Laid to Rest

Laid to Rest

With a nod, the Major waited for his glass to be refreshed, then took a sip of the typically fine vintage that had been poured into it. The occasional clink and shuffle around the table told him that the others were taking a moment to step back from proceedings just as he was.

The room was quiet, apart from those little sounds, the rich décor lit by the faintly flickering gas lanterns here and there on the walls. He'd personally have preferred candlelight on an evening like this, but he was hardly a slave to tradition. With a tiny smile, he glanced down at the clearest evidence of that, the brass shell of his arm clicking slightly as he raised the glass to his lips again.

He might have preferred not to need it, but it was far more practical than going without a replacement for the original... not to mention rather stylish in design.

Returning his attention to the business at hand, he studied his company around the green baize covering of the table. He knew them all, to a greater or lesser extent, but he was honest enough to admit that didn't necessarily like them all equally. Take the man to his left, for example: a taciturn, sour looking individual who had a reputation as being utterly cold-blooded and ruthless in his business dealings - and one of the greatest patrons of the arts the city could boast.

At the other end of the scale, the 'gentleman' across the table from him. Rakishly handsome, jovial... possessed of some of the most distasteful political views that the Major could recall encountering. He was giving serious thought to proposing that the little whelp be barred from the club... but that was a topic for another time. As long as he kept his damned mouth shut.

The other pair of males were somewhere in the middle, pleasant enough company but of little significant note. And that left the last person at the table. The Major shifted his gaze, making certain that he was being discrete about it, and took the chance to - once again - survey her.

She stood out not simply due to her gender, since there were at least two other woman in the room. Servants, true, but still... No, it was a combination of factors that made her so noticeable, adding up to the exotic look that seemed to define civilised elves. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he found her very appealing, her honey-toned complexion and artfully styled sable hair complemented by the deep blue gown she'd chosen for he evening.

Abruptly, he realised that she was looking straight back at him, smoky grey eyes with the epicanthic folds of her kind crinkling slightly in amusement as she took a sip from her own wineglass. He managed to avoid twitching like a schoolboy under her gaze, but it obviously didn't escape notice entirely given the laughter that flickered in her eyes.

The Major couldn't resist a smile of his own, and she raised her glass in a tiny salute before setting it aside and looking over at the businessman.

"The deal is yours, is it not Mister Howesmann?"

"Indeed," the man replied. Reaching past the collection of lacquered chips on the bale in front of him, he picked up the cards and began shuffling them.

Conversation was minimal as they played, only the dialogue of the game itself passing anyone's lips for the next half hour or so. The Major didn't miss the way his collection of chips was dwindling, much as every other man's around the table, and it would have taken someone truly unobservant to see where they were all ending up.

Not that he begrudged her the wins at all. She played with casual skill, and had bourne her losses, such as they were, with the good-natured grace of someone who knew that the game was just that: a game. The same could not be said, to the Major's disapproval, of the youngster. Fortunately, he kept his feelings to himself, which meant that immediate measures were not going to have to be taken to curb him.

The Major could tell that it was coming close to the line, however...

It seemed that he was not the only one to make that observation, either. Near the door, standing still and silent enough to have escaped notice for most of the evening, a far less genteel-looking individual shifted slightly as his attention focused on the almost offensive young man.

The Major knew very little about the lady's escort, but what he did, he approved of. It was clear enough, to those who knew how to see it, that the man had been trained, and trained well, in his duties, and he suspected that there was more than a little military influence in his stance. It was that influence that the Major was counting on to keep things in check. After all, even if the whelp deserved it, there would be no end of trouble if he were as summarily quashed as he suspected the silent gentleman was capable of.

Nobody else appeared aware of the possibility, however, and the game continued - until, that was, that the entrance of one of the club's stewards into the room distracted them all. With a bow of apology for the disturbance, the neatly groomed dwarf made his way to the table.

"Madam Mataroki?" he said softly, and the lady turned an elegantly raised eyebrow in his direction. The steward extended a folded piece of paper, which she took with a polite nod. Everyone else around the table waited as she unfolded the note and read whatever was on it, the game pausing as they gave her the time she required.

