Round Robin: Part Ten

Previously in the Round Robin, check out this link to view earlier episodes! http://herebemagic.blogspot.com/p/round-robin-story.html

The most immediate earlier episode is #9: http://herebemagic.blogspot.com/2013/03/round-robin-part-nine.html

When last we saw our intrepid newlyweds, they had just entered a dimension in which a lightning storm seemed likely to tear them apart! Or to pieces. Of course, we also saw Meankitty's version of what happened AFTER that, but as promised, we are "deleting" Meankitty's contribution. This is what REALLY happened after Delphie and Dash escaped from the djinn prison tower...

PART FORTY
By Jody Wallace (www.jodywallace.com)

According to the neon sign, the pavilion was “Vacancy”.

“Vacancy?” Dash clacked into her ear.

Rain splattered Delphie’s face so vigorously, the pavilion and its flickering neon sign looked like they was underwater. She blinked and rubbed her eyes. Earth Two was an inverse dimension, where magic and supes lived in the open and humans were the ones who had to hide. Many supes retired here in their old age. It was like the Florida of dimensions.

“Hotel?” she suggested.

“Who cares? It’s dry. We can regroup.” Dash’s big, glowing bulk led her quickly through the rain toward the pavilion. Now that they’d escaped the djinn prison tower and seemed about to escape the storm, her new husband had regained his determination.

Delphie just hoped he was determined to consummate their marriage before they concentrated on the marriage of another woman! After all, they were no longer imprisoned and due to be executed as part of the ceremony. That merited a sexy, sexy celebration, didn’t it? Escaping death and all?

As they approached the mysterious building, Delphie started imagining a hot meal, hot baths, and a hot night ahead. This was probably an open air addition to a luxurious hotel and resort. The location was well-suited for it. If it weren’t raining, it might even be scenic. Sheer bluffs, crashing sea, big waves... Earth Two wasn’t just known for its supernatural snowbirds. It was known for luxurious supernatural vacation spots.

First she and Dash would rent the best suite in the house. Then they’d dine on something lavish, barbecued and slathered in butter. At last—and she could picture this vividly—they would fall, passionately entwined, into a soft, white honeymoon bed and...

Delphie, envisioning her husband naked instead of watching her feet, stumbled and fell on the wet, uneven rocks, scraping her knees. “Blast!”

Dash hovered over her, extending his broad wing. It was so dark, she could barely see the concern on his blue, avian face. “Are you all right?”

“I slipped.” She was too embarrassed to tell him she was daydreaming about sex when he’d asked her so very many times to be “serious”.

After she rose, knees aching, they finished picking their way across the rough terrain and crossed into neatly manicured grass. Lightning split the sky and struck a nearby tree.

Yikes! One last run, and they reached the pavilion.

“Anybody here?” Delphie called. “Hello?”

Her only answer was Dash giving himself a vigorous shake. Griffon-scented water splattered Delphie in the face.

“Watch what you’re doing!” she said, smacking his leonine rump.

He glanced at her over his aqua blue shoulder, his round eagle eyes twinkling. “Not like you’re gonna get any wetter.”

Delphie contemplated a saucy reply, but at that moment, the storm picked up...like it was angry they’d escaped it or something. Which totally wasn’t possible—elementals weren’t allowed on Earth Two after the magma beach incident. Every supe who was any supe knew about that.

The rain pounded on the tin roof of the open-air structure almost as loud as the thunder. Delphie had to yell just to hear herself think! Wind but no rain blew past them, making her shiver. A string of glittery bulbs—prime dimension lights but powered by magic—cast a pink glow around the interior. Empty benches and bare wooden tables sat in three orderly rows from one end of the long pavilion to the other. At the far end was a closed metal grate in front of what appeared to be a kitchen.

There wasn’t another soul taking refuge under the pavilion but the two of them. Ok, there were a few souls—some Magicus Arachnidis clustered under a table in the center, waiting out the storm.

“I guess the vacancy part was accurate,” Delphie bellowed to her husband. She rubbed her arms, trying to get warm.

