Ribbon of Darkness (The Trouble with Elves Book 1)

by Decadent Kane

  Too late for that. And there went the civil way to try to get them to the Pole. Draven rushed inside the door after the women, sure to keep from bumping into them or a bookshelf. Damn boxes, books, and shelves were worse than reindeer games and the Rudolph maze. He sidestepped a stack of horrors being relocated to the back, finally keeping pace with the females ahead of him. He watched Ribbon’s accentuated walk and found his body reacting to the sway of her hips. He swallowed his groan, encouraging his body to behave. How could he be near her for mere seconds and have his body respond so willingly, so abruptly. Even with Maple, he normally had to get himself going, except the last time, but then he’d thought of Ribbon too. His body tightened at the arousing thoughts. He desperately wanted Ribbon in Maple’s place; in fact, his body almost demanded it of him. He shook the thoughts from his head; he needed to concentrate more on the mission and less on the Donella.

  The women headed toward the back of the shop. Mrs. Winters veered off, giving her daughter’s arm a squeeze. Draven followed Ribbon to the exchange bins. He had a sudden urge to not only show himself, but something primal, centuries old, wanted to take her. Physically haul her off with him like some male woodland elf. So primitive. He watched her bend over to pick up a bin from the floor labeled ‘check in’ and place it on the low table. It took all of his resolve not to slide up against her heart-shaped ass. His fingers itched to squeeze it, knead it...

  She opened a ledger book and began writing down each title she withdrew and added a price to the front with a small round sticker, each movement graceful, efficient, and effective. He snapped his fingers and slipped up behind her, ready to try his hand. Lay it all out on the table and hope for the best, knowing full well it wouldn’t go smoothly. Up close she smelled like fresh snow, clean and crisp. His body reacted and his arms snaked around her waist. She was soft, pliable. Her body stiffened.

  “Hells bells! Who—”

  Draven’s hand covered her mouth. “Shhh...” He’d expected her to react and didn’t miss a beat. She struggled against him, the wiggle causing his cock to harden. “I mean you no harm, please, Donella, listen to what I have to say.” She was so close, it was impossible to ignore the havoc she wreaked on his hardened body. He defied the urge to push against her. To show Ribbon how much he desired her. The table was almost an invitation to bend her over.

  Ribbon nodded and Draven removed his hand, glad it had turned out smoother than he expected. She opened her mouth and a screech flew out.

  “Merde!” slipped from his lips as he was forced to replace his hand. She bit into one of his fingers, and he resisted the need to remove his hand from the pain. He yanked the finger loose of her teeth and set his whole hand over her mouth, forcing her lips closed. Despite the pain, he found her spark exciting and entrancing. She was a short Claus elf, and her dainty size packed strength he hadn’t expected. He could hear the stomping of running feet and knew her parents were headed his direction.

  He took a deep breath, clamped his free arm tightly around her, closed his eyes, and used the rest of the Christmas magic he had reserved to blink them both as close to the North Pole as possible. In his mind, he pictured the soft snow beneath their feet, the twinkling stars above them, and the chilled breeze. He tried to force them as close to the Pole as possible, but his magic dwindled faster than he thought it would. He must have used more magic keeping himself invisible than he had planned.

  “Draven, dear, back so soon? I was sure—” Maple’s voice cut out.

  His eyes flew open. Shit, not Maple’s. Anywhere but Maple’s. He obviously didn’t have enough to get them both very far and it would cost him dearly. “Now, Maple, hear me out—”

  “Who in Santa’s name is this?” Maple’s voice took on a high pitch. She crossed solid arms over her green leaf dress and sent daggers at Draven with a raised brow that would turn even the warmest elf to ice. With his attention on Maple, Draven let loose his hands and Ribbon slammed an elbow into his chest, knocking the wind from his lungs and causing a sharp pain. The unexpected hit dropped him to one knee on the floor of the hut and he reached up to catch himself. The last thing he remembered was Ribbon’s very solid fist slamming into his face and ‘Silent Night’ ringing in his ears.

