Evanescent (44 page)

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look who’s come back to join the party.” Her little gemmed crown glinted in the dim light.

She moved forward and rested her hand on my shoulder, the current she let off was cold and unsettling. I pushed her hand off.

“What?” she said, making a sulky face. “You didn’t come back for me?”

Aroen’s laughter sliced through the air. She moved closer; all black hair, dark skin and crimson lips. Her slithering smile grew to a full on sardonic grin.

My eyes went from Queen Aroen, fell over Farrow and then rested on Timotei – the redheaded queen. Queen Timotei was once queen over all of Noxia. She still wore her dirty, white gown with all its silver embellishments. Soft, white material flowed with each movement. Dazzling fine chains knotted and twisted around every curve of her dress, highlighting all her best goddess features. I could see why the Shadowing disease had chosen the females as their hosts. Pretty girls were always favored, designed to tear you down.

“Farrow, do you have any idea what you’ve gotten yourself into?” I asked her.

Her grin only widened. “Yes,” she sneered. “I finally get what I’ve always wanted.”

I rolled my eyes at her spoiled behavior.

“Well, two things, if Queen Aroen will allow it still?” Power hungry Farrow wanted to be queen, because apparently being the daughter of the great Legentium was not the kind of royalty she wanted. But, I also had the gall to plant a seed in her mind. Farrow wanted me, that much was obvious, but the queens knew I was the one thing that affected their high carrier of the disease. The one thing that could destroy them, the one thing they could use to destroy the Elders they were so desperate to overthrow. There was no way the queens would give away their survival at her mercy.

Farrow looked behind her, uncertainty wavering her confidence. My eyes fell to her black, glistening hair, and I wondered how such a beauty could have become so corrupt?

Queen Aroen kept her eyes on me. “Anything you want child, you have delivered, pick your treasure.” When Farrow turned, a red, ruby smirk bled over Aroen’s porcelain face with far too much insolence for my taste. Taking these queens down was going to be a high treat.

Farrow snapped her head back. “Oh goodie!” She gave a little jump.

I rolled my eyes, again.

Suddenly, my palms were set on fire at Farrow’s touch, and a dark, fiery rope pulled them together. I smiled knowingly. “You think your little tricks can keep me bound?”

“I want this one!” she interrupted.

“Take the other one away then.” Queen Aroen’s voice carried through the thick air. Dust particles glinted as they fell to the floor.

“He goes nowhere!” I stated, shifting my palms uncomfortably in the smoky rope.

Farrow pulled a face.

“Hush. You have nothing to bargain with!” Aroen shouted at me, her hair taking on a black smoldering flame, a distinct sign I was getting to her.

I laughed. “You don’t scare me. I have what can destroy you.”

The redheaded queen laughed so loud, the walls shook. She stood and pushed her curls from her face, her honey eyes taking on an iridescent green, glinting with fire as she came closer. “You think you have it, don’t you?”

She came closer still, one small step at a time, taunting us. I looked down, knew all too well what they were playing at; shifting into beautiful beings in order to weaken us. But, it was my perception of what they really looked like that shifted. My desire was their card. I shrugged it off, but David was not so lucky. Timotei pushed Farrow aside, pulling my face to hers, breaking the dark substance from my palms.

“This one comes willingly,” she said, her smile growing.

“He is playing at something.” She pushed me away, my jaw tightening as the ice melted from her touch. I moved my jaw around, feeling sensations return in slow, slithering, heat bursts. “You were right, Aroen, this one does hold the key.” She stepped back giggling at Dave, who did look silly with his hands over his ears, his eyes shut tightly, trying his best not to be nosy. Mostly, I was sure he knew taking in more of the siren call would complicate his life even further.

Timotei raised her hand, casually inspecting her nails. “You might have been right about the White Divine – it is only through him that she can be unleashed. But I am way too eager to see what the Shadowing can do with such a beautiful creature.” Queen Timotei was suddenly before me again.

A gust of wind pushed my hair from my face. Her hand touched my chest with a cold, sharp force, forcing me to stumble backward. Regaining my position, I noticed that the blast had affected Dave more, and he was knocked straight off his feet and shoved right up against a wall.

“This one thinks he can withstand us?” Timotei stood before him, her red hair twirling around his face, like tentacles sucking in its pray.

