The Carver's Magic (26 page)

Time. I had frozen time. Was it still frozen? Dar could tell me. That bastard owed me.

Dar?
I said in my head wondering if the blaggard would even answer me after ditching me to this fate. No answer. Typical.

DAR!
I screamed mentally getting a picture of him in my head.

Beth?
His voice was soft as if he was unsure.

Dar, is everyone still frozen?
I asked letting my disgust for him coat every single word.

What the hell happened?
His internal voice was small.
Beth? Where are you?
No way was I falling for that lame as trick. He knew.

In the fucking basement where you left me asshole!

He was silent for a few moments and then I hear,
Did you blow up my house? Fuck Beth!

I didn’t feel an ounce of remorse for the bastard’s house.

Wait, you’re where?
You would think he would at least pretend to be concerned. But no, not Dar, he was yelling in my fucking head!

And worst of all, this anger was starting to make me feel better.

Beth!
Then I heard shuffling and his voice calling from above. “BETH!” I heard him move something above and then there was light where the door once stood. Dar bounded down the stairs and stopped. Eyes wide as he stepped back. “Beth?”

I snorted smoke.
Yes.

His eyebrows spiked, “You’re a dragon, Beth.” He looked around, and I could see something light blue wrapped around his throat. And then I could see something white tied around his chest, where his heart beat.

“How did you get like this?”

I knew he could hear all my thoughts and from what he said before he could also see my thoughts, so I replayed everything from the time he left me. His eyes glowed as each new scene played out. I made sure he knew exactly what happened. When I finished he took a step forward.

I flinched. He saw and frowned. I wanted to believe he didn’t knowingly leave me like a worm on a hook, but, I couldn’t convince myself to trust him. I didn’t flip that fast. There was nothing I could even think of that he could say that would make me change my mind.

In fact, I would prefer to throw him into the black sea with a thousand pound weight tied to his feet. He ditched me. I tried to move away from him, but it didn’t work. The basement was too small. He kept moving towards me with one hand out as if he was urging me to trust him. I moved my wings, trying to stop him, but he ducked those. He dropped to the floor, eyes glowing and touched my face, “Turn back.”

His words sounded soft, but it was a commanded, and my fire gave up the hold it had on my dragon form. My fire always felt worse when it was obeying him instead of doing what I wanted. I morphed back into my human form slowly, and with a lot of very uncomfortable moments when my bones shrank. When it was done, I was on the dirt floor naked.

Way too close, I moved away from him. He snatched my wrist in the process and crept closer. I felt him move my empty hands and pressed them on my stomach, “Dress.” My magic responded to him and I was now dressed in a long, grey shirtdress that stopped mid-thigh. He pulled me up and his eyes were still glowing.

“I swear I don’t remember anything after you teleported out of my bathroom,” he swallowed. “Please believe me. I would never have left you.” He leaned his head towards mine. Our foreheads touched and I could feel his skin on mine. I could also feel his guilt, as odd as that sounds. I hated myself, but leaned further into him, needing the warmth. I wanted to crawl in his lap but I was able to refrain being that ridiculous. He may not have ditched me, but he didn’t want me.

“I’m sorry,” then he pulled me closer into his lap, and pressed his lips on mine.

Stunned for a half second, I pushed him back. Dar shook his head and I was unsure if he regretted it or not.

He smirked and ran his finger across my lips.
Soft
.

I stood there, aware that I was scantily clothed and he was half dressed. He leaned in and my eyes closed when his lips touched mine. He was firm and fierce and I wanted to break under him. Stupid hormones.

His kiss intensified and I pressed my chest into him and wrapped my hands around his neck. Dar grabbed my waist and lifted me up against the stone wall. He pushed into me and rocked against my core. I could feel a steel bar between us.

Holy…

"Tell me to stop Beth," he said between kisses. One hand was holding me under my thigh and the other was inching its way over my left nipple.

Um . . .

"Tell me you don't want me," he hissed, then his tone softened as if he was battling something inside. The words sounded like an order, but my fire was not compelling me yet. "Tell me what you want," he whispered.

I would, but his tongue pushed inside my mouth and I accepted it with vigor.

He left my mouth and moved down, bring the tips of my breast into his mouth, through the thin shirt.

