“It’s an honor,” Victor said. “Since Dineiro couldn’t travel with Kirril, we decided to come with him. I hope we’re not much trouble.”
“Not at all,” Medwin answered. “But please, you must be tired. Men, get them some mounts.”
The Arthurian soldiers obediently provided us with horses. Kirril rode one stallion, while Victor and I were given another.
As the party began to ride back the way it had come, this time with us in the lead, Victor said, “Truly, we don’t want to inconvenience you in this important time, but we just had to come. I’ve heard so much about you, Prince Medwin. I have a friend—you might remember him, Rapunzel?—and he had only words of praise for the Arthurian royal family.”
Just like that, Medwin’s smile faded, replaced by a little frown. “Rapunzel…The name sounds familiar. But I can’t quite…”
He rubbed his forehead and winced. Anelah’s hand landed on his shoulder, and the grimace of pain instantly vanished. Was it my impression or had the witch twitched slightly as well? It must have been because of Medwin’s pull toward Rapunzel. “I’m sorry,” the Arthurian said. “I don’t think I know any people by that name. It must be a misunderstanding.”
“Perhaps it is,” I answered. “In any case, that’s not important right now. Tell us, when is the wedding?”
“Actually, it’s tomorrow,” Medwin answered. He didn’t appear to consider it odd that he’d rushed into this event so much, without having told Kirril at all.
As Medwin enthusiastically launched himself into an explanation of the incipient celebration, I mused over what we’d learned in only a couple of minutes. Anelah had clearly used on Medwin the same spell she’d cast on the Morgannians to make them forget Snow. He had forgotten he’d ever met Rapunzel, and in his mind, whatever emotions the strange young man had stirred inside him had been transferred onto Anelah.
Likely, this was a second spell, piling up on the first one which had urged Medwin to send his brother in his crazy quest in the first place.
I threw a look Leonard’s way, but he didn’t seem to remember Rapunzel either. Most definitely, this would not be easy, but now more than ever, I knew we had to find a way to release Medwin from Anelah’s hold. He was the key in this, the key to solving our predicament. Whether he knew it or not, Medwin had become the one man who could guide the futures of all. And we had only one day to make sure that he made the right choice.
Chapter Twelve:
In Which the Plot Thickens, or at Least Gains a New Consistency
With the aid of the horses provided by the Arthurian royal family, we reached Camelot with ease. In my many years spent as a recluse in my castle, I’d read a lot on the citadel of the Arthurians, but none of it had actually prepared me for the moment when I rode inside.
Thought to be one of the oldest settlements in the whole of Avalon, Camelot had been founded by King Arthur himself. The interesting thing was that he’d had quite a lot of help of the magical persuasion, which was why, even now, the city had survived, unmarred by the passage of time. The thick walls looked absolutely impenetrable, as did the gate. Interestingly enough, the system used to open the huge iron doors appeared to be far too modern to date from Arthur’s times. I couldn’t be sure, as I didn’t actually see any of it, but my hearing caught the sound of rotating cogs and my mind put together the machine that would have made that noise. The scientist in me would have liked to investigate it all, but sadly, we didn’t have the time.
We were led through the busy streets of the main city, a bustling explosion of life and enthusiasm that contrasted brightly with the quiet, almost quaint villages of the countryside. Still, even here, I could see the no-nonsense approach to life that all Arthurians had, in the way the merchants and the passersby moved, in the architecture of the buildings, and even in their greeting of the royal family.
Everyone enthused upon seeing the three princes, and I was quite surprised to hear many people calling out Kirril’s name. Even so, immediately after we passed them by, they returned to their tasks, looking almost impossibly composed.
On my side, I took this in with a measure of confusion and frustration. It seemed to me that Arthurians weren’t easily susceptible to magic. Their entire way of life was built around becoming remarkable in spite of their lack of ability in this field. One would have thought that this meant they would be particularly vulnerable to spells, but an enchantment still protected Camelot, whether its people realized it or not, and this made them resilient to magic. This brought to mind a very frustrating dilemma. Could this Arthurian characteristic be an advantage for us, or did it just mean that Anelah’s power was such that it could defeat any defense?
