Satyr Play 02 Pt. 01

Tish chuckled at Roger's annoyed look.

"Did anyone else see the northern lights over the city?" Sandy asked excitedly.

"Careful, Roger will claim the Northern Lights are camouflage for UFOs!" Tish teased.

They slipped into an easy banter, and Henry sat back and listened to the flow. When prompted, he offered a word or two but mostly just listened.

These were his friends. He soaked in their happiness and how they included him. Well, the ladies did, at least. He got the impression that Roger was still holding him at arm's length.

Sandy, Tish, and Dayshia were feeling very comfortable with him now, and there was a lot of casual and affectionate touching, which Henry had never really experienced before. He was seriously becoming enthralled by the three beauties, and their smiles showed they could tell.

Dinner was delicious, and Henry agreed with Tish that the reviews were spot on, and this was absolutely a new favorite.

The dance club was many blocks away, so it would be another round of cabs. Tish insisted this time that Henry would go with her and Roger would share one with the others.

Sandy flagged down a taxi, jumped in with Dayshia and Roger, and they were off.

It took a few more minutes before Tish managed to flag another empty taxi down. She squeezed in next to Henry even though there was plenty of room in the back seat. He looked at her curiously, and she smiled happily as she took his hand.

"I'm so looking forward to dancing with you! I was thrilled to hear from Sandy that you were joining us tonight," she said, biting her lip.

The sight of her lip caught between her white teeth trapped his eyes, and he felt himself drawn towards her.

Suddenly, Henry felt his balance shift as the car veered to the right. He slammed up against the window, clocking his head against the glass.

"Ow! What the hell!?!" Henry growled at the driver while rubbing his temple. He looked around to see what they'd swung around so dramatically.

The driver glanced in the mirror curiously. Incredulous at his callous attitude, Henry looked to Tish to see how she was. He was surprised to see her looking just a little upset.

"If you didn't want to kiss me, you could have just said so," she said quietly.

"What? Of course, I want to kiss you, but the taxi just veered into the next lane!" he said equally quiet.

She looked at him cautiously. "The taxi didn't change course at all. We've been traveling forward for a few minutes."

He blinked at her. "But... I felt a distinct vector change. I felt the gee's tug me to the left. I think I even heard you call out for help when it happened."

Now, she looked worried. She pulled his face close and looked at his pupils. She used her cell phone flashlight to test his pupil dilation and saw no signs of a concussion. Finally, she sat back and shook her head. "I didn't say anything. You were leaning in for a kiss, and then you pulled away sharply and banged your head on the window."

He saw she was still upset, and he could not explain his distinct recollection of being pulled to the left and the cry for help. He sighed internally. Another freaking mystery. However, he could deal with one issue right now.

He put a serious expression on his face. "There's only one way to see what happened. Re-enactment."

Tish's lips curved up slightly at his studious look.

"I believe you were there, and you were biting your lip...." She did it again, and a thrill shot through him. This time, his lips found hers, and they were kissing passionately.

"We're here."

Henry pulled back to blink at the driver. "Oh, right." He paid the driver as Tish was still recovering.

He reached around her and opened her door. He helped her out of the taxi, and the cooler air finally got through Tish's dazzled mind. "Wait, I was supposed to pay for the taxi!"

"You cheapskate!" Roger barked as he appeared next to them on the sidewalk. He aimed a punch at Tish's arm, but Henry caught Roger's fist in his palm. It was a gentle enough punch, but Henry couldn't let anyone hurt Tish. He shook his head at Roger, who pouted at him.

"Hey! There's a big difference between my momentary forgetfulness and your deliberate action," Tish barked as she glared at Roger.

"What distracted you from your arrival here?" Dayshia said knowingly with a big grin on her face.

Tish was wearing smudge-proof lipstick, so she just grinned and looped her arms through Sandy's and Dayshia's as she moved towards the line for the club. Henry and Roger followed.

"I thought you said you weren't going to hurt Sandy?" Roger whispered to Henry.

"Does she look hurt to you?" Henry whispered back as he gestured to the smiling woman. "I told you, she hasn't asked to be exclusive."

They had to wait in line for some time as it slowly inched forward. Henry was beginning to wonder if this was the dance club experience. They spent the time people-watching and a lot more casual touching. Henry was in heaven!

