Her wide violet gaze found him as he entered. Dark black kohl lined her eyes, making them almost glow. Lucien let his shirt disappear as he approached her. Gauze blew toward the bed, the material unharmed as it drifted over the suddenly bright fires.
“I see your temper is better, my king.” Her expression was defiant as she faked boredom.
Mmm, good, she is going to fight me.
“I have other things that need sated, my sweet nymph,” he assured her, “so that my temper may truly be eased.”
Her gaze moved down to his erection. He let his pants melt away so he stood naked before her. The arousal towered from between his thighs in desperate need of release. But there was another need, the need to conquer her yet again, to show her that he could have her, could control her and she couldn’t resist no matter how hard she tried. Mia was his. She would always be his, until he sucked her soul completely and left her for dead, or until she succumbed to his will for her.
The memory of her lips on William the Wizard’s fueled his need. She breathed hard, her back slightly arched. He allowed her chains to loosen their hold so she could move. Flames appeared in his palm, and he slithered them like a snake down his arm and over his naked chest to encircle his arousal. The heat felt good against his flesh.
“I have no wish to sate you, my king,” Mia hissed.
Lucien took a deep breath, letting his eyes fill with black. “Your smell says otherwise.”
“You are imagining things.” She sat up, inching away from him. The chains on her legs didn’t let her get far.
“Would you prefer to play with the demon?” he asked, crawling onto the bed. “It begs me to let it out, to let him have you. I should after your deceit.”
She stiffened, not answering.
“Do not you want to hear what I did with the earl?”
“Did you…” She hesitated and he felt the caring in her, no matter how she tried to suppress it. He held on to that feeling, studying it. The emotion wasn’t like what he carried inside him. Licking her lips, she took another route, arching a brow. “How is the earl’s soul?”
“Intact.”
That surprised her. Lucien watched her face and though her expression didn’t change, he could feel that her insides did. Was that relief she felt? The feeling angered him. Why should she feel relief over the earl’s soul? Why should she care so deeply what happened to the people of Bellemare?
“I had better use for him. I delivered him to Tania. The faery is close to turning and I believe his rejection will be just the thing to plunge her into darkness. Faeries are such predictable creatures—so flighty, so driven by the pursuit of happiness and pleasure. Combine that with a virgin queen who must sacrifice her own pleasure for the sake of her race’s magic until she has found her mate, and you have a volatile situation.” Lucien let fire burn in his gaze as he watched Mia, feeding off her reaction to his words. Knowing he was stretching the truth, he said, “The faery queen seeks to trap him in this realm with her. If she succeeds, Bellemare will be without its earl. If she does not, the faery queen will fall into darkness and the veil that keeps me from the mortal world will lessen with her faery magic. It will only be a matter of time before I find my way through to Bellemare and the rest of the mortals. Regardless of what happens, the Bellemare souls will be mine.”
In truth, Hugh would never go back. Lucien had made sure of that. But, if Mia warned the human like he thought she might, it would put a rift between the faery queen and Lord Bellemare.
Suddenly, Mia laughed, a sound dark enough to rival his own. “He would not beg you to take his soul no matter how much you tortured him, would he? Lucien, I am surprised…surprised you are losing your touch.”
“Fear not, little nymph. It is all arranged. I am close to getting my Bellemare soul.”
“Oh?” Mia arched a brow. “You think the earl will fall into your hands so easily? You gave him to the faery queen. She can block your magic.”
“Who said I was talking about the earl?”
Her mocking smile faded. “What have you done?”
“You know the price of knowledge. Care to barter?” Leaning over, he licked her leather-covered nipple, pushing the strand aside with his tongue. Mia gasped. Against her flesh, he said, “Your choice, Mia. The demon or the man, but one way or another you will be sating this body tonight.”
“The man,” she answered without hesitation, her eyes closed.
He heard her, but he demanded anyway, “What was that, sweet little nymph?”
“The man,” she said louder. “I would sate the man.”
