The Elfmaid's Curse (The Elfmaid Trilogy Book 1)

by Warren Thomas

  Faiser chuckled, and started kissing and licking his way up her body.

  "I know. I've had several women tell me how much that hate the way I make them feel in bed," he said. After kissing and sucking on her neck and lips a long moment, he guided his erection to her nether lips, and pushed just the head into her and held it there. Then he seized her wrists and pressed them to either side of her head. He locked eyes with her, as she panted and writhed. "You are mine, Danica. You will give me anything I want, when I want it, for the rest of this trip. Even if we find water, and you somehow manage to acquire a bladder to carry it. Agreed?"

  That made her head spin even more than his touch had already caused. Faiser wanted her word, her commitment. He would bind her to him, so there was no escaping her fate in his bedroll.

  "I agree, as long as you don't deny me or my horse the water we need."

  Faiser thrust half his length into her. Danica gasped, back bowing, as she stared up into his triumphant eyes. She lost her breath when he lowered his face to hers, stopping so that his lips brushed her as he spoke.

  "Agreed. Sealed with a kiss."

  He tilted his face, lips parting for that kiss.

  Danica tilted her face the other direction, her voice a breathy whisper. "Sealed with a kiss."

  They both groaned as he lowered his lips into hers. Danica wrapped her legs around him as he pushed deep into her. His body hot and sweaty pressed against hers, his lips stroked and caressed hers. She couldn't believe how much she enjoyed kissing him, or how great he felt pumping into her. Then her body changed, and she knew she was really going to enjoy it.

  "Just like that," she gasped out when he final released her lips, and kissed his way around to her ear. He kissed and nuzzled her ear, then played with the point with his tongue. Danica thrust her hips up into his thrusts, desperate to get him deeper, harder, faster. "Lyss be praised. Please, just a little longer…Uuuggh."

  As Faiser pumped into her a bit harder and faster, starting to show the signs he was about to come, they were interrupted by the sound of hooves down the trail. Danica looked up, expecting to see nomadic tribesmen charging in to enslave her. Instead, she saw Lana riding down the trail towards them.

  "Go away!" Faiser cried through clenched teeth. "Leave us be!"

  "Danica, we found the oasis and it has water!" Lana said. She watched him a moment longer. "But it appears I'm too late with that news."

  "You knew!" Danica cried, eyes fierce.

  "No," he said, still humping frantically. "But I didn't want to take the chance. I wanted you bound to me that bad."

  She felt worse than stupid. Did Faiser come back to take full advantage of her, knowing her salvation was but minutes away? Did it really matter?

  "You…are such…ugh…a bastard," Danica gasped out to his hard thrusts. Suddenly he gasped, thrust in deep and held it. She felt him coming inside her, but she wasn't finished. "Damn you, Faiser, keep going! I'm almost there!"

  "Lusty wench!" Lana cried, and laughed. "Fuck her, Faiser! Fuck her crazy and she'll come back for more, more, more!"

  Danica had a few sharp words for Lana, but Faiser reclaimed her lips as he started thrusting into her again. She bucked and writhed and cried out inarticulately as he pushed her closer and closer.

  The sweetest hot, tingly sensations flowed into her thighs…

  "Yes! Sweet Lyss! Yes!" she cried as her body erupted, pure pleasure washing through her.

  * * * * *

  Danica leaned back against the still warm boulder, grateful for its added heat. She wore the black wool cloak she had bought from Abdul to fend off the cold night air. The moon was coming into its last quarter. It lit the desert night well enough to travel if need be. She alternated between staring at the fire and the constellation the Archer.

  The stars had always fascinated her, but tonight even they couldn't drive away the feelings of despair. She submitted to Faiser on the trail. Now she was his woman, pretty much his to command. Part of her was horrified and disgusted. Another, deeper, baser part of her was thrilled.

  Have I always been this sick, or did Talar truly curse me?

  She'd been in the oasis for many hours. Faiser had come to her three more times, demanding sex. Her throat tightened as she remembered each time. She'd so wanted to defy him, to deny him. She did not. Danica gave Faiser her word on the trail. So she gave him what he wanted.

