Slay Belles & Mayhem: A Medley of Dark Tales

by Dani René

  “Who lives there?” I question, wishing the stag could speak to me. I try to remember a spell for telepathy, but it doesn’t come.

  While we stand hidden in the shadows of the trees, the front door opens, and an elderly man steps out. He limps along slowly with the aid of a walking stick. He must be eighty, possibly even older. He’s thin and frail, but there’s a power about him I’ve never felt before.

  “He’s magical.” I confirm to the stag, and he nods. “Is he the one who did this to you?” Again another ‘yes’. “But there’s more, isn’t there?”

  The stag motions with his head for me to watch.

  The elderly man looks back at the house. He holds his hand up and a layer of crystal forms over the entire building, creating a protective barrier—security against anyone trying to get in. The gentleman then gets into the passenger side of a car parked in front of the house, and he’s driven away.

  “Why would he secure his house in this way? A burglar alarm out here would be sufficient.” Something doesn’t settle right with me. The magic I sensed on the man wasn’t good. It felt like it had been powerful once but was now weak as though it was dwindling away.

  With the owner of the house gone, I step out of the trees. The stag follows behind me, sniffing at the air.

  “Trouble.”

  He replies, ‘no’.

  “Is the man the only person who lives here?”

  The stag doesn’t have time to answer my question before a loud scream comes from inside the house. It’s feminine and urgent—it’s a plea for help. My magic comes flooding back to me as I lower the security field with a wave of my hand and speed into the house.

  Chapter Three

  Nyah Stratton

  Twelve months—three hundred and sixty-five days—eight thousand and sixty hours—thirty-one million, five hundred-thirty six thousand seconds—that’s how long I’ve been in this cage, and tonight my imprisonment will finally be over. It’s time for my marriage to Malachi. He’ll take my virginity to strengthen his powers, and then continue to use me until I’ve nothing left to give him and the next girl comes along.

  I’ve often wondered over the past year who my replacement will be. My family’s lineage will be gone. My parents are dead, my brother’s a stag with a death sentence over his head, and I’ll follow them all in due course. There must be another family line somewhere from which Malachi will reap his next bride. If I could curse my ancestors who started this, I would. However, after tonight, I doubt I’ll be able to do anything.

  Over the last year, Malachi has been informing me…no, teasing me about what will happen once we’re married. The moment he comes inside me, he will start to draw my energy, and I’ll age instantly. When he took his last wife’s virginity, she immediately lost thirty years of her life. Evidently, it depends on how much he enjoys it, and after the hassle I’ve given him, he’s going to make sure he savors every moment. He’s told me of the great delight he’ll experience, fucking me with my brother watching on—if he enjoys it enough, he could kill me then and there, drawing all my life force in one go. I guess it could be a blessing, but I don’t want to die. I’ve thought of little else over the last year. There’s so much I want to do with my life and so many places I want to see. My life will have all been for nothing if it ends here tonight for the sake of something that happened centuries ago. I will never understand how this can have been allowed to continue for so long.

  Malachi’s had to go out for an hour or two to collect the priest who’s replacing the one my brother killed. It sounds like there’s some reluctance on the part of the new priest to perform the marriage ceremony. I hope it stays that way until after the clock chimes in four hours because then I’ll have another year to figure out how to escape. Mind you, all my attempts so far have proved futile, so maybe it would be better if I just gave in to my fate.

  As soon as I’m sure Malachi has left, I start screaming. It’s unlikely to draw any attention, though. I don’t know where we are exactly, but I’ve often shouted when Malachi has gone out, and nobody has ever come, so it must be in the middle of nowhere.

  “Help,” I shout out loudly and repeat it over and over again while listening out for the sound of a car returning.

  When the door to the room bursts open, I jump backward in my cage, scared Malachi’s discovered my pleas for help. But it’s not him, it’s a man I don’t recognize. His slimline hips are dressed in dark jeans with a black t-shirt. His arms are thick with muscle and tattooed with intricate designs. His short, brown hair is messy, and a few days growth of stubble adorns his strong jaw line. He’s handsome.

