A Fire in Bregal Ch. 04

The doctor leaned in, flashed his light across my eyes and then clicked it off, tucking it in the pocket of his crisp, white coat.

"I don't see any lavender spotting Mira, and according to your blood work you're one of the healthiest patients I've seen all week." He said, thumbing through a small stack of papers.

"That's not possible. I know what I saw, and the feeling was," I looked away, embarrassed to meet his eyes, "indescribable."

He chuckled, reading something in the files in his hands. "At your age Mira, it's completely normal to feel... Intense arousal. When's the last time you had sex?"

"About a month ago."

"Has your boyfriend had any symptoms?"

"No, and I don't have a boyfriend."

"Oh, no judgement. I should introduce you to my son. He's a neuro surgeon."

"I'm sorry, I'm not interested."

"Well you haven't even met him."

"Yea but I'm pretty sure I know what I'm interested in."

"Oh, well in that case I should introduce you to my daughter. She's a bio chemist."

"I'm good doc, I'm just worried about my symptoms."

"Yea well if anything changes you can always come back in but as of today, you're all clear. Let me walk you out."

He opened the door and followed behind me as I walked out.

I started walking down the hall when he suddenly yelled, "Oh there she is!"

I saw him wave down someone and turned to see who.

Walking toward me was a beautiful woman in a white coat. Her mocha skin glistened in the light, shining like the gloss on her full lips, her hazel brown eyes, like topaz, staring right at me.

"This is my daughter, Noelle. Noelle, this is the artist Mira," A knowing look crossed his face as recognition settled on hers.

"Nice to meet you," she reached out to shake my hand, "Congratulations on your huge success yesterday. The mayor hasn't stopped talking about you."

She nodded at the screen on one of the walls. The mayor was there, speaking at a podium about the art gala, and floating next to his head was a picture of me with pieces of my art flashing by.

"Oh wow," I murmured.

"You didn't know you were all over the news?" she asked, a slight smile and a twinkle in her eyes.

"I had no idea."

I watched for a minute as they praised my work. Then I watched for another minute, a smile spreading across my face as they praised the sculptures from The Glass Ceiling as well.              

After a while I turn to leave, crossing back through the waiting room. Who do I see?

Several of Bregal's richest citizens, squirming in their seats, their eyes glowing lavender.

For the rest of the day I walked the streets of Bregal trying to clear my head while being noticed and greeted by countless strangers.

Fans, who praised my work.

Still I couldn't think of anything but last night. The power of my hallucinations and the overwhelming memory of being rejected by both Sabrina and Raven.

The doctor said I was fine but I know myself and I would never have approached either of them so desperately under normal circumstances.

Flashbacks danced in my head, the disappointment in their eyes and the way they turned their backs to me.

How could I look them in the eyes again? I became hyperaware of the fact that without them I would be alone again.

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At work the next day I tried to fly through sculpting like I usually did but I was constantly interrupted by customers who wanted to come up and watch me work.

I let Tom know it was disruptive and he apologized for the inconvenience, but informed me ever so graciously that this is my life now, thanks to the success of the gala.

Before I left, he called me to his office and handed me my commission check from the gala sales.

I felt my eyes all but bulge from my head as I held more money than I'd ever had in my life.

I flew through the front doors of The Pot, headed straight to the bank, checking over my shoulder instinctively to see if Raven was waiting in her usual spot.

She wasn't.

Back home I paced back and forth in my room, listening to the sounds of Sabrina shuffling pots and pans to cook.

She hadn't looked at me when I came in, hadn't spoken to me since the night of the gala.

I was hungry, and assumed she wouldn't want anything to do with me. A barbecue spot up the street sounded good enough.

I reached for my sketchbook to let my pencil take the edge off but it wasn't in its usual place in my bag. Realizing I must've forgotten it, I decided to watch TV, walking quietly past the kitchen and into the living room.

I turned on something I didn't watch, letting it watch me instead as I drifted through my thoughts. Lazily, I scrolled through the barbecue menu.

Then I heard Sabrina say, "There's food if you want some, help yourself." and she carried a plate of food into her room, closing the door behind her.

I walked to the kitchen and made a plate.

The food was incredible, but it was missing something.

It was missing her.

Here I was, more money than I currently knew what to do with, fame attempting to suffocate me as admirers sprung from all corners, and all I wanted was someone to sit and eat with me.

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Sabrina got an urgent call when I woke up and frantically got ready to come with me to work.

Once we reached The Pot, I followed her to Tom's office. Sitting in one of the chairs was his son, Gerald, facing away from us and shifting in his seat, a huge cylindrical bulge in his pants.

Both our eyes went wide upon seeing it as we gave each other a questioning glance.

Tom spoke first in his sharp cadence, "This doesn't really concern you Mira, you can go to work." and he pointed to the studio. I raised my eyebrows in surprise but got up and walked out anyway. Once out into the hallway I stood by the door to listen in.

"Sabrina, I'm going to make this as quick as possible. Gerald has contracted The Scrimmage. That humiliating contraption bulging from his crotch is a temporary method to keep his hands out of his pants." Tom said before taking an audible sip of water and a deep breath.

"I'm going to have to insist that you go and get tested, Sabrina."

"What?" Sabrina gasped, "No, Gerald and I aren't-."

"Please, he's already told me. You're the only woman he's ever been with-'

"Yea, and that was years ago. If I had it I would be showing symptoms, but I'm not. Quite the opposite actually." She said the last part quietly, giving me an insight I could've gone without.

I went into the studio and started to sculpt. I thought back to when she told me there was nothing between them. Not that it mattered now, but I guess it would've been nice to know. I knew there was something there. I shook the thoughts away and tried to focus. I had no right to feel remotely jealous.

The clay moved so oddly in my hands, twisting from one shape to another as my fingers refused to make a sound decision. For what seemed like forever, I fought with the clay.

I needed to silence the noise in my head. I zeroed in on the clay, watching it swirl as the thoughts keeping me on edge began to dull.

"MIRA!" Tom's voice echoed through the halls, disrupting my focus.

Frustrated, I called out "YES?!"

"MY OFFICE, NOW!" He yelled back.

My irritation rose sharply. I was almost in my flow state, why in the fuck would he be yelling?

I struggled not to stomp into his office, and instead pressed my lips, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion to express my lack of appreciation for his uncharacteristic disrespect.

