Sylfic

by Kenna Bardot

  Not to mention that to have that would mean losing the males I valued, and would mean all the sacrifices I’d made were for nothing. I couldn't let that happen, because the things they'd put me through had to have meaning. I needed to cling to my relationship with them even beyond the fact that I loved them, so I did.

  But I let Lathyn charm me, let him make me laugh and feel alive again after the disastrous and maddening emotional pit I'd fallen into following the last two Trials. But I didn't feel a single spark with him, none of the chemistry that even one look at any of my five could bring to life.

  Life with him wouldn't be torturous. It might even be fairly content. But what it wouldn't be was love, a fact that Mireyah Majele of Caprice’s vision had admitted to me without words. While he seemed to think I would forget the way they made me feel, I knew to the depths of my soul that there would be no chance of me ever forgetting my bond with each of them. Emotionally, sexually. They'd changed me forever.

  Each of them offered me something different that it felt like I couldn't live without.

  And Lathyn was only one man. How could one man who respected me ever hope to compete with five who loved me?

  As much as his words might have been pretty, he wasn't in love with me. He knew it; I knew it.

  I would be an acquisition for him. Someone promising to stand at his side and match him in his mind. I hoped there would come a day when someone came and shook his world to its core, making him want and crave and love so fiercely that he would sacrifice everything he'd built for her or them.

  It just wasn't

  ✽✽✽

  After five hours together, Lathyn sighed, standing from his spot at the table and holding out a hand for me. Given the fact that our conversation had gone much more smoothly than I could have expected, I accepted it. I knew without a doubt that he had meant no harm. If Ashric hadn't been in the picture, I probably would have begged him to bow out and leave me to my men. But with Ashric in the mix, those circumstances trapped me, and I had nowhere to go.

  "I regret, again, that I hurt you with what I said in front of the wives," he murmured, lifting my hand to kiss it gently like the gentleman I suspected he truly was under normal circumstances. There just seemed to be something about me and my denials and fights that brought out the predator in men. I would have analyzed it further, but at this point it would do me no good. The damage was done and soon enough I'd be someone's wife.

  The fact that I didn't know who I'd be married to was horrifying.

  When he stood, he guided me off the ice and to the doors where Colm waited. I expected he would let go of me once we'd made it off the slippery surface, but he insisted on holding it. I narrowed my eyes at him and tugged it gently in warning. "You don't want to push this, Lathyn," I whispered as we approached the doors. "They won't take well to you touching me."

  He chuckled, only gripping my hand tighter. "The last I checked you didn't belong to them. At this moment, you are just as much mine as you are theirs." I wanted to be angry with him, but the words weren't said in a crude way. There was a gentle affection in his gaze, as if he dared me to show otherwise when we both knew that his words were true despite my feelings.

  "Maybe according to tradition, but they've had me. They've been inside me and slept beside me. You've never had those things, so even if you were to set my personal feelings aside-"

  "Perhaps we should remedy that then. If or should I say when I win the next round, I'd like you to consider exploring our physical relationship. I hadn't wanted to push you into something you weren't ready for, but you should know how you feel about me before the end of this process. Before you offer your input to the Gods who will make the final decision." I stilled, feeling my body go solid. "Don't answer. Just think about it." He gave me another tug as I nodded, even though I knew I wouldn't consent to that while there was any chance of hope that I could be with my men, and I let him lead toward the open doors.

  ✽✽✽

  Shephard

  Waiting for Mireyah after her time with Lathyn was an entirely different thing than waiting after her time with Ashric. With Ashric, my main concern was that he might have hurt her, that he might have put his hands on my woman without her permission. I’d seen the damage he’d done to Annalee, and while most of the others brushed it off, I saw it for what it was.

  I saw the way it showed the dark obsession he felt for Mireyah. That he would injure her attacker in the exact way Mireyah was injured - it was almost similar to what I’d wanted to do to her.

  I just wouldn’t have fucked her when I finished.

  He reacted like someone had hurt his possession, although Mireyah had never been and would never be his.

