by Abby James
The shock of discovering the fae deceit receded as I stared into the eyes of the glorious male before me and felt the worry of what the hell I was going to do edge out of my system to be replaced by lust.
Jesus, the fae was beguiling me. I closed my eyes like that would clear my head. I climbed across my bed while fighting against pleasant thoughts of dragging him down onto the bed and jumping on top of him. Did he wear underwear that would shock Lya if she saw?
I buried my forehead into the stinking mattress. Jesus, get a grip. Weaving like a drunk, I forced one hand in front of the other, scissored my legs along the bed and maneuvered myself off the mattress. Oh my god, oh my god, get a grip, get a grip.
Maybe I should take my clothes off. That would be a great idea. Even better take his clothes off. I cracked an eyelid and glanced over at him. Hmm…scrummy, yummy, he was so gorgeous. I could lick my tongue from his toes right up to his nose, savoring all the ridges and grooves as I went, all those feet of smooth skin. My girlie parts were on fire.
And something else was on fire. The mark. The burn lanced across my thigh. A small recess of my mind latched onto the pain, nurtured it, brought it through to the front of my thoughts. This is what I needed, a grounding force to fight through the fae beguilement.
I grimaced with the now familiar stab of pain, inhaled the feeling in. This was good. This was my anchor out of my lust. But my mind felt weighed, slowed to functioning at half speed. Fighting the beguilement muddled my head. Before I knew it I was on my ass on the ground.
“That’s it my pretty,” came a sweet, musical voice close to my ear. “You are within my spell.”
Yes, I wanted to be in his spell. I wanted to be at his feet, kissing them, worshipping him, spending the bliss of eternity loving this man. My head lolled back, and I moaned. The small sound of ecstasy sent tingles down into my nether regions.
And then another stab of excruciating pain in my left thigh slammed me back into my body with a savage thud. Thank god, thank god for my dark invasion. It was my only way clear through this mess.
I blinked my eyes to shutter the confusion that resulted from warring with my competing desires.
“Get her off the fucking floor. I want her at Scullion’s feet. Fucking bitch.”
The other guy was back on his feet. He didn’t matter. Everything I wanted was right here with me now. This beautiful creature, crouching next to me, would keep me safe. His eyes told me so. They were emeralds, precious to behold.
I fell forward with another stabbing pain, which soon turned into its throbbing beat. I lashed out, finding the fae’s arm. He gasped in surprise, but it was too late. I had him. My mind washed clear. The room around me crystalized into plain view. The concrete floor glinted with small specks of sliver and the gray walls shone with the reflection of the fading light. The scene became a sight of intrigue rather than the misery I’d seen when I first opened my eyes.
I looked to the fae, to see his emerald eyes falling into mine. I leaned closer, wanting him to fall, wanting us to fall together, wanting to taste his lips, feel his tongue.
Sweet Jesus, with my other hand I clutched at my left thigh. Thank you dark mark. The moment I was free of the beguilement were snippets in time, but I would have to use them.
I placed my hand to the fae’s chin. “Make him love me.”
“What the fuck is going on? Get the bitch to her feet.”
The fae’s smooth brow furrowed. “It is you and me.” He had fallen deep.
He leaned closer, his lips parting.
I arched my head back, placing a finger on his mouth. “Make him love me and you get my kiss.”
The fae faced the telekinetic.
“Whatcha doing, you prissy fae wanker?”
My clarity was slipping as my love for the fae increased in potency. I slammed my hand down on the mark and groaned as the heat and pain soared up through my palm like someone had speared me with a lance.
“He needs to love me,” I bit out through my pants.
“Come here.” The fae beckoned. The beefy guy trudge toward us, eyes glazed, jaw slackened.
“Kneel at my feet,” I demanded through gritted teeth because I had kept my hand on the mark. It was the only way to banish the fae beguilement for any length of time.
The telekinetic did as ordered, dropping to his knees like a dog on command.
“Face down on the floor.”
