As soon as the front door closed, Mathis drug me halfway across the room and to the table.
He caught my hips and tossed me atop the edge of it. I leaned back and my palms flattened on the table to balance me. Trying to stay as far from him as possible.
He caught his wig and tossed it to the side.
“What are you doing!” I cried.
“You don’t worry about that.” He lowered enough to catch the hem of my skirt between my ankles and hoist it up. Tossing it around my waist and atop the table.
“Mathis!” I cried in objection.
He quickly lifted his shirt against his flat abdomen and plucked at the strings binding his breeches. Freeing them enough to lower around his hips. He reached inside and pulled his half-hardened staff from within.
I yelped and lifted my knees enough to put my feet on the edge of the table and moved to scurry backward across it. Knocking over a candle.
He tilted his head to glimpse me with my thighs spread and my knees up before giving me an appreciative look. “Quite beautiful actually. I can’t wait to feel all that softness…”
“No!”
He lunged forward and caught my hips, dragging me to the edge of the table.
I tried to maintain my footing, but they slipped off. Forcing me to sit straighter and pressing me closer against that hard bit of flesh which was suddenly pressed along my crease.
“Stop!”
Though I didn’t know a lot, I knew of what occurred in the stables. And enough of what made a woman a lady, to be aware that if he pierced me with that, my honor would be forsaken. I’d never be any good for a husband after that.
I shook my head desperately.
He tipped his hips to stroke his bit of hard flesh against my inner lips as he pulled the shoulders of my dress down to my elbows. Yanking the bodice side to side until it rested below my pert breasts. The small globes shoved upward to overhang it.
It felt as though he’d taken a hot iron to my back.
I was suddenly freezing cold. My nipples hardened and I felt myself growing moist where he rubbed me.
“Mathis don’t. I’ll be dishonored.”
“You soon will be anyway.” He said cryptically. His green eyes intent on me as he leaned forward to press his palm to the table on each side of me.
“Better breathe.” He whispered with a smirk.
***
“Wh-why?”
Then I felt his hard length pressing between my lower lips and invading the softness to stretch me open for him. Filling me to brimming. A filmy barrier made him hesitate. But still looking in my eyes, he shoved through it. Making my back arch until my shoulders flattened against the table.
Next to me the tipped candle caught the cloth afire. Blooming into an orange flame as he entered me. It spread wildly and I tossed my head to look at it. Panting nervously.
“Don’t worry about that.” He waved a dismissive hand and the fire doused as if a bucket had been thrown on it.
The black hole in the tablecloth smoking haplessly.
Warlock magic.
I yelped and clawed at the tablecloth.
He growled low in his throat and stroked deeply into me. Withdrawing until only the heavy tip lingered inside. Then he eased back in. Embedding deeply again and making me gasp from the foreign feeling of being pushed open.
“What have you done?” I murmured tearfully. Though what he was doing didn’t hurt, beyond that first pulling sensation, I understood I was ruined and knew he would tell what he’d done to me.
This is his vengeance.
For me telling on him.
***
“Do you know why I’m doing this to you?” He continued methodically pressing in then pulling out and caressing the inside of me. Building the tension which seemed to roll through me in wild waves.
He began thrusting harder. Making my small breasts bounce. The flesh moving up and down in rhythm to him stuffing inside me. Suddenly my back bowed upward, and something tightened in me. Making me clench around him.
He groaned and his hips ground into the soft insides of my thighs as he began to spasm, his head falling back in pleasure as he came.
“What have you done?” I asked softly.
“Whatever I want. When I want.” He smiled down at me. Tilting his head in a way that said he was intrigued by what he saw.
Me. Sprawled over his table. Half-naked and sweating.
***
Giving a lopsided grin, he tossed down my skirts. Catching my forearm, he pulled me from the table onto my feet and shaking legs.
It took me a moment to steady myself. Holding the edge of the table as I clutched at myself. Feeling a new soreness. Something I’d never experienced before.
“That will pass.” He said dispassionately. “But you may want to tuck your pretty tits back in before I throw you down and have you a bit rougher.”
My brows drew together as I gave him a broken glance. Peeling out my bodice and obediently tucking them in. Having utterly forgotten they were out, in all my misery.
He swept up his powdered wig and secured it back over his head. Adjusting the pins to secure it as his eyes flicked back toward the Dining Room doorway. “They’re back.”
“How do you know?” I whispered confusedly. Still unsure exactly what’d just happened.
“I can hear them.”
***
Mayor Marx escorted Udora in.
I still had drying tears on my cheeks as I met her look.
‘What?’ She mouthed.
I shook my head. Not wanting to answer her. I couldn’t tell her what happened.
I can’t tell anyone.
“Hmm…” Mathis strolled toward her.
And I was suddenly very afraid he’d do to her what he’d done to me.
“No!” I cried out.
“Ssh.” Mathis put a finger to his lips as he looked at me over his shoulder.
***
Udora was a good woman. She was young and pretty and had already caught the eye of one of the village men. By the end of the year, she’d be married and soon after, she’d have a few young and live happily.
She was the sweetest girl in our village.
Everyone knows that.
Mathis caught her jaw a bit more gently than he’d held mine, and slowly turned her face one way then the other. Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, he made a disapproving clucking sound.
“Here, ‘tis.”
“What?” Mayor Marx asked.
