Cursed by Diamonds (A Dance with Destiny Book 1) (45 page)

“Do not tempt God,” Vareen warned. “He knows far better than you or I what He plans for your lovely Anicee.”

“How is this justice?” Varick growled out in frustration. “Tell me, Mother. How is this fair?”

“Fair? Varick, how many thousand missions have you judged where everyone had been dealt fairly with? How many summons have had no victims? Were all the atrocities committed against the innocents fair? No, of course not. And we are no different, my son.” She lovingly placed her hand upon his arm. “Being Vanir ensures no luxuries, no guarantees. What is it that makes you or any other Vanir exempt? Yes, bad things happen to good people… such is life. If horrific, unfair things can happen to innocents every single day, what makes you think you, or your lovely Anicee, deserve exemption?”

*****

Alastyn met Prince Merodach at the entrance to the deceitfully magical realm.

“What is it now, boy? Can you not see how this is best for your beloved maiden? You are with her every blessed day. She sings to you, kisses your nose, brushes your hair. In my realm she truly loves you. Is that not what you have always wanted?”

“Do not speak of that which you do not know. And love is something you definitely do not know. I remain here as her beloved horse only so I can do whatever is within my power to protect her from you. How can you be happy with her like this, Merodach? She’s not even herself anymore. She is but a walking, talking shell of the woman I love.”

“What’s the alternative, then?” Merodach challenged. “Release her? I have shown you her dreams, boy. You have seen her constant misery. Wherever she has been these last ten years, whatever it is she had to become, it is a horror far worse than
anything
I could do to her. She smiles daily now. She’s happy. For the first time in many long, obviously violent and bloody years, she feels nothing but peace and love. Are her nightmares not lessening since she has been within the realm? She has even had a couple truly beautiful dreams.”

Tears filled Alastyn’s emerald eyes. “She should be free to decide what she feels on her own, not be caged and drugged and treated as your little puppet.”

“So, you say her morbid, violent reality was better for her than my simulated paradise?” He placed his hand upon the young man’s shoulder. “Have I harmed her in any way? Tell me true. Have I mistreated your beloved Jenevier? Have I been anything other than gentle and kind?”

“You lie to her. The whole thing is but a lie. One day she will awaken and be far worse off because of your so-called gentleness.”

“Ahh, but I am not so foolish, my dear boy. Once she says she loves me, once she opens that tightly closed heart of hers,
then
she will be healed. I will heal her. I will let her know love, even if only for a time.”

Alastyn snorted before turning to go. “I see. So… not only are you lying to her, you are lying to yourself as well.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

“You tell me, Merodach. I saw your face when she screamed. You might be a master at hiding your emotions, but I saw the truth. Plain as day.”

“Is that so? Tell me, boy. What is it you
think
you saw?”

“Fear.” Alastyn turned back to face him proper. “Fear gripped your heart, Merodach. The same kind of fear that consumes all humans… when the thing most precious to us is suddenly snatched away. In that moment, you forgot to hide your darkest secret. You were so scared that something had happened to her… you let your
true
feelings leak out.”

Merodach crossed his arms, glaring at the other man. Yet he did not speak.

“I was not in the house, no.” Alastyn smiled with only one corner of his mouth. “Yet I am certain of one thing.”

“And what is that?”

“Jenevier saw the truth as well.” Alastyn chuckled softly. “And it scared the hell out of her.”

*****

Vareilious stood in the very center of the large, empty room. The exhilarating sensation of her essence still remained. It was faint, yes, but it was there.

“You
are
here, my luscious little maiden. I know you are. I have dined upon your sweet, delicious fear, my love. Never could you hide that intoxicating liquor from me. I will sniff you out and taste you once more, tiny Princess.”

The massive heavenly Guardian stretched forth his wings and forgot everything in the whole of creation, save the object of his desire. He focused solely on the maiden and her enticing emotions. His mouth watered as he absently licked his razor sharp teeth.

“Ahhh, yes. There you are, little kitty.” He felt a faint tingling in the very tips of his wings. “What will your offering be today, tiny Angel? Will you share with me your pain, your fear, or perhaps your darkest desires? I want all of them. I want all of you. Come to me now. Give your devoted warrior a tiny taste of
your
brand of heaven.”