“No!” Farrow screeched, stomping her foot. “You promised me!”

Queen Aroen shoved Farrow into Dave’s arms. “Here, take your plaything and get out of my face!” she sneered.

“I don’t want this one!” Farrow sulked.

“Hey, that’s hurtful!” Dave moaned.

Trust him to have an ego failure over silly crap.

“Really?” I shot him a look.

He shrugged.

“Look,” I said, straightening. “We all know how this is going to go. You are going use her to siren call me. You are desperate to ignites us. But I won’t do it, and you will lose your hold on this kingdom.”

Timotei grabbed my hair. She was taller than I was, much taller. I grit my teeth as she pulled so hard, I almost lost my breath. Her eyes searched mine.

“He speaks the truth,” she said, letting me go.

I wanted to punch her in the mouth, but it wasn’t the time to lose control of my emotions.

“I’m getting bored,” I told her.

“What are you talking about Timotei?” the other queen spat.

“Bring her out, and I’ll show you,” she challenged on a smile, her eyes sparkling, melting into mine, so sure of herself. “This way, I can prove to the disgusting warlock that his soul is no match for our high carrier.” She smirked wickedly.

My heart was ablaze as she entered. Once she walked in, her passion took over like an intoxicating, persistent drug. My mind reeled away from me. I was driven by her every move, her heartbeat, and her smell – the call of her blood. I wanted to touch her. I was walking in the dark, she was the light. She was wearing a blue-gray dress, and her golden hair cascaded down her shoulders. My pulse raced as her sweet face fell on mine, and then I saw it, eyes a dazzling shade of green. She moved toward me in a way I had never seen her move before. Instantly, she was my blazing star, illuminating the path of my heart to hers. It was wrong to think I was immune to the siren that was her. I guess every man has his weakness.

Steadying myself against the magnificent white, wooden bedpost, one leg propped against the base, I held my heart in check. She stood in front of the door as it smoked closed behind her – she had just risen from one of my dreams. Yes, I had been dreaming of her my entire life. But this time it was different, I could not stay away. It was our time. The prophecy was at hand. I stood before her, and in that one single moment, I knew she had all of me. Everything I was, and all I was ever going to be. In one single stare, all those walls I kept building between us fluttered away like leaves in a breeze, stripping a man of all his fear, of his insecurities – for all eternity. And like an eternal moth to an ever-sweltering flame, I kept getting burned. My heart almost shut down to protect itself from the pain when I saw her coming toward me in that dress. I seized to breathe. Wow, she looked delicious in that snug dress, perfectly shaped for her curves. Silver chains and jewels illuminated her voluptuous curves, caressing her shape with glorious perfection. She grinned in the way that left all of me weak, my heart entombed in her hands forever. I would crash and burn a million times over, if it was the only way we could be together. It took so long for us to get here, and in the blink of an eye, it could all come tumbling down. This was it, her final change. I would ignite her, there was just no other way to exist now. It called to my blood, stirred and ripped my heart from the inside. It was eating me alive with a desperate need that could only be satisfied by her. We were going to be together in every possible way. The Change – the one the universe had been waiting for, for all of time, was at hand. And there I was, screwing it up all over again, because I wanted her so badly. I fell prey to the Shadowing’s tricks. I knew I was her trigger, and she mine. My mind was not functioning, it wanted only one thing. Suddenly, it all made sense. She is who I was meant to be. She had given herself over to Enoch, because she had known it was the only way we could be together. For some reason, I knew not how we had found this perfect place to be together, what mind tricks had me glued to her every breath, her every whisper, her every move, nor did I care. I wanted to sink into her kiss, drink up the bliss of all that is her. Let her take me asunder, and be crucified by everything that she is. Her gravity held me bound to her. She moved, making my body react to hers, the air sucking me in. It was only when her eyes left mine that I noticed a dazzling room with a huge, four poster bed, the twilight moon shinning down on us, illuminating her glare, a wild fire in her eyes. She wanted me, maybe as much as I had wanted her for so long. I was euphoric. I felt my leg tremble as she turned and smiled at me, her curvy legs showing through the long slits in her dress. I had to gather myself, because for a moment, my logic was drowned out by my desires.

