The Butcher's Bill (Prince x LeatrixSage)

Perhaps the leylines were corrupting, Ethan mused. Even if just because they lowered inhibitions so much that secret fantasies, repressed longings and hidden desires were all bared openly and without shame. How else to explain both their wanton responses as their minds teased each other with dirtier and dirtier thoughts? Elisa had been a virgin last night and now she was hungry for every illicit craving that Ethan's mind could imagine and, indeed, was loving fulfilling his fantasies. The ideas he was giving her were so depraved relative to his public persona that just the exhibitionist thrill of sharing them made him flush with lust. And her own thoughts... like a sexual flower blooming he saw her mind opening with every sensuous touch to new ideas and cravings that she never knew she had. How she liked him to treat her, where he should touch her and ways he might take her. The train ride was not going to be long enough for what Ethan wished to do with her.

And now, with his fingers teasing around both her holes, Ethan heard Elisa urging him for more, to show her more and do more to her. Ethan first pressed down on the finger nestled between her ass cheeks, marveling at her pleasure as slowly he pushed through the tight and sensitive ring of nerves and drove his digit two knuckles deep into her ass. Feeling her push against his finger to seek more of that new feeling, he responded instead by slipping two of his other fingers into her dripping passage. Moving them together, Ethan began to thrust in and out of both her holes, feeling the tight hot grip of her ass and the silken, wet embrace of her sex. He could feel how the twin sensations overwhelmed her as she buried her face in his neck, moaning and gasping as if unable to speak. Gently he worked her with his two hands, curling the fingers of the hand in her clenching sex to find that spongy ridge of flesh that he could tell seemed to light up new nerves and send fresh feelings of pleasure to her brain. She was so hot for his touch and so needy for more that it took all his self-restraint to continue to tease her writhing body.

"Yes, Elisa, I know you love it... you want to cum... but how? There are so many ways," Ethan murmured in her ear, hungry to explore every inch of her body and fulfill every illicit thought that had raced through Elisa's mind. This teasing was growing too much, he had to be inside her now, and he slipped his fingers out with a groan of regret that matched her own feelings. Grasping her hips, he lifted her up and slid out from beneath her. His thoughts betrayed what he wanted to do and it was easy to guide her down onto her hands and knees on the swaying bench. The sight of her ass as he settled behind her was breathtaking, the twin firm globes jiggling from the rocking of the train as they framed the vertical cleft of her ass and highlighted the puffy, pink slit of her glistening sex below.

Smack. One spank on her right cheek, sharp and hard. Smack. Another on her left cheek.

"You want me to take you like a harlot on the train?" Ethan growled out, voice husky with lust. She wasn't a shy, blushing girl that dreamed of soft kisses and tender love making. No, her mind was open to him and that stage was long past now that she wasn't a scared virgin anymore. She had caught a glimpse in Ethan's mind of what mad, passionate sex could be like and now she wanted him to fuck her like his fantasies. Rough, hard, and full of raw desire. With him in charge, using her thoroughly, and slaking his burning passion in her willing body. She trusted him and wasn't scared of the intensity of his desire. Indeed, she was giving herself to him and eager to share in the pleasure they both would feel from this union.

A fist reached down to tangle in her red locks, tugging her head back and twisting it slightly so she could see his smoldering eyes. "You want me to fuck you?" The hand in her hair suddenly pushed her face down, so her cheek was pressed against the padded bench. Ethan seized her wrists, pulling them back behind her and holding them tight together above her lower back in one of his strong hands. Her back was now arched and her ass even more deliciously thrust towards him, as if offering her holes for his pleasure. Ethan moved his hips to drag the tip of his throbbing cock through her wet folds. It twitched slightly as he rubbed it along that silken crevasse, nudging against her clit at the bottom and then pushing gently against her entrance as he finally nestled it between her swollen lips.

"Then...tell me how much you want me to fuck you. Let me hear you beg for my cock."

"Oh, Dear God," Elisa moaned against Ethan's neck while his fingers moved inside her. Two fingers plunging into her dripping slit over and over again while, simultaneously, he was teaching her an entirely new kind of thrill as another finger pumped back and forth in her ass. It felt like sin made real, and so sweet she couldn't move. She felt fragile and vulnerable tucked tight against Ethan's chest while he did things to her body that she could barely understand. She could barely breath as she let the sensations swarm her mind and flood through her body in silken waves. Her slit gripped down on his fingers, squeezing them in welcome every time they pushed into her. That stray finger that glided in and out of her ass with an aching slowness left her a whimpering, shaking bundle of nervous need. She wanted more, and the idea of Ethan burying himself inside her there was burned into her mind.

His fingers curled inside her and Elisa's body jerked in response, both of her holes clamping down, and then slowly relaxing again as he worked. He knew her body too well, she thought. He had seemed to know her every need before... now that the lines bound them together, he could see everything.. every little secret desire that flitted through her thoughts. Elisa's cheeks burned with heat, but there was no way to deny the cravings she had or how much she thrilled at the progressively taboo and low fantasies that passed between them. As she writhed and moaned for him, she decided there could be little in this world that was so fulfilling as letting Ethan toy with her body this way.

He murmured in her ear, and Elisa lifted her head just enough to look at him. Ethan's eyes seemed to see straight to her soul, and Elisa felt fear and desire blend into a heady drug inside her. He could see her in ways no one else ever had... something squeezed around her heart and a new warmth flooded her body. The emotion flooded her in a flash, but his buried away just as quickly. The energy burning between them dropped to nearly nothing for a split second while she quickly buried what she did not want him to know, and then doubled between them to flood his mind with the overwhelming sensations he was forcing her body to feel.

His thoughts changed, and Elisa grinned at him. She hated the feeling of his fingers leaving her body, but her heart was pounding with anticipation as he lifted her up and moved away. His hands were gentle guides, adjusting her until she rested right as he wanted her. On her hands and knees, facing the door that was all that separated them from the other passengers, Elisa seemed to stop breathing. Who could be on the other side of that door? Did anyone know what was happening... could they someone know she was a wanton and Ethan was eager to use her body in ways most polite society would become sick over? She trembled at the thought, horrified that someone might notice something. And yet, somehow, some secret thrill lanced through her mind. What if someone were outside that door and listening, or watching through a crack? Her skin warmed and her heart pounded faster, somehow excited at the idea, and simultaneously ashamed with herself for thinking such a thing.

Smack!

Smack!

Elisa yelped each time Ethan's hand cracked against her skin. First the right cheek of her ass burned and stung with sharp and sudden pain. And then, as that dulled into a soft throbbing, her left ass cheek was assaulted as well. She trembled, mentally and physically shaken. She enjoyed that sweet pain and the evidence was trickling down her thighs in hot, liquid streams.

"You want me to take you like a harlot on the train?" Ethan growled at her, and for a moment, Elisa wondered if he had caught what she had been thinking about. His mind was somehow becoming harder for her to know without him wanting her to catch his thoughts, and her moment of confusion left her trembling. Was he punishing her for behaving like a harlot?... No, that wasn't it... the idea of punishment swirled somewhere, but that wasn't what this was. He liked that she wanted this, that she was eager to put herself in his hands and trust that she would enjoy anything she chose to do to her. And, God, how she wanted it, too. She wanted to know the things she saw in his mind's eye. The wild, passionate, aggressive fucking that was so unlike the gentle care he had shown her the night before. She wanted it all, even this darker side that seemed to be steadily consuming them both.

One of his hands lashed out and fisted in her hair, tangling in the soft, red strains just before yanking her head back. Elisa yelped with pain and panted as adrenaline flooded her body, but there was no fight, no struggle against his iron-hard will as he pinned her with his eyes. They burned into hers with an intensity that left her breathless.

"You want me to fuck you?" he asked her, she stuttered, and then he forced her head down. Elisa's cheek was pressed into the padded bench, and then his hands seized her wrists and yanked them back. Her shoulders ached a little, but she was left in relative comfort as he pinned her hands against her lower back. Even so, she felt fear build inside her. She hadn't felt this vulnerable or so at the mercy of another sense she had been a child. It was only the comfort of Ethan's strength that kept Elisa's body calm and willing as she felt the white-hot head of his shaft nudge against her folds, nudge her aching clit, and then settle against her entrance. He was so painfully close to pushing inside her... and then she realized she couldn't move to take what she wanted.

Elisa growled and shifted, but he had her hands pinned and he was not letting her go. She couldn't believe he could so easily keep her trapped, but she was! She moaned, whimpered, and squirmed, desperate in her need for more, wanting so badly to push back against him and take what she needed... and she couldn't.. she was stuck and so frustrated she shouted at him.

"Then...tell me how much you want me to fuck you. Let me hear you beg for my cock."

His order made her go still, and a since of panic threaded through her. She needed him desperately, but could she actually say the things he was asking her to? It was one thing to think these things... but... to say them? Elisa's cheeks flamed with color and she shut her eyes tight. She thought she heard him chuckling, and her blush grew. He knew! The bastard knew she was embarrassed to say aloud the things she wanted! Then why... to watch her squirm, to see her struggle, to enjoy the rush when she finally said what he wanted to hear.. and she would say it. He knew it. She knew it. Her need for him would drive her mad and, no matter how embarrassed she felt by it, she would say anything if it meant he would bury his cock inside her body and claim her as his again.

"Ethan, please," she gasped out, trembling from the weight of her own desperation. A fresh wave of her nectar flooded from her, coating his cock and trickling down the inside her thighs. The sheer blatant power he wielded over left her squirming. The combination of his dominance of her and her vulnerability to him fanned the flames of her lust in ways that made her want to give him anything, everything he could possibly demand from her.

"Fuck me please," she gasped, her obvious embarrassment flooding her senses and her voice. He would have known what it took for her to say it without the connection between them. As it was, his thrill at the small victory and at her words drove her on. "Give me your cock, please, Ethan! Bury it inside me, fuck me!" She was shouting, pleading, begging, struggling to get him inside her even though all her squirming accomplished nothing. She was going to go mad with her need for him. "Ethan!.. fuck me, please... please, give me your cock. Please, Ethan!"

Ethan felt a rush of heat as Elisa started to beg him to fuck her. Part of him was slightly embarrassed at what he was doing to her, the way his secret fantasies of sexual domination had slipped into the open and somehow turned into reality. Was it wrong to treat her like this? To manhandle her and make her feel like he was going to take his pleasure in her whether she wanted him to or not? To get such a dirty thrill from the fantasy that he had corrupted her into a wanton harlot that was begging for him to use her on a public train? Fuck, he was so turned on just by feeling such power over her that his cock twitched in anticipation. Even the sight of her in this position, squirming helplessly with her ass thrust into his teasing cock as he pinned her face down on the bench, was almost too hot to bear.