Dash inspected the building, staying near the center aisle so the rain couldn’t whip into them. Nope, just the chilly, howling wind. Delphie’s wet feet splorched in wet boots, her clothing dripped on the floor with every step, and her wings were so soggy they wouldn’t contract. Her beautiful pink hair hung in lank strands, sticking to her cheeks.

When they reached the counter, Delphie could see there were no lights on in the kitchen.

Dang it. She was cold, wet and hungry and this was supposed to be her honeymoon! Okay, so the wedding had been completely spontaneous, and her husband was temporarily stuck in griffon shape, but still.

Honeymoon.

This was worse than wedding number eleven to the faun who’d taken her to... Well, she didn’t even want to think about where that billy goat of a husband had taken her. He’d been her quickest divorce, too.

Delphie banged on the grate a few times and tried to roll it up. No dice. “Anybody back there? You got customers!”

“There’s no one here,” Dash said. “In animal form, I’d smell them if there were.”

“Well, I’m starving. I haven’t had anything on my stomach since I got tipsy on djinn wine.” Delphie checked the door beside the grate—also locked. If she couldn’t have a proper honeymoon, could she at least have something to eat? “Open this up for me and let’s see if they’ve got food back there. I’m sure they’ve got good insurance.”

Obligingly, Dash reared onto his haunches. With a few well-placed swipes, her new husband vandalized a security grate just so she could hunt for snacks. What a guy. The mangled grate bent inward just enough for Delphie to hop onto the counter and slip through.

It was not quite as loud in here as the thicker walls of the kitchen area protected her from the storm’s fury. It was also warmer. “You coming?”

Dash stuck his head through the hole. “I’m too big.”

“Change back to your real shape,” she suggested. She’d gotten what she needed from griffon Dash. Now she’d prefer sexy person Dash and his hot bod and opposable thumbs—especially if he could cook.

Dash let out an irritated squawk. “I don’t have enough magic yet.”

“Then I’ll eat without you.” He was her husband now. He’d have to learn she got snappy when her blood sugar dropped. “There might even be bacon.”

The kitchen had few modern conveniences. There was sure as heck no microwave. Hopefully she’d find something ready-to-eat. Fireplace, cabinets, stoves, shelves of herbs and dried staples, tall stacks of dishes, smooth, silver prep counter, and oh—the gleaming white door of a deep freeze. Convenient. The supes of Earth Two didn’t create their own technology, they just filched it from the prime dimension and powered it with magic.

She heard a loud crash as the metal grate caved in. Griffon Dash slithered through. “I don’t smell bacon.”

“What do you smell?” Delphie grabbed the single, wizened apple from a basket and ate it in a few bites. The three dried figs in the basket followed. Next she opened a jar of brown stuff and sniffed. Horrible! She tried another that looked like dried peppers. The scent of it sizzled her nose hairs. She sneezed.

“Something tantalizing.” Dash lumbered past her toward the locked cabinets. His eagle head swung from side to side. His big blue body crashed a stack of mugs to the ground. “Oops.”

Delphie tried sniffing the air, but all she could smell now was hot peppers. And wet griffon. Well, at least it was putting her off her feed a bit. She tried more jars and boxes. Dried beans. No use for those. Rice, also dry. Something that looked like...ugh, dried maggots. Dried, dried, dried.

What kind of cookhouse was this? Were there no more convenience foods anywhere?

“I have no idea what you smell that’s tantalizing, because I’m striking out.” She nibbled at the apple core until there was nothing left but seed and stem before returning to the larder. Avoiding anything brown, she selected one last jar, full of a nice, herby green. Cautiously she opened it and sniffed.

It smelled like...grossness. Cat whiz.

“What’s that?” Dash said.

“I don’t think it’s edible.” She tossed the jar to the silver prep counter, and the herbs scattered across the surface.

Dash whipped around quicker than she thought a griffon could. Dishes hit the floor. Dang! If the owners of Vacancy didn’t have insurance, she was going to have to dig deep into her emergency fund to pay them back for all this damage.

“Mrrrrrrrrr.” He grumbled a response deep in his chest. “Mrrrrrrr.”

It sounded almost like a...purr?

