She didn't have time to respond before he yanked her into that crushing blackness that was his ability to move great distances at a speed in which she couldn't even comprehend.
Ripping their way back into being, she flung herself away from him and dropped to the ground, retching though she was at least able to breathe this time.
Epharis only stood over her, watching to ensure she didn't try and escape.
Finally, she looked up, searching the room and found he had brought her to an odd place, dark and broken. She was sure it had once been a church of some kind, but it had fallen apart and had vines growing over nearly every surface. Stained stone pillars, rotting remains of benches and shattered glass windows were all around her. There was even a hole in the roof, allowing leaves and other debris to fall inside from the trees she could see through the opening.
Reaching down, Epharis grabbed her upper arm and hoisted her to her feet, turning her on a man who made her recoil. It was another lich and he was looking at her with cold amusement.
"Glad you could join me," the man said, his long beard rotting and his black robes in a similar state.
Yanking at her arm, she found his grip was unbreakable and she aimed a kick for his leg. He looked down at her and growled, baring his teeth.
"Be still or I will restrain you properly," he snarled, tugging her roughly to get her to stand closer to him.
With the arm not in his grip, she tried to pry his fingers off her, straining even as the bearded man began to speak in a tongue she didn't know, and quickly learnt, she never wanted to hear again.
Around them the vines began to move, creeping away from the walls and along the floor to reveal that the walls had alcoves, and inside each one there was a person.
Straining to see them all, she counted six bound and gagged figures.
"Got to have sacrifices to bless an unholy union," Epharis said with a malicious cheerfulness.
The people were struggling, and she saw it was a mixture of men and women, all of them human and terrified. Their clothes suggested they were all peasants, all furiously fighting for freedom.
Something touched her fook and she jerked back, looked down to find one of the vines that had just reached her, realising that multiple were creeping towards her feet. Epharis moved his grip, holding both of her upper arms in place to keep her from being able to escape the vines and they crept their way up her legs.
The bearded man spoke a word and she cried out as hundreds of thorns stabbed into her legs, holding her in place more effectively than Epharis's grip on her arms.
Epharis let her go and smiled at her, yet she could see the malice. How many times had she forgotten what he was under the delusion that he cared about her? Too many.
The bearded man began to intone in a deep voice that made her heart jump, her blood turning cold in her veins and she looked to Epharis to see that his eyes were alight and hungry on her.
The same thing must have happened to him as had happened to her; she could smell his blood.
A single vine crept up each of their sides and curled around both of their left hands, the thorns digging into her skin just as it had done to his.
She couldn't shake it off, any attempt to free herself only ripping her skin further. She realised then that her position had her facing Epharis and she knew now why.
He turned to her and took her hand in his, the vines interlocking their hands and withdrawing from their palms before tightening, trapping their hands together.
"Epharis please don't do this..." she whimpered, straining to pull away as she felt blood oozing from their palms and mingling between their fingers.
"It will all be over soon, then you will be mine fully, and Alaric can't touch you," he crooned, using his right hand to stroke her hair.
She didn't know which part of that had been the deciding factor for his decision to force her into marriage, but neither was good for her.
"I'll do anything," she pleaded, her body straining to pull free, but the more she struggled, the higher the veins crept up her arm in order to keep her in place.
"This is all you need to do. When the time comes, consent to be my bride. Simple," he said.
She somehow doubted her consent was a requirement at that stage, and she turned as the voices of the people around the walls rose in screams. The vines had risen up and driven into their chests, filling the decrepit building with the tantalising scent of human blood.
The lich priest handed Epharis something on a little silver platter and while she was distracted, he pried open her jaw and dropped whatever it was into her mouth. His hand immediately clamping onto her lips to keep her from spitting it out.
"Swallow," he snarled while she tried to dislodge it, but it had begun to dissolve on her tongue, and she swallowed, having no idea what it was or why she had to eat it. It left her mouth tingling unpleasantly, joined a moment later by a warmth that spread out from her stomach.
The vines began to darken starting at the tips protruding from the humans and creeping towards them, ominous.
