Prisoner of Chaos (Redemption Book #4)

Chapter 17

Rift

Arlite, it's too bad I'm going to have to kill myself. What we could be if we were both set free from society and duty?

Yes, indeed, the Dark Lord purrs, to which I ignore him.

"Kyla, are you alright?" Wes asks through the door.

Really hate this guy.

"I'm alright, just getting ready. I haven't been feeling well, you know!" Kyla shouts back at him. "Please, go back to the party, Wes!"

"Of course, my love, don't take too long!" Wes answers back.

My love? I'm rankled by such a term used toward my Cursed beauty.

She's mine.

She belongs to the Dark Lord.

You're a real asshole, shut the fuck up.

Keep bringing that anger in, the darkness of it will take you and I'll show her a real good time.

Kyla grasps me by the collar of my shirt, taking my mind from the Dark Lord's taunts.

"I notice you've already conveniently dressed yourself," she hisses at me, "but I'll light a fire in this room if I don't get my clothes back in two seconds!"

I'd love to see that some time.

"Your clothes," I murmur, reaching out and toying with one of her lovely pink nipples, "Hmm... do you remember what they looked like? I can't conjure them up unless I know." I'm unable to help a grin. She's adorable, naked, and begging for her clothes back so she can pretend to have a sham relationship with a man I'm partly wishing I'd given in to the Dark Lord with.

Fucking sniveling Wes. I tense at the thought.

"So, I saw you in my dark mirror. With Wes. That's why I thought you'd done the deed with him," I tell her. I can't help wanting to know a little more about what had gone on.

"You were spying on me?" Kyla snorts. She releases the collar of my shirt and shoves my hand off of her breast. "Pervert... but--uh--what did you see exactly?" I notice the corners of her lovely lips twitch in a type of smug smile.

The little vixen, she's enjoying this!

"I saw him take off his robe," I say. "He was pretty eager about that."

"Well, he didn't make me hot and wet like you do, so you can stop your jealous inquisition," Kyla says, cruelly laughing at me.

I smile suggestively at her. "Are you hot and wet right now?"

Kyla crosses her arms, giving me a very impatient and frustrated expression. "Seriously, my clothes, Rift? You better not be letting the Dark Lord take over right now."

I'll take it from here.

"I can make something up for you, if you want," I rush out, leaning on the bed, studying her intently.

"The kind of clothes others can't take off of me?" Kyla counters back dryly.

"That is the best kind," I say, trying to sound serious. "Here, they'll love this, Princess." I imagine her in something that includes her beautiful wings in the design. Something unlike the other clothes I've seen her in during palace function. I won't put her in clothes that treat her wings as if they're a mistake.

The fabric crawls over her body, covering her skin, and I'll admit, despite having just shot my load, my cock twitches with heat as I watch her. Lace forms over her graceful shoulders and down her strong arms, and opaque red silk hugs the lush curves of her body that only moments ago I'd savored the warmth and softness of. I leave the back of the dress open in a diamond shape so her wings are set free of restraint and I entwine rose gold wire to fits like bracelets over them. I finish the piece with a choker on her neck make of rose gold and diamonds.

"You're quite imaginative," Kyla says, eyebrows raised, looking once in the mirror at her vanity. "You're kind of an artist."

"Magic makes it easy," I tell her. "It chose this just as much as I did."

Kyla tries to brush her hair, but her lose raven curls cannot be tamed.

"You look like you got fucked," I say. "You smell like it too."

"Thanks, I'm aware of that," Kyla mutters, trying without success to smooth her hair into a sophisticated style. She lifts up a glass bottle of perfume to spritz between her breasts.

"It looks good that way," I say, studying her and inhaling her scent. The perfume mixes well with her sex smell. "You smell really good too. I want to dance with you."

"How much time do you have until the Dark Lord takes over again?" Kyla asks, shooting me a look.

Damn, I want to forget why we're here in Erlund and not back in Underlund, or somewhere so far away the world will forget our scary metaphysical asses exist. But that's not in our cards. Before I met Kyla, I didn't care about any of this. I didn't care, I did what the darkness in me told me to do in order to survive. The Scrouge was my happy place, and I probably would have accepted the Dark Lord as that version of Rift, but now a future with Kyla is all I want. Still, I have to be with her, till my end. Till the world fades away in death.

I recall my mother's last moments, "Where will I go, Rift?"

I close my eyes and shut it out.

"Will I see you again?" I ask Kyla as she moves to the door. I'm trying not to show her with my eyes how I have a heart that can break. How unlike what I've always told her, if she knows how much I love her, it will hurt all the more when I inevitably die.

"Is it safe?" Kyla asks me.

"No," I say. It's the truth. There is much risk associated with this, and yet, I know ultimately how I will have to die, and Kyla is my death ticket.

"I don't care, I want to keep seeing you," Kyla says, her expression of stone so I can't read it.

Is she saying this because she's still in love with me or because I'm one of the only things in her life that bring her beast-side pleasure and company? I hope it's at least one of those two.

Damn, I'm so in love with her I'm pathetic now, I think dryly.

"Why don't you join the party," Kyla adds, "You might gain intel as to that Cursed blood and tainted arlite transaction. At the very least you can see what my elaborate prison looks like."

"I should get back to Scenna," I tell her. "I left her with a bunch of crooks and besides, I'm pretty sure she's going to be super pissed at me for seeing you."

"I always liked her," Kyla says coldly, but suddenly she's kissing me. "Don't wait too long till your next visit and please keep me informed if there--there is any hope that--that you and I can--"

"Be together?" I ask her.

Kyla nods. Her eyes close tightly and I notice tears squeeze out of them.

"You'll be the first to know, Princess."