Avalon Revamped (26 page)

Arthur and Avalon passed by the window, strolling by outside. Glad to see them still here. It wouldn’t be long now, and I was a little nervous. It had to work. It just had to.

“I think I’ll have the meat pie and some red wine,” Jeffries said. “You? What do you fancy tonight, sweetheart. Other than me, of course. Remember, tonight is all about you. Whatever you want.”

“Could I get an apple tart for dessert?”

“Of course, but you can’t start with dessert.” He tilted his head and gave me that condescending tone, paternal discipline in his eyes. The sides of his mouth turned up ever so slightly. Contempt. Then, wicked. Now sweet, loving. All imperceptible changes others wouldn’t see. Their mind would register the changes. They’d feel off somehow, but they would explain it away, reminding themselves of just how funny and charming and handsome Jeffries was. They would push down that instinct that recognizes the predator, his particular form of insidious danger.

“All right,” I said, pouting. “Here’s a shepherd’s pie, but will all vegetables. I’ll try that. And yes, please, some wine. Can I have a kiss with wine? Please, Roddy, Please? I want a wine-flavored kiss, all right? Pleeeeeaaaase? Then an apple tart.”

I clapped my hands together and vibrated with excitement.

“And a chocolate one, too?” I added.

“A chocolate one, too, my little spaniel. Yes, a chocolate one, too.”

Jeffries stopped the wandering fiddler, and flipped him a shilling. “Play us something. This is a special night, a very special night.” His sly eyes slipped back to me for a moment. Lips, smirking.

“Oh my, sir. Thank ya, sir. A ditty
fer ya and the lady, sir? A ditty and a jig for this. Wha’eva ya like, sir.” The dirty fiddler doffed his dirty hat and bowed with a flourish. A dirty dust cloud wafted after he hit his cap against his trousers before donning it again. Then pulling the bow across the strings, the fiddle whined once or twice, then burst into song.

Jeffries reached across the table and squeezed my hand, then flashed his duplicitous sneer. As the fiddler played and danced, Jeffries pulled out a long cigar and slid it under his nose, slowly. Inhaling. Savoring. His predatory stare fixed on me.

Quite unsettling.

After the fiddle had stopped and moved away, our meal was served. Jeffries even bought me a pansy from the flower girl’s basket. He went all out.

Arthur and Avalon passed by the window again. This time Arthur looked at his pocket watch. It was getting rather late. With that small gesture, he told me they were ready to set this in motion. I wasn’t sure I was. Rather afraid it wouldn’t work. It would be horrible way to die, but it would be over soon enough.

Then, peace. Finally.

I extended my foot beneath the wooden table, having to crouch down in my seat because of Polly’s height, and rubbed Jeffries’ leg.

“Eager, are you, poodle? Can’t wait to have me again?”

“You know all too well, Roddy,” I said in a husky, breathy voice, dropping the childish act for a moment, if only to remind myself I was an adult. “Can we go to your place now? I don’t think I can wait another moment.”

Keeping up Polly’s folly was rather exhausting.

That self-satisfying gleam sparkled in his eyes. Then, he nodded, smiling. He stood and reached for my hand. I took it and let him lead me out with an air of giddiness of the pleasures to come. Polly wouldn’t know what was truly in store, she would expect the ecstasy and skill from before, of course. She would feel lucky to be beneath his touch again, feeling his tongue teasing her to climax again and again. Feeling him filling her, becoming one with her in the way only a con artist can. Intense eye contact while moving inside, feigning intimacy.

I had known other men like him in my long existence. Never one was genuine.

Trotting alongside of him, I chattered away, a little tipsy from the wine, all the way back to his. Happy we were heading there, as Polly’s was too small and dingy. The neighbors too close. Jeffries’ cousin, the notorious Madame Jeffries, set him up in a rather posh abode during his time in London. One of her “safe houses,” a place she used to train, that is, break, the young girls she stole for sex slavery.

Perhaps a visit to Madame Jeffries next. Indeed.

