by Marian Tee
In one swift move, Julian entered her from behind. Cass gasped again, her fingers gripping his forearms hard as his cock slid in and out of her in deep, languid strokes.
“Faster again?” he asked huskily.
“You’re teasing me,” she gasped.
He deliberately slowed down his strokes.
“Julian!”
“Then tell me what you want.”
The pleasure throbbing inside her made Cass move past her inhibitions and she choked out, “Yes. I want it faster—” The words were barely out of her mouth when Julian did as commanded, and she gasped as his cock thrust in and out of her at a furious pace. In mere minutes she was already coming, and Julian came with her, growling his pleasure as he ground his cock into her while pushing Cass down hard on his cock.
The next time Cass stirred to consciousness, she was on his bed and Julian was seated next to her, freshly showered and fully dressed.
“Cass…” Julian stroked her cheek, wanting them connected so she could see her.
The drawn look on his face made Cass fully awake. “What is it?” she asked anxiously.
“I’ve been called home. The king’s sick, and he would like to name his successor as soon as possible.” Julian inhaled sharply, knowing that what he was about to ask her would be the most selfish thing he ever did. But even knowing that, he couldn’t stop himself. He needed her too badly.
“Julian?”
He said harshly, “Come with me.”
Cass’ lips parted in shock at the words. She looked into his eyes, and Julian met her gaze unflinchingly even as a muscle started to tick in his jaw.
Oh.
Cass swallowed.
He wanted her to come with him, but he was not promising marriage.
“Please.”
That one word from Julian broke her.
Cass nodded, whispering, “Yes.” There was nothing else she could say or do. She loved him, and one day, she knew in her heart that he would love her back.
****
Cass had asked for two hours to do her packing and Julian had agreed readily, privately relieved that Cass was unlike other women who spent an eternity packing their stuff. When Julian reached the floor of Cass’ apartment exactly sixty minutes later, it was just in time to see an unfamiliar woman leave her room. Frowning, Julian knocked on the door and when Cass came out to open it, he asked abruptly, “Who was the woman who just came out of your place?”
“She’s another guest of the island. I gave her a Tarot reading,” Cass answered after motioning Julian to come inside and locking the door.
“It’s why I asked for two hours instead of one. I didn’t want to cancel her appointment. I had a feeling she needed me.” Briefly, Cass shared her reading for Tessa, a single mom who faced not only impending danger but was also torn between her feelings for a billionaire and her ex – both of them legendary MMA fighters…as well as once being best friends.
Cass’ story was definitely interesting, but Julian was more concerned about something else. He asked slowly, “Do you also do Tarot readings for men here?”
Knowing immediately why he asked, Cass said gently, “Do you really think I’d do something to betray my feelings for you?” It was at the tip of her tongue to remind Julian that she was not the one intending to marry someone else, but she managed not to.
The look on Cass’ face was easy to interpret, and color stained Julian’s high cheekbones. “I know I have no right to ask that…but I can’t fucking help it.” He hauled her into his arms and crushed her lips in a hard, passionate kiss. “I’d end up killing anyone who dares take you away from me.”
Cass traced his lips slowly, using it to ease Julian’s tension. “You have nothing to worry about, Julian. I’m always yours.” That was the only thing she could say that was true. She would always be his, no matter what happened. But she couldn’t promise him that no one would try to take her away, not when Mr. Darkness still lived and in her heart, she knew that he was closer to her than ever, and it was only a matter of time before he found her.
The feeling of danger became stronger and more insistent as Julian and Cass got further and further from the island in Joely’s plane. The Master had once told her that only Eden would keep her safe, but it was to be a temporary haven.
It was always up to her prince to protect her.
But could he?
Did she even want him to, knowing what kind of evil Julian would need to face if he came up against Mr. Darkness?
Just the thought of the two ever meeting made her feel faint with terror.
“Sweetheart?” Julian had just noticed the cold sweat bathing Cass’ body. “What’s wrong?”
She slowly shook her head. “Just nervous.”
There was a pause before Julian said, “You’re getting better at lying.”
Cass flushed.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Not just yet,” she whispered.
He cupped her face. “Don’t you trust me?”
She said painfully, “I trust you. But more than that, I love you—” She felt Julian stiffen. It had been her first time to say the words out loud, but both of them knew that there was never really any doubt about how she felt for him.
“Cass—”
The guilt on Julian’s face made her shook her head hastily. “I’m not asking you to say I love you. I just…it’s my love for you that makes me keep things to myself…for now.” She looked up at him entreatingly. “Just be with me, please, Julian. That’s all I need. Just be with me.”
His chest constricted at her selfless plea, her love for him humbling him. Julian said harshly, “Always.” And because his duty – his goddamn duty – forbade him to say anything else, he could only haul her into his arms and kiss her, hoping that it could be enough even though both of them knew it wasn’t.
She loved him, but he loved his kingdom more. Common sense told him that something would eventually have to give, but Julian would do everything in his power to prevent it. Cass was his life, and he would never let go of her without a fight.
