Cursed Ever After (2 page)

    “Ow,” said Isla, as I pulled the tape from her skin.

    Isla pushed herself off the desk, her face a rosy glow, her hair mussed. She looked absolutely stunning. But she grimaced as she carefully unwound the rubber bands holding the pencils that were clamping her nipples. Tessa smiled as she watched the girl discard the rubber bands and pencils. Isla pulled down her skirt and tied her top in place.

    “And what do you think of…. What’s your name again?” asked Tessa.

    “Isla.”

    “Right. Arie, what do you think of Isla?” asked Tessa, her voice purring.

    “I think she’ll fit in.”

    Tessa glanced toward Isla. “I’m still not sure. Maybe I should interview her some more?”

    “Please, you won’t regret hiring me,” said Isla.

    Tessa stepped directly in front of the girl. Before Isla could react, Tessa’s arms were around her. I could feel the rush of Isla’s helplessness mixed with arousal as Tessa yanked her curls and pulled her in for a kiss. Sinking, yielding, to the surging tide of Tessa’s kiss, Isla’s body went limp in Tessa’s arms.

    Isla’s knees buckled but Tessa caught her. Hell, Tessa was almost as old as I am and matched me in strength. The guard’s voyeuristic gaze watched the encounter with even more enthusiasm than when he had watched me mark Isla’s bottom with pretty, red welts.

    Tessa bent Isla’s head back over her arm, her kiss turning soft. Isla clung to her as if Tessa were the only solid thing in a dizzy swaying world. I knew from firsthand experience the effect Tessa’s insistent mouth had, evoking tremors along my nerves. And I could hardly blame the guard for gaping at the two of them lip-locked and lost in each other’s quivering mouths. They were completely ignorant to the two of us, Isla returning the kiss with an intensity I wasn’t quite able to elicit.

    I coughed. Tessa broke the kiss looking amused as ever while Isla’s eyes appeared glassy and drunk.

    Tessa flicked one of her perfectly manicured fingernails. “Always the gentleman but only when it suits you. Right, Arie? I swear you’re a walking contradiction.”

    “I’m only a gentleman when it comes to ladies.” I’d never take another companion and had given up on anything other than sex centuries ago.

    Tessa laughed. “I should be insulted but I take that as a compliment coming from you. You can show her out,” said Tessa, gesturing toward the guard. “And you can start tomorrow.” She gave Isla a swat across her butt as she headed toward the door.

    The guard had a satisfied look on his face and somehow I knew there would be a detour before Isla made it out of HFC. But now I would have to explain to Tessa that the half-demon we were dealing with at the local blood bank raised his prices and if we didn’t meet his demands one of our primary sources of blood would be cut off. At least my interlude with Isla provided a temporary distraction from a night that had been fraught with headaches.

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Bound

[Luna]

    The room pitched in darkness with only the dim glow from the candelabra that cast shadows over the bed. I could see my reflection in the oval mirror inlayed in the center of the steel headboard with its bendy black rungs. And I could feel the rope brush against my skin as I squirmed in the binds that Tessa had created—my body lay twisted and contorted. I could almost fall asleep like this; my long silver hair pulled tight, my mouth gagged, because I’d been bound like this in Tessa Green’s dungeon on the third floor of the Hellfire Club many times before.

    I would fall asleep if not for the wetness pooled between my thighs. Tessa had tied me up, teased me, and left me in a state of sexual frustration. I didn’t really want her—she was only a substitute for Victoria.
And I’ll never have her.

    Victoria...

    The thought of her willowy form and short spikey hair, her delicate features, her pale pink lips, and her angular chin that I wanted to dot kisses across made my thighs tingle. But Victoria would never have me or anyone.  She abstained from sex and blood, a vampire who fed only on chi.

    There would be no point in telling her how I felt, what I wanted. What I wanted to do to her. Even if she fed like the others it wouldn’t matter anyway. Most vampires didn’t mix with the faerie folk, not with long-standing grudges that lasted as long as their immortality.

    The door to the dungeon squeaked open and Daeveena entered unexpectedly. She stopped at the foot of the bed, smirking at me.

    “Well, well, little Luna. My dear little sister is always tied up with the wrong crowd. Victoria told me I would find you here.”

