Taken By The Passion (The Academy Series)

by Mansfield, Maxine

  It didn’t last long.

  Headmistress Seychelle screamed. “How many flakes of Essence of Life did you use? Tell me quickly.”

  Lizbeth shrunk back even further into Adan’s embrace, and stuttered. “Sa…sa…six.”

  The Headmistress’s eyes looked ready to pop. “Six! The recipe called for three. This is bad. This is very bad.” Her eyes glazed as she tried to calculate, her fingers moved frantically. After a moment, she stilled. “Thank God Draka you didn’t use nine. The thing would’ve been virtually immortal if you had. As it is, it’ll be almost impossible to kill.”

  Lizbeth’s voice cracked. “Kill? What have I created?”

  Ray jumped up and down pointing toward the broken window, yelling at the top of his lungs. “Nogard, nogard, nogard!”

  Bile rose. It couldn’t be, could it? Nogards were extinct and had been since shortly after humans arrived on this world with their magical weapon centuries ago. It wasn’t possible. She couldn’t have created something so vile, so hideous, so dangerous. Could she?

  Taking two deep breaths, she lifted her face toward Headmistress Seychelle, ready to accept the fact she’d failed her enchanter final miserably. But it wasn’t the Headmistress she saw. She couldn’t take her eyes off Ray.

  The little man ran in circles at his mistress’s feet and continued shouting the word nogard without any end in sight. Lizbeth shook her head and shuddered. Of the limited vocabulary she’d come to expect being uttered from Ray’s lips, nogard certainly hadn’t been one of words. A weird, disjointed nostalgia came over her, and she wondered if she’d just lost her mind.

  Lizbeth knew in her heart, she would forever prefer “Ray loves cock” over his crazed shouts of “Nogard, nogard, nogard” any day of the week.

  ****

  Adan lifted Lizbeth into his arms, cradled her close to his heart, and turned to leave.

  “Just where do you think you’re going?” the queen shouted. “Put that…that woman down this instant. She must be made to answer for what she’s done. It’s only right.”

  Adan turned and glared at his mother. “I’m taking Lizbeth, my pregnant wife, back to our room and no one better get in my way.”

  “But don’t you see?” the queen sputtered. This is your chance, Adan. Now you have a perfectly valid reason to rid yourself of her. To start fresh, with someone worthy. Turn her over to the magistrates, dear heart. Let them dispose of your…little problem.”

  Adan shook his head. “Your depth of abhorrence astounds me, Mother. But then I’m not sure why it should. You thrive on hatred, need it to sustain you.” He looked her straight in the eye, not wanting there to be any doubt left in her mind as to the meaning of his words. “I know what you did, what you were a part of. I spoke with Master Seiger. I’ll never forgive you, and if I had my way, I’d never set eyes on you again.”

  The queen gasped. “How can you say such a thing to me? How dare you choose,” Queen Allanna pointed a finger toward Lizbeth, “the likes of…her over your own mother. Everything I’ve ever done, I’ve done for you.”

  If he could’ve managed a chuckle, he would’ve, though he found nothing remotely funny about the situation. “So I’ve been told” was all he could force between his lips before the desperate need to either kill his own mother or flee took over. Adan didn’t say another word; he simply walked out with his wife in his arms, and no one tried to stop him this time.

  The trip back down the corridor, and the path to their room and through the door into their bedchamber became no more than a blur. It didn’t matter. He tucked her in their bed and cradled her in his arms.

  “Make love to me, Adan. I need…I need you. I’m so numb inside. I need to know I’m still alive.” Lizbeth pleaded.

  His cock leapt in response, and his balls tightened. She didn’t speak another word, and he didn’t prompt her to. There would be plenty of time for conversation later. Years and years stretching endlessly for them to remember just what had been done to her and why.

  Though his lovely young wife would probably never be able to forget the torture she’d endured because of him, let alone ever entrust him with her heart, he’d gladly take whatever she had to offer. It would have to be enough.

  After all, she did admit she needed him. It was a start. Wasn’t it?

  She needed the comfort his body could give her, she needed his touch, she needed his protection, and their child needed his name. For now, that would suffice.

