Chapter 9
The wererat has finally arrived. Beware, my younger self. It has begun. Find the artifact. Jarlaxle stared at the cryptic phrase. Was this diary sent as a guide? A warning? Perhaps both? His lips slowly stretched into a smile.
"Why is he smiling?" Anna whispered, leaning towards the assassin. Artemis scowled, and said, "Because he has found a way to put my life in danger once again."
Jarlaxle looked up from the diary, smiling broadly. "Why would I leave myself such a vague statement?" he mused.
"Your older self forgot what he wanted to tell you?" The assassin suggested in a deadpan tone.
The drow dismissed the ridiculous notion and continued, "I am promising myself adventure and profit."
The assassin groaned, "I should have known that age wouldn't help you."
Anna broke into the conversation, "I wonder what has begun that you are being warned about?" She asked. Even as she voiced the question Anna had a horrible suspicion that she already knew what the message was alluding too.
"An excellent question." Jarlaxle smiled, "Perhaps tomorrow when we obtain the artifact our questions will be answered."
Tucking her feet underneath herself, Anna asked, "Are there any more entries?"
"No. That was the last one." The drow said, closing the diary. Anna looked away and trailed her fingers along one of the satiny pillows, "You weren't really going to sell me were you?" she asked quietly.
"And deny you the pleasure of my company? Perish the thought!" Jarlaxle exclaimed. Anna looked up and met his eyes uncertainly. She wanted to believe him. "Are you Seelie or Unseelie?" she blurted.
"If you would so kind as to explain what that is, perhaps I could answer." The dark elf replied.
Anna mentally kicked herself, but it had been eating at her for some time. If she knew what type of Fae he was then she would be better equipped to deal with him. "Um, the Seelie are the good, and the Unseelie are the evil."
"Oh, he is the evil one." Artemis told her cheerfully.
"Really Artemis! You will have her thinking I am a monster!" The drow complained.
"He's evil? Really?" Anna asked the assassin anxiously. Artemis smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. "It is the air they breathe."
"Is it true?" Anna asked Jarlaxle. "The Fae can't lie. They are physically unable to." She informed Artemis seriously.
Artemis and Jarlaxle started at her in stunned silence, and then burst out laughing in unison.
"Why are you laughing?" Anna demanded. Artemis wiped the tears from his eyes. "Where did you get the idea that a drow couldn't lie?" he asked unsteadily.
"My Gram told me." Anna said defensively. "She knows more about the Fae than anyone."
Jarlaxle composed himself, and asked curiously, "What does she know of the drow?"
"Well, aren't the drow one of the Fae?" Anna asked in confusion. If Jarlaxle wasn't Fae, what exactly was he?
"I have never heard of the Fae. What are they?" The drow asked.
Anna leaned back in surprise; he had never heard of the Fae? How could that be? "The Fae are a magical race that live in a realm separate from our world. Some are good and some are evil. They are very powerful, and very old. Gram also told me that they are able to cross from their world into ours." She paused and then quietly said, "Some of the Fae are said to be extremely beautiful."
Jarlaxle's smile began to widen. "And because I am so beautiful you automatically assumed I was one of these ancient and powerful people?" he asked.
"Yes." Anna answered without hesitation, and then immediately wanted to bite her tongue as Artemis groaned and rubbed his forehead.
The assassin rose to his feet.
"Where are you going?" Anna yelped. "Wait! I'm coming with you!" She cried, scrambling off the pillow. Artemis grabbed her arm and shoved her towards the drow. "No. You're not." He said shortly, and walked out of the tent.
"You can't leave me with him." Anna yelled after the assassin, pointing an accusing finger at the drow.
"I am afraid he just did." Jarlaxle noted dryly.
"I'm not staying here with you." She informed him, turning towards the door. The drow's black hand shot out and pulled her down beside him. "Yes, you are." He said softly. Anna's breath caught in her throat. Jerking her arm away from the drow's black fingers, she took a deep breath and tried to still her racing heart.
"Why so nervous?" Jarlaxle asked. Reaching out, he brushed a stray curl off her cheek. Anna started and scooted out of his reach. It was probably the worst thing she could have done. The drow's eyes lit up. The smile that spread across his face was pure mischief. She had the sinking feeling she had just begun a game that she had no idea of how to stop.
