“No one sees them but me. It is up to me to avenge them, it is me they have put their hopes on.”
Perkunas seemed to mull that information over for awhile, his sharp gaze searching Aldric’s face as if trying to ascertain the truth of his words. Aldric just stood there, letting the god see the truth. Finally the god shook his head.
“I believe you see ghosts, Aldric, but I also believe they are creations of your own mind. If ghosts were truly appearing to you, they would be visible to others. It is your own thirst for vengeance that keeps the memories of your fallen people so fresh in your mind.”
Aldric released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He’d been right to hold his tongue about the ghosts all these years. None could see them, none would believe in them, but him. He was their only hope.
“Why are you here?” Aldric asked, ready to change the subject.
“I heard Saule crying. I came to find out why. At first I assumed it was you, but apparently she is also quite frightened by a source of great darkness near her daughter.” Perkunas frowned. “That offspring of hers needs to be careful. It is one thing to turn away from her mother’s service, but if she turns too much to the dark than I fear I will be avenging her death.” He leveled a serious look at Aldric. “Saule has a lot to deal with right now, Aldric. Not the least of which is your blatant hostility. I do not like to hear her cry.”
An emotion he couldn’t quite identify grabbed Aldric’s stomach and squeezed. He frowned. “I did not realize you and Saule were . . .”
Perkunas threw back his head and laughed, a deep booming sound that rustled the branches of the apple trees. “Saule is not my lover, Aldric.” He chuckled.
Aldric narrowed his eyes, confusion chasing away some of his discomfort. “Why do you laugh at me like that?”
“That emotion that’s put a frown on your face?” Perkunas said, clapping Aldric on the shoulder. “That’s jealousy.”
Aldric’s jaw dropped. He stared in shocked fury as Perkunas turned away from him.
“Jealousy?” he echoed. “I care not who Saule spreads her thighs for!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, his eyes widened. Part of him tensed, waiting for Perkunas to turn and punish him for speaking so crudely of the goddess. But Perkunas paid him no attention.
Aldric watched as the thunder god climbed into his chariot, the monstrous billy goat harnessed to it stamping its giant hooves as if it would crumble the entire mountain. Perkunas shot him one more knowing look and then they were off, sailing over the edge of Sky Mountain and into the air.
For several long seconds, Aldric stared out after the god. Perkunas believed that Aldric was still in love with Saule. The meter of justice thought he could truly love a goddess who had turned her back on her people--his people.
A chill rose from deep inside him. Perkunas did not understand. No one understood. He took a deep breath and walked to the edge of the mountain, looking down the slippery slope once again. He would show them all.
Grinding his teeth so hard his jaw hurt, Aldric lowered himself to the ground, his feet pointed down the slope. Aiming his body at the closest strand of trees clinging to the mountain, he let himself begin the rocky slide. Sharp stones and twigs stabbed at his flesh and he threw that pain into the inferno in his soul, feeding his anger until it protected him like armor.
As he rocketed down the incline, part of him wondered if Saule had truly believed he would return to earth to free the pisky. Getting down Sky Mountain and then up again before Saule returned from the next day’s work was an impossible task for a human. Had she looked forward to punishing him for not returning in time? Would that have been her excuse for finally giving vent to her anger?
He hit the strand of trees with enough force to jar his entire body. His muscles spasmed in pain and he hissed. Forcing himself to breathe through the discomfort, he lowered his face to the dirt, holding himself up on hands and knees.
He was no fool. His first plan for revenge may have failed, but he was not a man to learn nothing from his failures. He had sworn to make Saule pay for her abandonment and he meant to make good on that oath. Quickly digging a hole in the earth, Aldric put his lips into the pocket of darkness he’d created.
“Dubheasa, Queen of Air and Darkness, ruler of the Unseelie,” he breathed. “Hear me.”
Chapter 3
Dubheasa perked up as a particularly interesting whisper caught her ear.
“Aldric?” she said out loud.
Bron raised his face from the wound he’d been licking on her inner thigh. The sudden movement drew her gaze down and she shivered at the sight of the bulky warrior nestled between her legs. The sight of her blood on his lips, his eyes dark with lingering lust and hunger, sent a flurry of butterflies through her stomach.
“Master?” Bron asked.
Dubheasa’s body jerked involuntarily as the vampire sat up, looking around the room as if Aldric stood there in the flesh. Smothering a cry of disappointment as Bron abandoned his tender ministrations, she cursed Aldric for his timing.
“Where is he?” Vincentas paused, momentarily ceasing his search through her sex toy cupboard to sweep the room with his gaze.
“Oh for the love of Dana, he’s not here,” Dubheasa snapped. “He’s talking into a hole in the ground.”
“What’s he saying?” Bron demanded.
“If you would bloody well silence yourselves, perhaps I could listen!”