"Thank you, Deret. I've been waiting for this." Refolding the note, she slipped it into her purse and gave the others around the table a polite nod. "It would seem that I am called elsewhere, gentlemen. My apologies, but I am afraid I am going to have to leave you to finish the evening on your own."

There were a few hints of relief here and there in the replies, but only, the Major suspected, because it gave them a chance to loose money to each other for a change. The elf's smile, on the other hand, suggested she was not quite done with them yet. Pushing a stack of ships toward the centre of the table, she rose gracefully to her feet.

"I call."

Flipping her cards over, the first time, the Major noticed , that anyone - including herself - had seen what they were, she gave the assembled gentlemen a chance to see the hand she'd held. The Major's weary groan wasn't alone, and he shook his head as she gave them all a light bow.

"A pleasure,gentlemen" she laughed, "As always. Deret, if you would be so kind...?"

"Of course, Madam."

As a chorus of goodbyes sounded around the table, the dwarf stepped forward to gather her winnings, and she offered them all another parting bow.

---

The evening air was chilly, as expected, which is why Elhanna had chosen one of her heavier coats for tonight's business. Or the travelling to and from it, at least, since there had been no actual guarantee that said business was, in fact, going to come to pass. The note, however, had made it clear that her services were being called on as expected.

"Thank you, by the way." she said quietly, glancing over her shoulder as she settled the coat properly into place.

"For?" came the reply, which surprised her a little. Marik tended not to say all that much when he saw no reason to, so the fact he said something now was... unexpected.

"Not making a scene?"

Satisfied that she was ready to head outdoors, she led the way toward the door, nodding to the steward that held it open for her, and stepping out into the chill. Marik grunted, apparently uninterested in discussing the topic further, and Elhanna was content to let it drop as well. She had to concentrate on preparing herself for the upcoming demands on her time, after all.

With a curt gesture, Marik got the attention of a nearby cab driver, and the man trotted his buggy over. The trip wasn't a long one, but the consideration was typical of her escort. She gave him a smile, which he ignored, and allowed him to hand her into the cab.

As he settled himself beside her, she gave the driver the destination, and sat back to wait out the trip. As her thoughts turned inward, the steady sound of the horse's hooves on the cobbles had an almost lulling effect, and she lost track of where they were until the buggy came to a gently rocking halt.

She looked up, frowning to herself as she got her bearings. Marik climbed out, waiting to help her do the same, and she thanked the driver as she handed him a coin. Used to the higher class of the neighbourhood, he didn't do anything as crass as bite it to test it's veracity, but he did waste no time in putting his horse into motion again and heading off in search of another fare.

"You know this is creepy as hell, right?"

Elhanna chuckled, smiling at the weary tone of Marik's voice as he made the same sort of comment he always did on these occasions, fully aware that she wasn't going to pay even the slightest heed to his words. She never had, and most likely never would. She was what she was, and did what she did... and made a tidy profit out of it along the way.

"I know," she said quietly as she looked up at the front of the house the cab had delivered them to. "But you know full well that I am very suited for my work."

Another grunt, a sour and ill-tempered one, but he knew. He had little choice but to, given the role he played.

Walking up to the door, Elhanna knocked and waited. The pause was a short one, as mere moments later the door was opened, revealing a well-dressed gentleman in his middle years. Without a word, he invited them to enter, sparing Marik a considering look... and, as far as she could tell, trying very hard not to look at her at all.

Hardly a shock, given that her vocation tended to make people a little... uncomfortable. Those able to afford her services, at any rate. It was an occasionally amusing truth that the more accepting of what she did someone was, the less they were considered part of polite society. Nobody ever seemed too reluctant to call on her, however. Odd, that.

Odd? A smile ghosted across her lips as she considered the point. Try barely surprising. One rule for appearances, another behind closed doors. No matter where you are, money always seems to work that way.

"May I take your coat?"

