"You know her," Belladonna said quietly, observing his reaction. It had almost seemed like a question but at the same time, it wasn't."I don't think so. I can't recall who that is right now, that is, if I have even met her, My Lady."Belladonna looked at him through squinted eyes. He was talking too much. That was unlike him. Something was up. Colin was quick to recollect himself though. "Thank you for delivering this, My Lady."She wanted to linger on longer and probe at her suspicion but she knew Colin. Whenever he was determined to be tight-lipped, there would be nothing to get out of him. Not even a word. She would have had more luck with Raquel. Unfortunately, she was unstable, and even now, worse. There was also the fact that Eli might return anytime soon. She wouldn't want him to find her out of the room. Her heart skipped a beat at her next thought. Hopefully, he wasn't there already. "You are welcome. Extend my greetings to Raquel when she wakes up. Tell her I wi
Belladonna had been lucky to meet the study empty but that hadn't been for long. Right after she settled into her seat to focus on the letters of complaints to get something done before Eli would come, she heard a click in the keyhole and Eli walked into the room.He stormed in, closing the door firmly behind him and shutting it. Then he settled in his seat and tossed his mask on the table. Belladonna looked up from the scroll, there was a deep, long, scratch on the mask, cutting through the iron like it was made by a low, sharp claw.She froze in her seat when she saw that blood that stained his shirt, there were small patches of it around his chest and on his sleeves. "By Ignas, what happened?!" The words had slipped through her lips when she could finally move them. "That dragon." He gritted, pushing back in his seat. "Losing its mind."She stood up from her seat and went to him."Should I get the Physician?" She wouldn't know where to go if he agreed to that, but that had bee
He moved his hand from her waist and before she could fall slightly back from the release of pressure, they were on her thighs with a firm grip, the leather feeling of his gloves on her skin a little rough.With an instinctive need to clench her thighs, she straddled him even further and let out a shaky gasp as his fingers sunk against her flesh from how tight his grip had become. Her hand slipped from his face to meet his shoulder and gripped it, just as the second one was doing to his other. His skin was warm underneath her palm and they seemed to flex under her touch.She was giving herself a lot of speech in her head to put a stop to her actions, trying hard to deny the command to rock against him and get her orgasm that her body was sending to her. "Did you see the painting?" He asked, his voice normal like they were just sitting at the opposite sides of the desk, not the position they were in right now, and having the most normal discussion and not one about her nude painting.
She nodded, her mouth too heavy to move, her chest rising and falling as the air in the room caressed it lightly.She thrust her chest forward instinctively, wanting to feel him against her but he only pulled back and moved his hand over her back, through the opening that her opened zip had now created."And this?"Rejection burnt her and her arched back straightened up."It wasn't a part of the painting," she answered trying to summon her inner strength to get up from his thighs before her brain would become clouded with lust again and finally become mush, then she would stupidly offer herself to him only to meet his rejection. His rejection wasn't really her fear right now, she was scared of being desperate and having no shame if he turned her down."Maybe we need to do another one. Another painting where you would have to pose for me to get a better inspiration." He looked straight at her and she licked her lower lip, finding her will to stand, slipping from her.His hand moved lo
Her back pressed against the table faster than she had even processed the command, and her thighs inched apart with expectation. He slipped between her legs, the fabric of his pant brushing lightly against her inner thighs while he leaned down to her, his lips brushing lightly against hers in a lingering kiss, his body hovering against her, his heat engulfing them.His hand slip down her body, resting at her core and applying a bit of pressure as he had done before. Her hands slip around him, his muscles flexing beneath her touch, as she clung to him. He attempted to pull away from her lips and pressed his lips on other parts of her body, but she wasn't satisfied yet, so she pressed her lips against his, arching her body into his as much as she could, and his hand that was in between her thighs.His hand moved up to pry her away but she took the chance and pushed herself further against him, rutting against his hardened member. Gasps. Moans. Shut eyes.Her hands slipped into his
