A Demon's Dark Embrace by Amelia Hutchins
“No, they’re alive. Every child you hid in that room is alive. I wouldn’t lie about something like that.”
“It’s not possible!”
“Yes, it is. The catacombs are still there. My brothers didn’t destroy them; they only sealed them to protect them from falling into the wrong hands. According to my brother, Synthia caught the faint sound of heartbeats, and they got the kids out before they sealed the entrance and razed the upper levels.”
“I need to see them,” she whispered.
“You can’t,” he replied softly, his eyes turning to steel. “Not yet. Your saving those children doesn’t excuse what you did to Alden and me, nor am I fully convinced you are totally innocent. Maybe not by deed, Olivia, but by naiveté you have helped Cyrus to help the Mages, and I need to know what he was after.”
“I won’t help you hurt the Guild,” she warned softly.
“And I don’t want to hurt the Guild, either. I need for you to at least trust me on that point.” At her skeptical look, he sighed, knowing that he would have to confide in her if he wanted to gain her trust. “I am half Fae, my mother was once a proud Demon Princess and I am the third son of Alazander, the previous Horde King. I am brother to the current one,” Ristan said carefully, watching as the color drained from her face. “We are at war, and whether the Guild wants it or not, they are siding with Mages who have slipped into the Guild’s ranks and are corrupting it from within. I am not asking you to hurt the Guild; if anything, I am asking you to help the Guild. The true Guild. The members who still believe in what it was originally created to do. Already the Mages are inciting the Humans and the other Guilds for the blood of all Fae in retaliation for the fall of the Spokane Guild.”
“But…but the Fae didn’t do it,” she whispered. “Wait, back up. You’re one of the Horde Princes? So I was in the Horde Kingdom?” she squeaked.
“Yes,” he said, as her face seemed to become paler.
“So I got a son of the Horde King tortured by monsters, and now I’m your prisoner,” she whispered, and her face looked a little green. “Wait, why would a son of the Horde King be in the Guild, unless you were, in fact, spying?” she questioned.
“Keeping a promise to a Witch that nothing bad would happen to her uncle while she helped my brother, the newly-crowned Horde King, try and save both worlds,” he explained.
“You were there protecting Alden from the Mages, or the Guild? Was it because he was guilty of betraying the Guild?” She fired off questions until Ristan held up his hands and sat back.
“You need to listen to me. I was there because Synthia had responsibilities in Faery. I told her I’d keep her uncle safe and that nothing would happen to him because of their relationship. Not to mention, he was helping us. We knew the Mages posed a very real threat to Alden and we wanted to be able to get him out if it ever went sour. They’ve been inside the Guild for a very long time, Olivia. We knew they were working their way into all aspects of the Guild, but until recently, we didn’t know how far they had burrowed into the inner workings of the Guilds. The Spokane Guild is not the only one having issues. The New Orleans Guild is running with backup Enforcers because theirs are disappearing and the Fae are, of course, being blamed. A few of the Elders have vanished or been killed. That’s why that particular Guild was chosen to be the Guild ‘Justin’ came from. Believe it or not, the Horde agrees that the Fae should remain in Faery. We can’t protect your people from ours in your world, so it’s much easier for them and our people if ours just stayed in Faery. Unfortunately, our people have a natural curiosity and an affinity for Humans that makes it next to impossible to keep them in Faery. So, believe it or not, there are rules in place as we attempt to control the worst of them. Either way, the men responsible for the slaughter inside the Guild, those were Mages for the most part and one crazy fucked up God hell-bent on revenge. Was I digging through Guild shit? Fuck yeah, I was. We need the relics of the Fae because they belong to us. They can’t even be used properly in your world. We need them to prevent our world from dying, and yours from becoming overwhelmed with the number of beings that will be flooding into it when that happens. That is why I was there. I wasn’t there to fuck the Guild; I was there to help it.”
“You can lie,” she whispered. “You said your name was Justin.” She paused with her teeth worrying her bottom lip. Her cheeks turned pink and she hissed. “Justin Timberland? You asshole! I can’t believe it didn’t click before!” she chided and slapped his arm.
“So I did, but it was for a very good cause,” he said as he smirked playfully and continued. “I promise you that those kids are fine. Synthia’s children, on the other hand…They need us to find those relics and save both worlds.”
“Synthia has children?” Olivia asked with a perfect O on her lips that he personally wanted to test with his cock.
“Three; she gave us the first set of triplets in Fae history.” He watched as she added the time since Synthia had left the Guild, and came up short. It was no mystery that time moved differently in the worlds, but most couldn’t grasp the differences. “Time, of course, moves differently between our worlds. Sometimes slower, while other times faster. Right now the rule of thumb is about a quarter day in Faery to each day in your world. Fae pregnancies are also shorter than Human ones. Her heart still belongs to the Guild, and she has enough to worry about because of the Mages, and her babes being sick,” he said softly as he fought the urge to taste her lips.
