“In all my long years ruling Niflhel, I’ve never agreed to send anyone back. Why would you defy me?” She reached the end of the dais and jumped down, sweeping across the polished floor. “You have nothing to gain from this, Baldr.”
I came to my feet as she approached. She stopped several paces from me, pulling herself up and crossing her arms over her chest. Her black hair fluttered over her bare neck.
“I demand an explanation!”
I smiled at her and spread my arms wide. “I’d like to be your consort.”
“Damn you!” she spat. “Did you just want to humiliate me? Did you want everyone to know you’ve turned me into a...a harlot?”
I took a step closer, closing the distance between us. Her back stiffened.
“Are you trying to...to...” she stammered.
I bent to her left side, her dead side, and kissed her cheek. It looked like raw bones, but it felt soft and warm under my lips. I closed my eyes, trusting touch and taste to reveal the beauty I could not see. She smelled good, sweet and delicate, like the gentle perfume of the flowers in the orchard. I kissed her neck, enjoying the flutter of her pulse.
“Baldr. Why are you doing this?”
I brought my hand to the curve of her hip. “I want to,” I whispered. “I like kissing you.”
“No. Stop it.” She pulled away and stepped backward. “Damn it, look at me.” Her voice trembled and she turned away. The white of her skull flashed in the torchlight.
I grinned. “I hate to break it to you, Lady Hel, but I actually already know what you look like. Better than most, I’m guessing.”
Her collarbone trembled. I reached for her hand, closing my fingers around her wrist. When she didn’t pull away, I brought it to my lips, kissing the delicate, invisible skin on the inside of her wrist.
“You don’t feel dead,” I said. “Is it a curse, then?”
Light shivered across her body, and she pulled away from my arms. “What does it matter?” she hissed, her eyes flashing.
“I’m sorry,” I stammered. “I didn’t mean—”
“You want to save me, is that it? To break the curse and drag me back to Asgard, your pretty little prize from the time you went to Niflhel?”
She took another step backward. The air between us crackled with golden light.
“I don’t need your help! Niflhel is mine, Óðinnsen. I’m never returning to the living realms!”
“That’s not what I meant!” I snapped. “Listen to me. I don’t want to take you anywhere. Shit, I don’t want to go back to Asgard myself! That’s what I’m trying to tell you!”
Her lip quivered. I stepped forward and grabbed her wrist.
“I swear to you, Hel, what you look like doesn’t matter to me. Cursed or not, I just want the chance to be with you. Right here, in your realm.”
She made a strange, strangled sound. It took me a minute to realize Hel Lokisdóttir, Queen of the Realm of Inglorious Dead, was trying not to cry. She hid her face against my chest, and her body shook in my arms. I held her for a long time as light surged across her back and arms, flowing over both of us. When I finally noticed her hair had changed from stringy black to the full red-gold waves I’d seen in the orchard, I wasn’t even sure when it had happened.
Hel sniffed against my chest, then pulled away. Her eyes were rimmed with red, and her teeth bit at her lower lip. Even so, my breath caught in my throat. She was easily the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Men would die for her, I realized. She could send whole troops to their death, and they would go. Gladly.
“Is this what you wanted?” she asked. Her eyes flashed defiance, even as her shoulders trembled.
I swallowed. “You... Hel, you’re so beautiful.”
Her shoulders hitched. “I know.”
By the Nine Realms, she looked miserable. I ran my fingers over the soft curve of her cheek.
“Do you know how rare it is for anyone to surprise me?” I asked. “And yet you’ve done it, over and over again. You fascinate me, Hel. That’s why I want to stay here, and that’s why I want to be your consort. If you’ll have me.”
Her eyes flickered over me, wide and blue.
“And what I just said still holds. I really don’t care what you look like, my lady.”
Her lips curved into the barest hint of a smile. “The first person I allow to return, and you refuse me. You’re an idiot, Baldr.”
“You’d be surprised how often I hear that.”
Her smiled widened by a tiny fraction. She sighed and glanced away, showing me the left side of her face.