I turned the corner to step into his office and saw Tom holding my sketchbook over his head.

His fingers held the book open to the page with the drawing of what had become the best selling glass sculpture in all of Bregal.

"You helped them?!" He screeched.

I looked over at Sabrina, whose eyes had gone wide, a look close to panic on her face.

"I didn't plan to. That drawing didn't work with clay,' I started.

"BULL SHIT!" he spat, throwing my sketchbook at my feet.

"As great of an artist you are, you could've given that sculpture to me! To us!" He motioned around the room.

"For what?!" I yelled back, finally breaking under the pressure of how I truly felt about him.

"You have everything here Tom, why the fuck do you need to make sure they have nothing!?"

"Those filthy fucking rats DESERVE Nothing!" He wailed, his face turning beet red, veins popping out of his forehead and neck.

"Why not?!" I demanded. "Tell me why not."

"Because there is a certain order to things Mira," He panted, gritting his teeth. "There is an order and Owen Glacier thinks he's above it. No one is above it Mira. The shadow rats can't have everything we have." he turned away from me to look out the window behind his desk.

"So you don't have a good reason." I shook my head, "You're just another greedy, elitist, draining people with less so that you can have more. You'll never have enough huh?"

"What I am is your employer. The man who took you out of those rags and gave you the money for the fancy clothes you're wearing right now. You knew how I felt about them, you knew they were competition, you should've never even given them the time of day. I warned you to watch the company you keep!" He growled.

"Why on Earth would I think that a small, run down shop in The Shortlight, that was on the verge of GOING OUT OF BUSINESS, would be competition for a place like The Pot? What kind of small-minded, coward would feel threatened by them?" I said, breathing out a small laugh.

Sabrina jumped up from her seat, "You know what your problem is Mira?" she stepped closer to me, "You have no loyalty. Whatever happened to you just made it impossible for you to be loyal to the people who are there for you."

"You don't get to say that about me like you know me. I am loyal to GOOD people." I snarled.

"Oh now I don't know you? And how am I not good? Huh? Tell me what's wrong with me that I don't deserve loyalty." she demanded.

"This is about the company right now Sabrina-" Tom cut in but Sabrina held up a hand to him.

"Answer me. What's so wrong with me that you ran to her, while I was literally ten feet away?"

I wanted to say it was The Scrimmage but here I was, no twitch, eyes clear as day and a bill of absolute health from the doctor.

Was it The Scrimmage? Or was I just genuinely aching for Raven? Aching for that dark haired, mystery of a woman. My mind drifted to the way the fire of the ovens reflected in her eyes, the flexing of her muscles as she pulled glass.

I had no answer for Sabrina that wouldn't prove her right. So I chose the easy way out.

"We weren't exclusive, Sabrina."

This time it was Gerald who spoke up, "Oh but exclusive enough for you to stay in her apartment?"

"Your idea! Which I was very grateful for-"

"Not grateful enough!" Sabrina yelled.

"Oh because you weren't the only woman in my life, I wasn't grateful enough? Because I didn't promise not to give my body to anyone else-"

"NO! You're not stupid Mira. You know it was way more than just your body. Did you forget we went on dates? All the time we spent together-"

"Okay!" Tom yelled, "We get it Mira's a disloyal little shit. But one thing she isn't, is irreplaceable."

He turned to me, his eyes hardened. "You may be talented but so are others. You may be enjoying your fifteen seconds of fame but these people will forget about you by next week. You're fired!" Then he turned to his desk, scribbling something.

"You should look for a new place to stay while you hunt for the new job too." Sabrina said, the anger in her voice was heavy, disappointment clouding her eyes.

"Sabrina, I'm sorry okay, we can talk about this-"

"We just did." She said, stonefaced.

Tom reached out and handed me a small piece of paper.

"Your last check. No need to come back."

I took the check, bent down and picked up my sketchbook then turned and walked away.

Back at Sabrina's apartment, I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the sketch of the glass sculpture. I realized it was heavily symbolic. Before I even thought about giving Raven my body, or even a kiss, I had given her my art. I had given her my creation to bring to life and thus made it ours.

We had created beauty together.

I looked around the room. I had very few belongings and only needed one duffel bag to fit everything.

I was pissed. Of course I still wanted to stay, I still wanted to date, I still wanted to fuck. But it was clear that this chapter was closing and I would be a desperate fool to keep it open. Even if she didn't want me anymore, I still regretted the way it played out. Even though I knew I didn't have the capacity for commitment, I still wanted the friend... with benefits.

I foolishly thought I'd never have to choose if they both stayed cool. Neither of them applied any pressure on me to stop seeing the other. Although I could count Sabrina asking me not to go to The Shortlight as her asking me to stay away from Raven. Regardless, I knew how she felt after our first date.

Then it hit me; Sabrina wasn't the least bit surprised about Tom, and his treatment or sentiment of the Glaciers. She was presumably just as elitist as he was, just better at hiding it. 'Rats' he called them. Exactly how he saw me when I came to Bregal, before I gained access to the resources to turn my life around.

The Glass Ceiling could be just as big as The Pot if it was given the room to flourish.

Thomas Crimson knew that.

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Raven had just scraped the last of the burnt food out of the pot when Owen burst through the door.

"I am starving, let's eat!" he exclaimed before he took in the scene before him. His cousin was surrounded by a small cloud of smoke, coughing softly as she scraped the meal into the trash.

His jaw fell open, "How did you burn it? It was just fine a few minutes ago."

"Well things change," she said, picking up the phone to order takeout.

"Did you see your girl on the news today? Three days straight they've been talking about her like they don't have anything else to talk about." Owen smiled.

"She's not my girl, Owen, not even close, and yea I saw her. Did you see the piece they did on us?" Raven asked, filling the pot with water to soak.

"Yea I saw it, we had a few orders come in already. Five pieces to fire tomorrow,"

"Excellent,"

"Thanks to Mira," Owen smiled teasingly.

"You think she's great, why don't you date her?" Raven rolled her eyes.

"Am I missing something here?"

"You always are."

"What did I miss?" Owen spread his arms in confusion.

"She's with them, Owen. The Crimsons."

"Yea, and? She's been with them this whole time, didn't stop you then, what changed?"

Raven looked at Owen for a minute, deciding whether or not she should confide in him.

"It's just not like that between us."