The two vukodlaks closed their mouths. Vincentas strode over to the bed, leaping over the rail to sit beside Bron. Watching his considerable muscle shift beneath his naked flesh only reminded Dubheasa of the fun she was supposed to be having--fun that Aldric had interrupted. Frustrated and growing angry, Dubheasa glared at both of them before waving her hand in the air, cloaking the entire room in darkness.
“Aldric, you have called on me at a most inappropriate time,” she growled. “Do pull your face out of that hole and go find someone else to play with.”
“Your majesty, I need your help to keep an oath I made to one of your kin. The pisky I trapped in the cage is still waiting to be released. I am on Sky Mountain, I need your help to get back to earth.”
“I freed the pisky not long after your capture,” Dubheasa informed him. “You can rest assured that despite a few iron burns, the little pest is alive and well. Now good-bye, Aldric.”
“Wait!” Bron called out.
Dubheasa narrowed her eyes, glaring through the darkness at Bron. Aldric had been fun and intriguing as a vampire, but now that he was human he held little interest for her. The two creatures that did hold interest for her were sitting on her bed. It annoyed her to no end that the two vukodlaks were more interested in what their former master had to say than in getting back to what had promised to be a delicious assault on her royal body.
“Your attention is proving dangerously fickle.”
As it usually did, her tone alerted her listeners to the seriousness of their situation. She could feel the tension in the room spike and hear the two vukodlaks shifting on the bed.
“Your majesty,” Bron intoned, his voice growing so low it was practically a growl.
Dubheasa’s pulse quickened at the warning in his tone.
“You are being rude.”
His eyes flared red, glowing so bright she could see a ruby glow on her pale white skin. For a split second Dubheasa considered looking into those hypnotic eyes and giving herself over to the pleasure that usually came afterward. She shook her head, gritting her teeth. No. I am angry and I’m going to stay that way.
“Do not dare to put yourself above me,” she hissed at Bron, tilting her chin up in defiance even as she studiously avoided his gaze. “I am queen here and I shall remain in charge until it is my pleasure not to be so. I was having a splendid time before your master ruined it. Clearly he has a higher claim on your attention than I do.”
Warming up to her tirade, she straightened her spine a
nd stared down at her would-be lovers, her gaze easily piercing the darkness she had gathered. “As a matter of fact,” she snarled. “Not only will I not bring Aldric to my home, I am seriously considering ejecting the two of you as well.” She tilted her head, knowing that with their eyes glowing like that the two vukodlaks could likely see her as well. “I wonder how long your minds would last if I let your addiction to my body go unsatisfied? Hmmm?”
Her mattress shifted violently and a sudden pressure at her back ripped a gasp from her throat. Vincentas wrapped his body behind her, pulling her against his chest and pressing his thick thighs against either side of her body. Dubheasa clutched his knees, debating on whether to rip his legs off his body or wait and see where this was going. Before she could decide, the vukodlak plunged his fangs into her neck.
Her mouth fell open as a delicious ache surrounded her flesh where the sharp points had pierced her body. The sensation brought back memories of previous trysts and a rush of wet heat spilled down to pool between her legs.
“Oh . . . my,” Dubheasa moaned. The sweet pain washed over her in waves as Vincentas drew her blood from her body, his tongue soothing her skin between swallows.
“Oh, I see your little plan,” Bron breathed.
Dubheasa reached behind her to grip the back of Vincentas’ head, enjoying his feasting enough to momentarily let go of her ire. “Hmmmm?”
The mattress creaked again and Dubheasa became very aware of Bron’s large form leaning over her. She held her breath in anticipation.
“You are the Queen of Air and Darkness, ruler of the Unseelie court and one of the most powerful creatures this side of the veil.”
Dubheasa nodded, gasping at the way the movement tugged her skin against Vincentas’ fangs. “I am,” she agreed breathily.
“It would take but a flick of your wrist to pull our master through the darkness and bring him here--a pitiful amount of energy that one as powerful as you would hardly even notice.”
“True,” Dubheasa sighed. Her skin buzzed with tension as Bron shifted again, bringing his body within a hair’s breadth of her own.
“So the only possible explanation for your refusal to bring him here,” Bron continued, the bass tone of his voice making her body tremble, “is that you wish us to punish you for being so rude to your guest.”
Dubheasa’s mind whirled and clicked like a marble falling down a winding staircase that went up and down at the same time. Bron’s weight dropped down, crashing on top of her aching body with a suddenness that forced her eyes open in surprise.
Oh, what beautiful eyes you have. Dubheasa stared dreamily into the scarlet gaze above her, her breath hitching as Bron’s huge hand glided up and down her body. He grabbed her nipple, pinching it--hard.
Dubheasa cried out in pleasure, squirming underneath him. Bron was one of her favorite lovers, always so tense and vibrating with a strange mix of anger and blind lust. Part of her wondered if it was lust or anger that fueled the erotic punishments he inflicted on her--the other part didn’t care.
