Chapter Five

            Warm water lapped against my skin, floating weightlessly allowing the heat to seep into my muscle and melt the coldness within. Experienced fingers worked the tension from my shoulders. Freesia filled the air with its sweetness as it mingled with his clean scent. Rale, prince of darkness, would spend hours bathing and pleasing me, me, Isla his servant, the women he loved and the mother to his unborn child. His tender fingers drawing circles over my heated skin, his soft lips bruising mine, with the never-ending kisses, I could stay like this always. My lover. My friend and my soul mate. My Rale. Even though it was forbidden to fall in love with me, even though he face exile, or worse death, he stayed. You are my heart Isla, how could I give up my heart and live? No, mother will come around, she just needs time.

            “Isla, wake up.”

            Was I sleeping? I didn’t think so, I was with Rale and he was bathing me, telling me of his plans and our future. Reaching for him to make sure I wasn't dreaming, I kissed his lips, soft and gentle as always. “I love you Rale and I will love you until time ends.”

            “Isla, open your eyes.”

            They are open, what was Rale thinking?    

            “Please Isla, please be alright.”

            Rale had let me go and I was floating away, drifting through the water. Panic made my muscles tense, no longer floating, the water filling my lungs and choking me, I kicked my feet trying to reach the surface and Rale, but I couldn’t.

            “I’ve got you, it's ok, and you’re safe now.”

Where were the words coming from? Breaking the surface I coughed and drew in lung full’s of air.

            “That's it breathe, just breathe.”

            My eyes opened and my heart broke. Just a dream it wasn't real.

            Resting my head against the edge of the bath, I fought the devastating feeling of lose. I would never get that back, that blissful happiness was lost forever.  

            Reece scooped me out of the bath and I let him, I didnt want to live. Even if we broke the curse I didnt want to live, too much time had passed. Too much ugliness filled my memories. He lay me down on the bed, it smelled clean and fresh, he had changed the sheets. Turning my head away from him, I lay curled into a ball and will myself to sleep. I couldn’t face him right now, couldn’t face all the things I had lost.

            The smell of food woke me, wrapping the sheet around me, I went to find it.

            “I thought you would never wake up,” He said, as I approached. “You’ve been unconscious for three days now. Are you hungry?”

            Three days, I had slept for three days, that meant...

            “I have two days left,” I sighed, and sat down at the bench watching him cook.

            Time, want it to slow down and it moves at the speed of light, want it to speed up and it seems to move like a snail. You can't win.

            “I have been thinking about that,” He said, then smiled and his eyes lit up.

            “It's best not to think I find Reece, it leads to a headache,” I sighed, resting my chin in my hand.

“Well since you’ve been dead to the world for three days I had little else to occupy my time with. I didn’t want to leave in case you needed me, and I wasn't sure if I left whether the pain would come back,” He placed a plate in front of me, it smelled really good and I was famished, not that I needed to eat but I had missed it so very much.

“Thank you,” I ate like a starving animal, shovelling the food in with my fingers.

“You really were hungry, I'm sorry I should have taken better care of you.”

I didn’t answer him, there was nothing to say, so we ate the rest in silence, he watched me eat and I tried not to look at him.

“Would you like me to make you something else?”

“I'm not sure,”

“I have an idea, let’s get out of here for a while, I'm going bat-shit crazy cooped up, and I'm sure you could use some fresh air.”

“If I leave here and the curse comes back, it will rip me apart and bring me back here.”

“You’ve been free of it for a while now, who’s to say that it will come back?”

“It will, trust me.”

“What if it's faded, it's been three thousand years Isla, it may not come back.”

“Your mother would never let this fade, she is too strong for that.”

“My mother?”

“It was your mother that cursed me, or rather, it was Rale’s mother,” I had been thinking about going out, distracted, and I had told him something he should never have known.

“Why?”

“Because Rale loved me, and he was the... he was forbidden... So she took me away from him, if he managed to break the curse he could have me and... but he failed and I took his powers into me, so that he could be reborn and try again. He kept just enough magic to find me, human was the only way he could do it, but as you see, we never made it,” I had said too much, but what difference did it make now, I would die and he would go on.

“Shit. So this is all my fault,” His face paled, “What a spineless bastard I must have been. I would never have let anyone do this to you Isla, never.”

“You don't know who his mother is Reece. Your mother! She is not someone you can stand up to. You would have done the same thing, do not speak of things you know nothing about. Rale did the only thing he could, for both of us.”

