My body and mind were exhausted and I fell asleep on the bed before I realized I had even lain down. I woke up sometime later, though I wasn’t sure what time of day it was or how many days later it was. I ate some dried meat and then walked to the window. It was pitch black, but I somehow knew it was day time. I walked back to bed and fell asleep again until the sounds of snarling ogres woke me.
The rain pounded against the roof, making an eerie song in the dark. The night sky was black with rain clouds, not even the moon or a star shining through. I looked out the window and waited for the flash of lightning to expose the scene in front of me. Thunder rumbled and then a bolt of lightning appeared.
At least fifty ogres stood amongst the trees, snarling at me and frothing at the mouth. I cursed and kicked the chair beside me. I could handle fifty ogres if I was fully healed, but I yet had a swollen leg and a large cut on my sword hand. I might be able to kill them all, but I had no idea what I was capable of in my current state.
If only I hadn’t argued with Favian. If I had kept my mouth shut and not lied to him then he would be here. I regretted my decision, but I would not be able to correct it now.
I grabbed my sword and held it in my left hand. I would just have to try my hardest and hope that by some massive miracle I survived. I grabbed three light sticks and snapped them, turning them on. I opened my front door and tossed the light sticks in a triangle out in the center of the yard. This way I could see partly around me while they attacked.
The ogres growled happily as I hobbled out of the protection of my house and into the downpour of rain. I gripped my sword tighter and yelled, “Come at me then you scoundrels!”
The ogres needed no urging and after issuing a war cry to scare any human, they charged. I blocked the first sword and slid mine across his throat before spinning and sliding underneath the blade of an ogre at my back. I slide my blade through his gut and gagged as the foul stench of his innards filled the air. I stopped controlling my movements and allowed my body to protect itself. My blade whirred through the air like an angry wasp, sinking its pointed end into flesh again and again.
A blade bit into the edge of my skin, releasing blood from my shoulder. I sliced off the offending arm and ducked just as an axe soared towards me. The axe imbedded in the skull of an ogre behind me and ended his attempt to stab me in the back. I stared at the axe in shock for a moment before the sound of dying ogres came from in front of me. Favian had come!
I only had a moment of cheer as more ogres surged towards me in hopes of ending my life. I attacked with weakening strength, receiving three more cuts on my arms. I had lost count of the ogres I’d killed and had no way of knowing if I was winning or not now.
Lightning flashed and I saw Favian twenty feet ahead of me, slicing through ogres left and right with the ease of the warrior he was. His silver hair flashed in the light, making him look as regal as any royal elf should. At least twenty ogres’ bodies lay at his feet, a testament to his incredible power. I blocked one sword from an ogre to the left of me, but saw the ogre to the right of me too late. His blade speared through my stomach, sticking out my back. I screamed in pain and cut off the blade owner’s arm before pulling the sword from my body.
A shield smacked me in the back, forcing me down to my knees. I swayed as pain and dizziness vied for priority in my skull. “Marin!” yelled Favian from somewhere nearby.
A blade slashed down at me and I brought my blade up in just enough time to block it. Two more blades came at me and I only blocked one, the second finding purchase in my shoulder. I screamed and rolled away from the attacker and right into the presence of another. The ogre’s sword sliced through the tender flesh of my stomach, making me scream again in pain.
Favian’s sword zipped by several times and then he picked my head up into his lap. “Marin, talk to me.”
“I’m sorry I lied,” I whispered. “I should have told you the truth long ago.”
He lifted my shirt to examine my wound. “What did you lie about?” he asked quietly.
“Not loving you,” I whispered as pain gripped my throat.
He ripped a strip of material from his shirt and pressed it against my stomach. “You’re delirious,” he whispered.
I shook my head and took his face between my hands, forcing him to look me in the eyes. “I love you, Favian. I know now is an awful time to tell you, but I wanted to tell you before I…”
He stopped my words with a kiss, his lips warm against my cold ones. “I’ve always loved you, little Death Bringer. Do not give up, I can heal you.”
I shook my head and looked at the pointed ears which were the only noticeable difference, besides his hair, when compared to a human. “You cannot heal this. Only the gods, if they saw fit, would be able to heal me. Do me a favor?” He nodded his head, kissing the inside of my palm. “Kill Karr.”
Favian smiled. “I had planned on it.”
“I am sorry that I caused us so much turmoil, but I was afraid if I told you that I loved you and you did not love me back that it would ruin our friendship,” I admitted to him.
“This is what you have been hiding since the Academy?” he asked as he tried to heal my wounds. I nodded my head. He laughed bitterly, “You silly, blind girl. I’ve always loved you. That’s why it bothered me so much when you flirted with the others.”
I laughed bitterly at this. I had wasted these years with him and all because I had been afraid to tell him. I relaxed against him and exhaled, my final breath leaving me in a silent rush. The world stilled and I welcomed death’s embrace.
Chapter Fifteen
“Little Death Bringer,” a deep voice said from the darkness. “We are surprised you gave up so easily. You have been born with a task that you have yet to complete and here you are dead.”
“What task?” I asked as I fought to open my eyes.
A soft voice, like Amadis’ said, “To rid the world of the ogres once and for all. We made them, but the others have twisted them. Your goal is simple, eradicate the race of ogres. We are merciful and will give you one more chance to redeem yourself. Do not fail us. And remember, we are here if you remember to speak to us.”
“Who are you?” I asked.
“Don’t you know me, daughter?” the deep voice asked, “Don’t you even recognize the voice of your father?”
“You sound different,” I whispered back.
He laughed and said, “Open your eyes and work on this task.”
“Can I see you first?” I asked him.
“Tomorrow I will come see you and I will discuss your task.”
