Seduced by Darkness (Dark Court Rising)

by Bec McMaster

  I bite my lip and shake my head. “Best if you don’t know.”

  “But if I don’t know, then how am I going to find you again?” His eyes search my soul.

  “Vi.” It blurts from my lips and I nearly stifle a moan. I can’t believe I just betrayed myself like that.

  “Vi.” There’s something about the way he says the word that undoes me.

  “For V-Violet.” I look him in the eye. What’s the harm in this one little lie? He’ll never know. Tomorrow will come and I’ll vanish like the figment of a dream.

  He looks a little disappointed when I don’t ask him the same.

  And then he slips his mask from his face.

  My breath catches. Again. I knew he was handsome, but I didn’t realize just how much. There’s a dangerous carnality to him. Green eyes. He has green eyes. They’re the color of a forest cat’s and just as predatory. Thick dark brows and silky lashes complete the look.

  It’s like he strips away this layer deliberately.

  See me. Know me.

  And then he lifts his hand to my face. “May I?”

  We’re in the shadows of the trees, but there are other dancers close behind us and my face is not unknown.

  I take his fingers and plunge us into the forest. “Not yet. I still haven’t decided if I’m going to let you do this.”

  “You’re the one leading me into parts unknown,” he teases. “Maybe I should be afraid for my virtue?”

  It’s safer here. No eyes to see us. No ears to hear us.

  I pause, with my back to a nearby tree. “I… find it difficult to trust.”

  He searches my face again. Nods. And then he goes to one knee. “Then I grant you control over me for this one night. Command me, my fair lady. I bind myself to your whims. I promise once, I promise twice, I promise thrice—whatever you ask of me until the dawn rises, I am bound to give you.”

  He can’t be serious.

  The fae are bound by their oaths and this effectively gives me control over him. If I asked him to kill someone, then he must do it.

  “What are you doing?” I take a step back. “What if I asked you to do something you’re not comfortable doing?”

  “You won’t.” There’s not even a single hint of doubt on his face. “You don’t trust me, Vi, so this grants you the power between us.” A slight pause. “You won’t hurt me. You won’t ask of me anything I don’t wish to do. I have faith in that.”

  To see him like this on one knee before me—

  “Get up.”

  He pushes to his feet and I clap my hands over my mouth. His eyes are twinkling as he sees my dilemma.

  I push away from him. It feels overwhelming. I’ve never had such power and now it lies in my hand, it’s a horrifying burden. Every word I speak must be carefully chosen.

  “Come,” he whispers, extending his hand. “You’re safe now. Because now I can’t hurt you. There’s a place by the lake that I would like to show you. The views are spectacular.”

  And it’s no doubt private.

  I look down at those gloved fingers.

  I don’t even know what’s come over me as I place my hand over those leather-clad fingers. “Okay,” I whisper.

  The small outcropping of stone by the lake juts a little higher than everything else.

  We’re so far away from the rites that it seems like a dream. Lights glow through the forest below, and music comes in drifts of the wind. On the lake, the stars dance across those dark waters and I look up to see them shining brilliantly in the sky.

  “It’s beautiful,” I whisper.

  I can’t help thinking that I’m safe up here, so far away from Etan that he’ll never find me.

  “Truly,” my handsome stranger breathes, and there’s a reverence to his voice that makes me seek him out. His eyes are on my face but he remains seated on a boulder, giving me enough space to feel comfortable.

  “I don’t know why you’re doing this,” I blurt.

  He smiles, leaning back on his hands. “Doing what?”

  “You could have danced with dozens of others—”

  “I only wanted to dance with you.”

  “But why?”

  This time, he’s the one who looks away. “Do you believe in fate, Vi?”

  A shiver runs down my spine. “I believe in the gods. I believe in… in magic. I believe we are driven by our own choices. But fate? I think fate is what you make of it.”

  There’s something ancient in his eyes as he stares back at me. “I believe in fate. I believe I was meant to meet you this one night. It feels like the world has been holding its breath forever, and the second I saw you, it finally exhaled. You and I—this night—was meant to be.”