“Prove it.” He let the sound of demons enter his voice, just as the chains disappeared from her body. Mia growled, slapping him hard. Lucien’s head fell back in pleasure and arousal. He lifted his arms to the side. She hit him again and again, scratching him with her nails to draw blood. The wounds healed as fast as they were inflicted. Snarling, he grabbed her by the arms and threw her down.
“I hate you,” she swore. “I will see you damned.”
“Sweet Mia.” He chuckled, his tone as dark as his soul. “I already am damned. There is no hell for me beyond this. If you truly wish to curse me, say you will see me blessed.”
His mouth opened and he looked at her for a long moment before capturing her lips. The demon tried to surface, but he pushed it back. Tonight he would give her the man not the beast. Even as he thought it the power within him surged once more and he couldn’t resist its addictive pull.
She bit his lip hard, drawing blood, and he shoved her legs open in response. The salty taste of him mingled in their kiss. Her body was wet, ready to take him any way he pleased.
“Tell me,” he ordered.
“Why must I say it?” Her mouth chased his as he pulled up.
“Say it.”
“I love you, Lucien, and I resent myself for it.”
Lucien smiled, kissing her hard as he thrust within her. He took his pleasure in her body, knowing she would find hers. His sweet nymph could never resist him.
“Lux lexis,” William mumbled, frowning. “Lix lucis.”
He knew he was close, if he could only remember the right words. It was much harder to work magic without his wand and only a few spells would work. His body was sore from the chains holding him against the wall and it had been far too long since he’d eaten anything. He did manage to get some sleep, but it was hardly comfortable upright.
“Ah, I know!” He smiled, saying boldly, “Lux lucis.”
A soft glow illuminated his whole body, throwing light over his prison. Expecting to see a dark and lonely tomb of a cell, he gasped in surprise. “Well, who do we have here?”
Next to him, a man was chained to the wall. He didn’t move, but his color was too good for him to be dead. Seeing a pointed ear, but not much else as the man’s long hair hid his face, William knew the man to be an elf. He leaned forward, seeing what looked like two more pairs of feet beyond his neighbor’s. Since none of them had moved that William had heard, it was clear they were under some sort of enchantment.
“Just my luck,” William grumbled as the soft light over his body began to fade. “My only company is under a spell. Now, I don’t suppose any of you happen to remember the spell to make food appear?”
The thought was punctuated by the growling of his stomach, as the glow around him faded and he was cast into darkness once more.
Chapter Five
Tania fluttered above the bed where Hugh rested. She had his body cleaned of the dried blood that had remained after his healing; watching carefully to make sure none of the faeries touched him too long in any one area. She hated feeling jealous, but she couldn’t seem to help it. After sucking the health from him and turning his flesh gray when she tried to heal him, she was scared of touching his flesh in case she did more harm than good. After his bath, she had him moved to her bed, where he now rested.
Her bedchamber was at the top of the palace. Sometimes it was as high as the treetops, at others n
o taller than the crown of a mushroom. Though, personally faeries were one of their two sizes—either big or small. They couldn’t make themselves into giants, unless within the castle and then all would grow the exact same amount as the stone walls, keeping them in proportion. The changing palace was what kept them hidden in the forest. They could all become a single grain of sand, completely unseen unless one knew where to look.
Tania continued to hover over the prone earl. The bed Hugh rested on was in the middle of her chambers. The floor shone like ice, though it wasn’t cold. It matched the frosted crystal walls. Though smooth to the touch, the walls were uneven, like a clustering of icicles.
Along one side of the room was a bathing pool. It was normally surrounded by green vines but the walls of the silver palace were not all that had changed with her mood. Once bright with vases of flowers and lovely vines, the plants no longer blossomed. The pool was scented and the water never needed changing, as it magically renewed itself. Near the pool, lounging chairs and fluffy floor pillows stuffed with feathers were on a platform. She used to entertain her special guests there, away from the court below. On the other side of the bed was the door to her tall wardrobe where her many beautiful, now neglected, gowns hung. Sewn with the thread of silk spiders, the lovely white dresses shimmered with the twinkling of stars. Only faeries knew the secret of weaving such magnificent fabric.
