blame you for thinking with your dick on this one, because I was just as bad. But it's a bit of revisionist history to say she was an angel before we fucked her. She's only an angel on the outside."

There was a pregnant pause before Paige said, "Honey, you never said why it was different when you performed oral sex on Simon."

"It was his cum. Tasting it, swallowing it, was like a religious experience. I had an orgasm of my own just from him cumming. I told Simon afterward, it was like I could feel every thought in his head. I suspect that's what it's like for him when he has an orgasm during unprotected sex. Except probably times a million."

Paige said, "Has it only been Annabelle and Karen?"

Simon nodded dispiritedly. As he looked around the table, he saw the majority of the people that he cared most about in life. One of them was angry, one was crying and the third was Paige who, as near as he could tell, was immune to emotions other than her obvious love for Max.

He said, "I'm so sorry. To all of you. I just can't stop mucking things up."

He headed inside and laid on the bed to withdraw. But even as he released the air from his lungs, he thought glumly about how unlikely it was that he would find the answers in meditation. After all, he had been trying that for a week since the encounter with Annabelle. And, if anything, things were only getting worse.

Thirty-Five

Simon awoke from his period of reflection, seeing with surprise that the sun had gone down. He could not remember ever having been withdrawn for so long other than following devastating injuries which required extensive rebuild. It had only been late afternoon when he had laid down.

He became aware of someone else in the room with him. He reached out his awareness and sensed Dani sleeping at his side. He was also aware of Max and Paige in the suite's other room. This surprised him, as usually his awareness did not extend so far. But he then remembered that he had always had a higher level of awareness where Max, or indeed any of his lovers, was concerned. He rolled over to face Dani and was gutted to find the evidence of dried tears on her cheeks. He sighed, once again feeling the daunting specter of depression lingering at the edges of his consciousness.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. He whispered, "I'm so sorry, honey."

She sighed softly in her sleep and her expression softened. Simon pulled her closer, but on the inside he was raging. He had been, he could now clearly see, a genuine asshole to Dani. He had told her almost from the beginning that he did not love her, indeed could not love her. At least, he had reasoned, not the way she loved him. But he saw now that he had made such feelings for her impossible, because he had never allowed her close enough to him to develop feelings for her.

What she had told Max and Paige earlier had been true. Simon had never allowed her to finish him orally, and he had always been sure to use protection. He had made the argument to himself that his reluctance was driven by his experience with Karen. And, while that had been true, it had not been the whole truth. He had also been afraid of this inexplicable effect he was now having on women. It seemed like every woman he spent any amount of time with fell quickly in love with him.

He knew now that he had held Dani at arm's length, in part, because he hated himself for how quickly he had allowed things to progress with her. They had made love less than forty-eight hours after first meeting. And Dani had professed her love for him soon thereafter. He had worried that he was unconsciously stealing the free will of these wonderful women. But rather than doing the right thing and talking the situation out with Dani, or even the slightly more cowardly approach of breaking things off altogether, he had instead, as Dani put it, thought with his dick. He had enjoyed sex with Dani, but he had been careful. He always used protection and never shared his seed with her. At least, until their time with Annabelle.

Something had changed inside him during the time with Annabelle. He had lost control in a way that terrified him far more than the effect he seemed to have on women. Annabelle had suggested he forgo protection, and he had done it without a second thought. He still did not know how to prevent being drawn in by another broken person. He had had no warning signs with Annabelle. At least with Edgar, there had been a feeling of unease as he heard his story. With Annabelle, it was only pheromones. As she had said, even Dani had been duped. But, as he felt Dani's heart beating slowly, he finally realized that the mystery of Annabelle needed to be tabled.

Here, in his arms, was a woman that loved him. A woman that had stayed with him during his moodiness over recent days, never once complaining about the way he was constantly unilaterally redefining their relationship. A woman who never asked anything from him other than allowing her to be with him. A woman he was treating like garbage.

He knew beyond any possibility of doubt, that Dani was not like Annabelle. Dani had been right; Annabelle had shown them her true colors. Had she been something other than supernaturally attractive, he would have shown her the door in minutes. She was always more concerned with what was happening on social media, or who had seen them together, than she was with her companions. Conversations with her had always been about her. Simon had no doubt that, were he not internet famous, Annabelle would know nothing about either him or Dani. All she had known was that they were reasonably attractive. And likely, that they made her feel good about herself with how they had slobbered over her undeniable good looks.

This line of thought led him back to the undeniable conclusion that he was at a crossroads with Dani. It would be impossible to continue as they had previously. He must either truly end things with her, no matter how painful it may be for them both, or he must stop keeping her at arms' length. As he considered it, he thought back over the recent weeks with his lovely companion and he realized he had been happy, at least to a degree. He had been unnecessarily worried about letting Dani in. But, otherwise, things had been as good as he could have expected.

Decision made; he tilted his head to gently kiss Dani's lips.

She sighed once more before her eyelids slowly fluttered open. She whispered, "Hey, baby. Everything ok?"

"No," he murmured. "I've been pretty shitty to you, honey. And I'm so sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Simon." She brought a hand up to caress his cheek. "I can't imagine what this is like for you. But I just want you to know I'm here for you."

