Sitting up was a gradual process. With sleepy eyes, Lizabeth reached for the phone and proceeded to lie her ass off while calling in for the first time ever in her five-year career. Deborah, the other paralegal at the office, sounded as if maybe she didn't believe Lizabeth's story about being sick. Lizabeth wouldn't budge. There was no coming in for a half day. In the end Deborah was forced to buy into it.
"Who cares? Let them check my attendance records. This is the first fucking time I've ever called in." Lizabeth griped to herself after hanging up the phone. "With my luck... just for this I'll get sick for real tomorrow." She chuckled lightly to herself.
Quickly her thoughts returned to the night before on the sofa. One corner of her mouth turned upward in a lopsided smile. If only he had been there.
"Antony... " she whispered to herself and glanced at the mirror that still hung there on her wall as a constant reminder. A reminder of what she was so close to having, yet it was so far from her reach. Literally worlds away. When she slept, did he watch and yearn to be by her side?
Slowly, she slid off of the bed and walked toward the antique mirror. The smile turned to a bittersweet expression as she lifted a finger to trace one of the little cherub's wings. Looking into the glass itself at her own reflection, Lizabeth wondered if he was watching this very moment. Lowering her face to the mirror's surface, Lizabeth pressed a kiss against the glass. Inching closer, her breasts touched the glass. The first brush of the cold surface sent a shock through her entire body. The heat from her breath fogged up a small area, leaving the perfect print of her full lips.
"A promise." She said softly prior to backing away. They would meet again, Lizabeth was too determined not to let things end this way without a fight.
Lizabeth turned on her heel quickly and strolled into the living room where she had left the journal. It still sat on the table, where it had been left.
"Damn!" she slapped her knee "I didn't save my place. How stupid can a person get?"
She slid a hand through her unkempt hair and began thumbing through the musty old book with a vengeance. She passed the sketches and doodles that marked the pages she had read the night before. Flipping through a handful of pages afterwards showed nothing of importance. A lot of rambling about the chores, Rosalia's parents, even a horse, "Cinnamon" or "Cinny" that she seemed to be extremely fond of. Antony, of course was mentioned here and there. Mostly lovesick comments and amorously written poems. Lizabeth had discovered through offhand comments and careful reading that Rosalia had only been maybe seventeen when she kept the journal.
Closer to the end of the book, one page caught her eye. The mirror had been drawn clearly once more, only this time the sketch depicted the mirror as broken. Little broken heart doodles were scattered on the page. Something had to have happened. Lizabeth read on, convinced that maybe something useful would find her in those pages.
**October 10, 1934
I saw Papa and Antony talking out by the barn this morning. I couldn't hear what was said, but Papa seemed upset. I think he saw Antony and I kissing yesterday. I tried to talk to him before dinner tonight but he seemed to be avoiding me. I understand, but I do not want to. I cannot imagine my life now without him, and I do not plan to.
**October 12, 1934
My heart is breaking into a million pieces. Antony found me in the stables and we hid and talked. My father has told him that he has to leave, mostly because of me. He has no where else to go. I cannot help but think this is all my fault, yet I cannot bear to lose him.
**October 12, 1934 (Continued later that day)
I have decided the only way I can keep Antony is through magic. I have fought my self long enough on the decision and know that it's the only thing I have left. He leaves two days from tonight I have decided that an entrapment spell should work the best. In my few years of practice I have not had to deal with power in this magnitude. I am going to have to ask for assistance.
I waited until after dark and crept out of my room. I ventured over the hill with the bent olive tree. Not long after walking, I saw the little dilapidated cottage coming into view. This is Maria Bellatoli's house. She is rumored to be the most powerful Striga for the next three towns.
Once reaching the house, I hesitantly knocked on the front door. Patiently I stood, though I shook like a leaf. There was no answer. I turned with a heavy heart and decided maybe Maria not answering the door was for the best. Maybe it was a sign that what was to be... should be.
