Читать книгу The Angel and His Witch - JR Martens - Страница 5

As they pulled out of the parking lot Johann decided to drive along the coast slowly. He had let the top down and Rissy muttered a few complaints, but then let her hair down letting the wind blow through it. Johann was continuously looking at the way her hair flew behind her and thought of all of the times that he had flown with her in the past with their hair mingling, but he could never really see it like he could now. Rissy noticed him looking at her and was glad that he seemed to be showing an interest in her. She thought that this would be nice for however long it lasted. “Johann, what do you keep looking at?”

“Your hair and how it seems to float in the air. Does it still do that when you fly?” She looked at him slightly confused.

“What do you mean by when I fly and does it still? I have never flown on my own and have never been able to perform that feat.”

“It must have just been a dream.” He said quietly.

He pulled over by the beach and smiled at her. “Let’s take a walk. I haven’t walked along a beach in I don’t know how long.” He took off his jacket, tie, and socks and shoes. Rissy was reluctant and after a few modest protests she decided she would go with him since he was insistent that he was going. She flipped off her shoes and lifted her dress and pulled her pantyhose off, with a wink at him. He started to turn around and block her from any that might see, but she looked him dead in the eyes. “There is no need for you to turn away, and I need help getting these things off. I hate them.” Johann was not very sure how to remove them without tearing them to shreds. Rissy giggled. “Just rip them off.” He was confused by her actions. It also surprised her at her lack of modesty. She had never done something like this before, but she felt comfortable around him and somehow knew that though his tongue may be a little loose at times that he would not take advantage of her. At last he was able to pull those things off of her, but began laughing uncontrollably. “What are you laughing at?” Then it dawned on her and a blush covered her cheeks. “So what if I like Tweety?” They both had a good laugh, and then Johann offered a suggestion. “Maybe you start wearing garters and stockings. They are much easier to remove and I must say much more alluring my dear.” He winked at her and she smiled shyly, but was quick with a response, “But Johann that would make me very accessible.” “I know”, he replied with a wicked grin.

He picked her up and carried her over the dunes setting her on her feet once they reached the surf. They walked down the beach enjoying each other’s company, both discussing how they were glad to have met. “Rissy, what are your dreams? I mean what do you want out of life?” Rissy thought long and hard. “I want to meet a man who truly loves me and me him. One that I can share my thoughts, emotions, well really my complete self. He would have to accept me as a witch and respect me and my wishes.” She looked over the ocean as the waves were kissing her feet and ankles. “And Johann, what about you?”

Without missing a beat he replied confidently, assuredly, and a bit arrogantly. “I want the woman of my dreams to accept me and to realize that through all of the pain and suffering that we’ve been through throughout the history of this planet, just how much I truly love her and want her with me from now until there is nothing more.” She looked at him. “So you and this woman are very close?” “We were at one time and then things changed a little and there was much tension between us. I love her dearly to this day.” He looked down the beach and then up at the heavens, trying to keep the tears away knowing how they had argued so fiercely in their secret place, each literally tearing the other apart, and yet loving each other so much that it was all forgiven. “Johann, where is this woman now, and if you love her so dearly, then why don’t you just tell her? A girl knows that she would like to be told.” “Where is that speech coming from”, she wondered. “I have told her, but she doesn’t understand right now, perhaps soon she will.” He reached for her hand and she his. As they continued their walk Johann pointed out the constellations, something Rissy was well aware of but she enjoyed. It felt right for him to be doing so and she squeezed his hand tighter and wanted him to kiss her, when he suddenly kissed her cheek softly. She thought he was very gentlemanly in some ways and yet quite base in others.

Johann stopped and smiled at Rissy. “Let’s go swimming.” “I…I can’t Johann, I would ruin this dress and besides that it would sink me.” He never had understood this thing with clothes. “Take it off.” She thought for a moment and realized that he had already seen her Tweety panties and she had a bra on. Deciding that it would not be anything less than if she had been wearing a bikini she decided to join him in a little swim. “Ok, let’s go for it.” It shocked her to see him standing there naked and him thinking nothing of it. Something happened inside her and she dropped the bra and panties still wondering why she felt so safe being nude with a man she had just met not to mention alone with him. They splashed around a little and then floated on their backs. Rissy felt completely at ease and moved closer to him, whereupon he stood and pulled her against him looking over her shoulder and cheek to cheek. “Tell me what you see Rissy.” She placed her feet down and pressed her back against his chest while looking up. “I see peace. I sometimes feel that I belong as much to the sky as I do to the earth.”

