The Toll (44 page)

“
Yer tits’ll just do it
again.” Pressing us closer, he grunted as his cock nestled up to my
ass, settling along the seam. Enfolding me in his big, strong arms,
I let him press me farther against him. He felt safe.

And then it sank in. “My tits will...
what? My tits?! Oh, for the- You! Ugh! Let me go!” Kicking out, I
slapped behind me, relishing every grunt and growl he let loose
before he finally let go.

Swimming towards shore, I ignored his
bellowed laughter.

“
I’m sorry. Canna help it.”
There was a chortle in his voice that both shocked and relieved me,
sending a wave of warmth straight to my belly, and ire to my eyes.
He had a lovely laugh that warmed me to my toes,
but what a jerk!

I really would never understand him—I
wouldn’t—or our odd bond.

“
Ye were an easy pick.
I’m... I’m... I’m sorry. It’s just... An’ ye had me worried there,
but then ye were good, an’ me bleedin’ dick was about to
burst...
Aw, nugget.
Come back. Willna be doin’ it again. Troll’s
honor.”

“
Honor? Hah! What honor?
You have none! Besides... you aren’t a troll, you’re an
Ornthren.”

“
I do... somewhere. Sure of
it.” At the look on his stupid face, I flushed hard. “Know I do.
An’ I’ll go an’ find it, by the boatloads, luv, just for
you.”

“
Yeah? Well, take your
honor and shove it up your bum, you horrible, horribly mean...
troll booger! And go pick on yourself! And, you know what? You know
what else you can do? You can do
that,
and you know what I mean, to
yourself! From now on, uhm, forever!”

“
Ye mean fuckin? Nah. Only
fun when there’s two.”

“
Use two hands, then!”
Hunching down when I found a bush to duck behind, I tried to make
myself as invisible as possible.

“
Dinna be sore wit’ me,
wench. Was only teasin’. Just glad ye dinna want ta attack me like
a beast in heat no more.”

“
It wasn’t funny, you
ungrateful ingrate! And neither was that! And I am
not
a beast! You are,
you mean bastard! Furthermore, you should be glad I’d, uh, wanted
to, at all!”

“
A right beast, ye were.”
Something in his voice told me he might have liked it, but I
brushed the thought aside. “Wasna yer fault,” he continued, “was
the Lady playin’ games, I’m thinkin’.” A dangerous growl had
started to seep into his tone as he finished, the hairs on my nape
creeping up.

“
The Lady?” Poking my head
around my hiding spot, I glared at him but asked anyways, “The Lady
of the Lake? You mean your mother?”

Face darkening as he stared off into
the distance, all traces of the humor from just moments ago
vanishing rapidly, he muttered, “Bearer. No’ a mother ta
me.”

“
She tricked me?” Brow
furrowed, I shifted a little farther out, exposing a naked shoulder
and most of my arm.

“
Tricked
us
,” Troll’s deep voice
snarled.

Eyeing him uncertainly, I slowly
slipped from the cover of the large, rounded, leafy bush I’d
commandeered for temporary shelter. “How? Tricked us
how?”

“
This whole fuckin’ thing,
nugget, I’d wager, is her doin’. Never could stay the fuck outta
where she dinna damned belong.” His face mottled a deep grey, eyes
blazing orange fire.

Like tiny little puzzle pieces, it was
all starting to come together, one bit at a time.

“
I meant no harm,” a quiet,
softly spoken, subdued voice murmured from off to my
side.

Yelping, startled, I scurried back to
my bush. “Oh, my god, it’s really her!” The words were out of my
mouth before I’d even given it any thought, fingers pointing to her
frantically from across the clearing.

“
Finally decided ta join
us,” Troll snapped.

Niniane flinched at the rebuke, her
lithe steps faltering slightly at the sight of her offspring’s
teeth baring, lip curling sneer. “I only meant to help.” Eyes
scanning between us, she cocked her head thoughtfully, as if
listening to something only she could hear. Eventually, her clouded
eyes cleared and her gaze returned back to her son.

