Rogue’s Possession

by Jeffe Kennedy

  “Gwynn!” Starling cried out and I shook my head at her. This would be the first of many humiliations for Walt, if he followed this path. Better he get a clear picture now.

  Scourge had joined Marquise in her inspection, pulling Walt’s head back to inspect his teeth. Marquise glanced over her shoulder at me. “He’s not very enticing.”

  “He will be. He’s been around dragons and drinking silver.”

  She wrinkled her pert nose. “That explains the stink. We’ll have to sweat him for days just to get started.”

  Scourge twined black fingers in Walter’s brown curls. “I have some ideas. A new regimen to try. It will be fun.” He whispered something in Marquise’s ear, running his tongue along the perfect white shell of it while Walter quailed at their feet.

  “No permanent injuries.” I called out. “No scars. No sex.”

  “Gwynnie!” Walt found his voice at last. He cast a significant look at Marquise and nodded. I pointed at Scourge with raised eyebrows and Walt’s face fell almost comically. Why do so many guys breeze past the fact that they might not be the only ones doing the fucking?

  “Not fair, Lady Sorceress.” Scourge strolled over to me, lethal, looking me up and down as if he could see through my gown. “You know, from intimate experience, that we are in this for the side benefits. Why would we agree to such a travesty of a bargain?”

  “You agreed to it with me.” I made myself hold my ground, though I longed to back up a step—or fifty miles.

  Scourge smiled, black tongue flicking out to moisten his lips and stroked hot fingers down my bare arm. “A special favor. And one I regret...so very, very much.”

  “Yes.” Marquise joined us, hand on Walt’s head, urging him to crawl beside her like a puppy dog. His eyes had glazed over with an uncertain combination of terror and titillation. “You’ll have to sweeten the pot, Lady Sorceress.”

  That phrase again. I made myself unclench my jaw.

  “I can pay you.”

  They looked insulted. “We’re not poor,” Marquise sniffed.

  “Then what?”

  They exchanged speaking glances. “A night in our bed—anything goes,” Scourge said.

  “Or a favor to be owed in the future.”

  “Or we get full use of this sweet boy.”

  The sweet boy in question was still on all fours, staring at the lush grass.

  “What was the special favor?”

  Scourge stroked his chin. “Lord Rogue promised to take my place, should it become necessary.”

  “Take your place how?”

  Now he slid his thumb between his black teeth, ducking his chin coyly—an alarming expression on his severe face. “Oh, I think you know.”

  “He’s with her because of you?”

  “No,” Marquise giggled, running a hand over my shorn hair, “because of you, sweet girl!”

  I didn’t even mind the chill her caress gave me, so tightly did my stomach clench. “Explain.” It came out as a demand, which seemed to shock Scourge, but I didn’t care.

  “I don’t answer to you.”

  “No?” Pulling on the crystallizing magic of the staff, I clamped down on both their minds, using a tweaked version of Rogue’s mind spell. “How about now?”

  Marquise stepped back, hiding behind Scourge and burying her face in his shoulder while his face twisted in a rictus of varying emotions as he tried to fight the compulsion.

  “My, how we’ve grown,” he snarled at me.

  “Yes, your efforts to break me weren’t as effective as you thought.”

  “We never meant to completely break you,” Marquise’s silvery voice was muffled by Scourge’s shoulder. “We were to make you think we wanted to, so you’d find your own way to fight back.”

  “That was the favor Rogue asked?”

  “He’s soft. I warned him that you would be his weakness, not the strength he hoped for.” Scourge put an arm around Marquise, brushing a surprisingly tender kiss on the crown of her head and eyed the lily earrings I’d reattached. “But he wouldn’t listen.”

  “He won’t listen to anyone.” Marquise peeked at me through the fall of her hair.

  “And he’d pulled in all of his favors. So he agreed to take my place with Titania, should that event occur. Apparently it did.”

  “What does that entail?”

  Scourge shook his head. “Can’t tell you what I don’t know, Lady Sorceress. But I’ll let you whip me to try to find out, if you want to. It could be fun.”

