Page 28
Story: A Cage of Magic and Darkness
RUAROK
“That’s not true,” she insists.
I can’t see her expression in the dark, but I can picture it perfectly.
Her lips will be parted in disbelief, her eyes wide in shock.
Her feigned innocence is starting to piss me off.
She’s acting as though this is all my fault, but she’s the one who was grinding up against my cock like a cat in heat.
That she then blames me for my reaction is a little much.
But instead of throwing a temper tantrum and storming out of there, I decide to play with her.
“You’re only lying to yourself. You want to fuck your big brother, and you can’t get your head around that. You act like a princess, but deep inside is a dirty whore desperate to get out.”
She draws another sharp intake of breath. “You can’t speak to me like that.”
I lean in closer, press my lips to her ear. “You’re a filthy slut, Princess. You want my cock in your throat, and my fingers inside you. You want my mouth on your pussy. Or maybe you’d like me to play with your ass. To tongue your hole, then push it into you.”
She jerks away, yanking the blankets from my body. “Stop! I won’t hear such talk.”
But her breathing is rapid, her chest rising and falling. I can’t see it, but I bet there’s a flush to her cheeks. And I can smell her arousal on my fingers.
“I know you’re wet for me. I felt that for myself.”
“I should have you locked back in that cage for speaking to me like that.”
I’m not done. “Put your hand between your thighs, Princess. Touch yourself and then show me your fingers. If they’re not glistening, I’ll put myself back in that cage and lock the gate and throw away the key.”
“You wouldn’t do that.”
“Try me.”
She’s actually entertaining the thought, but she knows she’ll never win, because she is wet. She’s sopping down there, her pussy perfectly ready to entertain me.
“You need to leave,” she says instead. “Now.”
I mock pout. “But then you’ll get cold again.”
“I’d rather be cold than have someone disrespect me in such a way.”
“You didn’t think you were disrespecting me when you were grinding up on my cock?”
She’s so much fun to play with. How long will she continue to lie to herself? While it would have been better if she’d let me fuck her in this tent, so everyone around could hear, and rumors would fly faster than the dragonflies that are the kingdom’s emblem, I can’t pretend I’m not enjoying this.
“I did no such thing. It’s not my fault it was just right there. I was trying to make space. You’re the one who took things further.”
I give a low chuckle. “Sure, you keep telling yourself that, Princess. Let’s see how long you last before you’re begging to ride me.”
I throw back the blankets and get to my feet. She gathers them around her again. I can sense her glaring at me in the dark, and a smile plays on my lips. I will have her, eventually. Then I will ruin her.
Going to the front of the tent, I push back the flap and climb out into the open. The vast expanse of dark sky has begun to lighten, the stars blinking out, one by one. I stretch my muscles and roll my shoulders. After so long in the cage, even being out here feels like a luxury to me.
I understand why my father didn’t banish me to the wildlands, the way he had so many of the criminals who came before me.
He’d worried that instead of wasting away out here, I’d have thrived.
He’d have thought that I would gather up all those men he’d banished—hard men, criminals—and returned to the castle with an army behind me.
He’d have been right, too.
I take a seat on the cold ground and wait for morning to arrive. In the tents around us, the guards snore and mutter in their sleep. The horses sense morning approaching and snort hot breath in the freezing cold air and paw at the ground, restless.
We’ve been lucky not to have to deal with any interruptions in the night.
Huge, black, wolf-like beasts prowl these lands and are most likely hungry for their next meal.
Gangs of outcasts also roam the moorland.
I assume word of our journey hasn’t gotten out yet, or we’d have been jumped upon overnight.
I touch the dagger that’s placed at the base of my spine, and the other one in my boot, reassuring myself of their presence.
While I might not have the sword training of the guards, or damned Balthorne, who is probably the best swordsman in the land, I can still handle myself.
A sliver of light appears on the horizon.
We have another full day of travel ahead of us.
I hope the princess isn’t wasting her time.
The Mage might tell her there is simply no way to stop the rot and send her away with nothing.
If that happens, I don’t know what we’ll do.
I’m trying to tell myself it’s not as bad as the princess makes out, that perhaps the damage the castle and the city have sustained will be all that happens.
But on this topic, I have to admit Taelyn knows far more than I do.
Her homeland was destroyed by the rot, which is why she and her mother came to Askos in the first place.
She has seen and experienced far more than I ever have.
The sun rises fully, and the small unit around me begins to stir. Men emerge from their tents and step off a short distance to relieve themselves. The fire is restoked, and cans of beans are heated in the flames, and water boiled for coffee.
Eventually, Taelyn climbs out of her tent. She doesn’t speak to me or even look my way. She vanishes behind a small hillock to relieve herself then returns to warm herself by the fire.
Balthorne has already made her coffee, and he presses the tin cup into her hands. She offers him a warm smile, and I immediately want to ram my dagger into the back of the man’s neck.
What was it she said about him? That she thought of him like a brother?
Considering that I’m her actual stepbrother and I had my fingers inside her a few hours ago, I guess that doesn’t really mean much.
He’s looking at her as though he’s picturing her naked, and I hate that she’s completely oblivious to it.
She’s mine.
I shake the thought from my head. Since when have I ever been possessive?
I’ve never cared in the slightest what any of the women I’ve been with before have done, or who they’ve been with.
I’ve always had a ‘more the merrier’ viewpoint.
It’s different with Taelyn, though. The idea of anyone even thinking of her in such a way makes me want to tear their heads from their shoulders and use them as the rocks in a slingshot.
I have to keep reminding myself that we have no future. I refuse to share the throne with her. She is far more loved than I, and people will always look at her as being the greater monarch. Not that she would even agree to share it. There can only be one winner in this game.
“We should get back on the road,” I say, getting to my feet. “We need to make the most of the daylight.”
Balthorne nods. “I was just about to say the same.”
We saddle up the horses again. I’m conscious of Taelyn the whole time. She doesn’t allow someone else to take care of her mount but instead does everything herself, stopping long enough to give the horse’s long nose a rub and speak softly against its cheek.
I wonder if Taelyn, or even Balthorne, will suggest for me to return to the castle, but the subject isn’t brought up.
We ride again, navigating the desolate land. We stay alert for any sign of wild animals, or criminals, ready to make a meal out of us, or rob us of everything we have. The uneven ground makes the ride hard. Hours pass. We pause briefly for a lunch of hunks of bread and cheese then keep going.
I don’t want to doubt the princess’s plans, but the mood of our small group has fallen somber.
The poor night’s sleep, plus the ride through this nothingness, has done nothing for morale.
Not that I’m someone who is much good at boosting the spirits of others.
Normally, I’m the one who brings everyone back down.
Are we even going the right way?
No one here has actually seen the Mage, or even been out in the wildlands, so we’re only going on word of mouth about which way to go to actually find them. I’ve never dared to suggest we might not know where we’re going. It wouldn’t go down well with Taelyn.
I keep sensing Taelyn’s gaze on me. Is she thinking about last night—or at least this morning—and how it felt when the two of us were huddled beneath those blankets?
She has a right to be distrustful of me.
Being with her has made me stronger, too.
It’s different with her than it has been with anyone else.
With others, it’s as though I’ve needed to put them into a kind of a trance, and then I’ve physically drunk from their sexual aura.
With Taelyn, it’s as though I absorb her through my skin, and she is fully aware of everything I’m doing to her.
I don’t need to use my magic to make her want me.
The difference is refreshing, and I can’t put it down to anything in particular.
Have I changed since being in the cage? Or is it her that’s different?
Table of Contents
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- Page 28 (Reading here)
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