Before she could figure it out, Dash lunged forward. Delphie gasped. He started rubbing his beak and feathered head across the silver prep counter, through the herbs spilled there.

And he was indeed purring.

His large body was too big to fit on the counter. Herbs scattered onto the floor. Dash knelt in them and started rolling, his beak clacking and his eyes mostly closed in some kind of feline slash griffon ecstasy.

“Well, I’m glad somebody is having fun on our honeymoon,” Delphie complained. Her eyes fell on a jar of syrupy liquid that looked bluish in the glow from Dash’s body. She picked it up and inspected it.

Ooooh, honey! Delphie opened it, almost as happy as Dash and his green herb. She swiped a fingerful. The blast of sweetness and calories was just the thing she needed to figure out their next move. With Dash in griffon form, their options were more limited--especially if she couldn't talk him out of trying to stop that darn wedding tomorrow.

Dash continued to purr and writhe. It would be entertaining if she didn't need his opposable thumbs to cook her some rice and beans.

Suddenly, sparks began to shimmer up and down his form. Delphie sucked the honey on her finger and stared.

His griffon body fizzled and contracted with a bright blue flash. Suddenly her husband—in his real body—lounged on the floor of the kitchen.

In his real, very naked body.

“Catnip,” he said, his voice a husky drawl. His heavy-lidded gaze started at Delphie’s wet boots and inspected every inch of her until he reached her face. "It's...magical."

Meanwhile, she let her own gaze trail down. Apparently catnip had an interesting effect on griffons. Or djinn. Or shapeshifting djinn griffons.

Useful information indeed.

Delphie took her finger out of her mouth. “Honey?”

“Yes, darling?” As if he were still half cat, Dash rose from the ground, dusting herbs off his oh-so-fine, muscular body. He stalked toward her with definite intent in his dark brown eyes.

“Want some?” Delphie offered him a taste on the closest available utensil—her hand.

“I do, wife. I do.” Slowly, his gaze never leaving hers, he licked the honey off her fingers one by one. When he sucked her forefinger into his mouth, she realized she wasn’t all that hungry anymore.

For food.

With her other hand, Delphie painted honey on her lips. Dash sank his fingers into her wet hair and tilted her face up toward his. He kissed her slowly, thoroughly, the taste of honey dancing between them.

Delphie moaned when his hands sought her hips, grappling with her wet clothing. He made short work of her skirt, her shirt, her underthings... And when he lifted her up, she found herself on that wide, silver counter, legs spread, honey jar right beside her.

So that’s why they called it a honeymoon.

***

Some hours later, Delphie led her husband, clad in a pair of chef’s trousers they’d unearthed in a cabinet, to the deep freeze. Her knees were a bit wobbly after what her husband had done to her—repeatedly—but she knew it was time to get serious. She was a happily married woman now, and if her husband’s sort-of employer, Queen Aurora, didn’t want to marry that putz Ainmire, didn’t Aurora deserve to be happy too?

Especially considering Aurora was the person who’d sent Dash on his mission to find a cure for the djinn wish compulsion, resulting in his meeting Delphie, resulting in their adventures, resulting in their marriage, resulting in their...honeymoon.

Delphie figured she owed Aurura approximately four times over. So far.

Dash quirked a brow when she placed her hand on the silver handle of the walk-in freezer.

“I know I’m hot, but you don’t need to cool me down that way,” he said. “I can take a hint. You think it’s time to return to the djinn dimension, don’t you?”

“If I can’t convince you to run away with me,” Delphie said, “I suppose it is.”

“You know I have to stop the wedding,” Dash said regretfully. “Queen Aurora and Stride are both counting on me. More hinges on this wedding than just their safety.”

“I’ll let you in on a little pixie secret. There’s almost always a portal in a walk-in freezer.” Then she and her sex god of a husband departed from the Earth Two dimension, refreshed and ready to stop the wedding of Aurora and Ainmire.

***

Stay tuned for the grand conclusion of the Round Robin That Needs A Title So Feel Free To Suggest One In The Comments!

Sincerely,

Jody W.
www.jodywallace.com * www.meankitty.com