Persephone’s Curse

by Sandra Bats

  When she opened and closed her mouth again, rendered a little speechless I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “You’re adorable when you’re embarrassed,” I joked.

  Mischief sparkled in her eyes as she leaned in for a kiss without another word. Then she moved her mouth along my jawline and to my ear where she whispered, reminding me that I had once promised to put the whiskey to good use. Oh man, the way she said it was pure seduction. I almost choked. Didn’t take me too long to get with the program, though.

  I put the bottle on the ground and kissed her again. I relished the feeling of her hands on my skin. She moved them from my neck down and slipped them under my shirt. Her cold fingers roamed my back. Feather light brushes against my heated skin. Her hair under my fingers felt like warm silk. I skimmed my hands over the soft skin between her shirt and pants. Then up her back, pressing her closer to me. She was so close I felt her heart hammer against my chest. It might have been my heart, I wasn’t entirely sure.

  I pulled back when her breaths came in small, heavy pants. I stared at her as I also tried to catch my breath. Her lips were swollen red, so damn kissable when she ran her tongue over them in a bashful gesture. I knew what’d be next. White, perfect incisors biting down on her plump lip. Just hard enough to leave small indents. Her breasts pressing into my chest with every breath she took. If we didn’t get inside right then, we’d never make it.

  I grabbed her hand and dragged her to her feet. Pulled her in for one more kiss before heading towards the door.

  “The whiskey,” Elin whispered a reminder against my lips.

  I snatched the bottle off the ground, one arm still around her waist. I kissed her again. Rough, fevered, frenzied kisses as we stumbled down the hallway to our room. If we came across people, I didn’t notice or care. I was drunk on Elin.

  I put the whiskey down on the nightstand and backed Elin into the bed so she tumbled onto the blankets and pillows. A giggle escaped her mouth. So soft and innocent it nearly made my knees buckle. I had to kiss her again. My lips were on hers when I slowly pulled her top up, slipped it over her head and in one fluid motion tossed it on the floor. Black lace covered her breasts. Would’ve been hot if I’d even taken the time to pay honest attention to it.

  I trailed my mouth over her jaw then slowly made my way down to her stomach. The lower I went, the shallower her breaths got. She tensed the tiniest bit when I reached her scars. I dragged her jeans down her legs. Tossed the fabric to the floor. She looked up at me. Her mouth open the slightest bit, her eyes half closed, sexy as ever in her panties and bra. Hurriedly, I stripped off my clothes and grabbed the bottle. Took a long swig as I knelt between her legs.

  I hoped the burning in my throat might take the edge off a bit. Seriously, I was about to lose it just looking at her. I shook my head at how lucky I was. She held my gaze as I ever so slightly tipped the bottle and watched the amber liquid drip onto her skin. Her carefree giggle was like music in my ears. The whiskey ran down the side of her ribs and I bent down, nibbling on the tender skin of her side.

  She squirmed when I reached a ticklish spot, making me look up at her. She was stunning. Balancing the bottle on the bed, I reached to open her bra. It’d only get in the way when I drank more whiskey off her. I poured some between her breasts. I followed it to where it pooled in the hollow beneath her throat. Elin gasped, her hands clenched the sheets when I sucked on the soft skin at her collarbone. I made her gasp once more before capturing her lips with mine.

  Thirty-Six

  Elin

  I could taste the whiskey on his tongue, the whiskey he’d licked off my skin and I must have sighed at the thought because I felt Jayden’s chuckle rumble against my mouth. He pulled back and stared into my eyes, while his blue ones sparkled with mischief and desire. I averted my gaze as I blushed. The heat told me I was probably deep red.

  “You taste like whiskey,” I blurted in a desperate attempt to break the silence, but he just cocked an eyebrow at me.

  “You’re horrible at this.” He laughed and for a moment I feared I’d ruined the moment. “You get so embarrassed when I stare at you. It makes it so much more worthwhile,” he finally uttered, then moved back a little to see all of my body. “Wow, you’re beautiful.”

