Crazy Seduction(erotica)

“Then your choice of pet gave you no perspective for understanding Henry’s affection for his companions.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter though, as you’ve brought me the most excellent news. It concerned me that we might have to use one of his friends from his work. That would have greatly reduced Henry’s desperation for our assistance as they have solutions available for them. Now, these pets of Henry’s will be our avenue to getting his willful participation in the spell.”

She paused to take a few shallow breaths as pain shot through her body. Ikehorn caught the slight tightening of her skin at the corner of her eyes. She turned them to him again.

“It must be this week. Select one of these companions and bring upon them an unfortunate accident or circumstance. It must fall short of death but cause a significant and potentially life-threatening injury that will require Fae assistance to heal. Be precise.”

Ikehorn looked to Mab in confusion. “Human flesh is largely unaffected by Fae healing magic,” he said.

“There are ancient words of power that surpass the resistance of even the most mundane flesh. If Henry doesn’t seek us out for the medical intervention, we will have to offer it. We must be prepared to be in the neighborhood. Then we can enter into the negotiation for the fee and complete the spell.”

Ikehorn nodded. He understood this part of the plan at least. He knew a couple of discreet and highly skilled wet-work operatives he could call upon to assist. He didn’t personally take on this kind of work.

“I will arrange for it to happen as soon as possible.”

“Do not fail me!” she insisted.

Ikehorn bowed deeply, and he felt the Queen’s pleasure radiating from her. Another sign of her diminishing control.

He left quickly and headed to his room one floor down. He penned a note for Bronagh to immediately come to the assistance of the Queen, transferring her to the monarch’s staff. He included a few lines about how grand an honor it was and how sorry he was to see her leave his service but he knew this was a demotion in position at least, with an uncertain future. He felt the slightest twinge of guilt about that. On the other hand, based on the brutal lessons Bronagh tested him with as a child, he was doing what he needed to do. He sealed the letter with a little spell to ensure only Bronaghg could open it. He summoned a courier, and the message was off. Bronagh would be at the Queen’s beck and call within hours.

Now to arrange another painful misfortune.

**********

Henry knocked on Sandy’s door a little before the time Sandy was due to head upstairs.

He smiled at Marisa and Michelle who was a last minute inclusion to their party.

Thirty minutes earlier there’d been a knock on his door, and he’d answered it to see Johann Bruger standing there.

“My apologies but you will need to leave your unit for roughly three hours. We need to fumigate the floor as the clean-up crew works on Unit 909,” the short man said with a smile. “You may return… no later than 4 PM.”

“Do I need to do anything with my unit?” Henry asked.

Johann shook his head. “No. Just ensure all persons and animals are removed from your unit when you leave and do not come back before 4 PM. You don’t have any pets, do you?”

Henry smiled and shook his head. “Are the other floors going to be affected?”

“No, just this one.”

“Ok, thanks!” he said, and the man walked back to the elevators.

Before he closed the door, he watched some workers enter unit 909. They were kitted out in full hazmat suits, so he wondered what had gone on in that unit. Henry spotted Michelle stepping out of her condo. She wobbled a little, looking a little dazed. Then he realized she worked nights so she’d usually be sleeping now. “Michelle, are you ok?”

She turned to look at him, and he could tell she was still in the state of semi-consciousness. She nodded.

“Do you have somewhere to go until 4 PM?” he asked.

She blinked at him and shook her head.

“We’re going to have lunch with some friends on the fourth floor. You’re welcome to join us,” he suggested.

She shook her head nervously and bit her lip.

“Oh, well, if you change your mind. We’ll be at unit 404,” Henry said.

With a nod, he ducked back into his condo to let Marisa know they had a change of venue. He called Sandy to let her know they needed to do this at her place and she welcomed them to come down.

When Henry opened his door once again, Michelle was standing outside his door with a lost look on her face. She also still looked very sleepy.

“Changed your mind?” he asked.

She looked at him timidly. “I’m not good around strangers.”

“Strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet,” Henry said with a smile.

“Henry! That was so corny. Even for you,” Marisa moaned with a smirk as she stood just behind him. Michelle smiled at them.

He just shrugged with a smile and looked to Michelle who finally nodded.

So, here they were standing before Sandy’s door. When it opened, the petite blonde’s happy face smiled up at him and Marisa, then looked curiously at Michelle who seemed to be hiding behind Henry.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I brought along my neighbor Michelle. She works nights, so the order to leave our floor was a bit of a rude awakening.

“Oh my! If you’d like I can change the sheets, and you can sleep in my bed until you can go back to your condo,” Sandy offered.

“I don’t want to put you to any trouble,” Michelle said quietly in surprise.

