by Anna LaVerne
I sure hope he isn't as handsome as Garrik or Echo. I am not sure if I could handle being around another gorgeous guy. Especially when my eyes should be for Garrik and Garrik alone. Lost in my thoughts as I followed Garrik down a narrow path paved with little black paving stones.
“The training center!” Garrik said with an elaborate wave and over dramatic bow.
I looked up to a giant tree. The tree was as wide as the throne room in the palace. Throughout the tree there were round buildings set on the limbs high above. They were identical, albeit a bit smaller, than the tree homes I saw the night before. There were rope bridges that laced from little building to little building. I wondered if at night it was full of the lanterns that seemed to be everywhere else. If so, Garrik had a giant Christmas tree behind his palace and I absolutely LOVED it! This is the kind of whimsy you expect to see in when you travel to a new realm. I must looked like how Echo looked when that spark shot through my arm. Damn it! Why does he keep infiltrating my thoughts?
“You had a spark with Echo?” Garrik’s eyes darkened with fury. To the point a dark blue swirled in his eyes.
“I am sure it was nothing.” I reassured him.
Garrik didn't reply instead all I heard was an animalistic grunt as he entered the door at the base of the giant tree. I followed him praying he will let this spark thing with Echo go. Now I know I needed to keep Echo out of my thoughts. My sparks are all for the handsome Garrik standing before me.
We walk into a giant room with polished walls. When I looked up the tree was hollow all the way to to where the main branches must have branched out. There were stairs that wound around the edges. Standing in the middle was a man dressed in all white linen clothing.
“Vera, this is Toby. Toby is the trainer specializing in our scouts and warriors gifts. Every elf has a little bit of power for something. Although most are minor magics.” all traces of anger from Garrik's voice and face was gone. I took a deep breath and stepped forward.
“It is a pleasure to meet you Toby, I am certain someone has already warned you that I am a big ball of messed up magic. I am not sure anyone can undo the damage I have done all on my own. I am told though that I am missing pieces and if anyone can help me find them it is you.”
“Well met Lady Vera. I have faith you couldn't have done much more than lock it all away. In truth the hardest part will be to go against your instincts to keep it locked up.” Toby had long white hair and striking bright green eyes. He was shorter than Garrik but still considerably taller than myself.
“I have requested that Prince Echo take his training outside as long as the weather holds. It will give us a bit of privacy. Now come here Vera, and let me look at you.”
Toby lifted his hand to touch me causing me to flinch. I was scared there would be a spark. He frowned at my reaction and then slowly brought his hands to the top of my head. No spark. Oh praise Jesus! There is no spark!
“Who is Jesus?” Toby asked.
I reeled. “Is everyone in this place able to read my thoughts?” Toby and Garrik both laughed.
“No, I am a seer with a bit of soul magic. I have my hands on your head and so I can hear your thoughts. It is impressive on my part considering we have no connection like Garrik and yourself. Also, because this first wall you have around your mind is a doozy.”
“Are you bragging about your abilities? I see the elven people are not afraid of expressing pride in themselves.”
“We know there is power in believing in ourselves. We face our fears head on and know we are capable of anything as long as we continue to believe in ourselves. We all like to have something to measure ourselves by, It is not only a human trait. We also know that our fears and lack of knowledge can hold us back. The elvish are not pompous or proud to a fault like you seem to think. We know that each of us is full of greatness no matter how little the role they have to play. We are all important.
Well, we have our work cut out and I can't lie and say I am not excited to meet this challenge. Who knows what we will discover through this process!” The grin across Toby's sharp face gave me the willies.
“First thing, in the beginning we need to make sure that Vera is firmly rooted into this world. Have you two consummated your bond yet?”
I look at Garrik and can see the heat rising in his face.
“Um no, no we haven't I didn't want to hit Vera with the whole flame spark thing yet. I wanted to give her time to make a choice.”
Toby looked at Garrik and I thoughtfully.
