by H. C. Brown
“Not foolish. Did your heart race? Did warmth pool in your secret parts?” Lumos rested his head against her forehead. “I feel this every time I look at you, little one.” He placed a kiss on her forehead. “Do not fight your attraction to me, for it is given by the goddess.”
“Do you want me to be attracted to you? My past does not repel you?” She pulled away and shook her head slowly. “This feeling I have for you is lust, is it not? I think this is a bad thing, Lumos.”
“Let me see.” Lumos held up his fingers. “One, yes, I like you being attracted to me. Two, I have never been repelled by you. And, three, in a relationship a little lust is a good thing. Although what you feel for me at the moment is attraction, lust comes much later.” He grinned. “Happy? Come now, the village is in the next valley and we must keep moving if we are to miss the storm.”
* * * *
After buying supplies and a fine bay gelding in the quiet village, Thalia changed into boy’s clothes in the back of the wagon. The buckskin breeches fitted well, as did the soft, leather boots. The shirts were a little big, but Lumos explained she had to conceal her breasts. She wore the dagger in a sheath on her belt and with her hair tied back in a ribbon and a hat pulled down over her eyes she would pass as a boy. She climbed onto the seat and handed Lumos a handful of fruit and nuts. “I know we are traveling to Drakka, but how do we travel to another realm? And how do you plan to remove the silver bands?”
“So many questions, little one.” Lumos chuckled. “Without magyck, we will travel by the Gates, a device hidden from the Nomags. As soon as I am able, I will teach you how to form a circle of light then we will be able to move through realms a little easier. A circle of light uses a great deal of power and you cannot travel into the unknown with this magyck.”
“Tell me about this circle of light. How does it work?”
“First, you form a circle of light, big enough to move through.” Lumos drew an imaginary circle in the air. “Same as always—see it and it appears—and then comes the difficult part. You must project the image of where you want to go. If you are successful, the scene will form on a shimmering mirror, the same as a Gate. I will explain Gates later.” He smiled. “You must keep the image in your mind and step through.”
She pushed a stray lock of hair behind one ear. “So you must know your destination? I understand. And Gates, how do they work?”
“They look much the same, a shimmery mirror-like surface, but in a Gate the images change frequently in a sequence. You must wait for your destination to appear and then walk through—no magyck required.” Lumos drew a sequence of circles in the air then joined them with a horizontal line. “Circles of light and Gates form a bridge between the realms. This magyck is the normal way to travel. The Gates were created by the ancients many thousands of years ago.”
Enthralled she grinned at him. “How wonderful. Do you have a plan for us to follow? Is there someone in this realm to help you?”
“Our first stop is to find the Lutwych Hag and she lives in a cave at the top of that mountain.” Lumos pointed to the black granite range rising to snow-capped peaks in the distance. “She may be able to point us to a Magus, who practices white magyck, or a dragon capable of undoing the spell that holds me prisoner in these silver bands.” He chewed a handful of dried fruit. “I will need your help indeed, your protection. The Hag will require payment in blood.”
Her stomach squeezed. “I am to give her my blood?”
“No, she is a vampire and Fae blood gives her youth.” Lumos cast a serious look at her. “Without my magyck, she will have control over me and I will need you to prevent her from making me her slave.” He sighed. “You see, some creatures of dark magyck are able to use telepathy. They can make suggestions to you as if they are your own thoughts. She will try to influence you, too. You must learn to shield your mind from her and others who may try to influence you.”
Mind reeling she gaped at him. “Do you mean as if I have conflicting thoughts?”
“Aye, has that happened of late?”
With a long groan, she pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes. Of late, her mind had been indecisive and foggy. “Gods, yes, since I met you. One moment I like you, the next I am afraid or the complete opposite. Am I losing my wits?”
“No, not at all. I would have noticed.”
She swallowed hard, the thought of someone reading her thoughts, controlling her made her sick to the stomach. “Tell me, please how to prevent this happening.”
