Sigils and spells, p.83
Sigils & Spells, page 83
Gods.
Anyone who thought Fae were creatures of light were as foolish as the ones that believed fairy tales had happy endings. With the tug of magic came the irrepressible thirst for pain and the hunger for darkness that came with it.
That was why he fled his Queen. Any excuse to put distance between them was a much needed thing. As Captain of the Guard he had spent more time in her bedchambers than any other male in her service. There was a reason she was the Queen of the Dark Court and it wasn’t because she loved the color black. No. He learned that pain and pleasure rode each other and the raw hunger it left inside of him made him afraid.
He was charged with keeping order on this side of Faery and he meant to do as the Queen commanded. It was the least he could do to remain in her good tidings. To do anything less was to invite her involvement and that he would not and could not risk. In the centuries he’d been here, he’d come to understand more about the delicate balance that kept the human world in artificial isolation from the paranormal community. Under no circumstance were the two realities to cross paths. Those that risked it found themselves on the receiving end of his wrath. That and the rest of the Protectorate Council.
This was the second death in three days and like the first one, she was found behind the one of the local pubs, very near the fairground. Her body ravaged by what appeared to be an animal attack, he shuddered to think what her last hours may have been like.
Night had fallen fast, the scent of burning leaves tickling his nose with the promise of colder weather to come. October was a month of transitions. And this time he didn’t like the pattern that was evolving.
Humans were everywhere, the city of Salem draped in witchery and all things metaphysical. Parties, events, shops and eateries all catered to the unique flavor of this city and Fenris had been proud to call it home for centuries. Torn between the world of Faery and the human plane, if he could be anywhere, he supposed he was glad it was here. It was a shame that most couldn’t see the magic that boiled around them, hotter than any witch’s cauldron.
Fenris’s lips twisted in disgust as the two fae guards assigned to monitor the door to the gateway whispered and gestured to themselves instead of paying attention to gawking onlookers. All they would see was a dead human girl but that was enough to get tongues wagging.
“Are you two done talking?”
“Yes, sir.” The younger of the two at least had the sense to look contrite.
The crime scene techs appeared, followed by the EMS personnel.
“I want you to assist these people with anything they need done. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Good.” He took a deep breath and stepped away from the glut of people and Fae, walking into the shadows. There had to be signs of the wolves here someplace. At least, if the idiots hadn’t trampled them into the ground already.
He cocked his head and let his eyes wander to the buzz of the city and the frivolity of the Halloween events only to find his gaze drawn to a familiar and not entirely unwelcome sight.
Mari Di Bartolo made her way down the middle of the street clad in what had to be the poofiest dress he’d ever seen on a woman. Her black hair long and flowing, she looked like vampire princess she was, draped in flounces of silver and black, her breasts threatening to spill from their confines at any moment.
His palms itched to touch her and he forced his hands down to his sides. Roark would never approve of his interest. Without thinking, he moved in her direction. “What are you doing here? This is a crime scene.”
She raised her chin, a challenge in her eyes. Her red lips parted in response and he wanted to yank her to him and do what he should have done a thousand times before if only for the blasted fear of hurting her. He wanted to kiss the shadows from her eyes but he also realized that living through what she had been through would leave scars no one could erase, especially a Fae with a penchant for pain.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m taking in the sights. It’s Salem at Halloween.”
“In a dress like that?”
She shrugged. “I was bored. And Roark had me paired up with Jared for the evening. You weren’t there.”
Was that an accusation in her tone?
Anger he didn’t have any right to feel seethed under his skin when he noticed the scrape along her collarbone.
“What is this?” He reached out, his fingers brushing against her flesh and she shivered beneath his touch.
“Jared, the pimply faced octopus. Well, before I balled him up and left him in the garden for them to find. Maybe they’ll come across him before dawn.”
“Let him fry.” The scrawny vamp didn’t know when to keep his hands to himself. He’d encountered several prostitutes on the streets who’d said as much, only they sported marks much worse than Mari. And hers would heal within the hour.
Her eyes widened and her lips parted and he caught a glimpse of fang. “I…didn’t know you cared.”
“If I didn’t, why would I have convinced Roark to turn you?” He tugged her closer, the push of her breasts against his chest making it hard to concentrate on mere words. He’d known she was meant for him from the first second he’d seen her but he had to let Roark take her or risk her dying.
“You don’t know me. I was just a girl on the street. A human not worth your consideration.”
Fenris didn’t miss the hurt in her eyes. Perhaps he had been wrong leaving her alone. He’d been convinced he was right letting her assimilate unhindered into her new life. He also couldn’t fault her reasoning. She was right. They had no claim on one another, only an attraction that blazed to life in the most untenable of situations.
But she was wrong on one account. He had noticed her before-just not in a way he might have acted upon. Human and supernatural interaction was forbidden but he was unable to let her die. Not like that.
He wasn’t able to stop thinking about her and hadn’t since that night.
