Light and Dark Ch. 03

"Your vows mean nothing!" Lien hisses, his whole body tensing in anger. "You are under no obligation to follow your spoken truths."

Before I can blink, Ash is several paces closer to us, his face only a few feet from Lien's. His eyes are so black it looks like he doesn't have irises, reminding me of a jungle cat in the dark. Faintly, in the distance, I think I can hear sirens. The tension in the air is so thick it becomes hard to breathe.

"Does your queen know that you are here, Lien?" Ash's eyes glitter in the darkness.

I glance up at Lien. He doesn't reply, setting his mouth in a grimace that looks unnatural on his face.

"I thought not," continues Ash, beginning to circle us slowly once again. "What would she think of you exposing her like that? Of showing off your concern for this girl? Did you suppose that you were being discrete?" A corner of Ash's mouth lifts in the tiniest of smiles. "Of course, you didn't. All of your kind are idiots- no nuance, no delicacy, no planning, just pure, righteous, idiotic action. Right, Lien?"

Lien's lips are white as his eyes narrow into a laser point gaze, his whole being trembling with rage. "We do not devolve to trickery, or stoop to political machinations. I know that I am duty-bound to protect this girl, and that knowledge guides my actions. Other considerations would taint my purpose."

"Maybe you could consider my opinion?" My small voice pipes up without my conscious permission, and I half to bite my own lip to shut up.

Both sets of eyes land on me, looking vaguely surprised, as if they had both forgotten that I was even there. I lock eyes with Ash. His dark eyes and dangerous expression chills me somewhere deep inside, in a primal place that whispers run. I can feel the threat in the air all around him, in his black eyes, in the posturing of his body. He smiles at me, but not in a reassuring way. He looks like he can sense my fear, and he is enjoying it.

Lien clears his throat, sounding uncomfortable. We both look at him, and the smile drops from Ash's face. "The Lady has a point," Lien announces, surprising me. "We should take her opinion into consideration."

Ash's eyes brighten. "Excellent idea. I agree. Shall we go, Iris?" He extends a hand out to me, looking triumphant.

I begin to move towards Ash's proffered hand, but Lien's grip tightens on my forearm. I look back at him, trying to wrestle my arm from his iron grip. "But you said!" I cry petulantly, like a child.

Lien looks at me with a cool expression, his extreme frustration simmering just below the surface of his beautiful face. "Know this, my lady. If you go with him, he may kill you...or," he pauses, his frosty blue eyes sweeping up and down my frame, chilling me. "I cannot guarantee your safety if you go with him," he continues, "but if you stay with me, I promise that no harm will come to you, body or soul." His eyes blaze with conviction.

The craziness of this situation does not escape me. I had thought that Ash was here to rescue me, but he seems to be dialed in to whatever dungeons and dragons insanity this guy has going on. Even more bizarrely, I find myself putting just a little bit of stock into how real their conversation has begun to feel. I shake my head a little, trying to get some clarity back.

I know Ash, even if only a little. I don't know this man at all. Yesterday, Ash behaved normally towards me, even if he was a little too sexually aggressive. Lien, on the other hand, has been focused on his goal of abduction since the moment he laid eyes on me.

I step forward, and Lien looks pained, his eyes begging me to reconsider. Ash simply stands patiently, a whisper of a dark smile on his lips. Lien's hand slips from my arm, and I cross the empty expanse between them, coming to stand next to Ash. I jump in my skin a little as he quickly slips an arm around my waist possessively. I try to step away a little, but he only tightens my side against his. The heat of his body against mine almost burns my skin, icy-hot from the contact. Adrenaline floods my system as his dark gaze sweeps over me, assessing.

His eyes flick back towards Lien, whose whole body is tightened in anger. "Goodbye, Lien," Ash says simply, turning us both around before picking up a quick pace.

"Don't look back at him," Ash's hot breath tickles my ear as he whispers, and I shudder.

We stop in front of a silver car, and I think that I must be in shock because I don't remember walking here. "Get in." Ash opens the passenger side door, his voice brooking no argument as he puts a gentle pressure on my shoulder.

I slide into the cool exterior, my brain still in stall mode as Ash appears in the driver's seat, closing his door with a soft, expensive click. The car purrs to life. I hear the sound of my own harsh breathing as the lights of the city flash by.