He watched her eyes narrow, and her teeth worry her bottom lip as she considered his words. If she kept biting that lip, it would end up raw, but fuck if it wasn’t hot.
It was a new ballgame and new rules. He knew she could help him, more than that, he wanted her. He knew he could force her into playing his naughty games, but he wanted her to be willing. He didn’t have to pretend he didn’t want her and build excuses as to why he shouldn’t want her.
“So what do you want from me?” Olivia asked with a guarded look as her hands fisted at her sides anxiously.
“Alden told me you have an eidetic or a photographic memory, and I need you to help me find items that once belonged to the Fae. You already helped me find one. You didn’t know about it at the time and I can promise you that they will only be used to protect your world from mine. Because if we can’t fix this one, both will die; I know, I’ve seen that future, little Witch, and it wasn’t pretty.”
“You can’t see the future? No one can,” she argued.
“No one should be able to, and trust me, it’s not fun. I was given sight by Danu, to be able to set our people on the right path to protect our world. Tell me something: If this world dies, where would the monsters as you call us, go?” he asked, his eyes drifting from her eyes to that sexy lip she was nibbling on.
“My world,” she whispered after a few silent moments had passed.
“Correct,” he said and reached over to detach the chain from the collar. His fingers slid along the collar, changing it from the heavy collar to a delicate golden torque from which the small medallion hung. He watched her eyes widen, and her hand came up to rest on his chest, which sent heat to his belly, unfurling a need that he was doing his best to ignore. “Come with me,” he said without waiting for her reply.
He opened a portal and sifted them to Faery, to a gigantic tree. The trunk was swathed in a thick layer of ice and the entire tree looked weak beneath the deep freeze that surrounded it. The portal closed up behind them with a wave of his hand. “This is the Tree of Life; it feeds Faery power, and helps to keep the newly born Fae alive as the world welcomes them. For some time now, it’s been unable to accept most of the infants.”
“Babies are dying?” she asked, and her lips formed a frown, her eyes deep with unease.
“An entire world is dying because of a grudge. It is dying over a misunderstanding of our ways that festered and got out of control. It h
He knew the moment Olivia figured out what was lighting the tree in the darkness. Her breathing grew shallow; her eyes grew round and then lit up. It was still one of the most beautiful places in Faery, even if it was frozen.
He glamoured a heavy parka on her, as well as other clothing that was more suited for the cold, on both of them before he took her hand and moved them closer to the endless activity of the Fairies. Her pants were leather, which looked a little out of place on her, but he enjoyed the way it hugged her ass, along with the boots that were more fashionable than most winter wear usually was. She giggled softly as the coat curved her tiny frame, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Ristan grinned.
“Those are fairies,” she whispered and held out her hand as one flew in close to look at her. It landed innocently in her upturned palm and sat there cross-legged as they studied each other. Ristan grimaced when he realized it was Karenna, a fairy he had the pleasure of knowing intimately. Her breed of Fairy could go from the size of a firefly to a much more compatible size if she chose to. They were also infamous for their love of biting and nipping.
“They are,” he said as he gave Karenna a warning with his eyes. She took flight, leaving a trail of glittering dust in her wake which caused Olivia to sputter, then sneeze. Karenna let out an impish giggle as she continued her way back to the others, who kept working.
“This is what the Mages did,” he said, pulling his mind back to why he’d brought her here. “This tree feeds magic into Faery, and without it, the world grows weaker with each passing day. More infants will die before we can save it, but I was given visions that were supported by the prophets, that the relics are a large piece of the puzzle to not just stop Faery from dying, but reversing the damage done to this world as well.”
“And you think I can help you? Even if I wanted to, those relics would be heavily guarded, probably by Enforcers who have no idea what’s really going on. I’ve done enough damage to the Guild, and even if those children are alive as you say they are, that doesn’t excuse what I did,” she said softly, her eyes never meeting his as she watched the fairies work on the tree.
Ristan grabbed her hand, knowing he might be pushing her limits on sifting, which bothered him to a certain degree; however the need to show her his world overrode his concern. But those eyes? The way they lit up with the beauty of the Tree, and the tiny Fae? She was in awe, and he had so much more to show her.
He took her to his favorite place in either world. He wondered why he had done something so impulsive, since he’d never brought anyone with him when he came here. Yet it had been the first place that had popped into his mind.
The sky was lit up with deep green and aquamarine colors which mixed with the Fae version of the Northern Lights. A large pool of the bluest water he’d ever found on Earth or Faery covered the ground in a circular pattern, which was fed by a cascading waterfall that enhanced the beauty and serenity of this particular place. Vivid emerald trees stood in the far distance, with the sweet fragrance of newly bloomed flowers scenting the night air.
There was no freezing chill here, so with a flick of his fingers, he removed the heavy coat and decided to replace her outfit with a soft, powder blue baby doll dress, which made her eyes seem darker. He could see her nipples had hardened with the quick change of outfits, and he hoped it was from her wanting to be covered by him, rather than the dress.
