Crimson Desire (7 page)

Okay, I admit she was pretty. But that was all she had going for her.

“You are beautiful,” she said while caressing my cheek. I wanted to turn the other way, but Sang now held my arms down, and I didn’t want to kick him.

But I just could not stand being on Annabelle anymore, in her bed, so I breathed, “Sorry, Sang.” And I used all my strength to fling my legs at him, but instead, I just flopped back onto the bitch, and a screaming migraine thundered in my head.

“Ah, I see that my blood is finally beginning to take effect,” she breathed.

I choked out, “What do you mean?”

“I put my blood and Sang’s in the tea you drank earlier. For now, since you have your blood in your system, you belong to me, but only temporary. Your head will hurt…a lot if you don’t do as I want.”

I wanted to smack myself in the face, but Sang squeezed my hands tenderly, tears glossing his eyes.

Why couldn’t he break away from her control? Darius was his master now, and she wasn’t. So why was she able to manipulate him like a marionette? Ow. My head felt as if it split open like an ax to a wedge of firewood.

“I can see why Darius wanted you so much. Your skin is so supple and soft,” she said as she trailed her slender fingers down my left cheek to my collarbone. I cringed.

Sang’s energy, spiked with anger, coiled and lashed from him, a deep crimson wavering as if the heat from a flame. Annabelle’s cool green aura shot out and overpowered Sang’s. It came over him like a waterfall. She calmed him and cradled him like a parent would a child. Sang’s eyes lulled, and he swayed where he sat.

“Sang.” Annabelle’s voice was crisp and clear. “Take Lily to her chambers and do what you want with her. I am retiring for the night.”

Sang bowed. “Yes, mistress.” He stood up and scooped me into his arms. My neck rolled to the side with fatigue, and he carried me to my room and closed the door behind him, set me on my bed, and sighed in relief.

“Hey, wake up.” I clapped my hands, and his zombie-like gaze immediately snapped back to his regular self.

“Lily.” He lay next to me on the bed. “Thanks. I don’t know how you released me, but you did. Maybe it’s your powers. Maybe they’re growing. I don’t know, but anyway, she really likes you. I mean, really, really likes you. I can tell by the way she feels all gooey inside when she sees you. Dammit, now I don’t know how we’re ever going to escape.”

“Tomorrow night,” I whispered.

“What?”

I placed my mouth right inside his ear. “Tomorrow night. Let’s try. Meet me outside my room, and we’ll leave. I’ll think of a way to somehow escape. Don’t worry.” I don’t know how or why the thought came into my head, but it did, and I had told Sang, and now I would have to carry this plan out.

I had no fucking clue how, though. I could be rash at times. There was less than a ten percent chance this might work, but I thought what the hell, we can try, right?

“All right. I trust you,” he said and kissed my cheek.

“On the cheek? Seriously?” I grumbled and locked my hands behind his head and pulled him into me so that our lips melded together. He moaned and slapped my ass, and I squeaked in surprise. The kiss broke as we both laughed, and I ruffled his hair while he planted feathery kisses of passion, from my ear to my shoulder.

We hugged and just stood there, the moonlight swathing the room in silver rays.

I asked, “How does she have so much control over you when Darius is your master now? I thought that she had jack-shit on you now.”

He turned his face away from me. “I’m still connected to her, Lil. Her blood is still inside me, no matter what I do. But I do know one thing. I love you. I love you and Darius so much and that will never change.” He grinned happily.

“We’ll get through this. If we can get away then that’ll buy us time for Darius to get here, I think.”

“Yeah. Good thinking.” He yawned. “I’m gonna go to bed.” He pecked me on the forehead. “Goodnight, sweet princess.”

He untangled his arms from mine and shut the door as I sank to the floor and began to cry.

Johanna and Kristy woke me up when it was still dark outside and dressed me. I insisted on dressing myself, but they said it was an order from Annabelle, and they’d be punished if they didn’t listen and told me to just relax as they clothed me in riding breeches and a long-sleeve shirt with a ruffle. I felt rather like Darius as I slipped on the dark tan riding boots and gloves. I was happy Grey’s hawk eyes weren’t anywhere to be seen and quietly asked Kristy what was going on.

“You’re going on a morning hunt with Her Majesty,” she answered simply in a grumpy tone.

