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Category: Erotica/Erotic Fantasy/Fantasy
Description: When Eirwen, the goddess of winter, visits her sister Vesna, the goddess of spring, she is surprised to discover her seducing a mortal with her magic. When Rorik finds himself suffering under a goblin's curse, Vesna abandons him, but Eirwen takes him to her world to protect him as the goblin's curse slowly poisons his soul. Her advisor's solution? Let Rorik slake his lust in her arms to keep all of his darker desires under control. Their chemistry is instant, but she begins to have doubts when Rorik declares he's fallen in love with her. She rejects his heart while still enjoying his body, but she's afraid to believe his feelings are real. Just as she is afraid to trust her own. Will she find a cure before the darkness takes him completely? And if she does, will he care for her enough to accept the love she wants to give him?
eBook Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press, 2011
eBookwise Release Date: August 2011

3 Reader Ratings:

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Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [98 KB]
Words: 22009
Reading time: 62-88 min.

Chapter 1

North Pole, 1885

Eirwen looked into her snowball again. The people she saw inside it all sat quietly sipping tea. Shouldn't there be more intrigue and excitement surrounding a royal family? She let the image fade. She sighed and threw the snowball against the wall. It shattered and then turned to slushy globs as the pieces fell to the ground and its enchantment faded.

Lumi, her adviser, moved quickly to her side. "Something wrong, highness?" he asked.

"I am...bored."

"Yes. You said so yesterday." Lumi took a few steps away. "Maybe a change of scene? Or a visitor? Your sister Vesna, perhaps?"

Eirwen rolled her blue eyes. Vesna was the spirit of spring just as she was of winter. "I don't feel like having my gates melted again just now. I don't know why she thinks that is so funny."

"Probably because you get so angry."

She pushed her long white hair behind her shoulders. "Hmmm. You're probably right. Maybe I will go see her. Get out among mortals. It might be slightly more interesting than watching them from afar." She stood up and sighed again. "I don't see how it could be duller."

"Shall I have your things packed?"

She nodded. Anything was better than another day of sitting around doing nothing. Very little had sparked her interest in weeks.

She went to her room and found Crystal and Shanice packing her clothes. "How are my little princesses?" She had created them both from shards of ice, and they had soon become her two favorite companions. Her own children rarely came home except for very short visits. She loved her children, but they were all so much like her they often had trouble tolerating each other for more than a few days.

Crystal and Shanice both smiled and turned toward her excitedly.

"We want to come. We don't see why we can't," Crystal said.

Eirwen shook her head. "Both of you would melt. You know that."

Shanice closed a suitcase and put it on the floor. "It's not fair. Vesna's companions came here."

Eirwen smiled as she remembered. "And how long did they stay?"

Both girls were silent, and then Crystal answered, "A few hours."

"They were created from roses, as you were from ice crystals. They began to freeze. I wish I could protect you outside my realm, but I cannot."

They nodded and began packing again.

She felt bad for the girls, but she couldn't do anything about it. "I won't be gone long. I'll bring you both presents from Vesna."

Crystal and Shanice looked at each other and smiled, then continued their work.

Eirwen sighed. She appreciated how easy to please they were, but she almost longed for them to be more independent. Lumi was a Dark Fey and the only servant she had not created. She loved how he was never afraid to express his opinions and even challenge her, but his personality puzzled her at times. She didn't know if their closeness was truly friendship or simply a part of his devotion to her because she had saved his life. His unflinching loyalty made him a wonderful servant though. She thought of her recent, brief relationship with Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Their relationship had been anything but boring. However, every time they had a fight a clap of thunder or bolt of lightning would take out a large chunk of her palace. The bad times had outnumbered the good times three to one. A new man was not what she needed. She did need a change. That she knew. She didn't think she'd find it in Vesna's garden, but leaving her palace seemed the best way to begin.