But, at the same time, Ethan knew Elisa was truly enjoying what he was doing. Her submission to his masculine show of strength was turning her on just as much as it was him. He could sense that deliciously shameful feeling of yielding to his dark desires, letting him have his way with her, and giving him free rein to explore every little fantasy that came to their suddenly dirty minds. That thrill of fear she got from her helplessness was an aphrodisiac and she was only getting wetter as she imagined all the taboo things he could do to her. And any fear or embarrassment was tempered by her trust of him which ran like an undercurrent in everything they did. And that trust was strengthened by this special bond they shared with her magic.

Because of that bond there could be nothing hidden between them. Yes, Elisa wanted him to fuck her hard and treat her rough. She craved sating his kinky desires and wanted to fulfill his natural urge to be in control, to let him be strong and dominating. Every sensation and emotion was mingled and she'd taste all his pleasure in dominating her just as he would share in her thrill of submission. And they both knew of the other hidden tension between them that made this scene even more a rush. That she wasn't some powerless girl helpless in his grasp; that she was willingly playing the part of his whore. With Ethan naked and pressing against her she could easily hurt, if not kill him, with her magic. Ethan found his control even more intoxicating given her strength, like he was mating with a tigress that was one twitch of her claw away from maiming him. A tigress he had somehow tamed with her own need for the pleasure he could give her. A pleasure she was begging him for.

"Since you asked so nicely, you can have my cock," he growled out at her, letting his voice drop and become low and husky. If she wanted to be fucked hard by a strong man he'd give her as much as she could take. With a groan, he tugged on her hair as he thrust his hips forward, slowly driving his aching rod into her tight and dripping hole. Fuck she was tight, still almost virginal and struggling to handle his big cock. But she was so aroused that he was able to push through her drenched folds, deeper and deeper into the hot embrace of her passage. That first plunge into her felt exquisite, a pleasure that made him gasp and close his eyes as the hand that gripped her wrists squeezed her painfully hard.

"You want me to fuck you... to make you cum over and over again. But are you dirty enough for what I to do with you? Can you handle our fantasies?" Ethan panted out, eyes snapping open to drink in Elisa's naked body as she crouched before him. His cock was now buried in her slit and his hips pressed against her ass, every little twitch, clench and panting breath she made was sending jolts of pleasure through him that he knew she could feel. He could sense how his length was filling her, impossibly large and deep inside, reaching into her very core.

A tug of her red hair again, stronger than before. The pain lancing through both of them was a sweet contrast to the pleasure of his cock rubbing in her passage. Then Ethan started to move in her. Slowly at first, sliding his shaft out a bit and then back in. Gradually giving every thrust more length and speeding up, hearing the wet slurping as her sex greedily took him back in with every stroke. Fucking her harder now, shaking her body and driving her cheek into the padded bench. Knowing how violent his motion was on her pinned body, how strong he must feel to her as he speared her faster with his rod. The helplessness of her position, hands pinned behind her as he rocked her body with harder and faster thrusts. The meaty thwack of his hips hitting her ass now filling the air like a lewd clapping. And his groaning, panting cries, almost mindless as he started to lose himself in fucking her with their minds joined and sharing every sensation.

"Oh, yes.. Elisa, tell me you want more... tell me you crave everything I can think of," he moaned out, mind filling with a fresh wave of desire to take their lust to an even higher level.

"Yes, Ethan.. oh!" Elisa's body tensed at the growl in his voice, the sheer weight of lust bearing down on her. The slight tug on her hair made her whimper, and then he was pressing into her. The slurping sound of his shaft forcing its way past her dripping lips seemed far too loud and Elisa held her breath, praying no one outside their little room could hear it. She squirmed as he pushed into her with an aching slowness, that too-full feeling spreading as he steadily nudged deeper into her body. Her slit clamped down around him, making the aching tightness all the worse to bare, all the more sweet to feel. The sweet friction it caused nearly drove Elisa mad with her inability to push back against him, to get more, to move with him. Ethan's grip on her wrists tightened and Elisa yelped from the pain, and then trembled with all the pint-up lust swirling inside her. His hold on her body forbid her from doing anything to slack her own needs, all she could do was rest within his grip and accept what he would let her have.

When finally every inch of his massive rod was buried inside her and, for a moment, he stopped moving, Ethan's voice dragged Elisa back to the surface. It forced her to focus on more than just the sweet sensation of being so completely impaled by him again, but on everything else around them: the rocking of the train, the sounds of others moving around, the rush of the line burning through her body, the secret thrill that someone out there knew what was going on in here, the wild thrill at being so completely vulnerable to him. His questions forced her to think, to stay aware, to not let herself be drowned in pleasure.

She ached for him to fuck her hard, to drive her mad while he sated himself with her body. She wanted everything he could offer, every stray desire that crossed his mind left her heart racing. But, could she really handle them? The filthy, base desires they were sharing, exploring back and forth between each other, were viewed as disgusting and low by so many. Only whores acted this way, and here she was... Elisa trembled, letting her mind explore how Ethan saw her. He wasn't viewing her as a whore, something beneath him to use and leave behind, he was marveling at her and her willingness to explore these darker desires with him. The world never need know, so why should they care what the world thought about the things they were doing? He wanted her, she wanted him... so she was going to have him in every way she could think of.

Elisa let out a yowl of pain, surprised by the sudden jerk on her hair. It lanced through her and echoed in him, and then Ethan began to move inside her. Finally, he began to fuck her. Slowly at first, and then steadily building speed and force until her body was jerked forward each time he slammed into her. The way he kept her pinned forced her to absorb the fool force of every thrust, creating a small pain deep inside her body, an ache that send shards of pleasure skating across her nerves every time he buried himself inside her. The helplessness she felt flared through her until Elisa was drinking heavily on the lines to remind herself that she wasn't helpless at all. He kept her body trapped beneath his weight, forced her to take everything he could give her... and she still wanted more.

"Everything," Elisa gasped out, shocked she could speak at all while he fucked her like this. Her nipples were painfully hard, aching with desperate need. Every time his body slammed into her own, her clit pulsed with a throb so deep she thought she would cum for him any second. The walls of her slit clamped down on him, creating a delicious suction as he pulled away and a loud slurping every time he pushed in. Her ass and breasts bounced and jiggled from the rocking of the train and the force of his fucking, and it all combined to drive her crazy with need. Even so, it did nothing to compare with the things her mind was conjuring for him to see.

She imagined them slipping away together at one of those horrid balls the Duchess hosted, nothing but a curtain between the milling crowds of blue bloods and them while they stood behind it and he lifted her skirts and greedily fucked her from behind. Then they were back at Ethan's luxurious bed, Elisa stripping away each annoying layer of clothing before laying back for him and letting him watch as she fingered herself to bliss and back. Each fantasy came and went in quick flashes, she shared them with him, watched how he altered them, and then showed him another.

"Anything you can think of," she breathed between moans, "everything... show me everything... Oooh..Ethan," Elisa held her breath, trembling and writhing under his hold on her body. Suddenly, she was desperate to squirm away, to get away from him. She was going to cum for him and she didn't want this to be over so soon. He held her firm, keeping her body firmly where he wanted it as the fucking he gave her became urgent and demanding. He could feel it building in her and he wasn't going to let her get away from it.

"Ethan.. I.. harder... fuck me harder," her submission came as a small, panting plea as she gave up and accepted his control over her. The way he plowed into her body changed, and Elisa shouted in a wonderful blend of pleasure and fear as the aggressive, arrogant power he wielded over her set her heart to racing. Her entire body went stiff, and then Elisa screamed against the seat cushion as she came for him, her nectar rushing from her body while her slit clamped down over his thick rod with each pulse of pleasure that rushed through her.

Their fucking was so intense and erotic that Ethan began to feel like he was in some dream. Elisa's thoughts were bouncing into his head, ideas and fantasies, flashes of emotions or full scenes. He couldn't help but respond with his own. Her tied in ropes, truly helpless as he teased her body mercilessly, keeping her on the edge of pleasure for hours. Watching her play with herself, swaying sexily for him as she fingered herself to an orgasm before him. Her crawling on her knees to him as he sat at his desk, kneeling to undo his trousers and take his hard cock into her mouth. So much that he wanted.

And then she was asking for more, but she was already cumming. Her climax had been building and he had held her firm to make her not squirm away from his pounding cock. But she had surprised him and the speed with which her pleasure built, no doubt from their overwhelming sharing of pleasure and their non-stop barrage of dirty fantasies, and her sudden cum left him reeling as he felt her pussy clamp down in spasms on his spearing cock. Feeling her orgasm, so different than his own, more like a string of strong, powerful waves versus one large peak, was disorienting. His own climax was building and he fought to hold back to let her savor her cum. But as he fucked her hard through her mind shattering pleasure, coaxing wave after wave out of her until they shrunk to ripples of ecstasy, Ethan felt a dirty lust grow to take his final pleasure another way. A way he felt even shameful for sharing with her as it crept into his mind.

Pulling out of her with a gasp, Ethan arched his hips and pressed the tip of his wet and throbbing cock against the puckered ring just above her pussy.

"I want you in every way.. I want your ass too," he panted out to her, voice thick with his desire. Never had he felt more sordid and dirty than right now as he released her hair and grabbed her wrists and placed them on her ass cheeks, forcing her to spread them for him. She was dazed with her orgasm still and he knew his lust to do this act was burning bright between them. His need an unquenchable fire. Gripping her hip with one hand, he placed the other on his shaft as he pushed against her rear, gently rocking his tip against the sensitive ring of nerves as he sought to have her relax to take him in.

"Give it to me... relax, let me in... breathe," he cooed to her, the pressure of his cock growing as he pushed against that taboo hole. Fuck, he knew this was improper. No gentleman should do this to their lover, mistress.... wife, whatever she might or could be. But he couldn't stop himself, he wanted to be in her in every way he could and this act, this ultimate submission, seemed to call to him. Not to humiliate her or degrade her, but to consummate this bond they had of giving and taking, dominating and submitting, and of sharing the pleasure they each got from their halves of the roles equally. She could tell how much he wanted this and he knew she was scared and nervous. Would she trust him to let him do this? Did she know how much he loved her? Shit.. the thought was out... he couldn't hide it any longer and didn't care anymore. Right now, he just needed to be in her again.

Never had she imagined anyone could die from pleasure, but as her body shuddered and throbbed so sweetly, she was beginning to think she just might. If the wild fucking he was giving her had not pushed her over the edge, the things he showed her surely would have. The elicit things he showed her sent a chill down her spine while her blood seemed to burn. She swore she could feel the ropes on her skin, and then the heat of his eyes on her body as she crawled naked up to where he waited for her. There was so much to do, so much to learn, so many things to make real, and it felt like there would never be enough time to make them all happen.