“A hunt?” I knew how to ride a horse; sure, I loved horses but a hunt? I couldn’t possibly kill an innocent animal. And on horseback. I’d fall on my ass while aiming my rifle.

Johanna braided my hair and added a pink ribbon to the end with a bow. I thanked her, and she grinned. Then Annabelle came into the room dressed in almost the exact clothes as me save for the bow in my hair; her long ebony locks fell free, and she grabbed my hand and took me outside to the stables where our horses were being groomed and tacked.

“I heard you like horses, so I decided to go on a hunt today,” she said as if we were the best of friends. I relished the smell of hay and horse manure, but the thought of where Sang kept chewing at the back of my mind. Where was he and how was he? Was he back in that awful place I saw yesterday being tortured? Was he trapped in some cold, dark basement all alone?

Annabelle’s voice sliced through my thoughts. “Come on, Lily, let’s get you mounted.”

She brought in front of me a tall, shiny black gelding with a small star on his forehead and a long forelock which extended over his muzzle. His mane was braided, and his tail was long and luscious and fell to the ground in an ebony spill much like Annabelle’s own hair.

“He’s my personal horse, Franz, but you can ride him today as you’re my prized guest,” she said happily. I chuckled inside at the horse’s name. Franz. Really? I would’ve named him Night or something cool like Dark Shadow or something.

To my dismay, she grabbed my ass and the back of my left calf as I was lifted up into the saddle and sat gently on Franz. He shuffled but didn’t move from his place and whinnied to the other horses as I gathered the reins in my hands and patted his thick, smooth neck.

Kristy let a tiny fox from its cage, and it scurried off down a dusty trail. “That’s your game,” she bluntly stated.

I really didn’t want to do this. I really didn’t. I would love to go riding with Sang but with this crazy bitch, no way in hell. But I knew if I refused, she might harm Sang again, so I ground my teeth and held my chin up high.

Johanna helped Annabelle mount a smaller black and white mare with a thick mane and tail and two blue eyes. “Her name is Belle,” she told me as she passed Franz and I and trotted forward.

Kristy handed me a rifle, and I strapped it to my back and squeezed Franz’s sides to catch up with Annabelle as we ran along a wooded path. Franz tossed his neck from side to side and energetically raced to catch up to Belle, and when we did, Annabelle watched with wide eyes as we passed her and stormed up the trail in a clearing where I dismounted and tied the gelding to a tree.

A couple minutes later, Annabelle arrived with the fox’s corpse in her hand and joined me on the ground next to the tree.

“Why didn’t you pursue the game?” she asked in a sultry tone.

I sighed. “I don’t like to kill animals.” And I’ve never fired a rifle before.

“Oh.” She tucked the fox into her saddlebag and crossed her legs beside me. “I’ve been having so much fun with you, Lily. More fun than I’ve had in centuries.”

I mumbled, “How nice to know.”

“I’m serious.” She took my hand in hers. “I’m still the same Anna you met at the store. You can even call me Anna. Please, Lily, please accept me. I want to be your friend.”

I paused for a moment and leaned back so that I had a good view of the cerulean sky. There were no clouds, just miles and miles of undisturbed azure. I couldn’t look her in the face and instead, focused on the grass as miniscule little ants traipsed along the edges. “Anna, I honestly think you’re a real bitch, and what you’re doing to Sang is wrong. What you do to people is wrong. I just don’t understand why you treat Sang so harshly.”

She exhaled,
tutted
, and got back onto Belle. “What I do to Chester is
my
business. Lily, please try to think it over. I do truly want to be friends. We’ll have a lot of fun tonight, I promise. So, when we get back, I want you to take a bath and get dressed and then come to my chambers. I have a surprise for you.” She
clicked
her tongue and rode off, and I mounted Franz and did the same.

* * * *

The bath was so relaxing, but I could not get Johanna or Kristy to leave me alone. They scrubbed my body with sponges, applied lotions, and massaged me, and I could’ve just melted like butter right then and there.

“You know I’m fully capable of bathing myself, right?”

Johanna pursed her lips. “Yes, but if she finds out we didn’t do our jobs…”

“Okay, okay, I understand,” I huffed.

I splashed some soapy water onto Kristy, and she scowled but kept on scrubbing my feet.

“Come in, guys. There’s enough room for all of us,” I said.

“But what if Her Majesty finds out?” Johanna uttered.

“I’ll take the blame,” I told her assuredly.