§

He lowered me onto the bed, kissing me with such tenderness and love. Adoration. The promise of euphoria. The promise of forever. As he unbuttoned my dress, I, in turn, tried to relieve him of his jacket, but he guided my hands away.

“You are not allowed to move unless I say,” he said with a seductive lilt. “That’s the game. Remember, this is all for you. Your pleasure. Polly, my love, it’s all for you.”

I could almost see the demon crouching behind this monstrous man’s eyes, both of them feasting on Polly’s love, on her desire for him.

Jeffries relieved me from the satin gown and the petticoat beneath, and I lay naked before him, my body open wide, inviting. His deft lips and gifted tongue explored my body while his hands manipulated the lower parts, and I gave into the blissful waves of orgasm after orgasm, drenching his hand and the bed with each explosion.

“What do you want?” he taunted me.

“You. Please. Now.” Breathless. Depleted.

“Not yet. You can’t make a sound. No more screaming or moaning, just silence. Otherwise, I’ll have to punish you.”

I nodded and pursed my lips tight. I knew Arthur and Avalon were right outside, waiting for their moment, but I couldn’t give into embarrassment and spoil the Polly illusion. The demon had to expose part of himself before they could begin, and there was only one part the demon would expose, at first.

His eyes never strayed from mine as he took off his jacket and loosened his cravat. Next, he removed his waistcoat and shirt beneath, revealing his well-defined torso. I grappled at his trousers, but he pushed my hands away, making a “tsk tsk tsk” sound and shook his finger at me for misbehaving.

“Don’t make me punish you, Polly. I’ll take you over my knee. Now, keep still.” He slowly sunk between my spread legs, never breaking that predatory stare, and licked me. Slow circles, gradually increasing, bringing my body to the edge, which responded with a will of its own, despite other parts of me having to suppress the urge to be sick, knowing what he was. I bit my lip and grabbed the pillows, anything to keep me from crying out in so much disgust. I could barely contain it, and I’d known ecstasy in my time–the pain and the pleasure of it. That was what these men did: used pleasure for pain, ecstasy and love and sex as their weapons. Effective weapons, that. The best way to destroy a woman was to love her, then betray and abandon her, changing in an instant. No explanation. No remorse. No apology. Just leave. Sexual violence and violation—just the icing for these monsters, if they wanted to ensure the damage was irrevocable.

Try as I might to remain quiet, a tiny squeak emerged from my pursed lips as he tongue brought me again.

“That’s it,” he said, coyly, his chin wet with my pleasure. “Time for your punishment.” He sat up, away from me so I might have a full view of what he’d unleash. His fingers fondled the buttons on his trousers, and the bulge beneath grew. Already much bigger than Jeffries had been before—he had been so much smaller than average—this demon’s blue, scaly phallus would do much damage. Still, without dropping eye contact, it was almost as if he didn’t blink, such was the intensity of his stare, he undid his buttons one at a time. “Are you ready for this?” he asked.

“Yes. Oh, yes! Yes, please!”

He laughed, then turned aside, and slipped his trousers off his hips, displaying his delicious derriere. Keeping his back to me, he looked back over his shoulder at me. I could see his hand making long, slow strokes along the length of the thing. How I hoped Arthur and Avalon were ready to break in, because once Jeffries made the big reveal, I wouldn’t have much time.

“Are you sure you’re ready for all of this?” he said, still turned over his shoulder.

“Yes! Yes, please,” I repeated.

“Then, it’s yours,” he said through the biggest smile I had ever seen on his smug face. When he turned, I screamed. Polly screamed for sure, but even I screamed. The thing was even viler than I recalled. Easily three feet long. The underside had barbs curved back from the tip, even if the length of it didn’t do damage—which it would in any sized body, but especially in one this small—the barbs would rip apart my insides with each thrust and withdraw.

Jeffries’ devious grin turned into a barking laughter of his own at my screams.

Polly’s little body scrambled in fear against the wall, trying to get away from him.

“But you said yes, my spaniel. Surely, you won’t tease me, not after everything I’ve done for you. You said yes, so no turning back now.”