“Hmm … well, it takes practice, but tell me when this happens again, because if this is the Magus’ meddling, you must try to build a wall around your thoughts. Concentrate and build the wall brick by brick. Soon, you will be able to shield your thoughts and prevent anyone from mindscaping, or dark telepathy.” Lumos smiled and gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “Start at once, slowly, and build one brick at a time.”
She moved closer to him, seeking his protection. “I will, but first tell me how I may help you defeat the Hag.”
“This evening, I will instruct you how to conjure and throw black fire. If she takes more than her due, the fire will stop her. She cannot kill me but if she drains me, I will take a long time to recover—weeks—and you will be left to her … appetite.” Lumos’s mouth turned down and he shuddered. “And I may never be free of her.”
With an effort, she threw off the sudden desire to refuse to learn the spell. “I do believe the Magus is interfering again, but I refuse to do his bidding. Teach me now so he will know I am not his puppet. Do tell, what is black fire?”
“It is a fire that burns like the pits in the Underworld but has no smoke or light.” Lumos regarded her with an intense expression. “It comes from anger, but fear will feed it.”
She contemplated his words and stared into the distance. The sun had dropped behind the mountain range and now the countryside bathed in the glow of twilight. Overhead, birds returned to the trees to nest as owls took flight, searching for food. All around, the countryside heralded the end of summer with an abundance of ripe fruits and the trees slow turning of green to gold.
I wish we could stay here and enjoy this beauty together. She grimaced at her own selfishness. If this plan failed and Lumos remained with her, even with all of nature’s wonder to power her magyck, the Fae would die and it would be her fault. Oh, Cymbeline, why did Lumos listen to my song? I can only be bad luck for him.
She screwed up her nose in concentration. If she could use her anger toward Erik to create black fire and keep Lumos safe, her suffering would have not been in vain. With a sigh, she turned to Lumos. “I have anger, more than I need, I am sure.” She squeezed his strong forearm. “Tell me what I must do.”
“The fire we conjure cannot harm the creator, so form a fireball in your hand.” Lumos pulled Albert to a halt. “Let the fireball spin and then throw it. When you have mastered a fireball, allow it to spin in your hand and pour hate into it until it turns black.” He smiled. “Be careful where you throw black fire, little one. It is better to think it out.”
“Think it out? You will have to explain.”
“How do you put out a fire or stop any magyck spell?” Lumos chuckled. “See the spell, form the spell, see it gone and it is no more. Imagination is a powerful weapon, is it not?” He turned toward her. “Always remember you must never perform magyck in front of a Nomag.”
With a snort, she pulled her cloak tightly around her. “I do believe I have learned that lesson well, Lumos. Now you have shown me how easy it is to control my magyck, I find I am imagining a slow and painful death for Erik and his men.”
“Ah, little butterfly, I know you will not use your magyck to cause death. You must believe me when I tell you your name is not Soul Catcher but, rather, a new beginning. Your future is fresh and new as when a caterpillar turns into a butterfly.” Lumos shook the reins.
“I am not a caterpillar.” She snorted and held out her arms, waving madly. “Look at me! I have arms and l
egs and I am not nibbling on leaves.” She turned and gave him her best, wicked grin. “How do you know that I am not going to turn into an old hag and suck out your soul?”
“Because, my little butterfly, you belong to me.”
Chapter Nine
After sleeping under the stars for three nights, they rose at daybreak, and Lumos turned the wagon onto a well-worn track to travel north. As they climbed higher along the rutted path, the late summer sun did little to heat the cool wind blowing down from the ice-capped mountains. He had noticed a subtle difference in Thalia this morning. The witch often leaned against him, but today she allowed her hand to linger on his thigh. After a gentle mind probe, he found she had managed to build a fragile barrier around her conscious. In consequence, the horrific nightmares she suffered without mention had lessened. He never spoke of the heart-rending cries she uttered in her sleep. He hoped one day she would confide her night terrors to him, or, perhaps, come to him for comfort.