I began to walk away from the house, trying to devise a way of getting back into my room without getting caught. I stopped. From behind me I had heard what sounded like a creaky door opening. Frozen with fear, I stood there. Yes, we were both Strigas, true, but this Striga was rumored to be a woman that could make me look like a bumbling novice. There were horrible stories about how she could kill men with one look, ruin crops, eat children and spread illness. You name it, and she supposedly could do it. I was scared to death. I turned slowly to face her, my eyes closed tight against what I might see.
"Yes?" I heard the voice of an elderly woman say. Opening one eye first, then the other, I looked at this "evil woman." I stood with my mouth half open in shock. She reminded me a lot of my own grandmother. I felt silly. What if the stories were just that, stories? This woman would know that I practiced if I asked her for help.
Raising a silver brow, Maria waited for me to say something.
"Child, you do not have to be afraid. Do you know how many of our kind have come to me for assistance?" she placed a hand on top of my head and smiled before looking around. "Now get in here and tell me how I can assist you before someone happens to see you."
Almost Immediately after that I felt comfortable with her. I poured my heart out to the old woman in hopes that she could offer some advice. She sat quietly by the fire, starring into the flames while listening to me. I finished and she continued to sit there in silence for a moment, the orange glow bathing her in an eerie light. Her dark eyes were like two pieces of coal as they turned to me thoughtfully.
"If you seek to keep him, you must use an entrapment spell, just as you suspected. I have some really good ones but I recommend something long term. That will give him time to get over being angry at you for what you are about to do." Her thin lips spread across her face in an almost unnerving smile.
I had never considered that. If he found out that I had bound him to me in some magical manner, of course he would be upset with me. I had never seen Antony angry before.
With one clawlike finger she pointed to a spell that involved mirrors and tapped it.
"Now this... this will give you what you want." She chuckled hoarsely. "You can come and go as you please, when you please, and do what you like. He will be yours to keep. Getting a strand or two of his hair should be easy, right?" She handed the old yellowed paper to me and wished me luck.
Nodding, I took the paper and clutched it to my chest. Getting his hair would be no problem. I glanced at the spell for a moment. It did not seem too complicated.
I walked back home quickly, hiding what I thought would be the key to my salvation under my shirt. I could not see what all the fuss about Maria was. She seemed to be a nice old woman and I liked her a lot from what I had seen. Though she did give me certain impressions that unnerved me. I was sure it was unintentional. She probably just did not get very many guests.
Everything seemed to be in my favor as I crept back into the house. I passed by my mother and father's room and paused briefly. I could hear their shallowed breathing. I was safe.
I slipped into my room and sat on the edge of my bed. Carefully I pulled the old pages out from under my shirt and began glancing over them. They seemed easy enough. I looked around the room and saw the perfect mirror in plain view. My grandmother's old mirror. It was large and beautiful... and ideal.
I began to prepare right away for what was to come. I gathered everything that was needed and placed a spell of protection over me. The room around me had been caught in the reflection and mirrored on the other side, in between worlds. It would serve as a perfect place to keep him, as Maria had said. Now the only task was getting him here.
**October 13, 1934
I met Antony out at the stables once again. He would be leaving in the morning, he said. I tried to wrap my arms around him but he pulled away.
"I cannot risk holding you." He said coldly. His troubled green eyes avoided me altogether.
"Antony... please. I need to at least say good bye to you." I cupped his face in my hands, much to his protest. "If I am never to see you again... "
"You will see me again, Rosalia, just not for a while. Your Papa suspects our love for one another and he does not approve. When the time is right, I will come back for you.".
Once again his eyes failed to meet mine.
It was a lie. I felt it deep down inside of me. I thought he loved me, but this was a way to keep me at bay long enough for him to leave. He did not want trouble with my family. I would not doubt that he would have other women before he would make it back to me, or if he did at all. The thought of him touching another woman sent a wicked, fiery rage through me. It would not happen, that I would see to. I was going to show him what one determined Striga could do when pushed. I would make him bear witness to persistence that even hell itself lacked in entirety. Still holding his face in my hands, I pleaded with him. I begged him not to go, yet I had known all along this was futile. I was just wasting time, building my way up to what my original plan was.