He inhaled deeply, catching just the tiniest trace of her upon the air.

“Come on, Jenevier. Feel just one emotion powerfully, my love, just one.
Feel
something, anything. Do so, and I will snatch you up, devour you on the spot.”

His magical azure eyes glistened with a deep longing. He would do anything within his vast power to save her, to hold her to him. All reason and sanity left the majestic warrior as he stood perfectly still.

The entire universe faded away. Only maiden and sentinel remained. He sought her with the most powerful weapon in his vast arsenal, his all-consuming
desire
for her. He didn’t have to wait long, no. Vareilious’s keen senses picked up a faint trace of frustration. Then, a pinch of confusion mingled in with it.

“Come on, Lover. Give me more.
Feel
something, Kitten, anything. I want to steal you away from your unworthy captor, bind you always to me.”

All trace of her suddenly vanished. He sought harder. Vareilious could still feel her essence vibrating through his ethereal wings, yes, but her emotions had fallen away. Then slowly, ever so slowly, the scent came to him—growing and burning within his angelic nostrils. He knew that emotion well. It was one of his favorites, especially of Jenevier’s. It grew stronger, sweeter, swelling to the point of explosion.

Vareilious was overcome with joy until it struck him just exactly what it meant, exactly what Jenevier
feeling
this emotion meant.

“How is this so, my love? What you are giving me is precisely what I have always hoped for, what I’ve always wanted. But… with whom are you feeling such passion? What man makes you burn so? Who fuels this fierce obsession?”

An unbridled growl started rolling deep within his glowing chest. Then, Vareilious heard her. Her faint, whispering voice was confessing things, divulging hidden secrets. Jenevier spoke of sweet things, honest things, adoring and loving things. Things he had always longed to hear her say, only to him.

Chapter 59

Dante

(DON-tay)

Jenevier picked up the little book that had been torturously haunting her.

“What is it you want from me, you little demon bound up in soft leather?”

Lighting a candle, she sat down to examine her aching knees.

“Well, that’s gonna make for a couple lovely bruises.”

She dusted off her skinned up joints and picked up the miserable leather offender once more.

“Very well, mysterious little nemesis, tell me. What are all those wonderfully important secrets you are wanting so terribly for me to see? Huh?”

She slowly opened the ancient book, half expecting shrieks to come flying off its brittle pages again. There were no screams. Not this time. There was no blast of magic, no more cryptic little notes. It was just an old book, a book stuffed full of hand written recipes, poems, and a few old wives’ tales. She flipped through the jumbled pages.

“What is all this? What was so important? I fail to find a single thing that even makes sense.”

She tried to read the strange little hand written pages for what felt like hours. Her eyelids became weighted, pushing her toward beautiful, blissful sleep.

Her chaotic mind was once more flooded with images. Yet this time, this time her dream wasn’t the dreadful nightmare she had grown so accustomed to, no. This dream was different. This dream… well, this dream was pure enchantment.

She was walking through the tranquil flowering gardens of her idyllic little farm. Her beloved Raven and Epona were grazing under the warm, radiant sun of a perfectly blue sky. Her soul was calm within her. She knew… she was finally home. Jenevier remembered, for the first time, being on a long and lonely quest for peace—pure, blissful peace. The vivid pain her memories brought forth, made her truly thankful for the paradise she had now been rewarded with.

“No more fear. No more fighting. No more bitter, lonely grief. It’s just peace and warmth and love.”

Within this enchanting dream, she closed her eyes and smiled as she held her arms out wide, drinking in this amazing sensation.

Jenevier’s sleeping mind couldn’t produce graphic pictorial details of her past, no. Yet it amplified the horrible
feelings
she had torturously endured through that cold, blurry time in her life.

Kneeling in the midst of her fragrant garden, she humbly thanked God for taking pity on her and gracing her with the glory of His beautiful reward for her long suffering and obedience.

“I cannot remember exactly what you needed of me, dear God. I don’t even know if I pleased You. But this certainly feels like heaven to me.”

Her subconscious shifted then. Now, she dreamt of her beloved Dante. His silvery gray eyes, his silky soft hair, his hard muscular chest, and oh, those perfectly sculpted shoulders. She dreamt of erotic joys, of passionate desires. She sweetly dreamt of the man she now longed for. And… she smiled.