I don't know when the car stopped, but I can feel Ash's hand on my back, pushing my head towards my knees. "Iris, breathe. You are having a panic attack." His voice is calm and rich, and his strong hands rub circles into my back as I pant. His strong hands comfort me, and eventually I am able to breathe.

"What was that all about?" I finally gasp, clutching at my knees.

"Two men fighting over a beautiful girl," he replies evenly, and I can hear the amusement in his voice.

My breathing starts to become more regular, and I sneak a peak at him. Bad decision. His eyes are still unnaturally black, his whole body powerfully radiating cold heat and energy. I roll my shoulder blades, trying to displace the hand that is sending tiny electric pulses into the skin of my back.

"Don't play with me. You two are involved in some kind of weird shit." I'm surprised by how angry I sound. "Queens and your kind and my kind and all that. Are you guys in some kind of cult?" I stare him down, refusing to look away from his unnatural gaze.

"You could say that." He quirks his head to the side, as if I were an interesting exhibit at a zoo.

"Whatever. I don't give a fuck. You and that guy don't come near me again, or I call the police." I clear my throat, sitting up. "Are we clear?"

Before I can exhale from my little speech, Ash and I are nose to nose. My hackles immediately rise, every hair on my body standing up as his intense, frightening energy presses against me. He reaches up with one hand, his thumb and finger sliding against the side of my neck, just shy of a choke hold.

Ice-cold fear pours into my veins as I remember what Lien had said: He might kill you. I stare at him with wide eyes, my breathing going shallow as he holds preternaturally still against me, his hard expression and cold, feather-light grip pinning me to my seat. Inappropriately, I realize how delicious he smells when I'm this close to him.

"I think you need to understand a few things about me, Iris." His voice is silken, and his thumb slides threateningly against my pulse point. "I made a concession for you yesterday, when you asked me not to fuck you." He pauses, his eyes sliding down towards my chest, which is rapidly rising and falling, before returning to my frightened face. "I have never taken requests in my lifetime, and certainly not from a small, fragile little girl. I am the one that makes the decisions. I decide whether or not I come near you." To prove his point, his face draws closer to mine, and I try to shrink back into my seat, but I have no where else to go. Adrenaline rushes through my entire body as he kisses the skin just below my ear. I feel the tip of his nose slide against my neck, along my pulsepoint.

He inhales deeply, and then moves back to my ear. "I decide when, where, and how to touch you. I decide, not you. " His cool breath tickles my skin, and I shudder. "Do you understand?"

Fuck no, I think. "Yes," I breathe, absolutely terrified.

"Good," He almost purrs the word, and warmth mixes with my terror. How could I be even a little turned on right now? What is wrong with me?

"You are going to step out of the car, and you are going to take me up to your apartment. If you scream, or run, I will catch you, and you won't like what I will do to you." He pauses, gauging my reaction. "Do you understand that you won't be able to outrun me, Iris?"

I don't even think twice about that question- Ash seems more animal than human tonight. I somehow know, deep in my bones, that he can follow through on all of his threats. I suspect he would enjoy it. "I understand," I reply quietly. In some other compartment of my brain, I realize that my voice has an edge of hysteria. How long can I keep it together?

His eyes soften. "If you're a good girl, I may have more of a mind to make more concessions. This evening doesn't have to be unpleasant for you." I shiver, so horrified I'm unable to process it. Numbly, I hear him exit the vehicle. Then the passenger side door opens, and Ash is holding his hand out to me. What a gentleman, I think. With jerky, stiff movements I get up, ignoring his hand. Am I really going to lead my would be rapist or killer without a fuss into my own apartment? Why didn't I listen to that other maniac- Lien?

Ash takes my hand anyway, and I flinch. He takes us to the stairs up to the main door and floats up them with powerful grace as I stumble behind him. Just my luck, the inner hallway is deserted. We continue up two, then three flights of stairs before we arrive at my door. I don't ask him how he knows where I live. With a trembling hand, I fish out my keys. He takes them from me gently after watching me struggle to slide the key into the lock. "Almost there," he hums quietly, as if trying to comfort me. The door swings open, and we step inside. He closes it and locks it behind us, sealing my fate with one final click.

The rain patters gently against the windows, but otherwise, the building is hushed. The silence makes me feel more alone. I will have to endure whatever he has planned for me.

I feel Ash's presence behind me, a feeling I am becoming accustomed to. He rolls his shoulders and moves with graceful fluidity as he steps further into my apartment, his eyes assessing. The furniture is shabby, and most of the surfaces are covered with books, paper, and other clutter. Small paper lanterns make the space feel warm and cozy. He seems amused.