“
Ye’re meddlin’,” he
snapped, before she could say anything. Lifting his arm up and out,
it arced through the air, a wave of magic trailing in its wake as
his runes lit up. “It ends now. Ye canna still be thinkin’ ta can
fix yer get, turnin’ ‘em all into little princes, eh? Foolish, an’
ye know it. A curse been born, is a curse borne well. Willna be
changin’ the skin we’re in. Ye filled Dubhglass’s head with the
lot. He couldna handle it when the truth was finally told. Couldna
get his fat head outta the clouds, an’ now look where he be? Make
ye happy, to tease an’ torment yer get so?” Gesturing at me, his
vision darkened, blue sparks shooting out of his eyes. “Cursed her
too, ye know, tanglin’ her up wit’ me. She be tied ta me
now.”

Wringing her hands in her long,
flowing dress, shimmering in various shades of blue, the wave-like
layers draped around her waist swirled around her like the water
lapping along the lake edge. She hadn’t aged one bit, just as
youthful and beautiful as I’d seen in my.... well, my vision,
dream, whatever it was I was having, am still having.

“
She could love you,”
Niniane stated quietly, her voice rising as she stepped farther
into the clearing. “You could find happiness with her.” Hands
stretched out pleadingly, they shook as she entreated Troll. “I
only wished you peace.” Pulling her hands back when a hiss slipped
past his full, angry lips, her eyes could no longer quite meet his
gaze. When a heavy silence fell over them, she looked about to
retreat.

“
An’ what ‘o’ her?” Troll
rumbled quietly, the tension riding him pulling his shoulders so
tight his neck nearly doubled in size. “Where was yer concern
fer
her
in all
‘o’ this? She was handed over to a troll.” His hand stabbed towards
me, eyes never leaving the woman who had given him life. “Where was
yer concern fer her, while ye were puttin’ all ‘o’ this inta
motion, hmm? I be an Ornthren, we trust no other. Ye know this, tis
how it goes, an’ still, ye put her in me path? Do ye care so little
fer man? Has yer years birthin’ cursed little beasts ta roam this
plane taught ye nothin’? Have ye truly learned nothin’?”

A bad feeling, deep in my bones, was
riding me hard as my eyes darted between them.

“
Where was yer worry, then,
fer her, Niniane? Not me,
her.
When she was forced inta bondin’ wit’ me an’ you
just sat by. When she was attacked by that sick fuck of an excuse
fer a male, an’ ye just sat idly by on yer skinny little
waterlogged arse, where was yer worry? Yer concern! She’s fragile!
A human! Mortal!”

“
Was mortal. Was human,”
she whispered softly, eyes growing wide as they slid to my ashen
face when Troll roared at her correction.

“
Given her a fate worse
than death! She be tied ta me!
Tethered!
Forever! Imprisoned her,
ye did! Ruined her life! Ye’re no better than those stick thin,
babbling hags that brought us ta this!”

“
You love her.” It wasn’t a
question. Lips tremulous, Niniane smiled slightly, soft blue eyes
filling with unshed tears.

“
Be fixin’ this, ye will,”
he warned. “Dinna be thinkin’ I wouldna notice ye doused her up
wit’ somethin’ before ye cooked up all this dream bullshit, either.
Took me a while, but I could smell it on her.”

“
I can’t.”

“
Yes, ye can.” Holding out
his hand, Troll curled his fingers, motioning for her to step
closer.

When only a few feet separated them,
he jerked his chin. “Know ye can, and ye will. If no’, I
will.”

“
You cannot. You...” Her
words faltered when her eyes widened. “Gersthart... you wouldn’t.”
Shaking her head, the tears she’d barely held back slipped free,
silently slipping down her eyes, staining her dress cerulean where
ever they landed, plopping in fat, ink filled drops as she stifled
a sob.

Blazing eyes drifting towards me, they
slipped back to orange as they burned into mine. “Aye. For her... I
would.”

I could feel the heat of his gaze,
along with those words, soaking into my skin. Eyes meeting his
evenly, mine burned just as bright. Staring at each other, gazes
locked, a thousand thoughts and emotions rushed through me as they
ran through him, so clearly conveyed as he let me see, finally let
me in. I basked in it.