“Well, it is a choice that needs to be made. You either choose to bond with Garrik or not. This is not easy work we are doing and the strongest tie we can give Vera to Elmora is that of your bond. It would hold her here to you so she doesn't get lost in other realms throughout her training.”
I nodded. This is too much. He wants me to bed Garrik to fortify our bond in this realm? I mean, don't get me wrong I have spent this entire time hoping to bed Garrik, but I don't want to be a human toy.
“You are NOT a human toy. You are an elf!”
I looked up and saw that Garrik's eyes were boring into me and angry again. I know he isn't angry at me personally he is angry at my lack of confidence in myself. I have spent my entire life apologizing for my actions. I have never been anything but the lowest person on everyone’s totem pole. I have embarrassed my family, been an alcoholic, a nobody. My way of thinking doesn't change overnight.
“I am sorry,” I said under my breath. Toby could tell there was something going on beyond what he could see. He backed up to give us our space.
Garrik stepped closer, “No, I am sorry. I am sorry that you have had it so hard and I am sorry I get so angry when I hear you talk about yourself like that. We can talk about the bond later. I refuse to pressure you into anything you are not ready for. Even if it prolongs any training.”
How did I get so lucky? Guys like Garrik are not real right? I nod my head taking a deep breath reveling in the smell of fresh earth and rain that always permeates off of my Elf-man.
Toby must have sensed a calming as he stepped forward, “ Let us get started. We only have a couple hours before we all have to get ready for tonight's feast.”
Toby motioned to a round rug on the floor. “Please have a seat on the floor legs crossed. We don't want you to fall if you become light headed. I will be leading you through a guided meditation. Prince Garrik will you please situate yourself behind Lady Vera?”
Garrik sat himself behind me wrapping his long strong elf legs around each side of me. His hands set on my waist pulling me into him. I heard him smell my hair and could feel the bulge in his pants on my back. I flushed with red hot heat. How am I going to be able to meditate with Mr. Hotness holding me so intimately. Toby seems to think this is the safest way to do this is with optimal amount of touching.
“Lady Vera, please close your eyes take a deep breath,” his voice was the epitome of peace, “now release some energy into the ground and Garrik. Imagine that energy binding you to both place and person. If you happen to move to another realm Garrik will be pulled with you. This is important so he can help you return.”
I began breathing in my own energy. I can feel it entering my lungs and flowing through my body. I see a teal light behind me in my mind's eye. I instinctively know it is Garrik. I pushed my white and green tendrils of energy out towards his light. I can hear him gasp pleasantly as my energy pierces and caresses his. There was no fight binding mine to his. In fact his teal light welcomed it in a warm embrace. Swirling together creating a new color that reminds me of sea water reflecting the sun.
I leave some energy with him and then continue to push mine south through the base of my spine into the ground as deep as I could drill it, until I felt resistance. I have no idea how deep it went, all I know is that it felt secure. I am pretty sure that was the main goal. I was able to manipulate my own energy with ease. Securing my energy into roots in the ground is something I am well practiced at. Grounding. Keeping myself in the
here and now allowing myself only to see what others see. I kept my eyes closed, focused and nodded my head towards Toby to acknowledge that I had completed the task.
“Now this is the hard part. I need you to start deconstructing your first barrier. It is a darkness over your mind like tar. You should be able to see it easily enough. Try to reach for it with your light absorb the darkness and push it down through your body and into the ground. Be sure not to send any to Garrik.”
I take another deep breath instead of allowing the energy to seep south I send it north to my mind. I am familiar with this barrier. It is not black because I wanted it to be dark. It is that color because when you layer barrier on top of barrier without replacing it the wall becomes dark like tar. This one had mirrors placed around the outside. I am amazed that Toby was even able to see beyond his own reflection. I decided to try dismantling the mirrors first. They are my first line of defense. I know that the spirits were always attracted to my light. The mirrors would reflect their own darkness back on them, allowing me to blend in.