"Bullshit, I saw you guys dip off together at the gala."

"Yea and after weeks of showing me she only wanted to be friends, she suddenly threw herself at me. It was a complete turn off."

"What?" Owen shook his head.

"Exactly, you can't just do a complete 180 like that. She made me feel like... like I was just a toy she wanted to play with. Like she couldn't have who she really wanted so she went for me because she thought I'd be easy."

"No, Raven, I mean' what' as in, the woman you've been talking about for the past few months, all but obsessing over, threw herself at you and you rejected her?"

"That's not how I want it Owen. I want her to let me in. I want her to be completely over that,... that friend of hers," she said, air quotes punctuating her words.

"If I'd have done anything with her she would've just ran back to her.... friend."

"Maybe not," Owen shrugged, "Maybe she had a sudden realization that she actually likes you."

"Maybe, but she had just been sitting at the table with her, laughing it up, touching each other, leaning in close for private conversation and what not." Raven recalled. She had watched them that afternoon, behaving like a happy couple.

"She made me feel so cheap." she told Owen as those feelings bubbled to the surface. They had glanced once at each other from across the room and that was all the communicating they'd gotten before Mira came on to her.

Raven had wanted to tell Mira how beautiful her sculptures were, and thank her for helping them create the masterpieces that kept their shop in business.

But when Mira had rushed into her she barely had time to say much of anything.

"I know what it is." Owen grinned.

"What is it?"

"She's the first woman that's come on to you so strongly. You like the shy ones that sit in a corner and let you do all the talking.'

'It's not that, it just didn't feel genuine, Owen."

"Maybe that's true but it's also possible that she wasn't enjoying that posh crowd as much as she enjoyed being with you. Maybe she felt like you were more genuine than they were and she just... wanted you."

Raven stared down at the pot in her hands. He did kind of have a point. Mira could've been with the large-titted woman she came with but instead, for the first time, she'd reached for her. If Raven was being honest with herself, it had taken a lot for her to reject her, especially seeing her eyes heavy-lidded, her voice equally as seductive as the sultry look on her face. She'd never seen Mira like that and although it turned her on, but then she'd pressed her against the wall, which had made her uneasy enough. To make it worse, she saw Mira's friend in her peripheral vision. It made her realize that there was still room for someone else, that her affection for Raven was temporary because they both knew who she'd be going home with.

She couldn't let her get away with making her feel dispensible, it would be a horrible way to start anything more than the friendship they already had.

Beyond that though, Raven hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. How different things might've been if she had kissed her at the gala when she pinned her against the wall. Maybe her little friend would've gotten the message and left, maybe Mira would've come home with her instead. Maybe she could've had her to herself. The thought of what she would do if she got Mira alone, sent her drifting into space, imagining all the ways Mira would react to her.

A knock sounded at the door, snapping Raven out of her daydreaming. She went downstairs and retrieved their food from the delivery person. She gave them a nice tip, adding extra for the inconvenience of being in The Shortlight so late at night.

Back upstairs she pulled the food from the bag, while Owen tore into everything before it even hit the table.

"I actually believe in you Raven," Owen smiled.

Raven thought of her non existent love life and the past that brought her there, feeling grateful for the support, until Owen finished, "You'll be able to cook one day, and then we can eat the food instead of throwing it out," He laughed, earning him a slap to the shoulder as he carried his plate back to the couch.

Just as Raven was about to sit with her own plate, another knock sounded at the door.

Raven just knew the delivery person wasn't back. At this time of night it could be anyone and the last thing she wanted was to deal with trouble. She ignored it until it sounded a second time.

She looked at Owen, whose face clearly said what she was thinking. They weren't home.

But something told her to check the door anyway. Grabbing her revolver from the side table she walked slowly down the stairs and to the front door.

"Who is it?" She asked, her voice dropping into a heavy base she adopted from her time living alone.

"It's Mira." she heard from the other side of the door.

Raven paused, checked her watch then peeked through the peephole. Mira? At this time of night? What if it was some kind of trick?

"And who else?" Raven asked.

"Just me."

Raven cracked the door and looked out to see Mira, her curls falling down around her shoulders, perfectly framing the pouting expression on her beautiful face.

Raven's heart skipped a beat.

"What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?"

Raven set down her revolver, and opened the door to let her in, checking the surroundings to see if anyone was around watching.

Then she spun around to look at her guest, closing and locking the door behind her.

Her eyes scanned Mira's face again, her long lashes batting against her flushed cheeks, her lips full, glistening, parted as she huffed.

"What are you doing here Mira?" Raven repeated, noticing something slightly pitiful in her eyes, or was it sadness? Pain?

"I um, I had a few big changes today." She said,

Then Raven noticed her duffel bag. Uh oh.

"I have the money to go stay somewhere else, I didn't come for that," Mira said, responding to the slightly scared look on Raven's face when she saw her bag. "I just wanted to talk. I have a business proposition."

Raven crossed her arms and leaned against the wall behind her. "I hope it's good," She mumbled, her eyes trailing down Mira's throat, past the open collar of her shirt and landing briefly on her cleavage.

Her eyes flicked back up to Mira's. They stared into each other for a second before Mira finally spoke up, "I want to use the traction and momentum of the gala to help The Glass Ceiling get bigger than The Pot."

Raven's eyebrows shot up.

"You just randomly decided this? What are you, a spy now?"

"No, I'm not working there anymore." Mira said, her face giving away more than she realized.

"So they kicked you to the curb huh?" Raven chuckled, a sort of angst welling up as she forced herself to feel indifferent to Mira's presence, "And right after you made them a ton of money,"

"Tom found my sketchbook. He fired me for helping you," She said, her expression a strange combination of determination and frustration.

Just like that, Raven felt like an asshole, not just for laughing but for forgetting the risk Mira took to help them keep their business afloat. Her act of defiance against the Crimsons and her bold decision to come to their aid, was one of the things that strengthened her attraction to the beautiful artist. Because of her they made a complete turnaround, paying off all of the shop's debt and even paying months in advance just in case sales took another dip.

"I'm sorry to hear that." she said, reminding herself that she was still supposed to be upset with Mira for the way she made her feel at the gala.

"Yea, well, it's fine I can sculpt anything, and there's plenty more creativity where that came from." She gave a faint half smile, "I can come back in the morning. I just... I wanted to tell you what side I'm on," she looked down at her feet, then over to the door. "And that's not the only reason I'm coming back."