Magique, France

Vesna sighed as Rorik kissed her neck. She kept her fingers tangled in his hair so he would stay under her spell. As long as she was touching his hair, she could keep him in her thrall. He came to her every few days to prune her roses. He had no idea he also made love to her each time. He always went away thinking she was so pleased because he had done a good job in her garden. He thought himself lucky to have the favor of the richest woman in his small town. He didn't realize how he was truly earning that favor.

She arched up as his cock slid deep inside her. She wondered how quickly all the girls in town would change their attitudes toward the shy, reserved Rorik if they knew he had an eight-inch cock and a mouth so talented she woke up from dreams of him every morning. She kissed the top of his head as he kissed her breasts. She liked having him all to herself.

"Faster, darling," she said urgently. He increased his pace, and she brought his lips back to hers as she came. She gripped him with more ferocity as the pleasure washed over her. She moaned and kissed him harder when she felt him come. She wished he could give her a child. They had been making love for almost a year, yet she was not pregnant. She felt puzzled and disturbed by this. Shouldn't she have been as fertile as all the things she created? When she brought spring back to all the parts of the world after winter had passed, everything she touched would burst with fecundity. Why couldn't she conceive? She wanted a child of her own more than anything in the world, even more than she wanted Rorik. She could admit that. She wanted his love, but the bond she would feel with their child would be something entirely different. A child would never leave her, never love another more than her.

Rorik covered her face in kisses. His eyes told her he loved her. Unfortunately, he couldn't talk while he was under her influence. She was always tempted to release him as they made love to see what he would do, if he would still love her, but she never did. She was too afraid. If he went away in anger, she would lose him. If he ran from her gates with any negative emotion in his heart, he would never find the entrance to her small realm again. If she went into town to bring him back, he would not remember her. She wouldn't risk it. He was exactly the kind of man she wanted to father her baby. She'd chosen him for all of his good qualities. He was kind and loving and warm.

She squeezed her pussy tight as he pulled out of her. She willed herself to conceive. He was so virile and had so much stamina she couldn't believe he wasn't capable of giving any woman a child. She looked out her window and saw the sun setting. She blinked her eyes, using her powers, and dressed him again. She kissed his cheek, and suddenly they stood in her garden. She released his hair and turned away. He would remember nothing.

"My lady, I'm finished. Is there anything else you need?"

"Your child growing inside me," she said softly before turning to him. "No. That is all for today. You've worked very hard, Rorik. The sun is setting."

He looked to the west. "It is. I must have lost track of time, my lady."

She smiled. She'd told him she was a duchess, and he'd believe her because her house was so large and filled with furniture and paintings no one else in the town could ever afford. She didn't want any of it though. She would trade it all for a small cottage if she could have a child of her own. "I hope I haven't kept you too long. I wouldn't want to keep you from more important things. Or people."

He blushed. "It's just me. No one notices my comings or goings."

She sighed with relief. She watched him during the day, but she couldn't see everything that went on in the town. She feared the day when some young girl caught his eye. If he was attracted enough, he might actually overcome his shyness and pursue her. Any girl with half a brain would respond to his sweet and kind spirit, and Vesna would lose him. Her house felt empty enough each time he left. As a mortal, he could only stay within her gates for a short time before he began to fade and lose his place in the mortal world. If he fathered her child, he could stay within her realm and be immortal, just as she was. Her child would need a father. She believed she could bring him around when the time came. She was beautiful, and even though he couldn't remember their lovemaking, she thought it would still affect his feelings. Once she was pregnant, she could approach him and try to seduce him. If he responded the way she wanted him to, they could make love then and he'd never have to know what she'd been doing. If he didn't, she could send him away and close the rosebushes around her home. No one would remember she'd ever been there.

She smiled and handed him three gold coins. "I'll see you in a couple of days." She walked into her house and didn't watch him leave. As many times as she'd had his body, she craved more. She'd considered trying to seduce him without using her magic. Perhaps then he could give her a child. She couldn't be sure. More than anything though, she knew she wouldn't be happy until she held their baby in her arms. She didn't understand what she was doing wrong. She felt more melancholy than usual today, and watching him disappear into the woods would only make her feel so much lonelier.