  Chapter Five

  “You kidnapped me, you sorry excuse for a spy!” The words flew from Ribbon’s lips before she realized she’d knocked him for a darn good loop. His eyes had rolled to the back of his head and he’d hit the floor with a solid thump. Served him right. Taking her from her parents’ shop. Oh heavens, what would her parents think, what would they do? The sudden image of her mother in tears wrapped in her father’s arms came to mind. She could just picture the resolute face on her father. The tightness of his lips as they formed a thin line, determined to come after her. And if she knew her father, he would most assuredly come to find her. She needed to get the hell out of here, away from Draven.

  “What did you do to him, you little harlot?” Maple asked. She flung her taller body towards Ribbon, eyes blazing and mouth agape. Her arms spread out as if to tackle her. Ribbon ducked and the blonde elf flopped over her, very ungraceful, but still landed on both feet. The hut shook with the force.

  “One, I’m no harlot. Perhaps you deserve that title?” Ribbon scrutinized the other elf’s clothes. She seemed nature-bound, primitive even, though not so much in speech or jealousy evidently. What any man saw in such a stalky creature was beyond Ribbon’s comprehension. Maple’s nose upturned almost like a pig’s, only pointed. Her eyes were large round saucers compared to her nose. The most elegant part of her was her high cheekbones. They seemed to sit well on her face. And if Ribbon was honest, Maple’s hair was quite pretty falling in ringlets about her face and shoulders. Her clothes, though, didn’t leave much to the imagination. Cleavage poured out from the top of a...leaf? And the strange skirt she wore rode entirely too high for decency.

  “He’s mine, has been for several seasons. Get your nasty hands away from him. Look what you’ve done! Stupid human.” The words spewed from her mouth with a little spittle on the side. Maple was rather grotesque. Her muscles bulged a little further than toned, causing her to look amazonish.

  “Human, hardly.” Ribbon shook out her hair and spoke the magic word her mother had taught her to release the spell concealing her elfin quality, “Vina.” She felt her mother’s magic fall away like sand sifting over the top of her head, beading down with gravity’s pull. Maple gasped. Ribbon decided she rather liked her pointy ears, given Maple’s reaction. She might as well own up to what she was. At least it was good for something.

  “You’re a Claus elf like him.” Maple seemed on the fence as to whether or not she should be offended or in awe. Her eyes darted back and forth between Draven and Ribbon.

  “What if I am?” Ribbon crossed her arms and stood her ground. She had no right to cast judgment and Ribbon would be sure to let her know it. Besides, who was she but clearly a lower breed living in nature. She didn’t even have a good roof over her head, just some twigs and leaves. Ribbon almost felt sorry for her, but the ugly words that came from her mouth kept her from actually taking it any further. Perhaps if the female elf had reacted better, then all this could be avoided, first impressions were always important and took a lot of time to shake off if portrayed wrong.

  “Get out!”

  “Go ahead and make me, you sorry excuse for a—”

  “Ladies, please.” Draven’s voice came out gruff. They both turned to look at the man on the floor.

  “She’s no lady, Draven. She’s a sorry excuse for an elf if I’ve ever seen one, let alone a Claus elf. Where’d you find her? Some other woodland district?” The words stung as they came out of Maple’s red lips. She talked as if Ribbon had been some whore off the street, working the corners.

  “She’s a Winters, Maple.” Draven slowly stood.

  “Shut your bells! She’s not.” Maple’s mouth hung open like a fish trying to breathe out of water as her eyes slid over Ribbon’
s form. Goosebumps ran all over her skin and she resisted the urge to shake them off. What was so important about her being a Winters?

  “Truth, Maple. We’ve not been dishonest with each other, Sylvan elf. You know I’m not yours to keep and never was. I need to get her back to the North Pole before everything blackens.”

  “What can I do to help?” Maple’s tone instantly changed. She had mood swings like a rabid dog.

  “How about let me leave, let me go home.” Ribbon started toward the door.

  “Donella, I can’t let that happen.” Draven stepped in front of the hut exit.

  Why hadn’t she sprinted when she had the chance? Oh right, power struggle with a primate. Ribbon groaned.