"This is where you live?"

I cross my arms over my chest. "Not up to your standards? What are you, some mogul's son?" I take a harder look at him, noticing his expensive looking dark wash jeans and high quality shirt. I cannot believe that I am trying to give my frightening jailor attitude right now.

His grin widens, tiger-like. "No, Iris, I am not the sun of a mogul. And I think this place suits my intentions just fine."

I narrow my eyes at him. "What are your intentions?"

He hums thoughtfully as he moves languidly over to me. "To be a little rebellious," he murmurs finally, tucking a wet lock of hair behind my ear, his fingers ghosting over my cheek. Every cell in my body goes into high-alert, the barely suppressed hysteria threatening to surface.

"You don't seem like you're the type to follow the rules," I reply sarcastically, short of breath from my fear. Again, I am shocked at my own nerve.

His eyes are both darkened and mirthful. "No, I'm certainly not. But I'm breaking the rules now. Big-time." One of his hands comes to rest on my hip, pulling me into him. He meant what he said earlier- he respects no boundaries. He touches me like I am his to touch, his hand burning a possessive brand into my skin. I suddenly wonder what it would be like to be really with him- if he wasn't forcing me- to feel his hot skin against mine.

"You said you would make a concession," I say finally, my voice trembling.

His pupils, which I now notice are actually flecked with silver, are dilated, and his body radiates power against mine. He draws a finger down my neck, and it feels like a line of electric heat. "That's right, I did. I suppose you were a good girl."

I shiver, breathing in his hot, sharp scent as he draws even closer. "Well?" He murmurs. "What is your request?"

"Please," I burst, "don't hurt me." I realize that my whole body is shaking.

He smooths his hands over my shoulders and down my arms, taking both of my hands in his. "Alright," he replies, the timbre of his voice deep, "I promise that I won't harm you tonight."

He looks at me sincerely, but not without a trace of humor. His dark eyes have mine captured, making heat pool low in my belly, signaling very clearly what he would like to do to me tonight. His thumbs caress the backs of my hands in a soothing motion, belaying the dark implications I hear in his promise: he won't harm me tonight, but he's not promising he won't on another night. I suddenly feel like I made the genie in the bottle the wrong wish. I should have said, don't hurt me ever.

I'm distracted by the feeling of Ash's soft, hot lips suddenly pressing gently against mine. I stiffen, holding perfectly still as his lips move sensuously against my own, tempting me to lean in and kiss him back. I breathe in the sharp, earthy, almost electric smell of him, and a small moan escapes me. I feel Ash smile against my lips in answer, and humiliation combines with my lust. He makes my body betray me.

I pull back, trying to steal myself against the temptation he offers. "You said you wouldn't hurt me," I complain, trying to hold my ground.

He regards me steadily, quirking an eyebrow. "Was I hurting you just then?"

I cast my eyes down, pursing my lips in frustration.

"No?"

Sullenly, I shake my head. "But I don't want that either." I look up at him pleadingly. I don't want him to force unwanted arousal on me; to feel desire for the same person that is trespassing against me.

"You used up your one request, Iris," he replies quietly, leaning towards me to plant feather-light kisses down the side of my face, ignoring me when I try to turn my face away. "I can't leave you in this apartment alone, because it's dangerous, but I don't do anything for free," he continues, kissing along my neck, getting dangerously close to my chest. "Enduring my touch is the price I'm asking for."

My breathing is shallow, and I struggle to keep my head clear. "Protect me?" I finally echo, thrown for a loop. "From what? Why is it that suddenly everyone thinks I need protection?"

He draws back, but only just barely, his breath ghosting over my cheek. "You are very tempting," he husks. "But you might tempt some in the wrong way. You don't know what you are."

Irrationally, something tells me that what he's telling me is true. Even though consciously I know that it sounds like a bogus excuse, I feel something inside me nodding, telling me to listen to something that sounds crazy. I've always had a knack for that- sensing when people are telling the truth.

"What am I?" My voice trembles as he runs the pad of his thumb over my lower lip.

He smiles in this way that makes every inch of my body ache for his touch. "Beautiful," he finally answers me, capturing my lips for another kiss.

I don't pull away from him. Somehow, somewhere along the line, that little voice inside me that can recognize the truth has been insisting on something that I didn't want to believe.

I don't think Ash is human.