The Darkest Sword

by Samantha Kroese

  “Would you lie still?” Soryn grumbled at him and pressed the cloth down again. “What did you do this time? You didn’t die, so it must not have been that bad.”

  “I wish I was dead,” Ashiyn grumbled as the room spun. “Rhadamanthus wanted me to rape Annalysa in front of him. I told him there were probably better women I could take if he really wanted to watch me have sex.”

  “You really need to learn how to control your tongue. How long does it take you to heal?” Soryn shook his head.

  “The look on his face was worth it,” Ashiyn snickered, suddenly amused. “Did you know Rhadamanthus’s skin could actually turn green with fury?” Ashiyn laughed, then he was once again distracted by how little Soryn was actually wearing. “Did Sark steal your clothes?”

  “I couldn’t bring the robe with me; Rurik can track it,” Soryn said with a snort. “Amazing the things you notice when you’re out of your mind.”

  “I notice them other times,” Ashiyn insisted with irritation.

  “Oh, do you?” Soryn smirked at him. “Do you like my lack of clothing?”

  Ashiyn looked Soryn over slowly. “I like it. Clearly, you’re not a lizard. Rurik is a lizard, and he tried to touch me last time I was there. He scared me.” Ashiyn frowned. “He hurts you.”

  “He doesn’t hurt me. Don’t worry,” Soryn chided. “So that’s why you didn’t come find me? Rurik? I’m sorry. I’ll make sure he’s not around when you come to see me. I didn’t know he found you.”

  Ashiyn winced as Soryn poked around his wounds. He felt like he should be acting differently, but the part of his brain that could tell him how was not currently working at full capacity.

  “I want you to stay,” Ashiyn mumbled. “I don’t want him to touch you anymore.”

  “I don’t want Rhadamanthus to kill you anymore, either,” Soryn said softly. “Until you find a way to stop them, we both have to just survive. Are you going to survive this? I don’t know if I can watch you die.”

  “I die all the time. Not a big deal,” Ashiyn said, confused. Then he was even more confused at the sad look on Soryn’s face. “What?”

  Soryn hesitated before he sat back on his haunches. “I came here to try to seduce you, Ashiyn.”

  Ashiyn watched Soryn for a long moment. He knew by Soryn’s reaction he was afraid of retaliation for the admission, but Ashiyn did not feel anger at it. “You’re not a woman, Soryn.”

  Soryn let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m well aware of that, thank you.”

  Ashiyn shifted to roll over on his side, looking Soryn over. His friend was not unattractive. “Do you still want me that badly?”

  “Yes, more than ever,” Soryn said. “Do you find me that unattractive? Really?”

  Ashiyn shrugged and closed his eyes. His head was hurting again, like his brain was trying to remember things while also trying to heal itself. “I am…not attracted or un-attracted to you that way. You are my friend. You are different than some woman I just want to throw down and take my pleasure with.”

  Soryn sucked in a sharp breath. “I wish you’d throw me down and take your pleasure.” Then he shook his head. “But you are my friend. If you truly don’t want that, I will stop asking.”

  “I don’t know what I want,” Ashiyn admitted. “It’s wrong to want you that way.”

  “It is not,” Soryn grumbled. “Just because Rhadamanthus is attracted to men and thinks that makes him weak, so he overreacts, doesn’t mean you have to be the same way.”

  “What?” Ashiyn said, sitting up fast. Then he groaned and grabbed his head, regretting the sudden movement.

  “That’s why Rhadamanthus is so against it. Rurik told me,” Soryn shrugged then gently pushed Ashiyn back down on the bed. “Here, maybe I can use my magic to help mend this a little.”

  Ashiyn considered that information as Soryn’s warm magic mended the wound in his mind. Then slowly his brain came back into focus, and he was fully aware of what was going on. He frowned at Soryn, then pulled away. “I don’t find you un-attractive. But I don’t feel the desperate need to take you either. I’m ambivalent on the subject.”

  Soryn tilted his head. “That means you’re not entirely opposed to the idea either?”

  “Would it make you that happy? Really? Surely you can find someone more interested,” Ashiyn grumbled, irritated. “I could throw you down and use you, but it would be only to please you, not because I desire you.”

  “Oh, I promise you’d enjoy it too, my friend,” Soryn said, then rose from the bed and headed for the door. “Think about it. Why were you at the tower before?”

  “I wanted a book on Sihtaar,” Ashiyn said, as the pain started to fade away. “Bring me the book, and I might reward you.”

  “If I bring you that, you will reward me,” Soryn corrected with a wink. “Get some rest. Try not to die.”

  Ashiyn rolled his eyes as the door closed behind Soryn and stretched out on the bed again.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “Master,” Sark entered Ashiyn’s private study, then bowed low when Ashiyn looked up from the paper he was reading. “The woman asks for you.”

  Ashiyn rolled up the scroll and then tucked it away in a drawer. He’d almost forgotten his slave. Almost. He sighed and gave Sark an irritated look.