The man, their host, was addressing her directly, which took her a little aback. Not that he was talking to her, but that he was the one asking the question. Now she thought about it, there was a notable lack of any domestic staff in evidence...

She kept her reaction under control, limiting herself to a bow of her head and a move to shrug the coat off of her shoulders. Marik stepped in and took it from her, keeping their host from having to work out what to do with the thing if he'd actually been the one to relieve her of the garment.

"Thank you. Now, Sir Corrin, I believe the sooner we get to business, the sooner I can stop disrupting the orderly nature of your household."

A point he seemed to have considered already, given the almost unseemly flicker of relief he showed at her apparent eagerness to get things over and done with. As he led them toward the stairs, she used the opportunity to appreciate the fine décor, mentally totalling how much the place was worth - a habit she had never managed to fully rid herself of, no matter what else of her background she had shed along the way.

Quite a lot, she estimated. At least she was able to well and truly quell the urge to slip one or two of the choicest knick-knacks into a pocket.

Their host stopped by a door, but made no move to open it. Instead, he took a deep breath and looked her square in the eye with a firm expression on his face. She had a feeling what was coming, resting a hand on Marik's arm as a reminder that, if she was right, this was going to be an impertinence he was going to have to accept with a smile.

Alright, so maybe not a smile, but he'd keep his response on a leash.

"Madam Mataroki, I hesitate to raise such a topic, but as I am sure you are aware certain... outcomes must not be permitted to come to pass. I would hope that-"

Elhanna's raised hand made him pause, and she gave him a tight smile. "I am no novice at this, Sir Corrin. The arrangements for this included the very assurances you are seeking, did they not? I know my copy did."

The older man looked less than amused by the interruption, but eventually nodded. Turning, he knocked briskly on the door, but didn't wait for any response before turning the handle and pushing it open. His reluctance was clear, but he stepped aside and motioned for her to enter. Marik planted himself by the door, looking for all the world like he was taking root, though he did reach into his own coat to pull out a small package.

Elhanna accepted it when it was held out to her, gave their host a nod, and stepped inside.

---

As the door closed behind her, Elhanna surveyed the bedroom she had just entered, noting the details... and the apprehensive young man sat on the bed. Like their host, he was human, fair-haired and quite pleasing to look upon - which boded well for this to be a pleasant enough experience.

Assuming, of course, she could get him to relax enough for her to do her job.

"You would be Carver, I presume?" she asked pleasantly, and almost sighed when he twitched nervously at the sound of her voice. "Relax, young man. This will go a lot quicker and easier if you just... let it happen."

"Let what happen?"

He was definitely on edge, not that she honestly blamed him. This sort of thing did tend to unnerve the uninitiated, and she had a sinking suspicion that he was going to have been told even less than she might have hoped.

Good job his part is to do what should come naturally.

With a reassuring smile, she stepped closer and offered him a hand, letting him take it in his own time then gently pulling him to his feet.

"I assure you, this will be a painless experience. A haunting of this nature is often far more intimidating than its actual level of threat warrants." She squeezed his hand gently, then stepped away again to set her purse, and Marik's package, on the dresser. "And it is remarkably easy to make dormant again, assuming the proper methods are used."

"Dormant?" the young man asked shakily. "I thought..."

"No, dear boy. Ghosts are incredibly difficult to disperse permanently unless they wish to cooperate. This one..." With a knowing smile,. She looked around the room, very well aware that the object of their discussion was right there with them. "This one just wishes to know a little of mortal life once again. Satisfy that craving, and it will leave you in peace."

Unless, she left unvoiced, this young man's performance was of truly legendary proportions. Which, in all honesty, she doubted it would be given his lack of ease with the circumstances. Taking an obvious grip on himself, Carver nodded his understanding, the resolve on his face making him suddenly look a lot more like his father - who, if form held true, had most likely retired to somewhere else in the house to try and pretend none of this was happening.

"Very well. What must I do?"

With businesslike motions, Elhanna unwrapped the package, revealing the rune-covered candle that lay within, and set it upright. From her purse, she took a box of strikers, then looked back at him over her shoulder.