Over breakfast, she had laughed at his silly jokes and the sound had come like music to his ears. Perhaps Thalia had at last decided to trust him or had thrown off the Magus’ influence. The change in her had convinced him the Magus had used dark telepathy to induce insecurities in an effort to keep her under his control. This knowledge left him with another score to settle.
Although she had trembled at the thought of meeting the Hag, she no longer flinched away from his touch. In fact, Thalia often touched him, pushing the hair from his eyes, or brushing crumbs from his shirt. He glanced down at her delicate fingers. The heat from her palm seeped through the thin material of his pants. He smiled. The thought of holding her close and kissing those full, soft lips sent heat pooling in his groin. His cock filled, pressing hard against the front of his pants. Gods, he would scare her off if she noticed his desire. Clearing his throat, he turned to her. “Would you hand me the flask?”
“I see smoke ahead. Is that another village?” Thalia turned to get the water from behind the seat and handed it to him.
He inhaled deeply and grinned. “Aye, I can smell bread baking. We will spend the night there to rest the horses. Mayhap we will find a nice, comfortable tavern to sleep in.” He took the flask and sipped the water. “I think we should sell the wagon and buy another strong horse. This journey has taken longer than I envisaged. We cannot expect Albert to carry us constantly. If we have another horse, we could move more swiftly.”
“I would say buy two more horses and spread the gelding’s load. We will need all the supplies we can carry. I will buy a basket big enough to carry Brew. He will not be able to keep up with us in the snow.” Thalia formed a ball of black fire in her hand. “I am ready to meet the Hag. Are you sure this will not kill her?” She let the spinning ball evaporate and grinned at him. “Or are vampires immortal, too?”
“Yes, they are to a degree. Well, I should say they are the living dead. They can be destroyed by decapitation but not by dark fire.” He smiled. “Only the gods are truly immortal and those beasts of the Underworld.”
He turned to Thalia. Her gaze reflected every emotion, and, with deep regret, he recognized the pain she held within rising again to the surface. He pulled her close. “I am proud of how many magyck spells you have mastered in such a short time. Do not worry, you will easily control the Hag with black fire. She will give up the information we need for a taste of my blood. Vampires are always hungry.”
“It is not her I am worried about. In truth, I fear what will happen next in my life. I have no idea what the future will bring for me. I am alone in this world with no means of survival. Where will I go after you are free to return to Drakka?”
He stared at her incredulous. “I would hope you would decide to stay in Drakka with me.”
“That would be nice.” Thalia let out a long sigh. “I know so little about myself, who my parents are or what being a witch really means. Having magyck is as thrilling as it is disturbing. If I stay with you in Drakka, will you watch me grow old and die or is there a way I can become immortal, too?”
He stroked her cheek wanting to shout “yes” and tell her she was his mate, but how could he? In her fragile state, she would still fear him. He needed desperately to share his joy with her. The moment she tasted his seed, she would change slowly, to become a Dragonfae female. He knew this to be true, because he had seen the fire dancing in her eyes—fire for him. He shrugged, biting down guilt. “I am not sure… I do not know, not yet.”
“Why did you come to my song?”
Gods, not now, Thalia. If I tell you the truth, you will run from me. I cannot lie to you, either. He sucked in a steadying breath. “You called to my dragon. When he is free, everything will become clear.”
“You said the other day that I belonged to you. Do you remember? I have thought about your words for three days now, and it troubles me. Lumos, I do not belong to anyone—I am an orphan.” Thalia gripped his thigh. “Why would you say such a thing?”
A slip of the tongue, sweet butterfly. “You belong to me to protect… You know that, do you not?” Lumos took up the reins and shook Albert into a trot.
“Aye, it is true. You say that often.” Thalia chewed her bottom lip.
“Well then, it must be true… Look, this village has a tavern.” He turned the wagon into the main street. Glad of the chance to change the subject, he smiled. “This place is much larger than I expected. Are you hungry?”