Eirwen stepped through the white rosebush into her sister Vesna's garden and set her bags down. The sun was rising, and the garden felt calm and inviting. The strong smell of flowers greeted her immediately, making her glad she had decided to come. All around her though, everything was silent. Where were Vesna's servants? Her companions? She'd never seen the garden so still before.

"Vesna?" No one answered. Was her sister all right? Surely she would have felt it if something had happened. "Vesna?"

"Eirwen?"

Eirwen turned and saw her sister coming toward her. "There you are. I was worried." They hugged, and then Eirwen gestured to the quiet garden. "Where is everyone?"

Vesna didn't smile. Her embrace hadn't been very warm either. "I like being alone. What's wrong with that?"

Eirwen raised her eyebrows. Vesna loved people and parties. She liked games and feasts. She had never, ever liked being alone. "Nothing's wrong with it. It simply isn't like you."

Vesna shrugged, and then she finally smiled. "Just a change of pace."

Eirwen thought for a moment, but she decided not to press her sister for more now. "That's just what I needed as well. I was so bored at home. I decided to come see you."

"For how long?"

Eirwen was puzzled. Her sister sounded like she didn't want her here at all. "Only a day or two. I wanted to get away, but you know I can't stay here too long. Much too warm for my taste."

"Let's get your things inside."

Eirwen handed one of her bags to Vesna and put the other one back on her shoulder. The last time she'd visited, her bags had been taken into the house by servants, and Vesna had dragged her to the porch swing and spent two hours telling her the latest immortal gossip. What had changed? Was Vesna in trouble? Had another immortal done something to her? Or hurt her? They'd have to answer to her, no matter who it had been, if they had hurt her sister.

Eirwen downed her second glass of raspberry lemonade. "I have to admit I enjoy food here more. So many flavors."

"You could conjure things like this if you wanted to," Vesna said.

"I was never as good at conjuring as you are." She plucked another strawberry from the bowl in the center of the table and dipped it in the cream in front of her. "And the real thing is better."

Vesna smiled but didn't say anything else.

Eirwen finished her strawberry and sat back in her chair. "Vesna, what's going on?"

Vesna looked down for a moment. "Nothing."

"I feel like you don't want me here."

"I'm tired. That's all."

Eirwen didn't believe her, but what could she do? She didn't want to start arguing so soon. "Well, I'm going to stroll through the town. It's been a long time since I did that. I remember it being very pretty."

Vesna frowned, but then she nodded. "That sounds nice. I need to trim the roses. I'll be done when you get back."

Eirwen kept her eyes on Vesna and didn't say what she was thinking. The roses looked as if they had been pruned recently. Everything in the garden was perfect, in fact. "I won't be long," she said. She turned and walked out of the garden. She shut the gate behind her and muttered, "Perhaps you'll feel like talking tonight."

Eirwen made her way to the town slowly. The trees in the forest fascinated her. Their smells, their texture, the way they changed as the year progressed, all these things intrigued her. She preferred the perfection of ice crystals, but being amongst the life-filled greenery was refreshing. It was exactly what she needed.

She stopped on the path when she heard someone chopping wood. She looked and saw a very attractive man in a clearing. He was tanned and muscular. His jet-black hair fell against his shoulders. She moved closer. When he looked up, she smiled as their eyes met. His were the same startling blue as hers. Perhaps this was something else she needed. She didn't want a man in her life, but a man in her bed? A mortal might be perfect.

"Hello. I didn't mean to startle you." He looked very surprised to see her, so she wanted to reassure him.

He bowed his head slightly. "Think nothing of it." He raised his eyes to hers again. "You must be visiting Lady Vesna."

Lady Vesna? What was this all about? "Yes, I am. How did you guess?"

He let his gaze roam over her, taking in her elegant white gown and the jewels on her fingers. A slight blush spread over his face. "Such a fine and beautiful lady could only be a guest of the duchess." He bowed more fully. "At your service, my lady."

She smiled, finding him as charming as he was attractive. Duchess? She'd find out what that was about later. "Thank you. What is your name?"

