Rhuul's Flame (Realms of Possibilities, book 1)

by Nulli Para Ora

  The room was large, with several cushions and pillows piled into the center. Long, sheer fabric encircled the decorative pads, but these details were all but ignored. Four females moaned, writhed, and entangled themselves above the body of a single male. He pleasured two of the females with his fingers, sinking them into their depths, leaving them glistening with their pearlized juices. The third female rocked her core against his mouth, the single eye in the center of her face shut tight. The fourth bounced in his lap, his hips rocking up to meet her. Her head was thrown back, her breasts shaking with each descent.

  Rhuul was transfixed. If the pulsing in his pants was any indication, he was more than just curious about the scene in front of him. He felt a compulsion to step into the room, pull one of the females from the pile, pin her to the wall, and show her what true pleasure was all about.

  “Careful. In Kref, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.” Ghena’s voice sounded far away, and Rhuul didn’t even look in his direction.

  Rhuul’s mind was in a fog; a thick haze of pleasure seemed to encircle him as he watched the nude bodies of the females in the room. He wanted—no, needed—a release, as the leather of his pants held his protesting flesh prisoner.

  His mouth went dry as he watched the sheen of sweat on their bodies, shimmering seductively in the light dozens of candles. The undulation of their curves, the jiggles, the way they rubbed each other. It was like a siren’s call, erasing all other thoughts from his head.

  One of the women looked in his direction and sauntered toward him, completely unashamed of her nakedness. If anything, she seemed proud, thrusting her pert breasts forward while running her fingers along the side of her neck. Her deep red skin and voluptuous frame tantalized him, and he stepped forward to meet her.

  There were no words between them. She stared at him with deep purple eyes, parting her luscious lips to release a breath that smelled of sweet wine. She placed her palms on his chest before sliding them over the leather of his vest and down to his pants.

  “Rhuul, you—” Ghena didn’t get to finish.

  Rhuul’s thoughts of desire and need were quelled when he felt her slender fingers slide toward his pocket. He gripped her wrist, lifting his wings wide. “I may be new to this place, but I am no fool.” He drew her close for only a moment before he flung her back to her companions. The other females were startled when she landed on them, each gasping and complaining.

  The lone male pulled his face from the body of the woman above him and turned to look at Rhuul.

  “A word to the wise. Mind your coins.” Rhuul turned to leave and when he heard Ghena laugh, he shook his head, a smile spreading his own lips.

  “Everything comes at a price.” Ghena munched on another berry as they stood outside the door to their room.

  “Yes, even you.”

  “I gave you my price up front.” Ghena held the bag of berries up to illustrate his point.

  “Very true.” Rhuul chuckled as he opened the door. The room was slightly smaller than the one they’d just seen, but this one had three smaller rooms inside. Rhuul walked around the sparse space, noting the uneven stone table and wooden chairs in the main room. As they moved farther inside, he found two bedrooms and a bathing area. “I’ll take the bedroom on the right. The other one’s yours.”

  Ghena’s eyes went wide before he nodded and ambled toward his room, gripping the bag of berries tight in his tiny hands.

  Inside his chosen room, Rhuul removed his vest and stretched his wings. The room smelled musty, and as he looked at the bed, he wondered if the sheets had ever been laundered. “I could probably be impregnated just sitting on that bed.”

  Conjuring weapons and gold was an easy task, but other items required more concentration. He closed his eyes, tapping into the magic flowing through him. He held his palms out in front of his body, his skin all but humming as the magic coursed through his system. A few moments passed before he felt the weight of fabric in his hands. He smiled and flung his conjured linens over the bed. The sheets were unique to him. They rose up several inches in the center. When he rested his back against this area, it supported his spine higher than the surface of the mattress, allowing his wings to spread comfortably beneath him without being pressed under the weight of his body.

  The events of the day replayed in his head as he stared at the angled ceiling above him. Thoughts of his grandfather, Iethro, ruler of Karn, Braka, guard captain, and his father, Veen, swirled in his head. “One day you’ll regret crossing me.”

