Chapter 2
Niamh (Jessie), 11 years old
“Did you see the dragon who lives over the hill?” I ask my best friend, Tammy Baker. We’re walking up toward my house and trying really hard to chivvy one another along the steep gradient of the road. We could have gone to her house back in the village, but she has two older brothers who like to play ‘Murder in the Dark’ which is a cover-up name for ‘I’m going to beat the crap out of you in the dark and being a girl won’t make me go any easier on you.’ Besides, my place has a lot more toys than hers, being that I’m an only child who is spoiled rotten by her over-protective parents.
“Nah, I stopped believing in that old dragon a few months ago. Sam said I was too old to believe in such ‘fucking shit’ before he tripped me over with his size seven army boots,” she sighs.
Her confession makes me feel silly and immature for always looking out for the mythical dragon who has fueled my bedtime stories for years. Stanley, a timid, green dragon, lives in one of the cliffside caves, just behind the lighthouse that stands a couple of miles from my bedroom window. He lives alone and is desperate for a friend but he’s also too shy to come out and meet anyone. The story goes that if you find one of his shiny scales, he grants you a wish. Mom and I have been scale hunting many a time, Tammy used to come with us.
When we were both eight years old, we wished for a proper slumber party with ice cream and pizza. That weekend, our wish came true; it had been the most magical experience of my life, even better than Christmas. When I was nine, I wished to see Stanley in real life. Two whole weeks passed by before I received a letter covered in scrawl and seaweed. It was from Stanley, telling me he had come to see me every night, but I was always asleep. He knew I would be and that was why he came at this time; he was too scared that I would find him frightening and would no longer come to look for him in his cave. By age ten, the magic began to fade, and I pretty much guessed that it was all an elaborate ruse to try and keep me little and inspired by fantasy. Still, I loved Mom for it, so I pretended, for her sake, that I still believed in it all. Ironically, our roles changed, still using the same imaginary dragon that had kept me young and innocent all these years.
Back to the here and now, Tammy being nearly twelve, me a few months behind, and we’re still climbing the hill, with only the sound of our huffing and puffing to break up the silence. However, within the blink of an eye, it begins to rain heavily and with a strong wind to whip against our backs. It’s not uncommon for the weather to suddenly change like this, though that fact doesn’t make it any easier when you’re trying to scale this hill.
A growl of an engine and a couple of bright beams reaching around in front of us force our feet onto the muddy grass bank at the side of the road. We don’t bother to turn around to see the car, we just take it as a given that we should move over for any approaching traffic.
“Excuse me,” a man shouts from the car window, “can you help me? I’m hopelessly lost!”
Tammy and I look at each other before turning to face the guy with long brown hair, thick glasses, and a ridiculously expensive suit wrapped around his shoulders. It matches his pristine-looking black Mercedes which is now forcing us even further into the mud due to the sheer size of it on this single-track road.
“Where are you heading?” Tammy shouts back before walking closer toward the guy’s window. Tammy is the leader in our pairing, whereas I am the dutiful follower. My parents know it, Tammy knows it, and now this guy knows it. I can tell by the way he glances past her and smiles in my direction. It doesn’t comfort me in the slightest. “The main road is back the other way.”
“Can I get to the town that way?” he calls over so we can both hear him, even though Tammy’s the one helping, not me. She nods and he smiles with all his teeth, looking like the Big Bad Wolf in human form. “Thanks, girls, you’ve been really helpful. Can I offer you both a ride?”
“Wow! Really? Thanks, Mister.” Tammy grins while I shake my head at a rapid pace. “Come on, Niamh, it’s pouring and I’m already tired from having to climb Mount Everest to get to your house!”
Tammy gives me one of her warning looks that reminds me of where I stand in our relationship.
“I’ve got the heaters on in here and the seats are warm too,” the man tempts us, “I’m sure it will only take me a few minutes to get you up to the top. I have to turn around anyway.”