  He swallowed hard as his eyes moved down my body and despite my scars and all of my faults, I was starting to believe him, maybe out of the sheer will of wanting to believe him. I took a drink of the whiskey and Jayden snatched the bottle from me again. He poured it into my belly button and I jumped at the touch of the cool liquid.

  “Whoa, hold still. It’ll all run out.”

  His breathy chuckle resonated against my stomach, his mouth circling in on my belly button, lapping up any droplets around it. When his tongue dipped into my navel I arched my back involuntarily. The liquor went everywhere, soaking the fabric of my panties.

  “See what you did?” Jayden mocked. “Now we’ll have to take them off.”

  He was already moving them down my thighs, his mouth closely trailing his fingers. Kneeling between my feet he gave me a mischievous grin and before I had a chance to react, he poured some of the whiskey onto the inside of my thigh. Goosebumps raced over my skin when he put his mouth on me again, sliding it over my skin. Need built and I tried to grasp fleeting details of Jayden’s ministration. I tried to focus on how he put the bottle aside without even stopping and the light reflecting off his blond hair. My body wasn’t doing what I told it to anymore. My legs quivered and my back arched. Pressure built and slowly tipped me over the edge. Blood rushed in my ears and I frantically clenched my hands in the sheets as I crashed and finally relaxed into Jayden’s hands.

  He moved up my body and pressed me close to him, as if he couldn’t bear any room between us. His hands roamed my back and when I touched him, a soft tremor went through him. I made him shake, I made him breathless. Allowing him to have the same power over me made me brave and powerful at once. Yet, what really undid me were the short moments when we pulled back to catch our breath and do nothing but stare at one another. The awe and bewilderment in Jayden’s eyes — which I was sure mine mirrored — showed better than words what he felt for me.

  Our breathing grew shallower, turned into sighs and suppressed moans sparked by gentle touches and caresses. He groaned deeply as I brushed my hands past his hips, the sound made my body explode with longing. I pulled him closer, his lips were on mine and he stretched past my head towards the nightstand.

  Rustling of wrappers and the tearing of foil, then cool air wafted over my skin for a few seconds as he pulled back. When he leaned in again his hands brushed over my legs, from my ankles all the way to my hips, raising goose bumps in their wake. My gasp tangled with his low rumbling groan when he dropped his head to my shoulder, gently nuzzling my neck as he moved against me. His steady rhythm sent shivers through my body and yearning overtook my entire being. Yearning to run my fingers over his skin, down to his back and to feel him yet just a little closer. Yearning to have his lips on my mouth, on my skin.

  My hands were buried in his short hair and then moved down his arms where he caught one of my hands in his. Our fingers intertwined; his fit perfectly between mine, and he pushed them up above my head where I clenched his fingers as the feelings got too intense. He caught my moan with his mouth. I ran my free hand over his arm and when I was sure I was going to lose my mind I held onto him, burying my nails in his bronzed skin. My built-up feelings crashed through me, and I suddenly felt afloat, a tingling sensation traveled over my body, and when I finally relaxed, I let out a sigh.

  The muscles in Jayden’s back tensed and his breath was hot as it brushed against my cheek. My name spilled from his lips on a groan and after an impossibly long moment his muscles relaxed before he collapsed on top of me. He rolled over on his side, pulling me with him, holding me close.

  I rested my head on his chest, listening to the staccato beats of his heart, which matched mine. He drew small shapes on my back and I
sighed with happiness and felt my chest tightening because the moment was too beautiful to bear. I realized with shock that I had tears in my eyes and even worse, Jayden noticed it.

  “What’s wrong?” He tilted his face so he could better look at me. My eyes watered, and my vision blurred even more at the affection in his simple question. “Oh hey, did I hurt you? What did I do?”

  He sounded so worried and frantic. I shook my head.

  “No, no. I’m fine. I just felt so happy and then I got so scared of losing this. And I feel like … I felt so much and sometimes it’s too much. I mean, how can one person handle so many emotions? I’m sorry. Just ignore this.”

  Jayden brushed his fingers over my face. “I won’t ignore you. I don’t mind. I was a bit worried, yeah, but now …”

  “Oh, shut up,” I objected when he grinned. “I’m a wreck and you know it.”

