Awakening the Dark Flame (The Dark Throne #2)

16. Chapter 16

Chapter sixteen

I avoided Eren the rest of the day. I busied myself in political matters with my father and uncle. The sacrifice to Azeer was less than two months away, and the thought of innocents being burned alive unsettled me to the core. My uncle oversaw selecting the humans that we would sacrifice. He looked for people who were gravely sick, broken, and compliant. I read over each of the human’s files as he compiled a list for my father to choose from.

I didn’t know how I was going to be able to stand and watch as their flesh melted from their bones, but I knew I had to. This was going to be my kingdom, my life, and somehow, I had to learn to adapt.

That night after dinner, Lily and I discussed the upcoming ritual. After living among the humans and now alfar, I didn’t know where I truly stood with the whole process. As I had learned more about Azeer and Maleki, I understood why the dark court had continued them after the great war, but that didn’t mean I would ever be okay with sacrificing even a single innocent life.

When I ascended the throne, maybe there would be something I could do to stop these barbaric rituals. After all these centuries of our devotion and worship to Azeer, maybe it would be enough to sate his jealousy and worry regarding our allegiance.

I told Lily about my new power. I hadn’t even told my father or my uncle yet. I wanted to understand exactly what I could do with it before I told anyone else.

I left out the details of me attempting to devour Eren when I told Lily what had happened. I couldn’t help but wonder if Icici was in his bed at this very moment. I pushed the thought out of my head as Lily talked about her work.

Vena ended up in my room an hour later. She and Lily were friends, so the three of us were comfortable around each other. Vena fell onto the bed with a smile stretched across her face. We both looked at her with suspicion. She laughed as she told us about her most recent correspondence with Levos. Apparently, she had approached him when he and his court were here weeks ago. They stayed up all night talking before he had to take his leave.

They had been writing to each other since then. She was over the moon that he was showing an interest. I kept my mouth shut and listened. I wondered how genuine his affections were. I knew how much he had loved Madison. I had seen it with my own eyes. True love, between a human and an alfar. Lily was giddy as she wrapped her arms around her in an embrace.

After they left, I couldn’t stop my mind from floating to Eren. I poured a glass of whiskey and peeled the orange skin from the pith. I stood out on my balcony, taking in the deep rich scent. I looked out into the stars wondering where my life would go from here. After the sacrifice, the next thing on the agenda was my marriage. A marriage I would have to learn how to live with. I took a sip of the amber liquor, clearing my mind of worry and basking in the deep darkness of the night sky.

The next morning, I woke up and sat at my vanity, staring at myself. My face was fuller than usual. My body was still tight from all the muscle I had built while training, but no longer frail and sickly. The dark court had done well for my overall health. I was pulling the brush through my hair when Eren appeared behind me. I followed him with my eyes in the mirror as he made his way to my side.

He looked down at me. “Are we going to talk about yesterday?” he said softly.

“I’d rather just focus on discussing how to control it,” I said, without looking at him.

“I put your combat training on hold for the next few days until we can figure that part out. We don’t need you in a room surrounded by males when you go off. It’d be a feeding frenzy,” he said with a smile.

“Good idea. When do we begin?” I asked, walking over to my armoire. I pulled out a simple dress and changed into it out of his sight.

“Today. I thought it would be best to be somewhere less private while you learn. The grotto will be quiet, yet public enough. ”

“Where is that?”

“In the city, towards the bottom. We didn’t get that far on the tour when you first arrived. I think you will enjoy it.”

I followed him through the castle down into the city as we descended into the base of the mountain.

“Can we get some hot chocolate after?” I asked, remembering how good the drink was.

He smiled with a nod. “You’re the princess, remember. You can have whatever you desire.”

I rolled my eyes. Not everything I desired , I thought to myself. I kept quiet the rest of the journey. We finally entered a long narrow tunnel that curved back into an open cavern. A beautiful glowing pool of silver liquid sat in the center of the rocky surface. It shimmered and glistened as small beams of light illuminated the water from the bottom. Soft candlelight lit up the dim room.

