By Green

Disclaimer: I don't own the Rachel Morgan series or any of the characters. This fanfic will be Rachel/Al, Rachel/Minias (much later on), with a bit of Rachel/Lee thrown in around the edges. Dispite this first chapter, this story will (attempt) to be light on sex. I don't want to traumatize anyone. And I'm a terrible writer. You've been warned.

Down the Primrose Path

Chapter 1

Fire pooled in the pit of my stomach, waves of feeling pulling me out of the pleasant darkness. My head was muzzy and I tried to concentrate on what was happening, but gentle fingers dug into the indent below my stomach and I gasped. Seeking fingers moved up my body, feeling, leaving whispers of promise as they went, until they caught a nipple and teased it to aching life.

I arched into the touch, all thoughts of what and where gone in that flash. There was something I should be remembering, but a warm mouth had bent over my breast, suckling gently, and I found myself tangling my fingers in the silken hair rather than wondering.

The stranger pulled away from my breast and I groaned, tugging him back down. I could feel the liquid pooling between my legs and I bucked my hips in invitation. "Do you want me?" a male voice breathed against my heated lips. He shifted, laying halfway on me.

I kissed him, a hungry, greedy kiss. "Please," I moaned, almost ashamed of the pricking of tears. Pleasure exploded through me when I felt his fingers touch me at my core, my orgasm short but intense.

A primal part of me reared up in triumph. 'Mine!' This man is my equal, I could feel it to my bones, and I realized hazily that I'd been searching for my match all my life and that search was now at an end. The primal part of me snarled in delight. Not soul mate or any ohy gohy, but the perfect balance of power and might. I brought his head up and stared into those goat slitted eyes, now so confused and hesitant.

"What --" He started but I cut him off with a savage kiss. My kiss wasn't one of hunger but a claiming. After a moment, I felt him relax into it and knew he was mine.

***

I woke on my side, my hand pillowing my head. My mouth felt raw and dry, and I was cold. I took a deep breath, blinking and pulling my cold legs into me. The first thought that struck me was that the light was weird in my room. Rubbing my nose, I pushed the thought away and tried to go back to sleep. I didn't want to wake up; I wasn't entirely certain why but waking up seemed the last thing I should do.

"Rachael," a soft, husky voice whispered into my ear. The breath warmed a path from my neck straight through my body, from my nose to my toes and everywhere in-between.

My eyes snapped open. 'Nickie?' came the first thought, of which I shoved away. Nickie had run away months ago and his voice had never made me feel like -- Ah fuck, I thought and looked about me sharply. Algaliarept sat on the edge of the bed, a mocking smile quirking his lips up. He didn't bother to disguise the rather lecherous look he favored me.

And I'm naked, I thought with a groan. I folded my arms across my breasts, a blush of embarrassment creeping over my entire body. That was a wonderful thing about being a redhead: when I blush, everything turns rosy.

"What," I started, looking around the bed for *something*. I tugged a grey afghan around me and edged back away from him. He was dressed to the nines, in his normal green velvet, his hair perfectly quaff. I swore I could smell old spice on him, which made him seem all the more attractive.

'Stop it,' I commanded, pressing my fingertips into my forehead.

"Don't come near me," I cried when I heard the bed shift, flinging my hand out and falling off the edge of the bed.

He laughed down at me, a real laugh I'd never heard before. It deepened my blush. "You don't remembered last night?" He arched a brow. Leaning close, a feigned look of concern on his face, he added, "Well, I did exhaust you last night."

I looked away the lavish surroundings, pushing away from him with the heels of my feet. The room was handsomely furnished in dark hardwoods and sharp angles. Very masculine but cozy; it wasn't much larger than my own. This had to be some time of nightmare. I didn't have any memory of coming here and somehow I doubt I would wake up here if Al had truly captured me. Right? *Right?*

He chuckled again, turning his back to face the fireplace. I found myself straining to hear his laugh. It warmed the pit of fear in me. "You, love, are in no position to demand anything," he said, turning and meeting my eyes. I shivered at the foreignness of those eyes.

Memories of the previous night filtered in. Lee had ... brought me to the Ever-after. The trip seemed fresh, the disjointed disconnection of my body from my mind brought a queasy feeling to my stomach. Al had chosen Lee, though, hadn't he? The better witch? "But I thought..."