  “No, you’re not. I love that you’re like this. I don’t think being unemotional can make a person happy. Don’t you ever stop feeling so much.” He winked. “Besides, the only way I ever made a woman cry before was by leaving and never by co—”

  I interrupted him before he could finish. “Perv! It wasn’t because of the sex. You’re not that good.”

  I felt his chuckle as a rumbling motion deep in his chest and there was a soft smirk in his eyes.

  ◆◆◆

  For the next two days, I tried to strike up a conversation with Abby, but I never saw her alone. The third day I found her sitting in the atrium when Jayden and I were on the way to his office. I put my hand on his arm, signaling that I’d catch up with him later.

  “Don’t sweat it if she’s not ready to talk, ok? Or if it’s too much for you to hear about her past,” he voiced carefully.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  I pushed the door to the atrium open, greeting Abby who sat on the spiral staircase to the second floor. I didn’t want to make her feel like I’d come there to intrude on her solitude so I went to check on the chickens first. After that, I sat next to her.

  “How’re you doing? Enjoying the sun?”

  “Yeah. It’s nice here. Very calm,” she responded but her eyes stared through me as if I were a ghost. She scratched her neck the same way Jayden did when he lied. I told her how happy Jayden was to have her here. How joyful I was. Her mouth formed a smile that never reached her eyes.

  “I’m happy to be here. Bit overwhelming at times, though. The last time I saw Jayden, we were eleven and now he’s all grown up and everybody listens to him. Bet you understand, with your sister and you having been separated as well.”

  She had smoothly redirected the conversation from herself to me and Maddy.

  “Ah, well, Maddy and I aren’t close. Not anymore. She’s still sort of a stranger to me and she has issues with me being with Jayden.”

  “She does? She didn’t mention anything when we talked,” Abby said and I was glad Maddy had been nice to her. Both of them could use someone to talk to. Maybe they’d become friends. “I bet she’ll move past it soon. She’ll see life’s too short to hold a grudge. She’s a nice person,” Abby added.

  I laughed. “Yeah, she can be. She’s been through a lot, so I try to look past her anger. She and Jayden aren’t exactly friends but it’s a lot better than it used to be.”

  “My brother really loves you. How come you had no issues with his past?”

  Her question came as such a shock that I had to think about it.

  “He made sure I knew who he truly was before I found out. And by the time he told me, I’d already kind of fallen for him.” I took a deep breath and then decided that maybe telling her about the issues I’d had in the beginning could help. “I used to have really bad nightmares that had me up screaming when I came here, and Jayden would just wake me and help me through them. He’d hold my hand and never pressed me to tell him more than I was ready to. And when I finally gained the courage to talk, he listened.”

  Abby smiled mechanically.

  “Well, if you ever feel like talking and you can’t to talk to Jayden, I listen quite well, and I won’t tell him,” I offered.

  “I appreciate that, but really, I’m fine,” Abby answered, then she looked straight at me. “Did he set you up to do this?”

  I shook my head. “No, I offered. I think everybody needs help sometimes, and you mean the world to him. So, if you’re interested, I’d like to be your friend.”

  The corners of her mouth twitched a little. “That would be nice.”

  We sat in silence for a moment, just staring ahead, and when Abby sighed and got up I rose to my feet as well, reminding her that she could talk to me whenever she needed to. She thanked me, but I didn’t think she planned on talking much to anyone. Maybe what she needed most to heal was time.

  She stumbled, bracing herself against the doorframe and I asked whether she was all right. She took a deep breath.

  “Yeah, just a bit nauseous. Probably all the new food.”

  I looked her over, and while she was pale, she seemed fine otherwise. The food at the labs wasn’t so great. I had had a hard time adjusting, myself. “Well, take care of yourself, ok? Maybe check in with Jane. We don’t want you getting the flu or something.”

  ◆◆◆

  “Hey, how’d it go?” Jayden asked when I walked into the room a while later. I rounded the desk and sat on it, facing Jayden.

