Beauty Marked

Beauty Marked part 19

My heart stopped as soon as I entered that room. There were no windows to escape looking anywhere else but Talus' magnificent body that reflected the glimmer of the flames in the fireplace. My eyes rebelled against my mind and didn't want to look anywhere else. As quickly as the beating in my chest had ceased it tripled three fold, my heart wanting to escape its confines of my body at the sight of the bare chest of Talus.

Talus only smirked slightly before looking away. That smile sending a strange tingle down my back. "You ok?" He asked coolly. I began my walking into the room at a slow pace, as though approaching a tiger, with only a nod in response. He picked up his shirt and walked over by the fireplace leaning on the mantle. "You don't look it. You're face is flushed." "I'll be fine." I quickly covered. Did he know what I was feeling as I walked closer? My body just kept advancing towards him on its own accord with an almost unstoppable force.

"So, what did she say to you? Did she tell you what you are?" I crossed my arms, forcing my feet to a halt only several feet before him. "She did, no thanks to you. Though she didn't tell me fully," He looked me over, the fire shining off his purple gaze, "She didn't? But she at least told you that you're succubus?" I grimaced at the term, "half." I corrected, "I'm only half, and she bid me good evening without telling me of the other, though I feel she knows. Do you know? Or are you just going to continue keeping secrets from me?" I asked slightly irritated, but mostly curious.

Talus paused and looked at me taking a step towards me, my body feeling hotter and not just from the flames we were next to. "Keep secrets? I had my suspicions, but that is all. If I choose to tell you that is my matter entirely, in no way did I 'keep' anything from you. I just didn't respond." "That's exactly what keeping something is!" I argued. He took yet another step. Only a foot away. My hands flinched to touch the bare chest he presented me. "Well forgive me princess, but now that you know what you are- you'll forgive me for having kept my distance."

I hadn't even thought of that. He had been traveling with me all along. "I- I haven't hurt you have I?" I was mortified; I didn't want to hurt anyone, especially those just wanting to help me- even if he was in it just for the rin. To my surprise, he let out a small chuckle. Dark and soft, but reverberated throughout the room. "You- no, you haven't hurt me. What kind of succubus are you?"

He said the question unto himself, and I had to wonder how I would have answered it. I didn't know what kind I was. Succubi lived off the energy of others, did they enjoy hurting people? Mena and the girl Vae both had insinuated that I... have relations with Talus like it was an everyday occurrence. They wanted me to take his life force.

Talus took a step towards me; I heard a gasp from my own lips as I backed away. He looked at me curiously, As much as my body wanted me to go to him, to touch his skin, to drink him in through my eyes... I didn't want to- I couldn't, I wouldn't. "Elise" he whispered. He said my name, for the first time, I looked up at him instantly, a warm feeling overcoming me, but a feeling of dread following closely after at my want to get close to him. "You're crying..."

Sure enough, tears were falling down my face. Talus gingerly reached out a hand to wipe them from my face. I wanted nothing more than to lean into his touch. "No." Sounded from my lips as a scared bark. I was feeling so cold, so in need of the warmth of another- but I had to resist. I pulled away, "Please... I don't want to hurt you."

~Succubus house- guest room~

She looked so fragile there, so fair, the fire a glow on her skin, her dark hair framing her glowing eyes in the darkness of her room, but so much light- so much sorrow within them. I knew it had to be what she was, her succubus taking over, but god be damned the want to cease her tears made my muscles tense and before I could stop myself, I walked to her wanting to comfort her.