   
Half-sister. If not for our father’s mistakes, I’d never have to serve in his place. And no doubt Victoria knows exactly what I’m doing if she knows where I am. She’ll mock me for my weakness, for needing to be touched, for craving pleasure.

    Daeveena removed the ball gag from my mouth.

    I directed a glare at my half-demon, half-faerie, fucking half-sister. “What are you doing here?”

    “I came to say good-bye.”

    “You’re leaving—but why?”

    Daeveena huffed. “I’m sick of doing all his dirty work without anything to show for it.”

    I knew she could only mean our father. “When will you be back?”

    “I don’t know if I’m coming back. You could come with me.”

    “I’m sure it’ll be loads of fun,” I said with sarcasm. “But you know I can’t. It’s my duty to stay here and serve.”

    Daeveena rolled her eyes. “Yeah, since our father can’t handle his shit. He sends you to do it for him. But we both know that’s not why you stay. You stay for the blond wench downstairs even though she’s just another vampire who you’re bound to serve for however fucking long they decide it suits them.”

    “It’s not like that,” I said quietly.

    “Don’t tell me what it’s like. How long has it been?”

    “I try not to think about it and I really wish you’d do the same.”

    “You don’t have to do this. You’re better than this. Please come with me.”

    I looked away. Confrontation always made me feel uncomfortable. That’s all it ever was in my family—cursing, fighting, and fighting dirty with our faerie magic. It would always be that way. At least serving Tessa was peaceful and certainly less painful than going home… despite my current position.

    I lay on my side sweat dotting my hairline and the edge of my corset. My hands were wrenched behind my back; a very long coil of cotton clothesline was twisted and wound around me. Tessa had made five loops around before tying it off—making sure it was nice and tight, leaving no possible chance of escape.

    Not that I really wanted to breakout of the binding. I wanted this. I needed this diversion. After all, I had asked Tessa to tie me up to get my mind off of Victoria.

    Tessa had taken a short spreader bar from the armoire across the room, fastening it between my arms, just above my elbows, drawing my arms back and forcing my breasts to jut out. They strained against the fabric of my corset.

    Then Tessa had used the length of rope still dangling from my tethered wrists, wrapping it around my body just above my elbows in the back and underneath my breasts in the front. Twice around my body, the rope crossed over and up. She ran them over the tops of my breasts, sandwiching them pendulously between the narrow bands of white clothesline.

    She stood back with an immensely satisfied smile on her lips as she admired her handiwork. Tessa tied a secure knot to hold the long length of rope in place and brought it straight down my back where it trailed behind me. Quickly, she stuffed a gag in my mouth—her eyes dancing in amusement.

    But she wasn’t through just yet. Using the last of the rope dangling behind my wrists, my back arched even more as she lashed my ankles together with the free end. I don’t know how many times she managed to wrap the rope around before she ran the end up and twisted it around the bind—hitching it together securely.

    And finally she was done. I was so turned on that I already felt dampness between my legs.

    Tessa picked me up and placed me on the bed. I had lain there bound, gagged, and at her mercy. She wedged her hand between my clenched thighs and thrust a finger into my waiting wetness. I groaned. Just when I was on the brink of orgasm, she threw back her head in laughter—her dark hair spilled down her back. She withdrew her finger and flicked a brightly polished red fingernail, before she strode out of the room, leaving me in agony.

    Tessa enjoyed these games because she could play them a lot rougher due to my faerie blood. Any one of the human patrons at the club could never be left alone like this given our safety standards. And no human could ever tolerate the length of time spent restrained or the tightness of her binds. It was just enough to distract me from the heavy pressure I felt in my chest every time I thought about Victoria.

    “I don’t want to argue with you,” I said.

    Daeveena sighed. “Fine. What the fuck ever. Have it your way. I knew this was a waste of time.”

    “I’m sorry it’s just—”

    “That you don’t have any backbone. That you’re the most spineless fucking faerie I’ve ever met. I know. You don’t need to tell me.”

    Daeveena was always like this when she didn’t get her way. It wasn’t a surprise but that didn’t make it hurt any less. The best way to deal with her was to change the subject, preferably to bring the focus back to her. When looking up self-absorbed in a Merriam-Webster dictionary a picture of Daeveena should be displayed next to its definition.