I visualized my white inner light scraping up and under one of the mirrors right at the front of my mind. Sweat has appeared on my brow. I work to exert more force. Nothing. A sliver of teal energy rose in my body swirling with my green and adding itself to my white energy. Garrik, his energy felt as if it belonged there with me. He was, is a part of me. Instead of attempting to scrape the mirror again I used the new found strength and slammed it against the mirrors. Nothing. I reared it all back and slammed it in again. Nothing. I was beginning to give up. I felt my body melting into Garrik's.
“Almost my little Vera. Don't give up yet. One more hit”. Garrik's energy spoke to me. I heard the words wash over me in their melodic way that always makes me give in. I stop for a second to wonder if that is a magic I too possessed as his flame.
Gathering the energy back up into a ball. I could feel it in my stomach, I could see it. White, green, teal swirling together with sparks going crazy. It ignited a fire in my pit. A real fire, I could see my flame. It reflected Garrik’s, but something is wrong there are other colors there as well. Streaks of gold, Echo. No. No. Not Echo. I also saw a light streak of the deepest blue. No. I only want teal.
My anger fueled the energy ball that pushed up into my mind directly at the mirrors. Shattering the mirrors all at once. A pain that felt like thousands of knives stabbing me in the eyes at once seared through my head. I felt my body convulse and scream. It was the kind of scream I never knew could escape my lips, ear piercing and glass breaking. I had pushed myself and Garrik into the floor backwards. His arms grabbed me tightly. He had wrapped his legs around my legs holding my body in a safe position as I continued to convulse. Finally, my body gave way to little shutters. I was only aware of Garrik, myself, and the wetness from tears that had stained my cheeks.
Chapter Nine
鄭re you okay Lady Vera?” Toby asked prompting me to open my eyes and unwind myself from Garrik's arms. I looked upon them both and their mouths hung open both staring at me with concern and wonder. My eyes were drawn past them to a dark balcony. Glowing gold eyes stared back at me from the shadows. “Echo” I whispered.
Garrik turned and rage shot through his body. He saw the same man I saw standing against the wall in the shadows. He stood, picked me up in his arms and took off running back to the castle. Through the door up two flights of stairs and through his bedroom door. He threw me on the bed and said, “No. No Echo. Only me, Garrik.” It was very caveman.
He covered my body peppering me with kisses across my eyes over my cheeks and finally claiming my lips with an intense ferocity. My body answered. His kisses were so electric and molten hot. A man with teal eyes you would assume his energy is cold, but not Garrik. Garrik's teal held the heat of the hottest part of a flame. The part we always thought was blue is really the deep teal of Garrik's eyes and soul. He was lighting me on fire. He pulled free from my lips and rolled over on the bed next to me.
He is breathless while staring at the ceiling. I notice then that his bed is not a canopy like mine. What a ridiculous moment to notice that. I roll over and lay my head on his chest.
“Are you okay?” I ask listening to his heart pound in his chest.
“No, I can't control it. I want you so badly, but you whisper another man's name. It is tearing me apart. I have to know. Do you want to bond with me?”
I saw pain and fear in his eyes. What does bonding mean? Would I still get to go back to the Human Realm or like the other humans will I be stuck here forever? Yet, I am not completely human am I? Only my body is.
I sit up pulling my skirt up around my waist, lifted my leg and found myself straddling my beautiful elven Prince Garrik of Median. There was no where else in all the worlds I would rather be at that moment. For the last two days I have been living in a dream, a dream I would be happy to live for the rest of my life. He was staring up at me with lust darkening his eyes. I leaned forward placing my hands on each side of his face kissing him as deeply as I could. My tongue darted between his lips pushing deeper. I felt the green energy in my core rushing forth into Garrik’s mouth. The onslaught of raw Vera energy made his eyes roll into the back of his head. His waist lifted grinding closer to my core. I could feel him lengthen against me through his soft but thin leather pants. I reached my hand down trying to feel for a button, clasp, tie, anything to free him from the pants that kept him from me. He wiggled off of underneath me and got up to stand next to the bed. I was left sitting on my knees looking up at him.