“Get away from me! Roddy! What? Please! I—I don’t understand. Please, don’t hurt me,” I whimpered.

“You can’t get away from me. I think you’ve known that for quite some time. I own you, and tonight you are completely mine to do with as I will. Don’t make me chase you, Polly. It will be all the worse for you.”

My breath came faster and I wondered what was taking Arthur and Avalon so long. They should’ve burst inside by now. The demon was exposed enough to start the exorcism.

But I was alone.

Jeffries walked slowly toward me cowered in the corner, stroking his big blue erection and taking such delight in my fear. He would be upon me in a moment, and this body would never survive this.

I did the only thing I could do, to at least distract him for a minute.

I shifted.

Fast.

My breasts shrunk, legs lengthened, hair darkened. In an instant, I was Constance again.

Jeffries didn’t even blink, but something almost imperceptible flashed in his eyes.

Rage.

I had taken his triumph away, and now, if Arthur and Avalon would get in here, I would take away his life and damn the demon back to hell.

“You.” A slimy smile slithered across his face. “Good. I was regretting not finishing you off last night. In fact, you were my priority after little Polly, but, no matter. I’ll get her next.”

“You won’t, Jeffries. You will never hurt another woman.”

The burst of laughter came out of his mouth with such force, it threw his head back. “Hurt? No, you’re right. I’ll never hurt another woman again. I will utterly destroy them. Every one of you bitches. I’ll use you for the only thing you’re good for, then discard you. Well, as I’ve always done, but now with such sharp end.” He thrust his hips toward me and stroked his blue cock with both hands, slowly walking toward me. “Ready for all of this? No? Tough.”

“Wait,” I said, holding out my hands in defense. Where was Arthur and Avalon?

“Whatever for? I’ve spent the last hour pleasing you, making you orgasm repeatedly to the point of exhaustion, having to taste you and smell you. It’s revolting. It was all meant for Polly, also disgusting, of course, but the betrayal would be so much sweeter with her. That’s what it’s all for, you see, to get them hooked on the pleasure, on all of this. Oh yes, it is so much more fun when they are in love, and, let’s be honest, they always fall in love. How could they not? If you think I’m going to have done all of that for you, stomaching your stench, you whore, and not get what I want, you are sorely mistaken. You owe me. It’s my turn now.” He reached out for my throat, but I ducked under his arm and ran toward the door.

Then, he was there. In a blink, with his hand around my throat.

“But—how?” I squeaked.

“This is so much fun. You are so much fun.” Turning, he flung me across the room back onto the bed. My head hit the wall, and I must’ve blacked out for a moment, because I came to with the horrid thing pinning me down and forcing my legs apart.

“No!” With every bit of power I could muster, I forced him off me, which should’ve hurled him back across the room and broken several bones when he hit, but he didn’t go farther than the edge of the bed. Then he laughed, and I curled up in a protective ball, my ankles crossed and knees pulled in tight.

“Give up, sweetheart. This is happening. I’m so much stronger than you are now, imbued with power now that part of the demon is part of me. We’re fused now, thanks to your little trick yesterday, and his power is my power, no longer trapped inside, as you can see.” He sat on his knees across the mattress from me, his huge erection curling toward his torso, and his face went blank. That same terrifying lack of any affect whatsoever. It was more frightening than any scowl, any display of anger. Just nothing. Empty eyes. No expression.

Then that blasted, arrogant snuffle.

“Polly has done nothing but love you, Jeffries. Me, I understand. Destroy me, but Polly? How could you do that to her?”

“It’s what he wants,” he said, indicating the demon within. “And what he wants, I want. And I get what I want, when I want it. Period.”

A noise outside the window made us both take a moment. It had to be Arthur and Avalon, finally. A tiny wave of relief washed over my trembling body. Jeffries saw it.

“Expecting someone?” he asked, smirking. “That luscious cunt from the other night, I hope.”

“Her, and her beau as well. You will be stopped, Jeffries, and that demon inside you sent back to hell.” Not a great plan to divulge this, but right now I just needed to stall.