  “Who are you?” I question.

  The man doesn’t look evil, but I fear anyone who enters this house. The door opens wider, and my brother trots in. I’ve not seen him in a year, but I’d recognize his stag form anywhere.

  “Connor,” I cry, happy to see him alive.

  My biggest fear was Malachi hunting him down. My brother comes up to the glass of my cage and rests his head as best as he can against it.

  “Are you two a couple?” the stranger asks.

  “No,” I reply instantly. “He’s my brother.”

  “I’m sorry.” The man starts to examine the cage. “Can you tell me what happened to you and your brother? I’m afraid I don’t speak deer,” he asks with a laugh, and Connor stomps his hoof in annoyance on the wooden floor. “My apologies. I was trying to lighten the mood. This house freaks me the fuck out. It’s filled with a sorrow far greater than the sadness emanating from both you and your sister.”

  I’ve learned a lot about magic over the last year. If the stranger can sense feelings, then he’s probably not completely human. Malachi got his powers by selling his soul to the devil. I can’t help wondering how the man in front of me got his.

  “Do you have magical powers?” I question.

  “I’m half witch from my mother’s side of the family. We’re descended from the first druids on earth—they were magical protectors sent by God. Their powers have been passed down through the generations ever since.”

  “So you’re a good witch.”

  “Yes. I’m Griffon by the way.”

  “Nyah.”

  “Hi, Nyah.” He pauses and smacks his lips together in thought before saying,“Am I right in guessing you don’t want to be in this cage, and your brother wasn’t originally a stag?”

  He taps at the glass.

  “I was trapped in here by Malachi. He’s an evil, old witch.”

  “Was that the decrepit guy I saw leaving earlier?”

  I nod.

  “Malachi’s ancient. He was hung as a witch in the past, and he sold his soul to the devil to save himself. In a few hours, he’ll take me as his wife, and when he…” I can’t finish my explanation. It’s too horrible to admit.

  “…rapes you.” Griffon’s hands clench tight, his lips purse together, and I can tell he’s angry.

  “Yes,” I reply weakly. “When he does, he’ll take my life force, and he’ll keep doing it until eventually he kills me.”

  Griffon goes quiet. I can tell he’s tempering down his fury. His hands are shaking.

  “We need to get you out of here.”

  Connor kicks his hoof hard against the cage, but nothing happens.

  “We’ve tried to smash it. Nothing works—it‘s unbreakable.”

  I place my hand flat against the glass. Griffon loosens his fist and presses his own large hand against the impenetrable barrier, so it’s covering mine.

  “That’s because the glass is magical.”

  He takes his hand back and pulls his mobile out.

  “Fuck! No service. Shit! Come on, brain, remember.” He bashes the side of his head, and Connor looks at him like he’s crazy.

  “What are you doing?” I ask.

  “Trying to remember how to access my powers. I haven’t practiced much magic for a while.” He’s clearly frustrated, and my heart deflates. “Dominic,” he speaks into the air. “Domi
nic,” he repeats, this time more forcefully.

  “What?” A booming voice echoes around the room as another man appears.

  This one’s dressed in a black dress shirt and dress pants with shiny black shoes. He’s massive and as frightening as the devil, and he makes my blood curdle. He’s even more scary looking than Malachi.

  “I got a bit sidetracked, boss,” Griffon addresses the newcomer.

  The other man, who must be Dominic, looks around the room.

  “Why is she in a glass cage, and what’s with the reindeer? Did you take a wrong turn and end up at the North Pole?”

  “No, I went for a piss and ended up being approached by a human who’s been turned into a stag. He then led me to his sister who’s being held in this cage by a guy who wants to rape her and feed off her innocence.”

  “Why do you always have to complicate a job? Isn’t killing a fucker good enough for you?” Dominic scowls at Griffon.