He never suspected anything. Could I really be this evil and cruel? Then again another thought crossed my mind when faced with the situation:
Could he?
He could have fought this if he really loved me, yet he gave up so easily. I could not possibly mean as much to him as I thought.
"One more night." I whispered to him. "Please... let me have one more night with you. Meet me tonight and let me hold you one more time. If you loved me, you would. I need to know you love me before you leave."
A tear threatened to stream down his smooth olive cheek as he turned quickly from me, intent on fleeing but I grabbed his forearm firmly.
Nodding his head he answered "I do love you, Rosalia, more than I have ever loved anyone. I will meet you tonight, and only on this night, until time is on our side." He brushed the back of his hand against my cheek.
**October 13, 1934 (continued later on that night)
Long after night had fallen, and the house was quiet we found each other. He was standing out by the side of the house when I stepped out of the back door. I motioned for him and quickly he came.
"Are you crazy?" he said quietly while looking around nervously. "Your father would kill me if... " his words fell short as he then made a gruff noise that made his frustration known.
I merely shook my head and grabbed him by the hand, pulling him inside the doorway. He looked terrified but followed me through the house, and into my bedroom. Once inside I locked the door behind us.
"No. I know you are not planning to have me in your room. Your parents are sleeping right down the hall, Rosalia. I do not want to die tonight, love." Antony folded his arms in front of him as if to symbolize that he stood firm with his decision.
Immediately I smothered his protesting mouth with kisses. It did not take very long before he began to comply with my actions. I could feel his large hands circling my waist and admiring the contours of my rounded hips as our tongues twined around one another. I broke the kiss long enough to grab the bottom of his shirt and lift it over his head. He tossed it aside like a useless rag. I could see the lust of ten men brewing in his eyes as he looked at me. I met him halfway with a passionate kiss.
"I love you, Rosalia." He confided against my own breath as we stood face to face. Those eyes. They were so sincere in what he spoke. I wanted to believe him.
"I love you too." I answered. For the first time we had admitted our love to each other.
"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever lain eyes on, and I want you to know that no matter what, Rosalia, you will always be my one and only love." His kiss grazed the side of my face like a butterfly's first decent onto a new petal. At this moment I knew that I would have died for him.
I turned my back to him and pulled him close. I could feel his erection through the material of his pants as it brushed proudly against the curve of my bottom. Craning my head to the side, his warm mouth devoured my neck. I had wanted this for what seemed like forever. Even more so than the very first time I needed to feel him.
His large hands slid up the front of my body, lifting my nightgown with them. They were so rough and calloused in contrast to my soft skin. It made it all the more enticing. He was every bit of what a man is supposed to be, and then some. I looked into the mirror in front of me, seeing my own breasts exposed as the material had been lifted off of my skin. I could see his hand cupping my breast, his fingers attentively pinching my nipple. Watching his large hand slide across my bare stomach I shivered. His perfectly tapered fingers moved lower still, finding their way through the sparse shadowing of dark hair that lie hidden beneath my panties. Through the thin white silk I could see their flesh-tone outline in the mirror as they touched me. I whimpered quietly against tightly pressed lips before I moistened them with my tongue and uttered words so wanton, that I could not believe at first that the low, husky voice had been my own.
His hands gathered the front of my nightgown, seizing the cloth in his hand carelessly. Giving it a firm jerk, I could hear most of the tiny pearl buttons clangoring to the floor by my feet. The next sound that emitted was that of my panties being ripped free from my hips by their thin sides.
I stood before the mirror, my naked body exposed to the cool autumn air that filtered in through a half-opened window. I let the remaining rags that had once been my gown fall off of my arms. Through dark eyes narrowed with pleasure, I watched his hands explore and savor my flesh.
"I want you... I want you inside of me." I leaned my head back and whispered to him.
I heard him moan lightly in response, as if my frankness had both shocked and delighted him.
