Gates Of Dilemma: Paranormal Romance (Princess Anastasia's Tales Book 2)

by Martha Woods

  “Elizabeth, we were just coming to see how you survived today,” I say as the two girls quickly bow and say a kind greeting. “But I see you are in good company.”

  “Yes, Anna. I had a great time today. I never knew that exercising could be so much fun. But we were actually on our way to the cafeteria to get something to eat. You don’t mind, do you Darien?” Elizabeth explains as she turns her focus to her brother.

  “I don’t mind at all, Elizabeth. Just make sure to be back to our rooms before it gets too late. You’ll need to rest before you return tomorrow.”

  Elizabeth’s face lights up as she quickly embraces her brother and then leads the other girls down the hallway. I can’t help but smile at Elizabeth new attitude and I can’t be happier at seeing her get along with other people her age.

  “She will make a great leader one day,” I comment before I turn and continue down the hallway. “Now John, how was your day?”

  Chapter Four

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  “And then Desmond got tangled in the rope climb, giving me the opportunity to take the lead” Elizabeth explains excitedly as she chatters about the obstacle course she was able to complete today. Even though it wasn’t a competition, it easy for students to take a simple task and make it into a competitive sport. I smile over the rim of my tea as we sit close to the fireplace in their suite. John had given us his rendition of his day at school while we had gone to dinner. Now we were listening to Elizabeth’s story after she had finally returned from being with her new friends. It was clear to me that they both had successfully days with their new classmates and looking forward to the next day. Where John had discovered a new interest in the history of the Kingdom, Elizabeth had found a new inner strength and competitive nature.

  “But I’m sure you have to be completely sore by now,” I comment as I set my empty cup aside.

  “I’m sure I’ll feel it in the morning. But honestly, I don’t care. It’s so nice to meet other girls my age,” Elizabeth continues chattering as I glance over to see John has passed out in his chair. As I look behind his chair, I see Morgan standing by the door, unsure of whether he should come in or not.

  “Well Elizabeth, I think a good night’s rest will help with the soreness. Darien, do you want to help John to bed?” I suggest as I look over at Darien, caught back by the fact that he has been staring at me the whole time. I give him a wink as I stand and usher Elizabeth to her room.

  “But you’ll come to my class tomorrow, won’t you?” Elizabeth asks as I open her bedroom door for her.

  “I’m sure Darien will be able to make it, but I’m going to start work tomorrow. I’ll be gone for a few days, but you can tell me all about your classes then,” I suggest.

  “Okay, Anna. Have a good night,” she calls from her bathroom. I chuckle as I shut the door and watch Darien as he shuts John’s door, having successfully gotten the boy to bed without waking him. I walk quietly towards the front of the room where I spot Morgan focusing on the floor.

  “You looked troubled, Morgan. Are you okay?” I ask as I offer Morgan a chair. Eventually he looks over at me and sets both of his hands on my shoulders.

  “I have lived a few hundred years on this Earth and have been a service to this Kingdom for half of my cursed life. But never have I ever met a warrior so willing to throw their life away like you are willing, Anastasia. Don’t tell me the rumors are true that you are going to try to enter the supernatural realm through a token trap.”

  I can’t help but look deeply into his black eyes as I try to gather my thoughts. I wasn’t expecting people to be talking about the experiment until it was completed. “Morgan, if all goes well then we might finally have found a way to attack the gates and destroy them for good. I can’t wait to train someone else and hope they can learn what I already know,” I reply sternly.

  “But you are the princess. You can’t risk your life like this,” Morgan quickly responds as his grip tightens on my shoulders.

  “I am no different than any other warrior. We are all willing to risk our lives if it means an end to this worthless war my ancestors started,” I bark back as I push Morgan’s hands off me. For a creature that has spent so much time with my people, I would have thought he would understand a warrior’s mentality.

  “Please don’t be offended by my words, Anastasia,” Morgan remarks as he forces me to look at him as he turns me towards him. “I just believe that this is the most dangerous thing I’ve ever heard of. There are so many things that can go wrong that it worries me to think you may never wake up.”

  I nod my head in agreement as I turn my gaze down. I don’t have the words necessary to reassure my friend because we both know the risks. If he has heard about my experiment, he has also probably heard about the warrior who recently died after coming in contact with a token. Though I had survived two token traps, it doesn’t mean the trap isn’t any less dangerous.

  “Then I have a favor to ask of you, Morgan,” I say as I look back up at him. His face softens as he gives me a quick nod. “I ask that you bond Darian and I, that I may be grounded to this Earth and increase my chances of returning.”

  I watch as Morgan looks beyond me and I can only guess he is looking over at Darien. I turn my head and motion for Darien to join me. He quickly obeys and laces his fingers with mine. “Can a warrior even be bonded to a normal human?” Morgan questions as he looks between us. I smile at Darien as I look back at Morgan.

  “You must remember, Morgan, that even though I wield hell fire, I am still human,” I say as I tighten my grip on Darien. I feel him return the gesture, giving me confidence that this is the right decision to make.

  “If it will help you, Princess, then of course I am your humble servant, even if your mother is going to kill me when she finds out what I’ve done,” Morgan admits as he motions for us to stand next to the fire place.

