“Tell us what you want from us,” Lela said, interlocking her fingers.
“Grovel. Plead with me,” she said.
“Will you then return my people?” Lela asked.
“Your people? Of whom do you speak?” she asked.
“My people…the people from the castle,” Lela said.
“And also-”
“Quiet!” She interrupted Eldrich. “You have my word,” she said to Lela.
“I beg you. Please forgive me for hurting you. You’re a merciful and beautiful witch who deserves to be treated with respect. You deserve love. Eldrich and I deserve nothing. We were wrong to have fallen in love,” Lela said.
“It was wrong of me to reject you,” Eldrich said. “Someone as beautiful as you should never have to know rejection. I beg you. Forgive me. Forgive us.”
The witch twirled around and began to dance. “Your words have made me happy. When I’m happy I dance.”
“Seeing you happy is all that matters to us,” Eldrich said.
“Dance, oh, beautiful witch,” Lela said.
The witch twirled and twirled and then bowed.
Lela and Eldrich clapped.
“Bravo,” Lela said.
“Well done,” Eldrich said.
“You may both stand,” she said.
“Are we forgiven?” Lela asked.
The witch put Lela’s hand in Eldrich’s. “I forgive you. The spell is lifted.”
“Thank you,” Lela said, kissing the witch’s hand.
“When you return to the castle, you will find your people there. I promise you,” she said.
“With the greatest respect,” Eldrich said, “may I ask you one question?”
“Yes, of course, Prince of the Barmoth Vampires. Ask me anything and I will answer with the truth.”
“Will Lela also find her father at the castle?” Eldrich asked.
The witch started to laugh. “Of course not!”
“But you said we were forgiven. You gave me your word!” Lela said.
“You’re a stupid princess. Has Eldrich taught you nothing about how things work? You wanted your people returned to the castle. Your father is the King. If you wanted the King of Barmoth returned, you should have said so.”
“You ugly, wretched witch. You tricked me.”
“I’m a witch. Did you expect anything less from a witch?”
“Give me back my father! Return the King of Barmoth, I beg you,” Lela said.
“Begging won’t work. It’s too late,” the witch said.
“Is there anything you can tell us that will help us bring back the King?” Eldrich asked.
“Oh, why yes. I can tell you where he is. I sent him to the Kingdom of the Dead. I love that kingdom. It’s one of my favorite kingdoms. It’s so dreadful and dark and full of madness.”
“What do we need to do?” Lela asked.
“You’ll need to go there and convince Godfather Death to free the King of Barmoth. It’s now out of my hands. Godfather Death is such a grumpy creature. He hates to be bothered.”
“Tell me how to get there,” Lela said.
“You ask too much of me.”
“Vanish me there, please,” Lela said.
“I’m tired. Be on your way,” the witch said. “It was fun playing with you both. But I have other pressing matters.”
Eldrich leaned in and kissed the witch on the cheek. “I was a fool to reject you.”
The witch smiled and kissed him on the mouth. She then said, “I’ll get her halfway there but the rest of the journey is hers and hers alone. She’ll have to find the Kingdom of the Dead without you,” she said to Eldrich.
He nodded.
Lela started shaking. This wasn’t happening. Eldrich had broken her heart, torn it into a million pieces and now…now he was going to lie with the witch.
“Are you ready?” the witch asked Lela.
Eldrich walked to Lela. “You’re in my heart, always and forever. I love you,” he whispered.
Tears rolling down her face, Lela said, “I will never forgive you. I’m no longer yours.”
“Come now,” the witch said, “are you ready?”
“I am,” Lela said.
“Great and powerful ancestors of mine. Hear my plea. Take this woman and deliver her halfway to the Kingdom of the Dead. This, I ask of you now,” the witch said.
In a whirlwind, Lela spun in the air, her eyes closed she prayed she’d land without injury. Her heart ached for Eldrich. And she wondered if she could ever stop loving him. Despite what she had learned about him, she still loved him. But she knew she could never forgive him for not telling her the truth. A terrible, torturous thing to still love someone you also hate.
When she opened her eyes, she was once again on the ground. Thank you, thank you, Gods, for keeping me safe. Dusting herself off, she inspected the area around her. The trees were short and thin and had no leaves. The full moon held a prominent position here for which she was glad because its brightness illuminated the entire forest.
Realizing she had no food or water, she decided to start her journey at sunrise instead of pressing ahead now. She was also exhausted and needed to find a place to sleep.
Lightheaded, she staggered through the trees. She’d have to find a place soon; her body seemed intent on shutting down.
She was alone in a strange environment but she’d not let her fear overwhelm her. If she was to succeed in saving her father, she required a strong and purposeful mind.
Stumbling, she came upon a lake. The moon shone on the water and she blinked rapidly. There, standing in front of her, was…no, she was hallucinating. Rubbing her eyes, she exhaled. He was still there.
“Is it really you?” she asked.
He came to her and hugged her tight. “It’s me.”
His warmth ran through her, comforting her. “Xavier.”
“Why are you here?” she asked him.
“I knew you were in trouble,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “I won’t leave you.”
“Where is Zel?”
“She’s home. She knows I’m here. She insisted I come,” he said.
She let her grief flow. Crying on his chest, she said, “I’m broken. He broke my soul.”
“Do you still love him?” he asked.
“I hate him…”
“This will pass, I promise,” he said.
“Oh, Xavier, I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I will take this journey with you, if you let me,” he said.
She lifted her head and met his eyes. “The night we spent together still haunts me. No matter how hard I try, you’re constantly on my mind.”
“You’re in my every thought,” he said.
“What about Zel?”
“She has my heart. When angels give their heart to someone, it’s forever. But, I can’t deny what I feel for you. I desire you. I think about you, the way you smell, your body, I dream of being inside of you again. When I’m with Zel, I think of you.”
“I love Eldrich,” she said, turning from him.
He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “I won’t pressure you,” he whispered into her ear.
“Stay with me,” she said. “Take this journey with me. I need you.”
She didn’t know what was ahead of her. She didn’t know if she would succeed in saving her father. She didn’t know if she would ever stop loving Eldrich. But she knew she wanted Xavier with her.
She took his hand and together they walked on their way to the Kingdom of the Dead; on their way to an adventure from which she knew she would not return the same.
GOLDEN DESIRES, a short tale Episode four of the Golden Erotic Tales Series
Sitting on the grass on the edge of a lake, Lela stared at the sky. She had never seen a red sky but then up until two and a half months ago she had lived a sheltered life.
It had been two weeks since Lela had last seen Eldrich, since he had crushed her heart. She missed him with all her soul and during her weakest moments, she had cried out his name in her sleep. Curse her heart for still loving him.
It was over between them. She’d never forgive him for not telling her the truth. If he was in front of her now she’d curse him, spit in his face, and hit him.
Yet, she couldn’t get him out of her mind. He had awakened her desires, instilling in her an insatiable sexual appetite which grew more intense with each day that passed. She knew that in many ways she was still that silly and naive girl who had chased after a golden ball and fallen into a well. She understood that her sexual escapades with Eldrich, and her one night with Xavier, were probably tame compared to what other girls her age had experienced-done and had done to them. But then, she had had sex with a vampire and an angel. Lela suspected not many women could claim that.