  Danica licked her lips, mouth dry, as she remembered how he tasted. How he always started with her sucking him. The first time he came to her in the oasis, she had to suck him until he came in her mouth. She wasn’t sure she'd ever get that taste out of her mouth.

  Later, as she bathed in a smaller sand bottom pool, off the main water supply, he came to her. They spent a lot of time doing wicked things to and with each other. The others in their group watched it all. And then right after sunset he rolled out his bedroll and took her again.

  That was several hours back, and it was time to go to bed. Faiser was across the camp, watching her intently.

  Looks like I'm about to get all hot and sweaty again, she thought as she stretched.

  "Son of a...Dragon!" Treena cried from her post as camp guard.

  Danica was immediately on her feet, sword out. Peering into the darkness, she tried to spot the dragon, wondering how big it was. Sand dragon attacks were swift and vicious. Their wide padded feet allowed them to sprint across sand and stone alike, with speeds rivaling that of a race horse. Their normal prey were the herds of wild camel, so a tender-fleshed human meal must seem like a godsend to them.

  Though small as other breeds of dragons went — they rarely grew larger than a full grown man, excluding the tail — they were tireless hunters and voracious eaters. Though dragons had a reptilian look, they were hot-blooded and needed more food more often to survive than reptiles. A sand dragon's sharp teeth and claws could easily rip through armor, if any of Danica's group was wearing any. Indeed, sand dragon teeth and claws were consider holy by some desert tribes, and were thought to bring good luck to those who wore them.

  "There it is," Faiser shouted, pointing to Danica's left. It wasn't a big one, maybe weighing in at thirty pounds tops, but Danica figured it could wreak havoc within their undisciplined ranks. "He's coming straight for us."

  "Probably smells the horses," Lana said.

  "He's not very big," Danica said. "We shouldn't have any trouble running him off."

  Faiser picked up a fist-sized rock and hurled it at the beast. The rock struck it in the side, causing the dragon to snap at the air to it left. The dragon paused, testing the air to its left. Sand dragons had a keen sense of smell, but poor eyesight.

  Danica picked up a rock and threw it. Others quickly joined them and soon a deadly rain of stones was pelting the dragon. The beast, not smart enough to understand from where the danger came, tried to escape the stoning by racing toward the oasis. Men, women, and horses screamed as the little monster ran into their camp. It snapped viciously at the men and women darting in, trying to skewer it with their swords, all wishing for a good hunting spear.

  Danica stood between the dragon and the horses, sword presented threateningly. She started a silent prayer of thanks as the sand dragon veered away from her and headed for the safety of the open desert, but Faiser leapt in its way and struck it in the head with his sword. The dragon's thick armored hide saved it from the sharp edge of his blade, but not without a painful cut. Turning away from the looming threat, it headed straight for Danica and the horses.

  Knowing better than use the edge of her blade against such an enemy, Danica charged forward and brought the tip of her sword straight down through the sand dragon's triangular, horned head. Releasing the hilt, she jumped back as the dragon thrashed about on the ground in its death throes, surrounded by relieved warriors.

  "Well met, Danica!" Lana cried, clapping her on the back. "At least someone knows how to kill the little buggers."

  Danica looked at Faiser and smiled wide. "The secret is
using the point. The blade's edge is useless against them."

  Faiser frowned. "I knew that, but forgot myself in the excitement."

  "Well, the excitement's over folks," Lana said, taking charge as usual. "Let's all bed down now. Tomorrow is going to be another day like today."

  Faiser's head shot up, turning to look at Danica with fierce eyes. She swallowed hard, fearing what she must do. Really, afraid of her own feelings and reactions to all he did to her. Danica nodded, and grimaced as her body started preparing for what was about to happen.

  Gods, look at me, in one afternoon he's turned me into some wanton wench, eager to be bedded, she thought. I swear, Talar had to put some kind of spell on me before he sold me.

  "Come along, Danica," Faiser called. "This time we're going to do it until we both pass out with exhaustion."