"What do you mean?" Raven asked.

"I mean I'm coming back to see you." Mira stated, echoing Raven's words from the first time Mira had been to the shop. She was still looking at the door, then slowly she turned back to Raven and looked up at her through her lashes.

Raven's breath caught in her throat. That look, those sexy eyes, it was enough to shatter her resolve. How could she be upset with her while she looked at her like that? But there was something else nagging her.

"So, why'd you leave your friend's place?" She nodded at Mira's bag, because what did her job have to do with leaving that woman?

"Same reason really, they both could see where I stood, with you." Mira blinked up at her softly, bit her lip.

Her answer sent a rush of excitement through Raven, made stronger the second she bit her lip like that. The seductive combination of the look in her eyes and her biting that juicy bottom lip gave her the urge to reach for her but then she remembered, Mira wasn't the soft, submissive type of woman she was used to.

Mira had enough dominant energy to make Raven reconsider. She could switch up the second they made contact. What if this actually couldn't even work in the long run?

She must've been thinking too long because then Mira looked away and started towards the door.

"Wait," Raven reached for her hand and tugged lightly. Fuck it. She didn't want her to leave.

"Are you hungry? We've got dinner upstairs,"

"That would be nice, but I don't wanna impose,"

"You're not," Raven said, her voice dipping low, softening, and then she pulled her closer.

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I don't know why I went to Raven's first. I could've waited until morning but honestly, I missed her. Two days in a row my routine was disrupted from not seeing her outside The Pot. With everything that happened today all I wanted to do was tell her about it. I was slightly shocked that I was even willing to risk the potential danger of coming back to the Shortlight when it almost cost me my life last time.

I could've just gone to a hotel.

Seeing her through the crack of the door, eyeing me suspiciously was almost enough for me to spin right around and leave but the look she gave me when she let me in, told me she was fighting her own battle within.

I did feel oddly like I was making the same mistake again, going to one of them when the other had rejected me. But my honesty flowed freely as I told her I wanted to see her.

I could feel my body language shifting as I answered her questions. She looked good in her button down, the buttons open enough for me to see the tops of her breasts, her hair falling around her to frame the tense expressions her face shifted into. Clearly she was upset with me but fighting it, her eyes flickering to my lips, my tits, my eyes so intensely.

I wanted her.

When she grabbed my hand to stop me from leaving I was sure she was going to give me the words she had for me and express some rigid reasons for rejecting me at the gala.

Imagine my surprise when she pulled me to her, pressing her body softly into mine.

My breathing picked up sharply as I had a sudden urge to throw my arms around her but then I remembered she had rules and the last thing I wanted to do was scare her off. I looked straight ahead, suddenly unable to meet her eyes, waiting for her.

Her other hand came under my chin and tilted my head up, forcing me to meet her gaze. She looked into my eyes, searching almost frantically for something I knew she'd find.

Then she looked down at my lips and leaned in slowly, pausing briefly as her eyes flicked back up to mine. There was a question in her eyes, one I knew for sure I'd already answered. She was double checking, as if I hadn't thrown myself at her a few days ago, as if I hadn't come to her late at night just to see her, as if my eyes weren't currently begging her to let go of whatever was holding her back.

Finally she closed the space between us, her lips warm and soft against mine. A shiver ran down my spine as the electricity spread through me. She deepened the kiss, her hand leaving my chin to glide smoothly around my waist, then to the small of my back, pulling me closer to her. The warmth of her body against mine, combined with the growing hunger of her kiss started to melt me, weakening my knees, moisture forming in my panties.

I wanted to drop my bag and run my fingers over her jaw, my hands across her chest and shoulders but I held tight to the bag, knowing it was the only thing keeping my hands where I assumed she wanted them.

She parted her lips wider, one kiss flowing into the next as I felt her tongue push hot against mine. I flicked my tongue up against hers, setting something off inside her as her kisses sped up, my back hitting the wall as she pressed further.

The bag started to slip from my hand, my will to hold on to it slipping with it. I wanted my hands free, and the pressure to keep them still, only increased as I became hyperaware of the hand that was still being held by Raven.

My body started to tingle, my breathing frantic as I ached to touch her.

"You all good down there Raven?" Owen called down.

She didn't stop kissing me, our tongues dancing between us like all the unspoken words were being delivered directly. Her refusal to stop turned me on even more, as if she was so entranced that she didn't give a fuck who was coming.

"Raven?" Owen called again, followed by the sound of his footsteps coming down the stairs.

Just as he was nearing the last steps, she released my lips with a loud gasp, touching her forehead to mine as we tried to catch our breaths.

"Oh," he froze on the stairs, "Hey Mira,"

I was too breathless to speak.

"I was just checking on you, I'll see you guys upstairs." and he jogged back up the steps.

I opened my eyes to look at her and was almost blinded by the fire in her eyes.

"You hungry?" she whispered.

I nodded.

"So am I." she growled, her eyes intense with the underlying message.

The food was good but I couldn't focus. My lips were still tingling, my panties so wet it made sitting almost uncomfortable. My mind was overrun with thoughts of her, the memory from five minutes ago replaying, my spine suppressing shivers. Not even sex, just a kiss, had me like this.

I'd be in trouble for sure if she decided to take it a step further.

I looked up and caught her eyes. "When" they seemed to say to me. "When, I take it further."

The TV played some action thriller, but I was in my head, wondering what had changed since Saturday that made her change her mind. My only guess was that I was no longer staying with Sabrina. Was that it? Was that really all she was waiting for?

I thought back to her rules. Could I really survive a relationship where I couldn't touch my woman? Just kissing her, had my hands begging to roam, to feel those muscles under the oversized sleeves of her shirt, the bare skin at the nape of her neck, and anywhere, everywhere else. How could I, who loves to touch, to squeeze, caress, lick my partner, abide by her rules?

I looked up at her again. This time her eyes were focused on the movie. Maybe I was mistaken, maybe her rules wouldn't be as rigid as I thought.

Was it wrong of me to think that maybe she'd make exceptions for me?

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When dinner was over I stood to leave, thanking them for the meal.

"Where are you going?" Raven asked softly.

"I'll probably just stay at the Daffodil. They have pretty good rates."

"It's really not safe for you to travel so late though," Raven said quietly.