  Slowly, Adan kissed her closed eyelids. “Your wish is my command, my lady.”

  She shivered in his arms, and the vibrations shot straight through his soul. A sigh escaped as her lips rose seeking his, and he was powerless to do anything but surrender his mouth to her kiss. Sweeter than honey, warmer than sunshine, fresher than the constant breeze blowing off the peaks of the Alarian mountain range she tasted, and he savored her.

  Despair settled over him. God Draka, he loved his wife. How was he ever going to survive not having that love returned?

  “Adan?” Lizbeth’s voice trembled. “I’m so sorry about…everything. Can you ever forgive me?”

  His arms tightened about her, and he nuzzled her neck. “There’s nothing to forgive, love. You did nothing wrong, and I should’ve never doubted your word. It won’t happen again, I promise. It’s I who needs to beg your forgiveness.”

  She opened her mouth to speak, but Adan shushed her. “Later, after. Right now, please let me show you what I can’t seem to find the words for.”

  Her skin was as molten silk, warm, alive, subtle, and responsive. Her nipples pebbled against his chest, and her nails scored his back as his hand journeyed toward its destination. Her clit was already swollen, and her pussy slick and ready as he pushed her thighs wide and entered her.

  Though he’d been born a prince and from the moment of that birth had known he’d someday be king, for the first time in his life, Adan knew without a doubt, where he belonged. At this woman’s side, joined forever.

  ****

  The loud banging of a gavel against smooth wood sounded more like the heralding of the end of her life, than it did the calling to order of a meeting. Lizbeth couldn’t help but flinch, even though she’d been expecting that exact sound for two full days.

  The room quieted, and Adan’s warm hand encircling hers bolstered Lizbeth’s courage as nothing else could have. She took a deep breath, lifted her eyes, and faced the Council.

  Two days, that’s how long it had taken Headmistress Seychelle to not only inform the governing body of Albrath and the Council of Elders of the nogard situation, but also to amass the council all in one place.

  Lizbeth shuddered as she remembered the Headmistress’s tirade later that very afternoon when she’d stomped into Adan’s room and demanded to be heard.

  “Oh, my God Draka, what’ve you done? I’ll tell you what you’ve done. Fail…fail, that’s what. I have already sent a missive to alert Uthiel Dragonheart. Being the leader of the Protectors of the Dragons, he’ll know what to do. I’ve informed him that a dragon killer is once more on the loose. One who won’t stop until every dragon in Albrath is dead. This is a catastrophe, a disaster of epic proportion. Didn’t you realize what could happen when you decided to create a nogard? The end of dragons, that’s what could happen, and with the extinction of dragons comes the loss of all magic. They are linked as everyone knows, completely and irrevocably linked. I must summon the council immediately. There will be repercussions and consequences. Of that, have no doubt.”

  The Headmistress’s words had been followed by two long days of Lizbeth being confined to her quarters with Adan, which wouldn’t have been such a bad thing except, though he’d held her and made love to her so tenderly her heart was bursting with words to share with him, he’d been unusually quiet and withdrawn. Reluctant to discuss anything more substantial than the weather.

  Lizbeth felt so guilty they’d barely spoken more than a few words to each other. All she could think about was the why of it all. Ha
d she somehow unconsciously created the nogard because of her fear of dragons? She didn’t think so, but what if?

  To make matters even worse, guards had been placed at her door and she hadn’t been allowed to step so much as an inch outside to take in a breath of fresh air or feel raindrops upon her face. Even the balcony had been padlocked for fear of her escape.

  Other than Adan’s wonderful lovemaking sessions, the only things that had made the last two days bearable were the visits by Lark, Briar, and Laycee. But with the visits had come a whole new set of concerns.

  It had been two tedious, frustrating days of hearing all kinds of rumors and not being able to defend herself to anyone except her closest friends. Adan assured her he believed in her and so did Lark and Briar, but it was the wild stories she couldn’t get past. Everything from “Lizbeth created the nogard because of her deep-seated fear of dragons and she wanted them all dead” to “she knew her own magical ability was so pitiful she would rather have all magic leave the world than be exposed for the fraud of an enchanter she was.”