"Two witches with the ability to fully kindle demon magic and you thought I was going to let either one of you go?" he asked in a purring voice.

"Like Hell I'm going to be your familiar," I said, the snarl coming out of no-where. I pushed back again, realizing my foot didn't hurt anymore. I spared a moment to wonder at that, unconsciously rubbing it before clutching the blanket closer.

His eyes tracked my movements. "No, love, I don't want you for my familiar but ..." he gave me a once over again, "I am not ready to sell you. For all the Hell you caused me, I want a little back." His grin all but conveyed his meaning.

"Put these on," he said with a sniff. "Unless you want to go around naked. I wouldn't mind." He licked his lips.

I grabbed the dress as he tossed it at me, turning my back to him as I pulled it over my head. It wasn't the borrowed business suit, but a rather simple and thin white dress. It did nothing to stave off the chill set in my bones, but I wasn't convinced it was entirely the cold. I stiffened as his hands gently tugged my curls from under the hem of my dress and I noticed they were red again.

His fingers lingered, the closeness of his body sending a shiver through me. "You only have yourself to blame," he murmured, leaning close to me. He'd gained his sunglasses by the time I turned back to him. "You stole Ceri from me and left me with no familiar. It'll take my twice as long to train Lee without an active familiar to make up for his ignorance and help bring him up to speed. I can't have him bothering with my meals and keeping my home clean." His look was surprisingly gentle and he paused, as if not certain he should go on. It felt like we were in a play, me to play the cowering victim and Al to be the terrible villain but like Hell I'd play that.

When he finally went on, he said, "And you have several more ... enticing charms. I'll see you as a nice, obedient house slave when Lee is caught up to speed. Until then ..." His hand reached out and he yanked me to my feet.

"If you touch me," I threatened.

He laughed again, a purely delighted sound. "You'll do what?" He adjusted his glasses and drew me to my feet, pressing me against him. I could feel all of his hard muscle against me. He cupped my breast, lightly teasing my erect nipple with the pad of his thumb. He wasn't wearing gloves. "You didn't seem to have a problem with it last night," he said, bending down to breath into my hair.

I pushed away from him, my legs tangling in the blankets and I fell, bruising my palms. "Damn it," I cursed.

"Come Rachel, it's time to get my breakfast started."

I was given a brief description of how to jump between the rooms. There was apparently a leyline charm that demon s gave elves and witches. It was usually set in some kind of jewelry and allowed the user to jump from room to room, while also working as a time of lesser charmed silver. I could touch a line but the amount it let me channel was far, far below what I could hold. It world take me all day to spindle any decent amount of energy.

The ring was quite pretty, silver leafy band with a red gold rose. I felt a secondary spell in the rose, but couldn't tell what it did. Twisting it on my finger, I gave it a curious thought. Leyline spells in metal other than silver were flawed creations. No one had made them work for long. It was either a short time spell or the demons knew something witches didn't. She decided to go with the later.

"I want to see you do it," he said, stepping back. His voice broke me from my reverie and my head snapped up. I considered asking him about it but thought against it. This was already too weird. I kept thinking at any moment I should be wracked in pain on the floor.

He'd always seemed mad enough to but ... I straightened and pushed the thought away.

Nodding, I tapped a line. Only the barest trickle came through the ring and that had a strange, filtered feeling that left a bad taste in the back of my mouth. I grimaced, eyeing him askance. He arched a brow, as if to say I wasn't good enough to complete the spell.

I whispered the Latin and added the 'kitchen' as an afterthought.

The sensation of jumping to the kitchen was completely different from being pulled across the lines. I held up my hand, watching it dissolve before I turned startled eyes onto Al. He met my eyes with a dispassionate look.

It took a throat clearing and cough before I realized I'd materialized on a small, lacquer circle of tiles. The air in the small two by two circle was thick, as if the last time a breeze had passed through had been quite some time ago. I stepped out, feeling the air shifting immediately and stepped back into it, curious. The shifted air was back and I wondered if that small pocket of space was really in this reality.

The kitchen was large and modern, about the size of my own, though the stainless steel appliances and sparkling surfaces gave this kitchen a look of elegance my homey one didn't manage. His choice of two stoves and the huge ass fridge was much the same, though. I gave a thought in wonder at the fridge. It was large enough to fit a body in and I resisted the urge to check.