Vibrant plant life surrounded the edges of the pool and climbed the walls of the cave. Diamond-like crystals hung from the ceiling, the light bouncing throughout their prisms. A table of fresh fruit and wine was in the back. Two other alfar were soaking lazily in the pool.

“Your verdict?” asked Eren.

“This should have been the first place you took me that day—after the hot chocolate, of course,” I said, still in awe of the beauty that surrounded me.

“Come on, let’s take a seat by the edge over here,” he said, pushing me forward. The very touch of his skin to mine set my blood on fire.

I closed my eyes, pulling away from him as I tried to calm myself. “Maybe no touching,” I said, as he stopped to look at me.

“You sound like Otar.”

“It … it sets me off. So, like I said, no touching.” I followed him to the edge of the gorgeous pool. I dragged my hand through the liquid. It felt like pure silk. Warm and thicker than water, it fell off my skin without leaving any residue behind. Eren sat down with his legs crossed in front of him. I faced him, waiting for the lesson to begin.

“Do you remember what started the release yesterday?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Well, are you going to tell the class, or should I guess?”

“I remember. Now tell me what to do with it,” I said firmly. I wasn’t going to tell him that I had been undressing him with my eyes and obsessing over tracing my tongue along his imprint. Or the feeling of how good his skin tasted and felt. Focus, Gen! Dammit!

“Okay. Moving on. When I release my gift, I have to have physical contact, but I don’t think that is the case with yours. I smelled your pheromones before you touched me. I have to focus on the physical contact between the other being and myself. The warmth of their skin to mine. This allows me to activate my power. When I exhale, I relax and release the pheromones into the air. My touch to the person acts as a target for them to land onto.

“I can only affect those who I am touching. Since yours is airborne, you could possibly be able to control an entire room. What did you experience inside yourself when you noticed the change begin to happen yesterday?”

I closed my eyes. “I had a burning sensation that started deep inside of me. As it grew, it affected every nerve in my body, setting them on fire. I eventually lost complete control as my body begged me to—” I stopped, opening my eyes to see him smiling smugly. “I think you can fill in the blanks from there,” I finished.

“So, I think your gift is hormone based. You will be able to control someone through lust,” he said bluntly.

“Great, the one thing I love so much,” I said.

“It is very powerful, believe me. If you can control yourself, you will be able to make others do whatever you desire. Now, about the controlling part. The best way to do that is for you to experience the feelings of the gift repeatedly until you get used to it and can project the pheromones out instead of allowing them to take hold of you. So, practice it is,” he said, scooting closer to me.

“You want me to practice on you?” I asked in disbelief.

He nodded.

“But, what about yesterday? I would never forgive myself if something happened and I took advantage of you because of this stupid power. ”

He laughed, dropping his gaze to his lap. “Princess, you wouldn’t be taking advantage of me, I promise,” he said in a deep, sensual tone.

I dropped my eyes, a sense of excitement and warmth spreading through me at his admission.

“Plus,” he continued, “I am the only one that stands a chance against your power. That is, until you master it. It will grow as you use it and learn to control it. Eventually, even I won’t be able to resist you.”

I tried to hide the satisfaction that brought me, but my face betrayed me. I turned my eyes to the pool, trying not to look at him. “So, what is first?” I asked.

“Activating the gift. We will start small. Try to do exactly what you did yesterday to get the warmth inside of you going. Then, once I feel it taking hold, I will tell you to stop. You will calm yourself, refocusing your mind on something else as the pheromones dissipate into the air.”

I nodded, sitting up straight in front of him. He watched me closely.