“I can see this upsetting you. Look why don't we go out, if the curse comes back, it comes back, but at least you will have had some freedom, and there is somewhere I want to take you,” He said, pulling me to my feet so that the sheet dropped to the floor. “hmm, better get dressed first I think, as beautiful as you are, you will most certainly get arrested for exposure or cause several cars to crash,” The smile that lit his face was wickedly impish, I couldn’t help but smile back and let him tug he to the bedroom to dress.

“Here, this should fit you, when I said I hadn’t left, it was a small lie, I picked this up for you, seeing as you don't have anything and my clothes are too big,” Tossing me a bag, he turned to leave but not before I saw the colour darken his cheeks. “I hope you like it.” He said before closing the door.

The dress was pale blue and set off my colouring perfectly, it was also my favourite colour; it was loose but fitted perfectly, flowing with my curves as I moved.

“You look stunning,” he said as I came out, “Ready for you first outing?”

Holding my hand he walked out the door, I slowed but only momentarily before running past the door making him have to move fast too.

“You doing ok?”

Nodding my head not trusting my voice just yet, I followed as he store down the hallway and stopped in front of metal doors, pushed a button and waited. I didn’t have to wait long to find out why we were just standing there. The doors creaked open to show a small box, Reece stepped into it dragging me in beside him. My heart pounded as the doors closed. I felt trapped. Clutching his hand tighter as the box moved, I screamed as my stomach dropped.

“It's ok Isla, this is called a lift and it's taking us to the ground,” He laughed but pulled me against his chest and into his arms.

“Were are we going?” I asked to stop form thinking about the box, lift that we were trapped in.

“For pancakes and a walk.”

There was a ping sound and then the doors opened and in front of me were see through doors. Beyond the doors there were people walking, lots of people.

We walked for a while, his hand in mine. This world was amazing, building and metal things that carried people inside them. The noise was astonishing, nothing I had ever heard before. The last time I was out of the knife was three hundred years ago and how time had progressed since then. Reece explain it all to me, the metal were called cars and they could take you anywhere that land was, if you wanted to cross the ocean they had Airplanes, which I saw far above us.

The pancakes were delicious and the coffee too. The park he took me to was called central park and it was beautiful, like an oasis in the middle of all the buildings. He talked and I listened, soaking everything in. His hand never left mine even while we were eating. I felt safe and loved.

“Do you think you could live here Isla?” He asked, and I didn’t know how to answer him.

“No Reece, this is not my time, too much has changed.”

“You will adapt to this life in no time and I will be here to help you.”

I had to tell him, he wouldn’t give up otherwise.

“Are you still going to marry Mary?”

“Of course, I Love her.”

“Then how can you ask me to stay? You are my soul mate Reece, how can I ever be happy knowing you don't love me the way I love you?”

“So you still want to die, even after everything I have shown you today.”

“Yes.”

He pulled me into his arms, and bent his head to look into my eyes, his lips a hairs breath form mine, as he spoke.

“What if I loved you, would you stay then?

I wanted him to kiss me, more than anything I wanted him to love me, but even then I didn’t think I could live with all these memories.

“Do you?” I asked, breathlessly.

“I don't know,” He answered, and then let me go.

“Reece, don't do this to yourself. I don't expect you to love me. I don't want to change your life, I just want you to set me free, can't you understand that?”

“No, I can't, not when it means I have to...to be the one that ends your life. I don't think I can do it.”

“You’re not ending a life Reece, you’re saving it. I will be reborn.”

“Will you remember anything?”

“No, I will make sure I don't, but before I die I can give you back what is yours, if you want it, otherwise it to will be gone forever.”

“I won’t see you again, will I?”

“It's not likely; we will be on different paths.”

Before I could protest, not that I would, he claimed me again and kissed me this time. The kiss was demanding, his tongue sought entry into my mouth and his arms held me tight, like he was afraid I would vanish. He groaned as his tongue touched mine, a primal sound. A deep and claiming sound. He wanted me, but what did he want? To love me or to fuck me?

“REECE!” the female voice screeched.

He pulled away faster than I could catch my balance, causing me to stumbled into him, His arms came around my waist to steady me as my hands rested on his chest.

“What the hell is going on here?” she demanded, her hands resting on her hip, face like thunder.

“Nothing is going on Janet. Why would you think there was?” He was lying but why? I didn’t want to upset things anymore than they already were, so kept silent.

“Having your tongue down a trolops throat isn’t nothing.”

“She not a trolop Janet and I didn’t have my tongue anywhere near her throat and if you tell Mary, who do you think she will believe? Me or a lying bitch like you.”

