Blood Cursed (21 page)

25

Outside, moonlight drenched my blood with lust.

Engine noise tore my ears, Doppler echoes howling as we hurtled over the bridge. It was late, or early morning, unknown hours vanished. Reflections glittered silver like evil stars in the windshield, not artificial lights but moonshine, gloating over every surface with fat greedy licks. Heat shimmered the darkness, hungry and feral, consuming everything like a monster.

Beside me, Diamond shifted gears, muscles jumping in his arm. I shivered in a sweaty ball in the luscious front seat of his car. My pulse throbbed, my breath rushing in and out too fast. Hunger hollowed my guts. Thirst ripped at my throat. My skin ached to be touched, the deep dark places inside my body screaming to be filled. Famine’s foul hunger magic still cackled in my blood like a fairymad fever, wriggling into knots with the savage moonlight until I didn’t know where I ended and the madness began.

We shrieked to a stop, and I opened the door with burning fingers. But I stumbled, my feet tangling, and Diamond didn’t ask. He just swept me into his arms and carried me, and I leaned my pounding head on his chest, my fists clenched tight over my face.

A rush of breeze and we landed, his balcony shining white under the burning moon. The city lay in darkness, the power unrestored. The place was a graveyard, black and silent, the apartment blocks and offices beside us looming like a dead forest. Diamond’s glow shed the only comfort, rippling rosy like underwater lights.

He carried me to the bathroom, smooth black tile and glass, and set me gently on my feet. My heels skidded, and he righted me. “You okay?”

“Uh.” Moonlight pierced the window to light the crystal planes of his face. His fingers lingered on my waist. His rosepetal scent swam in my head, awful and delicious. I shuddered, overwhelmed. I wanted to lean on him, let my shaking legs buckle. It was unfair. Famine had taunted him, too. He had wounds of his own that I’d carelessly scraped raw.

But he was so close. I could feel his fever, taste his pulse in rhythm with mine. My desire throbbed. I needed contact, sensation, oblivion. Awkwardly, I stumbled closer, and his ruby eyes burned dark and deep, torturing me all over again. He kissed my forehead, a gentle brush of fairy lips that made my skin scream in agony.

I wanted to grab him. I wanted to run away. “H—how much did you see?”

“Everything.”

My heart shrank. I closed my eyes, words tumbling to my lips. “Diamond—”

He stopped me with a gentle claw on my bottom lip, a dangerous caress. “Yell if ya needify,” he whispered, and left me there alone.

I’d lost him. He couldn’t face me. Not after he’d seen how selfish and horrible I was.

Blindly, I stripped, banging my knees on the bathtub’s edge as I yanked my boots off. My dress plopped to the tiles, soaked in sweat and gunk. My bra had Famine’s horrid essence on it, and I peeled it off and flung it aside. I’d ripped Famine’s devilglasses off, hurled them from the car to smash on the parched concrete. But I could still see the stains. I’d always see them.

I fell past the free-standing glass screen into the shower and slapped the taps on. For a moment, nothing happened, and my foggy brain recalled the blackout with a sick twinge of fear. But then water came, gushing, sickly warm from the sun but clean and clear and refreshing. I ducked my head, spraying, swallowing, drenching my hair, letting the muck rinse from my tortured body and glug like bloodclots down the drain as if that’d make everything Famine said okay.

But it didn’t. The tension wouldn’t ease. My wing membranes strained taut, droplets plucking them like drumskins. The water’s warm slide was too gentle, not enough to ease my pain. My muscles contorted tighter. Moonlight glared in my eyes through the wide window over the bathtub, and it bubbled my blood hot with blind need.

I banged my palm into the shower screen, and the glassy vibration only teased my distress to a higher pitch. Pain, pleasure, hot, cold, I didn’t care. So long as I felt something that could drain this evil spell away.

I twisted the shower off and leaned my cheek on the dripping glass. My voice dried to a croak. “Diamond.”

Silence. My nerves shredded. He’d already left. Couldn’t bear my selfishness a moment longer. Yesterday, I’d dared to dream he could want me. Now I knew he never would.

“Diamond.” I tried again, the cracking syllables carrying. “Please.”

A tiny rustle, and the door eased open. “Ember?”

“I …” I swallowed, my throat parched even though I’d drunk gutfuls. I couldn’t get the words out.

He floated inside, claws clinking on the doorknob. His rubylit shadow stained the moonbeams with bloody ripples, his hair shining like fractured starlight. He was barefoot, gleaming, basking in the heat. “You hurt? Can I—?”

