The Arsenic Widow #Wattys2015 (mxm)

Chapter Seven

I took some of the leaves from the Bower tree back to my room and lay them on my bed, inspecting them. What about them had gained Prince Acorn's interest in the first place? I lifted one and sniffed it, again smelling nothing. I ran the edge along my hand, hoping for it to cut but it was far too thick and blunt for that. I even went as far as to taste the leaf, wondering if it could be used in some sort of cooking but it was foul.

With an irritated noise I threw the leaf back onto the bed. What caused his mind to tick? People with intelligence always bothered me because I held none. I wasn't educated by anyone save for simple reading and writing and demon lore, but that was it. Everything else I had learnt was due to other people telling me about it. Even Par was smarter than I was!

I thought about the conversation we had had in the garden and blushed. He had said a word I'd never heard come from another person's lips.

Orgasm...

I glanced down at my own body before shaking my head and looking back up. I never had time for things like that! Why would I? If I let my guard down, even for a minute, I could die.

The scars on my back ached as if to agree with me. I had let my guard down once, and I had paid the price.

"Six?" He repeated, his eyes narrowing in thought, "A little older than I usually take, but you'll do well all the same. And with skin the colour of the night sky. It's been a long time since I've seen one as beautiful as you."

"W-what do you mean?" I took a shaky step back and his forked tongue flicked out to taste the air again.

"I would prefer you with shorter hair though," he murmured, taking a loud step forward in my direction. "It wouldn't get in the way as much. Not to worry, I'll move it myself." He seemed to move so fast that my eyes couldn't follow him.

I cried out as a hand seemed to materialise from nowhere and pushed me to the ground. I scrambled around on the dry earth; dirt getting underneath my fingernails and making them ache. Suddenly I was lifted to my knees by a strong arm around my waist, and found myself pressed against the demons. My back was to his chest, leaving me in a vulnerable position.

I went to do the weakest thing I had ever done; scream.

Before I could, his taloned hand covered my mouth and I heard him tut, "There will be none of that. You're mine now, and no one is going to stop me until I've claimed you: mind, body and soul."

His hand around my waist began to creep lower, tugging at the pants that my friend Par had given to me. He had handmade them. Considering he spent more time trying to chat up the girls of the Palace than on his actual training it was no surprise he was better at such things.

At the thought of my friend I began to struggle again, wanting to fight him off so I could make it back to my friend. He could hold me and tell me that everything was going to be alright.

The demon chuckled loudly and dragged me up by my hair, getting a strangled groan of pain from me, "I see I have to break you mentally before I can break your body. Not to worry, I don't mind which comes first."

He threw me onto the ground and straddled my back, "You're going to wish you had complied," he smirked, inspecting one of his talons before he drove it into my back. His other hand muffled my scream as he dragged it along my back, drawing blood and more strained noises. "Ready to behave?" he mocked. "Or maybe you'd prefer something different?"

He stood up and reached up into the trees, keeping one foot on my back to keep me from escaping. He tugged and pulled a vine from it, wrapping it around his wrist.