  Lathyn, on the other hand, was different, and I knew he wouldn’t hurt my Snow. The threat he posed was much more likely to be by charming her away from us, by tempting her with the promise of a stable life - of a life with a Sire who would instantly propel her to the upper echelon of the Gods. With anyone else, I wouldn’t have bothered to Declare against Lathyn Majele. Only Mireyah was worth the battle, and she was the only one who I had faith loved us enough not to be tempted away.

  It didn’t mean he wouldn’t try. Ashric’s absence gave us a bit of a reprieve, letting us be more ourselves as we waited, but we still didn’t speak. Colm’s presence wasn’t welcome. Not when we all knew just how strongly he advocated that Mireyah choose against us.

  By the time they finally appeared in the doorway, I’d mostly convinced myself that Mireyah had never, and would never, be tempted by the material things he could offer her. Love was the most important thing to her. Her love for her family and her love for us. But the sight of the dazed look on her face as Lathyn clutched her tiny hand in his was enough to send me over the edge. She looked so tiny standing next to him, much the same as she must have looked next to me considering how similarly we were built.

  Lathyn gave me a knowing look, lifting her hand to his mouth and pressing a lingering kiss to it.

  "Take your hand off her," I growled, and I watched the rest of the men go solid at the threat in my menacing voice. Lathyn made no move to drop her hand, just turned mocking eyes to me briefly before his attention shifted back to Mireyah.

  "Please consider my offer for after my next victory, Mireyah. I would very much enjoy getting to know you better," he whispered, and the intimacy in his voice made her shiver. My world narrowed down to his hand on hers, on the touch that I hadn’t permitted. I shared her with the others, but I would never share her with Lathyn Majele.

  Rage flooded me, wiping out all logic that he dared to touch her in front of us.

  I lunged and nearly landed a punch on Lathyn, who didn't bother to defend himself. "No!" Mireyah shrieked.

  Ryle caught my hand at the last moment, stopping my fist from connecting. Like a photo frozen in time, Lathyn smirked at me around my fist where Ryle held it only inches from his face. Immediately, regret became a tangible pulse inside me. The horror of what I’d almost done with my impetuous possessiveness.

  Because while I didn't know what the consequences would be, I knew it went against the rules of Sylfeshire to strike another God.

  Violence of any kind wasn't tolerated in that peaceful place that had been borne out of love and a desire to create life.

  Lathyn smirked at me. "Thank you for proving my point, Tempestas. I have tried to convey to Mireyah just how unsuitable the group of you would be as her Sires. Given your propensity to violence, I should think she would have very little tolerance for it since she's made it clear many times she respects life in all its forms." He dropped her hand, leaning in to press one last antagonistic kiss to her cheek.

  “You tried to have them disqualified.” She turned accusing eyes up to him. I could see the disbelief in her face, the way she’d reluctantly come to respect Lathyn was written there. Perhaps I’d been wrong to think he couldn’t tempt her away from us, but his underhanded act had shown her his true colors.

  “They don�
�t deserve you. I’ll do whatever I must to show you that,” he answered with an unapologetic stare. The way his blue eyes stared into her, I could feel how true the words were. He truly would do anything.

  “That should be my choice to make,” she hissed, holding her palm against her heart, her hand clenching into a fist as she gritted her teeth.

  “It would be a mistake,” he said firmly before turning his attention to Colm. "Until next time," he said as he turned to the head of Sylfeshire where he watched in all his pissed off glory. When Colm nodded, Lathyn left the house in a sweep of drama and his messy electric blue waves trailed behind him ever so slightly, just gracing his shoulder.

  I wanted to strangle him, but even in my hatred - I still believed he did it because he thought it best for Mireyah. He seemed to be under the impression that she didn't know exactly how cruel we could be.

  Perhaps we needed to remedy that to cure him of his impression that Mireyah was some naïve idiot. I had the feeling that telling him we’d taken away her will to fight the first time we fucked her might quell his opinions of her being deceived.

