by Raine Miller
I opened my eyes slowly. The nut began to glow before light exploded the casing. Floating in the light was the most beautiful gown I’d ever seen. Its strapless bodice sparkled with rhinestones and it had a corseted back with black laces. A spider web of rhinestones covered half of the black bell-like bottom; they shimmered like a thousand stars in the sky. Long black velvet gloves with fingerless tips shot out of the light, like a firework, before falling to the ground. Rue stepped forward, picking them up.
The light began to fade and gravity took hold of the gown. I rushed forward before it could touch the ground, catching it in my arms. It seemed strange that gravity would have hold in a place like this. What seemed ever stranger was that gravity was the first thing I questioned.
I didn’t know what my face looked like but I felt sure it matched the child-like joy reflected in Rue’s expression.
“Amazing,” Rue said in a breathy voice.
I laughed. “Why are you amazed? You’re the one who brought me here.”
“Because I’ve never seen anyone with the ability to materialize on their first try. I thought for sure I’d have to do it for you. You’re a natural. Just like your mother.”
“Really?” I couldn’t help but smile. I looked across the clearing to the tree where we came through the tapestry. A pond stood on the other side. “How do we get back?”
“Do you swim?”
“Yes, but I’m not sure how you expect me to swim with this. Besides, won’t it get ruined in the water?” I asked, gesturing to the gown.
Rue laughed. “Well, maybe swimming isn’t the right word. It’s more like wading through vapor. It only looks more solid on the surface.”
We walked across the clearing and came to the edge of the pool. When I touched the surface it rippled like the tapestry but my fingers came away only slightly damp. Indeed, it was like mist rather than water.
“Now jump,” she said, doing just that.
Dress in arms, I took a breath and followed her through the dewy depths. I found myself standing next to her, encircled by yarn back at Rue’s Attic. Suddenly, her expression grew solemn again.
“The beautiful sea, the blue heaven, and present earth. Muir mas, nem nglas, talam ce. I thank you.”
Rue picked up the yarn, walking in the opposite direction from when she laid it, and rolled it back up. I held up the dress in front of me, hardly believing it could be real. The material was damp. Although, I had expected it to be soggy, despite what Rue had said. She blew out the candles on top of the cabinet.
“Thanks for the dress. It’s absolutely beautiful.”
“It suits you and it’s my pleasure. Now let’s find you some shoes. What size are you?”
“I’m a size seven.” I didn’t want to burst her bubble by telling her I’d never worn a dress let alone heels a day in my life.
Rue nodded. “I have just the thing.”
She walked over to a shelf above a clothing rack on one of the walls, picking out a pair of black spike heels with ruffled lace that looked like spider webbing edging its open-toe design. I’ll kill myself walking on those if Katarina doesn’t get to me first.
“Try them on,” she said.
“I don’t know how I’m going to walk on them. I’ve never worn heels. Not once.”
“Beautiful things don’t just happen, they’re painful.”
I laughed. “That seems to be a running joke in my life these days.” I took off my red laced boots and slipped my feet into the shoes. I held onto the glass case for balance before stepping out of them. “Yeah, they fit.”
“You’re not going to try to walk in them.”
“No thanks. I’m good.”
“I suggest that you practice in them when you get home.”
Rue put the shoes in a bag and handed them to me. “Thanks for everything,” I said, toying with my locket.
“I want to see you in a dress like that one day. But I want you to promise me something.”
“What?”
“The night of the gala, I want you to wear the protection amulet I gave you. Please, do it for me.”
“Sure.”
“Promise me you’ll do it. It’s vitally important. I saw you wearing it in my vision.”
“Okay, I promise, Rue. I will.”
Rue hugged me good-bye. I draped the dress over one arm and carried the bag containing my shoes in the other, heading for the door. I’d seen magic in many things, in gazing at the stars, in the mystery of the earth and all its music, or in the pages of a book. But never had I imagined something into existence. If I had known how to do it before I would have never accepted Arie’s car.
Some say when magic touches you it alters your life. It’s supposed to feel like going home. I hoped that was true. I’d never had one, and always wondered what it might feel like. Though I thought it would feel a lot like dying. Deep inside I felt sorry for Katarina, for what she had become. Then I thought of all the people she’d hurt, all the people she’d killed. I didn’t want to think about the part of me that wanted to gather my magic and use it how I saw fit, screw the consequences. In the quiet moments, in those little secrets that filled the dark spots of my soul, it seemed like an easy thing to do.
I didn’t know how to do it, but I figured there was power in hatred. So I was glad I didn’t really hate her. The only certainty in any of it was that it must be black magic and no good could come from that. I’m sure I could learn a lot from Rue. She would know the difference.
CHAPTER 16
This would take some getting used to. I pirouetted in front of the long mirror in Arie’s bedroom. The rhinestone webbing on the dress sparkled under the light. Since I lived in cargo pants, an outfit like this made my movements seem gawky. It fit me reasonably well, but the shoes were a nightmare. I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off.