Owen stood suddenly, "I'll be back, I gotta check something downstairs," he trailed off, disappearing behind the door.

"I'll be okay, I have the revolver you gave me." I told her, gesturing to my duffel bag.

"Well first of all it's no good to you in there," she reached for my duffel bag, taking it from my hand. "And you won't have to worry about that if you stay here. With me."

It was a question, a request and a command all at once, spoken softly and firmly.

"That's true, I just don't want to complicate anything." I said, out of fear that we might move too fast, or maybe I just didn't feel ready to handle the restraint that would come with sleeping with her.

"Then don't complicate it," she said, stepping closer, a slight smile tugging at her lips as she used my duffle bag to gesture towards a door behind me. She slid past me, opening the door and I followed her into a beautifully decorated bedroom.

There were blue, gold, red and purple glass light fixtures, sending a mural of light across the walls. From the ceiling hung a large sculpture of a curved, twisting mirror, taking up almost the full length of the room. Nestled between two s-shaped glass night stands was a king sized bed, made up with deep royal blue, satin linens.

She sat my duffel bag down and then turned to me.

I stood awkwardly by the door, looking around and uncharacteristically waiting for her to tell me what she wanted. I knew what I wanted, but it just seemed like we wanted two different things.

She sat on the edge of the bed, hands on her knees, watching me.

"Were you this shy with her?" she asked.

I felt my face twist at the mention of her, which I noticed made Raven's smile grow ever so slightly.

"Umm, no," I said honestly, still looking around. She had a small stack of books on one of the nightstands.

"Then, what's wrong?" She tilted her head slightly.

"Nothing is wrong, it's just," I thought back to the gala, to her hands gripping my wrists to hold them at my sides, forbidding me to touch her. But then I thought of the way my body responded when she lifted my hands above my head, pinning them softly to the wall behind me.

"I want my hands on you too," I said honestly, "I don't know how to deal with the restraint of keeping them to myself while you touch me."

"You did pretty good earlier, in the hall."

"It was a fight, Raven," I said, staring into her eyes, trying to convey with mine just how hard it was for me.

"Okay, how about this," she unbuttoned her shirt and slowly pulled it from her shoulders, revealing the toned muscle of her arms, a black bra slightly overflowing, and a flat stomach.

"You can touch all the skin that's uncovered. Not my tits, nothing below the belt."

I bit my lip, almost groaning. I loved eating pussy, I loved the smell, the taste, the sound of a woman's cries of ecstasy. I wanted to taste her.

"Come here." She commanded, a curious expression lighting her eyes.

I shocked myself with how little desire I had to control the situation, how my legs moved on their own as I crossed the small distance between us, stopping in front of her.

She gently grabbed my hands and placed them on the soft skin of her bare shoulders. I pushed my fingers softly into the muscles, earning a faint sigh from her parted lips as my hands massaged her, moving across her skin until I reached her back.

Slowly she stood up, my arms rising with her as she stood almost six inches over me. Our eyes locked as she leaned in, but stopped before she got to my lips. She lifted her hands to my chest, tracing her fingers over my collar bone, gliding down slowly until her fingers grazed the top of my breasts.

Her touch was ghostly faint, void of pressure, sending a slight shiver down my spine, my chest rising sharply under her fingers as my breathing deepened.

She slid down further, pressing her fingers to my cleavage, sliding them between my breasts with one hand while the other unbuttoned my shirt. Her right hand caressed my skin, gently squeezing my breast as the left reached around to unclasp my bra.

Our eyes stayed locked, the fabric tickling my back as I felt the bra come undone.

"See, now you'll have to let me go so we can get this off." she murmured, reaching around to remove my hands from her shoulders, dragging her fingers up my arms until she reached the collar of my shirt.. Then she peeled my shirt and bra off, unwrapping me like candy. The air in the room blew across my exposed skin, hardening my nipples, her eyes drinking me in as the wrappers hit the floor.

She licked her lips, biting it hesitantly before diving into me, kissing me like I was a craving she couldn't resist a second longer.

My hands ran back to her shoulders, while her arms wrapped around me, pressing my breasts into hers through the soft fabric of her bra. My hands trailed across her shoulder blades then up to the back of her neck. All of my worries and hesitation faded as I held her, reassured that she would at least allow me this.

Her kisses became deliberately sloppy, her mouth opening wider, her tongue searching, twisting wildly in my mouth, sending a river of pleasure from my tongue, to my jaw, down my spine and to my throbbing clit. Her hands roamed across the skin of my back, grabbing at sensitive muscles, caressing firmly over my ribs before returning to my waist.

Suddenly she swung us around, the bed at the back of my knees. She pushed me softly back onto the bed, climbing on top of me as the satin sheets came into contact with my bare shoulders.

Her tongue swirled loosely in my mouth, spinning mine into the same motion while one of her legs came between mine, pressing softly into the pulse at my center. Slowly she broke the kiss, lightly nipping my bottom lip before softly sucking it into her mouth.

My hands instinctively trailed down her arms to caress the toned muscle then back up to the nape of her neck, playing with her hair, the rest of her mane falling around us in a dark waterfall.

She sat up a bit, grabbed her hair and twisted it into a sloppy bun. Then she grabbed my hands, stretched my arms above my head and wrapped my fingers around one of the soft bars of the headboard.

"I know this is new for you, and I'll let you touch me more later, I promise," she leaned in, bringing her lips to my ear and whispered, "But right now, I want you to keep your hands right there."

I felt her tongue trace my earlobe, her teeth grazing over it briefly before she moved down to my neck, running circles around it, sucking on my skin while her tongue traced patterns on me.

I shivered beneath her tongue, squirming under her as one of her knees raised slightly to press into my center, pushing gently into my clit.

I wanted all these clothes off, but I kept my hands still, feeling more vulnerable than I ever had as the position of my arms forced a slight arch in my back, pushing my breasts out.

Her hands squeezed gently around my waist, and traced slowly up my stomach, my skin twitching from the softness of her touch. Her right hand slid around my ribs and to my back, pushing me up into her while the other slid up to my left breast, her fingertips tracing feather light touches to my hardened nipple.

I sucked in a sharp breath, trying to keep my breathing steady.

Her deep kisses moved from my neck, down to my chest. Her tongue pushed at the skin as she bit and sucked, hard enough to leave hickeys behind.