Ethan kept fucking her as she came for him, pounding into her body with a vicious need that seemed to make each wave of sensation that assaulted her build higher and higher. He slammed into her so hard it hurt, but she loved that deep ache as much as the mind-numbing throbbing in her tender clit. She was limp and shaking when he finally stopped. Elisa felt completely spent, and yet she could swear her clit was still pulsing and gripping around him as the last few waves of her orgasm racked her body.

There was something building in him. At first, she could barely tell what it was. She was so pleasure drunk, she couldn't quite make out his thoughts. And then he dragged himself out of her. Elisa whimpered at the loss of him, hating the empty feeling that was left behind, and then he shifted... and she understood. The head of his cock rubbed against a place so taboo that Elisa nearly sprang off the seat. His hold on her arms and hair kept her in place, and she began to tremble as fear, nervousness, and lust flooded her senses in a confusing swirl.

His lust-thickened voice told her he wanted her in every way... and Elisa could not deny she wanted it to. It terrified her, but she wanted it. Shame rushed through her, making her body tense and her cheeks flush a deep red. His emotions reflected her own, but it didn't stop him from shifting her hands to her own ass. At first, she had no idea what to do... and then Elisa shut her eyes tightly close to shut out the filthy feeling that threatened to cripple her nerve. Timidly, she cupped her own ass cheeks, and then pulled them apart for him. It felt horridly shameful, and yet there was some feminine thrill at exposing herself to him. Ethan's own pleasure at watching her do it helped, it eased her shame and made her feel so much more certain that she wanted this.

And then, he was pushing against her, the soft head of his cock nudging against that tight ring. She tensed at first and then, slowly, began to relax. She remembered how wonderful his finger had felt moving inside her there, and her need to feel more eased the nervous tension. "Give it to me... relax, let me in... breathe," The gentle encouragement soothed some of Elisa's fear and she started to breath again. Relax, she had to relax... but she couldn't. The more he pushed the more tense her body became.

Her heart began to pound in her ears, drowning out the sounds of the train until it was nearly all she could hear. She knew this was something that... just simply wasn't done... ever. Not proper noble did things like this... but her own craving for it mirrored his. She let herself see it all through his eyes... her ultimate submission to his will, the complete claiming of every part of her body, as if it were the final conquering of anything that separated them. Her own fear was mirrored in his mind...

Elisa's heart nearly stopped, and then was flooded with a warmth that terrified her far more than what they were about to do. Love... he...loved her? Elisa held her breath as the thought came and went, a painful ache settling around her heart. She couldn't let herself think it... but it hovered there at the back of her mind as a new kind of warmth spread through her. She felt it rush from her and into him and back again. She may not allow herself to think it... but she knew beyond a doubt that he felt it.

Ethan pressed against her... and then Elisa eagerly pushed back against him. Just the head of his shaft slipped past the tight ring of nerves, but Elisa still yelped as pain and pleasure warred for dominance inside her. The sheer taboo of it won out, leaving Elisa trembling. Her body reflexively tensed, briefly increasing the pain until she could get herself to relax again. The raging need to plunge forward surged from Ethan and into her, but he held steady, gave her the time she needed, and then slowly... so painfully slowly began to sink deeper.

"Y-yes.. oooh, Ethan... ah, God..." Elisa hid her face against the cushion as, inch by slow inch, Ethan invaded her body. The slick nectar from her slit made his passage easier, but Elisa was still left writhing in an intoxicating blend of pleasurable pain. Steadily, he buried himself inside her ass, his hips gently working to push each inch inside her. "Fuck!" she gasped out, her fingernails digging into her own skin while she trembled before him. "Bury your cock inside me, Ethan... ah! Yes, yes! Fill my ass with your cock." The stream of filthy words came so easily to her tongue now, her shame and embarrassment drowned beneath her need to please him.

Finally, his hips bumped against her ass and his balls slapped against her slit as he sank every thick inch of his shaft deep inside her ass. Knowing he was buried so completely inside her sent a wild kind of thrill shooting up her spine. She was his mistress, his lover... but now he truly owned her in every way. Ethan had taken every intimate place of her body and made it his. There was nothing, no part of her that he had not plundered. A sweet, feminine kind of satisfaction settled over her. Elisa sighed her pleasure, the soft sound turning into an eager, needy moan just before she pushed back against him as if she were seeking more of him.

Ethan was savoring Elisa's conflicting emotions. She initially had the same embarrassed reaction that he had at the idea of his cock in her ass. The shock and fear was almost instinctive; it wasn't proper, far too vulgar and perverted! No decent woman... or man... would want that! But, he could see her dirty lust to do it growing in her as his own desire fed into her. She knew how good his finger had felt. Everything he had done to her had felt good. She hungered to try more. And now, just his tip rubbing against her ass was making her wet with arousal at the idea of him thrusting into her most taboo hole. She liked the fantasy of allowing herself to submit to him so fully that he could take her in every way he wanted. Giving herself completely to him with no inhibitions. She knew that she could be a shameless slut for him and he would still love her and maybe even make him hotter by doing it.

Perhaps his accidental sharing of that hidden emotion, love, tipped Elisa over. Ethan thought he felt a warm, brief acknowledgement back from her. Or perhaps it was just her own perverted lust fanned by his now burning desire. Whatever made her decide to do it, he didn't dwell on as his mind was suddenly filled with the incredible sensation her pushing her ass back against his rock hard cock, forcing his bulbous tip into her yielding ring. He let her do the work and felt the pressure and burst of of pain and pleasure as he entered her. She was nervous still and unaccustomed to the feeling, but his own pleasure, a hot jolt of pure ecstasy as his sensitive tip was swallowed by her ass, rang out between them as he moaned.

"Oh, y-yes... that feels so good... take my cock in your ass, let it in," Ethan panted out, hand squeezing her hip hard and now guiding her back. He still let Elisa set the pace as she pushed back against him, his cock inching into her sweet rear so slowly it took all his self-restraint to prevent him from thrusting in as hard as he could. Inch by inch of pure, torturous pleasure as his length disappeared between her pale ass cheeks. As more and more of his shaft slipped into her, Elisa began to relax and Ethan started to push with his hips against that tight ring of pleasure that seemed to move down his rod. "F-fuck.. oh god, I'm almost in you... just a little more."

And then Ethan was fully inside her, his manhood swallowed by her virgin ass. Elisa felt so hot and tight that just the sight of this taboo conquest stirred a lusty swirl of carnal emotions. He could feel her satisfaction and pride at doing this and giving him such great pleasure. And her need for more now as she moved against him, pressing her ass back against his hips and urging him to fuck her. To make her cum again and let him release his own building, likely massive orgasm. Ethan couldn't resist that insistent rubbing and he started to move inside her. Fucking her ass slowly at first, but building speed as she grew more relaxed. Sliding his meaty length in and out of her tight hole, balls slapping against her wet slit with every thrust. Not as hard as he had just fucked her pussy, but firm and strong and rocking her body again so much that her face was driven into the bench with every thrust.

"Fuck, y-yes... yes... Yes!" Ethan gasped out. This was amazing, but he wanted a different position, one where he could give Elisa more pleasure with his hands as well. He needed to touch her body, not just look at it. She was so aroused at their act that he wanted to help her cum again, this time with him together. Keeping his cock buried in her ass, he reached down and pulled her up onto his lap as he sat back on the bench. She was astride his cock now, facing away from him. Ethan guided her feet up onto the bench next to his thighs so she could ride his rod with her ass as she crouched above him.

"Now.. fuck me... fuck your ass on my cock," Ethan growled out, his lips going to kiss and bite her supple neck as she rubbed her bare back on his chest. His hands were free to explore her body and he let them roam her entire front, kneading her breasts, squeezing her aching nipples, gliding over her stomach, caressing her inner thighs and finally resting one hand on her hot and dripping mound. His thumb began to circle the throbbing nub of her clit, finding it beneath the wrinkled hood that covered it, while his fingers thrust into her wet passage. His other hand stayed high to tease her breasts, rolling her nipples and tugging them with his fingertips.

"Fuck me... ride my cock. Cum for me again."

She had never felt anything as intoxicating as the white-hot jolt that burn through Ethan as she pushed back against him and the sensitive head of his cock slipped inside her. Not even the lines burned so bright. The sensation seared her, mirrored the glorious feeling of him slowly pushing deeper inside her. Being able to feel the echo of it from his perspective... it was going to drive her insane. This was sinful, nothing that felt this taboo and this good at the same time could be anything else. But, oh.. she wanted more. So much more. The both seemed to rest for a moment when he was finally buried inside her. Part of her was sure she could feel every last inch of him pulsing and throbbing inside her. Every second that passed tripple her need for him, and when she couldn't stand it anymore, she began to grind herself against him, silently begging him to fuck her.

He moved slowly, creating a delicious friction that left Elisa helplessly writhing with need. She still ached, but the fading pain couldn't begin to compare to ravenous lust that built inside her with every movement he made. She could feel the liquid heat of her nectar flooding her slit and trickling down her thighs every single time he pushed himself back inside her. It felt too good to ignore, and Elisa greedily pushed back against him, eager to get that too-full feeling back as quickly as she could.

"More," she moaned out, the seat cushion muffling her voice, "give me more." Her muffled begging was answered quickly as Ethan's steady pace changed. It was not as hard or as fast as he had been fucking her a moment before, but it was hard enough to make Elisa scream into the cushions. It didn't hurt anymore, not really, she was screaming in pure ecstasy. Something about the feel of his cock buried inside her ass over and over again was too thrilling to deny. Ethan's own pleasure was overwhelming her already pent-up sensations. And then, beneath it all, the taboo of the act was a high for both of them.

Elisa yelped in surprise as Ethan's grip tightened and he lifted her bodily with him. He kept his cock buried inside her as they moved. She was too stunned and pleasure drunk to do anything other than let him guide her until she was seated in his lap, her back pressed against his chest and her feet on the seat cushions beside his legs. With her knees flared to the sides, Elisa felt suddenly completely exposed. Her dripping pussy was spread, the damp lips parted. Her back was arched so that her breasts were lifted high as if in offering. God, she felt put on display for anyone that cared to notice what was happening here.

"Now.. fuck me... fuck your ass on my cock," Ethan growled in her ear, and then his lips were moving against her neck. His teeth scraped her skin and Elisa gasped, her entire body tensing so that her ass squeezed down around his cock. She moaned for him as her clit throbbed, and then she shouted, swearing Ethan's cock had just slipped a little deeper inside her. His hands were everywhere, exploring her body, touching everything. He massaged her breasts, squeezing the pale flesh, and then pinched at her nipples. The aching buds sent a burst of pleasure and a twinge of pain through her body. The contrast was sweet, the pain highlighting how good everything else felt. His hands traveled over her stomach, the muscles tightening beneath her skin as they slid lower.