  “I think you’ve been drinking too much of the elderberry wine.”

  He laughs. “You don’t believe in fate and I do. Let us agree upon this then—if fate is what you make of it, then what are we to make of this? This chance encounter.”

  It’s a heady feeling. If fate is what we make of it, then what do I wish for? He’s a stranger. I don’t even know what I’m doing with him. Or why. But I can’t deny there’s something intriguing about him.

  “What do you want to make of it?” I ask.

  Dark lashes flutter over his eyes. “I would like to kiss you. Just once. To see if fate has been telling me the truth.”

  “And what truth would that be?”

  “That this kiss was written in the stars.”

  I step closer, between his thighs. “Do you know what I think?”

  “What?” He tilts his face back to look up at me. It’s barely an inch in difference, but it makes me feel powerful.

  “I think you would have made an excellent courtier.”

  His teeth flash white in the night. “Maybe I am one.”

  “Maybe.” I press my finger against his lips. “No. Don’t tell me. It would ruin this.”

  It’s easier if I don’t know who he is, because then I don’t have to pretend. I don’t have to think of politics or alliances. It doesn’t become a bad idea, a regret. It simply stays as it is….

  A harmless, slightly-flirtatious encounter with a dark stranger on a moonlit night.

  “Ruin this?” Reaching up slowly, he tries for my mask again. “I want to see you.”

  I don’t know why but the simple act of removing my mask feels like he’s stripping me to the skin.

  “Stop panicking,” he says.

  “I’m not panicking.”

  “No?” There’s a teasing light in his eyes and his fingertips graze my cheeks. “All you have to do is say one little word, Vi, and I am bound to obey you.”

  “I don’t like this bargain.” The mask slips from my skin. “I don’t like holding your fate in my hands. I can’t believe you made that promise.”

  “Maybe it was a test.” He lowers the mask.

  He looks at me as if I’m beautiful, as if he’s trying to memorize the fine lines of my face. His eyes flare wide, drinking me in.

  It’s such a vulnerable moment. I’ve never been beautiful. Not at my mother’s court.

  “A test?”

  “You passed,” he whispers. “If you weren’t concerned about the situation, then you wouldn’t be the woman I want you to be.”

  I can’t help thinking…. “Do you do this every Lammastide? Throw yourself upon the mercy of a stranger?”

  “Always.” And then he laughs. “Never. I’ve never wanted a woman like this.”

  “Stop it,” I whisper.

  “Stop what?”

  “Stop looking at me like that. Stop looking at me as if I’m beautiful. I’m not. I know I’m not and I’m fine with it—”

  He lifts a hand, brushing that gloved thumb down my cheek. “Who told you such nonsense?”

  “I have seen the women of my court. I don’t compare—”

  “You don’t compare yourself to other fae, Vi. Because I have never seen one such as you. Compare yourself to the stars and dare them to shine half as bri
ght.” His fingertips rest on either side of my face. “You were made for the night. You were made for moonlight and stolen kisses.” His thumb brushes against my lips. “This mouth was made for secrets. It was made for me.”

  A skittering breath escapes me. “You’re good.”

  He leans closer and my heart erupts. “I speak only the truth. Maybe I am the night. Maybe you were made just for me. Maybe you’re perfect as you are.”

  Our breaths mingle. I don’t even know how he’s done it—slipped through my defenses while I wasn’t looking. He’s a stranger. I should be on guard. But here he is, his thumbs stroking my mouth so gently I want to let him kiss me.

  But he doesn’t.

  “You would have to command me,” he murmurs as if he can sense what I’m thinking. “I will not take what is not freely given. Command me, Vi. Tell me to kiss you.”

  My heart flutters like a captured butterfly. Find a stranger…. Take what you want from him…. I never dreamed this would actually be happening. I never thought for a second that there might be someone out there tonight who would tempt me to push past my natural reticence.