I watched his reflection as he fumbled with the fastening of his pants and they slid past his knees. The soft patch of hair around his generously aroused sex tickled my bottom from behind. He pressed forward. I felt his erection teasing me and sampling my moisture. I kept my balance by leaning by body back slightly against his when I felt him lift one of my legs just a bit. Looking down I could see his manhood slipping between my thighs while he continued to brush it against me. Grabbing his hand, I led it to my lips and drew his finger into my mouth hungrily. My tongue wrapped around it unchastely while I took it in and out of my mouth seductively. My newly educated mind wondered what it would be like to take him into my mouth in the same manner. That would have to come in time. I could not wait another second.
"I want you. I want you now." I managed to say in between suckling his finger.
Growling sensually, he lifted my leg just a little more and I watched in the mirror as he entered me. I felt him fill every inch of me entirely. The slow, gentle manner he had shown me my first time was no where to be found. I let out a gasp mingled with pleasure and a hint of pain. One arm came to encircle my tiny waist as the other held my leg. I watched his face as he began to bury himself inside of me with a fevered passion that set fire to my soul. The expression on his face was like that of an angel's reflecting the sheer bliss of heaven.
Glancing at our reflection, I could see everything perfectly. I saw his enormous manhood slipping in and out of me, my own moisture glistening on its smooth skin. I could see my opening being stretched considerably to accommodate his rather large girth. My hips began to move in time with his, grinding and encouraging him. I reached back and draped my arm around his neck only to watch him deliver an array of kisses across my flesh.
"Rosalia." I heard him begin moaning my name into my ear from behind me with each thrust. It was softer than a whisper and ten times as sweet. A tingling sensation began to creep up my legs. I was closer than I wanted to be to exploding around him. I desperately tried to hold off just for a little bit longer, but I could hear him breathing hard and chanting my name. I could see his beautiful face, the way he bit his lower lip every time he slid inside of me. There was no holding back.
My fingers twisted around a mass of his long dark hair and in the approaching pleasure I pulled it hard, yet he didn't even seem to notice. I had the few strands of hair I needed. Letting go of his hair, I closed my fist and kept it hidden. I had to be careful not to lose the relics while in the heat of passion.
My breathing had quickened and my cries of anticipated release had grown louder. His hand shot over my mouth, cupping it to stifle what could become our discovery. Closing my eyes tight, I could feel my whole body constrict against his. For a moment I could see colors and flashes of light around me. My femininity tightened unforgivably around him as he pushed himself deeply into me and held still for a second.
"Oh yes... " he said hotly against my skin. Undoubtably he felt me contracting around him and my nectar dripping down the base of his sex as he cupped my mouth.
My own release set him off. He bucked like a wild animal against me, slamming himself into me hard over and over. Antony's face contorted and his cheeks became tinctured with a light blushing of pink.
My own desire still billowed even after the first orgasm. I watched in the reflection as he pulled me toward him with the arm that was around my waist, driving his swollen girth into me one last time. His lips parted and a deep, hesitated breath escaped over them. I felt the first spurt of his hot fluid shoot into me and I cried out unexpectedly against his palm as it sent me into another whirlwind of pleasure. His manhood jerked inside of me with each disbursement of his seed and I felt it running out of me and dripping down my thigh. Grinding once more, he milked every last drop of himself into me before withdrawing.
Kissing the side of my face, he let go of my mouth and held me. I watched us there in the little room, holding each other. I did not want this moment to end. I wanted forever in his arms. Turning toward him, I kissed him passionately, pouring all of my love, frustration, and sadness into one single gesture.
After I pulled away, he looked stunned by the intensity of the kiss and pressed his lips together.
"Rosalia, it is not for forever. I promise. Please do not be sad." He smiled weakly and tried to reassure me in his beautiful Italian tongue. "When I am away, I will try to find work and put away some money. I can come back and ask your papa for your hand in marriage."Smiling, he wrapped his arms around me and pressed my head against his chest. "Think about it, Rosalia. You... and I... married."
"Liar." I whispered.
I had not thought he would hear, but he had. Stepping back from me he looked as if I had just stabbed him in the heart. Without the words actually forming he mouthed out "What?" Taking a moment to collect himself, he ran a hand through his hair.