  “I like complicated—what can I say?” Griffon shrugs his shoulders.

  “Where’s the guy responsible for all of this?” Dominic asks and presses his hand against the glass.

  “Out but due back soon.”

  “Ok, I’m guessing we need to get her out of this contraption .” Dominic hits the side of my prison harder, and the cage rattles around me. It’s the first time I’ve ever felt it move.

  “Any suggestions?” Griffon asks.

  “One. Can you remember the spell I taught you for smashing a solid when it can’t be broken by normal means?” Dominic questions.

  “What shooting a bullet at it?” Griffon nods his head toward a gun tucked in the waistband of Dominic’s pants.

  “I swear sometimes I employ idiots. Do you really think shooting a bullet into a magical glass cage is a good idea?”

  “It’s probably not the best suggestion I’ve ever made.”

  “We need to disintegrate it. Woman…” Dominic addresses me.

  “Nyah,” I inform him.

  “Ok, Nyah. Stand in the middle of the cage and cover your head with your hands.”

  My brother starts to pace the room. He keeps looking at the clock. Time is running out, and Malachi will be home soon to claim me. Quickly getting in position, I wrap my arms over my head.

  “I’m ready,” I confirm and wait.

  I’ve been in this cage for something like thirty-one million, five hundred thirty-six thousand and three hundred seconds now…and counting. I just want to get out of here and preferably not so I can end up being forced to marry Malachi.

  “Griffon,” Dominic calls the other man over while placing both his hands on the cage.

  Griffon does the same on the opposite side. He’s standing in front of me, and I look up at him quickly.

  He winks at me and mouths, “It’ll be ok.”

  I don’t know why, but I trust him.

  His eyes roll back in his head, and the next thing I know, the cage turns into the finest crystals of sand that flutter to the ground. I make sure my arms stay over my head, so I don’t get any of grit in my eyes. When everything settles, I look up again.

  “I’m free.”

  Connor, still in his stag form, walks over to me, and I stroke along his side.

  “Can you turn Connor back to a human as well?” I ask.

  Both men shake their heads.

  “It’s a curse and can only be undone by the witch who placed it on him. Either by the witch’s death or his recantation of the spell. It’s the only way.”

  Connor nuzzles his nose against my cheek.

  “We’ll find a way, Connor. If he doesn’t have me, death will come to him soon,” I reassure my brother.

  Dominic steps over the sand on the floor.

  “I need to get back to the office. I’ll let you finish up here, Griffon, and then get back to the job I’m actually paying you for.”

  Griffon nods at him, and Dominic disappears in a puff of smoke.

  “Is he always so grumpy?” I ask.

  “Pretty much.” Griffon takes my hand. I’m a little unsteady on my feet as I step over the sand. It feels strange after a year in a cage to finally be free. “We should get out of here before the old man comes back.”

  Connor stamps his hooves and jumps to block the doorway.

  “What is it? Is there something wrong?” I question, not understanding why he’s stopping us from leaving.

  He looks between us both and then does some weird rutting motion.

  “Er, it would appear your brother might be horny. Do you and he…er…you know?” Griffon raises an eyebrow at us.

  “No, we do not.” I slap him hard across the face for the insult. “I’m a virgin!”

  “Nice.” Griffon smirks, rubbing his cheek.

  Connor stamps his hooves again to refocus our attention on him. He does the rutting movement again and then steps forward and pushes Griffon and I together with his head. My brother then snorts out a frustrated breath at not being able to get his meaning across to us. He keeps pushing us together and repeating his strange mating behavior.

  “Is he trying to play matchmaker?” Griffon asks me, and Connor stamps his hooves excitedly.

  It dawns on me what my brother is suggesting.

  “Are you insane?” I respond to Connor. “You want me to sleep with him?”

  “Woah, what?” Griffon spits out.

  Connor prances up and down happily.

  “Connor, I don’t even know this man.”