“This.” Mathis pointed to a dark freckle just below her ear lobe. “The kiss of the devil. A witch’s mark.”
“No!” I lurched forward and caught Mathis’ sleeve. Whispering under my breath. “I gave you what you wanted. Let her go.”
He glanced at me over his shoulder. “I had intended to, had you not disobeyed.”
“Keep her there.” He pointed to Udora. Ordering the Mayor as he pulled me aside.
“You come to my bed. Tonight. For me to do to you as I wish. And each night after that until I tire of it, and I’ll let her go.”
“What about Udora? How did you come by her.” He sobered. Drawing a long breath as he twirled me twice more. Considering how to tell me. I guessed. But he was unwilling to stop dancing. So, far anyway. “She came by me, more or less. Drawn to my dark magic, I suppose. After I crawled out of that oubliette, I stumbled across her. Greedy, morose and feeling hollow, I fed on her.” He quieted. And I sensed there was guilt in that memory. “And then?” “Then she was mine. From that day.” “How so?” “She wanted to spend every moment with me. Wanted to be mine.” “And did you want her?” “I did not. But I fed on her just the same.” “Through joining.” “That’s the only way I’ve learned how.” He said, a bit taken aback, as though he’d never before considered if there were other ways. “It was how Kasha taught me.” “She was wicked.” “She was. But I never tho
When I knocked on the door of the WitchFall fortress, it was with a resolute expression. Mathis ripped open the door as if he himself had rushed to it. No servants. And when I stepped inside, I felt how empty it was. And there was something wrong with him. He looked disheveled. Fraught with worry. “What’s wrong?” I asked. Eying him in his uncharacteristically mussed state. He lifted his chin. His chest swelling. “What have you come to tell me, Spitfire?” He’s prepared to fight. Or he wouldn’t be calling me that. “I’m going to ruin you.” I said coldly. “Then you’ve already decided to refuse me?” He seemed to visibly deflate. I held my silence a long time. Surprised that he seemed so genuinely broken. “No. I’ve decided to marry you.” He blinked rapidly. Tilting his head in interest. “For revenge?” “No.” “Then why would you destroy me?”
Veline caught my hand. Wrapping hers around it and looking at it as though it were a foreign thing. “Do you know, we shouldn’t be able to touch.” “Why not?” “Because I am pure spirit now.” Veline reached out and touched my chest. “While you are still bound in your skin.” Bound. A strange word for it. “You know in this land there are far more creatures than you ever guessed. You’ve been very sheltered in Drimidan.” “I guess I have.” I admitted softly. I wasn’t even sure my parents knew of all the things out there. “There was a time, long ago when the land was predominantly Fey.” “But as Fey darkened some lost their power and became human. Others became twisted and their power darkened to make them other things.” “Like Mathis?” She nodded. “They become what we know as demonic. Or what the people of Drimidan might call a witch or warlock.” I blinked slowly. I’d heard of such things, but they were s
Only as The King of Creatures stood facing me now, did I realize how tall and imposing he was. He wore a masquerade mask over his eyes, which seemed to change from blue to orange like flames burned in them. His hair was blonde and waving back to his collar but as he moved. It shed small sparks at the tips from the tresses that hung loosely over his forehead. He was lean and tall. Towering well above me like one of the trees in this forest. The strangest man I’d ever seen. “They brought you here?” “They summoned me, yes.” He nodded toward Veline. “They advise me you’ve discovered the root of evil in Drimidan.” “Yes…” I said slowly. Mathis. “Tell me what he is?” “I don’t know for sure…He was once a man but now a demon.” “A form of changeling then…Hmm.” He murmured thoughtfully. “Well now that we know, killing him should be easy enough. We’ll just need you to get me into the fortre
“Because of Kasha?” He lowered his head in admonition. His hands linked behind his back. To keep from touching me? I wondered. “Despite all I’ve done, I have deep respect for you, My Spitfire. And ultimately, I wish to see your laughter return. And that is what I’d spend the rest of my days striving for. But if away from me, is how you can regain it, then that too I’d learn to appreciate.” “You’re so contrary. A moment ago you were declaring I’m yours. Now you say I have a choice.” “You’ve always had a choice. Even when you believed Udora was at my mercy. You had the choice of forsaking her.” “That wasn’t an option.” “Not with you. Just because it wasn’t an acceptable choice, doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. But,” He lifted his finger. “I do caution you, you can’t change me, Sweetheart.” “You just said you have changed!” He smiled almost sadly. “I have. Because I wished to change, to become something more
He dressed in more finery. Smoothing his black hair back into a tether and wearing a cream undershirt with a silver vest and long overcoat. Once dressed, he offered me his hand. “Let’s get you home.” I took it. Wondering why it felt like every time I took it, I was making some kind of promise to him. Vowing to trust him, when I should not… Blowing a relieved breath, I let him help me into the carriage. Relieved to see the driver sitting atop the bench this time. He’s making an effort at normalcy. We took the winding drive down the hill and into the village. Quickly arriving at my house. I blew a steadying breath. Letting him help me down from the carriage. “Are you ready?” He tucked me under his arm. “To be home?” I peered up at him. But he wasn’t acknowledging me as he kept me sheltered next to him and we headed for the front door. Mother rushed out and embraced me. “Dear Heaven! You’re okay.”