“We will see wont we.” She said and stomped off, leaving us alone again.

“Shit,” he said, sitting down heavily on the bench. “I need to see Mary.”

“You must go to her Reece, take me back to your house and go to her.”

So we left our beautiful oasis, and I had my memory of that kiss to last me while I was alone.

We had been out for hours and the curse hadn’t done anything, I was beginning to think Reece might be right, that it had faded or perhaps his mother was dead. We made it back in one piece, not curse in sight.

“Are you going to be alright here on your own... I may not be able to make it back tonight.”

“You’re going to have sex with her aren’t you,” It bothered me. No, it hurt me that he would and I had no right to be upset.

“Yes.”

“Just go Reece. Please just go and don't come back for two days. It's better for me that way.”

“Will you be ok?”

“I am a very old woman and I have been ok without you for a very long time,”

“Fine I will see you tomorrow then.”

“NO! Don't come back, there’s no need, look the curse hasn’t come back all day. I think you might be right and it is gone, so don't worry about me, just stay with HER. I don't want you here, it hurts too much, don't you see that,” The tears where streaming down my face, no point in hiding them now.

Reece lifted my chin and kissed my lips before leaving.

As soon as he shut the door I fell to the floor, crushed under the weight of my love for him. Managing through the pain of losing him, I made it to the bed, great, rib shacking sobs stained the pillows as I cried myself to sleep. 

Chapter Four

        The bites against my neck and the pinching of my nipple let me know this wasn't going to be soft and gentle. Ben wanted it rough and hard. Spreading my legs with his knees, his fingers sought my arousal. He rubbed hard and fast before inserting his finger.

“You are a sexy piece of ass, I'm so hard right now, I don't think I can wait for you to get wet,” He groaned against my neck before biting me hard. “You like that don't you?”

I watched Reece, as he watched Ben. I could tell he wanted to be part of this scene.

“Harder,” I heard myself say to Ben, as I watched Reece.

“What do you want me to do, tell me Isla?”

“You can do anything you want, anything.”

“Really?... Even fuck you up the ass?” Ben asked while fingering around that hole.  Oh God this was not going to be nice, this was...

“Yes, oh yes,” I groaned, pushing myself against that finger, forcing it inside me.

“Have you even been fucked here Isla?” He asked sliding another finger in.

“No... Please. I want more!” I cringed back from the view and tried to close my eyes. No joy there though the curse wanted to see this and  so I would have to watch to.

“I have waited a long time for this princess.”  Shit! Did he know who I was? Or is it just something he calls all his women?

I shivered.

“You are ours now,” the demonic laugh in my ear set my nerves on edge. Who was this Ben? The curse revelled in his tone and threat.

“Fingers are easy,” He said, walking us a counter, with his fingers still inside my ass. “I'm going to enjoy hurting you and taking his princess right under his satanic nose.” He said, pinching my nipple before withdrawing his fingers, and replaced them with the head of his cock.

 “Yes,” I sad, pushing back against him, the head of his cock entering my ass. It hurt, it really hurt. None of the men I had been with, had ever wanted to do this to me, not with their cocks anyway. Ben was not human that was for sure and he knew who Reece was and more to the point what I had meant to Rale. Had he been one of the demons Rale had fought with?

“I want you, all of you inside me Ben, but there is another person in this room and he needs a show,” I said, pushing against him, causing him to enter me further.

I hope you enjoy my Ben, Isla. He has very ... explicit tastes that I'm sure you will appreciate... her voice filled me with dread. She had sent Ben to Reece and he had given me to Ben. Oh god I hope Reece never learns of this.

“I want to fuck you, not give the pussy a show. If he wants to toss himself off rather than fuck you, why should I care? I'm not his mother. I'm here to break you and bring him home.” Ben groaned, as he thrust in further, I was still too tight, only his head was inside me. But at any moment he could thrust in, the thought horrified and excited me.

“You will get to fuck me, as soon as we have given him reason to join us. Don't you think it will be better if he holds me down for you? Then you can have your wish.”

“You have no idea who you are playing with do you,” He said, pushing harder before pulling out.

Turning me in his arms and lifted me easily; my legs went around his waist as his cock thrust into me. He held my butt and leaned us against the wall, thrusting hard and fast as he grunted and groaned, loudly. “Jesus you so tight, so fucking tight. I could cum right now,” He withdrew slowly and thrust in hard again, I tapped his back. “I know, I know,” He held me still, buried to the hilt. “Fucking Queen Bee wants her son back.” He growled.

Dear god she was satanic and this was not looking good for my body. My soul was already shattered from Reece agreeing to this, my body would now pay for him disobeying her.

