“You must admit you know nothing for you know nothing. I cannot help you if you insist on clinging to ideals taught by outsiders,” he said.
I rubbed my eyes, the smell of blood tickling my nose. What did I know? Next to nothing most likely. I took a deep breath. “For the moment, I know nothing,” I said.
“Splendid, since we’ve established you know nothing, my second condition is you’ll trust me implicitly,” he said.
It was my turn to settle back into my seat. I stared at him, bringing the bottle of vodka to my lips and swallowing a considerable amount before answering. “That’s just crazy.”
“Nice to know you’re not stupid,” he said with a grin. “But if you want my help, you must trust me.”
You couldn’t lie to an elf as you could to yourself. If I said it, agreed to it, I would have to mean it. This was a test, my first test. Trusting an elf was ludicrous. I had a better chance dealing with a demon. At least they were upfront with their agendas. But, I wasn’t lucky enough to live in a region ruled by demons.
“Will you trust me?” I asked.
“I trust few,” he said.
I swallowed a bit more of vodka realizing that in this moment, honesty was the only course. “I’ve excellent instincts. I’ll trust you, but I’m not thrilled about it.”
He smiled, his eyes crinkling slightly at the corners. “Good. Third condition …”
“How many freaking conditions do you have?”
“This is the final one. Since we’ve established you know nothing and trust me completely, you’ll do everything I say without hesitation.”
“Bullshit.”
He pursed his lips. “Are you always this difficult?”
I thought about it for a minute. “I need a semblance of control over my life. How about I’ll do what you ask after you give me a valid reason?” I asked. I could do anything given a valid reason. It was following instructions blindly which I abhorred. I’d been there and done that, and it hadn’t gone well.
“Fair enough, I myself like control. I’ll grant you one reason for every order,” he said tilting the bottle into his mouth.
“Right. Now for my terms.”
He spewed liquid out, wiping his hand across his mouth.
“Excuse me?” he asked incredulously. Apparently, no one bothered haggling with him. I wasn’t giving him everything he wanted without getting something in return.
“I’m not asking for your trust, but at least give me a chance to earn your trust,” I said thinking over several scenarios. He had to trust me on some level if this was going to work. “And since you pointed out I know nothing, I want you to teach me,” I said.
Learning magic was hard work. In the two years since leaving home, I’d been able to distinguish scents and feel auras. I was capable of seeing light when the powerful freaks shifted space. I could see and sense the energy fields some used as weapons. I wasn’t good at much else.
Then there was the pesky side of Realm etiquette. I wasn’t reared a Lady. I didn’t know the unspoken rules. My position in the New World was precarious at best. I needed to learn, and learn fast, from a master, and there was no one better than the dark elf.
“Minx, where have you been the last two centuries?” he chortled.
“Is it a deal?” I asked, excited. If he agreed, he wouldn’t change his mind. Elves might not know how to tell the truth, but they were notorious for doing exactly what they said. This was why no one liked pissing them off. If they said they’d kill you, you were dead.
“By all means. It’s the best deal I’ve made this century,” he said.
I smiled, extending my hand out for a shake. This was as good as I could hope for given the circumstances.
“I’d like a kiss,” he said smoothly.
“A what?”
“A kiss, pet.” He folded his hands behind his head waiting. “I won’t move. I promise.”
I looked searchingly into his violet eyes. He didn’t move. His body was one large immobile object. I could smell the lust in the air, and it wasn’t mine this time. Men are so easy.
I got up from the chair and leaned down, my lips an inch from his. I smelled his scent. It wafted between us, a mixture of lust and sandalwood. My hormones kicked into first, the lust surging forward. I licked his lips softly, and he hissed. I smiled at the reaction and pressed my lips firmly onto his. I felt a wave of shock pass through my body when his mouth came open underneath my lips, my tongue seeking his.