"I know, baby. And I really am very sorry." He kissed her quickly to prevent her from shooing away his apology once again. When he pulled back, she nodded slightly by way of accepting his apology. He continued, "I want you to know... I'm here for you too. In a way I've never been before. I've been keeping you out, honey. But, no more. If you'll still have me, then you'll get all of me."

"Oh, Simon," she gushed before crushing her lips against his.

He felt her hands hungrily exploring his body as he pulled her closer. Within moments, she had his shirt off and was desperately trying to remove his trousers without relinquishing his lips. She finally succeeded by employing her toes to help tug the offending garment free.

She broke the kiss breathlessly, sitting up to whip her tank-top over her head. Simon beheld her stunning beauty as she ground her core against his hardening member. She grinned shyly under his unabashed staring. She dropped back down to claim his lips once more, her tongue eagerly slicking against his own as the kiss deepened.

He rolled her over and she moaned as she felt his hardness pressing against her shorts. He took her hands in his, lacing their fingers together. He slid slowly down her body, leaving a trail of licks and kisses in his wake. He took his time with her sensitive nipples, pleasuring them until she was on the verge of orgasm.

"Please," she whispered hoarsely as she thrust her hips against him.

He gave her nipple a final flick of his tongue before he continued his southward journey, next sampling the tautness of her belly. When he reached her shorts, he tried to unbutton them with his lips but soon realized it was hopeless. He also had no wish to release her hands, so he was briefly at a loss for how to proceed. Then, inspiration struck with such force than he nearly chuckled at what had almost certainly been divine inspiration. He took a moment to ponder the button of her shorts, ensuring that he understood it fully before turning it to oblivion with a thought.

She gasped at the sensation of him lowering her zipper with his lips. He then painstakingly peeled the tight fabric from her body using his mouth until at last she was left in nothing but a wisp of glistening satin covering the apex of her thighs. He ran his tongue along the length of her thong, savoring her taste and the contours of her folds through the material.

"Please," she whispered needily. "I need you inside me."

He made quick work of removing her thong with his teeth before making the ascent up her body and delivering a passionate kiss. She reached down to grip his throbbing member.

He said, "I'll get a condom."

"You..."

"What is it, honey?"

"Nothing. It's fine. I just want you, babe. However I can get you."

He sighed and said, "I told you, honey. You get all of me, from now on. Not just the tiny bit I'm unafraid to share with you. But I wouldn't presume to make assumptions about protection. That is, and always shall be, your choice."

"Then don't wear a condom. I mean, if it's ok with you. I don't want to pressure you, Simon. But if you're saying it's up to me, then that's what I'd prefer."

"What about?"

"Babies?" she asked with a wry grin on her face. "Can't."

"What happened?"

"Radical hysterectomy, thanks to a helpful Afghan freedom fighter and his trusty sniper rifle. So, you can't knock me up. And you know I'm clean since you're the only guy I've ever been with."

"You're sure this is what you want?"

"More sure than I've ever been of anything. I want you, Simon. All of you, with nothing between us."

Simon smiled and kissed her. Without breaking their kiss, he lined himself up with her entrance and slowly sank into her. The feeling was exquisite, but it paled in comparison to the love he felt radiating off her.

"Oh my God," she breathed as their centers met. "You feel..."

"Amazing," Simon whispered.

He began to move within her, using long, slow strokes. He knew she was already on the verge of orgasm, but he sensed she wanted her to join him in release. He stilled his movements, kissing her slowly and thoroughly. As their lips parted, he resumed slowly thrusting into her. She took his face in her hands, gazing at him lovingly. Her breathing began to quicken, and her inner walls tightened around his cock.

She sighed, "You feel so fucking good, Simon. So good."

He sped up his thrusts, knowing she was only moments from bliss. Her moans filled the room. He gazed down at her body which moved in time with their joining.

He whispered, "So beautiful."

She kept her eyes locked on his. He felt her love surge as she neared the precipice of pleasure. He claimed her lips once more, his tongue sliding against hers as she embraced him in the way only a woman in love can. He felt her hands fist in his hair as she deepened their kiss at the same time as her legs wrapped around his hips and her inner walls rippled along his length.

He thrust deeply into her a final time before losing himself in their mutual pleasure. He felt her orgasm flood her senses as he filled her with his seed. Countless eruptions filled her hungry depths as she spasmed in his arms. The pleasure continued for time uncounted, as though the world had paused in recognition of their union.

He felt her start to lose her tenuous grasp on consciousness. He reached out for her on the plane which he understood so poorly, but to which he had such easy access in moments of pure bliss. He regarded her soul, noting joyously that she was a being of pure light and goodness. She reached for him, enveloping him in her loving embrace. She smiled and he felt the worry and angst of the recent months fade.

She whispered, "I love you," in the First Language.

He sighed, a feeling of peace surrounding him as they joined each other in blissful, dreamless sleep.

Thirty-Six

Simon awoke to a feeling of mild disorientation. He stretched sleepily, noting that he was alone in bed. He laid there for a few moments, collecting his thoughts and enjoying the tranquility of the day. He rolled over lazily and breathed in the distinct combination of jasmine and vanilla which were infused into Dani's pillow. He eventually rose from bed and availed himself of the en suite shower. As the water cascaded over his skin, he realized that he had awoken without the typical exercise of reintegrating himself with his corporeal body. This led to the understanding that he had not withdrawn the previous evening. He had simply... fallen asleep. He found that he quite liked the sensation of just doing nothing for a short while. No heavy contemplation; no rebuilding his body; no honing his skills. Just rest.