Oh damn…

"Tell me to stop," he commanded. His eyes were fading some.

"Stop?" I moaned. He felt amazing. But did he want this? I pushed myself against him because he was perfectly situated between my thighs, and his roughness was pressing beautifully against my throbbing need.

He bit my lower lip. I could feel him everywhere, "Not convincing, baby." Then I felt him run his hand up my dress, pushing the long t-shirt up and over my chest. His tongue slipped into my mouth as his thumb began to circle my nipple. He squeezed.

"Please…" I begged, and tried to push my clit against his jeans. I was so ready to come.

He pushed against my hands, stopping me from trying to touch him. "I can't baby," he said as if he was out of breath.

My need for him was overwhelming. I needed him, I needed to come. Slowly, he moved his hand between us and pushed a digit inside me. I bit my lip. Damn he felt good. He pushed up several times and I wanted to ride his long, thick finger. Then I felt myself stretching as he added another digit. I couldn’t think. I need this. I begged him. I fucking begged. I was throbbing and I needed more. So much more.

He shushed me with a light kiss and brushed his thumb over my folds, slipping it in between, working masterfully, circling my combination.

It started from all around me, the tingling, the pleasure, the heat building inside of me. Oh yes, I wanted him so bad. I rode his hand and mounted my pleasure until it flowed out and through me like Niagara Falls.

He continued until I cried for him to stop.

Oh my…

I exhaled slowly, and my fire circled both of us. My legs were tightly wrapped around his waist and I had his shoulder in my mouth. I opened my eyes, worried about what I was going to see. I had bit him. Bad.

Dar was not looking at me. He was breathing heavy. He let go of me and I slowly stepped onto my shaky legs. And he walked away. No words. No nothing. When he reached the top of the stairs he said, “When I get you out of here, be prepared to be bit.”
Hard
, he says in my mind.

I push my shirt down, not sure what I was feeling. I looked around at my new cage and wondered what exactly did we just do? And more importantly, could he actually get me out?

Unfreeze them Beth.
His tone was back to being harsh and authoritative.

I obeyed and felt my stomach drop.

CHAPTER TEN

BETH

I gave her my heart. I never thought I would ever give anyone my heart. I knew I didn’t possess the ability to love like others, and so, I knew I would never want to give my heart to anyone who was willing to settle for my shitty kind of love.

But, Cory was dying and I couldn’t allow her to die. Not that she is doing any better now. I’ve been watching her sleep for what feels like minutes, but it’s been days now. The healer, Sidney, said Cory is in a coma. She said her potion was very potent and had begun to disassemble her from the inside. I wish she had bought that stupid potion from someone so I could beat the ever-living hell out of him. I’m so scared I’m literally steaming from my pores. My fire wants out, but I won’t leave her for a second to let it vent. Giving her my heart is the only thing keeping her alive, it stopped the potion’s attack.

When Cory had first arrived at Sidney’s house, and her homemade werewolf hospital, she didn’t waste a second. Sidney had me shoving my healing magic in her while she cleaned the potion out of her. It was horrible. I had to watch Cory’s chest cut open, then watch her insides move around and bounce. Ugh. There was black slime everywhere. That nasty stuff was hard to get out because it would start decomposing anything that touched it. We went through rags, gloves, towels, and a lot of gauze.

I don’t know how long it took, but when Sidney was sure the potion was all out, she sewed her back together. I kept pushing my healing magic into her but she was healing slowly, probably because I felt like I had done a thousand push-ups and I was physically weak, myself.

Sidney left a few minutes ago, rubbing the back of her neck where I saw the beginning of a scar. It looked like she had a huge cut that ran from the top of her spine heading down. It was at least a half-inch thick. Her short, dark, wavy, chocolate hair did nothing to cover it. If it weren’t for my own magic I would have scars like that all over my body. I had already given her my appreciation for saving Cory. She worked hard and didn’t once act like saving someone unlike her own kind was beneath her, and that is what earned her my respect. She’s been checking on Cory every so often, but didn’t say much other than, “She’s getting there.”

