by Alex Dafney
As my eyes slowly open, I grip my hands to my head. My head is throbbing. I sit up in the large bed that has a canopy around it, looking around the room. I turn my head to the side, finding Eri lying on her stomach, her back rising and falling softly as she sleeps.
I lie back beside her, running my hand along her bare back. She lets out a groan as she opens one sleepy eye. “Don’t even think about it, mister.” Reaching my hand up I brush the hair from her face as I chuckle. She looks incredibly sexy sprawled out on the bed completely nude, but I don’t have it in me to do anything about it.
After I entered the bedroom last night, we went at each other for hours. Exploring every inch of the others body until early into the morning, tangled in positions I didn’t think were possible. Until last night. A smile tugs at the corner of my lip as I stare at her beautiful face. Her eyes closed as I run my hand through her hair.
“What the hell happened last night?” She slowly rolls to her side, one arm propped under her head with a sexy smile. “Witches blood. Georgiana apparently thought it was a good idea to drug you.” I nod, remembering the conversation at the table before we ended up here. “Witches blood does that?”
She giggles lightly, pushing herself to sit up. “It’s the most potent aphrodisiac there is.” I sit up next to her, bracing my arm against the bed to prop myself. Her brows draw together, a look of confusion on her face as she turns her head away from me. “Honestly, I’m surprised you made it up here. I assumed after Eldora released your hold you would just stay there. It’s not like there weren’t plenty of women to choose from.”
She gives a little shrug as she begins to slide her legs off the bed. I quickly slide my arms around her waist, holding her in place as I lower my face to her neck, kissing just below her ear where I know she likes it. “I don’t want anyone, but you. Drugged or not.” She turns her head toward me, pressing her lips to mine in a gentle kiss. “Come on. I’m starving.”
I pull her back to me, lying back on the bed as she falls beside me with a giggle. “Maybe they have room service.” As if on cue there’s a knock at the door. I groan as I get out of the bed, trying to find my discarded underwear from the night before so I’m not attacked by whichever witch stands behind the door. Finally, I find my boxer briefs, sliding them on and walking toward the door.
Pulling it open a mere inch I look outside, finding no one. My eyes travel downward to a tray with two dome covered plates. I bend, lifting it and closing the door with my foot as Eri watches me from the bed, the sheet wrapped around her. “I guess they heard your request.” I chuckle lightly as I place the tray on the bed, climbing in next to her.
She lifts one of the lids. Bagels, cream cheese, and smoked salmon. I lift the other lid finding fruits, and a vegetable frittata. My mouth waters as I take in the food. Eri reaches for a bagel, grabbing the small knife in the jar of cream cheese. “I’m glad they sent protein. I don’t think I can walk after last night.”
I turn my head toward her, concern marring my face. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Last night was intense, and at times, rough. A lot rougher than I’ve ever been. She tilts her head to the side as she looks at me, her lip turning down slightly. “You didn’t hurt me, Ash. Last night was amazing.” I let out a heavy sigh. I’d never hurt her for anything in the world.
“I simply meant last night was incredible. I can’t walk for a good reason.” She bumps her shoulder into mine lightly as a grin pulls onto her lips. I grab a fork, taking a bite of the frittata, my eyes closing as I savor the incredible bite. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
She nods in agreement as she takes a bite of the bagel piled high with smoked salmon. “Me too. How late did we stay up?” I give her a shrug as I pop a piece of fruit in my mouth. “I have no idea. I remember the sun starting to come in the window when you finally fell forward on my chest.” Her cheeks tint pink as she shakes her head. “The whole night was crazy. Nothing like that has ever happened to me, and I’ve had witches’ blood before.”
I turn my head toward her, raising an eyebrow in question. She looks down at the bagel in her hand, picking at it as a frown comes to her lips. Reaching for the bagel I snatch it from her hand, taking a huge bite. She turns her head toward me, her brows drawn together, but a playful smile on her lips. “Hey! That was mine!”