  Mireyah turned to me, giving me a glare as Ryle and I dropped our hands. "Fighting amongst competitors in Sylfeshire is an automatic loss in the next test," Colm said, answering the question I'd wanted the answer to.

  "You would have left me to Ashric and Lathyn, because of your foolish temper." She snarled at me, crossing my arms over my chest. "Control it. You cannot afford to be disqualified from the Final Trial." Her voice sounded soft, and I knew that she was losing faith. That she no longer felt confident that she would be ours in the end. "He touched my hand. Kissed my hand. When you feel stabby next time, try to imagine what he'll touch and what he’ll kiss should he win me. Use that knowledge to control yourself.”

  I winced, scuffing my feet even as my fist and jaw clenched in anger. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I won't risk you like that again."

  She nodded, letting me step forward to tug her into my arms. I enjoyed the way her body felt wrapped inside mine and loved it even more when Hollis stepped up behind her and hugged her there. By the time she moved to hug Charolais and the twins, the frayed edges of my anger had faded to exhaustion.

  The not knowing was getting to me, wearing on me. I'd spent five years in limbo, waiting for Mireyah to be ours again. I was ready for it to be over.

  Ready to take her home.

  ✽✽✽

  Mireyah

  I rubbed my hand over my forehead and sighed once again before throwing a tired look at the guys. Off to the side, Colm raised an eyebrow at me and crossed his arms over his chest before he leaned against the doorjamb. It was like he was settling in for something and whatever it was, it would intrude on any private time I might have wanted to spend with my men.

  Truth be told, even if we could wing it, I would not want to actually take advantage of it. I spun around and took a gander at the area around the guys. "What, no Ashric?"

  Colm spoke up from his position before any of my guys could, "Ashric Tovenaar seemed to think it not in his best interests to wait for you here. Although he said he was looking forward to winning more time with you after the next and Final Trial."

  I chuckled, realization dawning on me. "Ah. He's not keen on waiting around with these five then, I assume. Don't you have him shaking in his boots, Charolais?"

  My white-haired male’s right eyebrow winged up at my address, but he just shrugged before answering casually, "He knows I'm not too fond of him nor of the way he behaves. For a Northerner, he is too vulgar." Behind him, Colm snorted, and I could even see Hollis’ amused smile. Charolais' voice pitched louder, "As I was saying before I was interrupted, vulgar, and that's in a region that doesn't put paid to too much vanity unlike others."

  I laughed at the almost comical look of horror on Colm's face. I could almost feel how close they were to a regional war, so I took a subtle step forward to catch their attention. "Well, you waited around so thank you." I stepped towards Charolais to give his cheek a chaste kiss under Colm's watchful eyes. It was done almost defiantly, but I didn't much care what he would think.

  Charolais' hand wrapped around my arm. "Are you okay, Mireyah? There's something in your eyes. I can't quite pin it."

  Tate, a silent observer until that point, piped up, "There's something stirring inside you, Mireyah. Char's right. There's something there."

  "I wish you wouldn't read me as easily as if you were picking up a book, Tate Nastroj." I held up a hand to stop whatever angry tirade Shep had been about to launch into just to my right. "It's not what we could call a good time, is it? It's only right that my feelings reflect that. No more anger," I added, turning to address Shep. I took a step in his direction and, running a hand down the side of his face, gave him an equally chaste kiss as I had given Charolais.

  Before he could draw me in further, I stepped around him to run a hand through Tate's shiny silver hair. "No reading. Let me keep some things to myself. There are things that you can't fix, darling. Okay?" I held his gaze, not relenting until he let out a sigh and gave me a reluctant nod. "Good boy."

  "Big man," I said as I turned towards Tate's twin, who walked up to stand just beside Tate. "Relax." I reached up to squeeze his biceps and giggled.

  And then I turned towards Hollis. "And you. You brought me here. Not too long to go, and we'll be on to our next step. Behave."

  He shrugged and shot me that cheeky smile, too handsome to be legal. "What? When have I ever had a reputation of misbehaving, Mireyah?"

