Talia_Sleeping Beauty Retold

by Daniela Jackson

  I want to puke, but if Theo is happy, I can be happy for him too.

  “You can trust those people, Prez,” I say.

  My inner former angel tells me the elves are on our side—it’s crystal like water; it’s sitting on the edge of my consciousness, it’s strong like previously when Kadmiel decided to make Rive his. I knew something good would come out of it. I know something good will come out of the elves’ arrival at our compound too.

  “How do you know that, huh?” Kadmiel snaps.

  “I just know,” I say. “Trust me. They’re really good people. They will help our Talia.”

  “If you’re saying so,” Kadmiel mutters.

  Chapter 11

  Talia

  I’m seated in the couch as Ettrian puts his hands on my head. The ghosts’ voices invade my mind like the fury of an ocean during a bad storm. They’re moaning, rumbling, shouting. Begging. Threatening. Then there’s silence in my head like the storm has gone and the ocean is peaceful in the bright sun’s rays.

  “What did you do?” I explode.

  The elf smirks at me. “It’s a blockade. I’m going to put it in your head each time they flood you with demands. In the meantime, my sister will be teaching you how to control your ability.”

  “This feels like I’m with Micah,” I say as my eyes travel to Micah. “Like I’m behind a thick glass wall and like I can hear only echoes.”

  A smile crosses Micah’s face. I smile for him too and see relief paint his expression then something dark flickers in his eyes.

  “You need to accept their presence in your life,” Ettrian says. “They just want to be heard. Sometimes they’ll want to help you, warn you. They’re your friends not enemies.”

  “They warn me in a pretty scary way,” I say.

  “They warn you how they can,” Ettrian says and bows his head at me.

  I feel light like a spring breeze, like a feather. I feel free like Ettrian has just taken a massive piece of rock off me.

  I feel free like wind and sea. I feel myself.

  “Dad,” I squeak. “Dad. I’m free.”

  My dad’s eyes turn glassy for a split second, but he composes himself.

  “Alright,” Dad says. “Everyone to church.”

  All the men murmur ‘aye’, or ‘fucking hell’, then walk to the office. S’Ylla jerks her body forward, but Adva grabs her hand.

  “Only our men,” Adva says. “I’m sorry.”

  S’Ylla’s lips curl into a half-smile and she drops into the couch beside me. “What a barbaric custom. But what can one expect in the compound ruled by a renegade.” She snorts, haughtiness radiating from her.

  We’re lower beings to her, no doubt.

  “Are you really an elf?” I ask, joy and curiosity bubbling inside of my chest.

  Nothing and nobody can stop me from enjoying my new life.

  “Can’t you see?” S’Ylla says like I’m an idiot and she ignores me.

  My mom smiles at me like it’s the happiest day of her life. “We’re going to celebrate tonight.” She sniffles. “I’m so so happy. My little girl will have her life back at last. Let’s celebrate.”

  “With cakes and bubbly drinks,” Murray squeaks. “I want a lot of bubbly drinks.”

  S’Ylla winces. “I need a walk.”

  Adva loops her arm through S’Ylla’s. “Let’s go then.”

  “I didn’t ask for company,” S’Ylla says in a cold voice.

  “With all due respect,” Adva insists, “you’ll have company for a while. This is our compound and our rules.”

  “I’ve never seen such a bold mermaid,” S’Ylla says. “Your kind has always feared mine.”

  “I had to adapt,” Adva says with a pinch of sarcasm and pulls S’Ylla outside the clubhouse.

  Micah

  We spread out to take our seats. Kadmiel puts his feet on the table.

  “So,” Kadmiel starts. “A real elf?”

  Ettrian bows his head. “A real elf.” There is a pinch of amusement in his voice even though the dick must be aware my president will slit his throat at the slightest suspicion that he could pose threat to us.

  “I heard your kind had vanished,” Kadmiel says with sarcasm.

  “You heard right,” Ettrian says.

  “We need him,” I say. “His magic will help us protect the compound.”

  Kadmiel nods at me. My opinion always matters to him.