I chuckle before shoving the last bite of the bagel in my mouth, licking my fingers. “Mmmm.” She rolls her eyes at me, grabbing my fork and stabbing a piece of melon. “What made last night different for you?” I can’t help the question from bubbling from my lips. She glances at me from the corner of her eye. “I don’t know.” I raise one eyebrow at her, knowing she’s holding back.
She sighs heavily, placing the fork down and sitting back against the ornately carved wooden headboard as she tilts her head back, closing her eyes. “You, Ashley. You made it different. I’ve had witches’ blood. Hell, I’ve had witches’ blood and spent an evening with a Warlock.” My hands clench at my sides as jealousy and anger swirl through me.
She drops her head back, her eyes boring into my own. “I can’t explain the connection I feel toward you, or this strange feeling of being pulled to you.” I nod in agreement, knowing the exact feeling she has. We’ve only known each other a little over a week, but I feel like I’ve known her a lifetime and that if she leaves me for even a second my lungs may collapse.
She sighs again, pulling the sheet from her body and sliding to the edge of the bed before standing. “It doesn’t matter. As soon as we figure out how to stop your transformation you can go back to your life and I’ll disappear.” She walks toward the bathroom attached to the room as I watch her with my mouth dropped open.
The door closes behind her and I’m left alone with my thoughts. I don’t want to let her go, hell, I don’t know that I can let her go after this. I return the dishes to the tray, placing it on the nightstand next to the bed before striding across the large room for the bathroom. Opening the door, the steam from the shower hits me.
I quickly drop my boxer briefs to the ground, pulling the glass door to the shower open and stepping inside. The shower is huge, unlike anything I’ve ever seen. There are multiple faucets, all directed toward the center of the tile shower where Eri stands with her back to me. I step behind her, slowly wrapping my arms around her middle from behind. I drop my chin to her shoulder, letting the warm water cascade around us. “It matters to me, Eridanus. To us.” I whisper between us.
She pulls out of my grip, stepping away from me with her back to me as I stand in the spray of the water. “It doesn’t.” Her voice is quiet, barely a whisper. I step toward her, gripping her elbow and spinning her to face me. My heart damn near breaks when I see the tears welling in her eyes. “Eri.” I say her name as I pull her to my chest, wrapping my arms around her body to hold her against me.
She starts to push me away, but I hold her tightly. Reaching her hand up she places it on my chest, right above my heart as she looks up at me. Her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “There isn’t an us, Ashley. There can never be an us.” I start to shake my head as she lifts her hand upward, cupping my cheek. “I’m going to do everything I can to stop your transformation, but after that-.”
She drops her eyes to the tile floor of the shower, letting her hand slide from my face. As she starts to step back, I let my hands slide down her body, not knowing what else I can say or do to change her mind. Her eyes find mine, a sad smile pulling onto her lips. “Let’s make the most of the time we have together. Okay?” I nod at her numbly. There’s no way in hell I’m letting her go today, tomorrow, or any day after that.
Chapter Ten
We step out of the bedroom hand in hand, walking down the stairs together. Eri runs her hand along the banister as we descend. One of the Enchantresses was kind enough to leave us both a change of clothes on the bed as we showered. I look at Eri from the corner of my eye as we walk toward the door that will lead outside to the porch.
The flowing, yellow,
dress she wears looks incredible on her. She catches me looking at her, her cheeks tinting pink as she focuses her eyes on the door. We step outside finding the Enchantresses all seated at the long wooden table. Georgiana looks up at us from her spot next to Eldora, a slight scowl on her face. She drops her eyes to my crotch, looking back to my eyes with a wicked grin. “Glad to see my blood has worked it’s way though your system.”
It’s now my turn to blush. Reaching my hand behind me, I grip the back of my neck, rubbing nervously. “Leave him alone, Georgiana. Your trick last night backfired on you.” She drops her eyes to her lap at Eldora’s words, a look of embarrassment on her face.
“Cecilia, please get Madam Genevieve from her chambers and bring her to the porch. The rest of you, find something to do while I speak with our guests.” The witch with the long, purple, hair stands, gracefully strutting toward the door that leads inside. The rest of the women push their chairs back, pairing off and walking inside or down the porch steps to the vast field behind us.
