by K. Lyn Hill
"What if I earn my own money to buy new clothes? Maybe I can take up juggling in the city square." She hoped the joke would loosen him up a bit. It didn't work.
"Well, you already insisted on parading around the city half nude. You would fit right in with the traveling miscreants." Well wasn't he just a clever little thing. Not to mention insulting. She had seen the dancers in the square, they were extremely limber and talented. She possessed no money they could steal so she grew a fondness for them.
Trying another tactic, she could tell Elias’ patience was waning, which wasn't hard to accomplish. The man acted like a wild boar. Actually, a boar would probably have better manners. "Can I fix it?" She would do anything for scissors and thread at this point. She wasn't a picky girl but come on. She had her standards and this dress just wasn't cutting it.
"No."
She groaned and remembered his hat the first time she had seen him. This was a billion times worse than that. She tried to think of her next argument, but it was too late. Elias was out the door. But just before he left, she heard him call out, "Aerity?”
She thanked her lucky stars that there couldn't possibly be anything that he could say that could make this any worse. "Yeah?"
"Don't forget the hat that goes with it. If you don't wear it, I might force you to wear the outfit again. The Prince demands it."
Shoot me in the face. It was only then that she noticed the debased thing sitting at the base of the dress on the ground. Afraid to touch it, she gently nudged it with her foot hoping it didn’t lunge out and bite her. Well she was certainly wrong; it could definitely get worse.
She was thoroughly convinced this was her punishment for all the wrong she ever did in her life, but she was determined to wear it with a smile regardless.
The sun was sweltering in her bloody bird costume making her feel like a turkey on thanksgiving baking from the inside out. The hat at least offered protection from the sun, but the feathers kept blowing back in her face and tickling her nose. It was like one of those pranks with the feather and the whipped cream. She kept anticipating someone to jump out and shove a pie in her face. Come to think of it, pie would be delicious. Hmmmm…She was momentarily distracted by thoughts of food when she saw the evil demon himself across the yard. Holding her head up high, she made sure to strut past Elias first, who barely contained himself from spitting out the drink he had consumed prior to seeing her. This was ridiculous. She was getting ready to rip it off her head when she heard laughter. Turning her head to the side she peeked at Siel who was walking toward her with amusement dancing in his eyes. As he got closer, she growled and bit out through clenched teeth, "Don't. Say. A. Word."
"But my dear, I can't help it that you outshine all the birds of heaven." He hid his smile behind a kiss on her hand. She all but yanked her hand back glaring at him from under the brim of her hat.
"I see you let Damien pick out your clothes again? This is cruel. Even for him."
Her breathing became harsh. "Did Damien really pick this stuff out?"
Siel crossed his arms over his chest still sporting a huge smile. "Who else would think this in style?" He tugged on one of the oversized sleeves and feathers fluttered in the space between them.
"Elias." She mumbled but he must have heard her.
"Well they are the best of acquaintances. I wouldn't doubt if they thought this up together."
"As a means to torment me, I’m sure."
He shrugged. "Most likely."
She tugged on his arm while simultaneously throwing on her puppy dog pout. It had worked on him before. Maybe it would again. "Is there nothing you can do to get me better clothes?"
"Stop using that look on me."
Knowing she just needed to seal the deal she sighed as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulder.
"Damien would not appreciate me interfering."
All she heard was Blah blah blah. "Please." She begged and saw the exact moment he began to cave.
"I’ll see what I can do but for now I must join the others on the hunt."
A genuine smile lit her face but then faded just as quickly at the thought of him leaving her with these women. "You’re really going to leave me with them?!" She hissed. "These women are vultures! And that was no pun intended mentioning birds." She shot him a look and a laugh burst from his lips.
"I think you are quite capable of handling a couple of gossiping girls."
Glancing down at her dress, then back to him, she flashed him her best ‘yeah right’ face. He struggled with his smile as he coughed and began slowly moving back a step. That’s when she heard the court woman snickering behind her.
Keeping her expression tight, she turned to face them with a wide grin on her face. "Do you like my hat? It's from a real bird. It's all the rage in Paris." Did they have Paris here? Their looks of confusion answered that question. She ignored it. "I had to pluck the chicken myself. It was quite an ordeal, but we can all see who won." She winked before turning her back on their snide insults.
"Your mouth is going to get you in trouble one of these days and I'm not talking about the fun kind." Siel whispered, shaking his head.
What sick twisted turn of fate landed her here? Like she had accidentally interrupted destiny taking a dump and somehow had gotten flushed into all this crap. She always thought of herself as a good person. Now she simply wondered if her few slip ups in life did her in. Well, no use crying over spilt milk now. She was here whether she liked it or not so she better get used to the idea of staying.
Not liking the idea of never seeing her friends and family again, she pushed it down and stuck her chin up higher in the air. Siel must have taken her expression for something else because he leaned in. "They are all the same person in different bodies. They are jealous of you because you stand out. You shine. Don't let their catty words effect you." He was so sincere; she didn't have the heart to tell him she didn't give a crap about those girls or what they thought of her. They could keep shoving the stick further up their butts for all she cared. But not seeing her dad, that she cared about.
