Crown of Frost

by Isabella August

  Elaine flushed, faint and dizzy from his touch. “I just… it was near the bed this morning,” she managed. “It was the easiest thing to put on.” She’d been expecting to wear a cardigan all day; certainly, she hadn’t been intending to seduce anyone in her worn-in blouse and her oldest, most comfortable skirt.

  Liam’s fingers trailed over the heated skin of her shoulder; he slid one fingertip beneath the bra strap, tugging at it lightly. “It seems I’ll get to peel something off you after all,” he said slyly. He demonstrated in that moment, sliding the bra strap slowly down her shoulder, pulling the edge of her blouse with it. His fingers worked at the buttons of her shirt, flicking them open one by one to reveal the red lace beneath.

  His lips descended after his fingers, grazing the swell of her breast — dipping down to the line of her bra. Elaine threw her arms around his neck to steady herself, but she needn’t have bothered: his grip on her leg held firm. The tip of his hot tongue flicked beneath the edge of that lace, grazing the nipple that ached beneath.

  Elaine let out a strangled gasp. More, more, more, her pulse demanded, while her mind desperately tried to catch up. Liam slid down the other strap of her bra, tugging her blouse open to fully expose her. Elaine caught her breath long enough to reach out for his shirt again, twisting it upward from the hem. Liam pulled it impatiently over his head, revealing the hard plane of his chest. The sight of his bare skin, pale and perfect, made Elaine lean forward to press her lips to his collarbone.

  He smelled of cold, of the outside, but he burned beneath her mouth, with a fevered desire. Liam let out a soft groan, and she thrilled at the revelation of her effect on him. He tightened his grip on her thigh and tugged her leg more tightly around him, pushing up the rest of her skirt with his other hand. Elaine thought for a moment that she’d taken the upper-hand… until he pressed the tip of his finger lightly against her drenched panties.

  Elaine cried out against his chest. It was a loud, desperate sound — nothing like it had ever escaped her throat before in her life. Liam dragged his finger gently across the wet fabric that covered her slit. Elaine buried her face in the crook of his neck, trembling with raw need.

  “Look at me,” he breathed, next to her ear. It was a command, but it was just as enticing as it was demanding. Elaine forced herself to lift her head to meet his eyes.

  That dark possession was back, burning in his expression. Cold blue eyes held hers, deliberate, as he slid aside the fabric of her panties to stroke the slit beneath. Elaine moaned at his touch, closing her eyes — but he tugged his finger back, and she forced herself to look at him again, knowing it was what he wanted.

  “Tell me you’re mine,” he whispered, as his finger teased along her edges again. “Make me believe it.”

  Elaine shuddered, caught in the intensity of that gaze. The tone in his voice, the look on his face — she knew it was the dark rapture of that power he carried, the impulses he had worked so hard so far to bury in her presence.

  But for tonight, she had promised, he wouldn’t have to hide it.

  “Please,” she begged. “Liam. I’m yours. Please.”

  His eyes flashed cold. The tip of his finger slid inside her. She moaned loudly, begging again with her voice.

  “I could have kept you,” he whispered. “I could have forced you to stay with me. After you left, I thought of how warm you were, so many times in the dark…” She heard the lingering shreds of shame beneath his voice. Her heart twisted in her chest, even as her body trembled at his teasing.

  “I dreamed of you,” she told him. Her voice quavered on the words. “I couldn’t remember you, but I wanted you.”

  The admission struck at something inside him. The darkness inside him ebbed, just for a moment. Still, he slid one finger fully inside her, deep and satisfying. Elaine cried out, leaning her head back against the glass behind her.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” he managed hoarsely. “You’re here. You’re real, and so…” His thumb rubbed against her clit, and she choked on a sob of pleasure.

  “Please,” she begged again. “I want you, Liam.”

  The sound of his name hit that same place, deep inside him. His lips came down on hers, hard and desperate. He tugged his finger free, and she whimpered into his mouth. But a second later, she heard the snap of his jeans, and felt the full, naked length of his erection against her.