“Can you—” I whispered shyly, “—can you close your eyes, please? I can’t do it while you’re looking at me.” He did as I asked, exhaling deeply. His broad chest rising and falling. My gaze followed his neck up to his strong chiseled jaw and then to his lips. That was all I needed. Just to focus on those lips. I would have done almost anything to feel them against mine again. To feel that full, sensual mouth grazing across my neck, down my chest. Stopping at my breasts as he took my hard nipple into his mouth. Softly flicking it with that delicious tongue of his.

Without warning he flung forward towards me, taking my mouth with his passionately. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling myself on top of him. Our lips moved in sync, exploring and learning the way we both worked. He tightened his arms around my waist as his hands cupped my bottom, pulling my pelvis into him.

Stop, Gen, this isn’t real, I thought to myself. You need to stop . “No!” I heard my body roar. I needed this, I wanted this more than anything. I forced my mouth to pull away from him, pushing myself off as I fell back onto the floor. He took a deep breath, shaking his head to clear it. I wiped my mouth, still able to taste him. I closed my eyes, reveling in the memory. He looked at me, running a hand through his now tousled hair.

“Sorry,” I whispered.

“You stopped, that is what counts.” He licked his lips and placed his arms over his knees. “Did you … did you want me to kiss you?” he asked hesitantly.

Shit . I sat back up slowly, not wanting to answer.

“If we are going to figure this out,” he said, still gasping for breath, “you have to answer my questions. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You are dealing with a very potent power.”

“Yes,” I answered softly. “That was the last thing I was thinking about before you reacted.”

“Interesting. No verbal command needed. How did you stop yourself?”

“The thought of me forcing you to do something physical. I couldn’t,” I said honestly.

He let a few minutes pass before continuing.

“If you’re ready,” he finally said as he regained control of himself, “let’s try again. This time, I want you to use your fear of forcing me to do something I don’t want as an anchor of sorts. Something you can hold onto or ground yourself with, so you won’t go too far. Something that will allow you to pull yourself back from going completely over the edge. I want you to focus on that while projecting what you want from me. This way, you are still effective yet in control.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath. “Keep your eyes open this time,” I added. I focused myself, diving into those beautiful mercury eyes of his. I didn’t smile, I didn’t blink, I just focused. How did I not melt at the sight of him the first time I had seen him at the light court? He was a magnificent being in so many ways. I felt the warming inside of me begin.

I didn’t let it take control this time. Instead, I focused on his touch. The way his skin felt against mine. He was gentle and tender, yet I felt his desire. I wanted his fingertips on my skin.

Eren looked into my eyes as he extended his hand out to my face ever so slowly. His fingers slid back against my cheek as he rubbed lightly. I leaned into his hand, closing my eyes to enjoy the moment more purely. Now, all I needed was his scent. A moment later, the air around me filled with whiskey and oranges.

I opened my eyes to see Eren still looking at me. His eyes were full of hunger and desire as his breathing deepened. He swallowed before slowly leaning in towards me. I took his hand from my face, holding it tightly.

“Eren stop,” I whispered.

He brushed his lips against mine trying to get a response from me.

I dropped my head, putting out my hand to push him away. I took a deep breath in, trying to clear the air. “Eren,” I said, pushing him further back. Finally, he blinked a few times as he came to.

He dragged his hands over his face and laughed. “I am going to need either a room full of females or a very cold shower after this,” he said. “Okay, new development. You can control powers with your persuasion. Good to know.”

“I think we’re done for today,” I said, getting to my feet. He pulled himself upright and chased after me.

“Gen, wait,” he said.

I turned back to him. “I am fine. Really. It’s just too much for today. I need to take this power slow.” Without another word he nodded and followed me out of grotto and back into the city towards Hertus’s cafe. We ordered our drinks and sat at the table outside of the cafe window .

“Are you up for one more challenge for today?” asked Eren.

“Does it involve you?” I asked.

“Not this time, princess.”

“Why not?” I shrugged.

“You see those two behind me?” He said, nodding at an alfar female and male that sat at the table. “Project your pheromones to them, except this time, I want you to make them want each other. I think you’ve had enough action for one day,” he said, winking at me.