Shaking herself free from all the memories that flickered through her mind, she looked at the here and now. To the man beside her who watched her with an expression that could spin straw into gold. Bright eyes that could help you find your way home in the dead of night. He began to head towards the other men while she her mind fixated on the fact that this was her home now. She silently begged to be able to follow him through the darkness, but that was a prayer going unheard. Her life wasn't hers to live anymore and he couldn't be her light.
She was to marry his brother. The beast of Ceranthium. The man with the short temper, who viewed her as nothing more than a vessel to implant his child...she wasn't surprised when silent fear began weaseling into her brain, finally sinking in. Because she had a feeling deep in her bones, that no matter how hard she searched and fought and scratched for the way home, that she would forever be lost in the dark.
Chapter Eighteen
Damien
He approached as Aerity stood beneath the only tree in the courtyard attempting to fan herself with gloved hands. Damien, the gentleman he was, tried very long and hard not to laugh at the ridiculous outfit Elias put her in. It had offered him amusement all week at seeing the clothes his friend had given her to wear. Part of him secretly hoped his men would find her less attractive dressed like this. How wrong he was. He still caught their wandering stares as she walked by. At one point he could have even imagined a few of them drooling in her presence. Today, however, was so over the top that he would have a talk with Elias later. Her clothing should have arrived already, leading him to wonder what was taking so long. Elias was a good friend but held a grudge worse than anyone else he had ever met. If he didn't put a stop to this, there was no telling what she would be wearing next.
Aerity stood with her head held high like any noble woman but the narrowing of her eyes as he grew closer wasn’t promising. She had to have been burning up
in those clothes. The layers looked suffocating and the feathers didn’t seem comfortable. It was little wonder her face held so much animosity.
“Thank you for coming." He said, trying to smooth over her agitation. It didn’t work.
"Well I didn't have much choice now did I? But then again, I needed a wonderful occasion to wear this equally wonderful dress." Sarcasm poured out of her mouth like it was an oozing wound.
Damien almost cringed at her tone. Instead he allowed his mouth to tip up in a victorious smirk. Her answering growl only made his smile grow. "You do look quite beautiful in it." He ignored the way his body ached to touch her. The memory of how her body felt against his sprung to mind as he took in her lush curves. The dress truly was hideous but it did nothing to diminish her beauty. Then again, not much could.
"Yes, all the courtiers thought so too. In fact, while you were out playing with your little stick, they made sure to let me know just how insufficient they found me.”
He pretended not to catch her little dig about his stick and kept up the cocky facade. It did well to infuriate her and he loved when she was infuriated. The courtiers were vicious, he knew that firsthand. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind about leaving her alone with them but it did now. He mentally hissed. His eyes skimmed over her to assess the damage. The women probably ate her alive. Part of him felt bad but then the other half convinced him that she deserved it. She ran, she brought this upon herself but that wasn't true either. The court would have treated her the same regardless, but this would only increase their hostility.
"They were probably jealous of you." He tried to cool her temper.
A true smile spread on her face. "You know what's funny? Siel said the same thing. Although when he said it, the words weren't filled with the same contempt and bitterness as yours." Well that was a low blow meant to maim. The image of her and Siel together flashed through his mind, causing his fists to clench. Oh, but she wasn’t done yet. "Nor did he make false compliments in order to hide his own blunder.” She took a step and he assumed it was meant as an intimidation tactic. Too bad the only effect it had was making him want to slam his mouth against hers and hear her moan his name.
Her eyes flared, cheeks flamed, and skin glistened. The gold specks in her eyes began to glow. “Damien, don't you think that for a girl you accuse of running away, making my life more difficult than it needs to be is a step in the wrong direction?"
He wondered if the question was rhetorical, but she stared at him expectantly, so he assumed it wasn't. Deciding he would love to see her riled up again, he answered with what he knew would set her off. "I didn't know I was making your life so horrible here. In what ways are you referring to?" He knew he had hit his mark when a sardonic smirk filled her face. Heated over her comparison of him and Siel, his frustration was beginning to leak. She grabbed her skirt in her hand and shoved it forward as if offering it up for show and tell.
"Really?!" Her voice raised higher than it was a minute ago.
"You mean the dress? I told you that you looked beautiful." Lie.
Her face was already flushed from the heat but it grew a shade darker. "Are you always this fake? Or are you genuinely delusional?!"
Probably a little bit of both but he wasn't going to tell her that. She huffed and went to turn her back on him but he grabbed her arm before she could complete her spin.
Yanking her arm back as if he had burned her, she hissed, "Do not touch me!"
People around them had started gathering in a circle, their rapt attention on them. It was time to end this little party before matters were made worse.
"Aerity, we are in public." He harshly whispered to her under his breath, hoping she would take the hint and look around.