That night, in her dreams, Jenevier did things with Dante her waking mind would never allow. His deep melting kisses, his strong and tender embrace, yes, but mostly she dreamt of her unbridled, passionate surrender to his enticingly persuasive touch.

“Yes, Dante. Tonight… tonight I wish you to stay,” she whispered in her sleep.

*****

When Dante entered her darkened room, he stared at her sleeping angelic face. He rubbed his chest, trying to dispel the tightening feeling growing there.

“Damn boy,” he mumbled. “What does
he
know anyway? He is but a child.”

Carefully lying down behind her curled-up form, Dante began playing with her long golden curls—winding them around his finger, letting them slowly fall across her face, tickling her nose.

Jenevier felt herself smiling in her sleep. This dream was so pleasantly relaxing, it felt natural and serene. She never wanted to wake from it.

Dante caressed her shoulders, gently kissing her bare neck. He ran his soft fingertips from her thigh, up across her ticklish ribs, to her creamy shoulder, and back down the length of her tingling arm. He methodically repeated this sensual journey over and over, exploring her with intense admiration.

“Could this dream possibly be any more heavenly, any more perfect?” she whispered.

“Yes, my love. I can make it as perfect as you can humanly stand. Your wish is my command, Milady.”

Dante’s sweet, hot breath on her ear sent erotic pulses through her mind. She moaned in response to his hungry kisses
and
their lust-filled journey down her sensitive body. She trembled with each new touch.

“My waking mind screams warnings about you,” she admitted.

“Well, fair maid, it may be within your best interest to heed them.” He kissed her soft palm. “Young women must guard their precious hearts. Especially one as rare and tempting as is yours. Do not throw such a treasure away. Gift it only to the man who is worthy of you, Princess. Me? I am a scoundrel, a dog. I want to
steal
your heart, keep it with me forever.”

She cherished the comfortable playfulness between them. It reminded her of a joyful time in her life when she felt truly loved. The jokes, the teasing, the flirtatious touching—it all thrilled her.

She smiled again, flinching slightly from the tremor his delicate caresses caused to shoot up her spine.

“I much prefer my dreams of you.”

“Tell me, beautiful lady. Tell me why it is you prefer these dreams over the real thing.”

He licked her ear. She giggled softly.

“I like being licked, Dante. I don’t clearly remember why. But I do remember loving the sensation
and
enjoying the playful teasing that always accompanied it.”

He stared down at her sleeping face and felt that same strange tightness in his chest begin to grow, almost painfully so.

“That is very nice to know. It will surely prove useful in the future.” He slid his arm around her waist. “Now, tell me why you only want me when you dream, Maiden.”

“Because in my dreams, you are my sweet and perfect lover. In my dreams, you are my dearest friend and constant companion. And
only
in my dreams do I have the courage to tell you the truth, without shame or fear of rejection.”

He lightly kissed her shoulder. “I would never reject you, my love. I fear I can no longer live without you.”

His unguarded words shocked him. He tried to shake them off.

“Tell me, sweetest Princess. What are these deep, dark, shameful truths you speak of?”

He teased her, running his warm tongue from her shoulder, to her neck, and then to her ear. He blew upon the wet skin, causing chills to run over her body. Dante got precisely what he was looking for. Her response was instantaneous. She moaned and melted back against his broad, waiting chest. He embraced her from behind.

“Tell me your secrets, my love.” He whispered into the mound of curls at the back of her head, then kissed her there. “I wish to hear your heart concerning me.”

Her chest rose and fell to match her increased breathing and racing heart.

“In my dreams, I am not weighed down by the fear of revealing my
true
feelings for you.”

“Which are?”

“That I long for your touch the moment you leave. That I feel nauseous when we part. That I only feel safe and happy within
your
winged embrace. That when I deny your advances, it is all a lie.”

His eyes narrowed as he studied upon her words.

“Truly? Wings?”

She giggled. “Of course your wings. I love your wings.”

He tightened his grip around her. “Go on, my love.”

“In my dreams, I can tell you how I have fallen hopelessly in love with you. That I am wildly jealous concerning you and I will never be able to let you leave. I can freely admit you claimed ownership of my heart and soul, no matter from whence it was fashioned.”