Eventually, they reached the front of the line, and the doorman let their group inside. Roger and Henry had to pay a door charge, but the ladies got in for free.

Dayshia immediately pulled them all out onto the dance floor. Henry squeaked nervously as he hadn't fortified his courage with alcohol first.

He did his best to relax and flow with the music, but he was overly conscious of the position of his feet and his arms. After the second number, Roger took pity on him and dragged him to the bar.

"We need you to get some happy juice in you so you can relax!" Roger said into his ear. The bar area was very busy, so Roger took Henry's order, a simple rum and coke, and waded into the crowd. When he returned with drinks in hand, he didn't let Henry pay for his. "I shouldn't have stiffed you in the taxi. It's my treat."

"Thanks!" Henry said. He took a sip and reeled back a little. "Wow! That's strong!"

Roger shook his head. "They use a strongly flavored Rum." He saw the ladies waving at them to come back to the floor. "Bottoms up, the ladies are waiting!" Roger bellowed and tossed back his drink.

Henry gaped at the man, then looked to see Sandy beckoning. He tossed his drink back and went into a coughing fit. That was awful rum!

Roger grinned at him as he'd ordered a double, then threw in a shot he'd bought separately. He almost giggled, knowing how hard this was going to hit Henry.

One drink? Pussy.

They rejoined the ladies and picked up where they left off, and after only a couple of songs, Henry began to feel more comfortable shaking his ass to the music. He turned and shook his ass at Sandy, and the ladies hooted and cheered. He also felt some groping, but it didn't bother him too much. Roger seemed to be having a good time as well.

While Sandy continued dancing with Henry, Tish, Dayshia, and Roger searched for a table. He was very relaxed by this point. The number slowed down, and he felt Sandy's body press up against his. There was the occasional bump from strangers on the crowded dance floor.

He smiled at Sandy, then her lips were on his, and he went with it. She slid her tongue into his mouth, and he chased it with his. He slid his hands down to her ass and squeezed her cheeks, making her moan into his mouth.

He felt so good! Warm and tingly. The other dancers were still rubbing against them unintentionally. Without warning, heat rushed down his neck and sides, continuing through his limbs. Sandy moaned and kissed him deeper, which just fueled his heat. He lifted her up against his chest as she ground her pelvis against his.

The heat surged through him again, and Sandy's silky hair engulfed his head.

Someone crashed into Henry's back, and he stumbled forward only to trip over the bodies of a couple writhing in ecstasy on the floor. He somehow kept his footing as Sandy clung to his chest. Her legs wrapped around his hips. She was running her tongue along his neck, and that felt too good.

"HHNNRRYY!"

He turned and spotted Roger also on his feet amongst the writhing bodies. The man was holding a wet bar towel over his mouth and nose and gesturing frantically for Henry to follow him as he scrambled away, carefully avoiding the bodies.

Henry wanted to lie down with Sandy and make love to her until she screamed enough! Instead, he forced himself to carry her over the orgy, down a corridor to a back door where police were grabbing people as they left and passed them back.

Henry was still burning up, and the hands grabbing him started to travel over his body. In a moment of clarity, he suddenly knew he had to get away. His face was still largely covered by Sandy's soft hair, and the alley was dark and chaotic, so there was a chance.

Sandy was rocking and trembling through a release caused by the grinding and jostling as he carried her out. She panted against his neck, sending shivers up his spine.

He saw Roger hacking and coughing against the far wall with a wide-eyed Tish and Dayshia by his side.

"Roger!" he croaked.

A fight suddenly broke out in the crowd behind Henry as passions flared erratically and chaos exploded in the narrow alley.

Roger reached forward to take Sandy when Henry pulled her from his chest. The crowd behind him crashed into his back. Hands grabbed him and pulled him into the mass as he watched his friends staring at him in dismay. A fist struck his cheekbone, and he heard Dayshia scream. Then, he was lost in a sea of jostling, groping, and pushing bodies. Strong hands grabbed his arms from behind and dragged him bodily through the chaos into the deeper shadows.

He heard a gate open and close then he was placed back on his feet. He found himself walking unsteadily along a sidewalk. His arm was being held only to provide support. He looked at his guide and saw Ikehorn glaring up at him.

