Tales of the Southern Kingdoms (One Volume Edition)

by Barbara G. Tarn

  He opened his eyes and slowly focused on the room, then on her. Startled, he sat up, gasping, his eyes wide open staring at her.

  "Who are you and where are we?" he demanded.

  "Welcome to the underground city of the Sect," she answered pleasantly. "My name is Keiko..."

  "What? Who dared bring me here?" he interrupted her, outraged.

  She was about to tell him the truth, but thought better. "I did. I am the new High Priestess, I thought it was time we met."

  "I am not a fool like my brother Neeraj, I don't believe in your Bloodthirsty Goddess," he replied haughtily.

  "Well, you should, because she's very powerful."

  "I know, she drove my father and Neeraj and Meena crazy, but she shall not have me."

  "She doesn't need you." She chuckled. "But I do. And I shall have you."

  "Don't you dare touching me, woman!" he threatened.

  She laughed. "Oh, really," she purred closing in on him.

  She felt strong. Darkness was with her, enhanced by his sudden terror. He might be a man, physically stronger, but there wasn't much he could do when snakes of darkness tied him to the bed.

  "Don't you dare!" he whispered panting as she undressed.

  "Watch me," she replied before stealing a long kiss from him. Ripping off his night clothes was an unexpected perk. Touching and teasing him was even more fun, considering his desperate efforts to resist.

  "Stop!" he begged, unable to control the pleasure she was sending through his body with her hands and her lips.

  "Shut up," she whispered, and darkness filled his mouth, gagging him while she rode him until the explosion of light filled her.

  That was powerful! Not a reflection of Hayato's light, that was the real deal! She felt so powerful she almost jumped off the bed to go and kill Ramesh. The Goddess stopped her.

  You're not ready yet. But now you know.

  Yes, now she knew the full power of lust and how to use it. She laughed out loud, ignoring Harish's distressed expression.

  ***

  It took her almost a year to extinguish Harish's flame. He was a soulless body when she sent him back to Zarquon. All he could do was stare one last time at his shocked wife, then he went to the highest terrace of the palace and jumped.

  Chandra screamed and cursed Ramesh and the Sect – to no avail. Ramesh raped her and then married her, controlling her with drugs and spells. While Keiko pondered who her next victim could be Ramesh kept using both Mahesh and Chandra, until she was pregnant. Nine moths later she was dead, and the baby girl was given away for adoption.

  Ramesh invited his High Priestess to Zarquon and introduced her to Naina and Roshan. As soon as she laid her eyes on Roshan, Keiko knew she had found another Harish. She didn't wait for Ramesh's suggestion to abduct him.

  "What do you want, Black Dame?" Roshan wasn't surprised nor scared like Harish had been. He wasn't haughty either – and he had just given her a nickname that suited her. In spite of both red and black being the official colors for the Sect's garments, she had always preferred black. Only during ceremonies to the Bloodthirsty Goddess did she wear a red scarf over her black dress.

  "I want you, Roshan," she answered, caressing his naked chest. She had abducted him during a hot summer night and all he was wearing was a loincloth.

  "Will you kill me like you killed Harish?"

  "I didn't kill him, he jumped."

  "You killed him long before that jump."

  Keiko smiled. Roshan was smarter than Harish.

  "Yes, I will probably kill you," she admitted. "Unless you surrender and start enjoying the dark side."

  Roshan smiled ruefully. "I don't think I can do that."

  "Why not? Don't you think I'm beautiful?"

  "You are attractive, but I love my wife."

  "I think your wife will end in Ramesh's bed before next year."

  "Ramesh likes boys."

  "He likes both. Trust me, he didn't shy away from my sexual education eleven years ago."

  "Then both Naina and myself are doomed," he said, lowering his eyes.

  He had unusually green-blue eyes and brown curly hair that made him even more good-looking than his late brothers-in-law. She pulled him closer, aroused by his behavior.

  "Don't worry," she whispered. "You shall die of pleasure."

  "I doubt it," he managed to say before she closed his mouth with hers.

  Tarun

  The Black Dame studied with satisfaction the sleeping young man.

  "Handsome," she whispered.

