by Tracy Lauren
I’m caught in a churning ocean of despair, barely struggling to stay afloat. Waves of horrors hit me again and again. My only solace is in the distant whispers of the troll who wants to make me his slave. And this is such a horrible place, not even my pride can stop me from seeking out his voice.
Chapter 16
Brom
Still in the throes of her sleeping curse, Adelaide curls against my side, weeping. The despair in her is palpable, so I stroke her hair and promise her that everything will be alright.
It has been a full day since she got into my potions and brought this mess upon us. Even now, I cannot grasp why she did this after confiding in me. I felt her walls come down—and it had nothing to do with her being my slave or me being her master. It was a true connection. Or at least…I thought it was.
While Adelaide seems to be locked in an unchanging state, I on the other hand feel even worse today. The wounds on my back burn and itch. Every move I make causes cracks to open across my scabbing flesh. But I swallow my pain, not wanting to add to the negative energy surrounding poor Adelaide.
“When you wake up, you’ll have to tell me who taught you how to fish,” I say to her.
I find that her whimpering lessens when I speak, and considering we know so little about one another I’m finding plenty to converse about. I just wish she could talk back.
“All trolls grow up fishing,” I explain. “I can’t even recall my first time, I was so young. My kind, we like to build our homes and villages near waterways. Fishing is a given. From the moment a babe can walk, you’ll see him wading in a creek.”
Adelaide grimaces in her sleep and I huff out a pained breath, shaking the wild red flyaway hairs framing her face.
“I’ll have to comb that for you when you wake up,” I tell her, brushing it back for her. She flinches suddenly, sucking in a gasp.
“My poor Adelaide. If it makes you feel any better, my back was torn to shit. Seems like something you would have been proud of.”
She groans softly as if in pain.
“Maybe I’ve been saying the wrong things? I’ve been too nice since you went to sleep. If I fight with you, will you promise to wake up, little one? I could tell you how stupid it is to play with magic. Or point out the fact that only a simple-minded human would do such a thing. What would you say to that?”
Her eyelashes flutter and she seems lost, disconnected from me and my words. Frustrated, I push myself up from the bed. My back aches in protest. “I need to do something, little one. I can’t bear to see you this way.”
I decide to brew the herbs that Sorya gave me, hoping that at the very least it will have a calming effect on Adelaide. The worst part about all this is knowing nightmares plague her and I can’t help but wonder if I contribute to them. Is she my slave in her dark dreams, still trying to escape? Am I the source of her anguish?
I stare down at the boiling water, losing myself in morose thoughts. Once the brew is done, I poor it in a cup, blowing on it so it will not burn Adelaide’s lips. Then I pull her tense body into my arms, cradling her so that I might help her drink some of the fae brew down.
“Bet you wish this was more of the honey wine,” I tell her, watching her throat work to gulp down the drink. It feels like a small victory she’s able to drink it at all. Yesterday when I gave her the tea I made from the last of my healing potion, I had to pour it slowly into her mouth so she didn’t choke.
“See, you’re getting better already, little one. You’ll wake soon, I’m sure of it.”
Sorya’s brew works in one way or another. While Adelaide doesn’t wake, she does seem less troubled. Still, she burrows against me. I’m not sure if it’s for warmth or comfort, but I still wrap my arms around her, holding her closely, just in case she needs me.
Three days pass like that, with Adelaide curled against me in my bed. I spend all my time talking to her, running my hands down her smooth, human arms, breathing in her scent. It is a loathsome thing to see her like this and I find myself wishing I played this differently. Perhaps if I had, Adelaide would not be consumed by this sleeping curse now.
Our only comfort comes from Sorya’s brew, which offers poor Adelaide periods of calm. So I save it all for her. My back will heal on its own in time. What’s it matter if I have a few more scars?
There are times she still startles in the night and moments when her sleep is so restless I think surely she will wake. Thankfully, she no longer whimpers and cries in her dreaming state. I consider it a blessing and resign myself to holding her tight, whispering encouragement for her to finally open her eyes.
Still, we cannot go on like this forever. Sorya’s brew will be gone soon. Then what? I lie awake at night, unable to sleep, staring at Adelaide’s trembling eyelids. I don’t want to risk calling on dark forces to bring her back to this world. Such magic comes at too great a price. Regardless…I consider it.
“Our best option is to wait for the elder witch,” I tell the sleeping Adelaide. “That or find some white knight to kiss you. If it were up to me, I’d wake you with a good, hard spanking. I’ve warned you more than once about wasting supplies. I’d say you’ve earned another lashing.” She makes no response. I sigh, staring at her. “I’m only teasing, little one. You’ve paid the price…ten times over.”
Of course there is another option that keeps floating to the surface of my mind. Sorya said a kiss will usually cure magic like this. But it should be true love’s kiss, should it not? A kiss from someone Adelaide hates might make the magic sour even more. There’s really no way to tell what the outcome might be. It isn’t like I have experience with such things. Stuff like that is only for fairy tales and maybe princes and princesses. Certainly not for trolls and their slaves.
