by Diane Nortje
“Prince, we have come for your aid.” Jacin says back to him.
“That must hurt, asking us Fae for help, after what has happened.” The second prince with green hair says to Jacin.
“Yes, we are here to discuss that and other things.”
“No.” The red headed prince says.
“No?” Jacin questions them.
“You cannot just walk in here, and demand aid, that is not how things work here.”
“You will aid us, one way or another, Prince.” Jacin warns them. “Or do you want a war on your hands.”
At this, both the princes smile at us. I watch as they take me in, slowly assessing me. A slow smile forms on their lips, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Jacin.
“She is off limits.” Jacin says out to the Princes, and I feel Jacin’s power start to wind its way through the crowds. It’s a warning. The crowd gathered by the thrones have come to a standstill, to watch the drama unfold.
“Its her or nothing Jacin.” The green haired prince announces.
Do they think I’m some sort of bartering cow, like I would even agree to some sort of trade?
“You don’t even know what I want, yet you have already made your demands.” Jacin says to the prince.
“Give her to us, and then we will listen to your demands.” The red headed prince pipes up, and it takes everything in me not to roll my eyes at them.
“No.” Jacin simply states.
“No? Well then we are done here, you may leave.” The Fae Princes dismiss us.
“No.” Jacin says again, man of many words yet again. “You have something I want, lets trade, either way, I’m not leaving without it.”
“Fine, your call is what we will want in exchange.” The green haired prince says to Jacin.
“My call? Not a fucking chance in hell.” Jacin growls back.
I’m not sure what this call is, but this just went from easy, slightly tense to all out tense in five seconds.
“Then leave, we are done here.” The red headed prince dismisses us and then turns to leave with the green headed one.
I have to do something, I’m not sure what is so important about this call, but we can’t leave without the prophecy, especially not all that I just went through to get the first part of it.
“Jacin, just give them what they want. We need them to cooperate.” I whisper to him.
“You don’t know what they are asking for. I cannot give it to the Fae. Hell will freeze over before I do that.”
“Then its freezing over because you need to give it to them.” I argue with Jacin.
“No.” He simply states and turns to leave.
I look back at the Fae princes that have walked off in the direction of their thrones, greenie over there looks back when I do and gives me a wink. Like that would ever happen.
But I know what I have to do now.
~ ~ ~
I stare up at the ceiling made of vines and leaves, I’m not sure where I am once again, and this is just really starting to get old. But the memories flood back to me like a ton of bricks falling onto me from above.
I look down and my body is fully clothed this time, thankfully. All I remember is that man making his way up my naked body and her taking over, and then complete and utter darkness. I reach inside me, I to reach out for her, but I feel her slumbering form in the back of my mind. Whatever she got up to, really did a number on her.
I try to make my now free body move and sit up. I really wish I never, as nausea comes charging through my system and I just manage to swallow it back down. God the taste is disgusting. I feel myself low on sugar, and I have the sudden cravings for sugar, really anything sugar that will give my body a sharp intake.
I slowly stand, on at least a carpeted ground, but on closer inspection it’s a carpet of moss, odd. I start to take in my surroundings. What looks like bark covers most of the walls, with every now and then a stray branch sprouting out of the wall. Little lights are woven into the vines that crisscross over the roof. Its earthy, its smells earthy, it smells of nature, pure, clean, unlike the city smog I’m so used to inhaling.
I relax, as I know where I am, who has me and I know I’m in no immediate danger.
“Ah you are finally awake.” I hear Elgan’s voice travel over the room.
I look back to the small sitting area the room seems to have, and I see Elgan and Valen sitting there.
“How long was I out for?” I ask them while slowly making my way to them.
“A good few hours after she retreated.” He replies to me.
“What- What happened.” I ask them, my voice breaking at knowing it can’t be good.
“You survived, that is all that matters.” Valens gruff voice answers me.
I nod, because I did survive, with her help, I did survive.
“The damage?” I ask after a bit, breaking the silence we are in, while I move to sit with them on the couches in the room.
“We will take the fall Natalie, no one will ever know, we give you our word.” Valen says to me, while grabbing my hand and slowly squeezing it.
“No, you can’t do that! That’s not right, it was me, I lost control.” I say to them, I want to jump up and protest, but I don’t, still way to low on sugar to do that.
“We put you in that situation, we will have already discussed it. It’s done.” Elgan replies.
“Then I will owe you one.” I say out to the both of them.
“Of that you can be certain.” Valen says to me. “Is there anything we can get you?” He continues to ask me while still holding my hand in his.
“Yes, there is something I really do need, I need sugar, lots of sugar.”
~ ~ ~
“Do you trust me?” I ask Jacin, stopping him in his tracks. I need to know that he does before I do this. This is what they want, I know it.
Jacin studies me. Most likely thinking this isn’t the time for a question like this. I watch as his eyes move over my face, he knows I’m up to something, something he won’t approve of. But this needs to be done.
I watch as he nods his head. “Yes” Jacin replies to me.
Good. I just nod my head in response to him. I look to where the two Fae Princes have now dismissed us and are walking back to their thrones. Pompous asses. Who sits in a room full of people on large ass chairs anyways?
