Page 73 of Anywhere

He nipped and sucked on my bottom lip, sending a shudder through my body. Fuck, he scrambled all the marbles in my head. Every logical thought decided to tap dance its way out the door. Rhys pressed his body closer, and I groaned. He kissed me again, and the last of the annoyance and confusion disappeared. Did he put a spell on me? Was it the connection, or was it simply that I wanted him that much?

“Fuck, I want you right now,” I panted.

“I be wantin’ ya, too, but what I’ma needin’ from ya is fir ya ta stay here. I need ya ta try ta bond wit Elewyen and convince her dat she wants ta stay. Not locked up in a room, but as our third. There is naw point ta bringin’ ya on dis trip, and I’ma only gonna be a day or two, tops. If ya wanna feel more included, go ta da library, and ask Mari what books ta read while I be gone.”

Rhys moved his hips from side to side as he pressed against me, and my eyes closed as our cocks rubbed together. His lips travelled along my jaw until they reached the thumping pulse in my neck. I sucked in a ragged breath as his tongue swirled in a little circle before he sucked the sensitive spot that made me shudder all over.

“I’ma wantin’ ta include ya in it all, Rook, but dis is how ya can best help us all. It be life and death important dat Elewyen decides ta stay. Be da number one. Find a way ta make her wanna be here.”

His lips continued up my neck, and by the time he reached my ear, all I could picture was doing whatever he suggested as long as it ended with me dragging him to the ground.

“Rememba dat yer fuckin Rook Adair. No one can say no ta yer charm.”

I knew he was placating me, but everything he said made perfect sense when he talked like this, and I nodded. Rhys groaned softly in my ear, and my breath caught in my throat as his hand gripped my hard shaft through my jeans.

“When I git back, I promise ta let ya punish me,” he whispered.

The energy swirling around us rippled and pulsed. The thought of having him just like this, with his kilt on, flashed through my mind, along with tying him up and fucking him on the bed, or against the wall, or maybe bent over the couch. Fuck it. I was greedy. I wanted all the positions. I shivered with all the possibilities.

“Dear spirits, yer so fuckin’ temptin’, but I gotta go.”

He kissed me again until my head swam, then grabbed his bag. He walked out, leaving me standing there stunned like he’d pulled off the world’s greatest magic trick.

Elewyen

I tried to figure a way out of this much prettier smelling dungeon, but with no success. I even tried yelling and screaming until I was short of breath, panting hard, and my throat was sore, but Rook never came back. Although, my spells worked, I had nothing that would help me get out of this room.

There was a large looking-glass over bowls that were built into a flat ledge. It was the first time I saw myself clearly in years. My face was covered in dirt, and my long hair was matted with bits of leaves and twigs from my fight with Rook. I undid the braid, running my fingers through the long strands of hair. Lifting my hand, I waved at myself while Barry was busy chattering at his own reflection like it would talk back.

“It no gonna chat back, Barry. It be only yer own self,” I said.

His wee face turned up to mine, his red tail twitching from side to side before turning back to the looking glass and continuing to chat at it.

“Suit yer self.” I rolled my eyes at the little squirrel.

Gripping my necklace, I thought of Keeva. My stone glowed in return, and I relaxed a little. Wandering over to the large window, I stared out at the gardens far below. It was too high to jump. I would break my legs from this height. Suddenly, I wished I could shift into one of the birds and fly away.

There was something magical about this place, and not because everything was grander than anything I’d ever seen. It was something else. The trees spoke their own language here, and the flowers had lived many generations. The large garden could’ve been a child’s maze with so many different paths. There was a stunning woman with long red hair like mine, slowly walking around some roses. The dress she was wearing was simple and made of a pretty pale colour that reminded me of a bird’s egg.

She looked towards the window, her eyes so blue that they seemed brighter than the sky itself. I shivered as she stared my way but didn’t seem to see me as I raised my hand. Maybe she would help me. I got the sense that she was just as trapped as I was.

She tilted her head, and a slow smile spread across her lips as she tipped her head in a nod. Her eyes were sad like she’d just lost someone she loved, and my heart ached for her. I could feel her pain from up here. There was a tingling in my fingers, and I felt drawn to the mysterious woman.

Another girl with the same red hair and a tall man I hadn’t seen on my arrival wandered toward the garden arm in arm. I didn’t get the sense that they were lovers. The girl looked to be his daughter, maybe. They walked right past the woman with the dress without giving her a glance, even though she turned and looked at them. I wanted to yell, “how rude,” but held my tongue as they knelt at a statue. A cool tendril gripped me as the woman approached the two kneeling figures. My mouth fell open as she stepped into the statue and disappeared.

My hand went to my mouth as I stared at the spot where the woman had vanished. I would’ve sworn she was a living, breathing person. I always knew that I was connected to those of the spirit world, more so than others in my coven. I heard the odd voice on the wind or whispered in my ear. Felt the cool breeze on a hot summer day across my neck, but to see someone from the other side was new, and it had happened twice in two days. Were my powers growing?

There was no way to gauge what I was feeling. Shock, confusion, and fear, it was all there, as well as excitement about the possibilities.

Stepping away from the window to give the two people privacy, I continued my exploration. Wandering to the far side, I poked at the shiny, oddly shaped objects like claws had sprouted out from the wall. They were made of metal and had spouts like a water well.

This was a strange spot indeed, and I couldn’t figure out why, of all the rooms in this large castle, he had put me in this one.

I poked and touched everything. I picked up a stick with bristles like a very tiny hairbrush and rubbed the end with my finger, unclear what it would be used for. There was a bowl with colourful round balls, and I picked one up and sniffed it. It smelled like fruit, so I took a bite. The texture was all wrong, and then the sharp taste hit my tongue. Spitting, I wiped at my teeth and tongue with my finger, trying to get the taste off, but little chunks of the disgusting substance coated my mouth. There was a cup filled with what I hoped was water, and I took a swig of the substance and swished it around in my mouth before spitting it into the large bowl.

“Disgusting, blah.” I shook my head and spat some more.

That was when I realized that the liquid had gone down the dark hole in the middle of the bowl.