So I quite literally did start writing this chapter as soon as I uploaded the last chapter. I've have a lot of time on my hands the last few days since I've injured my knee and have had to take time off work. Not only have I suddenly found time to write again but I've also found the motivation for it again. In fact the well-deserved rest is doing wonders for my creative muse and I've even started drawing again as well. I'll let you guys continue on with the story you're here for and stop with my life story. Enjoy guys ^^

Warning: This is a yaoi, boylove, however you want to call guy on guy.


Chapter 8 – By Moon Light

"Have you decided to kill me?"

The words reverberated around the room like a cold chill. The candles flickered briefly, eerily warping the shadows around the Duke. Fear stole my breath as I struggled to answer his question. If I told him yes would he kill me or would he make me one of his dolls? Even if I told him yes there was no way I could bring myself to end the life of another person. I just didn't have that kind of mind-set. I pull my gaze away from the Duke, looking down at my feet as I shook my head. "I can't kill you… I don't have the courage…" I hear him sigh and I lift me gaze up to him again, he has his eyes shut in an almost strained relieved expression. "But I meant what I said. I'm going to break this curse. I'll find a way… a way to free us all, including you!" His eyes widened as he stared at me in utter disbelief.

A sharp pain sprang up in my legs causing me to yelp trying to find the source of pain. An angry looking Kuroo had his claws buried through my breeches and into my skin. "You woke me up with your freedom speech…" After a moment he released his grip and jumped to the floor with a muffled thud. He left the room with a swish of his tail and not even a glance in the Duke's direction. Following the feline out the room I bring my gaze back up to the Duke who had brought a hand up to cover his face.

"Just what do you mean by that? I am free… I can have anything I want. Is that not what you'd call freedom?" He dropped his hand to look at me, his expression unreadable. It unnerved me a little not to be able to get a read from him when usually it seemed his expressions were so blatant. But his words, I just couldn't accept them…

"You're nothing more than a child playing puppet master! If you can have anything then why are you still here? Is there a reason you only ever venture out at night. The truth is you're stuck here just like the rest of us, aren't you?" I threw myself up from the bed as I spoke glaring at him.

"Don't you think you're being a rather presumptuous, you know nothing of me nor this enchantment! You'll soon lose yourself like the rest of them so what's the point?"

His words clicked something for me and it must have shown on my face because despite his anger his eyes gained a curious glimmer. "You're scared… scared of being let down again. How many of those women said they'd break your curse?" I spoke gently, my anger dissipating at the realization of the Duke's feelings. He cast me a dark look, his eyes narrowed before he turned on his heel and paced out the room yanking the door shut behind him. I listened as his footstep receded down the hallway until I couldn't hear them anymore before falling back on the bed with a sigh. It was only as I lay there did I realise I was shaking and my head was pounding. The Duke presence was intimidating at the best of times but the heaviness that came over the air when he was angry was almost unbearable. Twice in one day I'd bitten the hand that feeds me, now I really was hoping there'd be no punishment for it. I sighed again closing my eyes, how was I supposed to find out anything more about this curse when its owner was so uncooperative. Besides it wasn't like I was strictly doing it for him. I want to be rid of all this, to free those trapped woman and have the Duke brought before the village to face punishment for his kidnappings. I opened my eyes as I lifted my hands up in front of my face. Was all of that really possible with just these hands of mine? I knew Kuroo had offered his help but surely there was only so much a cat could do despite how intelligent he was.

Unable to settle I once again got to my feet. There had to be something I could do without going directly to the Duke and into such dangerous territory. Maybe, just maybe… that room full of books up at the top of the tower might have some kind of book about the curse in it. Maybe even the book that contained the spell the Duke had used. If I could get back there again maybe I could find something out to help me break free. With that though in mind I made my way over to the door, slowly pushing it open, fearing that the Duke would be on the other side waiting to punish me for my brazen outbursts. The corridor was dark and silent, the only light was the pale glow of the moon through the windows, drowning the world in an eerie silver. I stepped out into the corridor and close the door behind me.

