Shadowland

"Some choice," she muttered to herself. "How do you know all this?"

The old woman shrugged. "Since he told me I wasn't the one he wanted, I figured I'd be safe if I asked."

She nodded silently. "Which one should I take?"

Her grandmother returned to scrubbing the pans. "Not my choice to make."

She eyes the woman cautiously. "You're awfully calm about all of this."

"Crying now will get you nowhere. You have a choice to make. You can scream all you want afterwards." She glanced over at her granddaughter. "Keeping him waiting won't help your situation."

She dropped her head an inch lower. Shit, this is exactly the reaction she'd been dreading. She had been given a choice to either stay here or be dragged to whatever hell Melanthius lived in, and her grandmother was calmer than a Miss Universe judge. Go figure.

Her grandmother patted her on the shoulder. "Go on, Sabrina."

She turned, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. "Nana, I-"

The old woman spun around, wrapped her arms around her neck and pulled her close. They both broke at the same instant, letting the tears flow freely as they cried into each other's shoulders. She clung to her grandmother's flowered blouse, afraid to let go out of fear that she might never touch the fabric again.

"Whatever you choose, I will always love you. I promise," her grandmother whispered through her tears.

Moments later, after their tears were spent, they straightened and wiped their eyes, laughing bitterly. Her grandmother reached up and smoothed her hair with her warm palms, giving her a soft smile.

"Go, Sabrina." She cleared her throat. "Melanthius is waiting for you."

"What if they ask -"

The old woman shook her head. "Trust me, they know. They all know. They'll understand. Now go."

She nodded, a sad smile on her lips. She leaned down and kissed her grandmother on the cheek, leaving one last trace of herself behind. She straightened, exchanging one last smile with her grandmother - her savior, her protector - before silently making her way upstairs. Behind her, she could hear the soft sound of her grandmother crying again.

She made her way up the stairs quietly, a few tears escaping and rolling down her cheeks now and then. Her focus remained on the door the entire walk down the hall. She couldn't bear to think of her family now. She'd never make it.

She stopped just inches in front of her door, her hand trembling as she reached for the handle. She swallowed loudly. Was this really what she wanted? Was this really what she'd chosen? Did she evenhavea choice? Pushing those thoughts aside, Sabrina gripped the handle and turned the knob, shoving the door open.

Her room was silent, the air eerily still. Tiny slivers of moonlight escaped through the spaces in her blinds, giving the room a silvery glow. With one last breath, she stepped beyond the threshold and into unexplored territory.

As soon as she had stepped into her room, the door closed behind her. A sigh escaped from under the bed an instant before Melanthius began dragging himself out again.

"Good girl. You came."

She nodded, remaining silent.

Using clawed hands, he hauled himself onto the floor of her room, then straightened into the figure she knew so well. Well over six feet tall, his crimson eyes smiled at her, mirroring his sharp-toothed grin. He cocked his head, his smile fading a bit.

"You've been crying." His voice, strangely, was compassionate and worried.

She nodded again. "Just saying goodbye."

He smirked. "Ah, yes. The old crone is here, isn't she? I could smell her coming from miles away."

She looked away, taking one last deep breath before returning her gaze to him. "I'll go."

His face broke out into a fill-blown grin. "Excellent!" he took a step forward, beads of slime dripping onto the floor. "I knew I had made a fine choice when I picked you."

He stepped closer, stopping inches from her body. Icy air radiated off his flesh, chilling her skin. From this distance, she could make out tight, strong muscles hidden under his shadowy form. A well-worked abdomen and powerful pectorals caught her eye, leading her to follow the taught lines of his biceps. How could a creature this sinister be this attractive? Then again, weren't all the asshole jocks in those cheap 80's movies always good looking? A method to the madness, she supposed.

Smiling down at her, he reached out and cupped her chin with his fingers, tilting her head up to look at him. "You still owe me something, though."

She lowered her eyes, silently cursing herself.

