“Where’s-” I began.
“We agreed that she won’t see you yet,” Erik reminded me firmly. “She’ll meet Julius back at the house and test out her resistance as we agreed. If she can control herself then we’ll figure out the rest after that.”
I sighed as I nodded in acceptance. If Montana was even half the person she always had been then I didn’t think for one second that she would hurt me but it seemed I was alone in that belief.
A few meters separated us from the truck and I could feel Magnar and Julius standing right behind me as I eyed the seats beside Erik warily.
“You’re going to have to ride in the back,” he said before any of us made a move closer. “No offence but you don’t look like us and I can’t risk anyone seeing mortals in the city at the moment.”
“That’s not offensive,” Julius replied. “It would be offensive if you thought we did look like you.”
Erik pursed his lips but didn’t bite back. “As Fabian’s wife you can have more freedom,” he said to me instead. “After you’re cleaned up that is.”
“Don’t call me that,” I snarled. “And don’t presume to tell us how much freedom we have.”
“You’re a countess of the New Empire,” he reminded me. “I’m sure there are a lot worse things that you could be.”
“You’re right,” I replied scathingly. “I could be pregnant with a demon too.”
Magnar and Julius chuckled and I walked away from Erik before he could reply, climbing up into the back of the van. The space inside was cold and empty but at least it was dry. I took a seat, leaning against one of the walls and Magnar dropped down beside me. He pulled Venom from his back and rested the point on the floor between his legs as he kept hold of the hilt.
Julius took a seat opposite us and laid Menace over his lap before pulling the door shut and covering us in darkness.
“I must be fucking insane,” Erik muttered from the cab before starting up the engine. “This is like letting the Trojan horse in.”
The truck started moving and I felt Magnar tense beside me. It wasn’t like I had a whole lot of experience with these kinds of vehicles either but it was easy to forget that everything like this was completely alien to him. I placed a hand on his thigh and he relaxed slightly as I leaned against him. I didn’t say anything about it though, knowing Erik could hear us.
We stayed silent throughout our journey but I could feel Fury growing hotter and hotter at my hip as we were surrounded by the vampires once more.
I grew tense, wondering if we’d just done something insanely stupid. We were trusting a Belvedere with our lives; he could just as easily deliver us to our execution as he could to my sister. But Montana trusted him. And I trusted her, so I had to stick to this plan no matter how uncomfortable it made me.
After a while, Fury began to cool a little and the sounds of the city were left behind. Erik drove quickly, taking hairpin turns left and right which almost sent me flying more than once. I was pretty sure it was intentional so I refused to make any sound in protest.
We finally rolled to a stop and we got to our feet as we heard Erik exiting the cab.
“There’s no handle on the inside,” Julius muttered and a prickle of uncertainty ran through me again.
Magnar stepped forward and kicked the doors so hard that they flew open and the one his boot had hit was left with a huge dent in it.
Erik’s mouth fell open in surprise as we stepped out. “I was about to open that for you,” he said incredulously.
“If you like your doors in one piece, then I’d suggest not locking us in again,” Julius replied with a smirk.
Erik shook his head and pointed towards a cottage which stood a little way back from the driveway. “After you,” he said tensely.
“Afraid to turn your back on us, Parasite?” Magnar asked with a dark laugh as he placed an arm around my shoulders and started guiding me towards the house. He kept Venom in his other hand and I was pretty sure he didn’t want to present his back to Erik either but he didn’t look around as he set a quick pace towards the cottage.
We stepped into the house and I stared about at the open space in wonder. Everything was so clean; there was a long white couch which curved before a huge window which gave a view over the rolling hills. To the right, the space opened up into a sleek kitchen with cream cabinets and a heavy oak dining table divided the two areas.
“I stocked the fridge. There are clean clothes and hot water that way,” Erik said, pointing to a wide corridor which led out of the living area before turning his eyes to Julius. “We can get going as soon as you’re changed.”
“Already trying to get me out of my pants huh?” Julius joked as he strolled away from us to wash up, removing his belt as he walked. “You know I’m really not that kind of girl.”
My stomach growled as I eyed the refrigerator but I felt uncomfortable approaching it with Erik standing there watching us.
“You shouldn’t leave the cottage while I’m gone. It’d be better for all of us if you’re not seen.”
“Fine,” I agreed. We didn’t have anywhere else to go anyway. “Anything else we should know?”
Erik hesitated for a moment before answering. “Fabian’s still keen to see you; he knows you’re here but he promised to stay away for now. I don’t know how long he’ll be able to resist the urge to come looking for you though.”
“Just remind him why I ripped his head off then,” I replied darkly. “And that I’ll happily do it again if he ever so much as looks at the man I love with a squinty eye, let alone trying to hurt him again.”
Erik’s eyes slid from me to Magnar whose arm was firmly around my shoulders. He was about three times my size and still held Venom in his grasp. I was sure that my promise to protect him sounded foolish but I didn’t care. If Fabian came for me again I’d plunge Fury through his heart without a second thought. My mother’s ring protected me from my bond to him so there would be nothing to stop me now.
