by Dani René
Rising gracefully to my feet, I use my femininity to capture the attention of the few male patients within the group. I was taught as a child how to use my powers of seduction—it was a valuable lesson in how to get what I wanted when I was older. I make my way over to the doctor sitting opposite me in the obligatory counseling circle.
“You’re walking a thin line, Dr. Miller. You’re not like Dr. Anselm and protected within these four walls by the other women. There are ways to get to you when you least expect it.”
“Is that a threat? You know what happens when those occur. I suggest you sit down, Marbh, and do as I’ve asked. Tell the people here a bit about your past and why you’re here.”
I turn around and look at the faces of those staring back at me—half of them aren’t even interested. They’re away with the fairies on whatever dream planet they’ve concocted in their minds.
“You want to know what my name means?” I ask the assembled audience.
I focus my attention on one of them—one of the new patients. He’s a man of about thirty years old, similar in age to me, or rather, he’s similar to the age they tell me I am. He’s a junkie if ever I saw one. His brain’s been addled by addiction to substances not meant for human consumption. I’ve seen it before. The shakes and the sunken eyes—they see much and are stupid enough to talk about it. A perfect toy to mess with. I sashay over, and leaning down in front of him, I seductively lick around my lips while I watch the journey of his eyes tracing the same path as my tongue.
Like a lamb to the slaughter.
“Marbh.” Dr. Miller’s use of my name is a warning to me to behave, but I choose to ignore it.
“Do you want to know what my name means?” I ask.
I bite my lower lip, looking coy and demure, but I’m nothing of the sort. I place one hand on the drug addict’s knee while my other goes to my chin, and I trail a path with my index finger down my slender neck toward my cleavage, which is exaggerated by my corset. It’s not strengthened with metal or bone. I’m not allowed those sorts of materials. It’s reinforced with some synthetic hardener that I can’t use to hurt myself with. Fools! It’s not me I want to harm.
Tracing a circle around the top of one of my plump breasts, the man watches my every movement. His breathing quickens, and I raise my hand up his thigh over the fabric of his workout pants until I reach his groin. Men! They’re all the same—ruled by their dicks. I’ve only known one man who wasn’t, and he was the greatest of them all. But I can’t allow my mind to go there now. I’ve got mayhem to cause. Tightly grabbing hold of the man’s hard dick, I squeeze it to the point of pain.
“My name is beautiful, and it’s fitting, don’t you think?”
Harder and harder, I squeeze until he’s screaming. If I had long nails, I’d be digging them into the flesh of his cock, slicing it from the base, but the fiends here have prevented that from happening. Instead I grip hard and pull. He tries to get up and flee, but he can’t—I’ve too firm a hold of him. They may have taken my nails, but they didn’t take my teeth. Opening my mouth wide, I bend lower and prepare to clamp down on his cock. But I don’t get a chance. Alarms ring out all around me, and I’m violently pulled away by several orderlies. Cursing out loud, I fight to get back to my target, screaming and shouting obscenities—it doesn’t work, though. I know what comes next. I’m pinned to the floor while Dr. Miller stands above me, a needle in his hand. He squirts a drop of the contained fluid from the tip to ensure there are no air bubbles before jabbing it hard into my arm. I instantly feel the inexorable pull of sleep cascading around my body as the devil’s liquid takes effect.
“You’ll pay for this,” I curse the good doctor before turning my head to where the man I tried to castrate is being helped by other nurses. He stares at me with fear in his eyes, and it feeds the assassin inside me. I smirk. I know it’s not a pretty look—it has him stumbling backward.
“My name,” —I begin to slur my words as the drugs take full effect— “means death.”
Chapter 2
1500s Scotland
The man I seek has been difficult to trace. He knows his days are numbered and has tried to outwit me at every twist and turn, but it’s not possible to elude me forever. I have him in my sights now, and it won’t be long before I’m able to bring him to justice—it’s what I do.
