Authors: L.P. Dover
She shouts,
“I was not suggesting she let him force himself on her, but I
am
suggesting she stay strong and play it off for as long as she can. She will be in his domain and surrounded by his power. If he us
es his influence and she
resist
s
, he will know something is wrong.”
I look over and see that
Calista
is holding her hand over her stomach and she’s grown paler in the last minute. She starts to sway and reaches out to hold onto the tree.
She groans,
“You guys, I think something’s wrong. I’m starting to feel funny.” She holds her head in her hands and closes her eyes.
I reach out to steady her, and to be closer to her before she goes. I’m going to go out of my mind wondering what she’s going to go through. I know she’s strong, but I don’t want to
think of all the vile things th
at could be done to her. I’ll
rip out their goddamn hearts if they touch her.
Elvena comes over looking apprehensive
. She
grab
s
Calista’s hands
.
“I think someone is getting close. We need to hurry, there’s only a couple more minutes left.” She takes Calista’s face in her hands. “Calista, my child, we will rescue you. Do not doubt
that
, even if you feel lost and helpless, just know we will be there to get you out. I promise.”
The promise from a prophetess is a very powerful vow. I have full confidence in Elvena and her plans to help rescue Calista. I don’t know what those plans are yet and I don’t care. I will go through the fires of hell and back again to rescue Calista. Elvena kisses Calista’s cheek and passes her to Merrick.
Merrick hugs her hard and murmurs softly
, “Be safe, Cali. I’m going to get you out of there.”
Calista reaches up and lays her hand on his cheek.
Jealousy spikes in my gut, but I quickly let it pass
.
She looks into his eyes and says,
“I have faith in you, Merrick, my
g
uardian
.” She kisses his cheek, hugs him one more time and then walks over to me. Her face looks sad, but I know she’s strong
.
A tear is on the verge of escaping her saddened eyes, but I quickly reach up to wipe it away before it falls.
Taking both her hands
in mine
,
I pull her to me and whisper quietly in her ear, “I love you, Calista
. Whatev
er the plan is, I’ll be there. I promise.”
Elvena interrupt
s and announces, “It’s almost time
,
you two.”
I quickly pull Calista over to the willow tree so I can tell her what I have to say in privacy
.
I move a tendril of her beautiful
,
blonde hair away from her face and I look lovingly into her eyes when I say, “I have something I need to ask you.”
She looks at me questioningly and prompts me to continue.
“What is it?”
S
he
whispers.
I give her a smile and I see her eyes warming up at the sight. “First, I want to do this
.
”
I lean down to kiss h
er and the kiss grows desperate with my need for her.
I don’t care who is watching and I can tell neither does she.
Her arms circle around my neck and she runs her fingers through my hair.
I feel no hesitation coming from her so I deepen the kiss and relish in the feel of her body. I think we both know that this could be the last time we get to see each other, so we take advantage of the time we have. My hand travels up her back to
the nape of her neck and
I hold her in place up against my body
while my tongue circles hers
with a raging passion that’s burning throughout my body.
She regretf
ully breaks apart and hesitates
.
“Ryder, I’m almost out of time. I can feel something pulling me back.”
I look at her face and take in every inch of it, from her mouth, her nose, and lastly to her gorgeous
,
bright green eyes that captured my heart from the very beginning.
With all the love in my heart
I finally
say
, “You know the truth of our path and where it’s supposed to lead us. We’ve both see
n it and lived it in our vision and it was amazing.
I want you to be my wife
,
Calista.
My life will have no purpose without you.
” I hesitate for a second and then I continue whole-heartedly
.
“
When we find you and you are safely home, will you fulfill the marriage bond with me?” I kiss her softly and say the last part in a whisper
.
“
And
take your place beside me as my wife, lover
and
princess
?”
Her wide tearful eyes are gleaming and she forcefully plants her lips on mine
with determination. She looks me in the eyes and the strength I see in her is so powerful.
She
will make a magnificent
q
ueen
. We embrace
one last time before I
fe
el
the pull of being dragged
back to reality. She has
n’t answered my question
yet, but the last thing I hear before the dream disappears
is
the words
I so desperately wanted to hear.
“Yes, Ryder
,
I love you
.
”
Chapter 20
Calista
I wake up right away with joyfulness in my heart. I knew that if things with Ryder progressed it would lead to the marriage bond, but it was still nice to hear him ask. The way he looked at me made my heart melt with a flooding of warmth. I wish I was with him now. If we were alone last night, I have no doubt I would have given myself to him in the dream world. My body craves his with such longing. I know it was just a dream, but it felt great to be in Ryder’s arms and to see Merrick and Elvena. I didn’t know Elvena could visit people in their dreams. She has more power than she lets on.
