Finally he saw the folding door to his private planetarium, bedecked with planets and constellations. He hurried his steps and entered the big, dark room. Only a few crystal lamps stopped the room from being in complete darkness. He headed towards the large telescope and climbed the spiral staircase that lead up to the telescope.
Merlon was so engrossed in his study of the sky that he nearly cried out in fright when he heard a man’s voice.
“Still searching for a shooting star, my friend?”
Merlon turned round and looked down at the two people standing at the foot of the spiral staircase.
“Volcan! Hey! I’ll come down. Wait!”
Merlon went down the steps and embraced his friend.
“I’m so pleased that you’ve visited,” he said, once he had pulled away from his friend and he looked with curiosity at the young woman with Volcan.
“Coreena. This is Merlon, the Prince of Amarantus. Merlon, this is Coreena.” Volcan introduced them to one another.
“I’m pleased to finally meet you after Volcan has enthused about you so much.”
Merlon held her lightly by the upper arms and kissed her on the right cheek, then on the left. His friend’s chosen one really was a beauty, even if Merlon did prefer his little redhead.
“I … I’m pleased, too,” responded Coreena. “You have a wonderful palace.”
“Thank you. If it were up to me, it could definitely be a bit smaller,” said Merlon, sighing. “I need half an eternity to get from my bedroom to the planetarium.”
“Can’t you teleport yourself?” asked Coreena.
“Not allowed. In the palace no magic or supernatural powers are permitted,” explained Volcan.
“Oh!”
”Let’s go into the morning room and have a little snack. I still haven’t eaten anything today.” Merlon suggested.
They sat in the room flooded with sunshine and drank hot chocolate. As well as this there was a rich choice of cold and warm food spread out on a long table.
“We met your little sister earlier on the staircase,” remarked Volcan once they had finished eating.
“Ifitia?”asked Merlon.
Volcan nodded.
“She’s intended for Prince Rrandon?” he asked.
“Did she say that?” asked Merlon in despair.
“No! She said she was meeting him, but she didn’t seem very happy about it. I know about state matters so it’s not difficult to put one and one together. Kanninerra and Amarantus are still dealing with the events of days gone by. It’s hard for both sides to forget the hatred and wars of several centuries. A connection between your two houses would be a peace treaty.”
“You’re right. It’s an urgently needed step for our people. Ifitia knows where her duties lie.”
“Even if for her it means a life at the side of a monster?” Coreena interjected. It was clear that she was not in favour of this.
“Coreena, you must …” Volcan began, in order to keep the peace.
“I know Rrandon,” interrupted Merlon. “He’s not as bad as you think. Actually I even consider him to be the only man I know who can make my unmanageable little sister happy on a long-term basis.”
“How come?” asked Volcan sceptically.
“He’s strong – dominant. He’ll defy her sufficiently. She would wrap a gentle man around her little finger and within a very short time she would be very bored. Furthermore, I suspect that he doesn’t leave her as cold as she likes to make out.” Merlon turned to Coreena. “You haven’t seen him, have you?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“He’s a damned attractive guy,” said Merlon. “Cool, arrogant, but still very good-looking. As far as I can judge that as a man. I would of course prefer to say that he’s an ugly bird …” He laughed. “… but unfortunately that would be a lie.”
“But for love you need more than sexual attraction.” interjected Coreena.
“Certainly. I agree with you. It’s definitely not going to be love at first sight. But with time Ifitia will realise that he is exactly what she needs. They’re very similar. Both of them love hunting and have a weakness for horses. Ifitia is passionate and impetuous. Rrandon is controlled and rational. Therefore they complete one another. My sister needs someone with a calming influence. But a person who is strong and doesn’t give in to her on everything.”
“I trust your judgement. I only know Rrandon fleetingly. But I think you could be right,” said Volcan.
***
Cherry knew straight away that he had entered the room. She felt his gaze upon her and a pleasant shiver ran over her body. With trembling hands she put the freshly pulled beer onto the tray with the other drinks ordered and pushed it towards the blond waitress who was serving on the tables in the games room this evening.
“Here’s your order, Sandy.”
“Thanks, Cherry,” said Sandy with a smile and she grabbed the tray.
Without looking up Cherry knew that he had stepped up to the bar and her pulse sped up. She desperately tried to breathe calmly and steadily to hide her agitation, but she could not do it.
“Can I have a beer, please?” sounded his deep voice and a shudder ran through her body.
Fighting for control over her confused feelings, she carefully raised her eyes and tried to smile casually. She knew herself that it must have looked terribly artificial, but she could not do anything about it.
“Of course. With pleasure,” she said, and pulled another beer.
The knowledge that he was watching her made her nervous. It seemed to take forever for her to finally pull the beer and put it in front of him. He put the money on the bar and she reached for it. He put his hand on top of hers and she jumped. It almost felt as if she had put her hand inside a plug socket. The tingling sensation rushed through her body and made her sex vibrate. Such a harmless touch had never before caused such a strong sensation in her. Of course, no one would consider her an expert in such things. Her sexual experiences were confined to men like Justin, and they had never awakened anything in her but fear, pain or disgust.