Without warning, Tammy grabs hold of my hand and pulls me into the car. A waft of new leather, cigarette smoke, and the fake smell of pine air freshener hits me like a wall. I want to run from it, to breathe in the smell of rain and salty air outside, but Tammy has such a grip on me, I feel as if I have no energy to fight her off. The door closes and I hear an automatic locking sound as she shuffles over to the other side of the back seat. It is, indeed, warm and toasty in his leather-clad car, but it’s not at all comforting. I instantly want to get out, but I’m trapped.
The guy smiles at us before pulling up toward the top of the hill, making a fifteen-minute walk in the torrential rain a mere two-minute journey. My heart races the whole time, but when I see my house, I let out a relieved breath and go to grab the door handle so I can make a break for it as soon as is humanly possible. However, he turns the car around first, so I have to wait rather impatiently to get out. Tammy rolls her eyes at the sight of my concerned face but as soon as he revs the engine and moves away from the safety of my house at speed, her exasperation, along with mine, soon turns to the horrified shock.
“What are you doing?!” she screams as she tries to yank at her door handle. “Let us out!”
I remain silent, knowing that whatever I say, whatever I do, isn’t going to make a bit of difference; it’s futile. So, I sit, frozen in fear as my warm, well-lit house gets smaller and smaller in the distance. All I can manage, all I can do, is release a tear, knowing that behind those walls, my mother sits in the living room, waiting for me to get back from school so we can talk about each other’s day.
“No need to worry, girls,” the man finally says, still driving at speed, “it’s all going to be fine now. Daddy’s going to look after you.”
“Oh, my God!” Tammy begins sobbing loudly before she buries her face against my chest, as if desperately seeking comfort in someone who is stuck in the same perilous position that she is in. “I wanna go home!”
“That’s where I’m taking you,” he says in a voice that sounds half-affectionate and half-messed-up, “we’re all going home. I’m going to look after you.”
“Let us out, you fucking freak!” Tammy screams, voicing an insult she has had thrown at her many times before by her big brothers. I wonder what they would think about their poor sister now. Will they cry for her? Will they feel guilty for all the times they hurt and upset her? Will they mourn her? Because I can honestly say, I don’t think Tammy and I are going to come out of this alive.
_____
Jessie, present
The sound of a loud crack of lightning striking the ground has me sitting bolt upright from a shallow sleep. My skin is covered in goosebumps, each and every hair standing to attention while my heart thumps wildly inside of my chest. A series of bolts of electricity from outside lights up my room momentarily every few moments, and the sound of thunder follows so quickly after, the storm can’t be far from here. I reach for my lamp, but it offers me nothing when I touch the base. No phones, no electricity, no security.
The curtains are open, as they always are, for I cannot bear to be stuck inside of a pitch-black room. I step outside of my bed to watch the waves rising from the surface in a swirling mass of white horses before they eventually crash upon the shore. It’s mesmerizing…beautiful in its destruction. However, it’s not long before my eyes succumb to finding their way to the place where that black Mercedes had turned before taking Tammy and me far away from here, away from the life I once knew but never got back. Stolen, forgotten, broken.
Another flash reveals the outline of a tall, dark figure hiding within the bushes. I stare long and hard, but it soon fades into nothing. I no longer jump or scream at these apparitions; they appear almost daily, so I have become desensitized to them. It’s just my mind playing tricks, warning me to never forget what happened, and to never let down my guard.
When there’s a knock at my door, however, I release a gasp of shock and jump around to face the impending danger lurking outside of my door. It takes me a few moments to remember that my parents are gone, and in their place is a tall, broad, stranger covered in tattoos and a complexion that doesn’t belong here.
“Come in,” I eventually croak out, then move toward the bed so I can cover myself up in my duvet. I feel somewhat vulnerable in my pajama trousers and vest top, but then, I always feel vulnerable.
