by Raven Steele
She jerked at the sound of her name, and then Boaz was gone.
I waited for her to say something, but she continued to stare at the ground. Her right hand trembled.
“Don’t worry about dinner. I’m really not hungry. Could you just show me to my room, please?”
“Boaz said to feed you,” she murmured.
“I know what he said, but I’m not hungry. It’s been a long day, and I just want to lie down.” My tone was sharper than I intended, probably a side effect from using magic.
Mariel wrung her hands together and bit her lip.
I placed my hand on her shoulder but removed it when she flinched. “It will be all right. I will tell Boaz I didn’t need you. Really, don’t worry. But I would love your help tomorrow, if that’s all right with you?”
For the first time, she looked at me, her gray eyes vibrating within her sockets. I tried not to stare, but the constant shifting of her beady eyes was something I had never seen before.
Mariel nodded slightly. “Right this way.”
I waited a second before following after her. Maybe she was overworked. Having servants wasn’t common, but for families high up in the supernatural world, it was expected. And many times, as I had seen with my parents, those servants weren’t always treated well. If this was the case with Mariel, then I needed to get out of here as soon as possible. I didn’t want to substitute one bad home for another.
Upstairs, more paintings of night landscapes hung on the walls. Some were cities lit up by the moon, others were forests painted in the night sky, and a few were black and white photographs. There weren’t any day scenes and not a single one was of a person. This unsettled me, but I still wasn’t sure why.
Mariel stopped in front of a wooden door at the end of the hall and turned the knob, revealing a room slightly smaller than mine at home, but much more nicely decorated. The one item I focused on the most was a built-in bookshelf that took up most of one wall. It must’ve held hundreds of books.
I turned to comment on how nice this was to Mariel, but she had already slipped out the door. I sighed and surprised myself by wishing Boaz was here. At least he was someone to talk to.
I flopped onto the bed, groaning and tightening my jaw. He had made me use powerful magic, more than I ever had before. It was to save my life, I reminded myself. Was that so bad?
Turning my head on the pillow, I noticed a door on the other side of the bookcase. Because of the bookcase’s immense size, it would’ve been hidden from me as I walked into the room, but from the bed’s angle, I couldn’t miss it. I stood up to investigate.
Inside was a closet, more like a room from the size of it, filled with some of the nicest clothing I’d ever seen. I walked among them, my fingers trailing their soft fabrics. At the back of the room, an open doorway led to a marbled bathroom. In the center, four black columns surrounded a massive tub.
I walked over and turned it on; water shot out of a gold, snake-shaped faucet. While the tub filled, I returned to the closet to admire a row of designer dresses. I couldn’t help but wonder who they were for. Boaz probably had one, if not several, girlfriends, and most likely the dresses were for them. I grimaced, thinking of the kind of women Boaz associated with.
A red dress with a line of diamonds around the waist caught my eye. I pulled it off the rod and held it against my body. It looked like it would just barely fit. The material felt like silk but much softer. I smiled and returned it. After my bath, I would try it on, just for a minute.
The warm water, the clothing, and a room full of books were a welcome distraction from the fact my parents had tried to kill me. But I had survived, and now I was free from their wrath. I sunk deeper into the bathtub until I was completely submerged. Soon I would be starting a new life all on my own. I surfaced and smoothed back my wet hair with a smile.
I could’ve stayed in the tub all night if it hadn’t been for the red dress, which lured me out prematurely. I dried off completely, including my hair, before I slipped it over my head without a bra or panties on. Its soft material felt like warm breath all over my skin. A slit ran the length of my thigh giving me the ability to move freely.
I twirled into the bedroom and stopped in front of a mirror, gasping in surprise. I looked regal and confident, two things I’d never felt before.
Is this what freedom felt like?
A knock at the door had me frantically glancing around, trying to decide if I had time to change. “One minute!”
I snatched the bathrobe from off the bed and was about to pull it on when the door opened. Boaz stepped into the room. He had showered and changed his clothes into dark pants and a gray V-necked sweater that clung to his muscular chest.
I pressed the robe against me, trying to hide the red gown. “I said give me a minute.”
“My mistake, I thought you said ‘Come in’.”
“Sure you did.” I took a tentative step back.
His eyes narrowed. “What are you hiding?”
Busted. I sighed and dropped the bathrobe. “I’m sorry, but I wanted to try it on. It’s so beautiful.”
Boaz’s eyebrows lifted. “It’s not the dress that’s beautiful. It’s you. The dress only compliments what you already have.”
“Regardless,” I said, turning toward the bathroom. “It’s not mine. I shouldn’t have touched it.”
Boaz frowned. “Of course it’s yours. All of this is: the room, the clothing, and most importantly,” he clasped my hand before I could stop him and pulled me toward a dresser, “these are yours.”
Boaz pulled open the first drawer. Lying on black velvet were all kinds of jeweled necklaces. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires twinkled in the light.
“I don’t understand.”
Boaz closed the drawer and opened another one. It was filled with gold and silver rings, all of which were adorned with the same exotic jewels. “These belong to you. I bought them to show my devotion.”