  “Maple, could you send us up to the Pole? I’ve used the last of my magic to get us this far.” He held Ribbon’s gaze and rubbed the side of his cheek. It had begun to swell. His eyes followed her every move, stalking her like she was prey. Heat rose to her cheeks and Ribbon quickly squished the embarrassment. She had nothing to be embarrassed about. She shouldn’t even like the man, or elf, whatever he was. Ribbon crossed her arms and stood tall. She cocked her brow in challenge. Let him try to take me again. She’d make sure she left a few marks in the process.

  “I will do what I can, love, but it will take a good portion of my reserve to get you barely close. It’s a great distance from here.”

  “Much obliged. Just do what you can. I’ll figure the rest out when I get there.” Draven walked over to Ribbon and slid a warm hand around her lower back. Ribbon tried to step back and bring up a hand to at least smack him, but he kept her firmly in place, effectively blocking any option for her to fight back with much resolve. The heat from his touch set fire to her groin and she felt the cool wetness of her panties under her jeans. Great, not only had she not had time to claim her release from a few days ago, but this crazy kidnapper ignited her body. Traitor that it was. Draven turned her so her back faced him, wrapping both arms around her. It felt entirely too warm, too comfortable.

  “I’m only doing it for the sake of the Pole. You owe me.” Maple’s eyes found Draven’s hands on Ribbon’s body, flamed, and then she closed them. She spread her arms out wide, a blue glow forming in a circle where her arms arched. She twisted out her wrists and it levitated above Ribbon and Draven. Ribbon felt the static electricity raise the hair on her arms. She blinked and then Draven held her upright in the snow. His other hand slid around her middle and he drew her in close to his chest. Ribbon shivered, but it sure as hell wasn’t from the cold. She rubbed her legs together as her clit pulsed. Just because she could, she wiggled closer into his pelvis. She felt the bulge against her ass and grinned. She’d torment him as much as possible, and then maybe they’d be even.

  Draven turned her around in his arms. “I’d suggest you watch yourself if you wish to keep your clothes while we walk the next few miles to the Pole. I have absolutely no qualms about taking you right here, snow and all.” Draven leaned in close to her face. His lips hovered over hers, causing Ribbon to bite her lip just so she didn’t close the small distance between them. “Trust me, Donella, when I tell you the cold will be the last thing on your pretty little mind.” His eyes slid half-closed.

  Ribbon remained quite sure he’d already undressed her in his mind. Even worse, she hoped he had. Good grief! Her mind needed a serious adjustment. He had kidnapped her, a spy sent to take her back. A hot, dangerous man and she thrived on it. There had to be some seriously twisted genes in her family for her to even think about her captor this way.

  She licked her lips and stepped back. His eyebrow shot up in a challenge and he gave her a panty-dropping grin, the kind that said ‘go ahead and do it.’ Ribbon wasn’t sure she was ready to take on Draven North in that sense. Despite the total lack of fear on her body’s part. It was a good thing her mind took over. But she leveled with his stare nonetheless. After all, backing down from a predator only encouraged him to chase.

  Chapter Six

  Hungry and exhausted, Ribbon finally walked through the barrier to the North Pole. It felt like walking through a bubble, and her ears popped the minute she came through. She bent over, catching her breath. She’d never lived anywhere this cold and she was quite sure her fingers and toes would fall off from frostbite. A sharp pain stabbed at her side, most likely caused by the effort she’d exerted. They had walked nonstop at a rapid pace, ignoring each other the whole way. Not that it mattered to her. She could have run off but, truth be told, there was nowhere to go, just snow as far as she could see, and if she hadn’t followed Draven, she’d probably have ended up dead out in the middle of nowhere.

  Ribbon took a deep chilled breath and adjusted herself to look at the view before her. A large ice castle crested against northern lights. They danced in greens, blues, reds, and yellows. They were like lights on a Christmas tree, only blurred. Despair gripped her, crawling its frigid way up through her stomach and latching onto her heart. To the right, a black void had devoured more than half the castle and land within eyesight. It literally looked like someone had cut it off or erased it from existence. How the castle stood that way eluded Ribbon. The blackness shimmered, as if moving so slowly she barely caught the action. What could it be? A pulse came after her, derived from the darkness. She felt the vibrations of what she could only assume was the aura of the darkness, and it wasn’t happy to see her.