The fae stuck one of my fingers in his mouth and sucked. Oh, I liked that.
God no. “Stop it,” I barked.
His gorgeous eyes widened. “My love.”
I flicked between the two of them. How the fuck was I to get out of this? Two guys were fawning over me, one trying to suck on another finger and the other crawling on his belly to my feet. I had to keep in contact with the fae or I lost my power over them. And how would I get us all to our feet and out the door? And how many people could this fae beguile at once?
“Sweet Jesus, what the hell is going on here?”
My eyes darted to the door. Rosta filled the exit, hands on hips.
“Fucking bloody fae. Never send a boy to do man’s work. Isn’t that what them wissend say?”
With a sweep of his arm all three of us were propelled backward. I lost the fae as I left the floor and smashed into the back wall. Sparks flecked in front of my eyes as my head collided with something jutting out from the wall, the bedhead perhaps. Doused in pain, I crumpled into a ball once I hit the floor.
“Get out of here, you two. Munkhorse, you’re a fucking disgrace.”
I was in too much pain to care what was going on around me. The pain in my thigh receded now I was no longer in contact with energy, but my head and back had replaced the thigh pain.
I heard the shuffles of the other two as they exited the room, which left Rosta and myself alone.
“Well, well…look at you. Wasn’t expecting this when we first met.”
He kept his distance as he crouched in front of me.
I unfurled, arching my head back to look at him.
“This doesn’t need to be unpleasant.” He smirked, silently saying he would enjoy making it so. “Then again, you owe me after the little stunt you pulled in the diner bathroom. It wasn’t very nice, you know.”
I eased myself off the floor to sitting and hard stared him, pressing my lips together. Bet he had been waiting for this moment, a chance to pay me back for the humiliation. It was best to leave him to goad and boast as much as he wanted while I got smart.
He’d stay away from me for sure. I had probably already played my trump card and failed. Bloody shit, dammit. Now everyone would be vigilant about their distance from me. And once Scullion came, or McManus… Thinking of him and I wanted to combust. I could only feel satisfaction in knowing he was suffering permanently from what he’d done. The way Scullion treated him told me McManus was weakened to the point he was no longer the great evil sorcerer of old.
“If you’d played nice the first time, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”
I continued to give him my hard stare, nothing more.
“I wouldn’t hold out for any help. We’ve been preparing for a long time. Ain’t nothing gonna to make a mess of our plans now.”
“And what are you plans?”
“Breaking you, of course. McManus thought he’d try a few experiments first. He’s good at those.”
“Experiments!”
“There might be some pain involved, but it’s all in the name of progress. I think that’s another wissend saying. They have some good ones. Isn’t collateral damage also a favorite term used by their governments before going to war? I like that one.” He folded his arms across his knees like he was settling in for a long chat. “‘Cause you see, some must be sacrificed for the majority to win. It’s the natural order of things.”
“You’re sick.”
He huffed a laugh. His smile soon dropped as his eyes walked across my face. “You’re not bad looking. I like some tits and ass, but some
times you have to pick at the scraps.”
“Go ahead, have yourself a grope.”
This time it was a genuine smile. “Against my will, I find myself liking you. I thought you’d be more kickass, but there is potential.”
“Come a little closer, and you will see how kickass I can be.”
He scratched his jawline while he eyeballed me. “It’s time to get smart. Time you aligned yourself with the winning team. We value people like you, unlike that weak ass fuck, McGilus, who wants to do nothing more than suppress your potential. Scullion will give you more than you could dream possible.”
“If that’s the case why are you all still hiding in the shadows.”
“The shadows are an apt place to be when you plan on striking from behind.”
“It’s also a good place to be if you’re a mouse.”
He slowly shook his head. “See, I would’ve been more lenient, but I guess Scullion is right. You do need to be broken. And you know what?”
I resumed my hard stare.
“I don’t need to touch you to make you feel abused.”
