by Rachel Angel
“Don’t be silly. You won’t be dying here today. I won’t let you.” She smiled and leaned in to kiss him.
At first there was no response from him. He just lay there, receiving her lips over his. But as her energy slowly seeped into him, he kissed back, filling her mouth with his tongue and greedily tasting her.
“I never thought I’d get to touch you again,” he whispered. “I never thought I would kiss you.”
“You’ll have an eternity to kiss me,” Ally said with a smile.
She stood and pulled off his clothing. His pants were so loose on his skeletal body that there was no need to undo them. They simply slid off him.
But, although thin and frail, his cock showed clear signs of being healthy and ready.
Jasper grinned as he looked at his frail body, yet engorged cock. “I guess that’s the last part of a man to die.”
Ally laughed. “Well, let’s see if we can’t resuscitate you via that vibrant member.”
She pulled off her clothing and carefully straddled him. He felt so delicate and fragile under her slight weight. It seemed she would break him in two if she settled any degree of weight on him.
With cautious motions, she guided his hard cock to her moistened folds, and carefully settled over him, slowly bringing his hardness deep inside her. She rode him slowly, conscious of every motion and mindful of her weight on him.
But after only a few thrusts, he gained enough energy to take a hold of her, gripping her hips and pulling her hard against him with every thrust.
His skin filled out and blood coursed through his veins, bringing a bright and healthy glow to his cheeks. She rode him increasingly hard, leaning over him and letting her breasts dangle in his face.
He greedily reached out to them, sucking on one nipple then the other while his hands reached around her hips to grab her ass.
He was back to his old self, entirely strong, entirely healthy and forceful. With a quick motion, he grabbed her and tossed her onto her back and got on top of her, pushing his hard cock deep inside her and showing her with every powerful thrust that he was back. That he was alive. And that he loved her.
“You’re my everything,” he muttered as he pushed inside her. He slowed the pace, slowly pulling out until barely his cap was inside her, then he slowly pushed all the way back in.
The sensation was mesmerizing, and Ally reveled in every movement.
“I love you,” he said, pulling slowly out. “For all my life, I will always love you.” He pushed back in. “I want you by me forever.” He pulled back out.
He gasped, just as she felt that final wave of the oncoming orgasm. He pushed deep inside her with a forceful thrust and cried out his love for her.
They clung together for a long moment as their orgasms swept over them. Their heavy breathing filled the small room, and the heat of their combined bodies was almost too much to endure.
“That was amazing,” he said, wiping the sweat from his brow. “You’re so incredibly hot. I mean, like literally to the touch.”
“I guess that’s really what you do to me,” she said with a grin.
“By the way, that wasn’t just the sex talking back there,” Jasper said as he slid off her and lay on his side beside her. His hand trailed lazily over her breasts and down her belly. “I really do love you, Ally. These past hours, lying here, certain I was dying, I thought of you. Of course, there were moments when I thought of my mother and grandmother. I’m sure my death would sadden them greatly, but it was you I thought of the most. I worried about you. I wanted to see you one last time. Kiss you. You’re the only one, Ally. The only one for me. I love you so much.”
Smiling, she leaned into him to kiss him. His words touched her and she was filled with affection for him.
His eyes suddenly widened and a strange, fascinated smile curved his lips, and she knew. She was glowing again.
“I’m feeling particularly energized lately,” she said.
“You can say that again.”
He suddenly began to cough, so much that he had to get off the mattress and stand, but Ally wasn’t worried. She knew what was coming.
“Don’t worry,” Ally said when she noticed the fear in his eyes. “It’s all part of the process. Let it out. Cough it out. It’s the parasite dying inside you.”
He coughed and choked and coughed some more until he spit out the dying parasite. It spun awkwardly on the floor for a moment then burned up and crumbled to ashes.
Jasper, his eyes now completely bright and brilliant green, looked at Ally. “How did you know?”
What could she tell him? That she’d had the same experience with Razor and Flint? Did he really want to know?
But this brought to mind the next problem. How could she use her new powers to save all the townspeople who were now infected? While she loved her princes and loved making love to them, she had no intention of doing the same with every infected person in town.
“We have to get into town,” she said, dodging the question. “I need to see Kate as quickly as possible,” she went on, jumping off the mattress and hopping into her clothes. “I’ve gathered a bag full of leaves from a plant that grows in a special soil outside the Dark Forests. I also have bags of that soil.”
She suddenly realized she’d left her bags back at the canyon where she’d cured Flint.
Damn!
Chapter 6
With Jasper at her side, she returned to the canyon. “Right over there,” she said when she spotted the bags.
They flew down to where she’d cured Flint and retrieved the bags of leaves and soil.
“Wow! What are you going to do with all this?”
“Tons and tons of potion. Come on.” She grabbed two bags and flew off while Jasper took the others and followed her.
Nearing town, Ally spotted her house. “Let’s land back there,” she said, “behind Kate’s garden shed.”
He nodded and followed her down, landing gently beside her.
“I’ll take it from here,” Ally said. “I think they’ll need you back on the battlefront until we can bring more potion.”
