Go. I’ll see you again soon. I love you.
Love you, too.
And then he was gone and shaking her head to dispel her quick trance, Layla returned. “I’m in. Let’s rock and roll.”
“Good. Let us begin.” Gesturing them all over to the living room setup beyond the dining area, Heathren was the consummate host as they took their tea to a group of white leather chaises around a low chrome and glass coffee table. As Layla faced Luke, preparing mentally and emotionally for what they were about to do as the both of them sat upon the same L-couch, Heathren settled into a plush leather armchair nearby. “Layla, enter the ether and find your Bind-magic, please. Mr. Murphy, open yournullaxand join hands with Layla to increase your synergy. I’ll guide the process and help with any resonance issues so we’re certain to test this right. Are you both ready?”
“I am.” Luke spoke as he looked to Layla.
Taking a deep breath, Layla tentatively joined hands with him on the couch – though once they had, it was comfortable. “I guess so. Let’s give it a whirl.”
“Good.” As Heathren sat tall and closed his eyes, Layla did also. Feeling both Luke and Heathren through the ether as she opened her senses, Layla allowed her body to sink into that endless space of the universe, though not so far as to create a portal and flash through it. Her Bind-magic came easily now as she found the ether – like a white star it flooded her, a tremendous sensation of golden warmth and bliss suddenly rushing into every pore of her body. Layla shivered with that sensual inundation now, so easy to access ever since the Bind had become complete over a week ago. Her eyelashes flickered as her body rocked with pleasure, and she felt Heathren’s massive silver-dark wings reach around her in the ether.
Steadying her though he made sure to not touch her with his Archangelic power.
Mr. Murphy, Layla’s ready. It’s your turn.Layla heard Heathren breathe through her mind as they shared the etheric space.Open your nullax and let her find you.
Like a white mist, Luke’s magic was suddenly seething around Layla in the ether as he opened it, huge and unavoidable. She could feel it all around her and through their touch, coiling like some massive beast of the cosmos – stroking and drinking at her skin as it sought to siphon her magic away. Luke was controlling it; Layla could feel how much he was holding his magic back from simply doing as it wanted and taking her power completely. He had gained a lot of control in the past months at the hospital in Seattle.
But as it breathed around her, tremendous and terrible, Layla saw the massive white drake that was Luke in the etheric space. Enormous, his power spread through the cosmos as if made from the very fabric of the universe, in a massive sea of white. Technically, Luke was a Storm Dragon, but what Layla saw as his power touched her was far more than that. He was a beast of the etheric realms.
And Layla suddenly understood why Heathren could harmonize so well with Luke.
You’re barely a Dragon at all, but like… some creature of the ages.Layla breathed as Luke’s power touched her, amplified via their clasped hands.
I am a Dragon, Layla,she felt him breathe back as his power explored her,just not one that fits any classical categories.
Nullax power is unique, Layla,Heathren spoke now, his enormous wings of ether and light still curled gently around her, steadying her and also protecting her from Luke’s sea of white, even though Heathren’s long gossamer seven-layer wings seemed dulled and tired today from his injuries.Nullax has almost more qualities of Archangelic magic than Dragon… just like your ability to use the Star Bind. Your power floods the entire universe into a person to Bind them; whereas Mr. Murphy’s power takes whatever is inside them from the universe and floods it back to where it came from. Now. It is time to try re-Binding. Whenever you’re ready.
Layla could feel the eagerness of Luke’s drake to try re-Binding immediately; he had no reservations and didn’t mind being Bound to Layla. But it was the man who wanted to live free, and Layla felt her own drakaina pause deep inside her now as it felt Luke’s immense mist-whitenullaxseethe all around them. Luke’s might was frightening to both Layla and her drakaina, and Layla had to remind herself to breathe to maintain her trance. As she felt Luke’s power writhe around her, locking around her wrists and ankles now even in the physical world, Layla fought to not lash out or break their physical contact. He was a dangerous creature, and everything inside her screamed,run!
But Layla had to try this today.
I’m ready.She thought at last.
Layla, are you sure?Luke thought back, though Heathren remained silent.
I’m sure.Layla thought back now, though the sensation inside her gut was far from sure.We’re never going to beat Hunter if we don’t break a few magical rules, Luke. It’s time to break them… and see what happens.
Layla felt Luke pause for a deep moment, as if confirming her consent.
And then Heathren released his guard around her and Luke’s whitenullax-mist dove in – smashing through all her barriers and rioting inside her flesh.
CHAPTER 6 – NULLAX
Layla screamed as Luke’snullax-power dove into her where they sat in Heathren’s apartment, but it wasn’t a scream of pain. It was a scream of obliteration as his magic flooded her; every pore and sinew and every cavern of her body. Layla didn’t even have time to try re-Binding him as she rushed out so hard into the ether that she had to fight to hold on to her physicality. Even so, she fell back upon the couch’s arm as she gasped, her hand clenched hard to Luke’s as his gripped hers like a talon. As the power rioted through them both, Layla felt her magic fighting with Luke’s; battling against his deep inside her flesh and his own. Wild and amazing, it roared as they poured their magics into each other and received each other’s magics back.
Devouring each other in an endless loop.
With a cry, Layla abandoned herself to it, blazing with the full intensity of the Star Bind all through their joined bodies as Luke’s power blazed back. But it was like two universal forces contesting as they dove through each other; there was no winner and no loser as they fought each other for dominance and for the sheer joy of winding and coming unwound. It was unfathomable, indescribable as Layla and Luke devoured each other hard for a moment upon the couch, sharing a truly cosmic sensation. And then it was gone, rushed away as quickly as it had started.
Leaving them both stunned on the couch as their eyes blinked open.
“What the fuck was that?!” Luke gasped beside Layla, braced on the couch with one hand gripping the leather like he’d almost been blasted off it by whatever had just happened. Fallen against the couch’s arm when the power had flooded them, Layla gasped also as she stared at him – their hands still locked so tight together their knuckles were white. As Layla stared at Luke, sensation rioted through her – fear, pleasure, passion, abhorrence, bliss, and more.
“I don’t even know!” Layla gasped back, unnerved and elated at the same time by their encounter.
“Since both your magics have fully matured, or nearly so, neither power has supremacy over the other.” Heathren spoke up calmly from his seat nearby, his eyes open as he watched them. “It seems your powers tried to devour each other, but they are like cosmic opposites now – one the essence of creation and the other the essence of destruction, balanced.”
