A Tale of Revenge Ch. 07

Anna tried to clear her mind with her anger, recalling with perfect clarity the feeling of nails sinking into the flesh of her back. "You can't seriously claim to consider my body as anything more than a scratch post for your friends."

Leonid's hand stilled, she felt a shudder go through his body as if he had felt those phantom nails in his own flesh. His face came back into view in front of her. His fury was more violent now and it seemed to crackle the air around him. Anna felt the prickly feeling over her skin, like tiny bolts of lightning. Why was she intent on baiting him constantly? Why could she not learn her lesson that he had all of the power and she was meant to submit and stay silent? He would take her for certain now. She had proven herself unsubdued too many times.

Suddenly his mouth descended on hers with a ferocity she hadn't known he possessed. The arm that wasn't restraining her wrists went to her bottom and hauled her legs up around him as he ground into her. Anna yielded to him, softening under the assault, her fear finally overcoming her stubbornness. She had never felt this urgency from him either. He was always so tightly controlled. Would he take her now? Claim her as she had been waiting for him to do for more than a month now? Her stomach twisted in fear at the thought while her dripping sex ached for it.

Leonid released her hands and grasped the base of her skull again, tilting her further towards him, deepening the kiss. Anna's hands went around his shoulders, touching him for the first time. She slid her fingers into his hair that flowed over her skin like water. Even his skin felt different, smooth and harder than her own. She felt him moan deep in his chest as she made contact. The press of their bodies was more promising than frightening and she felt her fear retreat. But she proved to be mistaken.

The prickling sensation intensified and Anna began to feel light headed. The sensation of his mouth on hers was quickly becoming overpowering as she struggled to draw breath. She felt a strange pressure over her skin, as if the air was pressing in on her from all sides. She tried to struggle against his body, to gain a modicum of space to catch her breath but she found she could barely move as the air squeezed in around her. Her eyes opened to darkness unlike anything she'd ever known. It seemed at once infinite and oppressively close, as if it had slid over her eyes in place of eyelids.

She tried to move again, frantic to pull away, but his body was still there, unseen and holding her against him. Terror gripped her. Was this the end? Would he take her so precipitously without allowing her a moment to say goodbye? She tried to fight again, screaming in her mind for him to release her.

Then the darkness was pulling back, Leonid's body was gone from hers though she still felt his hands on her upper arm in a vice-like grip. Her sight cleared and she could finally see Leonid standing before her. His eyes were shut and it seemed as though the darkness was being pulled back into his body. The black cloud hovered a moment more, reaching out towards her, and then it disappeared into him.

Anna finally managed to draw a desperate breath. She continued gasping deeply, feeling terribly light headed and nauseous. She tried to focus on Leonid's face but her eyes were not cooperating. Something deep inside of her still felt heavy; her terror could not simply be purged as the danger seemed to pass. She closed her eyes again, trying to steady her breathing before she fainted.

"That was not my intention," Leonid's voice sounded far away. She didn't trust herself to open her eyes without vomiting so she kept them closed, her breath still coming in heavy pants. "I have lingered too long here. Imonesh is occupied for now but she must not learn that you are tied to me." He loosened his grip on her arms and she immediately started sliding towards the ground with a groan.

Leonid caught her and lowered her to the ground, holding her behind her shoulders with one arm, the other one going to her chest, directly above her still hammering heart. "Anna, open your eyes. We don't have much time." She opened her eyes slowly, fighting of the nausea that threatened to overtake her. Her eyes finally focused on his face and she tried to understand what it was she was seeing. Did he look sad?

"Anna, listen carefully. I cannot appear here unnoticed by Imonesh and if she learns that you are a human soul in my service she will attempt to sever that link in any way she can." He shook her body slightly as her eyes started to close. Her mind was still painfully present but she was having trouble focusing on anything.

"I'm here," she croaked, struggling to sit up. "I just feel sick." He helped her to sit and she put her pounding head in her hands. His hand smoothed up her back in a soothing gesture. Anna was confused and still dizzy. She couldn't begin to unpack the creature who now comforted her with her furious owner and powerful god. She groaned as a fresh wave of nausea rolled through her.

"If it becomes known that you are using powers I gave you to damage Imonesh's proxies then it may end badly for me as well. You must not mention my name or make any allusion to our connection. Anna," he paused, drawing her face into his hands, asking her silently to look at him. His hands were hard and cool against her heated skin. She complied, tamping down her fear to open her eyes. "I am trusting you with this. I will not bind you with magic."

Anna finally locked her eyes on his as he spoke. Something told her to pay attention to him as he was now. He was trusting her. This act felt very significant. For the first time in her waking life she felt like he was leveling the pitch slightly, allowing her some power over him. Why would he do that?

"I did not intend for the events of last night, or today. My quarrel with Imonesh goes back very far and I lost my temper. I am asking you to turn back so you do not end up in the middle of it again. What awaits you in the capital is far worse than you know. I will not be able to intercede on your behalf until such a time as our contract is trespassed upon. Which means you may have to die before I am permitted to intervene. Do you understand?"

She nodded. This had not occurred to her, that she would lose contact with him. He had become a fixture of her time, occupying her thoughts and claiming her waking and sleeping hours. She never thought to have his presence stripped away, to be without the possibility of his protection. Her head hurt like she'd been spun around for too long—there were too many different emotions, too much new information.

"Will you not turn back?" he asked her once more.

Back—the word threatened to make her ill again. There was nothing behind her. If it were over now, what would she do? Wander the world? Go back to her burnt out home? Return with Dev to his? No. None of this would do. She had to move past this. She could not turn away. She had been willing to die, willing to sell her soul once. She could never simply give up. Instinctually she knew, as he did, that nothing would end this before she was done except someone forcing her to stop, and he wasn't willing to.

Anna shook her head. Leonid sighed. "I knew before I asked but hope springs eternal." His hands moved to cradle her head once more and he kissed her deeply. Anna felt the nausea lift and the heaviness in her body dissipate. The kiss didn't end immediately and she felt something else from him, a longing perhaps. Was he saying goodbye? His lips on hers and the soft caresses of his tongue against her own were gentle again. Maybe she was a fool again for believing his softer side, but she so desperately wanted this from him.

She lifted her hands to reach for him but they found no purchase. He was gone.

***

Okay, THIS is why feedback is so important. I got an email from one of you lovely readers the other day where you said you didn't know what to make of Leonid because he seemed "too perfect" and how are we ever going to get more from him if he's always so controlled? So I thought, you're right, lets start poking holes in his perfect exterior. I think we need to know a little bit more about what is going on in his head, so it is time to start breaking down his perfect façade. So I went back to the scenes in this chapter with Anna and Leonid and made some changes, including this entire last part, which before consisted of a rather tame exposition-laden conversation. I really hope you guys like it. This is the first time feedback has led to this extensive a rewrite on my end and I love it! Please keep it up! Every comment has been really helpful to keep me writing and excited about this. Thanks again you guys! This wouldn't be the same story without you.

Thanks to J.J. who read this and assured me it wasn't a complete mess. On that note if anyone here is willing to be a beta reader I'd much appreciate it. I got so wrapped up in re-writes that I can't tell if it's good anymore.

Also, I have to apologize because I'm going to be taking an extended hiatus from posting. I'm still writing (and thanks to your feedback I'm working a lot better than I was) but I want to try and (mostly) finish before I start posting again. I also have the US medical boards to take in September so the likelihood of finishing before then is...nonexistent. Look out for more chapters this fall/winter. And thanks for sticking with me.