  Slowly, he pressed the tip of himself inside her. She gasped and squirmed, startled at the unexpected size of him — hungry for more. She was already so slick with need that his cock slid inside her easily, even as it stretched her out.

  Then, he was fully inside her, and she couldn’t think of anything at all.

  He groaned, long and low. The sound shivered through her, spiralling through her blood. Elaine closed her eyes, savoring the feeling. It was completion. An empty loss she hadn’t been aware that she was carrying lifted from her shoulders, chased away by the certainty of him here, now, inside her.

  He moved, then, and stars burst behind her eyes. As he shifted inside her, taking her with another long stroke, she realized that it wasn’t her climax — it was just the sheer pleasure of him, the delirium of having him. That pleasure built with every gasp, every slick inch of him, in and out, until the white-hot crescendo of it burned away her last rational thoughts. She cried out in ecstasy, clinging to him like a lifeline as her body took her to greater heights than she’d thought possible, arching toward a peak she’d never seen before.

  Finally, he took her to the hilt, and it all gave way. Elaine shattered utterly, sobbing out his name. That impossible pleasure shuddered through her like a fever freshly-broken, washing her away and leaving behind it a shivering, senseless wreck.

  He went over the edge after her, his moan hot against her ear, his fingers digging into her thighs where he’d angled her up against him. His cock twitched inside her, and a delicious heat spilled into her, warm against the fever that had taken her.

  His arms closed around her, holding her against his chest. Elaine realized, very dimly, that she had collapsed against him.

  “Oh,” she breathed, her mind still stubbornly stupefied. “Oh god. That was…”

  “Too much?” he breathed. There was a wicked smile in his voice. “Too bad. You said tonight, El. I still own you until sunrise.” He leaned forward to brush his lips behind her ear. “You may need to lie down for this.”

  Chapter 7

  Cold, dark, endless. No moon, no stars. She was never going to see the sun again.

  But warm arms held her close. The comforting scent of sandalwood and evergreen surrounded her. And for just a little bit, she was unafraid.

  For just a little bit, perhaps, she was even content.

  Elaine slept late, and without nightmares, for the first time in years.

  She woke up in a blissful haze. Her body was sore, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. The air in the room was as cold as winter, but the temperature underneath her blankets was deliciously warm. A strong, male arm still curled around her waist, holding her close against the hard, naked body behind her.

  Liam’s scent surrounded her, mixed with an unmistakable hint of sex. Just the nearness of him overwhelmed her now with a heady dizziness. As surreal as it now felt to look back on it, last night had been much better than any hazy dream.

  Elaine let out a delighted sigh and wiggled to nestle herself more firmly against him. As her bottom settled against his cock, she felt him harden instantly against her.

  He groaned into her ear — it was a low, masculine sound that shot straight past her brain and down between her legs. Liam pulled her hips back against him, grinding against her from behind. “I was going to be merciful and let you sleep in,” he growled. “You are severely testing the limits of my generosity.”

  Elaine laughed. She couldn’t help herself. For some reason, waking up with Liam felt so perfect, so normal. It was anything but normal, of course. At some point, she knew, there would be a price to pay. But
just for now, she let all those silly romantic longings rush back to her, and she didn’t push them away.

  Elaine turned in his arms, sliding her leg up along his hip. Liam’s dark hair was attractively tousled; his unearthly blue eyes were languid and relaxed. But there was an odd light in those eyes as he considered Elaine, and he was looking at her with a curious tenderness. He reached out to brush his fingertips along her cheek.

  “I think that’s the first time you’ve ever laughed around me,” Liam said softly. “In a way that you meant, anyway.”

  Elaine swallowed, caught by his gaze. The words melted the last bit of ice she’d tried to keep around her heart. “Oh,” she said softly, unable to manage much of anything else.

  Liam pulled her in for a long, leisurely kiss. Elaine moaned appreciatively, and he began to slide his hand down between her thighs, a smirk tugging at the edges of his lips.

  She stopped him after a moment, though, knitting her brows. Something’s wrong. What am I noticing that’s wrong?

