The Queen of Ash and Flame

Chapter Fifteen

Hey guys! This is the second part to the double update! Hope you like it! 

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Once the slaying of the village had concluded and we had our one hostage we started back to the castle of Mortem. The villager was tied by the wrists being pulled along behind a horse. Always walking, never stopping for a break.

We wouldn't make it to the city by nightfall, so we decided to set up camp again. Tied the horses and hostage to a tree and set up our blankets for the chilly night.

The sun had dipped below the trees, casting pinks and purples across the sky, getting darker ever so slowly. I was avoiding Lucian ever since our encounter in the village. Knowing he was up to something I set up my camp away but close to the guys.

Lucian had set up his own fire and everything, once the guys were asleep and Lucian was too I got up and walked into the forest.

Taking my Forbious crystal knife with me but nothing else. I walked through the tall beautiful trees, to my surprise I came across a cliff, no a waterfall. The water like liquid night. Dark and mysterious, the water pooled into a sort of lake below. It wasn't a far height, one where I could easily jump into the pond beneath and survive. But the thing I loved most about the waterfall was the view, the moon was directly in front of me if I sat down at the edge.

It was breathtaking, I sat down crisscrossed and stared into oblivion. I felt like I sat there for years, but in reality the moon hand only moved to above me instead of in front.

The cool air blessed my face, owls hooting, and crickets whiring, it was a beautiful symphony of noises. I let out a breath and relaxed my shoulders.

But the second I did that I felt a hand wrap around my throat, it yanked me to the ground, my back forcefully hitting the grass. I let out a grunt with the impact.

The fingers that held me were calloused and ruff with work, but I recognized the scent of the body behind me, pine and cinnamon. Lucian.

At that thought I tried to twist out of his grasp but it was too tight, cutting off air to enter my body.

I batted at his hand, I was slowly, ever so slowly becoming lightheaded.

"Let me go bitch," I managed to gasp between faint breaths. I dark chuckle resonated through the forest, the sound travelling down his hand and into my throat.

His hand let me go but something else replaced it, it felt damp and heavy. I looked down at my wrists to find nothing holding them down, I was so confused. But then Lucian crouched above me, a dark lustful smirk played along his mouth.

I tried to pull out of the shadow bonds but it was unsuccessful. I gasped as something slithered along my chest and up to grasp my neck. He raised his knife to my throat, pushing it in until I felt a trickle of blood run down my neck.

I squirmed underneath the blade, "Told you would like my shadows," he chuckled darkly. He titled my chin up with the point of his knife.

"Fuck you," I rasped out. Lucian's eyes darkened with mischief. He dug the tip of the knife into the underside of my chin, making me look into his dark purple eyes.

"Aw darling I know you want me," he smirked at me.

"I'd rather die," I spit at him.

A shadow of anger filled his eyes, he straddled me and smashed his right hand next to my face. Making me jolt.

"Who are you really?" he mused, he drew his blade along my jaw.

"If you know I'm not who I say I am, why haven't you turned me into the guard?" I asked, smirking.

"Because I haven't had this much fun in ages. And there's no point in turning you in if I have no information on you."

"Well then you'll just have to keep me with you," I said to him. "Because I'm not telling you shit."

His shadows grow heavier, tightening around my skin. I let out a small scream as what felt like cold ice spikes dug into my wrists. I looked down but nothing but the shadows were holding me down. They dug deeper into my skin.

I let out another scream, I squirmed under him. Trying to get away from him. I arched my back slightly as they kept on digging into me.

He leaned down, and whispered onto my skin. "Does the pain excite you darling?"

"Get of-" I gasped as a cool tendril of power slithered down his stomach, stopping at the waistline of my pants.

"Like that love?" he said, as he chuckled on my skin. Sending shivers down my spine.

I shook my head, my core heated as the tendril caressed my thigh. It wasn't that I was attracted to him, I feel like anyone in this position would feel the same.

"Use your words Nat darling," he chuckled.

"Get off me," I gasped.

Lucian moved his hand down my chest to my stomach, he leaned down his eyes still on mine. His knife still at my throat, keeping me in place.

He kissed my stomach, at the sensation of his lips touching his skin I arched my back and clenched my thighs together.

"Say please darling," he said, still keeping his eyes locked on mine.

"G-get off me..." I said, Lucian raised his eyebrow expecting me to say one more thing. "Please," I groaned out as he kissed my stomach again.

With that his shadows disappeared from my skin, he got up and walked off back to the camp. He didn't say one thing after I asked him. One thing I had picked up from him is that he likes to humiliate his victims.

Would I call them victims? I mean they had to sleep with him so that would kill me just at the thought.

Whenever we met alone he had always managed to humiliate me. Made me beg for my life when we first met in the maze, made me tell him who won the challenge. Which he knew would eat me alive. And tonight when he did whatever he just did.

He had kissed my stomach, his shadows had touched me, held me down. I hated him with every piece of me, but some part in the back of my mind had liked him dominating me. His shadows had pinned me down, when he held the dagger to my throat, when he had choked me. I don't know what it was but just those actions.

I pushed those intrusive thoughts to the side and fixed my clothing.

Once I got back to the camp the guys were sleeping, Lucian was still up. He had left his fire and was now sitting next to mine. I didn't want to talk to him.

The night was cold, goosebumps rose up on my arms. I curled up in front of the flames, and stared into the orangy fire. I felt someone move, a pair of hands moved my head up. And placed it in someone's lap, by the scent of the person I could tell it was Lucian. But I had no more energy to move.

A hand stroked through my hair, making circular patterns with his thumb.

"I'm sorry love," he whispered to me. "I took it too far this time."

I just stared blankly into the fire, I felt him move behind me until he was wrapping me with his warmth around me. I shivered, causing him to snake his arms around my waist.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into my ear. I turned into him and let out a sob, I clenched his first in his shirt.

He placed one of his hands behind my head and hushed me. We didn't say anything, we just layed there intertwined.

Throughout all my tears, I slipped into a deep warm sleep. Lucian's hot protective hold keeping me safe. 

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Hey so I just want to clear that this was not written to be an assult of any kind. If you have a problem with that feel free to stop reading. But in this chapter I really wanted to show Lucian after this incident and bring up some feelings Natallia had.

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Love you all!!