14. Calista
14
CALISTA
Days had passed since I’d last seen Talon.
He’d walked right into my shower and touched my body like he owned it. Kissed me like I was his lover. Fucked me on the sheets—and made me come again. I thought the euphoria would be a rare occurrence, but any time Talon touched me, he made me feel good. My mind started to drift to it sometimes, when I sat alone on the couch in front of the fire, missing the warm touch of his hand against my cheek, his fingers against the part of me that ached for him the most.
I used to stare at the door and dread the moment General Titan would come for me.
But now, I watched the door for the opposite reason.
I waited for Talon’s company—but he never came.
I didn’t know if it was the isolation that just made me lonely…or if I actually missed him. But he was all I could think about, and I wondered why he hadn’t come to visit me. I wondered if he chose to spend his evenings with one of his mistresses because my inexperience was more work than it was worth. A jolt of anger rushed through me, but I pretended it never happened.
I refused to acknowledge it.
With General Titan, I was only worried about getting pregnant, not catching one of the diseases that concubines were susceptible to, because I was the only woman he wanted. But with Talon, I had no idea what he did when we weren’t together.
At that moment, the doorknob turned and he entered, wearing his black trousers and nothing else. Barefoot too. His jawline was darker than it’d been the last time I saw him because he hadn’t shaved for days now. His eyes looked tired…or angry…I wasn’t sure which. He looked at me on the couch and drew near. Instead of moving into the armchair so he could sit there and stare for twenty minutes, he came right at me, hooking his hand under the backs of my knees and tugging me down on the couch.
I was in my nightdress, and it shifted upward to my waist as I was pulled down.
His knees hit the couch, and both of his hands slid over my hips to grab my underwear and yank them free. It happened so fast, one movement after another, and then his pants were off and his dick was free. He moved over me on the couch and started to separate my legs, to get me into position to take his big dick.
I knew I wanted him here, but this didn’t feel right. “Wait.”
He didn’t shove himself inside me, but his arms circled under my back to make my hips tilt more so he could fit between my thighs at a deeper angle. His fingers shoved the front of my dress up to expose my tits before his hand fisted the back of my hair and tugged hard so my chin lifted. It was as if he hadn’t heard a word I said, but he didn’t enter me.
“Stop.” I pushed his arm away, getting his hand out of my hair.
His angry eyes searched my face, seeking an explanation.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I breathed hard, his heavy body still over mine like a mountain over a valley.
“I think it’s pretty clear.”
“This—this isn’t how it normally is.”
His eyes continued to flick back and forth between mine, slowly growing in anger. “I went easy on you the first few times because you were delicate, but you aren’t delicate anymore. I want to fuck you—not make love to you.”
I was still vulnerable underneath him, his heavy weight keeping me pinned in position. My heart throbbed in my chest like a wild drum. I knew I should expect anything from him, but something about his abrupt hardness made me shut my gates. “Get off me.”
He didn’t move, but his angry eyes showed a glimmer of surprise. “Calista?—”
“I said, get off me.” The fear of being unheard was over. I wasn’t scared that he would ignore my pleas and take what he wanted. Even though his skin was red-hot with desire, he still wouldn’t ignore my requests. It gave me power, power I hadn’t felt in a long time.
After an angry staredown, he pulled away. He left the couch and stood there, his dick hard and hanging in front of him. An angry breath escaped his lips as he moved to the armchair and took a seat, his dick flopping against his stomach.
I sat up and pulled my dress down to cover the tits he’d exposed. My panties were on the floor, but I left them there, letting the bottom of my dress hide my honeypot from view.
His cheek was propped against his knuckles, and he stared at me, all of his anger and disappointment potent in the expression. His jaw was clenched, so the little bones in his chin were distinct.
“I want you to leave.”
His stare was callous. “No.”
His answer was so cold, I felt it across the room.
“The only power you have is over your own body. Everything else is mine.”
I was in his castle, in his guest bedchambers, the prisoner he took from the Arid Sands. We seemed to travel back in time.
“You want me, so don’t deny me.”
“That’s not how I want to be wanted.” I broke contact for the first time, thinking of the way he’d sauntered in there and just took what he wanted like I had no say in the matter. “I don’t want to be treated like a whore.”
“I’m not going to have dinner with you every time.”
“Then spend the night with one of your whores.” I didn’t know why it bothered me so much. When I slept with Talon, I felt a connection, a magnetism. He earned the spot between my legs. But now, he felt like a stranger.
“I don’t want them,” he said quietly. “I want you.”
I kept my eyes averted, not wanting him to read the reaction I tried so hard to control.