  “Or she’ll reward you for saving her daughter’s life,” I suggest as I turn towards Darien and gather his hands in mine. “Now, Morgan will recite the bonding spell for us. You won’t feel anything, but you may see something. I hear it’s different for each couple.”

  “I agree with Morgan. If this is going to help you, then I’m willing to go through with this,” Darien says as he tightens his hands around mine. I smile at him, trying to think if I ever imagined this moment would be shared with Darien. I had always assumed that I would be bonded with another warrior before traveling to the front lines for the first time, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. Being bonded to Darien felt right. I give Morgan a quick nod and my permission to begin.

  Morgan begins reciting the spell in words whose meaning has been lost for centuries. But I can tell the spell is working once I see my blue hell fire appear on my skin. I see it dance along my arms and for a moment I begin to panic as it travels towards our hands. I can tell Darien looks nervous as his eyes grow wide and he waits to see what will happen next. After this afternoons outburst, I can tell he is a little afraid. I hold my breath as Morgan continues speaking, lost in a trance as his voice becomes deeper and his eye shut. Darien flinches once the hell fire reaches our hands, but he soon breathes and relaxes when he realizes the fire is not burning him. I start to breathe heavily as I watch the hell fire consume us both and I admire my powers surrounding us without causing any harm. I feel like I can finally relax as Darien smiles at me with joy once he realizes he won’t be burned to pieces.

  As Morgan finishes the spell, my hell fire disappears like smoke being whisked away in the wind. I pull Darien into a tight embrace as I relive the moment in my mind. It was wonderful to share my power with someone else for the first time in my life, and having survived the event, I’m beyond happy.

  “Well that went better than I expected,” Morgan speaks up, pulling me away from my thoughts and back to reality.

  “That was wonderful, Morgan. Thank you so much for doing this for me,” I say, still holding tight to Darien. He chu
ckles as he looks at Darien.

  “I’m just glad no one died. I had never seen hell fire act like that before,” Morgan admits as he runs his fingers through his hair. I can tell we all are a little shocked how things went, and mostly relieved Darien didn’t burn up.

  “Now if you’ll excuse us, Morgan. I’d like to be alone with my bonded,” Darien speaks up once he seems confident that the ritual is over. Morgan rolls his eyes as he pats me on the shoulder and promptly leaves he room.

  “And what exactly do you have in mind?” I ask with a raised eyebrow. Without responding, he gathers me in his arm and carries me to his bedroom. Using his foot, he shuts the door and then sets me gently down on his bed. I can’t stop smiling as I watch him undress in front of me. I start tugging at my own clothes as Darien climbs unto the bed and helps me discard my clothes to the floor. A moment later, his lips are on mine as I enjoy the feeling of his body on top of mine.

  Darien pulls away as he places a hand gently on my face and traces my lips with his finger. “That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced,” he says as he kisses my forehead.

  “Me too,” I respond as I run my hands along his bare back, enjoying the feeling of his skin and the heat radiating off his body.

  “But now I want you to experience something equally as amazing,” Darien says with a wide smile. I can’t help but laugh in anticipation as Darien begins planting kisses down my neck, along my bare stomach, and finally down my legs. I steady my breathing as I feel him between my legs, kissing my inner thigh and lighting touching my swollen mound. My body yearns for his touch as I grip onto the sheets and enjoy the circle motion of his fingers. I can’t imagine anything better till I feel his other hand start parting my lips, followed by the slow motion of his fingers entering me.

  “Relax,” I hear him say as I giggle and try to relax my muscles, allowing him to enter further within me. At first, the sensation is unpleasant, but as he repeats the process and quickens his other hand over my mound, I start to enjoy the feeling of him within me and can feel myself dripping wet. He removes his fingers from my mound and replace them with his tongue which immediately sends shivers down my body. I respond to the pleasure of his mouth sucking on my mound and his fingers gliding in and out of me by putting my hand in his hair and tightening my grip.

  I can feel a climax building as my breathing quickens and I raise my hips to meet his ravaging mouth and fingers. “Darien…” I call as waves of pleasure ripple over my body and he slows his pace to allow the orgasm to wash over me.

  “How do you feel?” he asks as he moves back over me and starts kissing my neck and shoulders.

  “That was amazing,” I admit, pulling his face to mine and kiss him deeply, enjoying the new taste on his tongue. As we kiss passionately, I feel him harden against me. A new wave of excitement passes over me as he guides himself between my dripping wet thighs and slowly pushes himself within me. I remember to relax as I enjoy the sensation of being completely filled. We fall into a gentle rhythm as I wrap my legs around his hips and he presses deeper within me. I love hearing him moan into my hair as I kiss his neck and grip onto his shoulders. His moans grow deeper as I begin to feel another climax building in my body. “Faster,” I whisper into his ears, causing him to quickly respond by thrusting harder into me. This time I can’t contain my moans as the orgasm passes between us and my voice echoes off the walls.

  As my body begins to calm, I enjoy the sensation of him still inside me before he slowly leans off my body and simply smiles down at me. Then he gathers me in his arms and helps me stand. He kisses my forehead and for a moment we simply enjoy the feeling of our bodies next to each other.