I was still musing over this question when we finally reached the edge of the city and rode through the palace gates. Leaving aside the beauty of the structure, I focused on our mission. All throughout the trip, I had done my best to stir Medwin’s memory by mentioning Rapunzel, and to a certain extent it had worked. At a subconscious level, Medwin hadn’t forgotten the young blond. However, whenever he tried to remember, he got powerful headaches. Kirril’s other brother, who’d met Rapunzel as well, seemed to have dismissed the memory entirely. Likely, it was only the powerful impression Rapunzel had made on Medwin that made him fight the spell. We could use that, but only if Rapunzel came to us. Until then, we had to stall. But how?
“The answer will come to us,” Larue told me through our bond. “For the moment, keep an eye on Anelah. She’s not leaving Medwin’s side for a second. She’s always touching him. I think it’s hard for her to make sure the spell stays in place.”
“If that’s true, we have far more freedom to move around than we thought,” I answered, already coming up with a strategy. “We need to distract her, keep her from focusing on either Medwin, or Morganna.”
I remembered the strange dust the Fairy Godfather had given to Larue, but I didn’t want to use it just yet. No, we needed a different plan.
We stopped in front of the palace entrance and dismounted. Preparations for the wedding were clearly underway, as servants frantically ran from one place to another. Stable boys immediately rushed to take care of our horses, and advisors assaulted Medwin and Anelah to ask for opinions on fabric, ornaments, and a thousand other things.
Anelah was the only one who answered, as Medwin looked quite pained now. “Perhaps you should retreat to your quarters, Medwin,” Kirril suggested. “You seem a little pale.”
Medwin smiled weakly. “It’s the excitement. I couldn’t possibly leave Anelah at such an important time.”
“Oh not to worry.” Larue hooked his arm through Anelah’s, an impossibly bright smile on his face. “I’d love to assist her in anything she might need. Weddings are simply my favorite.”
Anelah turned toward Larue, obviously ready to deliver a scathing retort. I felt a pang of pain as she tried to dislodge him through an invisible spell, but my mate didn’t even grimace.
Fortunately, his efforts weren’t for naught. Since Anelah’s focus was no longer on Medwin, the Arthurian prince managed to snap out of her hold. “I suppose the groom isn’t as important for the wedding as the bride anyway,” he said with a forced grin. “All right. Kirril, Larue, I’m leaving my lovely fiancée in your capable hands.”
“You don’t have to worry about a thing,” Kirril answered. “I’ll treat her just like she deserves.”
“Go ahead,” Leonard ushered his brother as well. “I’ll introduce Kirril’s friends to our parents. Don’t worry about it.”
Medwin kissed Anelah’s cheek. I almost feared that the brief contact would make him change his mind, but it didn’t. Instead, he seemed to be given even more incentive to leave the courtyard. After a brisk “good-bye,” he entered the palace, his gait tense with the pain he was struggling to keep in check.
“I do hope he’ll be all right until tomorrow,” I commented.
Kirril nodded. “If not, the wedding might have to be postponed. But let’s not think of suc
h things.” He grinned brightly at Anelah. “Come, sister. We haven’t nearly talked long enough.”
As Kirril engaged Anelah in conversation, Leonard gestured Larue and me inside. “Please, follow me. I’m sure my parents are very eager to meet you.”
I didn’t know if he was just being polite, or if he actually meant the words. Either way, we followed the crown prince into the royal residence. One thing was certain. This would be the place where we’d win or lose the battle for our destinies. Of course, I planned to make sure we won.
* * * *
That evening
The hours flew by without us being able to do much to defeat the witch. We kept Anelah busy, so that she couldn’t go after Medwin again, but this meant we couldn’t actively try anything different either. We had to hope that Snow would do his part and Rapunzel would eventually arrive on time to help Medwin.
Sadly, this meant that by the time evening rolled in, we were still stuck in the same situation from this morning. As the entire royal family began to prepare for dinner, my mate and I had to make our excuses.
