“No need to label me as a God, but, I do want you to scream for me,” he said brusquely, rubbing her faster and nipping her newly pointed ears.
If her eyes weren’t already rolling back in pleasure, they would’ve rolled from his comment. She felt the now familiar rise of heat rising from her core. Her stomach tightened and she prepared herself to combust into another dimension. She was trembling and she wanted to scream for him; she wanted to scream so loud that she woke the whole kingdom.
“That’s it, Beauty, imagine me pushing inside you. I will make you scream for me like that so very soon…”
Artfully his hand rubbed her, stroking her inside and out with perfect rhythm. His head came down and sucked the tender skin on her neck, and she could feel him trembling slightly, too. Her hands dug into the grass and into his back as she whimpered, the heat overtaking her. She could feel his hardness pressing against her and she closed her eyes and imagined it slipping inside her folds.
At that thought, the volcano erupted and she did scream out for him. At least she thought she did, but the name that echoed in the valley stopped him cold, even with her body convulsing around his fingers.
He looked at her with such anger that her orgasm ceased to exist, and it seemed like he was close to physical violence. In that moment, in that look, she was terrified. The beast she’d seen before in glimpses was not fully present in his stare. Instead of raising a hand to her, however, he got up and stormed off—leaving her alone in the grass to mutter the words that took her back home.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Get Over It
~MONTREAT, NORTH Carolina
“You did what? Oh my Gods! I can’t believe he didn’t try to kill you right then!” Amele doubled over in laughter.
“It’s not funny, Amele, and I think he truly wanted to. What am I supposed to do now? I’m so embarrassed! Even if he is the one, how could I ever face him again?” She hid her face in her hands.
“Ah, he’s a grown immortal. He’ll get over it,” she chuckled. “Besides, it’s not your fault, not really. You’ve been thrown back and forth between the two of them with scarcely a chance to breathe, and they both come at you like hungry beasts, it’s no wonder you’re mixing them up!”
Isabel looked at her, completely unconvinced. “I haven’t ever mixed Bodhe up, just saying. This is mortifying on so many levels.”
“Oh come on, girl, don’t worry about it. It’ll work itself out. I promise.”
Isabel’s face was burning hot right now, and all she wanted to do was crawl under the covers. Or maybe go kill something. Yes, that would do nicely.
“Amele, please tell me that the horde of Uglies are still outside?”
“Growing by the minute, and yes, we can go fight them today; the guard could use our help. They have effectively moved them further back but for every one we kill, two more come from the other side. It’s really irritating, actually,” she said as she scowled. “If there was some way to get more warriors here from our realm then it would be a slaughterhouse out there. Hell, even some Elves would do, but those two realms are frozen and none can enter or leave at the moment, so we can’t even send word to our other allies. We’re all frozen here except for you, of course, which does us no good since you can only go to the frozen areas. The Prince must be going out of his ever loving mind at the moment.”
“Do you not like Bodhe?” She looked at the expression on her face curiously.
“Of course not! He is my nephew after all, but he has a hell of a temper. He takes after his auntie with that,” she said with a wink. “and as you can imagine as High Prince of Loveryn, he’s very used to getting his way. Being stuck isn’t sitting well with him, curse aside, I assure you.”
Yeah, he was used to getting his way, she was sure. She was also sure that there weren’t many that have turned down his bed, and she’d been doing it every other day for a week.
Amele’s eyes perked up. “He didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what? And stop the mind reading crap, it freaks me out and I need some semblance of privacy, dammit, false as it may be,” she said, beginning to pace.
“Tsk tsk, Nephew. Well, no matter. You’ll know everything soon enough. Now, how about a quick spar to get the blood pumping?”
“My blood is pumping. Now what is it that he didn’t tell me?”
“You know I can’t discuss it, Bel. I’m really sorry I brought it up at all. Though,” she drummed her fingertips on the comforter, “I guess it doesn’t harm anything if I tell you about me. Let’s see if the curse allows me that freedom.” She thought about this for a moment and then smiled. “Let’s just say that I’m the only explorative one in the royal family. The others have different standards than yours truly.”
Isabel just looked at her dumbfounded. She couldn’t be serious? But, he didn’t deny it? He also didn’t confirm it. Really? They weren’t all sex crazed maniacs?
Amele burst into the kind of laughter that always brought tears to her eyes. “No, Bel, that’s just me. I’m definitely the exception. Not the rule.”
“But, I don’t understand. Why didn’t he tell me?”
“Oh, I never pretend to understand the motivations of men. Never mind, scratch that. I usually do. But this little ménage à trois that you’ve got going on is beyond me. Maybe he didn’t want you to think of him as inexperienced? You’ll have to ask him yourself, tonight.”
“Well, I can tell you that he feels anything but inexperienced when he’s got that mouth on me. So, what, royalty are born with that kind of gift?”
Amele chuckled again. “You could say that, Halfling. I mean, I was a sex goddess by all rights from my very first kiss many centuries ago. It’s something that you’ve either got, or not. You know?”