"You need to suppress your pheromones!" the Fae growled.

"How?" he slurred.

The Fae stopped to stare at him. "Are you drunk?" he asked incredulously.

Henry rocked on his feet as he tried to focus on Ikehorn's face. "Shit! I only had one—" Light dawned slowly. "Bastard spiked my drink."

Ikehorn wanted to beat the drunk senseless, but his Queen had plans for him. He sighed.

"Contain it. Pull it in and compress it until you can lock it away," the Fae said slowly as he looked into Henry's glassy eyes.

Henry felt the heat radiating outward from his core to the ends of his fingers, toes, and other parts. It made him feel like a balloon.

Contain it. Okay.

Closing his eyes, he envisioned the balloon deflating, getting smaller and smaller, shrinking down inside his body, centered on his core. The smaller the balloon got, the smaller the ball of heat became. It also became hotter as it shrank, but he did his best to ignore that as it became a pinpoint of white-hot plasma. He imagined sealing it inside a small glass bottle deep inside him. When the cork went on, he opened his eyes and felt at peace.

Ikehorn was staring at him oddly again.

"Are you sure you aren't a wielder?" the Fae asked quietly.

Henry made some sudden hand movements approximating what he'd seen Master Inquisitor Leaharin do, and Ikehorn's eyes flew wide in fright.

Nothing happened, of course, and Henry began to laugh loudly. "Sorry, man, that was too easy!"

Infuriated, Ikehorn pulled on Henry's arm to drag him down the street. He pushed him into the front passenger seat of the surveillance van and buckled him in. He got behind the wheel and glanced over at the drunk, who had the oddest look of concentration on his face.

"Do you hear them?" Henry mumbled, suddenly lurched to the right, and slammed his right temple against the window.

"Owwww!" Henry moaned as he gently touched his bruised face.

Ikehorn snorted in disgust and got the van moving. The next time he looked over the Satyr was half asleep. He'd get the drunk home, then he'd be done protecting this damn fool! He would go immediately to speak with his Queen. He'd collected the evidence she needed.

The Human females the Satyr was with tonight were special to him. They were his weakness.

Henry dozed but struggled to remain awake as the voices became clearer and more desperate.

He felt the van moving, but eventually, it stopped. He was pulled from the vehicle and marched to the front door of his building. He fumbled with his keys and got into the lobby. Ikehorn looked like he might leave, but Henry wobbled. Cursing under his breath, Ikehorn led Henry to the elevator, took him to his floor, and went out into the hall.

Michelle Beaumont was leaving her unit when she saw the Fae struggling to get Henry to walk down the hall. She was immediately suspicious of the man's intent, especially when she saw the bruises on Henry's face.

"What happened to Henry?" she asked, a little sharper than she intended.

The Fae sighed as he stared at the woman. "He's drunk and got into a fight. I pulled him out and brought him home. He can take it from here." With that, he leaned Henry against the wall, returned to the elevator, and took it down.

Michelle moved closer and smelled the alcohol on Henry's breath. "Why did you drink so much?" She muttered to herself.

"One... spiked... Roger," Henry mumbled as he struggled to stay awake.

Michelle didn't know who Roger was. Uneasily, she put her arm around Henry and gently guided him to his condo. She used his key to open the door and helped him inside. He kicked off his shoes, so she did the same, then walked him into his bedroom.

The bed was on the floor!

She tried to set him down gently, but the moment he felt the mattress under him, Henry's body went slack, and he collapsed onto it, tugging her down with him. Michelle lost her balance and ended up sprawled over Henry's chest.

"Mmmmmm..." he purred, his eyes closed.

Michelle was frozen. She'd never been with a man before, and here she was in bed with one! Granted, he was almost unconscious. Strangely, that made it easier for her. He wasn't holding her down, and she was in complete control.

As she rested on his strong body, she knew she should get off, but he felt so good, and he didn't seem to mind. She watched his mouth.

She couldn't.

She wouldn't.

Nervously watching his closed eyes, she shifted slightly higher on his body and trembled when he adjusted his position under her. She could feel his breath on her face, and aside from the spice of the rum, it wasn't too bad. His eyes were still closed, but he had a little smile on his lips. She dipped her face closer, then closer still, until her lips touched his. At first, he didn't move, and she held her breath. She was enjoying this!

