Baron

by Plum Pascal

  Pyre faces me and his expression is hard. “No.”

  He shrugs and snaps his fingers again as the rest of our crew snaps back to attention. Pyre faces them. “I hold no position, other than to say Morrigan doesn’t belong in the castle. As to why she is there or how, I can’t say.”

  It takes me a moment or two to realize he’s responding to whatever comment was last made before he froze time.

  “None of that matters anyway,” Eilish says. “The point is that we have to get her out.”

  “Then I am outnumbered,” I say with a sigh.

  I do promise myself, however, that I won’t risk my life for any of them again, save for Eilish. And if I see a situation painting itself in those colors, I will desist at once.

  TEN

  Baron

  The Veil

  “Once Eilish gets into the palace, what then?” Cambion asks.

  “We kill Variant,” Dragan responds.

  “No one goes for Variant,” Pyre says, and his voice leaves no room for argument.

  “You’ve got to be kidding,” Dragan starts.

  Pyre shakes his head to let us know he’s not kidding. “None of you should go anywhere near Variant. He’s not only heavily guarded, but he’s unstable. He’ll have the upper hand of powerful magic protecting him. Your best chance is to get inside the palace quickly and unseen.” He closes his eyes and reaches his hands out towards the roofless sky. Then he opens his eyes and nods. “I believe The Midnight Queen is in the North Tower.”

  “How do we get past the guards?” Dragan asks. “Variant won’t leave her unguarded.”

  “I’ll do it,” Eilish announces as she takes a deep breath and her cheeks flush.

  “And how do you propose to do that?” Cambion asks, glaring down at her.

  “What am I?” she responds. He appears confused. She answers her own question. “I’m Succubus, or have you all forgotten?” No one responds. “I’ll seduce the guards and get the keys.”

  “No,” Dragan says immediately but Cambion stays him with a raised hand.

  “She has a good point,” he says. “Her seduction magic is powerful.”

  “It’s even more powerful lately because it has gone unchecked,” Pyre says as he then glances at Cambion with a strange expression. Cambion clears his throat and looks the other direction.

  “No man will be able to deny her,” I add.

  “It’s too dangerous,” Dragan points out.

  “This whole mission is dangerous,” Eilish argues. “But I’ve seen the way the guards looked at me when I was Variant’s prisoner. And I know I can keep them occupied long enough for you to enter and… do what needs to be done.”

  I assume she means disposing of the guards.

  “As much as I disagree with the part Eilish’s has to play, I’ll let that subject rest for the time being,” Dragan starts. “Instead, I’ll ask you: how the fuck are we getting Eilish into the palace in the first place? Obviously Variant is quite aware that we’ve escaped. That means, he and his soldiers will be on high alert. Whatever wards were or weren’t in place before, I’m sure they are now—doubly so. We’ll likely be killed before we even reach the gate.”

  “Leave getting into the palace to me,” Pyre says with authority. “Just get yourselves inside the castle limits, and I will take care of the rest. Travel swiftly and quietly once you’re inside. Eilish can do as she proposed and seduce the guards. Get the keys and get into the Midnight Queen’s tower.”

  “Can we get out the way we came in?” Eilish asks.

  Pyre exhales deeply. “No. I can get you out as well, but not without significant risk.”

  “What do you mean?” Eilish asks.

  “Opening a rift in a heavily warded area is no easy feat,” Pyre explains. “Doing so twice can drain my power very quickly. I’ll have to draw upon several strong spirits to do so or come up with an alternative.”

  Noni climbs onto the table and places her hands on Pyre’s face. Her bottom lip trembles slightly. “Don’t get hurt, Master. Noni need her master.”

  “I won’t get hurt, Noni. Now, off the table. Eat your food.”

  She nods and hops down, still looking worried.

  “What happens when your power is drained?” I ask.