“We won’t be able to stay for the meal. I apologize,” I said in a weak voice. “The trip has been so long and exhausting. I’m not used to leaving Merlinia.”
“Of course, we understand,” King Ralph replied. “It seems that in times of great excitement, everyone needs to rest.”
The human had been strikingly welcoming, given his previous attitude toward magical creatures. His wife, Queen Sedonia, showered Kirril with attention. In fact, she’d proven to be tremendously helpful with distracting Anelah. I didn’t know if she actually suspected something or not, but a mother’s instinct was often a valuable tool, and I saw an ally in her.
It was on that note that we at last retreated to the quarters we’d been assigned to. I didn’t feel very off, but there was still a little time until evening. Victor was in a similar situation, but if we had stayed for the dinner, he’d have certainly shape-shifted to his feline form in front of the Arthurian royal family.
When we entered the room, I distantly took in the unfamiliar feel of the décor without really caring. The truth was that the fatigue was getting to me. Anelah’s power had constantly pressured me. Fortunately, my pixie powers had given me the strength to hold it back and withstand it, but it hadn’t been easy. I only hoped Kirril managed to handle her on his own, at least for now.
I plopped down on the bed and released a tired sigh. Victor closed the door behind us and joined me on the soft mattress. His hand landed on my hair, softly caressing me. “I’m sorry,” he said. “If not for the curse…”
I lifted my gaze and looked straight at him. “The curse is not your fault. It’s not even your father’s fault. You met Anelah now. You’ve seen how wicked she is. You can’t possibly blame yourself for that.”
Victor brushed his thumb over my lower lip. “I know…But still I can’t help but wish…”
He trailed off, looking out the window at the soon-fading sun. I could feel his fear at what would soon happen, his uncertainty and his self-loathing at having involved me in such a problem.
Wanting to get his mind off of the unavoidable, I got up and crawled onto his lap. As I wrapped my arms around his neck, I peppered his face with light kisses. “Relax,” I told him. “Everything will be all right. You’ll see.”
“You don’t know that,” Victor said, something that surprised me from my normally optimistic mate. “For all we know, Anelah will use the new curse to hurt you very badly.”
Even as he spoke, he was starting to panic. I didn’t want to think about potential scenarios of destruction, so I kissed him. I was still a little clumsy, having only received my first kiss the day before, but that didn’t change how good it felt to come in contact with my mate.
At first, Victor released a choked sound of protest, but it soon melted into a moan of pure pleasure. My body responded, and as I parted my lips, he took over. His arms encircled my waist, squeezing me tightly.
As our tongues dueled, his hands traveled all over my back and to my buttocks, kneading and massaging. Anxieties and doubts vanished in the heat of passion, as did my tiredness and the burden of the power we’d been forced to endure. His taste and his desire for me replaced everything else, and when we broke apart, we only did so because of our need to breathe.
We gazed at each other, and in his eyes, I saw the same need that bloomed through me. Licking my lips, I began to work his shirt open. Urgency gave me a nimbleness I might not have had, and Victor helped me. In a few moments, we had him free of his top, which I dumped on the floor.
My mate didn’t delay in following my example, and he quickly undid my shirt as well. Unlike the time before, he didn’t seem to even remember that this was the only one I owned. Buttons flew all over the place as he tore it apart in an attempt to get me naked. Honestly, I couldn’t bring myself to protest, not when I wanted him so much as well.
That powerful need gave me the strength to move away. As good as it felt to touch and be touched, these mild caresses were simply not enough, not for me, and not for Victor. Through our bond, I could feel his lust echoing mine, and it fueled the flame building inside me.
I had the desperate desire to lick every inch of him and didn’t bother holding back. Crawling lower down on his body, I pressed kisses over his muscular chest and down his taut abdomen.
At times, I swept my tongue over his skin, mapping his flesh, reacquainting myself with his body. Although I took my time to enjoy it, I was also impatient, and soon, my mouth was hovering over his nether regions, where I could get a good look at the erection straining his pants.