To demonstrate his eyes narrowed a fraction, his stare unblinking. The winter trench coat I wore slowly peeled from my shoulders. I grabbed at the lapels but the energy driving it down my shoulders was more than my own strength.
“This is likely the only way you get to see a woman’s breasts,” I snarled at him, still fighting to keep my winter jacket on me.
No use, the sleeves were down at my wrists. One flick of his hand the coat flung onto the bed.
“Keep talking, sweetheart. I am only just beginning.”
Rosta smirked as the hem of my sweatshirt crawled up my belly. I grabbed at the edges while my eyes darted surreptitiously to the metal pole laying an arm’s reach away. It would be a test to see whose reflexes were quicker.
The hem of my sweatshirt was at my middle. Rosta was toying with me, raising it in infinitesimal movements. His tongue was in his cheek, his eyes on the creep of the hem. The buddings of hunger twinkled in his eyes. I stopped my fight against the slow strip and stayed still, allowing him to wrap himself within the anticipation of what he was doing.
He flicked his gaze to me, a question mark to why I had given up. I held his eyes, my own expression deadpan. What did he think? That I was surrendering, that I could possibly want this? Stupid asshole was a victim to the sudden spike in his testosterone.
“Seems you aren’t so hard to tame.”
He wasn’t dumb so no good pretending to feel the opposite of what I felt. The best thing to do was keep quiet and let him noose himself into believing what he said.
“I must admit I wanted more of a fight.”
“You’ll get one when I’m ready.”
“That’s what I like,” he said as his tongue darted out to lick the corner of his bottom lip.
My sweatshirt hem jerked up to my breasts, exposing my tee-shirt underneath. The loose tee swam around my small breasts, hardly lust inducing, but for a guy like Rosta it was all about control and power. Force and submission were his aphrodisiacs.
I would do this. I had to. I was running out of time. Once the sweatshirt reached my chin, I would dive for the pole.
If I looked down, rather than my breasts straining against the tee, I would see my heart ready to burst free.
I fisted my hands and felt the tremor. You’re strong enough. I had to believe that.
Impatient for the end, Rosta jerked his hand up and the sweatshirt swept up to my face, covering my eyes. Shit. Triggered by panic I dived, flinging my arm outward. My palm smacked the concrete as I fell sideways. Not there. Shit.
“What the fuck?’
My sweatshirt dropped, my eyes clear. The pole was inches to my right. I pounced on it, covering it with my body the moment I felt the tug in my limbs, the energy of a telekinetic burrowing below my skin to pinch at my muscles.
“You really think you’ll win?” The smug tone of his voice, hardened my focus. He had me, but I wouldn’t give in. There had only been a slim chance of grabbing the pole, even slimmer chance of using it. Looked like I’d lost that moment of opportunity, but I would not give in.
He inched me over onto my back, tugging at the muscles and bone, forcing them to obey the energetic lure of his ability. I clutched the metal pole in both my hands, closed my eyes for a silent prayer to no one in particular, then followed the momentum of his pull. Instead of resisting his energy, I went with it. The telekinetic tug gave me the extra boost I needed to spin around onto my back, and with my twist I flung out my hands, swinging the pole outward. Rosta had made sure he kept far enough away from me that the tip of the pole only just reached him.
I lay half on my side staring up at him, arms extended, the tip of the pole hovering dangerously close to his face, but with enough air between the end and him.
He quirked an eyebrow, then snorted a hard laugh. “Nice try, but not good enough.”
He snapped out with his hand and gripped the pole halfway down. I tightened my hold so he could not wrench it out of my hands.
“I’d feel sorry for you if I didn’t have a hard-on watching your pathetic scramble to escape.”
I inhaled, inhaled deep, as the mark flared to life, burning furnace hot in its response to the power flooding into me. Rosta’s ability was energy after all. And there was no better conductor of energy than metal. It had been a long shot.
“Scrambling, you say,” I hissed as I shuffled my legs under me to help me raise from the floor.