My name is Marbh, and I’m the Laird of Duncan’s right-hand woman, his wife-to-be and assassin. He’s in hiding at the moment because his life has been threatened by those who want to steal his kingdom in the south of Scotland. It’s my mission to make sure it doesn’t happen, and it’s the reason why I’m here today. I’m here to kill one of the leaders of the opposition. Many believe it isn’t possible, but it is, and I’m going to enjoy every moment of it.
Tying my horse to a tree, I jump down and make my way through the long grass surrounding the property. It’s a warm summer’s day. We don’t often get them up here, and everyone is taking advantage of it by spending as much time outside as they can. It’s getting late, and a good number of people are disappearing inside to prepare for dinner. I enjoy the fresh air. It reminds me of growing up. A time that was happy until my father was murdered. He was a good man, and a friend of the current Laird’s father. A noble from the North in his own right. Power is everything in the current political climate. It’s what keeps us alive, but it also hangs a noose around our necks that could prove fatal should anyone have the skills to tighten it. After my father’s death, my sister and I were sent to live in the castle belonging to my betrothed’s family, and my training to be the perfect wife and assassin under the tutelage of my future father-in-law began.
“When’s the venison going to be ready. I’m starving?” my target shouts to his men from where he’s quietly reading by a small brook. He has two servants with him and one guard. Arrogance about his own safety will be his downfall.
“I’ll go check for you, my Laird.”
One of the servants runs off, leaving me with only two potential issues to deal with before reaching my goal. The Laird is known for his lascivious nature, and I’m about to take advantage of it. Ripping my long, black, silk dress in a few places and messing up my raven locks before scurrying through the grass, I emerge close to him. The guard immediately springs into action and jumps in front of his master to protect him.
“Help me,” I plead with fake emotion. “I’ve been attacked, and they stole my horse.”
My target peers around his guard and looks me up and down. With the ripped nature of my dress, I have an abundance of flesh on show. He places the book he was reading down, and getting to his feet, he pushes his guard out of the way.
“My dear child, whatever is wrong?”
He comes over to me, strutting like the confident man he is. It has little affect on me, though. He has none of the splendor of my Laird.
“Two men, they attacked me. I was scared. They ripped my dress and tried to take my virtue.” I finish my words with what will be perceived as a heartbreaking sob.
The tales I’ve heard about this man in front of me are disgusting. He takes what he wants, when he wants it, even if it’s not his to take.
“Oh, my dear, come, show me where.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch him smirk at his guard, waving him away when he begins to follow behind us. As I said, arrogance about his own safety will be his downfall.
My victim assists me back through the long grass until we reach a secluded woodland area at the bottom of his property. My horse is nearby. I’ll be able to make a quick getaway from here. I scouted this place earlier and have weapons hidden for when they’re needed.
Faking dizziness, I stumble onto the ground and let out a cry again. He kneels down beside me and pulls me into his arms.
“You poor, poor thing. I’m the owner of this land, and I’ll make sure the people who did this to you won’t get away with it. When I find them, I’ll rip out their entrails and hang them from my turrets. Nobody attacks a young lady
on my property and gets away with it.”
“You are too kind, sir. I’m sorry for bothering you. I didn’t know these were your lands. I’m just passing through. My parents died, and I’m looking to travel farther South to find work to support myself.”
“You are all alone in the world and some monsters stole all your belongings.”
“Yes, sir, they did.”
“Evil.” He strokes my hair, and I try not to throw up. “We can’t have this. I’ll look after you.”
“You will?” I give him a look of surprise.
“Of course.” This time, he leans forward and presses a kiss to my lips.
I pull back, feigning shock.
“My Laird!”
In a flash, he wraps his hands around my neck and pushes me back against the mossy forest floor.
“In exchange for favors, of course. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a virgin. I can’t wait to see you bleed all over my dick.”
