Lokai's Curse

by Coulter, J. Lee

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Lokai’s Curse

  By

  J. Lee Coulter

  Lokai’s Curse copyright 2012 J. Lee Coulter

  Published by J. Lee Coulter

  All Rights Reserved

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Photos courtesy of Canstockphoto.com and bigstockphoto.com bigstock-Sword-24682520.jpg

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter I

  Chapter II

  Chapter III

  Chapter IV

  Chapter V

  Chapter VI

  Chapter VII

  Chapter VIII

  Chapter IX

  Chapter X

  Chapter XI

  Chapter XII

  Chapter XIII

  Chapter XIV

  Chapter XV

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  He was floating in the darkness…his body weightless…his thoughts confused. Where am I? What happened? Am I dead? Panicking, he desperately grasped the void for a handhold but it came back empty.

  Searching his mind to make sense of his predicament he recalled the events that brought him to this point. Lokai! He betrayed me! He chose King Alred and The Brodie over his own father! He grimaced in the dark as he remembered the pain of the spear piercing his flesh…then nothingness. Just this limbo of blackness.

  Was this to be his fate for all eternity? Not if he could help it. He willed his spirit to move through the inky emptiness toward a surface he could only sense. The closer he came to his goal…the more intense the pain. Still there was no light. He knew he was moving in the right direction...he would not feel pain otherwise. But why was there an absence of light? He groaned.

  She dipped the cloth in the basin again before wiping his brow. She heard him groan as he slowly returned to the land of the living. A sigh of relief escaped her ruby lips.

  He will live. Good. I will need his aid to accomplish my goals. She had not been sure that her powers were strong enough to undertake this task. It had weakened her own life force to move him to a new body and she had almost been too late. Another few seconds and he would have stayed lost. Her eyes narrowed. This foolishness had set back her plans. She had been forced to place him in an injured body in her haste…a former lover that she disposed of so she could use his shell, hence, the injuries. Plus draining her powers as well. It will take many seasons to prepare for the new assault. But I am a patient woman. A year is nothing to me. Have I not waited eighteen years already? One more will make no difference. She sneered.

  “Who are you? What happened?”

  She glanced down at her previous lover’s face and smiled. “I am the Fae who saved your life…Natasha. Now your life is forfeit to me.”

  In the blink of an eye, his hand was squeezing her throat. Her face reddened as she struggled for breath. Bringing her nose to nose with him, he spit out, ‘No one owns me!” Releasing her, he fell back on the bed weakened and panting.

  Natasha cleared her bruised throat as she hurriedly moved beyond his reach. “Perhaps I phrased it wrong,” she acquiesced. “Nevertheless, I would hope for a boon for my efforts on your behalf. Especially when our enemies are the same.”

  He raised a brow in askance.

  She shook her head. “We will talk later…after we have both rested. There will be plenty of time to get acquainted while your wounds heal.”

  Natasha handed Athor a goblet filled with ale which he promptly gulped down…along with the sleeping herbs. He dozed off once again as she studied him from a distance. Satisfied, she went to her chambers.

  Chapter I

  They appeared together, hand in hand, on the beach. Neither one spoke…nor did they look at each other. From a distance, a stranger might think they were lovers having a secret rendezvous. If they drew closer, though, they would see their folly as they observed the expressions on their faces.

  The ‘Golden Warrior’s icy stare masked the pain of rejection he held in his chest as the red handprint on his cheek began to fade. He ground his teeth rather than speak the bitter words on his tongue.

  Beside him stood a tearful lass…her despair evident to anyone who would gaze upon her. But no one would. She had been banished to this empty isle. This was her new home…her prison of isolation. No one was allowed to visit her.

  She gave a quick glance to her jailer from the corner of her eye and sucked in a gasp when she saw the mark she had left. He stiffened. His pride hurt worse than the blow she had given him. She had shamed him before the entire Fae Court.

  “I…I’m-”

  “Do not!” he snarled. “I have no wish to hear false apologies.” Lokai led her inland to a cozy glen surrounded by lush trees. He had built a small cottage for her to live in during her confinement. Nearby stood a well of fresh water and a small chicken coop for the few hens that would supply her with eggs.

  Diedre eyed the stone hut with dismay. Did he truly expect her, a princess, to live in that tiny hovel? She resisted his tug on her arm, not wishing to see anymore but one harsh glance from him persuaded her to follow.

  The interior consisted of a table with two wooden stools, a small hearth made of stone, a slight pantry fully stocked, and partitioned off on one end was a large bed. The wood floor was concealed with rugs and there stood a good-sized tub before the hearth. Her heart sank as she surveyed her surroundings.

  Lokai could see that his bride was disappointed. He girded himself for her sharp tongue. This was a punishment to teach her a lesson. His determination must not sway. It will do Diedre well to learn some humility.

  “What say you of your new home?”

  She swallowed hard before replying. She had not expected a palace but she had hoped for more than one room. She panicked as she realized that she would have no servants.

  “Who will help me dress in the morn…cook my meals?”