“Hit me.” It splurted out, stained with anguish.

He stared, eyes burning scarlet. “What?”

My blood scorched hotter. I was naked, raw, my wounds exposed, and his gaze stabbed me deep. “Hit me. I need it. Please.”

“No.” Quiet, firm, unmovable.

“I have to hurt! I have to feel. Please!”

“No, Ember! I won’t. Don’t askify.” He averted his face, sweat gleaming silver on his neck where the vein pulsed bright.

Tears racked my throat, and a yowl welled up, ripe with anguish that drove my words off an insane, hurt-crazy cliff. “Why not? What about
her
? You hit
her
. Is she so special? Do you love her so much? For me, you can’t even … Oh, fuck.”

I slumped, tears flowing. My words made no sense. They made perfect sense. I was perverse. I was foul. I crouched against the glass, my wet hair plastered to my skin, and the smell of my own skin made me sick.

“Don’t ever askify that.” Diamond swooped beside me, hands on my shoulders, and his body shook. Tense, hungry, tortured. Like me. “Yeah, I hit her. I hit her because she tore my heart out and spat on it, and I won’t ever forgivify me so long as I breathe.”

“Then stop trying to make up for it!”

“What?” He gripped me tighter, and his claws sparked hot sensation along my arms, but it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough.

“Whatever you did to her. Whatever she did to you. It can’t be made up for. What you had is broken, Diamond. Just let it go.”

“I can’t.” His gaze cracked scarlet, burning inside with despair and hopelessness. “It’s all truth. What Famine said. I’m no good for you.”

“But I need you.” Desperation thickened my voice. “If you won’t hit me, touch me. Be with me. Please!”

His breath deepened, rough. “Ember—”

“I know you don’t want me like that. I don’t care. Please. Just get him off me.” I huddled closer, twisting my fingers tight in his hair. His fragrant body heat sprang my nipples tight, my skin breaking out in eager bumps. I was naked in his arms, and my nerves hacked raw.

But he held me away. “Angel, are you blindified? You light me up so hard I’m dizzy. I can’t thinkify anything but you. But I’m dirty. Corruptified. You don’t—”

“Please. He’s on me, in me. I can’t bear it!” My voice ruptured into a scream, stupid tears flowing faster.

He covered my mouth with trembling fingers, caressing my face, pressing his forehead to mine, his mouth against my wet cheekbone. “Hushify, Ember. Please. I can’t … You don’t … Oh, hell.” And he silenced my quivering mouth with a kiss.

His lips met mine, and my blood caught fire.

My pulse thundered. I pressed against him, drinking in his hot roseglass flavor, opening my mouth and pleading for him to come inside. His tongue found mine, sweet and bitter. I squeezed my eyes shut on hopeless tears and kissed him harder, rougher, every rich caress driving me closer to madness.

It wasn’t enough. He was too gentle, too restrained. He wouldn’t ravish me, hurt me, ease my pain. I murmured into his mouth, dragging him closer.

With a gasp he pulled back, waterdrops glittering in his hair. “Everything he said is truth, okay? I lied to enchantify you. I’m nothing you’d ever want—”

“I want this. Now.” And I pushed him backwards and climbed onto his lap.

My parted thighs ached, that tender flesh exposed. A thrill spiked my spine. God, he looked fantastic between my legs, a glory of glowing fairy fire and hard muscle, ripe for taking. His hot gaze raked over my naked breasts, and I felt every tingle. He was dazzling, dangerous, threatening in his beauty. I wanted to be threatened. I wanted to hurt.

I pressed against him, and the heat of his straining cock twinged my muscles tighter. My bones still burned with a demon’s awful promises. My blood still heated like fever with moonshine and spelltorture. I was flayed inside, exposed, vulnerable. I didn’t care. I wanted him inside me, bruising, thrusting hard, winding me tight until I snapped.

I bent over. My breasts folded onto his chest, and his wings glittered, hungry. When my hair fell in his face, he groaned in surrender and dragged my head down.

“You honor me, angel.” His whisper burned my neck, prickling all the way to my toes. He brushed his lips across my sensitive throat, and I couldn’t help but moan aloud.

His sharp fairy teeth grazed me, tender but menacing, and the shock stung me hot. His tongue crept out to tease me, tracing hot shapes and dragging out my pleasure until I shivered. My skin was so taut, it throbbed. He kissed my collarbone, licked the crevice under my jaw, tasted my earlobe. Finally, he tilted my chin down to take my mouth, and this time he kissed me hot and hard, his tongue ravishing mine, every demanding sweep of his lips the perfect torment.