"For the moment, be still. All will be well, I assure you, but I do need to concentrate."

He nodded again, still obviously unsure as to why he was even here, but making no move to disobey her instruction. Lighting the candle with one of the strikers, Elhanna returned the box to her purse, then laid her fingertips on the waxy cylinder itself. It was possible he was going to expect something visually impressive as she got to work... but all that happened as she began her softly-whispered chant was that the runes on the candle's surface began to shimmer with silvery light.

When she was fully ready, however, things got more interesting. Without warning, every light in the room, save the candle, abruptly snuffed out, drawing a startled exclamation from the young man. Elhanna honestly did not care at that point, given that her whole body had gone totally rigid, every muscle and sinew snapping taught as she felt a presence, an eager, almost hungry presence, brush against her awareness.

With a slow smile, she let her eyes close as she opened herself up to it... and felt the warmth suffuse her as the invitation was accepted.

"Are you..."

He seemed unsure how to finish his query, but Elhanna likely wouldn't have responded anyway. She'd tried explaining how this felt to others, but she'd failed. To understand, someone would have to be able to do it themselves,... which rather removed the need for an explanation. As the young man tried to work out what was going on, Elhanna lived it.

Eevry part of her seemed to glow with warmth as her very soul opened itself to what she had invited inside herself. The rigidity in her body faded into a comfortable looseness, and there was more than one entity looking through her eyes as she turned to face the man by the bed. The smile on her face had him blinking in surprise, and if anything he looked even more nervous as she started slowly stalking toward him.

"Ah..."

"Relax, Carver. This is exactly what is meant to be happening."

She heard the subtle echo in her own voice, felt the same slightly distant sensation in her movements, and knew that this was, indeed, precisely how things should be. Or nearly, at least. Certain steps had yet to be taken, and both herself and the feminine shade within her were planning to take steps to remedy that.

"If you say so..." he replied warily, backing up until his legs hit the edge of the bed. "But what, uhh... What is this, precisely?"

Elhanna's laugh was a low, throaty chuckle, predatory but somehow not even remotely threatening. She came to a halt bare inches from him, looking up into his eyes as she laid a hand on his chest... then pushed. As expected, he toppled backward, arms whirling comically as he tried to keep his balance, but within moments he was flat on the bed, blinking up at her in surprise.

"A clever boy like you should be able to figure it out," she purred. "But let's make things nice and clear for you, shall we?"

Reaching behind herself, she arched her back and started working on the buttons of her dress. The movement also made very sure that Carver wasn't going to miss the distinctly feminine shape standing over him. The way he went totally still showed he was definitely paying attention - and that focus only became even more intense as she finished with the buttons and shimmied her shoulders.

With nothing left holding it in place, the garment slid off of her shoulders, flowing down her body to pool at her feet... and, coincidentally, revealing that she was totally naked beneath it. Both of them gasped, though whilst Carver's was from surprise, Elhanna's was down to the trail of sensation the silken fabric left in it's wake as it ran across her skin.

Looking down at him, she laughed happily at the stunned expression on his face. It wasn't just surprise in his eyes, though, and just the sort of heat she was looking for came into his gaze as she deliberately ran her hands across her body. Thigh to hip, across her flat belly and up, she trailed her fingers over her skin to cup the flesh of her breasts. They may not have been as large as some men might prefer, but she'd never had any complaints... especially when she was putting them on show like this.

"W-What are-"

"I told you, Carver. Satisfy the craving."

He moved to sit up, but went still again as she smoothly knelt down at the end of the bed, neatly tucked between his legs where they hung off of the mattress. As she felt the hard heels of her shoes pressing against her rear, she took note of the fact that either what she was showing him, the herbal essences from the candle, or both, were having the intended effect.

With an embarrassed cough, Carver tried to cover the rather obvious bulge in his trousers, but Elhanna simply laughed and pushed his hands away. Ducking her head forward, she brushed her lips across his, then again. With what she suspected was forced reluctance, he finally responded. It was his tongue that first flickered out, stroking her against her lips, and she eagerly accepted the attention. It wasn't just his tongue that started growing bold, either, and she purred as she felt his hands begin stroking gently up her flanks.