  It didn’t take long for sleep to claim him, and he slipped easily into the world of dreams. He was inside the room with the four women from earlier, only he was the male beneath their wanton bodies. He hissed out a breath as one of the females sank down onto him, sheathing him in her slick passage. Before he could speak, a breast was pressed to his lips, and he readily suckled and teased the bright blue nipple.

  He was surrounded by pleasure, enveloped in luscious heat, and enjoying every minute as he thrust upward into the almost delirious woman bouncing on his lap. One by one, he reduced them to quivering heaps of spent female. As he pumped into the last, he felt ready to explode, her body constricting around him with blissful pressure. He swore loudly as his balls tightened, feeling liquid heat in his veins.

  “Rhuul! Help me! Please, I need you!”

  He shook his head upon hearing the voice of a woman he did not know. He looked at the females, but they appeared to be unaware of anything out of the ordinary. He thrust harder, determined to feel his own release. “I’m—”

  “Rhuul, please! They’re going to kill me!” The voice sounded pained and desperate. It was as clear as a bell, and yet it sounded far away.

  He couldn’t explain it, but he felt an urgency in that moment. His heart beat faster, his breaths quickened, and he pulled himself from the trembling woman above him, pushing her to the side. “Who are you?”

  “Please help me! I can’t keep this up!” Her voice was fading, and for some reason, the gods only knew why, Rhuul was terrified he’d never hear it again.

  “Where are you? Tell me how to find you.” Silence greeted his ears, and he began to panic. In the space of a breath, he’d conjured his swords into his hands. “Answer me!” There was no sound. A quick flap of his wings and he was on his feet. Everything around him turned into darkness, but he ran forward, moving in the direction of the woman’s voice. “Where are you?”

  “Rhuul!” She screamed his name with a voice filled with bloodcurdling agony.

  Rhuul sat up straight, his eyes wide. He was covered in sweat and breathing as if he’d just run a great distance. His swords were in his hands, and he gripped them tight. “I’m in the inn. It was just a dream.”

  He made his weapons disappear, but there was no escaping the dread filling him. He’d never experienced something so strong, and as he lay back in bed, he tried to shake it off. “This realm is playing tricks on me.” He would say anything to alleviate the anxiety racing through his veins. For the first time in his life, he felt something strong for another person. Panic.

  Chapter 2

  “Did you rest well, Avalea?”

  The sound of her captor’s voice jolted her into consciousness, making her aware of the arcs of pain dancing through her arms. She pulled at the chains above her, attached to thick shackles around her wrists. Her skin was raw beneath the heavy metal, and as she struggled, she felt fresh blood trickle down her arms. She’d been hanging there for what felt like days, losing track of time in the underground darkness.

  The sudden light of lanterns being lit made her squint, reminding her how much she missed the suns. Down here, light meant pain, and she was almost at her limit. The small pools of light coalesced, allowing her to see the tomes of binding, still floating around her. The books lay flat in midair, their pages turning on their own as if someone was flipping through them at great speed. As long as those pages were moving, she couldn’t use her powers.

  “I asked y
ou a question. Do I have to repeat it?”

  “If you’re going to kill me, Gali, just do it.” She tried to look defiant as she stared at the blue-skinned Corri walking toward her, but inside, she was terrified, feeling a lump in her throat as her mind tried to prepare her for what he might do next. His white Mohawk gleamed in the firelight, his deep blue eyes shining.

  Corri were wellknown for their thievery. Like the Omala, Corri looked like humans, but their blue skin marked their heritage. For the most part, they were swindlers, troublemakers, and liars, but what made them dangerous was their knowledge of binding. They never worked alone and were avoided at all costs. The towns were the only safe haven for those wanting to steer clear of them. Guards and magical sentinels were trained with special techniques to overcome the tricks of the Corri, keeping the lawbreakers at a safe distance.