His hand tangled in my long hair, and I stole a look at his face. The raw, naked lust I read in his expression left me breathless. “Larue,” he said, his voice filled with gravel. “Don’t tease.”
I had no intention to do that. I did indeed enjoy teasing my loved ones on a regular basis, and in Victor’s case, that had naturally extended onto our bed play, but this time, I couldn’t focus on such games.
Even so, I couldn’t resist putting on a little display for him. Some things never changed, and I undid his laces with my teeth, slowly and carefully, all the while keeping my eyes on him. He was still watching me, his fingers threading in my locks, but he didn’t force me to hasten things along. Instead, he waited, allowing me to make the decisions, to set the pace. It was probably because, if he moved, he’d likely tear off every single item of clothing covering our bodies and simply thrust inside me, and he didn’t want to harm me through his accidental callousness. I could hear his thoughts so clearly, as if they were my own, and decided to mentally reply. “You needn’t worry. You’d never hurt me.”
Perhaps a measure of concern still existed within him, but it began to dissipate when the bindings of his pants at last yielded to my ministrations. His cock sprung free, already leaking copious amounts of pre-cum and aiming accusingly at me. I took its silent invitation and lowered my mouth over the swollen shaft.
Victor released a choked sound as I took his dick deep, all the way into my throat. The gentle hold on my hair tightened into an almost painful grip, but I had no intention of freeing myself from it. Instead, I moaned, bobbing my head up and down his prick and opening myself up fully to him. While I had initiated this seduction, he took over, like he always did, and he started thrusting into my mouth.
His addicting taste went to my head, and I surrendered to it, to his lust and the pleasure I myself was giving him. Our bond created a conduit of pure desire, a circle that made his ecstasy turn into mine and, my pleasure at feeling it feed back into him. It was oddly as if I was sucking my own cock. While I was very flexible, I didn’t have such abilities, and honestly, I didn’t need them, not when Victor was so close and so mine.
The heat and weight of his dick on my tongue, the way Victor fucked my face and held my hair, everything about this simple, carnal act made a brazen, unquenchable fire burn through me. Victor kept cursing, speaking, moaning and grunting,
sometimes incoherent strings of nonsense escaping his lips, other times stumbling over fragments of my name. I breathed through it, breathed his desire for me, and I wished to cling to this moment in time forever.
Desperate with my overwhelming need and his, I ground against his thigh, seeking my own pleasure. In the end, there was too much sensation, too much emotion, and the pure, visceral response of our bodies didn’t delay in coming. Thrusting one more time in my mouth, Victor came, flooding my mouth with his cum. The flow of his rapture as it swamped our bond choked me, propelling me over the edge. Trembling and moaning, I found my peak as well, my cock pulsing in my pants as I came without even touching myself.
Even then, I was reluctant to release Victor’s dick from my mouth, and for a few seconds I kept suckling on it, cleaning him of every trace of spunk. This proved to be a good choice, as his member went fully erect once more. Well, in truth, I couldn’t fully claim the merit, since he’d still been half-hard, but the end result was what mattered. The edge of our lust had been sated, but I would never feel complete until he took me, until I had his turgid flesh within me, piercing me, filling me like only he could.
With a great deal of regret, I finally abandoned my prize. After all, there was a better place to put it, and my anus was already clenching in anticipation. I moved away, intending to give the both of us a little space to fully undress. However, Victor had other ideas. Instead of allowing me to do what I’d planned, he pushed me back and, as I fell, pounced on me. I didn’t even get the chance to brace myself on my hands, as he was too quick, too intense. Fortunately for me, some sort of instinct me taught me to fold my wings back. Victor seemed a man on a mission, and he had no intention of allowing me to do much of anything at this point.
Honestly, I didn’t really mind. I loved it when he exerted his dominance over me, loved it when he forgot to be concerned and simply let go. I liked to see him let go of the proper “Doctor Victor Frankenstein” and become just Victor, my mate, my man. I was fond of all his quirks and the different facets of his personality, but now, it was the passion that hid under them that I sought.
Pixie of Frankenstein [A Tail Like No Other: Book Two] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Page 10
