by Unknown
Gwen hid her face in her hands, trying not to think how irresponsible she had just been. Suddenly, the book cover "thumped" closed. The wind stopped. The dark energy pulling from below abruptly released itself.
Gwen spread her fingers, peeking through. She silently cursed. Lowering her hands, she felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment and shame. A pair of clear, livid, blue eyes stared at her from mere inches away.
Cain pressed one palm on the cover of the closed book, while the other stayed by his side in a clenched fist. His lip curled up into a snarl. Very quietly, too quietly, he asked, "What in bloody hell do ye think ye were doing?”
“I-I thought you left.”
“So, because I left, ye felt it only right to read from my sacred books?"
“Yes, no, I mean…ugh! Would you just leave!"
Cain stood, running a hand through his hair. He had a bloody chit on his hands who he couldn’t let out of his sight! He gritted his teeth. “Never, and I mean never read from these books again. Ye dinna have the first clue as to what’s really in them.”
“Like when the words disappear?" she blurted out, cursing herself immediately after doing so.
Before she knew what was happening, Cain caged her in against the dresser with his hands gripping tightly to the sides. Leaning down, a hairbreadth away from her face, he growled, “What did ye just say?”
Gwen swallowed. As much as the "new" Cain terrified her, old sparks that had never completely died re-ignited deep in her stomach from his closeness. “The spell I began reading disappeared," she whispered, before quickly licking her lips, her gaze darting to his mouth, "a-and new words which glowed a bright orange formed on the page.” Gwen noticed the split second of amazement cross Cain's face. His expression quickly changed back to the dark, sinister one.
Cain kept his breathing in check as he glared at Gwen. How did she read from his books? Perhaps, this lass did know magic. But the look of fear and bewilderment on her face had seemed so real when he had regained his health using an enchantment from the book.
“How long had Julia-.” Cain cleared his throat. He still couldn’t quite think of this lass as Julianna’s child. “How long has your mother been teaching ye magic?"
Gwen continued to stare. Cain hunched down so close to her. If she moved an inch forward, she could touch his lips with hers. Would his kiss feel and taste the same as it had centuries before?
Cain narrowed his eyes. His hands lightly grasped her shoulders applying enough pressure to get her attention. "How long?"
Gwen blinked as the magic of the moment disappeared. "Um…never, she never taught me."
He dropped his hands from her. Cain stood, appearing to contemplate leaving her room. He glanced back over his shoulder. "What spell were ye chanting?"
"I don't remember," she said shrugging.
He became possessed in a split-second. In less than that, he was on her, caging her in once more. Gwen pressed her back up against the dresser and sunk into it as much as she could. With black eyes, Cain stared at her before abruptly burying his head at the base of her neck and shoulder.
He inhaled. He could get lost in her intoxicating aroma for days. He scared her, and knew it, but he couldn’t control his anger and lust for her. Everyday, he teetered on the edge of a dark abyss, ever closer to falling completely over the edge. When he grew angry, beyond his control, the beast inside, created from black magic, released itself. He could only wait and calm himself to make the beast go back into hiding. One of these times, the monster would be out for good, leaving him lost forever, inside a shell of his former self.
Cain's tongue darted out, running leisurely up the side of her neck. Gwen whimpered. He silently cursed himself from within as he tried to claw up to the surface and stop the beast before the monster did irreparable damage to Gwen. Cain knew he wasn’t a good man. Even before he had started his interest in black magic, he had no conscience…or he did and just didn’t care.
He had been an immortal warrior, serving his mother and her minions since he had turned two and five. Cain gritted his teeth as anger burned brightly within in him. He wanted to kill Rowena. Slowly. Take all his years of pain out on her. There might have been a time when he could have been good like some of his fellow immortals: Alexander, Gideon…Merrick. But not now. The black magic had tainted him. Before the additional power of the black arts, he had relished being immortal. He loved the thrill, the way the puny humans would look up at him with dread. Once he learned to travel through time, he became worldly, which was an understatement. He knew the way humans adapted through the centuries, for he witnessed the changes first hand, and he would always be a step ahead.