I was only faintly aware of the sound of my soft whimpering, as I was trying to focus on keeping my grip on the headboard.

I looked down at her head while she pressed kisses between my breasts, palming one with her hand as her lips reached my stomach, the hand beneath me pushing up at my lower back. This brought me higher off the bed, closer to her as she all but pushed me into her mouth, biting and sucking at the skin of my stomach.

My breathing became ragged, especially when she got to the waist of my pants. My hands squeezed tight onto the bar, my body twisting and squirming under her.

Her left hand started to play with my nipple, pinching lightly and rolling it between her fingers while her other hand unbuckled my pants.

I shifted trying to help her get them off.

"Hold still, Love," she said, her voice low and dripping with lust, her eyes roaming over my body.

"We're not in a rush," then she pulled at my pants from the thigh, revealing my hips and leaning in to nip at them.

I whimpered again, unable to stop myself, squirming, begging with my body for her to move faster.

She took her time still, slowly increasing the pressure of her fingers on my nipple.

She pulled my pants from the other thigh, bit my hip, kissed across my exposed mound.

With her right hand, she reached beneath my ass, grabbed my pants and panties, and slid them down my legs, tossing them behind her.

I looked into her eyes, expecting her to look almost crazed with lust. Instead she looked at peace, like she was completely in her element, almost the way she looked when she was sculpting glass. When she was making art.

My breathing deepened. She leaned down, turned her head and kissed back and forth between my knees. Slowly she traced bites and kisses down my thighs, all while slowly increasing pressure on my nipple.

I panted heavily, my body twisting, rising off the bed in anticipation.

Finally she got all the way down my thighs, pausing where they met. I held my breath thinking this is where she would taste me. Instead she kissed her way up my stomach, up to the nipple she had been tantalizing and took it and half my tit into her mouth.

I groaned, my back arching. Her head twisted back and forth as she tried to fit as much of my titty into her mouth as she could. Then she moved to the other, which was somehow more sensitive from watching the other get all the attention.

I hissed through my teeth, flexing my fingers open but keeping my arms above my head.

My panting was heavier, my whimpers louder. I could feel myself dripping onto her sheets.

She trailed these large kisses down my body, trying to get as much of me into her mouth as she could, trailing all the way down to my pussy.

For a few seconds she hovered over me, her breath caressing my throbbing clit.

I whimpered, my legs falling to the sides to open fully for her.

Finally she placed her lips over me, kissing slowly and softly while she explored my pussy.

The tip of her tongue ran up my slit, circled loosely around my clit, back down my slit to dip into my opening and back up in a constant figure eight.

My hands tightened their grip again, pulling at the headboard as my hips rose and fell in waves, grinding slowly against Raven's tongue. My moaning got louder and louder and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Then she traced back and forth over my clit, changing the direction of the figure eight and dipping deeper into me with every pass at my center. After the fourth pass she started the pattern over, dipping shallow and going deeper and deeper with each pass.

My legs spread further, my back arching off the bed as I learned just how long her tongue was. I went quiet as my breath caught in my throat, the silence filled with Raven's moan into my pussy.

My breath escaped in a long, high pitched moan, my legs bouncing slightly, twitching as I pulled so hard on the headboard that I slid up the bed.

Raven's hands went from holding loosely around my ribs to gripping the joining of my hips and thighs, pulling me back down into her mouth and holding tight so I didn't slide again.

Gently she sucked my clit into her mouth, circling with a soft pressure before dipping back to my opening.

"Fuck Raven," I moaned as her tongue pushed deep into me, swirling in a wide motion, caressing my walls.

"Fuuuuck Raveennn," I squealed while she moved her tongue into a wave, mimicking that 'come here' motion.

I pulled at the headboard again but went nowhere as Raven tightened her grip, keeping me in her mouth, her upper lip rubbing softly at my clit.

That was it, that was all I could take. I wailed, my body rocking violently as I arched up off the bed, my legs kicking out, my feet trying to grip something but slipping against the satin of the sheets.

Raven moaned loudly into me while my grip on the headboard tightened to almost painful levels.

Every inhale was a gasp, every exhale a shallow panting, my eyes roaming the room, the colors swirling together. I looked down at her, my mouth and eyes wide. She looked up at me, seductively intense, a knowing glint in her eyes, tonguing me through my orgasm, her lip still rubbing up and down my clit.

My eyes rolled back, and the last thing I remembered was my hands letting go of the headboard and going limp above my head.

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Raven pulled her tongue out of Mira's pussy, savoring the sweet flavor of her.

Her own body was humming, arousal peaked from the sound of Mira's cries of pleasure. She looked over her fully now, hands still above her head, nipples pointed, stomach rising and falling, legs splayed open, her pussy glistening, the sheets soaked beneath her.

She smiled, satisfied with herself.

Mira didn't have to stay, but they both knew she wanted to. Maybe she was afraid that sex with Raven wouldn't be enjoyable for her with Raven preferring little to no touch. Raven's heart fluttered with the clear evidence that this was not the case.

She slid up the bed and next to Mira, gently closing one of her legs and pulling a throw over them.

"Hey, Mira, you okay?" She mumbled, placing a kiss on her cheek.

Mira, hummed a slight response but didn't open her eyes, didn't move.

Raven's eyes roamed over the beautiful features of Mira's face, thinking not only of her taste but of what it felt like to be touched by her.

Half the reason she preferred for her partners not to touch her was because touch felt almost commanding and intrusive to her. The women she'd been with wanted to grab at her, pulling frantically, some even scratching her back till she bled, pinching her too hard in the heat of their pleasure.

But Mira had been soft, searching, mapping her body. The contrast of her expectations was almost too much for her in the moment. She couldn't think, couldn't concentrate on what she wanted to do to Mira with her fingers on her like that.

So she'd put them where she wanted them. But she recognized that this time it was for a different reason, that this time she had enjoyed her touch.

A small part of her wanted to experience it again, the softness, the timid exploration that felt more like a curious question than a demand.

She threw an arm over Mira's waist, tired but excited to wake up to her, to see the expression on her face as she remembered what they had done.

The faces Mira made while she came replayed in Raven's vision.

The sounds of her moans echoed in Raven's head.

Her last thoughts before drifting to sleep; she couldn't wait to hear her moan again, she couldn't wait to see what other sounds she could draw from her, how far she could take her pleasure.