  Pyre appears uncomfortable. The necromancer takes a noisy sip of his tea and clears his throat. “The Veil begins to absorb me. It slowly tears away pieces of my body until nothing is left and I become one with the spirit realm. That’s why drawing on the Veil is very dangerous. It’s not a simple practice, but one that requires a soul sacrifice. If my magic is depleted, there’s nothing to keep me from making that sacrifice much sooner than I bargained.”

  “Why use necromancy at all if it risks your life every time you do?” Eilish inquires softly.

  “Because the Veil and my own necromantic energy allow me to perform extraordinary acts. And when compared to the good I can do and continue doing with my magic, my life is a price worth paying.”

  “Then you sacrificed your soul to the spirit realm for the greater good?” Eilish asks.

  “No,” Pyre chuckles. “Would that my reasons were so noble. No,” he continues and his voice changes pitch—as though he’s lost in a memory of a long-ago time. “I sacrificed my soul to save a woman I loved, even as I knew she could never love me in return.” He grows quiet for a moment or two, but then shakes his head, as though shaking away the memories that linger in his mind. “It was long ago. I am much older now. And wiser.”

  Eilish chews her bottom lip and casts her eyes to the table, blushing slightly. I admit to my own feeling of surprise. The story was an intimate detail for Pyre to share and I can see each person around the table now holds the necromancer in a different light. Dragan seems to better understand him. Cambion scoffs at him and I pity him. Eilish admires him.

  “Eilish is a wild card,” I say.

  She frowns as she looks at me, her expression one of surprise and anger.

  “What do you mean?” Dragan asks.

  I shrug. “We don’t know what she’s capable of. We’ve seen instances of her magic, yes, but they are few and far between. What happens if she finds herself cornered and none of us are there to come to her aid? What happens if the attempted seduction on the soldiers doesn’t go as planned and she faces a situation of rape? What happens if Variant stumbles on her and decides he’s out for blood?”

  “All good questions,” Dragan says and nods as he faces Pyre. “I don’t like the idea of endangering Eilish more than she already is.”

  “I’m capable,” she starts.

  Pyre interrupts. “I can feel the magic inside her and it is strong, yet unlearned, as you say. She needs direction and instruction. Obviously, time is of important essence, but at the least, I can teach her how to draw on her own light and dark magic.”

  “I can teach her the art of self-defense with weaponry,” Dragan offers.

  Eilish seems to perk up a bit and it irks me.

  ###

  Eilish

  The Veil

  I sit in front of a door, waiting for Pyre. In front of me is nothing but a seemingly never-ending hallway but there aren’t any doors on either side. At the end of the hallway is space and above me is more space. I don’t know where I am, but I’m not concerned.

  Pyre instructed me to walk down the flight of stairs and wait for him at the end of the hallway. So, I did as I was instructed.

  I’m alone and I don’t know where the others are. But I trust Pyre and I feel safe here, in the Veil. What’s more, I’m beyond excited to learn how to call on the light and dark magic inherent within me. All I’ve wanted from the moment I found myself running from something, was to understand who and what I am. And while I’m so grateful for my friends, none of them have any idea how to help me understand my powers.

  Except for Pyre.

  Owing to his incredible magic, I can’t help but wonder if he might also possess the ability to help restore my missing memories. It’s
worth asking him.

  On another note, my reaction to seeing him without his robe was more than I anticipated. His body was… blindsiding in its sculpted beauty. I don’t know if it’s simply the Succubus in me, but I find Pyre fascinating—on different levels. Sexual levels included.

  The necromancer is attractive, despite his white, blind eyes, or perhaps because of them. Even his tattooed runes are beautiful to me.

  I hear the door open from behind me and I turn to find Pyre standing there. He’s wearing nothing more than black leather trousers slung low on his hips. His bare chest seems to glow faintly and before I know it, the landscape surrounding us changes. Now, we’re no longer in a hallway, but we’re in the middle of a ghostly forest. The trees around me are tall and daunting and tinged with a faint greenish glow. In fact, everything seems to glow here, in a pale haze that makes me feel like I’m dreaming.

  “Are you ready?” the deep timber of his voice never fails to make me shiver.