He emerged from the shower to find Dani seated on the bed. She eyed him warily, not unlike a child who had been caught with their hand in the proverbial cookie jar. He smiled warmly at her and approached her to give her an unhurried kiss. She instantly melted into him and sighed into his lips.

He broke their kiss and said, "Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning," she said hesitantly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"What time is it?" She looked confused, but then obligingly peered at the clock and stated the time. He smiled and said, "So we've established you can tell me the truth. Now, really, what's wrong?"

She grinned and said, "Ass." She looked pensive for a moment before continuing. "I mean, I was worried you'd be upset with me."

"Why on earth would I be upset with you. I happen to think you're pretty fantastic."

"Because I kind of pressured you into... you know... the thing with the sex and the condoms and the life altering orgasm which caused you to pass out for longer than I've ever seen you pass out."

"You pressured me into nothing my dear. We were joined, willingly and wonderfully. It was genuinely amazing. In fact, I should be apologizing to you for holding out for so long. You deserved better, honey. And I will strive to be a better partner to you going forward."

Dani's eyes welled up with tears and her breath caught. She tried several times to speak, but eventually gave up and opted to communicate nonverbally. Their kiss lasted long moments, and threatened to turn into something more. But, as Simon's hand slid under her shirt to cup her breast, she broke their kiss breathlessly.

"Later, my love," she panted. "But, for now, you must see to your guests."

"Indeed," Simon replied somberly. "Speaking of upset, are they pissed that I slept all morning?"

"To the contrary. They're a bit jet-lagged so they've only been up for a few minutes. They've asked you to join them on the veranda for coffee."

"How formal," he quipped.

"Sorry, sometimes the former bodyguard slash unwilling personal valet in me comes back to the forefront. What they actually said was that they were headed outside to mainline some caffeine and to not bother them for at least a half hour."

"That sounds more like them. Well, shall we join them?"

They found Max and Paige seated close together in the shade and enjoying a cup of coffee. Simon wordlessly got a cup for himself and then Dani, after inquiring with a raised eyebrow if she would like any, before joining them. They sat for a while in companionable silence, enjoying the relative tranquility of the morning.

Max eventually broke the silence saying, "Any more Edgars since arriving in the desert?"

"Nope," Simon replied. "Well, not unless you count Annabelle."

Max looked thoughtful before saying, "I'm not sure she counts. I sort of got the impression she wasn't really interested in your abilities so much as your fame."

Dani said, "Unquestionably. In talking with her, whenever Simon spoke about his past, or his talents, she kind of tuned out. It took something akin to a direct threat to keep her from posting pics of him on the 'gram."

Paige appeared to jolt from her caffeine consumption refractory period. She sat up fully and said, "Has anyone verified she held firm to that instruction?"

Simon said, "Dani took a look after that first day we spent together to make sure she hadn't posted anything. She included one with her but none with me." Paige fixed him with a steady gaze until he appended, "But we haven't checked since, to my knowledge."

"Perhaps a quick investigation would be prudent."

Dani quickly stood and went to fetch her laptop. After a moment's hesitation, Max and Paige did the same. It took only minutes to determine that Annabelle's social media accounts now included a long series of pictures featuring Simon. In these posts, she spoke venomously about him. The first such post indicated that he had wronged her in some nebulous way. But, as the posts went on, she became more and more spiteful. The final post, a video in which she tearfully, and unambiguously, accused him of raping her, had nearly a million views. The comments on that post were filled with people whose avatars made no attempt to hide their white supremacist sympathies.

"This is bad," Dani breathed.

"Real bad," Max agreed. "Those racists fucks know you're here, honey. You've got to leave before they send more goons after you."

Paige quietly muttered, "Fuck."

"What is it, baby?" Max said with concern as she turned back to her partner.

"It is worse than we feared, my friend," Paige said to Simon. "It appears she has been posting to sites beyond traditional social media."

She turned her laptop around to show her companions a video of what was indisputably Simon having intercourse with Annabelle while Dani sat on her face. The title of the video was 'Fake Superman Rapes Social Media Influencer'.

"Goddammit," Simon grumbled. "We've got to talk to her."

"What the fuck for?" Dani fired back. "She's a resentful asshole. This is the internet, Simon. There's no putting this genie back in the bottle. Even if you convinced her to take the video down, there's sure to be plenty of copies by now. If for no other reason than the fact that she's never even appeared topless and now she's posted a video of her being double-teamed by an Adonis and his plain Jane girlfriend."

Simon opened his mouth to speak, but Max beat him to the punch, "Bullshit. You're sexy as fuck, not to mention beautiful as all get out. I mean, if it weren't for what you've told me about her being a cunt, I'd totally jill off to that video."

Paige said, "No reason not to, honey. It's not like you know anything about the character of the performers in any other erotic video. And with this one, you know at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the participants are genuinely good people. I agree with your assessment of the video, and your conclusion."

"Ever my logical lover," Max said gushingly. "But you hardly need to restrict yourself to the fantasy of having a threesome with the aforementioned Adonis. Assuming Dani approves, you can have experience firsthand what it's like to be with Simon. Along with whatever number of partners you prefer."