“It’s not a curse,” she whispered. “It’s a spell. It’s my spell.”
“Your spell?”
My mind spun. Of course, almost all of the Æsir can cast spells. I have half a dozen runes I employ in battle, and most of us can travel through the aether. But to cast a spell that obscures your entire body, all the time...Damn. There was only one other person in the Nine Realms who had powers like that; her father, Loki the Lie-smith.
Hel blinked furiously, avoiding eye contact. I took a deep breath and tried to pick my words carefully.
“That’s amazing, Hel. I had no idea anyone could do something like that. Isn’t it exhausting?”
She didn’t meet my gaze, but I saw her smile. “It does require a certain level of concentration.”
“So are you saying I broke your concentration yesterday?”
Her neck and cheeks flushed a delicate pink. “Uh,” she stammered, “I just didn’t know what to expect...”
I leaned close to her, running my lips along her neck, breathing in her sweet, floral scent. “My lady, I would be delighted to break your concentration again.”
She whimpered. Oh, that did it. The urge to hold her, to taste her, to feel every part of her body against mine flooded through me. I moved my hips against hers, letting her feel the hard length of my cock for the first time. She gasped, and I covered her mouth with mine, pressing against her soft, full lips, filling her. She opened for me, returning my kiss with furiosity. My blood surged, pounding in my ears, and I ran my hand along the back of her dress, searching for the seams.
She pulled away. “Not here,” she gasped. “Please. Give me a minute.”
I stifled a groan. It was impossible to look at her and not want to kiss her, to run my fingers through the red-gold of her hair or press my chest against the soft curves of hers.
She took a few deep breaths and turned away. Her back stiffened and she moaned as her body shuddered and blazed with light. When she turned back to me, she was wearing the illusion; her right side was pale, and her left side dead.
“Does it hurt?” I asked.
The right side of her face twisted into a wry grin. “Of course.”
I reached for her hand, but she pulled away. “No. Please, don’t touch me. I’m having a hard enough time concentrating as it is.”
She smiled and a shiver of light ran down her body. My cock stiffened, throbbing against the seam of my pants. Damn, this woman did it for me, no matter what form she wore. I ignored the surprisingly strong impulse to grab her and fuck her against the steps to her own throne.
“Follow me,” she said.
I followed, wishing the dress she wore was tighter.
CHAPTER 6
Eriksen waited for her outside the door to the throne room. He frowned at me, but bowed low before Hel.
“Eriksen,” Hel said. “I’m going to retire to my chambers. Please let the advisors know I’ll reschedule our meeting.”
“Of course,” Eriksen murmured. He raised an eyebrow at me. “And the Æsir?”
Hel cleared her throat and straightened her back. “Baldr will be accompanying me.”
Eriksen’s face turned several shades whiter. “My Queen?”
“No, I have not been enchanted,” she said, a delicate blush spreading over the pale cheek of her living side. “And I’ve not lost my mind. And could you please tell everyone I’m going to expect a full update tom
orrow?”
Eriksen was gasping like a tall, pale fish. “Of course. Yes. Of course, my Queen.”
Hel turned back to me, her cheek and neck flushed crimson. It was so damn cute I had to lean forward and kiss her.
“Stop it,” she whispered, giving me a coy smile with the living side of her face.
I almost kissed her again, but I saw Eriksen rocking on his feet. His face had gone from pale to a sickly sort of light green, and I figured he’d probably been pushed far enough out of his comfort zone for one morning.
Well, almost far enough.
I winked at him as we left.
After a few twists and turns, we stopped at a set of wooden doors. Hel raised her hand, and the doors opened. I followed her into a small, circular room with a recessed window, a desk, several bookcases, and a narrow bed. The doors shut behind us, and I noticed they were barred from the inside.
“What’s this?” I asked, running my fingers along the heavy bar next to the door.
Hel turned away. “It’s for the nights. I can’t hold my illusion while I sleep. I need to make sure I’m never discovered.”