“Ava?” I queried, but it didn’t come out as sturdy as I had hoped. My heart raced, something was holding me back. I didn’t understand it. This was the siren call. She closed the tiny gap between us, her scent filling my lungs, luring me to take in more. When she touched me, I trembled inside. It was not easy to not get lost in my selfish needs.

She raised an eyebrow. “Farrow was right, you are gorgeous,” she murmured.

As soon as she spoke, her words sounded distant, like she didn’t recognize me at all. That little voice inside my head was a warning.

Covering my eyes with my hands, I shook my head. “Oh, crap.” I swallowed. She was too cute when she was trying to seduce me.

I felt the very air move as she grabbed the bedpost from behind me, and swung herself around and up onto of the gigantic bed.

“You aren’t scared of me, are you?” she asked, slyly.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

I turned, her face just inches away from mine, her legs touching my arms through the slits. I felt myself burn. She held on to the bedpost with one hand, and with the other touched my lips. I closed my eyes again, harder this time, trying to find that voice. Images; my fantasies of her suddenly filled my mind. My blonde goddess in my arms, tender, hot and so sweet. I kept telling myself that Ava was not herself in order to keep my mind sober, but my mind had been poisoned, and the animal instinct in me wouldn’t let it go. She moved away from me quickly, leaving me aching and cold all over. I shivered, begging for her to come back. Her sweet breath blew out as she swung around the pole and draped herself in my arms, the pole the only thing between us now. She was fast, light in my embrace and too close. Her skin on my skin had us both on fire. I turned, throwing her onto the bed. I couldn’t stand it anymore. Yet, something was not right about that moment. I felt it, deep, raw and rising rapidly, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I walked to the other side of the room with a sour gait, a heavy heart.

“Playing hard to get?” she moaned.

“No, Ava, this is not a game, we’re prisoners, you, me and our friends,” I said, keeping my cool, not sure where I had found the words spilling from my dry mouth.

“Aww, why so sad?”

“Ava, dammit!” I punched the table beneath a window, unable to restrain my frustrations, hoping the pain would sober me, bring the truth to my vision. When I turned, she was no longer on the bed where I had left her.

“Boo!” She jumped out from an elaborate cream drape strung from the ceiling.

I rolled my eyes at her. She was crazy. And I was in love.

“Are you having fun?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

She nodded, moving closer. Holding on to the draped curtain, she trailed her foot up my leg, and bit down on her lip while looking down.

Argh! I wanted to scream, shake her. But I couldn’t remember why. One step closer, her soft, tiny, warm hands took mine. She led me to the bed, all the while keeping her eyes locked on mine, and pushed me down. My heart was on fire, my pulse was racing. I was losing myself, and for the first time in all of my existence, I was at a loss. She was the power over me. Breathing became more difficult. She had me at that moment. Once again, her pull on me was solid, knocking me off orbit. I gave in to the desire. Her legs folded over mine and I held on to her, my hands trailing lightly down the small of her back. The current running through us was strong and yearning, aching and desperate. Her breasts pressed against my chest, her arms wrapped around my neck. My heart was turning inside out, all reason had left me, so I kissed her, tasted her on my lips, on my tongue, inside of me. I breathed in as much of her as I could. I pulled her into me, she claimed me, drowning me in her caresses. We fell back on the bed, her body on mine. I shuddered at her touch, her hands around me, over my chest and at my pants. My desire flared. I unpinned the rest of her hair, let it fall down like a veil around us. There was nothing to see but her, her luscious lips, her beautiful face. I closed my eyes tight, refused to look at her while I stole those moments from her. I needed the moment to be real so badly, it wounded me. My hand slid through her hair, the other held on to her thigh as it pressed against my side. My fingers trailed down her leg toward her toes. I took her foot in my hand. A second later, I was on top of her, her legs pinned behind my back. Her dress had come undone somehow. My mind was fuzzy, our lips so close. I lowered my body against hers, slow and steady – ready to take her. She grabbed me forcefully. I gave in, and lost myself in all of it. If nothing else, she would now get what she wanted. I was ready as her Ignited one. I was ready to change us forever. Her very touch shifted my gravity. I felt enraptured, had fallen to her darkness. I was not giving up, but giving in to the sweet, dark seduction of the siren call flowing through my veins, coiling itself around the walls of my heart, ready to claim it as its own.