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I turned into the warmth of Raven's body. The arm around my waist tightened and I threw one of mine across her shoulder, tucking myself into her chest. She smelled faintly like cinnamon.

I took a deep breath, drawing the scent of her in, my exhale further relaxing my body.

My body.

The memories came crashing in on me like a tsunami. Waves of flashbacks sending shivers down my spine, whimpers escaped my lips before I could stop them.

Her kisses.

She was so gentle with me, and yet so demanding. My fingers remembered the death grip they fought to maintain on the headboard. They ached from their compliance.

Her caresses.

My arms were sore from pulling so hard. So were my back and legs.

"Good morning Mira," Raven's morning voice was deep and raspy.

"Good morning," I whispered, my pussy throbbing to say good morning too.

Raven brought her hand to my chin, tilting it towards her as she leaned back to look at me.

"How'd you sleep?" She smirked, her eyes low and searching.

"I slept good," I whispered again, looking away from her, over her shoulder, down at her chest, anywhere but her eyes.

"Just good?" she leaned closer, her lips daring me to move.

I looked up at her again, a shy smiling spreading across my face without permission.

"Really good," I bit my lip.

"Hmm," Raven hummed as if she were both satisfied and dissatisfied with my answer.

She rolled on top of me, and slid down a bit, bringing us face to face, her forehead pressed gently against mine.

"I slept good too," She reached down to place a soft kiss on my lips.

"But I woke up hungry," she said, sliding down and away from me. I assumed she was going to the kitchen, but she stopped at my knees, pulling them apart.

"Oh," I gasped in surprise as her tongue brushed over my throbbing clit.

"She's awake too," Raven murmured, a hint of humor in her voice.

"Yea, she's still thinking about last night,"

"So am I," she kissed my clit.

"If you start me up now, we might not make it out of the bed Raven," I laughed lightly.

"There's nowhere else I want to be," she said before spreading my lips with her thumbs and taking my clit into her mouth, sucking lightly.

I hummed low in my throat, my hands reaching for her instinctively before I remembered she might not like that, and threw them out to my sides.

She sucked slowly, patiently drawing me in and out of her mouth, my breathing matching her pace, the sensations passing through the rest of my body.

She reached up with one hand and grabbed one of mine, placing it on her shoulder. I squeezed faintly at the muscle, running my thumb across her skin in appreciation as she worked my clit.

That same hand then went around my waist, gripping me and pulling me further into her mouth.

She didn't speed up, didn't change rhythm, the only slight change was her moving her tongue lightly against the tip of my clit, never fluttering or circling. Just pressing it softly while she sucked, pulling my bud up against it.

Her other hand rubbed deep circles into the muscle of my hip, adding a layer of intimacy I wasn't expecting.

I brought my other hand to her other shoulder, fighting to remain gentle as my orgasm started to build. I grazed my nails in a feather light trail across her skin, making her breath hitch, her shoulder twitching slightly.

For a second I thought she would stop, maybe grab my hands and remove them.

Instead she made another change. She sucked me into her mouth just the same, but instead of simply releasing the suction, she applied more pressure, using her lips to push my clit out of her mouth. Now even the release was intense, her lips caressing me briefly before she sucked me in again, each pull starting from the tip.

Slowly, softly, sensually massaging my clit.

Then her tongue started to dance, smoothly, slick as silk across my clit, a wave caressing the underside, faintly touching the tip. A deep shudder ran through me, my hips rising, my feet sliding against the satin sheets.

My body moved on its own accord, lifting slowly off the bed. My fingers went numb.

The orgasm built powerfully, but it didn't explode, didn't rock, didn't stun.

It washed over my body, a static heat pouring throughout me like liquid, up to the crown of my head, down to my toes, intensifying as she gradually increased the tempo.

I had to have been levitating, because I could no longer feel the satin of the sheets.

I could no longer feel the sounds coming from my mouth but I could hear them.

I was singing, moaning her name in a song of praise.

What the hell was she doing to me?

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When I returned, even my breathing was a song.

She smiled at me from between my thighs, placing a soft kiss on my clit that made my body jump hard. She liked that apparently, because she did it again, and again, a new smirk forming after every jump.

Then she ran her tongue over my center, carefully drinking in my nectar.

My body shook, as I fought to steady my breath.

Finally she sat up, "I love that I can make you sing for me. You sing like an angel."

My cheeks were on fire.

"You stay right there as long as you need, I'm gonna make breakfast," She licked her lips before she got up and sauntered out of the room. Her smile stayed behind, lingering in my mind.

I stretched out on the bed, aching deliciously in all the right places.

My mind wandered slightly. Have I ever had such an effect on women?

It was actually crazy to me, to think that she could do so much with so little.

She was incredibly skilled.

But so was I.

I couldn't explain even to myself what it was.

Reciprocal energy? Competitiveness?

I just knew that I wanted to enjoy the pleasure of rocking her world.

Knowing she could make me come like that made me want to eat her even more.

Not just to show her what I could do, but to give her the experience of having such pleasure reciprocated, returned to her with the same intensity.

I wrestled with comprehending her preference and feeling almost as if my own affections were being rejected. Unwelcomed.

I knew I would feel like this. Craving something I couldn't have.

Frustration pooled in my eyes as I wondered why I couldn't just be happy to be served, to be pleased?

Raven walked in at that moment, a hand towel draped over one shoulder, "How do you like your- what's wrong?" She crossed to the bed in two strides of her long legs, her face dropping into concern.

"Nothing, I'm fine," I smiled.

"Something," She slid an arm under me and pulled me to her, shocking me with her tenderness.

"This isn't the look of someone who just sang for me,"

My smile turned shy. She was right.

"I'm okay, just a lot on my mind," I jumped out of her arms and went looking for my clothes before she could ask me more questions.

She gave me a look but nodded and with a quiet sigh she walked back into the kitchen.

Once I was dressed I followed her to the kitchen.

"Fried," I told her, right before she cracked the first egg.

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Mateo paced the floor of Mr. Gramble's wood paneled living room. His brother Matthew sat on the couch, his hands going back and forth between squeezing each other and running through his hair. They were a mess.

A heavy knock sounded at the door. Mateo lunged toward the door and after taking a steadying breath, swung it open.