"Oh, god... Ethan," Elisa sucked in a quick breath as his hands slid over the insides of her thighs. His touch made her legs tremble, but when one hand closed over her mound, she thought they would give out completely. His thumb found her clit, running circles over the tender button until she was writhing and wriggling in his lap. His fingers dove inside her and Elisa clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her own scream. It was torture, pure and beautiful torture. Even the way he twisted and tugged at her nipples was pure delight.

"Fuck me... ride my cock. Cum for me again."

"Yes... yes," Elisa panted over and over again as she began to move. She learned quickly just what to do to get what she wanted, and fucking her ass on his cock had its own special excitement. She was hesitant at first, moving slowly as she learned how to move, and then increasingly eager she became more comfortable. It didn't take long before she figured out how to glide her ass from nearly losing the tip of his cock all the way back down to the base. First she rode him with a greedy need for more, and then she was riding him hard to give him more. "Fuck... yes.. harder," she gasped out, delirious from the feel of his fingers moving inside her slit while his cock was buried in her ass. "Please, Ethan... harder."

Elisa's head dropped back against Ethan's shoulder, staring sightlessly at the ceiling. Her breast was bouncing in his hand, the nipple he toyed with tugged hard while he pinched and pulled at it. Her clit was throbbing almost painfully beneath his thumb. Her slit clamped down around his fingers as they were bathed in liquid heat. She had to bite down hard on her bottom lip to muffle herself. She was going to cum... oh god.. she was going to scream. Elisa turned her head to burrow her face against the side of Ethan's neck, praying it would muffle the sound enough that no one would hear her. She was on the edge of cumming for him again, but she didn't want this to end, not now, not so soon. "Fuck my ass, Ethan... Yes, oh!...mmph... Fuck me."

Ethan groaned in pleasure as Elisa began to ride his cock. The sweaty skin of her back slid against his bare chest as she started to move on his rod. Her first motions were teasingly slow as she got comfortable with the position, his length and the feeling of taking him into her ass as she lowered herself onto his throbbing manhood. But, her exploratory bobbing didn't last long as she was as turned on as he was, her mind reflecting the same physical pleasure, the kinky thrill of taboo, and a raw, unquenchable lust for more. Greedy yes... hungry even... she wanted more. Could he give her more? What could he do to this seemingly insatiable succubus who was sucking the energy from his body with every bob of her ass. Ethan redoubled his squeezing of her bouncing breasts and quickened the plunging of his fingers into her dripping slip in almost a mindless reflex, too absorbed in the pleasure they were sharing to consciously even know what he was doing. He just had to give her more.

"Oh, yes, Elisa, ride my cock, take me in you," Ethan cried out between panting breaths. Ethan's own need still burned the brightest among the myriad sensations that assaulted his brain and he was soon bucking his hips up from the bench to meet her ass with every stroke as she rode him faster and harder. Burying his mouth in the side of her neck, he muffled his groans in her sweet skin, sucking, kissing, licking and biting the soft flesh of her throat as she impaled herself on his cock. To feel her take his whole length in her ass with every stroke, to share in the pleasure his rod and fingers gave her, to feel her muscles straining as her legs worked with her hips to fuck him somehow faster and harder; it was overwhelming and Ethan was losing whatever restraint or control he had in his own pleasure. He was going to cum. He had to cum. And she was there too. Oh god.

"I'm cumming, fuck.. I'm cumming in your ass!" Ethan cried out. Squeezing one of her throbbing hard nipples tightly, he plunged his fingers as deep as he could into her clenching passage, feeling those dripping wet, silken walls gripping his digits tightly as his hand matched her rapid, bouncing rhythm. Her ass was a ring of pleasure as it moved quickly on him and he felt a burning heat growing and building on his shaft. Getting larger and stronger, like a white fire of ecstasy centered on his rod. He couldn't hold back any longer and that fire exploded and surged through his body, burning through his nerves and coursing up his spine and filling his brain as he closed his eyes, unable to do more than hang on and try to ride out his orgasm. And then, just when he thought he could feel no greater pleasure, he felt Elisa's own climax crash into him.

Ethan's cock began to pulse in her ass, every spurt sending jolts of new pleasure through him and forcing whimpers of helpless ecstasy from his open mouth. Rope after rope of his hot cum filled Elisa as she kept fucking him, riding him until ever last drop of his spunk was milked out of his spent rod. Even when he finally felt like she had finally drained him of all his pent-up passion and lust, she still seemed to be able to eke some last tingles of pleasure from his sweaty and exhausted body as she squirmed on his slowly softening rod. Ethan pulled her tight against him, lips moving to kiss her deeply as she turned her head towards his face. They were both breathing hard and tired, only the euphoric afterglow of their orgasm gave them the strength to sit up and function.

"That.... t-that was incredible," Ethan murmured finally as he broke the kiss. He didn't have to say it. She knew.

The world fell apart around her. It came undone. The train fell away around them and Elisa's mind was seared forever with the white-hot fire that raced through Ethan to echo inside her. She felt every burst of liquid heat that shot inside her each time his cock jerked deep inside her ass. She couldn't move, and instead, she simply wiggled and squirmed to get him as deep as she possibly could get him. They rested that way, through his orgasm and then another of her own. Sensation racked them both and left Elisa feeling well used, sore, and blissfully content with the world. She knew, now, that she would do anything for him... anything he wanted, she would give him.

Her cheeks, already flushed from pleasure, grew darker as the thought passed from her to him, and she timidly began to retreat from his mind. God help her if he ever figured out how to force a connection, she'd never be safe from him.

Elisa smiles as she drops her head back on Ethan's shoulder. She didn't want to move, even with his currently tamed erection slowly retreating, she was not inclined to leave his lap or the deep feel of him inside her. It was beginning to be a bit painful, now that the pleasure was slowly settling down to a simmer, but she liked it. She liked being naked with him, enjoyed his hands on her body, his lips on her skin.. if she had a choice, she was going to spend more time around him like this. Naked, that is... whenever possible, she was going to shed every restrictively layer she could just to feel his eyes burn her skin as they looked their fill.

"Words can not being to express what that was," she sighed and let her eyes close. The world was slowly trying to crawl back in, but the heady afterglow that surrounded them would hold it back a little longer. "Should I be prepared to find myself in such compromising situations on every trip we take?" She laughed as she spoke, opening one eye to stare accusingly at Ethan.

"After all, this is all your fault," she scolded him with a smirk. "You encouraged it knowing full well the effects of leyline magic. And now we will arrive at your aunt's positively reeking of sex."

What?

It was true.

And she wanted to see him squirm.

The big, tough, blue-blooded, always-in-control, Lord Ethan Colton had not just lost his cool. He had thoroughly ravished his mistress in the passenger car of a train where anyone could have heard, seen, or known. My, my... either he was a scoundrel or she was a seductress... the thought of being viewed that way made Elisa laugh a little more. There was no way she was seductive, so it had to be he that was the seducer, and therefore, a scoundrel!

"Lord Colton, what have you done?"

Ethan breathed deeply as his lips nuzzled into Elisa' neck and their sweaty bodies pressed together. Although the pleasure was fading, the intimacy of their bond was still strong and he reveled in feeling so acutely aware of all of Elisa's emotions and physical sensations. And even her thoughts. The last one he felt from her he knew had been a mistake, something she had shared without realizing. Her mind was already retreating from him in embarrassment, the bond closing, and he doubted she could feel the thought that he answered with, that he too would give anything and do anything for her.

The sudden awareness that she was gone from his mind was a rude shock, like being dumped outside naked on a cold day after enjoying a cozy meal in a warm drawing room with pleasant company. The world was suddenly drab and flat and his senses deadened and dull. He longed to be with her again, to share the warmth of her vision and mind, but he knew that their bond wasn't something they could maintain for long. It had been draining, both physically and mentally, and his body felt more tired now than it should be even after their torrid tryst on the public train.

"My fault?" Ethan answered with a wry grin. He let his hands move on Elisa's naked body, keeping her close to him as he felt his cock softening inside her. Her breasts, her stomach and her thighs felt so good in his hands. He didn't want to let go of her naked form and tried to savor every inch of her while he still could. The path of his hands was also a reminder of the very things that had tempted him.

"My sweet lady," he answered, kissing her cheek. "I was merely trying to understand your abilities. It was strictly... professional... interest."

Then Ethan's hands cupped her breasts, squeezing them together as he studied the twin mounds over her shoulder.

"But, I'll admit I may have lost my self-control a bit when presented with the... opportunity," he said as he reached down to lift her up and off him and slide himself out of her. Turning her so she faced him sideways on his lap, Ethan kissed her again, soft and gentle now. "And yes, I'm afraid that as my partner, you should be prepared for unexpected activities at any time. My professional interest in you seems to be quite strong. And we'll need to practice tempting each other... to develop the willpower to use your magic freely of course. We may fail over and over again, but... we should still try."

"What have I done?" he chuckled at her question. "Nothing you didn't seem interested in as well. Indeed, one might say I was just trying to keep you happy." A whistle blew on the train and in the distance a conductor was bellowing Cambridge as the next stop. Ethan scowled and sighed as he placed Elisa on the bench and stood, stretching his nude body in front of her for a second before he began to hunt for his scattered clothing. Unspoken so far was that thought he had sent her, that he loved her. He felt like it hung between them and he wondered at why it felt so hard to say without that bond linking them so intimately. Well, Elisa seemed content to not acknowledge that moment and for now Ethan was likewise willing to let that matter be a topic of discussion for another day. "Alas, we must get dressed as our stop is approaching."

After pulling up his trousers, Ethan leaned lower and kissed Elisa again before whispering with a wink, "Don't think I don't remember your... ideas... all of them, for our next practice sessions."

Cambridge station was one of the larger rural stations and had plenty of carriages for hire when they exited. Although fully dressed, Ethan couldn't quite shake the feeling that he was still in disarray and there might be visible evidence of their earlier indiscretion. He found himself fidgeting slightly, adjusting his suit and hat needlessly as they began the ride to his Aunt's house. Part of the nervousness also came from meeting his Aunt, whom he suspected would have a critical eye.

"My Aunt, Mrs. Amanda Caldwell, is my father's sister," Ethan said once their carriage had left the station circle. "She is a widow as her husband died in the Navy. She also studied at Blackfriars and is accomplished in the field of enchanting magical objects." He paused, then continued in a softer voice, "She also, in many ways, helped raise me after my mother's death when I was a child. Without children of her own, she treated me like a son. I'll warn you, however, that she does not suffer fools and can be a little sharp with her tongue. Particularly in her old age. Take everything she says with a grain of salt, if you will."

Unexpected Activities.

Elisa couldn't help but giggle as he said it. It was a fine title for these supposedly professional interests that they shared. A little gasp escaped her throat as he lifted her off of him and adjusted her in his lap. The feeling was strange, but not unpleasant. A tender soreness lingered in her body. Telltale signs of his claims on her lingering where only she could feel them. His hands were warm and soothing against her skin, but everything seemed dimmer now that she had pulled away from him. Part of her knew that she could maintain a smaller, lesser connection for much longer if she wanted to. Sure, she would pay for it eventually, but if she really wanted...