  “Um, yes,” I say, instantly feeling self-conscious and stupid. There’s just something about this man that makes me feel uncouth and awkward. Maybe it’s the sense of pure power that he exudes. Or maybe it’s due to his immense body that seems impossibly large for a man.

  “The most important part of learning is listening,” he starts.

  “Before we delve into my lesson for the day,” I interrupt him, and he gives me an expression of irritation. “I’m sorry,” I say as I drop my head.

  “What’s your question?”

  I lift my head and try to smile away my nervousness, but I don’t do a good job. Pyre is intimidating and he makes me doubt myself. “I… I was wondering…”

  “Yes, what?”

  “Um, do you… or… are you capable of… well, maybe that’s not the way to phrase it.”

  “What, Eilish?”

  “Do you think you could help me get my memories back?” I blurt out. “I… well Cambion tried to do it when he created the Transmutation Stone but once I touched the stone, I broke it.”

  “No,” Pyre answers.

  “Oh,” I say and can’t help the disappointment in my tone.

  “I’m afraid I don’t possess that type of magic. If I did, I would have gladly helped you.”

  “That’s okay,” I continue as I nod, and then look away. I don’t want him to see my regret, although I’m not sure why. But, then thinking it might seem like I’m hiding something, I look back at him.

  The corner of his mouth quirks up into a lopsided grin that I find alluring. As I look at him and his unseeing but all-knowing eyes, all I can focus on is the handsome beauty of his perfect face. I want to trace the tattooed patterns on his skin with my tongue. He sees me staring and he frowns as he takes the space that separates us until we’re maybe a few inches apart.

  “You must control the hunger, or I won’t be able to instruct you.” He wraps his hands around my upper arms and his warmth seeps into me, thrilling me. “And we have much to get through, including teaching you how to dissolve wards, how to overcome compulsion magic, and how to heal.”

  I’m embarrassed but I’m also exhilarated to be so close to him. I feel winded and my heart is pounding, and I notice with interest that he doesn’t release me. He continues holding my arms and I continue panting. The Succubus hasn’t fed in too long and there’s no way I’m going to win this fight. “If you didn’t look the way you do, my hunger wouldn’t be a problem,” I say in a soft voice.

  “I am not a good man, Eilish,” he says, but I don’t understand how that can be. He seems like the best example of a man. “Take control of your hunger or I will do it for you.”

  I don’t understand what his words mean but it doesn’t really matter. The darkness inside him already calls to me. And my body answers. I can’t help it. I know he’s dangerous, that death itself glares over his shoulder, but my God, he’s…

  He wraps his hand around my throat in a warning that sets my blood aflame. I’m immediately reminded of the rough way in which Baron touched me, the way we had sex, the way he used my body and the way I loved it.

  Instead of flinching away from him, I moan. I close my eyes and relish the rough feel of his hands. I can feel the power emanating through his blood, his skin.

  “You still haven’t fed,” he says, his voice deep and low. His tone is one of disappointment.

  “No.”

  “It has been too long since I’ve been inside a woman,” he groans in my ear. “I don’t want to endanger you and… there is the oath.”

  “The oath?”

  “I’m sworn to celibacy. It’s an oath I must uphold.”

  My entire body quivers. I can feel the Succubus rising to the surface, wanting to slake her control over me and invite him into me. She wants him. She needs him.

  “I want to respect your oath, but I… I,” I whisper, unable to finish my sentence.

  Pyre responds by using his magic to force my hands above my head. His invisible power holds me against the tree, and I feel my feet leaving the ground as I hover before him. My arms are now fully elongated above me and I’m left dangling before him like prey. His fingers unclasp the belt around my waist as he drops to his knees. Seeing him on his knees, bending down before me, does something to me. This strong, immensely powerful guardian of the spirit world, protector of the Veil, kneels before me. I am a creature deemed unworthy by others and yet Pyre doesn’t regard me with the same discontent.

  “I vowed long ago I would never give my body to another, but…” He looks up at me with storms in his murky eyes. They’re no longer white, but numerous shades of gray. “I never promised to deny myself a taste,” the necromancer says with a smirk.

