The magic prickling over my skin made me gasp. It was stronger than anything I’d felt before, and all the little hairs on my arms stood up. I wouldn’t have been completely shocked if the hair on my head was standing on end, too. If it was going to get more intense than this when the Erlking kissed me, I wasn’t sure how I’d live through it. It already felt like I’d stuck my finger in an electric outlet.

“Be warned,” the Erlking continued, “that if you fail to preserve your virginity until you fulfill the pledge, Ethan will join the Hunt once more, and no force in Heaven or on earth will free him again. Do you agree to the terms I have spoken?”

The magic was so thick I could hardly breathe, and my skin crawled with it. I wasn’t sure how I could force words from my mouth, but the Erlking was looking at me expectantly, waiting for my reply. And the faster I replied, the faster this would be over.

“Yes,” I said, not sure my voice was even audible. The magic was now a roar in my ears in addition to a prickling on my skin.

The Erlking’s eyes sparked with triumph, and he slid his huge hand up the back of my neck until he was cradling my head in his palm. He leaned down, and it took every ounce of my will not to break free of his grip and run for my life.

His lips were surprisingly gentle when they touched mine, and I felt a moment of relief, thinking this chaste brush of lips would do the trick. Then the magic speared through me. Suddenly, I no longer felt the prickling on my skin—it seemed to be coming from inside me instead.

I gasped, and the Erlking gasped, too. Then he crushed his lips down on mine and pulled my body against his. I went unresisting into his embrace as the magic tingled in my chest and belly. I opened my mouth, almost begging for the taste of the Erlking’s tongue, and he gave it to me.

He kissed me so hard it almost hurt, and I hadn’t even the faintest thought of resisting him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed myself against him, feeling the hot, hard evidence that he was ready and eager to fulfill the bargain right this moment. I moaned into his mouth as pleasure zinged from my head to my toes and back again. It was the most glorious thing I’d ever felt, and I wanted more. There was no part of me, mind or body, that remembered I was kissing the bad guy and that I didn’t really want to be doing what I was doing.

The magic reached a crescendo that would have made me scream if the Erlking’s tongue hadn’t been in my mouth. I grabbed a double handful of his hair, holding on to it like it was a lifeline and I was drowning.

Then abruptly, it all stopped.

My knees buckled, and I would have collapsed if the Erlking hadn’t held me up. His lips lingered on mine just a second more before he broke the kiss, his hands on my shoulders steadying me. I felt dizzy and weak, too dazed to remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. I had trouble untangling my fingers from the Erlking’s hair, and I didn’t resist when he guided me over to a chair and sat me down.

My lips felt bruised and swollen from the force of the Erlking’s kiss. He squatted in front of me, looking up into my eyes as he stroked my hair away from my face.

“Are you all right?” he asked, and he sounded like he really cared. “Did I hurt you?”

His pupils were huge and dark, his breaths coming in short gasps. I suspected those tight leather pants of his were still bulging, but despite his obvious enthusiasm, he made no move to take advantage of me.

“I’m fine,” I managed to say, though I wasn’t at all sure it was true.

He squeezed my hand. “I’m sorry I was so rough. That was more intense than even I expected.”

I’m not sure why, but I believed him. Maybe just because he looked so concerned right now.

I was still trying to pull myself together and remember which way was up when Connor entered the room, carrying an unconscious Ethan, and all thoughts of the kiss vanished from my mind.

Chapter eighteen

I think that subconsciously I never expected my plan to succeed. Otherwise, maybe I would have put some thought into what to do after I got Ethan back. The Erlking had warned me he’d be incapacitated, after all. I’m stronger than a fully human girl of my size would be, but I certainly wasn’t strong enough to carry Ethan anywhere.

Connor crossed the room until he came to an antique-looking sofa, then gently laid Ethan down on it. My legs still weak from the overdose of magic, I made my way to Ethan’s side, hardly daring to believe I’d actually won his freedom.

“Don’t fear for him,” the Erlking said from right behind my shoulder, and I jumped. A guy that big had no right to move so quietly! “Being released from the Hunt has weakened him, but he will recover his strength over time.”

“How much time?” I asked.

He shrugged. “He is the first man I have ever released. I cannot say exactly how long his recovery will take.”

On the sofa, Ethan groaned softly and his eyelids fluttered like he was trying to open them.

“Ethan!” I said, sitting on the sofa beside him and taking one of his hands in mine. “Can you hear me?”

His lips moved a bit, but no sound came out, and he didn’t open his eyes. How the hell was I going to get him home?

And how was I going to explain to everyone how I had managed to win his freedom? No way was I going around advertising that I’d agreed to give the Erlking my virginity! I also wasn’t too excited about the idea of letting my dad or Finn know that I’d managed to sneak out of my safe house.

But first things first: I had to get Ethan out of here, and the Erlking wasn’t volunteering to help.