by Ashley Black
Why?
I stared transfixed and appalled at a beautiful white floor length satin strapless gown with a crystal encrusted heart-shaped neckline. I dropped it and rifled through the bag, finding white luxurious looking undergarments to match.
Being a death metal Satanist, evil Warlock, manipulative, lying, crazy asshole, Thornton was a man of conflicting tastes, to say the least.
“Where did you get these clothes?” I asked coldly.
“He already had them packed,” Bob muttered. Enbarrassed, his gaze slid away from me. “Look, he has a bit of a thing about white dresses all right.”
“Perhaps he would like to wear one then!” I spat. “What a crazy -
“That doesn’t make him crazy. Here,” he reached, pressing a small remote into my hands. “This controls the doors to every room my son deemed fit to build into these caves. You are free Elena. You can come and go as you please. Just, when you’ve gotten dressed, let’s have a cuppa, and a chat.”
“I am going to require tequila,” I told him very seriously.
The faintest of smiles quirked at the corners of Bob’s lips. His blue eyes shone. “Know what, I think I might too,” he laughed, then the humor fell abruptly from his face. “Trust me. What I have to tell you, you will want to hear. Perhaps you’ll then understand why Thornton has gone to extreme lengths to protect you.”
Nine
I, dressed in a silk singlet dress, the least over the top gowns I could locate in Thorn’s little tragic bag of clothing, stared at Bob speechless after what he had told me.
I was seated across from him in a high backed chair at the grand black marble table beneath a medieval raven decorative chandelier.
My head spun a little.
Our mugs of tequila were drained.
Bob reached out and patted my hand.
He shook the bottle of tequila.
Numb, I nodded for him to pour.
I was stuck up inside my head.
I felt like I wasn’t really in the room.
Thorn.
Holy shit.
All he had he done, for me!
He was such a maddening, stupidly intense fool!
He had sought help from a Warlock as our fucking against a tree in that celebrities back garden that had been splashed all over the news had attracted the ire of someone dangerous.
“The goth dude on the roof?” I had asked.
Bob shook his head. “He is no one of consequence. A mindless sheep jealous of Thornton. The man I speak of, is the man who got Thorn’s family into the devil worship cult in the first place and anointed them as the leaders. He was obsessed with Thorn. He believed him to be the Devils son.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course he did.”
“Destined for greater, grander, and more depraved things. Imagine that Elena? Growing up having some one insist you are demonic, bad, evil. What does that do to a child? Words are powerful.”
Besides me, Thornton Darko was scared of one other person. That person was this man, who had no name. Bob refused to give him one.
It turns out that the Warlock Thorn had turned to for help, had gifted something different when he performed the spell Thornton requested on the raven necklace. The one that bound him to me whenever I wanted him, he would always return to me. Thorn was severely displeased with what had been gifted.
Infuriatingly, Bob could not tell me what that was exactly.
Only that Thornton Darko had acted out of love for me.
And now that Warlock who betrayed him would die because of that love for me.
Because Enchantresses and Warlocks couldn’t happen.
Ever.
So I had to die.
Or perhaps, if I could let him go, as my white witch friend Clarissa had advised, no one had to die.
But could I do that? Let him go?
I didn’t think I was capable of not ever wanting the man.
And damn, he knew it.
I told him I loved him on the very first crazy night we met each other in the delicious flesh.
And I had meant it.
Bob assured me Thorn had nothing to do with Brett’s death.
Thorn was furious about the mutiny from those he had looked after when no one else would. The misunderstood and downtrodden of society. Angry, they couldn’t mind their own business, and allow his heart to have what it must.
“Andrea,” I began.
“He killed her, you know.”
My eyes widened. I fucking knew it!
“Thorn drove her to the drink. He was too much for her. His darkness. She wasn’t a good match for him. She couldn’t understand him. She truly did try to vanquish him. Thorn is more powerful. She would never have succeeded. That didn’t matter to the bad ones in my son’s flock. They got her.” Bob had snapped his fingers. “Snapped her drunken neck, like that, and cast her into the sea.”
“We were able to ID them from the footage I captured on the boat I had been pushing the limit of its power to get to her. They confessed, and begged for forgiveness, Thorn tortured, and killed them all.”
I found myself gaping at him.
“He has already killed for you. He will do it again. Thorn does what is necessary to protect the ones he loves. I wish he didn’t but he has a wild, dark and chaotic heart. It loves too much Elena. I warned you of this.”
I stared out at the desert beyond the glass. A coldness rushing into my soul.
“He killed Brett didn’t he?” I heard myself ask dully.
“What do you truly believe in your heart Elena?” Bob sounded pissed off.
I shook my head, tears blinding me. “He did not kill him.”
“Where are you going?”
I had rose to my feet and was walking.
“For a walk.” I needed to get the fuck out of there.
Bob muttered something under his breath. It sounded like, ‘good luck with that.’
I waved the little device he had given me to open the doors in this labyrinth of caves. The glass slid aside. I passed through it and slammed into a wall of intensity and power.
