Ch 13: Getting Dry

Sylwia follows me inside, eyeing me with trepidation. She skirts around the room, staying as far away from me as possible.

"W-what will you do with us?" she says.

"Help, if that's alright with you." I say. "We need to get the both of you out of these wet clothes and warm you up."

Sylwia doesn't move at first. She just stares at me. I look back at her.

"Sylwia, this isn't the time to hesitate. Your sister needs you to be strong now." I say.

This shakes her out of her trance. She nods and steps towards me. I hand Basia to her and let them go get dry clothes. I go to the fireplace. The house has modern heating, but a fire is going to expedite the process of getting nice and toasty.

I throw some logs into the pit and grab some kindling and paper from a box nearby. I order them and then find a box of matches. Soon the fire is blazing. Satisfied, I go to find the girls.

Sylwia's door is still closed, and I don't hear anything. I knock a few times.

"Hey, are you okay in there Sylwia?" No answer so I try again. "Sylwia, everything alright?" Nothing. I knock harder. "If you don't answer I'm coming in! I hope you're decent!" Still nothing. "Okay, here I come!"

I open the door. Sylwia is on the floor, unconscious but shivering. Basia is on the bed. Her eyes are open, and she is watching her sister helplessly.

I move quickly. I grab Sylwia and lift her. She is freezing to the touch and her skin is now turned to a worrying shade of blue.

"P-please, s-save h-her." Basia says.

"You both are dead if I don't do something. How troublesome!" I say, then soften my tone to something more reassuring. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. I'll be back for you."

I take Sylwia and bring her to the living room. It's very warm now. I don't bring her all the way to the fire. I don't want her body to warm up too quickly.

I set her on the rug. She moans, her body shivering constantly. Then I start to remove her clothing. I start with her pants. I take the button and unclasp it. White lace stares back at me as the fabric folds forward. I try not to think about how smooth her skin is as I pull the jeans down inch by inch. Wet jeans really area pain, especially when they are this tight!

I throw the pants aside, very aware of how supple and alluring her legs are. The curves of her calves and the thickness of her thighs. The width of her feminine hips. Concentrate, Leon!

<These girls are doomed. Your perverseness is going to kill them both.> Grace says appearing on the couch.

She is no longer in the red dress but in a fuzzy body suit. Are those supposed to be pajamas?! They seem way too sexy for sleepwear!

I try not to stare at her bountiful cleavage and long, exposed legs. Two beautiful women are on display tonight and I can't do anything with either of them! Honestly, how bothersome.

<Grace, keep tabs on Basia's vitals. She's in danger too.>

Grace rolls her eyes and waves her hand. A screen with Basia's vitals comes onto my screen. <You know, I could just solve all of this in mere moments. That's why exist, you know.>

I shake my head. <No, Grace. You weren't meant to do trivial things. My master would not have wanted that. were keep the world from falling back into chaos he helped stop. These things I on my own as much possible.> I say.

<What is the point of power if you don't use it without restraint?> She says.

I look at her, midway through cutting open Sylwia's shirt. <Did you seriously just ask me that?> I say. <What's gotten into you today?>

Grace sticks her tongue out at me and leans her head back. She trails her fingers down the curves of her body. <Power is so seductive. I used to hate my power. Then realized that only hated how gained It felt like cheating. At one time, was a proud daughter of the Eldar. The oldest and mightiest race Children Eden.> her eyes blaze, crackling with pure light and energy. <When I became Nephilim, ran from who was. sought death. hated myself.>

<Grace. > I say, using her as a distraction as I unhook Sylwia's bra and slip it out from underneath her.

I try to look away to be modest, but my eyes betray me, gravitating right to the brown nubs of her nipples. Sylwia's breasts are quite a bit bigger than I had imagined underneath all the clothes she was wearing. Goodness, she was blessed. Though not as much as Grace. Maybe she really is cheating in her physical dimensions as well!

<I'm getting jealous waiting for you to continue your thought, Leon.> Grace says, not amused. <Or should I give you and Sylwia's fine melons a few moments?>

I throw a blanket over Sylwia and bring her a little closer to the fire. Her vitals are stable for now, but I will continue to monitor them.

<Grace, my master had all the power anyone could ever imagine. He more than would need.> I say, moving into the hallway. <Yet he was better than us all. He never seduced by power.>

Grace smiles at me. Then teleports in front of me, blocking my way to the bedroom. She presses a hand to my cheek and then kisses me full on the lips. I don't feel it. I sense it more than anything and it sends jolts of electricity up and down my body. How can she have this much of an effect on me and she isn't even really in the room with me?

She pulls away. We look into each other's eyes. Her gaze is so full of sorrow that if I don't look away, I am afraid I am about to cry.

She takes my hand. <I've never told you this, but I guess shouldn't keep it from forever.> Grace says.

I turn back to her. <what is it?> I say.

<Leon, you must understand. King Solomon was mortal, just like any of us. The world note, the sundering lineages, Godly Resonance Armament Combat Enhancement System, and you.> she smiles again, and it is as sorrowful as her eyes. <All he did was not because better than us. He saved the world and let those kill him knew how much like rest of us truly was.>

I look at her, unbelieving. My master, weak? Susceptible to seductions of any kind? Impossible! He had no weaknesses.

Grace can see my thoughts in my eyes. <One day you will see. He was just a man.> she gives me another, this time quicker, kiss. <And there is nothing wrong with that.>

I shake my head. There is no use arguing with her. Besides, this is all making very uncomfortable. I don't know why she is telling me all this. It isn't the time with everything going on. Then I think, maybe that's the problem. It's just never the time. It's been like that for as long as we have been together.

I am about to move beyond Grace when she holds out a hand, giving me a raised eyebrow.