  “Come on. Let’s get cleaned up,” Darien suggests as he pulls me after him into the shower. I can’t tell what I love more, this new feeling that is covering my entire body or being able to share the shower with the person I have loved all my life. For a moment, I think of telling him how I feel, but I decide not to ruin the moment. I don’t want to make things awkward between us after having such a wonderful experience with him. We take turns scrubbing each other clean and I thoroughly enjoy the feeling of his hands all over my body. I can’t help but notice the time he takes washing my breasts as I give him a daring smile. He leans forward kisses them tenderly and I consider letting him have his way with my body once again. But eventually he lets go of my body and we finish in the shower.

  Back in bed, I lay naked under the covers, enjoying the closeness of his body next to mine. “I wish we could do this every night,” I say softly against his chest. I enjoy the feeling of him laughing underneath me as he traces his hands through my hair.

  “Well, you know where I sleep,” Darien comments as he wraps his free arm around my waist. I can’t help but smile as I eventually close my eyes and focus on the sound of his beating heart, allowing the sound to lull be to sleep.

  ****

  When I wake, I avoid making the slightest movement as I confirm Darien is still asleep before I move. I’m careful not to disturb him as I quickly dress in my uniform. I take a moment to study his face, imprinting what I see to memory before I leave his room. As I pull his door shut, I glance around the common room and I feel relieved when I don’t notice anyone else awake. I cross the room without making a noise as I leave the suite and step into the hallway. As I glance around the area, I’m confident I’ve risen before most as I make my way to the research labs. Not having to talk with Darien before I begin my work helps me to clear my mind and focus on what I must do next.

  Chapter Five

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  “I’m glad we all had the same idea,” I say as I walk into the room and found the whole crew gathered together. Marcus looks up once he hears me and I can tell he is troubled by something. None of them look like they have gotten any sleep.

  “Anastasia, maybe we should re-think this?” Marcus quickly says as he walks over to me and places his hands on my shoulders. I look at his face and can tell he is being completely serious.

  “Don’t back out on me now, Marcus. We all understand the risks, but I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think I couldn’t succeed. Have a little faith,” I say strongly as I brush off his hands and approach the team.

  “The whole Kingdom has been talking. They don’t like the idea of their Princess being sent off on a suicide mission,” Mich adds as he crosses his arms and looks over at Marcus for back-up.

  “Well at least now I know my people care. Gabriella, how did your research go? Are you confident in performing the spell?” I ask, trying to progress the conversation instead of killing it before we’ve even begun.

  “Yes, Princess. I’ve worked with my high mistress all night and I am confident I will be able to call back your spirit if you have not returned in three days.”

  “And Mich, you have enough medical supplies to keep my body going for that time period?” I ask without missing a beat.

  “Yes, Princess. I have prepared an area for you that will allow me to sustain your body no matter what happens while you are away,” he replies, reluctantly.

  “And someone has collected a token for me to use?” I finally ask. The room grows silently as I look around and finally catch Marcus’ attention as he walks to my side.

  “I have secured the token. It’s waiting for you in Mich’s medical area,” he explains.

  “Good. Now let’s get set up. The sooner we begin, the sooner I can return home with a sure plan for our forces to destroy the gates. Mich, lead the way,” I instruct before anyone else can make a comment that might have me second guessing what I’m about to do. Now that I’ve bonded with Darien and enjoyed adult things, I feel prepared for the next step in my life, even if that meant my death for the progress of my people.

  We follow Mich down a hallway, passing several labs that I can pear in through the glass windows, and we stop in front of one such door. We wait while Mich enters the passcode and then we all file into t
he small room. I feel like I have just entered an operating room. In the middle is a plain white hospital bed with several monitors and stands on either side. On the far side of the room is a long counter with varies tubes, bottles and magical objects that I can only assume belong to Gabriella.

  “If you’ll hop on the table, Princess, we’ll get you hocked up and ready to go,” Mich explains. I follow his instruction as I slid onto the table and undo my uniform top. I try not to focus on the fact that I only have a bra on as I kick off my shoes and allow Mich to place several monitor patches on my arms, chest, and forehead. Then he starts an IV line in my hand and tapes the tube to my arm.

  “I’ll also be inserting a feeding tube once you are unconscious. If you are able to remember, when you awake you may feel the tube in your mouth or a tube up your nose to help you breathe. Try not to panic and try to resists the urge to rip it out. We’ll be here when you wake up and will be able to quickly remove the tubes so you can be comfortable again,” Mich explains as he motions for me to lay back on the bed. I try to get comfortable as I adjust my head on the pillow and try to avoid the light that is shining above my head.

  “Thank you, Mich, for your hard work,” I say as everyone gathers around me. I look at each one of them in turn as I focus on their faces and give myself something to remember and return too. “Now I want you all to be a witness of my last wish. After three days, if I have not regained consciousness on my own and Gabriella’s spell has not worked, I want Mich to attempt to revive me with adrenaline or any medical means possible. If my body fails, I want Morgan the Vampire to be notified and allowed access to turn my body into a vampire.”