Boaz moved to open a third drawer, but I stopped him. “I don’t want all of this, Boaz. It’s too much.”
He threaded his fingers through mine. “It’s not enough. You deserve more.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t accept them.” I let go of his hand and stepped away.
The corners of his mouth turned up and he said, “Then earn it.”
“What?”
“Let me teach you to focus your powers so no one can take advantage of you ever again.”
“You’re talking about my parents.”
“Not just them. Now that you are out from your parents’ thumb, the world will try to control you. If you do not present a strong and powerful front right from the start, they will see you as weak and vulnerable. I know you don’t want that.”
He was right. The thought of ever being controlled again, of being trapped, made my stomach hurt. I moved to the bed and sat down, exhausted.
“Erik and Sable are gone,” he added, “but they might come back for you. I can’t be with you every second. You must train and learn all the different levels of magic. Learn from me, Eve. I beg you.”
“If I do this, we move at my pace and on my terms.” I did want to explore my abilities to see what I was capable of, but not for Boaz or anyone else. For me. I wanted to become so powerful that no one could ever hurt me again.
He lowered to his knees in front of me and rested his hands on my thighs. The dress’s material was so thin and sheer, it felt like he was touching my bare skin. “At your pace, but promise me something.”
“What?”
“We have fun in the process. I know how your parents mistreated you and how they kept you sheltered. I want to show you the world and all the wonderful things you’ve missed.”
I smiled, pretending I couldn’t feel the way the tops of his fingers weren’t pressing into my upper thigh so close to my most sensitive body part. “I’d like that.”
His dark eyes stared up into mine, burrowing deep inside my mind until I stopped breathing. His hands s
lid backward toward my knees, then stopped. “There are other things I could show you.”
I bit at my lip, my heart thundering beneath the silky dress. “Like what?”
He slowly parted my legs open, keeping his intense gaze on mine. I sucked in a quick breath at the line of heat racing straight to my lower abdomen. I’d never been touched by a man before but had fantasized plenty.
With him parting my legs, the long slit in the dress exposed my bare thigh. Cold air cooled my burning heat, and I regretted not putting on some underwear. His eyes dropped to the spot between my legs. I didn’t dare look down to see what he was looking at. I think I was still covered but the material was too thin to be sure. My face reddened.
“You are so beautiful.” His hands slid up my thighs again, making my whole body tremble with pleasure. I inhaled a shaky breath. I should stop him, but even in all my dreams, being touched by a man never felt this good.
With the pleasure came magic. It hummed through my veins, shocked my system, and illuminated my mind. Even the air moving in and out of my lungs felt electric.
Boaz’s eyes glazed over as he, too, seemed to be experiencing the same exhilarating high. He inhaled deeply. “Do you feel the power between us? Isn’t it amazing?”
I could feel it. My whole body felt light, almost as if any moment I might float away.
Just before his fingers reached the one spot I really wanted him to touch, Boaz withdrew his hands and straightened. I sucked in a breath, my mouth falling open in disappointment.
Boaz smiled knowingly. “That’s just a taste of what you are going to experience with me, love.”
Chapter 9
The next day, I slept in as Boaz had suggested. It felt strange to be in a place where I had no restrictions. I mused that I was going to love my newfound freedom. Even the idea of using magic didn’t scare me like it used to. I didn’t have to hide it here.
I dressed in the simplest clothes I could find from the dresser drawers: a pair of jeans and a black silky shirt. The feel of it against my skin reminded me of the dress. My face flushed as I remembered Boaz’s fingers on my thighs. I hoped I’d feel his touch again, but I had to be careful. Keep things light. No emotional attachments. I had freedom now and didn’t want to exchange that for a relationship with a man. This was finally my time.
I left the bedroom and headed down the long hallway toward the stairs, stopping to peek at every room along the way. They were all similar to mine: ornate wooden furniture, richly colored walls, crown molding and chandeliers except for one room at the end of the hallway. It was a library filled with books. I slipped in and scanned the shelves, reading the titles.
“Would you care for some breakfast?”
I jumped. Mariel stood in the doorway looking as worn out as she had the night before.
“You startled me, Mariel.”
“I apologize.” She bowed her head.
“It’s all right. I would love some breakfast. Can I help you in the kitchen?”
Mariel’s head snapped up at my suggestion. “No, miss, that wouldn’t be proper. I will prepare whatever you like.”
“All right then. I will have eggs and toast, if that wouldn’t be too much of a burden.”
“Not at all,” she said and turned to leave.
“Mariel, is Boaz here?” I tried to sound casual, but even I could hear the anticipation in my voice.
Without turning back around, she said, “He will appear when he’s ready, miss."
Oookay, I mouthed. Even though Boaz had said he didn’t need sleep, that didn’t mean he didn’t want it. After the last two days we’d had, he probably was resting somewhere. Maybe I’d see him at dark.
I returned to the books, stopping only when I found one titled, ‘Tender is the Night’. I removed it from the shelf and headed downstairs to find the dining room. The downstairs was even larger than the upstairs, and it took me going through several rooms, including discovering a locked door, before I finally found Mariel.
