Hi there! You are currently browsing as a guest. Why not create an account? Then you get less ads, can thank creators, post feedback, keep a list of your favourites, and more!
He searched her face for any signs of a lie, but there was none which he could discern. Her voice was consistently even, her expression stoic and unreadable; close to boredom. She was irritatingly calm, for a girl whose life he held in his hands so completely; to kill as he desired. And yet, there she stood--without the least bit of fear.
He leaned forth until his face was mere inches from hers, and whispered dangerously in her ear, “It's not in Severin's nature to be merciful or kind, unless payment is due. He and I are similar in that regard.”
Without further warning, he grabbed her by the hips until her body was pressed against his. He kissed her then--deeply, possessively, seemingly to mark her as his--to erase all memories of any other which might've come before him.
His fingers threaded through her hair, pulling on it as to hold her in place. Her lips parted under his, giving no resistance. He began to explore her mouth with his tongue. Roughly, darkly, erotically, until he feared that he might reach culmination simply from the taste of her alone.
As Cadeon broke from her with great difficulty, he fought to regain his composure. His breathing was hoarse and his heartbeat erratic. Meanwhile, she was utterly unaffected by what had just occurred while he was... agitated by her lack of response. Her face remained an expressionless canvas, giving no evidence as to what has transpired between them.
A maddening girl, she was. And yet, Cadeon found himself to be oddly charmed. He cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her to face him.
Oh, her eyes--they reminded him very much of the Jade Seas--vast and endless, cold and haunting. Doubtlessly, many men have drowned within its depths. It was a cruel travesty for the gods to have granted one with such eyes, only to rob her of the sight.
In that moment, he had felt a touch of sympathy. Life had not been kind to her from the very start. When the time has come, would he be able to take the life of an innocent? Her misfortune was being in the wrong place at wrong time. And for a passing minute, he entertained the thought of letting her go.
No. That was not a possibility.
His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close until her back was nestled against him.
“I'm beginning to understand why men act so foolishly in the name of love,” Cadeon murmured in jest.
His fingers lightly traced the fine outline of her cheek and rested on her bottom lip, where it was still red from the ravishment of his kiss. He buried his face within her hair, still partly damp from the bath, and planted a single kiss on her temple. His head dipped, as his tongue drew a leisurely path down her neck and shoulders, where his lips opened hotly.
His mouth was on hers again, capturing her tongue with his. His hands trembled with a savage desire, roaming the contours of her bodice until it rested on one breast. The studded leather corset was fitted around her tightly, disallowing him from exploring further. He had a mind of removing it soon.
“I wonder how your lover would react to the knowledge that you are here with me now,” Cadeon whispered, his voice laced with icy cynicism. He was baiting her for answers. “I heard of how viciously he attacked one of my men just to keep you.”
She neither confirmed or deny anything, but only placed a hand over his, pulling it away. “You knew him,” she said. Her words had not been phrased as a question, but as a statement.
His mood darkened.
“I did,” he admitted as he released her. Any tenderness had left him then, as he was brought to recall memories which were less than pleasant. “A lifetime ago. Your warlord was once someone I called a brother, but I'm afraid that he know longer remembers me.”
That revelation alone seemed to evoke a reaction from her. A crinkle of contemplation formed between her brows. It was the first sign of emotion which he had seen her display.
“Did you know, Your Highness, that the man whom Drustanis laud as a war hero is a two-faced traitor? He is treacherous snake, who has no qualms about condemning his own people to slavery.” Cadeon paused, allowing for the gravity of the words to sink in. “For his crimes, he must be punished. As for you--” Cadeon trailed off, unsure of what to make of her. “I have not decided what to do with you, yet.”
“Why are you telling me all of this?” she asked.
“There is no point in lying to a dead woman. I cannot permit you to leave this place alive.”
“A pity,” she answered simply.
Will nothing break that damnable reserve? ”Is that all you have to say?” he asked with undisguised irritation.
“Is this the part where I beg and plead for my life?” she replied with a wry quirk of her lips, “If I were a different girl, I would have done so--I would look upon you with tear-struck eyes as I begged for you to release me in promise of my silence.” She was narrating a sarcastic distortion of his expectations, her tone light and mocking.
“An enticing picture that would been--a lone, defenseless girl to bend to your will, and use as you pleased. If you were a different man, you might have relented... perhaps after some persuasion?” Her head cocked to the side, to where his bed was standing.
He tensed at the suggestion.
The thought of her form beneath him had been a recurring image which crossed his mind during the past several days, driving him to near distraction. He had her now, within his grasp--
But something wasn't right about her. It was a intuition lingering in the back of his mind since the day on the ship. His suspicions had just been confirmed by her words.
She was not Aaliyah.
The girl gazed up at him then, causing his body to jolt involuntarily. Her eyes were truly looking into his for the first time that night.
They were an inhuman shade of blue, tinged with silver flecks which seemed to dance as the candle-flames burned all around. Within them, he saw a mirrored image of himself--albeit deformed and misshapen--and not quite whole.
She sat on the surface of his desk with one leg dangling back-and-forth in a carefree manner, as if she were not his captive whose life lay in jeopardy. Her head tilted to one side, a lazy smile evident on her beautiful visage, curiously studying his reaction. Her eyes bore into his, challenging him with a confident arrogance to remark upon the fact.
His heart quickened at the sight, his temperature growing heated.
But what did he have to fear from a girl he could easily overpower, he reasoned. Nevertheless, he could not help but to feel threatened, a virulent tension between them. “Who are you?” he demanded in a strained voice, fighting to keep his tone even.
And with that question, she laughed.
It was a cruel, hollow laughter, and one which bore no joy or warmth. The sound of her amusement echoed throughout the stone chamber, carrying with it a chilling sensation which pierced his very skin, embedding itself within the marrow of his bones.
In that moment, a strange wind swept through the bedchamber, extinguishing all candle flames. They were enshrouded in darkness, save for the moonlight which poured in.
From behind, he could hear the soft rustle of the draperies and the howling of wind, or what he had accredited the sound to.
And from the tower balcony, a mist slowly crept into the room, a curling wisp of white smoke so dense as it obscured his vision.
What madness was this?
Cadeon turned around as he watched it with a incredulous wonder, disbelieving his senses. Never had he witnessed anything like it before.