Elisa shook her head to cast away the temptation. Ethan's soft chuckle brought her back from her wayward thoughts, but before she could say a word a whistle blew and a call went through the train. There stop was fast approaching. The scowl that stole across Ethan's features made her heart flutter, secretly still intimidated by him in many ways. But, as he placed her aside on the bench and rose, Elisa merely smiled at him. He stood and stretched... Elisa unwittingly licked her lips as her eyes traveled down his back, lingered a moment at the taunt muscles that flexed in his backside, and then traveled down his legs. God, but he was beautiful.

While he hunted down his clothing, Elisa gathered her own to her in a neat little pile on the bench, and then began to dress again. She was just getting ready to step into her trousers and stand up when Ethan turned around. She felt pinned to the bench by the look in his eyes as he bent down to her. His kiss as soft, but there was something behind it that puzzled her, something she didn't understand until he spoke.

His words brought fresh heat into her cheeks and she knew her blush had to be as red as her hair as she stood and yanked her trousers into place. How much did he really remember? Oh, no... What all had she thought of!? Her fingers fumbled as she laced them up and tied them tightly... as if that could save her from him. As if you want to be saved from him, her own mind taunted her, and Elisa glanced sideways at Ethan. No.. she didn't want to be saved from him.

When the train shuddered to a stop at the station Elisa found herself blessing the conductor for doing his job in a timely manner. She felt as if she had barely gotten dressed before they were filling off the train. Ethan took charge right away, finding a carriage for higher and settling their baggage almost as soon as his feet hit the ground. She smiled as she watched them, suddenly amused.. and yet a little concerned. He was entirely self-contained and in control. What she wouldn't give to feel that way as often as he seemed to. It was no wonder she had thought him arrogant. It was the military neatness, the precision, the utter control he bent over himself and the world around him.

It was also part of what so attracted her to him. He seemed so... unflappable. And he was dangerous, she could feel it in her bones... he was fire and she was a moth that was straying far too close. Elisa frowned as her thoughts strayed into a dark place. She buried them before they could fully materialize, and then let Ethan hand her up into the waiting carriage so that they could be on their way.

His voice was a welcome distraction and, but as he spoke, she started chewing at her bottom lip... and then, she started to laugh. Her usually wild hair had to be all the more tussled after their little train ride, and there was no way that woman wasn't going to notice. "Ethan, the way I am dressed..." Her laughter got worse and Elisa hid her face in her hands.

This is going to be fun.

Ethan cast a wry glance at Elisa as she buried her face in embarrassment. Her clothing was definitely unorthodox and he knew his Aunt would likely find it worthy of comment. Just how biting a comment, he didn't know. Despite how close they had been, his Aunt was still an enigma in many ways. Reclusive to a high degree, she rarely left her estate outside of Cambridge and had an open disdain for British society. Despite that, she was a voracious reader of the newspapers and tabloids and kept an active correspondence with dozens of ranking members of government, peers and their wives. And she had been Ethan's harshest critic, constantly reprimanding him for faults and failings in everything from his dress, social activity, friends and most awkwardly, his lack of pursuit of marriage.

The carriage was closed, with the driver outside, and Ethan risked placing his arm around Elisa and pulling her close. The country lane had turned to a dirt road and the bumpy ride made their bodies jostle against each other.

"Don't worry, my dear," he said with a reassuring squeeze of her shoulder. "She barks, but she doesn't bite. At least I haven't seen her bite yet. Just use your best behavior, she is very keen on manners and breeding." The last thought made him wince, as Elisa's own half-blood ancestry, if discovered by Amanda, was likely going to be a volatile subject.

The carriage bumped as it moved from dirt to cobblestone. A glance out the window revealed they'd passed a stone gatehouse and were climbing a short paved driveway that led to a gothic estate perched on a small hill. It was a grand mansion, at one point, but clearly neglected and maintained to a bare minimum. While the grounds remained well landscaped, with trimmed hedges and mowed lawns, the building itself needed fresh paint on the exposed wood of its many windows. The grey stone of the facade seemed dull and in need of cleaning and many of the shutters dangled half-broken in their frames.

Ethan frowned as the carriage pulled up, finding it a little disconcerting his Aunt had slacked in her maintenance. As soon as the carriage came to a stop, a butler exited the front door and was quick to open the door and lend a hand to Elisa to climb out.

"Master Colton," the grey haired man intoned in a dry tone. "How pleased to see you again." His voice hinted at no such pleasure. He turned to Elisa and gave her a stiff bow. If he was surprised at her clothing, his impassive face betrayed nothing. "And my lady."

"Harry, this is Lady Elisa Radborn, my associate. Please send my apologies to my Aunt for the unannounced visit, but we urgently need to speak with her," replied Ethan, used to the unflappable butler's personality.

"I shall send news of your arrival up at once, Sir," said Harry. Of course, 'at once' for the old butler meant after showing them to the parlor with him preceding them at a glacial pace. More time was wasted while he had to arrange tea and biscuits for them, as would be proper for guests. Finally he departed to fetch Lady Caldwell, while Ethan tapped his fingers on his thigh anxiously. The large parlor was slightly musty from lack of use, but the varnished, dark wood furniture was spotlessly shined. The only decorations were old family portraits of men in Naval uniforms, often at the helm of ships.

"Nephew," said a stern voice that caused Ethan to spring to his feet like a startled deer. A tall and thin woman glided into the parlor, a small frown on her stately face. She was dressed in a dark green, velvet gown that was in a style at least thirty years passed, and had her white hair pulled up into a severe bun. Wearing no makeup, her skin was pale from lack of sun, but remarkably healthy for her age despite the cobweb of wrinkles that spread from her eyes and mouth and crossed her forehead. Standing out in stark contrast to her otherwise muted appearance was her jewelry. She was bedecked in rings, bracelets, necklaces, a choker, large earrings, brooches and hairpins. It was a glittering and excessively flashy display of gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds that caused her to twinkle despite the flat light that crept into the parlor on this overcast afternoon.

"Aunt," replied Ethan formally, giving her a deep bow. He took her proffered hand and kiss it, but when he lifted his eyes he found Lady Amanda had turned her gaze to inspect Elisa. Her brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed as she took in Elisa's strange clothing, lips pursing in slight distaste.

"And your companion?"

"The Lady Elisa Radborn, my associate," replied Ethan quickly with a short smile.

"Did you just come from a fox hunt or something, dear girl? Or perhaps a morning ride?" asked Lady Amanda in a quizzical tone.

"Don't worry?" Elisa laughed and shook her head. Either he was being deliberately obtuse, or he simply didn't see just how horrible this could really be. Taking a deep breath, Elisa steeled herself as the old, family home came into view. She reminded herself that she knew this world. It belonged to her as much as it did to Ethan. She had spent the majority of her life handling stubborn old women. What was one more?

As they drew closer to the Estate, she was surprised to notice a state of disrepair about the grounds. It clashed against the military neatness and efficiency that was Ethan Colton and somehow felt all the more disconnected from him. She wasn't sure what she had expected. But, this - she knew - wasn't it. He didn't fit here, didn't quite belong. But, this had been his childhood home, hadn't it? He had said his Aunt had helped raise him, surely there should be something of him here. And the woman had been the wife of a Navy officer. It didn't work, the pieces of the puzzle weren't coming together.

Harry made Elisa's lips twitch when he spoke as Ethan was handing her down from the carriage. The dry tone made Elisa wonder, but she made no comment as she was introduced. She expected the once-over as the butler took in her odd attire. He gave away nothing of what he was thinking and Elisa was proud of herself, she didn't blush.

They followed the old, greying man inside and all the niceties were observed. Everything was perfectly done, and Elisa began to relax as she sat down to enjoy the tea that was offered. But, as she relaxed, Ethan seemed to grow steadily more nervous. She noticed the way he tapped his fingers, but could think of nothing to say to ease the tension that seemed to be mounting.

None too soon, a stern voice entered the room. Ethan sprang to his feet so fast that it made Elisa jump. She sat blinking at him, and then carefully hid a smile as she sat her tea down and stood as well. The older woman that flowed into the room did so with a grace and baring few of her breed ever mastered. This was not an old crone of a woman that kept control by barking orders, this was the kind of woman that simply knew she could master anything she set her eyes one. She did have one fatal flaw, one that made Elisa want to burst out in giggles. She seemed to be covered, head to toe, in jewels, silver, and gold. The woman positively glowed as the finery threw light in all directions. She may not be vain about her looks, but she put a lot of weight on the family jewels.

The inspection was almost immediate. Cool eyes settled on Elisa and took in every detail in one quick sweep. Instinctively, her shoulders squared and her chin lifted a notch. She refused to look weak willed or vulnerable in front of this woman. Ethan introduced at the Lady's questioning, and then Lady Caldwell directed a question at Elisa that made the corners of her lips twitch with amusement.

A morning ride? Madam, you have no idea.

"It was Ethan's idea, My Lady." Elisa rejoined, hoping against hope that her merriment was mistaken as excitement for meeting Ethan's Aunt. "I think he was quite right in suggesting it. Chasing down demons in a dress is simply not the brightest idea." While she stayed close to Ethan's side, Elisa had to resist the urge to touch him. It made her feel awkward, so she clasped her hands in front of herself to keep from fidgeting. "Will you take a cup of tea, Lady Caldwell? I would be happy to pour for you."

Honestly.. she didn't know what else to do with herself. This was a strange new territory she found herself in. She was Ethan's Mistress and she was meeting the woman that was as good as his mother to him. This wasn't simply not done, this was so far beyond the social rulebook that they had reached an entirely new level of scandal. God, if that woman found out...

Ethan, you were insane to bring me here. And I was daft to let you.

Ethan's eyes bulged at Lady Caldwell's cutting question. Perhaps he shouldn't have taken Elisa to see his Aunt, he realized belatedly. The old woman was a hawk, missing nothing with her sharp gaze. Taking Elisa into her eyrie dressed in her unusual clothes was like waving a chunk of red meat around the hungry old bird of prey. There was no way she wasn't going to thoroughly want to examine his new 'associate' from every angle. His heart skipped a beat as he wondered what else she might sniff out.

"Yes, Aunt, I needed her mobile. Think of it as a uniform," said Ethan, seizing on Elisa's explanation with a little too much enthusiasm. Lady Caldwell's eyes narrowed and she regarded him for a long, silent moment before she sat on the chair opposite the two of them. Ethan tried to hide his sigh of relief. His Aunt somehow still had the power to make him feel like a misbehaving boy again. It was annoying, and grated against every bit of Ethan's adult personality.