  “I know, Master. You are not to be summoned by us. But she is quite insistent. I am afraid she will again draw the ire of your Master,” Sark mumbled apologetically.

  Ashiyn did not want that. He did not want Rhadamanthus to even remember the woman existed. He definitely was tired of being punished because of her. “It is fine, Sark. Thank you.” Ashiyn crossed the room, Sark bowing low to him again as he passed. The guards in the hall bowed to him as he wandered to the woman’s cell. Waving them out of the way he threw open the door with his magic and strolled in.

  Annalysa jumped, her eyes wide as she looked at him. She waited for him to close the door before she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

  “I believe you are confused, woman. I am the Master. You do not summon me. If I want to see you, I will,” Ashiyn grumbled at her.

  “You came though, didn’t you? You’re an ass. Maybe I would be better off if you killed me,” Annalysa glared at him. “It’s been weeks since you denied me.”

  “I am a busy man,” Ashiyn shrugged. “What do you want?”

  “I want to complete our arrangement. I did my part. I even begged you, as requested,“ Annalysa started to say but Ashiyn cut her off.

  “Yes, because that was sincere,” Ashiyn said with a sneer.

  “Look, you don’t want to get into trouble with your Master any more than I do. Just take me to your bed already and be done with it,” Annalysa pleaded as she got up and walked over to him.

  “Fine,” Ashiyn growled. He grabbed her arm roughly and hauled her out of the cell. Servants and guards scurried out of their way as he wrestled her into his bedchambers. Then he threw her on the bed. He used his magic to strip her naked as he pulled off his own clothing. He slowed when he saw her watching with wide eyes again, and he smirked. He let his clothes drop to the floor and stood there so she could admire him.

  “You’re too beautiful to be such a jerk,” Annalysa muttered as she eyed him.

  He took the time to look her over too. He still desired her. She was full and curvy in all the right places. He crossed over and climbed onto the bed on top of her, then bent down to kiss her. At first she tensed, as though she would resist, but the more he kissed her, the more relaxed she became. They got caught up in each other and lost track of time. Once they finished, Annalysa pulled away and sat on the edge of the bed to reach for her clothes.

  “Where are you going?” Ashiyn asked, frowning.

  “Back to my cell,” Annalysa said, raising a brow. “I assumed that was what my lord would desire once he had finished with me.”

  Ashiyn trailed his fingers possessively down her arm then pulled her back down onto the bed with him. “Who said I was finished with you
?”

  Annalysa tilted her head, looking him over. “You are quite clearly sated for now, my lord.”

  Ashiyn shook his head. “Despite what I told my Master and what we just did, I meant what I said originally. I want you to tell me about the humans. Everything you can think of.”

  Annalysa gave him a surprised look then settled on the bed next to him and pulled the covers up over them. She got comfortable then she started to tell him all about her life up to that point.

  Ashiyn tried to listen carefully, but the melodic sound of her voice and her presence there were too soothing, and he drifted off to sleep despite himself.

  He was pleasantly surprised to wake with no aches indicating she had tried to kill him while he slept. He opened his eyes to find her dressed and sitting before his mirror, brushing out her long auburn hair. He watched for a while before asking, “Do you hate me?”

  Annalysa paused to glance at him in the mirror, then shrugged, her loose shirt falling off a shoulder. “We are what our pasts have made us, my lord. You saved my life. You are right. I should be grateful that I am with you and not your monstrous Master.”

  “Did you love your husband?” Ashiyn asked, rolling over to his belly to rest his chin on his arms as he watched her.

  Her hand jerked and the brush clattered to the floor. Then her pained eyes glared at him. “Of course, I loved him.”

  “I have the power to bring them back,” Ashiyn said, watching her. “But I will not. You are mine. Do you hate me now?” The fact he was so taken with this woman irritated him into lashing out at her. He wanted her to try to kill him. Then he would have reason to end this before he fell any further under her spell. As it was, he couldn’t get her out of his head. His body craved her. Her touch set him on fire in a way he had never experienced, and he wanted nothing more than to stay with her all day, consequences be damned. He would not let her into his heart as well.

  Annalysa trembled, got to her feet, and walked to the door. “It is growing late in the day, Master. I should return to my cell before your master punishes you for wasting his time.”

  Ashiyn rose and dressed then had Sark escort her back to the cell as he went to find Rhadamanthus.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Ashiyn spent the next few weeks doing whatever tasks Rhadamanthus had for him during the day, then spending the nights in bed with Annalysa. Always the same, first heated passion, then she would tell him more about the humans until he fell asleep. This time, though, as she settled on his chest her eyes held a curious look. “What is it?” He asked with a frown.

  “Tell me about yourself?” Annalysa prodded, searching his gaze.

  “What is there to tell that you don’t already know?” he asked, irritated. “I am Prince of this world. Second only to Rhadamanthus. One day I will rule…” he started to recount but she shushed him with a finger to his lips.

  “Not that. I want to know about you. The one in here,” Annalysa tapped his chest with her fingers. “Have you ever been in love?”