I opened my mouth, whimpering, begging him to take me. At my surrender, he crushed my hair tighter in his fists, and his twisted fairy cock swelled even harder between my legs, big and hot and demanding. I was on top, but he owned me, led me, dominated. God, I could kiss him like this forever, his hands twisting my hair tight so I couldn’t escape, his tongue forcing me open, taking what he wanted, telling me what to do. But not tonight. Tonight I needed more.

I wriggled up in his lap, pulling him with me. He grabbed my hips and lifted so I could settle myself. I wanted him all over me, his skin rubbing on mine, and I reached behind him to pop his studs, dragging his tight black rubber off to rub my naked breasts against his hard-packed chest. His smooth body felt so good, and my nipples sprang tight. Hungrily I reached beneath me to undo his pants, panting. “Fuck me. Please. I need it.”

“No.” He grabbed my arms and held me still, his wings bathing me in hot purple glow. “Not like this.”

“But—”

“Trustify. Let me touch you.” He traced my spine with one warm finger.

My body strained, yearning. But fear zinged my wingbones, and I stammered, undone by desire and the need for raw release. “Don’t read my mind. I can’t do that. Not after Famine—”

“Trustify. Tell me what to do.” His claws trailed hot tingles over my back, and when he scratched me lightly, my muscles quivered in eagerness. He teased my wingjoints, tracing soft circles, drawing them to delicious hardness, tempting me.

I groaned, my moonstruck blood singing. “Oh, god. Harder. Hurt me. Break me.”

He captured my mouth for another bone-melting kiss, and wrapped his long fingers around my joints and squeezed.

“Oh, yes. More.” I arched my back, bliss rippling my spine tight. My thrusting breasts ached for contact, my nipples begging. He pulled harder, forcing me backwards in a tense curve that spiked pleasure deep into my sex. And when he swept one stiff nipple into his mouth, my flesh swelled so sharp and sweet, I yelled.

He sucked on me, dragging my nipple deep in his mouth and crushing it with his tongue. Pain and desperate pleasure stabbed, just the elixir I needed. He shifted to the other one, sucking and testing me with his teeth until my sex ached for the same treatment, wetness flowing deep. His hard cock pressed against me, a throbbing promise that made me shiver.

He kissed a sparkling swath down my belly, still massaging my wingjoints to quivering ecstasy as he went. I buried my hands in his scintillating hair as he nibbled my ribs, my hipbone, the curve of my belly, sharp teeth shocking, bruising, caressing. Until at last he could reach no further and dragged me out onto the floor in a tempting patch of moonlight. He hooked my thigh over his shoulder to expose my burning wet flesh. At the sight of me, he groaned and rubbed his cheek inside my thigh, crisp hair caressing hot. “You are so beautiful.”

I shuddered, fevered. His moonlit skin prismed, showering me in fairysparkled delight. My sex ached hard and sharp. My skin flared alive, every glide of his fingertips and lips a beautiful agony. Normally I liked to be teased, for a guy to take his time. Tonight, I just wanted to scream. I scrabbled at his hair, dragging him closer. “Touch me. Please. Now.”

He bit me, with a hot snarl of desire, right where my mound swelled under trimmed red hair. Need wrenched my muscles tight, threatening to tear them from my bones. And then he swiped his tongue over me, one hot delicious lick from entrance to tip, and everything I knew about tension melted into a delirious mess.

I groaned, desperate. Too much. Not enough. He delved his tongue deeper, inside where my muscles gripped, exploring all my secret shapes, dragging rich delight as he went. “More. Don’t tease. I need to come. Please.”

He fastened that clever tongue on my little point, and it felt so hot and good and sore that I writhed, tightening all over with pleasure. God, it was like he’d done this to me a dozen times and knew all my tricks. And he wasn’t reading me. He just knew.

I felt so wild and vulnerable, all my nerves afire. And he didn’t only lick me. He caressed my hard little bud with his lips, sucking me deep into his mouth and playing with me until my overstretched nerves backfired, spilling hot sensation all through my body, over and again and harder and faster until I screamed, gripping his head in my hands so he wouldn’t stop until I was done. My abused muscles strained hard, and with one last hard suck at last I broke apart, fiery relief scorching down my legs and deep into my belly, all my horrid tension melting away until there was only desperate burning pleasure that I wanted never to end.