Chapter 7 Eryx #2
Her soft heart had been on full display as she told me about the woman she longed to help.
Nory is unlike any human I have ever met.
Her kindness is uncommon. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize that might not be true.
Maybe I have just spent too much time on my own—wrestling with my own misery—that I never took the chance to learn about another human.
To be fair, none of them who saw me for more than a moment seemed inclined to hold a polite conversation. Nory is different in that regard—she summoned me, boldly and unafraid. Still, I am far from angry when I consider Nory being the first and last human I’ll ever truly know.
Each moment with her is a gift—and that is why I have no plans to tell her of our limited time together.
Suppose there is any chance of making good on this bargain imposed on me by my maker, then I could not tell her.
If she learned of my predicament, it may taint what was between us.
The burden is mine and mine alone. More so, I would not want her to submit to me out of pity.
That would be a fate worse than death.
I will endure in silence and be grateful for the moments we share in whatever capacity they may come.
Watching her petite frame shiver, I know it’s not merely from the cold but from what we are about to do.
She should have no part in this. If she simply gave me a name, I could dispatch these men for her.
Nory hadn’t gone for that idea, telling me she had to do it.
That, even if it was a small part, she had to know she helped in some way.
Her words float back to me from the night before.
She enjoys my power—how I will kill for her at the slightest provocation.
It is at odds with her good nature, but then perhaps not entirely.
The Snowlands are a harsh place for anyone to grow up in.
There is a darkness that infects all who live here.
Nory’s darkness has just manifested in this way, and I am more than happy to be the outlet for her wicked ways.
Is that not proof that she is perfect for me in all ways? She is the one thing I’ve spent centuries looking for: her heart, her soul, her beauty, all of it mine. I just need a chance to prove myself worthy of her devotion. If I do, then maybe she will—
The soft clicking of hooves on stone steals my attention.
I tuck myself firmly into the dark treeline, hidden in shadow.
Tilting my head around the nearest tree, I can make out the lone rider who approaches the magnificent, glittering brown steed.
He is an older man, with gray at his temples and lines around his eyes and mouth.
The state of his clothing is impeccable.
His coat is trimmed in fine gold thread and adorned with matching buttons.
Broad of shoulder and long of leg, he must be nearly twice as old as Nory.
I glance over to her and watch her morph into the perfect distraction: a distressed damsel whose horse has bolted and left her stranded along the road.
She waves a delicate hand and smiles warmly at the approaching man.
The man stops—of course he does—and seals his fate.
“Trouble?” The buttons of his coat refract the moonlight as he hitches his horse to a nearby post.
“L–Lord Peter,” Nory whispers, throwing back her shoulders and exposing more creamy skin. “My horse. I—I don’t know what happened. An owl must’ve scared it—the poor darling snapped free and took off before I barely got my bearings about me.”
Through narrowed eyes, I watch the man—Lord Peter—survey the scene for any hints of deception.
Nory withers his inspection, and I see the moment his gaze turns from weary to lecherous.
My teeth grind together as he stares pointedly at the swells of her breasts.
My fingers sink into the bark of the nearest tree, coating my hands in wood shavings.
I can practically hear his horrid thoughts.
He’s thanking his good fortune for coming across such a sight.
A lone woman—beautiful and alluring—in need of help along a secluded road.
In his haste to have her, he will not realize that a monster lurks in her shadow, ready to strike.
She commands me to kill, and I am all too happy to oblige.
The hunger inside me roars, needing to spill his blood this instant. Still, I wait for her signal—ever the humble servant.
“I’m sorry,” Nory says, tears pooling in her eyes. Ever the convincing actress. “It’s just I’m all alone and I don’t know—”
“Hush,” Peter purrs. “You are safe now. I’ll escort you back to town.”
Nory swipes at her eyes with the sleeve of her scarlet gown. Her cloak has fallen entirely off her shoulders, and the gown molds to each supple curve. Lord Peter takes notice, as do I. Nory smiles at the man, but there is an edge to it that the other man is all too happy to ignore.
“Really?”
“Of course.” His eyes turn heated as his hand raises to touch her cheek. “My, what a beautiful young woman you’ve turned into. I remember when you and my wife were just girls.”
Anger flashes in her verdant gaze, but she remains composed. I want to flay him alive for daring to touch her soft skin. She is mine—the only hands to touch her will be mine.
“T—thank you, sir.”
With a sigh, Lord Peter’s hand drifts lower and locks around her upper arm. Nory’s eyes go wide at the touch, and she gently tries to pull back.
“Lord Peter?”
“Hush now, my sweet. Now, don’t you want to show me a little gratitude for my help?”
“I—no. Stop!”
Nory shoves against his hold. Her small hands connect with his chest, but it is of no use. His other hand wraps around her back, pinning her to him.
“Be quiet!” he hisses. “Don’t make a sound while—”
I can stomach no more and launch myself from the treeline.
The frosty grass crunches under my feet, but neither one of them notices I’ve moved until I am upon them.
With a roar, I rip the man from Nory. He cannot get a word out before I have him pinned to a nearby tree.
His eyes are wild, and I let my lifefire roar into an inferno.
The flames bathe his face in harsh shadows.