“I can relate very well to that.” Johann said. She turned in his arms to face him wrapping her legs around his waist and pressing her breasts against him.

“I thought I was the only one.” She replied.

He chuckled. “I guess you were wrong.”

“I guess I was.” She looked over his shoulder and placed her head in the crook of his neck and closed her eyes. Water began to lightly trickle on them. It felt as soft as silk. “I hope this doesn’t bother you, Johann, but I like the way it feels and just wanted to share this with you.” “I really like this Rissy, I do like the way it feels.” They continued their embrace for hours. Johann wanted to protrude his wings and raise her into the sky, but he knew he would have to wait. He was hoping though that she would have some memories of that. Rissy leaned back and smiled. “You know what’s really funny? When I was little, I use to have these dreams of flying straight into the air with my husband. We were so in love, and as silly as it sounds I would like to find someone like that.” His eyes stared right into hers and he began shaking wanting to tell her, but instead he said, “I don’t think that is silly at all. I think it is possible or at least I’d like to think that it is.”

He carried her to the beach with her still wrapped around him. She hadn’t even thought of the way it might look to others, but it did occur to her that he had been a perfect gentleman. “Johann, I want to thank you for the intimacy and for not trying to take advantage of me. I know it must have been difficult especially if what Charlotte said is true. I didn’t even think that it might entice you until just now. I’ve never been this comfortable around anyone before.” He had not even thought about the way they were entwined in the water. It was as natural to him as breathing and something that he had missed for so very long. He became a little miffed at Charlotte for having told Rissy about his personal business. “That girl should not have said a word.” It was his turn to blush. “Johann I’m sorry. I never meant to upset you.” “My darling Rissy, you did not upset me at all. I am going to tell you this because I think you can relate. I swore to myself and my love when we last saw each other that I would not touch another woman until we met again and I could freely and wholeheartedly give myself to her.” “Johann this is now several times that you’ve mentioned this woman and how much you love her. Why don’t you go to her and be with her?” He smiled at her. “I am.” “Johann I don’t like being played against another woman and I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t place me in that position nor humiliate a girl like that.”

“Rissy there are some things that you do not understand. She is not yet ready to be with me, but she feels a struggling within herself telling her to just trust and go with her heart.”

“Zip me up, please. I think it’s time that I go home.” Tears were falling from her eyes. Here she was with a man that she thought could be the one and he is in love with some other woman, but that thought quickly disappeared when she felt his loving touch as he zipped her dress. A voice screamed inside her head so loud that she thought her eardrums would burst. “Do not push him away, if he is with you then this other woman may not be around.” She spun around and faced him. “Johann did this other woman die?”

“Yes Rissy, she has died several times.” He was glad that she had asked the question that she had, he didn’t know how he might otherwise answer it.

Her inner voice seemed to calm after his reply. She could feel his pain and her heart went out to him. “Johann, I’m sure this was very painful for you. Tell me about her if you wish; I’m a good listener.”

“Well Rissy she was the most innocent of girls but she kept hearing a voice that seemed to take her over and almost drove her mad. You look a lot like her. We had a good time together, but I had hurt her deeply several times. I pushed into the arms of another man and chose to stay close with another and yet I was always drawn to her and she me. We had a long standing affair. My lady knew but her husband never did. She came to me for help and I brutally attacked her and caused her to lose her child. It had been the inner voice that had brought her to me. I had a bout with some amnesia and anger. I didn’t really recognize her, but the fact is that I harmed her and her child. I will never forgive myself for that. She somehow did and came back to me and loved me as much as before. I really loved her but was a foolish man.” He stopped to gauge her reaction and she was just looking at him. He did not feel any fear or hatred coming from her.