"No dear, I've had my tea already," replied Lady Caldwell, gesturing for them to sit with a curt wave of her hand. The bracelets and bangles clattered as she moved her wrist and she let out an exasperated sigh. "A woman hunting demons? What is the world coming to? My dear Nephew, what exactly is the reason why you recruited this charming young lady into such a dangerous line of work?"

Lady Caldwell's eyes were piercing as the question hung in the air. Ethan glanced at Elisa, an apologetic look in his eyes, and turned back to his Aunt with his chin raised slightly.

"I chose her because of her abilities," he replied, challenging his Aunt' gaze. "One must fight fire with fire. She has magical skills, given her heritage, that have already saved my life and may help me finally capture the Butcher."

Lady Caldwell's eyes widened momentarily as she caught Ethan's implication and she turned to stare at Elisa again, inspecting her more critically now. Her grey eyes, so like her nephew's, bore into Elisa's green orbs, and Lady Caldwell forced the redhead to hold her gaze for many heartbeats before nodding. She brought a hand up to toy with the gem on one of her necklaces, while the other hand seemed to adjust an earring. Both were too purposeful movements to be fidget and Ethan scowled. His Aunt, a master of magical enchantment of objects, wore her jewelry not to show off her wealth, but rather for the arsenal of magical skills the apparently mundane objects provided her. He didn't know what she was doing, but likely had somehow 'inspected' Elisa with her tools.

"Radborn. Yes. It all comes back to me. I read the story in the papers. Messy business and I'm sure it was difficult for a young girl. I'm sorry for your loss. Well, I'm glad to see you haven't let it ruin you. Although I can't say that working with my Nephew is the safest choice for a young woman as a career," Lady Caldwell said, nodding slightly. The corners of her mouth turned up in the faintest trace of a smile as she continued, the hint of a twinkle in her eyes. "Although I suspect it may be safe in other ways. What other person but you, Ethan, would take this beautiful girl and dress her like a man? It makes me wonder about you, dear Nephew, is it all women you seem to abhor or only the attractive ones?"

Ethan flushed at her words, his mouth opening like a fish gasping for air. His Aunt still had the ability to drive her barbs in close to sensitive flesh and he knew the amount of wriggling her comments caused was how she gleaned the truth of a matter. His stammering, red-faced attempt to rebut was quickly making the situation worse, and Lady Caldwell raised an eyebrow at him.

"What's the matter Ethan?" she asked. "Cat got your tongue? Well perhaps Lady Radborn can answer. Does Ethan dislike women? Don't hold back dear, I'm his Aunt. I've been urging him to find a wife for years and he seems to think his work is more important. Since you work closely with him, tell me, do you think his priorities are off? Hmm? Do you think he knows you even are an attractive woman?"

Of course the Lady was old enough to remember... Elisa forced herself to keep breathing normally as she sat and lifted her tea cup back to her lips for a sip. It gave her something to do and steadied her nerves. Although.. she wasn't certain what bothered her more: that the woman obviously understood what heritage Ethan was speaking of, or that the woman knew her Mother's maiden name for what it was.

Nevermind, the conversation didn't sit still long enough for Elisa to comment on it, so she let it go. What did it matter how much the woman knew of her past or her family? What matter was the here and now and what she knew in this moment. Having been forced to hold the older woman's gaze had been a test of wills between them. Elisa had refused to back down while Lady Caldwell had refused to give an inch of wiggle room. Already, Elisa was feeling exhausted. But, when the woman turned her cutting attention into Ethan, a flare of bias anger sparked in the petite young woman sitting across from Lady Caldwell.

She had noticed Ethan's scowl when the older woman had toyed with bits of her jewelry. Elisa could admit she wasn't fully aware of just how their magic worked, but she was beginning to understand that everyday objects could be dangerous. And so, when energy seemed to shift, her attention peaked. How could it not? Someone had stalked her friend with a ring and a demon had tried to kill Elisa and Ethan both only the day before. The mildest shift was enough to set her teeth on edge. In response, her own energy flared, but took no solid form or intent. Instead, it simply seemed to fan out, her personal way of warily watching for an attack.

"Is work is more important," Elisa answered smoothly, her voice following the delicate patterns that had been ingrained into her bones. Her tone was as polite and light as if they were discussing the drawing room walls instead of a topic that was making her heart rate spike and her anger flare. "Whether or not Ethan finds me attractive is a moot point, wouldn't you agree? It would be unseemly. After all, even using my mother's name, you easily remembered the scandal that surrounds me. If anyone were to mention I was a Birmingham, there would be enough political and societal discomfort for your nephew. If anyone, heaven forbid, where to assume some relationship beyond our working together?... That could tarnish his name. Ruin his prospects for a wife and any hope of an heir. Your nephew is no fool. I am sure he will see to his family duty in due time, Lady Caldwell."

Again, Elisa sipped her tea, and then set the little cup on the table as she smiled warmly at the older woman. There was a vice grip on her heart and ice in her veins. Elisa was well trained, she showed none of it. "I am surprised a woman with your social weight has not seen him well suited sooner, however. Have there been no worthy prospects these passed few years? I know the London Scene has become quite competitive, but Caldwell and Colton are not small names. Surely there is no shortage of families seeking to mingle their names with yours."

Elisa smiled warmly at the older woman and waited.

Your turn, Lady Caldwell. What hoop would you have me leap through, next?

Lady Caldwell rubbed one of the bracelets on her wrist as Elisa answered her, her piercing, gray eyes never straying from Elisa's green orbs. They narrowed slightly as Elisa talked about the damage to Ethan's reputation. But the old lady seemed to be nodding, a thin smile on her lips as she gazed at Elisa towards the end of the her speech when Elisa asked about marriage prospects.

"Come, ladies, this talk is unseemly!" interjected Ethan when Elisa was done, trying to fend off a reply from his Aunt. He had been sitting on the edge of his seat during Elisa's reply, trying to keep his increasing discomfort hidden. "My romantic life is not relevant at all. This is an official visit."

"Nephew!" said Lady Caldwell sharply, glancing at him. "You never write. You hardly visit. You refuse all the ladies I've sent your way with introductions for years. Pray do give me a couple minutes of your official time to ensure your well being."

The old lady pinned him back in his chair with a steely gaze and then glanced towards Elisa again. A smile grew on her face, this one larger and perhaps a tad warmer.

"It's good to have someone on the inside and a woman at that, to learn what is really going on with you. And a woman with such good manners, judgment and social adeptness," continued Lady Caldwell, nodding again. "I find it fascinating you have such a detailed, one might say exhaustive, list of the reasons why Ethan finding you attractive is... what did you call it? Oh yes, a 'moot' point."

Ethan was watching her warily, biting his tongue from speaking as Lady Caldwell seemed to gather her thoughts.

"Yes, it was quite a strong argument. All very valid reasons. I remember drawing up such a detailed list about a man once when I was younger. His work would keep him away from me. He wouldn't want to be saddled with a family at this stage of his career. Perhaps his station was too low for my own reputation. He was rumored to be interested in a woman with blonde hair and a large bosom, far different in appearance than skinny dark-haired me! Clearly a 'moot' point to think he might marry me," Lady Caldwell said, speaking slowly and somewhat dramatically. "Of course, that man turned out to be my husband."

Ethan gasped, even though he knew where she was going from the first description of her late husband, a career Navy man. "Aunt, what you are insinuating... pray, have manners and some decency. This accusation is uncalled for!"

"What accusation?" asked Lady Caldwell, smiling at both of them innocently now. "Is there something I should be concerned about? Or do you not find her attractive? You've spurned so many well-bred ladies that I have no doubt of your stubbornness if you tell me you have no interest in her. Or maybe she has such amazing, iron willpower, like some steam powered machine with no feelings, that her logical analysis of your compatibility has eliminated any attraction she might have to you and even if you did like her, she'd spurn you?

"I may be a batty old lady, but I do find it odd that the first woman you bring to meet me, perhaps ever, happens to be this charming and beautiful girl that you claim is just a colleague. A colleague when you've always worked alone? And who I presume is also the first person of the opposite sex you've had more than a polite conversation with in a decade! And who goes out of her way to assure me she has no plans on you and understands the social ramifications of a romantic entanglement, while you sit there red-faced and jittery like a boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Obviously you are proud of her and wanted me to meet her.

"The advantage of age is I can say whatever I want. So let your lady speak since you seem to be choking on your tongue. Lady Radborn, don't play me for a fool. I'm sure you'll convince the rest of society well enough with those manners, but tell me the truth. Where is your heart and what do you want of my boy?"

One wrinkled, jewelry bedecked hand went up to shush Ethan, but Lady Caldwell's gaze never left Elisa. Her eyes were searching now, digging deep into Elisa as she awaited her response.

Well I'll be. Elisa lifted a single surprised brow at how quickly and easily Ethan was silenced. He valued his aunt and her opinion very much. A smile played about Elisa's lips. He loved the over protective dam as much as she did him. It make her heart ache for the loss of her own mother. If there had been someone like this woman in her life, how much might have been different for her?

It wasn't long before Lady Caldwell's attention was pinned right back onto Elisa again. It was difficult to keep remain poised under those grey eyes. She had learned that Ethan's intense stare couldn't see everything in her mind, but she was beginning to feel that this woman could see straight into her soul. Didn't most ladies make similar lists about men they fancied? She could remember many girls that did similar during her failed depute. Crafty old woman, of course she would know.

The truth? Well the truth was simply unspeakable. Could not even be thought in the presence of others. Elisa let herself smile as she folded her hands in her lap. It was easier to hide the painful ache that settled around her heart as she considered her answer. Truth was, she was his mistress and, currently, his partner. It could not, and would never be, more than that.

"You are very astute," Elisa sighed and smiled as she raised her eyes back up to meet Lady Caldwell's sharp, grey gaze. "I remember you, you know. From my depute. We are both older now, but... I remember you. I was never introduced, perhaps to my everlasting detriment, but then, I was rarely invited anywhere, even with a Duchess as my sponsor." Elisa's smile turned a little higher at one corner, shifting into a wry smirk as several girlish memories chased around her mind.

"I'm sorry, My Lady, my mind ran away with me," she apologized ruefully, fully relaxing now that her mind was distracted. "You had a reputation for being sharp and cold. It seems, they were only half right. It is as you say, lady Caldwell. Even if Ethan were to take a greater interest in me than what he already has, nothing would come of it."

A sharp pain in her heart made Elisa pause, and she reached again for her tea to cover the short lapse, pouring herself another cup as she went on. "I know my place in this world, Lady Caldwell, and it certainly isn't as a wife. Even without all the scandal attached to my name, I am too old for any reasonable proposal. And a mother? How could I possibly ever allow myself to have children? You are obviously a wise woman, I am sure you understood Ethan's meaning."

