Rules Of Darkness

by Tia Fanning

I guess time did heal wounds.

  “Your mother?” I asked.

  Stoyan paced the kitchen, his eyes betraying his injured feelings. “She stood with my father against me.”

  As I remembered her, Stoyan’s mother was a sweet, wonderful woman who doted on her son.

  I gently touched Stoyan’s arm to halt his wandering. “What happened?”

  Shaking his head, he placed his hand over mine. “It does not matter. You were right to say so earlier. We can save this for another day. What is important is here and now, and that I have found you again.”

  Like him, I didn’t want the press the parent issue. I guess I would have to be patient.

  Stoyan cupped my chin and lowered his head. “I am sorry,” he murmured, his hot breath caressing my lips. “I should not have lost my temper. Do you forgive me?”

  My skin grew warm and tingled in anticipation. Would he kiss me if I said—?

  “Yes,” I breathed, letting my eyes flutter close as my heart thumped wildly in my chest.

  I was not disappointed.

  His lips were on mine, his tongue coaxing me to open my mouth to his, allowing him to deepen the kiss. I enjoyed his warmth, his taste. I pressed closer, moaning, my reeling senses wanting to drink more of him.

  Suddenly, his arms encircled me and his hands cupped the lower part of my bottom. I flung my hands around his neck and held tight as he lifted me up, my legs automatically wrapping themselves around his hips. The world spun and I was momentarily weightless.

  Stoyan placed me on the edge of the granite kitchen island, fitting himself tightly in between my knees, never once stopping the wondrous assault on my mouth. I clutched at his t-shirt, gathering the material in my fist, using it as leverage to pull him even closer. I grinded against his hardness, but it did little to ease the empty, tight feelings that built in my center.

  He broke away and pulled the garment over his head. With the shirt gone, he captured my mouth again. My hands slid across his smooth muscular shoulders, his skin hot beneath my fingertips. He was so sexy, so strong, and so male.

  My breath quickened and my blood surged. My body flamed.

  His lips traveled down my neck as his fingers tugged at the cloth belt around my waist. The robe went slack, and his hands spread the material apart until it fell off my shoulders. My nipples instantly hardened in the cool air.

  I pulled my arms out of my sleeves and tangled my fingers in Stoyan’s hair. His lips made their way across my collarbone and down to the swell of my breasts.

  Somewhere in the back of my mind, warning bells went off. If I allowed this to go on, if I didn’t stop it now, I might lose myself forever.

  Sparks shot through my body when Stoyan seized a nipple in his mouth, flicking the nub with his tongue.

  “Oh, God,” I gushed, arching my back.

  It felt so good, so right. Perhaps being lost to him forever would not be so bad after all.

  I pulled his head up and kissed him hard, rough and insistent, hoping to convey my wants and demanding that he meet my needs, to give my body what it craved.

  His hands roamed lower, over my thighs. I tilted my hips up, spreading my legs wider, offering my self to him.

  Stoyan’s fingers found their way to my moist folds and gently encircled my small bud. My body quivered as the pleasure of his touch washed over me. But it wasn’t enough. I ached for more, for something to fill that empty throbbing in my core. I pushed myself into his hand.

  “Katia, we should stop,” he said between kisses. “This is not how I imagined I would have you the first time.”

  I pushed his head to the side and began nibbling his neck. I clawed at his back trying to bring him nearer, and get his fingers closer to my weeping hole.

  “Katia,” he groaned.

  I maneuvered one hand between us and shoved it down his boxers, grabbing a hold of his warm, thick rod and massaging it. God, he was huge.

  “Katia, please. I do not want to hurt you.”

  “Prepare me,” I panted. “Get me ready for you. Right now.”

  “No, not here. I will take you to the bedroom.”

  I nipped his neck in frustration. “I might be a virgin, but I’m not innocent.” I pulled his cock out, squeezing and rubbing along its long length. “I’ve read a lot naughty books. I know what I want,” I whispered in his ear.