  A wave of her hand, and the bed-sheet slipped off, revealing the young man's body.

  "Gorgeous!" she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement, her hand caressing the naked shoulder and torso.

  Another wave of the hand, and the loincloth was ripped off, following the bed-sheet onto the ground. She contemplated breathlessly the now naked sleeping beauty: he was green yet ripe, child yet adult, just perfect.

  "Yes, you are gorgeous," she whispered, filling with desire. "You must be mine!"

  A dark fog invaded the room and when it vanished, the bed was empty.

  ***

  Tarun woke up in a big bed that wasn't his, in a room that looked more like a sumptuous cave than anything else. He was totally naked and looked around, puzzled. There were no windows, and only torches and a fireplace gave light to the rather bleak place.

  Before Tarun could form an opinion of what had happened and where he was, a woman came into the room. She had strange almond eyes and a face like a full moon. Her long black hair caressed her face. She wore a full-length, black robe that barely hid her voluptuous body. Her full lips curled up at Tarun in a lovely smile.

  "Welcome, Prince Tarun," she purred.

  Tarun found himself retreating on the bed when she sat near him. His fear seemed to please her, as her smile widened.

  "Welcome to my palace," she said. "They call me the Black Dame, but you can call me Keiko."

  "What do you want from me, witch?" he asked bluntly. Keiko’s reputation as the Black Dame had traveled wide and far. She was known to be an evil and skillful sorceress, yet Tarun had never considered that one day he would actually meet her – in the form of this frail, exotic woman. He could feel her power, a hissing shadow that threatened to choke him.

  "You, your body, your beauty, everything," she answered caressing his chest.

  He reached the wall and couldn't withdraw any further. He shivered under her touch.

  "And I told you to call me Keiko," she added in a threatening whisper.

  "You cannot have me, witch, because I do not want you," he declared boldly, refusing to use her given name.

  "Don't be stubborn, my sweet prince," she chided. "Don't you know your beauty is not for common women? Only someone like me can appreciate this body of yours, your face, your lips..."

  She kissed him with hungry passion. He stiffened in his position, wondering how strong she was and if he could actually hurt her. Fool, she could take away his physical strength with an act of will – which she was doing right now!

  "Don't force me to put a spell on you," she continued sweetly, but her almond eyes were full of threat. "I'd rather seduce you than mold you. Under a spell you'd be just a pretty doll with no personality."

  "Then prepare to fight my personality!" he exploded. "I choose the women I want!"

  "This time you have been chosen. You better get used to it."

  "No," Tarun turned his face away with a frown. "Take me back home."

  "You will have no other home than this," she replied. She caressed Tarun’s cheek and the young prince shuddered at her cold, deathly touch.

  "I will not marry you," Tarun spat, “not even if you threatened to kill me.”

  The Black Dame laughed – a strangely warm sound, coming from an exotic beauty. Not really the idea Tarun had had of her, although why would a powerful witch such as her look old and ugly?

  "Why should I marry you?" she teased. " I'm not really into form
alities, you know?"

  "Who are you really?" Tarun asked.

  The Black Dame pulled away from Tarun, sitting on the bed to hug her knees. She turned her head and stared at him.

  "I am Keiko," she said. "My parents, my people came from beyond your sea."

  "How did you end up here? Here," Tarun said, echoing his own words. "And where is here anyway?"

  "This is the underground city of the Sect. I was born in Amrendra but I lived in Akkora most of my life, until we came here." Keiko lifted her gossamer hair and tossed it away from her face, and crawling to reach him in his corner.

  “Here... was a bad idea," she whispered.

  Tarun studied Keiko intensely. "You want me to help you escape?"

  Keiko smiled, diving her fingers though his short, black hair. "You are... nearly edible," she purred. "I will enjoy your company."

  Tarun shook his head free. "You still haven't told me what you need me for."

  Keiko clutched a patch of Tarun’s hair. She yanked it and twisted it until he protested.

  "Lust," she hissed. "You will give me power, until the day when I have figured out how to kill Ramesh."

  "Who?"

  She let go of his hair, frowning. "The High Priest who claimed the throne of Arquon," she said with contempt.