  “She talked, but I get what you mean. I offered to listen if she wanted to talk and suggested she see Jane because she felt nauseous, but that’s it.”

  “You think she’s sick?” he asked, worry playing across his face.

  “Nah. If anything it’s some minor bug, but maybe she’s just overwhelmed. Getting more food than your body is used to can do that to you. I wouldn’t worry much.”

  I brushed my hand over his cheek and he caught it, softly kissing my fingertips.

  “I just hope she gets better. Watching you heal was great. I want her to be happy.”

  “I know. I wish I could help, I hate seeing you so worried. It’s so unfair that she went through this and I got away relatively easily —”

  I didn’t get to finish before Jane flung the door open.

  “Jayden, I messed up.” She looked horribly worried. “I told your sister that she’s pregnant and she ran out of the room. I didn’t even have a chance to further talk to her.”

  “You did what? Are you nuts?” Jayden stood so fast he nearly knocked me off balance. “Fuck. I gotta find her.”

  “I’ll check her room,” I offered, rushing from the office past a shocked Jane.

  When I made it to her room, I found Abby’s few belongings and clothes neatly folded and stacked on her bed, a small hand-written note on top of it.

  Jayden, I’m sorry. Love Abby

  Cursing, I turned and sprinted from the room, back down the stairs and towards Jayden who’d just left our room. When I handed him the note his face went pale.

  “My gun’s missing,” he stammered.

  “Do you have any idea where she’d go? Anything she liked in particular?” I asked, and he lifted his eyes to mine.

  “Out back. The river,” he whispered in shock and without another word we were both sprinting. As soon as we passed the large double doors I stopped a few feet behind him. Abby stood with her back towards us, walking into the forest, Jayden’s gun in her hand.

  “Abby!”

  She stopped walking and turned to face Jayden, who closed in on her until there were only a few feet separating them. Jayden’s hands shook when he lifted them like he was taming a skittish animal.

  “Abby, please, put the gun down. Let’s talk.”

  Surprisingly, Abby’s voice shook less than Jayden’s and for the first time since I’d met her, she didn’t seem breakable. Instead, she stood straight and met his eyes. The full magnitude of her pain was visible on her face, no longer hidden behind fake smiles.

  “I know you don’t get it, Jayden. You have so much to live for. You have Elin and a fut
ure. I just have few months of waiting for death and then all that’ll remain of me will be another orphan in this world. I refuse to suffer through countless nightmares for that. I’ve already had my share of suffering. I stayed alive on their terms for eight years. I will die on mine.”

  Tears ran down her cheeks and her grip on the gun tightened as Jayden pleaded with her.

  “Please Abby, I’d find a way. We can still find a cure for the virus. You won’t have to die.”

  A melancholic smile played on Abby’s lips and a serene look graced her features.

  “You were a great brother, Jayden, but I have to do this for me. I can’t live like that. It’s not your fault. I can’t.”

  Jayden uttered her name and made a move forward, but Abby had lifted the gun to her temple.

  “I love you,” she whispered to her brother.

  Everything happened so fast after that. Jayden dove for the gun but missed it only by a second. The noise of the shot was deafening. Abby dropped to the ground, her legs folded unnaturally, and Jayden rushed to her side.

  Jane had run to catch up with us, but she stopped when she reached me because clearly there was nothing she could do. Jayden knelt by Abby’s side, frantically checking her pulse. He pulled her head onto his lap, cradling her while he shouted for Jane to do something, anything.

  He shouted and wailed. Horrible sounds I’d seldom heard and never wished to hear again. I walked over to him, knelt in the blood-spattered grass beside him. I told him there was nothing Jane or anyone could do for his sister. He sobbed, and it was the sound of a shattered heart. Mine broke right along with his.

  Abby’s blood dotted his face, I wasn’t sure if he noticed, but he made no move to wipe it away. He just stared at her.

  “I need to bring her inside!” he muttered suddenly, hysterically moving to scoop her into his arms.

  From my angle, the damage the bullet had caused was very visible. The gruesome view of chunks of Abby’s head missing was in stark contrast to the peaceful look on her face. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to gasp and alert Jayden to the horrible image.