First it was right.

I turned to the right and started down the corridor this time with a little more confidence than the first time I traversed this path. Just as I was about to make the turn into the now darkened corridor something outside in the courtyard catches my gaze. I glanced down at the moon reflecting almost perfectly in the shimmering pool and watch memorised as the Duke's hand glides through the water's surface. His long hair lifting lightly in a gentle breeze. From this distance it's hard to be sure but it seems as if he was smiling as the fish in the pool brush against his fingers. The sight felt so intimately private that I found myself hiding around the edge of the window as I watched him. Why was it that this beast seemed more a more… human? The night suited him better it seemed, it added to that mysterious aura of his and painted him in a truly captivating way. It wasn't hard to see why we were all drawn here…

I pulled away from the window with a groan. That wasn't right! I wasn't drawn here! I came here because everyone else was drawn here. I'm the only one who actually didn't fall for the Duke's charm. At least not completely…

Pushing the thoughts of our first encounter from my mind, I refocused on what I had set out to do. It was good that I knew where the Duke was, at least he wasn't where I wanted to be. I set off at a much quicker pace, almost running through the dark corridor towards the other side of the courtyard where the stairs to the tower where. I wasn't sure how much time I'd have so I had to been quick. I stopped as I reached the bottom of the stairs and peered up into the darkness, making sure to keep my back to the windows so as not to get captivated by the view once again. I swallowed, preparing myself before carefully climbing up the stairs taking each step at a time and trying not to think about how the last time I'd been on these stairs I'd almost been devoured by the beast. My cheeks flushed and I bit my lip, now was not the time to be thinking about such things. In fact there was never a time to think of such things. Instead I focused on the tapping sounds of my boots on each step as I climbed higher and it was only when that sound changed did I realised I'd made it to the curved wooden floored hallway. Without the torches lit it was much harder to make out anything in the gloom. I let my hand follow along the wall as I moved down the hallway, no longer conscious of the sounds of the floorboards creaking beneath me. Finally a thin line of a faint orange glow marked the space where the door was and I moved to carefully slip inside the room. The roaring fire from earlier had been reduced to embers and they glowed warmly in the dark giving the room a dull coating of light.

If I'd been impressed before with the grandeur of the room it was nothing compared to being stood in the middle of it. Even in the gloom, I could see that every inch of the rounded walls were covered in books. A spiral staircase lead to a balcony that circled around the room and had even more shelves filled with books. I hadn't known so many books actually existed. Where would I even start with all of this? My gaze fell towards the small table between the chairs and the books scattered across its top. Maybe something the Duke had recently been reading. I made my way over and picked up the nearest book flicking it open and staring at the page, mortified. I'd been taught a little about reading and writing but this went well beyond my skill. I scowled as I lifted a finger to the page struggling to sound out the words.

"Ma…gic has always been de…scri..bed as some…thing in…fi…nate, never ending. But that would go a…gain…st the flow of this world. Every…thing must have an end whether that end be gra…du..al or sud...den."

Would I really be able to find out something like this? I wasn't even able to read it probably. I doubted if I'd even read some of the words right. This was going to be a lot harder than I thought, already my head hurt and my eyes were struggling to stay focused on the same line. I took a breath and continued trying to decipher the script in the book. I had to make this work, I had to figure out a way to free myself and the others if I didn't work hard then I might as well just give up and that was something I'd decided I wasn't going to do. I slid my finger over the page as I read each line, sounding out any of words I was having trouble with. The book talked about how a spell's power could decrease over time, similar to the strength of any man or animal. The longer a spell went on the weaker it got into it eventually broke. Could this have been the book the Duke was reading yesterday while looking so worried. Was he concerned his powers might be failing? Was it because I'd been able to run away from him? No, he was reading before that… it had to be something else. Was it because I was actually still able to think for myself? How long did it normally take for someone to lose themselves to the Duke's enchantment?