  "So it is true, the Sect is in charge of Arquon." His heart felt heavy at the thought, but there wasn't much he could do.

  "Ramesh is in charge," she snapped. "And I want to get rid of him. You can give me that power."

  "How?"

  "I told you..." she purred again. "Lust..."

  "You want..." Tarun swallowed back his fear. "You want me to make love to you?"

  Keiko pulled back. She scrutinized Tarun from head to toe. "You have not known the power of lust, yet," she said haughtily. "I will teach you." She stared at Tarun with the ferocity of a tiger.

  Tarun scoffed, for he couldn't laugh openly. "You are mad," he declared.

  Keiko closed in on her prey. "We will see who is mad," she replied.

  She took off her black robe in a single movement.

  Tarun discovered he couldn't move. "No," he pleaded.

  Keiko closed her mouth over his, leaving him breathless, touching, kissing, rimming, sucking, filling him with warmth and cold, pleasure and pain. His pants and moans became a scream when she forced his orgasm from him.

  Tarun saw the dark energy filling the room, then flooding Keiko’s body. He felt it burrow inside him, course through him, leaving him breathless and shivering. His own inner light fought against its possession of him, fought to keep him, and eventually succeeded in cleansing him. Exhausted, Tarun lost consciousness.

  ***

  The bed-sheet and royal loincloth were still where the dark magic of the witch had thrown them. The sunlight came in through the arched windows, but Goldmountain could still feel the darkness that had passed through.

  She passed her hand on the bed, feeling the tickle of magic, reading the signature, and sighed.

  "Well?" King Arjun demanded.

  "The Black Dame has taken him," Goldmountain answered. "I'm sorry, your majesty, I cannot go to the city of the Sect to save your son."

  "Damn!" King Arjun grumbled. "Why did she take him?"

  "I have no idea, your majesty, the nature of her magic is so different from mine, I could never guess what she wants from him."

  King Arjun sighed.

  "Thank you, Wise Woman," he said. "Do you think he will be all right?"

  "He is strong in light, your majesty, but the Pond of Dark Magic has killed or corrupted many Humans already. What it cannot possess, it kills."

  "You're not giving me much hope!"

  "I have never lied to you, and never will. I don't think you will see your son alive ever again."

  King Arjun lowered his eyes and nodded.

  Goldmountain wished she could give him good news, but she didn't have much hope for the well-being of Prince Tarun. And it wasn't within her power to save him, or she would have done it without hesitation.

  She had seen the birth of the prince twenty-two years before and was very fond of him, like everybody else. The late queen of Rajendra had been a real friend, giving her and her husband a home even if they weren't Human. Even King Arjun had great respect for them because they were Genn, and he hoped their presence would keep away the evil that was prospering just beyond the border, in the kingdom of Arquon.

  Obviously their presence wasn't a good enough protection, though. Goldmountain hoped the darkness would spare at least Indira, Tarun's younger sister. But who could say how and when darkness picked its victims?

  ***

  Keiko observed Tarun's face as he slept. He appeared troubled, struggling against a nightmare of some kind. His light was as strong as Hayato's, and destroying it, stealing it might give her the power she desired... if she was lucky.

  Something about the sleeping prince drew her to reminisce. She touched the lips so similar to the ones she had longed for in a time past and she smiled. It was as if her lover was by her side now.

  Kumar would be nearly thirty now if he still walked among the living, however, as she remembered him in his teens, Tarun would be a perfect substitute. Maybe she could even fall in love with him, knowing he'd never have her willingly, much like Kumar. But unlike Kumar, she could force him.

  Tarun slowly opened his eyes as he came to. He saw Keiko hovering over him and fear flashed in his brown eyes.

  "Let me go now," he pleaded.

  "Forget it," she answered pleasantly.

  "What more do you want from me?"

  "Your body, Tarun... and then your soul."

  "You’re mad!” Tarun snapped.

  "And you repeat yourself," she whispered as she kissed him. "Now love me."

  He stared blankly for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her. He rolled her on the bed and pressed his face between her neck and her shoulder, biting her. The pain sent a shiver down her spine, but he did not draw blood.