I was nowhere near virgin status, but this kiss was different. My mind whirled with his scent. I felt the tendrils of energy in the room gathering around us. They caressed my body, pressed against my breasts, ran down my legs. My hands went up to cradle his head as I deepened the kiss. If I felt this good with one kiss, I couldn’t imagine sharing his bed. Maybe all the tales about elves in the sack weren’t myths.
I pulled away reluctantly. “One kiss,” I whispered against his mouth. “Anything else?”
“Call me, Sasha, pet. I hate titles and formalities where certain people are concerned,” he whispered.
“Sasha? No problem,” I said lightly nipping his bottom lip.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said quietly.
Chapter Two: Lessons
I’d practically moved in with the elf four days later. Lordy, his bathroom alone was bigger than the room I rented. His personal quarters included a full bar in one of the corners, a seating area, and a king size bed in the middle of the room.
I’d learned enough about his ways in the following weeks not to goad him with expletives or boasting. It hurt to swallow the retorts, which easily sprang out of my mouth. He provoked me intentionally, and I usually failed the test. It always went badly when I lost my temper.
We were working tonight on sensory perception. I should be able, as a witch with exemplary bloodlines, to find him in the dark. His room was completely dark now. I couldn’t see the hand I was extending out in front of me. No light entered through the skylights, the windows shuttered tightly against the streetlights. I concentrated on the energy in the room. He was near. I could feel his presence. I turned slowly around, extending my emotional antennae.
The smack of a hand upon my backside stung. The sulfurous odor of my anger scented the air immediately. I whirled, throwing a left hook in the direction of the offender. I made no contact and stumbled with the momentum.
A bubble of laughter filled the air. “Pet, you must concentrate,” Sasha said.
“I’m never going to learn anything if you keep playing with me,” I wailed.
I bumped into a bookcase and grabbed the first thing I touched. I heard the muttered oath as I slammed the object on his head. At least I’d found him.
“You’ll pay for that,” he growled.
I flew onto the plush bed. The downy pillows cocooned me in softness as I landed. Tendrils of energy, electrifying bands, wrapped themselves around my wrists when I tried to get up. With my hands pulled over my head, the skylights opened. Thin streams of night light illuminated the room.
He stood at the foot of the bed, his fingers kneading the side of his head. “Your temper will be your downfall,” he said. “You must never show anger, no matter how angry you become.”
“You lose your temper all the freaking time, asswipe,” I said.
“Yes … but I may. I’m Lord Alek; it’s expected. You, on the other hand, may not. You’re my allodial, and I demand a certain level of comportment from my people,” he said.
“Let… me… go,” I demanded between angry breaths.
“Promise not to hit me,” he said pulling up a chair to sit closer.
“I don’t need to promise shit. Stop teasing me when we’re fucking working, and I won’t have to hit you,” I said.
He was stronger, faster and had centuries of experience. I had to do what I could to defend myself. Screaming, throwing objects and on occasion biting, were my weapons.
“We need to work on your choice of adjectives next,” he said.
/> “Arrogant, self—centered sod. You enjoy tying me up,” I said.
He smiled and leaned closer, his lips caressing my neck. “I do enjoy bondage, but with you, it’s the only way to get you to cooperate sometimes,” he said softly.
My body jerked in reaction when his tongue flitted against my racing pulse.
“Why are you so pushy?” I asked.
He was pushy to the extreme, and I didn’t like it. We’d had many battles in his rooms. Loud arguments turned violent in the blink of an eye when he grinned condescendingly. I was the one to draw first blood in every confrontation. He was the one who tied me up until I regained control.
“Let’s go out tonight instead of studying,” he said ignoring the question.
I sighed in resignation. He’d already answered the pushy question before and wasn’t going to repeat himself now. I was his allodial. I was an important player in Court politics. I had to act properly, speak properly, and be prepared before I stepped into Court.
“Where do you want to go?” I asked.
My voice had gone to a normal level. I wasn’t angry any more. It defeated the purpose of my learning anything if I was constantly tied up. The tendrils around my wrists disappeared. He sat ramrod straight on the chair and crossed his legs.