When she dressed that morning, she barely noted the thin material of the gown she’d materialized from the wardrobe to come over her. Now, with Hugh there, she looked at herself. The bodice was light, decorated with tiny cloth flowers over her breasts. The skirt flowed freely around her waist and hips, reaching to her calves. Beneath the gown, she was naked, a fact that had never been as noticeable to her as in that moment.
A silk blanket covered Hugh’s legs and waist, but she knew he was naked beneath. His color was better with the dark tan once more in his muscled flesh. Tania bit her lip, staring at his chest. The last time she’d seen him like this, he’d been shackled to a bed, held her prisoner when she’d helped Juliana escape. He looked every bit as handsome as he did then. His dark brown hair was longer and there were smudges under his eyes, but she didn’t care.
Her stomach tightened, aching terribly. It remembered Lord Bellemare in ways her mind couldn’t. He’d kissed her, thought the most deliciously wicked thoughts of her. She knew the first moment he stepped into her hall that she wanted him and that he wanted her. Their minds connected and she’d heard his thoughts—not all, but the ones he had about her. That had never happened to her without the casting of a spell.
Now, Tania’s wings fluttered so fast she hovered above his prone form. Her body was slender and she was taller than the rest of the females of her kind, even some of the men. Still, when she was in her larger form and had both feet rooted on the ground, the top of her head only came to the earl’s chin. His chest was so broad she would barely be able to wrap her arms around him.
Moisture gathered between her thighs, just as it did whenever she thought of him. But now it was worse because his naked flesh was so close. His smell engulfed her senses, drawing her down to be closer to him.
Over the last year, she’d looked her fill of him, secretly watching from the stone island in the middle of the divination pool as he undressed. It was wrong of her, she knew that, but she was fascinated with watching him pleasure himself, his hand fisting his arousal, his muscled body flexing as he lay on his back, as he braced his hand against a wall, as he bathed, even once in the forest. Such a sexually virile man would unquestionably make for a fine lover. Tania had touched herself as she watched him, but the relief she found was temporary compared to the desperate need to feel his flesh that came over her.
Little sparks of pheromone erupted from her wings, showering over him. She flew down, landing on the bed. Lowering herself so she was on her knees, she knelt beside him on the stuffed mattress. He didn’t move.
Tania couldn’t stop herself as she touched his chest. Waiting to see what would happen, she was pleased that her contact didn’t hurt him like before. He was hot beneath her fingers, his flesh dark compared to hers. She touched a small nipple, watching it bud beneath her fingers. Then, curious, she glanced down to his waist.
Hugh would be asleep awhile longer. He’d been so sick and the healing had taken much out of him and her faeries. What harm was there in a closer inspection? It wasn’t as if he’d know.
Tania lifted up off the bed and hovered over his body, drifting down so she was above his legs. Taking the silk covers, she pulled them to the side. His male pride lay soft between his thighs. The faery queen lightly caressed his hip, letting the tips of her fingers dance closer to his member as she gathered her courage. The shaft was softer than she imagined it would be as she took it in her hand.
Tania bit her lip, rubbing him gently before moving to feel his hard, flat stomach. Her hand flush against him, she explored his abdomen, noting little scars along his tight frame. The man was a fighter and his flesh bore the marks of such a life.
Hugh’s heat beckoned her and before she realized what she was doing, she’d lowered her legs over his, her knees pressing tight alongside his thighs. The skirt of her gown was loose, allowing room for her to move freely. The material covered his stomach, concealing his shaft.
It was too much to finally have the earl within her grasp. The memory of his kisses was as strong as the day he’d given them to her. Wiggling, she angled her sex to lightly touch his, only to pull back in surprise to feel it was warmer than it had been in her hand. She looked down, lifting her skirt to discover that it had grown in length, hardening like it did when she watched him alone.