Thorn.
Here.
Already?
What happened to a couple of days?
I looked up.
He wasn’t there.
Nothing.
Absolutely zero Thorn.
All of me … fair to say … had felt him.
I was throbbing between my legs with the sensation of him all over my skin.
Heat was unfurling and rioting in my belly.
What the actual fuck?
Again lies! Fucking liar! This was some old magic. His energy thrummed a dark, hypnotic song here. I closed my eyes. I could smell him, almost breathe him in. He had sectioned off the door with it – I felt it. A wall of Thorn, I couldn’t get past. Nor did I want to at this moment. I felt a hum of electricity press impatiently at my pussy. A prickling sensation, at my twitching entrance. A surge of energy entered her. I cried out in shock. A Thorn Vibrator. Oh. Well that was just so, unfair and ridiculously perverted. So very like the man to do this!
Bob cleared his throat behind me.
Fuck me dead! I was getting off in front of his flipping dad. Not cool.
My face was burning with desire. Breathing hard, I retreated from the Thorn vibrator at the entrance of the cave, and simply gave up. Ignoring the faint smile on Bob’s lips, as I grabbed my mug of tequila, downed it, and decided to plot my revenge upon Thorn’s no good Warlock ass instead.
Except that was the problem.
Thorn was good.
A little too good.
I needed him to share all the things he told me he was too scared to tell me in the car on the way here. His voice melted down my mind …
“There’s a lot about me you don’t know. But trust me, there’s a lot about me you simply don’t want to know.”
Damn it. He had to tell me everything.
I wouldn’t accept anything less.
I was determined to get it out of h
im.
Ten
“She is rather exquisite isn’t she?”
I awoke the next day to the sound of his proud, smug voice.
And others.
Curious.
Booming male laughter behind the glass.
Thornton Darko was showing off his new collector’s item was he? Brand new bad ass Enchantress ensnared. Come check it out buddies? I sniggered to myself. Of course, I knew it wasn’t exactly like that. But even still, here he was showing me off to folk.
I was flattered and mortified all at once.
I pushed my honey brown hair out of my face, and slid up in bed, the sheet pulled about me. I was naked.
I had refused the various white lacy negligee’s Thorn had left me to wear. My own rebellious act in defiance of his enslavement of me in his damned demented caves.
I walked to the glass with the sheet about me, and stared straight at the outline of the taller, larger figure. Thorn. It had to be him. I felt his power, it was already impacting my body.
This was ridiculous.
The effect this stupid insane man had on me.
“Um, what is she doing?”
The laughter died away.
I came right up to the glass, and allowed the sheet to drop.
As expected, that got the fuckers attention.
“Look away from her! Please! She has powers!”
I rolled my eyes at my rock star’s theatrics.
I breathed against the glass and wrote something, trying to keep my shoulders from trembling with laugher. It was so funny within my demented mind.
PJ Vampire.
Code for Pussy Juice Vampire. Our rather private, fucked up, joke.
Riotous laughter boomed on the other side of the glass.
“For Fucks sake she’s hot Thorn!” A voice congratulated. “Wow man! I’ve never seen you like this before.”
I heard a roar.
Then there was silence.
I yelped in surprise when a figure launched, slamming heavily against the glass, I could see fists balled, and raised, the faint glow of emerald slit eyes.
Holy hell! He was pissed.
I strutted to the little chaise blood red lounge at the end of our elaborate over the top bed. I sat upon it, looking up at the talk hulking outline pressed to the glass.
I spread my silky white legs.
I ran my hands over my breasts and moaned happily, at the sensation of my nipples hardening beneath my touch.
“Elena.”
Thorn.
He sounded angry.
“I have the rest of Cellrager here, you really shouldn’t –
I arched my back, allowing one hand to slide south.
“Don’t!”
As I covered my mound with my trembling palm, I threw my head back. “Oh, yes!” I shouted, flicking my hips, “Ohhhhhh FUCK YES.”
This was so fucking despicable.
I was going to die today.
I was certain of it.
What.
An.
Idiot.
“Sweet Jesus!” I heard another male voice. “Can I have her?”
“Get out, get out, get out!” Thorn thundered. “Meet me in the main city later, but get out NOW!”
“Ha ha man. You should see your face!”
“Get out before I kill you. All of you. Now!”
“See you soon Mr. Darko.”
“Yes,” Thorn assented gruffly. “We have a LP to fuck hard. I shall be seeing you very soon.”
“I know what I want to fuck hard,” another male voice mused. “Her! Damn Thorn, she’s fucking beautiful.”
Sweet Jesus! How many of them were out there? I wondered.
I was clearly insane.
“Out! Out! Out!” Thorn was beyond angry. He was scary level furious.
My legs slammed shut when I saw his hulking figure move away from the glass.
I dived across the bed, quickly for my phone.
I found it.
Of course, still no signal.
Damn it to hell, why?
“Explain yourself.” I heard his voice behind me.
