A Grave Exchange

by Jane White Pillatzke

  “Put your arms over your head,” he said.

  Mindless with passion, I obeyed him at once, and the moment I had them in the appropriate position, Lucius grasped my wrists with his free hand and held them there. With his other hand, he continued teasing my aching pussy, adding a second finger, working me into a heated frenzy. He stretched my tight sheath, and I lifted my pelvis, rising to meet his thrusts in a sexy duel. All too soon, I felt myself tightening around Lucius’ fingers.

  “Please, Lucius, hurry; I’m about to come. I want you to make love to me now. Please, I’m begging you.” Frantically, I writhed beneath his hands.

  He shifted, slid over until he lay on top of me on the sofa, and then, still holding my wrists, he nudged one of my legs to the side and lifted the other, placing it over his shoulder. In this position, he inched his hips forward, until the head of his hard cock found my entrance. With light, teasing strokes, he ran the head up and down along my swollen slit, gathering moisture. I wondered as I lay there in a daze if his cock would actually fit inside me. He was truly huge, but as much as I feared, I knew in my heart I wanted him more. I arched my body, hoping to entice him to enter me. Lucius dipped his head and devoured my lips, scorching me with a kiss that sent my heart soaring to the heavens.

  My mind had all but left my body. I pulled my wrists from his easy grip and blindly reached for him. Wrapping my hands around his neck, I moaned softly as our tongues engaged in a frantic, lovers’ duel. My other leg found its way up onto his shoulder, and I opened myself wider. And then, before I could draw in a bracing breath, he slammed forward, sank deep inside me, until his balls brushed against me. Lucius gripped my ass, pulled me to him, and began a thrusting rhythm that took me to heaven and back. He let out a primal roar that started the mating of our souls, and I clung to him desperately, afraid, somehow, he might disappear—that this exquisite experience might all be a dream. He continued his frantic pace, thrusting into me over and over again, both of us dancing to our souls’ desires. My sheath tightened around his cock. I could not get enough, and I slid my arms down his back, past the dimples near his ass, and quickly gripped his cheeks. Screaming until my voice grew hoarse, I clung to him, until he suddenly stilled, dropped his head, and bit down on my neck. His hard sucking brought on the most violent orgasm I’d ever had, and he joined me, coating my womb with his white-hot seed.

  Overwhelmed with emotion, I sobbed, unable to keep the scalding tears from falling. Lucius stopped sucking my neck and slid his tongue over the bite marks, then slowly slid up my body and kissed my mouth. The taste of my blood on his lips should have frightened me, but instead, I found myself smiling, savoring the metallic taste, the taste of me, of my vital life force, on Lucius’ lips. I ran my hands up his back and idly stroked his shoulders. Suddenly, pain like none I had ever experienced gripped my wrist. I screamed and tried to push Lucius off.

  “Ivy, I have to explain. What is happening to you is natural for our kind. Please don’t panic. Listen to me.”

  But I could hardly hear him over the pain. Beyond crazed, I pushed him off, slid to the floor, and let loose a deep, guttural—howl.

  Chapter Four

  My naked body cooled rapidly while I lay curled up on the floor. I heard Lucius move to sit behind me, and he draped a soft blanket over my shoulders.

  “Ivy, I promise you will be okay. Just try to breathe through the pain.”

  “What is wrong with me? I feel as if I’m dying.” My voice cracked. The burning sensation returned, only this time, throughout my entire body. A sudden onslaught of nausea had me clutching my stomach and rolling tightly into a ball.

  Lucius laid behind me and wrapped himself around me. His cool skin helped ease the fire burning inside me. Was I going to hell for what I had just done? If so, then I’d sacrifice my soul. I did not regret a single moment of our lovemaking—and we had made love. Lucius pulled back the hair that had fallen into my face and kissed the back of my neck. He gently rocked me, quieting my body with his. Soon, and much to my relief, my body calmed and grew cooler, and I felt like I might be able to breathe again.

  I turned to face Lucius and wrapped my legs around his waist. He pulled me into his arms, tightly against him, and placed a light kiss on the tip of my nose.