“I—I—”
The man blubbers in my grip, the scent of urine covering up the potent smell of his fear. My eyes go to Nory, who stands nearby. Her eyes are wide—not in fear but in excitement. Her gaze locks with mine, and she nods.
“Do it.”
I snarl, pushing his head back. My lips find his ear.
“You will die here. The birds will feed on your corpse, and you will become nothing.” Lord Peter fights me, but it is of no use. “No one will remember you.”
Lord Peter jolts towards me, and there is an odd pressure in my stomach. Pulling back from him slightly, I glimpse the polished handle of a dagger now protruding from my abdomen. Nory gasps as I wrap a hand around the blood and pull. Dark blood coats the sharp end.
I chuckle darkly before tossing it into the ground beside me.
“Foolish mortal,” I hiss. “I cannot be killed. Not like that.”
The other man’s eyes go wide with fear—his final expression as I sink my teeth into the fleshy skin of his neck.
I drink down his putrid blood. His vile soul has tainted it, and compared to Nory’s, it nearly makes me gag.
Still, I drink and drink until he goes cold in my arms. Once I’ve had my fill, I drop him.
His body hits the ground with a thud—his eyes open towards the moon, but he sees nothing.
Turning from his body, I nearly tumble into Nory. She’s close—almost as close as she was to me the previous night. Her eyes are wide with worry, not for Lord Peter but for me as she gently touches my wound. My hand comes down atop hers, and she shivers.
“Are you alright?” she asks, eyes staring up at me in wonder.
“Fine. Already healed.” I press her hand to the closed skin in confirmation.
Nory sighs, her shoulders sagging.
“I didn’t know he was armed. I didn’t—”
She breaks off in a violent shiver. Color suddenly leeches from her face. My hand rises to her cheek, forcing her eyes to remain on me. Her hands fall to my arms as if to keep her upright.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes,” she whispers, licking her lips. “I’m glad he’s dead. Kindell will be free from him—he was a cruel man.”
I nod, not knowing what else to say. Some of Nory’s coloring returns as she shakes herself. With one last squeeze to my arms, she takes a step back, and I immediately want to reach for her again.
“We should head back,” I offer.
Nory stomps over to Lord Peter’s horse and unties it from the post. With a sound smack on the animal’s rump, it goes galloping off down the road. We both watch it disappear into the horizon for a moment before Nory turns towards me.
“Once the horse returns without him, Lord Peter’s staff will send out a search party,” Nory explains. “We should cut through The Woods to remain unseen.”
Without another word, I take her small hand in mine and lead her towards the dark forest. My vision in the dark is much better than hers without the moon to illuminate a path.
I dutifully maneuver us over tree roots and fallen branches.
All is quiet as we pass through the dense foliage.
Our journey is short as I spy the graveyard up ahead.
It is only when we pass by the first few headstones that I feel Nory’s hand fall from mine.
I whirl towards her. Her eyes are like I’ve never seen before, burning brighter than emeralds. There is a determined set to her brows, and her hands are steady as they lift to the tie of her cloak. With one tug, the cloak falls from her shoulders and lands at her feet in a brown heap.
“Nory?”
She bites her lip, walking closer to me.
“Are you hungry?” Her voice is pure seduction.
The swells of her breast tease the low neckline of her scarlet gown. With so much smooth, supple flesh on display, my mouth begins to water.
“Yes,” I groan.
Nory’s pink lips curve in satisfaction. I watch entranced as her hands fall to the back of her gown.
With a few expert tugs, the red gown gapes at the top, then drops to her feet.
She kicks it away, and I hear my breath echoing in my ears.
Her pale arms glow in the moonlight. Freckles decorate every inch of exposed skin, and I long to taste and count each one of them.
To see if they are near her most intimate flesh.
“What are you doing?” My voice sounds foreign to my own ears.
Her eyes burn brighter, but she merely smirks as she undoes the laces of her corset. It soon rests atop her gown, leaving her in nothing but a thin shift. I can make out the shape of her body. Two hard nipples press against the fabric, making my head spin.
“I don’t want to wait until we get home,” she sighs.
Before I can ask what she means, her hands fall to the straps of her shift and pluck them from her shoulder. The white cotton floats like a cloud and falls to the frozen ground. My whole body tightens at the sight of her completely bare.
Creamy skin decorated in a smattering of golden freckles is all I can see.
Her small breasts are tipped in pink nipples, and between her thighs.
Dear maker, there is a nest of dark hair covering the most delicious-looking flesh.
Her scent of arousal invades my lungs and encourages my cock to harden further.
It presses against the front of my pants, already leaking seed and desperate to be attended to in any way. This painful state is new and belongs to Nory. She will be the only one to determine if I writhe in agony or am I treated to the bliss of pleasure.
Stepping over her clothes, she walks towards me dressed in only her boots.
“Nory—”
Before I can say anything more, she takes my hand and places it on her breast. The heat of her skin burns my palm.
“Touch me,” she whimpers. “Where no man has ever before.”
My grip on her tightens. I want to devour her whole, but I somehow manage to hold myself back. I wait for her to come to her senses—for the desire in her gaze to clear. It doesn’t.
She merely tips her face towards mine, and my lips find hers in one bruising, burning kiss.