Eyes slowly drifting back to his
mother, the connection between us still alive and humming, crackled
in the air. “Ye’re done, Niniane. Dragged too many inta it as it is
on yer curse. No need ta punish anymore innocents. Fates fucked up,
obviously, an’ yer punishment was all for naught.”

“
But, Gersthart, heart... I
cannot-”

“
Lies! No more
lies!”

Reeling back, she stared at him hard
before slowly shaking her head.

“
Ye’ll do this. Ye’ll do
this one thing for me.”

Voice hollow, her eyes reluctantly
drifted towards me before she murmured, “I cannot.”

“
A rune? A spell? An
enchantment? Ye mean ta tell me there’s nothin’ in yer bag of black
tricks ta be gotten?”

“
No,” The Lady of the Lake
shook her head, “I-I cannot, as I’ve said.”

“
Canna or willna?” he
gritted out.

Face drawn and full of sadness, she
shook her head slowly, ruffling the blonde halo of hair rustling
around her head. “Cannot.”

“
Then be gone, an’ cease
yer meddlin’. As I’ve said before, an’ I’ll say it again, I’ve no
use fer ye.” When she didn’t respond, he snarled. “Swear it. Swear
it now.”

“
I will,” she croaked out,
bursting into tears, “I will.” As I watched, she pulled out a small
object, squeezing it in her palm. Chanting to herself quietly, her
hands glowed and her hair flew, flapping about her wildly as her
voice quietly rose and fell.

“
Leave us,” he muttered
dismissively, turning his back on her as his focus turned solely on
me. “Time ta end this. Need ta be wakin’ up now,
nugget.”

Swirling, the tears staining her dress
lifted, encircling her, growing as the hem of her dress too, turned
liquid.

‘
Forgive me’, she mouthed,
blue eyes glowing. Whirling in mist, she seemed to disintegrate
right before my eyes, evaporating into a fine blue mist, suspended
in the air before it disappeared completely. The last to go out was
the object she’d held, silver and bright, a shining oval rimmed in
blue, gone with a crackle of glittering sparks and bursting
magic.

“
Nugget.”

Glancing up and around, staring after
Niniane’s mystifying exit, my gaze drifted back to Troll’s as my
hands came up slowly. “Can’t, and even if I could, I won’t. I’ll
wake up when I’m ready, and not a moment sooner. We need to have
that talk first, remember?”

“
No.” Face hard and
impassive, unreadable, he shook his head. “No, nugget. Tis done. We
end this now.”

Pressing further, I cleared
my throat, effectively catching his attention. “End it?” I didn’t
like the sound of that.
End it.
It made one think ‘permanent’, done.
“Explain.”

“
No.”

“
Yes.”

Runes flaring up, the water started
churning again, bubbling and roiling all around him.

“
Troll?” Concerned, I
crawled forward, his emotions emanating from him so strong and raw,
fresh and crisp, oozing like an open wound, they pulled at
me.

I
had
to move toward him. It wasn’t
just that I could sense them, his feelings—anger, pain, loss,
resignation—I could almost taste them, feel them as if they were my
own. We were so intertwined at times, I really felt as if we were
one.

“
Gersthart.”
Voice gone animalistic and guttural, his normally
vibrant, swirling eyes gone onyx again, I took a huge step back and
away from him. “Wouldna be doin’ that, nugget.” Chest heaving, his
muscles bunched, swelling, and my mouth rounded in a small little
‘o’. “Not in the right frame at the moment, he gritted out. “Might
give chase.”

Freezing on the spot, I ducked and
tucked my legs up underneath me, eyeing him cautiously. Peeking up
at him, I told him quietly, “You wouldn’t hurt me.”

“
Aye, never.” After a
moment his eyes started to slowly shift back, his normal bright
orange slowly bleeding through, but as they drifted down my naked
form, they dove straight back to black. “Not on purpose, anyway. Ye
know that, do ye not, luv?”

My chest tightened at the look on his
face, heart hurting at the lost, inconsolable look in his
eyes.

“
Tro- Gersthart...
I-“

“
Guess I’m owin’ more than
a few apologies to ye before all this is sorted out,” he murmured
quietly, voice more rough and tortured than it could ever possibly
be, “but, considerin’ the damage that’s been done, that I’ve done,
I’m thinkin’ it might take a while.”