  I can’t believe my brother is suggesting this. Does he think I’m some sort of whore, offering my body to the man who rescued me? I should be getting the hell out of this property, not fucking the first man I see…fucking the first man I see! Now I understand. My brother is a genius—although what he’s proposing is slightly creepy.

  “Will you fuck me?” I ask, turning to Griffon.

  I grab his t-shirt and start to lift it up, but he takes hold of my hands and pushes them away.

  “I think you’ve spent too much time in the glass cage. Let’s get out of here, and then we can maybe discuss this again after you’ve had a few years of counseling,” Griffon replies as he tries desperately to stop me from ripping all his clothes off him.

  “No, you have to do it.”

  “Nyah, this is some sort of captive syndrome making you ask this. You really don’t mean what you’re saying.”

  “Yes I do. Malachi will chase me to the ends of the earth as long as I remain a virgin. He wants the power he can get by taking it from me. If I’m no longer a virgin, then I’m no good to him. I’ll be safe. Please, Griffon, I need you to do this.”

  He stands back and rubs his hand through his messy, brown hair.

  “Seriously, this is a new one on me—an innocent girl asking me for sex.”

  “Griffon, if you do this, you’ll save my life. We might even be able to destroy Malachi and get my brother back. Come on, you have a dick, and I’m sure you know how to use it…or are you a virgin too? Is that what the problem is? Or maybe gay?”

  “Ok, babe.” Griffon grabs me around the waist. “I did some experimenting when I was a kid, but it’s pussy all the way for me these days. And believe me, my dick has seen plenty of action. I’m just not certain you know what you’re asking. Plus, I’m feeling a little under pressure being asked to perform on the spot.”

  “You don’t need to perform. Just stick your dick inside me and come. That’s all you need to do.”

  Griffon loosens his hold on me, and looking into my eyes, he chuckles.

  “It’s more than a little obvious you’ve never had sex, Nyah.”

  I look down at the floor, feeling stupid. It’s a crazy thing to ask of this stranger, but if it saves me, then I want to do it.

  “Please. I know it seems insane, but this could be my only chance.”

  Griffon brings his hand up to my face and tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

  “You really think it’s a good idea? If Malachi can feed on your virginity, who’s to say
I won’t do the same. I’m magical as well.”

  “You are, but you’re not evil, and I could think of worse guys to have my first time with. You’re handsome.” I can’t help but blush at my words.

  “Ok, I’ll do it. Your brother has to wait outside, though. I’m not really into exhibitionism.”

  We both look over to Connor who nods and leaves the room.

  “How do you want me?” I ask and start to remove the dress I’m wearing. I’ve only got panties on underneath, no bra.

  “Fuck!” Griffon exclaims. “Dominic was right. I don’t do things by halves.”

  Chapter Four

  Griffon Taylor

  As I watch Nyah remove her clothes, I’m still not sure what the fuck is happening. I should be in Boston now, torturing a man and killing him, but instead, I have a beautiful woman stripping naked in front of me, and she wants me to take her virginity. My dick is hard in my jeans—it has been since the moment I first set eyes on her. This is the sort of thing that only happens in a dream, not reality.

  Nyah removes her panties and throws them on the floor. She’s completely naked with her breasts standing proud, and her nipples erect already. Her slim waist tapers down to a full bottom, and a tuft of blonde hair covers her mound.

  I take a deep breath and pull my t-shirt off over my head. Nyah looks down at the floor, trying to hide the fact she was staring at my toned abs. I have to keep fit and agile. Being lax will get me killed in my line of work.

  “Dear god!” she exclaims. “You have so many tattoos.”

  “I’ve got a bit of a tattoo addiction.”

  “They look…” Her eyes flick up and then quickly down again before she coughs awkwardly. “They look good. Perfect, in fact.”

  Next, I retrieve a condom from the wallet in the pocket of my jeans.

  “What’s that?” Nyah asks.

  “Protection. You don’t want to risk getting pregnant.”

  She hesitates.