Cain licked the edge of Gwen’s earlobe. He heard her suck in a breath. The beast hesitated. That was all Cain needed. He shook his head, feeling himself return, continuing to linger against Gwen, relishing in the closeness. Before freeing her, he deeply inhaled the sweet citrus scent once more, lightly caressing her neck with the tip of his tongue. Cain glanced at her glassy eyes, her parted lush lips, and rapidly rising chest. Bloody Hell, for a split second it appeared as though she wanted him to continue.
Momentarily, he closed his eyes. He couldn't let the wench get to him, especially if he was to look after her. And he would. He owed Julianna ten-fold for everything she had done for him in the past.
When he had returned, finding Gwen carelessly casting his sacred spells, he realized he couldn't leave her by herself. How had the chit even lasted this long without Julianna? He had to save the lass from herself and help her find her mother.
Cain opened his blue eyes and backed away. He paused at the satchel, snatching it up, giving her a dark, heartless glance. "Dinna ever touch these again." He spun around and was out of the room, the door slamming shut and locking itself behind him.
Gwen brought a shaky hand up to her throat and released the breath she forgot she had been holding. "Oh, Cain," she whispered, "what have I done."
* * * * *
CHAPTER THREE
As Cain stood silently on the other side of Gwen's closed door, his gaze fixated on the handle. "Bloody hell," he muttered, before abruptly turning away. As he strode down the hall, he realized his muscles ached and fatigue filled him. He may have cast the spell of health on himself, but he still grew tired like every other human. Reaching the doorway to the bedroom at the end of the hall, he paused before walking in. Once inside the feminine room, he closed his eyes, inhaling the sweet plum perfume of Julianna.
Stopping in front of her bed, he ran his fingers over one of the tall end posts. His mouth grew thin. He stared down at the large, four-poster cherry bed. An antique lace quilt covered the massive mattress, revealing hunter-green, silk sheets from beneath. “What happened, Julianna?” he murmured.
Cain glanced around her room as a fleeting smile crept across his mouth. He and Julianna had never been lovers, although he had tried…once, in this very room.
It had been the one and only time he had been in her bedroom. Julianna had been removing a pearl necklace at her dressing table, late for Cain's "magic" lessons. Cain had assisted her with her necklace, but as soon as his fingers had touched the flesh of her neck, he pressed for something more. Julianna had laughed and told him she’d never make him happy. They were strictly teacher and student, and if he couldn’t agree to that, well then, so be it.
Cain sighed. He had to find the missing page. The evil within was too much for his body to handle, but if he was immortal…. His hands fisted.
Cain glanced over the bedroom one last time. He regarded the gigantic hole in the floor and in the roof where he had crashed through. With a wave of his hands, the destruction repaired itself. Everything returned to normal.
He glanced down at his shaking fingers. The spell to repair an object was easy. He didn't have to rely on black magic for that, it was just the larger, "life changing" ones he had to worry about. But still, whenever he cast any type of magic, the evils knew, growing a bit more restless each time.
He shut the door behind him, quietly strolling down the hall, only to pause at Gwen’s door. A thin bead of light blared from underneath. He could just picture her cowering under her blankets, holding them up to her nose, as if they were armor he couldn’t penetrate.
Cain softly ran a finger down the dark wood door, barely making a sound. At that instant, the light switched off. Cain gritted his teeth at the memory of tasting her skin. Even though the dark spirits had risen, showing themselves, he had still been behind the window, so to speak. He had seen and smelled everything his body had done. Her aroma had reminded him of home…Scotland, hundreds of years ago. He clenched his jaw and made his way silently downstairs.