Eldora and Georgiana stay seated at the table. Glancing between the two women I notice the angry look on both of their faces. “Georgiana, I asked that you leave the premises.” Eldora turns her fierce gaze toward her, her brow drawing up slightly. Georgiana lets out a huff as she stands, her chair scraping along the porch.
She walks toward the house, stepping inside, the door slamming behind her. “Disregard her. Her problem lies with me, not the two of you. She’s like the teenage daughter I never had.” She chuckles as Eri and I step toward the table, me pulling a chair out for her, before sitting next to her. “That was a powerful display of will yesterday evening, Ashley, the new Demon.” I resist the urge to roll my eyes at Eldora’s incessant usage of the word Demon.
“What do you mean?” I ask instead. She looks between the two of us, settling her eyes on mine. “You left a room full of witches while under the influence of one of my sister’s blood, in search of a certain Stalker.” Her eyes move over to Eri who has her head down, her gaze on her lap. “It goes against your very nature.” Once again, I’m left confused by her remark.
Seeming to sense my confusion she looks back to me, her lip twisted up at one side. “Demons and Stalkers have been enemies since the beginning of time. The sheer fact that you sit at my table is a surprise in itself.” I look over to Eri who won’t meet my eyes, simply keeping her head dropped. “You have not told him anything, Eridanus.”
She lifts her head, looking across the table to Eldora. “I have not. There was no point in telling him when he wasn’t going to transform.” I hear the door open behind us, not bothering to look as I stare between the two women at the table. “Would anyone care to explain?” They continue staring at each other for a long moment. Eldora’s gaze breaks from Eri’s as she pushes her chair back and stands.
“Madam Genevieve, please join us.” I look over my shoulder to find an older woman slowly walking toward us with the assistance of Cecelia at her side. Eldora steps toward her, taking her arm in her own. “Thank you, Cecelia. That will be all.” She hurries down the stairs toward the field as Eldora helps the woman into the chair next to hers.
Once everyone is seated Eldora makes introductions. Genevieve’s eyes flit over to Eri, a small smirk on her face. “If I weren’t an old lady, I’d challenge you myself.” The three women chuckle lightly as I keep my eyes on Genevieve directly across the table from me. “How do I stop from transforming into a Demon?” All eyes at the table turn to me. “Let’s just jump straight to it.”
Eldora rolls her eyes, but I don’t care. I need to know how to stop this. Genevieve’s brows draw together in questioning. “Does this have anything to do with being claimed by a Stalker?” I shake my head slightly, although maybe that is a high motivational factor.
Her eyes stay trained on mine, a look of disappointment on her face. “I’ve only known of one person to stop the transformation in all my years.” She sits back, a nostalgic smile spreading across her face. “She was a beautiful woman. The only normal I had ever considered a friend. On her way home from dinner she was attacked by a Demon. Her transformation should have been instant, but for reasons I do not know, she went through the change slowly.”
“But, Ashley’s not a normal. His mark is half Shifter, half Demon.” I place my hand on Eri’s leg under the table as she speaks. Genevieve’s eyebrows raise in surprise. “That’s not possible.” Her eyes shift between the two of us. I let out a low sigh as I stand, lowering my jeans to show them my mark. “Come closer. I can’t see from way over there.” I walk around the table toward Genevieve at her insistence, stopping just in front of her.
She squints her eyes, trying to see the mark just below the V on my hip. I take one step closer to her so she can see better. Before I can process what’s happening, she reaches out for me, locking her hands on my hips and pulling me toward her. I feel her tongue slide along my skin as I jump backwards, righting my clothing with my brows drawn together. The three women laugh as a scowl mars my face.
Stepping back around the table I take the seat I was in next to Eri. “He tastes as good as he looks.” I shudder as Genevieve licks her lips in a seductive way. I definitely do not have a grandma fetish. Eri places her hand on my leg under the table, giving a gentle squeeze as she takes a deep breath to control her laughter. “How does Ashley stop the transformation?”