"Of course," Dani said quietly. "I'd love that. You guys could adjourn to the master bedroom right now, if you like. I'm sure Max and I could find something with which to amuse ourselves."

"Perhaps we could amuse each other," Max said coquettishly.

"While we watch them," Dani finished.

"As stimulating as this conversation could be at another time or place," Paige interjected. "This is neither. Simon, you should leave this place as soon as possible. I'm sure Jo would agree. Your pursuers know you're here. Therefore, you should absolutely be elsewhere."

"Not until I speak to Annabelle," Simon said resolutely.

Max said, "But why? We already established that getting her to take these posts down won't help anything. In fact, you're likely to make it worse if you confront her about them."

"I have to warn her," he said simply.

"What?!" his three companions shouted as one.

"Look. We've already established that she's a silly girl. Vain and self-centered. But, despite being present and ostensibly listening as I told the tale of how I ended up in this place, both in life and specifically in this hotel, I doubt seriously she was actually listening. She very likely has no idea of either the danger she's placed me in, or in fact the danger she has placed herself in. My enemies would no doubt try to bring her over to their side if they got their hands on her. And if that failed, their history demonstrates they'd kidnap her and try to use her for ransom on the outside chance I had sufficient feelings for her, despite what she's done, to exchange myself for her. I know she's irredeemable as a person, but that doesn't mean she deserves to be kidnapped or killed just because she decided to overreact when she got told no, likely for the first time in her life."

"You don't owe her a goddamned thing," Max said angrily. "You should go. Now."

Paige said, "I agree with the devastatingly beautiful redhead. You may have very little time to waste. Get airborne now. We can head south. There are plenty of non-extradition countries in Africa. We can figure out which works best for you in the air."

Simon said, "You wish to join us?"

"I will not allow Max to be harmed. Coming here has once again linked us to you. Since you have both resources and security, the safest place for her is near you until this crisis passes and we can once more fade into obscurity."

"I see," Simon replied with a crooked grin. "So my safety is secondary to Max's?"

"Obviously," Paige replied unapologetically. "I am quite fond of you Simon, but she is my sun and moon."

Max said, "Oh, honey," and flowed into Paige's arms.

As the two embraced passionately, Simon smiled warmly in genuine happiness for what his two friends had found in each other. He turned to Dani, who was also swooning at the love Max and Paige so obviously shared. He said, "Are you ok with all this?"

"You forget, Simon. I'm a lesbian, present company excluded. I think it's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen."

"Indeed. But I didn't mean them. I meant leaving as soon as I meet with Annabelle for parts unknown."

She smiled at him and said, "Whither thou goest, my love."

Simon kissed her and said, "I don't deserve you, honey. But I'm doing my damndest to fix that."

"Yes you do," she whispered before kissing him briefly once more. "But I appreciate the sentiment anyway."

He pulled back from her and spied Max grinning at them. He turned to Dani and said, "Please contact Annabelle and tell her I'd like to meet with her at her earliest convenience. And please bring Jo up to date. Tell him we'll be leaving as soon as our business is concluded."

Twenty-seven unhurried, but very busy, minutes later, they heard a knock at the suite's door. In a closet by the door sat the pile of suitcases which currently represented the entirety of the foursome's worldly possessions, outside of their substantial bank accounts.

Simon answered the door, Jo having been dismissed to hurriedly prepare his team for departure. Annabelle was dressed simply, her face set firmly in a mask of determination. She eyed the other women in the room, especially Dani, intently before preceding Simon into the office area. The other women followed, positioning themselves along the back wall of the room like a beautiful Praetorian guard.

Simon said, "Let me begin by saying I did not ask you here to discuss any type of relationship between us. Any of us." Annabelle did not speak, but her expression darkened significantly. Simon continued, "You have placed us in danger with your reckless online activity."

"You should not have refused me."

"You misunderstand. When I said all of us, I included you in that assessment."

"You threaten me?" Annabelle scoffed. "I told you who I have dated; who owes me favors. Is not wise to threaten me. I could have you killed like this," she snapped her fingers for effect.

Simon took a deep breath and said, "Perhaps. But I did not threaten you. I merely pointed out that you have placed yourself in real danger by so publicly associating yourself with me. Not to mention including your whereabouts. I have dangerous enemies, as you would have known had you actually listened to anyone else when we were together. Enemies who wouldn't hesitate to hurt you to try to get to me. We're leaving this place immediately. I suggest you do the same. I also recommend that you stay off social media for a while."

"You would have me lose livelihood? Have you not embarrassed me enough? This would not be problem if you had not been such shit for head."

Simon sighed and said, "I've said what I needed to say. The ball's in your court now. Goodbye, Annabelle. We won't be meeting again."

"No. You will not send me away like common whore. I am beautiful. Any man would want me. Or any woman," she concluded with a cruel glance in Dani's direction.

Simon shrugged and said, "Only those who don't know you. We're done here. Please leave."

"No!" she shouted as she stood. "Ty neprav. Ona prostitutka. Ona umret. Vy budete poklonyat'sya mne." By this point, Annabelle was breathing heavily and looking around the room with a feral expression marring her normally stunning features.

"What?" Simon retorted lamely.

