I wished I was just afraid of him.
Sunday morning was wonderful. After an insanely tasty breakfast, we climbed even higher into the mountains. Leaving the aerocar in the parking lot of a grill bar, we went to the forest to walk along its snow-covered paths. Lita was beyond happy.
“Thank you,” I said to Xanor on the way back. “This was an unforgettable weekend.”
“Glad you liked it, Elenia. And the little thing seems happy, too. What are you doing tomorrow? Seeing Felicia again?”
“Tomorrow, we’re going to a not very famous, but very cool patisserie to choose a wedding cake. Few people know about it, oddly enough, but everything is so tasty there.” I even closed my eyes, remembering the taste of my favorite cake from Sweet Life.
“Take Garanor with you.” Xanor smiled maliciously.
Anxiety and goosebumps.
“What for? It’s unlikely that Sonor Horos will have time to visit patisseries.”
“True. He doesn’t like sweets, although I wouldn’t mind seeing him eat cakes, trying to please his future wife. But since he doesn’t care, he won’t be eating anything tomorrow. He’ll only have to choke on a few bites at the wedding — there’ll be guests of honor and journalists, after all.”
Before saying goodbye, Xanor invited me to a photo exhibit of his friend Vin Medina. The same photographer from the nightclub who dreamed of taking nude photos of a fairy. I had no desire to meet with him again, but I didn’t refuse to see Xanor. He pecked my cheek and left.
What kind of sorcery is this?
***
On Monday morning, I flew to the patisserie in a great mood after having just one cup of coffee. It was better to go there on an empty stomach, because the owner, Sonora Blanca, wouldn’t let anyone out of her delicious kingdom until they tried everything that she had to offer.
I also warned Felicia not to have breakfast and forget about dieting for a couple of hours. She could worry about her figure later, but for now, we’d simply enjoy life and cakes.
So, beaming, I paid the taxi driver, pushed open the doors of the patisserie, painted white with small glass inserts, and went inside. It’d be closed for visitors until we were done.
But in the next second, I realized that I didn’t really want to be in there. Felicia and Garanor were sitting at a table heaving under the weight of plates filled with different kinds of cake.
He noticed me before I could barely catch a breath.
“Hello, Lenny!” Felicia waved to me enthusiastically. “We’ve already ordered. To be honest, I don’t know where to start!”
Garanor stared directly at me, making my whole body pulse.
“Sonorina Solt, you better stop thinking so much, and taste some cake.” Sonora Blanca smiled, bringing a few more plates.
“Come here, Lenny, we’ll try some together,” Felicia called me, while Garanor moved to the chair, freeing up space for me on the sofa, and I found myself sandwiched between him and his bride to be.
It felt like I was in a trap.
“Good morning, Sonorina Lei,” he politely greeted me.
With that tone and with such an expression on his face, it seemed like he was talking to a wall.
“Did you like anything so far?” I asked Felicia.
“We haven’t even started tasting yet. We were waiting for you.”
“Try this one, with vanilla mousse,” Sonora Blanca advised.
Felicia plunged a fork into the airy treat. She closed her eyes for a moment, clearly enjoying its unsurpassed taste, and then handed the plate over to Garanor.
“What’s the name of that cake?” She pointed to the shop window in which works of confectionery art were flaunted. “It looks very impressive and tasty.”
“That’s Chocolate Passion. Here, I’ll cut a piece for you.” With these words, she pushed another plate toward the future newlyweds, and I caught Garanor’s gaze on me.
“I heard you were in the mountains this weekend,” he said almost distantly, while Sonora Blanca told Felicia how the recipe for Chocolate Passion was created.
To be honest, the word “passion” irritated me. So, I didn’t even want to look at that cake. And Garanor irritated me, too. Why was he here? He ruined such a pleasant morning.
“Yes, it was Xanor’s idea.”
“Did you like it?”
He was mocking me and I wanted to throw some cake in his face. It’d go great with that suit.