  His lip twitched as he suppressed a grin. “Why I will help you dress, fair princess…and you will cook the meals.”

  “Me? Are you insane? I do not know how to prepare food! I will starve!” Her eyes grew rounder as she realized what he had said about dressing her. “You are staying?” she sputtered.

  “Of course I am staying. You are my wife… this is our home…and this is our wedding night. Where else would I be?” His eyes burned into her as he stroked her cheek, his seductive voice warming her insides as he petted her.

  She jerked out of his grasp violently. “You mean to share my bed?”

  “As I said, Diedre, you are my wife. You will fulfill that roll in all ways… starting this eve. It is my right.”

  Fear and anger flashed across her aqua eyes. He thinks to treat her like a concubine! She crossed her arms and stomped her tiny foot. She deserved to be treated like the princess that she was.

  He slowly shook his head as he read her thoughts. “You are no longer a Fae Princess, Diedre. You are merely an immortal lass newly wed.” As he saw his words sink into her reality, he regretted them. She looked so dejected. But he had to stay strong. The sooner she learned her lesson…the better. “Your bath awaits you so I will leave you to it. We will dine when I return. This eve I will prepare the meal…on the morrow, you shall. You have two hours.” He was gone in a flash, leaving her to wallow in her despair.

  She glanced around the room. Lokai was right
…once again. This was her reward for interfering in her sister’s life. Her petty jealousy over her father’s affections had landed her here. She nodded to herself as she determined to accept her punishment graciously. Regardless of what Lokai said…she was still a princess and would behave accordingly. She quickly stripped off her gown and sank into the warm, scented water. At least Lokai still desires me. She smiled.

  Lokai observed his bride from the shadow realm. She could not sense him there since her magic had been removed. He was pleased that Diedre had resigned herself to make the best of the situation. That was the first step. Frowning, he thought of how he would have to treat her in the future to get the results he desired. He did not enjoy being harsh with her but it was necessary.

  His groin hardened as he watched her stroke her arm with the soapy sponge. Her lush body pinked from the warmth of her bath. He groaned as he imagined what the night would bring. Diedre stilled, cocking her head as if she had heard him. He sank deeper into the shadows, turned and left her to her privacy.

  Lokai reappeared in the Fae Realm a few moments later. He strolled through the lush forest aimlessly as he provided his wife the time allotted. When he finally glanced up, he found himself just a few steps from his boyhood home.

  It startled him. He had only returned here once before and that was to see the marker his father left of his ascension. Why do I find myself here? I have avenged my mother’s passing. Athor is dead by my hand. I have no regrets of being his executioner. What I did was justified. An uneasiness swept through him. Something warned him that this was not finished yet. He shuddered.

  He would speak to Hagar…soon. If anyone could name this foreboding…it was she. Mayhap he returned the Spear of Destiny too quickly. He shook his head. Something was not right, he could sense it. But it will keep for another day. He vanished from the realm as he returned to his bride.

  ***

  Diedre searched for her gown after she had dried herself but it had disappeared. The only clothing that she could locate was a sleeping gown that was so sheer you could see through it. She did not want to wear it but the alternative was to remain naked. This is Lokai’s doing! I shall have to demand appropriate attire when he returns. She was fuming as she donned the flimsy nightdress and tackled her platinum hair furiously with the comb he had provided.

  She shivered as she glanced at the hearth…just a bed of hot embers now. She moved closer to gleam out any heat that she could as her eyes searched for more wood.

  “What are you looking for, wife?” She jumped as his melodious voice reached her ears.

  “There is no wood. I am chilled in this flimsy garment you left me and thought to build up the fire.” Her haughty look spoke volumes to him as she glared.

  Lokai moved past her to a stack of what appeared to be dried mud squares and tossed a couple of them on the embers. Almost immediately, the flames caught anew.

  “You burn dirt?” Her astonishment was evident in her voice.

  Lokai glanced at her, then nodded. “It is called ‘peat’. The Scots use it instead of wood.” His gaze caught on her attire as he explained. Perhaps he had made the gown a little bit too thin. It left nothing to the imagination as he perused her supple form. He shook his head. No…he liked it just the way it was.

  Diedre attempted to cover herself with her arms as she saw the fire of interest light up in his blue eyes. She cleared her throat as she tried to distract his thoughts. “Did you bring food? I was too nervous to eat this morn since I knew father was assigning my punishment. I find that I am quite famished after not dining all day.”

  He gave her a long look. He could see that she was nervous about the coming eve but she would receive no reprieve from him. He had desired her since she began to develop her sensuous curves. Now, as her husband, he had the right to explore every one of them…and he intended to do just that.

  “What would you wish for our wedding feast, Diedre? Pheasant? Caviar? Perhaps oysters?”

  Her mouth watered as he listed some of her favorite foods. She beamed at him. “Can I truly have whatever I wish?”

  He nodded brusquely. “Within reason…yes.”

  She tapped her perfect fingernail on her teeth contemplating what she would ask. Lokai waited patiently as he acknowledged her scheming stance. This ought to be good, he thought to himself.