A strange, wonderful pain pierced his heart. “You take my breath away, Jenevier. Your sweet declarations of love are euphoric. I may not truly possess wings upon my back, but the wings you have placed upon my heart are magical things. Never have I felt thus.”

She moved against him. “You are my mighty Guardian lover. And in my dreams I can shout my proclamation of undying loyalty to you. No matter my waking commitments, I will forever want to surrender myself wholly to you. I cannot pull a single breath within my lungs unless I know you are there with me. I am selfish, Guardian. I desperately need you to
secretly
be mine for all eternity.”

He could hold back no longer. Dante’s kiss was so strong and passionate, it transcended her dreams, spilled over into her waking mind.

Jenevier woke just as their lips parted. She gazed into his glorious gray eyes, touched his tear-streaked cheeks. She smiled softly as she brushed back his thick auburn hair.

“Hey there,” she whispered. “I was just dreaming about you.”

“I know. You talk in your sleep, Princess.”

He saw the horror and embarrassment mingle across her face.

“No more running, my love. Tell me now. Was it true? Did you mean
any
of it?”

She waited a few more heartbeats before she answered. “Every word. I meant every single word, and more. It is the way of my heart.” She lovingly kissed away his many tears. “Did you hear everything?”

He could only slightly nod his head, for he feared his trembling voice would betray what was melting and changing within him. He was terrified he would lose control of the magic. Terrified his mask would fade away. He feared, once she beheld the truth, she would reject him. He had never cared about her reaction until now. He felt weak and dizzy. His heart was as light as air. His malicious mind became cloudy, and then cleared.

“Is this what love feels like?” he whispered.

Jenevier only smiled. She ran her fingers through his thick hair and down along his perfect jaw line.

“Feels divine, doesn’t it?”

Dante held both sides of her face and looked deep into her smiling eyes. He wanted her to hear and understand his words completely. He had never experienced anything quite like this, quite like her. He had known from the moment he first laid eyes on her,
she
would be the start of something new, something world-changing. And he’d been right.

“Jenevier, I have waited my whole life for you and I didn’t even realize it until now, until this very moment. Although it may not be possible for me to explain this to you properly, I want to try. I have never experienced true love, not once. It has left a gaping hole in my soul, one which I have tried to fill with everything imaginable. I have journeyed far and wide, traveled the width and breadth of this world. Always searching, always hoping. I tried to fill the empty void with treasure, then with adventure, and always with women. But now, now I know it was
you
all along. A fantastically beautiful woman was growing up in a nearby village, and I only had but to wait. Wait until the time was ripe. Wait until the heavens were ready. Wait until you finally found me. I can scarce believe it. After all these wicked years, I have finally been blessed with the joyous feeling… of love.” He smiled, tears in his eyes. “Jenevier, I love you. I love
only
you.”

Wrapping his strong arms around her waist, Dante pulled her under him. He no longer tried to control his passion, temper his kisses, or subdue his tormenting desire.

She was alive with the need to act upon this forbidden love.

He licked her from between her breasts all the way up to her ear, where he whispered in a trembling voice, “I am yours, Jenevier.”

His tender honesty aroused her like never before. In her extremely delicate state, she moaned out a rasping reply, “As I am yours. And have been since the day we first met, sweet Vareilious.”

The powerful, guttural growl shook the entire house, resonating deep within her slumbering mind. The sharp slap of comprehension sent a demonic pain ripping through her soul. It mercilessly broke the enchanting spell she had been under, removed the mind-numbing effects of her drug-laced tea.

Jenevier kicked with all her strength. Dante’s magical mask fell away as Prince Merodach crashed through the wall and landed upon the melting ground. The entire farm shuddered and shifted.

Her change was fierce and devastating. She flew through the gaping hole, landing with brutal accuracy upon the already broken man.

Her heart was breaking, the pain of it showed plainly within her angelic ruby eyes.

“You made me love you.” Her voice cracked. “How can such a beautiful man be so cruel, so ugly?”

Her hellish, demonic tone made his blood run cold.

“Merodach, I name you Prince of Liars, Master of Deceit, and… Next Man Dying.”

He watched in awe as cold ruby tears dripped down from those saddened, heavenly eyes. His breath hitched when they fell upon his trembling cheeks, then clinked lightly to the ground.