Chapter Nine
After spending more than two years living amidst the lush beauty of Eden, Cass found the sleek but claustrophobic landscape of Ethereal’s capital city more than a little disorienting. Skyscrapers of every shape and size bordered the streets, most of them with huge advertising billboards brightening the evening skies like static light shows.
Julian was seated with her at the back of the limousine, his thumb absently caressing her knuckles as he spoke on the phone. The frown on his face had been there since they left the airport, and having read the latest news on her phone, Cass knew that the frown was likely to stay there for a long while.
The king’s heart attack had been unexpected, but even more so was the stroke that followed it, rendering the king half-paralyzed. Thankfully, he was still cogent and able to talk, albeit slurring his words.
Seeing the king’s weakness, one of the twelve noble houses had decided it was an optimal opportunity to stage a rebellion. The king was no longer mentally fit, Prince Manolo had charged. As such, the king was not in the position to name his successor. As the oldest and “most experienced” of all the eligible princes, Manolo considered himself the best one to accede to the throne. He was also willing to go to war in order to prove it.
The limousine stopped in front of an opulent-looking hotel and in minutes, Cass found herself whisked away by Julian into the penthouse suite. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Julian murmured, “Stay here and rest. I will come back to you as soon as I can.”
“Promise me you’ll take care.” The sense of danger had not left her. If anything, it had worsened, to the point that everywhere she looked she saw blood. But she didn’t tell him that, not wanting to burden Julian with her fears.
Julian shook his head, touched and amused by Cass’ anxious concern. “Nothing’s going to happen to me, Cass. Even if Manolo declares war, he wouldn’t be able to attack the city right aw
ay.”
“Just…humor me on this. Please be careful, okay?”
He said solemnly, “I promise.” He gave her a quick hard kiss. “Now, I truly must leave. Two guards are stationed outside your door – if you need anything, have them do it for you. I am as paranoid about your safety as you are with mine and I do not want you leaving this room. Especially as outside Eden, it’s possible that your parents’ murderer will find it easier to locate you.” The thought left a bad taste in his mouth, causing Julian to think twice about leaving her alone.
“I won’t leave the room at all.” She meant every word. Mr. Darkness could be anywhere, and that alone was reason enough to stay here while she waited for Julian to come back.
“Good.” Julian stroked her cheek with his knuckles. “Until later then.”
As he walked to the door, Cass ran to him and grabbed his hand. “I love you.”
Julian stiffened at the words. He knew what he had to say, but he couldn’t. He forced himself to nod, kissing her hair before leaving without a word. Now that they were both far away from the magic of Eden, the future felt much bleaker and the impossibility of their union weighed more heavily than ever in his heart.
Cass did her best not to cry as she slowly closed the door behind Julian. She tried to distract herself with the news by opening the TV, but that soon proved to be an even bigger mistake.
“Prince Julian is the second best bet for the crown,” the female reporter was saying. “In fact, he has everything that Prince Manolo has except for one.”
“And what’s that?” her co-anchor asked.
“Money,” the woman answered bluntly. “His house has the least amount of assets. Sure, compared to us, he’d be richer than Croesus. But compared to the other princes? He needs more money, and right now the only way to have such money in his possession is to marry a princess.”
“A rich princess, you mean.”
In other words, Cass thought numbly, he needed to marry a woman who was not her.
****
He was not going to make it back to Cass tonight. The thought had Julian cursing silently as he looked out of the window of his office, which had temporarily been turned into the headquarters for his executive team and key allies.
Negotiations between his camp and Manolo’s were likely to last until tomorrow at the rate they were going. It was clear to see that he was finally making headway with the older prince, but Manolo had always been a conceited bastard. Manolo might now see his threat to declare war as an exercise in stupidity, but he would only back down if Julian managed to figure out a face-saving excuse for him.
“You should go for the kill now,” Raoul murmured laconically. The younger prince came from the House of Navarro, whose royal lineage went only as far back as a century. It was definitely not as illustrious as Julian’s or even Jose’s, and since Ethereal citizens were very traditional, he had not been considered “royal” enough to be a worthy successor.
“You have managed to secure a military alliance with the neighboring kingdoms. You have him effectively surrounded. Why the delay?”
“First of all, it was you who managed to do those things, Prince Raoul, and for that I am deeply grateful.” Julian’s gaze was filled with frank scrutiny as he studied the other man. Raoul was slightly taller than he was, leaner, too, but with an aura that was more raw power than anything else. Anyone who didn’t know Raoul was likely to mistake him for a thug than a prince. “Why have you allied yourself with me?”
“You are the best choice.”
“You do not want to be king yourself?”
A brief smile formed on Raoul’s lips. “You remember the years we have trained together. Did I act like I wanted to be king?”
