by J. E. Taylor
“PRINCESS?” ZACH’S WHISPER tickled my ear.
I waved at the sensation. My hand smacked his cheek, and I opened my eyes. The group was packing their stuff already. I rolled and glanced at him.
“It’s time to go,” he said and brushed my hair away from my face.
Groggy and sore from yesterday’s ride, I climbed to my feet and stretched, then stepped off the mat. Before I could reach down and grab it, Zach had it all rolled and tied to the back of his saddle.
He handed me the canteen and led me to the hill. We stood, gawking at the empty valley. I blinked and went to look away, but something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. I squinted, and my eyes widened.
I was on Midnight in a flash, riding ahead of all the others, straight towards where the tower had once stood. I slowed Midnight as I approached the smoldering rubble. The ground around the base shimmered with melted gold where the strands of my hair had been. Zach stopped next to me, and we both sighed.
“No wonder we couldn’t see the tower,” he said.
“I need to know if she was in there.” I met his gaze as I dismounted.
He hopped to the ground as did the others.
“It’s still hot,” I said, pushing a burnt stone aside with my toe.
“Is this gold?” one of the soldiers asked, dipping his sword into the soft melted metal.
Zach and I exchanged a glance. “Yes,” I said after a moment. “But it is cursed, so be wary of letting it touch your skin.”
All the men took a step away from the golden puddle, making their way as far from it as possible.
“Why don’t you stay over there,” Zach said, pointing towards an unsinged tree trunk a few feet away. “That way if this rubble shifts, there is no chance of you getting hurt.”
I didn’t argue. I took Midnight by the reins, led him to the spot Zach had indicated, and took a seat on the stump.
The men poked with their swords and shifted rubble with their boots, cautious of the still smoldering piles. Zach pulled something out with his sword. Half charred and half gold.
I gasped at the skull as it slid the length of his sword. He turned my way and unceremoniously dumped it between us. We both stared at what was left of the enchantress. The gold preserved half her face, but the skull side was just charred bone. I stared at the horrified half scream forever encased in gold and shivered, turning away.
Whatever ailments I had wished on Gwendolyn for what she had done to me and my family, this was not the way I wished her life to end. In flames and partially preserved by the melted gold that was once the braid she’d used to climb up the tower.
“We are done here,” Zach said to the men and then turned to me, pointing at the congealing gold. “We can’t just leave this here.”
I bit my lip and turned, looking at all the horses. My gaze landed on the rolled bed mats. I didn’t know if it would work or not, but we had to try. I wasn’t sure if the curse Zach placed on the gold was truly gone. The only thing we could do is cover it and hope no one attempted to dig up the rubble.
“The bed mats.” I pointed.
His eyebrows arched, and then he glanced at the puddle. “We need to cover the gold with our mats and then try to cover it with dirt so no one decides to remove any of it and carry the curse with them.”
Without question, they collected their field bedding and arranged it so none of the gold bled through. Then they proceeded to kick dirt, rocks and ash on the liners. They used one of the rope ladders to topple the remaining portion of a standing wall down onto the mats. By the time the men finished, they had eliminated any visuals of the gold and made it look natural as opposed to someone trying to cover up a hidden treasure.
I was impressed. My gaze landed on the skull a few feet away from me. A cold shiver returned.
Zach approached me, taking a knee in front of me. “What would you like me to do about...” He nodded towards the skull.
“Bury it.”
He stood and turned. Finding a soft spot in the soil, he started to dig, but the guards took over until it was deep enough that a scavenger wouldn’t dig it up. They used their boots to roll the skull into the hole and then covered it neatly.
They stepped back, allowing me to come forward for a moment. It was as if they knew I was conflicted about this woman. My chest hurt, and my eyes misted with tears. I mourned a woman most would have spit on, but the only thing that kept coming to mind was the means in which she cared for me and not how she used me for her gain.
Zach wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “Come on,” he whispered in my ear. “We have a long ride back.”
I glanced up at him and then the group of soldiers. “Thank you,” I said and received silent nods as they dispersed and readied their horses.
“Looks like we are all sleeping in the dirt tonight,” Zach said and led the filthy entourage back toward the castle.
Chapter 12
I sat in front of a dressing table in a slip that someone had retrieved for me. My skin was dry and clean after a much-needed bath. I combed my short hair away from my face, working the miniscule knots out with care. It was nothing like the task of brushing my multi-yard mane I’d had, but it still soothed me.
Since we’d returned from the destroyed tower, Zach had been sequestered by his father and the brigade we traveled with. The trip drained me both physically and mentally and I didn’t have the energy to even speak to the servants who’d drawn my bath.
I had stayed in the water until the warmth had long fled the tub and every last spec of grime had disappeared from my skin. Even wet, my hair remained as golden as it had ever been. Out of curiosity, I plucked a stray hair. The thin filament solidified into a gold strand between my fingers. I placed it gently on the center of the dressing table with a sigh.
I set the brush down and turned, crossing to the fine dress laid out on the bed, but all I really wanted to do was crawl under the covers and let sleep take me into tomorrow.