* * * * *
What had she gotten herself into, Gwen thought as she snuggled down in her bed. Where he had touched her, still tingled with wonderful little sensations. Shivers ran over her body at the thought of what had transpired between them. Terror and excitement filled her at the prospect of him touching her again.
A soft scrape, of sorts, sounded on the door and she quickly flicked off her bedside lamp. Would he visit her? Until the telltale squeak of the first floor step, Gwen lay still and breathless. She prayed he was leaving, but hoped he'd stay.
* * * * *
Cain, heavy footed, made his way over to a plush, gray couch, which would serve as his bed in the quaint, antique filled living room. Sinking down into the cushions, lying on his back, he reached into the leather pouch attached to his belt, and pulled out an amber stone necklace.
As he did most every night, he began rubbing the worn stone between his fingers, the rough edges smooth from centuries of his nightly ritual. A deep sigh left him as he thought of the lass that he had wanted to give the small trinket to so long ago. He couldn’t even remember her face, her eyes…her name. Every day, the memory of her faded a little bit more. Eventually, there’d be nothing left. He squeezed the small charm in his fist. If he could only have changed the outcome of that fateful night.
* * * * *
Gwen awoke to a bright ray of sun, shining through her window, glaring right in her eye. Rubbing the sleep away, she yawned, touching her feet to the floor. A knock sounded on her door, causing Gwen to jump from the bed, her hand flying to her racing heart. Last night had really happened. She prayed it had only been a bad dream.
“Rise and shine,” Cain’s voice said from the other side of the door.
"What do you want?" she asked warily.
"I need to break my fast. Get up wench!" Cain smiled. For some reason, he felt like teasing her. He had awoken, starved beyond anything he'd ever known, and searched every cabinet in the kitchen only to find food in cans that he had no idea what to do with. The refrigerator wasn’t much better.
He cursed Rowena for tricking him into casting the spell of mortality on himself. He hated being human. He hated having to put his faith in other people…other human people. Gwen wasn’t so bad. He could tolerate depending on her, only because of his close friendship with her mother, even if he had never known Gwen existed. Surprisingly, that thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. Didn’t Julianna trust him enough to confide she’d had a daughter? Did Julianna think he’d ravish Gwen upon meeting her?
Cain clenched his teeth. Had Gwen not been his friend's daughter, he would have ravished her. His groin tightened as he thought about when he had held her in his arms the night before. Her soft, plush body feeling so right….
"I'll be down in a minute," she finally said. Cain smiled at the closed door and returned downstairs to wait.
A half an hour later, Cain turned his head to the side as soft footsteps padded down the stairs. Gwen came into view, and any sexually charged thought that had gone, came slamming back with a vengeance. Gwen had tucked her long hair up into a loose bun with soft waves framing her face. She wore jean shorts that would be considered indecent where he came from. Who was he kidding, they were indecent in any century. A soft, pastel pink tank top offset her white, milky skin, making his mouth water.
He had to keep it together. When he had gone to bed last night, thinking about his lost love, Gwen's face kept popping up in his dreams, plaguing his sleep and winding his testosterone even tighter.
“Break my fast,” he blurted out, feeling the evil and lust boil beneath his skin. He had to keep his mind off of bedding her, or else his inner beasts would escape and truly hurt her, not caring in the least how rough he’d become.
Gwen froze, rooted to the last step. With her mouth hanging open, she stared at the perfect ceiling in the dining room. He had fixed the hole…with magic, no less. She crossed her arms, stopping at the bottom step. She had decided last night that she would continue the charade of not knowing him. Hopefully, he'd leave after eating.
“So, let me get this straight," she started, "you, an intruder, who's full of some kind of magic," she said, glancing up to the fixed ceiling, "whom I should be calling the cops on, and heaven knows why I’m not, are demanding I cook you food?”
Cain stepped closer until his chest wavered an inch away from hers. He saw her glance to the side, as if she debated whether she could get up the stairs before he grabbed her. “I confess," Cain said with a winsome smile, "I dinna ken how to cook." Cain's erection tightened as Gwen's tongue darted nervously across her mouth.