Sandy gave her a bright smile. “It’s no trouble at all. Please come in. Just give me a second to set it up for you. Have a seat in the living room. Henry, I’ll leave you to make the introductions.”

They made their way into the main room and Tish, and Dayshia stood to meet them.Text © by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

“Michelle, these are my good friends Dayshia and Tish. This is my neighbor Michelle.” They shook hands. “She works nights, so Sandy has graciously offered her a place to sleep until it’s clear to go back to our floor. You’ve met Marisa.”

“This is the Marisa?” Tish asked with a wide grin.

The woman in question raised an eyebrow at Henry, and he blinked in surprise. “Uh, sorry, I thought you’d met Tish.”

“I’ve met Dayshia before but not Tish,” Marisa said and shook the woman’s hand. “Yes, I’m the Marisa.” Tish’s eyes were showing her mischievous glee.

Marisa and Michelle took seats on the couch on either side of Henry and Dayshia, and Tish took the loveseat. Michelle shyly smiled as she leaned a little against Henry’s side. He could tell she was still hovering on the edge of sleep.

“How were you feeling this morning, Henry?” Tish asked, drawing his attention from Michelle.

“Good! I mean, I was sick last night, but I felt better by the morning,” he clarified.

“I’m so sorry Roger spiked your drink last night,” Dayshia said. Tish nodded as Dayshia looked closer at Henry’s face. “You still have some bruising on your cheekbone where I saw you take a punch.”

“Who pulled you from the fight and brought you home?” Tish asked.

“Hey! No asking the interesting questions until I’m present,” Sandy said as she walked out of the bedroom. “Sorry it took longer than expec- ted,” she paused as she saw Michelle was asleep, resting her head against Henry’s shoulder. He smiled back at her in embarrassment. Sandy just shook her head with a grin.

Marisa stood, and Henry carefully moved to scoop Michelle up in his arms. She was surprisingly heavy, but he guessed her true shape would likely mean additional mass? His mind shied away from the physics or magic involved.

He managed to lift her, and she settled her head against his chest with a smile on her red lips. He smiled at the others who were looking back at him with odd smiles of their own.

Sandy guided Henry back to the bedroom where she pulled back the sheets for him. He gently eased the woman down on the bed, and she sighed in her sleep. Tucking the covers over her, he stepped back and followed Sandy out. She closed the door and grinned up at him. “Play your cards right, and one day you may get to carry me in your arms to bed,” she whispered cheekily.

Henry was caught by surprise by her confession, so he nodded with a slight blush. They joined the others.

“I was just telling them how you bumped into a security consultant from VRL at the club last night and how he recognized you and got you home,” Marisa offered when they got back, and Henry nodded to her gratefully. What she’d come up with was a much better story than anything he’d fabricate.

He looked to Sandy. “Where is Roger?”

She scowled. “He’s in our bad books right now. What he did to you last night was so far beyond ok, he’s got to start acknowledging how out of control he’s becoming. We’ll have an intervention with him at work on Monday, and if he doesn’t agree to reign in his chaotic behavior and seek help for whatever is causing it, we’re going to have to limit our interaction with him. He’s putting us all at risk, and that’s not ok.”

Henry couldn’t argue with them about that. While he liked Roger, getting him drunk wasn’t cool. Shit happened last night because of it. A Colonel and some soldiers would be alive today if Henry had been sober. On the flip side of that, the Glass People would likely be dead. He was feeling off about the entire ordeal.

Seeing his frown Tish moved to the couch next to him and took his hand. “I’m so sorry we didn’t keep a closer eye on him.”

Her hand felt so good in his. Their fingers were the same length, so it was a full-contact kind of hold. He looked up and gave her a shy nod.

“Anyone else hungry?” Tish said holding his eye, and he caught the double entendre. He nodded as Dayshia rolled her eyes and stood to help Sandy bring over the trays of wraps and individual sized salad bowls.

Henry looked to Marisa in disappointment. “I forgot to bring the cookies!” She returned his sad look.

“You baked cookies?” Dayshia asked in surprise.

He nodded with a crooked smile. “Yeah, I’m working on my kitchen skills. Learning to be independent.” He put food on his plate and sat back to begin eating.

As Henry enjoyed a BLT wrap, Sandy caught his attention. “I was getting my mail in the lobby when I saw Yuko heading out this morning with a friend. She looked very sad. I think she might have been crying.”

Henry frowned and forced down his last bite. “Really,” was all he managed to choke out of his tight throat.

“Sorry,” Sandy said, noticing his discomfort.

He shrugged it off with a weak smile. “It’s cool. I guess I’m just holding what Yuko did… to Stanley, against her.”

“She seems a little unstable,” Dayshia observed. “I mean, who carries a stun grenade in her purse?”