  “I’m so sorry you had to experience that, Ivy. I should have talked you through the whole process first before I lost complete control like I did.”

  I shook my head and placed my finger over his beautiful full lips. “It was not your fault, Lucius. You tried to talk to me, remember? I had to have you, and I wouldn’t wait long enough to listen to you.”

  He smiled at me, his eyes shining like diamonds, radiating the warmth from his very soul. He slowly rolled onto his back, pulling me to lie on top of him. He ran his hands up and down my back, caressing my tortured skin. “You are so very beautiful. Now, I will tell you about yourself and why you mean so very much to me.”

  I lay there quietly, listening to his deep, resonating voice. His accent lulled my frayed nerves; my body seemed to recognize him, respond to him as it never had to another.

  “When I worked for my kingdom as a dark knight, my dear brother Zorion found the love of his life. The woman was beautiful in every way, had charm and a fun, easy manner. Her name was Maria, and we all loved her dearly. Soon, my brother asked her father, Marco, for Maria’s hand in marriage. We were all so very excited. One day, I was commanded to attend court. I went and could not believe what I was told. My king asked too much of me this time, Ivy. But I was sworn to allegiance. If I disobeyed, not only would I die, but my whole family would perish too. We’d suffer a form of communal punishment, be made an example of, so our village would adhere to the King at all costs. Ivy?”

  I looked up into Lucius’ eyes; they were so full of pain. The illuminating light that shone so bright when we’d made love had disappeared, leaving his gaze a dark, dull pewter. I raised my hand to caress his cheek, but he pulled it down and held it tightly in his lap. He stared at me for a moment; I could see his struggle in deciding whether to continue with his story. What could be so terrible that could affect this man so profoundly?

  “The king declared that Maria Adao and her family where traitors to the kingdom. He suggested that Maria was a witch that had been sent to spy on the court.”

  “Wait a minute. Wait just one minute.” I interrupted him and sat up. “A witch? Lucius, I—“

  “Ivy, I know. I realize all of this is far beyond your understanding, that it must sound like something from a novel or a fairy tale, but I swear to you, what I’m telling you is the truth. There are many things mankind does not know, and many things they once knew, but have now forgotten. What I’m telling you occurred many lifetimes ago, during a time when men recognized that creatures such as witches and vampires and werewolves—and many other dark and sinister beings—roamed the land. Remember, I said you’d need to trust me? To have faith? This is what I meant, Ivy. You must believe. Our love—our very lives—depends upon it.”

  My mind fought to make sense of his words. Believe. Was I capable of accepting something that sounded so crazy? A witch. And once again, he’d made reference to living many lifetimes. Could I sit here and accept his story at face value? Could I believe the man I’d made love to moments ago was really an ancient being, some supernatural creature who had once served as a dark knight in some long-ago kingdom? I looked into his eyes, and the answer came to me with a surety I’d never known. My soul recognized his; our hearts beat as one. Yes, I could believe him. I could trust him and have faith. What choice did I have, really? I loved him.

  “Go on,” I said. “I’m listening.”

  Lucius smiled his beautiful smile, but then he quickly sobered. He grabbed my hands and held on tightly. “I never questioned the king, Ivy: I trusted him and his court. This time, however, I fell to my knees and asked him to consider sharing his proof. I simply could not believe this of Maria and her beloved family. The king stood, and the court fell silent. No o
ne uttered a sound. I knew my punishment for questioning the king’s court, but I could not back down. If I did as my liege asked, my brother, my entire family, would be heartbroken.”

  I gave Lucius’ hand a squeeze to show my support and encourage him to go on with his tale.

  “Ivy, the king stormed over to where I kneeled and pulled my chin up so I would stare into his face. He then commanded I kill not only Maria but my brother Zorion too, for failing to adhere to the court’s summons.”

  My stomach heaved, and I struggled to breathe. Horrified, I stared into Lucius’ eyes, and he stared blankly back at me.

  “Tell me you didn’t, tell me you couldn’t…” I swallowed hard, unable to finish my statement.