“Vincentas, fetch me a whip,” Bron whispered. “I am going to beat her highness.”
Dubheasa’s pulse fluttered in her throat like a trapped thing as Vincentas pulled his fangs free of her body and leveraged himself off the bed to do Bron’s bidding. The scent of her blood tinged the air as it trickled from the two small wounds at her neck. Knowing that scent would likely ratchet up Bron’s arousal, she smiled. She raised her hands and trailed her fingers over Bron’s shoulders, marveling at the strength lying under the skin. Perhaps she was going to have her fun after all.
“Bring Aldric here,” Bron growled. “I want him to witness your punishment--and to be present for your apology.”
As she so often did during their more violent sexual interludes, Dubheasa had a split second to wonder if she’d bitten off more than she could chew. Hadn’t she only moments ago been adamant that she would not help transport Aldric to earth?
She frowned, Bron’s ruby gaze making it hard to think. Or perhaps, she hadn’t cared about bringing Aldric here? Had she only resisted to goad Bron into punishing her? The weight of Bron’s words pressed against her mind.
“Aldric,” she called out, her mind still spinning with questions.
“Your majesty?”
“Fall down the mountain. You will need enough darkness to step through and that little hole you were shouting into is not big enough.”
“Throw . . .”
On some level Dubheasa was aware that as a human, it would likely hurt Aldric to fall down a mountain. Still, the sound of Vincentas’ footsteps coming closer to the bed made speed far more important than safety. At least, more important than Aldric’s safety.
“Aldric you have ten seconds to get to a larger source of darkness for me to pull you through or I’m going to jerk your considerably large body through that tiny hole and I can’t promise how that’s going to turn out!”
Why isn’t anyone ever in as big a hurry as I am?
Cold metal closed around her wrist. Dubheasa’s eyes widened in surprise as her right arm was viciously jerked to her left. Bron raised his body just in time to get out of the way as her body flipped over onto her stomach. The clang of metal rang in her ears as Vincentas fasted the chain to the rail that went around her bed. Her shoulder joint burned, distracting her as Vincentas closed the shackles around her other wrist. Dubheasa’s heart raced as Bron crawled down the bed to fasten her legs to the rail as well--binding her spread-eagled six inches above the bed.
“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Vincentas murmured.
Dubheasa sucked in a breath as he began to maneuver himself under her body, the thick length of his erection dragging along her hip before nestling between her thighs. The sound of Vincentas’ voice made her think of the wound in her neck and it throbbed in memory of the vukodlak’s earlier bite.
“Aldric,” she gasped, her voice hoarse with anticipation. “Your time is up.”
“I am ready.”
The pain in the former vampire’s tone barely registered. Reaching out into the darkness, Dubheasa sent tendrils of her power toward Aldric’s voice. It took mere seconds to find him and wrap her power around him. With an impatient jerk, Dubheasa ripped him from his current location and dropped him unceremoniously into her room.
“Banish your darkness, Dubheasa,” Bron commanded. “I want Aldric to witness your punishment.”
Vincentas’ eyes burst into blood red brilliance, but the threat of power was unnecessary. Dubheasa could barely contain her excitement, her body humming with the promise of violence and sex. It was all she could do not to rip the shadows from the room as well as the darkness, she was in such a hurry to get on with the festivities.
The scent of new blood curled around her nostrils. Dubheasa perked up. “Is that Aldric’s blood that perfumes my room?”
“He is battered and bloody,” Vincentas confirmed. “It seems he took your majesty’s bid to leap from the mountain to heart.”
There were sounds of male murmuring and a few sharp intakes of breath. Dubheasa frowned, concerned that Aldric may be badly injured. She was very nearly certain that would put a crimp in the fun she knew was coming.
“He is hurt, but not to the point of death.”
Bron’s voice rang with fury and Dubheasa froze in her constraints. Her throat ran dry as the slither of leather alerted her to Bron’s intentions.
“You’ve been naughty, your majesty,” he whispered.
*Crack*
The whip shattered the stillness in the air as it snapped against the flesh of her back. Dubheasa cried out, her body jerking in pain as the piece of metal on the tip of the whip bit into her flesh. Her eyes remained locked on Vincentas’ even as her body danced on top of him. The vukodlak smiled, rubbing his cock more firmly between her thighs. The sensation of his erection sliding through the wetness seeping from her body made Dubheasa arch her back in pleasure--just in time for another crack of the whip.
*Crack*
“You spoke to him with disrespect,” Bron hissed.
*Crack*
“Tell him you are sorry.”
Dubheasa moaned as Vincentas closed his hands on her hips, holding her still as he thrust between her legs, still not entering her. The tender touch and searing pleasure provided a delicious contrast to the bite of the whip on her back. Pleasure and pain . . . her favorite combination.
“Aldric, forgive my tone,” she breathed.
“It was entirely my fault for calling at a poor time.”
Revenge in Vein, The Complete Series Page 15