“I’ve only wanted you.”
I swallowed, feeling the heat of his stare burn my cheek. “Then it shouldn’t be hard for you to treat me like I matter.”
Silence passed, and his stare became hotter, burning a hole in the side of my face. “Perhaps I should have set expectations in the beginning, but I didn’t think that would be necessary…”
My cheek turned slowly until my eyes found his.
“Sex is all I have to offer you. If you’re hoping for romance, commitment, devotion, a future of some kind where I’m your king and you’re my queen?—”
“I have no desire to be your queen.” Old fury unleashed, that childhood memory passing across my eyes in the blink of an eye. He was the man who had taken everything from me and my family.
His eyes studied mine for a long time. “The hatred still burns.”
It’ll never stop burning.
“Then what do you want from me?”
I continued my stare.
“Answer the question.”
“I—I don’t know.” I really didn’t know. I didn’t like the way he swarmed me like he was entitled to my body, but he looked so sexy sitting near the fire with that powerful chest and wide shoulders.
“Just so we’re clear—I’m dead inside. I have no desire to love, and even if I did, it’s not possible.” His eyes were harsh and angry, just like the fire that danced in intensity beside him. “But I’m a man who has insatiable desires, and my body desires yours like a wildfire desires a forest. My flames want to burn you to ash.”
I held his stare, hanging on to the powerful words he spoke, but one statement in particular echoed in my mind. “Why are you dead inside?”
His look didn’t change, like he didn’t hear a word I said.
“Why?” I pressed, hoping for an answer, an explanation for his harsh character.
He turned to the fire instead. “I’m not going to kiss you. I’m not going to slowly undress you. I’m not going to share a bottle of wine and an hour of conversation. I made an exception before because of the circumstances, but you’re past those circumstances now. I’ll never force you to do what you don’t want to do, but I’m not going to force myself to do what I don’t want to do either.” He sat up, arms moving to the armrests, his body forward like he would rise to his feet and depart my chambers. He stared at me as if he’d posed a question and waited for an answer.
He said he was dead inside, and I was dead inside too. I hated him for his role in my suffering, but I also sympathized with the struggle he never shared with me. Khazmuda spoke so highly of him, made me wonder if there was a deep ocean hidden under that dark surface.
I left the couch, and the dress slipped down my legs. I approached his armchair, getting closer to the heat of the fire.
His eyes watched me draw near, and once I was close to his knees, he sat back against the armchair, the muscles in his body visibly tightening under the skin.
My heart started to race again because some burst of confidence had brought me here, but now that I’d arrived at my destination, I didn’t know what to do. A man had tarnished my innocence and made it rust, but I was still as inexperienced as a virgin.
His dick was hard again, like he knew why I was there. He sat up again, his hands cupping the backs of my legs and slowly sliding up underneath the dress, moving over my ass to my hips. Then he guided me toward him, making one of my knees hit the cushion and then the other. His big hands moved farther up my dress, spanning across my stomach and my back as he pulled me toward him.
Any time I was close to this man, my heart raced like it was on the run for its life. I was nervous and excited at the same time, even terrified sometimes. But I was the one who’d come to him, who felt the heat gnaw at my stomach the moment I touched him.
He guided me down until I was on his lap, my bare pussy right on his warm dick. His fingers kneaded my ass underneath my dress, his pitch-black eyes looking at me with a smolder. He gave my cheeks a hard squeeze with his anxious hands.
“I know how it feels to be used.”
His hands went still.
“And I don’t want to feel like that again.”
He didn’t take a breath. Just stared hard at my face.
“So…please don’t make me feel that way.” I grabbed the hem of my dress and slowly pulled it over my head, exposing my tits to the heat from the fireplace, feeling my nipples harden at the abrupt change in temperature.
Instead of looking at my tits, his eyes remained on mine the entire time. His hand cupped my cheek before it slowly slid into my hair. Then he guided my mouth down to his, bringing our lips together for a soft collision of our mouths. They lingered there for a while, like it was our first kiss, even though we’d shared many. Then his mouth took the lead and gave me kisses that were purposeful and hungry, like he loved to kiss me even though he claimed he didn’t want to kiss me at all.
My hands moved to his shoulders and dug into the warm muscle as I kissed him, feeling the pulse of his dick right against my slit. It felt like I was sitting on a hot log from a burning campfire.
His hands gripped my ass and lifted me farther over him as he grabbed the base of his dick and directed his head against me.
I felt his thickness right against my opening, immediately smeared in the wetness.