“Everything was wonderful. Lita was delighted, and I have only the most pleasant impressions from this trip.”
Glancing to the side, I noticed him frowning, and his eyes were narrowing dangerously.
“I hope my brother behaved well?”
“You have nothing to worry about.”
“Elenia, that’s not a proper answer,” he whispered but he seemed to growl.
“Sonor Horos, I strictly followed the terms of our agreement, if that worries you. Over the past week, I haven’t violated a single clause. On the contrary, I tried to respect everyone and approach my duties with responsibility and enthusiasm.”
I knew that my words sounded ambiguous, and I knew that he understood it. If Felicia hadn’t been sitting next to me, he probably would’ve incinerated me with his darkness. The presence of Sonora Blanca would definitely not stop him.
“Honey, try this one. With a berry soufflé. It’s insanely delicious!” Felicia’s words relieved the atmosphere a little. She handed him a plate, and he had to turn his attention away from me, which he didn’t seem to like.
“Of course, I can create any design,” meanwhile, Sonora Blanca said, and Felicia continued talking to her.
My heart almost stopped when I heard Garanor’s next question.
“What happened between you?” His fingers, like handcuffs, closed on my wrist as he gritted those words through his teeth.
For a second or two, I pondered on what kind of answer he expected of me. Then I reached out to the plate with my free hand, and said: “Everything.”
I wanted to scream. His fingers squeezed my wrist even more, but in the next moment, everything stopped. Catching a quick glance at us from Sonora Blanca, he let me go. Taking a deep breath, I got up, quietly excused myself, and hurried to the toilet to splash cold water in my face. My cheeks burned, and my heart pounded like crazy.
What’s the matter with me? And what’s going on with him?!
Why does he act like he’s jealous?
This is insane!
I understood that all this was nonsense. I had to calm down.
When I returned, I saw the sweetest picture. He was back on the sofa and was now discussing with Felicia how many layers the wedding cake should consist of and what kind of figurines should be on top.
“Everything all right?” Felicia gave me a short smile.
“Yes, everything’s fine,” I answered quickly. “Lita’s nanny called. She asked me to buy something on the way back.”
Felicia nodded and plunged back into tasting and discussion. And Garanor ignored me. He kept the conversation going when Felicia asked for my opinion and even asked me questions relating to the cakes himself. “Elenia, what do you think of this cake? How do you like Berry Fantasy? No? Is it not suitable for our event?” But he did it as if he was communicating with the air around him.
I wanted to kill him.
But I remembered what was at stake and why I was doing this, so I endured. At some point, Garanor left. I felt devastated, somehow broken, as if all my strength had been squeezed out of me.
***
The next evening, Xanor and I went to his friend’s photo exhibit. I didn’t understand Vin’s works. The photos were too gloomy, too aggressive, and some even melancholic.
But everyone else gathered in the most famous gallery in Kadris, seemed to like it. They greeted the photographer with a thunderous ovation and complimented his work.
“My offer still stands,” he said as he silently approached me. I flinched in surprise and turned my head, irritate
d. “I still want to take a picture of you, Elenia.”
“I still don’t want you to photograph me,” I answered sharply.
“A fairy with claws? Mmm, how interesting.” Vin laughed shortly and very unpleasantly, as if croaking, after which he saluted me with a glass. “Drink some champagne, baby. Perhaps then you’ll become a little kinder.”
I wanted to tell him to go to hell, but I held back. He was Xanor’s friend, after all. I didn’t want to cause another scene.
“Have a good evening, Sonor Medina,” I said goodbye and walked away.
After a couple of minutes, Xanor joined me, and I relaxed a little. I hoped that he’d quickly get bored with the contemplation of all this incredible beauty and that he’d suggest we run away from the gallery. But after about an hour, we ran away with Vin, Narcissa (who, of course, couldn’t ignore this event), and some other fair-haired girl who literally hung herself around Vin’s neck.