Taking her response as encouragement, he moved them further, leaving delicate shivers in his wake as he stroked his way upward until one palm brushed over a tight, erect nipple. Elhanna gasped at the sensation, and Carver froze, at least until she grabbed the hand in question and pressed it harder against herself. If he'd intended to try and say anything, he was denied the chance when her other hand grabbed the back of his head, pulling his mouth even tighter against her own.

He learned fast, gently stroking her body, taking the soft moans and shivers he provoked as a guide. Realising that she was becoming a little short of breath, she pulled away, soothing his look of concern with a smile.

"Told you it was easier to just go along..."

His laugh was something she'd been waiting for, and she chuckled along.

"You may be right. Though, I'm still not sure..."

Laying a finger across his lips, she shook her head. "Don't be sure. Don't think."

Carver blinked, and his eyes went wide as she started unbuttoning his shirt. Or rather, when she began licking and nuzzling her way across the skin she revealed as she did so. She had no plans to stop there, by any means, and proved it as she passed down his stomach. It was the work of a moment to undo the buttons of his fly, and when he made to draw himself away, she nailed him in place quite effectively by snaking her hand into his trousers and taking hold of the stiffened shaft inside.

"Oh, no..." she breathed, "You're staying right there."

"Please, madam, this is going a little fast, don't you think?"

"Not even close," she shot back with a grin. "And I think, given the situation, you can call us Elhanna."

He looked confused for a moment, but that expression drained out of his face as, with swift, sure movements, she freed him from his trousers and lowered her head to take him into her mouth. As Carver let out a groan, his hands fisting in her hair, she felt every touch, every sensation echoing between herself and the spirit within her. This was exactly why she was here, and when she pressed her tongue against the underside of Carver's shaft and swallowed him as deeply as she could, she savoured the way both his body and the entity trembled with pleasure.

And her body was hardly a mere bystander in all this, either. As her head slowly bobbed up and down in her partner's lap, slick heat pooled between her own legs, and the merest touch of moving air, let alone the feeling of her taut breasts brushing against Carver's legs, only stoked that arousal higher.

The groans the man was letting out had her smiling around the hardness filling her mouth, stroking, licking and sucking as she slipped a hand down the length of her own body. Running her fingers over her smooth mound, she dipped them into the slickness that was seeping out of her, moaning at the scorching heat that met her exploring hand. The touch itself sent ripples of pleasure through her, and that only intensified as she found the hard little nub of sensation she sought and began teasing it with delicate care.

That, at least, had been the plan. Carver, it appeared, had other ideas - assuming he was thinking with anything but his cock under the circumstances. With a shuddering gasp, he used his grip on her hair to pull her mouth off him, before releasing his hold and putting a hand under each of her arms.

Unsure what he intended, and a little off-balance by the sudden shift in the circumstances, Elhanna nearly resisted when he lifted her out of her kneeling position, turning her as he got to his feet. The look on his face was one of intense concentration, however, and not any sort of threat at all. Instead, it was clear he intended to more fully participate in the evening's proceedings, and she let out a throaty laugh as he deposited her on the bed.

Laying back on her elbows, she looked up at him, licking her lips in obvious invitation, and the entity inside her shivered in anticipation of the sensations to come as he stepped between her open legs. She did experience a flicker of disappointment when he began to position himself over her, but ruefully admitted that one could hardly expect a gentlemanly returning of favours under all circumstances.

Besides, from the way he'd filled her mouth, she was quite looking forward to feeling it fill other parts of her as well...

She reached up, taking handfuls of the shirt that still hung from his shoulders, and pulled him closer, only to have himself brace his body over her and stop. She let out a hiss of irritation at the delay, but he shook his head.

"I do not know how you have made me so eager to do this... Elhanna, but I cannot risk-"

He cut off sharply when she rolled her eyes and reached between his legs to take a firm hold on the sac hanging between them.