Then, ever so gently, he nibbled her lower lip with his and sparks shot through her body.

Her hand was on the door handle, leaving his condo before she knew she was fleeing. She closed the door again and rested her head against it, heart pounding. She looked over her shoulder and then made her way back to the door of the bedroom. He was sound asleep and still smiling. She sighed in relief. Her lips still tingled, but she'd had enough excitement for tonight.

She left his keys on the coffee table and went to the front door to slip her shoes back on. She spun a long thread of strong silk and looped it over one side of the deadbolt handle. Then she opened the door and looped the silk under the door. Stepping out into the hall, she closed the door behind herself and tugged on the silk. The deadbolt snapped into place, and she coiled the thread and tucked it into a pocket as she walked down the hall toward the elevator. As she stepped inside, she smiled and touched her lips.

She hoped Henry had sweet dreams.

-=-

Mary now had even more questions for Henry. She had no doubt he was somehow involved in the subway gas attack.

She'd found his address and arrived at his condo to see him leave in a taxi with another man. A second taxi following them had three nicely dressed ladies in it. She moved to follow, but a white van pulled out and cut her off. She held back and realized the van was tailing the taxis, so following it would follow Henry.

She observed the van while the group had dinner. One of the occupants followed the group into the restaurant and left before them. They took up the chase once more when the group headed out again. She figured out they were going to a club, and sure enough, the van stopped down the street from the venue, and the man exited once more and somehow managed to get into the club before the group.

Mary discovered stakeouts were tedious, but things got exciting when the patrons started running out the door and police began to arrive. When the van left without its second occupant, she made a split-second decision to follow it. It didn't go far. It stopped next to an alley two blocks away. She spotted Henry being helped along by the man who'd entered the club before them. He loaded Henry into the van, and she followed them back to Henry's condo, where she saw the man help a very drunk Henry inside. A short time later, the man returned, got in the van, and drove off.

Mary sat in a little park facing Henry's building, wondering if she should barge in and demand her answers now while he was drunk. She was confused and disappointed about his involvement in the second gas attack.

Finally, she decided to wait. She was tired of sneaking around. It was time to visit the lion's den.

She'd confront Henry at VRL directly.

-=-

Dark. Absolute dark. Crushing, draining dark.

Henry felt the tug again only this time it pulled his mind alone as his body rested. He felt the pull through the magic permeating his being. Magic he wasn't even aware of while awake. The distance he traveled flew by in an instant.

He found himself in a large room. He couldn't see anything, but it felt large and what sounds penetrated the walls gave the impression of cavernous space. Surrounding him, he could feel close to one hundred distinct minds, all waiting for him to do something.

He didn't know what they wanted. He couldn't see them, and that frustrated him.

Why was it so bloody dark?

Hunger.

That intense impression came from the minds around him. They were starving! The urgency to talk, to communicate with them was driving him to distraction as was the background of desperation he felt in his mind. Some of them were very weak. He moved around the room's perimeter, but there was no light or unlocked doors. He needed light as the minds did.

The rainbow! He could get some light into the room! He desperately reached towards the wall and used his will to rip space apart in a brilliant flare of multicolored light. He kept up the pressure, and the gap widened in the rippling rainbow. The space in the gap was filled with yellow skies, a red hillside, and the reddish-orange sun. It was low in the sky and shone its brilliant light straight through the gap to strike the still beings in the huge chamber. Light scattered everywhere as their bodies absorbed and directed the beam. Henry looked away from the gap and saw they were in a large school gymnasium!

He felt their collective sigh in his mind as the sunlight fed the beings he could now see. Henry was dazzled by how beautiful they were! Multicolored glass in a generally humanoid shape but in various shapes and sizes.

The prism effect within their bodies directed the light wider and further back until the light touched every glass being. They began to glow from within their cores. Henry felt their desperation easing, and a grand joy began to fill them. This light was exactly what they needed. It was where they needed to be. The glass beings began to move towards the opening. Henry was getting tired from holding it open, so he pushed his own urgency through his link to them, and they all moved faster. The closer they got to the rip to the alternate dimension, the more energy they pulled from the light and the faster they moved.