  All eyes turned to a suddenly defensive Danica, who stood over the dead sand dragon staring at Faiser.

  "That won't take much for me," she said. "You've already worn me out four times today. I can't believe you still want more."

  "You're the most beautiful woman I ever had. I can't get enough of you."

  Oddly, his words of praise did strike home. Her sex ached, throbbed with need. As her heart rate increased, it became harder to breathe. It was embarrassing how much she enjoyed it, how much she wanted it.

  "You're a pig," she said.

  "I noticed how much you enjoy eating pork," he said, wagging his brows.

  Danica bit her lip as memories of sucking him off filled her mind. The taste. The smell. The feel of his meat filling her mouth. It all stirred something she'd have rather kept pushed deep down and unfound. It wouldn't be so bad if they had some privacy. As it was, they would go at each other in full view of the rest. Many of them would watch, too.

  Faiser pulled off his shirt, and then sat on his bedroll to pull off his boots and trousers. Danica watched, both drawn to him and repulsed.

  I hate him for how he makes me feel!

  She kicked angrily at the dead dragon then lifted her head proudly. She would bed down with the sleazy dog if she must, in front of the Gods and everyone, but she would find a way to make him sorry he used her so shamelessly.

  "Danica," Treena called. "I'll give you twenty crowns copper for the dragon."

  She paused to consider. It was she who killed the beast, so she owned it. The skin of the sand dragon was highly prized in the desert cultures. Especially among the nomads. It was almost imperious to water, making the perfect water bladder for the hot desert. Treena could likely get a full crown silver for it in Tamera. And an equal amount for its scales, teeth, and claws. Danica could use that kind of coin herself, but it would be an arduous task to properly skin the dragon so its skin wasn't punctured anywhere except the feet and neck. The more holes the less it would bring.

  "Great Gods!" Danica cried, facing lighting up. "The dragon belongs to me, so I now have a water skin. The Gods have surely blessed me."

  "That doesn't change our agreement," Faiser said.

  She met his gaze for a long moment. "I know."

  Faiser laid down, not looking too happy, as several Amazons came over to congratulate her on her good fortune. After they left to bed down, Danica dragged her prize over close to the small fire of dried horse and camel droppings. In the ruddy light she first pulled all the dragon's teeth, then cut off its head and all four feet. Setting those aside, she began the difficult task of pulling off all his hard, smooth scales one by one. The desert folk believed ground dragon scales both increased sexual stamina and made men more fertile. With the scales off, she began the task of skinning the dragon.

  Starting at the severed head, she slowly peeled back the skin as she cut the underlying meat away. Working by herself and not having a tree to hang the carcass from made her job much more difficult. The oasis didn't even have the customary date palms. It was little more than a dozen tepid pools of water scattered among a jumble of boulders.

  Taking her shovel, she dug a shallow pit to bury the dragon's remains. Desert etiquette commanded that all oases be kept clean and in the same condition found. Besides, dragon meat was taboo. Indeed, no one ate the flesh of any predator.

  After turning the skin inside out, she carefully scraped away any remaining tissue. She couldn't use the skin right away as a water bladder, but she could start the curing process. By the time they reached Tamera the skin would be ready. And if not, she could trade it with a few coins for a good water skin.

  Finally scraped clean to her satisfaction, she drew water from the small pool at the base of the rocky overhang and started rinsing off the skin. With brush, water, and sand she scrubbed the skin inside and out. Finally, she salted and rolled it up. Only then did she take a quick bath and head for Faiser's bedroll.

  He was waiting. Faiser waited for her to strip, and then lifted the blanket as she slipped in beside him. Danica's lover didn't give her time to even breathe before he claimed her lips. His hands were all over her, and soon her mind was as open as her body to his every desire.

  Chapter 14

  The troupe of mercenaries gave a heartfelt cheer as they crested the last ridge of the low sandstone mountains and beheld Tamera on the eastern horizon. It was little more than a hazy white mountain in the center of a stark valley, but it was still the most beautiful sight any of them could hope to see at the moment. It was a gleaming promise of rest and cool drink, of succor from the relentless sun and heat of the desert.