“I did notice you, witchling. How could I not?” He lifted a finger and traced the side of her face, his cock hardening at the moan that slipped unbidden from her lips. “You burn inside of me. Only I couldn’t act. Not until then. But I had to save you. To do anything else…” He let his voice trail off and watched her reaction.
Mari blinked and reached forward, pressing her lips to his. “It’s like a fire, isn’t it? A fire in the blood.”
“Oh Gods, yes.”
He tugged her forward and captured her lips with his own, pressing her soft form against his hardness, trying to resist the urge to play the animal and take her hard against the nearest wall.
No.
She didn’t deserve that. Not from him and certainly not with what she’d lived through.
She wound her arms around him and thrust her fingers into his hair. “Don’t stop.”
“I don’t want to. But if we do this a moment longer, I’m afraid I’ll be in danger of either being arrested or embarrassing myself utterly.”
This was neither the time nor place to explore their attraction to one another. Not with the crime scene but a few feet behind him. But there was an overwhelming attraction. Hot, heavy and one that would lead him into trouble if he wasn’t careful.
Fuck. He’d been careful and look where that had gotten him? Since he’d met the enigmatic young woman, no other female came close. He dreamt of her and that made him question his sanity. Was he that imbued with the sickness of his Queen that he fantasied about a girl who had nearly died in his arms?
But she wasn’t dead, was she?
Mari stood in front of him, the same desire mirrored in the red of her eyes and he bet if he slipped his hand beneath that very elegant dress, he’d find her wet.
“Come with me.” She pressed her lips against his and urged him forward. “There’s an alcove.”
“Lead on.” He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her soft, rose petal skin.
She slipped her hand through his arm and they walked along the sidewalk, her eyes scanning the booths and activities that made up the Psychic Fair. Witches, both real and self-created sold their wares and he sensed her desire to be among them.
“This is what you came out here for.”
She nodded, a smile turning up her lips. “It was. In part.”
“What else?”
Mari smiled secretly and tugged him into a side alley and into what resembled a faery garden, if such a thing existed in an old church yard. It was as if they had stepped out of Salem and stepped back in time.
Brambles and vines covered the high stone fence and the ruins of the old church sprawled out into the open. A lone stone bench sat amongst the trees and she led him to it.
She turned to him, her eyes aglow in the half light. “This. This is what else.”
CHAPTER 3
Mari’s heart beat inside of her chest as she gazed up at Fenris. She hadn’t expected to see him out here on the streets but now that she had, she wasn’t letting him go. Not without once and for all letting him know how she felt. Bringing him here to her hidden alcove had been a risk but one she was willing to take.
He’d seemed just as happy to see her as she had to encounter him and that in itself gave her stomach a few more butterflies.
She leaned in closer and he gripped her arms, the erection straining against the front of his pants digging into her stomach. Mari wanted him like she had wanted no other man, the spicy scent of him invading all of her senses.
“I…” She swayed, lifting her face to his and he claimed her mouth with a ragged groan. His tongue parted her lips and he pulled her even closer, her breasts spilling out over the confines of the bodice.
“You are so lovely.” He bent his head down and pressed a kiss on the tip of her left breast, then drew it into his mouth. The stabbing sensation of ecstasy made her knees weak and she let go a soft cry as he steadied her, a swift rush of heat rushing between her thighs.
She slid her shaking hand down the front of his pants, cupping him, then taking a chance, tightened her hold until he let out an audible hiss.
“You’re playing with fire, girl.”
Mari met his gaze with one of her own. “I’m not a girl. Not for a long time now.”
“Then don’t play the coquette with me.” He gripped her wrist, his teeth clenched as if he were straining.
He was dangerous. Not like a vampire, but different somehow. Like he could drink in her soul and leave her writhing beneath him. His golden green eyes seared into hers and she trembled.
“I’m not.” Mari swallowed. She had to end this…this distraction that boiled her blood. Was he the mate Roark had told her of? It infuriated her that her body would call the shots this way. It also scared her. She hungered for him and no other. This had been building, at least for her, since she’d seen him and tonight she had to push herself-and him to see where it would lead.
“I can smell your fear.” Fenris’s voice was raw and he buried his face at the base of her neck, licking and sucking on her earlobe. Her nipples hardened to fine points and every brush of his blazer and button down shirt made her want to climb him like a fucking tree.
He craved her just as much as she desired him. She read it in his eyes.
“And I can scent your yearning.” She shook his hand off and reached for the zipper on his pants. She tugged it down and his cock sprang free, the hard length of him hot against her palm.
“Gods,” he ground out and his heartbeat sped up to match hers. “I need…”
“I know.” Her fangs dropped and she stifled a moan as the tip of him pearled, Fenris’s arousal betraying his warring emotions.
She pushed him down on the bench and straddled him, her slick folds sliding over him. Fenris sucked in a breath as she reached beneath her skirt and in one quick movement, impaled herself on his engorged member.
“Mari. Gods.”