Warren opens the door slowly before offering me a soft smile. “I think your power’s out; I just wanted to check you were ok.”
“Er, yeah, I’m good. You?”
I wrap my arms protectively around my knees while I take in the fact that those tattoos are still openly on show, while my father’s sweatpants are still wrapped tightly around his hips and legs. He nods, smiles, and then goes to turn around and leave.
“Wait…” I call out for no other reason than it entered my head to say it.
“Jessie?” he asks as though my sudden call for him has totally wrecked any sort of understanding he had of me.
“I know this is weird, but do you think…” I shut my eyes before I can bring myself to finish the question. “I mean, would you stay with me?”
“Sure,” he replies after a few moments. Only then do I allow myself to open my eyes again, by which point, he’s already crossing the room to crawl in beside me. The mattress dips down under his size, so I instantly shuffle back to try and counterbalance his weight, even though my tiny frame does nothing compared to his. My breathing becomes erratic, so he smiles teasingly and asks, “Are you afraid of the dark?”
“Yes,” I reply bluntly, but then feel the heat of humiliation over such a confession. “What I mean is, I’m afraid to be alone in the dark.”
Still shielded in darkness, I can see Warren studying me with a furrowed brow, as if trying to make sense of everything that is me. Eventually, he shakes his head, as though unable to come to a reasonable conclusion. He then eases himself down onto the pillow, so I do the same. We lie in awkward silence, with neither one of us looking away from the other. Him because I seem to be a source of fascination for him, and me because I’m terrified of everything right now.
“Why a phoenix?” I finally ask because I feel a desperate need to end the stifling silence between us.
“Long story,” he replies unhelpfully.
“A private one?”
He smiles widely, and even in the dark, I can see there’s a twinkle in his eyes, like there used to be in Tammy’s brother’s eyes when he was about to tease her.
“For the moment.”
I silently sigh, annoyed by his unwillingness to fill the quiet between us, however, he then leans up onto his side so I can see the pictures painted across his chest a little more clearly. Though, in all honesty, I can only really see when another bolt of lightning strikes outside. First, he points to a symbol on his right peck, “This one means ‘the past does not equal the future.’” He then moves his finger down to another one that looks like a kind of star with lines, circles, and dots, “This one is a Norse symbol for protection. This one means ‘to put fear in an enemy.’” He then travels down to his right side where he is packed with muscle and points to another, “And this one means ‘warrior’.”
I move in closer to try and look at each one in detail, marveling over the thick black lines that move a little with every breath he takes. When I reach a more intricate symbol, I look up at him to silently ask if I can touch it, to which he nods. With the tips of my fingers, I trace over the lines and swirls beneath them. He’s warm to the touch, while my fingers are icy cold, causing him to flinch at first. After a few moments, my fingers have warmed against his heat, and that’s when I notice him looking at me, studying my face as I take in all of his markings.
“Are you a warrior?” I whisper.
His eyes stare at me as he gifts me with a slow nod of his head; it feels as if he is giving me a lifeline during this raging storm. His lips move down toward mine, where they press against my mouth with such softness, I wouldn’t know they were there if I couldn’t see his face up close and personal.
Pulling away from me slightly, he voicelessly seeks my permission to go further, and for no other reason other than the way he’s making me feel right now, right in this very moment, I nod, yes. This time he kisses me harder with his giant, masculine hand reaching over my arm to hold onto me while he swipes his tongue into my mouth. He massages me gently, exploring my mouth like I used to search Stanley’s cave all those years ago, full of excitement and curiosity over this fantastical creature. Too bad I’m just as mythical as he is.
Sliding between my legs, Warren’s large body engulfs mine as he moves his hands over to the hem of my tank top, reaching up and over my naked flesh until he hits my nipples. For the first time in my life, they are hardened with lust.
