by Terri Pray
“Get out.”
The slave whimpered and pushed to her feet, darting toward the door without another word. The door slammed shut, leaving Celeste alone in the room. Just what was she supposed to do now? The bath was still full of dirty water, but at least she'd been able to relax a little.
Why hadn't she taken advantage of the slave?
The slave had wanted to serve her, touch her, please her, so why hadn't she taken advantage of that?
Celeste rubbed a towel through her hair, drying it off a little before she turned her attention to finding some clean clothing and covering the mark on her face. Nothing made sense any more. Not the way she was acting, not what she was expected to do.
Davien. He'd left her confused and lost. Just as he had, no doubted, wanted her to feel...
Chapter Ten
“Ah, Celeste, good to see you in the hall again.” Jamezen beckoned her toward the dais. “I had begun to wonder if, perhaps, one of the three men so interested in you had spirited you away somewhere.”
“No, I just needed a little time to rest.” She dipped a brief curtsey to the Lord of the Island. “I hope you are well this day, M'Lord.”
“Indeed, and better for seeing you, Celeste. I feel I should tell you, your suitors have caused quite a stir here. You are the first woman I know of who has proven to be so— so stubborn when it came to the interest of a man.”
Heat flushed across her cheeks. “Well, I'm not sure why they are so interested in me, but I am sure they will eventually move on to someone else.”
“Perhaps, perhaps not.” He nodded, letting his gaze linger on her. “I would not give up on you so easily. In fact I wonder why I haven't made a play for you myself.”
“Because I am not your type, my Lord. I've never been.” Celeste bowed her head slightly.
“Ah, good point.” He nodded slightly. “There is a ship due in within the next week, bringing with it my lady love.”
“I am pleased to hear that you will no longer be alone, my Lord.” Celeste's stomach tightened, though she had no idea why.
“My Lady will, no doubt, enjoy the fact there are other women on the island, though she might be a little jealous of the amount of attention you're receiving. It would be best if you, and your suitors, sort this matter out before she arrives, is that clear, Celeste?” His gaze hardened, his voice losing all traces of humor.
“Yes, my Lord. Completely clear.” Celeste took a step back, keeping her voice calm. “I look forward to meeting your lady.”
“I'm sure you are.”
Celeste turned and walked back through the hall, whatever was going on through his thoughts it wasn't something that she wanted to know about right now. He was up to something and it wasn't going to be pleasant. But what? It didn't make sense, unless someone else was arriving on the ship who could cause her problems?
But who else was there?
Tearlach and Davien were already here.
She hadn't been owned by anyone else...
“Celeste?” Steven moved quickly across the hall toward her. “Something's going on— what happened to your face?”
“A small accident.” Celeste flashed a smile. “And if you mean the ship, yes I know what you mean. There's something going on and I'm really not sure what they have in mind.”
“The woman Jamezen is expecting— I think she's going to be trouble.”
Celeste nodded and settled down into a chair. “Does anyone know something about her?”
“Only her name.”
“Which is?”
“Blue.”
Celeste's heart sank into the pit of her stomach. “Mystic Blue?”
“Yes, I thought it odd when— she's related to you?”
“My sister.” God no. Anyone but her. Could her life get any worse? What was the woman doing involved in this? She'd been with Tearlach. She was involved with him. God, how had she not seen this coming?
“Your sister? God. This is going to be interesting.” Steven smiled, his eyes lighting up. “She's like you?”
“No, she's not.” She's a whore, who will fuck anything that breaths and a few things that don't. “She's— she caused a few problems before I was removed from my home. If I had stayed I think she and I would have come to blows in ways that would not have been pretty to watch.”
“I see, I think he knew, when you first arrived on the Island, I think Jamezen knew who you were.”
“That wouldn't surprise me, which means he knows the problems between my sister and me, he'd have learned all about me from her, long before I ever arrived here, though I doubted he expected to meet me in person.” This was a mess, and one she had never expected to have to deal with. “She will be looking to cause trouble, not just with me, but with anyone who doesn't bow down to her, or amuse her in some way.”
“I see.” He frowned, the news not pleasing him either. “She's a woman though and one with... ”
“One who will have complete control over Jamezen, I've no doubt on that. I've seen how she works. She will rule over him and through him the Island as a whole.” This was going to turn into a mess. And not one she wanted to stick around to deal with. The woman was walking trouble, but if she left, if she ran, where was she supposed to go?
“You could come with me, return to my father's estates, you'd be welcomed there.” He spoke in a low voice, not wanting to be overheard, that much was obvious. “I could make sure you were well treated.”
“If I submitted to you and surrendered myself into your care.”
“Of course, there is always a price to protection.”
And it's not one I'm willing to pay. “Thank you, but no.”
“It would be better than... ”
“I said no, Steven.”
“Perhaps later, when she's arrived, then you'll see the sense in my suggestion.” He shrugged and looked around the room before turning his attention back to Celeste. “You would be better off with me, and you wouldn't suffer such accidents as the one that left your cheek marked.”