He took off his tunic first. I marveled at how chiseled his chest was. He wasn't built like Echo. His build is still magnificent and well proportioned. Strong defined arms and chest. He had a six pack that had a small thin line of hair starting below his belly button. The hair lead a trail south through the 'V' of his hips. Garrik is what I never imagined I could have. Glorious in all of his masculinity. I leaned forward kissing his rock hard abs slipping my hand into the band of his pants. He reached down unbuttoning a hidden button allowing his pants to fall to the floor. His rigid length sprung free and I reached up to touch and feel him. I continue to kiss lower, closer and closer. Garrik groans, “No, Vera sweetling not like that this time. Not our first time together.”
I looked at him, when he looked into my eyes. He drew in a sharp breath backing up briefly. He reached down to stand me up on the bed bringing us face to face. He worked my gown up over my head. My small perky breasts were free, and Garrik stared at them longingly. He lowered his head and took one nipple into his mouth teasing it with his teeth. They were so hard they could cut glass. His hands roamed down my back and grabbed my ass and back up again. His kisses worked their way back up to my neck then he reached around and lifted me off the bed. His hands underneath the cheeks of my ass. I wrapped my legs around him as he held me in the air. His lips claimed mine again as I felt his hardness press against my entrance. I have never wanted something so bad in my life. I start moving my hips trying to land on his cock so it would end the torture of pure unfiltered need.
Garrik carefully laid me back down onto the bed his mouth exploring my neck, collarbone, down to my breasts again. He continued to move lower. Lower, and lower, and lower still.
“Please Garrik I need you.” I moan and his kisses came harder as his tongue found my core. Licking through the folds of my femininity I was going to lose it. I could feel the orgasm building.
“Please don't make .. me.. beg”, with that Garrik stood up and slid his cock into my depths in one solid movement. I thought my entire being was going to explode. He moved again slowly at first. I could tell he was with me in the momentum. He could no longer hold back. He was sitting up as my legs wrapped around his waist. I lifted my hips to meet each thrust. I couldn’t hold back a moment longer I was shattering. I could feel this ball of energy in my sex about to explode, and it did all at once. My mind could see my green energy push into Garrik as my walls and body began to convulse. I screamed out in ecstasy. I opened my eyes to se
e Garrik staring at me with wonder as his thrusts came harder and harder. There was no stopping him until I felt a burst of warmth spread through my body. I saw his teal energy swirling in my heart. We are bonded. He is mine and I am his. I felt the tears on my cheeks. Tears of happiness. I had never felt so complete in my life.
When Garrik pulled out it felt as if I had lost a part of myself all over again. He was no longer in me. The tears picked up strength and next thing I knew I was full on sobbing in the bed with the man I am now bound to for eternity. I roll over as he lays behind me caressing my arm.
“Vera, are you okay? Are you having regrets?”
“No, my Prince. I don't think I could ever regret this. I have never felt something so beautiful and fulfilling in any of my lives. My soul is rejoicing.”
A sigh escaped his lips and I could feel the weight drop from his shoulders, his fears being washed away. “Thank the Goddess of all, I have waited so long for words such as those." Garrik's thoughts pierced my mind.
“Is there a Goddess to thank?” I teased him to show I could hear him. He set up with a rush and smacking me on my ass.
“You heard me? You actually heard me? We are truly bonded!”
He threw himself back onto the bed, I crawled over and snuggled up under his arm.
“We have to get up soon Vera. Your gown for dinner is surely in your room by now.” I ignored him and snuggled closer. To hell with dinner. I refused to get out of bed. I was starving, but I still didn't want to go to dinner with all the people of Tindril. Garrik told me it could be worse. They could have opened up to the public gardens and invited all of Median. At which I rolled my eyes. I tried to bury my naked self under his dark blue blankets. Garrik grabbed me by the ankle pulling me off the bed into his arms. Lifting me up dotting kisses all over my face he took me too the door.