“You’re so cold,” he mutters before taking one inside of his mouth, sucking hard, and pinching the other one between his finger and thumb. My breathing hitches as he thrusts his hardness against me, igniting something inside of my core that has remained dormant up until now. Suddenly I need this, I want this closeness that I’ve hidden away from for years. Warren is a warm body that I need to heat me from the inside.
His hands slide down to my waist and to the top of my trousers where he pushes the fabric down with effortless grace; a clear sign this is certainly not anywhere close to being his first time with a woman. My attempt to do the same to him is more awkward, sloppy, and juvenile, but I don’t care, I just want him. I crave this stranger and all that he can give to me.
Sliding his hand through my wetness, he suddenly pulls away from kissing me and looks me straight in the eye with a calmness sweeping over his intense expression.
“You ever done this before?” he asks while continuing to massage my swollen nerves with a delicious movement. I look back at him, gasping for breath as a euphoric feeling builds up from behind his fingers. “Jessie?” he asks more firmly. “You ever done this before?”
Slowly, I shake my head but keep my eyes directly on his. He removes his hand and I wince over the withdrawal.
“Does that change things?” I whisper, already dreading his response. He moves slowly down my body, pausing over my abdomen to look back up at me.
“I’ll be gentle,” he says without a trace of a smile.
He then disappears beneath the covers and the next thing I know I am being sucked and licked right between my legs. I arch my back as he uses his mouth to bring me to a peak I’ve never felt so intensely. I emit strange noises from my mouth, sounds I’ve never made before, gasps that have him holding onto my hips that little bit more tightly.
“Enjoy that, Jessie?” he says against my lips below, but all I can do is nod while I try to bring my breathing back down to normal. Warren moves up my body before aligning himself between my wet folds, hovering around my opening, as if waiting for my final permission. “Good,” he whispers into my mouth as I reach up to kiss him, “because this might hurt a bit.”
Before I can think too much on those words, he moves his tongue and his erection inside of me with one, hard thrust. I yelp as he kisses me, making it deeper while his body remains still inside of me. His arms wrap around my body tightly as if to offer me comfort, so I cling onto his neck with equal force, trying anything to relax and ease the discomfort down below. Moments later, he moves his hands down to my legs and tries to spread them further apart. His mouth then leaves mine, instead, he uses the tip of his nose to brush softly against mine.
“Relax Jessie,” he whispers against my mouth, “tell me when to move.”
I feel his thumb move to my sensitivity below where he circles it in slow, lazy movements, relaxing me before I give him the go-ahead to rock gently in and out of me. After which, his eyes close and he breathes heavily into the space between us. I grip his strong arms as he moves harder and faster against me, as if unable to keep his desire in anymore. My insides still burn but his thumb brings me to a second release just before he growls into the darkness and throbs deep within me. He curses, then thrusts a few more times before finally flopping on top of me in an all-encompassing embrace. With his nose buried in the crook of my neck, he finds my hands and grips hold of them tightly for what feels like a long time. Afterward, his lips graze my forehead before he gets up and moves into the bathroom.
I reach between my legs, feeling like my opening has been ripped in half, and find a warm wetness. I then bring my coated fingers up into the light to see a smear of crimson blood where he surely broke my hymen. Fascinated, I swirl it around between my fingers and thumb just as he comes back from the bathroom, still half-mast and unashamed of his nudity in front of me.
“You ok?” he asks as he passes me a small towel from the bathroom so I can ungraciously wipe away the remnants of our sex. I merely nod and reach for my bottoms which had been thrown on the floor in our fit of passion. It seems ridiculous now, but I yank them on with an urgency to cover myself up. He notices but merely smirks at my strange behavior before falling down onto the pillow. I awkwardly turn my back on him and curl up into a fetal position, where I stare out at those waves in the distance. His arms wrap around my waist and pull me against his warm, hard, chest, with his face nuzzling into the back of my neck.
“You don’t have to…you know, cuddle me,” I whisper shyly.
“I know,” he replies.