Light flashed and I opened my eyes to find Favian bent over me. “Favian,” I whispered in shock.
His head whipped up and he looked at me with a tear streaked face. “Marin.” His arms wrapped around me and he kissed me fiercely. “I thought you were dead.”
“I was,” I whispered, “Now I’m just wet and cold.”
He picked me up and carried me into my house and set me down next to the fireplace. “I’ll start the fire while you explain why you think you died if you are still alive.”
“My father and the goddess gave me a second chance.”
He lit the logs he’d just put in the fireplace and wrapped a blanket around my shoulders, rubbing hard to dry me. “You spoke to them both?”
I nodded my head. “I couldn’t see them though because my eyes wouldn’t open, but they told me I had to complete a task.” The fire started crackling and I sighed happily as the warmth seeped into me.
I shrugged. My mind was refusing to admit that I’d just died and the gods had resurrected me even though I knew it had to be true since I was breathing and I’d just said it out loud. It was also refusing to admit that Favian had told me that he loved me. Favian started checking me for wounds and I slapped his hands away. “I’m fine.”
He sat down in front of me and I realized I was alive. I was alive and I had told Favian I loved him and he had kissed me! I leaned forward, letting the
blanket slide off of my shoulders and kissed Favian on the lips. He kissed me back and then slowly pushed me backwards until I was lying on top of the blanket. His kiss went from soft and tender to rough and passionate as he lay down on top of me. I had always wanted this! His tongue slipped between my lips and I moaned as his sweet taste filled my mouth. It was everything I had ever dreamed of. His hands roamed along my sides as mine explored the contours of his chest and back. I had always wondered what they felt like. I had always wanted to touch him like this. I had always wanted him to make love to me.
I jerked my head back, smacking it into the floor. “Ow.” I couldn’t do this. What was I thinking?!
He didn’t seem to notice as he kissed his way from my lips to my jaw to my throat. “Don’t you ever die on me again,” he said in a commanding voice that his father would have been proud of. He sat up and stared into my eyes. “It felt like a piece of me had shattered.”
I couldn’t believe this was happening. I was probably dead and imagining all of this. “We can’t do this,” I whispered. Despite the fact that this could be a dream, I had to stop on the chance that it wasn’t.
He ran his hand up until it rested just under my chest and caused an aching need I had never experienced before. “You’re alive, Marin. We can do whatever we want.”
“But you’re courting someone else,” I whispered as he kissed my throat and bit down just enough to make me shiver.
He stopped and sat up. “No I’m not.”
“But the dagger…”
“Is for you,” he finished and then smiled at me. “I made it for you, but wanted to show it to Emily to see if I needed to change anything.”
I felt like a fool. I needed to apologize to Emily next time I went to the castle. “I don’t want you to die,” I whispered.
He hugged me tightly and whispered, “As long as you live, so shall I.”
That wasn’t completely reassuring seeing as how I had died just a moment ago. “You need a full blooded elf to be your Queen. And I can’t be Queen!”
“Why would I need a full blooded elf? You are the favored daughter in our realm and of course you can be Queen, Mother’s been training you for years.”
I stared at him in shock as I realized what all of the etiquette lessons had been about. No other female elf had had to learn so many rules and had had to act so proper. It wasn’t because they had adopted me, it was because they had been training me to be queen. “Oh, no,” I whispered in shock, “I never paid attention to why… I just thought… Oh no.”
“You’re the perfect mate for me, Marin, and the only one I want. I don’t have your gift because it’s at the castle, but will you let me court you? Since you won’t let me mate with you.”
I frowned at him. “Mother would be very disappointed in me if I ignored all of the etiquette lessons she had taught me and gave in to my desires.”
Favian laughed and kissed my lips again, nipping my bottom lip before letting go. “You’re right.” I shivered and he rolled off me, sticking another log on the fire and then wrapped us up together in the blanket. “You would get warmer faster if we had skin contact.”
“Favian,” I said with a blush on my cheeks.
He laughed and kissed my cheek. “I don’t think I’ve seen you blush before,” he teased.
I playfully punched his arm. “I don’t need your teasing. I deserve some rest after dying.”
He pulled me close against his body and ran a fingertip over my curved ear. “You deserve the stars and the moon, but sadly they are out of my reach.” I pushed his hair back behind his ears and kissed the pointed tip, another thing I had always wanted to do. He shuddered and his voice dropped an octave as he said, “You shouldn’t do that if you’re making me wait.”
“Sorry,” I said with a smile. I dropped my head to his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart and the rain pounding the roof. I was alive. The full ramification of the events hit me and I started crying. Although I had been given another chance, I had been killed by the ogres just like my human parents, but now I had a reason to hunt them all down. No matter how long it took I was going to exterminate the ogres.
Favian picked me up and took me to my bed, lying down behind me. With the blankets pulled tightly around us to seal in our warmth he started singing the lullaby mother had sung to us when we were little. My tears slowed and then finally stopped as I fell asleep in the arms of the man I loved and lived to fight another day.
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About the Author
I'm just your average nerdy bibliophile. I love books, video games, music and movies. In 2010 I self-published my first novel and now I have several titles written and under construction. I love fantasy and have an extreme love for werewolves. I spend my days off work writing one of my novels or with my husband and 2 children. I love writing stories and they seem to flow out of me constantly. I just want people to read my stories and enjoy them.
Other Books By This Author
Please visit your favorite book retailer to discover other books by Catherine Banks:
The Little Death Bringer Series
Mercenary
Protector
The Artemis Lupine Series
Song of the Moon
Kiss of a Star
Healed by Fire
Taming Darkness (Coming August 1, 2014!)
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Protector (Little Death Bringer, #2) Page 22