Clever aren’t we... it's a pity you can't do anything to stop me isn’t it. She laughed and took over from the curse.

“Are you done Isla? Can I show this guy out now?” Reece asked, his voice breaking and cracking with desire.

“We have only just started Reece, but if you want me, then I am done with him.”

“What?” Ben shouted, anger rolling off him in waves.

“I don't want you Isla... Not yet!” Reece said, his eyes betraying his words but he was set on his path and it would take a lot more to get him to give in.

We moved to the bed room, Reece sat in the corner, shrouded in darkness. Was he watching? I had no way of knowing and neither.  He’d turned off the ceiling light and only left a lamp on.

            Ben leered from the bed watching me walk towards him. Short black hair, cropped around his ears, high cheek bones, eyes almost as black, as they shone with desire, watching me move. He wasn't Reece, or anywhere as good looking, but he had a sexy dark side that the curse was salivating in. The darker the man the more it drove it wild. I didn’t like him.

            This is for taking him away from me for so long. His mother said.

            “Now can we continue? I’m about to explode here, I want to touch you,” Ben said, before picking me up and throwing me on the bed with force. His black eyes gleaming evilly as he made his way up my body.  Sucking one nipple into his mouth and biting it while his finger thrust into me. His teeth clamped around my nipple and he bit hard again. I screamed, but arched my back into him. He stopped and turned around, his cock hanging inches from my mouth.

“Suck it,” He ordered, before licking and biting my sex.

I grabbed him and brought it to my mouth; he groaned as my lips closed around it, his fingers dug into my thighs as his tongue probed me. Suddenly Ben stopped and jerked away from me.

“Enough!” He rasped, “This is not how I want to cum, obviously he’s not joining us. I’ve waited long enough, you owe me my fantasy.” Leaning close to my ear he growled “ My queen, will you join me in destroying this flesh.”

Dread cooled in my veins and twisted in my gut.

“Yes, you’re right. You may start,” I purred. His mother’s words not mine

Ben climbed off the bed.

“You are fucking sexy Isla and I'm going to make you scream tonight,” He said grabbing my ankles and pulling me to the edge of the bed. “But first I want you to put panties on.”

            That confused me, why cover myself?

            “I don't have any.”

“Don't talk back to me bitch.” He glared, “Get on your knees and beg forgiveness, and if you don't make it good, I will punish you.”

Before I could get my feet to the floor, he grabbed my hair and pulled me off the bed. He held on to my hair, forcing my face level with his rock hard cock. Make it good he said, did that mean he wanted me to fight him now?

“You should be asking me for forgiveness. How are you meant to please anyone with this?” I shouted.

He wanted to take a girl by force and the Queen was going to make this real for him.

The crack sounded in my ears, before I registered the pain exploding in my cheek.

For the first time since we entered the bedroom, Reece spoke, his voice cracked.

“Hit her again and I will knock you out. She may be willing to take it but I am not.”

Not only had he spoken but had Ben by the throat.

“She said anything and you agreed,” Ben said, then to me he asked. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No. I want you to have you desire, whatever that is,” Oh god why, why couldn’t I ever tell them that I didn’t like it, that I hated being hit or choked or having a cock shoved painfully up my ass. If I could have had one wish it would be at times like these to tell the truth.

“I don't care what she says, hit her again and you’ll need a straw to eat.” Reece growled, before releasing Ben and walking to me.

 Picking me up, he held me in his arms. “Are you ok princess?” He asked, holding my head to his chest. My arms wrapped around his waist, I felt like me again, secure in his arms and protected from the world. I hadn’t felt this way since before the curse. Wrapped in the safety of his arms, just me and him against the world, but it was a dream. A delusion that wouldn’t last. Lifting my head I kissed him, the salt from my tears mingled with his warmth. His arousal pressed against my stomach, and the curse flared to life, banishing me into the shadows.

“I would be, if you joined us,” I said, and he pulled away to look at me.

“I thought,” He shook his head. “Never mind...Not this time,” Reece finished, then turned and left me.

“Enough talking, I want to fuck,” Ben interrupted as I watched Reece walk away.

“Go fuck yourself, I’ve changed my mind,” I said, turning away from him, because that's what he wanted to hear.  And that's what the queen wanted to say. She had gone the minute Reece held me and then the curse was with me and now she was back. Dear god so many different being in one body, my head was spinning from the towing and frowning

“I don't think so,” Ben said, grabbing me and slamming my face into the bed. I fought to get air, fought to keep him from having sex with me. Screamed for him to stop and the more I did, the harder he held my head. He bent over me, thrusting his cock in hard, as his other hand gripped my breast. I felt like I was being violated, that’s what the curse wanted me to feel, it made me cringe.