Daniel Specklen stepped into the room, Gringe standing behind him, large and imposing. They were both draped in black cloaks.

An eerie smile stretched across Daniel's face.

"It's time for action boys," He said, reaching to shake Mr. Gramble's hand, "You've done a fantastic job Gramble. I barely recognize these idiots."

Gramble bowed his head humbly in thanks, "It's what I do."

Daniel moved deeper into the living room, pulling a piece of paper from his cloak pocket.

"Part two is ready. It's been long enough that the infected should be just about ready to break. They're going to be desperate to get back to normal, especially before the next gala. I have their addresses here. You two will personally visit each of them and deliver this offer to them. You will say this verbatim."

He handed them the paper.

It was a message acknowledging their situation and claiming they could have a cure if they met Daniel in a specific location at a specific time.

The twins shook their heads as they read. The infected were being instructed to pay 10 million per person for the cure.

Mateo looked at Daniel incredulously, "There were at least twenty names on that list. With this much money you'll own half the city."

"That's only the upfront payment. They'll pay that again to get the second half of the cure, and you won't tell them all upfront. You'll tell five of them first so they can vouch for the cure," Daniel smiled.

"And then our debt will be cleared?" Matthew asked.

Daniel's face darkened, "Didn't I tell you not to ask me that anymore? The answer is no. Consider us family. You aren't going anywhere and if you try to stab me in the back you'll be executed before you can get out of the city. Now plan your route. I want a report in the next three days."

Then Daniel left, Gringe turning to stare at the twins before exiting, a reminder that he could personally hurt them if he was ordered to do so. Maybe even without orders. His loyalty to Daniel was extreme, and the twins knew better than to think they could win against him.

No matter how much they did for Daniel their backs were always against the wall.

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Mira had insisted on cleaning the kitchen after breakfast which gave Raven some time alone in the shop. Owen must have stepped out as he was nowhere to be found.

Raven grabbed her tools and base glass and began working, her mind made up about what she wanted.

She manipulated the molten glass as it spun, focused on delicate details.

She had only made this kind of piece a few times and although it got easier each time, she never let go of how serious it was, how focused she had to be to do it correctly.

She took her time, crafting the glass into exact dimensions, smoothing it into perfection before she was satisfied with her work.

Finally, she placed it into the annealer, selected her settings and started to clean her space, sweat dripping from her chin as she gathered her tools.

She sat down then and looked over at one of the far corners where Owen had set up a cot for himself to sleep on last night.

Her feelings were mixed between slight guilt over Owen sleeping there and the appreciation of him giving her some time alone with Mira.

That woman was going to get whatever she wanted out of Raven. She thought back to Mira's fingers on her this morning, scratching gently across her shoulders while she brought her to the peak of her pleasure.

Once again, the thought crossed her mind that she thoroughly enjoyed her touch, going so far as to deliberately place Mira's hands on her. The memory made her smile, just as much as the sound of Mira's singing. When she had first begun to moan her name, Raven was already pleased with herself, but when Mira's voice started to reach that silky crescendo, Raven was shocked. She'd never made a woman moan like that and the sound itself heightened the entire experience for Raven, her body responding immediately, pleasure washing over her.

Her mind drifted to the sexy look in Mira's eyes as she ate her, her lids heavy, her lips parted, her chest heaving.

She was quickly becoming addicted, already excited for the next time she would get to hear those moans, taste her sweet juices coating her tongue, feel the smoothness of her skin beneath her finger tips, Mira's body twitching slightly as she --

"Hey," Owen said, interrupting her thoughts.

She spun around to see him setting down a large bag.

"Hey," she returned, "What's in the bag?"

Owen pulled a small, foam mattress from the bag, and a small set of linens.

"Just some stuff so I can get comfortable down here."

"Owen, you didn't have to do that."

Owen waved her off, "Please, I could hear you guys from down here." he punctuated with a set of gear exposed headphones dangling from his fingers.

"Trust me I'm fine with this, okay. I'm just happy you guys worked it out," He smiled, a slight 'I-told-you-so' twinkling in his eyes.

Raven caught it and couldn't even stop herself from smiling back, "It wasn't supposed to go like that, when she showed up yesterday I just--"

"Raven, you don't have to explain yourself to me. I told you what I thought before she came over, Miss 'It's not like that between us,'"

Raven turned away from him then, her smile stretching farther as she realized just how much she'd been lying to herself.

"Hey," Owen started again, "Remember when, last night you were like 'You can't just do a complete 180 like that' and then she knocked on the door and you did a complete 180?"

"Okayy Owen, I get it!" Raven laughed then, dropping her head into her hands as the emotions washed over her.

She'd folded under very minimal pressure. It had been so easy to reject Mira when she was angry, even easier when she wasn't around and Raven thought she'd never show up to the Shortlight, especially because of what she'd had to endure the last time she came around.

The realization that Mira had taken that chance, and come to the Shortlight at night, just to see her, made Raven's stomach tighten. She had a sudden urge to run upstairs and hold her, kiss her, please her until she sang for her again.

"Umm, Raven, what's this in the annealer?"

Raven snapped back to reality, watching as Owen's eyebrows raised high on his forehead, a bewildered grin overtaking his face.

"That's my business Owen," Raven raised an eyebrow.

"As big as that thing is, it's gonna be my business too! I have to sleep here Raven, good God." he laughed.

Raven felt her cheeks heat up as she, unsuccessfully fought back the smile stretching her lips.

"So, you spend one night with her and you're already claiming her huh?" Owen asked, a curious expression on his face.

"Well, it won't be ready for a few days so, I'll get to spend a few nights with her before--"

"Ooookay," Owen exclaimed.

Raven was like a sister to him, and although talking about sex had always been easy for them, especially since they were both into women, this particular situation was strange to him.

He'd never seen Raven so obsessed so quickly, he always thought of his cousin as a player. She loved the thrill of pulling women in but didn't plan to keep them around long. This time, Owen could see she was clearly all in. It was even more hilarious to him that she'd gone so far after saying she didn't want this girl only last night.

Raven was also painfully aware of the sudden and powerful shift in her feelings. Raven knew that Mira was beautiful, artistic, brave, resilient. But finding out that she was also gentle and sweet, had an unexpected effect on her.

Mira was quite the artist, both Glaciers knew this, but it was surprising to them how she could sculpt Raven's heart too, with nothing but a look and a song.