Hishands came up, gentle at first, caressing around my waist.Hisfingers trailed lightly over my skin; the sensation was almost unbearable as he traveled over my ribs.Butthen his thumb traced the curve under my breast, andIfelt my nipples peak.
“Isthis really the time for this,Abraxas?”Iwas still mad at him, but that feeling was quickly melting away into something much more primal.
“Ican think of no better time, my little bird.”Hedidn’t have to say the rest.Thismight be the last time.Myeyes pricked with tears, andIrefused to accept it.Ifound his lips with mine.Hetasted real, and the warmth of his lips and tongue pushed away the chill that still gripped my heart.Iweaved my fingers through the long silver locks of his hair, pulling him even tighter to me.
Hishand encompassed my breast, and he teased me by tracing around my nipple gently but never giving me that pressureIcraved.Igrowled at him, and he chuckled, “Impatientprincess.”
Itraced my hands over the planes of his chest, letting my fingers caress every line of him and running along the scar that wrapped around his ribs.Iplaced my lips on the pulse that beat under the skin of his neck.Ipushed my hips into him.Hisresponding hardness had my own arousal growing, andIground down harder untilIhad him whimpering beneath me.
Theworld seemed to swirl.Icould still see him, butIcould feel the damp warmth of the cave as well, the grass pressing against my face. “IthinkI’mwaking up.”
Hegrowled and grabbed me by the back of my neck, spinning us and pinning me under him. “I’mnot letting you go yet,Tori.”Ourmouths crashed together, and our hands moved with a new desperation.Thereal world faded away, andIjust focused on him, forcing myself to only feel his weight and the smooth sensation of his skin.
Weripped off the rest of our clothes, andIfelt the velvet hardness of him press against my cunt, my arousal coating him.Heground into me, his teeth scraping over the skin of my shoulders.Ilifted my hips to him, and we fit together perfectly.
Ifelt his hands move up the inside of my arms until his fingers were tracing the grooves of my palm.Thenhe tightly wove his fingers through mine, holding me to the ground as he thrust into me.Eachmeeting of our hips brought me one step closer to the edge, that beautiful golden light threading between us.Hereleased one hand to run it down my side, over my hip, and down my thigh.Hepulled my knee up along his side, and he shifted himself deeper inside me.Thenew position had him hitting that place that had me seeing stars.
“Abraxas…” that delicious tension was building in me, butIcould feel the world swirling again, trying to rip one more thing away from me.Iclosed my eyes, trying to stay in that place, when his lips met mine.
“Tori, my love, look at me.”Iopened my eyes, and his face was so beautiful.Hisskin was flushed with effort and arousal; his soft lips parted as he moaned.Ikissed them, swallowing the sound.
“Staywith me,Abraxas.”Iran my fingers through his hair, down his back, feeling the muscles pulse with each agonizing thrust.Hetightened the grip of his fingers on mine in time with the drive of his hips.
“Untilthe sky burns,Tori.”Heheld my hip tight, his fingers commanding the skin and flesh beneath them, as he slid into me with relentless force, andIwas lost.Thatgolden light that lived between us became the stars in the sky, andIwas floating in my body, my climax weaving itself into every muscle and nerve.Imoaned his name over and over, andIfelt him shudder along with me.Beforewe could come down together andIcould revel in the feeling of him in my arms, he was gone.
Chapter 6
Hadeon
525 years ago
Mymuscles quaked, spasming as they tried to heal themselves from overuse in the field.Dirtfrom digging clung to my nail beds, and my palms were inflamed, where the skin had torn off from lifting stone blocks to build the new wing of the dragon temple.Boltsof pain sliced through me asIhauled myself back to the rotten holeIslept in.Thechains at my ankles clacked against the stone floor as my feet dragged across their abrasive surface.
Thetorches of the temple cast shadows like ghosts upon the wall, their eyes following me.Thehiss of the pitch was their laughter at the weak creatureIhad become.Mypathetic refuge was carved in the back of the great stone dragon statue, hidden under his tail.Itwas fitting becauseIwas worth less than the shit left behind by one of these monsters.
Aftermy village had burned down, raiders came through to claim anything that wasn’t destroyed.Iwas one of those things.Theytossed my burnt body in the back of the wagon, and the next thingIknew,Iwas sold to the priests at a nearby temple to the old gods, like some pathetic human child.
Imade my way behind the statue and collapsed from exhaustion.Ibarely felt the lice and fleas burrowing into my hair and flesh as sweet darkness took me.
Then, a rough hand was pulling me out of my alcove.Thepads of his fingers seemed to find their way to the same bruises.Therewas nowhereIcould go, nowhere that was safe, nowhere that was just mine.
“You’refilthy, boy.Unfitfor this holy place.Comewith me.”Iknew what that meant.
Thepriest dragged me to the altar underneath that great stone dragon’s maw.Bowlsof tepid water sat out from the day’s rituals, and he grabbed a stained rag, dragging its coarse fibers over my skin.
Hepulled off the scrap of fabric that was my clothes, soIstood naked in that great hall.Thepriest’s eyes glazed over with hunger, andIknew it wouldn’t be long now.ButIdidn’t fight him as the rag wrapped around me.Hehad left the pokers in the urns of embers on the altar, a reminder of the painIhad received over and over whenIhad fought him before.AndIwas just so tired; my body was already broken.Ijust hoped it would be over soon.
Helaid me down on the frigid stone of that altar, andIfloated away from my body.Itwasn’t me this was happening to.Ilet my mind drift anywhere else.Aboveme, the torchlight swayed over that great dragon statue, and he came alive.Hiseyes glowed ochre, and his tongue lashed.Hisdeep, menacing growl struck into the deepest part of me, his hot, disgusting breath on my neck, my face, my lips.Ifelt his teeth bite into my skin over and over.Thatdeep red flame surrounded me untilIcould see nothing but its endless depths.Beautifulboy, howIlove todevour you.
Thedark redflame followed me into my waking consciousness.Itseeped through my closed eyelids and snapped them open.No, it wasn’t me who was the prisoner anymore, buthim.Ihad defeated him, and now his heart glowed; that deep, blood-red crimson trapped within the layers of enchantment bound him to me.Mynails cut into the stone benchIlay upon.Hispower wasmine; his life wasmine.Iwas theGreatHero, the savior, but still,IfeltIcould hear his deep growl inside of me, and the hairs on the back of my neck rose.Lightningcrackled over my skin, andIthought about reaching out and destroying us both.
“Ah,YourEminence, you’ve awakened!”Leather-clad feet approached, andIslowly raised my aching body off the stone slab.
“Plagis, why amIdown here?”Igrabbed my aching head and propped my elbows on my knees.Thered light of the dragon’s heart caused every exposed inch of my skin to itch.
“Itseemed prudent to place you as close to the heart as possible to speed up your recovery.”
Slowly, the memories came back to me.Thegirl sitting on my lap asItemptedAbraxas.Hebarely resisted the trap.Ithad all backfired on me as his army arrived at my borders.Hismagic clashed with mine with a strengthIhadn’t felt in centuries.Itstill hadn’t been enough.