    “Be careful, ok.”

    Daveena’s eyes softened. “Take care little sister.”

    She turned to leave.

    “Can you do me a favor?”

    Daveena looked back over her shoulder with an elegantly arched brow. “What?”

    “Gag me.”

    Tessa would be furious if she returned to find her handiwork any other way than how she left it.

    Daveena gave an impish grin. “Gladly.”

    She shoved the ball gag into my mouth and secured it more roughly than necessary but I expected that from her. Daveena was pissed.

    “Well I’ll see you around. Try not to do anything stupid while I’m gone.” And with that she flounced out of the room, the dungeon door swinging shut behind her.

    Tears streamed down my cheeks onto the maroon fitted sheet that covered the mattress. I felt certain that my dark mascara had smeared; giving me eyes rimmed like a raccoon. Daveena had always been difficult to deal with. At least she wouldn’t have the satisfaction of seeing me cry. I hated that she was right. I didn’t have a backbone.

   
But I told her I wouldn’t go with her. That’s something, isn’t it?

    And it was good that I wasn’t going on her ill-fated journey to who knows where. It occurred to me then that I never asked her where she was going—only why. Not that it mattered. She had a habit of finding trouble wherever she went. Nothing could be done about it. Daveena was a grown woman and responsible for cleaning up her own mess. I’d be damned if I let her drag me into whatever misfortune she brought on herself this time.

    We were never really sisters. Our father cheated on my mother and spawned Daveena with a demoness. My mother had the good sense to leave him but she didn’t get very far. It wasn’t that he was a faerie. Mob wives never get to leave. The price of dragging us back here was me having to listen to an eternity of them bickering with one another. Finally, her biting remarks got the best of him and he exiled my mother. The last time I’d ever seen her had been over a century ago.

    I cried even harder.

    Sobs wracked my body as the flood gates opened and years of pain released in salty wetness that matted my silver hair against the mattress. I could hear footsteps in the hallway just outside the door. I inhaled deeply to steady my breathing and regain composure before I faced whoever was on the other side of the dungeon door.

    Arie opened the door. My breath caught in my throat.
Damn. What a fine specimen of masculinity.
Arie worked for Tessa and the two of them had been friends for longer than I had lived. He was a vampire and my closest friend at HFC besides Victoria. His dark, wavy hair curled around the collar of his leather jacket and his haunted gray eyes reminded me of a stormy sea. He stopped at the foot of the bed, his cool stare softening as he looked down at me. Arie stooped down and took the gag out of my mouth.

    “Luna. Are you okay?” he asked softly.

    “I’m fine.”

    Arie brushed a tear from my cheek. “Don’t lie to me. You’ve been crying. Why?”

    “It’s nothing. Really, I’ll be fine. What are you doing here?”

    “Victoria sent me to check on you. She told me that she saw Tessa take a call and then leave. She didn’t want you to be stuck up here while she’s gone.”

    My heart leapt into my throat even though it didn’t mean anything. It was a kindness that Victoria would have shown anyone. It didn’t mean that she cared about me. Not the way I care about her. Arie sat gently on the side of the bed. He removed a switchblade knife from his jacket pocket and carefully cut through the cotton clothesline before pulling it apart. Gently, he removed the spreader bar and I rubbed my wrists once they were free. Arie undid the rest of the binding, tossing the rope on the floor.

    Suddenly, I felt vulnerable and unbidden tears rolled down my cheeks. “I’m sorry Arie. I’m such a mess.”

    “Shhh. Hush.” He pulled me into his lap and cradled me in his arms as if I were a small child. “Tell me. What’s got you so upset?”

    “It’s my sister. She’s leaving and I don’t know when I’ll ever see her again. Everyone leaves. I don’t have anyone.”

    My voice broke and I started sobbing all over again but I couldn’t help it. It wasn’t just my sister. My sister, my servitude, and my unreturned love for Victoria had me wrung so tight that a riptide of emotion threatened to drown me. I never let any of it bring me down but now that the tears I’d been holding back flowed freely, I didn’t think I could stop.