The evening ended at a nightclub that I really wanted to get out of, but instead, I had to make sure Xanor didn’t do anything stupid. While everyone was drinking, I even tried to have a conversation with that blonde while, out of the corner of my eye, noticing how Narcissa, again and again, tried to throw herself at Xanor.
But he didn’t seem to notice her. Every now and then, he leaned toward me to whisper something, smile, and even kiss me. Which obviously made the brunette very angry, to say the least.
***
“Lenny, it’s for you!” Dina shouted from the hallway, and I had to unglue myself from the tablet, with which I fell asleep yesterday and spent the first half of today.
It turned out that it wasn’t so easy to find a catering company for an event as important as the wedding of His Majesty. He had already dismissed a dozen of the options I proposed, and Felicia, as usual, supported his choice.
Two weeks had already passed since our sincere conversation in Sweet Life, during which I, fortunately, didn’t have a chance to see him. All I received from him were short, businesslike, dry messages concerning the organization of the wedding.
Garanor was once again the Dark One who had scared me so much in his house a month ago. Was he drunk the night he kissed me? That’d explain a lot...
In the meantime, Xanor continued to pleasantly surprise me. Having gotten to know him better, I realized that I shouldn’t have blindly believed everything that was written about him in the newspapers. The cynic and womanizer, a spoiled rich bachelor who didn’t care about anyone but himself, turned out to be an attentive, caring man.
We spent almost every evening together, sometimes alone, sometimes with Lita, and sometimes with his friends, but his company no longer bothered me. He wasn’t rushing me. He only kissed me gently, hugged me when we’d meet, when we watched movies and TV shows, lounging on my couch.
It was easy, interesting, and fun to be with him. And most importantly, during the time that we knew each other, I had never used my power on him. I didn’t want to reshape his emotions and decisions. Not because I was afraid of getting caught, but because now more than ever I understood clearly how wrong it was.
Xanor didn’t deserve to be treated this way.
“Oh, Lenny, you have to see this... It’s awesome!”
Coming out of the bedroom, I found Dina sitting on the floor next to a huge box. She had already managed to open it, having pulled off a bow from it, and now she examined its contents with meticulous attention.
It was an evening dress.
Was it a gift from someone?
“Is that for me?”
“And for who else could it be?” She handed me a plastic card with a short inscription.
For my princess.
Below, in the very corner, there was a letter H.
“It’s so... so... luxurious.” Dina continued to admire it. “This is for tomorrow’s charity event at the Solt’s palace?”
“In their house.” I laughed in response.
“Have you seen the house?” Dina chuckled. “It’s a palace. And that’s a mild description.”
I didn’t have time to really look at the dress — the bleeping of my phone distracted me.
“I can’t wait to see you in it, baby. I’m sure you’ll look even better without it.”
He did like to make such jokes, but that was it. Therefore, this text message didn’t cause fear of intimacy, but a smile. I responded.
“If you’re a good boy, maybe someday you’ll see me without it.”
A new message arrived a moment later.
“Trust me, tomorrow I’ll be a VERY good boy. You’ll like it. But that’s not the only surprise for tonight.”
“Lenny, will you stop?” Dina tugged at my hand. “Stop staring at the phone. Look at this beauty!”
The dress really was luxurious. Black velvet with open shoulders, and a fluffy skirt made of dark silk. A striking accent was a red lace with an intricate pattern that flowed around the hips. In such an outfit, any girl wouldn’t just feel like a princess, but a fairytale queen.
Who would’ve thought that the most spoiled (again according to the press) bachelor of Grassor, Xanor Horos, would be a prince in a white aerocar?
***
In the evening, I dressed up and caught myself enjoying the process. I started enjoying spending time with Xanor. I liked to look beautiful next to him. Sometimes, I even forgot that he was a Dark One.
Life was getting better. Old nightmares were forgotten, turned into scars, which would gradually heal. That was the only option.
Everything will be fine.
After the elections... Everything will be over.
I smiled sadly at my reflection, but I immediately drove away this suddenly surging melancholy.