Rosta’s brow caved into a heavy line of wrinkles.
“How’s this for pathetic?”
I looked to the window. This is what I had done with McGilus. Everything I had in me went into focusing on the window. I scrunched my eyes, gritted my teeth, as if both would help and stared at the window. The sudden backwash scooted me across the floor on my ass until I slammed into the wall. The pole clattered to the floor followed by the smash of glass.
24
Aching body, I climbed to my feet. The noise of the window shattering would bring everyone in the house to the room. I hobbled over, ducking to scoop up the pole as I went and used it to punch out the jagged pieces of glass that still protruded from the corners. A rain of glass scattered across the snow to Rosta, who lay in a heap against the wall of the next building.
The wind bit my face, but I wasn’t about to waste time doubling back to get Amy’s trench coat. Clumsily, body screaming for a rest, I clambered out the window and landed on my side in the snow. The cold and wet seeped through my denims in seconds. I looked across to Rosta unmoving where he lay.
“I hope you’ve learned your lesson.”
Any minute everyone in the house would burst into the room, following the noise of the shattered window. I scrambled to my feet and limp jogged down the lane between the two buildings. Once out on the street I slowed, casting left and right. Derelict buildings lined either side, which didn’t help me determine my location, but it was safe to say we weren’t in suburbia. The strange eerie quiet of the area rippled creepy crawling tendrils up my spine.
I pushed myself into a limping jog ignoring the pain down my back and in my legs. What I wouldn’t do for a hit of Bailey’s juice right now. Another glance down the street and I slowed with a sudden niggle itching at the back of my head. Everywhere was covered in snow but there were no tracks, no car tires on the road or footprints on the paving. I looked down at my own feet. Shit. Wherever I went I would leave a trail to my whereabouts. The weather gave the enemy the advantage. The only way to disguise my direction was to get off the ground.
A vacant carpark surrounded by a fence sprawled to the left of me. And I’d be able to reach the guttering of the building adjacent. In a mad fit of inspiration I ran as fast as I could down the street then darted left into the yard of the building one along. I jumped about as much as my aching body would allow in some spastic maneuver churning up the snow, turning it into a puzzling trail. I made sure I trod in my original steps on the way
back, but also dragged the pole in the snow behind me, messing the steps up further. It wasn’t much of a disguise. They would likely laugh at what I’d done, but it may give me a head start.
I threw my pole away and leaped for the fence so as not to leave any tracks right up to the base and clung tight to the wire mess. At first I lost grip with my trainers, but my adrenaline was amped enough for me to find spider legs to crawl to the top. My fingers ached from the cold, the chilled wire didn’t help, but I ignored the pain, much like I did the pain in my back, and scrambled to the top of the fence, then froze when I heard shouts.
If this had been a brickwall, I would be on the roof by now. Given it was nothing more than wire, it was a difficult feat to keep my balance as I reached for the gutter. My racing heart rate kept the adrenaline high, which in turn made me take risks I’d never consider, like balancing near the top of the fence with the tip of my trainers just slipping inside the diagonals of mesh and reaching for the gutter. When my fingers caught I gulped a noise of relief.
They would be this way any minute. All they had to do was follow my prints. I hooked one leg over the edge of the gutter, heaving and grunting as I hauled my ass up and over on to the roof. Once there I scrambled up the A frame and slipped myself over the other side out of view of the street, leaving a nice trail for everyone on the street to see if they bothered to look up, but what else could I do?
The A frame style roof was steep and in my hurry to get out of sight, I didn’t take that into consideration, add snow into the problem and I was sliding down the roofline, scrambling to find a hold as I went. I shot off the end, airborne and landed on the hood of a car. The sound of the fall was muffled by the coating of snow, but it also turned the hood into a slide. With my momentum, I was off the hood and hit the ground a couple of car heights below. The impact cracked a few bones; I’m sure it did. The pain told me so. But I didn’t have the luxury of laying around and worrying about what part of my body was still in one piece.