A warm summer breeze wafted thin white curtains into the kitchen, bringing a whiff of burnt amber along with the smells of a garden and the fresh summer air.

"Is that real?" I asked, not turning to Al. I approached it cautiously, the feeling of wrongness rolling off it. This couldn't be right, could it? We were underground, weren't we?

"The sky is so blue," I murmured to myself, bringing my bottom lip into my mouth to worry at it. It was the fresh, clear sky after a storm, deep and beautiful I stuck my hand out the window, expecting a TV screen or something similar. My fingers were met with empty air. "It's a trick," I said, snatching my hand back and studying my fingers.

I felt him watching me and when I turned, I noticed the bemused, almost confused, expression on his face. "Well, yes, it's an illusion," he said, turning away from me abruptly. After a moments pause, he added, "It's a view of my solarium."

Morning sun filtered through the distant trees and a horrible longing pulled through me. It was an illusion and I was stuck in this little room with -- No! Don't think like that, Rache. We'll think of a way out of this, I thought. I didn't listen as a heavy cloak of grief fell across my shoulders.

Oh God. I didn't think it was possible to miss Ivy and Jenks as much as I did right then, with the soft morning like starting to cast shadows about the kitchen.

"Breakfast, love," he murmured against my neck. I hadn't heard his approach, a thought that made the rest pale. How could I fight him off? He pulled back the heavy weight of my hair and breathed onto my scar, but he didn't bring it to live. Still, a thrill ran through me, vague memories filtering through my weary brain. Mostly of a clawing, desperate hunger that curled through my being.

I turned my face to him, wishing against all my being that he would kiss me. For a moment I thought he might but then he said, "bring it to the workroom," and disappeared.

I palmed my scar and sagged against the kitchen sink, staring at the space Al had occupied. How was I going to get out of this? I could really do with some of that divine intervention, I thought, almost desperately. I looked about me but saw nothing.

It just didn't make any sense. God damn stupid Lee, I thought, channeling all my hopelessness onto rage for the cocky, self assured bastard. I would ... I would ...

I wasn't aware of the tears until they blurred my vision. Laughing in mirthless derision, I wiped my face with the back of my wrist. "No." I wouldn't cry. I couldn't cry, I thought as I felt myself fold and slid down the bottom cupboard.

I wouldn't cry.

***

Seeing Lee turned out to be much harder than I'd expected. Algaliarept had come back into the kitchens a half an hour after he'd left, a curious glint in his eyes. I hadn't even started, having only just stood when he popped in. He took my red eyes, the anguish, and his lips thinned. Agony filled me, leaving me gasping on the floor.

"Let this be a warning," he'd said, bending over my curled form. "I don't like to be left waiting." His fingers lingered in my hair for several moments too long before he stood. "Don't make me do that again, witch," and disappeared again, the pain leaving with him.

My breath caught when I appeared in the workroom, dizzy from the trip. Al sat at a large table, dispassionately bent over some papers. Lee slumped at his feet, trembling, and I could feel the amount of energy Al was forcing him to hold. 'He's teaching him how to spindle,' I thought and hesitated. He looked haggard, eyes red and dark sweat stains ringing his armpits and the top of his shirt. He was still in the tailored suit he'd been in earlier, but it had decidedly taken on a ragged look.

The sight of him, shivering at Al's feet, made my anger fizzle. Some part of me hadn't expected this. Ceri had said he'd torture me so fast and hard that I couldn't breath but he'd only hurt me the once and that hadn't compared having leyline energy overflow my chi (I refused to think about last night. I didn't entirely remember that and frankly, I couldn't deal with it right then.)

"Ah, very good," Al said and for a moment, I didn't know which one of us he was talking too. His hand found the top of Lee's head and stroked him gently. "He's a fast learner," he told me as I edged closer, his tone that of praising a dog. "I think he can eat something now."

My own belly growled but in the chaos of my mind I hadn't realized it. It seemed a petty complaint when held up to the sight of Lee, however, and I pushed it aside. Hell, my ankle didn't even hurt anymore.