“It doesn’t sound like perfect love to me. You attacked her brutally and she still forgave you? I find that hard to believe.” She just looked at him after saying that and a little anger began to build. “Take me home now Johann, please.”

They walked to the car and he was silent. He had told her too much and now may lose her again. She wondered how this man that treated her like a princess could possibly have ever hurt anyone. She noticed that he was hurting, but stayed silent. He helped her in and they drove off. “Rissy just believe me when I tell you that I can’t explain very well. It’s very complicated.”

“How could you have been with another when you loved her so very much?” she questioned him.

“Rissy like I said it is very complicated. Things were very different them. She and I were finally wed and lived a happy life, but as with all things good it was too short. She had finally made peace with the inner voice by the time it was all over. The other woman and I had met long before and at one point all three of us lived happily together. Jealousy grew between the two and everything fell apart.” He looked forward and drove towards her house. “She was also a witch and never realized the complete extent of her power. There were things she and I both had to learn, things about myself that I wish I had never seen. I am not a very good man Rissy and I will never find someone like her ever again.” That part was truer now than ever. Rissy was different this time around and that was certain. He thought that their last life together was too traumatic and that he might as well have granted her wish. If he could not have her by his side, then maybe she could live an eternity with someone who didn’t disgust her. At this moment he lost hope and couldn’t breathe. “Have you ever loved two people so much that there was no way to choose one over the other, only to find that one was the one you were really meant to be with, and then realized that you had made a terrible mistake?”

She really tried to understand what he was saying and the story was a little familiar. It was like a story she had once been told or had read about. Something kept pulling at her to just be with him, but she was fighting it. She wondered how she could ever be with a man, who was so vile with someone he supposedly loved, and yet she wanted to be with him and how could he choose another over this one? She just wanted to hurry and get home. She chanted quietly a spell of protection in case he harmed her as well. What had started out as a wonderful night had now become a nightmare for her. She was with an atrocious man and she had to get away from him soon. She thought about asking him to pull over but was afraid that he would become violent with her. He could feel how uncomfortable she was and it depressed him further. He knew he deserved this for the pain he had caused her in their past life together. This had all been a rouse and they were never going to be together. He felt that he had been tricked once again by the fates.

When they arrived at her house she did not wait for him to open the door for her, but opened it herself and fled to the house, opened the door with her mind and sealed it with a chant. He just stood outside the car staring. His heart jumped into his throat and he wept. As he entered his own house Randolf took one look and went to get Svelta. He knew something was terribly wrong. The only time he had ever seen his employer this way before was when Risanne and the child died.

Svelta rushed upstairs to Johann’s room while Randolf hid all of the elven wine. Charlotte crept up the stairs and listened outside of the door. She heard her benefactor explaining to Svelta what had happened. She became upset and decided to do something. She never wanted to see him like this ever again. If he lost hope, then what would happen?

She slipped into the last bedroom and took a small portrait off the wall, went downstairs and slipped out of the house. She knew that Johann would be furious, but she was going to do anything she could to fix things. Charlotte never was one to wait for things to happen.

She finally arrived at Rissy’s home, went to the door and knocked. No one came to the door but that didn’t stop her. She banged harder on the door. A small tearful voice said “Charlotte go home. I want nothing to do with any of you especially that vile creature you worship.” Charlotte being determined loudly spoke. “Rissy Ann Moonshower you will open this door now or I will break it down. I want to talk to you about some things and they are important. Do it now or I swear I’ll have your cousin come over here and break it down with a wave of her hand. Oh yes I know her and she knows me and Johann.”

Slowly Rissy cracked the door. “Is Johann with you?”

“No Rissy, he’s not. He doesn’t know I’m here, but please my friend let me in.” Charlotte was hoping that she would not have to resort to bringing in others of the Moonshower clan. She loved them but they all came like a herd of cattle when only one was asked for assistance.