"Rorik. I tend the duchess' garden a few times a week."

Eirwen fought the urge to raise her eyebrows. Was that all he "tended" a few times a week? Vesna could tend to her own garden with a thought. Why would she need a mortal to come do it for her? Was she pretending to be a duchess because too many of the townspeople knew where she lived? Surely she could disguise the entrance to her home easily enough. Was she playing the wealthy patroness to win their favor somehow?

"It's nice to meet you." She took a deep breath. This man smelled like sex. She could think of no other way to describe it. She looked at him more closely.

"Are you going to town? I could escort you, if you wish."

She smiled. "That would be wonderful."

He put a jacket on and offered his arm. As they walked along, she leaned closer to him.

I knew it. She could smell the magic in his hair. What was Vesna doing with him? Were there others? If all the men in the town turned out to be as handsome as this one, she couldn't blame her sister for a few enchantments. She ignored the temptation to find out what Rorik was like as a lover. Her sister would not be very forgiving. As much as she wanted to run her hands down his body and pull him close, she resisted. His sexual energy amazed her though. Was it Vesna's magic?

She noticed their pace had slowed, and she looked at him for a moment. He smiled and blushed a little. Why? She looked around for a moment, and then a thought hit her. She looked down at his crotch, making no attempt to disguise what she was doing.

He had an erection. And from the looks of things, he had a very large cock.

He stopped and pulled away, turning his back. "I'm sorry, my lady. I don't know what's come over me."

"I think I know exactly what's come over you."

"What?" he asked. He turned his head back to look at her.

"Vesna and I are sisters. We aren't exactly...mortal."

"What?" he repeated. "What do you mean?"

Eirwen knew she was in trouble, but if Rorik got an erection so easily, Vesna needed to stop using her magic on him. She decided on a compromise. "You see, I'm the Lady of Winter, the Snow Queen. Vesna is the Lady of Spring. You've heard of us?"

"I've heard children's stories." He paused. "Are you making fun of me?"

"No, Rorik, I'm not. Vesna is a goddess, the goddess of spring. I think spending so much time near her and in her garden has had a rather odd effect on you." That sounded good enough. Rorik didn't need to know what Eirwen suspected. If he could believe who they were, maybe he would believe that as well.

"I dream about her all the time. About making love to her. I thought I had fallen in love with her."

"That could still be true. But the sexual part is magical. Are you often this easily aroused?"

"Yes. Everyone thinks I'm shy. I've only lived here one year. It's been like this since I moved here. I avoid the town because of it."

Eirwen pushed down her laughter. It certainly made for an interesting reason to be antisocial. "You've worked for Vesna since you came here?"

"Yes."

A year? Vesna could have killed him. "I see."

He finally turned back to her. "Hard to believe as it is, what you're saying does explain some things. I'll think about it until tomorrow. Vesna will expect me in the afternoon."

She nodded. "Thank you for hearing me out. She'll be very angry with me, but I don't think she's ever considered this might be happening to you."

"The town isn't far. I think I should go now."

"Very well."

He bowed and began walking back toward his home.

Eirwen let out a deep breath. What would she say to Vesna? She could see why she'd wanted to be alone. While it wasn't fair to Rorik, it seemed best not to tell him Vesna had very likely been making love to him in more than his dreams.

A crash and a cry caught her attention. She turned back and ran down the path. She stopped short when she saw the mirror shards on the ground. Their eerie sparkling told her they contained dark magic. Rorik lay in the middle of the shards. She put her hands out and felt the air. Had someone placed the mirror across the path? Why hadn't Rorik seen his reflection?

"Lumi, I need you," she whispered.

Lumi appeared in a swirl of gray mist at her side. He looked at the scene before him, and then he put his hand in front of her and pushed her back. "Don't go near him yet. Those shards would poison your very soul. I recognize this kind of mirror."

Eirwen looked down at Rorik, who didn't move. "Is he alive?"