“May I get you a drink, Cherry?” he asked.
“You … you know my name?” she asked, confused.
“I heard the waitress call you that,” he explained.
“Oh! Yes, of course,” she said, blushing.
‘You’re such a silly cow,’ she scolded herself. ‘As if he would have asked after you. Grow up, Cherry Thorne!’
“Well? What about the drink?”
“That’s very nice of you, but it’s not possible. But still, thank you. I … I have to serve customers now,” she said and turned away.
She felt his gaze on her back, and her steps to the other end of the bar, where a few customers were standing, were shaky and uneven. Her heart was beating wildly. She was free. She could have a drink with him. Justin was not there to give her trouble. But still she could not bring herself to do it, however much she was attracted to the stranger. Never again did she want to give a man the chance to hurt her. She had learnt her lesson. Men were dangerous and unpredictable and she simply could not trust them.
***
Merlon watched her walk away and swore quietly. He had messed it up. How could he get close to her without frightening her? She was obviously in a complete mess. He could sense her fear and it made him enraged with the man that had caused her distrust. That had not gone the way he had planned. Merlon had hoped that after of the arrest of the blackguard she would have the courage to begin a new life, but he was wrong. She was a long way off that. He would need to have a great deal of patience, and patience was not a particular strength of his. It was driving him mad, seeing her but not being able to touch her.
With a groan of frustration he picked up his glass and sat at a table nearby from which he had a good view of the bar. Observing her from a distance was all that he could do for now – even if it was almost killing him, and all his instincts were telling him to take hold of her, throw her over his s
houlder and take her to his apartment. She was his. He had cleared Justin out of the way and now the path was free. The fact that he was still being forced to act contrary to his instincts and wishes was a hard test of his will power.
Chapter 4
When Merlon left the club a few beers later he was still with Cherry in his thoughts. The need to touch her and to make her his bride became stronger and stronger. It was more than just the desire for physical fulfilment. Even if he were to consider calming his lust with another woman, which he did not, it would give him as little relief as vinegar quenching a thirst. Merlon would never have thought that he would find his bride specifically amongst the humans. It was actually not unusual for an elf to marry a human woman, but, after all, he was the successor to the throne. Nevertheless, he was certain that his people would accept his chosen queen. Of course it was not what was expected of him, but Cherry would bewitch all their hearts. On the other hand he could have no influence over the whole thing anyway.
Cherry was destined to be his bride. If this were not so, then his feelings would not be as strong. He had fallen in love on numerous occasions and he had had still more one-night-stands, but that was nothing compared to his feelings for the little redhead who now determined his every thought. She moved him at a much deeper level. He had always wondered how he would know when the right one entered his life. Now he had his answer. It was simply so obvious. He had seen her and known immediately that she was his soul-mate. There was simply no doubt.
On turning into a side street at the corner of the club Merlon suddenly had an inexplicable sense of impending danger. He growled quietly and every muscle in his body was on the alert. He was aware of an almost unnoticeable metallic smell that made him realise who he was dealing with. He could only hope that there were not too many of them. Suddenly they were there. They surrounded him on all sides. There were five. Merlon swore quietly. He could have taken them on if they had been humans but these were ice-elves. They were damned strong and damned nasty. Their greenish skin made them look ill, yet they were anything but weak. Their fingers ended in sharp claws with which they could tear him to pieces. It would be a miracle if he survived this. They attacked straight away and he did not even have a chance to transform into his elf form to use his full power.
A grim smile appeared on his face. No way was he going to make it easy for these wretches. He would deal with them as well as he could in his human form. Jumping up high, he kicked one of the wretches hard in the chest. The ice-elf fell back into some bins that crashed to the floor. Merlon crouched skilfully and planted a hook into another elf’s liver. This one staggered, but remained standing. With further punches and kicks he kept the ice-elves off his body for a while, but he was gashed many times with their sharp claws until he bled from numerous wounds and he was aware of his strength disappearing. He regretted that he would never hold Cherry in his arms. It was ironic that he had only just met his bride and that he would die before he could make her his. What he would give to have at least spent just one night with her before having to die. But it was not to be.
Merlon staggered then fell to the ground under the weight of two ice-elves. He felt them actually tear the flesh from his bones and blood filled his mouth. The physical pain was unbearable, but the most painful thing was the thought of never being able to tell Cherry what she meant to him. She would never know how close she was to becoming an elf-queen. He croaked her name. Then darkness overcame him.
***
Cherry sighed as she finished the accounts. Everyone else had gone home an hour before and she had set about doing the monthly accounts. She was doing it early, but somehow she had no desire to go home. It had never really been her home. It was, and remained, Justin’s house. Every detail in the furnishing, from the heavy leather couch to the black bedclothes, was to his taste. She had always hated it and would not carry on living there. She had still not decided where to go. It was all so difficult. For years she had lived under Justin’s thumb. He had dictated her every move. She had not even chosen the colour of her lipstick herself. Cherry felt terribly dependent. She had always dreamt of being free and now she was it almost frightened her.