“What are you doing? She said to stop.” Reece was interfering again. He should never have agreed to this, he was getting a taste of my life, and he didn’t like it.

“This is my desire Mr. not yours, so fuck off and leave us to it. You had your chance.”

Ben never broke his stride or let me up for air. My lungs burned and my sex ached with the force he was using.

“Your desire is rape?” Reece questioned, I could barely hear him past the grunts and groans from Ben, until he stopped holding my head down. I gasped in air, filling my lungs and turned my face. I could see Reece, rage twitching his facial muscle, fists clenched to his sides.

“Yes, so what, it's not like I would do it if she weren’t willing.”

“Let her go, this is over. I am not going to sit here and watch you rape her even if she is willing.”

“Fuck you,” Ben said, before grabbing my hips, pulling them apart and thrusting into me again. “She’s getting fucked tonight.”

Reece looked at my face, his eyes were steel and his jaw clenched.

“Come and join us Reece,” I purred, licking my lips, as Ben pounded into me again and again. Reece stood rigid, like a cobra wanting to strike, he searched my face for something, and when he found it, his jaw tensed. Then with a nod, he walked back into the shadows. The disappointed look he left me with was all I could think about, as Ben continued his assault.

Ben grunted and groaned as he thrust harder before pulling out.

What was he doing now? I wondered, wanting this to be over already.

He grabbed my hair and yanked me against his chest.

“Now I'm going to show you what happens to little teases. If you scream I will hurt you more, if he interrupts again I will make you bleed, now be a good little princess and take your punishment up the ass,” he breathed against my ear.

“No! Reece. Reece stop him. Please stop him.” It was me. Me who said it, the curse had nothing to do with it. It had fled and his mother wasn’t here either.  

“Reece please,” I sobbed. “It’s me, Isla.”

But Reece didn’t move and I was face down in the bed again before I could do anything. Ben pulled my ass cheeks apart and... Pain worse that anything I had ever felt tore through me.

Then darkness.

**

            “Isla, Isla,” Reece voice was distant and being drowned out by the crashing waves, as they hit the rocks furiously.

            “Isla please, open your eyes,” His worried voice was more hurtful that anything. He was caring about me and he shouldn’t be. I didn’t want to open my eyes and see Rale looking at me. Reece held me in his arms, rocking me back and forth while, talking to me.

            “You want to fuck me now? The curse was in hibernation but he didn’t know that and I couldn’t let him care.

            “Open your eyes and I might consider it,” He said against my cheek.

            Opening my eyes allowed tears to escape. Everything was blurry.

            “It is you, I thought... and then... Oh God Isla... I should have known, are you ok? I'm so sorry I didn’t act faster, but... something happened, I'm not sure what but for a moment I remembered and... Ben is gone.”

My whole body shook with fear had he remembered everything?

            I was too weak to say anything, how did he know it was me, and not the cursed me in his arms? I couldn’t gather the energy to do anything but curl into him, lay my head against his shoulder and close my eyes. “I love you Rale.” I breathed before darkness took me again.

            “Please forgive me,” He said rocking me. 

Chapter Three

SStrong arms held me, and for a moment in time, I was happy. The bubble burst as realisation came flooding back and my body tensed. Had he? Did we? Oh god, please, please don't let it have happened.

            “Reece?”

            “Uhuh,” He murmured, against my neck.  

            “You didn’t, we didn’t... have sex did we?”

            “Uu uu.”

            “Reece wake up,” My voice was louder than intended and laced with worry. “Did we have sex?”

            He tightened his arms, pulling me closer.

            “No mystery lady,” His voice was slow and sleepy, as his breath lifted the sensitive hairs on my neck.

            “Then why am I in your arms?”

            “You were in pain last night and although I acted like a dickhead, even I can't see a woman crying and not respond. I didn’t want to leave you alone. Holding you seemed to calm you, so here we are.”

            I turned to face him and sure enough his was dressed. His eyes were still closed and without thinking I reached for his face and kissed his parted lips.

            “That was for me,” I told him when his eyes shot open, glaring down at me.

            “Do you never give up?” He said moving away.

            “For one hour in the morning I get to be me. No sex, no seduction, just me, and this is me saying thank you, not trying to seduce you,” I said, propping myself up on one elbow.

            “For what?”

