“Ah should be so loocky,” he responded before thrusting his hips up high and burying himself fully inside me. I threw my head back and gasped, not prepared for the sensation of having him totally ensconced within me. Taking him all the way all at once was almost painful. I gripped both of his shoulders as he started bucking beneath me, pulling himself out, only to thrust back inside again. I thrilled at hearing my wetness and the slapping of our skin as he mated with me. Not ready to release control, I held his hips down and began grinding on him, loving the stimulation of my clit when I rubbed it against his stomach.
“So if I … decided to accept your gift of immortality, what would that … entail?” I asked between deep breaths. Seconds later, a moan escaped me as I eagerly rubbed myself against him.
“Ye moost take mah bluid,” he answered, his words coming out winded and heavy.
“What does that mean?”
“The blade betwixt yer bosom,” he replied. My surprise must have been obvious because I hadn’t realized he knew I had it. “Remove it.” I obeyed his request and anxiously waited for his next instruction. “Coot meh an’ then drink frae meh.”
“And drinking your blood will make me immortal?” I asked, eyeing him closely all the while in order to decide whether or not he was being truthful.
“Nae in one sittin’,” he replied while rocking his hips beneath me, as he tried to control the rhythm of our bodies. “Boot if ye take enough over time, aye, ye will.”
I nodded and reached down to run the blade across his right pectoral, cutting him. The crimson hue of his blood appeared immediately, and I wasted no time before leaning down and sucking it from him. The salty taste filled my mouth, and I instantly felt a jolt like lightning shock my entire body. I closed my eyes and images I didn’t recognize, or understand, suddenly flashed behind my eyelids.
I could see myself, only I wasn’t me. With red hair and green eyes, I was practicing swordplay in what looked like a forest. Tallis Black was right behind me, instructing me, coaching me on how to wield a strange sword that I didn’t recognize.
The image faded and another one took its place. I saw a craggy hillside covered in green grass. The ocean occupied the foreground and the sky was full of dark grey storm clouds. The clouds shadowed the ancient stone façade of a castle that sat upon an island.
This image lasted barely a second or two before it was ripped from me just as quickly as the other one had been. In its place appeared another dream, or vision, that made no sense. This time, Tallis Black was holding me and we were naked, lying in a meadow, surrounded by wildflowers. He tickled my stomach and I laughed in response, pushing him away playfully. Moments later, the laughter died and he was suddenly on top of me, kissing me in such a way that I knew how much love he harbored for me. My breasts were crushed up against his chest, and seconds later, he began thrusting inside me.
I opened my eyes at the exact moment when he penetrated me from below. I glanced around and found that I was back in the darkness, returned to the dungeon where the smell of cold, dank, emptiness reigned supreme. I felt lost, shell-shocked and confused. Tallis Black was lying beneath me, lodged inside of me and using my body to satisfy his own.
“Drink!” he ground out as he heaved against me once more. I leaned down, lapping at his fresh blood. Seconds later, he dropped his hips, looking spent and exhausted. His penis slipped out of me as he fought to catch his breath. I rolled over until I was sitting beside him.
I couldn’t ignore the visions that still haunted me. Even though they didn’t make any sense, they felt very real. As if I’d previously experienced them, and lived them. They were way too familiar to me.
“I don’t understand,” I started as I shook my head and suddenly felt like crying.
“Well, well, well,” I heard a man’s voice and glanced up at the cell door. A tall, elegant man was facing us both. Even though he wore a smile, his eyes were furious as they observed us.
Tallis Black immediately covered his spent erection and scooted back against the wall until he was sitting upright. I pulled the straps of my dress up both of my arms and stood up to address the visitor with a frown.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
“I, dear lady, am the Master of the Underground City. I believe I was also your date for this evening,” he answered as he glared at Tallis Black. His voice held a Scandinavian accent, which made sense when I noticed his blond hair and fair skin. He turned to Saxon, who appeared behind him and opened his palm. Saxon dropped the key to the cell door in it. I noticed Saxon refused to look at me.