  “I would, if I thought you wouldn’t get off on it.”

  “Pity.”

  Rogue had traded this to protect me from these two, to help me get the power and control I needed. By Titania, I planned to use it.

  With a thought, I knocked them both backward into a heap, popping the truth spell as I did. Then gave Walter a hand up.

  “Last chance to get out of this deal. You’ve seen what they’re like.”

  He wiped his forehead, watching the pair roll against each other, laughing and obviously completely turned on by my magic wallop. “Is there any other way?”

  “Not that I know of. But I don’t know much.”

  “How long?”

  “I don’t know. I think they know when you’re ready.”

  “Can you make it be sex with just the girl?”

  “Maybe. But that won’t necessarily be better—you have no idea how cruel she can be.”

  “I’m already nothing.”

  “That’s not true. Walt. Listen to me—”

  “No, I’m done listening to you. You can’t stop me.” He dashed over, prostrating himself at their feet while they reclined back, gazes hooded. “Please take me. I’ll do anything you want. Just teach me to be as powerful as she is.”

  Scourge raised his black-on-black eyes to me and grinned. “Seems like we have a deal.”

  * * *

  Marquise and Scourge offered for us to stay the night, even winkingly offering me my old room, but I refused and none of my friends protested. Everyone seemed uncomfortable around those two.

  Starling hugged Walter goodbye, a move that surprised me. Then, when I thought about it, didn’t so much.

  We were a somber group, though, climbing into the glass coach. Thinking of what awaited Walter, what he’d essentially condemned himself to, depressed us all. Blackbird gave the direction for us to rejoin the caravan and I wished the thing into motion. After a few hours, though, I ran out of steam. Apparently keeping something in motion required me to continually renew the wish. I toyed with making a perpetual-motion wish, but worried that it could lead to dire consequences, like rolling us off a cliff if I failed to notice fast enough.

  Athena had pried the staff away from me after the confrontation with the monochromatic twins and only the realization that I wanted to smite her somehow, instead of giving it to her, made me release it. That traveling piece of the crystal cave carried a tremendous seductive punch. I really shouldn’t use it too much.

  Still, I suggested that, with the staff, I might be able to get us further. And was totally overruled.

  “We all need a rest anyway,” Blackbird announced, her gaze brushing over the left side of my face and darting away again. I rubbed my temple, wondering if the ache there indicated the spiraling out of my own silver pattern. The cat inside seemed quiescent, but that could be the exhaustion. My bones ached with it and, for once, I didn’t mind that they all handled me.

  We didn’t have the tents or other supplies, but Athena handily built a campfire and Starling set out the food she and Blackbird had packed from the feast leftovers. As the sun set, the night grew colder, the wind picking up and rattling the brittle leaves of the trees around us. A faint howl echoed in the distance and I fancied a black horse dashed across the sky. A chill not entirely from the dropping temperatures sent a shiver down my spine.

  I told the others to do their business in the woods for the night and that I’d put the force-field dome over us for warmth and protection. T
hat kind of one-time wish I had it in me to do, I argued with Starling. It worked well too—letting out the smoke and carbon dioxide, allowing oxygen to filter in, but nothing else.

  I confess I crashed immediately afterward, however. Never had I used so much magical energy—and gone so long without sexual stimulation—and the combination of the two took its toll. I hoped that was all it was.

  Despite my exhaustion, I dreamed.

  Instead of treading through the sand or climbing those impossible peaks, though, I lay in bed, weeping. And a hand with familiar long fingers brushed my cheek.

  “Don’t cry, lovely Gwynn,” Rogue said.

  He sat beside me on the bed, brushing his thumbs over my cheekbones, murmuring affectionate nonsense.

  “I needed you with me today,” I accused him.

  The left side of his mouth turned up in a half smile. “No, you didn’t. You did just fine without me.”

  “That’s debatable.”

  He smoothed my hair back from my face. “So brave. Sometimes I think you don’t need me at all.”