“Wait.” I blinked, examining the sparse room a second time. I’d assumed Hel had taken me to the closest private place, maybe a room for visiting servants. “These are your chambers?”
“Of course.”
“Well, you’ve done it again,” I said. “I’m surprised.”
Hel shrugged. “Why would I need more than this?”
“I can think of a few reasons for getting a bigger bed.”
“I didn’t furnish my chambers with you in mind, Baldr.” Her voice was sharp, but the hint of a smile played across the corner of her mouth.
I shrugged off my heavy cape and pulled the stiff, uncomfortable shirt over my head. Hel’s eyes widened as I folded the shirt and lay it gently on the table. Golden sparks danced down her arms as she inhaled sharply.
“Am I ruining your concentration, my Lady?”
Golden light filled the room, obscuring her body. When the sparks faded, I was once again facing the most beautiful woman in the Nine Realms. And her arms were bent, unbuttoning the back of her heavy, black dress.
Hel gave me a shy, hesitant smile as she slid the dress down her arms, exposing her glorious breasts. I moaned as she stepped out of her clothes. If I hadn’t already been dead, the sight of her naked would have killed me.
“Oh, have mercy,” I whispered, stepping toward her. I couldn’t resist; the pull of her naked body was stronger than gravity.
She frowned. “Baldr, I’m such a hypocrite,” she whispered, turning to show me the left side of her face.
I reached for her cheek, surprised to find my hands trembling. “What is it?”
“I’ve spent my whole life hiding this form. And now, it pleases me to see you enjoy it.”
I opened my mouth to tell her something, anything, but she raised her hand to my naked chest, and all I could do was gasp. Her blue eyes watched me as her hand explored my chest, dropping to the waist of my pants. I shuddered as her fingers whispered across the hot throb of my erection.
“May I?” she asked.
“Please,” I moaned.
Hel frowned in concentration, trying to untie the stupidly complex knots of my waistband. I helped her, gently sliding my pants down my hips. I felt absurdly aware of my own nakedness, and my stiff cock pressing against the soft curve of her stomach. Her soft fingers slid over my length, caressing me gently, hesitantly. It wasn’t until I gasped at her touch that I realized I’d been holding my breath.
“It’s too big,” she said.
I tried to respond, but with her hand wrapped around the head of my cock, I couldn’t exactly form words.
“There’s no way that could fit inside me,” she whispered.
Her grip tightened and my whole body shuddered, curving around her.
Hel froze, her eyes cloudy. “Are you—”
“F-feels good,” I stammered. “You. Feel good.”
Her eyes lit up and her hand moved, flickering gently up to the head. “I do?”
I moaned into her neck. Her touch flooded my body with heat, concentrating all my attention. Hel’s skin was smooth against mine, and her smell filled the air between us. I wanted to grab her, to push her to the floor and fill her, over and over, but I forced myself to hold still as she explored my body.
She stroked me slowly, tentatively, until my entire body was rigid and shaking, gasping with pleasure. I trembled on the edge of release; she’d brought me so close, so quickly, with just the brush of her hand, the press of her soft curves, and the thick scent of her arousal.
“Hel,” I whispered, “if you don’t stop, I’m going to—”
She turned and kissed my neck, her lips and tongue flickering across my skin, sending bolts of pleasure through my body.
“I don’t want to stop,” she said.
My head rocked back, and I let myself go. Her touch filled every part of me, igniting me. I gasped her name as I shuddered in her hands, my climax coating the soft skin of her stomach.
She giggled. It was such a joyful, innocent sound, and it took me a second to realize it had come from Hel. I blinked, my mind staggering back to reality.
“I can please you,” she said. She sounded out of breath.
I grinned. “Oh, yes. You do please me.”
Her blue eyes met mine, and her lips parted. I kissed her before she could say anything, kissed her deep and hard, for a long time, giving vent to all the passion I held back while I let her explore my body. I ran my hands over her hips as my tongue entered her, letting my fingers follow the gentle curve of her belly, pausing at the curls of hair surrounding her sex.