The growl was distant but it rumbled through her, rolling together with her worry and flowing freely through her veins.After Eli had left his study, Anok had come to get her a while later, and she had left with him to her room. Anok would usually stay outside her door but for the first hour of that period, he had stayed indoors with her. Eli must have so much trust in him.The growl had been quite loud then and she had pressured Anok to tell her what was going on, her heart raced with panic at what had to say, even more by the fact that he didn't know as much as she would have expected.It was very unusual for the dragon to break her chains and even go as far as knocking down a good part of the den's gate.She had heard that the chains were enchanted. She wondered if the need for a mate had been so strong that it pushed her to snap against magic. Maybe the need to find a mate for a dragon was just so strong that it couldn't be ignored, maybe it made them twice as feral as they alre
Belladonna had never been one to fancy blood, despite how much her mother had made her accustomed to it.Perhaps that was where her hatred for the color even steamed from. Although she liked to tell herself that she hated it because it clashed with the color of her eyes and made them ache, but what if there was more? What if it reminded her of every time her mother had caused her to bleed? What if some part of her found that color repulsive because it triggered memories she would love to believe that she had overcome? What if... She had never thought about it before, but after cleaning so much blood and having the metallic smell cling to the roof of her nose and her tongue to the point that she could almost taste it, the thought was crawling all over her mind.Lady Kestra had worked smoothly and the injured victims had stopped coming in a long time ago. Anok had gone to help them, although at first he didn't want to leave her side until Lady Kestra had stepped in, and assured him
The next morning was quiet and Belladonna wished that she could rip her hair out, when she found out that she had even slept.She had not planned to do that, she had planned to wait for Eli throughout the night, watch the door with the hope that he would step in through the wooden frame that was blocking her from the rest of the hallway.She had even planned to go down to the den herself if she waited enough and he didn't come back yet. She just had to be there for her Eli. Belladonna had planned to drug Anok, and find her way to the den. She didn't know how she would do that but she was certain she would figure it out on her way. All that plan and she had fallen asleep. Asleep!It had been barely for a couple of hours but she still hated that she had slept. Now, all her plans had been halted, and being no longer sleep deprived, she could see how stupid some of them were. She was quick to step into the bathroom and refresh herself. Anok had told her that she didn't need to help
A pregnant woman's unwanted friends were swollen feet. Eli would usually help her massage them just as he was doing now. She was reading a book to him and he listened with rapt attention. His paintings adored the room, a piano at one corner, her sewing equipment at another corner with two studies joined to the room.He chuckled at something she read and she rolled her eyes. She had become quite irritable lately, little things would get on her nerves. It was just an interesting change to watch, especially because food was usually the cure, all kinds of food in their weirdest combinations. He had tried one once, it was terrible. She snapped the book shut. “By Ignas, do go on. I take back my laughter.”She seemed to have something else on her mind though. “Do you think I’m fat?”He smiled, “Like I always say, you are not fat, you are just pregnant.”“So you would want me like this?”He chuckled, the sound throaty as he buried his face into the crook of her neck. He moved quickly, she c
Eli and Belladonna had come a long way. After death pays a visit, who would expect a joining ceremony?The trail was only hours ago and everything still felt shocking to Belladonna. She was the Kore and Eli was the right-hand man to the UnderLord. She was no longer a ghost but a High Realm that could move from one realm to another, and grant to only those who deserved it a second chance at life. She was a Kore with no realm of her own but one she must build from scratch. The Fate had dissolved the Kore’s realm after they based their judgment on the previous one. Luna and Ama had promised to help her in all ways they could and Belladonna was grateful for the offer. She was more excited about her ability to move from one realm to another though. She couldn’t wait to see her sister, Arlo, and Alaris even though they might not be able to see her. As Eli had told her, the UnderLord didn’t have a right-hand man for a very long time. Many Thanatos had been trying to acquire the position.
