by Donn, KL
“Yeah, I go in tomorrow for an interview as a guard.” I stare at him, shocked; it’s so quick.
“You good with that?” I ask. Standing guard over women and children trapped in hell and being sold on the black market isn’t going to be an easy role. In fact, it’s likely the hardest thing he’ll ever do.
“Haven’t got much of a choice,” he responds as we walk up the steps to where the king and queen stand, waiting to greet us. For royalty, they appear normal. This country might be a throwback in time, but they’re also more sophisticated than I initially believed.
“Mr. McCall?” King Stefan holds out a hand, unsure which of us is me.
“That’s me, your highness.” I shake the offered hand. “What was that about at the gate?” I point a thumb over my shoulder. Something felt off about it, but I’m not sure what.
“That was the mage, Callista. And please, call me Stefan.” He grins.
“A fucking test?” Ares hisses. Nothing pisses him off more.
“Yes.” Stefan shows no remorse. “Callista wanted to be sure you were worthy men for our home. And what better way than to get a response from you whilst you hold Graeline’s most prized possession in your hands.”
“Arianna,” he sighs, and we both look up to see her gazing down at us, a subtle smile on her face and a shy look in her eyes.
“Today is her eighteenth birthday, and we’re having a celebration tonight. We’d hoped you would both come,” the queen invites us.
Ares and I share a look. Eight-fucking-teen. She’s a baby. I wish I could say the erotic thoughts I’ve been having about her dissipate, but they don’t. For some reason, they amplify.
I’m one sick motherfucker, lusting after such a young girl.
“We’ll be there,” Ares confirms before I can say a word.
The queen claps her hands with glee before declaring, “Excellent. I’m certain Arianna will be excited. Now, please allow Hawk to show you to your quarters for the duration of your stay.” She spins on her heel as a man around my size comes forward and bows ever so slightly, pointing the way to our rooms.
Arianna
“Why did you send that man after us?” I glare at Callista; she’s never been so reckless before.
She shrugs. “I didn’t. Well, I did, but he was an old wolf, dying. I simply used his sacrifice for a purpose.” Her gaze shifts back to the men speaking to my father.
“And that was?”
“To show you the gentlemen's worth.” Calli walks away, and I’m left to ponder her meaning.
Their worth.
Why would she phrase it like that? What does she mean? Romantically? That can’t possibly be. I have no interest in romance…except, they make me feel things I’ve never known before.
But two men? Is that even possible or legal?
Staring down at them as they speak to a king, neither show intimidation from his title nor do they appear phased by anything that has happened here. I realize that to most outsiders, our little country is something from fairy tales, but I wish they would visit more. Explore our forests and partake in the beauty of the sea from the highest hilltops.
I wish I could make people understand that just because we haven’t caught up with the rest of the world, doesn’t mean we are barbarians. We laugh, love, and hurt just the same as anyone else. We simply don’t publicize it for the world to see and criticize.
These men, Apollo and Ares, men named after the Greek gods, they can help us. Not only with the missing women and children, but the world. They could be great allies to our homeland, and I intend to learn all I can about them.
Sensing their discernment, I give them a tentative smile, unsure of the attention they seem to provide me with so easily before I back away and rush to the staircase. I know Hawk will bring them up. He is our head of house and security. Keeping the property organized and safe.
I’m sure both newcomers will have many questions, and I intend to be the one to answer them as well as ask many of my own.
Reaching the stairs, I nod at Hawk and say, “I’ll show them the way.” His gaze narrows before he nods and backs away. Not many people will object to anything I have to say or do, but he will. Gaining his agreeance this time is too simple, and I have to wonder why.
“Gentlemen, welcome.” I smile up at their tall frames as they flank me on either side. My body shivers, and my ears buzz.
“Happy birthday, princess,” Ares greets, but he sounds like he’s mocking me.