He moaned quietly when he felt me, and then his hand gripped my hip and he gently tugged me down, trying to get my slit to envelop his big dick. There was always resistance, and this time was no different. He pulled me down and thrust from below, forcing my body to open so I could sink down.
It was always a tight fit, always a forceful entrance that made me suck in a breath.
He moaned as he felt me slide down to his base, his eyes closing briefly as he enjoyed the way I sheathed his dick just as his scabbard sheathed his sword. When he opened his eyes again, he relaxed in the chair, his big hands gripping my thighs.
I started to move up and down, but I did it with hesitation because I’d never done this before. Whenever Talon and I were together, he was the one on top and I was the one folded underneath him. With General Titan, I was usually tied down. I’d never been the one in charge, the one taking the lead, the one giving the pleasure.
He seemed to read my uncertainty because he grabbed my hips and steadied me. “Like this.” He directed my hips, rolling them before they scooped down and took his length. He brought me back to the top and repeated the motion slowly, thrusting up to meet me at the bottom. He did it with me for a while before he released me.
I continued the motions, feeling my nub rub against his pelvic bone whenever I reached the bottom, his big dick fully inside me and making me wince slightly in pain. I lifted and rolled again, gaining confidence as I watched him enjoy it.
“You got it, baby.” His hand gripped my tit firmly in one hand, and he sucked the nipple of the other as I rocked into him, sliding down his fat dick until there was nowhere to go. Our bodies moved together perfectly, and then I didn’t have to think about my movements anymore. They just came naturally.
Our breaths deepened, and our skin glistened with sweat. I could feel the tightness in my back and core as I moved, feeling that euphoric burn between my legs every time my nub touched his hard body.
His head rolled back on the armchair, and he gave a deep growl. “Fuck.” His arms moved underneath my thighs, and he lifted me with him as he got to his feet unexpectedly. He held my weight effortlessly and moved me up and down his length, standing in the middle of the living room with his feet firmly planted in place.
My arms circled his neck, and I used my muscles to lift myself up and down to match his pace. I’d never done this before, had ever thought of this before, and seeing the way he so effortlessly held me and fucked me at the same time was the biggest turn-on ever. I felt the burn between my legs, felt the sunrise approach over the horizon, felt that euphoric pleasure he’d given to me before.
It came on suddenly and hit me so hard, it would have knocked me off my feet if I were standing. My arms slackened on his neck, and I felt like I was in free fall, my body tightening and convulsing, giving me a dose of ecstasy that I’d quickly become addicted to. He held me in place as I came, my eyes locked on his but never really seeing his face. I saw stars and clouds and sunshine all at once.
It came to an end when he finished the moment I was done, his arms plump and tinted red from working so hard to lift me over and over. He gave a ferocious moan as he filled me, his fat dick fully inside me.
I loved the times when I was on my back and he took me, doing all the work while I received all the pleasure. But that physical feat was impressive, and his strength was such a turn-on. He carried me to the bed and laid me down, and our bodies came apart.
He retrieved his clothes from the floor and pulled them on, covering his bottom half.
I sat up, fully naked and exposed now that his body wasn’t covering mine anymore.
He would normally walk out, but he turned to me like he felt obligated to say something. “Goodnight.”
Footsteps announced his approach rather than a knock. He entered my bedchambers in the same beautiful armor he wore before, midnight black with woven texture, a dragon crest in the center, a perfect complement to his dark hair and eyes. His enormous sword was hooked across his back, and he stared me down like the enemy as he approached.
Behind him seemed to be the armorer, because he carried a new set of armor that looked similar to Talon’s, but in shades of gray so my lower stature was distinguished.
That meant he wanted to train—again.
Or watch me fall on my ass, to be more accurate.
The armorer laid out the pieces on my bed.
Another man entered, holding a sword in a black scabbard.
Talon’s eyes had been reserved for me the moment he walked into the room. “This armor is much lighter than mine but will still give you great protection. It’s not as strong as mine, but at least you’ll be able to move in it more freely.” He gestured to the man carrying the sword. “And this—” He took it from the man and extended it to me. “It’s a two-handed sword but the weight is distributed more in the hilt than the blade, so it’ll be easier for you to handle. Even when you’re fused with a dragon and stronger, your blade will still strike quicker than your enemy’s and keep you alive.”
I stared at it for a second before I took it from him. The second I felt it, I appreciated how much lighter it was than the sword I had practiced with. It was formidable but manageable. I pulled the hilt from the scabbard and revealed the image of a dragon engraved in the metal. “It’s beautiful.” I’d never been granted my own sword. My father never thought to teach me.
Talon gave a nod in appreciation. “Once you’re dressed, we’ll train.”
