Free The Amulet by Lisa Phillips Page A

Nevar, if you don't mind. I left my name behind when I left my old life.
    The raven dipped his head and stretched out his wings once more. He flew from her shoulder, tossing a few strands of hair back with the force of his wings. She expected him to land, but instead, his body twisted and re-formed, stretching out flesh and the feathers retreating. Then, he stood there, his back to her. He was beautiful naked, even the scar etched across his shoulder blade added to his beauty, rather than subtracting from it. She caught herself staring and turned away, embarrassed, but was tempted to keep looking.
    "You are a shy one, or else a rare modest soul among your generation," he spoke from behind her.
    "I..., ah," she stammered, "a little of both, I suppose. I could never do nude modeling. People assumed my standards were above it, but that was only part of it." She was still a little breathless after seeing him in his rawest form. The picture of his strong legs, perfect butt, and rippling back sent a shiver down her spine and an ache in her that cried out to be satisfied. Once again, she fought to reign in the beast. She wasn't sure how long she could win this fight, eventually, the beast would win the war.
    His hands surprised her as they lighted upon her shoulders. She jumped and he laughed quietly. "It's lesson time."
    She took a deep breath, a rather unnecessary gesture, but effective in calming her and bringing the beast back under once more. "I'm ready. Tell me what I need to do."
    "No transforming tonight," he said. "At least not an animal form. Tonight, you learn to travel on your own."
    She was a little disappointed. Mist seemed like something of a let-down after Nevar's transformation, but it made more sense. If she could travel unaided, it would give her more freedom, and at least she knew what she would be turning into, not to mention she wouldn't lose her clothes in the process. She thought of being naked in front of Nevar with his strong hands on her bare skin. The beast reared its ugly head again and she shook her head to clear it.
    "Alyssa? Are you ready?"
    "Yes, sorry, Nevar. I'm just trying to clear my thoughts. There's still a little lingering chaos in my mind." It was a good lie, she thought. The fact was, her mind was all too clear.
    "That's not uncommon," he told her, seemingly unaware of her fib. "Now, when your mind is clear, think of where you want to go. See it in your mind and focus on it. When you've got a clear picture of it, then you can use your mind to make yourself lighter than air. I'll be here to help guide you."
    The first place that she thought of was home, her penthouse, her soft bed and the view from her balcony. She thought of the plush rugs draped on the floors and the way she relished how they felt beneath her bare feet.
    You're lighter than air...
    She wasn't sure if she heard it, or if she imagined it. Her eyes closed and she stretched her mind, willing herself to float above the air, but the weightless sensation never came.
    Let it come. Do not force it.
    She relaxed into herself. She tried to picture herself as a cloud, floating up and riding the winds, and looking down on the world. The destination was easy. She could have pointed out the building from a plane, her keener vision could have pinpointed the exact suite. it was the tallest building around, and the only one with an Olympic size swimming pool on top.
    Open your eyes, Alyssa.
    She did. She was weightless. Her senses were as aware as ever, but there was no substance to her being. The city lights shone like stars beneath her. She could feel Nevar's presence behind her still. She spotted the building she was looking for. She was unsure of how to descend towards it, but she focused on her destination, rather than the journey. She felt she was getting heavier. That was it! To ascend, she must be lighter than air, and to descend, she must slowly weigh herself down. She did no want to become solid too quickly, but she felt herself