            “For everything! But mostly for not naming me, had you done that, I wouldn’t be me. You would have banished me for good. This is the only time I'm not in pain, the only time you can trust me.”

            He studied me, his eyes thoughtful.

            “So that’s what happened to you last night. The first time I left, you almost killed me with pain and I had to come back. I thought that it would be like that until we.. or I..”

            “No Reece, I didn’t do that to you, I'm not sure why it happened. I'm the only one the curse punishes with pain, until now that is. But I'm glad you were ok last night. I think you should leave me here. Go and only come back in five days... that way you will be safe from me,” I could feel the tears pooling, the hurt gathering like a storm, the pain would be immeasurable. If I were human it would kill me but I wasn't that lucky.

            “What will happen to you if I'm not here?”

            “Nothing.”

            “I thought you said you wouldn’t lie to me.”

            “I'm not, nothing will happen to me. I will still be alive when you come to set me free.”

            “Alive maybe, but will you be like... will you be in pain?”

            “Yes.”

            “Then I'm staying,” he said, taking my hand in his. “What’s your name?”

            “Isla,” Why was he so calm? Didn’t he realise that by staying he would die?  

            “Isla! Damn why didn’t I remember that yesterday? That's a lovely name. What do I call you when you’re not like this? When you’re ... well, a pain in the ass,” he chuckled.       

            “You must call me Isla even then.”

            “So it seems I'm stuck with you, why don't you fill me in on what’s happening here.”

            “No Reece. It's better if you don't know. You must not let yourself feel anything for me or you will die. Promise me; promise that you will do what you have to, to save yourself this time.”

            “What do you mean this time?”

            “We have met before, not in this life time but a long time ago. You are my soul mate Reece,” I said studying his face, needed to know if he would remember.

            “I'm your... wouldn’t I know that? Aren’t I meant to feel... I don't know like a lightning bolt or something?”

“I took your memories so you wouldn’t remember me. Your soul should remember mine but I hope it doesn’t, for your sake.”

 “If I hadn’t seen you reappear in my bed, I wouldn’t believe any of this. It's like I am living a nightmare, unable to wake up, and your telling me that it's not important. Are you crazy?”

“Maybe I am. Three thousand years will do that, you know, not to mention the degradation of doing unspeakable things and having no control over your own body.”

“How did you end up like this?”

“It's not important, not anymore.”

“Why won’t you tell me anything?”

“Because it won’t help, nothing I can tell you will help, it will only hurt you.”

“So your protecting me, is that what you want me to believe, because right now, I’d say you’re protecting yourself, not me.”

            “Believe what you will. It makes no difference.”

He seemed to be thinking, His brow creased with the effort, as distractedly his thumb drew soft circles on my palm. Energy sizzled from his touch up my arm and cracked open my heart. It was such a Rale thing to do, for hours we would lay together, plotting and planning, and when he was debating something, this is what he’d do. Touching me helped him think logically, he’d said. Two thousand years away from him hadn’t dulled my love and three hundred years in solitude was coursing through me. I needed to be touched, held, loved and that definitely wasn't fair. A lump the size of the underworld rose in my throat and my heart ached. I would never get him back.

            Finally he broke the silence.

            “This pain, tell me about it, what stops it?” He asked.

            “Sex.”

            “Is that why... is that you gave me a blow job yesterday, because you were in pain?”

            “Yes. Last night was just the start Reece; I will push you and push you, until the only thing you can think of is having sex with me. I’ve been here before, so you have to trust me, its best if you leave.”

            Thoughtful again he stayed silent. Memories of him kept flooding in. His deep laugh, his gentle touch, the way he felt inside me. Why couldn’t I just forget? This was hard enough without loving him. This version of Rale was opening something inside me that had been closed for eternity, if it had ever really been there to start with. I loved Rale he was my soul mate but this was even stronger.

            “I trust that you think you know me, but you don't. Nothing you do will make me betray the woman I love. And if I do, then I deserve to die. I think you should give me back my memory and let me help you. Then once we have beaten this, you can take it back. I don't want or need to remember all my lifetimes, but I think it best if I know how to fight this and what has been going wrong in the past. Forewarned is forearmed and all that.”

            “I can't Reece. I took your memory for a reason and that reason still exists,” How I wish I could tell him, give him back what I took but it will kill him, that much I know.

He let go my hand and got up. Pacing back and forth, his eyes occasionally looking my way, his hands deep in his pockets, I wish I knew what he was thinking.

            “Isla, you’re asking a lot of me and you’re giving me very little in return, how can I help you if I don't understand what I'm fighting?”

