Darkness Embraced Page 6

  Ivy clasped a shaky hand over her mouth as Sloane looked mildly amused at the interruption.

  As she heard him stomping through the street, Ivy was torn between ducking further down in self-preservation and peeking over the table in interest. As the footfalls moved closer and finally halted about twenty feet away from where she was, her interest won out.

  After peeking over at Sloane, who had finished arranging the stolen produce in her now bulging knapsack and was now braiding her long ebony waves in a plait over her shoulder, Ivy turned and slowly inched up on her hands until she could peek over their makeshift shield.

  And was confronted with her Ajax. The object of every fantasy and every nightmare she had for the last two annums.

  I’m going to faint...

  How could this be happening? Dredd left the Dark Woods and became a Beast of Sport? Dredd was here in Dimm?

  He was even more savage looking than she remembered. He was still massive and scarred, but he was clean, clad in tight black pants and leather boots. He had grown a beard since last she saw him; it was in a long plait beneath his chin, giving him a more sinister appearance. And his eyes were so cold they made her shiver. Dredd wore an odd leather glove on his right hand, tipped with short sharp blades at the end of each finger. He scraped the blades across the top of an apple cart in an eerie rhythm as he scanned the scene in front of him. He was completely oblivious to the banquet of food before him, oblivious to the screeching of the villagers, searching for something. Someone.

  One thing was certain. The Ajax was not here for the food.

  Ivy swallowed a lump in her throat, knowing that her reckoning had finally come. Her heart called to him, but her mouth stayed silent. She was awash in contradictory emotions, drinking in the sight of him with both terror and joy.

  Sloane’s whispered voice cut through her haze, her tone amused. “See something you like? I should have known you’d like ’em scary. You little pervert.”

  “Um, I...uh…” Ivy was embarrassed at the breathiness of her voice.

  “Well I suppose if you like hulking beastly males who probably bathe in the blood of their victims and have scars criss-crossing their face like an x on a treasure map…then he’s your dream. You know I don’t judge.”

  Ivy didn’t seem to notice Sloane’s sarcasm. “I think he’s…the most magnificent male I’ve ever seen.”

  Sloane scooted over and gave her a swift kick. Ivy cursed as she went down, and was swiftly dragged further behind their makeshift shelter. After giving her friend a dirty look, she turned to peer through a small knothole in the table.

  His intense gaze was pinned in her direction, narrowing his eyes as he studied the table. Had he seen her face? A flash of blond hair as she disappeared behind it? Or did he scent her despite the many smells of the market? He took a step toward her.

  Nothing separated them but about twenty feet of littered ground

  “Sloane, I’m in trouble,” Ivy turned and whispered to her friend. Sloane’s aloof demeanor shifted slightly when she noticed the real look of fear on Ivy’s face. “What are you talking about?”

  “That Ajax is Dredd. And he won’t be happy to see me.”

  Sloane’s mouth formed a small “o.” For once Ivy managed to shock her.

  Ivy peered back through the knothole, and noticed that Dredd had stopped. He seemed to be warring with himself, looking toward the table, and then back toward the direction of the barracks. He appeared crazed, but also exuded the desperation of a person who acknowledges their madness and is trying their best to stop the descent. Her heart ached for him, and just as she was about to be a complete idiot and run to him, Dredd turned and headed back the way he came.

  The Ajax was gone.

  Sloane, peering through another knothole in the table, said, “Ajax crisis averted.” She stood up and held out a hand to Ivy. “We need to go, before I am forced to pay for all this food.”

  Ivy took her hand, and together they hurried away from the street market.

  “Ivy?”

  “Yes?”

  “When we get back to Doves you are going to tell me everything about Mister-tall-dark-and-terrifying back there.”

  Ivy sighed. “Yes, Sloane.”

  ****

  Ivy stood in front of the small mirror of her basement room and assessed herself. She donned the uniform she wore when she would be working the bar upstairs; a corset-style white strapless top, short black pleated skirt, and thigh-high black leather boots. She felt very awkward in it, but then Cassia didn’t ask her to work the bar often, only when she needed to cover the shift of one of the usual girls. Tonight however, Ivy barely noticed the outfit as she took in her appearance. Instead all she saw were the red-rimmed eyes, ghostly pallor, and stricken expression.

  Was Dredd now a Beast because of her? The Beasts of Blood Sport were men from around the realm who were forced to fight to the death for the entertainment of the crowds. Some became Beasts willingly while others were slaves. It was a barbaric practice, one that Ivy had only learned of recently. The tourneys were held in many villages throughout the isle. Dimm had its own arena, called The Round, just outside of town where the games were held.

  Ivy swallowed a lump of gloom at the thought. She knew Dredd was an Ajax Warrior, the strongest of any male she had ever seen. But how long until the odds weren’t in his favor? How many months until he finally fell, his life’s blood spilled upon the arena sands?

  “How are you holding up?”

  Sloane’s voice came from the bottom of the stairs.

  Ivy turned from the mirror, to face her friend. “I’ll live.”

  “So that was ol’ Uncle Dredd.” Sloane said sarcastically, calling Ivy out on her lie from the other night. “I must admit, I pictured him to be more...uncle-y.”

  “Okay, okay. He’s not my uncle, and you damn well know it.”

  “You don’t say?” Sloane sauntered over and checked her makeup in the mirror, not quite ready to give up the game. “I’m shocked.”

  Sloane stood there, saying nothing, and turned to wait for Ivy to give up the goods. After several seconds of silence she finally said, “So spill it.”

  Ivy did. She began with the Maiden Sacrifice and ended with drugging Dredd and then fleeing the Dark Woods. When she was done, she sank onto the bed, and looked imploringly at her friend, feeling somewhat relieved to have unburdened herself of the secret.

  Sloane crossed her arms in front of her and leaned against the wall. “So you betrayed a very possessive and scary Ajax warrior who believed you to be his sacred mate? One who has obviously been searching for said mate with the fury of the three hells, and is now currently training at The Round ready to fight to the death as a Beast of Blood Sport?”

  “Yes.” Ivy slumped.

  “Well you sure know how to pick your enemies.”

  Ivy stiffened, “I didn’t have much choice at the time.”

  “I’m kidding, calm down. How do you feel about it all now?” Sloane acted as if she was studying her nails but her stillness gave her away.

  “I have had a lot of time to go over and over what happened, and I see now the allowances Dredd was making for me, which had to go against every fiber of his Ajax being. He has his faults for certain. But deep down he is not...bad. And though I would do nothing different if I could go back, I still feel guilty for betraying him. He cared for me.”

  “You owe him nothing, Ivy. You were trying to do right by yourself, and you are the only person you owe shit to. That’s the way of this Isle.” Sloane’s eyes grew haunted for only a moment, and then she recovered.

  “But part of me...cares for him too. I would be lying if I said I hadn’t dreamed of seeing him again. I have fantasized about what would have happened if I hadn’t left. Part of me says I should take the risk and go to him. He’s the only man I’ve ever wanted, you know, in that way.”

  “You mean you are attracted to him. Gods, Ivy, you don’t have to talk like you are twelve years old.
We are in a brothel,” Sloane chided then asked, “What’s the other part of you say?”

  “It says I’m afraid, that I made the right choice that day in the woods. I can’t risk being treated like anyone’s slave ever again.”

  Sloane said nothing for several moments, just studied her friend’s face. “I can’t tell you what to do. Only you can decide. Just remember if you are led by fear then you live as a slave still. Life is short and you should grab happiness with both hands. If that happiness happens to be between the legs of a giant Ajax, so be it.”

  Ivy groaned and threw a pillow at her friend. “Can you be serious? Everything always goes back to sex with you.”

  With a laugh Sloane got up to leave the basement. She was halfway up the stairs when she stopped and turned back toward her friend. “Oh, by the way, speaking of sex, you better make that decision pretty quickly. Cassia just told me she invited The Magister’s Beasts to Doves tomorrow night. She has some kind of history with him. I believe the Undefeated Ajax works for The Magister, which means he is going to be here looking for the best that Doves has to offer.”

  ****

  Ivy navigated the secret hallway on the second floor of Doves, installed to allow staff to move about unseen by the guests. She used it often, after sunset, so she could see to any of the Doves’ needs and perform cleaning of the chambers between guests. Ivy was glad for the concealment of the hallway tonight. She couldn’t stop thinking about her earlier conversation with Sloane, or about Dredd being in this very building tomorrow and what she should do. She should run again but found she didn’t have the energy for it. She missed her Ajax.

  Ivy finished cleaning Porsha’s chamber, and was on her way downstairs when she noticed a crack in the wall where Vette’s chamber should be. Obviously Vette had used the hallway to enter her room earlier in the evening and had left the secret door to her chamber open a few inches by mistake.

  Ivy moved to push the button to close the door, but as she did so she saw Vette in her chamber, on her bed with her customer, both of them nude. She wanted to look away, knew she should, but she could not. She was frozen in curiosity. Just last night she’d dreamed of Dredd, of being with him just this way, and it left her wanting, longing. She watched Vette crouched between the legs of her customer, his erect shaft in her mouth. She was sucking him in and out, moaning as she did so, and the male was grunting and sweating. They both seemed so taken with the act, and Ivy couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to do that…to Dredd.

  Could I make him look as the customer does, lost in ecstasy?

  Her daydream of giving Dredd the time of his life was cut off as she watched Vette suddenly sit up and straddle the male. In one quick thrust, she impaled herself on his member, and both the prostitute and the male cried out in pleasure. For endless minutes Vette worked herself up and down on the man’s length, his hands alternating between gripping her thighs to work her harder against him, and massaging Vette’s large breasts, which bounced up and down as she rode him.

  Ivy forgot to be embarrassed and moisture pooled between her thighs as she watched the lovers. She imagined she rode Dredd hard and fast, watching his face as she pleasured him. If she had come to him, warm and willing, how different things might have gone between them if she had given herself up to the feelings inside her.

  The couple on the bed switched positions, the male flipping Vette onto her back so he could mount her. He thrust into her as she wrapped her legs around his waist and encouraged him with some of the dirtiest words Ivy had ever heard. It occurred to her that she was ignorant in the ways of lovers, that if she and Dredd were ever together she might disappoint him with her ineptitude. That had never crossed her mind before and it bothered her.

  Soon the grunts and groans from Vette’s room grew louder and more frequent and Ivy watched as Vette cried out and shuddered.

  “That’s it, come while you ride me!” the man yelled as he gave a few final thrusts, gritting his teeth as orgasm overtook him.

  Coming to her senses, Ivy ran down the hall to the stairs. She was mortified by what she had done, spying on a friend while she had sex with a stranger. Never in all her time at Doves had she done so, despite her curiosity about what happened behind the closed chamber doors. What was wrong with her? Was the presence of her Ajax completely undoing her?

  Ivy knew it must be true when hours later, as nighttime gave birth to dawn, she laid in bed and touched herself, unable to rid herself of the fantasy her earlier voyeurism had awakened. And as she did, she saw a scarred face looming above her, silver eyes piercing her with heat.

  Ivy was falling. Her mind shrieked as she plummeted through the air, knowing she was going to die. As she raced toward the ground, she closed her eyes, not wanting to see the end. But before she reached it, strong arms suddenly enveloped Ivy. Those arms held her tight, embracing Ivy in warmth before depositing her in the soft grass of a clearing. She opened her eyes to see her savior but saw nothing but the empty meadow, grass swaying in the cool breeze.

  Dejected, she got up and started to leave, feeling a deep emptiness. She was so lonely. And then she saw him. Standing on top of a hill, looking down at her, was Dredd. But it was a younger Dredd, his face unscarred. He smiled at her and reached out a hand to beckon her. She began to run up the hill, joy flowing through her. But as she climbed, the hill seemed to stretch out beneath her feet, growing taller and taller. No matter how much she climbed, Dredd remained as far away as when she first saw him. Her lungs screamed with exhaustion and she gave up, collapsing on the hillside in defeat. When next she looked up, Dredd’s smile was gone. And as she studied him, his scars reappeared, criss-crossing his now angry face.

  “No!” Ivy cried.

  But Dredd turned to leave, ignoring her plea as he disappeared from view.

  “No! Dredd, please wait!”

  Ivy screamed herself awake, covered in sweat. She untangled herself from her now damp sheets, and sat up, the dream still fresh in her mind. She breathed deep and looked around her basement chamber, half-expecting to see the beautiful meadow. It all seemed so real. Including the ache in her heart she felt when Dredd left her. That ache remained even now, not in a dream, confronting her with its existence.

  As Ivy sat in the pitch black room, re-living her dream, she knew that her decision was made. She would see her Ajax again.

  Chapter 7

  Dredd was on edge, pacing in front of the large window in the parlor at Doves Brothel. He was angry at himself for going along when The Magister insisted on sending all the Beasts to the brothel for a night of “getting a little poison out”. Dredd always bristled when The Magister brought up having a prostitute to see to his needs. For one thing, there was only one woman he truly wanted. And for another, he was ashamed to admit he worried even a woman well-paid for sex might reject him on sight.

  Now as he stood surveying his fellow gladiators Barren, Liam, and Gryphon mingle amongst numerous courtesans, all in various states of undress and wearing masks as part of some “masquerade” themed party, his stomach lurched. Just as he planned to leave the brothel and head back to the barracks, another courtesan entered the room, capturing his attention.

  The candles about the parlor gave off nothing more than a soft glow, barely illuminating the slip of a female. She hung back, hesitating in the doorway, projecting none of the aloof confidence of the other prostitutes. He could see her hair was a deep red, the color of a vibrant sunset. She was slight of build, her narrow shoulders exposed in the black strapless dress she wore. He could only see her profile, as she looked about the room, and Dredd realized he was holding his breath waiting for her gaze to swing around to where he stood. She too wore a mask, one of all black, but the lower half of her face was left uncovered, revealing rouged lips. After an eternity, her head tilted and she glanced in his direction. She froze.

  She noticed me too...

  Dredd was intrigued, his plans to leave forgotten. What kind of prostitute hid in doorways when the
re was money to be made? And why was he so drawn to this female, the first one to stir him in so long?

  The red-haired vixen broke eye contact with him and went to stand at the bar, her posture declaring she might move to flee at any moment. She was handed a glass of wine, which trembled in her fingers as she took a sip. Dredd began to move through the crowd toward her. The crowd seemed to part of its own will, the other courtesans allowing the Ajax a wide berth as he headed toward the bar.

  Dredd studied her as he approached. Her easy manner with the other female behind the bar told Dredd she was not new to the brothel but everything else about her behavior screamed novice. Her red hair, styled in a mass of ringlets, lay over one shoulder. Her cleavage was exposed by the tight strapless dress, and the sight of it had Dredd stiffening in his breeches. He wanted her, as he had wanted no one since Ivy. Something about her innocent skittishness drew him the way practiced seductions of a seasoned prostitute never could. It reminded him of his mate.

  As quickly as she appeared, she turned to leave, obviously having lost her bravado. She scurried around a corner out of sight. Dredd cursed and walked faster, determined to catch her. Why had she fled? Was she afraid of him?

  As he made it through the doorway she disappeared through, he saw a flash of movement ahead and to the left. He slowed his pace in the darkened corridor, not wanting to alarm his quarry. When he reached her, she was in a small shadowy alcove built into the wall, clearly designed for intimate encounters. She sat with her head against the padded cushion and a trembling hand over her mouth

  “Did I frighten you?”

  Her head whipped toward him so quickly Dredd thought her neck might snap.

  A definite yes...

  She opened and closed her mouth a few times, as if trying to speak but being unable. Finally she stammered “Um...n-no. I…uh…am simply not experienced at this.” She gestured her hand to indicate the parlor they just vacated.