It felt like a hopeless endeavor, training with a man who was far more accomplished than I’d ever be.
The two men left, but he remained, looking at the fire as the flames reflected off his armor. He’d looked kingly when he’d sat in that armchair naked just the other night and my thighs spanned his hips. But he looked even more majestic now, the tallest man in the room, the strongest, and by far, the most handsome. Wisdom and despair were packed in his dark gaze, like he’d lived many lifetimes rather than just one—and maybe he had.
I moved to the bed and started to dress, figuring out how to secure the pieces together after wearing that previous armor set. It was much lighter than the bulky one I’d worn before, but it was still uncomfortable to wear. The sword fit at my hip perfectly. When I looked at myself in the mirror, my long hair pulled back in a simple bun, I looked like a whole new person. When I was a princess, I wore beautiful gowns and jewelry, had a softness in my eyes that resembled spring. But when I studied my gaze now, I saw a new woman, one marred by harrowing experiences and savagery. But she didn’t look defeated…just bowed. When I felt his stare, I turned back to him.
His eyes slowly combed over me, but he didn’t issue a compliment. “Let’s go.”
We headed to the training room where he had taken me before, and the second we were in the large room with the high ceiling, he unsheathed his blade and got into his stance. “The more you’re struck, the more damage your armor takes, and the more vulnerable you become. It’s a direct path to death. If your opponent is stronger than you, then your priority is to dodge their attacks until you secure a substantial opening. It takes more energy to charge than divert, so he’ll tire eventually.”
“So you want me to dodge you?”
“You didn’t before, and look what happened.”
I was covered in bruises—and he felt no remorse.
“I’ll go easy on you this time.”
“I’m good.”
He stared at me for several seconds before a smirk moved on to his mouth.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“I said, what?”
His smirk only grew. “You’re a different woman in the bedroom.”
Because I wanted it soft and easy. Because I loved the way he made me feel safe when I was vulnerable. Because I loved the way he erased pain with pleasure. But I would never tell him any of that. “Are we doing this or not?”
“Alright.” He spun his blade around his wrist then came at me, whipping the blade in one direction and then cutting down in the next direction. He’d done this before, slicing his blade across the armor that protected my stomach.
This time, I anticipated it and danced out of the way.
His smirk disappeared, and his eyes wore a look of pride. “You’re learning?—”
I took the opening and struck with my blade, hitting him on the arm.
He immediately stepped back and checked his arm, looking for a scratch on his beautiful armor. When he looked up again, he wasn’t angry. In fact, that smile was back. “Attagirl.” He started to circle me, confidence in his eyes and arrogance in his stance. “I’ve never been with a woman who looks at me the way you do.”
“And how do I look at you?”
“Right now? Like you absolutely despise me.” He stopped his movements and prepared to barrel down on me. “But at night, like you can’t live without me.” He rushed me, swinging his blade and meeting my block before he spun it again and sliced me down the arm where my armor protected me. He slammed his elbow onto my arm that held the sword so the blade was knocked from my hand.
I growled before I gave him a hard shove, disappointed that I had been overpowered so easily.
“You’re not powerless without your sword. Remember that.”
“And what am I supposed to do?”
“Punch me in the face. It’ll buy you a second to grab your sword.”
“Like this?” I swung my fist at his face.
He caught it and spun my arm down. “Yes. But next time, do it when I’m not expecting it.” He shoved me back and made me skid across the floor because he could pack so much momentum in a single movement. “Grab your sword. Let’s go again.”
We worked for several hours, and while I wanted to stop many times, I never once asked. I wouldn’t let myself look weak in front of anyone, not ever again, and especially not in front of him. So, we pressed on, my body getting more bruises, my muscles screaming with exhaustion, my throat dry and desperate for water.
We finally stopped.
Talon moved to one of the armchairs.
I chose to sit on the floor, exactly where I’d been standing a second ago.
One of his servants appeared and brought us water, placing the decanter on the table beside Talon, along with two glasses. He poured the water then left the room.
I didn’t want to get up, but I was desperate for water.
He sat there, knees far apart, and took a drink as he stared at me. Just a drink, didn’t gulp it down, as if the workout wasn’t as demanding for him as it’d been for me.
It didn’t take me long to swallow my pride and take the seat beside him.
I drank the glass in a single go, refilled it from the pitcher, and then drank another glass, just as thirsty as I’d been working in the Arid Sands. My head rested against the armchair, and my eyes glazed over in exhaustion.
He stared at me the entire time. “We’ll take a fifteen-minute break and resume.”