"I'm protected from disease and you couldn't make me pregnant even if you wanted to."

And she had no interest in explaining the whys of either of those at this moment. Indeed, if such concerns had been paramount in his mind, he'd have raised them before now anyway. As a certain proof of that, his reaction was to take himself in hand, stroking himself as he aligned the head of his sex with her wet folds.

When he pushed himself forward, the hiss she let out had nothing at all to do with irritation, fueled instead by the delicious sensation of his member pressing itself against her... then making the penetration they both desired, sliding into her welcoming body until she felt full enough to burst.

Carver bent his head closer, capturing her lips once again, his tongue invading her mouth as his hips began to move, slowly at first, but with a quickly building tempo that had Elhanna gasping with each thrust. She answered his kiss with equal fervor as she angled her hips to try and take him even deeper into herself, gripping him as tightly as she could with her core.

Every stroke drove her closer and closer to the edge, and she wasn't alone in approaching that precipice. Carver's breathing grew short, the strain of holding back showing clearly on his face, and soul-deep inside her, her passenger was almost delirious with the sensations rocketing through her.

With a nearly audible snap, the walls holding back the tide inside her gave way, and a tortured groan escaped her lips, her body trembling with the waves of pleasure that burst through her. The undulating shifts of her body had their effect on her partner as well, her sex clamping down on his own and dragging a gasping moan from his throat as her climax drove him over the edge and into his own.

Somehow, when his arms lost their strength and ceased holding him above her, he managed to roll to one side and avoid squashing her under his weight. Putting a hand down between her legs once more, she felt her wetness mingling with what he'd released into her, and she smiled softly as she looked over at him - only to burst into laughter at the totally poleaxed look on his face as he stared at the ceiling.

"What?"

"Nothing, I assure you. I just tend to get a little... giggly."

He eyed her a bit suspiciously, but let it go. That was just as well, really because her body was tensing up again, spine arcing off of the bed as her limbs locked rigidly. A low, rattling moan clawed it's way out of her throat, seeming to echo off of the walls until a fine, misty vapour rose from her parted lips and dissipated into the air. The moment it was gone, Elhanna slumped back onto the mattress again, and blinked hard as she fought off the inevitable backlash that was now welling inside her.

She hated the feeling when she parted ways with a shade like this. She never felt... whole, once they were gone - and hiding the tears had the sad tendency to spoil what would otherwise be the pleasant afterglow of what she had just done. And just to make it even worse, her partner for this evening had to go and show at least some sense of gallantry by taking her into his arms as he tried to work out how to deal with the fact that the woman he'd just so thoroughly fucked was on the verge of weeping.

---

The sounds of Elhanna plying her trade had died out a short while ago, and Marik started giving some thought to getting ready to go. How long it would be before she emerged varied, depending on a number of things... including, he'd found, whether or not she spent time chatting with her collaborator in the evening's activities - or even indulged in a more purely recreational bit of-

The door opening took him by surprise, coming as it did far sooner than he might have expected. Indeed, she must have all but thrown herself into her dress to be appearing this fast, and he eyed her a little suspiciously, then the door as she closed it behind her.

"You good?"

His voice was a low growl when he spoke, and he sniffed the air as he waited for an answer. There was no scent but what he'd expect to find, which was good... especially since there was also no scent of anything clinging to her that should have been expelled when the job was done.

"I am fine, my dear."

He didn't believe that for a moment, not with the faint redness around her almond eyes, and the way she was both nodding and wrapping her arms around herself: actions that told two very different stories...

"I don't suppose you know where our host has disappeared to, do you? " she asked brightly. "There is, after all, the matter of the bill to be settled."

With a jerk of the head, Marik indicated the direction the man had headed off in, but made no move to start walking. Instead, he folded his arms and looked down at the thoroughly dishevelled-looking elf in front of him, clearly waiting for something more than her blithe assurances.

With a sigh, Elhanna laid a hand on his arm and shook her head.

"All is well, my friend. All is well."

When she turned and started walking down the hall, Marik was sure of only one thing. He didn't believe a damned word of that.

The End

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