I smiled, as my own plans for the two alfar took root. “Sure.”

I focused on the couple, placing my cup on the table. I took a deep breath in, remembering the warmth that was inside of me that was now my new power. I exhaled powerfully and heavily as I pushed my power towards the couple, only enough to ignite the desire I could feel already there. Eren inhaled, closing his eyes as the scent wafted past him. The scent hit the couple causing their bodies to relax. Their eyes looked heavy and drugged as they slowly stood from their chairs.

They walked over to Eren, one on either side of him as he sat back in his chair with an eyebrow raised in my direction. They began sliding their hands down his arms and in his hair while he laughed, shaking his head in amusement. I smiled, standing from my seat.

“And where do you think you’re going?” he asked.

“You said you needed a distraction after our lessons, so you’re welcome. But I don’t plan on sticking around to watch,” I said, leaving him and the others behind me.

The next few days were trial and error. I was getting a grasp on my new power, but it was a constant battle to prevent it from taking complete control of me. Eren seemed to enjoy being teased to death, which didn’t surprise me, but didn’t help my position. I wanted him with the pheromones and without them. I took advantage of the brief moments where he lost control and touched or kissed me, but I couldn’t enjoy it because I knew it wasn’t real.

I finally told my father and uncle about my new development. My father didn’t say much but my uncle was overjoyed. He asked questions and begged for a demonstration. He was definitely the more outgoing and enthusiastic brother.

My uncle and I continued our lunches every few days. He told me stories about my cousins growing up. He spoke of his late wife with admiration. My favorite stories were those about him and my father when they were young. They would get into so much trouble around the kingdom. The version of my father that he described didn’t even seem plausible. He was so different from the one I had come to know and love.

I decided it was time to start practicing my gift with other alfar. I asked for Therosi’s help one afternoon after my combat lesson. He was more than willing to assist. He was attractive and charming, so it would be easy to activate my gift, but he wasn’t Eren. I couldn’t fully control myself because of how badly I wanted Eren when we practiced, so I thought if I tried on another I didn’t want, I might be able to stay in complete control.

We met on one of the ledges of the mountain. The wind was cold, and snow covered the rocky surface. I sat down on a blanket next to a fire the servants had created. Therosi strolled out from behind the wall with a bright smile on his face. I rose to my feet as he approached. He bowed, taking my hand, and kissing it softly.

“Princess Genevieve, I have been looking forward to this all day,” he said, taking a seat on the blanket.

“Thank you for agreeing to help. I know it’s an odd thing to ask.”

“Not at all. I am honored to help my future wife in any way I can.” He reached over, taking my hand in his.

I smiled, dropping my eyes to my lap. “Confident, are we?” I asked.

“You are quite the motivation, Genevieve.”

I smiled, flattered by the compliment.

“Shall we begin?” he asked.

“Yes. All I need you to do is just sit there. ”

“I can do that,” he said, smirking at me. I focused on his face, calming myself as I allowed the warmth to flood through my body. I exhaled deep and slowly as my pheromones flooded the air. Therosi inhaled, closing his eyes as the scent devoured him. When he reopened his eyes, they were full of hunger and lust.

I exhaled again, realizing I was able to keep myself calm and in complete control. I smiled, happy that my plan had worked. I felt his hand reach for my leg as I brought my eyes back up to his. He watched me intensely breathing in deeply again. I backed away, realizing what he wanted.

“Therosi, stop,” I said, pulling away from his touch.

He reached for my face, gliding his fingers over my cheek. I turned away, holding my hand out to stop him from getting closer. My palm pressed into his firm chest, keeping him at bay. “Therosi, take a deep breath in. The pheromones are gone. You can clear your head now,” I tried again.

He crawled over to me, only inches from being on top of me. He studied every detail of my face before leaning into my head softly. I pushed him away forcefully, realizing I couldn’t snap him out of it. I got to my feet, putting as much space between him and me on the platform as I could.