"Come. Sit. I have something to show you." The dark elf said, patting the pillow beside him.
"Oh?" Anna asked, moving further away. "And what might that be?"
Jarlaxle laughed. "How can I show you from across the room?"
"I can see just fine from where I am." Anna announced, carefully arranging her skirt as she settled on the new pillow.
Jarlaxle pulled the huge hat from his head and set it down beside him. A slow smile spread across his face as he reached into a pocket and pulled out a small silver figurine. "Have you ever seen one of these?" He asked, holding it towards her.
Anna leaned forward to get a better look. "A spider?"
Jarlaxle's smile widened. "Not just a spider. " He said, setting it on the ground. Anna's eyes darted from the elf to the silver spider. What was he planning? She didn't have a good feeling about this.
Anna gasped and jumped back as the small silver body shivered and cracked, a hairline fracture running the entire length of its body. Tiny legs pushed through the crack, widening it until the entire body split in half. Spiders poured from the broken figurine and surged towards Anna.
"Jarlaxle!" Anna shouted, jumping to her feet. Spiders swarmed over her shoes and up her legs. "Get them off me!" she shrieked.
"Had you come when I asked this could have been avoided." The drow sighed dramatically.
Jumping from one foot to the other, Anna frantically brushed the spiders from her legs.
"If you want them to leave you alone, come over here." The dark elf said, patting the spider-free pillow next to him. Anna shot him a look of contempt then raced across the room to sit next to him. As soon as she touched the pillow the crawling horde retreated. Slowly turning towards the elf, Anna's lovely indigo eyes filled with murder.
"Tell me of the Fae." The dark elf demanded. Anna's eye twitched. "You sent a horde of spiders after me because you wanted to learn about the Fae?" Jarlaxle inclined his head. "Why didn't you just ask me in the first place?" She huffed. "I feared my beauty would distract you." He said. Cocking his head, Jarlaxle smiled suggestively. "What?" Anna gulped. "I do distract you." He noted. Seeing the outrage entering the girl's eyes, he challenged, "Can you deny it?"
Anna would have stormed out, except the drow hadn't recalled the army of spiders crawling around the tent. Why was he doing this? "Of course you're distracting! You're not human. How could you not be distracting?" she demanded. His mere presence unnerved her. Fear and fascination warred within her. She felt like a fly caught in a web. Any moment the spider was going to close in and devour her. "What do you want from me?" she whispered, staring into his glowing red eyes. Jarlaxle leaned towards her. Trailing an elegant black finger along her cheekbone he buried his hand in her glossy hair. Pulling her towards him, he whispered, "The question is; what do you want?"
"What do I want?" Anna echoed. Catching the lobe of her ear between his teeth, the drow tugged gently and flicked his tongue against the soft skin.
Anna shivered. Why didn't she pull away and run? She told herself that it was because of the spiders, but that wasn't the truth. She didn't want to run. How could she be so stupid? She was playing with fire and she knew it.
"I want to go home." She said softly.
"Why the hurry? What awaits you? A sweetheart perhaps?" He teased. Anna turned serious eyes on him. "There isn't any time for such things." She sighed, and said, "All that awaits me is blood and death."
"Then why go back?" The dark elf asked.
"Because I make can a difference. If I am there, I can give some poor boy who has probably has spent months in the trenches a chance to live." Feeling quite righteous, Anna opened her mouth to continue.
"How noble." Jarlaxle murmured, playing with a strand of her dark hair. Anna's eyes flashed angrily. "What other reason would there be?" She demanded.
"I wonder." The dark elf murmured, and then abruptly smiled. "Enough of this seriousness, come, kiss me." He told her.
Anna's mouth dropped open. "What?" she stammered.
"Surely you know what a kiss is." He said, releasing the curl he had been playing with.
"Of course I know what a kiss is. Why would I kiss you?" Anna demanded.
"Because you have been longing to kiss me again." he said.
Anna's cheeks warmed uncomfortably. What was she blushing for? She never wanted to kiss him! Okay, maybe a little, but just a little! No reason for her to blush! How humiliating. The rude elf wouldn't pretend he didn't notice either. Really, he had no manners sometimes.