He gave a soft laugh before releasing her chin. He stepped back to the edge of her bed, sitting down on the thick blankets. He crooked a clawed finger, beckoning her.

Hesitantly, she took a step forward, keeping her eyes focused on the floor.

"Wait."

She looked up at him, confusion in her eyes.

He smirked. "Undress. I want you naked for this, like you always were."

Mentally cursing her fate, she stripped quickly, tossing her clothes into a corner and crossing her arms over her chest. She looked up to see Melanthius grinning like a fool. He called her over again, this time allowing her to make it all the way to the bed.

"On your knees, Sabrina."

She sank to the floor, still keeping her focus on anything but what she knew she had to see.

"Good girl. You may begin."

Unable to escape her doom any longer, she flicked her eyes up to stare at his cock. Thick and long, ink black in color, it was a magnificent piece of male anatomy. Something even porn stars would kill to have. Tiny swirls of shadow curled around its length, making her stomach turn. Even after so many months of practice, and intrinsically knowing they were of no harm or hindrance to her, she always had a hard time starting with those damn shadows wrapping around his cock. To her, they were the ultimate distraction.

"Sabrina?"

Tentatively, she leaned closer, barely an inch away from his cock. Surrendering to his command, she closed her eyes and let her instincts take over. She'd practiced this exact skill for months, perfecting it only days before she'd left. Eyes closed, slow breathing, gentle strokes at first. This was nothing new; if anything, this was her forte.

She closed the last inch of space between their bodies, her eyes sealed shut and her breathing shallow. Without allowing herself to think, she flicked out her tongue, running it along the slick skin of his shaft. Sweet, with the slightest flavor of salt - just like she remembered. His cock twitched at the contact, startling her for an instant and knocking her off her game.

"Oh, come on, Sabrina. You can do better than that."

She mentally shook herself, regaining control of her nerves and closing her eyes again. This time, with renewed effort, she dolled out stronger licks. Silently, never daring to let him see, she reveled in the taste of his flesh. It had been so long since she'd last sucked him off that honestly, she'd begun to miss it. Of all the skills he'd taught her, this was by far her favorite.

She heard his soft groan as she ran the tip of her tongue around in a circle along tip of his shaft. It was always his favorite, too. Even as an eighteen-year-old first-timer, he would rave about her expertise with her tongue. After the trap he'd pulled on her in the hallway, it was a skill she planned to use to her full advantage. Rendering him immobile was the perfect way to make him pay.

Sucking in a deep breath, she leaned forward at took the head of his cock in her mouth. Being careful not to bite him, she gently scraped the sensitive flesh with her teeth, soothing the irritation with soft licks from her tongue. She felt his body jerk, heard his soft moan as she teased him. His slip of control spurred her on, coaxing her to slip and inch lower. Another inch lower, then another, all the while teasing him with her teeth and tongue.

Finally, after several prolonged minutes of endless teasing, she let her control go completely and sank down to his balls, taking his entire cock into her throat. Along with her tongue teasing, deep-throating had been her specialty. According to his own testimony, she could suck better than any porn star. Of all the encouraging statements he'd ever made to her, that one made her the proudest.

He burst out laughing, barely able to contain his joy. "Yes! That's my girl! That's the enthusiasm I remember so well!" He laced his fingers into her hair, pushing her head down gently. "There we go. That's it. You remember this, don't you? How much you loved to practice on me. Oh, yes. Youlivedto hear me roar. You always told me how much you loved my taste. Take it all, Sabrina. It's yours."

Closing her eyes, she sucked his cock harder, dragging a desperate groan from his throat. She never changed her speed, keeping her movements at a languid pace. The slowness allowed her better control of her tongue, letting her tease him endlessly despite to lack of speed. Melanthius gave no argument; instead, he twisted his claws tighter into her hair and spouted of a litany of ancient, unrecognizable curses.

She smiled around his cock, her body falling back into the motions she'd perfected. She finally admitted to herself that she missed this, missed him. She loved the feel of his body, the taste of his flesh, the feeling that she could tell him anything and he would never judge her. She could easily go with him, spend the rest of her immortal life with him birthing his children and rolling around in his bed. Yes, that was something she could do.