He looked to his companions helplessly as Annabelle continued raving in what he assumed was Russian. Just as it occurred to him that he would be able to understand her if he simply focused on what she was saying rather than allowing his memory of English to sustain him, he heard Paige shout and saw Dani's eyes grow wide in horror

He turned back to Annabelle in time to see her raise a gun, pointing it at Dani's head. He reached out his hand as he perceived the tendons in her hand tightening around the trigger. He sighed in resignation at the tragic decision Annabelle had made and, more fully, the life she had chosen which had led her to this fate. He paused to cherish all that she was, the good and the bad, before turning her to oblivion.

Thirty-Seven

"Dani, we've been over this countless times," Simon said wearily.

"I know," she responded with an equal measure of exhaustion. "And we'll continue to go over it until you admit that I'm right."

"We're still under fifty percent capacity. And our growth rate is shrinking, not growing. It would seem that what happened in Oklahoma is finally starting to fade from the minds of the world. It makes no sense to build an expansion at this point. We need to keep a..."

"I know," Dani snapped. "A low fucking profile."

"If you know, then why do you keep pushing this?"

"Because I'm sick of keeping a low profile, Simon. You've taught me so much over these last three months. I'm even starting to think in the First Language. You've set me free. And it feels like heresy to keep this knowledge to ourselves."

"We are teaching others, Dani. We have nearly a hundred students, and several of them are quite advanced."

"We could do more. We should do more. After all this time, how can you still not trust me?"

Simon said, "I do trust you," to her departing back before slumping back into his chair.

'Three months' he thought dejectedly.

He should be proud of the progress they had made since their hasty retreat from the Middle East to the wilds of Rwanda. They had occupied a deserted school and began teaching the First Language to what Dani referred to as pilgrims. He had been dubious that they would ever have anyone to teach, considering the efforts they made to prevent people from knowing their whereabouts. But word had eventually leaked out, as it always seemed to, and slowly people started to trickle in. Most left within days once they discovered that there was no miracle pill or easy to understand ten-step process. But those that stayed allowed them to slowly grow their numbers of committed students.

He heard a chime from his computer and glanced down to see an email had arrived from Paige. He quickly opened it and a smile spread across his face when he saw pictures of her and Max standing in the midst of the empty void of the north pole with triumphant grins on their faces. The couple had taken to traveling like nerds to a convention and were constantly checking in from the most remote, and beautiful, parts of the world.

Thinking of them brought to his mind the last time he had seen them. They had accompanied he and Dani to central Africa and helped them find the school they now called home before departing for their adventures. That had been a fun time, despite the darkness which had preceded it. He remembered how worried they all were, especially Max, about what had occurred with Annabelle. They had been convinced he would fall into a deep depression, no matter how many times he explained that he had fully understood Annabelle's wickedness and thus was not troubled by the fact that she had forced him to turn her.

It had been Paige who had had the brilliant idea to teach exclusively in the First Language. Simon had been reluctant at first, considering that most of the people he spoke to in the First Language experienced something between mild discomfort, as was the case with Max, to extreme unease and sometimes even nausea. But, as Paige had pointed out, it was better to weed those unable to fully embrace the language out as quickly as possible. It was ultimately better for all involved.

Simon had spent the first month constantly working to the point of exhaustion trying to put together a curriculum. He had no talent for teaching and had been a below average student when he was in school. Thus, he had worked harder at getting the school off the ground than he had ever worked at anything in his life. Dani's presence had been invaluable during that time. She had handled the mundane details like making the facility they had chosen suitable for human occupation and working with Jo to set up an effective, but mostly unobtrusive, strategy for security. It had been a difficult time for their relationship since they were almost always too busy, and almost always apart. But, they had promised each other that they would make time each for each other, no matter how busy they were.

His reverie was interrupted by Rene, one of their earliest students and the person who was, to the best of Simon's knowledge, the fourth most knowledgeable person with respect to the First Language in all the world, after Simon, Paige and Dani.

"Good morning, Satai."

"Morning," Simon replied unenthusiastically, having long ago given up the effort to convince Rene to call him by his name, rather than an honorific which bordered on deification. "What's up?"

Rene bowed slightly and said, "Mistress Dani asked me to remind you that it is time for your daily growing closer. She awaits you in your quarters."

Simon sighed and said, "Don't you find it a little weird that she sends you to fetch me for sex?"

"Not at all. Growing closer is a goodness. I am very happy for you both."

"But..." Simon began before growling in frustration. "You know what? Never mind."

"Be well," Rene said as Simon stood and left his office.

He made his way to the suite he shared with Dani on the opposite side of the compound. As he entered the room, his eyes found Dani. She was seated at her desk and was absentmindedly removing her bra as she stared at her computer screen. He remarked inwardly at just how beautiful she was. She had been focusing on growing her hair and it was nearly down to her waist. She had wanted to try her hand at manipulating her body as her skills increased, and Simon had suggested this as a safe option. Her hair had grown nearly seventy centimeters in the six weeks since she began.

"Hey babe," he began. "I'm sorry about earlier. I just really worry about your safety."

"I can take care of myself, Simon. Not only do I have years of training in the disbursement of all manner of violence using traditional means, I'm also getting better every day with turning. Rene and I were practicing yesterday and I managed to turn three medium-sized stones."

"We've been over this honey. Turning inanimate objects is one thing. Doing it with a person is a whole different ball game. Especially when that person is trying to do unto you before you do unto him."

