Chapter Forty-One

 

At Last

 

Sebastian and Annaleah, after returning to their human forms, arrived together at the Professor's quarters. She was still glistening with the afterglow of having channeled the Goddess, and Sebastian couldn't keep his newly indigo eyes off of her. As they approached his door, he paused to reach out slowly and stroke her hair. Soft golden light began to glow where he touched her, her tresses illuminating his slender fingers.

"You are so gloriously beautiful, Annaleah," he purred, his voice low and thick with desire. She smiled at him, a rose tint rising in her cheeks. When she looked at him, her heart felt as though it were beating starlight instead of blood, warming her chest with the intensity of passions flowing therein.

"You know Professor," Annaleah teased, smiling coyly. "The last time I came here it wasn't such a pleasant situation for me."

"Well then," he said, twisting the key in the lock and opening the door wide, "let me make it up to you." He put his arms around her waist and swept her into his arms, carrying her into his chambers. Annaleah briefly saw the sitting room where she had conversed with him not so long ago, and felt a residual chill crawl its way up her spine. If Sebastian had felt her shiver, he made no mention of it. He carried her through the sitting room and through the door to his bedroom. Long scarlet curtains hung over the windows, a beautiful contrast to the walls covered in black and silver scrolled wallpaper. She had a few seconds to take in the ebony of the velveteen blanket on his bed before she was gently placed on top of it.

Sebastian began to speak to her in the Enochian tongue, which strangely, like the hymn sung by the revived angels in the clearing, she found herself easily able to understand. The words felt as if they were pouring themselves over her, captivating her with enticing, hypnotic pleasure. As he touched her intimately with his words, her skin felt as if it were inflamed, burning her with sweet sensuality. It was his hymn to her. His voice low and enticing, his accent quickening her heart as it mixed with the words he spoke to form a ballad of magnetic allure.

"Aai biab blior aao daphaht amma. Aoivea alar aalo adoian chirlan dooaip dosig. Emna eors eophan eol."

The language of the angels dripped like enchanted honey from his lips, seducing her body, mind and soul. After each word was spoken, Annaleah translated to herself the meaning of them, speaking them aloud softly in English. Hearing them again in her native tongue sent waves of entranced bliss throughout her body, igniting her spirit with burning passion.

"You are my comfort amongst the unspeakable and the cursed," she said breathily, "The stars that have settled in thy face rejoiceth in the name of this night. Here in this bed, a thousand lamentations I shall make you."

He continued in the eloquent tongue, arcs of light flashing underneath both of their skins. He sat on the bed beside her, tracing the space between her parted lips with the pad of this index finger. She closed her eyes and took the tip of his finger gently into her mouth for a brief moment. When she released his finger, he continued to trace the lines of her flesh; her cheeks, her jawline, her throat.

"No love has been born in any heart greater than that which lives in mine," she continued, her voice low. As Sebastian was about to continue seducing her with his Encocian words, she opened her eyes and looked at him with urgent longing.

"Oh Sebastian, shut up and kiss me already!" she said, not able to wait a moment longer.

Sebastian sensed her need and obeyed. He leaned slowly towards her, his midnight black hair trailing over her cheek as he relished the look of desire in her eyes.

When Sebastian pressed his lips to Annaleah's, everything around him ceased to exist. All that was real was his mouth hot and moist against hers, sending him into waves of ecstatic bliss. All pretense of composure was gone as he knew they had both lost themselves fully to the fervor that consumed them. As they fell into each other's arms, the light of their pure love sent arcs of radiance throughout their bodies, which leapt from one to the other, joining them in spirit as one.

When their bodies finally met and made them one being in body, mind and soul, the arcs of light flashing within them burst into flames inside them, setting them both on fire with the holy purity of Heaven blessed love. Here and there the flames flared like lightning, curving through the air and crackling with power. One such bolt even knocked over a vase of columbines on Sebastian's dresser, though he barely noticed.

After their passions were spent, Sebastian lay in his bed, the afterglow of their lovemaking washing peacefully over him. Holding Annaleah in his arms, listening to her breathing, he was truly, deeply happy for the first time he could recall. Though he had been on this earth for centuries, he had not really lived until he had met the woman who had now fallen into a peaceful sleep against him. He had been empty without even being aware of it, hardening his heart against anything that might have given him pleasure or comfort. She had been worth waiting for and every one of his troubles seemed insubstantial when compared to the peace and meaning she brought with her into his life.

Sebastian, elated and happily exhausted, leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead before settling back down next to her. Though he was countless centuries old, he knew, because of her, his life had only just begun.