“Do you always insult your hosts in foreign countries, or am I just special?” My gaze lifts to meet his steely stare, and I notice a twinkle of amusement reflecting back at me.
“He can’t help it. He was born a dick,” Apollo muses. I nearly choke at his choice of words.
Turning so I face them and walking backwards, I ask, “Are you both always so forward in your word choice?” My head tilts as I watch them.
“No point in hiding who we are. It would only make us uncomfortable and more concerned about tripping over our tongues than doing the job we’re hired for,” Ares explains.
“I see. And if your hosts were uncomfortable with your word choice?”
They both shrug.
“What are your names?” I ask, instead.
A loud bark of laughter bursts from Ares. “You mean your witch didn’t tell you that? I thought she was all-knowing.”
“Mockery is not flattering, Ares.” I sing-song the words to take the sting out. He’s unphased. “Please, don’t call her a witch. She is so much more.”
“How much more?” Apollo inquires.
Thinking over my word choice, I get the sense I can trust them, so I speak the truth. “She is the only person on this island I trust. My only friend. Callista is my ally.”
They share a quizzical look I can’t decipher.
“What does that look mean?”
Matching smirks cross their faces.
“Is she the only person you trust out of necessity or guilt?” Ares asks.
“I don’t understand your question.” We approach the door to their shared quarters at the bottom of the stairs from my tower room, and I twist the handles, pushing the wood panels open for them to enter. “This is for you both.”
They enter, and I hold back. I never enter anyone’s room unless I’m invited. “What I mean is that she's the only person you've been allowed to interact with; therefore, you might be suffering transference. You had no other choice.”
They wander farther into the room as I consider Ares' question. All I’ve ever known for so many years is isolation. Callista has always been here, even before the incident.
“By choice. We were friends long before the darkness rolled in, and we’ll be friends long after.” Smiling, I feel elated by that fact.
The two men are out of my eyesight as I respond, so when I hear cursing, I’m alarmed. Worried something is wrong. “What’s the matter?” I call out.
“Why the hell are you in the doorway?” Apollo asks as he returns to the entranceway once again. He confuses me. He seems to be the nicer of the two men, but he certainly has a touch of a temper and possibly a short fuse.
“This is your room, not mine. I was not invited in.”
They share another of those looks where they convey so much, but I understand so little.
“Get your ass in here,” Apollo snaps, placing a hand to his head and rubbing his temples.
“Do you have a headache?” I approach him quickly, guiding him to sit on the settee, and I stand behind him. Placing my fingers in the spots he was rubbing, I whisper, “Close your eyes and allow me to help.”
As soon as I begin rubbing, my mind wanders, and I get flashes of a time not yet experienced. Naked flesh is moving sensually as soft cries echo around a room. Feeling a warmth at my back, Ares places his hands on my hips and steps intimately close into my body, rubbing circles on my flesh with his thumbs as though he’s familiar with me. When Apollo swivels around to face me, my hands break their hold from his h
ead as he kneels on the couch in front of me.
“What’s happening?” I gasp, seconds before his lips connect with mine. A light touching, a soft caress, and the visions amplify as I see images of us, all three of us, in this same position, only in the nude.
A light finger grazes along my throat, and my body buzzes with an awareness I never dreamed of knowing, but suddenly, I’m in overdrive, and before I can react or form a word, my head is being turned, and a new set of lips captures my own.
A feral moan erupts in the room, and I’m left breathless as Ares' tongue licks at the seam of my lips until I open for him. Our tips touch, and my body shivers. An unexpected illicit response has me pulling away and rushing from the room, fleeing for my tower and time to reflect.
I have no idea what just happened, but I find that I’d like to explore it more.
3
Ares
What the fuck were we thinking? She’s barely legal. There’s two of us, and she’s as innocent as a baby lamb.
Kissing Arianna was an impulse I couldn’t control. Watching her concern for Asher, I wanted some of that for me. I craved her attention. When I touched her, I felt her response. The soft shiver, the sharp intake of breath. I felt her heart pounding in her chest with anticipation.