"Yes. This is the work of a goblin." He held his hand out, and Eirwen watched in amazement as the shards began to form a mirror again. She could see her own reflection as well as Lumi's, but Rorik did not appear in it even though he lay right in front of it. Once it was reassembled, Lumi walked over and inspected it. He pointed to one spot.

"A tiny sliver is missing. It may be too late for him." He ran his hands over the mirror, and it began to melt. It soon dissolved to nothing. "These mirrors distort reality. They deceive mortals especially, warping their humanity. The quicksilver in them is poisonous."

"Are you sure? Is he bleeding? Perhaps we can remove it."

Lumi shook his head. "I'm not sure how strong of a spell this is, but we can't leave him among mortals."

"Perhaps Vesna can help."

"She could do nothing I cannot do. We should take him back to your palace. It's more secluded."

"You said it would poison my soul. What will it do to him? How will the poison affect him?"

"That's hard to predict. He may have very little time. Who is he?"

"A local man. Vesna favors him."

"Favors him?"

"I believe she's been sleeping with him. She's used magic on him."

"That could complicate things. Someone might have done this to hurt Vesna." He sighed. "Knowing goblins, it might have been purposeless mischief. Either way, he will wake up a different man."

Eirwen knew she had no choice. "We must tell Vesna. No matter how angry she becomes, she wouldn't want anything bad to happen to the townspeople."

Rorik opened his eyes and stared up at the sky. He blinked several times and rubbed his right eye. "Ouch." He blinked a few more times.

"It must be in his eye," Lumi whispered. "There may be some hope."

"Rorik, are you all right?" she asked.

He looked up at her and smiled seductively. "Very well, my lady. What happened to me?"

Eirwen had feared this when Lumi had said Vesna's magic might complicate matters. "You're not well at all, actually. You must come with us."

He stood up and brushed himself off. "I feel fine, but there is something that would make me feel even better." He began to move toward and put his arms around her waist.

She took a step back and held her hands up. "You remember what I just told you?"

He thought for a moment and nodded. "What about it?"

"Something else has...well...happened to you."

His gaze wandered over her body. "I do feel very different."

"This is serious. We need you to trust us. This is Lumi, my adviser. You need to come with us to Vesna's home. We'll try to explain. We need to go to my palace so I can help you."

He looked back and forth between the two of them. "I'll follow you anywhere you like." He bowed and gestured down the path. "Lead the way."

Eirwen felt him watching her as they walked back to Vesna's home. She knew nothing she could say or do would make this encounter easy.

Rorik smiled as he watched Eirwen's long white hair move with the breeze. He wanted to run his fingers through it, pull her close and kiss her. He wanted to do even more as well. How did she feel about him? She seemed to be attracted to him, but she wasn't exactly encouraging him. Had she told him the truth? Were she and Vesna really goddesses? Immortal beings from children's stories? The story itself sounded good, but how much should he believe? He did feel different, and something had just happened on the path. What though? He found it hard to remember. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. His head hurt where he'd hit it against something, and his right eye itched. When he looked off to the right too sharply, he felt a shooting pain. Had he walked into a tree limb thinking about Eirwen? She was beautiful enough to have that effect on a man.

He frowned as he thought of Vesna. He'd spent so many months wanting her, but she'd never responded. Eirwen had at least looked at him as if she found him attractive and appreciated him as a man. Vesna always remained guarded with him. She smiled. She complimented his work and always expressed her appreciation. She could be friendly, but after just a few moments she'd pull away. Sometimes, he felt that she wanted to touch him, needed to touch him, but then she would smile and turn from him. Should he keep waiting for something to change? Eirwen had said he needed to go with her to her palace. That plan sounded better every moment. He found himself feeling intense anger at Vesna. He'd never crossed any lines with her, but couldn't she feel his attraction? He began to feel rejected, and that made him angrier.

They soon reached Vesna's home. She stood on the front porch staring at them. Her pale face was now a deep crimson as she gazed at him. What was wrong with her? Was she embarrassed by him? He couldn't understand her reaction. He didn't fully understand what had happened, not yet at least, but she couldn't have any idea why he had returned with her sister. She looked so angry. Maybe his eyes had finally been opened. Meeting Eirwen forced him to compare them. Eirwen made no secret of her attraction. Vesna repressed her feelings. He saw that clearly now.