With a sigh, Elisa sat back again, sipped her tea, and then let her shoulders slouch as she stared into the threads of steam rising from the cup. "He was very kind, but you will surely forgive me for being blunt. I am half demon, tainted, marked by the difference in my blood. I can not give a man heirs that would be just as tainted as I am. I will never have children, and I am sure you are well aware that it doesn't take very much magic to keep it that way."

She was quiet for a moment, and then seemed to shake herself and come back to them both. A sad smile played over her lips as she straightened her back and squared her shoulders again. Taking a deep breath, her attention returned to the older woman. "If you must know, Lady Caldwell, if you truly want the truth, I am Ethan's mistress as well as his partner. It is an arrangement that suits us both for the now. But, as I said, it will never be more. You need have no fears of me interfering in your family. But, I am also afraid that I can give you no hopes, either." Again, she sipped from her tea. The silence stretched, out... but she could think of nothing else to say... so, she sipped again.

Ethan knew better than to try to interrupt his Aunt when she had something to say, it only made the situation worse. Still he chafed, unused to biting his tongue as she put her final cutting question to Elisa.

Good lord, he was a fool! What had he been thinking to believe it was a good idea to bring Elisa to meet his Aunt so soon? Perhaps his Aunt was right, even if he hadn't realized the truth until she said it. He had wanted to introduce Elisa to her and, he supposed, show off his new 'colleague' to the woman who had filled in for his mother. Certainly he had never expected to divulge the true nature of their relationship, but some part of him still sought her approval and had hoped she might be impressed by Elisa. There may have even been some boyish fantasy that Lady Caldwell might like Elisa and urge him to court her, despite her demon blood. Instead, she was threatening to rip their newly born relationship asunder by baring everything too soon.

His eyes were on Elisa, hoping she could see the empathy he felt for her situation. Somehow, Ethan didn't know where she summoned the strength, Elisa managed to remain poised in the face of Lady Caldwell's sharp gaze. Taking her time, she began to speak in an almost casual manner. Ethan's heart raced as she brutally reiterated the stigma of her blood and why it made her unsuitable as a wife for Ethan and a mother to anyone. There was a resigned acceptance to it that broke Ethan's heart and he fought the urge to rise and take her in his arms. No, his Aunt must see her strength.

Then she admitted their relationship, which Ethan guessed she would do, but it still caught him by surprise. She laid it bare for his Aunt in blunt, but proper, terms that made his stomach churn. Through it all, Elisa showed little emotion, perhaps a slight pause to drink tea and a resigned sigh at times, but the pain of her situation and her own bleak prospects at happiness were palpable in her tone.

"Elisa..." Ethan said in a murmur, not knowing what else to say.

Lady Caldwell's hawkish eyes never left the redhead as she spoke and the old woman gave little sign of reaction at any of Elisa's brutal or stunning admissions, only nodding at times as if she expected every revelation. She glanced at Ethan for a long moment and then spoke to both of them.

"Well, I'm glad we can all be honest. I've found that trying to deceive others makes you deceive yourself. Dear girl, I'm glad I don't have to tell you things that you don't already know. The stigma of your blood is unfortunately not tolerable in society and a cruel curse to give to any future children. You have the right of it and I think are strong enough to accept your fate.

"But you, Nephew, need to accept it as well. I can see your eyes flashing even now at me. You were always a stubborn one and thought you would do what was right and damn what others think. That kind of behavior works sometimes, but you never were one to understand that the life isn't black and white. You can't change the world and you certainly can't change the nature of her blood. The quicker you realize you live in shades of gray and right is a relative thing, the sooner you'll be happy. Give up any ideas you have of marrying her, or having children. I know I can't get you to stop having her as your mistress, but her solution is the best one, for both of you."

Lady Caldwell's eyes turned to Elisa and she gave her a pleasant smile.

"This is not the match I would have picked for my Nephew. Have no illusions that I condone it. But I'll tolerate it, only because you seem strong enough to ensure that it doesn't end in disaster. Know your place and keep to your role, and I'm sure you both will find... happiness. But, if you forget yourself and bring harm to Ethan, I'll not be pleased at all."

Ethan sighed and contained himself. A full blown argument with his Aunt in front of Elisa wouldn't help the situation and he knew the old woman well enough to know that he couldn't change her mind in a day, if ever. In addition, Elisa would most likely want to end this painful discussion as much as Ethan did.

"Your point is made. We've reached the same conclusion... for now," replied Ethan icily. "Do not think us fools either, we think with our heads as well as our hearts. And now, unless you'd like to bring us more grief, perhaps we can talk about my official reasons to call on you?"

Don't look at him.

Elisa focused on sipping her tea. She didn't want him to see in his eyes the pity she heard in his voice. The Lady Caldwell's attention began to settle over her shoulder like a physical weight before the older woman finally said something. But, even when she did finally speak, Elisa didn't find any release from the stress and tension that had built up in her. Instead, it only seemed to get worse. The more she spoke, the more uncomfortable Elisa became. Yes, she knew she was unfit to be anyone's wife, it didn't need to repeated. Hadn't she made it all perfectly clear that she understood? That Ethan understood?

Breath

Elisa forced her lungs to work and her jaw to unclench.

Drink your tea

She took a sip, and let the warm liquid ease away her nervous energy.

The older woman's attention came back to rest on her and Elisa found herself caught under her gaze. She was stuck meeting her stare, unable to look away for fear of appearing weak or malleable. She said her piece, and then Elisa sighed as her eyes narrowed. "Your world threw me away years ago, madam." Her voice cut the air, charged with an old anger now unleashing itself on the most available target. "I have no want or need to rejoin it. As I said, I have no intentions to ever being a part of your family, or in upsetting Ethan's future or his prospects at a good marriage. I will be his mistress as long as he wants me. When he doesn't-" Elisa throat closed and she was forced to take a quick breath. "When he doesn't, I will leave his care quietly and return to whatever other avenues life presence me."

There was a knife in her ribs, piercing her heart. There had to be. What else could cause such a pain? She was tempted to look down to see if it really was there, but she forbid herself from it. She would not allow herself to look foolish or flighty. The room became so much smaller, uncomfortably intimate. She had no place here. She didn't belong here. This had been a mistake.

Ethan's voice jarred her nerves and her teacup clattered as she set it down and then reached to pour herself more tea.

If only there were something stronger to drink.

But, finally, Ethan had brought the conversation around to reason they had come here. It would feel much better to talk about something else. Anything other than the horridness of her own birth was a fantastic topic in Elisa's mind.

"Yes," she agreed with a sigh. "Ethan and I have not been work together long, at all. But, already there are very interesting things coming to light. You see, a friend of mine, also a mixed blood, was murdered nigh on four days ago." Had it really been such a short span of time? So much had happened, it felt as if much more time had passed. Guilt surged through her, but Elisa put it aside. She had not forgotten to mourn her friend. She had simply been forced to keep moving forward without her. "I was a suspect then. Of course, Ethan detained me and determined my innocence." Elisa lifted her hand to hold the older woman off, seeing the questions before they were asked. "Do not insult me by suggesting the situation you find your nephew in with me now has anything to do with me trying to save my own hide. She was a dear friend and I am innocent. I did not even know what I was until the night after her death."

Elisa sighed, not sure if the stern look on the other woman's face was anger or simply a lack of trust in the demon sitting in her parlor. It didn't matter.

Ignore it

"We found an enchanted ring in her things," she went on fairly quickly, not allowing the conversation to lapse or let Lady Caldwell dwell too long on any one subject. "An enchantment done my someone like you, or your nephew. Magic I am clearly not capable of. Not long after, just yesterday in fact, we were both very nearly killed by a demon." Taking a breath, Elisa offered a cold but brilliant smile, "And now you are caught up on the happenings that led us to your door step, My Lady. Questions?" Feeling somehow stronger than before, Elisa again sipped her tea.

Take that, you old bat. Now what do you think of this? A little triumphant voice hooted in the back of her mind. She hadn't really won anything, but she was holding her own, at least for now, and she was again proud of herself for the strength of character she could lay claim to.

Ethan struggled to keep his face impassive as Elisa spoke up. The edge to her voice was unmistakeable to him and clearly she was barely containing anger at his Aunt's cutting words. The Lady Caldwell would no doubt notice, but Ethan suspected that his Aunt didn't care as long as there was an understanding about the relationship. There would be no love lost between the two women, who Ethan glumly realized were the two most important women in his life now. What a fool he was to have brought her here. Hopefully he could escape from this meeting before more blood was drawn on either side.

"Yes... the ring," echoed Ethan, quickly reaching into his vest and producing the worked silver object. He handed it very carefully to his Aunt, who took it while rubbing one of her many necklaces with her face suddenly transformed to a look of intense concentration. A jeweler's loupe appeared appeared in her hand, produced from some hidden pocket in her dress, and she studied the ring carefully while muttering to herself and nodding. "This was in the victim's effects. We think the killer may have given it to her, and that the demon that tried to kill us was seeking to reclaim it."

"A nasty piece of work," his Aunt said after a while. She lowered the loupe and handed the ring back to Ethan with a scowl. "There is a fairly standard spell of influence on it, designed to make the wearer of the ring have trust and fondness for whoever wears its counterpart. In addition, they placed another spell of glamour, which would also make them think the other person is attractive. But, and this is where it gets interesting, someone afterwards laid another spell on top that would make the wearer of the ring fall asleep on command. A cruder spell and worked with no subtlety, the runes etched in coarsely and with no attempt to hide them with any artistry."

"That would make it a good tool for capturing the victim," said Ethan, stroking his chin slowly. "With perhaps two different magicians involved. Can you tell who made it originally? Any clues?"

"Well, this sort of work smells of a very advanced hedge witch. No one from Blackfriars would be willing to make such a charm, I would hope, and the runes and style are not as polished as a true scholar... the typical hedge magic mish-mash," replied Lady Caldwell. "I'd suggest two makers of such charms in London as good places to start. The gypsy Ekaterina in Lambeth and a certain Mary Alders out in Hackney. Both are well known as producers of all sorts of illegal charms and skilled enough to have made this ring. They may know the buyer."

Lady Caldwell paused and glanced between the two of them, her eyes flickering uncertainty.

"So, I assume it is true then. The Butcher is back?" she asked softly.

"Yes, I'm afraid so," replied Ethan, grimacing slightly. "While I can't say that I am happy that murders are occurring, I do relish the chance to finally catch the bastard."

Lady Caldwell appeared to think for a second, uncertainty creeping into her normally stern demeanor. "I-i, perhaps I should share something Ethan. I was going to call for you to tell you anyway, but you are here now. I didn't share it earlier only because I hoped the Butcher was truly gone and that you might give up your obsession... I didn't want to rekindle it."

"What are you talking about? What have you been hiding?" asked Ethan, voice rising.

Instead of replying, Lady Caldwell called for her butler and asked him to bring something. When he entered, he carried a long and apparently heavy metal box. After he set it on the table, Lady Caldwell motioned for them to rise as she moved to stand before it.