My eyes snapped to him in shock. “What?”
He grinned. “Couldn’t help it.”
“That’s the cruelest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“I wish that were true.” His grin disappeared, along with his stare. He grabbed his glass and took another drink.
Now I was the one to stare at him, to see the way his throat shifted as he drank, see the shadow that traced his jawline and reached down the top part of his neck.
He returned the glass to the table and continued to look elsewhere, his hard expression implying his thoughts were in a distant land. His elbows rested on the arms of the chair, and his body looked even heavier in the armor constructed just for him.
My eyes drifted down, seeing the black stones fused into the armor, iridescent and pure despite their dark color. They were the very rocks I’d spent a decade of my life finding, a shovel in the sand, the sun hot on my back. “What are they for?”
He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at me, his eyes following my stare.
“Why are they so valuable?” Were they simply ornamentation? Jewelry to complement his lavish armor? He didn’t strike me as a man who cared about appearance that much.
He held my stare, the silence stretching on forever.
“You asked me to fight for you, but you continue to keep me in the dark.”
“You hate me, do you not?”
I felt my pulse quicken in my neck.
His unblinking stare continued.
“I don’t hate you as much…” If he’d never come to these lands, my father would still be alive and my dignity preserved. But he was also the man who made me feel again, gave me desires that melted my stomach from the searing heat. I found myself wanting more from him, not less. I always wanted our conversations to go further, wanting to know everything about him because I knew he hid a powerful tale behind the veil. My feelings for King Talon were quite complicated.
His stare didn’t let up, and then he looked away. “That’s a compliment coming from you.”
“Are you going to answer me?”
“Do I ever?”
“No, unfortunately.”
After a long pause, he turned back to me. “Black diamonds are powerful because they store…energy. Energy that I can access in battle when mine has been depleted. They’re the only gem in the known world with the unique properties to have capacity disproportionate to their size.”
My eyes raked over his body to see the different stones fused with his armor. “Are all of those full?”
“No. Only a few.”
“How do you fill them?”
“It’s complicated.”
“I’m a pretty smart girl, so…”
“If you were smart, you would know my answer was just a deflection.” His black eyes matched the stones, having the same shine, the same depth.
“So, you aren’t going to answer me.”
“I told you enough.”
“How much energy do you have?” I asked. “How does that work?”
“What does it matter?”
“You asked me to fight for you, didn’t you? You won’t share this ability with me?”
He watched me for a while before he answered. “It’s not as simple as it sounds. It’s not something I can just share.”
“Why?”
“Because I can’t,” he said coldly. “But I’ll tell you how it works. When I’ve sustained injuries, I can use the energy in the diamonds to heal quickly. I can’t reverse damage completely, but I can keep myself alive. When I’m exhausted and my opponent is relentless, I can use the energy to continue the battle. Battles aren’t won in a single night. Sometimes they can outlast your strength.”
“That’s how you conquered our kingdoms.” He had the energy to continue an endless siege. He had an army of the dead.
“Not to be insulting, but your people were unprepared for the assault. That’s why I’ve taken defense far more seriously. The black diamonds weren’t necessary.”
“They weren’t necessary when you raised an army from the dead.”
He looked away, dismissing the question in my tone.
“Are the rumors true?”
He’d never confirmed it.
I’d never witnessed it, and I was grateful for that.
His eyes remained elsewhere.
“I don’t understand your hesitation.”
“Because I don’t want to discuss it—obviously.”
“So, it is true.” If it weren’t, then he would have no discomfort.
He looked at me again, his eyes hard.
“Why would you not want to talk about that? You have a power I’ve never even heard of?—”
“I command the dead. I disturb them from their eternal rest. Soldiers who have already served their kings are called to duty once again by a vile ruler who doesn’t hesitate to crack their holy tombs. It’s a crime against nature, a despicable act, heinous.” His angry eyes bored into mine. “And you ask why I wouldn’t want to talk about that?”
The floor suddenly felt uneven underneath my feet as his rage coursed through the entire room. He’d been cold to me before, but he’d never been hot-blooded like this, knocking me down with an invisible sword.
“If it bothers you, you don’t have to do it?—”
“Yes, I do.”
“You always have a choice?—”
“I have to kill him at all costs. At every cost. At the cost of the innocent as well as the guilty. At the cost of myself.”
I was desperate to ask the question that sat on the tip of my tongue, desperate to know who he was, what had happened to Talon, what could instill this kind of unstoppable rage that boiled in his blood. But I knew better than to push him any further than I already had.
He rose from the chair and stepped away, his back to me, his black cape moving behind him. “We’re done here.”