  “I do,” I whispered. “And even if I don’t, I want you, Rogue.”

  With a heartbreaking smile, he leaned over me, his inky hair curtaining us, and brushed his lips against mine. “I’ve missed you—and our kisses.”

  “Yes,” I whispered against his mouth.

  “So much.” He deepened the kiss, his hand sliding down my throat to rest on my breast. With a little cry of longing, I threaded my fingers through his silky hair and clung to him while my clothes vanished. He kissed me, stroking my naked flesh with avid touches, now teasing, now painfully demanding, now gathering me against him so we slid, skin against skin.

  I gasped at the intense pleasure of it.

  Gasped again. “No. No, we can’t.”

  Rogue pulled back, amusement quirking his lips, damp and darker red from kissing me. “Silly Gwynn, this is only a dream.” He slid a hand between us and laid it over my belly. “This isn’t about the child.”

  My heart lurched, picturing that little person and what could happen. “Am I pregnant? Tell me the truth.”

  He kissed me softly, a sweet, tender, seeking touch. “You would know, better than anyone.”

  “But I don’t know.”

  He sat up and framed my face with his hands. “I made you a promise, my Gwynn. You, of all people, know I would never break my faith with you.”

  “Why did you leave me then?”

  “I’ve tried to tell you—even I am constrained.” A deep sorrow crossed his face. “Now more than ever.”

  “You could have told me. I would have helped.”

  “The details don’t matter. You cannot save me. It’s too late for that. Save yourself. Promise you won’t look for me.”

  “No. I won’t promise that.”

  His jaw flexed, betraying that he gritted his teeth. Perversely that pleased me.

  “Stubborn.”

  “Back at you.”

  I woke up, blinking against the dark. Not even a hint of sandalwood in the air.

  Part IV

  Modifying the Variables

  Chapter Twenty-One

  In Which I Return to the Original Plan, with a Minor Tweak

  Rogue is an enigma. One I intend to solve.

  ~Big Book of Fairyland, “Rogue”

  Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.

  Larch knocked on the force field again, repeating the noise that had awakened me. His earnest purple face peered in at me, comically distorted by the field. I collapsed it and the cool morning air rushed in, making me glad I’d gone to the effort to keep us warm.

  “My lady sorceress—it’s good to see you again.”

  “How did you find us, Larch?”

  He shrugged, sticking his hands in the pockets of his little tunic. “I knew when you returned to our soil. Then I just had to run a little.”

  “And the rest of the caravan?”

  “Waiting for your return.”

  “It’s cold!” Starling wailed, poking her tousled blond head up.

  “Best get moving then.” Blackbird was already standing and brushing out her skirts. “Get your juices flowing.”

  “Larch.” Athena nodded at the Brownie, who gave her a little bow in return, taking in her changed appearance.

  Darling Hercules ran his tail under Larch’s chin, who steadfastly bore the indignity.

  “Now that I’ve found you, the caravan can reroute to join us at the Port of Blue Mermaids.”

  I shook my head, the lilies in my ears swinging. “We’re not going there. Or I’m not,” I amended. “The rest of you can do as you like, of course.”

  “Why?” Starling stopped in the act of finger-combing her hair. “Where are you going?”

  “To the Glass Mountains, specifically to the Queen Bitch’s castle.”

  “You can’t just walk into Titania’s castle, dearie,” Blackbird told me, in a tone that indicated she feared for my sanity.

  One does not simply walk into Mordor. I would have said it, if Walt had still been with us. Funny that I could miss the little shit. At this point he’d likely be locked naked in that featureless cell and getting pretty damn hungry. Maybe, since he’d already submitted, they wouldn’t spend so much effort breaking his will.

  “I’ll find a way.”

  “I thought we were looking for my dad.”

  “You can keep doing that, Starling—you and Blackbird should absolutely do that. It’s as important as me rescuing Rogue. I respect that.”