“Ernst, I need some air,” he said.
I smiled at his choice of words. He was always subtle in his answers. He needed to get his groove on is what he needed. Since I wasn’t a willing female, he went out at least three times a week to pick someone else up to soothe his appetite.
“I don’t want to go,” I said.
I curled on my side, refusing to meet his eyes. I didn’t want to go out with him tonight. It was depressing how he found willing partners so quickly.
“Why?” he asked.
“Go have fun with your groupies,” I said, closing my eyes. “I want to stay in. Maybe order junk food for dinner,” I said.
“Malachi is busy tonight. Do you really wish to stay alone?” he asked.
“Not really. Tell you what, I’ll go home and visit Nola.”
It wasn’t a happy thought. I had my own room here. I didn’t actually spend much time in it but it was big, clean and had every amenity I could’ve wished for. But I rarely slept in it, never had been able to sleep. For years, I blamed it on hunger, on the gnawing pangs that clutched from within. But, it wasn’t hunger. The elf had quickly remedied the food problem. Every room in the house had a mini fridge stocked with vodka and junk food for me.
“If you wish company, invite the witch here. This is your home now,” he said, leaning forward to touch my nose.
“No, it’s not,” I said, opening my eyes to slits.
He told me the same thing every time I mentioned leaving. He wanted me to stay until I had my own home. My room at the boarding house wasn’t a proper place for a Lady. I didn’t argue about leaving most nights. Now what I most craved was sleep, one night of blissful undisturbed sleep.
It happened by accident that I fell asleep in his bed, curled up next to his body, inhaling his scent. It’s always the little things which make a person more attractive.
“What to do?” he asked conjuring a bottle of Absinthe. He unscrewed the cap and took a swig. It was difficult dismissing him when I enjoyed his company. He was fun to hang around with when he wasn’t pissing me off.
I smiled. “You can do whatever you like,” I said softly.
He grunted. “Yes, I can, but I’d rather do it with you,” he said.
“Only because I haven’t caved in to your animal magnetism,” I said stifling a giggle.
He shook his head sorrowfully. “You’re a prejudiced witch,” he said after another swig from his bottle.
“I’m an informed witch.”
He sniffed the air, a small smile gracing his lips.
“I can smell your desire, such a delectable aroma. Why do you suffer when I know you can do otherwise?”
I felt the corner of my mouth inch a fraction. If he only knew how often I thought about the subject. The boys, as I’d been mentally referring to them lately, would certainly do me the favor. When the elf was out for the night, I slept curled up in the half-breed’s arms. He was also the perfect knockout pill. Neither of the boys ever tried anything sexual, which was a nice change from the norm. I liked to sleep.
“Maybe I should …,” I mused.
I slept with people for several reasons. I liked good looking guys to help with my physical itch. I preferred guys with something to offer on most other nights. It’s how I survived the last two years. Without an education or qualifications for a real job, I’d had to hustle.
My recent problem was that ever since my meeting up with the boys, every man acted as if I had leprosy. They would come over, start the small talk, and leave as soon as the elf kissed the nape of my neck or the half-breed rubbed my back. So not fair since no one cared if I groped them.
“I promised several weeks ago it’ll always be as you wish in private,” he whispered. His hand snaked across my stomach, tenderly reaching for my breasts. He was impossible.
“Would you like to stay in?” I asked.
“You plan on entertaining me?” he asked, his eyes glowing violet with the thought.
I swatted his hands away.
“For a seven hundred year old person, you don’t have much patience. I thought we’d had this conversation before,” I said.
“I’m Lord Alek, I don’t need patience. That was, until I met you,” he said flatly.
I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. “If you’re in so much need,” I ignored the burst of anticipation from him. “Let’s go,” I said.
It’d been a rather long time for me. Maybe I’d get lucky tonight. There were bound to be clueless tourists in the bar. I wasn’t born to be celibate, no matter what my mom said. His grin slipped.