“Lenny, they sent an aerocar for you,” Dina called. It was good that I was dressed. “Damn, this is so cool!” She smiled dreamily. “First a gorgeous dress, now an aerocar. I even envy you a little. Receptions, dinners in fancy restaurants... It’s all so cool!”
“Actually, we prefer fast food.” I kissed Lita, wished her good night, and said goodbye to Dina.
While the transparent capsule of the elevator carried me to the parking lot, I admired the evening view of Kadris. I wondered what tomorrow night would be like, and what Xanor had in mind when he said he’d be a very good boy.
What other surprises awaited me today?
Thoughts in my head flickered one after another, and I continued to smile. Finally, the elevator door parted, and I walked out onto an open area full of aerocars. The cold autumn wind hit me in the face, and I hurried to wrap myself up in my coat. A few steps forward and the driver appeared from a dark, elegant aerocar.
Wow, how official! A little more official and I’d think the wrong brother was here to pick me up.
“Please, Sonorina Lei.” The man opened the back door of the aerocar in front of me, and I sat in the back that smelled of tobacco and expensive alcohol.
“Xanor? Why is it so dark in here?”
He moved toward me. Quickly, abruptly, and swiftly. My heart stopped for a moment and then began beating faster.
“Xanor!” I had time to shout out before he fell on me with his whole body.
My scream was drowned out by a disgusting smelly rag. I grimaced at the pungent sickening smell, suffocating. I tried to throw off the attacker, but I quickly lost strength. I felt a sharp pain in my temples, severe dizziness, and started drowning in darkness...
***
...A bright flash of light. Greedy, quick touches. I felt unfamiliar hands roaming all over my body, but I couldn’t throw them off. They stripped me. Like a doll.
They pulled off the dress roughly...
My boots...
My stockings…
They let my hair down, violently pulling out the hairpins...
I couldn’t see anything. The light hit my eyes painfully.
I was suffocating. I tried to scream, call for help, ask them to stop, but only indistinct wheezing came from my lips.
I fe
lt the rough touch of a man’s fingers on my thighs.
“Don’t do it, please…”
But the one who was doing this didn’t care about my pleading. He ripped the rest of my clothes off me, tore apart my underwear. I tried to move away from these greedy, painful touches, to shrink into a ball, but I seemed to lose touch with reality again.
The last thing I heard was a hoarse hissing voice.
“Relax, baby, and enjoy.”
Chapter 20
Garanor
“How much longer?”
“We’re almost done, Sonor Horos,” Camila replied politely, giving the last document to my brother. “Please read and, if you agree with the terms of the transaction, sign.”
“I agree to everything if it means you two will finally leave me alone,” Xanor grumbled, glancing quickly at the tablet screen.
I hated it when he was like this. He was openly spitting on the family business and on his inheritance.
I had to do everything here. I had to make all the arrangements. I had to take all the meetings. I barely managed to get us this resort contract in Maycore.
And then he remembered that he was sort of the boss here and started moving his ass. He made a deal with a construction company with a bad reputation. The other day, I almost unscrewed its manager’s head. He had the impudence to try to cash in on the Horos family.
I had to terminate the contract urgently, pay a penalty to those jerks (I just didn’t need litigation now), and then find a new company as soon as possible.
“Are you in a hurry?” I glanced at Xanor and focused on my work again.
Or rather, I was pretending because I couldn’t concentrate on business. I was only thinking about how Xanor would spend an evening with Elenia again.
I wanted to throw him through the window.
Xanor was silent, and it made me unreasonably angry.
“Do you have any plans for the evening?” I tried to sound calm.
“Nothing special.”
“Are you seeing Elenia again?”
“Does it bother you?” He chuckled softly.
“I’ve already told you that I don’t want you to distract her from work. I want this wedding to be perfect, I don’t care about your entertainment.”
A Deal with the Dark Fae: Enemies-to-Lovers Standalone (Cruel Intentions Book 1) Page 17