As Asher turned and kissed her, I’d never needed to get my lips on a woman more in my life. Not in competition with my friend but more of a joining. Fuck, I don’t know. I only knew that, at that moment, we both needed to do it, and holy fuck was it magical.
“That witch put a fucking spell on us,” I say to Asher as we get dressed for this ball for the woman that's bewitched my mind.
“Mage,” Asher corrects, and I growl at him. “Why the hell wasn’t I jealous?” His pole-axed gaze snares me, and I shrug. “Why the fuck weren’t you?” he barks.
“You remember that job I did in New York last year?” I ask.
“You mean the one where everyone thought you were some crazy serial killer? Yeah, I remember. I had bodies to clean up for days because of your shit.” He glares at me when I snort.
“Right, well, Boston and Dare, hell, even some of their friends, they share a woman in their relationships. They make it work.” I was curious as hell about the dynamics then, but now? With it being shoved right in our faces, it’s something to think about.
“You want to share her? A princess with two killers? You realize how ridiculous that sounds, right?”
“About as ridiculous as getting wrongly convicted of being a mass murderer and not having anyone believe your innocence.” That fucking burns. I know Apollo was one of the few who did believe me, but he couldn’t do shit when the evidence was piled sky-high. I was destined for death.
“Yeah. Okay. What’s your suggestion?” Asher might be a stone-cold killer, his body count matching my own, but he’s a good guy where it counts. Me, not so much. I’ve crossed too many lines to ever consider myself a decent human being.
“I don’t fucking know.” A knock on the door interrupts us. “Come in!” I call out as I’m buttoning my shirt. I fucking hate dressing up. Reminds me too much of my old life in the Big Apple.
“Gentlemen.” The witch bows as she enters the room. Asher and I share a look. “I understand your disbelief in my skills, but you must know, Princess Arianna is in danger.”
“How?” Asher demands.
“When she was born, the dark mage cast a spell on her. One that will take effect tonight.” Her violet eyes shift between us, gauging our reactions. We both wear an unreadable mask. “Because of you.”
“How the fuck can that be?” I shout.
“True love's first kiss,” she whispers like someone might be listening.
I scoff. Asher rolls his eyes. “Look, lady, we barely know her. There is no true love here.” What she’s saying is ridiculous.
“You may not see it now, but it exists. You must put distance between you and this island. The malevolent forces will surely take Arianna away. Whatever is manifesting in Graeline is in anticipation of the princess's eighteenth birthday. Today.” If not for the intensity in her belief, I’d push this woman's fears to the side, but whatever is going on, she believes it, and my gut is screaming that there’s some truth behind it.
“We’ve kissed her,” I say. Asher glares at me, but in his eyes, I see worry. He thinks she could be telling the truth too.
“No,” she gasps. “It’s begun then. Arianna will be whisked away. The kingdom will fall. I must warn the king.” Spinning on her heel, Callista rushes from the room.
“Wait a minute, witch!” I call after her. She continues on her way. “This can’t be fucking true,” I say to Asher. Except, I believe her.
“What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?” Asher curses, more under his breath, as he gathers his things, and we leave the room.
There are a lot of questions popping up and even fewer answers that'll be needed before I can proceed tomorrow. This is a hell of a lot more complicated than anything I ever imagined I would be involved in, and I’m not entirely sure if I should stay.
The sounds of music and laughter can be heard as we enter the foyer. People are arriving at the castle, and as we follow along behind them to whatever room is holding this party, we listen to the people's speculations and rumors about the princess.
Everyone seems to believe in this curse that the witch spoke of, as well. With a shared look mixed with doubt, worry, and instinct, we enter the ballroom, intent on finding answers.
Arianna
I feel light. Breathless. Anticipation buzzes through my veins as I slip on my shoes and allow my dress to glide over my frame. As the hem hits the floor, I twirl in a circle. The skirt billowing in the breeze, and I feel all the worry from these past years fall from my shoulders as I think of the new men here waiting in the ballroom.