            “All you have to do is stay away from me for five days and then come back and kill me; you don't have to understand.”

            His jaw tensed and twitched. “Kill you. Are you fucking mad? I'm not going to kill you.”

“It's the only way to break this curse Reece and you are the only one that can truly end this.”

“There has to be another way,” He stared at me, searching for a lie no doubt.

“There was another way but I don't want to live anymore. I want to die and be reborn with no memory of my life,” I hoped he understood.

He was silent for so long I began to worry that he would never speak again.

“Ok, then at least tell me how to avoid having sex with you because I can tell you now, I didn’t want a blow job yet I let you do it. How am I meant to stop you seducing me?”

            “You must leave me.”

“That's not going to happen. You’re keeping something from me. What is it?”

“There is no way to avoid having sex with me then. But I can stop you from dying this time. It will change you back to who you were and leave me locked in the curse for eternity.”

“Do I want to know?”

“You were always a good... man. You could do so many great things if I give you back what I took from you. It will change you but it won’t change who you are,” I swallowed and even though it hurt. Even though in doing this I would never see him again. Even though his mother would have finally achieved her goal, If he wanted it I would do it.

“I think you are going to have to tell me more about this change,” He said sitting back on the bed.

I would tell him everything. He had the right to chose for himself.

“You are a God Reece. You were immortal until this curse on me. The only way to break it and have me at your side was to spend a month with me and not have sex,” He was staring into space, brows creased, stroking my hand again. The sensation almost made me stop, love churned into nausea, but he had to know.

“If I was a God as you say, why are you still cursed. Surely I would have been able to break it?” He said, his eyes drawing my soul from me and stilling my breath. I had to look away.

“You can't break a curse set by another just because you want to. The terms were set and you accepted them.”

“Ok, I'm not saying I believe in all this but tell me the rest.”

“We failed, you gave me your powers and became mortal so you would die and be reborn to try again. I can give you those powers back but with it comes immortality. You will remain this age forever.”

“And what will happen to you?”

“You are the only one that can break this curse Reece. When we failed the first time you couldn’t live without me and the only way to try again was to be reborn, with that option taken away the only other way to break it is to kill me. Set me free to be reborn without my memories,” I couldn’t tell him everything.

“Why didn’t I kill you before. It would have broken the curse and then I could have found you again. Seems to me there is something you are not telling me.”

He was smarted than I gave him credit for. Damn.

“You couldn’t kill... me, you tried but in the end you sacrificed yourself.”

“That doesn’t sound right, even then I would have known that I could find you if I was a God. Tell me the truth Isla.”

“I’ve told you everything you need to know. The only thing left to tell you is that once I die you will never get those powers back. You either take them before or you lose then to the ethos.”

“You’re not going to tell me anything else are you?”

“No.”

Standing, he paced the room again.

            “to stop the pain you need to have sex right? Does it have to be me or can I bring someone else in here for you?”

            “You want to share me?” That hurt more than I could say.

“It's not that,” He looked at me sharply. “And I think you could tell that I liked it very much, too much. I just don't want to betray Mary; she doesn’t deserve this anymore than I do.”

            “Then you must leave me. I don't want to be with someone else to stop the pain. I will not die from it but I can't have sex with someone else and have you watching me. If you bring someone in this evening when the curse is active I will have sex with them but know that I don't want to and will be helpless to stop it,” Why couldn’t he see this was the only option.

            “No. I started this and I will see it through. I will not let you go through this alone, It's only a month right? and...”

            “It's only five days. You only have to last five days then you can be rid of me.”

            “By killing you?”

            “No, by setting me free.”

            “By killing you!”

            “I have lived long enough Reece, I'm tired. Tired of being this way. Tired of living without you. I hate myself more than anything else for all the things I have done. My dreams are filled with nothing but pain and sorry. Even the good memories hold nothing but pain now because that’s all they are, memories of a time and person that no longer exist.”

He seemed to be ignoring me, his pacing continued.

            “And the only way I can set you free without killing you, is to make sure I don't have sex with you, right! So, you know what my dark desire is, would me bringing someone else into this mess help you? I can guarantee I won’t touch you Isla. I won’t die in your arms this time, but I can't have you in pain either. I guess what I'm asking is, will anyone do?”

            “I don't know, no one has ever wanted to share me before,” more to the point, could I go through with it and come out the other side without being heartbroken. I would have to do it, I’d have no choice but all the time I would know, know that Reece gave me away.