Hel moaned into my mouth, and I dropped my hand, pressing my finger into her folds. She was slick and wet, her little bud a hard, swollen nub. Her back stiffened as I rubbed it, and my cock surged in response, twitching against her thigh.
I broke off our kiss, leaving her gasping. “Lie down,” I said. “Please. There’s so much more I’d like to show you.”
She nodded and stumbled backward, landing heavily on her narrow bed. Her eyes widened as I lowered myself over her, and I realized she expected me to fuck her right there. Oh, damn, but it was tempting.
I bit the inside of my lip to damp down my own arousal and started kissing her, softly, along her neck and collarbone. She moaned when I turned to her perfect breasts, cupping one in my hand and running my tongue along the swell of the other. I traced the tight rosebud of her nipple with my lips, then wrapped my teeth around it and pressed until she cried out, her back arching under me.
“Baldr,” she sighed. “It feels good. You feel so good.”
I hummed in response, sliding my hand along the curve of her stomach and through the curls between her legs. I pressed into the heat of her sex, brushing her clit with my fingers as I licked and sucked her nipple. Her hips started to move, rocking against my hand.
She was close. Oh, damn, she was close.
I wanted to make her come right then, but I backed off, sliding my hand down her thigh and giving her nipple a final, gentle kiss.
“W-what’s wrong?” she whimpered.
“Nothing is wrong,” I said. “I just want to taste you.”
Her eyes widened. “Taste...me?”
I watched her as I dropped my head between her legs. Understanding lit her face a moment before her eyes rolled back in pleasure.
Oh, her taste! Dipping my tongue into her wet folds was bliss. My cock throbbed in response, making me want to thrust my hips against her mattress, seeking another release. Her fingers plunged into my hair, twisting against my skin, and I moaned in pleasure. Her hips crashed into my lips, and she cried as she writhed under me, calling my name over and over until it sounded like supplication, or prayer.
I tried to keep her there as long as possible, hovering over her clit, then devouring her with my tongue and lips, backing off whenever her body began to stiffen under mine. When she finally
came, it was so intense I almost came along with her. She arched her back, screaming my name as her thighs clamped around my head. I closed my eyes and soaked up her heat, savoring her bliss.
When her legs fell back to the bed, I lowered myself onto the hard mattress next to her. Her fiery golden hair lay matted against her sweaty cheeks and forehead. I brushed it back, and she turned to smile at me.
“I had no idea,” she gasped.
Another jolt of arousal ran through me like fire. I took a deep breath, trying to read her. Some women want more after an orgasm like that, and some want to sleep. If she was the latter, I told myself, I’d just have to take care of things myself as soon as she was asleep. My cock throbbed painfully, and I tried to ignore it.
I kissed her cheek, then the curve of her jaw. She moaned, shifting to press her body against mine. Oh, damn. I shivered as my cock pulsed, urging me to get closer to this beautiful woman. I trailed my fingers up the inside of her thigh, watching her eyes widen as her lips parted.
“Do you still feel good?” I asked.
“Oh!” she cried, her perfect lips curving into a smile. “I feel so strange. Like being pulled apart and then put back together.”
“Is that good?” My hand reached the dark curls between her legs. I brushed them very gently.
“Yes,” she sighed, her hips tilting to meet my touch. “But, I think I want more.”
My cock ached and arousal throbbed through me, insistently, as irresistible as the tide. I rolled over, holding my body above hers. Very gently, I pressed the head of my cock to the apex of her sex, rubbing her nub.
“Do you want to see if I fit?” I said.
Her eyes widened and her hips rolled against mine. Heat poured off her, making it very hard to remain still.
“We don’t have to,” I managed to stammer. “I can just...keep doing this.” My hips rubbed against hers, rewarded with another flush of heat from her body.
“This feels good,” she said. “But, I don’t think it’s enough.”
I grinned at her wide eyes, her flushed cheeks. “I can give you more.”
She moaned and rocked against me. “It’s like an ache, somewhere deep inside. Yes. Yes, I want more.”
Death and Beauty Page 5