If only there was someone else who could try. “If I knew any humans I’m sure they’d be lining my bridge just for a chance at your lips.” I run my thumb over her rosebud pink mouth. “Or if only there was some way I could get a prince here. Are princes more magical than average men, I wonder?
“You called me a knight in shining armor once,” I tease. “Is that magical? Perhaps I have a shot at waking you after all. Though you’d probably find some evil way to kill me if you opened your eyes and found my lips on yours.”
I push myself up on my elbows and look down at Adelaide. “Little one, this is your warning. If you do not wake immediately, I will kiss you right on your mouth.” I half expect her to wake out of indignation alone and I watch her face for signs of recognition. She does not even grimace. It is disheartening to know that she is so far gone. Have I only been imagining that my words have soothed her? I like to think that wherever she is in her mind that she can hear me calling her back to this world, but the fact that she does not react to my threat…it makes me question everything.
I sigh and rest my forehead on hers. “There are things I would take back if I could. If I could do it over I’d have spoken to you first before declaring you my slave. Had I, I’d have known right away that you’re too hot-tempered to be broken. Perhaps I could have bartered a better deal for the both of us. But there are other things I would not change. I’d still have saved you from the orcs. I’d still have forced you to share your burden with me—no one should have to carry so much pain on their shoulders, not even a fiery little thing like you. And I still would have bent you over my knee and given you a good spanking on that fine human ass of yours, because hell, after all you’ve put me through, I deserve at least one good memory.”
As close as we are, I can feel Adelaide’s breath on me. It’s like ice on my skin, a stark contrast to the warmth of her scent. It makes me feel like there is something foreign inside of her…a poison taking root. “If I could kiss it all away, I would,” I tell her.
And then, more to soothe me than her…I brush my lips against hers. I’d hardly call it a kiss, but I feel her twitch beneath me.
I pull away from her, looking down at her features. Her eyelashes flutter and her lips part. “Adelaide?” I ques
tion. Was her reaction a coincidence or was she responding to my kiss? I laugh at the absurdity of it. Could a kiss truly wake her, even if it comes from a troll?
“Hell, I may as well try… Adelaide, I’m going to kiss you now,” I warn, just before leaning in.
I graze her gently once more. It’s really more of a caress than a kiss, but as my lips touch hers, I feel her beginning to respond. I take the reaction as encouragement, closing my eyes and deepening the kiss. I lick at the seam of her mouth and suck her bottom lip. When I feel her gasp, I freeze, my heart pounding in my chest. She’s waking!
That’s when her tongue finds mine. When she seeks entry into my mouth, she doesn’t do it gently, the way I did with her. No, she conquers my lips, pushing her tongue past them, thrusting deep into my mouth. I want to pull away, to look in her eyes and see her waking. But her hands grip onto my arms, seductively tracing her fingers up towards my shoulders before she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me in closer.
My eyes go wide when she lets loose a throaty moan of pleasure. She arches her back, pressing her breasts against my bare chest and I growl against her lips. The way she kisses me…it’s hungry and passionate, like she wants only me…like she’s been waiting for me to finally take the plunge and now that I have, she’s never going to let me go.
I fight for control of the kiss, digging my fingers into her hair and wrapping an arm around her waist. I pull her tight against my body and kiss her with a force and passion unlike anything I’ve ever felt for a woman before. Her hands glide over my shoulders, exploring my body. She grazes the wounds on my back and I hiss at the sensation, but nothing could feel bad in this moment. Adelaide is awake and that’s all that matters.
Wanting more, I move to her neck, kissing the sensitive space along her collar bone. “Adelaide…” I groan her name against her flesh.
She sucks in a breath of air, but the sound of it isn’t lustful and needy. It is like a person drowning. I wretch myself away to get a look at her as she sits bolt upright in the bed. Her eyes are wide and frightened and each breath panicked.
“Adelaide, are you well? How do you feel?” I ask, gripping onto her shoulders to steady her. Her eyes shoot to the fireplace and she sees the remnants of the explosion there. Her hands fly to her chest and face, touching herself as if to prove she is actually here.
“Adelaide, look at me. How are you feeling?” I demand, garnering her attention.
“I…what happened? Where…” She looks around again, noticing for the first time that she’s in my bed. Gripping the covers, she pulls them up over the loose front of her dress.
“You’ve been asleep for days now, Adelaide,” I tell her, choosing my words carefully. Now is not the time to cast blame and bring up her misuse of my magic. The last thing I want to do is start a fight the second she wakes up.
“I’ve been sleeping,” she agrees, choking on her words. Her lips turn downward into a frown and her eyes well with tears.
“Are you alright, Adelaide?” I ask again, more gently this time.
“I…I was so scared!” she admits, breaking down. After days of holding her, I’m so used to touching Adelaide. Without hesitation I pull her into my arms.
“You’re awake now, little one. Everything is going to be okay,” I promise her.
At first she’s stiff in my embrace, but she can’t fight it for long. The girl needs comfort and she melts against me. Her arms wrap around my neck, grazing my back once more. I bite back the pain, grateful that she’s awake. With the stunt she pulled, we’re lucky she wasn’t lost to an eternal slumber.