  “You want to stay?” Kadmiel juts his chin out and puts his feet on the concrete floor. “Be useful to us and stay away from my girls.”

  Ettrian salutes him.

  Kadmiel chuckles. “He learns fast.”

  “The elves know a lot,” Theo says. “About us as well.”

  “Good.” Kadmiel nods. “I fucking want to know what my origins are at last.”

  The boys murmur ‘aye’ with one voice and nod.

  “Let’s vote then,” Kadmiel says and raises his right hand as ‘for’.

  I vote yes as do all the boys.

  Kadmiel stands and pats Ettrian’s shoulder. “Right, Prospect, go to check all the spells and tidy up the ground around the compound. But first have beer with us.”

  All the boys erupt into laughter.

  ***

  We stand outside the clubhouse, only Ettrian and me, cans of beer in our hands.

  “You fucking dick,” I say.

  “You saved my people so I had to save yours,” he says. “I’m a man of honour.” He bows his head.

  “But what happened?”

  “You talked a lot. A lot. I had all the dates and events in my head. When my kind left, my sister and I talked a lot and we decided to stay.”

  “To stay?”

  “You’re kind of intriguing to us. There was something about your story that made us want to stay. And like I said—I always pay my doubts. So does my sister.” His eyes wander off to somewhere in the distance. “It’s been an interesting journey, very interesting two thousand years. And we’re the last two elves on earth.”

  “You’ve altered the timeline, you dick.”

  Ettrian grins. “We’re renegades like you now.”

  “There’s safety in numbers.”

  “Yeah, the compound will keep us safe.” He looks up at the sky and inhales deeply. “We’ve seen one compound like yours, two hundred years ago. The archangels smashed it. We’re going to help protect your family.”

  Ice fills my veins then thoughts bombard my head and I can’t speak. The sacrifice Ettrian’s made to help me is unimaginable. It’s madness.

  No—

  It’s brotherhood.

  I jerk my body to hug him but the repulsion on his face stops me.

  “I kept Theo occupied,” Ettrian continues then clears his throat. “Well, my sister kept him occupied, so he wouldn’t have time to put a baby into Talia. There will be no fight. You won’t kill your friend. There will be no curse.”

  “That’s—“

  “That’s my best achievement ever.” He slaps me on the back and blinks like he is regretting his gesture. “My sister is intrigued with you all. Theo is happy. Talia and you are going to be very happy.”

  “What about Theo’s baby? It will never be born.”

  “It’s safe in my sister’s womb. Talia’s baby must be put into her womb.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Yes, fuck.”

  We drop onto the bench and sip beer in silence.

  Ettrian huffs out. “Keep quiet.”

  “I know.”

  A slim figure emerges from the clubhouse and I recognise Kai. She moves faster, then stops in front of us and folds her hands as if praying.

  “A real elf,” she shrieks and, fucking hell, she leans towards Ettrian and pulls his long hair and his pointed ears. “Is it hostile, Micah?”

  I can barely manage to stifle my laughter as Ettrian’s fury pricks my skin like tiny needles. The guy doesn’t show any emotions on his face though.

  “It can be,” I say, “if you piss it
off.”

  Kai steps back. “Dad said they were going to live with us. Are they civilised?”

  She nods at me, her lips pursed like she’s an expert on elves. She’s only fifteen and her behaviour is sometimes very funny. Not to mention that she hasn’t been exposed to normal life so she has no social skills. She’s adorable though.

  “Are you fucking civilised?” Ettrian says as he pulls himself up.

  Kai yelps at the sight of his height. The top of her head barely reaches Ettrian’s collarbone.

  Silence falls upon us, then Kai turns back and darts towards the clubhouse like a horde of demons is chasing her.

  “She’s the youngest kid in the family,” I say.

  “I hate kids,” Ettrian says. “That creature pulled my hair. And my ears.”

  “She’s never seen an elf.”

  “I’ve never seen such a badly behaved mermaid kid. I’m old. She should respect me.”

  I laugh as Ettrian empties his beer.

