Free Destiny of Three by Bryce Evans

he couldn’t pull away.  Sullivan’s lips were soft and they sparked every nerve in his body. 
    Sullivan’s tongue teased his as the other man pulled him closer.  Sky pulled away and gasped for air.  Nobody had ever made him feel like this. His eyes glowed as they stared at each other.  Wow, where were these emotions coming from?  Was this just lust he was feeling, or something more? 
    The door to the lodge opened and a sleigh pulled up at the same time, giving Sky an opportunity to leave before he made a terrible mistake.  He didn’t know how he felt about Sullivan Grayson, but he started to get up before he made a fool out of himself. 
    “I’ve got to go.”  Sky turned around and started to walk off.
    “Sky!”  Sullivan’s voice was raised just enough to be heard over the people talking.  He stopped and turned around.  “It’s just a kiss.  Don’t over-emphasize a kiss.   I like you and want to get to know you.”
    Sky nodded and went back into the lodge.  He felt stupid now. It was only a kiss.  He said not make more out of this than it is.  See, even he said it to you, so there wasn’t any mistake.  Don’t make more out of this than there is, he kept repeating to himself. 
    “Hey you.  Where did you go?” River asked her brother.
    “Outside for some fresh air.”  Sky smiled back at his sister as he watched a concerned look come over her face.  “I don’t think I told you before, but thank you for the party.  The box and the tools were the best gift I’ve ever had in my life.”    
    “Good.  I was worried that you might not want them or that you’d already purchased them,” River responded.
    “I love them.”  Sky kissed the top of River’s head as he hugged her.
    “We have cake!  I know how you love chocolate, and I ordered it from Cupcakes; I know how you love their cakes.  Come on and cut it before Jonas sticks his finger in it too much.  To be honest, I think he already has.”  River giggled as she told him about Jonas sticking his fingers in his cake then trying to cover it up.
    “We can’t have that.  Let’s go, because I want some of that cake for sure.”  Sky put his arm around his sister and led her back to the banquet room.
     
    ****
     
    Star backed up as the man came toward her.  He was bigger than any vampire she’d ever seen.  All he wanted was for River to tell him what his guard was thinking. 
    “I can’t do that,” River shouted at the vampire.  To make her do it he motioned to the guards that held Sky down, and told them to cut on his face a little more.
    The guards held Sky down and one took his knife out and started cutting down his face.  Sky yelled, “No, River.  Don’t do it.” 
    “I’ll try.  I’ll try,” River screamed, out then dropped to her knees as the guard continued cutting. 
    “Stop,” the vampire commanded.  “I thought you would see it my way.”  He chuckled as he stalked toward River.
    Star jerked awake, sobbing.  “No, no.”  Her heart was beating so fast she thought she was going to have a heart attack, and she was sobbing so hard she couldn’t breathe. 
    “Calm down, baby,” Jansen said, rubbing her arm up and down. 
    She hadn’t even known he was in bed with her.   “How…did….”  Star gasped for air.  She was so upset she still couldn’t catch her breath.
    “We were with you all night,” Banks told her. “Take a deep breath.  Good girl; now take another.”  He started rubbing circles on her back as Jansen went into the bathroom to get a cold washrag and lightly rubbed the tears off her face.  Her body was hot and sweaty, and Banks blew on her back as he softly rubbed the tension away.  She was still so tired that she lay back down beside Banks.  
    “Tell me what you saw.  I know it’s bad, and it’s about your brother and sister; and before you go off, I’m only trying to help so we can prepare for what might be coming.  I feel it, Star.  We can help,