“I’m sorry,” she chokes out between sobs.
I sigh heavily and pull away just enough to look at her. “You have nothing to be sorry for.” I say it only to ease her spirit. The truth is, she has much to be sorry for. She disobeyed me, she put herself in grave danger, and on some level, I even feel that she betrayed me. But I won’t tell her any of this. I am too happy she is awake and I care too much about her tender spirit.
“It was all my fault,” she argues.
“Stop. I refuse to discuss where the fault lies, little one. Let’s just be grateful you’re awake.”
“It was terrible, Brom,” she sobs. “Like being trapped in hell. It was an unending nightmare.”
“I was here with you the whole time,” I assure her.
“I know.” She nods, burying her face against my shoulder.
“You do?”
Bashfully, she looks up at me. “I could hear you sometimes. It helped me know what was real and what was a nightmare. You…you kept me grounded.” She looks away and swipes at her eyes, not used to expressing such vulnerability. I can see how uncomfortable it makes her and I remember clearly what happened the last time she shared deeply with me. I must handle her openness with more care than I did before.
“Adelaide…” Gently, I touch her chin, angling her face toward mine. Her skin is so pure and soft compared to my rough fingers. I lean closer, longing to kiss her again, to know that she is alive and here with me once more.
“How did you wake me?” she asks suddenly. “Was it magic?”
“How did I wake you?” I’m caught off guard by the question, not knowing quite how to answer. It was the kiss we shared only a moment ago. Does she not remember? “How do you think I woke you?” I ask.
“I…I don’t know. All I remember is your voice and then it felt like I was physically being pulled from the darkness. It was like I could breathe again for the first time in days.”
I’m crestfallen. “Perhaps the magic finally wore off?”
Her brow furrows as if trying to remember something long lost. “Perhaps.
“I want to thank you, Brom, I know I’ve been terrible and I’ve caused so much damage here—” She breaks off tearfully, looking around my home. “I’ll be better now. I’ll try harder to not be so much…like me.”
“No, Adelaide. I was going to tell you before, but I didn’t have the chance. This…this isn’t going to work.”
“What?”
“Truthfully, you make a terrible slave, little one.” I force a smile to my face. “This arrangement will never work. You said yourself that you never fell in line for your aunt. It would be foolish to assume you would do so for me.”
She scoffs and blinks at me in shock. “Wow…I can’t help but feel like I just failed at being a slave,” she says, sounding surprised and perhaps even a bit dismayed.
“You’re upset now, because of what you’ve been through. But you do not want to be a slave, Adelaide. You want to get to your family in Pontheugh.”
“So just like that? You’re releasing me from my debt?”
“I didn’t say that,” I correct. “I am still a troll, little one, and you owe me much for my trouble.”
“Are you finally going to offer me a fair deal?” she asks skeptically.
“I’m willing to make you more than a fair deal. I will release you and I will take you to Pontheugh myself.”
“You’ll do what?” she asks in shock.
“I cannot stress enough how dangerous the Perished Woods are, especially for a young woman like yourself. I saved your life once—”
“Twice,” she corrects quickly, her cheeks growing flush.
“Twice?”
“If you hadn’t talked to me in my nightmares…I think… Twice,” she confirms. “You saved my life twice.”
I nod solemnly at her admission. The time she spent locked in darkness has changed Adelaide. It put perspective in her that wasn’t there before. But I can still see her struggling to break down the walls she’s built around herself. This is difficult for her.
“I saved your life, Adelaide. I won’t throw it away by letting you wander out into these woods all by yourself.”
“It’s just…I’ve never heard of a troll in a human village before, let alone a big city like Pontheugh. Will you be…allowed?”
I roll my shoulders. “Who will stop me, little one?”
; She appraises my body and swallows. “No one.”
For some reason her response makes me swell with pride.
“Let me get this straight. You’re going to release me from being your slave and take me all the way to Pontheugh yourself? I can’t tell if you’re being very generous or if you just hate me so much you want to make sure I’m gone for good,” she says, laughing nervously.
“I didn’t say ‘just like that.’ You must still pay your debt to me. We will simply have to find another way for you to do it.”
Adelaide pulls the blankets a little more tightly to her chest, eyeing the bed we share. When she speaks, her voice is barely above a whisper. “How do you propose I work off my debt?” she asks, looking up at me through thick lashes.
Chapter 17
Adelaide
Brom smiles wryly. I expect him to make some roguish jest about ravishing me. Hell, I half expect him to just up and ravish me. But he doesn’t do either.
“You wasted a lot of valuable potions, little one. They’ll need to be replaced before I take you to your aunt.”
“Oh. Okay, how?” I ask.
“The elder witch has gone on some type of pilgrimage, I do not know when she’ll return. We will have to travel deeper into the wood to a place called Briarmere. There’s a witch there who can help replace the lost items, but there is a price.”
“A price?”
“She likes virgins,” Brom says carefully.
“Okay…”
“It is nothing dangerous. She asks for a bit of hair and some blood from the tip of your finger. In exchange she will give me what I need. Do this for me and I will take you to your aunt.”