Page 9 of A Kiss From a Revenant
A slow grin spreads across his face. It makes me shiver—not in fear but with rampant desire. He looks different when he smiles—less monstrous. The curve to his mouth is all male satisfaction as his hand slides from my cheek and falls down the back of my cloak. I allow him to pull me into him.
“There is only one way to seal our deal.”
With a nod, I know what he wants without even asking. I tip my head back and stare up at the glowing moon. The stars twinkle down at us as the cold night air stings my nose. Snowflakes collect on my lashes. I shiver, and it has nothing to do with the temperature and everything to do with the feel of his massive body enveloping me.
“Tell me your name,” he commands.
“Nory,” I sigh as I feel his tongue skim up the column of my throat.
He murmurs my name against my skin as if savoring the taste.
“I’m Eryx.”
His cheek skims against mine, and I gasp. His lips press softly against my throat where he just licked, and my knees turn to jelly. Without warning, I feel a sharp bite of pain, and then euphoria erupts inside of me. The soft sound of him sucking at my neck washes over me. There is only him and me. His earthy pine scent wraps around me and suffocates me. My body heats and clenches in places I didn’t know were possible.
I need more—I need everything from him. I could die like this and have no regrets. All I feel now is warm and complete. I tremble in his grasp, my body racing towards an unknown peak. The spot between my thighs grows achy, and I am desperate for any sort of relief.
With a broken growl piercing my ears, I finally feel him pullaway. The wet slide of his tongue along my throat closes whatever wound he caused and breaks the spell I was under. My breathing is ragged as if I’ve just run a great distance without stopping. I look up at him.
I let out a whimper as he licks my blood from his lips.
“So, Nory. When shall we begin?” he asks.
The first part of my mission has been accomplished; hopefully, this next part will go off without a hitch. Blinking through my heavy eyelids, I find his hand and take it in my own.
“Right now.”
4
ERYX
Feeling more foolish than I ever have in my life, I wait where the little human instructed me to.
Cloaked in shadow, in the alley across from the noisy tavern, I lie in wait. It has begun snowing in earnest, and little white piles have built up atop my shoulders. It’s the only indication of how long I’ve been waiting out here. Not for the first time since I felt her summons tonight, I question exactly what I am doing. I am a fool.
If I had any sense at all, I’d turn from this tavern—this town, this woman—and never look back. Why would I agree to such an arrangement with what little time I have left?
I know the answer. It’s her—Nory—the small human with a bewitching face and delicious blood. Through the foggy tavern windows, I can just see her. She’s sitting at one of the long bar tables with a forgotten mug of ale in front of her.
The long tresses of her red hair match the maddening red gown she has on. Indecent only because of the way it highlights her creamy skin. I hadn’t understood her need to get it from her cottage, and yet I had waited outside for herto change like a dutiful servant before we made our way into town. The window blurs most of her face, save for those bewitching green eyes.
Her movements are soft as she shyly looks around the bar. It is all an act. I’ve seen the defiance in her gaze—how she fights against her fear for what she wants.
I no longer scare her; that was made clear in the graveyard. It was a revelation to watch her lean into my touch and even more shocking when she reached for me of her own accord.
When was the last time someone willingly touched me? Never, if I had to guess. Nory is the first and, assuredly, the only one. I watch her intently through the window. Can she not tell just how badly the male patrons hunger after her?
I can hardly blame them. I too cannot resist the temptation she inspires within me. She is mine—to protect, to serve for as long as I live in this between state—neither dead nor alive. She makes me feel alive, though. As if I’m burning by the force of a thousand suns, my lust for her rages inside of me.
Just as it had raged inside the men I’ve drained all over the Snowlands. She had consumed each of their waking thoughts—a veritable siren of these forsaken lands. No one’s thoughts had been more depraved than the man I killed in front of her—something I would do a thousand times over.
It was a privilege to protect her. Even though I was a fool to reveal myself to her, I cannot regret doing so. I was not strong enough to remain hidden, for she has bewitched me just as she has the others of this town. Where she goes, I will helplessly follow. That is why I will fulfill my promise to help her in exchange for her companionship.
Truth be told, I would’ve helped her had she not agreed, I am that powerless when it comes to her.
I cannot deny the pleasure I feel at her acceptance of my terms. It was a childish fantasy—but one I have held onto for years. I am a solitary wanderer. The last of my kind was unwound decades ago. The dark magic that stitches us alltogether had been severed, and each of their souls had been cast into the void, leaving behind husks where their bodies should be. The same fate awaits me, with each day creeping closer. I’ve felt my time dwindling for a while now. My magic has weakened, and my hunger refuses to be satiated.
That is why this is my last chance to feel something other than hunger before it’s too late. I hadn’t expected her to be merciful and agree. Whoever it is we are helping must be dear to her. That or Nory is uncommonly kind and brave.