  Stoyan slid his finger inside my tight hole, keeping his thumb on my clit. I gasped as I stretched open, enjoying the pleasure the filling pain brought. I rocked my body against his wrist.

  “More. Give me more!”

  Another finger and more pressure on my clit. I leaned into him, my pussy clenching. Stoyan suckled my breasts as his fingers moved in and out of me.

  “Yes! Stoyan!”

  “You are so tight, yet so wet. You are about to come.” He sucked hard on my nipple.

  “Ohmygod!” I tensed, digging my nails into his shoulders as warm liquid spilled out.

  “More, Katia. I want you slick and ready for me.”

  As if his hypnotic voice had command over my body, I screamed as another mind-blowing orgasm took me.

  But he didn’t stop; he kept milking me, relentless. I felt another climax building, even more powerful than the other two. My body trembled and my vision hazed over. I let go of Stoyan and leaned back, placing my palms on the hard stone surface, trying desperately to stop the oncoming orgasm.

  “Do not,” he growled.

  I shook my head and closed my eyes tight. “I can’t! I can’t handle another one.”

  “You will give me what I ask,” he responded

  “Please, Stoyan, I’m begging you. I don’t want to lose control of my body.”

  Despite my pleas, he continued, breaking down my barriers until I was swept away by my rushing senses. He brought his free hand up and began caressing my breast. I lost my breath, drowning in pleasure.

  Somewhere in the smoky recesses of my mind, I realized I was moaning like a bitch in heat. I bit my bottom lip hard, not only to silence myself, but to allow the pain to ground me.

  “Look at me, Katia.”

  I don’t know why, but I opened my eyes and met Stoyan’s intense gaze. He increased the speed of his ministrations and rolled my nipple between his thumb and finger. My body shuddered, an orgasm imminent.

  “In this moment, I control your body,” he said softly.

  “No!” I willed my body to resist his powerful words and commanding touch.

  “No?” He gave my nipple a sharp tug. “You will come right now.”

  I screamed, tumbling over the edge and plunging into a large black abyss where nothing but pleasure resided. My fall, wondrous, consuming, endless, was as awesome as it was devastating.

  With no will left within me, I succumbed to the darkness, knowing for sure I’d die alone and lost, plummeting forever into oblivion.

  I love you.

  Suddenly, Stoyan was there, catching me.

  “I love you, too,” he whispered.

  Chapter Five

  In my dream, I was flying high through the sky, passing through billowing clouds. I soared over vast, mountain-filled lands, and skimmed over the tops of endless green forests. I began descending, finding myself above a large city. I navigated over buildings, over speeding cars and crowds of people. I went lower still until finally, my toes touched ground inside the guarded gates of a gorgeous, grand mansion house.

  To my surprise, I saw my great-grandma making her way slowly up the walkway to the large front doors, a bundled baby in her arms.

  Another vision?

  I came up behind her just as she lifted her hand to knock. A thin older man in a crisp black suit opened the door. Suddenly, a bear of a man appeared, and practically pushed aside the suited man.

  The large man was Stoyan’s father, Stylianos.

  “Elder Marija, you have made it!” He wrapped his arms around my great-grandma and gave her a hug. He released her and looked at the bundle in her hands. “You have brought our da
ughter!”

  “Yes. Her name is Katia.”

  “Ileana! Come now! Come see the child our son will one day marry!”

  Stoyan’s mother, Ileana, appeared in the doorway. The beautiful woman looked small and fragile in comparison to her husband, but her bright eyes and sincere smile showed she was filled with happiness.

  “Elder Marija, we are so honored to have you here,” she offered softly and bowed her head.

  “Yes! Yes! Most honored,” Stylianos echoed. “Please, come in.”

  “Thank you for seeing me,” my great-grandma replied as Stoyan’s father took the baby in one large arm and used his other to assist my great-grandma over the threshold.

  I followed close behind as they climbed three marble steps that gave way to a large foyer. Stylianos asked the suited man to summon Stoyan downstairs. The man bowed, shut the front door, and left.