She said, "Perhaps. But I'm confident in my abilities. It's all a moot point anyway because you refuse to even have this conversation." She got up and walked over to the bed before continuing, "We're short on time. I have a class in twelve minutes, and you need to screen the latest batch of new arrivals."

"Well why don't we just get together later today?"

"No time, love. I'm booked through late tonight. And I promised Rene I'd spend some time going over some curriculum updates."

"You've been spending a lot of time with Rene recently," Simon observed.

"Of course. She's our greatest student. And her flair for languages is unlike anything we've ever seen. Except for Paige, of course. Speaking of which, I'm looking forward to their visit in a few weeks. I think Max has finally convinced her to grow closer with you."

"You sound gleeful at the prospect."

"Of course. We love her. It would be a goodness. And the sooner Paige accepts you as a lover, the sooner the four of us could all be together."

He paused in the process of removing his pants and said, "No thought of keeping me to yourself? And them staying true to each other? I love them both deeply, but I am not in love with them."

"You're not in love with me either, Simon," she responded without rancor. "But they are good people. And loving them, be it spiritually or physically, will be a goodness. I've heard you say on more than one occasion that there is a pronounced lack of love in the world. Shouldn't we do all we can to make as much love as we can with those we love? Those we trust most?"

"It's not that simple, honey. I'm very fond of both Max and Paige. But I'm committed to you."

Her face went through a range of emotions: starting at surprise, transitioning to confusion and finally landing on grim determination.

He said, "Wait a minute. We're not just talking about Max and Paige, are we?"

She sighed and said, "I was unaware you didn't know about Rene, or any of the other pilgrims with whom I've grown closer."

"I was... unaware."

She took his hand in hers. She said, "I did not intend to deceive you, Simon. We have discussed countless times how fundamental intimacy can be to forging that initial bond through which the First Language can be taught. I had assumed you were taking the female new arrivals into your bed as part of the screening process. I took on the burden of similarly screening the males."

"But why? I mean, apart from the fact that I certainly did not screen anyone that way. Why would you feel it necessary to do so with the males? You're no more attracted to them than I am."

"I find that one of the many benefits of learning the First Language is that it is washing such archaic concepts as sexual orientation from my consciousness. The individuals we accept into the school are good people. That is what matters, not whether their naughty bits are innies or outies. My work for the school in no way diminishes the love I have for you. If anything, it enhances it. This is our life's work. I would do anything to ensure we succeed."

"And Rene? Whatever it is you have with her certainly didn't spawn out of some kind of screening."

"That is true. Our love developed organically as she progressed in her learning."

"So you love her?"

She squeezed his hands and said, "Of course I love her, my dear. Just as I love you. You know her, Simon. You know she's a wonderful woman. Again, I regret not having this discussion earlier. I simply assumed you were aware."

"Why would I know?" Simon asked, trying to keep his tone civil.

"I have never met a more perceptive man than you, Simon. My awareness exceeds my wildest dreams. Even now, I can sense all the humans and animals within twenty meters of this building. I can tell you each of their names and their current mood. But your awareness vastly exceeds mine. I know for a fact that you can perceive each and every student here, and I would not be surprised if you could sense the residents of the closest towns despite them being dozens of kilometers away. How could I ever hide anything from you, my love?"

He gazed into her eyes resignedly and said, "I must suppress that awareness, or I could never concentrate. As a rule, I only seek that awareness of my surroundings actively. It would drive me mad if I was constantly doing it passively."

"Remarkable," she exclaimed. "How do you turn it off? Is it something you learned as part of your daily withdrawal? Or is it related to your ability to depart your body? That must be it, since you've been very firm about forbidding any of us to attempt that."

"I don't know, Dani. There still so fucking much I don't know. I was hoping this school would enable me to learn more about the First Language. And our abilities. But some days I just feel like a principal trying to keep the parents' association from being a pain in my ass."

"We can discuss it another time," Dani said hurriedly as she reached over and grasped his flaccid phallus. "We only have ninety seconds until our next appointment."

"No reason to rush, honey. We'll make it up next time."

"As you wish," she said as she stood and went to retrieve her clothing. She dressed quickly and returned to buss him briefly on the mouth. She murmured, "I love you," before hurrying from the room.

Simon watched her go. He had expected a maelstrom of emotions in the wake of her confession, to say nothing of their first day without being intimate in over three months. But all he felt was emptiness. He sighed and went to fetch his own clothes before heading to a meeting with potential students with whom he most definitely had no intention of having sex.

Thirty-Eight

"There he goes," Dani said dispiritedly as they watched one of the pilgrims climb into a car and depart their compound. "I really thought he'd make it."

Simon said, "Did anything happen?"

"No. And I think that's the problem. He was really dedicated, and he was trying so hard. But he said nothing would stick. He speaks eleven languages, and said he learned the basics of the last one in under a month. But even after six weeks here, he said he couldn't keep anything in his mind."

"How was he in the..."

"You can say it, Simon. The screening I did. It's not as if it's a secret anymore, or indeed that it was ever meant to be a secret. He did better than most. He's truly a wonderful man. And he had such a passion for learning. But no one can keep at it, day after day, without any type of results."

"Do you think we've missed something in our curriculum?"

She said, "Maybe? Probably? It's hard to say. Part of me thinks this is supposed to be hard. What was it you said Sam told you? That only the tiniest fraction of humanity was even capable of learning the First Language? If that's the case, then it's amazing we even have the few advanced students we've got."