  Tarun’s laughs and sobs became indistinguishable. In his fury, he grasped Keiko’s hair and wrenched her head back, giving him greater purchase to her exposed neck and breasts. He nibbled and suckled her hungrily.

  Keiko pushed him back, chiding him with her eyes, teasing him. He didn't relent, though, and kept coming at her with apparently unbridled passion. Keiko gasped and moved her legs apart.

  Tarun stared hatefully at her as he rode her, so she embraced him and held him tight to avoid his gaze, moving with him along the primitive rhythm pulsing in their veins.

  Light and darkness merged again in an explosion of power. Keiko rolled him over and straddled him. She rode his body, listening to his moans of lust.

  She assaulted him with her sex without mercy, keeping up the rhythm, finally taking him to climax once again with a scream.

  "Oh, Gods save me!" Tarun cried out. The darkness of the room enfolded him... slowly stamping out his eternal flame.

  He slid away from reality yet again. Keiko stroked her naked, sweaty body, savoring the power of lust.

  ***

  Tarun stirred. He woke up next to the witch who was staring at him with hungry almond eyes. "Are you finally satisfied?” he asked.

  "No, honey. You will stay with me forever." Keiko caressed his face and lips.

  Tarun growled and swatted her hand away.

  Keiko laughed. "So prideful, my prince. Would you like to eat something? Are you hungry?" Keiko lay on the bed and stretched her arms and legs, inviting Tarun to gaze upon her. Tears welled in his eyes, but he could not tear his attention from her.

  "Yes," he muttered, "starving."

  Keiko slipped a red dressing gown over her head. The material caught on her plump buttocks and she slowly wrenched it down to her legs, taking her time to bend over and expose her sex to Tarun shamelessly, teasing him all the more.

  She went to a table in a dark corner and lit a candle. The table was already set and laden with food.

  Tarun wrapp
ed himself in the bed-sheet and shuffled over to the table. He sat in a chair across from her, as far away from her as possible. Tarun found the food strange and unfamiliar, but he was famished. He gobbled it greedily.

  "Does your worship of evil forbid you to see the sun on occasion?" Tarun asked.

  "The town has an opening, other houses have windows," Keiko replied. "But I like it this way."

  Tarun pulled a hunk of bread from a loaf and stuffed it into his mouth. "Tell me you would not melt under a ray of sun."

  Keiko smiled. "I just happen to prefer the night," she assured.

  "Are you Human?"

  "As Human as any other that walks the soil, as is the High Priest now king of Arquon,” Keiko replied.

  “The king of Arquon has great power, greater than yours.”

  "He just happens to have more power than me at the moment. That is because he lived down here for many more years than I."

  "What is... here?"

  "The Pond of Dark Magic." Keiko giggled like a child as she spoke. "Can't you feel it?"

  Tarun studied her carefully.

  "Oh, of course not," Keiko chided. "You're too full of light, just like Hayato."

  "Who is Hayato?"

  "My twin brother," Keiko replied. "Do you wish to meet him?"

  "No." He threw the piece of bread on the table and stood. "Is there a bathroom? The prisoner needs to relieve himself."

  ***

  Forgetting his predicament momentarily, Tarun strode from the bathroom holding the bed-sheet in one hand. Keiko pinched her lip to stave off her thirst for more of him. She was waiting on the bed, and shifted on the silk, passing her tongue on her lips, ready to savor him again. As she leaned back, the gown slid from her shoulders, stopping on her swollen nipples.

  Tarun stood perfectly still, staring at the sight of her, utterly mesmerized. She smiled encouragingly, knowing he could not refuse her. He dropped the bed-sheet and reached the bed like a sleep-walker. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He joined her on the bed and pushed away a lock of her hair with one hand. He tore off the dressing gown with the other.

  Tarun threw himself on Keiko and bit her shoulder until she screamed in pain. He laughed cruelly and clutched her breasts, kneading them and squeezing them violently. Keiko cried out as the bliss swallowed her. He was trying to resist, and his struggle was an exquisite source of power. Even the pain he tried to inflict on her could only increase the energy. His naivety made him the perfect victim.