Fairy Rings

14. Home

The drive was full of horrible bumps in the road with little suspension, more so than they had encountered already in their drive. The moon was high in the sky while Ciaran slept in the backseat, and Navaeha rested in Ambrosia's lap, staring out the moon-roof. "What's it really like where we're going? What are the people like? Devil's hill doesn't sound very pleasant." Her eyes gazed up at Ambrosia now with worry; it was hard for him not to meet them.

"Well, the people are brutal. The scenery is beautiful; I don't lie when something is beautiful." Finally, the road became better, the bumps seeming to dissipate. Finally, they had arrived at the entrance of Devil's hill. Navaeha's heart sank, though Ambrosia gave a smile and a wink. "If you are good when we get out, I'll show you my favorite spot tomorrow when I'm showing you around the town."

"Deal." Snaking her arms up, she was careful not to impair his driving. "What would I get for being bad?" Slowing the car to a stop, Ambrosia put the car in park before acknowledging her question. His mind stirring with answers before his cold, stormy glare sent chills down her spine.

"Then I'm going to have to punish you." The look he gave made her shiver. "You might not want to have a naughty streak with me because I'll have to do much worse than playful spanking to compensate for it." The intoxicating minty aroma from his freshly brushed teeth had her sitting up slightly, her eyes darting from his softening eyes to his lips and back. "Goodness-" His joke was hushed by soft fingers brushing against his face. Ambrosia's eyes were wide as the car came to a stop; his brow furrowed at her tender jester. He blinked rapidly, trying to process what had just happened. However, his stunned expression was quickly interrupted by a sharp sound - a rap on the car's hood. The sudden noise jolted him out of his daze, returning him to the cold, harsh reality at hand. Navaeha was a princess, and he was escorting her. Turning over, Ambrosia and saw a dark silhouette standing outside the vehicle, their hand still resting on the hood. "Cover yourself with the blanket. Quickly." As she listened, Nevaeha wrapped herself tighter in the blanket, her fluffy hair now fully covered in its warm embrace. The sound of the window rolling down was followed by the voices of two men speaking with authority.

"Ah! The infamous Mutt. It's been some time since we've spoken. Remember me?" One of them asked with a horrible noise following it. Navaeha shuddered; she couldn't make out whether was a laugh or a dying animal.

"Want me to lie to you, or do you want me to be honest?" Ambrosia scoffed, the irritancy in his voice was clear. The two men were laughing at him, poking fun.

"Well, I guess neither." The voice got closer. Wanting to peak, Navaeha nearly squeaked when she felt a heavy hand rest over the blanket, "Did you find the princess? I hear them royals are a good fuck." The vile man suddenly cried out in pain, holding his nose tightly as blood poured from it. The hit had been a fast movement, Ambrosia's hand now resting protectively over his princess again.

"Yep. Killed a few immediate phase fours as well." Ambrosia's smile and satisfaction was quick-lived. His scowl returning when a large flashlight blinded him from

"Not cool mate, whatchu got under that blanket? Maybe I should take a looksy for myself." The one with the flashlight chimed.

"It's best not to piss me off tonight, wouldn't you agree? Go help that b***h of a man get ice on that nose and let me escort His Excellency to his kingdom" Unbuckling himself, he gave a glare. Deafening quite ensued his demand, though he shifted the car into gear and rolled right up the road away from the two men. When they were a safe distance away, Ambrosia pulled the blanket off her head, careful not to pull any loose strands of her hair. "It's safe to come out." Peaking her head out, Navaeha sat up.

"How would they know if I'm good in bed." Repositioning her blanket, she rested back in her seat. Her questioning eyes watching Ambrosia as though he had all the answers in the world, though he didn't, he had that particular answer.

"That's the guard shack. We have them on every exit going away from the hill. . . And they're not that bright. They tend to be cruel, vile, evil little men with big egos that think they can get away with saying anything they want because they will have you stopped for a day or two if you retaliate." Soon, the sun began rising over the trees. Through them, Navaeha could see tiny houses dotted through the woods. In the distance, she could barely make out a massive crowd of men walking in the same direction as they were going, all wearing the same black outfits while they trudged uphill to meet their arriving King. The houses looked relatively new; some had a stone finish, while others had been laid in brick. As they neared the center of the town, the houses began clumping together till they finally meshed, and the road became brick, making the already unbearable ride ever so worse. Glancing back at Ciaran, Ambrosia made sure that he was still asleep. Navaeha almost didn't hear his question, "Were you going to kiss me?" A bit confused, she smiled.

"Would it have been wrong if I did?" He couldn't help but notice the alluring gaze of the little lady sitting next to him. Her eyes seemed to be flirting with him, tempting him to look away from the road. He had to resist the urge and force himself to focus on the task at hand, all the while muttering frustrated words under his breath. For a time, he was silent. "Would it have been?" She asked again, her body scooted across the seat toward him.

"No." He finally sighed, "It wouldn't have been bad." As he turned towards her, he drew a deep breath, attempting to steady himself. He could feel the tension building up inside him. So he bit down hard on his tongue, hoping the physical pain would bring him some mental clarity. There was none. "Well, it would have been a little more than a problem I'd have to fix." He turned back to the road, giving her a side glance. He hoped she realized his meaning, so he didn't have to spell it out.

"And would that be so bad?" Navaeha's slender fingers glided along Ambrosia's chin stubble, tracing the contours of his jawline with a feather-like touch. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she gazed into his eyes, her thumb grazing his cheekbone. The car gradually stopped, but neither of them seemed to notice. Ambrosia's heart raced as he met her gaze, his eyes locking onto hers with uncertainty and desire. He tried to compose himself with a hard swallow, but Navaeha's hypnotic stare made it impossible to think clearly. "I wouldn't mind-" His hand had sneaked up her back, pulling at her hair now.

"You wouldn't mind what? Mind finishing that sentence, little lady." The tension inside the car was abruptly broken by the sound of soft laughter emanating from the back seat. Startled, both turned around to find Ciaran awake and thoroughly amused.

"I wouldn't mind helping, cause I'm a whore." Ciaran mocked in a sickly, sweet voice, the next bottle already in hand as he took another drink of it. "There's enough time for you to ravage her later, Mutt. . . I'd like to get to my room to change before the sun is above us." Neveah's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she slowly leaned back in her chair, letting her head rest heavily against the cool surface of the backrest. Her gaze remained fixed on Ambrosia's, which had turned a deep shade of red due to the situation. Continuing his drive, Ambrosia stayed focused on the road. His face got redder when he stole glances at his little lady. "When we get there, I will need you to immediately take her to her room to change out of that skimpy outfit. ---Maybe after that, she will be less enticing." Murmuring the last bit, Ciaran didn't catch the glare Navaeha gave him. His eyes were too focused on the whiskey in the chest. Driving right through the middle of town and up to the tallest point, Ambrosia stopped the car and helped his passengers out. Two men stood guard outside the house, the skeletal Dame and another man Navaeha didn't recognize.