Tania hadn’t meant to arouse him, not when he was recovering from Lucien’s cruelty. But to see his reaction to her, the base desire, she quivered. Her wings fluttered wildly, showering them again in pheromone. Pushing her hands over the firm planes of his chest, she explored his jaw. It was rough beneath her fingers. A light moan of sheer sexual pleasure escaped her.
Just a kiss. One simple kiss and she would leave him to rest.
Tania leaned down, torn between her anger toward his rejection, the anticipation of his nearness and the fear that she couldn’t make him love her. She looked at her hand, seeing the dark lines that had formed. The markings on her flesh had not lessened with his presence.
With her mouth inches from his, she stopped to listen to him breathe. She hesitated and did not move to close the distance. Stolen kisses when he was asleep were not what she brought him here for. She touched his still lips, running her fingers across the firm length. Pulling them away, she pressed her hand to her own lips.
“I waited for you.” An ache filled her. Why did she still hurt? He was here, in her grasp. She shouldn’t hurt anymore. The pain should have left her. A tear slipped over her cheek as she whispered down to him. “I waited and you never came back like you promised to do. What does Bellemare have that I do not? What pleasure does it offer you that I cannot give to you? What beauty does it hold that I cannot make for you? Am I not beautiful enough for you? Why do not you want me?”
The lines on her body grew, vining across her waist and hip. She could feel them burning as they moved. There was no need to see them to know they were there. Another tear slipped from her eye, falling across his cheek. Hugh jolted beneath her, groaning as he blinked to wakefulness.
Dark brown eyes met hers, filtering with confusion as he looked at her face. Glancing down his body, then again at her, he frowned. Tania waited breathlessly to hear what he would say. It reminded her of the first time she’d detained him in her palace, when she’d had him beneath her just like he was now. Only this time he wasn’t bound to the bed. His arms were free and she didn’t have the magic in her to restrain him.
His mouth opened, as if he would speak. A low moan sounded as he grabbed her by the arms, jerking her forward to his mouth. Tania gasped at the sudden impact of his lips to hers. He kissed her hard, plundering her mouth with
his tongue, biting her lips with his teeth. She barely had time to react before he was rolling her beneath him. Her wings crushed, bending awkwardly beneath her back, but she didn’t care.
Hugh’s naked body covered hers, pinning her down. His thighs pressed along the outside of hers, trapping her so his thick erection burned into her hip. If she wanted, she could shift into her smaller form and escape, but her mind was lost and she couldn’t remember how to perform the simple little trick.
He let go of her arms, only to reach between them. She felt him tugging on her gown, lifting the skirt, as he maneuvered his thighs to settle between her legs. He broke the kiss, moving to lick at her jaw and neck. Tania’s eyes opened wide, shocked by the sudden onslaught of pleasure and heat she felt. Never had she imagined a man’s kisses would feel like this, so commanding and sure. The weight of his body pressed in on her, making her burn wherever their flesh met. She was scared, exhilarated, unsure.
Hugh pulled at the delicate bodice of her gown, ripping it to free a breast. With a deep groan, he wrapped it in his palm, rubbing the globe hard only to pinch the nipple between the side of his thumb and finger. He moved his kisses from her neck to her chest, tearing the bodice more as he freed the second breast. Warm lips covered her nipple, sucking and moaning against her flesh as if he would devour her whole. She wiggled beneath him, her legs held open by his strong thighs.
Touching his shoulders, she lightly caressed his arms. His hand slid from her breast, continuing to rip its way down over her waist until the entire front of her dress was torn and her body exposed. Hugh explored her hip, each touch passionate as he moved to wet her other nipple with his hot kisses.
The earl didn’t speak, save for the animalistic grunts that sounded each time he moved. He pulled away, his eyes closed as he took her hand and forced it down between them. His breathing deepened, becoming harsh, as he put her hand to his erection. It was big in her palm and no longer soft. The earl resumed his kisses on her chest, rocking himself against her palm. She kept her eyes wide, overwhelmed with sensations. Pleasure hummed within her flesh until every piece of her seemed to be under his spell. Nothing had ever felt as good as the temptation she found in his arms.
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