"Ah, I was right." Jarlaxle crowed, watching the bright red creep into her cheeks. Anna wanted to hit him.
Tracing her lips with a slender black finger, he applied light pressure to the bottom lip. "Open." He said softly. She obediently did as he bid. Sliding the finger between her lips he turned his hand, palm side up, and stroked the roof of her mouth with the pad of his finger. Startled by the unexpected touch, Anna jumped.
"Don't bite me." He laughed.
Abruptly backing away, Anna gave him a suspicious look. "What were you doing?" She gasped.
"Did you like it?" He countered.
"Of course not!" She lied. "Why did you do that?" She asked again.
To Anna's dismay, Jarlaxle leaned towards her bringing his lips merely inches from hers. "You are a terrible liar." He breathed, closing the distance between them. As his lips closed over hers the thought that she should resist flitted through her mind, but she couldn't seem to bring herself to stop him.
Warm. Firm, yet soft; his touch was intoxicating. Rising to his knees, the dark elf buried his hands in her hair and pulled her head back. Anna gasped as he thrust his tongue into her mouth, and slowly slid it along hers. This wasn't playful like last time.
Cupping the back of her head, he fitted his mouth against hers. His tongue moved against hers, stroking and caressing. The kiss left no part of her mouth unexplored; the roof of her mouth, the sensitive underside of her tongue, and even her teeth. An unfamiliar, yet intense emotion washed over her.
Overwhelmed, she tried to jerk away. His free arm snaked around her preventing her from pulling back. Anna panicked. She couldn't get loose. She began to struggle frantically.
The elf's laughter cut through her panic. "Calm down. I won't bite." He said lifting his head. A decidedly mischievous look entered his eyes as he took in her panicked expression. "Unless you ask..." He said, arching one white eyebrow suggestively.
"What….?" Was all she managed. Shock, confusion and fear warred within her. Before she could form any real thoughts, he kissed her again. Anna stiffened, prepared to fight. She was totally unprepared for the soft, slow touch of lips against hers. The tip of his tongue brushed her upper lip and Anna found herself opening her mouth to him. Why wasn't she fighting? It didn't make any sense. Her heart was still racing but the kiss was different this time. Gentle. She pressed closer to him, wanting more. Oh, she was becoming a wicked woman.
When Jarlaxle finally lifted his head, Anna reached up and pulled him back down. She felt his lips stretch into a smile. "You have had enough excitement for now." He laughed, holding her at arm's length.
Anna's eyes flew open. She had had enough excitement for now? The nerve. It wasn't like she had wanted him to kiss her! "I don't recall asking you kiss me." She ground out from between her teeth, which only made the dark elf laugh harder. Yanking free of his hold, she jumped to her feet and took a step toward the door. Spiders swarmed over her foot and up her leg. Shrieking in alarm, Anna fell backwards, landing on the still laughing drow. The moment she landed on the dark elf the spiders receded.
"Is this really necessary?" She demanded, pointing at the crawling hordes.
"I am not done talking yet." Jarlaxle said reasonably.
"You're not done talking?" Anna echoed in disbelief.
"About the Fae." He reminded her patiently.
"You may not be done talking, but I am!" She sputtered, pushing herself off him and sitting on the pillow directly beside his.
"Ah well." Jarlaxle sighed, getting to his feet.
Like the parting of the Red Sea, the swarming mass politely moved out of the dark elf's way as he moved towards the door. Anna immediately started to follow, but the spiders flooded the ground as soon as Jarlaxle moved his foot.
"They won't let me out!" Anna called after him.
"Did you say something?" Jarlaxle asked, turning to look back at her.
"The spiders are still here!" She exclaimed, waving at the crawling mass.
"Eventually they will return." He said absently, walking away. A thought occurred to him and he shot over his shoulder, "I would advise against moving around too much, their bite is quite painful from what I have been told." A moment later he was swallowed up by the darkness.
Sitting on the pillow in the middle of the tent surrounded by a sea of spiders, Anna had only one thought. 'I am going to kill him.'
Author's note: I didn't forget about the story. Really! Sorry for the long wait, life has been interesting…I hope you enjoy this chapter!