  There had even been talk that she had produced the nogard to make her husband and his family, especially the Queen, look as if they were part of some kind of conspiracy. There had also been rumors of the thing being fashioned for barbarian political gain and speculations of war.

  Yes, Lizbeth was ready to face the council. It was past time to put the rumors to rest.

  Adan squeezed her hand and Lizbeth’s heart lurched. Though he stood at her side and had since the horrible mishap, the easy-going camaraderie they’d finally begun to share before he’d found out about the baby and Master Seiger’s vile nature was gone. More often than not, he quickly averted his gaze whenever she caught him glancing her way. And though he no longer doubted what she’d said about Master Seiger and swore he was happy about becoming a father, the carefree conversations they’d enjoyed had been replaced with long sighs and mostly silence. It was as if the entire past semester at the Academy hadn’t happened, and they were back to being strangers once again.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Are you prepared to explain yourself to this council and accept our judgment, young lady?”

  Lizbeth gazed at the speaker.

  Arizon Windstrider, great uncle to Sarco Sunwalker and the high-elf wizard responsible for single-handedly ending the Castle Kuropkat war long ago, was a sight to behold. He glared down at her, and she tried her best to smile, but her face refused to cooperate.

  The leader of the council, with his white beard so long it nearly touched the ground, looked every moment of his almost nine hundred years. The passage of time showed plainly on his wrinkled, weathered face. Even the man’s pointed ears drooped like the rest of his body. Some of those years hadn’t been kind.

  “Yes, sir,” was all Lizbeth was capable of squeaking out.

  The old wizard tapped his foot. “Well, get on with it then and get to explaining. These are serious charges you face, young lady.”

  Lizbeth cleared her throat, and the sound of it reverberated through the drafty hall. “It was an accident, sir. A horrible accident. It was never my intention to create a nogard. I didn’t know any part of such a creature still existed before the other day. I truly thought the scale I found in the library’s basement for my enchanter final exam was from a dragon, and my spell instruction parchment, well…it was smudged and…”

  She made eye contact with each of the twelve members of the council before continuing. “I would never do anything to endanger anyone or anything on purpose. I swear I wouldn’t.”

  As if in stereo, two voices, one belonging to an unfamiliar male and one to a very familiar female, rang out at the same time from opposite sides of the hall. “Liar!”

  Once again, Wizard Arizon Windstrider struck his gavel on the block of wood. “Silence. There will come a time for discussion once the lass has her say.”

  Queen Allanna didn’t heed the leader of the Council of Elder’s warning. “I’ll not be silent. She did this wicked deed on purpose, I tell you. She’s trying to blemish my good family’s name, turn my son against me, and tarnish his reputation. An annulment should be issued immediately. There should have never been a marriage to begin with. She’s obviously below him. Lock her away in a tower, or better yet, chain her in a dungeon. She’s evil and deserves to be punished. Not only does she deserve to be punished and set aside, but as queen of the Barbarians, I demand it.”

  Lizbeth closed her eyes tight to prevent the tears beneath her lids from falling. She opened them a moment later, however, as the gavel hit the block of wood so hard it split in two.

  “I said silence!” Arizon roared as he looked directly at King Alfred. “If you can’t control your wife, sir, I shall be forced to control her for you.” He then turned his gaze to Adan. “Is what your mother says true? Do you wish an annulment from this girl?”

  Lizbeth’s heart pounded, and her hands sweated, though he’d touched her and had held her as if he loved her, she wasn’t sure what Adan might say.

  “No, sir,” was the extent of his answer.

  She had no sooner let out the breath she’d been holding when the unfamiliar male voice piped up once more. “Yout might be able to shout down a woman and her spineless husband with yout bluster, Arizon, but it won’t work as easily on Krunto. As diplomatic liaison for the troll clans, I have a right to be heard. It’s a filthy human, barbarian conspiracy, I’m telling yout. It’s obvious to anyone who has eyes in their head, they’re in cahoots.” He stood and pointed toward Adan.