Rissy slowly and carefully opened the door and pulled Charlotte inside slamming the door and locking it with locks and spells. Her eyes were red and the makeup was streaked. She had not changed out of her dress either. Charlotte went to the kitchen as she told Rissy to go change. When Rissy returned Charlotte had coffee waiting for her. Rissy was too upset to even realize that Charlotte had done this without asking. They went to the parlor and sat down. “It was so lovely Charlotte and then he told me about this woman he loved and that he violated, cheated on and pushed away. If I had any idea that he was like that, I wouldn’t have let him hold me like he did in the ocean.

“And I suppose that the soft water rained down on you because you love the way it feels.” Charlotte said rather bluntly.

“What did he tell you Charlotte? I did nothing with him.” Rissy almost screamed.

“Hush child.” Charlotte said. “First of all, he never said a word to me. Secondly you have always loved that little trick when cuddled up against him in a lake or ocean.” Charlotte stared at her while she spoke these words.

Rissy spat. “I have never been with him before. Never and you know that.”

It was at this juncture that Charlotte pulled out the portrait and showed it to Rissy. Rissy’s mouth fell open and she cried harder. “This cannot be, Charlotte. I’ve never been with him before. You did this to make me think I’m going crazy.”

Charlotte became very angry at this point but held it in. “As he once said to you, ‘look at it with all of your heart, mind, and soul and tell me what you feel and see.’”

Rissy trembling looked at it and had a myriad of emotions and thoughts fill her. She couldn’t take her eyes off of it. There she was in a beautiful wedding dress, standing beside him hand in hand. She wanted to deny it, but her heart told her to see it. Really see it. Tears were flowing. She looked at Charlotte and back at the portrait, then back at Charlotte once more before stating, “He’s the angel isn’t he?” As soon as she said this she fainted so overwhelmed with the emotions flooding her.

Charlotte went to Rissy’s side and took the portrait from her hands. She laid Rissy down on the sofa and went to get her some of the bottled water out of the refrigerator. When she returned Rissy was trying to sit up. “Charlotte, please help me get up.” Charlotte set the water bottle on the coffee table and assisted Rissy in sitting up. “I thought they were fairy tales. How can this be?” Charlotte looked around expecting Johann to come busting in and dragging her out before she could say another word. She knew that it would not be long until he felt her presence missing from the house, if he hadn’t already. Charlotte felt that it was time for Rissy to know more and since Johann had screwed things up so badly that she was the one who could set things right. “Rissy, do you believe in reincarnation? That’s how. Yes he is an angel but he is also much more. Previously in times before these, you only saw him as a vampire and yes he is part of those creatures as well. I know that he wants to tell you the story in full so I am only going to highlight the situation and hopefully finish before he finds out where I am.” Rissy had handed Charlotte the bottle of water and Charlotte opened it and handed it back to Rissy. “Yes Charlotte I believe in reincarnation but how does this affect me and why does this woman look almost exactly like me. By the way I don’t believe all of that vampire crap.”

“You are a Moonshower correct? Your family has many strange situations as you are well aware. You always return in a similar form. The hardest thing for Johann is having you not remembering him. He does truly love you, and about the assault, do you know he almost died when he realized what he had done? When you returned to him, he was prepared for you to kill him. Later it was discovered that your promiscuous side had enticed him to do it. That part of you realized that he was vulnerable and could always raise his ire, but in his weakened state he was unable to control himself. He had been poisoned by someone who wanted him and lied to him about a child. Her name was Rina, she was a queen, and the child’s name was Lucy. The softer side of you forgave him and to this day, he cannot understand why you did and has never forgiven himself. This was to be your time and now he feels as though all is lost. Listen to your heart Rissy and listen closely. Do not tell him I was here and that I told you anything. I love him Rissy and I tell you that he loves you.” Before Rissy could respond, Charlotte rose, grabbed the portrait, and left.

Charlotte hurried home and ran quickly upstairs to the room where the portrait was to be; replacing it exactly where it had been. As she came out of the room there was Svelta standing there tapping her foot. “Just what are you doing in there missy?”

“I was just tiding things up.” Charlotte said with a smile. “How is he mother?”

“He’s going to be alright Charlotte. It was a big blow to him and he feels fairly hopeless and if you think that I believe you were in there working, you are out of your skull. You better hope that he doesn’t find out where you went.” Then Svelta softly whispered. “You will have to tell me what happened. If you hadn’t done it I would have.”