“Aye, I am as hungry as a wolf and I would love to sleep in a real bed for the night. Do we have enough money for a room?” Thalia pulled Brew onto her lap and rubbed his velvet ears.
With effort, he pushed away the image of Thalia lying naked on clean sheets, and cleared his throat. “Perhaps enough coin for one room, although we have need of a horse more than comfort for one night. I will sleep in the barn.”
“If we are to sleep under the same blanket in the mountains, it makes no difference if you share a room with me now, does it? I have no reputation to spoil, after all.”
Pulling his cloak across his legs to cover his rampant desire, he gritted his teeth. He had to keep her warm in the mountains so he might just as well practice his self-control between clean sheets. The dragon roared, insisting the time to mate drew near.
By the gods, dragon, do not push me. I will not rush her, she is still human and will not survive mating. You must know my control is very near the end. Your insistence to claim her before she is ready will lose her to us forever. Do you want that?
“Mine … Thalia is mine, Lumos. She will not refuse because Cymbeline has given her to us. Just one kiss and she will be our mate.” The seductive voice of the Nightdragon purred in Lumos’s head.
End your cajoling, Dragon, for it will get you nowhere. I will not mate her until she is Fae.
“Lumos?”
Pushing the dragon from his mind, he turned to Thalia. He forced a smile. “That is very kind of you. The ground has become very hard of late.”
“I will be glad to sell the wagon as it holds bad memories for me.” Thalia smiled wistfully. “Although I would never have met you if my fa—the king had not banished me.” She curled a strand of his hair around her finger. “Do you believe in fate?”
A bolt of erotic lightning hit him from the simple touch of Thalia’s gentle touch on his hair. She could not know a Fae’s hair, unlike Nomags, held sensation, and to cut one strand would bring great pain, to caress was an intimacy of lovers. He closed his eyes against wave after wave of intense desire throbbing through him. Her feminine allure filled his nostrils. How could he fight his overpowering need? His skin burned. The dragon hovered beneath the surface, egging him on to take the witch to mate. He forced open his eyes to answer. “I believe the goddess sent me to you. I burn for you, little butterfly, and my arms ache to hold you close.” He sighed. “I understand this is something abhorrent to you, so we will speak no more about it.”
“My dearest Lumos, you are not at all horrid to me… Gods, you are the most beautiful male I have ever seen.
” Thalia dropped her gaze. “I would be honored if you would hold me tonight. I know I will be safe in your arms.”
No, you will not, sweet butterfly. One kiss and you will be mine. I cannot allow that to happen. Not until you change into Fae. First, my sweet, I must teach you how to love.
“Then promise me one thing. I must have your word you will not kiss my mouth. I beg you not to kiss me, not until you want all of me, little butterfly, for I am still a male and driven by passion.”
“But a kiss is a beautiful thing… I do not understand.” Thalia frowned.
He chuckled. “A Faerie’s kiss holds a potent aphrodisiac, little one. My kiss will make you want me and I need your decision not to be one driven by lust. I want you to come to me freely, when you are ready to take that step, or not at all.”
“Then I promise to do as you say. Gods, you are an honorable man, Lumos.” Thalia patted his thigh.
Gods, I am trying to be.
* * * *
In the stables beside the tavern, Thalia rested one finger on her chin in thought then walked around the two horses. The black warhorse tossed his head and eyed her suspiciously. She turned to the trader.
“A warhorse holds allegiance to his owner. How did you come by this beast?”
“I found him on a battlefield standing guard over a knight. Both were injured. I tended the knight, but he died. I have had this beast ever since. He is sound but needs a firm hand… A man’s hand.” The horse trader glanced at Lumos. “This is not a safe horse for a woman, good sir.”
“He will suit. We will take the pair of them.” Lumos reached for his purse. “Then we have a deal?”
“Aye, good sir, we do. I will have them and your other mounts ready to travel by first light.”
Thalia pointed to Brew. “This is my cat. He will remain with the draft horse. He will empty your stable of rats this eve.”
“Well then, he will be most welcome.”