Tension coiled around us as Magnar and Erik stared at each other. I wondered if they’d ever really seen each other like this, standing so close while neither of them made a move to attack the other.
They couldn’t have looked more different; Erik was dressed in a crisp shirt and jeans, his hair styled and skin so clean it practically shone. Magnar stood shirtless, sword in hand and the filth of their battle still coating his skin. He looked wild, like some untameable beast.
I cleared my throat as the silence thickened and moved between them, breaking their gaze. “We should eat,” I said, forcing Magnar to look at me.
He nodded but didn’t move so I caught his hand and towed him after me to the kitchen.
“Montana told me you couldn’t be together because of the novice link. Is the ring blocking that too?” Erik asked. It was a pretty odd subject to use for small talk but I grabbed onto it in an effort to end this awful silence.
“It did but I broke my bond to Magnar so that I could stop the two of you from destroying each other. So that’s gone now, ring or not.” I opened the refrigerator and my mouth fell open as I spotted all of the food inside it. It was more than we would have been given in a month in the Realm.
“Callie is a full slayer now,” Magnar added darkly. “More than capable of destroying your kind.”
I grabbed an apple and passed it to him, hoping to shut him up with food. None of us needed reminding of what we were; the air was alive with it already. Magnar eyed the fruit but didn’t take a bite.
“I assure you, if I wanted you dead I wouldn’t go to this much effort just to poison you,” Erik said, noticing his hesitation. “That would seem to be more your style.”
Magnar smirked and took a huge bite from the apple. “I’d hazard a guess that the one Idun gave us for your wedding didn’t taste so sweet.”
“How about we just don’t mention the many ways we’ve all tried to kill each other?” I suggested.
“I think you made a mistake with these clothes,” Juli
us said loudly as he re-entered the room. His hair was wet and his skin was clean. He was wearing a pair of jeans but the shirt he’d pulled on with it was stretched to breaking point across his huge chest and rode up several inches to reveal his stomach. “I think you got us your puny size by accident.” He grinned at Erik tauntingly and the vampire rolled his eyes in response.
He shot out of the room in a blur of motion and returned just as quickly with another shirt in hand.
“You’re wearing a woman’s shirt,” he said, tossing the new one to Julius. “But feel free to keep it on if you like it.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as Julius ripped the old shirt off of him and switched it out for the one Erik had retrieved.
“Well women didn’t wear such things in our day,” Julius replied with a shrug. “Everything is a lot more confusing now.”
Erik almost looked like he was going to smile too and my heart squeezed with hope. We were all standing in the same place and no one had tried to kill each other yet. Perhaps we would be able to find a way to work on solving the prophecy together after all.
“Shall we go then?” Erik asked impatiently and the moment dissolved as if it had never existed.
“One second.” Julius crossed the space between us and started rummaging in the refrigerator. He filled his arms with a loaf of bread, a block of cheese and a mound of fruit before taking a carton of milk too. He kicked open several cupboards and smiled triumphantly as he found a bag which he filled with his meal. He tossed several packets of chips on top for good measure until the bag looked like it might burst. He started eating it as he headed for the exit and I could tell Erik was more than a little disgusted by his lack of manners.
“What are we waiting for?” Julius asked around a mouthful of food and Erik moved to open the door for him.
“I want to give her plenty of time to make sure she can control herself,” Erik said, looking back at me one last time, his eyes filled with concern. “If it all goes well we’ll come back in a few hours.”
I sighed, wishing he wasn’t forcing us to go through this nonsense but if that was what it took then I’d just have to bite my tongue. A few hours I could cope with. I just wanted to see my sister again.
“Fine. Two hours,” I reiterated, glancing at a large clock on the far wall. That would be midday.
Erik nodded and Julius stepped past him before he shut the door, leaving us alone.
My gut churned with worry but I forced it aside. Whatever differences there were to my sister now, I knew deep down she’d still be the same. Nothing else mattered.
I grabbed a hunk of bread and some butter and quickly started filling my stomach. Magnar followed my lead, placing his swords down on the table and we silently devoured as much of the food as we wanted until the ache in my belly was fully satisfied.
I glanced around at the opulent living space uncomfortably. It was at least five times the size of our entire apartment back in the Realm and it didn’t even seem like anyone lived here.
“We should get cleaned up,” I suggested as Magnar finished eating too.
“I’d sooner find a river than use whatever infernal devices reside in this house,” he replied.
“Well I didn’t see a river anywhere and we can’t go wandering about outside,” I replied, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Then I can just-”
“Come on.” I snatched his hand and tugged him after me through the house. He resisted a little but I kept pulling so that he had no choice but to follow me.
The corridor opened up and several doors led off of it. I opened the closest one and found a huge bedroom decorated in grey tones. On the other side of the room another door stood open and I spotted a bathroom beyond it.
I dragged Magnar after me as he frowned at the lavish surroundings and didn’t release him until we were within the large space. White tiles lined the walls and a huge shower stood at the back of the room. I approached it and spun the dial to start the water running.