She cleared her throat. His gaze rose from staring at her breasts. “I-I don’t have much food here," she barely whispered. "I need to go grocery shopping.”
“If ye dinna have anything," he said with a beastly smirk, letting his gaze run up and down her body, "I'm sure I can scrounge something up.”
Gwen darted past him, half of her afraid he’d reach for her, the other half wanting him to reach for her. She hated herself at that moment. She should just confess everything to him, but what would that accomplish? He still thought of her as a daughter of a missing friend, not a woman he had shared his bed with as a young man, or a lass he had confessed his love to with every sensual caress.
Gwen shook her head, focusing her thoughts on what kind of breakfast she could make out of her measly food choices. After searching through every cabinet, she found pancake mix. And the frozen bacon and can of orange juice in the freezer would complete the meal.
Cain leaned back against the kitchen wall with his arms crossed over his bare chest. Glancing down at himself, he realized he needed new garments. His black breeches were torn, dried blood staining the majority. Silently, he exited out of the kitchen as Gwen mixed and cooked, oblivious to his leaving.
He stood outside the front door of Julianna's charming home, glancing around at the perfect tree-lined neighborhood. Even though the sun had just risen, many humans were already out and about. Some jogged down the sidewalk, others walked their dogs, and the hag across the street had a steaming mug in her hand while she fetched the paper from her doorstep. A movement off to the side caught his attention. A young man, perhaps in his thirties, with a muscular build strode out of his house. After locking the door behind him, he jumped in his car, and sped off down the road.
Cain smiled.
* * * * *
Gwen turned around with the plate full of bacon and pancakes in her hand. Coming up short, she realized Cain wasn’t standing in the kitchen any longer. When had he left? She carefully placed the plate on the table in the corner of the kitchen and turned back around, filling two glasses of orange juice.
Just as she sat the glasses down, Cain meandered through the archway. Gwen froze. The torn breeches had been replaced with dark jeans, which fit him perfectly, not to mention, the white and gray pinstriped button down shirt rolled up to his elbows, and a pair of black leather shoes. The only other time she had seen him so handsome was on the night he had first kissed her.
“Y-your hot-.” She quickly cleared her throat as he smiled a wicked smile. "Your hotcakes are ready.”
Cain gestured to the chair across the table and she quickly sat before her legs turned to jelly. They both began eating. Cain quickly finished one plate, only to pile it
high again. Gwen realized he was ravenous. What the hell had happened to him? She so desperately wanted to find out how he had continued to keep all the cuts and bruises from when she had first found him. She knew he was an Immortal, thanks to Julianna for that tidbit of information, so, then why did he have to cast a spell to heal himself?
Cain finished chewing his last bite, pushing the empty plate away, and glanced up at Gwen. If there was one thing Julianna's daughter had, it was the ability to cook. He had felt as though he had not eaten in an entire lifetime. Sitting back, he watched her push her food around on her plate, noticing she had hardly eaten any of her breakfast. “Eat. We have much to do today, including finding your mother." And the missing page, he thought.
Gwen slowly lowered her fork. She opened her mouth and was about to call him by name, when she realized he had never told her. She'd have to play along. "So, don't you think it's only fair that since I made you breakfast, I knew your name?"
Cain waited a moment before answering. "Cain."
“C-Cain,” she said, trying not to let her emotions get the best of her, “I have absolutely no clue as to where Julianna went." Which was the truth. "The law enforcement is looking into it. There's nothing we can do."
Cain saw the glassiness of her eyes. He could tell it was hard for her to talk about the disappearance. Cain sighed. "There is something else I'm looking for…a missing page from the large spell book." Gwen began shaking her head, but Cain continued before she could protest. "I need your assistance. Do ye have any idea where Julianna would have hidden it?"