His hands fumble under my skirts to where I’m naked, but he gets no farther for I release the knife I keep hidden in the sleeve of my dress. Before he has a chance to react, I slice his throat, not enough to kill him instantly but enough to ensure he will die. His crimson life-force now stains the forest floor where he’d hoped my virgin blood would run. It’s ironic really—my virginity was lost a long time ago.
It’s time to play with my victim. What was it he said about entrails? Pushing him off me, he gargles. Maybe he’s trying to scream for help, or he’s asking what’s happening.
“A little present from my betrothed. He sent his angel of death to hasten your departure into the afterlife for threatening him. I hope you enjoy it.”
The man is on his back now, and I rip open the fabric of his leather jacket to reveal a linen shirt beneath. Pulling the shirt from his trousers, I expose his torso. He tries to struggle but is weak from the blood pouring from his throat. He’s no match for me now. Digging the knife into his abdomen, I slice across to reveal his intestines and other organs. Grabbing them in my hand, I yank them out and slash through them before stuffing them in his mouth. A fitting death comes when I widen the cut at his neck, and he breathes his last. Perfect. One threat has been eliminated—now to retrieve the proof of this man’s demise for my betrothed to display.
Fetching my sword, concealed beneath some tree branches, I raise it up high above my victim’s head. It’s not a full sword like the ones wielded by a man. I’m strong but not that strong. It’s a lighter weight one, which I don’t use often. I prefer other weapons such as knives and guns. With one swift downward swing, I chop through the man’s neck. It doesn’t go all the way through the first time, but the second blow severs head from body. Grabbing a bag I’d also hidden earlier, I put the head inside and collect my other weapons and tools before returning to my horse and leaving the dead Laird’s lands behind. My job done—now to present my husband-to-be with his prize and hopefully receive mine.
Chapter 3
1500s Scotland
“You have done amazingly well, my love.” The Laird, or Iuan as I call him, holds my victim’s head aloft for the assembled crowd to see. “To all those who doubt the woman I love, here is proof she’s the perfect partner for me.” Iuan then passes the head to one of his men. “Place this head where everyone can see it. So all will know what my future wife did in my name to protect me.”
“Bedroom,” Iuan bends down and whispers in my ear. “Get naked and into bed. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“As you wish, sir,” I respond with a smirk and disappear into the shadows, allowing my lover a moment with his followers.
We’re due to marry next year. It was part of the agreement I couldn’t marry him until I turned twenty-one. It’s not stopped us from being lovers, though. Age means nothing to me. I just want to marry Iuan and make everything official. As a woman, I’m a commodity in this world. Iuan is the only one who treats me as his equal. It’s why I kill for him, and he knows I thrive on it.
My first kill was a strange one. The man who killed my father was brought to me. I was fifteen at the time. I wish I could remember what happened, but I’ve no memory of taking the murderer’s life. All I can recall is the feeling of euphoria afterward and floating up high as though I was a goddess. I held the life of another person in my hands, and I chose for them death. It was poetic justice in many respects. To this day, I still get the same emotion when I kill. I live for that moment—it’s rooted deep within me. My blood doesn’t run red, it runs as black as the night. I’m like a devil incarnate walking the Earth. Iuan is the same—it’s why we’re the perfect couple. We’re malevolent demons searching for as much power as we can procure from those beneath us. My laugh echoes through the corridors of the castle as I make my way to the bedroom. It will reverberate forever in these halls as a reminder to our descendants of just how demented we were.
Reaching my bedroom, my lady’s maid is waiting for me. She helps me remove my clothes and folds them away while I wash from a bowl of water heated over the fire burning in my room. Standing naked before my lady’s maid, I allow her to brush through my long, black hair and plait it.
There’s a knock at the door, and dismissing my maid with a wave of my hand, I call out, “Enter.”
Iuan pushes the door open and struts into the room as my maid silently gives a curtsy and takes her leave. He’s full of purpose and authority, unlike the other Laird whose head will be attached to a spike on one of the turrets by now.