  A shiver runs through me. He’s so patient, merely waiting for me to make this decision. Yes or no? It’s in his eyes.

  But what is in my heart?

  “Kiss me.” The words are out before I can stop them. “Just a kiss.”

  “As you wish.”

  His hand slides through my hair, cupping the back of my nape and then he draws me into his arms. My heart skips a beat as his lips brush against mine. He’s not the first male I’ve ever kissed. But he feels like the first. Because he doesn’t simply grab me and maul me.

  His lips whisper over mine as if they’re saying “Hello.”

  Back and forth. There’s a luxurious kind of gentleness to him, as if he’s got all the time in the world to taste me, and so he wants to do this right. It’s the kind of kiss a first kiss should be.

  My hands find the crushed velvet of his doublet. I was right. Every inch of him is hard steel beneath the fine clothes and my fists curls into his collar as I press into him. I want that mouth. I want him to kiss me.

  But he’s made it clear that my consent matters. It’s me who opens to him first, tracing my tongue against his lower lip in a silent demand.

  A soft laugh echoes through his chest. “So be it.”

  Everything changes.

  Pushing to his feet, he claims my mouth.

  I’m not so unschooled with kissing that I don’t know what I’m doing, but when his tongue brushes against mine, I can’t help drawing back with a sharp gasp. This is madness. When Andraste whispered her plan into my ear, I never dreamed I’d actually be in this moment with someone I might consider doing this with.

  His mouth is a hungry demand. My thighs bump against the rock behind me and I’m caged between his body and the outcropping. One hand slides down my spine, curling into my bottom. I gasp as he squeezes there, grinding me up against him. My nipples go hard as his tongue lashes against mine. It’s heady. Overwhelming. I’ve spent a lifetime listening to the poets at court speak of the desperation a single kiss can conjure, but I’ve never felt it before.

  This is desperation. I can’t control the want, the sheer need within me. Maybe it’s because this is forbidden that I tremble so. Maybe it’s because there’s an underlying hint of danger to the scenario. He’s a stranger. Gentle. Kind. Dangerous.

  This is so, so dangerous.

  And I don’t care. I want it all.

  A groan rumbles through his chest. “Easy, easy.”

  I slide my arms around his neck and kiss him hard, chasing pleasure off his lips. All the things I’ve wanted to do to him since I first laid eyes upon him are mine to do…. Hands brush like feather strokes down my waist as if he’s trying to gentle me, but his mouth doesn’t retreat. He wants this as much as I do. I can feel the tremor running through him, and then there’s barely any space between us as he thrusts against me.

  Something hard nudges against my hip. Despite my determination, I steal a gasp. It’s a shock to know him in such a way.

  “Vi.” He breathes the word against my lips, capturing my face again. “Vi, wait.”

  I don’t want him to stop.

  I want his hands to keep moving, to take away my last remaining doubts. I want him to coax me and seduce me, convince me to keep going….

  But he doesn’t, of course.

  Drawing back, he rests his forehead against mine as I tremble against him. We’re both panting. I want more. I want to slide my hands beneath his clothes and find the heated silk of his skin. I want to run my teeth over the corded muscle in his throat. I want it all.

  But he captures my wrists and presses a gentle kiss to each of my knuckles.

  “Patience, my love. Patience. Talk to me.” He laughs again. “Or maybe I just need a moment. You take all my good intentions and throw them to the wind.”

  “What do you want to talk about?”

  His smile is dangerous. “Do you believe in fate now?”

  A kiss that was written in the stars….

  Despite myself, I shiver. “Maybe I would believe in fate if it wasn’t currently trying to slow this down.”

  He laughs.

  And then he nuzzles against my throat, holding me as if we’re dancing slowly together to some music neither of us can hear. “I think I want to keep kissing you. Forever.” A shudder runs through him. “But… that can wait. It can all wait. Tell me about yourself. I want to know everything.”