“She passed two tests!” Ama sprung up from her seat., “There must be something—““You are not one of this council,” the Ghost High Being turned to her sharply, “so keep your voice out of the decisions.” Belladonna's eyes widened. Two tests! So Eli—- Ah by Ignas, she had been right. Where was Eli? Why hadn’t they let him come in yet?Ama smirked, “Still holding a grudge, Phosi? I see.”“Passed the two tests? It is obvious that she has failed. The rules are the rules,” The Sea High Being spoke, “she has failed. Pass the judgment, I have places to be.”Failed? Belladonna felt that painful jolt in her heart. What were they even talking about?!The hall seemed to share the same confusion as Belladonna, they whispered amongst one another. “Failed?!” Luna snapped. “How did she fail? It is not her fault that her soul didn’t align——““The rules are the rules! And you are not a part of this Council, stay out of it!” The High Being of the Sea snapped. “End this already,” he said to the Fates,
The days that followed were fast and the training was tedious, Luna helped as much as she could, probably more than any mentor ever would. Life in the Moonrealm was wonderful, but for the things that shattered her peace. After training in the Moonrealm for two moons, Luna had not-so-pleasant news for her. Eli was to undergo a test too, a single test.“He has to fight the UnderLord and defeat him.”“Who will train him?”“The UnderLord.”There was no way the UnderLord would train Eli enough to be able to defeat him. “He chose him to be his master.”Belladonna paused. Eli was definitely plotting something.“Also, the failure of one is the failure of both of you.”Belladonna blinked, the times and the trails were against them but Eli was no fool. He definitely had something planned. ——-——-[TRIAL DAY]The first thing Belladonna saw when she stepped into the hall was a woman on her knees screaming in agony, while three faceless people with the staff in their hands stood around her, the
Preparation“It is believed that holding the title of the Kore is a curse and there is a reason for that. Everyone that becomes the Kore always has a terrible end.” Luna paused as if considering her next words before she finally spoke. “Reincarnation should be beautiful, not filled with so many problems. Reincarnation and second chances, do you not think so, Belladonna?”Belladonna nodded, wanting to know about the Kore already, but instead of continuing with what she had to say, Luna drew a line in thin air, and a floating lightly illuminated map unraveled between them. There were different floating objects on the map, probably to signify places. “For your third test, you must be chosen as an apprenticeship for one of the Realm Lords.”“Chosen?”“It is quite tricky as it is your soul that chooses for you and if the Realm Lord of the one your soul along with thinks you are fit, then you will have passed the third test.”“I don’t understand. Something seems to be missing. What about t
“What?!” Belladonna yelled, grabbing Ama’s wrists tightly with rage. “How could not tell me?!”“How dare you disrespect me?!” Ama snapped her hands away from Belladonna’s grip, fury blazing in her eyes as she started getting bigger, losing the frame she had fitted herself into. Belladonna stayed firm, her anger refusing her to feel fear. How dare they drag Aniya into this? How dare they? If she had known, she wouldn't— By Ignas, she wouldn't have done this!To ruin another’s life for the sake of her happiness? Never!No.Then Ama stopped, looked at the castle, and was back to normal in a flash as if a thought had flashed into her mind to make her reconsider. “I will spare you the wrath of my mate only this once. You will not disrespect me again,” She said firmly but those were words Belladonna couldn't hear.They sounded like echoes in the background. Anger changed into fear, not for her but for Aniya.She fell to her knees and wept. “You must reverse it. Please, I am begging. Ask f
“Eli.” Tears were streaming down her face now.Finally, they could touch but this moment wouldn’t last forever, and they intended to exploit it for as long as they could.“Do you love me, Donna?” His hand cupped the side of her face.“You know I love you.” She slipped her fingers through his hair which had grown longer than she remembered. She had certainly not seen all of the real him when he possessed Jyris’ body. Now, he looked so different. “By Ignas, I do. I love you, Eli.”“And I love you too. No amount of this torture, nor of passage of time will take that away. I grant you the permission to forget me. You need not feel any guilt, it will be the best way of loving me.”Belladonna wiped her tears away. “It is ironic, you begged me to choose you in Gaya’s garden and I did not, and now that I want to choose you, you are begging not to.” The words spilled quickly out of mouth, as they tried to make the best use of their borrowed time.A glimmer of a smile snaked into his eyes. “It
The journey to Eli’s dungeon felt like a repeat of past events, it was like a flash of what had happened after the Red Moon Ritual, a reminder of the time Alaris had led her to his dungeon. She had followed Alaris with worry and love for him in her heart, then she found him in chains and finally, she left his presence betrayed, sad, and a grounded hatred for him.It felt sickening to be in this type of situation again though under different circumstances. She wished it was over, she wished she had seen him and saved him. She heard his voice before she saw him. A shout filled with agony. Her heart clenched with pain as she prepared herself to see the worst. Ama stopped walking and Belladonna who was following her did the same. Why had they stopped? She couldn’t see Eli anywhere, in fact, she could barely see her surroundings; she could still hear his voice though, and that in itself was too painful to bear. What type of torture were they putting him through? Suddenly, the growls of
The next thing Belladonna knew, her blindfold was ripped away from her and she was tossed roughly to the floor, her hands and knees bearing the brunt of the action. She expected pain but that never came. Oh, of course.The room was lit with red dim lights, however for Belladonna who had stayed in the dark for too long, the light felt blinding. The structure of the hall seemed like a throne room but it was of such an intricate design that she had no time to access it, the only thing that caught her eye was the strange, massive, dangling bed-like structure with curtains, connected with a chain to the roof of the hall; she could only assume that, it was too dark to see into the distance above. She rose to her feet and froze when she heard growls and gnashing behind her and she turned to look back, frightened. This beast, she had seen it before. Four-legged with three heads of mighty wild dogs, rough rocky skin with visible maps of the lava contained within. Vicious and ready to kill.