As I set the plates carefully on the work table, Lee's eyes lifted. All the pain of the last twelve hours filled his eyes with a rage and fury I felt deep into my bones. The force of it made me take a step back. "I'm going to kill you Morgan," he growled, lunging for me.

Al stepped between us, tripping him and sending him ass over teapot as I jumped back. He landed in a crumple at my feet and I wanted to throw up. Small, mewling cries of pain emulated from him and he curled into a ball.

Unperturbed, Al stepped over him and went back to his seat. "Unless you want to be making our meals and ... other things," he paused to let his meaning seep between us, "then I suggest you don't try to kill her." Lee laid at his feet, breathing hard. I could still feel his heated glare on me and I edged further back, wanting to be anywhere but there.

"Sit up," Al said with disgust. The command in his voice made me stand straighter and he gave a moment to send me an amuse smirk. "You are hungry, aren't you?"

Impulsively, I stepped forward and held out my hand. If Al wasn't going to help him up then I couldn't just stand there watching. He spat at me, raising himself first to his knees than his feet. Algaliarept threw his head back and laughed at my stricken expression. A lot of things had happened but being spat at was a new one.

"How dare you?" I growled, all my anger rushing up in a flash. "I didn't do this to you! You did it to us both, you bastard. How do you think I spent my night, Lee?" I asked in a sugary sweet voice. "I should be the one killing you." My whole body shook with the need to lash out at him.

Al bent over his plate in an attempt to stop laughing. I knew the most amusing thing to Al was that here we were, two witches with the ability to fully kindle demon magic, both captured by the same demon, and we weren't sparing any time to coming to blows.

And it would end horribly for me, I knew. Lee was his familiar and I was ... I didn't know what I was but I figured in the hierarchy of things, I was probably much lower than a familiar.

I pulled myself straighter and let my anger chill. I wouldn't play this game. If there was a chance to escape, it would probably take Lee. I didn't know how to travel and Lee did. There had to be a way to get Lee on my side. I worried my bottom lip as I thought.

"Get to the kitchens, Rachel," Al ordered, brow raised as if he heard my thoughts. "Samuel will show you around to the rest of the rooms and your duties hens with. I expect my dinner to be edible."

I spared a glance to Lee before stepping into the large circle of a writhing woman. It took two attempts to work this spell, tapping the line the first time had fizzled out. The second seemed a bit jumpy but I reached the kitchens. Samuel was an older human, somewhere in his late forties with a touch of silver in his brown hair. He looked tired but dutifully showed me to the library and several other large rooms.

I was to help the staff clean the rooms and had to report to him each morning after breakfast. He gave me a look of compassion, squeezing my upper arm. It was the first human act I'd seen out of the man and it stunned me.

"It'll get more ... tolerable," he said, a slight tinge of red on his cheeks. His eyes lowered and for a moment I thought he might say he was sorry but his mouth pursed and he left.

For dinner I made tomato soup from scratch, a recipe I was rather proud of, and cheese sandwiches. I was much better at making charms and potions than I was at cooking but I had the classics down. Al wiped his mouth on a napkin and stood. "I don't eat soup," he growled. I noticed that he'd finished both though. "Don't make it again. I like meat." He grinned. "I'm a man, after all."

I sighed. I really didn't mind that Al hadn't liked my dinner. In fact, it please me. I hoped I would never make something he liked. My stomach growled, but I did my best to ignore it. It didn't seem like the staff got any food and I wasn't at the point in which I would beg.

Lee was no where to be found and I discreetly looked around for him. Al offered no explanation of his location, though.

Sudden movement brought my attention back and I jumped back, half expecting a slap. Al gave me a bemused look before straightening his shirt. "I should just sell you," he murmured, eyes going distance. He pressed his fingers into he bridge of his nose. He sighed and reached for me.

I stepped out of his grasp, suddenly nervous. "What --"

"The sun is about to rise. You'll find that someone in my ... profession keeps the same hours as you witches."

Oh God, he meant to --

But as soon as I realized that, his hand was on my arm and he'd pushed us to his bedroom.

TBC

R&R ish mah wryter candiez. Ahaha, sorry. I couldn't resist. I'm going to write a Rachel/Minias fic. I promise. I'm just trying to think of a good enough plot. Rachel/Al has more grounds to work with.