"I just wish someone at the school had a background in education which went beyond, 'I went to school once'. It would make things so much easier."

"I was talking to Rene last evening about this very topic. I wish you had joined us; it would have made it a much more productive conversation."

Simon remained mute, staring across the vast savanna which surrounded their compound. He had not begrudged Dani's relationship with Rene, but he had thus far resisted her attempts to merge them into a throuple. He had no issue with Rene, he certainly thought the willowy young Congolese woman was attractive. And Dani had not exaggerated about either Rene's goodness or her talent for the First Language. But, to Simon, she was a pupil first and foremost and he could not bring himself to view her romantically.

He had been intimate with Dani many times since her revelation, harboring no ill will about how she chose to live her life or with whom she chose to be intimate. But he was not so foolish as to think nothing had changed. Dani was clearly wired to have multiple partners. She had tried to include Annabelle in their relationship before things had gone so disastrously wrong with her. Since beginning to learn the First Language, she had adopted the mindset of loving as much as she could. He was happy she had found purpose in life, and people who shared her passion. But he increasingly found their paths diverging.

He departed his office, from whose veranda he and Dani had watched the promising student depart, to head to their most advanced class. As he arrived, he nodded to the four women present. They greeted him using the same honorific Rene insisted on using. He took a seat on the floor, completing the circle with the students. He smiled with a cheer he did not feel and said, "So, where were we?"

"You were explaining why we must not attempt to depart our bodies during withdrawal, Satai."

"I have a name, you know."

"Would you prefer 'Master'?" the full-figured redhead asked with a coquettish smile.

"No," Simon said quickly before switching over to the First Language and trying to explain, yet again, why he was so fearful of his students taking leave of their corporeal bodies. "It is quite simple, young one," he began. "Try as I might, I cannot find the words to explain how it is done."

"Even in the Language of the Ancients?"

"Indeed," he answered, smiling inwardly at the moniker Dani had finally gotten to stick for the First Language. "I did it the first time without full understanding, and without conscious thought. I know it sounds ridiculous to use this analogy, considering the abilities you all now have, but it is not dissimilar from trying to explain, in your birth language, exactly how one breathes. You do it without effort, but until recently none of you knew precisely how you did it. What muscles must be contracted, which ones must be allowed to relax, how to manage the oxygenation of the blood. My understanding of bodily departure has not progressed beyond a layperson's understanding of their bodies autonomic processes. I hope to one day give the matter sufficient study to share the knowledge with you all. But, until that day comes, I fear the consequences of what could happen if you were to try it.

"Now, tell me how your field trip to the nearby village where only Swahili is spoken went."

***

Simon awoke from a fitful sleep, feeling less rested than when he had laid down. He glanced out the window to see that the sun had risen. He heard voices coming from outside his window discussing whether their newfound knowledge of the universe reinforced, or disproved, traditional monotheistic belief systems. He groaned at the way they still viewed there to be a distinction between the two before heading into the shower.

When he emerged, he found that their debate had escalated into a full-scale argument. He hurried outside to intervene but found that Dani had beaten him to the proverbial punch.

She said, "Pilgrims, what seems to be the bother?"

"We humbly apologize, Mistress Dani," they said in unison.

"This is not acceptable behavior. Especially considering your circle."

"But Mistress, we were not angry," the buxom redhead who had led the discussion in Simon's class the previous day murmured. "We were just passionate about our discussion."

"That isn't what is sounded like pilgrims. Not to me, nor to the lower ranking students. And, as you can tell by his holy presence, not to our beloved Satai."

"We have no excuse," the student said contritely.

Dani said, "You shall all require additional specialized instruction. Please report to Mistress Rene's quarters this evening at twenty-one hundred hours."

The students quickly disappeared, but Simon did not fail to notice a wicked gleam in their eyes.

He turned to Dani and said, "What the hell was that?"

She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and reverence. She said, "What was what?"

"That hero worship crap? I thought that was just something Rene did of her own accord and some of the other students mimicked."

"It certainly started like that. But Rene and I thought it instructive to encourage more of a hierarchical system amongst the students. It is in line with our new teaching philosophy."

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

Dani said, "You would have known had you attended the growing closer last night." Simon merely glared at her in response. She continued, "We are expanding the instructional role of our more advanced students. Circles seven and eight will now exclusively handle the sessions for circles one through three. This will leave more time for the highest circle to focus on study and teaching the most advanced students. Plus, of course, it will free up your time completely. Thus, you will finally have the bandwidth to do the in-depth research required to feel comfortable with the highest circles joining you in practicing our most advanced disciplines."

Simon squeezed the bridge of his nose and muttered, "Circles? Whose bright idea was that?"

"I came up with the concept of codifying our different levels of attainment. It was Rene who decided they should be called circles. We worked together on the ceremonies of advancement for each," she finished smugly.

"And how many of these advancement ceremonies have taken place?"

"Tonight will be the first. We have three candidates who are ready to move to the seventh circle. I really hope you can attend. Although, of course, you'll have to lighten up a bit about growing closer."

"Why, is the advancement ceremony just a big orgy covered by the thin veneer of legitimacy?" Dani's face fell, telling Simon he had hit the nail right on the head. He was crushed at the prospect of hurting her, no matter how much their paths had diverged in recent days. He pulled her into his arms and embraced her tightly. He whispered, "I'll think about it honey. But, for now, I think I need to withdraw and contemplate."