"What's going on?" Vesna asked.

"There's been an accident," Eirwen said.

Vesna looked at him again, and then turned her gaze back to the others. "What happened?"

Lumi stepped forward. "Perhaps I should explain it to you in private."

"Perhaps you should."

Vesna sounded angry. Rorik still didn't understand why. He watched them go inside.

"Do you think you could explain this to me?" he asked.

Eirwen sighed. "Maybe. Did you believe what I said earlier?"

"Some of it."

Eirwen walked over to a rosebush. She blew on it, and within seconds the bush was covered with frost. "Does that help?"

He approached the bush and touched its leaves. They felt cold. He cupped a rose in his hand, and the petals fell away like shards of ice. "Yes, it does." He turned back to her. "Are you cold as well?" He tried to touch her face, but she backed away.

"No, I'm warm, just like anyone else. I need to explain what's wrong with you."

"All right." He wanted to pull her close and kiss her. He felt that she wanted that as well, but he let her speak.

"You walked into a magic mirror made by a goblin. A piece of the mirror has pierced you in the eye. It's poisoning you slowly. Lumi and I want to try to help you."

"Poisoning me? How? I feel fine."

"It will change you. You'll want to do bad things, if I understand correctly."

"Bad things?" He was angry at Vesna, but that seemed quite natural given the way she was acting. She'd been upset at seeing him before she'd even been told what was going on, so he had to assume she'd been hiding something from him. Could she simply be angry about him learning who she really was?

"You'll become selfish and greedy. Your humanity, all the good things about you, will become warped. You'll hurt others to get what you want. You'll even hurt them for your own pleasure. Lumi is a Dark Fey. He may be able to heal you given enough time. That's why you need to come with us."

"I'll come with you. I'd like that." He stepped toward her. "I do feel different. I feel better. I'm not in love with Vesna. She doesn't want me. You're different."

She frowned. "I hope you don't think you're in love with me."

He shook his head slowly. "No, but I like the way you make me feel." It felt good to say these kinds of things, to go after what he wanted. Why had he ever hesitated in the past? He leaned closer and kissed her. She backed away and he followed, moving his hands to her waist. She soon responded to the pressure of his lips and opened up to him. Yes, that was what a real woman needed. A passionate woman wanted a man to take what he wanted. She tasted wonderful. She kissed him back for a long, glorious moment, but then she pulled away.

"This won't help you, Rorik."

He didn't get the chance to respond.

"I see you wasted no time," Vesna said.

Eirwen turned toward her sister. "The goblin's spell would not have taken this kind of turn if not for your influence."

Vesna flushed. She turned away and said, "Fine. Get him out of my sight."

Rorik couldn't believe it. "What have I done? Why are you angry with me?" He had every right to be angry with her for deceiving him and hiding her identity. If Eirwen was right, she had also mistreated him by letting him be in her garden too much. What had Eirwen said about Vesna's magic? He didn't understand it, but he felt odd enough to believe something was wrong.

"I'm not." She didn't turn around. "Just go."

If she wanted to continue being cold and unresponsive, that was fine with him. "It will be a pleasure. I wish I had known I meant so little to you. I would have stopped wasting my time!"

He expected her to whirl around and continue the argument. He thought his words would hurt her feelings enough to make her show some emotion. He wanted to see the hurt in her face. Instead she stormed into the house and slammed the door without so much as a glance at him.

Lumi walked slowly down the steps. "That wasn't the worst that could have happened."

"What would have been the worst?" Rorik asked. His anger built. He could feel it growing and filling him.

Lumi gave him an odd smile. "You don't want to know."

Eirwen extended her hand. "I know this is strange, but we're going to do our best to help you. Take my hand. We're going to my world."

He gripped her hand tightly, and he felt better from the contact. Anything would be an improvement on the confusion he felt right now.