  They all stared at me with expressions ranging from disbelief to dismay. From the tenor of their thoughts, most of them felt concern that recent events had been too much for me and I might be collapsing under the strain. Except for Athena, who simply spun her dagger in her fingers, waiting. She was getting quite deft with it. Darling sat beside her, eyeing it with bright interest.

  “Lady Gwynn.” Blackbird folded her hands, looking to Larch for support. “You must understand that Lord Rogue is not one who ever needs rescuing. He’ll turn up when it’s time.” She didn’t look at my belly, but the implication was clear.

  “Indeed, it’s true, my lady sorceress,” Larch chimed in. “It’s best that you look after yourself and your delicate cargo.”

  I unclenched my teeth. “Yes, he does need rescuing. You all heard what Scourge and Marquise told me.”

  Starling and Blackbird exchanged concerned glances. “Gwynn,” Starling said in a gentle tone, “they said they had no idea where Rogue had gone.”

  I gaped at them. Athena shrugged a little and nodded, indicating she’d heard the same thing. Darling swiped at her dagger and she hissed at him. He flounced over to me and pictured Scourge talking with two faces.

  Then I got it.

  They’d deliberately spoken different words, knowing the others would hear one thing while I would understand the truth I’d compelled from them. Clever. And a nasty, undermining trick. One I’d have to remember.

  “Okay.” I surveyed them. “All I can tell you is that I understood something different. Something I know to be absolutely true. Rogue is with the Queen Bitch and it’s due to a bargain he made to take care of me. I have to help him.”

  “If he did it to take care of you,” Blackbird pointed out, “then you shouldn’t undo the effort by putting yourself in Titania’s clutches.”

  “I don’t intend to be in her clutches. I plan to be smarter than that.”

  “How?” Larch asked.

  “I’ll know when I get there.” I said it with as much confidence as I could muster. Darling Hercules pictured himself huge again, me riding him while he knocked the walls down and I smiled at it. “Besides—all the trails I follow lead there. I believe she’s behind the baby-snatching game. It’s foolish to do anything else.”

  “And what of your own child, Gwynn?” Blackbird demanded. “Will you risk its life so willfully also?”

  “I am not pregnant.”

  “How do you know?”

  I rubbed my left t
emple, which had developed an annoying twitch.

  “It’s not like I can drop by the drugstore and pick up an E.P.T. kit.” My voice sounded tired. “But I’m 99.9 percent sure that I’m not.”

  They cocked their heads, not quite understanding. Interesting that none of them asked about my menstrual cycle and I wondered if any of them even had one. I hadn’t had my menses since I’d arrived in Faerie. If I hadn’t been assured in no uncertain terms that I would be fertile, I would have thought myself in sudden and abrupt, possibly magically caused, menopause. That could still be the answer, actually.

  “I’m just...not,” I added lamely.

  Athena tucked her dagger away. “I’m in. Wherever you want to go. Not like I have anything better to do.”

  Blackbird shook her head. “No. After all this time, I must go after Fergus. That must take precedence for me. Starling, you’ll come with me.”

  “No.” Starling replied, staring at me. Then shook herself, as if surprised by her answer. And her mother’s stern glare. “No, I won’t. I serve Gwynn and I made her a promise. I’m going with her.”

  “Do you understand how impossibly dangerous this journey will be?” Blackbird asked in exasperation. “Do any of you? Nobody even knows where Titania’s castle is.”

  “I do.” They all looked at me in surprise. I pointed at the staff, tucked securely by Athena’s feet. “That shows me.”

  “And are you willing to pay the price the staff exacts from you, my lady sorceress?” Larch asked, peering at me with shrewd blueberry eyes. “Already you tire.”

  “I’ll use it sparingly.”

  “You have no supplies. No mode of transportation. No tributes for trade.” Blackbird ticked the points off on her fingers.

  “I can arrange for a supply chain,” Larch told her.

  “You can?” I hadn’t expected that and he looked hurt by the implied insult.

  “I would be terribly remiss in my duties if I did not,” he reproached me. “Already I allowed you to be kidnapped. I can do this much.”

  “A dragon carried us off—there wasn’t much you could do.”