  My pants unbuckle themselves as my boots fall to the ground. My panties pull themselves down the length of my legs at the same time Pyre places my legs on his shoulders and presses a kiss on my lower belly.

  Fingers spread my folds and he blows cool air against my core, watching a bead of moisture trickle from my channel. He groans.

  I stare down at him. He can’t see me unless he draws on the spirits, but if he could, he would see that I’m biting my lip in anticipation. Another kiss on the inside of my thigh makes me clench.

  “You must be quiet, lest we be discovered.” Pyre breathes me in and then presses a filthy, open-mouthed kiss upon my clit. I bite down on the inside of my cheek, hard enough to draw blood, trying to smother my whimpering.

  The sounds of animalistic growls, sucking, slurping, licking... it fills me with a strange need I can’t fight. I rock my hips against his mouth, riding him gently. He forces my hips against the tree with his large hands and scrapes his teeth along my flesh, causing me to cry out. One hand leaves my hip and shoves three fingers into my mouth. Lust flashes in my eyes and I moan around his fingers, sucking obnoxiously at the appendages. I shatter, hurling over the edge before I have time to catch myself, but Pyre is there.

  His arms come around my waist as he lowers me to the ground softly. I stare hungrily as he yanks open his pants and pulls out his enormous cock. It’s so large, I can’t keep from staring at it. And all I can think about is what it would feel like to have it entering me, stretching all of my muscles.

  He begins to stroke himself and it’s maybe another two minutes before he reaches a climax that knocks the air from his lungs. His cum leaps out of his head in a stream of ropey liquid that stains the ground below. I lean forward and sweep my tongue along his slit, causing him to shake before I stand on unstable legs.

  We quickly right ourselves, and now we’re both panting.

  “Thank you,” I say a little self-consciously.

  The necromancer licks his lips and swipes my juices from his chin. “It won’t cure your hunger,” he says. “But, unfortunately, it’s all I can offer you. You will need to feed soon, Eilish, and you have three more than capable men to satisfy you.”

  “I have one,” I answer with a smile. “And another who can’t make up his mind about me and a third who hates me.” />
  He gives me another odd smile reflecting that he doubts the truth in my statement. “Allow the Seductress to take control of you. Don’t fight her. Once you stop fighting your nature, that’s when you’ll find all your troubles dissolving.”

  “I don’t understand what that means.”

  He faces me in such a way that I find it difficult to believe he can’t see me. “It means, let the Succubus out. When you feel the urge, give in to it. Allow her to take control of you. Allow her to speak for you, to move your body according to her wants and needs. Stop trying to keep her bottled inside you. She’s as much you as the angel is.”

  I blush feverishly and he leads me through the trees until we reach a clearing. The closer we come, the more I realize the clearing is really a meadow sprinkled with small white flowers. They almost look like snow. But, there’s no snow here. As I glance around, I realize it seems as if it’s spring now. The seasons are on fast forward in this bizarre place. It was winter for a day maybe and now its spring.

  For the next several hours, Pyre attempts to show me how to draw energy from the ether, how to push back against the powerful tides of compulsion magic, how to dissolve wards and how to pull magic from light itself in order to heal someone. He tells me to capture the energy with my third eye, the eye that exists in the center of my forehead and connects me to every other living thing in the universe. He explains that we are all one and the power of eternity fills me just as much as I fill it.

  He cuts his hand and I hold my hands over it, imagining a light that beams down above me, moving through my head and carrying my determination into his skin. I imagine the wound in his hand sewing itself together. I imagine the blood stopping and the pain dissipating. I imagine my light energy traveling from the center of myself and exploding into him.

  At first, nothing happens. At the second or third attempts, still nothing happens. The fourth time I get a headache and the fifth time, Pyre gets a headache. The sixth time he says he feels heat coming from my hands. The seventh time I start to get dizzy and then nauseous. The eighth time he yells at me that I’m not paying close enough attention. The ninth time I start crying and the tenth time we take a break.