Chapter 12 #2
His gaze slid down to where she was indeed wringing her fingers together.
She relaxed them immediately, letting them fall limply to her sides.
“You’re very much afraid. But allow me to allay these fears and tell you that so long as you honour your end of the agreement, you have nothing to fear from me tonight.
” He held out a hand. “Our bargain, Elizabeth.”
She glanced away and then back at him.
He took her hand and gently kissed it, his lips lingering on the back of her hand.
“Now?” she asked, eyes tracking his mouth, watching his canines as he spoke. They still looked normal.
“Not yet.”
They searched each other’s eyes in silence. Now that she was up close, she saw that his eyes had slight creases around the edges, and he appeared only a couple of years older than her. If he weren’t a demon, she would have assumed he was in his early thirties. “How old are you?”
“Old,” he said, shrugging.
“How old?”
“A curious thing, aren’t you? You wouldn’t be thinking of going back on our bargain now, would you, Elizabeth?”
She flushed and looked down. “I keep my word.”
“So do I. To the letter.”
Struck by a horrifying thought, she blurted, “May I—May I have a copy of the contract that we signed? So that I, er, can ensure I’m meeting my end of the bargain?” She leaned forward, smiling more warmly. “If that would be acceptable to you, Caspian?”
“Certainly,” he said, his words honeyed.
She glanced at the door, then back at him.
“Okay.” She scooted on his lap, trying to get comfortable. “So, how do we do this?”
His hands tensed on her waist.
“Do not. Push me. Again.” She raised an admonishing finger, proud of herself for being assertive and drawing a line she would not allow him to cross. “I do not like it, and you are not allowed to harm me.” She quickly amended, “Besides whatever it is that you must do for blood.”
He leaned back in defeat, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “As you like then, m’lady. Have it your way.”
She shifted in his lap, bringing their faces closer. “Good. That’s—”
She gave a sharp intake of breath.
He was hard, so much so that she could feel him through the layers of fabric that separated them. Even though she very clearly turned him on, his face remained impassive.
“You’re—you’re,” she whispered, unable to bring herself to say the words.
He raised a brow. “I was trying to spare your innocence for a moment longer.”
“I-I know things.”
“You know things. How lovely,” Caspian drawled. “Glad to see all those years of fancy governesses weren’t wasted.”
“You’re an arrogant man.” She covered her mouth in horror. “I’m sorry, I just—”
“Wanted to insult me? Wanted to make me angry?”
“No—I just—”
She tried to shift out of his lap, but he gripped her chin, halting her.
He turned her face this way and that. “I bet your parents had high hopes for you.” He paused. “How does it feel? To have thrown it all away for nothing?” He released her.
Extricating herself from his lap, she sat primly beside him, smoothing her skirts. She turned towards him and lifted her chin. “I’ll have you know that freedom is worth more than gold.”
“Is it?” His voice was low and dangerous.
“It’s fine. A normal response.” She gestured between them. “I won’t trouble myself over it. Don’t worry.”
Another raised brow. “I really wasn’t going to.”
“Er.” Her face flushed. “Right. Demon, I suppose that sort of thing—”
“I am begging you not to finish that sentence.”
She pursed her lips to keep from smiling. “Okay.”
He said nothing and remained unnaturally still.
She bit her lip. “Now?” she asked softly.
He leaned in a fraction. “Yes, now.”
He kissed her softly, and her eyes flew wide in alarm. But it was nothing but a kiss.
Focusing on keeping her breathing even, she felt his lips trail down her throat and graze her neck.
She swallowed a moan as his tongue swiped along her skin. She arched into him, her entire body going warm and molten at his attention.
He cupped her face, bringing her closer to him, and then she felt pressure on her neck, followed by two sharp pricks.
Fear gripped her. There was a demon sucking on her neck, drinking her blood. He cradled her head in his hands that could snap her neck easily right now if he wanted to.
She was completely in his power and didn’t know if she liked it.
Her sense of fear was quickly replaced, however, because it didn’t hurt.
It felt incredible, if she were being honest. Whatever poison or pheromones were contained in a demon’s bite made her entire body thrum and come alive with pleasure.
A warm, fuzzy feeling began in her head and descended all the way down to the tips of her toes.
Thoughts of him took over her mind, and her very blood sang. She inhaled his scent, intoxicated by whatever he was doing to her. She trusted him. She wanted him. He was good to her and would never harm her.