Eldora continues to chuckle as Genevieve’s eyes land on mine, a look of confusion on her face. “Why would you wish to stop the transformation? You will be granted immortality, and powers beyond your wildest dreams.” I sink back in my chair, looking over to Eri. “Are you immortal?” She shakes her head swiftly. “No. I have the same life expectancy of a mortal. I just happen to be a bit stronger, and faster than an average person due to my Seeker heritage.”
“Why don’t I have those traits? I’m half Seeker, right?” She gives me a small shrug, her lip turned up at one side. “You’re kind of an anomaly. I don’t know how you work. Do we really know if you don’t have those traits? I mean, have you ever tested your strength or speed?”
“He’s not the only anomaly.” I glance over to Eldora who looks across the table at Eri with a slight smirk. Eri lets out a huff, turning her head toward me as I do the same. “I’m the only female Seeker.” I raise a questioning eyebrow at her. “Females born to a Seeker simply carry the gene and lack the skill to hunt Demons. The females are nothing more than a means to continue the gene pool.” She gives me a casual shrug. “Hmm.” We both look across the table to Eldora who taps her finger against her chin, looking between us with a scrutinizing gaze. “How did the two of you meet?”
“Alleyway. Demon was attacking him. Nothing more than a coincidence.” Eldora tilts her head to the side, giving Eri a pointed look. “You know there are no such thing as coincidences in our world.” Eri turns her face toward me, her eyes meeting mine. “Maybe you’re right.”
I sit thinking about what she said for a few moments before moving my eyes back across the table to the older woman. “Tell me how I can stop this. I don’t want to be immortal, and I don’t want powers of any kind. I just want to live a normal life.”
She makes a tsk sound as she shakes her head side to side slowly. “Such a shame. You would have been a welcome slave in our coven.” I shudder at the thought of what one of their slaves must do for them. As if on cue, one of them walks out from the house, a collar around his neck and a scrap of fabric covering his middle. He begins placing goblets on the table as Eldora and Genevieve run their fingernails along his body.
“I, uh, appreciate the invitation, but I’d rather not be a slave.” He looks over at me, his eyes glowing red, a devious smile on his lips as he pours wine from a crystal decanter into the four glasses on the table. “You don’t know what you’re missing.” Eldora snaps her fingers once and he turns his head toward her. “Thank you, Ian. That will be all for now.” He gives her a small nod before turning and walking back into the house.
As we hear the clic
k of the door Eldora lifts her glass, taking a small sip as her eyes stay locked on mine. Her lips pull up at the corner ever so slightly. “They’re not actually our slaves. Sexual slaves, yes, and from time to time a few will stay around the house with us when they have the time. It’s more a mutual respect. They enjoy the high of our blood, and we enjoy the benefits that come with that.”
I grip the glass in front of me, staring down into it. That doesn’t sound enticing to me at all. “Can I trust that this is only wine?” I arch one eyebrow as I look across the table to the two witches laughing lowly. “You watched Ian pour it himself. None of the coven has touched your glass.” I’m still weary, but I lift the glass, bringing it to my lips and taking a sip of the sweet wine.
“So, how do I stop the transformation?” Genevieve gives me a shrug, holding her glass in one hand. “You have to denounce the Demon within you.” I stare at her with a questioning gaze, waiting for her to continue. “How do I do that?” She lets a humorous sigh. “It’s not something you can do. Your heart has to make the decision for you.” I sit back in my chair, looking up to the ceiling as I sigh myself.
It’s like this whole conversation is one giant riddle. “This isn’t a simple task, Ashley.” I drop my head back to its rightful position, my eyes fixed on hers. “You are choosing to denounce your heritage. It’s not a matter of simply saying the words aloud.” She lifts her glass, taking another sip of the wine. “For my friend, it was a single moment. Her first target was her brother. She was to turn him into a Demon, but when the moment came, she couldn’t do it.”
“And that stopped her transformation?” She makes an eh noise as she shrugs. “The leader of the Demons had her killed. There’s no way of knowing if the transformation would have continued.” My mouth drops open. That means my choices are becoming a Demon or certain death. Eri places her hand on my arm gently. “I’m sure there’s another way.”