16 - DECLAN
“Ithink we should start there.”
The heavy moment between Aric and Star breaks and everyone turns to look at me.
“Start where?” Quaid asks.
“With them.” I point to Aric and Star. “Clearly, they have a strong connection. She saw Aric in the maze and they were already…” I pause here, tying to find the right words. “They were already getting to know each other. And Aric saw her in the maze. Some kind of vision. They were talking to each other. Plus, he knew about her song. He knew the words.”
“No,” Aric is shaking his head. “She’s not gonna run the maze with me.”
“Why not?” Star asks.
“Why not?” Aric scoffs. “Because we’re gonna die, Star. Probably thousands of times. And I don’t want you to go through that. It’s… soul crushing. I would never ask you to help me. Not at that cost.”
Star smiles. “You didn’t ask. I offered.”
“All of this is pointless,” Quaid says. “We can talk about how to get out after we figure out the power structure. Aric, it’s not upto you. We’re all involved here. If Star wants to use her power to get us out of this maze, then I say yes.”
“You would,” Aric says. “You’re nothing but a selfish piece-of-shit mortal.”
“OK,” I say, stepping between them. Then I look at Aric. “He’s right, though. You’re jumping ahead. You and I need to figure out how our powers combine with Star’s.”
“Figure it out?” Quaid asks. “Figure what out? We’ve done that part. It’s… sexual.” And the strangest thing about these words he says, is the way he says them. Especially the last part. Because it comes with a bit of longing.
Which I understand, I guess. He’s been left out. He’s got no powers to share with Star so, he’s jealous. Maybe even feeling a thirst for her, as he hinted a few minutes ago, despite the growing animosity between them.
He’s also right. There’s no point in pretending. Itissexual. I mean, perhaps one could coax our powers into mingling with some exceptional feelings of joy or probably fear, as well.
But sex—it’s just too easy compared to that.
Not to mention more pleasurable.
“Go on,” I say, pushing Aric towards the bathroom. “It’s your turn.”
Star looks unabashedly excited about this, so I smile and point to her. “Aric, look at her. She wants you, bro. Shewantsyou. Give her what she wants.”
“That’s not fair,” Star says. “I mean, I do want him.” Her gaze glides up to Aric’s and wow, she really does. It’s like she’s picturing his cock inside her right now. But then her eyes come back to me and they go a little lazy. Half hooded, so to speak. Like she’s got a fantasy of me rolling around in her head as well. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you too.”
Funny thing is, it’s my cock that gets hard here. Not Aric’s. I’m not ashamed to admit I looked. I reach for her, running myfingers through her long, dark hair. “I’ll be right here waiting when you’re done.”
She bites her lip, trying her best not to smile, but not entirely succeeding. And then, inside my head I hear her voice. Her thoughts, actually.If it were up to me, I’d take you both at once.
And it’s not just a fantasy on my part, because in this same instant, she blushes a very bright pink.
I chuckle. “Any time, darlin’. Just say the word.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Star says.
But she does. And she and I both know that.
There’s a connection being made here. Between her and I, and her and Aric and… I like it.
I like all of it.
“Go on,” I say, pushing Aric towards the bathroom again. “Quaid and I will hang out over here to give you two kids some privacy.”
But it’s not me who gets Aric’s feet moving, it’s Star. She takes him by the hand, encouraging him to follow her with a tug.