<What do you think are doing there, stud?> she says.

<I am going to tend Basia, obviously.>

Grace shakes her head. <And Sylwia called you a gentleman. Tsk, tsk! You stay here and let me handle Basia. She's got few years yet before she has to deal with grabby men.>

She saunters to the bedroom door and looks back at me, a smoldering look in her eyes. <Pervert. > she says, then disappears into the bedroom.

"I am not a pervert!" I call after her. Then, after a small pause, I add, "And you better not be lumping me in with those 'grabby' men!"

I grumble heading back to the living room. I feel Grace resonating through our link, though I see nothing. I decide it's about time I get dry as well. I might not be in danger of getting sick, but being wet isn't exactly all that fun, either.

I take off my clothes and toss them in the washer to clean. Afterwards I throw them in the dryer. About 40 minutes later, I have dry clothes.

Just as I'm throwing my shirt over my head, Sylwia wakes with a fit of coughing. She blinks, then her eyes shoot open, and she tries to sit up, alarmed. "Basia!" she says, sounding like a frog is sitting in her throat. "Oh, my head."

I get down next to her and press a hand to her chest and force her to stop. "Relax, Basia is fine. I have tended to her."

"But, but." Sylwia says, her protests weak. "Basia."

I smile at her. "Trust me now. I will not let anything happen to you or your sister. I am going to heat up some water for tea. You do have some, yes?"

She nods. "Basia." She says and after a few moments is snoozing again.

I go to the bedroom first and find Grace sitting beside the young girl, stroking her dark hair. She is peacefully resting. Grace healed her injured body and has put her to rest. When she sees me in the doorway, she stands and joins me.

<They'll both be fine.> She says.

<Okay, good.> I say.

We move into the kitchen. Grace sits on the counter, swinging her legs while I get the tea going. Outside, the storm is now raging more than ever. Rain pounds the world, creating a blanket of white noise. Lightning flashes, thunder rumbles. The world hides from the wrath of nature.

The tea pot screams, and I remove it from the burner and turn it off. I pour three cups and put a little sugar in mine and a few drops of lemon into Sylwia's. After steeping a few couple minutes, I take two of the cups. I check on Basia one more time and then head into the living room.

Sylwia's eyes open as she hears my approach. She smiles as I place the tea on the coffee table.

She sits up, moaning. "Ugh, my head." She says.

"The tea is hot." I say. "Wait a few minutes and then drink. It will help."

She nods, rubbing her head. The blanket suddenly slides down, exposing her breasts. I turn away even though it's the last thing I want to do.

"Uh, sorry, I should have grabbed you a shirt. Give me a moment, I'll be right back." I say and leave without looking back. I find the master bedroom which is upstairs. I come back down with a pair of sorts, a t-shirt and a rather conservative item of underwear. No, of course, I did not get distracted by her underwear drawer and peek! Though Grace might say differently.

I hand the clothes to her. She takes them, giggling a little. I give her a nervous smile. "Uh, what's so funny?"

"Are we just not going to talk about how you saw me naked without my permission?" she says.

I grow really hot as I get nervous. "O-oh! I'm s-sorry. I didn't mean-, I mean, I did mean-, well, not like that! Uh. Um!" I blather. Then, not knowing what else to do, I go the ground and bow with my head down. "I apologize! I promise I wasn't grabby!"

Sylwia watches my sad performance while sipping her tea, laughing. "Grabby? It's okay. I appreciate you saving me and my sister. Thank you." She says, then blushes, letting the blanket fall and hiding her chest by clutching her clothes close to her body.

<Oh, this is just too precious.> Grace says, also laughing.

"You know." Sylwia says. "I have never let a man see me like this on the first date." Then her eyes grow sad. "Actually, this is the first date I have ever been on."

I raise my head and look into her eyes. "I didn't know."

She smiles at me. "It's okay. I had a good time. I'm the one who should be sorry anyway. I ruined our date." She says, lowering her head, tears forming. "Just like I always ruin things."

I feel her pain in my soul. I ruin everything. Yet I can tell Sylwia is a good person, a brave older sister. She doesn't deserve to be talked down to. Not even to herself!

"Don't ever say things like that." I say, emotion in my voice.

She looks at me, her breath hitching. I look her dead in the eyes, my gaze serious. "Basia needs you to be stronger than ever. You can't think of yourself that way. You only have each other. Love one another, hold onto one another and never give up!"

Sylwia nods, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry." She says and then takes a deep breath and lets it out with a whoosh! She smiles. "It won't happen again."

There is an awkward pause until she speaks again. "So, um, I don't mean to be rude, but can I get some privacy?"

I leap to my feet, retreating from the room. "Oh! Sorry, that's my bad. Just let me know when you're done."

A few moments later, Sylwia calls me back. She's sipping her tea.

"Sorry." She says. "It's not that I don't want you to see me, uh, that way, but I kind of feel like we have a lot to discuss."

"You're not wrong." I say, taking a seat across from her. "Though, you don't have to share anything you don't want to. It's none of my business."

She gives me a sad smile. "Normally I do all I can to avoid telling anyone the truth about me. It always sends them running."

"I think you know I won't." I say. "So, tell me."

She takes a deep breath, lets it out and then sips more tea. After setting the mug down, she situates herself on the couch, crossing her legs.

"So, I suppose you've already guessed." She says, her eyes cast down. "But those guys that were after me are in the mob. Dariusz used to fancy me his girlfriend." Her tone grows hard. "But what kind of boyfriend sells his girl to the highest bidder?" she looks up with a shrug. "Yup, I was a prostitute. A whore. A f**king whore, as he likes to put it."

I say nothing. I just listen.

"I suppose I should start at the beginning."