"Of course, Satai. We will await your decision."

She departed untroubled by the interchange, apparently filled with confidence that he would, at best, fully embrace what the school was becoming or, at worst, trust her enough to allow things to proceed as she and Rene had planned. Rather than heading into his quarters, he instead headed for the perimeter of the compound. He walked among the sprawling grasslands and tried to grapple with the emotions swirling within him.

He had initially intended to withdraw, as he had indicated to Dani. But, as he sat upon a rock outcropping and watched the wind turn his surroundings into a roiling ocean of grass and stone, he found that he already fully understood both the changes which he had recently experienced, and what he must do as a result. He mourned for the tears which would inevitably follow his decision, but he was resolute that it was for the best. Not only for him, but for all involved.

***

Dani stood nude in the middle of what had once been a basement storage room but was now called the Ritual Chamber. The room's walls and floor had been painted flat black and the room was illuminated by only a small collection of candles arranged in a nine-pointed star. The combination of the dim lighting and the uniformly painted walls and floor created the effect of being in a much larger room. Simon and Rene stood behind Dani while the three initiates knelt before her. All were dressed as Dani was.

Dani spoke at length to the initiates, her voice sounding a bit strained. No one present missed the tears streaming down her face as she spoke of the commitment to goodness she expected from the initiates, and the burden they were assuming for passing on all they had learned.

She paused a moment, a sob interrupting her speech. Simon and Rene hurried to her side, but she stilled them with a gesture. She took a deep breath and said, "This ceremony was always going to be memorable for you, esteemed pilgrims. But, earlier today, we learned that our most revered Satai will be taking a Sabbatical. We rejoice at the good his coming studies will do the world, but we grieve that he will be depriving us of his holy presence. Thus, this ceremony is not only a celebration of your advancement, but it will also be our last opportunity to grow closer with our dear leader until he graces our presence again.

"Come closer sisters. Join us."

The initiates rose. Simon could see in the dim light the tears on all their faces. Whatever reservations he may have had about this ceremony, the love and compassion filling the room was undeniable. Dani embraced each of the initiates in turn, kissing them unhurriedly but thoroughly, before moving to the next. The initiates repeated this process with first Rene and finally Simon. This complete, Dani led them into the rear of the room where cushions which matched the walls covered the floor, giving the area the feel of an enlarged bed.

Dani bid the initiates to take a seat, saying, "Love is the most powerful force in the universe. By making love, we improve not only ourselves, but the universe as a whole. Growing closer transcends making love. It is the bonding of souls. But it must never be forced, never be compelled. Free will is, and always must be, paramount.

"Your promotion is complete, esteemed pilgrims. You may observe our growing closer if you like, or you may retire for the evening. However, should you wish to join of your own free will, we will welcome you."

Dani sank down to her knees, taking Rene's face in her hands and kissing her deeply. She then turned to Simon and kissed him with a passion that surprised him before releasing his lips and pushing him toward Rene. He kissed her with vigor, savoring her taste and her lithe body. He felt himself hardening immediately against her belly. She moaned in contentment and reached down to grasp his length.

Dani whispered, "Give yourself to her, my love," before gently pushing Rene down onto the cushions.

Simon sank with her, refusing to relinquish her lips. He heard Dani's whispered encouragement and felt Rene's desire for him emanating from her. He buried himself in her eager core with delicious slowness. Her breathing quickened as their centers met and she fisted her hands in his hair.

Rene whispered, "Satai..."

He kissed her briefly and said, "If ever there was a time for you to call me by my name, it's now."

She smiled and said, "Simon. You feel even better than I dreamed. This is the greatest moment of my life."

Dani kissed them both before turning to a tall south Asian woman who had joined them. The two shared a passionate kiss before returning their attention to Rene and Simon's lovemaking while teasing each other's pleasure centers. Simon straightened his arms, rising up to behold the woman with whom he was joined. The look of rapturous pleasure on her face nearly brought him to completion, as did the eager milking of her inner walls.

"Give yourself to her," Dani repeated, taking his earlobe between her lips. Two other women soon joined her, and Simon found himself nearly overwhelmed with pleasure. Oil slicked hands caressed his balls and ass while another lover teased Rene's clit and the top of his shaft with her tongue. Hungry mouths found his nipples and earlobes. He tried to look down at Rene again, but her face was obscured by Dani's sex.

Dani peered with unconditional love into his eyes and whispered, "Grow closer with us, my love."

Simon felt Rene's orgasm begin, her velvety channel rippling along his length. Dani quickly followed and he felt surges of pleasure from the initiates surrounding him. They joined Dani, pleading for his seed in the First Language. He gave one final thrust before giving himself over to ultimate pleasure and erupting deep within Rene's eager womb.

As their pleasure soared to heretofore unknown heights, he reached out for them on the ethereal plane and found himself surrounded by their beauty. Each soul was distinct, but their beauty and goodness made them seem as one. As Simon beheld them, they truly merged, growing closer in a way that no act of humanity could sever. He rejoiced for them and cherished them. But he was unable to ignore the fact that while they had grown closer, he was still a man apart.

Copyright © 2022 Jake Lazarus

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This is a work of fiction.

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