“Try to remain calm.” I whisper to him and walk away before he can tell me otherwise. This is going to be by far the stupidest thing I’ve done this year.
I walk over to Tray and the other four men I was supposed to stay by if this didn’t go as planned. I just hope beyond hope that this works out or I’m just about to do something I can never take back.
“Tray, guys. I’m about to do something really stupid. Hold him back.” I murmur out to them.
The shocked look on their faces are priceless, like I really wish I could have had a camera on them.
“Then why are you going to do it?” Bus asks me. I’m sure they are getting used to me and my blatant disregard for Jacin’s orders.
“Acknowledgement.” I say to him and turn on my heels to go after the princes, and leave the protected circle is was supposed to stay in.
“Natalie what the fuck are you doing?” I hear Weyland shout at me.
I turn back to see, thankfully, the five have moved to Jacin’s side. Jacin on the other hand looks really angry that I have left the safe zone. All I could do now is mouth “I’m sorry” to him and hopefully one day forgives me for this.
“Hey! Hey, you pompous asses, don’t just walk away from me. I have a few questions for you!” I shout, my voice coming out steadier than I thought it would.
The Fae Princes stop. And turn on their heels. Their entire court has come to a standstill yet again. I have their attention.
“By the gods woman, stop!” Weyland shouts at me. I ignore him.
“I just wanted to know, do you guy’s shit glitter?” I call out to them.
“What the fuck, Natalie!” Jac
in shouts at me.
I pay no attention to him, I’m concentrating on the two men in front of me. A slow smile starts to develop on their faces. And I know I’m in for it now.
“You need to keep your little whore in line, Jacin.” The red headed prince tells Jacin, while never taking his eyes off of me.
“What the hell did you just call me, you little fairy fuck?” I bark out at the red headed prince.
“Are you doing this for shits and giggles Natalie! Fucking back down and get your ass back here!” Weyland shouts at me, I hear the strain in his voice. He thinks this is going to end badly, hell it just might.
“No, I’m waiting for this fairy over here to answer my question, do they shit glitter?”
That’s when I feel it. Fae magic. It sweeps around the room, Jacin and his men are thrown from where they were standing, and I feel the magic run over my body, it pinches my skin, then it caresses me, flowing from my feet up to my hair, which the magic blows all over.
The ground starts to tremble when Jacin is back on his feet. I might have just started war here. But they weren’t going to help us, they weren’t going to help me, they were just going to leave us. We need them, and they know it.
I take a deep breathe, and I watch the five men and Weyland trying to calm Jacin down. His eyes have glazed over once again. Shit I better hurry up with this. The Fae Prince look to Jacin, and notice he is losing it. They smile. Do they think I will save them? I hope it won’t come to that.
The floor starts to tremble once again, and vines start to sprout out of nowhere. Stones from the floor are flying around the room, barely missing me, leaves from the vines slowly float to the floor, breaking from their branches as the vines grow. I watch as the vines start to knit together, blocking Jacin from me. They are separating us.
“I would calm down if I were you Jacin, you are on the wrong side of the vines, and your whore is with us.” The green headed Fae Prince says to the men, as the last of the vines knit together.
I’m well and truly trapped. I look to Jacin, who has now charged the vines, they don’t even move, and with every hit they take, they just continue to heal, and knit back together.
“Natalie, get your ass back here.” Jacin shouts at me. I can’t. I need to acknowledge.
I turn my back on Jacin and take a deep breath in. The entire court is watching us, watching Jacin. The only people that seem calm are the Fae Princes.
“So, what’s your answer? I’m dying to know!” I say to the Fae Princes dryly.
“If you touch her, fuck the treaty. I will rip your heads from your bodies!” Jacin shouts at them. I can hear the men trying to get him to calm down. It’s not working.
“Fuck the treaty you say, for what? An Enchantress? She must be a good fuck.” The red headed Fae Prince says to Jacin. Making the situation worse than before.
“Hello? I’m still waiting for my answer.” I shout out, I need to get the attention off of Jacin and on to me again.
The Fae Princes turn their attention back on to me. Good. I need to keep it on me, which shouldn’t be too hard.
“So, you are what has his pants in a knot?” The red headed Fae Prince says to me.
“It would seem that way.” I say back to him dryly. I can’t let him see the fear that is licking at my brain. Maybe I have it all wrong, I misunderstood the gestures, and just insulted two Fae Princes in front of their entire court.
“Got a clever mouth on her, maybe we should teach her what we do with women with clever mouths.” The green headed Fae Prince says to me.
I watch them start to stalk towards me, I want to take a step back, but I know I can’t, they will see it, they will see it as my weakness. The two Fae Princes surround me, one comes up the front and the second comes up from behind.
The green headed Fae Prince grips my hair and pulls it back to him, pulling my body with it, making it come flush with his. The red headed Prince starts to drag a finger down my face. Watching my reaction to his touch. I want to pull away, I don’t.
“She is beautiful, isn’t she?” The red headed prince says to his companion.
“She is, which one of us will get the pleasure of breaking her in first.” The green headed prince replies.
“I’m sure she can take us both. She has a fighting spirit.”