  The Corri stalked the areas between the cities, making travel a risk for all. Of course, if onehad the coin, theycould hire Corri to guard themon their journey. One way or another, the ever-prowling Corri were going to get something from everyone.

  “I’m not going to kill you yet. Not until you tell me where my nystrum is.” Gali moved closer, clutching a short, glowing metal rod in his hand.

  She knew why he wanted it, but it didn’t matter; she’d never tell him where it was. It had taken too much effort to steal it back from Gali’s gang, and she wasn’t about to let those efforts be in vain. “You stole the most sacred artifact of my people, and you’re torturing me so you can take it back? Go to hell!” The racing of her heart gave her a head rush as both anger and fear saturated her blood.

  The nystrum was the earth stone of her mother’s tribe. It served as a reminder to her people of their connection to life and their role in preserving nature. The stone had many mystical properties and had been safeguarded since the tribe’s creation hundreds of years ago. Gali had no right to put his filthy blue hands on it, let alone take it from the elders. But he’d managed to acquire it during the Halla, the pilgrimage taken by the elders once every decade.

  The elders were to take the earth stone to the top of the tallest mountain, commune with its energy, and return, prepared to assign new roles and teach new lessons to those in the tribe. Only they never made it to the mountain. Gali and his thugs had ambushed them, binding their powers and taking the stone for themselves.

  They didn’t know Avalea and several others were following a day’s journey behind as attendants to the ritual. It didn’t take long for Avalea’s group to find the elders and follow the trail back to Gali’s stronghold. She’d managed to sneak in and find the stone. Everything was going according to plan until one of her comrades accidentally activated a trap, setting off an alarm and triggering the Corri to use the binding tomes around the perimeter of the encampment. Avalea had only had enough time to hide the stone before she ran for her life, but she didn’t make it. Her powers had been bound, and she was captured.

  Her eyes were fixed on the rod in Gali’s hands as he inched ever closer. She clenched her teeth and flexed the muscles in her back and belly in preparation for what would come next.

  “You Omala and your relics. You think every rock, patch of dirt, and weed is sacred. I could take a shit in your village and your people would probably get down on their knees to worship it.” He circled her, making her muscles tense even more as she tried to mark his progress each time he moved beyond her field of vision.

  “You will not use our earth stone to power your secret way gate.” In an instant, her body felt as if she’d been struck by lightning, making her jerk and seize.

  “Where is it, half-breed?” He pulled the rod from her side, and she sputtered, her skin burning and stinging.

  He kept up the torture for what she guessed was hours, until it appeared he was bored. Each day had progressed in much the same way. Gali would make threats and use the rod until she either passed out or he was summoned for one reason or another.

  When Gali left, she let her head fall forward, feeling her tears streak down her cheeks. Her throat burned, the result of her shrieks of agony, screaming her pain to Gali’s unfeeling ears. She couldn’t use her powers to free herself, but she could use a connection to communicate.

  Closing her eyes, she slowed her breathing and tried to concentrate. She allowed her mind to reach out, seeking the link to her salvation once again. “Rhuul, can you hear me? I need your help!”

  The ache in her arms had grown into a pain that felt as if her shoulders were separating from her body. She gritted her teeth in an effort to push down her misery. Anything to distract her from her extreme discomfort. “Rhuul, please. You have to help me.”

  “Who are you?”

  The sound of his voice in her thoughts brought fresh tears, and a small smile spread her parched lips. “Rhuul, listen to me. You’re the only one who can help me.”

  “Why? Where are you? How do I find you?”

  “Head east toward the wastelands, but be careful. The Corri will be patrolling there.”She could feel confusion in him along with anxiety. “I don’t have much time. Please, will you come?” There was no response, causing her heart to sink like a stone in a pond. He wouldn’t ignore her, would he? “Rhuul, please. I don’t want to die here!”

  “Who. Are. You?”