  He continued to stare at me quietly, unmoving. I pulled away from him, releasing his hands, but I could not take my eyes off him.

  “Lucius, please, tell me, talk to me.”

  Gently, he moved me aside to sit on the floor. Then, he rose to his feet and began pacing the living room, his hard-soled shoes composing a somber rhythm on the worn, wooden floor. “I could not kill either of them.”

  I didn’t realize I had been holding my breath until that moment, and air shot out of my lungs with a whoosh. Ragged, painful breaths sawed in and out of my lungs. Lucius stopped beside me and knelt down. Slowly, he tilted up my chin.

  “For failing the king and court, I was forced to watch Maria die. He killed her there, before everyone, my family included. Just before he drained her life’s blood, Maria shouted something, but I could not make out what she said. I assumed she’d said a prayer to her gods. Then…”

  I stared at him, feeling agonizing torment rolling off him in waves. His eyes were black, the pupils ringed in red, and he trembled in front of me. I reached out and placed my hands on his shoulders.

  “Lucius, tell me; I am here for you, please.”

  He covered my hands with his.

  “After the king had Maria killed, he dragged my brother Zorion to the front of the court. I screamed, begged for mercy, asked that he kill me and not my brother, as I had failed him, not Zorion. The king smiled at me and said he had better plans for me than killing me. I continued pleading, and my father lay prostrate on the floor before the king, also begging him, for the sake of my mother, to let Zorion go. But the king kicked my father in the head to silence him, then turned to Zorion and smiled. Ivy, I will never forget that smile. It deadened my heart. The king told me that when he killed Zorion as punishment for my failure, that would only be the start.”

  My whole body trembled. Lucius lifted me up into his arms and sat down on the loveseat. I rested my head on his shoulder, waiting for him to continue.

  “The king drew out his silver-coated scabbard, and with only one slight movement of his hand, he took my brother’s life. I remember my mother’s screams. When I tried to go to her, to comfort her; the king threw me back against the palace wall, laughing the whole time. He told me that not only would I pay for my misdeeds, but also, from now on, my entire family would suffer a painful curse. By the king’s magical decree, every male in my family would live a lonely existence, never to find a mate, for if he did—if he dared fall in love—deadly pains and fevers would strike down his beloved, and nothing would stop her suffering.”

  Realization brought me to my feet. I stood there, looking back and forth between him and the mark on my wrist. “Lucius, what’s going to happen to me? Please tell me; am I going to die?”

  Lucius lifted my wrist to his mouth and tenderly kissed my scar. “No, little one. Just before Maria died, she had spoken words that meant nothing to me, but her family came to me afterwards and told me Maria had cast a spell over our whole family. While she could not protect us or our loved one’s completely, she saved our lives with her last wish. The king’s curse is powerless to kill us.”

  I settled somewhat and lay back in Lucius’ arms. My head swam with questions, and my heart beat frantically with worry.

  “Lucius, what does my scar mean?”

  “You were assaulted by a dark knight…”

  I sprang back and out of Lucius’ arms so quickly, I fell and landed on my ass on the hard floor. My eyes grew wide, my heart ricocheted against my ribcage, and my breaths became uneven and painful. Suddenly, everything from back then made perfect sense. I knew in my heart no human male could have assaulted me, could have done to me what the animal that attacked me had done.

  “Ivy, please tell me what happened that night. Do not leave anything out. Remember, I am here for you and always will be.”

  I looked up into his eyes, and my whole body trembled and shook. “I want to tell you; truly, I do, but I promised myself long ago that I would never speak of what happened. In doing so, I felt I was putting the events of that night behind me, closing the door on something that was way too painful to understand or accept.”

  “Come here.” Lucius held out his hand.

  I gazed at it a moment, and then slowly took it. He pulled my back into his arms, and I laid my head against his strong chest. Cocooned from the world and its evil. Slowly, my heart quieted down to a healthier pace, and my nerves settled. As I lay there, he drew circles with his fingers across my back. I decided then and there, he would be the only person I ever spoke to about my assault. If I told him, perhaps I could turn a new page in my book of life. I looked up at him and smiled.