“And I would suffer much worse at your hands, Steven. I'm no fool, please don't treat me as one.” Celeste waved a slave over and ordered a drink, along with something to eat. The bath had helped her tension, but now her stomach growled, reminding her of other needs. “You want a slave, perhaps you would be better off buying one instead of chasing me.”
“No, they'd not show the spirit you have.”
“And for that you chase me?”
“Yes, and for the sweetness in your body.” He leaned in close, blowing over her neck, teasing her soft skin with the heat of his breath. “You're beautiful.”
“And I have no desire to be yours, Steven. You know this.”
“It won't stop me from trying.” He moved away from her chair. “It would be best if you remember that.”
She doubted she'd have the chance to forget or shut it out for more than a few minutes with the way the three men circled in on her at every possible chance. They'd never let up on her. Not unless she broke free of them somehow or submitted to one of them. She was trapped.
“You look worn out, Celeste.”
Her skin tingled at the sound of his voice, her breath catching in the back of her throat. “Just a little unsettled, it would appear my sister is on her way to the Island.”
“Mystic?”
“Yes.”
“I see, that will make life interesting. You and she did not exactly get along well, did you?” He settled into the chair next to hers, his voice calm. “Mystic is not quite the wild card she believes herself to be.”
Celeste swallowed a laugh. “She has a very high self image, and it's not one that the majority of the world would agree with.”
“Mystic thinks she is the most desirable woman on the planet, and perhaps she and Tearlach would be best suited to each other.”
Celeste almost choked. “You've no idea how— she and Tearlach have already— back in London... ”
“Ah, yes, I had heard rumors she had partne
red up with a less than savory character.” He smiled, shaking his head, more relaxed than she had seen him in some time. “Amusing that it should turn out to be Tearlach, after everything else he has been involved in. They deserve each other.”
“Yes, they do. In more ways than one. As I understand it, from my time in his house, he is somewhat submissive to her, giving in to her every need and desire. But he'd deny it, of course.”
“Yes, he would.” Davien nodded and looked at the fire. “Those who pretend to be dominant, who growl the bluster their way through life are seldom able to be truly dominant. They are bullies, thugs, and often cowards. He would not stand against me on his own, but need the help of others. It's just how they are. You've seen it first hand in how he is. You've had first hand knowledge of his temperament.”
“Yes, I have.” And she couldn't deny what he was like. “He's volatile at best. It's not something I want to have to experience again.”
“Understood, and yet you're drawn to him, and to me at the same time. Why is that?”
“I wish I had the answer.” And a drink. She needed that breakfast. A good cup of tea. Some time away from them all. A place to relax and calm her thoughts. Not something she was likely to enjoy any time soon. “You've never cared before, why ask now?”
“I'm curious.”
“No, it's more than that. I know you well enough for that.” She frowned and turned to look at him. “You're up to something.”
“Am I?”
“Yes, of course.”
His dark gaze narrowed. “A wise master always finds out exactly what is going on in the mind of his property.”
“Except I'm not your property.”
“Perhaps.” He shrugged slightly. “That remains to be seen.”
“You're not fooling anyone, Davien.”
“I wasn't trying to.”
“Then tell me the truth, Davien. Tell me just what you are doing.” Celeste took a deep breath and shook her head. “Never mind, I know what you're doing. You want me in your collar, at your feet. Naked. Whimpering. Helpless.”
“And I've never hidden that, so as you know there are no secret agendas with me. You belong with me. We both know that, and the sooner you accept it fully the easier it will be.”
“On who?”
“Does it matter?”
“No, I don't suppose it does.” Celeste took a deep breath and looked for the slave again, wondering where the woman had gone to for her meal. “I'm not thinking straight right now.”
“I know. I have that affect on women.”
She growled and turned on him. “Just leave me the hell alone, Davien. I want a meal. In peace. Is that too much to ask?”
“Try asking and you'll find out.”
“But I... ”
“No, you demanded. I don't take well to people telling me what to do. So ask. You might just get a better response.” His voice softened, almost deadly now. His words sending a warning shiver down her spine.
“Will you please leave me in peace to enjoy my meal, Davien.” She didn't even look at him as she spoke. “That's all I want right now, the time to eat my breakfast in peace.” Celeste kept her voice soft, her hands shaking as she spoke. Another game. He was forever playing games of one sort or another.
“That's all you had to do, Celeste. Just ask.” He pushed to his feet and looked around. “Your breakfast is on its way, enjoy your meal, lass.”
* * * *
Why did she do this? Let him get to her? It wasn't as if she didn't know him. Didn't know what he would do. Which buttons he would press. What he would try next. In many ways she knew she could avoid it by simply staying calm. So why didn't she try to protect herself?
Celeste growled, more furious with what she had allowed to happen than at him. The breakfast had helped, but with the sight of Tearlach coming into the hall she'd picked up her plate and empty cup, then used it as an excuse to leave the room and head toward the kitchen.