  Diedre’s eyes lit up as she settled on the menu. “I would like roast pheasant stuffed with caviar, boiled cabbage smothered in butter and onions. Lots of onions! A rice dish swimming in honey and garlic… with garlic bread, and something sweet. You know how much I like my sweets. Perhaps something chocolate?” She snapped her fingers. “Strawberries dipped in chocolate! That sounds divine.”

  Lokai struggled to keep a straight face. So…she thinks to hold me at bay with garlic, onions and fish eggs does she? He gestured for her to approach the table as the steaming repast appeared instantly. They sat across from each other and he began filling her trencher.

  Diedre dove into her meal heartily but soon regretted requesting the caviar in her pheasant. It made the meat taste a little off and not to her liking. The cabbage and rice was more palatable but she really did not care for onions or garlic.

  Lokai amused himself by watching her drink several goblets of wine as she attempted to wash the taste from her palate. He ate the same meal as her but he left out the offensive items from his dish. Smiling innocently he asked, “Is the meal to your liking?”

  She glanced up quickly…instantly regretting the action as a wave of dizziness washed over her. She groaned. Too much wine. Her eyes watered from the multitude of onion permeating her senses but she was too stubborn to admit her error…especially to him! “It is delicious, Lokai. Thank you.”

  He snickered to himself at the obvious lie. “Oh but you have barely touched your pheasant. Allow me to feed it to you.” He picked up a large slice of meat dripping with caviar and held it beneath her nose, waiting for her to open her pert lips. He cocked his brow at her.

  Diedre’s face turned an awful shade of green as she leapt from her stool and dashed outside. She just made it to the edge of the wood before she spewed her meal. As she was doubled over emptying her stomach, she felt gentle hands holding her blonde tresses out of the way. A few moments later, when she was finished, he placed a cup of cool water in her shaky grasp to rinse the bile from her mouth. Lifting her into his arms, Lokai returned to their home, removing the meal with a thought.

  He sat with her in his arms as he gently bathed her face with a cool cloth. His expression stoic…not uttering a word. He refused to make her suffer more by pointing out her folly. She knew this was her own doing.

  Diedre rested her head against his wide chest listening to his steady heartbeat as her stomach began to settle. Once again she had not thought through her actions. Why did this always happen? She blushed as she realized that Lokai probably knew this would come to pass. Why had it not occurred to her? She raised her gaze to his shamefacedly. He stroked her tresses back from her heart-shaped face.

  “What is wrong with me, Lokai? Why do I always fail to see the consequences? Is it a defect in my thoughts?” Tears welled in her eyes threatening to spill over.

  He sighed. How he loved his little wife. He did not enjoy being blunt with her but he could think of nothing else that would cure her of this malady. She had to conquer this penchant of acting without thought. Taking a deep breath, he attempted to explain what her problem was.

  “When you stole Seonaid as a babe and sent her to the future as an orphan what thoughts went through your mind?”

  She gave him a tormented look. He had asked the question kindly, though, so she discerned that he was trying to help. “The only thought I had was that Father could concentrate solely on me now. I gave no thought to what this would do to her. I thought that I had fixed the problem and gave her no more consideration.” She paused for a moment. “I simply assumed that everything would work out for the best.”

  Lokai’s heart warmed at
her naiveté. At least she had held no malice in her soul when she did the deed. There is hope for her. He smiled lovingly into her face. “That is good. It makes my heart glad that you did it out of love instead of hate. What you need to learn is that not every story has a happy ending. When you learn this, then, you will be able to make wiser decisions.”

  “But…is not Seonaid happy now?”

  “Yes, but-”

  “It was my actions on her behalf that brought her to Garrick. I gave that decision no more thought than I did the first time I interfered!”

  “Not true, Sprite. You meticulously searched the archives to ascertain that it could work out well.”

  Diedre pondered his statement as she chewed her lip. He is correct. I did give it a lot more consideration…and it had worked out well. She frowned. “I gave this eve’s plan much thought but it did not work out well. I do not understand it.”

  He grinned at her. “You did not look at all of the variables, wife. Your plan was to make your breath so offensive that I would not come near you. All that you focused on was my response…not yours. You failed to consider the taste of the food or the effect it would have on your stomach. I, on the other hand, was fairly certain of the result.”

  Her innocent eyes rounded as she comprehended what he was trying to teach her. “Oh.” She had not thought that way before. Enlightenment filled her countenance as she beamed up at him. “I did not look at all of the angles!”

  “Exactly! Sometimes even that is not enough though. There can always be an unknown variable that does not rear its head until it is too late. In that case, there may not be a happy ending. Do you understand that, Sprite? That is why it is often wise to not interfere.”

  She bobbed her head slowly as she absorbed what he told her. Diedre’s face brightened after a few moments.

  “Since I understand my mistake…can we go home now?”

  Lokai’s mouth dropped open before he quickly closed it. She still did not quite understand. Why can she not grasp it?

  “Diedre…wife…we are wed now. This,” he gestured around the room, “is our home. And even though you understand the problem, you must learn how to control it. Your father banished you, remember? He will not change his ruling in a few short hours.”