She took in the beautiful setting carefully before he saw a small smile tug at the corners of her mouth. There was no way she was immune to the beauty of the land, because even though he’d been here a thousand times, he wasn’t.
“Where is this?” she asked as she adjusted the dress for modesty.
“I don’t think it’s ever been named,” Ristan replied, his eyes sweeping over a lush green bush that was covered in pale blue flowers that glowed just enough to illuminate the darkness. He waved his hand and the sky turned to sunset.
“How did you do that? No Fae can control the weather or the world around them,” she whispered her eyes on his with wonder.
“I can create illusions, very realistic ones at that. But this isn’t me; this place is different,” he said, and wondered if he should control more of it for her benefit, but then again, all he’d done was think of it turning to sunset and it had. He’d never understood it, nor did he care to.
He stepped closer to her and smiled. “This is my place. I have never seen it on any maps,” he whispered. “It’s full of wondrous things, deadly ones too, but it holds so much to explore and marvel at. I’d die protecting my world,” he mused out loud, his body so close to hers that he could smell her unique scent, which seemed to drive him bug fuck crazy.
He reached for her and pulled her against his body. Their clothes disintegrated with a mere thought, and he smiled as she hissed from the sensation it created. He picked her up and the moment her lips touched his out of her own will, he growled.
Fuck it; he wanted her and even if he shouldn’t be doing this, he couldn’t help it. He glamoured a bed and carried her to it, her hands pulling at his hair as she deepened the kiss. He moaned, her hungry mouth containing and devouring the sound.
His knees hit the bed and he crawled across the mattress without setting her down. He used her weight as he shifted his body beneath hers so she could straddle him, before he finally broke the kiss. Their breathing was labored and heavy; her nipples were hard, and begged to be bitten and teased. His head rested on the pillows as he brought both hands up to where she sat straddled on him. His cock pulsed between her legs, yet he hadn’t forced himself inside of her. His hands cupped the heavy weight of her breasts before his thumbs trailed softly over her taut nipples.
She moaned and arched into his touch, her pussy already wet from just their shared contact and kiss. He leaned up, claiming one nipple with his mouth before he flicked his tongue over it. He smiled against it as she groaned loudly and rocked her hips against his throbbing cock. She pushed him down and he smiled up at her, right up until she leaned over to lick his nipple ring and pulled on it with her teeth.
He swore that piece of jewelry shared a nerve with his cock, because it sent fire swirling through his belly, which made his cock hard enough that he could have come right then. He moaned as she carefully explored him, her shyness only adding to how fucking hot this was.
She snuck her tongue out and licked his nipple before her hand found the other and tested it, matching her actions to his response. Once his stomach tightened, and the hiss escaped his lips, she smiled. It wasn’t a huge smile, but an innocent one that said she was enjoying being in control, and he knew the feeling.
She lifted her head, taking in the surrounding area, and for the first time noticed that she was on a bed, outside, exposed.
“Nobody knows about this place,” he assured her, and her sapphire eyes looked down at him. He rocked his hips, reminding her of what they’d been doing before she’d discovered she was about to rock his cock in full view of nature.
She lowered her mouth and kissed him on the lips, and then deepened it as she pushed her tongue past his. He didn’t assist her; instead, he waited for her to take control again. He was in no hurry, and that was a good thing, considering how slow her seduction was.
She pulled back, and Ristan caught movement out of the corner of his eye. A hood
“What the fuck?” he growled, and spared a glance back to make sure Olivia was safe.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Olivia continued to search through the giant room; this one was definitely masculine and, like the last room she had been imprisoned in, it bore marks showing that it belonged to Ristan. Nothing indicated that it was a guest room of any kind. The room was done in varying hues of charcoal gray, with light blue drapes that framed the single window of the room, which ran from the floor to the ceiling, as well as each end of the wall. She’d already checked the window and found it securely locked. She took note of the deep emerald greenery mixed with snow and pine trees that told her she was either back in the Pacific Northwest, or somewhere in Faery that must have similar scenery.
She’d been pushed into the room without explanation or any clothing, other than a skimpy pair of panties, and left alone for what felt like hours. He’d treated her clumsy seduction as if she’d put ants in his pants and her feelings were a bit hurt as she replayed the scene over and over in her mind. She had no damn business getting busy with him in the first place. Maybe it was best he’d stopped her before she became more attached to him.
She began her search of the room tentatively, enjoying the freedom of not being chained to the wall, even though being locked inside a beautiful room wasn’t much better. He at least remembered she was partly Human and had left a table laden with a delicious variety of foods that she’d unfortunately been too unsettled to eat.
Olivia knew she needed to find a way to get away from him; even if he was telling the truth about the children, she wasn’t safe. At least, her heart and girly parts weren’t, if she stayed around him for much longer—and that was on her and her traitorous bits and pieces.