  “You should go to your wife and remind her that she is your wife,” Ettrian says.

  Sadness strangles my throat. “Talia doesn’t need me any longer. She may choose somebody else.”

  It’s true. Talia has a choice in life. I’m not her only option any longer. I love her like mad. Fuck. I’d die for her a thousand times. She’s the love of my life.

  I may not be the love of her life though.

  Ettrian smirks as though he can read my thoughts. “Go talk to her and you’ll know.”

  Chapter 12

  Talia

  A light knocking on the door tears me out of my nap. I crawl from my bed and open it. My eyes meet Micah’s burning ones.

  I grab his hand and pull him inside. “Can you imagine? I’m free.” I close the door. “You don’t have to be my nanny anymore. Cool, isn’t it?”

  Heaviness sits on my chest. Micah won’t be around me anymore. He can focus on living out his own life now.

  “I’m so happy for you, baby girl.” Raw emotion falters his voice as the light emitted by the bedside lamp gives his face a menacing appearance.

  My hand travels to his cheek and an overwhelming need to comfort him fills me. “I can take care of you now. In return for all these years you’ve kept me sane.”

  He chuckles and steps back, which pisses me off for some mysterious reason.

  “We need to talk,” he says. “You’re free—“

  “Don’t leave me.” It just pours out of me.

  “I—“

  “You have a woman, right?”

  “Talia, baby—“

  “Who is she?” I put my hands on my hips.

  Emotions flood me like never before. I’ve been a half-dead shadow for years and now everything feels so intense, so vivid like I’m a volcano threatening to explode at any moment.

  “Yes, I have a woman,” Micah says.

  Ice fills my veins, and I feel dizzy. “Are you going to marry her?”

  I will kill her. I’ll fucking kill her with my bare hands.

  “It’s complicated,” Micah says.

  Rage burns inside of me and it rises up to my throat. “Get out of my face.”

  “Talia,” Micah growls.

  “Now.”

  “Talia listen to me—“

  “I said ‘now’.”

  I realise I’m yelling.

  “Get some sleep, baby, and we’ll talk tomorrow, okay?” Micah glides his hand over his head.

  “Get out.” I raise my hands and spread my fingers like I’m going to claw his eyes out.

  He storms out and my heart crumbles into pieces. I miss Micah like never before, like he’s died or something.

  I pull forward and tumble out of my room, bouncing off a tall frame. Then hot lips are on mine. I stiffen as the realisation of whose mouth is devouring mine tears its way to my shaky mind.

  “Micah,” I gasp.

  “I can’t breathe without you, baby girl.”

  I’m stunned.

  No, I’m so fucking happy I can’t speak.

  My hands rise, and I cup his face, bringing his lips down back to mine.

  “Take us to my place,” Micah says into my mouth.

  He grips my waist and lifts me off the floor as my wings appear from my back and I wrap my legs around his waist. With a rustle, I take us to his bedroom.

  As the haze from the ride clears in my head, and my wings vanish, heat seizes my skin.

  Micah keeps kissing me.

  No—

  He’s eating me like an animal that has starved for months. His tongue almost violates my mouth.

  “You’re my woman,” he says. “My wife.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since…” He chuckles then plants a kiss on my neck, making my stomach flutter, making my skin prickle, making my heart pound. “Since you grew up.”

  Euphoria explodes in my mind like fireworks against the blackness of the night sky. “Are you serious?”

  “I’m very serious. I love you, baby girl.”

  “I love you too. Always have.”

  I feel his teeth on my neck, causing me pain. An arousing pain. I mewl, pulling him to me, urging him to give me more, to give me harder. He sinks his fingers into my hair and slams me on the wall.

  I sense wildness from him tinged with the brutality of the warrior blazing inside of him. I sense darkness and light from him. I sense his anger, his pain, and his fierce love for me.

  I realise we’re mating, bonding for eternity. I realise this when his fingers slide under my panties.

  “Everyone in the compound will sense us,” I say.

  “So what?”

  “My dad—“

  “Kiss me and stop talking.”

  So I kiss him.