"Before your father was killed, he asked me to examine something for him. Something related to the Butcher, a clue he had found," Lady Caldwell said, voice faltering as Ethan stared at her with open shock and then resentment. "Don't look at me like that! He asked me to keep it secret. Besides, there was little information of value to you, I certainly could not tell him anything! After his murder, I forgot I even had the thing and then with your obsession... well I decided not to tell you since the Butcher seemed to be gone. But now.. he's back and I think someone wants this. At least my wards on the house have been tested by some supernatural force... most likely demon... on a nightly basis. Practically ruining the outside of my mansion in a most annoying fashion..."

She opened the box and inside was a strange metal mask, the features worked into a hideous demon visage with two red glass lenses for the eyes. The mask seemed to be made of polished copper and glowed dully in the wan light of the room.

"Your father wanted me to see if there was any enchantment on them, but I couldn't find anything useful with the exception of a strange spell on the eyes... a binding spell like you would use to prevent decay... and another stranger binding spell, a variant if you like but I don't know what for."

"I know the first spell... I placed it on the lens in my eyepiece, to prevent the demon iris from rotting away," muttered Ethan as he studied the mask. The red gems were clearly demon iris' as well. A chance glance at Elisa made Ethan pause at seeing her ashen face. "Elisa - what is it? What do you see?"

"Don't touch it," Elisa breathed on a whisper. She had followed the conversation silently, using the time to let her anger fade and get her mind centered on the task at hand. When Lady Caldwell's demeanor had shifted, Elisa's interested had peeked. Ethan's sharpening tone had created an uneasiness for them all, but some small part of her delighted in seeing his aunt put on the defensive for a change. That was, of course, until the box had arrived. Even encased in metal, she could have sworn the scent of burnt amber was in the air. When they had opened it she had felt choked by the stench, acrid and thick, clogging the air... and yet seemingly unnoticed by Ethan or his Aunt.

"Can't you smell it," Elisa asked as she pushed between the two of them and slammed the lid of the metal box closed. Her hand tingled and her teeth felt like they were rapped in tin, and then she yanked her hand away from the iron and shook it to try and remove the cold sensation. God, but she hated iron! It made her skin crawl.

"Burnt amber," she hissed, annoyed to feel her hands shaking and panic nagging in her mind. She forced herself to breath deep. She remembered the claws of the demon tearing at Ethan's chest, and just when she thought her will would fail, a rush of anger buoyed her up. She didn't mean to reach for a line, it simply happened, and Elisa drank deep from it. Her hair lifted from her shoulders as if caught in a breeze as the raw power of it reminded her she was far from helpless. She had thought herself less affected by what had happened... she had been a fool. Breathing deep, Elisa spindled the energy somewhere deep inside, released the line, and then turned to face the two behind her... only to freeze when she found them both staring at her.

Her eyes jumped from Ethan, to his aunt, and than back again. "You can't, can you?" Elisa motioned lamely at the box, and then frowned a little. "That thing is dripping with line energy, demonic spells... but, more than that. A demon has handled that thing.. that's the only reason it should smell so much like one of them. You.. you really don't smell it?"

Elisa felt color rise in her cheeks. What if she only thought she was smelling it? What if the trauma from the day before had simply sparked a reaction to something that wasn't really there? Elisa sniffed the air and nearly choked.. no, it was there, she was sure of it. "Why can't you smell that? We.. half-blood... avoid that stench at all costs. That thing is cursed."

Elisa realized the weight of her own words and turned her attention to Lady Caldwell, her eyes narrowing as she looked the older woman from head to toe, searching for something like a leach in her aura. "Have you touched it? Has anyone touched it?"

She had come across things like this before. They stank from the blood demon's used to seal their most intricate workings. It was a distant memory, but still there. Sometimes, cursed things would leak a part of themselves into a person, like a little beacon that marked that person. A demon could leach life, beauty, vitality, anything they wanted through such a mark. It could ruin a man's heart, destroy a woman's honor, even turn them to do things they would never have done without the influence that was latched onto them. Marriages were ruined, countries turned against countries, demons needed only to attach themselves to the right people at the right time.

"Has anyone taken ill or acted.. out of character?" Elisa felt breathless, her head spinning with the possible horrors this thing could bring them. If anyone had touched it... "Whatever demon helped to craft that could know everything. It need only use the ears of the last person to touch that mask."

Ethan and Lady Caldwell stared at Elisa is surprise, stunned into silence by her sudden closing of the box and subsequent outburst. Ethan was the first to react, reaching out and gently clasping his hand around Elisa's arm. He wanted to draw her in for an embrace, but with his Aunt in the room forced himself to resist the temptation. It would be improper.

"Elisa - take it easy, take a breath," he murmured, gray eyes staring at her with concern. Elisa's anxiety was contagious and he suddenly found his own heart racing and he looked at his Aunt with a worried expression.

"No, no one has touched it," replied Lady Caldwell smoothly. Her face was calm but her body was tense as she thought about Elisa's warning. "I've only opened the box once and used some tongs to examine the back. Even I felt some... revulsion... from that abomination and knew better than to touch it myself."

Ethan nodded and let his gaze settle on the closed metal box. He lowered his hand from Elisa's shoulder to let it rest around her waist, risking his Aunt's disapproval for the show of affaction.

"I suggest we keep it locked then... and secure. Aunt, how safe is your house?" Ethan asked at last.

"About as safe as any building in the United Kingdom!" Lady Caldwell replied with an arch of her eyebrows. "I know my craft well and my wards are extensive and strong. And they need be. I'm sure you saw the state of the exterior of my house... the shutters and paint? Some demonic force has been trying my wards for years ceaselessly... hoping to find a crack. The best they can do is worry off my paint and break trim. I've given up trying to repair it at this point."

"A constant attack?!" exclaimed Ethan, suddenly growing concerned for his elderly Aunt. "Why haven't you told me? It isn't safe for you...."

"Pfft..." replied Lady Caldwell with a dismissive wave. "It's a nuisance at best. No demon will get in these doors and whoever does it only comes at night... and with minor strength. Almost like they are just waiting for me to forget to strengthen the wards. I'm completely safe as long as I renew them every so often. The box is safe here."

"I know you mean well, but it should come with us," said Ethan determinedly. "I don't want you in danger any more and my house is just as safe. Plus I have Elisa to help recognize and defend against any attacks that may happen."

"Ethan, No - your father gave it to me and.-- "

"Aunt," said Ethan again, interrupting her sternly and setting his jaw. He reached out and latched the box, picking it up and slipping it into his leather bag to brook no further discussion. "My father gave it to you to help find the Butcher. That is my quest now. I need this."

"Very well," Lady Caldwell said and a quick flash of relief when through her wrinkled face. No doubt the mask had weighed heavily on her over the years and despite her protests, she was actually happy to see it go. She turned to face the pair and spoke while looking each one of them in the eye. "But, I fear for you. Both of you. This killer was devious and powerful enough to kill Ethan's father, a powerful magician. Trust no one and be careful. Whoever this Butcher is, he seems to get in under the guard of his enemies."

Ethan nodded and gave his Aunt a formal bow before turning to leave. Lady Caldwell reached out and caught Elisa's sleeve and held her for a second, whispering one last message for her ears alone.

"And you. Take care of my Nephew. Don't let him do anything foolish."

Ethan's hand on her arm was at once a shackle and an anchor. His touch forced her to be aware of the energy she had gathered, her skin burning as she was forced to dump most of it or risk it trying to equalize between them. It also brought her a stillness, a barrier against the flood of fear that threatened to drag her down. She wanted to lean on him, to let his strength hold her up. But, she couldn't. Elisa's bright green eye's jumped from Ethan's grey to the unsettlingly similar gaze of his aunt.

"No, no one has touched it," replied Lady Caldwell smoothly, and Elisa let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. The tension that had been bottled up within her slowly bled away, and then Ethan's hand shifted to her waist to draw her closer. The color heightened in her cheeks, but she felt too dizzy and lightheaded to really care what his aunt might say about such familiarity. The box was locked and closed, that's all that mattered.

Elisa only vaguely heard their conversation. Her eyes moving from to the other as they each spoke, but her ears hearing as if they stood on the far side of a wall. All the ley energy she had pulled was finally drained away to leave her hollow. The echo was pin-pricks of pain over her skin. She had drank too deeply and dropped it all too quickly. She was going to be paying for it for quite some time. Ethan's voice turning stern cleared some of the fog. Elisa blinked at him as he tucked the box and the mask within into his bag. She wanted to tell him to leave it behind.

His aunt seemed of the same mind, but neither woman was going to be able to change his mind. They both had to accept he had made his choice, and there was nothing they could do about it. Even more startling than finding she agreed with the older woman about anything, was the way she grasped Elisa's arm as Ethan strode from the parlor. "And you. Take care of my Nephew. Don't let him do anything foolish."

Elisa starred for a moment, surprised at her, and then shook her head slowly. "I will do my best, Lady Caldwell, but I make no promises."

The older woman seemed to understand, and Elisa dipped into a low curtsy before she followed in Ethan's wake. Of course she wanted to keep him safe. But, how could she? Here she was, dressed like a demon hunter and following his lead, but could she really handle this? Just the smell of a demon had nearly sent her teetering into panic while she had been perfectly safe. The whole sordid affair left her melancholy, and as she and Ethan climbed back into the carriage that had brought them, she found herself avoiding his attention.

'Pull yourself together, Elisa,' she chided herself silently. 'You can't help anyone if you can't keep it together.'

The box tucked in Ethan's bag was a palpable third presence in the coach as they rode back to the station. Ethan felt it like an itch on his skin and he unconsciously shifted the bag further away from both of them to a corner of the room. He tried to ignore it and turned to face Elisa, taking her hand in his and giving it a light squeeze.

"Well, darling, that didn't go as bad as it could have," he said with a wry grin. "I apologize for my Aunt. Since my mother died when I was young, she's taken to me like a son and can be a bit overprotective. Rest assured, her bark is worse than her bite and she'll respect you more that you didn't cower and fold before her. I think you were brilliant with her."

Ethan dragged his eyes from Elisa's sparkling orbs and glanced through the rear window at the manor house shrinking behind them.

"It troubles me that something has been trying to get this box all these years... it's clearly an important tool for the Butcher. Something that the killer needs badly enough that they've spent years trying, but they haven't risked a direct assault for fear. Maybe because that would cause more scrutiny and make my Aunt tell others about the mask?" Ethan mused, eyes faraway as he thought.

"We need to follow the lead on the ring. Tomorrow, I suggest we visit the warlock my Aunt mentioned. There is also another person..." Ethan's eyes flicked away from Elisa and he hesitated. "An old... acquaintance of mine form Blackfriars. She studies hedge wizards and witches and might recognize who made this ring. I can perhaps see her tomorrow as well."