Davien. Steven. Tearlach. They just refused to give her enough time to work through her thoughts. They even hounded her in her room. God. Nothing was working at all. There was no hiding place. If she stayed in her room they'd come to find her there. If she was in the hall she'd find herself on a public show down. If she stepped out of the fortress they'd take advantage of her there. It was a lost cause and now with Mystic on the way...
“Celeste, if you keep running from me I'm going to presume you're afraid of me.” Tearlach growled behind her. “Is that true?”
She tensed, then turned to look at him. “Take a look for yourself. I'm just taking this stuff back to the kitchen.”
“Instead of using a slave?”
“I'm used to taking care of myself, as you well know.” She forced her voice to remain calm. There was no point in letting go of her control. She was stronger than that. No matter what Tearlach thought. “I didn't see a point in calling for a slave just to take a couple of dirty dishes away.”
“Then I'll walk with you, unless you have a reason to keep me away.”
Trapped! “If you wish to waste your time walking with me then there is nothing stopping you.”
“Indeed, and in that case I'll escort you to the kitchen.”
She swallowed the urge to growl and continued her walk. What had she gotten herself into? Nothing fun. The staff in the kitchen looked up as she walked in, their gazes flickering from Tearlach to Celeste and back again. Even they can sense the tension...
“We need a basket, a picnic meal, to take out of the fortress.” Tearlach announced.
“We?”
“You're accompanying me on a picnic so we can talk away from these walls.”
“I'm doing no such thing.” Celeste scowled. “I have not agreed to go with you, and I'm not about to be bullied into it now.” She placed the dishes down and looked around at the staff in the busy room. The shocked looks on the faces of the men and women in the room said it all. They didn't know what was going on.
“Celeste... ”
“No, enough. I will not be pressed into this. I do not belong to you and I will make my own choices in life.” She turned walking out of the kitchen without another word, hoping he would not follow her.
This wasn't going to be her lucky day.
His hand closed on her upper arm, his voice a growl. “Do not walk away from me, Celeste!”
“Let me go.”
“Like hell I will.”
She tried to pull herself free of his grasp, it didn't work. “You have no... ”
“I have the right to take and claim what is mine.” He moved without further word, no warning given to her as his fist slashed through the air and connected with her chin, sending her into the darkness in a wave of pain that she had no means to fight...
Chapter Eleven
Pain. Her world had become nothing but pain and confusion. Celeste tried to move, to rub her face, but something bound her wrists behind her back. Leaving her unable to move, to escape, and something else had been stuffed in her mouth, her sight stolen by a cloth...
Tearlach. Nothing else made sense. No one else could have dragged her out like that, not after the way she'd been struck.
“Awake I see,” Tearlach's familiar voice confirmed her fears. “Good. I was beginning to wonder if I'd hit you too hard.”
She wanted to demand that he let her go, but with the gag in her mouth all she could do was whimper. How had he done this? Had he paid off the guards? Anything was possible, she knew that all too well. Had he someone waiting in a cove to spirit them away from the Island, or did he have something else in mind?
“You're afraid, or worried, either works for me.” He laughed, the sound spearing through her heart. “You're not about to be stolen from the Island, woman, no, this is nothing more than a little private play time for the two of us. You will learn just what you've been missing with me, Celeste.”
Missing? She hadn't been missing anything with him. Damn him. He won't even let me speak. She bit into the gag and gro
wled. When was he going to untie her? At least she was still dressed, that was one thing. But for how long?
“Up.” He yanked on her arms, pulling her to her feet. “We've got a way to walk before we can settle for a while.”
Walk? Stumble more like with the way she was bound. She stumbled as he dragged, half forced her away from where she had been sitting. The ground was uneven, and the air against her skin confirmed that she was, indeed, outside.
“Don't try and escape, Celeste. I'm taking no chances this time with you.”
No chances? That was one way of putting it. With the way she was bound and blindfolded, and gagged, she was reliant on Tearlach unless she wanted to fall face first on the rough and rocky ground.
Not something she wanted to do right now and it would only make it harder to escape Tearlach later on. And she did want to escape him. She didn't belong with him and he was taking a huge chance in treating her like this on the Island. When they caught him, unless she had submitted to him, he'd be punished.
Wouldn't he?
God, she wished she'd spent more time reading the rules and talking to the guards on the island. Or was it that he just didn't care? That would be closer to the truth. He just didn't think past the here and now. He'd pay for it, that part was certain, but would she also pay for his actions?
The gag tasted foul, like an old dish rag and she tried not to be sick as she stumbled along after Tearlach. Breathing wasn't easy. The blindfold and gag both combined to make it a struggle to gain fresh air into her lungs.
“What's the problem, slut?”
She growled into the gag, how the hell was she supposed to tell him with that rag in her mouth?
“Fine, I'll un-gag you for now.” He tugged the gag out of her mouth. “What's wrong?”
“What the hell do you think you're trying to do?”
“Stealing you.” She could hear the smirk in his voice. “They won't be able to find you. And when we return it will be too late.”
“Too late?”