  Ileana led the way. “Elder Marija, We wish you would have told us of your coming. We would have sent someone to the village to pick you up,” she said as Stylianos and my great-grandma followed her into the parlor.

  “Remember, darling,” Stylianos replied. “The elders do not bother with cars or trains. Horses, carriages, and feet. Maybe a sled if snow is on the ground, but that is all.”

  “Oh, yes, of course.” Stoyan’s mother signaled for great-grandma to sit in a large cushioned chair near the fire. Ileana and Stylianos sat nearby on a matching couch.

  Stylianos took a deep breath. “Elder Marija, We are sorry for the loss of your granddaughter, Anya. I cannot imagine the pain you must be still enduring.”

  “It hurts, but such is the way of things. My little Anya left behind a precious gift, not only for myself, but for the world.”

  The couple nodded.

  My great-grandma continued, looking directly at Stoyan’s father, “I can never thank you enough for coming to the village after my granddaughter’s attack. Anya would not eat, nor sleep, nor let any touch her. But your kindness allowed her to live her last months with us in peace and happiness. I know it was a great sacrifice on your part, and one you will bear the burden of for the rest of your life. I do not know how I could ever repay you.”

  I wondered what he had done for my mother. Would he say?

  Tears welled up in Stylianos’ eyes. He shook his head. “No, Elder Marija, you owe me nothing. It was my honor. And when I came to the village and you told me what you had told no other, that the child Anya carried would one day marry my son, it became more than honor. It became my duty.”

  He snuggled the baby closer to his chest and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Ileana placed a hand on her husband’s arm, a small show of support and comfort.

  “We now have a new daughter,” she said. “And one with such a rare gift. Imagine the good they will accomplish together, the gifts they will pass on to their children. Katia will have her mother’s beauty, and my son will continue the legacy of the protector. There are so few protectors left.”

  As if on cue, eight year-old Stoyan appeared in the doorway. By the look of him, he could easily pass for twelve. He was large for his age, obviously taking after his father, but it was the way he carried himself that made him seem older. He didn’t have the restless stance of a child. Even his eyes appeared wise, indicating he possessed a maturity far beyond his years.

  Stylianos waved him over. “Come son, take Katia and get to know her. She is your responsibility. Soon, you will leave your mother and me to learn the ways of our people, and learn how to protect your charge.”

  Stoyan, in his usual quiet form, approached his father. Stylianos transferred the bundle into his son’s arms. As if born with the knowledge, Stoyan cradled the child properly. Just as silently as he came, he left the room.

  Stylianos took a deep breath. “In a few weeks, Stoyan will move to the town outside the village. I have already purchased a summer home, including the hiring of staff to run it. I also acquired a tutor to teach him his academics. For the next ten years, he will study with the elders. When he is seventeen, he must leave for college. When Katia reaches marriageable age, then he will return for the ceremony.”

  My great-grandma nodded. “Stylianos, I have come today, not only to present to you your daughter, but to ask another kindness from you, for the sake of Katia.”

  “Elder Marija, no matter what you ask, if it is in my power, the answer is yes. Anything for my daughter.”

  “That is honorable of you, but what I ask will bring much difficulty to your life where your son is concerned. But it must come to pass this way. We cannot alter the path Katia will choose, but we can ease the journey.”

  Dread seeped into my bones. As if feeling the same about my great-grandmother’s words, apprehension reflected on Stylianos and Ileana’s expressions.

  “What have you seen, elder? What does the future hold for our children?” Stylianos asked.

  Great-grandma gave a small smile. “As you know, we do not walk this world forever. One day, I too must depart this plane of existence.”

  Pain and resentment struck deep in my stomach. I remembered that horrible day all to well—the day my great-grandma died. Though I have forgiven everyone who was involved with that, recalling the memory of that day still carried some lingering negative emotions.

  “Katia will not take this well,” my great-grandma continued. “She is so delicate in spirit. She will not see that the other elders were trying to protect her when they will not let her see me. All she will understand is her grief and anger. In turn, she will flee from us, run from our way of life, try hard to abandon her gifts, and disappear into the world.”

