Chapter 7 Lured

• “You’ll come to me tonight.” Mathis said. Green eyes alight.
• And though I could feel I was making a grave mistake, I saw no other option. My eyes flitting sideways as I searched for a way out of what he was demanding. “And you’ll let me see her?”
• “After you’ve sated me.”
• By letting him enter me again. I understood that much.
• I swallowed. “I don’t know how.”
• “Oh, I’m an adequate instructor, My Little Spitfire.” Dark promise filled his tone.
• I stared at him in confusion. Feeling parts of my body tighten apprehensively. “Why me?”
• He’s handsome enough in this form that he could send many of the village’s girls dancing after him to follow him up into his fortress and be his lover.
• Why’d he want the one girl who wouldn’t desire him?
• “Because…” He inhaled deeply, as if drawing fresh air. “Of what you are. And what you’ll be able to offer me.”
• A toss in his sheets? Plenty of others could give him that. It doesn’t explain why he so doggedly pursues me.
• “I have nothing.”
• “Oh,” He purred. Stroking a finger along the base of my throat and down to sweep into my cleavage as far as my dark brown dress would allow. “you’ve more than enough.”
• He hooked his finger beneath my clothing and tugged enough I was forced to stand. I swayed dizzily and his arm swept my lower back to catch me and pull me to him.
• I leaned away but despite my dizzied efforts, he pressed our pelvis’ together and I could feel that familiar hardness that had so recently entered me.
• He swung me around in a circle. Lifting me off my feet with his momentum and making my brown skirt swirl out behind me. As if we were dancing in that dark forest, where the canopy was so dense it nearly blocked out the light. Making the leaves seem nearly black save for the few rare splinters of gold rays which crept between to slash down on the boiling lake.
• The one he’d bathed in before.
• Turning the circle made me press a palm to my forehead in an effort to steady the rolling of my stomach and the heaviness within my mind.
• “You enjoy this don’t you.” I accused scathingly.
• “What?” He paused to frown.
• “Having others at your mercy.”
• He gave a lopsided grin. Tilting his head dangerously. “Is it so obvious?”
• ***
• “It always was to me. You’re drunken with power.”
• His half-hearted grin turned to a full smirk. Revealing perfect white teeth. He released me abruptly to spread his arms and strut a full circle pointedly. “Power which every person in this village offers me. Who am I to toss it aside?”
• “And what do you do with it, but accuse pitiable women of witchery?”
• “I do.”
• “Why?”
• “So, I can possess them.”
• “Like you did me in your Dining Hall?”
• He pursed his lips in mock thinking and tossed his head side to side in a playful little dance. Rubbing his chin pensively. “In a sense…”
• “You’re collecting them as if to build your own brothel.”
• “Mmm.” He quirked his lips disapprovingly and narrowed his eyes at me. “It’s not as simple as that.”
• “Then what?”
• “Oh, you’ll find out, Spitfire.”
• But I don’t want to!
• “Come to me…” His head lowered and those green eyes flashed to that flinted gold. “Tonight.”
• But it wasn’t a question.
• Not really.
• “How do I know you’ll let me leave?” I asked anxiously.
• “You don’t.” He grinned again. “But I will offer you this. As wicked as I am. I do not lie. And I vow I will let you leave…In the early hours of the morning.”
• “Before mother and father awake.”
• He hesitated then quirked his lips and head in a grudging way. “I suppose I’ll release you by then. If you are a good girl.”
• ***
• Feeling dizzy again, I struggled from his grip and his arms fell and he let me go. I backed up and managed to land back on the log. Swaying and nearly falling off while he watched me impassively.
• “Think about it. When the moon is full and high, come to me.” His deep voice rumbled. “It may be the only offer you get to see her…”
• That made my gut sink and made the back of my throat twitch as though I’d wretch. Udora…
• I stared at the moist leaves along the forest floor and suddenly felt like I was one of them. Something easily crushed underfoot.
• “I…” But before I could answer him, he’d gone. I was alone in the woods. Making it seem even darker. Finally, my head had stopped swimming. I stood and began to walk the direction I thought was the way out. I’d only taken a few steps when I heard the hushed voice.
• ‘No. This way…’ It lured me to my left.
• Mathis’ voice. I didn’t move. Standing rooted where I was. Staring at where the trees tipped inward as if shielding the path which would open back out into the village square.
• I’m sure this is it.
• ‘It isn’t…’ His voice rose again. ‘Over here.’
• I turned my head and looked the way he was guiding me toward. It did seem faintly brighter. With more sunlight peering through the trees. More promise and less terrifying.
• But if he’s guiding me that way, it’s probably a trap.
• ‘Come now…’
• I could pretty much hear the laughter in his condescending voice.
• ‘I’ve told you I don’t lie. This way.’
• Chewing my lip, I was highly tempted to go the way I’d first thought.
• ‘Have a bit of faith in me, Saria…’ His voice seemed far more haunting when it was emerging from nowhere. Swirling the leaves and echoing through the trees.
• Like the voice of some vile Incubus. I’d read of such things in the books father got me of evil creatures.