The creak of the door spun me around. Zach stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He slowed as his gaze landed on me in just a silk slip. He stopped a few feet from me. His mouth moved, but nothing came out.
He cleared his throat. “I should have knocked.” Color bloomed in his cheeks. “I can come back,” he said and hooked his thumb over his shoulder.
His presence gave me a surge of energy. I didn’t want him to leave and have the utter exhaustion return.
I stepped closer, and sparks surged between us. “I am glad to see you,” I said, closing the distance.
He let out a laugh and took a step back. “Maybe you should put some clothes on.” His voice came out low and husky, and his breath quickened.
I looked down at the silk covering me. “I do have clothes on.”
His green eyes shimmered with silver streaks as he stared at me, and then he moved, crossing the distance with purpose. His lips crushed mine, sweeping me backwards until we crashed into the bed. His hands traveled over the silk as warmth ignited in my core.
Zach pulled away and stepped back with his hands out to his sides. The muscles in his jaw jumped, and he closed his eyes. His nostrils flared as he inhaled through his nose. When his eyes opened, silver streaks of lightning lit up his irises. “I keep forgetting how innocent you are.”
I reached out and grabbed a handful of his shirt, pulling him back against me. “Maybe I’m not as innocent as you think.” I needed him near me for more than just the energy burst. The last two nights sleeping in his arms had been the highlight of the trip. It dulled the pain from a loss that shouldn’t be affecting me this way.
He laughed and wrapped his arm around me. “I’m the only man you’ve ever kissed.”
“True.”
“And you are aware that I want to do a whole lot more than just kiss you,” he said, raising his eyebrows.
Heat filled my cheeks. I was acutely aware of the longing in his gaze. It matched the raw need pulsing in my own veins. I nodded slowly.
The smile that played on his lips heated my skin and made my heart beat harder in my chest. Hunger gripped me that had nothing to do with food, and I licked my lips.
“Danae,” he whispered.
“Zacharia,” I whispered back.
“I’m trying to be good.”
“Why?”
He stared at me for so long that I didn’t think he would answer.
“Because, I want our wedding night to be your first time.” He stepped back, fumbled in his pocket, and dropped to his knee. He opened his hand, revealing a beautiful ring. “This isn’t quite what I had planned, but will you marry me, Danae?”
I stared at the ring and shot my gaze to his. My stomach fluttered, and my heart expanded in my chest. My vision clouded behind a sudden sheen of tears. I suddenly understood what true joy was. My hands covered my mouth and I blinked. Hot paths tickled my cheeks.
He cocked his head, and his smile faded.
I realized I never spoke. I never acknowledged his question. “Yes.” I gasped through my fingers. His shining smile flashed at me and his eyes sparkled.
He stood and slipped the ring on my finger. The diamond was surrounded by slivers of jade that matched his eyes. “This was my mother’s ring.”
My heart squeezed at the sentiment. It wasn’t a ring picked out at the marketplace. It was something with a deeper meaning.
I pressed my lips together as more hot tears cut paths down my cheeks. “It’s beautiful,” I whispered.
“You are beautiful.” He leaned in, capturing my lips in a tender sweet kiss that had no intention of anything more.
But I ran my hands into his hair, holding his mouth to mine as our tongues played in languid circles, igniting the kind of heat that seared through my soul.
When he pulled away, I groaned, thinking he was going to leave me with this shaking need that I had no idea how to satiate. Instead, he slid the straps of my slip off my shoulders, and the silk fell to the floor. His gaze fell with the fabric, and when it returned to mine, it burned through me.
“I don’t think I can wait,” he said, his voice full of the shaky heat flushing my form.
I reached for the buttons on his shirt, undoing each one as quickly as my hands would allow. The fabric covering his chest shed to the floor, and my fingertips slid down his defined muscles. Need closed the distance between us, and his lips found mine again. The dress laid out on the bed was flung to the floor, and he picked me up and set me down it its place.
His hands and mouth trailed down my body, creating tingles that shot right to my core. Every motion, every lick of his tongue sent heated lightning through me, and the air surrounding us echoed with it. By the time he returned to my lips, I was ready, but he just stretched out between my legs with his pants still on. The slow grind of his hips against mine pulled a moan from my lips.
H smiled down at me, his breathing labored, and he closed his eyes, stilling his body.
I gasped. “Zach.” I did not want this heaven to end.
He clenched his teeth together and slowly opened his eyes. With a strained smile, he pulled away. “As much as I want to take you right now...”
I leaned my head back and groaned. My heart raced with adrenaline and disappointment. The duality of both did nothing to quell the heat gripping me.
“When are we getting married?” I asked, my voice raspy with the need racking my form.
“Whenever you would like,” he said.
I shot my gaze to his. “Right now.”
He winked at me. “Royal weddings take time,” he teased and licked my throat. “But I could be convinced to sneak away to the chapel and have the priest marry us right now if you’d like.” He settled on me again and circled his hips, slowly grinding his hardness against me.