  "Oh, you were born to misbehave and be naughty, Hollis. You Svadenis were." I shot Colm a smile, and he gave me an insulted look in return.

  "I'll see you guys in the next Trial. I believe in you all. And I have faith in all of us. Before long, we’ll be together as we should be. No more temper tantrums, or at least not until you’re my Sires. Then you can do whatever you want and pommel even someone who makes the stupid mistake of looking at me too long." I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and moved to walk off.

  "Wait." I heard Shep take a step to follow me so I held up a hand to stop him.

  "Wait for what?"

  "I think what Shephard is trying to ask is, are you really leaving already?" This from Charolais who, even though he sounded and looked casual, I knew the inflections in his tone well enough to know that he was already at the edges of his temper. It was how he sounded anytime he would put someone through their paces and torture the shit out of them.

  For pleasure.

  He always loved it when he did it for the pleasure and I could very much feel how tempted he was to give in to his vices on me. Much as he loved me, he seemed perfectly willing to fuck me up at that moment because he wasn't too pleased with me.

  "Anyway, to answer your question so lovingly translated by our darling Charolais," I answered, addressing Shep as I did so, "yes, I'm going. I'm tired, and I'd like to sleep. There's nothing we can do here, in any case." My gaze cut to Colm, who was busy trying to pretend he wasn't there.

  But he was. And he was such a sore reminder about what was going on in my current life. And the truth of the matter was, I didn't really want to be there. Not with them or with anyone.

  "I'll see you next time." And I walked off without looking back at them. I didn’t let myself consider that they might lose the Final Trial. I’d go crazy if I did.

  Chapter 28

  Mireyah

  "Mireyah?" a voice called out after knocking on my bedroom door. It wasn't a familiar voice, so I wondered who was visiting early in the morning.

  "One second!" I called out as I pinned my hair up in place before I walked over to the door and pulled it open. A tiny woman with muted pink hair stood there. An attendant. “Hello, can I help you?”

  She nodded with a smile. "Yes, miss. Sir Colm is asking that you go to his office. He wishes to speak with you." She paused as I digested the information. "Do you need me to escort you, miss?"

  My brows furrowed together as I thought of Colm, even
as I shook my head distractedly at the tiny woman. "No, no. I know where it is, but thank you. Did he want me to go now?"

  I walked the short journey to Colm’s office at a steady pace, getting there within minutes. Knocking on the door, I waited until I heard Colm's voice ask me to enter. I did so as quickly as I could and stood there, just a step beyond his closed door. "You summoned me then?"

  "Ah, Mireyah, yes. Wonderful." Colm pointed to the chair by his desk, and I walked over to it and sat down. It was a comfortable chair, like he didn’t fear his visitors would stay longer than necessary because they were made to feel welcome by good seating.

  "You may wonder why I've asked you to come."

  He nodded, and I nodded right back at him. "The thought crossed my mind, Colm."

  "You know perfectly well that I care about Sylfeshire and the Sylfes in it whose welfare I stand for and look after. You understand this?" He shot me a serious look, and I wondered if I had, at any point, made it seem like I didn't believe that Sylfeshire needed him.

  Because quite the contrary.

  "Yes, I understand. The truth of the matter is that I was very apprehensive about coming here from Godsvail. Even more than I had been going to Godsvail as a human. That was more blind fury than apprehension. However, the way you handle things here is done in a way that makes it obvious just how much you care about us. We are still encouraged to please and pleasure the Gods who come to visit but it's not as horrid as I had thought it would be." I let out a breath and smiled at him, happy to oblige him. I was fond of the God.

  "Thank you. I'm glad you understand, which is why I hope you take it in the way I mean it, but how certain are you that the Vide, Tempestas, Karfi, Nastroj and Svadeni all together would suit you? I gather that it's thrilling to have all those men slather attention all over you, but you have to think of your future. A future with Lathyn will guarantee that you will live a good life. He is well-established and respected and he will help you in the plans I know are brewing inside your head."