Whispers Of The Heart

One Shots — Soul Exchange Series

Disclaimer: NSFW, Paranormal Romance, Erotica. Contains Mature Content. READER DISCRETION IS HIGHLY ADVISED

Whispers Of The Heart

“Li, come back and join us,” he whispered into my ear, as he busied his hand untying my silk robe. I stopped him just before he could grab me.

“I need to hydrate, dearest,” I said as I kissed his forehead just between his horns. I was sore and in need of a long break before I joined in on another debauchery.

He pouted but complied anyhow, and left me to join a group of both men and women on my bed and sofa. After I fixed my robe, I closed the bedroom door behind me to mute the moans and groans which became a symphony to me the past couple of days.

Sex was one of the purest forms of energy and soul exchange, and as a powerful Magus, I indulged in it daily and took pride in the results.

Although, even if it strengthened my Majick, it sure did leave my muscles sore and my body severely dehydrated.

My penthouse apartment was located in the heart of Downtown Toronto. Although on the outside it was glamoured as an abandoned building, deep below the human cities lies the Immortal Cities that spanned across the countries and sea levels.

Once in a while, a human or two without the Restricted Access would venture down below and find themselves in “abandoned cities” since their technology could not decipher through the glamour and they were not gifted with the sight.

Those who have ventured, posted their discoveries on social media, calling their discoveries the Backrooms. My favourite was that they called our cities the exit from the simulation.

At first, we silenced these humans since it broke the Peace Treaty between the Humans and the Councils. However, in the end, we found it more effective to let them post whatever they wanted. A normal human couldn’t be bothered and a couple of conspiracists were far too powerless to do any harm.

Plus, we, Immortals, always found the videos entertaining and we would be lying if we said that we didn’t use it to fuel Hollywood content.

I poured myself a glass of water. With a soft snap, the water turned iced cold just the way I wanted it to be.

“For someone who is supposed to be in high school, you sure have hobbies that aren’t found in a normal high schooler,” Mona commented as she closed the front door behind her. I have gotten so used to the noises coming from my bedroom that I didn’t realize what she was referring to.

“You used to partake in it with me all the time, Mona. Are you too good for me now?” I asked as I offered her the hot food and fruits on my counter.

“Never,” she said as we shared a cheek-to-cheek greeting.

“What brought you over? I thought you got work?” I asked as she flopped down on the couch.

“I decided to take the night off. I was becoming a workaholic like Eliza.” She let out a breath as she unbuttoned her blouse. “I would stay if she was there but she hasn’t been back from her missions for a while.”

I rubbed her shoulders and she sighed contentedly. “Mona, honey, have you not told her how you feel yet?”

She groaned. “You know I can’t do that, Li. She has no time for that.”

“She has time to sleep with Antonius, and maybe, that new hunk, John,” I smirked. “From what I recall when I accidentally invaded Antonius’ mind, the both of them are extremely passionate about their desires and it sometimes lasts for days.”

“You and I both know that fulfilling one’s physical needs is much more different from the heart.” Her fingers intertwined with mine as she looked up. “I fear rejection. I do not care if the world abandons me but if I destroy whatever fragile thing I have with her, I cannot take it. It will ruin me.”

“Mona,” I went around the couch to sit beside her. “Nothing about your friendship with her is fragile. You have been friends for millennia just as you and I have been.”

“Li, I can’t even hold her hand just like I do with yours,” her eyes brimmed with tears. “I’m even afraid to ask her when she’s coming home without tying it to work. She’s too good for me. I’m afraid she’ll realize that. I love her far too much.”

“Oh Mona, darling,” I sighed as I brought her closer and she leaned on my shoulder. “It’s one thing to hide your feelings for a couple of months to a year because you are still figuring stuff out, but it is another to have it all pent up for over a thousand years.”

“I know,” she muttered.

We sat in silence for a while as I lightly stroked her hair and wondered the same for me as well. Once a upon time, I fell in love with a beautiful man before the power claimed me. I never had the chance to tell him because I feared rejection. Although I did not regret my decision since it kept him safe from my world, I often lay awake thinking what could have been.

I closed my heart off for centuries and even though I would get interested in others, I would nip the feeling as soon as it occurred. Would I ever settle? Was I trying to live vicariously through Mona? Did I want her to find happiness because I couldn’t? I was content, yes, but like many Immortals go through, I rarely felt emotions that were intense enough to keep my attention.

Sex was a routine.

Fulfilling physical needs after thousands of years became as normal as eating meals.

But fulfilling the needs of the heart was another story. Something that most Immortals feared.

“Anyway,” Mona looked up. “When can we be alone? I know you got guests right now but I kind of just want to hang out.”

I laughed and waved my hand. The penthouse changed without us having to move from the couch. Instead of the cleaner and more sterile look, we transferred to my actual home without taking my other guests with us.

The walls were decorated with paintings that I collected over centuries, priceless and most likely cursed antiques were found on shelves, and my bookshelves contained potion materials, grimoires, ancient knowledge, and books that I had managed to save from the Great Alexandria Library and stolen from the Akashic Records.

My blue Maine Coon, Queeny, looked up at us from her cushion and went back to sleep when she realized that it was just us.

“I can never get over how you do that,” Mona said in awe. “Where was that penthouse I entered then?”

“Still in Downtown Toronto.”

“No, I mean, where?”

“You mean when.” I corrected and her mouth gaped. “I keep forgetting you can travel through time.”