Magnar scowled at it suspiciously and I reached out to let the flow run over my fingers. It was deliciously warm and I grinned at the prospect of washing the dirt and blood from my skin at last.
“I don’t like it,” Magnar grumbled behind me and I turned to look at him with a frown.
“I know you’re not a fan of modern technology, but you’re going to have to suck it up.”
He folded his arms and I could tell he was going to refuse.
“Fine,” I said before he could. “I guess I’ll just have to shower alone if you won’t join me.”
His gaze brightened as he caught on to what I was implying but he didn’t move. I held his eye as I hooked my fingers around the straps of my ruined dress and slowly slid it from my shoulders.
His gaze slipped to the material as I pushed it lower and I bit my lip as I noted his desire. The moment hung between us as I held the dress in place and heat raced through my body.
I released my hold on the dress and it fell to my feet, leaving me naked before him. His face lit with a wicked smile and knots formed in my stomach as I backed up, forcing him to follow me.
He stalked closer as the water cascaded over my body and he released a groan filled with lust.
“You don’t play fair,” he muttered as he paused just outside the shower and I tilted my head back so that the water raced across my skin, his eyes tracking the movement.
“Come and get me if you want me,” I teased, smiling at him as I watched his resolve shatter.
“You’re going to regret taunting me,” he promised darkly and my heart leapt with excitement.
“I doubt it,” I breathed.
He unbuckled his belt and I bit my lip in anticipation as he started to undress. I turned my back on him as I rubbed shampoo through my hair and scrubbed the blood from my skin.
My heart pounded as I heard him kicking his boots off and I could sense him moving closer. Anticipation clawed at me and I chewed on my lip to stop myself from turning back to him, waiting for the promised feeling of his flesh against mine.
His hands landed on my waist and I sighed in pleasure as he moved beneath the shower too. I arched my back as he pressed himself against me and the hard plain of his muscles pushed into my spine.
He slid his hands lower and I sucked in a breath as he moved his knee between my legs, nudging them apart.
He dipped his mouth to my neck as his hands started to move against me and I reached over my shoulder, holding him in place as I gripped his hair in my fist.
I released a moan of longing as he continued to toy with me, building a pressure in my body which ached to be set free.
My breathing started to escalate as my skin tingled beneath his touch. I was a slave to the motion of his hands, every inch of my flesh longing for a moment of his attention.
His mouth moved back and forth along my neck, his teeth grazing my skin in the most delicious way.
I turned my head towards him, catching his mouth so that I could feel the heat of his lips as his tongue danced against mine. My heart pounded life through my veins, waking every desperate part of my soul and binding it to his. One of his hands travelled up my body, caressing my breast as he drew me closer to the edge.
I turned sharply, dislodging his hold on me as I wound my arms around his neck, wanting to see him. I lost myself in the heat which burned in his eyes, dragging him closer so that I could kiss him again, my nails digging into his flesh.
He released a deep laugh which resounded all the way through my body, right down to my bones.
The water cascaded over us endlessly as I dragged my hands down his chest, feeling the curves of his muscles beneath my palms. I wanted every piece of him to be mine. Every wound, each tattoo, the scars which stood out across his perfect body, all of it.
I skimmed my fingernail along a tattoo which crossed his collarbone, biting my lip as I felt him shudder beneath my touch. I moved my mouth to it next, running my lips along the ink on his skin as his hands travelled down my
spine.
I shifted my attention to his arm, raising his hand in mine as I kissed four scars which marked his bicep like the marks of some beast’s claws.
I held his gaze as the warm water ran over my lashes and my mouth claimed a star which was tattooed on his forearm.
Magnar groaned, twisting his arm in my grip and catching my neck so that he could drag me into a world altering kiss.
I pressed my body against his, the water making our skin slide against each other in a way which made my heart race. I wanted to feel more of that, all of it.
His other arm tangled around me, increasing the pressure of my flesh against his and I knew he was about to give in to his desire and take me.
I bit his lip hard enough to make him pull back and his eyes lit with mischief as he looked down at me in surprise. I used my gifted muscles to shove him back against the tiles before he could have me.
“Not yet,” I breathed with a smile and he groaned as I inched back, enjoying having this power over him.
I wasn’t done exploring his body and I was going to make him wait while I did it. And if that drove him crazy with desire, so be it.
I caught his chin in my hand, pushing it up to that I could kiss the bruised skin on his neck where Erik had bitten him. He sucked in a breath at the mixture of pain and pleasure and I trailed my hand down his chest as I moved my mouth to his side.
I kissed the ribs that Fabian had broken, awe filling me at the perfection I found where the wound should have been. Idun had healed his injuries as if they’d never existed at all. I could almost forgive her cruel ways in light of that one miracle which had saved this man who I loved so dearly.
Magnar’s hand moved to grip my hair as I shifted my attention ever lower, seeking out every mark on his skin.
I trailed kisses over each of them, branding them as my own.
His muscles tensed beneath my attention and I smiled as I turned the table on him, playing with him as he so enjoyed to do to me. The more I could feel his desire rising, the closer I came to breaking. My body yearned for him in a way that made me feel like I would never be able to get enough.
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