“You’re a wreck, Cherry Thorne,” she said quietly to herself.
Intense exhaustion suddenly hit her and she yawned. It was time to go. She would fall asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow. The next day she was not working and would think seriously about her future. She had had enough for today. She could no longer form a clear thought. She stood up wearily and put the documents into the drawer then she grabbed her jacket and her handbag and left the club through the side exit.
Cherry had gone just a few steps when she saw a person lying at the end of the alleyway. It was probably another drunkard who had not made it home. She was about to turn and go home in the opposite direction, but something stopped her. She froze and stared at the person. It was dark in the alley but the rays from a distant lamp cast a weak light onto the body and something was not right with what she saw.
Cherry frowned. It had been dry for days. How come the man was lying in a puddle? And why was the light from the lamp casting a reddish shimmer on the water? The hair on the back of Cherry’s neck stood up as an awful thought formed in her mind. That was not a puddle of water. It was blood!
“Shit!”
She approached with trembling knees and her heartbeat sped up as she recognised the person lying in the pool of blood. It was him. Her heart screamed in horror. No! It could not be true! Not him! She ran the last few metres and fell onto her knees beside him.
“On no! Oh no!” she sobbed in panic.
He looked awful. Blood everywhere. Flesh hanging in tatters from his body. No person could have done this. He must have been the victim of one or probably several of those awful fighting dogs. Tears ran down her face and fell onto him as she bent over him.
A croaking sound entered her ears. It was very weak. But she was certain that she had not imagined it. He was alive! But for how long? Could a person survive such horrible injuries? There could hardly be a drop of blood left in his body going by the huge pool of blood that he was lying in.
‘Oh my God!’
“My …” he suddenly whispered weakly, and she cried out quietly in shock.
“What? What do you want to say? I … I’ll call an ambulance. Hold on in there.”
“No … my mobile … take …”
“Where? In your jacket?”
He nodded weakly and she looked in horror at his upper body, covered in blood. She had never been good with blood and he had a lot everywhere. She summoned up all her courage and put her hand into his tattered jacket. She found his mobile in the inside pocket.
“Call …”
“Who? Who should I call?” she cried in panic.
“Anyone!” he croaked.
“OK! I … I’ll do that. I don’t know why you don’t want an ambulance, but OK. I’ll …”
He grabbed her wrist and she screamed again.
“Do … it!”
“Alright! I’m doing it. OK? I just mean … damn it!”
She tried to unlock the key lock with the same combination as on her phone and it worked. Then she opened the contacts book and the first name was Aerios. ‘What!’ Who had a name like that, for goodness’ sake?
“Aerios? Should I …?”
“Do it!”
She pressed the call button and waited, her heart pounding, for someone to answer.
“What’s up, Merlon?” answered a sleepy voice. You’d better have a good reason for …”
“Hello?” Cherry interrupted his babble. Her heart was thumping and she felt horribly as if she was about to be sick.
“Who are you? How have you got Merlon’s mobile?” growled the man at the end of the line.
“I’m Cherry. I’ve found this man, Merlon, he’s lying here and …”
‘Shit! This can’t be happening. This must be a nightmare!’
“What’s wrong with him?�
��
“He’s bleeding everywhere and … he looks awful. I wanted to call an ambulance but …”
“No ambulance! I’ll be right there. Where are you now? I’m not getting a signal from him, probably because he’s too weak. Tell me where you are!”
“Do you know the B57?”
“Yes!”
“In the side street.”
“OK. I’m coming!”
Barely a moment later a man appeared as if from nowhere and a shocked scream stuck in Cherry’s throat. He bent straight down to the injured man and lifted him into his arms.
“We have to get him away from here. Where do you live?”
“Too far away! We’ll take him inside! Into the B57!”
“It’s already closed and I don’t want any witnesses!”
“I’ve got a key. I’m the boss!”
“OK! Let’s go!” agreed Aerios and she rushed ahead of him to the side entrance. With trembling fingers she opened the door and let Aerios in. She locked the door and turned to him.
“Along here!”
Cherry led him into one of the club rooms that was not used much.
“Lie him down here!”
Aerios put Merlon’s body down on the table top and Merlon groaned quietly, but again seemed to have lost consciousness.
“What are we going to do now? He’s lost too much blood. Without a doctor …”
“No doctor! I need help. I’m fetching a friend. Wait here and do nothing. I’ll be back straight away. It’ll only take a few minutes.”
“I can’t say that I think that’s a good idea, but OK! I’ll wait!”
Aerios nodded and disappeared before her eyes.
The fact that this man appeared before her from nowhere, and then disappeared again, was more than a little disconcerting, but Cherry was going to wait till later to think about that. Right now Merlon was her biggest concern. He looked awful and every part of her begged her to call an ambulance. Even though she could not imagine that they could save him. He definitely had no chance without medical help. How did this Aerios think he was going to help him? It was impossible. On the other hand it was also impossible to appear out of nowhere or dissolve into thin air.
Tamed by the Prince (Elven Lover) Page 3