I played with her hair. “It’s not travelling through time. Without getting too technical, that penthouse was in a different dimension from a different time and I temporarily connected that dimension, that specific location, to here and now. But for that reason, I must make sure that my guests there were only from that dimension so I don’t violate the Dimensional laws―well, except for you. If someone were, for example, to walk through the door and I didn’t grant them access, they would have walked into this penthouse instead of the one we were before. Of course, that also meant they were able to break my wards. Even Eliza herself would not be able to. Anyway, I simply just severed the connection between that dimension to here.”

“Hmm.” Mona thought. “I still don’t get how you do that but it is amazing.”

“Thanks.” I kissed her forehead. I didn’t expect her to understand. It was one of the unique powers that I have acquired, and it came with a heavy price.

Everything comes with a price. I took a deep breath as I tried to bury the memory once again. I hated being a Debbie Downer especially when I knew Mona needed me. “What do you want to do?”

She chewed on her lower lip and I raised a brow. “Mona, when was the last time you fed?”

She looked down. “I’m sorry. Do you have some energy to spare?”

I brushed her fangs with my thumb and stared at her violet eyes. Mona was a child of a Demi-God and during the Roman Era, when she was about to be wed, her town had an unfortunate run-in with the Vampyres and lower-class Daemons.

She survived due to her Godly bloodline, but she lost everyone she loved and her future child. She became a Daywalker without needing any tools to help her do so, but that also meant she relied on blood like the others. She hated feeding since it always reminded her of the monsters that took her family away.

“Well, as you have witnessed,” I smiled as I tilted her chin up. “I just acquired a tremendous amount of energy today. Physically, I may not be able to fulfill your darkest desires since I am sore but you are welcome to drink from me. I am fine wine.”

She rolled her eyes as she placed herself on my lap and slipped off my robe so she wouldn’t spill on it. “Thank you, Li,” she said, her warm breath sent a shiver down my spine as I anticipated the high from her venom.

“Don’t act like I don’t crave it.” I sighed in ecstasy and my eyes rolled as her fangs sank into my throat. My thoughts silenced as warmth enveloped me. I felt whole as she drank deeply, satiating the need between the two of us. Heat travelled below and Mona immediately took the cue and brought me inside her.

When she pulled away, she wiped any spills from her lips and held my gaze as she moved her hips. I held onto her hips and guided her, synchronizing with her movement. Our breaths picked up and our foreheads touched. My fingers dug into her as I felt her tense and tighten around me. A low growl escaped from my throat as she whimpered softly.

Our pace picked up and when neither of us could hold off anymore, her mouth crashed into mine and our tongues met. Her nails dug into my shoulders as we finished. Our kiss gradually slowed as we tried to catch our breath.

Mona was a beautiful woman, with her shoulder-length ivory hair, violet eyes, and full lips, even I couldn’t resist her.

Yet, although what we both shared was more intimate than with others, it was far from unconditional love. We were familiar with each other and we trusted one another. But what she felt for Eliza was more than what we shared.

More than what I could also ever give her.

—

Li Xuan.

My eyes blinked open and found both of my wrists and ankles chained as I lay naked and bloodied in a sacrificial circle, surrounded by the robed and masked crowd.

The Leader’s mask was designed with gold and gems and he recited from a book made of human skin. The crowd joined in with his incantation and no matter how much I tried to escape from the circle, the invisible barrier slammed me back into the middle.

When I pleaded, pain shot through me and I realized that my tongue had been severed. I fell to my knees and squeezed my eyes shut, praying to whichever God was listening to help me.

Golden light shot up from the circle, blinding everyone, as screams flooded my brain.

Then everything went silent again as the chains that bound me shattered.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Her staring at me from Her crystal throne. Her appearance shifted and no matter how much I focused, I couldn’t place Her true image.

Then I realized who She was.

She was Everything, Nothing, and What Could Be.

Behind Her was a giant tree and its branches extended beyond what I ever could comprehend.

“Ask,” She said even when her mouth did not move.

I stood tall and approached her. Then with all the courage I could summon, I spoke.

—

Remember child, Everything comes with a price.

When I awoke, the robed crowd was turned into a pile of ashes. My injuries were healed and my tongue was restored. I winced as I waited for the ringing in my ears to stop. All the knowledge of every one of me from different dimensions came rushing in as I absorbed their existence.

I was now alone.

There would never be anything beyond this long Immortal life.

A heavy price I paid for my freedom and power.

And I would choose it again and again, even though it meant that one day, when Everything finally ceased, I would walk into Nothingness alone for all eternity.

But as I now stared at Mona in my arms while she slept, I wondered if that still held true in my heart.

— -

Hi, I’m CyCy!

Thank you for reading! Whew. This one has a softer approach than the rest!

I hope you still enjoyed it and found Magus Li interesting! He is one of the most important characters in this Universe, and as we progress, you will find that his actions have significant effects on others.

But I won’t spoil it for you all. I would just let you theorize until we reach the end (which would be for a while since this Universe is massive like the DC Universe. And yes, I am a nerd. I am heavily influenced by DC and Marvel 😝🖤)

You will also find that everything is interconnected, and as you start reading the future work, you will find me referencing everyone 😝

Moreover, Soul Exchange was originally planned as a series of graphic novels, but since my art skills are not quite there yet, I began writing instead. I have been practicing and it is my life’s goal to get the designs out.

Anyway, check out New Recruit as well! It is the previous issue and very much connected with this one.

P.S. I’m a multi-genre writer and if you like a little bit of everything, then you have found the right person!

P.P.S. For my horror readers, I will update Wake Up as well. As it turns out, I do not have to worry much since Wake Up is a creative horror and as long as I add disclaimers, it should be just fine.