“Ever the good girl, I see. Fuck me, Marbh, you’re stunning. Perfect breasts and pussy. All mine. I can’t wait to make it official and put my heir inside you.”
“Hmm,” I purr with pride at his words. “I guess you’ll just have to put your dick inside me for the time being.”
“I’m happy to do that. On the bed.”
I do as he orders. Iuan is the only person I obey without question . We’ve been lucky I haven’t fallen pregnant. Iuan, like most Lairds, keeps a witch in his service, and she prevents it by supplying me with regular magical brews. I can’t wait to be married to Iuan and feel his child grow within me. I’ll give him a strong heir. One who’ll rule after us and be the greatest leader, second only to his father.
“Part your legs, Marbh. I want to see your pussy.”
Laying back on the bed, I pull my legs apart and show him what has always been his. I sometimes doubt I’m good enough for Iuan. I’ll not be a conventional wife, but his intentions toward me have always been honest. He’s never once lied and keeps me informed about everything. I guess I’m fragile in my insecurity, not that anybody will ever see it.
Iaun stands by the bed, and leaning in toward my pussy, he takes a big inhalation of air.
“Succulent as always. I want to try something. Do you agree?”
“You know I do. I’m your pupil in the bedroom.”
“Good girl.”
Iuan slides from the bed and goes over to my desk where I conduct all my correspondence. I watch him through my heavily lidded eyes. He looks over the writing utensils there, picks up a quill, and pricks it against his finger.
“This will do.”
He turns back to face me. His eyes have darkened. He looks like the devil I know him to be.
“What are you planning on doing?” I inquire, raising myself up on my elbows.
“I’m going to mark you, so anyone who goes near you knows exactly who you belong to. Dropping the quill on the bed, he flips me over onto my front with little effort. He then sits down on the bed and pulls me across his lap so my backside is over his strong thighs, buttocks up in the air.
“So white and perfect, no markings whatsoever. That’s going to change.”
“Not fair. I can’t see what you’re doing.”
I try to turn my head when he picks up the quill again, but I only earn a slap to my ass.
“Be patient—this might hurt.”
“Well good because that’s the way I like it,” I pout
He digs the ni
b into the tender flesh of my backside and starts to carve something on it. It hurts—it’s painful but between my thighs throbs with need. Iuan inscribes with his right hand while his left dips between my thighs and circles at my clit. I’m in ecstasy. He’s definitely happy with the present I brought him today.
“No one else will ever touch you, Marbh. You’re mine always and forever. In life and in death, I’ll be with you. I’m in your mind, and I’m written on your body. You can never escape me.”
He digs the quill into my flesh one final time to make a point. I know what he’s inscribed there. I’ve seen him sign his name on all his belongings in the same way. I’m his forever.
“I’d never want to escape from you.”
His thumb presses hard down on my clit at the same time as three of his fingers are pushed forcefully inside me. I explode on his hand. Like a person possessed, I thrash about as I orgasm with the squeal of a banshee.
Before I have a chance to come down and catch my breath, Iuan withdraws his fingers and throws me over onto my back on the bed. My ass instantly smarts, the flesh there feeling tender against the sheets.
“Fuck,” I cry out, but I’m immediately silenced when Iuan places his hand over my mouth. He pins me with his weight to the bed.
“My little whore,” he growls and thrusts himself hard inside me.
There’s no ceremony or gentleness, nor do I want there to be. I want him to fuck me…make me bleed. I want to know he’s been inside me for days after this. He’s not a small man. His physique and his cock are all large but hard, fucking hard with muscles. He’s a god in stature. He wasn’t gentle the first time he took me, and he isn’t this time either. His hips buck wildly as he finds his punishing, brutal rhythm. He moves his hand underneath my bottom, and coating his fingers in the fresh blood there, he then reaches up and smears it over my face. I can taste it on my lips—the metallic tang of his mark.