They both stripped from their clothes and joined me, and I took it upon myself to scrub them, which was one of the oddest things I’ve ever done. They were eternally grateful and thanked me a million times. When water finally turned cold, we all got out and went to my room. I asked for my bra and panties, but Johanna said that Annabelle hadn’t provided her with any, that she must’ve forgotten, and I cursed my bad luck.

They dressed me in a cornflower blue dress with a laced corset top. I felt strangled and had no idea how women in the past could stand this thing.

“No shoes?” I queried.

Kristy replied shyly, “No, no shoes. Sorry.” The girls left, and I blew them a kiss to get their spirits up and flopped onto the bed where I cuddled with Ted until the door swung open, and Grey came to fetch me.

I felt naked without my undergarments, and Grey’s steely eyes examined me like a bird of prey as he led me to Annabelle’s bedchamber and shut the door and locked it.

It was night by now, and an owl hooted in the distance, and crickets and insects buzzed and chirped outside her arched windows. Annabelle was in her riding attire, and she practically beamed with joy as soon as she saw me. She glided toward me and directed me to the end of the bed.

“Close your eyes,” she instructed, and I did so. “Now open.” When I opened my eyes, I saw Sang in front of me, tied up with a crimson ribbon that was neatly made into a bow on his head. It was inside his mouth and over his eyes and wound around his limbs and stomach. I was so happy to see that he was here and not somewhere else and embraced him in which he said from his gag, “Lily!” and embraced me lovingly back.

Annabelle was ecstatic. “Do you like your gift, hm? Do you like it?”

First of all, Sang wasn’t an
it,
but I couldn’t say that to her, could I? She was little miss perfect, after all. I gave her a crooked smile and replied to her liking, “I love it.”

“Oh, I knew you would! Chester always makes me happy, and I know that you love him as well. Let’s make this night worth it.” She popped the cork off a bottle of champagne, and it fizzed all over the carpet. She poured two glasses, and I looked over for a third for Sang.

Annabelle said, “Oh, no, slaves don’t get champagne. They must watch their masters and learn.”

I tensed the muscles in my arms and was going to punch her, but one glance at Sang tied up in that scarlet ribbon as a present and I let it go. Would it really be worth it? Fuck yeah. But the consequences were far higher.

We toasted our glasses, and I swallowed mine down in a few gulps as Annabelle finished hers. Sang stood perfectly still, not moving his feet an inch. I grasped his hand and guided him to the bed where I sat him down and joined him. I peeled the ribbon off his body and embraced him tightly.

Annabelle strode to the window, screwed it open, and jumped outside.

“Come out, Chester and Lily. We’re having a night-time tea-party!” She twirled around, the green lace dress she was now wearing flaring out like a parasol. Sang and I exchanged glances, shrugged, and leapt from the window to the outside.

The clouds were thin and feathery, and the sky was a warm salmon pink striped with orange. The sun was almost at the bottom of the horizon. There were round white tables and cushioned seats filling the huge space behind the orchard. Chinese lanterns were strung from a cable suspended up high, and there was a long table in the center holding all sorts of sweets, tea, and pitchers of what I presumed to be blood.

And the people. There were people everywhere, swarming like insects, chattering like squirrels. Some were wearing expensive clothing while others only wore rags, and some even had metal collars attached to their necks. It sickened me, and I decided not to look at anyone. Nope, Lily, just don’t look. I couldn’t take it.

Annabelle flamboyantly bounced onto a seat, and Kristy instantly came over and set three glasses and a tea-cup in front of her. “Lily, Chester, come join me,” she sang.

We both grabbed a chair and sat side by side with Annabelle on the opposite stretch of the table. She took a small sip of steaming tea and then gulped at one of the glasses that had a peculiar blue liquid in it. I asked, “What is that you’re drinking?”

“Oh, this?” She tilted the glass, its contents splashing over the rim. “It’s alcohol. Want some?”

I shivered nervously and said, “No, thank you. I can’t drink alcohol.” I could drink a tiny bit if I wanted but I didn’t want to risk it, no way in Hell.

“Aw.” She pouted. “At least drink some tea with blood.”

She snapped her fingers, and Kristy rushed over to us and handed an intricate tea-cup decorated with verdant ceramic roses. It smelled minty and fresh, and I sipped at it, and my eyes widened as I was taken aback by how strangely delicious it tasted.