“You’re the boss,” Jasper said with a grin. “I’ll see you later.” He set the heavy bags of soil against the shed wall, kissed her and flew off.
Ally watched him until he disappeared. There was an effervescence about him that had never been there before, a lightheartedness that was delightful. She smiled at the thought, then concentrated on the task at hand.
In the short time she’d been gone from The Borders, it seemed as if the town had completely changed.
The quaint little village that had always smelled of fresh bread, fragrant lavender and sweet apple pies now smelled of foul refuse and death. She no longer heard the enchanting songs of the birds, or the buzz of the bees, or the laughter of children playing in the park.
Instead, cries of anguish filled the air. Some from excruciating pain from a wound; others from the loss of a loved one. Watching a friend or family member lose themselves to these parasites was excruciating.
All the more reason to get to work on this potion.
She left the bags of soil behind the shed and brought a large bag of leaves into the house.
“Kate! I have it!” She called out. She headed to the bathroom where she found Kate.
“You couldn’t have timed it better. I’m completely out.”
Ally set the bag on the tiled floor. “These are leaves from the plant that grows in a special soil out by the Dark Forests.”
Kate opened the bag and pulled out a fistful of leaves. She brought the leaves to her nose and sniffed. “Smells almost sweet.”
“I tasted it. It’s not bad. And I think it’s more potent than the potion we had with the rose. I think we could either feed it directly to infected people or brew a tea.”
“Sounds interesting.” Kate tasted a leaf and nodded. “It does taste good. I’ll try it out on a few of our worse cases.”
“I also have a few bags of the dirt
these plants grow in. I put a bit in my mouth and sucked out the moisture and spit out the sandy grains. I felt great after, more powerful and completely energized.”
“I’ll brew a bit of tea, feed some leaves straight to some, and then see what I can do with that soil. With all these options, we should be able to find a solution to everything; the parasites, the monsters and the infected.”
“How long do you think it will…”
A resounding knock at the door cut their conversation short. Before Ally could make her way to the door, a massive brick of a man kicked the door open. At his side, he held up King Drago, who looked pale and weak.
Ally looked at Drago then at the massive man. “Who the hell are you?” she said, bringing her hand to the King’s sweaty brow.
“General Triton, little lady. I was told to bring the king to the infirmary. He must be quarantined.”
“Why?”
“He’s been bitten,” General Triton said. “Where is the infirmary?”
Damn, Ally thought. “No, bring him in here. Lay him down on the sofa.”
“Miss,” the general said, his tone edging toward condescension. “The king must be quarantined.”
“No. I’ll take care of him.”
“Miss, you don’t seem to understand. He is…”
“No,” she cut in. “You don’t understand. He can’t be put in quarantine. I’ll tend to him.”
“As a mere human, and a small, wee one at that, I doubt you understand the severity of the situation. The king is not a mere mortal as yourself. You clearly have no idea what is needed.”
Drago opened his eyes a brief moment and looked wearily at Ally. “Leave me in her care,” he said with difficulty.
The general, clearly miffed, hesitated.
“I said, leave me,” Drago said with more intensity.
Ally took a step closer and took a hold of the king. “I’ll take him.”
General Triton finally let go, bowed to the king and turned on his heel, leaving without a word to Ally.
“Don’t worry about him,” Drago said softly. “He has trouble with authoritative women.”
Ally smiled, then looked at Kate who seemed concerned.
“Not that I mind him staying here,” Kate said. “But maybe he’d be more comfortable at the inn.”
Ally looked around the small house and the assortment of things lying around. Pots and pans, dishes, and several sets of measuring cups.
“I’ve had to use a variety of techniques to perfect the potion. I cooked it, boiled it, simmered it.” Kate shrugged. “Between the kitchen and the bathroom, I’ve made such a mess, haven’t I? And I just haven’t had the time to wash all that mess up.”
Ally smiled. “Don’t worry about it.” She looked at Drago. “Think you can make it to the inn? It’s just around the corner.”
“With you holding me, I can go anywhere,” he said with a silly grin. Already, just from his contact with Ally, he seemed to be feeling better.
Kate held the door open for them as they walked out.
“I’ll be back for the potion soon,” Ally told her.
“I should have a good amount ready by then.”
Ally nodded then helped Drago to the inn which had been transformed into the military headquarters. But as she entered, she realized it’d been transformed once again. A surprising number of people were lying on small, narrow cots that were lined up on one side of the room; some were bleeding, others were breathing hard and others just lay there pale and quiet.
She guided Drago to the bar. “Mr. Rivers, I need a room on the ground floor,” Ally told the inn keeper.
The older man shook his head. “I have no rooms left. Some of the more seriously injured are in them.”
“I understand this is a difficult situation, but…” She gestured to Drago. “This is King Drago of the Dark Forests. Could you please find a way to accommodate us? I’ll do everything I can afterward to help you tend to the sick.”
Mr. Rivers looked at her and glanced at a door nearby. “I guess I could clear out that room. It’s Mr. Thornton. I guess I can put him in a cot out here.”
