Chapter 13

Lilac Kisses

Peppercorn had to come in and wake Poison up the next day, it was after breakfast, Poison had needed a long sleep. "Come here Poison, let me do your hair." The feel of her friend brushing out her hair brought Poison's mind back to the strange events of the previous day. A not so unpleasant shiver ran down her spine as she remembered Aelthar's touch. "What's wrong Poison? You're shivering." Poison quickly told Peppercorn about the spiders, they weren't the reason for the shivers, but they explained them away to her friend.

"Well, I'm glad you stopped him when you did Poison, you could be friends you know." Poison smiled, trust Peppercorn to see the positive. "Actually, I'm glad I did as well. Having Aelthar on my side makes everything so much easier. Don't you think?" Peppercorn nodded, she was dressing Poison's hair with colourful ribbons, "Do I really need such bright colours?" Peppercorn nodded defiantly,
"Yes. You wear too much black Poison, you're so lovely, you should let people see it." Poison sighed dramatically, "Fine." Peppercorn enjoyed doing her up, choosing a far too lilac dress for her and even forcing her into heeled shoes. She did look lovely, but still.

"Scriddle came to the door, he wanted you to meet Aelthar in the Library in half an hour, so you have time to eat if you want. Poison nodded emphatically. The feel of her ribbons waving in her hair put a thought into her head. "Peppercorn, you knew that I was expected at the Library yes?"
"Yes."
"To meet Aelthar?"
"Of course."
"And it suddenly, just came into your head, for no reason at all; that you wanted to dress me up like a doll." Peppercorn stopped moving and faced Poison, her blue eyes wide an innocent.
"Of course Poison, could there be any other reason?" Poison narrowed her eyes.
"No Peppercorn, I don't suppose there could be." She kept her eyes narrowed.

In the Library, Poison felt especially overdressed, but the old Antiquarian woman gave her an appraising smile. "You look very lovely my dear, are you looking for the tall young man, with the red hair, and the... temper?" She nodded, smiling at the description. "He's right over here." Aelthar was stretching to reach one of the books, his breast plate was glinting in the light from the ever burning torches, his red hair drifted in front of his eyes. He managed to reach the book and pulled it down. Poison watched the flex in his arm as he balanced it. She blushed and looked away. Blushed... Poison blushed? What was wrong with her?

"Here we go my dear, I found your lovely lady. I'll leave her in your care for now."
"Thank you." Aelthar bowed very slightly, the Antiquarian left and Poison was alone with him.
"So what's happened? I assume you wanted something." Aelthar appraised her.
"How are you my Lady, after yesterday's events, I mean?" Poison glanced up, surprised he would deign to ask. "Much better my Lord. I just needed sleep." He nodded, then got to the point.
"I thought this would be the place to start our investigation. I've been trying to find Scriddle and Pariasa's books, but they aren't written yet." He showed her the blank pages.
"Hm. I don't suppose you could just ask them?" Scriddle was his servant after all.
"No, Scriddle's become so independent recently, I doubt he would tell me the truth." Poison had to agree.
"Alright, so we need to search their rooms, can you find out when they're not in?"
"Yes, my guards are at both their doors, they'll tell me as soon as they leave."

Poison followed Aelthar from the library, suddenly she stopped dead in the corridor. "My Lord." He turned,
"What?"
"Are we going to your rooms?"
"Yes. We can wait for information there."
"Then I'd like to search them. It would be naive of me to put all my trust into you." She felt almost guilty saying it, they were still enemies though... weren't they? "You are not searching my chambers." He said it so dismissively Poison had to argue. "Oh really, well it would seem our deal is off then! I need transparency or this partnership cannot be expected to work."
"How dare you, I don't need your assistance, I am just choosing to indulge your human ego."
"Liar. It was my theory in the first place, we both know that my bringing up the matter could ruin your chances for getting Scriddle on the Heirophant's seat." Aelthar snorted, anger radiating from his eyes;
"Really? Your human faculties cannot even comprehend the disdain we hold for your race. None of the lords and ladies would bother to pay any attention to you at all, Scriddle would still get the position and you would look like a fool."

They were right back again, back to Aelthar the hateful Phaerie and Poison the ignorant human. They had almost been getting along a moment ago, but this cycle went on and on. "You are so infuriating!" Poison's temper well and truly lost now. "I only ask you extend me the same courtesy I would offer you, if you wished to search my rooms I would understand your concern and allow you entry. Of course, you would never ask. You have already searched them once, believing I harboured the Heirophant's book I suppose? Why should a phaerie Lord show a human Lady the same respect she would show him? Gods! You truly are the most disgusting – " Poison flinched, Alethar had raised a hand as though to strike her, he managed to retain some calm however, and lowered it.

"You are crossing a line human, our truce is tenuous. I may owe you a life debt, but that won't stop me locking you away somewhere, until this business is over." Poison was derisive,
"Oh really, and where would hide me? My voice is too loud to be silenced now!" Aelthar appraised her, a slow glance that left Poison feeling uncomfortable. "Perhaps we could enter you into the breeding programme." This time she raised the hand. Aelthar looked almost shocked when she actually hit him; not some petty slap; but a close fisted punch, right to his cheek. Before she could turn heel and storm away; as was her plan, he had caught her wrist in an unbreakable grip. "Listen to me you foolish girl!" Poison tried to pull free, but he was holding her too tightly. When she struggled again he grabbed her upper arm as well. Poison could feel it bruising beneath his fingers.

"Ow, let me go." He shook her, trying to quiet her, it didn't work. Poison tried to pull his hands off her limbs, but he was so strong, inhumanly strong. "Aelthar, how dare you? Let go of me!" Tears rose in her eyes, she was scared again, there was something in his expression she didn't recognise. "Please, Aelthar please let me go, you're hurting me." It had worked last time, after all. She felt the grip loosen, even though he didn't actually let her go. He was closer as well, she was looking right up into his eyes. "I'm infuriating. The cheek of it. I've spent the majority of my life hating humans, and I've never met one as infuriating as you."
"You hate me, I get it." She didn't say she hated him more, simply because she wasn't sure she did.
"That's not what I said, you never listen do you Poison? You're so focused on your own hatred of us, you refuse to believe we have any... what do you call it? Humanity." He was leaning over her now, one hand still resting on her arm, Poison was as unable to move as she had been when he held her in his iron grip.

He was kissing her before Poison quite registered what was going on. She had never actually been kissed before, well, not like that; and for a moment she was so shocked she couldn't think straight. She should probably have hit him again, and maybe run away. In those few seconds, when her mind was absent, her body betrayed her. She was kissing him back before she had a chance to tell herself to stop it. Of course, she could probably have broken away and implemented the hitting/running away at any time, but she had come so far, it seemed a shame to stop. Especially when his hand had moved from her arm to her waist, and was pulling her so close. His other hand was stroking her long hair, and she realised that hers was tangled in his red mop.

They broke apart with a gasp, Poison spoke first. "What are you doing Aelthar?" She was a lowly human, and he a Phaerie Lord, he shouldn't even be thinking along any lines other than those. Unless he had been serious about the breeding programme. "I'm doing what I want Poison, as always. I've decided I want you." Poison shoved him away with disgust. She stalked down corridor, he didn't call out after her, and she didn't expect him to.

FINALLY! :D