Anybody But You

31

Chapter Thirty-One

Vibe: Emily by Jeremy Zucker & Chelsea Cutler

"My my, lady Alice, you're looking rather not purple this evening." Narcisse's voice filled the sky as he called out from up on his perch. Holding onto the side of the window, he stood atop the windowsill with a smug smile.

Despite how easy it had become to be around Godric, when Alice was around Narcisse, she still felt the overwhelming dark pull of anger. Perhaps, that was due to the fact that unlike Godric, Narcisse had never been someone good in her eyes. Even her skin and bones felt threatened by him, and rightfully so.

Because to Alice, Narcisse had always been the bad guy.

"Can I ask for a favour?" She swallowed her pride, chewing on her bottom lip as she looked up at him with her hand over her eyes—the blazing sun beginning to set behind him.

Narcisse brought his free hand up to his chin, his grip on the arch the only thing keeping him from falling as he leaned dangerously off the edge. "I don't see why you can't ask." He crouched down, gesturing with his finger for her to come closer.

Grinding her teeth, she walked towards him until she was almost underneath where he crouched. "What do you even do all day here? Lazy prince." She muttered, folding her arms over her chest as she avoided his wicked black eyes.

Clicking his tongue in disapproval, Narcisse shook his head causing the dark strands to fall in his eyes, "What a rude noblewoman."

Rolling her eyes, she quickly fixed her face into such a sweet expression, a doll would be envious of it. "Oh darling prince of this glorious kingdom, could I trouble you for a moment?" Fluttering her eyelashes, Alice's smile radiated innocence.

The young prince coughed, his lips quivering as a smile threatened to show. Leaning back onto his perch, he sat on it as if it were a throne. Clearing his throat, he waved his hand in a kingly manner "Proceed."

Fighting back the urge to roll her eyes, Alice curtsied, bowing her head, "Long may you someday reign, your highness." Looking up, mid-curtsy, she spoke, "Can you please convince your father—or whoever is in charge of it—into possibly hiring one more knight if they're worthy? I bumped into someone while he was on his way and I ended up making him miss the test." She stayed in position, waiting for his answer.

Narcisse's brows pulled together as he thought, "...it may be possible." With a dark smile on his face, he jumped down; quickly crossing the distance between them as he grabbed her by the small of her back and pulled her into his chest, "What do I get in return if I do as you wish?"

Alice's heart skipped erratically in her chest as Narcisse's dark ravenous eyes captured her suddenly wide blue ones. She wondered, before her mind shut down, if he could feel how irregular her heart was beating—her hammering chest flush against the top of his solid abdomen as he held her body tight to his. Faces almost inches apart as he stared down at her, Alice lost the ability to speak as the finer details of Narcisse seemed to pull her in and silence every negative thought screaming at her—the inch sized scar on top of his dark eyebrow, the dark stubble along his strong impressive jawline, and his thick dark lashes entrapping his gem-like black eyes. Those very same glazed-over eyes, slowly traced the details of Alice's face in return; right down to her parted pink lips as his warm breath rolled over her overheating skin. Blinking through the haze of her brain as he towered over her, she began to feel the confusion and anger and fear that crowded her mind.

"Alice," his deep voice rumbled like a dangerous purr as her thin eyebrows stitched together in confusion and... and yearning, she realized with her heart dropping directly into her stomach acid as her body filled with heat. "Stop fighting it." He whispered in a low hum, his long fingers reaching up and caressing the side of her flushed face as he pushed her blonde hair back from her pink ear. Leaning further into her space, she shivered in both wanting and horror as she felt his cool lips brush against her hot ear, "Let me in."

With her hands practically trembling on his chest, she pushed him away—breaking the spell as she hastily stepped out from his damning grip.

Her entire body began to quake as she felt the disgust and shame instantly cover her body in shivers. How could she react to him like that—out of everybody, why him? How could her body betray her—how could she do that? Anybody but Nacisse. She was messed up. Sick in the head. Disgusting.

How stupid. How weak. How naive. The chant repeated in her head in an unending loop.

Her closed eyes watered as the voices inside of her from her past life told her what an awful, horrible, disgusting, pitiful human she was. Her nails bit into her palms, the sensation of the pain was almost like releasing the pressure—the blood that spilled out dirtied by all her shameful lust as it dripped faster and faster onto the ground the harder she squeezed.

She just wanted it out of her—the dirty thoughts and feelings. She wanted it to pour out with her blood so she would never have to experience them again.

"Alice!" Narcisse grabbed her trembling hands, prying them open as the pool of blood in her palms stained his hands. "I'm sorry." He spoke quickly, grabbing her face desperately as she willed herself to disappear. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He kept repeating over and over as her tears slipped out from under her clenched eyelids—spilling too quickly for him to wipe away successfully as her blood smeared along her porcelain skin with each wipe of his thumb. Pulling her into a tight hug, he swore into her hair, "What do you want me to do to make this right, Alice? I'll do anything." Narcisse begged.

Her quickened, panicked breaths began stabilizing as she spoke through her shivering teeth.

"Never. Touch me. Again."

Anybody but you, Nacisse.
Anybody but you.

~*~*~

A.N.

Fuck. My heart right now is not okay. This hit something personal. Gotdam. I'm sorry Alice... seriously, so sorry I've plagued you with such terrible thoughts.

Thank you for reading.

Seriously impossible to find a song for this chapter. I'm frustrated ✨ too many different vibes going on. Oh well.