“Even if you bring someone else in, you will have to be part of it. Can you watch someone else have their desire... with me? Will you be able to stand watching and not join in? I give them whatever they desire Reece, it's not always nice, in fact it's always dark, just look at what yours is and imagine what other men want. And in the end, it will still come back to you, you read the words, you freed me, it's you the curse wants. You cannot resist me Reece, you’ve never been able too.”

“You really do rate yourself don't you?”

            “Yes, because I have the past to back what I'm telling you.”

            “I don't know about the past, but I do know that I can resist you.”

            “Then you will try the blow job thing?” Hope filled me, if he would agree to that then he might last the five days. If not, he would become more and more wound up until he snapped.

            “No. I can't do that either. I'm getting married Isla, I can't do that to Mary.”

            Deflated, heartbroken and just plain tiered of living I told him. “Bring in another man then, your desire is for two men so let’s see if it will work. Keep the knife; you’re going to need it.” I couldn’t have been in more pain right now. I would never be able to watch him with another woman and not be heartbroken. More and more, I'm reminded of what I have lost. “You should leave now; my time is almost up,” This would be a fitting end to my existence, to have the man who caused this, watch his soul mate being intimate with another. Of course he wouldn’t feel the pain, he doesn’t love me and it’s only me that remembers. Only me that has to live with the betrayal.

All the men I have been with over the centuries and all the things I have been made to do, this is the worst. After this I would make him kill me, there was no way to live with such rejection even if I could live with the past haunting me.

            *

            The moment he stepped in the house I felt it; the pain subsided to a hum, allowing me to think. He didn’t see the sheen on my skin or notice the irregular breathing or the fact that I was sitting on the floor with my knees to my chest. The curse shot desire through me, it wanted him.

            “Isla, this is Ben, Ben, Isla.”

It hurt, hurt more than I thought it would, him just announcing the man as if it meant nothing. As if I was nothing more than a sex toy, he could pass around. Why couldn’t he just let me give him blow jobs for the remaining time? Or leave me alone? I could feel the heavy lump in my throat as heat prickled against my eyelids but I knew I wouldn’t cry.

 “You’re gorgeous! Why would you want to share her dude?” Ben asked, not hiding his shock or arousal.

Reece didn’t flinch or show any emotion.

“We want to spice things up, not that it's any of your business. Now, do you want to play with her or not?” Reece shrugged, before turning to me. “This is a friend of mine I want you to give him his desire so I can watch.”

I told you I would make you pay and now you will... and my son will once again be the darkness he was meant to be. Did you think I would leave him to his life without having my people watching over him.

No,no,no, I don't want you to do this Reece. Walking up to him while taking my borrowed clothes off, until I stood before him naked, my fingers found his penis and stroked it through his pants. Our eyes locked and I saw his desire flare in their depths, standing on tip toes, my other hand wound round his neck and brought his lips to mine as his penis hardened under my hand. Reece groaned, as my tongue swept against his. His hips moved, pushing his erection harder against my hand as his arms held me to him. Unbuttoning his pants, my hand found his silken skin and wound around it thickness. Reece groaned again, digging his nails into my hips. My hand milked his shaft in a slow methodical rhythm as my tongue controlled him. Withdrawing my hand and lips, I stepped back, breathing hard.

“Hey! You said I was here to fuck her not watch you, I'm so hard I could hammer in nails with it,” Ben said.

Ignoring the substitute, all my attention on the one who brought me here.

“I will not let you cum until you are inside me Reece. Will you be joining us?” I asked.

“Not this time Isla, not this time,” He seemed to gather himself, his voice only slightly betraying him as his arms tightened around me.

“Then why have you brought him?” I asked, “If you are not going to join us.”

Ben had undone his pants and was rubbing his shaft watching us. 

            “This is one of my desires Isla,” he kissed along my jaw. “I want to watch you having sex, as I pleasure myself,” he breathed in my ear. “You want me to fuck you, and it's driving you wild,” His lips moved back to mine. “Show me what you can do, and maybe I’ll give you what you want,” He released me and stepped back, his sensual smile and desire fill eyes held my attention. I had never been this aroused, not even with Rale, he never held himself back from me, always gave me what I wanted when I wanted it, but Reece wasn't going to give in so easily and it made me want him more.

            His lips on my skin, his arms around me drove me insane with need, I wanted him with a devastating need. I don't know if this is the curse or me. He was so strong, so sexy and the fact that he hadn’t given in and was playing me at this sensual seduction, was an extreme turn on.

            Ben had stepped behind me kissed me neck and rolled my nipple between his fingers as Reece watched.

            “You will want me, you always do, it's just a matter of time.” I said.