  “El?” he asked. Concern flickered in his voice.

  “You’re too warm,” Elaine said suddenly. She reached a hand up to his brow. His body heat against her had already been intense… but his forehead was searing. “Are you all right?”

  Liam pulled her hand slowly away from his forehead. His cool blue eyes were glazed over, but Elaine saw him trying to calculate a response anyway. He twined his fingers through hers. “I’ve been away from Blackfrost for a while,” he said finally. “I took every opportunity I could find to look for you. I might be… starting to stretch things a bit.”

  Elaine grimaced. “Just leaving shouldn’t be enough to hurt you. Unless…” She flattened her lips. “Blackfrost is tugging your chain, isn’t he?”

  Liam stayed silent.

  “Why didn’t you say something?” Elaine demanded. “I wouldn’t have forced you to stay if—”

  “You didn’t force me to do anything,” Liam cut her off. He rolled her beneath him, pressing her into the sheets. His eyes met hers, burning with a strange light. “I want to be here. I want to stay here. I’m halfway tempted to see how long I can manage it.”

  The words elicited an awful combination of horror and delight in her. Elaine twined her arms around him, shaking her head. “Don’t,” she begged. “Please. I’m going to figure things out with Jenna. I’ll find the rest of your name, and…”

  “And I’ll still be exactly who I am,” Liam told her. “Maybe more myself. But no more free to live the life I want.”

  Elaine dug her fingers into his back. Tears pricked at her eyes. “Please don’t say these things,” she whispered. “I’ll find some way. I’ll… I’ll buy your contract. You said yourself, Lord Blackfrost owes me a debt. If that’s not enough, I… I’ll find something he wants, something he can’t refuse.”

  Liam pulled away from her abruptly. He settled himself on the edge of the bed, burying his face in his hands with a helpless laugh. “God, El,” he mumbled. “What is wrong with you?”

  She flinched as the words dug under her skin. He’s not feeling well. It’s not his fault.

  “You really want to tempt fate with a faerie lord again?” Liam demanded. “With Lord Blackfrost, out of all of them? Do you remember what it’s like to be without sunlight? To be cold all the time?” He shoved to his feet, snatching up stray pieces of clothing with shaking fingers. “You can’t get involved with me without also tangling yourself up with Blackfrost. And I can’t… I can’t do that to you.”

  Liam wavered on his feet, grasping for purchase against her dresser. Elaine stumbled out of bed, just in time to catch him heavily in her arms. Outside of the covers, his fever was even more apparent. She struggled to help him back toward the bed.

  Her heart thudded sickly in her chest. Anger and fear and worry tied themselves into knots inside her. “You want to know what’s wrong with me?” she asked tightly. “I’ll tell you.”

  Liam turned his head weakly, but she forced his eyes back to hers with a hand on his chin.

  “For five years, I have felt empty and guilty and miserable for no good reason,” she told him, her voice thick. “I have known on some level that I don’t deserve to be happy, because I left you behind. And I will be damned if I spend the rest of my life still feeling that way. And I—”

  She cut herself off, unable to finish. I think I’ve always been in love with you. The words stuck in her throat. If she said them, she would have to face them, and she wasn’t ready to do that yet.

  Liam breathed in slowly. A pained look flickered across his face. “I’m going to be poison to you, El,” he said.

  “Maybe I want to be poisoned,” she told him. She leaned down to press her forehead to his. “You have to go back. Not forever, all right? You just… come back as soon as you can. Somehow, I’ll find the other half of your name by then.”

  Liam tugged her onto the bed with him, wrapping her up in his arms. He pressed his lips to her hair with a shiver. “I’ll think of you every second I’m there,” he whispered.

  Elaine swallowed hard. “Me too,” she told him softly.

  Long after Liam had departed into the fresh morning snow, Elaine found herself sitting by the window of her loft, staring at the little flakes that drifted past.

  His words echoed back in her head, over and over. What is wrong with you?

  Jenna would have said the same thing, she was sure. But the hole in her chest was back, more prominent than ever, and the answer kept coming back to her.