And that’s when I see it, the smile I was waiting for, the acknowledgement. And I relax. They notice.
“Get your fucking hands off her.” I hear Jacin start shouting again. They pay him no attention. He doesn’t notice the change in our interaction. I bet all he sees is two men taking advantage of me.
The red headed Prince grips my face. And runs his free hand down my face, over my nose and across my mouth. I don’t react. Not like I do when Jacin has me like this. His thumb continues to trace my lips, and I watch the playful look he gives me. I’ve had just about enough now though. I acknowledged. They must fucking drop it now.
“She must be a good fuck, to have him so bug fuck crazy.” The green headed prince says.
“I bet she is.” The red headed Prince says. “I wonder what she tastes like?” He says to his companion.
The green headed prince runs his nose from my hair to my shoulders, making a real show of it. God men!
“Hhmm. I bet apple fucking pie.” He says out loud.
And I can’t.
I can’t keep in the laughter.
“Oh, fuck off Valen, when will you get over that. I was craving!” I laugh out to the green headed Fae Prince.
“Who the fuck eats three apple pies after a killing spree.” Valen laughs back at me. Releasing my hair from his hold.
“Seriously Nay, still to this day, we can’t believe it.” Elgan says to me.
“What I can’t believe is you two are Fae Princes, how did that never come up before?” I say to them both while pushing Elgan away from me.
“Why? Would you have fucked us then if you knew?” Elgan says to me with a wink.
“Not in a million years.” I say to them dryly.
“That’s a do able waiting period, I’m sure we will still be game then.”
“You two are dirty old men. Now release them.’’
“You are no fun Natalie.” Elgan whines out to me.
“I’m plenty of fun, I’m just not about to save your guys asses from him” I jester over to the vines that are barely holding Jacin in. He clearly hasn’t seen the change in conversation. He is too far gone to notice.
“His powers are slightly weakened here, and we are not as helpless as you seem to think.” Valen says to me dryly. “But to take on Jacin, is to sign your own death certificate.” Valen continues.
I watch with the flick of his hand, the vines start to retract, returning to the ground from where they came from.
Chapter Thirty
“He is my darkness.” - Natalie
~Natalie~
Before I can stop Valen from releasing the vines, Jacin has made his way through them and is charging towards the Fae Princes. Pure rage is what I would describe what Jacin is now. Before is eyes were glazed over red, but now they are completely black.
“Oh fuck” I murmur out. I know for sure he is about to kill them and the other six men that are with us don’t seem to be doing anything. They are just standing there, tongues wagging, like they know what is about to happen.
“Geez Jacin, stop.” I shout out, but it does nothing but stir Jacin on and he moves through the air like its nothing, one minute he is by his men, the next he is in front of me, with his hands around Elgan’s throat, strangling the life out of him and Valen is on the floor, nose bleeding, eyes bleeding, god everywhere on this man’s body is bleeding.
Cries of pain echo through the silent room that we are in, no one moves, no one makes a sound other than my two friends.
“Stop him, for fuck sakes Weyland, he is killing them.”
“Don’t Natalie, he is in a rage, nothing will survive it, stand back!” Weyland shouts at me.
“They ar
e my friends, I’ve known them for fucking years. Do something!”
“Why the fuck didn’t you say something before we came here.” Weyland snaps at me.
“I didn’t know they were the princes of fucking fae, and I tried too when I figured it out, you lot wouldn’t listen. Now fucking do something.”
Weyland shakes his head at me, the silent no echoing in the room. “Nothing will survive Natalie. The beast is in control now.”
“Well fuck this.” I snap out. And I take a running jump and land onto Jacin’s back, trying with all my power to get him off of Elgan. It does nothing, I’m not even sure he even knows I’m hanging onto his back for dear life, but I am.
“Jacin, Jacin!” I shout into his ear, but it doesn’t penetrate his rage. I shimmy more up his back if that is even possible, and dig my stilettos into his sides, but yet still nothing.
“Jacin!” I shout into his ear again but once more he doesn’t seem to even register. I look over to my friends, who seem like they are moments away from their deaths. I have to do something!
So, I do what any sane woman would in my position, I bare my teeth and latch onto his neck. Hard. Like I’ve pierced his skin with my blunt teeth hard. He faulters for a moment and gives away for some air to enter Elgan’s lungs.
“Jacin!” I shout at him once more, as my mouth, which is now covered in blood comes away from his neck.
I low penetrating growl comes from whatever the hell Jacin is. He drops Elgan to the floor, and I hear the loud intake of breath come from the floor. Valen has stopped shouting, but I look as the blood keeps pouring from his body.
“Jacin, stop! I’m okay.” I reassure him.
“Mine.” He growls back at me and scoops me up into his arms, squeezing me tight.
“Yes, I’m yours.” I say to him while leaning into him with blood covering my mouth.
It doesn’t seem to stop him though as his mouth slams against mine, his kiss is demanding, opening my mouth with his tongue, as it searches for my own tongue. I can’t help the little moan of satisfaction that comes from his claiming of my mouth, the show of dominance is pure erotic. God this man. Even in a state of anger, he claims me as his.