Page 57
Story: Shadow and Smite
I trembled. Thighs pressing, breath catching.
“Let’s go,” I whispered, pushing him toward the bed, pressing his back against the mattress.
I straddled over him, standing on my knees, just high enough that our sexes almost met. I dropped to my forearms, cradling his head between my hands, and caressed the sweet spot where his horns met skull.
He twitched, writhing under me, bucking his hips. His bulk brushed my crux, and even through our underwear, his contact destroyed my remaining restraint.
I pressed myself against him, writhing my clit against his hard member. He moaned beneath me, squeezing a breast—he brushed the Brand.
I was driven byneed need need—
“Bind him,”a voice compelled me. “Take control of the ship.”
The Brand. An intruder rising in my consciousness.
“Ayla, are you okay?” Zayne sounded far away. “Your Brand… it’s getting bigger. Fast.”
“You belong with the Shades. Darkness is inevitable.”
The Brand hadn’t been silent. It had been dormant, waiting for the right opportunity. Now it stole the power of my desire, transforming it into something darker.
Zayne squirmed under me, trying to get away. My body moved without my permission—I pinned him, grabbing his wrists and clenching my thighs against his sides. I held him down with preternatural strength.
“Bind him,” the Brand commanded.
“Ayla…” Zayne whispered.
My core clenched, my body still hot withneed…a need that the Brand twisted to destructive ends. Zayne’s voice changed, rising with the darker tenor of the Underworld. He spoke a command, “Ayla, it’s the Brand. Ignore it. Overcome it.”
When he spoke that way, it was easier to understand. His necromantic command countered the voice of the Brand. I managed to hesitate, stilling my body for a moment. It was long enough for Zayne to free himself.
“You gave yourself to lust—why can’t you give yourself to me?”the Brand whispered. “You don’t deserve your body. GIVE IT TO ME.”
My soul slipped. Once expansive, I felt trapped, growing small. The Brand was no longer contained by my skin—it surrounded me. Pressure consumed me; the Brand smothered me.
A memory flashed. Carson. We kissed in the carriage on the way to his death, his hands running through my hair. The Brand gave its commentary. “You’re too impulsive. Let me take control.”
The words made me feel even smaller. I ran, retreating deeper into my mind. My eyes remained open. I could still see, even if I couldn’t control my body.
Zayne reached for the satchel of ashflower. I chased after him. The Brand covered my skin, elbows to knees.
Zayne needed more time. I fought. What had happened with Carson wasn’t my fault. What I wanted with Zayne wasn’t a problem.
I had a right to my body—to protect it, enjoy it.
For a moment, I found leverage. For a second, my body froze.
The door opened, and Ninti pushed her way into the room.
Something tickled at my chest. Ashflower. “Shade’s Brand, leave and let Ayla be,”Zayne said from far away.
I reached for the ashflower like a lifeline, begging it to suck the Brand from me. Ninti’s fire flickered at my feet. My body remained rigid, uncertain of who had control.
Zayne gave his command again. Like a prayer for my soul.
The Brand showed me more images. Carson’s surprise as the dagger slid into his heart. His body in a grave, sprinkled with dirt.
“You left with him. It’s your fault,” the Brand whispered.“You can never escape what you’ve done.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57 (Reading here)
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102