I reach out and grab Cory’s hand. I press my lips to her skin. Needing to feel something from her. Her hand is limp in my hand, but I could feel the slight buzz around her. She is in there. I just don’t know how to get her to wake up. I let her hand down by her side, but I refuse to let go. I’m not used to this need, and it’s not something I can easily define, but I definitely can’t stop the intense desire to merge with her. Her soul. Just…her.

Someone touched my shoulder. I peered up and saw a blue mug that said in white writing, “This Could Be Wine.” I want to smile, but I didn’t have the energy. I grab the mug and brought it to my nose. Dark, black, plain coffee, it was perfect.

“Thank you Sid,” I whisper.

“It’s decaf.”

As odd as it sounds, I scowl at her, but I wasn’t angry or annoyed. She laughs at me and it actually took some pressure off my shoulders. I may have… just met my first friend. I scratch the side of my head, wondering if that made any sense. I don’t have friends, but hours with Sid, with her straightforward words and non-judgmental tones, made me like her from the start.

Yep. First friend.

“The faster you drink that cup the faster we can move Cory to a clean bed and you can sleep.” Sid is standing over Cory, looking over the angry red marks all over her chest. Her wounds are healing. When Sid had placed her in here at the beginning the cut was still held together with sutures, now the skin had scarred the two pieces together.

I took another sip of the coffee that didn’t taste decaf at all. I continue to hold Cory’s hand, pushing in my magic.

I took another sip and ask, “Where are we taking her?”

Sid didn’t answer right away. She was looking at her watch while holding her slim fingers on Cory’s wrist, “Home.”

Home?
“What does that mean?” I set the mug down on the nightstand with white chipping paint.

Sid’s smile didn’t reach her eyes, “You claimed her, didn’t you?” I nodded once. It was a little awkward acknowledging this. “Then your home is her home now.” I nodded once more.
My home, is her home? Okay. I can do this
, I reassured myself. And I really can. I think.

* * *

I laid Cory on my bed. This was not the image I had formulated when I thought of Cory in my bed, but she and I will get to that later. At the rate she’s healing, it will be much later, but I can wait.

She's still asleep. Sid assured me that I don’t need to push any more magic into her. Her body is healing at a steady rate. But I have Sid’s number in case Cory doesn’t wake up in another 24 hours. Sid assured me that Cory would wake up, but I’m not taking any chances.

Before I teleported Cory from Sid’s house-slash-pack-hospital she theorized that Cory’s magic must have been pretty strong if she was able to make a potion like that. I hated to agree with her, but I did. Cory was less than half a fairy and yet she cooked up two potions, that I don’t know if I would have been able to duplicate. A bonding or binding potion, whatever it was, it not an easy potion. Which is why it only is created when two fairies are going to get married – not just because you didn’t want someone to know what bloodline you’re from.

I told Sid about Cory’s bloodline, and that she was a descendant of a potions master. I didn’t know what I expected Sid to say, probably because I never confided in anyone ever before, but her response was to smile with her eyes and choke on her concealed laugh. She said I was in for a constant adventure, living with a potions master.

I would have thanked her for everything but she side tracked me when she also gave me heads up on what to expect when Cory woke up. Either she is going to be weak because her magic has been doing double time to heal, or her magic would be thick and powerful after exercising so much. And that is what started me to worry. Because when she woke up, all this was going to be real. I was going to have someone who was forever connected to me for the rest of my immortal life. If that isn’t something to knock a man down a few steps, then that man isn’t living in reality.

Cory’s scars are fading, and I hope she wakes up soon. If she knew how often I check her chest, she would probably blush.

I let the large grey shirt I magically put on her drop, covering her pale belly. She is laying on top of my bed, breathing shallowly. I’m sitting on a seat from my kitchen table I dragged in here. I am tired, but I’m not going to rest.

I have to think of some way to wake her up, so, with no other ideas, I start talking. “My father came to see me the other day. He told me that he had you and he would hurt you if I didn’t come back with him.” I ignored the twang of guilt in my chest, “I told him I didn’t care what happened to you,” I paused. The words were harder to get out than I thought. I didn’t like to explain myself ever, but I wanted to explain it to her, even if she didn’t hear me. “My father’s a sadist. I thought that if I showed how much I didn’t care, he would let you go and try something else,” I swallowed, “I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”