He rose, moving towards me, reaching his hand out. I readied myself for a fight. Gods, I was stupid. What was I thinking asking him up here all by myself? I was still new to my gifts. I thought as long as the person wasn’t Eren I would be able to control them .

He moved quickly towards. I pulled back my arm, ready to strike, when a ragamor slammed into the edge of the mountain ledge, sending us both to the ground. Therosi sat up, shaking his head as my power released its hold on him. He looked over at me as he stood.

Therosi rushed towards me, a hand outstretched to help me to my feet, when he fell to his knees, grabbing his head in pain. He screamed as his veins bulged from his forehead and neck.

Eren came up beside me, holding his hand out towards Therosi. He pulled me up with his free hand without even a look.

“Stop, let him go,” I demanded to Eren. “It wasn’t his fault, it was mine.”

Eren dropped his hand as Therosi fell to all fours.

I rushed towards him, trying to help him to his feet. “I am so sorry. I didn’t mean for you to get hurt,” I said to him.

Therosi’s eyes snapped to Eren, rage flooding over him. He threw out his hand towards him. Eren’s skin began to burn red as sweat poured from his forehead. I looked back at Therosi. He was boiling Eren’s blood from the inside.

“Therosi, stop it. Stop it now!” I demanded.

He dropped his hand, pushing himself up off the floor. I stood in between both males as they stared at each other.

“Are you okay?” I asked Eren.

He nodded.

“You?” I asked Therosi .

He gave me a small smile.

“Your power, by the way, is—” Therosi stopped, taking in a deep breath of satisfaction.

“What?” I asked.

“It’s the most pleasurable thing I have ever experienced. I felt like I would die if I didn’t touch you. Azeer, I thought I wanted you badly before, but now, after this—” Therosi took a step closer towards me.

I blushed, dropping my eyes.

He slid his fingers under my chin, bringing my eyes up to his. “I must have you, Genevieve. There is no other I want to possess as badly as I want you.” He leaned his head, brushing his lips softly against mine.

Eren’s hand slid in between us, pushing Therosi back away from me. “I think you’ve touched her enough for one day,” Eren said with bite.

Therosi laughed. “I cannot wait until the day I marry her. Then, you will be sent back into the wild among the beasts where you belong,” said Therosi. “Princess,” he said, bowing towards me before leaving.

Eren turned towards me with a look of betrayal. “Planning on taking one of your future husbands for a test run, were you?” he asked.

“No, that was not my plan. I just thought I’d be able to control it if I tried it on someone else.”

“And what made you think that?”

I didn’t want to admit my feelings for him.

“Just a theory, which I was unsuccessful in proving, obviously.”

He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “I came to tell you that I will be leaving and won’t return until tomorrow. There are a few creatures that came through the rift this morning. A hunting party is leaving in the next hour to track them down.”

“I’ll go get ready. I’ll meet you at the gates,” I said, rushing past him.

He grabbed my arm to stop me. “No. You won’t be coming this time. Jestu is tomorrow. Because of your position, you are required to attend, which means you’re going to have to sit this one out.”

I huffed, disappointed. “I have an idea. Why don’t you stay, and I will go? You enjoy the celebration at least. I can’t wait to get out of there.”

He laughed, pulling me in closer towards him. “Unfortunately, that is not possible, but I like the way you think.” He paused, looking down at me in silence for a moment. “Try not to use your power until I get back. Especially at Jestu. And for once, do as I tell you.” He let go of my arm, pushing me gently away from him.

“What does my power feel like to you?” I asked nervously. He swallowed, placing his hands in his pockets and looking out into the horizon.

“Your power is maddening. In that moment, I’d rather die than not have you,” he said without looking at me. “As the pheromones fade, so does the sensation, and I am able to recognize reality from illusion.”

An illusion. Yes. That is all it was between us. A fantasy, not reality.

“Good luck on the hunt,” I said, walking back into the castle without another look in his direction.