  “Santa lives in a castle?” She risked a glance at Draven, breaking her thought pattern from the consistent pulsing.

  “Of course, what did you expect?”

  “I don’t know, I pictured him in, like, a little cottage or log cabin.”

  “How would he fit all of his elves in such a small space?”

  Ribbon shrugged. “What’s all that black over there?” She pointed to the side that looked like a black hole continuing to suck everything in, very slowly.

  “The darkness is eating away at the magic here.” Draven cast his glance to the void and then back to Ribbon. He squared his shoulders and a grim line formed on his lips. “This is why I brought you back. This is what was worth kidnapping you for. Our lineage, our traditions, and everything Christmas will be devoured by the void. It began when your family left. We all need the Winters kin to come home, to help us repair what’s been damaged. We can’t function this way and Christmas, only days away as you know, will be doomed. Claus elves are what hold Christmas magic together, Ribbon. We need your help.” His eyes pleaded with hers and his words held no anger or true blame. He spoke out of need rather than fury at what happened.

  Ribbon’s heart softened. Her shoulders slackened. She found herself desperate to believe he had kidnapped her for a good reason but at the same time angry that he would implicate her family, even though the truth lay before her, swallowing the North Pole. She knew deep inside he spoke the truth. Her mother had said they had left, but there was no mention of the effect.

  Families filed out of the castle, staring at her, searching her—for what, she did not know. Had her family caused this horrible thing to eat away at the Pole? Why wouldn’t her parents tell her? Perhaps they didn’t know what it would do if they left. They were nice people, gentle and honest. If they had any idea it would cause this much harm, Ribbon was sure they would not have left.

  She looked around at the elves coming forward. The eyes of little elfin children begged her to help. How could she possibly say no with so many lives on the line, with so much at stake? Ribbon wiped at the cool droplets slipping down her cheek. The sadness was almost deafening here, in a place where there should have been so much joy, so much cheer. Her heart felt like it would shatter into tiny crystal pieces.

  “Donella, will you please help us?” Draven’s eyes glistened as they found hers. The world tried to fall away, but with so many onlookers, she couldn’t let his eyes swallow her up.

  There was no possible way to say no to this man, this Santa spy. His intentions, despite what she originally thought, were true and noble. He loved this place; she
could see it on his face. He loved his kin. Her family had done a terrible wrong and she had the chance to make it right. Ribbon sniffled, rubbed the tears from her cheeks again, and said, “On one condition.”

  “Name it.” Draven straightened and his face became serious.

  “Tell me what Donella means.”

  Draven reached for her hand and Ribbon didn’t fight his touch. He smirked and said, “It means dark-haired elfin girl. It was what I saw in you when we first met, and somehow it just snuck out of me.”

  Ribbon smiled. Of course it had. “I’ll be glad to help. Rest assured, your ruse of kidnapping will result in my parents following us to the Pole. They will come, and we will right our wrong.” After she calmed her mother’s hysteria.

  “Now that that’s settled, come in and stay for hot apple cider or, if you prefer, cocoa and Mrs. Claus will ready a room for you. I’m a cider man myself.” The voice barreled out of none other than Santa Claus himself. He ambled up from the back of the elven crowd. How’d she not noticed him before?

  “Mr. Claus! It’s an honor.” Ribbon had no idea what else to say. As she grew up with humans, Santa was merely an over-exaggerated story. At least the descriptions were completely true. His belly rounded out far beyond his red pants with black suspenders holding them up. His cheeks were rose-colored and his eyes, even though a sadness tinged the outsides, still held a warmth to them. He smelled like sugar cookies fresh from the oven and it made Ribbon’s mouth water.

  “Believe me, the honor is all mine. Now, come in out of the chill and away from the blackness that plagues us. Nothing can be done until all the Winters arrive. Then we can make the Pole healthy again, whole with Christmas magic to spare.” Mr. Claus turned and headed for the castle, and the elves followed. Ribbon hung back just a little and looked behind her; no matter where she wandered, she’d be leaving little pieces of her life behind. But here she was special; here she could start something new. She moved forward. Draven looked over his shoulder at her and gave her that panty-dropping smile. She shivered and followed him into the castle. She’d make him pay for that smile sooner or later.