I was brought out of my reverie with the sound of the door being unlocked and opened. I keep my eyes closed
,
pretending to still be asleep when the person who walked in sits on the bed beside me. I feel the bed dip down with the person’s weight and it jostles me a little. I have a feeling it’s going to be either Warren or Avery. I was betting on the latter considering he hadn’t made an appearance yet. Whoever it is, I can feel them moving closer.
I open my eyes and move as far away from this person as possible. I do
not
want to be close to whoever it is,
especially while
on a bed and in
nothing but
a bathrobe. I turn to look at who it is and what do you know
?
I
t’s
Avery. I do as Elvena says and remember to play along, no one can know that I had been contacted already and told of his betrayal. I feign a look of shock at first, with wide
,
bulging eyes and I give a gasp to accentuate it. He’s smiling at me with one part of his lip curled up in a half grin, half smirk kind of way
like he always does
.
“Good morning, Princess,” Avery says.
My
gaze
darts
around
the room
and
I
pretend that I’m hopeful.
With a trembling voice I plea, “Please tell me you’re here to rescue me and then it’ll be a good morning.”
He shakes his head and sneers, “Not exactly, Princess. I plan to take you somewhere special this morning.”
I keep my face blank.
“Where exactly would that be?”
Avery replies
with
a sharp
tone
.
“Don’t play dumb with me
,
Princess. I know you’ve suspected things of me, so quit the little trembling act because I don’t buy it.”
My
body goes tense and I know my face has turned blood red. Well, shit. There goes my cover. I dig my nails into my palms and I grind my teeth to try and keep my anger tamped down.
“Well, in that case, you can go to
H
ell
, and I already know where we’re going so you can save all
your bullshit for someone else,” I snap.
I look him straight in the eyes and make mine as cold as possible
.
“Why did you turn on us? What was so bad that you had to turn against your friends and your court? You had a great life, recognition and anything you could ever want. How could that not have been enough?”
Avery moves closer to me and I flinch
back
. I do not want him anywhere near me. He reaches up and grabs a lock of my hair turning it around and runni
ng his fingers
through
it. My muscles tighten
and I can’t shake the bitter taste in my mouth. I have never wanted to kill someone as much as I do now.
“What is every mutiny about, Princess?”
H
e
asks.
“Power
,
”
I answer flatly.
He winks and gives me an arrogant smile as he comments
.
“You are correct
,
power. I have been promised a phenomenal amount of power once I hand you over to the dark sorcerer. I will not be easily defeated once I obtain this power and I will be a leader when we take over the Land of the Fae.”
I curl my li
p and give him a scornful look
.
“You make me sick. You’re nothing but a pansy as
s prick that likes to kiss ass,” I hiss.
In a lightning fast move he grabs my face with one hand and squeezes hard.
I gasp with the ferocity of his grasp, but the anger I feel is dimming out the pain.
He turns my head sharply so I have to look at him straight in the face.
“I’ve told him how feisty you are and how stubborn, but you will learn obedience. The roles have switched, Princess, and it’ll be you bowing down to me. I could do whatever I want with you right now and no one will stop me, but the master wants you unharmed and in peace when I bring you to hi
m,” Avery snaps.
I jerk my face out of his hands and lift my chin.
I reply vehemently,
“I will never bow down to you. You can do whatever you want to me, but you will never get the satisfaction of me on my knees.” I meant
it
both literally and figuratively and he
seem
s
amused by it.
Avery laughs and says, “One thing I can say is that I have always loved your mouth.” He looks at my mouth and licks his lips. I make a disgusted noise and turn my head away from him. I think I’m going to be sick. If I had anything in my stomach it would be all over him right now. Maybe I should have eaten when I had the chance.
“I would love to have you on your knees in front of me, but unfortunately I must wait until
the master is through with you,” he points out.
What the hell. There is no way any part of him is going anywhere near my mouth. I will cut that son of a bitch
’s protruding parts
off
if he so much as wags it in my face
.
“That’s nice, Avery. You claim to be all powerful and such, but you are still the lackey of someone better. You have to
wait
on him to be done with me before you have a shot. That’s pretty pathetic if you ask me, you might as well wipe his ass
and kiss it while you’re there,” I retort sardonically.
Avery rears back and slaps me hard across the face.
“You bitch! Don’t you ever say anything like that to me
again
.
”
He
quickly
maneuvers himself so that
he’s straddling my waist
before I have a chance to move
.
He
holds my hands by my sides. The anger I feel is overwhelming and I wish I could use my power because he would be gone in a heartbeat. I never would have considered the thought of killing someone, but being around this kind of evil makes it easy to think that way.