I had stopped by the club for the photo shoot Tessa arranged. They all agreed that plastering me on a twenty foot billboard would definitely get Katarina’s attention. Tessa actually hoped it would piss her off. Victoria and Luna had been amazed by the tomboy to princess transformation almost as much as I was. I stuck around to help Victoria book some acts for the gala—a band, a few burlesque numbers, one that had a bloody vampire twist that was more real than the audience would ever guess. Tessa paid me an advance for the photo shoot, helping Victoria, and for being a seer.
She said she could always use someone with my clairvoyant abilities. The money had been so good that when I picked up my check, I told Marshall the hell with my schedule and quit. He’d scheduled me to work the night of the gala and besides working for Tessa paid better than he ever could.
From behind I heard footfalls on the stairs. The rustle of the fabric of my gown matched my movement as I turned toward the sound. Arie appeared at the top of the stairs and he looked at me like I was single malt scotch. I’d never felt particularly sexy but the way he undressed me with his eyes left me breathless.
“You look beautiful.”
I smiled shyly, a little at a loss for words. “Thanks.”
As he crossed the room his lupine smile reminded me that I was fraternizing with a predator. A wickedly handsome undead predator. I took a step backward.
“Turn around,” he said, his voice husky.
Arie didn’t wait for me to comply but spun me until I faced the mirror, and he stood so close I could feel his breath on the nape of my neck. He wrapped his hands around my ribcage and they began to move upward. Their ascent stopped short of my breasts. With a sigh, he settled his hands at my waist.
“What’s with the dress?”
I could feel my heart thumping against my ribs. I’d wanted his hands to continue their ascent.
“It’s for the gala. Tessa wants me to be part of the royal court. I met my godmother. She was a friend of my mother. The dress is from her shop. Oh, and apparently I’m a witch.”
Arie raised an eyebrow, a faint smile on his lips. “I’d ask if you were a good witch or bad one but I don’t ne
ed to in that dress.”
“I can be very, very bad,” I said with a smile.
Our eyes met in the mirror. With the most careful of touches, his lips trailed soft kisses on my neck and bare shoulders. For the first time I appreciated my strapless dress. His restraint was pure torture.
“What if I told you that I love you?” I asked in a whisper.
He stopped kissing my neck and I could see him close his eyes in the mirror.
“I would say it’s a very bad idea…for both of us.” He opened his eyes and smiled. “Lucky for you, I like bad ideas.”
I smiled. “Would you unzip me and help me out of this thing?”
His fingers grazed my back as he lowered the zipper on my dress. He turned his back to me as I stepped out of it. Only the strapless bra I’d picked up on my way back to the loft, my lace underwear, and the deathtrap shoes remained.
I frowned. “You don’t have to turn away. You’ve seen me naked. I can’t understand your morals. They’re completely impaired. You have no problem handcuffing me and bending me over a bed. But god forbid you see me naked. Let’s not even get into standing when I walk into a room.”
I glared at him as he turned around, his mouth half open. But then he looked at me and laughed. It only served to infuriate me even more.
“If you weren’t scowling at me I’d think you were flirting. You can’t expect me to take you seriously when you’re standing in your underwear. I can’t help it if I forget and slip into customs that I’m used to. I swear this is the first time I’ve had someone mad at me because I showed some class and used my manners.” Then he started laughing again.
I frowned. Walking forward, I shoved him hard in the chest. I think it must have surprised him, because he stepped backward and we both knew I could never match his strength. He practically doubled over laughing in hysterics. I’d surprised myself when I pushed him but I didn’t like being laughed at.
“Oh, grow up already. I swear. I never knew vampires could be so childish.”
“Please. Stop. Don’t make me laugh.” He continued to laugh at me.
And with that he threw himself on the bed, landing on his back, pulling me down with him. I straddled him, placing both hands on the bed next to his shoulders.
“Stop it,” I said.
With a deep inhale, his laughter died away. His eyes turned dark gray. “You need to get off of me.”
“And why is that?” Although, the dark hunger in his tone made my pussy tighten and there wasn’t much covering it in my flimsy underwear.
“If you don’t stop I’m going to roll you on the sheets and bathe in your warmth until your heart stops beating. I want you, and not in the sexual way that I can smell from here.”
I blushed as I pressed my forehead to his. “Is that supposed to be a pick-up line?”
“It’s supposed to make you stay away because you really should when I’m hungry for more than...” His intake of breath was almost inaudible.
“Being twenty-two forever doesn’t sound so bad to me. Better if you do it now than before I turn a quarter of a century.” I joked.
He laughed. “Damn it, Holly. Be serious. You don’t know what you’re asking for.”
“Yes, I do—an orgasm every night for an eternity.” I pushed myself up and unclasped my bra behind my back, tossing it on the floor.
“You think you’re funny, but you don’t know what tomorrow feels like, let alone an eternity.”
I pushed my glasses up and met his eyes with everything I’d been holding back. “Maybe not, but I’ll take a thousand tomorrows figuring it out as long as it’s with you.”
“Never. I won’t let you.” In a strange way it sounded a lot like ‘I love you.’
I smiled. “Promise?”
He reached up, brushing a chestnut curl over my shoulder.