Information processing. She just couldn’t be serious. Never? Not once? God, the way he electrocuted her. Just the thought of him made her bite her lip and smile. It was hopeless. She was a wanton, sex starved, addict of lust now, and these thoughts just hours after Morkain had made her scream his…well, it wasn’t actually his name now, was it? But it was Morkain’s hand and mouth that brought her there. Why did she feel so damn guilty about that?
“Don’t do that, you’ll make yourself crazy. It’s all part of the process and can’t be helped. Whichever one is the right one, he will forgive you. It’s a freaking curse, after all.”
She screamed a few obscenities before continuing, “Stop doing that! At least give me the illusion of privacy, please! We make a deal right now. Unless I speak to you out loud, no answering me, okay?”
“Oh, alright. You can have your illusion. Now, shall we do some sparring before we head out? I do believe that I can rationally explain blinking you to the corn fields and suspending time again since you were wounded last time when you were out there,” she said, gazing out the window.
Isabel got dressed and strapped both her sword and her dagger on and nodded. “Let’s go.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Beastly Prince
~LOVERYN~
“Tell me how to leave Loveryn, I have to get to her,” Bodhe’s eyes blazed green fire with his frustration.
“But there is no way out, Your Majesty. You know that. Even our magic is bound right now to within the realm.
“I don’t care how you do it, Syon, just get me to her so this wretched curse can be ended!”
“Your Majesty, with all due respect it will not end before her heart is in the right place, not just her body. I will begin research to see if there’s any way around the curse but I cannot guarantee it. The Elemental Gods would be the only ones who could.”
“Yes, Syon, I’m aware of the boundaries of the curse! But do your research and tell me something I don’t already know! If the princess is harmed again, I am going to rage like my people have never seen before!” His fist came down hard on the table between them, and the remnants of a cup of tea was thrown to the floor, shattering. Bodhe put his head in his hands for a moment and sucked in a
deep breath. He rose and looked at his friend and most trusted mage.
“My friend, please forgive me. I just feel as if I’m bound and gagged right now. Please, look for a way. I have to find her before it’s too late. Something terrible is going to happen, I can feel it in my heart.”
“Of course, Your Majesty, I can only imagine the pain you must be suffering right now over her. I shall do everything I can.”
The mage bowed and began setting to the futile task immediately. Even he had no hope to overturn the magic of an Elemental, though. It would be like trying to crumble a brick wall with a feather. Not impossible but very much improbable. The door slammed and he could hear the Prince no more. What a mess this had all become. With just the thinning veil, every mage in Loveryn was busy around the clock trying to keep out the shadow creatures from their realm. And even then there were so many that got in. Warriors were keeping them out of the city for now, and the mages were exhausting themselves with protective shields around the perimeter, but still he was expected to defeat an Elemental’s magic? How would he do that when he could hardly keep his eyes open as it was? Even immortals must sleep sometimes! Grumbling, he scribbled out a list and called to his assistant, knowing how futile it was to work on this task. The female needed to make her choice, and soon.
“Torq! Come!”
The young Sidhe’s brown robe scarcely made a sound as he entered. He did not speak but simply bowed.
“Take this list and gather everything on it. Bring it back to me at once.”
Torq bowed and rushed out to get the items without question.
*****
Bodhe stormed out of the white city in hopes of catching some more Formyans trying to leech from the living. His skin was buzzing with apprehension. He could feel her, and something was happening that was not part of this cursed magic. He had to get to her, but how? If his most powerful mage and his own mother as a Time Sifter could not, then there was truly no other way. But, if he felt her in any danger he would summon the Fire Elemental himself, if he had to. He thanked the Gods that she at least had Amele. It was a small comfort, but one that he held on to knowing that one of their most vicious warriors not only protected her, but cared for her too. Keiren had done as well as she could, considering, setting this all up.
Bodhe stormed toward the newly-made shadows in Loveryn, creating a storm of epic proportions all around as he drew his sword and raka. He roared his displeasure, and dared the leeches forth to meet their end.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Crop Circles
“THAT’S IT! AGAIN!”
After a few hours of grueling ‘thrust! spin! kick’, then flat on her back in the field again, Isabel felt the tension leaving her slightly. She was really getting better at this fighting stuff, who would’ve thought? She chuckled lightly to herself right before Amele came down with another heavy blow to her back.
“If I never see corn again in my life, it will be too soon!” she shouted as she rose and spat pieces of husk out of her mouth.
Amele laughed. “Awe, Halfling, you aren’t giving up so easily, are you?”
Groaning, she rose again. She was sure that metallic taste mingling with the dirt in her mouth was blood, but she still let her mouth twitch in a slightly crazed grin. “Never, Your Highness. And one of these days I will be kicking your ass into the the next crop circle over!”
“That’s my girl. Damn if you don’t make me proud,” she said, her eyes glittering. Then she walloped her again.
Isabel felt the frustrations of the past week release as she threw herself into the fight. Kicking and spinning with a finesse that still shocked her, she attacked her ancient friend, sure that her eyes were shining as gold as the field they were in. The sword Bodhe gave her really was amazing. It was light as a feather and a million times more lethal than Loth’s sword. They circled each other in endless strikes, their swords setting off sparks as they met mid-air. This went on for what seemed like forever, neither of them getting in what would be considered the match point.