“Yes!” I said breathlessly and yanked his mouth to mine. Not only did the frantic kiss broadcast my feelings on the matter, but his low groan only heightened the throbbing need inside me.
He laid his forehead on my shoulder, blowing air out between his lips. I circled my hips in response, and he tilted his head, giving me a sideways glance.
“Fuck it,” he growled.
I didn’t think it was humanly possible to take off a pair of pants in the millisecond he did, but before I could catch my breath, his member was as deep inside me as possible. My eyes widened with the bloom of pain, overriding the pleasure.
Zach closed his eyes as a soft smile spread on his lips. “You are heaven.” His eyes opened and met mine. The slow cadence of his motion soothed all the initial pain. He didn’t rush but took his time, and each time I peaked, he would slow back down to start the build-up again.
Sweat broke out on his brow, matching the glistening on my skin.
“I could hear you call my name forever,” he said, his voice deep and rough, reflecting the wild silver dance in his irises.
This time, when the wave rushed over me, tingling right down to my toes, his body tightened, and his eyes clamped shut.
“Danae,” he groaned in such ecstasy, my body responded in kind.
I pulled him to my lips, kissing him as both our bodies relaxed into languid puddles of flesh.
He rolled off me. “We should probably go to the chapel now.”
“I can’t move.” Every muscle quivered from pleasure. “I may never move again,” I said with a sigh and a smile.
“Well, here’s the thing. People are waiting for us.”
I lifted my head. “Who?”
He pressed his lips together in a smile of apology. “My father, the priest, the king’s guard. I think perhaps the town may have gotten word as well.”
“Of what?”
He reached for his pants and pulled them on before glancing at me. His cheeks bloomed red. “The wedding.”
I stared at him and blinked.
He picked up the dress that had been laid out for me. “You were supposed to be in this when I came in.” He bit his lip.
I slowly sat up, taking a closer look at the dress he held. It was fancier than what the enchantress left me to wear, and I hadn’t noted the intricate beading or the lace bodice, or the fact it was ivory.
“It was my mother’s, too.”
“You’re serious?” I jumped up and swiped the slip off the ground, throwing it on in haste. My heart hammered in my chest, and I stepped in front of the mirror. My cheeks had red splotches and my hair was a mess that I didn’t think a brush could fix.
Zach came up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. “Relax. You look beautiful.”
Of all the wedding fantasies that I’d dreamed up over the years, this wasn’t one of them, but just the look in his jovial eyes calmed me. I ran my hands through my hair and then the brush until I was satisfied that no more knots existed. When I turned, he was in his fine clothes and had the dress ready for me to step in. His fingers against my back sent tingles through me, already reviving that ceaseless hunger I had experienced earlier today. I glanced over my shoulder at him as he finished buttoning my dress. It fit almost as if it had been made for me.
He smiled glancing at me in the mirror. “Are you ready for this?”
I stared into his sincere gaze. “Yes.”
He grinned and held his arm out. Interlocking mine in his, we waltzed out of the bedchamber as if walking on the clouds themselves.
The End
Continue the Fractured Fairy Tales collection with Frozen.
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About J.E. Taylor
J.E. Taylor is a USA Today bestselling author, a publisher, an editor, a manuscript formatter, a mother, a wife, a business analyst, and a Supernatural fangirl, not necessarily in that order. She first sat down to seriously write in February of 2007 after her daughter asked:
“Mom, if you could do anything, what would you do?”
From that moment on, she hasn’t looked back.
In addition to being co-owner of Novel Concept Publishing (www.novelconceptpublishing.com), Ms. Taylor also moonlights as a Senior Edito
r of Allegory (www.allegoryezine.com), an online venue for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror.
She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children and during the summer months enjoys her weekends on the shore in southern Maine.
Visit her at www.jetaylor75.com and sign up for her newsletter for early previews of her upcoming books, release announcements, and special opportunities for free swag!
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You might also enjoy other Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy novels from J.E. Taylor’s backlist:
NIGHT HAWK TRILOGY
Damian Andreas is an ancient vampire tasked with keeping the archangel bloodlines safe. Blinded by his hatred for Lucifer, he snatches Naomi Hawk from the devil to claim her as his own. The moment his teeth sink into her neck, he realizes he has just broken his own vows.
When Naomi bites him back, his blood transform her into an immortal shadow, and puts Damian on a collision path with an angry archangel.
Single titles in this series:
NIGHT HAWK (Book 1)
TIGRESS (Book 2):
TRINITY RISING (Book 3):
THE RYAN CHRONICLES
Tom and CJ Ryan harbor the power of the Gods. Refusing to stand with Lucifer puts both of them, and everyone they love, on the devil’s hit list.
There are only so many ways you can break a man before his wrath changes the status quo. Rekindled by family, by love, by home and memories, the ruthless son of Ty Ryan steps into the shoes left under the family tree by his dad, and this time he’s out of mercy.
The series includes these single titles:
CJ’s Story:
ANGEL GRACE - Book 1
ANGEL HEART - Book 2
ANGEL WRATH – Book 3
Tom’s Story: