Love of a Daemon: Chapter 2

Chapter 2


Lily woke up with the winter cloak comfortably folded around her, and she was lying on her side with her head resting against some sort of make shift pillow. The pillow was one of the burlap bags stuffed with dead pine needles that covered the floor everywhere beneath the huge tree sheltering them. She could tell it was daylight outside since not even the canopy of the tree and snow was thick enough to block the brightness out. There were a few patches of direct sunlight filtering in from the top of the tree somewhere, and it added to the pleasant ambiance making it easy to forget how deadly the winter cold actually was. The air beneath their canopy had a pleasant toasty feel and the smell of meat cooking filled the air. The hunger in the pit of her stomach brought her fully awake and her attention focused in on the wooden spit hanging over the small fire pit that her mysterious man was rotating so it cooked evenly.

She propped herself up on her elbow so she could better admire the shapely figure of the human male. He had thick black hair that naturally fell past his broad shoulders in smooth waves. It also framed his face like that of a noble animal, and at the same time it added to his rugged handsome features. The layers of muscles that encompassed his frame proved that he was of good health and knew how to take care of himself. In her eyes he was tall, and she had to be less than three quarters of his height, but when she compared him to that of other humans she had met he likely stood no more than average height, if not a bit shorter. Where that might be a factor of confidence to some, it didn’t seem to be so with him. Every movement he made was with purpose and sureness of himself.

A natural smile touched her entire face as she gazed up at the fine specimen crouching near with his back slightly turned to her. She hadn’t the faintest idea of what she could’ve possibly have done to deserve the company of such a godsend. The memory of the previous night surfaced to the front of her thoughts without any effort and she sucked in her lower lip biting it to try and keep her mind off of crawling across the floor cat-like and seducing him again. Her body still felt the soreness of the abuse she had put it through all of yesterday and she needed to give it a chance to recover.

“You’re glowing brighter than the fire,” he spoke in a richly thick voice.

She was amazed she hadn’t noticed all these things before, but then she figured the reason was due to the freezing temperatures robbing her mind and making her thoughts sluggish. It felt almost like she was seeing him for the first time, and she was more than pleased the dream she had been living was shallow compared to the reality. She stopped biting her lip and let the smile she couldn’t hide return to her face.

“Do you have a name stranger?” she asked at the same time the unbelievable realization hit her she had never even considered asking him before. She must have been more out of it than she had originally thought.

He turned his head to look at her with wild untamed eyes revealing a controlled sense of power as if all creatures were his prey and he was the dragon his undisputed dominion over all living things. This man had an unbreakable spirit and considering where they had both come from that was a miraculous trait to claim.

“I have two, but you can call me Valkyre. What name may I call you by?”

“I… I’ve only ever been called Lily, but I know that’s not my real name. Where ever I’m from and who ever I used to be are memories that are no longer mine.” For a brief moment her thoughts drifted and she dared to dream of the possibility of discovering who she had been before her life as a Flower girl. She always imagined it might be someone of importance or else why even bother having her past erased.

“Sounds like there’s a story to your past, and one that may or may not be worth searching for.”

She was about to add to his comment when all of a sudden another realization hit her. He had taken a solid hit to the shoulder by a bolt and concern for his wound absorbed her attention.

“Your shoulder, how is it?” she questioned him while at the same time tossing back the layer of the cloak covering her nude body and getting to her feet so she could examine his injury up close.

“I appreciate you concern, but you needn’t worry about that.”

True to his comment there wasn’t the slightest indication there had ever been a wound. She touched the skin of his shoulder and it was smooth, bearing not even the hint of a scar.

“I don’t understand? How can this be, unless you’re not human.”

Vlakyre didn’t answer her directly, but instead looked at her with a calm, reassuring smile and said, “What if I’m not? Would it matter?”

She looked deeply into his feral green eyes searching for the truth he was keeping from her and instinctively they found their eyes locked into an in depth gaze of one another’s souls. Lily welcomed it and demonstrated she wasn’t afraid by bringing her hand up to lightly touch the side of his face encouraging him to not turn away. She leaned in even closer wanting to absorb everything she found about this wonderful man. Buried and blended into the distant colors was a lifetime of experiences. She had the sense he had seen many wondrous places as well as nameless horrors that had left scars on him in unseen ways. He seemed to be a man of character and discipline who answered to no one but himself. There was also the feeling he had known what it was like to love and have lost, and the taint of bitter hatred replaced by the empty satisfaction of revenge. Somehow through it all, his passion for life still remained indomitable and his will to press on was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

“What are you hiding? What do you not want me to know?” Her face was just a couple of inches from his and the breath of her gentle whisper flowed over him like a sweet caress.

He closed his eyes and his nostrils flared open with a controlled deep inhalation of her scent as though he were savoring the taste of a fine wine. She closed her eyes and found herself sharing the precious moment with him, and instinctively she leaned in even closer until her lips met his in a slow, gentle kiss.

Never had Lily offered another man more than what she was giving now. She rarely ever kissed and normally such things were reserved for only those who were willing to pay extravagant prices. This was the first time she had ever willingly engaged another individual on such a personal level. Her mouth embraced his in a deliberate and sensuous manner making her feel light headed as if she had just tasted the most deliciously intoxicating drink imaginable. Her heart raced wildly pumping blood furiously through out her body and she could tell her skin had turned burning red in color. She wished she could make this precious moment last a little longer, but she knew it was the desire of an addict. There wasn't enough time in all of forever to satisfy her thirst for him.

Her need to breath caused her to gradually pull away before she passed out from lack of oxygen. She gave him up reluctantly and his actions told her he must've felt the same way about her. The moment was thick and heavy with passion yet it had been so incredibly slow and measured it only served to make the entire experience even more enchanting. Once again she was caught up in the wonderment of how, through all the twists and turns in life, had she ended up with a man like him?

She stared silently at him and felt his muscles flex, taking a deep breath to steady the wild emotions he had brewing inside. Without breaking eye contact she let her hand glide down his thick neck, over his powerful chest and the tight muscles of his abdomen until her delicate fingers touched the semi-hard flesh of his penis. He suddenly sucked in air through his clenched teeth and the shaft of his manhood instantly expanded, becoming stiff as a metal rod in her hand. She witnessed the affect ripple through his body in a wave of tensing muscles. Her hand squeezed his cock while she began stroking the impressive tool that had given her unbelievable pleasure like she had never known before. She had barely begun to work him when a glazed look washed over his eyes in a matter of seconds and she wondered if he was ready to cum so soon. Before she even had the chance to slow the motion of her hand so she could draw the moment out his awareness snapped back into focus and he moved swiftly grabbing her wrist. Despite the sudden reaction he still held her arm like that of a stem to a rose and he gently pulled her hand away from his stiff dick that was aching to release its fluids.

She looked down at what he was doing and then back up at his face in confusion. Valkyre breathed in deeply trying to master the passion that was on the brink of consuming him.

She stared at him hoping to discover the reason for his actions. “Did I do something wrong?”

"No. Of course not. You're just more than I expected."

She continued to stare at him, trying hard to read what lurked below the surface of this man who had given her more consideration and respect than anyone had in all of her life. She knew well how to bring physical pleasure to those she touched and he was clearly enjoying the way she rubbed him, so when he suddenly removed her hand she was shocked. It felt like rejection which was another alien emotion she wasn’t’ used to. Her confidence wavered and standing in his presence completely naked made her feel exposed and vulnerable. Even though she wanted to cover herself she stood her ground, and focused her attention on discovering the reason behind his unusual response.

"Please, if there's something else you'd rather I do, you need only say so."

"Oh, Lily," he spoke her name with a sigh of sympathy which only made him seem more of a mystery. "You don't have to treat me like this."

"But what if I want to?"

“I’m not one of your clients you need to serve.”

"But I'm afraid if I don't keep your interests you might abandon me." Her voice quivered at the very end of her sentence and there was no doubt she understood how in their current situation such an action would be equivalent to condemning her to death. She didn't possess the survival skills he had and without his body heat there was no way she'd be able to get far before the cold killed her or a hungry beast turned her into a meal.

He responded with a warm smile that reached the corner of his eyes, and since he still held onto her wrist he gently tugged as if he held a flower he wanted to bring closer so he might appreciate its fragrance. Lovingly, he pulled her into himself enfolding her tiny body and demonstrating to her he would not give her up so easily. One of his arms wrapped around her and held onto her hip of the opposite side, and his other bent vertically across her back where his hand was able to bury itself in the thick brown mess of her hair.

Lily slid an arm over his shoulder and did her best to reach around the massive frame of his upper body. She welcomed the feel of him pressing up against her and the sensitive tips of her breast lightly brushed against his skin. The casual contact made her nipples hard and they eagerly jumped to life without her consent anticipating the thrill of having more sex with this man. But for reasons she couldn’t comprehend he didn’t want her in that way, and out of respect for his wishes she resisted the urge to act upon her instincts.

He held her there for a while breathing in her natural scent acting like he wanted to commit it to memory. She could feel his erection grazing the side of her leg and as the seconds ticked by, gradually it lost its potency, but it didn’t revert completely to its normal relaxed state. There was still that edge of sexual tension lingering between them neither one of them were willing to completely dismiss.

Lily stood there praying that he’d never let her go, and her mind raced trying to rationalize why he declined her advances. Yet for some reason his compassion toward her outweighed his basic desire to satisfy himself. He was the kind of man that could only exist in a dream. The pace of her heart started to speed up with panic at the thought of losing him if she couldn’t prove she had some value. She didn’t want him just because he had made her feel like she was worth caring for, he also represented the lifeline she needed to live through this journey they seemed destined to share.

“I’m a city girl,” Lily started to speak her mind, “and I’m not in my element out here. I haven’t the faintest idea of how to survive the wilds. I can’t make anything, I’ve no knowledge of a trade, the only thing I can do so you don’t discard me is to provide you with companionship. Without you this frozen land will kill me as surely as if I had remained in Horoth. I don’t want to die. All I am is what you’re holding right now, and if it doesn’t please you then what chance have I of seeing tomorrow’s sunrise? I need you to want me.”

"I would've thought that after last night you'd be convinced of how much I enjoy your company?"

"Last night proved nothing to me other than your self control and how sensitive you are to a woman's desire. You robbed me of the one thing I could possibly have given you. You never once allowed yourself the pleasure of finishing, and even now as I held you in my hand you denied yourself. Why?"

Lily felt his body shake with laughter and he squeezed her even tighter. She couldn't believe his reaction. He laughed at her! Was there nothing normal about this human?

"Never before last night had I ever been more thankful for this enchanted collar."

"You make no sense."

"Do you know who the Velvet enchantress was?"

"Yes. She’s a lady to one of the estate lords who died and never remarried. Presumably she killed him, inherited his wealth and remained a widow. I had the displeasure of attending a few of her parties, and they were quite perverse." She almost shuddered at the recollection, but quickly pushed it out of her mind. Instead she moved her hands in tiny little circles over his back, using his physical presence as a reminder of how she was leaving that life behind her and had something better to look forward to.

"She was a very dark individual,” he continued where she could not, “and she wasn't called an enchantress for her looks alone. Behind closed doors and in secret chambers in the basement she experimented with magic. She specialized in crafting magical items like this one locked around my neck."

Lily pulled away from him, sensing she was about learn something important about Valkyre and she wanted to see his face so she had a chance to pick up on all the little nuances.

"I was one of her slaves for three years, and during the last year she had claimed me as her favorite play thing. This collar was crafted with several enchantments, mostly designed for servitude and to prevent me from escaping or harming her, but she included other things on it as well. She delighted in using me for sex, and was never happy if I finished too soon so her solution was to enspell my collar to make me feel pain instead of sexual release.”

"So instead of being able to finish that thing prevents you from wanting to?"

"No. I still want to, but if I do I have to pay a very painful price. There were times, especially in the beginning, she used me until I was so blinded with need I was willing to suffer the consequences. I quickly discovered the greater my urge was then the more it hurt. I think one of the reasons she liked me so much was because I had survived longer than any of my predecesors. I had even witnessed some men die instantly upon the first time of enduring the affects of the torturous collar, and I believe at times it was her specific goal. There were so many times the pain had been so intense. pushing me into oblivion, I felt for sure I would never return to life, but I'd recover, and she would administer me personly with her attention making sure I'd healthy and strong for the next time. In her own twisted fashion I think she actually loved me, but I could never have given her what she wanted in return, although she certainly tried to get me to reciporcate her feelings."

"Couldn't you have prevented having sex with her just by not letting yourself be interested?"

"As I siad the collar also made it so I had to obey almost any command she gave, and she was clever with the way she worded things. It also wasn't so easy to ignore her beauty combined with her seductive ability to elicit a reaction from even the most purest men. She even bragged to me on more than one occasion her favorite conquest had been that of a paladin visiting her estate on a matter of diplomacy. His faith was destroyed after she was finished with him. If I hadn't had the misfortune of knowing the woman so intimately I'd have thought she was a succubus.”

“She sounds like she was very evil.”

“Hmm,” Valkyre shrugged slightly while still holding Lily. “Perhaps.”

“How can there be any doubt?”

“I spent a lot of time with her and she told me things. Things I don’t think she ever shared with anyone else. She was sick in her desires to be sure, but I got to know her and understand the kind of person she was and where she had come from. She had lived through some awful experiences and hardened her soul to survive, so in that respect she had my sympathy, but she could’ve chosen to adapt differently than she had.”

Valkyre sighed in a brief moment of reflection as if he regretted what he had just said. “Then again I might be too harsh in my judgment of her. Not everyone possesses a strong will, and we all cope differently.”

He retracted the arm he had laying over her back and caringly pushed some of Lily’s hair out of her face then let the back of his fingers lightly brush the side of her face. He smiled again at her adding, “Don’t we little one?”

Lily reflected on his words and saw the similarities the two of them shared. They both had been used to fulfill the desires of others without care to themselves. This insight made her feel a personal connection to Valkyre almost as though they were kindred spirits in some way. They had lived in slightly different circumstances and abusive situations, but in essence they had suffered all the same, and she could see in his eyes the scars it had added to his collection. There was a painful regret for both himself and the Velvet Enchantress.

While he talked Lily observed he had always referred to the woman in the past tense so she had to ask, “What happened to her?”

“I killed her.”

His answer left her feeling stunned. He was obviously a very soulful man and had demonstrated his compassion to her, and to hear him say such a thing without his smile hardly diminishing was disturbing.

“You killed her?” she reiterated with her eyes opening wider in astonishment. “But how? The collar should have prevented you.”

“You’re right. If it hadn’t then I would’ve killed her long before I got to know the true woman she had been.”

He let the smile fade from his face and still holding her with the arm around her waist he turned her sideways so he could reach around her to rotate the spit still roasting the meat. She watched the way he moved and admired how capable he was, wishing she knew how to do what he was doing.

“The invaders were coming,” he continued to explain, “and there wasn’t any time to run. The doors were barricaded, but it was a useless attempt at keeping them out. They were breaking down the doors when she told me she’d rather die then be at the mercy of those animals. I knew there was no escape. Death was coming for us and the only choice left was how we left this world. I was sure I’d survive in the end, but certainly not her. Before I fully was aware of what I had done, I had reached over to her and swiftly snapped her neck. She died instantly.”

Lily was good at reading people and could tell there was a hint of pain in his voice. He was distracting himself by tending to the food and she was taken aback that he could have such feelings for a woman who had been so cruel, and evoke sympathy from herself for what he had done.

“As crazy as it may sound I’m sorry for your loss.”

He didn’t respond remaining focused on the meat, and examining it to make sure it was ready to eat.

“Was that wrong of me to say?”

He squeezed her reassuringly and told her, “Not at all. It proves you have a good heart and I appreciate your deeper understanding. I doubt anyone else could offer me such.”

Valkyre lifted the spit that was hanging low to the ground near the fire and brought the cooked meat closer to his face where he turned around a couple of times examining it better. He took his other hand off of her hip and stripped a small piece off of what would be their breakfast. It was still too hot to eat so he blew on it to help it cool off faster and then he sampled it. She watched him as he chewed and considered the quality of what would be their breakfast. Eventually he nodded his approval and pulled off another piece. He blew on it like he did before and offered it to her. She took it delicately from his hands with her mouth and thought the simple action made him look sexy.

Although it tasted like bland, dry chicken she didn’t care. She was so hungry anything would’ve had tasted great to her. She wanted to swallow what she had in her mouth whole and without chewing it, but he was watching. Perhaps he merely wanted to make sure the food would agree with her, but she forced herself to chew it slowly making herself look enticing while she did so.

“Mmmm…that was delicious,” she said looking seductive. “May I have some more please?”

A soft chuckle emitted from his throat with his mouth closed and he indulged her. This time she held onto his hand as he placed the strip of meat in her mouth and she took it along with his finger. She kept it in her mouth gently sucking on it and checked his expression seeing how he liked what she was doing. Valkyre swallowed hard and she could feel where he was touching her leg begin to harden again.

He gave a deep shuddering sigh that almost sounded like a growl. “You are an irresistible little nymph, aren’t you?”

She pulled his finger out of her mouth and licked it once more. “You are more so than I,” she purred.

He slowly pulled his hand away from her and she let it go.

“Here,” he offered her the stick with the meat impaled on it, and she couldn’t keep the expression of disappointment off of her face. “We should get ready to move soon while we still have half a days worth of light.”

“But we’re warm here,” she protested. “Can’t we at least rest here another night?”

“I’d love to, but I want to get us further into the mountains so we don’t have to worry about any stray soldiers or marauders happening across us by chance. We’re barely deep enough if they find traces of our camp. If we move further in it will prevent any stragglers from wanting to pursue us.”

“If you think it’s safest then I guess we should,” Lily consented. She rubbed the center of her chest with the base of her palm, instinctively testing the spot to see how well she might be able to endure the constant pressure of leaning against him. She still felt a dull ache from the bruised area and knew it wouldn't take long riding him until she was hurting as badly as she was yesterday right before they had stopped for the evening.

"Do you plan on carrying me as you did before?" she questioned him between between bites

“It is the best way,” he nodded as he began to move around their small camp gathering the few meager possessions they had. He stopped for a moment looking back at her with more thoughtfulness. “You’re still hurting aren’t you?”

“I’ll be alright,” she lied while avoiding eye contact with him. She didn’t want him to think she was too small or weak.

Valkyre said nothing and went back to picking up their belongings. She watched him take the small burlap sacks she had used to help insulate her feet with and place her slippers ,shirt and the dagger inside and tie it closed with the twine. He included a large loop when he tied the bag and put his arm through it sliding the improvised strap all the way up to his shoulder. Valkyre picked up the second bag Lily had missed seeing and with it already apparently holding other contents slid it into place along side the first.

"What's in that bag?" she wondered aloud, knowing full well they didn't arrive at this spot carrying enough to fill both bags.

"Just a few things I found while I was out and about I thought might prove useful."

"Like what?"

"Some fireweed, a few stones and I'm going to carry the pelts in there as well. They're small so they'll fit and they're still outside tanning as much as possible before we leave."

"Pelts? Where'd you...," she started to ask, but then stopped in the middle of chewing looking at the animal carcass she had almost completely devoured.

Valkyre saw the look on her face and gave a good hardy laugh without showing any shame. "Where did you think your meal came from? There aren't any kitchens or chefs out here, but I promise I'll find enough to keep your belly full."

Lily wasn't happy with thought of having eaten some furry, innocent forest animal and guilt had stolen her appetite. As she considered what to do with the little bit of edible meat remaining on the bones she had the horrible realization she had selfishly eaten almost all of it without even considering Valkyre. She extended the stick in his direction offering what was left.

"I'm sorry," she timidly told him, transferring her guilt entirely. "I ate more than my share."

Valkyre laughed again, but this time not so blatantly. "That's quite alright, little one, I've already eaten. What's there is all meant for you."

"Oh... well I don't think I can finish it."

"Lily," he began in a lecturing tone, "we won't have too many options of what we can eat out here so it would be best if you ate when able. Trust me, you'll need every bit to give you energy so you can stay warm."

Valkyre paused for second and then added some more to what he was saying. "I've got to tend to the pelts and a couple other things before we leave. Finish picking those bones clean and use the snow to wash your hands the best you can. Then I want you to hold the inside of that cloak close to the heat of the fire. If the flames die out that's fine the embers will still do the job, and be very careful not to get too close to where you set the thing on fire. That material is the best thing I've got right now for keeping you alive."

After giving her his instructions he left the camp, venturing back out into winter cold with nothing but his own skin to protect him. Even though she had seen him first hand endure the extreme climate she was still left speechless. Much as it had happened the prior evening he left so abruptly that the absence of his presence caused a rush of silence to fill in the void. At least this time it wasn't so bad since there was daylight to ward off her imagination from conjuring up horrible night creatures that wanted to eat her.

She did as she was told and made herself pretend what she was eating was no less than the type of rich food she had access to at the brothel and parties she was paid to attend. Venturing to the edge of the pine branches she grabbed a chunk of snow to scrub her hands with and was immediately reminded of how bad it was outside. Even though it was mid day and likely the warmest it was going to get, the thought of going back out was dreadful.

By the time Valkyre returned she was holding the winter cloak next to the embers of the fire, spread open as wide as she could reach. She watched him duck low as he entered pushing his way through the branches and for some unexplained reason she found herself smiling at him. Perhaps it was because she was relieved it was him and not someone else or maybe it was how attractive she found him, but one thing she was certain of was when he was near her she felt happy.

He approached her from the front and and ran his hands over the inside of cloak. "Good," he said with approval. "That'll do nicely to help keep you warm."

Valkyre took a moment to grab some snow from outside and tossed it on what remained of their camp fire then he took the cloak from her hands. He laid it upon the ground and had her lay down on it. Lily was a little confused with how he was deviating from the way she imagined they were going to travel, but she trusted him and did as he asked without question. He made sure she kept her arms tucked in close to her body and folded the cloak around her wrapping her up completely from. head to toe. Even her head was covered up, but with a few minor adjustments he fixed it so that it wasn't and made use of an extra fold of the fabric that could cover her face if it was getting too cold.

As he made some final adjustments he told her, "Try not to talk too much, In fact it's best if you don't say anything unless it's really important, or you happen to see something you think may warrant my attention. I'm going to to be concentrating on quite a few things and I won't be able to make idle talk with you, so if you have anything on you're mind now is the time to speak."

There were a lot of questions Lily had about Valkyre but many of them weren't pertinent at the moment. However if this was the last time they were going to talk for a while she wanted to at least say something.

"I have one concern," she stated, and he paused, staring down at her, waiting to hear. "Are you going to be all right?"

He smiled at her as he had done before when it reached his eyes. It was genuine and kind and made her feel like she was somehow very special to him. She had no idea why he'd think that of her, but she knew she loved it when he looked at her in that way."

"I'll be fine little one," he told her in a low husky voice as he scooped her up. "You can help by thinking warm thoughts of me."

Valkyre cradled her close and leaned over her as he spoke the last words she was going to hear from him for the next few hours. He brought his head near to hers and gave her a slow and deliberate kiss that sent a tingling sensation all through out her body. If she could have put her arms around him she would've, but since she couldn't she did her best to pour her soul into that single kiss. It was her hope that it would aid in shielding him from the cold of which she was sure he wasn't as immune to as he made himself seem to be.

When they separated he lingered briefly with he his face filling her entire vision still holding that special smile looking as though he hadn't felt this way for anyone for a very long time. With more care than if she were made of glass he covered her face without saying a word. For Lily there was nothing more that could be said to add to how she felt right then and there.

Valkyre was the last thing she saw before they were outside once more with the freezing weather biting at their vulnerable bodies.