"How can you say that, Rosalia? You should know how I feel for you. Why would I risk your parents catching me in this house with you if I did not love you?" he pleaded.
"No. You may think you are sincere, but when you leave here you will meet other women. They will make you forget about me and you will not come back to me. You will have children and marry. I will just be a conquest story that you tell to your sons when they are young men. How could you, Antony? If you loved me, you would not leave. If you really loved me... " Tears stung my eyes. "...if you really loved me you would find a way."
Shaking his head, he looked away from me. He had thought the same thing. I could feel it. Making it back would only be done if it did not require a lot of time, effort, and money. How could he call that "love"?
He veered a circle around me and then stood in front of the mirror, looking at himself with a deep sigh. I saw him then look at me from the reflection. His eyes were glassy and had a hint of red. I could not tell if he was crying, or trying not to. Another thought then occurred to me.
Maybe he was faking the holding back of tears. He wanted my sympathy, yet he did not want a lot of trouble out of me. The site of a grown man trying not to cry usually stunned most women into a babbling mess. The thought tore through me like a knife.
Damn him.
Facing me, with his back to the mirror, I saw moonlight filtering in through the window and hitting its surface. It first turned blacker than night before starting to ripple and swirl like the surface of water. The spell had already begun to work even without me continuing, or giving any sort of magical prompt.
"Think what you want, Rosalia. If you cannot trust me and believe me when I give you my heart, I do not think we should see one another again. Ever." Antony said while starring me dead in the eyes.
The door had opened up behind him to the magical prison that Maria had encouraged me to make and now there was no turning back. Antony's words had thrown me over the edge. He would have done much better to just kill me and get it over with.
I lunged at him like a wild woman. I clawed at the side of his face and cried frantically.
"Rosalia!" he cried out in horror while trying to catch my wrists as my tiny fists sought erratic targets all over his body.
"Stop it Rosalia! I would not hurt you but you need to stop it right now!" he growled.
I glared at him and glanced over his shoulder at the portal billowing behind him in the frame of the oval, antique mirror. I let my hands drop to my sides in calm for a moment.
"I'm sorry, Antony." I muttered quietly.
"There was no excuse for that." He looked away from me. Antony then leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Good-bye, Rosalia."
"No! Antony! I said I was sorry. Please... " I blocked him from taking more than a step or two.
"It is too late. You do not even trust that I have feelings for you. You are too young to understand that I cannot just hang around here and challenge your family with no money and no other place to go. I cannot provide for you right now, love. What did I get for trying my best to explain that to you? This... " he turned his cheek and pointed accusingly to an angry red scratch below his cheek bone.
Tears streamed down my face as he once more attempted to step around me and leave. I would not allow it. Once again I blocked him, this time grabbing his shoulders and pushing him back a step or two, closer to the trap that he still failed to see.
"No. I will not let you leave me." I said between sobs.
"You cannot stop me." He said coldly.
Gritting my teeth, I gathered every ounce of strength in my small body and shoved him forcefully. He fell backwards, his hands flying out behind him while he apparently thought he would catch himself on the mirror behind him. To his surprise he fell right through it.
The surface of the mirror began to change again. It turned a smokey grey and I could faintly see him on the other side. Antony stood and pressed his hands against the surface of the glass. I heard his muffled voice from the other side.
"Rosalia! Help me!"
I glared at him with tears streaming hotly down my face. Shocked for a moment, he stared at me. It was as if someone had slapped him in the face.Antony knew.
"You... " He took a step back. "You did this." Antony's voice trembled. The glass shook a bit as he punched it.
"Devil!" I heard him scream, though half stifled by the glass. "Striga!" he yelled at me in terror and disbelief over and over. That word would stay with me with rest of my years. Repeated in my head and in my dreams with the same terror and accusing tone. The voice of my love discovering my true nature and refusing to accept it.