"Oh, so that gives you the right to treat me like crap? Is that the criteria? You can do whatever you want to in public? Are you afraid of what the court will gossip about Damien? Is that it? You didn't seem too concerned about what they would spread around about your future wife when you shoved me in this dress!" He hadn't even seen her dress before he left but he most certainly would have found it amusing and not stopped to think of her in his absence. "Nor seem to care that I have lost every ounce of sweat in my body with your need to get even with me for something I didn't even do! Would that have made you feel better? If I had heat stroke and passed out? Would that help your fragile bruised ego?"
She was purposefully causing a scene. He had to put a stop to it. The thought of her passing out caused a surge of protectiveness. No, he didn’t like that thought at all. It passed as soon as he saw her arms dramatically flailing in the air. Running through all the ideas in his head that would end in her silence, he got an evil thought that seemed to trump all other options. Taking a step towards her, she inadvertently shifted backwards. The more he stalked, the closer her back crept to the sturdy tree trunk. She eyed him cautiously just as she took the remaining step back, her body sandwiched between him and the tree.
“Careful Damien. Remember the last time you cornered me.” Her voice held much less venom than it had earlier. He could practically hear her heart beating with how close he stood to her. Leaning in so slightly, he couldn’t help but notice how the pulse in her neck skipped at his nearness.
“Yes, but I don’t have any knives for you to steal today and I hardly doubt that you can move as swiftly wrapped in that giant bird costume.”
She sucked in a deep breath getting ready to explode again. Before she could pull out her fangs, however, he slammed his mouth against hers. Gasps echoed around the crowd but all he could focus on was the feel of her mouth against his. She released a yelp of surprise, tense at the immediate contact but then her body slowly melted against his earning his own moan.
Yanking her closer, like he had dreamed about since the hallway, he deepened the kiss. Her mouth was frozen at first but then picked up the memo, moving against his with the same urgency he felt. That of one struggling for air while drowning under water. Her chest rose and fell against his as she gripped his shoulders. Almost, like she was holding herself up from falling.
The need for oxygen forced them apart.
They stood motionless staring at each other. After a moment she regained her senses, slipped her hands to his chest and shoved him away with all her strength. His lips ached to feel hers again but he didn’t get the chance. Pivoting on her heals she stomped off towards the castle. Stopping abruptly, she turned towards him. With her billowing sleeve, she lifted her forearm and rubbed it against her mouth as if to wipe away any trace of him remaining on her. With that she jerked back towards the gate and thundered inside as every guard in her path stepped out of her way. God help him but it turned him on. She could try and fight it all she wanted but he knew the truth.
She wanted him.
He just needed to seal the deal and convince her that she knew it too.
Chapter Nineteen
Aerity
"That was quite the kiss." She couldn't decipher if Siel’s remark hinted to jealously or not but she was far too embarrassed to analyze it further. Damien had kissed her just to shut her up. It was as simple as that. She knew it, everyone else knew it but still, she had kissed him back. What did that say about her? Words couldn't even describe how furious she was with him but more so with herself. Granted, they were getting married, but still. Was she so quick and cheap that she would let him disrespect her like that? And dare she say, enjoy it? The kiss had been fire, electric. The crowds. The noise. It all disappeared when they connected. Probably because she was so pissed off, adrenaline short circuited her system. Her time around Siel made her heart light but Damien, Damien made her body burn. It was like a possession. Something deep inside that ached to crawl out. Her reaction to his touch freaked her out to say the least. It was unsettling and unnerving. A feeling she didn't recognize, nor did she have the desire to get to know. She felt like an entirely different person when he held her. His touch was desperate, his kiss hungry and she soaked it all in like a cheap whore be
gging for a hit. Frustration ebbed at her insides making her want to stab something, or more accurately, someone. She didn’t lose her temper with just anybody. Her motto was and always had been to laugh and make light of every situation no matter how badly it sucked. Things could always be worse and yet she was here throwing a hissy fit about ugly dresses and obnoxious prince’s when she was a freaking princess. That alone was enough to make her hate herself. Why did Damien drag out this side of her? It was like the second she saw him, some little switch in her brain turned over into bitch mode. She needed to switch that sucker off because this was not like her. She didn’t like it. At all.
Yes, her and Damien were fire and electric together but shoving those power lines together caused far too much heat to keep from getting burned.
Realizing Siel was still waiting for a reply she sighed and turned her attention back to him, rolling her head to the side. "He did it to shut me up because that's all I am to him. A mouth, a body, a thing." She felt her anger surge. Leaning against the wall next to Siel she banged her head against the door jamb. And she had let him do it. Ugggggg!
"You know what I do when I need to blow off some steam?"
She loved the fact that he didn't talk about it. He picked up on the hint that all she wanted to do was crawl in a hole and die and he dropped the topic. Thank the heavens. "Hit something? Because I really want to hit something." She said as embarrassment continued flowing through her in waves.
He smiled that smile that made her insides warm and grabbed her hand. "Come on, I'll show you." He paused, his eyes trailing down her dress. "After you change." Reaching into a satchel at his side that she didn’t notice before, he grabbed what looked like khakis and a loose blouse. "It was the best I could do."