Amele stopped her sword and winked at her. “Well done, you’re sure taking after your dad with the kick-ass gene. Wanna go serve up some of the Uglies for breakfast?”
“Ew, I’m so not eating the Uglies!” she laughed, “But let’s definitely go play with them.”
The sentimental words of her father being proud of her were making her absolutely beam. Maybe he could live through her this way? Could he see her where he was? Could her mom?
I’ll make you both proud, I promise.
Isabel looked down at a bruise on her sword arm and saw it glowing before turning to perfectly healed flesh. “What the…?”
Amele rushed over and grabbed her arm, the shock evident as she studied the already healed skin. Quickly, she began inspecting the rest of her, no hesitation at all in flashing her breasts or ass to the fields as she nearly stripped her naked. “Holy shit. They’re all gone! This is happening too quickly, Bel. You shouldn’t be able to heal yourself yet. There are still three days until the blood moon. For that matter, you shouldn’t have been able to control that Demon, either. He may’ve been young but even so, you shouldn’t have been able to hold him like that, not yet. There’s something going on…something’s really off with the timing of your gifts.”
She looked at her with furrowed brows. “All evidence to the contrary. Are you sure there are still three days?”
Amele nodded. “Something’s wrong. Come on, let’s get back to the house and see what’s happening. I’m getting a really bad feeling all of the sudden.”
She grabbed her and sifted back to the mansion, just in time for the doors to be run through by the Unseelie.
“Isabel! Sword!” Amele screamed over the uproar.
She didn’t need to be told twice. Yanking the sword from its sheath and pulling out her dagger she followed her downstairs. The place was overrun with Unseelie and Shadow Demons. All she could hear was the sound metal clashing and of bodies hitting the ground…and she prayed to whatever God would listen, that it was the bad guys.
Amele dove into the heart of them, screaming for her to stay near. That was going to be a negative, ghost rider, there were too many to stay close to her friend. They were everywhere, the whole downstairs was infested with them. Still high from fighting Amele, she cut through them with ease, however, making a considerable dent in the thick crowd of unsavory guests. Thankfully, the Demons were no match for her new sword and after she’d sent about fifteen of them back to whatever hell they came from, they stopped coming after her with such formidable zeal. The Unseelie on the other hand were much less afraid of dying and she freaked out a little every time one of them got their nasty hands on her. Right before she severed said hand, of course.
She was so lost in the fight that she didn’t notice the structure of the chaos. There was a reason to it and had she not been so enthralled, she would’ve seen the circle of them that watched from the side, waiting for the opportunity to get close. She’d lost Amele in the thick of things and was fighting back to back with another female warrior that she couldn’t remember the name of. She remembered her from the last fight, though. She’d been in the inner circle when they went out that first time and Isabel was being protected.
Suddenly, she saw the circle of Uglies in the corner and all the dark creatures parted perfectly that blocked them from view. Isabel felt the whoosh of air on her back as the other warrior she had been fighting neck to neck with backed away from her. Still fighting the horde before her, she stole a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t hurt.
The look on the other female’s face was something she didn’t ever think she’d forget. She wasn’t hurt, at all, and none of the shadow beings were attacking her anymore. The female was just watching her, the look of contempt in her eyes was more frightening than the swarm of Demons and Unseelie around her that were becoming too many to hold off. The sea of Uglies parted and the Sidhe female stepped back, letting them overcome Isabel.
She actually fucking smiled at her—the most twisted smile Isabel had ever seen, as they closed in on her. There were too many for her to take on alone now. And that bitch just looked at her with hatred glaring in her hazel eyes. A Sidhe was turning on her? Why? What the hell had she done to her? She didn’t even know the woman’s name!
“What the hell is wrong with you?! Help me!” But the Sidhe guard just stared at her with that wicked grin on her face. Amele was too far away, but she tried to reach her anyway.
Amele! A little help with the guard! She’s handing me to them! Too many, there are too many, I can’t hold them off...
“He’s mine, you halfbreed whore!” the angry, blonde female screamed at her, right before she shouted a command to the Uglies to take the ring from her finger. Amele’s dagger was suddenly buried in the females’ chest, and Isabel winced as she watched her crumble to the ground.
“Who’s yours?” she screamed back as she struggled futilely with the Unseelie. They were all over her, their gross hands holding her down, stealing her raka and sword. She head-butted the one nearest to her and felt a trickle of blood falling down her brow, but the beast she hit was at least off of her. Not that it mattered since there were twenty more in its place.
Amele was too far away to reach her through the crowd, but she’d at least heard her thoughts. One of the Uglies snatched the ring off her finger so hard she was sure the finger had been broken, and then put a second, killing strike to the newly-mortal, Sidhe that had turned on her. Isabel watched as the females’ hate-filled gaze turned peaceful, and the strange female smiled coldly before death settled in. At that moment she wasn’t sure if she was more afraid of the Unseelie, or that female’s parting glare.
Amele, I promise to never get angry at you again for listening! Can you get me the hell out of here please?
Immortal Dreams (Immortal Realms Book 1) Page 22