The man opened the door and showed himself inside, his attention still riveted on me. He studied me from head to toe and his eyes burned with a passion I hadn’t seen before. “Quite remarkable,” he said as he gazed at me. “She is herself; and yet, she is not.”
“She is naethin’ like ’erself,” Tallis Black countered from behind me. “Ye have polluted ’er, ye bludy bastard!” he seethed while straining to no avail against his chains.
“Yes, so I have,” the elegant man agreed with a brief nod. “My dear,” he said while offering his hand. I wasn’t sure why, but I accepted it and allowed him to walk me to the cell door. All the while, however, I couldn’t forget the odd visions that still plagued me. They kept returning to my mind anew.
“Please return to your bedchamber, my queen, and refresh yourself. You will find a new gown awaiting you,” the dapper gentleman announced. Then his attention settled on Saxon. “Escort our lovely lady, yourself, Saxon, and do not allow her to leave your watch again.” His voice was icy and stern.
Saxon nodded quickly and offered me his arm, which I didn’t accept. Instead, I turned around and faced Tallis Black, still feeling inextricably drawn to him. His eyes were already on me. The Master of the Underground City closed the distance between Tallis Black and himself, to stand scarcely an inch or so from the chained man.
“Ah, the bladesmith! It seems I can never quite rid myself of you,” he started. Tallis Black said nothing in reply, but continued glaring at the refined gentleman standing before him. The Master of the Underground City clasped his hands together and smiled. “I have a very generous offer to make you,” he started.
“Ah want naethin’ tae do with ye,” Tallis Black responded before spitting on the master’s shoes.
“I doubt that very much,” the gentleman quipped. Glancing down at his sullied shoe, he didn’t bother wiping the spittle off. “As you must realize, Lily is forever lost to you,” he started. Tallis Black immediately dropped his attention to the ground. Despite giving the impression of sad melancholy, his hands were clenched into fists.
“Therefore,” the master continued, “I, as the understanding and generous leader that I am, would be willing to negotiate with you.”
“Ah said it before an’ Ah will say it again,” Tallis Black fired back, looking up at the stately gentleman with midnight blue eyes blazing. “Ah want naethin’ tae dae with ye, nor yer treachery!”
“You should refrain from stating your opinion until you have allowed me to explain,” the master continued. He was not in the least bit offended by the hatred that shone in Tallis Black’s eyes. “I am here to grant you the absolution you have sought all these years,” he said quickly. Tallis Black glanced up at him with sudden genuine interest, although he didn’t comment. “That’s correct, Bladesmith,” the master continued, a smug smile spreading across his handsome face. “This is your chance to free yourself from Donnchadh eternally.” He paused for a few seconds as if he wanted to allow the words to settle. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, deeper. “I am offering you the very gift you have always sought … death.”
To Be Continued …
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H. P. Mallory is the author of the Jolie Wilkin
s series, the Dulcie O’Neil series, the Lily Harper series, the Bryn and Sinjin series and the Peyton Clark series.
She began her writing career as a self-published author and after reaching a tremendous amount of success, decided to become a traditionally published author and hasn’t looked back since.
H. P. Mallory lives in Southern California with her son and her enormous dog, where she is hard at work on her next book.
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ALSO BY HP MALLORY:
THE JOLIE WILKINS SERIES:
Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble
Toil and Trouble
Be Witched (Novella)
Witchful Thinking
The Witch Is Back
Something Witchy This Way Comes
THE DULCIE O’NEIL SERIES:
To Kill A Warlock
A Tale Of Two Goblins
Great Hexpectations
Wuthering Frights
Malice In Wonderland
For Whom The Spell Tolls
Eleven Snipers Sniping (Short Story)
A Midsummer Night’s Scream
THE LILY HARPER SERIES:
Better Off Dead
The Underground City
To Hell And Back
Persephone
THE PEYTON CLARK SERIES:
Ghouls Rush In
Once Haunted, Twice Shy
THE BRYN AND SINJIN SERIES:
Sinjin
The Scent
Persephone (The Lily Harper Series Book 4) Page 26