  Picking up the pace, they hurried down the gentle slope toward the ancient city. As they grew nearer more detail could be discerned. Tamera sat upon a lone hill in the flat flood plain of an ancient dead river. A hill made up of past cities, each built upon the rubble of the previous until now the city sat some twenty feet higher than the surround territory. The defensive walls were a good thirty feet high atop the hill, whitewashed with three black tile stripes running parallel to and below the crenellations. Great round towers were evenly spaced along their length.

  Aside from the soaring city of minarets and domed palaces behind the impressive white walls, what drew most of their attentions were the three aqueducts radiating out and northward from the city. The ruins of four others could also be seen. But the three remaining aqueducts were things of legend, many considering them one of the Wonders of the World. None had been built since before the War of the Gods, the necessary skills and engineers lost along with the ancient Tyrasillian Empire that spawned them. The best the Tamerans could do now was maintain what was left.

  Each aqueduct was, in fact, an enclosed canal, a great elevated stone pipe, carrying a small river of water to supply the city and her surrounding farms. Danica had seen aqueducts in the Jarlands, all in ruins, but they had been different in that they carried the water open to the sky. However, in the desert heat most of the precious water would be lost to evaporation that way. As it was, the three aqueducts barely provided enough water for the city during the late summer months, forcing them to tap into their cisterns of hoarded water blasted deep underground by magic long ago. Unlike most desert cities, Tamera wasn't built atop an oasis, supplying it with a steady water supply through underground aquifers.

  Danica rode near the front of the line of riders, behind Lana and Treena. As usual, Faiser stuck close behind her. His dark eyes never seemed to stray from her for long.

  After twenty-one days with the man, Danica was eager to be rid of him. He made her feel things she didn't want to feel. Do things she didn't want to do with a man, and enjoy it all way too much. Unfortunately, Faiser now had delusions they should stay together. He wanted her to join the mercenary company with him, and go to fight Brajar's wars.

  Faiser spurred up to ride beside Danica, then regarded her a moment before saying, "In Tamera, I will go straight to the Warrior's Hall and sign up with the company. I really want you to come with me, Danica. We're so good together."

  She gave him a sharp look.

  "Well, we're good together as long as you're boning me," she
said. "We don't really have anything else in common. Besides, you're only interested in me because I'm noble born."

  "That was true at first, but I've learned to appreciate you, to actually — ."

  She knew what he was going to say, and had to stop it. Just knowing what he felt, what he wanted, sent chills up her spine. It made her resolve waver.

  "Don't say it!" she said, glowering at him. Anger helped her banish the other, deeper, scarier feelings she harbored for him. It shored up her resolve, focused her mind on the ultimate goal. "You know I can't make any commitments, and I will not have you pressure me with vows of love and adoration." She glanced at Tamera, and then at the heavens. "I am on a quest for vengeance."

  "I will help you," he said.

  It was tempting. So damned tempting. She did not want to do this alone. Danica didn't want to be alone, but if she stayed with him any longer, she felt she'd lose the "Danic" in her, and truly become "Danica."

  "No. Believe me, you really don't want to," she said. "There are things you don't know about me. Things I don't want you to ever know." Her skin goose-fleshed, and she trembled a second. Her voice sounded strained when she continued, "Besides, my quest is a dark one, and will end in death. Probably mine."

  It was the same conversation they'd had at least once a day for the past five days, ever since Faiser broached the idea of making their relationship permanent. To her dismay, she had considered it for a brief time. She questioned her goal, if it was attainable or even worth the pain and effort.

  "I don't care," Faiser said.

  "I do," she said. "Our relationship ends here, Faiser. I didn't think I would, but I enjoyed our time together." She frowned at him, hating how guilty he was making her feel. "You taught me a lot about…sex. About myself. Mostly about sex."

  He grinned. "It was the best I ever had. You enjoy sex more than any woman I ever met." He leaned over and kissed her. "You are the only woman to ever make me care. I'll miss you."