He climaxed while she was still lost in thought, his cry of ecstasy taking her by surprise. His cock twitched in her mouth, warm jets of cum bursting into her mouth. Sweeter that honey, she drank down each drop he gave her, loving the flavor she'd been missing for so long. She pulled away from him, letting his cock slide from her mouth and began to lick him clean. She thought it best to end her last night here on a high note, so she tenderly teased him as he came down from his climax, hoping that small act would stir up some kind of empathy from him.

He chuckled as he relaxed into her bed. "Now thatwas a blowjob. Oh, how I have missed that tongue of yours." He grinned down at her. "You can stop, Sabrina."

With one last lick, she pulled away and sat back onto the floor, running her tongue along her lips to collect any last drops of his seed. She looked up at him doe-eyed, uncertainty coiling in her gut.

He reached out, cupping her face with in one hands and stroking his clawed thumb along her cheekbone. "You will come, then?"

She nodded, unconsciously leaning her cheek into his palm.

He smirked at her. "But?"

She swallowed, still staring at him. "I don't know where we're going."

He threw his head back and laughed. "My dear, I will take you to a place filled with honeyed rivers and candied trees. Every type of delight awaits you in my home. You can swing from the stars or run barefoot through the mountains and never have to worry about you useless job or nagging mother again." He gave her a devilish wink. "Believe me, it's a thousand times better than this world."

She cocked her head, confused. "But you live in shadow."

His smile was wickedly sweet. "Ah, but shadows are different things to different people. Some see them as nightmare come to life. Others find solace in their presence. And still others see them as playthings. My world, my realm, is of delight, Sabrina. The light hidden within the darkness. That is where we will go."

She smiled at him. "You're not lying, are you?"

He caressed her cheek. "No, Sabrina. I have no reason to lie toyou. You've been so good, so patient, so willing. I have no desire to deceive you. What I tell you now is the honest truth. I will take care of you and love you like no mortal creature ever could. It will be you and I, surrounded by luxuries you could only dream of. "

She smiled wider, joy and hop filling her heart.

"You will never need to worry about love or commitment again. You are the only woman that I want, Sabrina. No other woman could ever take your place in my black heart." He pressed his free hand to his chest. "You are all I need, and I will give you everything you could ever desire."

He let his hand slip from her cheek as he stood up from the bed, standing just an inch from her. Strands of shadow seeped out from under her bed, curling up and around his feet. They gently caressed and pulled at his skin, begging him to return to their world.

He ignored them, instead continuing to smile at her. He held out a clawed hand to her. "All of this I will give to you if you come with me."

She smiled slightly, reaching out her hand. She paused for an instant, her hand hovering an inch from his own. This was what she had always wanted, always needed. Someone to love and care for her, someone she could spend eternity with and never have to worry about being forgotten and left behind. Running her decision through her mind one last time, she closed the distance between their hands, gently placing her fingers in his cool palm.

He grinned, clawed fingers closing securely around her hand. Below, his body began to disappear under the bed, gently pulled back into his world by the threads of shadow he commanded. Inch by inch, he was pulled under, slowly sinking into the darkness. She watched his torso slip into the blackness, his crimson eyes smiling up at her.

"Come, Sabrina. Let us go home."

His head had disappeared now, his arm slowly being pulled under, taking her with it. Taking one final breath from her world, she let go of all resistance and allowed herself to be dragged into the world beneath her bed.

She was hauled into a world of inky blackness, all encompassing and frightening. Only Melanthius' clawed hand, still locked to her own, gave her any sense of relief. He pulled her along, his hand growing warmer the father they went. She could see in the darkness ahead a small pinprick of light. The dot grew larger as she traveled closer, revealing splotches of color and soft, melodic sounds. With one last tug, Melanthius pulled her through the glowing circle of light and into his realm.

The only problem was that hehadlied to her. His world was nothing like he had described - it was far better.