I answered him with a question. “Are they your band?” I was amused as he looked away from me but held out a white bath robe.
I accepted it and shrugged into it.
Thorn kept his gaze averted, but I saw a wry smile quirk his lips. “No. I am Cellrager Elena. They just sort of help pull the thing together. They are my tech folk mainly, and one of them, Sammy, does quality control.”
“Thornton Darko needs quality control?” I asked, amused.
Thorn’s dark green gaze ensnared me as he pressed his body to mine. “Only a delusional fool would think their art couldn’t be improved. I am the dominant; my ego is the submissive. I tell that fucking thing what to do and when.”
I laughed. “That, is possibly the best thing I have ever –
He pushed me onto the bed.
Fuck.
He looked very angry with me.
I blinked up at him, dazed.
He was wearing an INXS T-shirt of all things. I had never guessed with his hard and crazy ass music, he would be into such an act. But there it was, a white T-shirt with the band emblazoned across it, tight black jeans and bare feet.
Sweet Jesus those feet were flipping huge. His toe nails, painted black.
“Casual looks nice on you. Nice feet, by the way” I smirked.
“Yes, I felt relaxed this morning until, anyway we shall address your crimes later. As for my feet, you insisted on painting my nails last night after sucking on every single toe, I hadn’t realized you had a foot fetish Elena.”
I gaped at up at him alarmed.
When had that happened, exactly? Did he sneak in here last night? Did he compel me to give his toes a suck job? And then paint the nails black?
He climbed on top of me. Bracing his forearms and staring down, his mouth quirked. The ring trembled a little on his chin. Yeah he was joking.
“I’ve been wondering how did you get me out of that tunnel? I was pretty stuck.” I admitted. Reflecting back on the incident in the cave, and regretting it at once. My face had promptly exploded into a prickling rash from the feel of it.
Thorn brought his mouth down to mine and simply grinned against it.
“It is better you don’t know this Elena.”
I nodded.
“What is happening Thorn? What is the plan? Where have you been? What did you find out about Brett?”
His brows fell together in a frown. “Later. Now, I need to create. You need to write your dirty books.” He chewed his lip thoughtfully as he looked down at me. “Mostly, we need to establish some ground rules if we are going to survive each other.”
I wriggled out from beneath him. He followed me. Prowling, as on all fours over me, pinning my wrists to the mattress.
I sighed, gave up and stared at his mouth. I knew it would drive him a little insane. My staring at it like this.
“Rules?” I sighed.
“Yes.”
I groaned, and thrust my hips. Striking against the bulge in his jeans with my mound.
I did it again.
I slid my hand inside the waist band of his jeans.
He was breathing hard, staring down at me in alarm.
I told him I was enchanting his cock.
I was joking of course.
I had no idea what I was doing.
Which could be a dangerous thing.
I traced my finger in a circle around his delicious thickening head, pulsing for the press of my touch.
Then I mumbled some bizarre enchantment. I don’t know where it came from but the effect it had on Thorn was hilarious.
His eyes became large as he recoiled from me.
“You must,” he growled, “stop doing that Elena, at once.”
“At once?” I teased, rising into a seated position.
“What,” he moaned, “have you done to me?”
He had a raging hard on now. I
t was the biggest I had ever seen this thing.
Holy shit.
“Is it?” I asked, my fingers walking up the thick shaft in his jeans to discover that indeed the tip of his head had loosed itself from his briefs and was peeking, a single tear shimmering there at its eye, at the band of his jeans.
I was one sick bitch.
I laughed and stroked my fingers over it.
Cursing under his breath, he whirled from me.
“Damn you witch!”
This only made me laugh harder.
“This is what you do to me Elena,” he complained. “Between your maddening servicing of yourself and now,” his voice fell away as his dark green eyes glittered at me. “This,” he finished. Gripping his hard on and giving it a decisive tug with his huge inked arm, he shot me a look of disgust. He whirled around on his heel, and headed for the bathroom, hitting a panel on the cave wall.
“What are you going to do with that thing?” I laughed.
His voice drifted into me from every corner of the room. “I am taking a very cold shower. I meant what I said Elena, I am a Warlock, you are an Enchantress, your ignorance in the matter of our being together stupefies me, but look it up will you? You are my end. Always.”
I stared, mouth open, breathing hard. No. No I didn’t want him to end!
Ever.
“Ground rules,” he grunted.
I heard the rush of water, then silence.
It was moments like these, I needed Aaron.
Or google.
Yes!
Damn phone!
I scowled at it.
As for what he had said.
I only had my Grandmother’s warning on the matter of Enchantresses and Warlocks.
It was warning enough.
And yet.
My hand rose and tenderly stroked over the raven necklace. If I was so dangerous why had the fool bound himself to me?
Because he loves you.
No. There was something more to it than that!
I was determined to get it out of him.
I agreed regarding the rules.
We needed to set some.
Including, he couldn’t keep me as a prisoner.
I stalked toward the door he had disappeared through. My heart slamming loudly against its cage.