  I love him. That’s what’s wrong with me.

  It didn’t matter that the memories of him were gone. The ache, the certainty, the desperate need for him remained.

  The idea of Liam walking back into cold, dark Blackfrost, worlds away from her, made her want to cry.

  It also infuriated her.

  Blackfrost keeps taking things from me, she thought. It doesn’t matter how many times Lord Blackfrost’s mantle changes hands… that realm will always find a way to hurt me.

  Elaine’s thoughts were cut short as she caught a hint of movement in the snow.

  A tall, willowy man, bundled for the weather, had passed by the shop three times now, she was sure of it. His long black coat obscured much of him, but his wireframe glasses and his short, messy white-blond hair stuck out over the green knitted scarf that covered his mouth.

  Even as Elaine watched, the man hesitated at the end of the sidewalk and doubled back once again.

  A sharp jolt went through her. He’s looking for the shop. He can’t see it through the wards, but he knows it’s here somewhere.

  That meant he was something supernatural… and utterly unwelcome.

  “Go away,” Elaine muttered at him. “I’m not letting you in.”

  The blond-haired man glanced around again, blissfully unaware of her surveillance. A moment later, she thought she saw him sneeze.

  How long it took, exactly, she wasn’t sure — but eventually, the man outside her shop gave up the fight, and headed into the nearby cafe for a warm drink.

  Elaine sighed. On top of everything else, Liam’s attentions had clearly drawn the extra supernatural attention she was afraid of.

  She’d needed a distraction to stop thinking about Liam’s troubles. Maybe, she thought, it was time to strengthen her wards.

  On Monday afternoon, just after lunch, Jenna sent a text message.

  Tired of sleeping this off. Ready to do ANYTHING else. Scrying tonight?

  Elaine’s heart jumped at the message, but she forced herself to finish the order she’d been working on before she replied.

  Yes, please, she sent. Dumplings on me first. I’ll meet you there after closing.

  Jenna’s next message was another emoticon. Elaine wasn’t actually sure what it was supposed to be, but she suspected it was meant to express excitement. Jenna’s favorite comfort food could only be obtained at a hole-in-the-wall Korean restaurant a few blocks from her university. A number of clueless young men had tried to woo the re
dhead with fancy restaurant dates, utterly unaware that the guaranteed way to her heart was actually stuffed with pork and quite a bit cheaper.

  That evening, as Elaine started cleaning up the store for closing time, her phone rang. She picked it up with one hand, thumbing the answer button distractedly. “Hello?”

  “Elaine Halstead?”

  The voice on the other end of the line made her drop the ceramic pot in her hands. Dirt and shards of pottery scattered across the floor, and she cursed.

  “Hello?” Adam asked, puzzled. “Is this Elaine Halstead?”

  Elaine pinned the phone between her chin and shoulder as she carefully knelt to pick up the broken pieces from the floor. “What?” she snapped. “What do you want now?”

  “Er…” There was a strange tone to Adam’s voice that gave her sudden pause. “I’m sorry. I seem to have caught you at a bad time. My name is Adam Gagner. I’m not sure how this happened, but I think I have your library card. I’m just packing up to move, and I found it in my apartment.”

  Elaine furrowed her brow. A hint of unease settled into her stomach. “And you… you don’t know where it could have come from?” she said slowly.

  “So it is you?” Adam said, with a slight chuckle. “I wasn’t sure I’d found the right number. No, I’m really confused about it. I’m not a big library person, myself. I thought maybe you lived here before I did, and just left it behind?”

  “Maybe so,” Elaine said. “But, um. You can just throw it out. Really. I can get a new one if I need to.”

  “Are you sure?” Adam asked. “I normally wouldn’t go to so much trouble, but it occurred to me — there’s an Italian restaurant I’ve always wanted to try around here, and I’d hate to go alone.”

  Elaine’s throat seized up. “No,” she said, perhaps more forcefully than was necessary. “I’m going to be out of town. Just throw it away. Thank you.”

  She ended the call on the last word.