  Ashiyn scowled at her. “Does this seem like a good environment for such a thing? Rhadamanthus would just take anything I cared about.”

  “You do care though, about something. What is it?” She asked, curious. “You wouldn’t know that if you had never tried. What did he take? I’ve had to talk about my pain. Now tell me yours.”

  “What does it matter? I have everything I could ever need,” Ashiyn narrowed his eyes.

  “You’re not happy. Have you ever been happy?” Annalysa’s voice softened with the question. When he did not answer her, she lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry. At least I have known happiness and love. All you’ve known is hatred and pain. Fear.“

  “I am afraid of nothing,” Ashiyn growled as he rose from the bed. “Perhaps you should return to your cell tonight.”

  “You’re lying. You’re afraid to get close to me,” Annalysa rose as well and with her face close to his, her voice barely a whisper, said, “Let me show you those things. No one should exist without ever knowing them at least once.”

  Ashiyn felt even more irritated at her words when he realized that he had felt happy around Soryn on their adventures. And he did care for his friend more than he would ever admit to anyone. Certainly not to this woman. When her hand reached to stroke his cheek, the touch softer and more tender than anything he remembered feeling before, he yanked himself back out of reach and opened the door. “Sark! Show the woman to her cell.”

  Sark came skittering to him at the call and, with a bow, he tilted his head toward the cell.

  “You say you are not afraid. Then why are you running now?” Annalysa whispered into Ashiyn’s ear then stalked into the hall to let Sark escort her to the cell.

  Ashiyn glared after her. Her words stung because he knew she was right. She had seen right through him. He retreated back into the room and shut the door. He rubbed his eyes as his thoughts raced. Who did he think he was fooling? Apparently, not her. Could he even fool himself now? He had grown close to her these few weeks. He cared. He wasn’t supposed to care.

  With a growl he stalked across his room to gather his armor and his blade. The physical pain he could deal with. The beatings, the deaths. He knew he should go kill her now. He knew how it would end, and if would be less painful if he did it now. But he was selfish. He wanted to keep her, and he was tired of Rhadamanthus taking things away from him. Had he not earned the right to enjoy himself?

  She wasn’t the only thing he cared about either. The way his thoughts had turned to Soryn earlier did not escape his notice. If anything happened to either of them it would hurt Ashiyn more than he wanted to deal with. He didn’t know how to handle that sort of pain.

  Therein lay the real reason he had constantly refused Soryn’s advances. He was terrified that Rhadamanthus would find out and kill Soryn. Ashiyn went to the water basin and splashed the cool water on his face to steady himself. No. He could not afford to care for either of them. Not until he could free them. It was too dangerous.

  He shoved all of those worries aside and stalked out to the barn. A long ride on Illusion would settle him. The horse was the most important thing of all. Illusion gave Ashiyn unconditional love and freedom. Rhadamanthus could never know that either.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Ashiyn flipped through another book, scowling. When it did not have the answers he was looking for, he tossed it over his shoulder into the messy pile of mistreated tomes. Sark would clean them up later.

  He rose from his massive chair but paused when his magic rippled. He looked to the doorway to see Soryn leaning against the doorframe. Wearing only a runed loincloth. Soryn was nowhere near as muscular as Ashiyn, but he was not bad to look at. “You are going to get in trouble running around like that here if my master catches you.”

  “Not if you catch me?” Soryn smirked, one arm tucked behind him secretively. “I know for a fact both of our masters are gone for days. Rurik accompanied Rhadamanthus on the trip to the far North, and something up there blocks Rurik’s shadow travel.”

  Ashiyn fought his irritation and tried to focus on the information. Rhadamanthus had refused to let Ashiyn go on the trip or even elaborate about why they were going. He did not like being kept in the dark, especially when Rurik was involved. And travel through the shadows did not work there? That was strange. “Did Rurik say why they were going?”

  “Just because I share his bed does not mean he is loose with his secrets. Rurik is wiser than that,” Soryn said, his smile faltering just a moment. “May I come in, my Prince?”

  Ashiyn waved him in. “Shut the door. The servants talk.” He poured them both a glass of wine, then sat down behind the desk again. He slid the second glass across the desk. “Ever had wine?” He didn’t feel the affects of the alcohol, though sometimes the way the servants talked about it made him wish he could.

  Soryn stepped inside and shut the heavy door. Noticing a latch on it, he flipped that as well, locking the door. Then with a mischievous grin, he
strolled over to the desk and took a long sip of the wine, still hiding one hand behind him. He shuddered and put the cup back down. “That’s strong.”

  “Is it? I can’t tell. None of it affects me,” Ashiyn shrugged and drank some more of his own. “Why are you here?”

  “You haven’t come to see me lately. Too busy with your woman?” Soryn asked casually, although his tone held jealousy and his handsome features held a little bit of hurt.

  Ashiyn bristled a little. “She’s just a bed slave, Soryn. I like sex.”

  “All sex?” Soryn grinned, leaning across the table. “I bet I’m much more satisfying than she is. After all, I adore you. She sounds like she hates you.”