Suddenly the glass swirled violently before turning a pitch black. Then, just as if nothing had ever happened, I could see my own reflection again. I stood there alone and naked with the scent of my lover still lingering on my skin. I now had the task of coming to grips with the evil I had committed against the only man I would ever love. Unclenching my fist, I looked down at the three long, black strands of Antony's hair that hid partially between my fingers. According to the spell, as long as I had them, I had him.
I am so sorry for what I have done, but I will not lose him.
Lizabeth read the last line in the journal entry and sat there, starring at the page taken aback by what she had read. At last she knew why Antony was behind the mirror. She could not help but feel sorry for him, yet in some ways she could understand Rosalia's torment too. Love sometimes causes people to make drastic, and sometimes foolish mistakes.
Thoughts consumed her. Nagging questions that should have been taken care of decades ago. Why had Rosalia not freed him from the prison? Another question that entered Lizabeth's mind briefly was, if Rosalia had loved Antony so much, then why had she married her grandfather and started a family? So complicated. She knew that most of the answers were probably lost forever.
There was a sudden knock at the door, very light, but enough to jerk Lizabeth from her train of thought with a startled jump. With her heart racing in her chest she rose from the sofa and walked swiftly toward the door.
"Oh... this better be good considering I almost had a heart attack." She grumbled while unlocking the sliding chain from the door and turning the deadbolt with a "click".
Standing before her was the new neighbor from down the hall. A nervous panic washed over Lizabeth as she stood there in front of him in her pajamas. Forcing a smile she combed her fingers through her hair while pulling her robe around her with the other hand.
"Um... hello." She said nervously to the tall, dark, Keanu look a like.
"Hi there. I'm sorry to bother you... I just thought... " he looked at her cautiously "... am I interrupting something? If I am, I can always come back later... ya know?" he had the most impish grin she had ever seen. A school boy type of charm, yet there was something else. Something she couldn't quite pin down.
Lizabeth could only recognize the obvious facts at the moment. This guy was drop dead gorgeous and standing in her doorway while she looked like hell. The situation was extremely awkward and embarrassing.
"No. It's all right. I was just doing some reading and being lazy." She reassured him and crossed her arms over her chest while holding the robe closed. "I'm Lizabeth."
"Ah." He beamed at her "lazy days are nice. I was having one of those myself, which is what brought me here. Um... " he stroked his smoothly shaven chin with his thumb. "I'm Jarrod by the way." He extended his hand.
They shook hands briefly and Lizabeth looked at him, waiting.
"You were telling me what brought you here." She reminded him while cocking her head to the side. She knew she had sounded rude without meaning to and felt like kicking herself in the ass.
"Oh, yes, thank you" he chuckled "I had wanted to introduce myself and ask you, since I am new to town if you would like to maybe get some coffee sometime, or have dinner? Maybe show me around a little?" he looked down at his feet shyly.
"Well... " she thought briefly of Antony. There couldn't be any harm in just having a cup of coffee with this guy. "...sure. I don't see any harm in it."
"Great!" he blurted out happily. "Would there be any way I could use your phone? I need to call the phone company. Obviously they have forgotten about turning my phone service on. I hate to ask, but you are really the only person I have talked to since moving in."
Lizabeth turned around to look at the mess in her living room and bit her bottom lip.
"That's fine. I have to apologize for the mess in here. I've been really busy lately." What a lie.
"I'll make it brief, I promise." There was that devilish grin of his again.
Jarrod walked through the living room and stepped over a few boxes and piles of papers to get to the little table with the phone. She turned away from him and tried not to listen, but then realized it had been impossible anyway. He kept his voice so low and muttered only a few lines. Moreover, he appeared to be scoping out the living room and hallway while thinking she wasn't watching.
"That's strange." She thought to herself as she heard him hang up the phone.
The handsome stranger thanked Lizabeth and asked if the next night would be all right for coffee. Lizabeth agreed and the date was set.
Jarrod actually kissed the back of her hand and told her good night before leaving her apartment.
Closing the front door and locking it behind him, she turned to walk toward her bedroom.
"Damn... he really must be from out of town." She laughed quietly. The offering of his company had flattered her to no end. The young man was not ugly in the least. Shaking her head, Lizabeth thought of him again, getting a good mental picture of him in her mind.