  Tension dissolves like acid in my chest. The second I mention my mother’s name, his smile will slide off his face as if it never existed. “I’m not very interesting.”

  “Am I not to be the judge of that?”

  “Maybe I want to remain a woman of mystery.”

  Thoughtful, smoldering eyes examine every inch of my face as he draws back. I can’t tell what he’s thinking. But he can sense my withdrawal.

  “We could be enemies,” I point out swiftly as I tug free of his hands. “There are five courts here and I know I’ve never seen you before.”

  Which means he’s not from Aska. If he’d been stalking the hallways of the castle there, then I would never have even looked at Etan.

  He’s not Asturian. He’s not Askan. My heart skips a beat. There are only three kingdoms remaining: Ravenal, Stormlight… and Evernight.

  The first two leave me breathless with hope, but it’s the last one that steals my breath.

  The Prince of Evernight is a monster and I daresay his violent tendencies would rub off on his court. That’s what princes like him do—they gather those around them who thrive on their cruelty, and turn a blind eye to their monstrosities.

  He can’t be from Evernight. I’m sure of that.

  And even if he is from Stormlight, that’s not so… unpalatable. Is it?

  “Are you sure about that?” There’s a teasing lilt to his voice.

  “I’d remember.”

  There’s a strange freedom in this moment. He doesn’t know who I am. I could be anyone. I could be anything I wanted to be. I don’t have to be Iskvien, the daughter of a vicious queen.

  “It doesn’t matter who we are, or which court we belong to,” he finally says. “Not tonight.”

  “Good.” I grab his hand and press it to my heart. “I want you to…. I want it to be you.” I swiftly correct my words. “I want you to lie with me. Tonight.”

  There’s a heated look in his eyes and seconds trip out, until I can barely stomach the tension. Say yes. Please say yes….

  “I shouldn’t,” he whispers, reaching up and running the back of his fingers through my hair. “I should wait. I should woo you.”

  I don’t have time for any of that.

  I nip at his fingers, and the doubt that’s in his eyes is replaced with heat.

  “But you present a convincing argument.” He kisses my throat. His voice roughens. “I want you. I want you under me. I want my mouth all over you. Give me a co
mmand, my love. Tell me what you want of me.”

  “I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

  He takes in a slow breath. “Believe me, my love. You couldn’t—”

  I press a finger to his lips. “Promise or no promise, if I ask of you something you don’t wish to do, you must tell me no.”

  Those eyes become dark pools. “I promise.”

  Good. It takes away any doubts I own. I’ve been trapped in a cage for so long that I want to revel in every moment of this. I want to take this moment and claim it for my own. I crave it. Crave his touch, crave the experience of this moment.

  It’s no longer just about denying Etan.

  It’s no longer about defying my mother.

  This is for me.

  It’s the gift I want for myself. It’s the choice I make.

  I want to know what it feels like to be touched. I want to know what it feels like to come under his hands and mouth. I want him to fuck me into this heather, until I’m screaming.

  I want it all.

  “Lie down.” There’s a strength to the words that I barely even recognize.

  A challenge lights in his eyes, but he obeys.

  Silvery light falls over us as he reclines on his elbows in the heather, his enormous chest rising and falling with each desperate breath he takes. “I feel a little like a blushing virgin. Should I disrobe? Are you planning on seducing me, my love?”

  He keeps calling me that.

  “Always,” I whisper. My heart trips all over itself as I reach behind my neck and draw the ribbons on my dress loose. Instantly, the fabric of my bodice loosens, my nipples furling into tight buds behind the silk. His eyes darken, his breath catching in his chest as if he didn’t expect this. Maybe that’s what gives me the strength of will to do this. The dress slides down my skin, pooling around my feet.

  There’s nothing beneath the dress.

  Nothing but my heart slamming against my ribs as I stand bare before him.

  “Maia’s breath,” he whispers in awe. “What are you doing to me?”

  “Aren’t we playing at blushing virgin and reckless rogue?” It’s easier to tease him and pretend I’m not so vulnerable.