I felt arms wrap around my waist and I couldn't bite back the cry that escaped me at the sudden contact. The book fell from my hands as I tried to twist to escaped from whomever it was who held me. As I struggled an exotic scent filled my senses and a gentle chuckle from behind me had my how body stop functioning. Shivers travelled my spine as I felt hot breath against my ear.

"That serious look suits you, Kaito." The words were barely more than a whisper and I felt heat instantly burst through me at the sound of the Duke's voice. I twisted a little to look at him, my heart hammering at how close those amethyst eyes were. His expression lightened into a smile, although the power in his gaze wouldn't let me return the expression even if I wanted to. I somehow manged to tear my gaze from him instead gazing at the arms that encircled my waist.

"W-what do you want?" I managed to force out, the words uneven and unexpectedly soft. Was there really no way I could resist the touches of this man? Even now my body anticipated his next move, heat flaring up already in the place he was touching me. The feel of his breath hot against my skin heating up my cheeks. My own breathing grew heavier as I kept my gaze fixed downwards.

"You accused me of being scared of being let down earlier, that's not the case. I don't want to leave here, this is my home." He spoke slowly beside my ear and I could hear the smirk in his words. His arms wrapped around me a little tighter, making me fully aware of the press of his body against my back. I couldn't have stopped the gasp that escaped me even if I tried and he seemed to chuckle in satisfaction at my reaction. "None of those women wanted to break the spell and I am happy to stay here. So what will you do, Kaito?" The whispered hush of his words were causing me all kinds of control problems. Despite what he was saying just the sound of his voice was enough to get my body craving more of it, more of him…

I couldn't answer him, my head wasn't thinking clear enough with him in such close proximity. It became even harder when I felt his hands begin to roam over my clothed stomach and waist. Another gasp escaped me as my hands feebly grabbed his wrists, will his hands to stay still and stop spreading the heat and butterflies that were building at my core. "Haa… s-stop… wait…" My words are a quiet whisper, a true reflection of my ability to resist his enchantment.

"Is this okay? If you don't resit me seriously I'll end up devouring you again. You have the power to resist me, no?"

The power to resist… what did he mean by that? My thoughts clouded as I felt the caress of his lips against my neck while one of his hands ventured down towards the waistband of my breeches. I stiffened, biting my lip as an anticipating groan forced its way from my throat. I felt the back of my head rest on his shoulder as I gaze up at the ceiling. Why did every little touch always feel so good? My grip tightened on his wrists. "I-I can't… feels… good." Again my mouth was spewing out unnecessary information without my consent and I felt my face growing hotter at the lewdness of my own voice. The Duke seemed to pause around me for a moment and for just a second my head cleared as if the hi sudden stop had pushed away the clouds of lust and arousal. "L-let me go! I don't want this!" I managed to get out as I once again resumed struggling in his arms despite the racing of my heart or the heat in my body. As I twisted around to glare at him I caught another whiff of his exotic scent and my whole body relapsed into its dizzily intoxicated state again. It scared me how sudden the change was but I couldn't even voice my fears as waves of heat settled over my skin.

"Ah, I see…" The Duke chuckled lightly, his other hand snaking up my chest to turn my head away from him and he lavished my neck in soft sucking kisses, sending a quiet moan to slip from my lips. "You're different. I get it now. With you I have to keep working the enchantment else it stops. Giving you the power to resist." He murmur against my neck and I barely took in the words he was saying especially with his fingers playing lightly with the fastenings on my breeches which were already uncomfortably tight. "You can't fight me like this can you?"

"A-ah… No… s-stop…" My words were nothing but a hollow plea. My body ached for his touch and when his fingers found my hardened arousal my breath stopped, caught in the back of my throat before it rushed from me in a desperate moan. My hips bucked into his hand, silently begging him for more. Why did it end up this way?


I really had forgotten how much I love writing! I'm not particular sure how well this chapter flows as I simply got lost in the writing of it and just the words flow. So if it seems a little off that's probably the reason. Anyway, don't be afraid to let me know what you think and I hope to see you guys soon in the net chapter. As always, thanks for reading! ^^