“Pizza it is,” he said pushing me back on the bed.
“You don’t want to stay here,” I said.
“Don’t tell me what I want,” he mumbled.
He rose from his seat and walked towards the kitchen counter. Picking up his phone, he dialed the number to the nearest pizza parlor. I heard him place the order for our dinner and snap the phone closed.
“You said you wanted to go,” I said.
“We need to go over the history of allodials.”
He had his back to me, his mind shuttered against any intrusion. I smelled the soft scent of ginger and wondered what that represented. Shrugging my shoulders, I headed to the bathroom for a cold shower. I just didn’t understand the elf at times.
I was done within twenty minutes. I stepped out of the bathroom in a pair of old sweats and raggedy t-shirt. Three large pizzas were on the bar. It was nice when you had rank and money. Everything was just easier. I opened the first box and promptly pushed it aside. I didn’t get the vegetarian thing with him. The remaining pizzas were for me. Every meat on the menu was on the pies. I sighed in bliss.
He handed me a Kamikaze as I sat on a bar stool at the counter. The stereo came to life, the music low in the background. My eyes flitted up to watch him move about the room.
He ignored the food, going to the bathroom for his own shower. I settled down to eating. I needed food, lots of it. The elf said it was because of my blood. He’d tried explaining witch lore, but he wasn’t very knowledgeable on the subject. Every once in a while he’d remember something and spew it out, as if he’d had a brain fart.
He stepped out of the bathroom, and my eyes flickered to him. I choked on my pizza. He’d never before tried seducing me outright. If he had, I might have crumbled like the retaining wall on the Seventeenth Street canal.
He walked towards the bar, patting me on the back to help with the choking, and sat down. He grabbed the pizza box, took a slice out, and began chewing. I stared at his body.
His golden red hair, damp from the shower, was swept back behind his ears. He wore a pair of tight boxer briefs and nothing else. My fingers reached out to touch him, his
scars. His body was littered with scars. Long gashes ran down his chest, several raised sections along his ribs were consistent with stab wounds.
“Where did they come from?” I asked as I skimmed my fingers slowly along his skin.
He stilled when I touched him. “Can’t keep track,” he said placing the pizza down.
The biggest one started just above his left nipple and crossed over his entire chest. It was odd, jagged as if placed systematically over different periods. I counted the raised sections until reaching the end. Three.
I didn’t look up when his breath hitched. His body, the marred perfection, had my complete attention. I ran my fingers over other scars, tracing the trajectories over his body. I’d never seen anything so brutal or beautiful.
I stopped the inspection and brought my hand up. The skin was smooth where Malachi had sliced my palm. I didn’t have any scars, now that I thought of it. I healed fast but without proof of any transgression against my flesh.
“I don’t scar,” I said in awe. I was twenty-three years old, and I never wondered why I didn’t have any scars.
“Witches,” he said.
I turned back to my food. I was still ravenous despite having eaten one whole pie by myself. Sasha filled my glass up with another Kamikaze, and I ate in silence.
“As we were discussing earlier, allodials were eliminated in one night,” he said.
“I got that part. Everyone agreed it was a good idea. But the title was never taken off the books … so on and so forth but why were they eliminated?” I asked.
“Varying reasons but the common thread was fear,” he said quietly looking at me. “The women became too powerful. At the time, only men were sitting on the council,” he said.
“All allodials were women?” I asked.
“Yes. All allodials were women. By some odd occurrence, and please don’t ask how because it was before my time, they were witches also. The four remaining witch Houses never had a member with the allodial title so they were allowed to live,” he said.
“How many women are sitting on council now?” I asked in confusion.
He snorted and rocked back. “Sitting as we speak is one. Lady Maria, House of Sangria has ruled Region Five for the last fifty years. She’s a shrewd woman. By the end of the year, there will be two. Lady Katherine is scheduled to gain Region One,” he said.
A Lady of the Realm (House of DeDe) Page 2