  He was hesitating. Part of her couldn’t blame him; the other part of her wanted to slap the taste out of his mouth for not rushing to her aid right away. “My name is, Avalea.” The pages of the books around her turned faster, making loud, fluttering sounds in the empty space. She’d tried to use her powers, feeling the need to extend her feelings to him so he’d know who she was, to make him understand.

  She’d never laid eyes on him, but that wasn’t important. All that mattered was their connection, and she planned to use it to lead him to her. But she’d need to prepare him for what might happen. “The Corri have ways to bind your powers. You won’t be able to rely on magic. They will try to steal from you.”

  “I fear no Corri.” There was anger in his thoughts, boiling like a hot spring, sending small shivers through her muscles.

  Her head began to ache. The strain of reaching so far with her mind wore on her, but she held on long enough to share one more thought. “Please be careful.” A sharp arc of pain snaked a path over her skull, ending in the backs of her eyes, almost blinding her in its intensity. She couldn’t muffle her scream, aggravating her already sore throat.

  The connection severed, leaving her alone with her thoughts in the darkness. “He has to come. He has to.” The flapping of the pages slowed as she dangled in the room. A seed of hope took root inside her, germinating from the first contact with Rhuul and growing into a seedling whose bloom held the promise of freedom. “He will free me. He will make it in time.”

  Hope was a strange feeling as she remained encased in blackness, her body racked with pain. The physical torture was only part of her suffering. Her Omala nature compelled her to feel life around her, to tap into the energy of the life force of plants, rivers, and the animals of the realm. In this place, she was cut off from nature itself, and it made her heart ache. A normal Omala would probably have gone insane by now, consumed with the need to feel the connection. But Avalea wasn’t normal. She was special; at least, that was what her parents had told her.

  She wasn’t just Omala; she was also half elemental. It was that part of her nature that kept her sane, tempering her panic while fueling her with the spirit of vengeance. Oh, she’d have her revenge on Gali for what he’d done, one way or another.

  Those thoughts pushed her focus back to Rhuul, and her face softened. “He will play a part in your punishment, Gali.” She pulled the corner of her mouth into a half smile, laughing inwardly. “I probably look like hell and smell even worse. Not the best of circumstances for a first impression, but he’ll have to accept me.” She laughed again, wincing when her lips cracked. “I may look like the ass end of a wind elemental, but I’m still his kan’na.”

  Kan’na. The ver
y idea of it sent flutters through her stomach, even in the midst of the worst predicament of her life. She didn’t want to, but she couldn’t help picturing Rhuul’s appearance, wondering what he might be. “Anything but a Corri. I’ve had enough of them for one lifetime.” Excitement rose in her, like a burst of air rushing up her body. For a fraction of a second, she forgot the pain, allowing herself the indulgence of anticipation. “Today’s as good a day as any to meet my life mate.”

  Chapter 3

  Rhuul sat up straight, meeting consciousness with swords in hand, and covered in sweat once again. He forced himself to take a few deep breaths, wanting to calm the insistent thump of his heart against his chest. He sent his swords away and stood, running a hand over his head. “This is madness! Why does it feel so real? I don’t know this woman, and yet she calls my name.”

  The need to follow her directions forced him out of the bedroom and into the tiny bathroom. He bathed, his mind mulling over the absurdity of his reaction, but he couldn’t help it. The need to go to this Avalea and keep her safe pushed at every part of his being. Not even the logic of his Eidon half was formidable enough to squelch the urgency he felt. “Why is she in so much pain? Why do I care what happens to a stranger? She may not even be real. But if she is … I have to find these wastelands.”

  He groaned as he made his way back to his bedroom, where he quickly dressed. “Ghena.”

  “Yes?” The fiend galloped in, his muzzle dripping purple juice.

  “You and those damned berries. Aren’t you tired of eating them?” Rhuul shook his head as he slipped his arms into his leather vest.

  “Is there something you needed?” Ghena pulled the back of his hand over his mouth, licking the juices from his fur.