"Phew... he looks too good for his own safety around me." She sighed deeply and entered her bedroom.
Right off there was something different. Something about the very air in the room felt distinctly charged with an unnatural energy. The very feeling made Lizabeth want to run out of the bedroom door and back into the safety of the living room.
Night had already fallen by now. It was probably just a case of the "woman alone" jitters, she thought. Briefly she considered running down the hall and inviting Jarrod to come back to her apartment so she wouldn't be alone, but that was silly. Time and time again she had stayed alone here with no problem. The blinds were open just a bit, and Lizabeth noticed a stream of moonlight filtering through the dim room.
It was hitting the surface of Rosalia's mirror. It was then that Lizabeth realized what felt so odd in the room. The glass had taken on the same effect as when she had passed through it the first time.
Lizabeth took off her robe and held it in front of the mirror, blocking the beam of moonlight. The glass returned to normal.
"Ah-ha!" she said happily after moving the robe and the mirror's reflective glass was once more disturbed with the silvery beam. She knew how to enter the mirror now, and why it hadn't worked the other times.
An excitement that could hardly be contained rushed over her. Throwing the robe to the floor, Lizabeth marched right up to the mirror and poked at her reflection. Her finger slipped right in. Wasting no time as the surface gave, Lizabeth stepped right in. She had been waiting for this for what seemed like an eternity.
Everything was the same. The dim room, the unsettling way the oil painting of Rosalia looked like a commissioned painting of herself. Where was Antony? Lizabeth strained her dark eyes as she searched the room.
Antony was curled up on the bed asleep. Lizabeth neared him quietly, admiring the beauty of his face and form. The ebbing light from the small fireplace kissed his skin with a soft glow. Colors and highlights caught his dark tresses, showing with the opalescence of warm reds and even a hint of indigo.
Lizabeth wanted so badly to take him into her arms. He looked so angelic and vulnerable in his state of slumber. Standing over him, Lizabeth realized his perfectly chiseled body was covered by only a white sheet. The outline of his naked body could be seen while she looked down. Lying on his side, Lizabeth could see that he had an obvious erection in his sleep. Biting down on her lip, she fought off the urge to jerk the covers off of him, flip him over on his back and straddle his enormous manhood.
A quiet gasp of pleasure escaped over her half-parted lips. This was all the woman had thought about for close to two weeks now. She wouldn't leave without touching him. Her mind was made up, and had been made up before she had ever stepped into the mirror on this night.
Kneeling down by the side of his bed, Lizabeth gently slid her index finger across his chest. Antony stirred slightly and flipped over on his back. What a sight he was. Lizabeth could feel her panties getting moist with her arousal while looking at his swollen sex standing up proudly from under the sheet. Lizabeth couldn't take it anymore. She had to at least touch it. Pressing her lips together in anticipation, Lizabeth grazed her fingernail from the massive round tip of it, down to it's base, making a slight scratching sound over the sheet. A soft noise emitted from deep within his chest. Lizabeth noticed a small stream of wetness had seeped into the cloth above his erection. She wrapped her hand lightly around his thick girth.
"Mmmmmm." It escaped before she even realized it.
Antony's sleepy eyes fluttered open and looked up at her. Part of her wanted to apologize, but the yearning between her thighs wouldn't allow it.
Lizabeth gave the sheet a tug, and to her surprise, Antony did nothing to hold onto it. It fell to the floor by the bed. His naked body rested on the bed in front of her in full view. Every curve and ripple enticed her eyes and called to her, beckoning her to come closer.
"You are so gorgeous." She said to him while her eyes drank every last inch of him. She didn't really even know if he understood, but at this point she didn't care. "I want you. I want you so bad."
Antony looked at Lizabeth for a moment and narrowed his brilliant green eyes. He then lifted his hand and took her much smaller hand into his, pulling her onto the bed. This is what she had been dreaming about. Lust that had almost drove her mad with the obsession. Seeing him on the streets, in passing cars, in her dreams, it had all led up to this moment.