“I’d be so grateful.”
Looking grim, Mr. Rivers nodded, tapped the top of the counter nervously, then held up one finger, indicating she wait. He went to the door he’d pointed to and spoke softly to Mrs. Thornton.
Ally could hear her protest while Mr. Rivers continued to gently make his point. Eventually Mr. Rivers came out with Mr. Thornton in his arms and Mrs. Thornton following behind, casting an unhappy glare at Ally and Drago.
The second they were out of the room, Ally immediately brought Drago inside and closed the door behind them.
“Have you seen Tar?” Drago said as Ally set him down on the bed. He was sweating profusely, but alert.
“Not since he went out to send word to you that we needed help.”
“I don’t like it. Something has happened to him.”
Ally sucked her cheeks in with irritation. “What do you care? You almost killed him yourself. You should be happy to be rid of him. I mean, really, you exiled your own brother.”
He shook his head. “It’s not what you think.”
“Yeah. It never is, is it?” She looked down at him, unable to hide her anger.
“What did Tar tell you about our relationship exactly?”
“Honestly? He basically told me what a bastard you are. He told me you kicked him out of your kingdom… his kingdom, the minute you became king. I saw him at Wyvern, how hurt he was by what you’d done. Not only did you kick him out, but you completely ignored him, turned your back on him. You couldn’t even be bothered to come watch him at the competitions. What kind of brother does that to his own flesh and blood? What kind of person does that?”
Drago was silent a long moment and seemed oddly hurt by her words.
“I don’t understand why you’re so surprised by what I’ve said,” she said. “Did you really think your actions had no effect on Tar? That he just went about his life as if nothing had ever happened? How cruel and heartless can you be?”
“There’s much you don’t know,” Drago said softly.
While Ally was surprised by his gentle tone, and his sudden show of concern for Tar, she remained doubtful of his intentions. She hadn’t trusted him when she’d first met him, and she didn’t trust him now.
“Did he tell you how old I was when our parents died?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t really remember.”
“I was fifteen.” He let that sink in. “Did he tell you of the circumstances surrounding our parents’ death?”
Again, she shrugged, intrigued, but aloof. “I don’t think so.”
“Our parents had gone out to a festive affair with other royals. It was to be a lavish night of food, wine, music and dance. Tar and I had stayed home with our nanny. They’d promised to come home before we went to bed, but they didn’t. Gretchen, our nanny, told us not to worry and to get to bed. She’d already allowed us an hour past our bedtime.”
Ally waited as he paused, seemingly pained by the memory.
“We went to bed, but we couldn’t sleep. Something felt wrong. We both knew it. About an hour later, we heard a raucous downstairs; a bit of shouting, a shove, a fall. Tar ran out of the room to see what was going on. I yelled at him to come back, to stay in the room, but he ran out so quick…”
He stopped again and stared straight ahead.
“I ran out after him to see what was happening but was thrown to the ground and hit over the head before I could even make it to the head of the stairs. In the distance I could hear Tar screaming, then crying… then silence. I think it was the most deafening silence I’d ever heard. And then I blacked out.”
Ally suddenly felt so sorry for the young king who’d gone through so much. She sat on the edge of the bed and absentmindedly set her hand over his.
“When I woke up, Gretchen, who’d been hurt during the melee, told me about my parents. They’d both gotten
sick at the royal dinner they’d gone to. No one knew what had happened to them or why. They’d left the affair early, and no one knew where they’d gone.”
“And Tar?” Ally said.
“Gretchen said three men had stormed the house, busting through the door and pushing her down the stairs to the basement. She sat on one of the top steps of the basement stairs and looked at what was going on by way of the crack under the door. She saw Tar run downstairs to the main hall. He’d run right into them, these intruders, and they’d quickly bagged him and dragged him outside. One of the men had come upstairs to keep me quiet, or kill me… I don’t really know what his intention had been.”
“What did they do to him?”
He let out a bitter snort. “What didn’t they do to him? The following morning, I got word that I should send a pouch of gold coins to a small cabin outside the Dark Forests.” His brow creased in anger as he looked at Ally. “I was fifteen. I didn’t know anything about gold coins. I had no idea where my parents’ wealth was. And I had no way of contacting these men who held my brother. So, I tried to go out to that small cabin to figure something out, to ask them to give me time to gather up what they wanted, but when I arrived at the cabin, there was nothing…. No one. I tried again the next day, and this time there was a note on the table; a note written with Tar’s blood.”
Shocked, Ally gasped. She looked into the king’s eyes, and saw the unshed tears, saw the pain that still haunted him as he thought back to those moments so many years earlier.
“The note said to bring the gold, or Tar would continue to lose blood.”
Ally put her hand over her mouth, horrified by the story.
“I contacted my father’s assistant, my mother’s accountant, my parents’ lawyers. It seemed no one could help me get the gold the kidnappers wanted. Day after day, I returned to that cabin, read the notes, and learned of the awful treatment Tar had received. Day after day, I urged them to take me instead. To leave my little brother alone.”