He gripped her hips and slid his hand beneath her ass lifting her. He sank balls deep inside of her and lowered her to the ground. Mari’s head lolled as the sensation of being fully stretched rolled through her.
“Here.” He shrugged off his blazer and laid it on the grass next to her, shifting her body so it would be protected from the ground.
“Take me. Mark me,” Mari panted. “I can’t take it. Please…”
Fenris growled and angled himself, withdrawing slightly, and then plowed inside of her with one deft motion.
She wanted skin on skin but that would be later. Now was for claiming. All heat and passion and all the pent up need she’d been carrying with her since she began this new life.
He grunted, his powerful form moving within her, bringing her fire from the inside out until she clutched at him, her channel spasming.
“I’m…” Mari lost control as her body exploded into a millions stars, he the force behind it all.
“That’s it, witchling. Come on my cock. Fuck.” He groaned, the motion of his hips growing more insistent until he cried out, his voice thick as he buried his face in her hair, his teeth piercing her neck, marking her with his bite.
Pleasure and pain warred within her and Mari’s teeth distended. She sank them deep into Fenris’s shoulder, the sweet, hot blood flowing over her tongue even as he filled her womb with his seed.
It was perfect. There was a rock under her left butt cheek. She reached beneath her and dug it out from under the dress and flung it to the side.
“Ouch.”
“Sorry.”
“No. It’s fine.” She giggled, imagining the sour housekeeper when she saw the grass stains on the bottom of her skirt. It would be…priceless.
She sighed and lay back, tingling from head to foot. Fenris lay with his weight on her, his strange golden eyes peering into hers. “This complicates things.”
“I know. Roark…”
“I don’t care about Roark. I care about you.”
“What were you doing out here tonight? I looked for you at the ball.” Mari ran her fingertips down the side of his face, marveling at the beauty of his incredible man. He twitched within her and she smiled.
“The wolves…” He looked away and started to move, sadness dimming the light in his eyes.
He was part of the Protectorate. She was no fool. She’d seen the crime scene tape and the glut of people. Someone had died and it was at the hands of the wolves.
“No. Don’t.” She clenched herself around him and he sucked in a breath. “Whatever it is we’ll figure it out together. Tomorrow. But first I want to try something.”
“What’s that witchling?” His eyes were wary.
“I want to get grass stains all over your ass and then…” she kissed him, her teeth worrying on his lower lip.
“And then what?”
“I want you to take me to the ball.”
Fenris grinned. “Now that would be the end of a very interesting day.” He gathered her in his arms and flipped her over so she was riding him, her dress covering them both. His cock swelled hard and thick inside of her and she ground herself on him, making him gasp.
“I thought you might say that.” Mari grinned, using her hips to make his eyes cross. “You know what they say. Ride a faery save a horse. Or something like that.”
He laughed, the brightness returning to his eyes. “Oh love. How much fun it will be getting to know you better.”
“Oh, I think it will be.” Mari leaned down and nipped him on the nose, her breasts just out of reach of his lips. She angled her hips and clenched her muscles around him. “Just hold on, cause it’s going to be one bumpy ride.”
Read the next segment in the Curse Workers series.
Sanguine Shadows
Map of Bones
Malediction
Arcane
Turn the page to read an excerpt from Map of Bones, Curse Workers Book Two from Erzabet Bishop now!
PREVIEW
Something’s written in the bones…
Merryn is a student at the Montelier Supernatural Academy. Struggling to balance her course load and her part time job, she almost forgets her notes in the lab. But wandering the halls after hours may hold some unforeseen consequences. Only the wicked walk the streets of Salem after dark, and Merryn might find more than she ever suspected.
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder…
Damien is a lust demon caught in a dilemma. His favor is being called in and he’s trapped in Broomstix with the sexiest bookworm alive. When she flees into his arms after a terrible scare, can he make her see him and not the demon inside? There is a lesson to be learned and he is just the one to teach her that life isn’t just lived by books alone.
“You know, if you stay like that long enough, one of the boys is going to think you’re one of the mail room owls.” Cynthia twirled her long black hair around her finger and smirked. She smoothed her hands down her sweater and snagged her tablet off the desk.
Merryn ruffled her feathers and transformed back to human form, a scowl on her lips. “Bitch. This isn’t Hogwarts.”
Cynthia shrugged, picking up her books. “I only speak the truth. Come on. Professor Jenkins doesn’t care if you transform twenty times. If you can’t do it in front of the class next Tuesday for the exam, you’re toast.”
“I know…” Merryn sighed. “Why didn’t I go to a college with a normal curriculum? What’s so bad about accounting? Or even a business class?”
A corner of Cynthia’s mouth twitched. “Um. Let’s see. You’re a witch, maybe? And why would you ever want to? Montelier is a good school. Hell, it’s the only school on the east coast. You should be happy.”
Merryn picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. “I just want a normal life. A job. You know…”
“Normal is boring. And no, you don’t. What about that weird class you’re taking? The one you talked about yesterday. The freaky medical one you said you actually liked?”