  What? She knew I’d leave one day? There’s no way.

  “Why can we not stop her? If your death brings her such grief, why can we not give comfort? She can come to live with us,” Ileana offered.

  “No, this is the path that destiny has chosen, and for good reason—a reason I cannot reveal to you in this moment for the future must not be made known to the other presence in this room.”

  I lost my breath when my great-grandma looked my way. It was a quick glance, almost negligible, but there all the same. I stepped back. Was she really talking about me?

  Stylianos’ eyes shifted around the room. “Yes, I feel the presence you speak of,” he whispered tensely. “But I cannot see it directly. This is odd, for it is neither spirit nor fallen one. Perhaps we should not discuss this now. Are you not revealing the future by telling us that Katia will leave?”

  “No, for what I am revealing is the past for the Katia in this room.”

  “She is here now? Watching us?” he whispered in awe.

  My great-grandma nodded. “I can feel her presence. It is she, for the baby is not in the room with us, and this presence is older.”

  “I have heard of such vision quests, but never seen it in life. How are you so sure you are not revealing the future to her?”

  “I have seen all in my dreams. I have seen what comes to pass to bring this vision for Katia, and I have seen why destiny has chosen the path Katia must take, and why we must not deter her. She must end up in the place she visits us from. The only way for her to get there is by leaving us all behind, including Stoyan. All we can do is make the path smoother.”

  Tears appeared up in Ileana’s eyes. “But I do not understand. Can we not just take her to that place when she needs to be there?”

  “It is during this solitary journey that Katia finds herself, grows stronger in spirit, learns to trust again, and finally accepts her gifts and their consequences.”

  “What will she do without her protector? How will she survive against the darkness?” Ileana asked.

  “This is why I am here today. When she leaves us, she will still be naive of the modern world and its dangers. She is so much like my Anya—”

  “Then Stoyan must go with her. She must have her protector,” Stylianos stated.

  My great-grandma shook her head. “No, Stoyan must never know where she is until fate reveals it to hi
m. His love of her would have him alter her course. Some things must be learned through experience. She will not experience what she needs to if he is always there to do his duty and stop the experience from happening.”

  Stylianos gave a resigned sigh, grasping his wife’s hand as she wept quietly. “What do need us to do, Elder Marija?”

  I felt something akin to betrayal blooming in my heart. I knew in one second, the reason for this vision would be revealed. I also knew that I wasn’t going to like what I was about to hear.

  “I ask that you care for Katia when the time comes for her to leave. I would ask the elders, but they do not have the means to care for her in this way. You are younger, of the modern world; you have the resources, the means to care for her from afar, to see her safe during her long journey. She must never know as it is happening, she must never know that you are involved. And you must do this without revealing her location to your son.”

  * * * *

  I opened my eyes to a dim room.

  Son of a bitch!

  Had the last twelve years of my life been a freakin lie?

  Through my haze of fury, my mind registered the bright sunlight trying to penetrate the blinds. I glanced at the windup alarm clock. It was 3:00pm.

  Swinging back the covers, I jumped off the mattress and turned, searching my bed. But Stoyan wasn’t lying next to me as expected.

  Where the fuck was he?

  I glanced around. The presumptuous bastard had moved his suitcase and toiletry bag in, but that was the only sign of him.

  He wasn’t in the master bathroom either, but he had to be around the house somewhere.

  Tying the belt of my robe into a tighter knot, I stormed out of the bedroom, calling out for Stoyan. I wanted answers and I wanted them now. What exactly did his father do for me during my ‘journey’? And what did his father do for my mother that earned my great-grandmother’s gratitude?

  I hit the kitchen first, but Stoyan wasn’t in there. I glanced over to the dining room. He wasn’t there either. I went into the living room next. Still, no Stoyan.

  Charlie napped by the front door. He raised his head and glanced my way. “Go back to sleep,” I ordered as I climbed the stairs to the loft.