Lizabeth smothered his mouth and face in kisses. His pink tongue darted out eagerly to meet her kisses. Breaking the kiss momentarily, Antony tore at her nightgown, jerking it frantically over her head. His mouth hungrily covered her nipple, drawing it into his mouth and suckling it like a starving babe. Moaning, Lizabeth grinded her hips against him, knowing he could feel how wet she was, even through the silk of her black panties. Unexpectedly, he flipped her over onto her back. Lizabeth watched in sheer ecstasy as Antony's soft kisses moved down the front of her nude body, his tongue began tracing a moist line down her stomach. With his teeth, be begun tugging at her panties, pulling at them on each side until they revealed to him the treasure that he had sought. He moved the panties down her legs the rest of the way with his hands, throwing them to the floor. His fingers began to explore her. One rubbing circles around her nub, the other finger slipping into her. Lizabeth whimpered and slid her hand down his forearm, guiding and encouraging him to go faster. She could feel herself beginning to peak but he suddenly withdrew his finger. Antony smiled up at Lizabeth saying something in his native tongue and licked his finger teasingly. He winked at her mischievously and covered her trembling body with his own.
They kissed until Lizabeth's lips felt raw. He was incredible. The feel of his muscular body against her own drove her mad. Cupping both her breasts in his hands at the same time, he balanced himself on top of her, circling his tongue around her taut nipples.
Lizabeth felt his tip of his massive erection tempting her as it brushed against her opening. She couldn't stand another moment of his teasing. Lizabeth firmly grabbed his bottom and wrapped her legs around him, rolling her hips. They both gasped in rapturous surprisal as he slid into her. Antony took hold of her hips and lifted her small body, pulling her to him with each building thrust. Lizabeth was thrown into the threshold of pleasure straightaway. Arching her back, she griped the headboard and cried out loudly. Antony growled with satisfaction. He grinded his hips in a circular motion and massaged the very back of her tunnel with his swollen girth. Lizabeth could hear her own moisture as he threaded himself in and out of her tight femininity. At this rate it wouldn't be long before pleasure took her again.
"I love you, Antony." She moaned into his ear.
His thrusts were quickened, shaking the bed under them and causing the iron headboard to bang loudly against the wall behind it.
"Oh god... yesssss... " she cried out while her body became consumed with intoxicating spasms of pleasure once more.
Antony's breathing became hoarse. Lifting her entire lower body off the bed he drove himself into her one last time. His hot seed shot into her like an arrow. Together, they experienced the closest thing to heaven that this world has to offer.
Collapsing on top of her, Antony kissed Lizabeth tenderly. Holding each other, Lizabeth talked to him about everything and nothing. Sometimes he appeared to understand her and nodded. Lizabeth couldn't be for certain if that was the case, or if he was just pretending. Hours passed and the couple fell asleep in each other's arms.
Much later, Lizabeth woke with a start. She looked toward the mirror and noticed that though it, the darkness was beginning to fade in her own room. The silvery moonlight that had once beamed through the window had disappeared and been replaced by a pale blue light. Sunrise couldn't be far off. Panic began to overwhelm her.
Lizabeth jumped up out of bed, throwing her nightgown overhead and searching for her panties. Antony sat up abruptly and looked at her as if she were insane. Locating her underwear by the bed, Lizabeth snatched them up before leaning over to kiss Antony.
"I'm sorry. I have to go now. I promise. I'll be back. I know how to get in here so it won't take me so long this time." She almost felt silly. It had been so simple the whole time. She purposely messed up his hair with a playful gesture and giggled. Lizabeth then turned her back and began to walk away. Stepping one foot through the mirror she turned and looked back at him regretfully. "I love you, Antony." She said softly and lifted the other foot to make her crossing of worlds complete.
"Love you too... " he said in his heavily accented voice as she stepped through.
While stepping into her own room one last word caught her faintly.
"...Lizabeth." Antony's voice said sweetly.
The only thing she could do was stand there looking back at the mirror, a hand cupping her mouth as she sobbed.
He knew who she was, yet he still loved her.