Rissy went to bed and kept seeing her and Johann together, and a voice whispering to her. She opened her eyes and there was a chestnut haired woman sitting on the side of her bed. Rissy looked at her automatically knew her name. Rissy was a witch and thought nothing of it and it was definitely not the first time she had seen a ghost. “Alma, why are you here?”

The woman smiled at her. “To give you and Johann my blessing. I am the other woman he spoke of. We love one another deeply but I am too independent for him and I’m not a faithful woman and see no reason to be so. He has always tolerated that, but you have always been faithful to him and it is a trait that he admires and respects. He did push you away once, but my dear it almost killed him to do so. He could not stand the bickering between the two of us, and felt you would be better off with someone who would love you and be faithful to you and you alone, but you two could never part for long. You both shared a bed numerous times, actually too many to count. You were married and he was with me. You never would allow intercourse, but my dear, your skills at other pleasures put me to shame. Once you and I were friends or I should say your uninhibited side and I were. You and I became bitter enemies, but I will wait for Johann to tell you that story. I hope that you will find it within your heart to forgive him, and if you do, your greatest wish will come true. One other thing, he gave you pleasure as he fed from you, he only did that a few times with me.” Alma disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.

It was late the next morning when she awoke. Rissy fixed her coffee and sat down to read. As much as she tried she couldn’t concentrate and had to put the book down. She decided to go for a drive. Her mind was jumbled with thoughts and she did not even realize parking the car and walking along the beach until she came upon a place where there were still two set of footprints. She placed her foot in the smaller of the two and it fit perfectly. She sat down in the sand and looked out over the ocean and cried for hours. When finished she rose, took a piece of driftwood that she had found and made a circle around the place where she and Johann had been when it was a happy place. She turned to the east and made a blessing for the circle to only allow someone who had true love and felt that it had slipped away to enter. She did the same with the south, west and finally the north. She stood there for a little longer and slowly wandered back to her car but felt compelled to look back at the spot where she had felt that she had finally met the love of her life only to have that shattered. She saw a few people walk past the place who went around the circle and then she saw a single person walk right into the circle and sit. She felt sorry for whoever it was that sat there and could relate. She almost went back but decided that she would not be good company so she continued her journey. Once she got to her car she just sat there looking at the ocean and thinking. Things had become so strange since she had met Johann. She had felt so comfortable with him and even now she did, but her brain was reeling. She had noticed her speech changing and then to be so intimate with this man. Her heart ached for him and yet she loathed him at the same time. She thought about the ghost visitation and that damned portrait, she knew it was her in that portrait. She could feel it, she could even see it. She took her time going home and instead of going the short way home, she caught herself driving by his house hoping to catch a glimpse of him, but she didn’t see him. The tears began again. The pain in her chest made her nauseous. Even her brain had begun to wonder if it had jumped to conclusions too quickly.

It then dawned on her. What if Charlotte had been right and there had been things about that whole incident that she couldn’t understand and that Johann still didn’t?

Rissy did the only thing that she could think of and that was to call Lisa to come over. Lisa was her favorite cousin and could help her. Lisa came quickly after Rissy made her promise not to tell any of the rest of the family. When Lisa arrived, Rissy brought out a pot of coffee and they went out on the veranda to talk. “Lisa, what do you know about Johann and don’t tell me ‘nothing’ because I’m sure you know something.”

“I know he is from Germany or somewhere like that but really nothing more.”

“Dammit Lisa, I know you know more than that!” Rissy screamed. “Tell me now!”

“Rissy my dear, it is not for me to tell you. This is your journey and all I can say is to follow your heart.” Lisa took a breath and looked at Rissy. She wanted to tell her much more but it was forbidden. She did think and made one last statement about Johann. “I can tell you this and really I’m going beyond what I’m allowed to say. Johann is more than you know. Whatever you feel follow it and do not be afraid to ask questions but not to me or his employees but Johann directly.”

Rissy shook her head and said she understood and then she and Lisa took a walk in towards River Street for a lunch.