  “Why, it’s common knowledge the female’s husband is good friends with that Uthiel, the human leader of the Paladins of Albrath, those dragon protectors. It’s just one more attempt among many by the humans to get their filthy paws on the Blade of Gin. They know full well it’s the only knife sharp enough to kill a nogard.”

  Krunto sneered. “Let him put his little hussy up to creating all the nasty beasts she wants. It’s not going to work. They’re not getting it. The Blade of Gin is a historical artifact, and a troll national treasure even if it was the humans who brought it to this world. They must not have valued it much. They tossed it away like garbage when they were done with it.

  “It was discovered in the desert outside the Karza Swamps, and it’s ours now. We found it fair and square. What do we trolls care about dragons or magic? We have no need of either. Now weapons? That’s another story. We value a well-made weapon. The Blade of Gin is ours and nobody’s getting it, no matter what.”

  Lizbeth stared at Krunto, who was even taller and broader than her husband and shuddered. He had dark green skin, greasy-looking black hair, and thick yellowed tusks. She then glanced at her husband, and her heart filled with apprehension. Adan’s face was red and contorted with anger, and the hand he was using to hold hers clenched so tight her fingers were numb.

  He looked ready to respond and not with words, so Lizbeth held on tight and gripped the hem of his tunic with her other hand as she desperately tried to explain further in the hopes of avoiding a physical altercation between the troll and her husband.

  “There’s no conspiracy, I tell you,” she yelled. “My husband had no idea. Neither did I until the creature was created. It was simply a horrible mistake. You must believe me.”

  Krunto bellowed. “Take the word of a barbarian? Especially a barbarian female? Not likely.”

  Queen Allanna shouted. “She’s only half barbarian. I’m sure it’s the wood-elf side that can’t be trusted, though that’s not my son’s fault. He’s as much of a victim in this as we all are. Not that a troll like you has anything of value to say in the matter.”

  Adan turned toward his mother. “Shut up, Mother! I stand by Lizbeth. There was no conspiracy, and she’s no liar.” He then turned and faced the troll. “You, sir, have insulted my wife. I would be glad to settle our differences in the arena. When this proceeding is over, we should let our swords declare who is just.”

  Krunto sneered again. “Oh, you’t like that wouldn
’t yout? To slay a diplomat for merely stating his opinion? How typical, how barbaric. I would expect nothing less from the likes of yout.”

  Once more, the sound of the gavel reverberated through the hall. “I said silence!”

  Queen Allanna laughed. “Oh, I see how it is. You let the troll have his say but when—”

  Wizard Arizon stretched out his hand, and a blinding light shot from the tip of his wand. The Queen grasped her throat, and her mouth opened and closed like a fish, but no sound came forth. She stomped her feet, poked her husband repeatedly in the arm, pointed angrily toward the wizard, and even gestured at Lizbeth, but still not even a syllable could be heard. King Alfred patted her hand.

  Arizon calmly spoke. “I will have silence.”

  Even Krunto sat down.

  Arizon nodded toward Lizbeth. “You said your spell parchment was smudged. Why didn’t you simply ask for another?”

  Lizbeth cringed as she wrung her hands together. “I did ask, but as it had been my mother-in-law, the Queen, who had set out the supplies for the exam, even the parchments, it was declared I must use what I had been given.”

  The wizard turned toward the Queen, who was still grasping her throat, and glared.

  Lizbeth quickly explained. “Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not trying to blame anyone else for my actions. I take full responsibility. If I’d known what was about to happen, I would’ve gladly taken the failure before creating that monster. I swear I would’ve.”

  Arizon nodded slowly. “And the scale? Are you asking this council to believe you didn’t know it to be something other than a dragon scale?”

  She opened her mouth to speak, but from the back of the hall, Lizbeth heard a squeaky gnome voice.

  “The lass wasn’t the one ta find the scale. It was me. There were four of us down there in the library basement hunting for dragon scales that day, and ya can ask any one of them. I’m the one who found it. None of us thought for a minute it was anything but a dragon scale. So, if’n ya wanna punish someone for that mistake, it’s gonna have ta be me, or find out who stored the damnable thing in the basement in the first place.”