Julian did, and back then Raoul had seemed hell bent to violate every rule, never mind if it meant a punishment that sometimes felt worse than death. “Whatever your reason is, I thank you again for your support,” Julian said, knowing instinctively that there was no point asking Raoul for a more specific reason behind it. “And to answer your earlier question, I am biding my time with Manolo because we all know he can be crazy when he’s pushed to the corner. I do not want to risk him doing anything rash if I can help it.”
The office’s door opened, preventing Raoul from replying as Jose strode inside. Julian had sent his cousin to speak with Eduardo, prince from the House of Romualdez, for a possible alliance. If war did eventually happen, Julian wasn’t taking any chances and wanted as many allies on his side.
Jose didn’t mince words. “He wants to speak with you in person tomorrow.”
“Fuck.” That meant he would unlikely be able to come back to Cass tomorrow as well. He looked at Jose, “May I speak with you privately?”
Jose was visibly stunned at the request, but his voice was bland as he answered, “Of course.”
Julian led the way to the balcony, closing the doors to ensure that no one inside the office would hear their conversation. He wasted no time, explaining Cass’ presence in his life and asking Jose if he could drop by the hotel and keep her company.
“Every eye is on me right now.”
“What you mean is, you cannot afford to be photographed with another woman in the event that you may need to secure yourself a rich bride in order to accede the throne.”
Julian’s lips twisted at Jose’s accurate guess. “You have always known me too well, cousin.”
“Not that well, I think, since I’m having a hard time believing that you’ve brought your mistress with you here.”
Julian’s lips tightened. He wanted to tell Jose off for referring to Cass as his mistress, but was it not the truth? Even if he loathed the word completely, it was what the world would eventually label her if their union became known.
“You have always been on the straight and narrow. What does she have to make you take such a risk?”
“I’m not taking any kind of risk,” Julian said tightly. The risk…was all on Cass. “She knows I’m not going to marry her.”
“Maybe she thinks she can still change your mind—”
“She’s not like that.”
Jose frowned. “Are you sure? I do not want to play devil’s advocate, but it’s beginning to look to me that your passion has clouded your judgment. Do not take this the wrong way, Julian. You know I’ve always been on your side. And because of that, I must be honest.” He paused, choosing his next words with care. “Maybe, right now, she’s everything you’ve been dreaming of.”
The irony of Jose’s words wasn’t lost on Julian, but it only made him more furious. He didn’t like how sensible Jose’s every argument was, forcing him to question everything that used to be so easy for him to believe in.
Or maybe…that was just Eden’s damn voodoo-like magic at work.
He tried to imagine how he would introduce Cass to the public. This is my lover, Cass, the girl I have been dreaming of for years even though we have never met. She can read your mind and see the future.
If he did that, he might as well give up on his hope to be king.
“But are you sure she’s not going to change?” Jose was asking steadily. “Before you know it, she might be demanding that you drop everything for her or poisoning you against everyone you used to trust.”
Every fucking word Jose spoke made sense, and knowing it was so made him want to punch the walls. “She’s not like that.” Jose didn’t say a thing, but Julian could see in his cousin’s eyes that Jose was aware of the lack of conviction in his voice.
The knowledge shamed Julian and he said more forcefully, “She’s not like that. Go to her now and see for yourself. I will let her know to expect your visit. Just one moment in her company and you will know that she is not like that.”
“For your sake,” Jose said quietly, “I hope it’s true.”
****
Mr. Darkness walked with a smile on his face, humming silently to himself. He was in a very good mood, and it was likely to get better. After two long years, his favorite toy ha
d resurfaced. This time, there would be no escaping him.
The camera installed in one corner of the elevator caught his eye. He winked at it. He had pulled enough strings to ensure that tonight’s video – as well as every footage showing him present at the hotel – would disappear for good.
When he reached the penthouse floor, Mr. Darkness did short work of the two guards, taking advantage of their surprise. In seconds, he had broken their necks and his smile widened as their bodies crumpled to the floor in a heavy thudding sound.
He knocked on the door, but no one opened it. That was entirely expected. Smart girl, Mr. Darkness thought proudly. He liked his toys smart. It made things more exciting.
“I’m coming,” he told his dear little Cass, almost playfully, before getting to work on picking the lock.
Chapter Ten
Something was very wrong.
Cass paced the living room restlessly. Everywhere she could see death, and only the fact that it was not dark in her world like before kept her from going crazy. From time to time, she would use the peephole to ensure that the guards Julian had stationed were still there. They were. Thank God. That meant she was safe, right?
Hours passed, but fear kept her awake. It was already eleven in the evening – surely Julian would come anytime soon?
Another hour passed. She turned around, walked, and bumped into a console table, causing a vase of flowers to crash to the floor.
Cass paled.
She had never bumped into anything before. Never. It felt like a bad omen, and when she slowly bent down, the feeling of danger worsened until she wanted to scream.
She fumbled, feeling like there was something she had to hold in order to see.
Something sharp pricked her finger, a broken piece from the vase, causing her to cry out in pain.
And then she could see.
She SCREAMED.
****
Once, there was a man who was a prince of Ethereal like Julian.