He licked the wound and held his hand firmly against the side of her neck. He murmured, “Leknar.” A spell. He had healed her with magic. She touched her throat, and she felt the spot he had fed from was crusted over with dried blood.
He encircled her in his arms, and pleasure spiraled in her blood.
“More,” she breathed, to both their surprise. She wanted more of that incredible feeling.
Caspian hesitated.
“More,” she repeated with a sense of urgency.
He stroked her arm gently. The sensation sent tingles down her spine. “I cannot take more,” he said gravely, and she noted with surprise that his canines had lengthened into sharp points.
Twisting in his lap, her lips parted. She leaned in and—
He stood swiftly.
“You want more?” he asked, his face impassive.
She pressed her lips together, too shy to demand he continue. Too shy to say aloud that she craved more of him.
He looked down at her, his lip curling. “Then maybe next time, Elizabeth.”
She could hardly believe this man as he inclined his head to her in a mocking bow. A line of red dribbled down his chin. A drop of red blood fell on the crisp cotton sheets.
He raised a brow in farewell and slipped out the door.
The incredible feeling began to ebb, like leaving a warm sunny day behind and walking into a cold, dark room. Her limbs grew heavy, and the euphoric lightness in her head settled into a dull ache behind her eyes.
Slowly, she began to feel flustered and hurriedly smoothed her skirts.
She had thrown herself at the male. What was wrong with her? Had there been some kind of poison in his bite? When he had bitten her, it made her feel warm and happy all over, like she had drunk far too much wine at dinner.
Elizabeth waited one heartbeat, then two, and flopped on her bed, sighing.
Gods. She hadn’t known the bite of a demon would be like that.
Elizabeth donned a nightgown and plaited her hair, thinking fondly of how his body had felt pressed against hers. She sighed, smiling, and wondered when he would visit her next.
Moving to her washbasin, she scrubbed at her face and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were bright, and her cheeks were flushed.
She was happy. Happier than she had felt and looked in some time. Grinning, she turned to leave when she caught a bruise in her reflection.
Her neck.
Two holes that had been bored into her skin were now crusted over with dried blood. A purple ring was already forming around where he had bitten her.
Elizabeth felt the wound and grimaced.
She had been his evening wine tonight. He had fed off her like some sick sort of parasite.
The thought revolted her.
***
The next day, she was lost in daydreams about Caspian. It horrified her how often he crossed her mind. How often she thought of the sound of her name upon his lips.
She wondered if demons were really so bad. Yes, they drank blood, but the servants in the castle had all been so kind to her. And Caspian, well, Caspian was a law unto himself, but he had not hurt her. Not really. Though she was a little low energy today, it was nothing a short nap couldn’t fix.
Elizabeth bit her lip. Could she really forgive him for drinking blood just because he was a good kisser?
She had gotten distracted and missed the usual dinner hour, forgetting to eat until hunger gnawed at her belly. She headed down to the cellars in search of the kitchens.
It was dark; the flickering torches on the wall were the only light to see by. She held her candle in front of her, her soft-soled shoes quiet on the flagstones.
Elizabeth pushed open the door that led to the kitchens.
There was a coppery smell in the air, and the sharp smell of cleaning solution. The air was cold enough to bite her nose, and there was the sound of dripping.
Her mouth fell open in horror.
There were racks and racks of meat hanging from hooks in the ceiling. She must have gone through the wrong door.
Every surface was pristine, gleaming knives splayed out on a table.
The air was cold, as if she were in a giant icebox.
There were racks of animals, skinned into nothing but muscle and bone.
Different-sized carcasses hung around the room: one might have been a deer or horse, and some smaller creatures, perhaps lambs.
Beneath each hanging body was a bucket, and a slow drip of blood.
Elizabeth swallowed audibly.
Just a meat locker. A cold room to keep the meat cool.
She hurriedly exited, feeling a bit faint, and opened the door next to it, feeling sure this one would lead her to the kitchens.
Bile rose in her throat as she beheld what could only be a second meat locker. These carcasses were different. These were two tall bipedal creatures. What animal was this shape? Tall, and with a shape similar to … she raised her forearm to compare its size to hers.
The coppery scent in the room intensified, and she gagged, throwing up in her mouth.
Two butchered humans.