“Mariel, what’s behind the locked door in the west wing?” I asked when I entered the dining room off of the kitchen.
Mariel placed eggs and toast in front of me. “That is the master’s area. We are forbidden to go there.”
Master? Odd title, even for our kind. I took a bite. “Who cleans it then?”
She shrugged and left the room.
I ate by myself. Other than Mariel, I’d come across two other servants who were cleaning rooms downstairs. Neither of the younger girls had spoken to me even after I had said hello. To anyone else, this might’ve been upsetting, but I was used to it.
When I finished eating, I headed straight for the back door, but took one step outside before returning to retrieve a coat. Dark-edged clouds had congregated in the sky as if to discuss their desire to snow.
With a long wool coat wrapped tightly around me, I roamed the gardens, taking in the smell of roses that stubbornly clung to the air. A light mist blanketed the ground; it seemed to be halting nature’s natural death process. Plants were still green and flowers in bloom. I regretted leaving my hair down as the wind whipped it back and forth, causing me to constantly wipe the blowing strands away from my face. But when I reached the edge of the woods, the wind died down, and my hair returned to its rightful place.
The forest, not far from the home, had also been meticulously maintained. There were no fallen branches or overgrown bushes, allowing me to move in and out of the trees with ease, but after a short time, the sky darkened and the temperature dropped even further, forcing me to turn back.
I was about to cross to the paved path leading to the house when I noticed Boaz riding on a huge black stallion with Hunwald trailing behind. My heart quickened, and I bit the bottom of my lip.
Boaz attempted to stop the horse directly in front of me, but with little success. The animal stomped and snorted as if it had never been ridden before. Boaz was struggling to keep it still.
“Come with me. I want to show you something,” he said.
“Good evening to you, too.”
Boaz grinned and pulled on the reins, forcing the horse to face me. The black stallion reared up. “A little help here?”
I laughed. “What do you expect me to do?”
“Calm this beast down before it kills me.” The horse reared up again, nearly throwing him off.
I laughed again then sucked in a breath, bringing magic to the front of my subconsciousness. It felt liberating to call upon my abilities with such ease and without fear I might be caught.
“Very well, but I’m doing it for the horse’s sake,” I said. “He looks extremely uncomfortable.”
“He looks uncomfortable?”
My smile widened, and I closed my eyes. The magic I used was one I used to call upon when I spent time with Madelyn in the forest. It came from the earth and I used it to connect myself to animals.
My feet tingled as if they were asleep and, slowly, I let the energy crawl up my legs, careful to keep it under control. I approached the excited horse and placed my hand upon its neck.
In my mind, I pictured an open pasture full of white daisies. At the far end of the field, a herd of wild horses ran free.
Peace, I thought, and transferred the calming image to the horse. Beneath my hand, the bulging neck muscles of the stallion relaxed. The horse stomped a few times before it finally lowered its head. Its eyes glazed over, and it stilled.
Once again, the use of magic gave me an incredible feeling of power. It made me lightheaded but in an enjoyable way.
“Thank you, love, much better,” Boaz said. “Now that I don’t have a horse trying to kill me, I can be more polite. Have you enjoyed your day?”
“It’s been wonderful. You have an amazing home and grounds to match. I could spend days exploring.”
“I’m glad you find it satisfactory. If you didn’t, I would have to change it all.”
I laughed. “You would do that for me?”
“In a heartbeat.” His heated gaze
burned into mine.
I cleared my throat and looked away.
“Did you have a chance to look through my library?” he asked. “I have a lot of books on magic, and I’d like you to start studying them as soon as possible.”
I returned my gaze to his, excitement flowing through me. “I’d like that. Thank you. What about college?”
“What about it?”
“I’d like to attend a real one.”
“Seems like a waste for someone with your power but if it’s what you want. Can you at least wait until you’ve mastered your abilities? I’d like to make sure you can take care of yourself.”
I thought about this. College wasn’t going anywhere. “I can agree to that.”
“Good. As for your training, I’d like to start today by showing you something special to me. It won’t take much of your magic, but it will require you to apply it for smaller uses. Sometimes that’s much harder than causing something to explode. Will you come with me?”
I glanced at his open palm, wondering if the creased lines could tell me something about his past.
He frowned. “Don’t you trust me?”
Sudden guilt filled my mind. I should trust him after everything he’d done for me, but I couldn’t get the strange man’s voice from my parents’ party out of my head warning me to avoid anyone in my parent’s world lest I become a monster like them.
But who was he to me? Nothing. Someone who had probably snuck into my parents’ party.
I accepted Boaz’s hand. He took hold of it and effortlessly lifted me onto the back of the horse. I wrapped my arms around his solid torso and hung on tightly. Much to my dismay, a growing buzzing sensation vibrated my skin, sending a wave of pleasure throughout my body. I wondered if Boaz felt it, too, but wasn’t about to ask.
Alternating between a fast gallop and a slow walk, we rode the horse over rough terrain through the dark forest. The area was hilly here, and in some spots the horse struggled to maintain its footing on the rocky path. By the time Boaz stopped at a fast-moving river, a full moon had risen into the night sky casting its silvery glow across the landscape.