  He rips my panties off me and I feel him manipulate the zip in his trousers.

  “Micah, I’ve never—“

  “Stop talking,” he growls.

  The head of his hard cock pushes at my entrance.

  I’ve never been with a man and I wanted my first time to be more romantic, on the beach maybe, or in a nice hotel room.

  Micah grips my hip and drives his cock into me, burying his whole length inside me in one thrust.

  Micah

  She cries out and I stop moving. Something is wrong, but her heat strips me of rationality entirely. I’m ravenous. I’m thirsty. I’m unstoppable.

  I move my hips against hers and go deeper, harder. Her body stiffens against mine as her fingers dig into my neck and she cries.

  A thought whips me.

  Theo was away. He missed her eighteenth birthday. He never fucked her.

  My one past mixes with my other past in my head and I don’t know which one is reality.

  “Talia, baby, is this what I’m thinking about?”

  “This is, but that’s okay. I’ve always wanted it to be with you.”

  Good, that’s what I wanted to hear.

  “I will heal, Micah.”

  “I know. I just—“

  “Love me and don’t hold yourself back.”

  Her body softens against mine as her lips search for mine.

  I grip the back of her neck to hold her in place and I fuck her, forcing whimpers from her mouth.

  It’s mine to take. It has always been mine.

  Heat floods me, bubbles, as my whole being ascends towards the stars. I explode, shatter, and disintegrate.

  “They’re waiting for us.” Talia’s voice tears its way to my blurry mind.

  “What?”

  “The whole family. Dad will probably knock your teeth out.”

  “What?”

  “They’re waiting in the bar. Dad is really pissed off.” She chuckles nervously. “God, the air is sizzling with his fury.”

  I put my hands on her head and kiss her tenderly. “You want a shower first?”

  “Yes.”

  I pull out of her and let her slide down. As she puts her feet on the floor, I gather her nightdress and pull it over her head.


  She drops her head, ashamed of her nakedness.

  I hold her chin and tip her face up to mine, kissing her. “You’re beautiful.” I plant a kiss on her forehead. “You’re mine.”

  I strip and hold her hand, pulling her to the bathroom. The oscillations of the boys’ emotions prick my skin—their curiosity, joy, then sadness that they’re lonely. Kadmiel’s sheer anger.

  I block my mind and focus only on my Talia.

  We step into the shower cabin and I turn on the hot water. Talia clings to me. I turn her so her back rests against my chest and I palm her large breasts.

  “You didn’t enjoy it, huh?” I roll her nipples and she arches against me as her arms wrap around my neck.

  “It was—“

  “It was what it was. But, I’m going to compensate you for my crudeness.”

  Talia

  I purr as he strokes my breasts and our lips meet.

  I’m scared that it’s a dream and I’ll wake up at any moment. But, he is here with me, my beloved Micah.

  His fingers slide down my tummy to my mound and he spreads my folds. I look down and see a few streaks of redness tinting the water around my feet. My virginal blood. My gift for Micah.

  He slides a finger into my pussy, causing me a slight stinging. His arm crosses over my chest as he pushes his finger deeper and tension starts building in my tummy. I feel his thumb rubbing against my clit, jolting me. My knees bend as Micah’s hard cock throbs against my ass.

  Steam envelops us. My sweat merges with the water. Everything is hot and bubbly.

  Micah fingers me gently, and I dig my fingers into his forearm, teetering between pain and pleasure, craving more and more until forgetfulness. I come with a low scream leaving my mouth.

  Micah bends me so my palms rest against the colourful mosaic adorning the side wall of the shower cabin, and he pushes his cock into my pussy. His hands rest just above mine and he stops moving.

  It’s burning like previously, but then the pain fades and there is only this delirious sensation of being stretched. Of being rooted. Of being loved with fierce passion.

  Micah starts thrusting and I fall into the hot chasm of our desire.

  Chapter 13

  Micah

  I pound into her until pleasure rolls over me. Then we lather ourselves up with the shower gel and kiss and laugh and kiss again.

  Everything is as it should be at last.