"Epharis please!" she cried, struggling and only resulting in more of her blood being spilled. She used her free hand to try and rip the veins free, but it did little to release her.
The vines at her feet turned black first and she gasped as first a trickle, and then a flood of cold energy filled her, her pupils immediately expanded and he was able to watch as the swirls of ink spilled out to fill in the colours of her eyes, turning them black and empty. Her lips itched as they darkened and the blackness began to spread from her eyes into the delicate veins around them, spreading out as the deaths of the humans fed her. She knew the energy had flooded into him as well, his chest expanded as his sucked in a deep breath and his eyes flared into a silvery green glow.
The blackness crept up the vines that interlocked their hands, spilling into their joined fingers and the blood cupped in their palms began to heat.
The bearded lich smiled as he watched them and posed a question Etani didn't hear.
Epharis spoke gently and the question was asked again. A gentle squeeze of her hand and she recalled what he had said, just her consent, it didn't matter why he needed it, or what it was for, he only needed one little thing from her.
"I do..." she said softly, not entirely sure what it was she was agreeing to as energy flooded her system, leaving her feeling high on it.
The vines retracted from their bodies and she felt arms going around her, one at her hip and one at her upper back.
Turning her, he dipped her back in his arms and planted his cool lips firmly on hers.
Hesitating for only a moment, she looped her arms up around his neck and her returning kiss was fierce.
She couldn't help but distantly notice that she had no urge to delve into him, none at all.
Even when he lowered her to the floor, hovering over her and kissing her harder.
She didn't care when his trembling fingers tugged at her clothes and exposed her naked body to the priest. She was only aware of how good it felt to be in his arms.
Her fingers worked at his clothes even as his hands explored her form, stroking and touching her naked flesh as his robes fell away.
Gasping at the feeling of him, she shifted to straddle his lap, her front pressed hard against his chest. Arms tight around his neck, she kissed him hard and hungrily.
Slowly, he pressed her down onto him, she felt something tear and her body burned but she didn't care, only that she wanted to be near him.
Their bodies moved together, his arms exploring her back, gripping her rear as he helped her to move atop him. Finally, he lifted her and lowered her onto her back, remaining buried inside her.
With her legs wrapped tight around his middle, he thrust hard into her, eyes wide and hungry as he gasped her name and how deeply he had loved her for so long.
She silenced him with another kiss, her tongue exploring his mouth.
He had worked himself into a dark, demanding pace, not caring if he hurt her and she returned the favour by sinking her sharp little canines into the crook of his neck.
He grunted at the pain, his fingers curling in her hair to pull her back from the bite.
Seeing his blood on her mouth only aroused him more and he licked the blood from her lips, growling his pleasure.
Their kiss was long and rough, his hips bruising hers with the force of his desire.
It was when she moaned his name that he found his release, clutching her to him and driving himself as deep into her as he was able, spilling himself into her with a primal roar.
His back bled from her nails, but neither cared at that moment, only caring that they remain clinging to each other, unable to get close enough to each other.
Lifting her from the floor, he knelt with her in his arms, her legs still tight around his middle and he growled contentedly, his forehead pressed against hers.
"Epharis..." she murmured gently, her fingers trailing in his hair.
"Etani…" he almost purred in response, his lips tracing a line across her jaw to her lips. Impatient, she turned into the kiss and met his hungry greed with her own.
She could feel him hardening inside her once more, his need growing stronger.
A delicate cough interrupted them and they both looked to see the bearded lich, who had been there to observe their consummation, or to hold her down for her husband should she prove to be unwilling to submit to the process.
Epharis looked angry at the interruption, but the lich only handed him a small bag of something she didn't care for, motioning to something she didn't see. Her attention was focused on the bite marks, they were still bleeding, and she studied the beauty of his blood spilling.
His arms tightened around her frame, clutching her to him as the priest left and Epharis grinned, looking down at her. Lifting her up, he slammed her back into the pillar, gripping her wrists with his hands and took her again, hard and rough with little mercy for her body. She relished every second of it.