  Chapter Five

  “I was seventeen when my life forever changed. I had finished up my evening shift at the local humane society. It was a nice June evening. I told my parents I could walk home, as our house was only a few blocks away from the shelter. I locked up the building and started my walk home. My journey along the first two blocks was uneventful; however, as I approached the third block, I felt like someone was watching me. I looked around but saw no one. I quickened my pace, all the while keeping an eye out for something or someone. The streets lay empty, but all the usual night sounds were missing too. I found that most strange, even to this day. I approached the very cemetery where we met, and then I was approached by what I thought was a very large man. I tried to pass him by, but he stood in my way. I asked him politely to move, and he leered at me. Lucius, I swear, to this day, I have never seen such a cruel face.”

  Lucius held my gaze, all the while stroking my back, relaxing me, willing me to go on. I laid my head back down on his chest; I could not look into his eyes when I told him what had happened.

  “His brutal laugh froze me in my tracks, and he grabbed hold of me. I tried to scream, but he slapped me, stunning me into silence. By the time I came out of my stupor, he had pushed me against a tree. I tried to bite the hand that he’d placed over my mouth, and I got a fist to my face for my efforts. I may have passed out then; I’m not sure, but the next thing I realized, I was lying on the ground, my clothes being ripped off me. I wanted to die. At that very moment, I begged the man to kill me. If he were going to rape me, I wanted to die. He just laughed at me and continued molesting me. His hands travelled roughly up and down my naked body, grabbing me, bruising me, and all the while, his eyes taunted me. I tried so hard to fight him, but every time I did, he hit me—harder and harder, until I could hardly see, my eyes had become so swollen. He pushed my shoulders back and slid between my knees, forcing them open with his body’s weight. I looked around desperately, willing someone to walk by, willing myself to pass out, but he grabbed my face and held it so I had to look at him. And then he raped me, Lucius. He took away my virginity, the whole time smiling down at me. The pain was indescribable. I ached all over. He towered over me, his punishing thrusts ripping me apart both mentally and physically. His demeanor grew more and more menacing as he neared his release, until he appeared to become larger, and his eyes changed, and he grew fangs. He pushed my head to the side, I although I screamed at him to let me go, that I’d tell no one, he bit hard into my neck and roared his release. He sucked my blood, and I believe I truly did pass out then, whether from the bite or from the assault, I couldn’t be sure. I
realize now he was not human, but at the time, I felt my mind was playing tricks on me. He pushed himself off of me, snickered, and said words I did not understand.”

  Lucius lifted my chin with his finger, forcing me to look at him. “Ivy, this is important, so think hard; what did the words sound like?”

  I looked at him, and my mind scrambled to recall the strange words.

  “I believe he said something like rei and vai voltar.”

  Lucius’ face paled, and I froze.

  “What? What does it mean? Why do you look so worried?”

  Lucius stared at me, his eyes returning to their blackened state, the red ring appearing around the pupils. “What you have just remembered is frightening. You have just stated ‘The king will return.’”

  I leaped off Lucius’ lap and started frantically pacing his living room, uncaring of the fact that I was naked. My stomach ascended into my mouth, and bile burned the back of my throat. Lucius stood and stopped my frenzied pacing. He wrapped his arms around me. My mind worked desperately, trying to cling to some hope that Lucius had wrongly interpreted the meaning of the words I’d remembered.

  “How do you know what that means?”

  “Quite easily, my love. You spoke in my native tongue.”

  I lay my head down on his beautiful chest and started to sob. I felt my world spin wildly out of control. I’d tried so hard to pick up the pieces after my brutal assault, and I’d thought I’d succeeded. But if what Lucius told me was true, then there was much more going on, and things were much worse than I’d thought. Lucius held me tightly in his arms, crooning soft words I could not comprehend. After a bit, my tears subsided, and he lifted my chin so I looked up at him.

  “Ivy, the king realized we would meet. Somehow, he knew. But this marking on your wrist, this marking has saved you from death. Maria’s blessing has kept you safe so far. I will keep you safe from now on.”