“You look beautiful, dear,” my mother’s soft voice whispers from the doorway.
“Thank you.” I smile.
“You look absolutely perfect, just like I knew you would.” Her eyes rake over my form as I walk closer to her.
Taking her arm in mine, I say, “It’s beautiful. You chose so well. I feel like a Disney princess now.” I giggle as I skip down the stairs and long hallway, stopping as I await the queen's appearance at my side.
“Are you alright, Arianna? Your mood is much different than this morning.”
“I’m fine.” Dismissing her concern, I pull her into the party with me, and immediately, my gaze seeks out Ares and Apollo. I don’t understand why, when hours earlier, I was so confused about my connection with them.
I stop as Mother strides to my Papa, and I search around the room, a smile on my face and doubt in my heart. She was right; my attitude has done a complete flip from this morning. Something is happening, and I have no idea what it could be. I need to find Callista. She normally hides during these things, not liking to be around so many people.
“You look beautiful, princess.” Apollo’s hot breath is in my ear as his hands settle on my waist from behind.
“Thank you.” I turn, breathless, as our eyes clash.
“Stunning,” Ares' voice murmurs as I feel his chest caress my back.
The sounds in the room, once loud, are now dulled as I’m lost in their embrace, awaiting the next development. I’m young, naïve, likely going along with whatever this is out of curiosity, but I can’t bring myself to pull away from them.
I long for whatever is about to happen and eagerly await their next move. “Everyone’s watching,” Apollo points out softly.
“Who the fuck cares.” Ares' rough cadence intrigues me. He wears an aloof mask of uncaring, but I get the feeling that he’s so much more than he appears.
“Rumors will run like wildfire.” Closing my eyes as they speak back and forth, my hips begin to sway to the intoxicating music, and I feel both men step closer. Their hardened arousals dig into parts of my body not yet explored.
Leaning back into Ares' stronghold, I place both of my hands on
Apollo’s chest and get lost in the melody of the song as we move as one. Before I know what’s taking place, a mouth lays a kiss on my lips.
Hot, hard, demanding, I know it’s Ares. He takes from me what he wants. Slipping his tongue past my lips, I meet him with my own need, inhaling his breaths as he controls the movements.
The kiss devolves into softness but ignites in emotion, and just when I think he’s going to go deeper, drive for more, I’m spun around, and Apollo is taking over. He doesn’t hesitate to grasp the back of my neck and bend me to his will. Crushed between the two most powerful men I’ve ever seen in my life, I heel to their desires. A hand grazes along my front, touching, taking, holding me in a way I’ve only dreamed of, and I moan into Apollo’s mouth.
A loud clap of thunder breaks us apart. Out of breath and craving more, it’s not until I’m shoved behind Ares' back that I’m snatched from the haze that has overcome me.
“Well, well, well.” That voice. “I see my prediction has proven true.” The air shifts with the presence of evil. “Princess Arianna of Graeline, my dear child. Soon, you’ll belong to me, and you can thank your parents and these fine warriors of yours.” Chilling laughter fills the room as Ares and Apollo step to the side, allowing me to identify the person I’ve been dreaming of for what feels like forever.
“You,” I gasp, feeling lightheaded.
Her face is a mask of youth. Tall and elegant, this woman stands before the crowd in a midnight-hued dress, with her head held high. She appears…regal. Like she belongs.
“Me. My darling.” The more she speaks, the more my nightmares become reality. The visions become clearer, and I can see her perfectly from my basinet as an infant. “You’re remembering.” Her voice is quiet; only I can hear.
Stepping closer, I feel the men at my side each grasp a wrist, trying to stop me, but I pass right between them. Intrigued and terrified at the same time. Walking towards this stranger is a compulsion, however. I couldn’t stop my feet if I tried.