“The first time I saw you I knew I had to meet you. In all the centuries I’ve never known anyone quite like you. I’m a vampire, Holly. That’s the truth, but with you I don’t feel like I have to defend it.”
“Then don’t. Just kiss me.”
I didn’t wait for him to argue or agree. I leaned forward, brushing my lips on his throat, on his cheek, before meeting his lips with my own. He kissed me back, soft as a whisper. Then suddenly he grabbed my hips and his kiss grew fierce. It was like he’d never kissed me before. Like this was our first kiss, and really it was. He’d never kissed me like this before. When he broke the kiss he looked up at me with wary eyes.
It was then that I knew what he didn’t. He loved me. He’d been falling in love with me all along. I considered that for half a second before I figured if I let him linger on it long enough he might talk himself out of it. Even if he couldn’t say it, I knew it was true. I met his lips with a thirst that matched his.
I kneeled above him and slid my underwear down. With an awkward half-roll to my side, I pulled them the rest of the way down my legs, tossing them aside. He watched my clumsy movements with amusement. I straddled him, pinning him again. He let me, even though we both knew he didn’t have to.
“I think you’re overdressed,” I said with a smile.
“Am I? It does seem I’m wearing too many clothes. What are you going to do about it?”
It felt like a test to see how I would go about undressing him, and it almost shook my confidence. Almost. I tugged at the bottom of his shirt. He sat up and allowed me to pull it over his head. Arie leaned back on his elbows. I smiled as I unbuttoned his jeans and pulled the zipper down with my teeth. Then I pulled his pants down his thighs, but his legs were too heavy. Fortunately, he lifted his hips and I pushed them to the floor.
I stood at the foot of the bed. He arched an eyebrow at me.
“I want you to tie me to the bed. I need to feel more…” I trailed off, unable to articulate that I wanted to be restrained.
Arie pushed himself off the bed, an amused smile curving his mouth. It seemed like he knew what I wanted without me spelling it out. “Lie on your back and move up toward the headboard,” he said in a commanding tone.
I gave him a smirk but cooperated. I wanted to see what he would do next. He walked around the side of the bed and pulled open the nightstand drawer. He pulled two red scarves from the drawer.
Wanting this and thinking about what he might do to me made my pussy wet. His knees splayed wide astride my torso. He leaned forward and tied my wrist to one of the bedposts. A mischievous smile curved his mouth. He leaned toward the side and tied my other wrist to the opposite bedpost.
“Well, now that I have you tied up, what shall I do with you?”
I knew full well that he knew exactly what to do with me, despite his teasing tone. “Shhhh… If you don’t stop being romantic, I’m going to have to find a way out of these scarves and gag you.”
He stifled a laugh. “You know you’re not very good at being submissive. I should take that up with Tessa for providing such poor instruction. Or maybe I should just punish you for that.”
I gasped.
Yes. Punish me.
He leaned toward the bedside drawer and pulled two clothespins from its depths. Kissing his way down my chest, across my stomach—he met my eyes. I moaned when he brushed his tongue across my clit. He sucked and pulled on it with his teeth. Abruptly, he stopped the attention he’d been giving to my pussy, balancing above me. Without warning he clamped a clothespin on each of my nipples. It sent sparks of desire straight to my pussy that had been anticipating the addictive pleasure-pain.
“If you ever want me to stop, just say the word.”
Why would I ever want this to stop? It felt so good. I just wanted to feel his cock inside me, but instead he returned to the drawer. My eyes widened when I saw what he removed.
“Do you know what this is?” he asked.
He’d removed a large black butt plug and a small remote along with a bottle of lube. I knew exactly what it was. I’d been to adult novelty stores countless times, considering my appetite for self-pleasure. Hell, I
had one at home, but mine was smaller and blue.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
He squirted some lube into his palm and then applied it liberally to my puckered asshole. First one finger and then two began to move in and out of me. Slowly and carefully, he inserted the anal plug. I felt it push, like it couldn’t go further, and then it passed through that ring of resistance, fitting snuggly into place.
“How’s that feel?”
“Amazing…”
It was all I could get out around the sensation of fullness and with the clamps on my nipples. Just when I thought the sensation couldn’t possibly feel better, he turned the plug on. I felt its vibrations in my ass and my pussy.
Then the wet tip of his cock was poised at my channel and I took in his length as he slowly pressed into me. I died with him inside me and cherished that death. When I met his lips with mine, he kissed me like he owned me, and god did I want to be owned by this man who could make me feel things I’d never felt before.
I inhaled the masculine smell that was distinctly him, tinged with soap. I’d thought that vampires would smell like ‘something.’ All I could smell was the light, sweet, woody fragrance of his grooming products. The only difference was the coldness of his skin against the desire burning in mine. He smiled down at me. In these moments the darkness that hid behind the shadow of his heart disappeared. His pace did not quicken. He took the lead with slow, even strokes that drove me wild. Never had I felt so full. Never had I felt so good.
Tied as I was to the bedposts, I could do little more than whatever he wanted. And I wanted every bit of it. The bed creaked under my shifting hips. He kissed me again and I relaxed into his mouth, letting him explore it with his tongue. I tilted my head to the side. His lips moved to my neck and up to my ear.
