Terran Realm Vol 1-6

by Dee, Bonnie

  At times like this, he needed Mrs. Scathan’s enthusiastic submission.

  Naked, he took the stairs to her room two at a time and entered without knocking.

  She was waiting for him, sitting unclothed on the side of the bed, her hands neatly folded in her lap. She looked up as he entered and frowned. “Is all well with you, Master?”

  “Did I give you leave to speak?”

  He slapped her across the face and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth. Her tongue snaked out to taste it and her eyes closed in ecstasy. She fell to the floor and crawled to his feet. “I beg you, please forgive me.”

  “Silence! I don’t wish to hear a word from you! If you utter a sound tonight…”

  She rose to her knees and clasped his legs, pressing her face just below his outthrust cock. “Please, Master…”

  He grabbed her hair and dragged her head back. “Did you hear a word I said? Now, use that mouth for something better than talking.”

  She knew exactly what he wanted. He watched impassively as she positioned her body so that she could take in as much as possible of his erection. He allowed her to steady her legs as she swallowed him inch by inch. After years of practice, she had become adept at sucking him deeper than any other female before her. He moved rhythmically, debating whether he should come in her mouth or her ass.

  If he took her from the rear, he could bind her. “Get up. Go to the bed. Lie down on your belly and present yourself. Don’t say a word if you wish to receive me tonight.”

  She suckled him hard one more time, then did as he instructed. Nolen went to the nightstand and removed the coarse twine he kept for very special evenings. He eyed the ragged, scabby wounds around her wrists. No one knew that the reason she wore cuffed sleeves was to conceal the welts from their sexual encounters.

  He licked his lips.

  He moved onto the bed and straddled her, his penis nudging the crack between her butt cheeks. Taking her right hand, he wound the twine around her wrist and attached one end to the bedpost, then did the same with her left hand. He pulled tightly. If she moved too much, she would re-open the scabs on her wrists.

  He knew she would move.

  He smiled, his mouth a cruel slash. “Remember—one sound from you, one murmur, one moan and I’ll stop, otherwise I’ll continue until I’ve had enough of you. Nod if you understand me.”

  She nodded.

  “Good. This is my night. I am your Master.”

  And he took her until her wrists bled, and she bit her lip so hard that crimson beads dripped onto the sheets when she came. He took her until she lay unmoving beneath him, glorying in her ability to satisfy him, thrilled that she had fulfilled his demand of her.

  She hadn’t uttered a sound.

  * * * *

  “How much farther? The tunnel’s getting smaller.”

  “Suck in your breath, Ethan. We’re almost there.”

  Ethan followed the swiftly receding glow of the female crawling in front of him. He hadn’t figured out how she created that light, but he was grateful for the feeble warmth it created and the glow. He lost track of time; his watch had stopped working when he’d smashed it against a rough outcropping. He just blindly followed the commanding woman and prayed he hadn’t gotten into something he wouldn’t be able to escape.

  “What the…” He fell as the tunnel took an abrupt turn, spewing him on top of Brigid and onto the floor of a large chamber. Moonlight filtered from a small aperture high above them. She pushed him off her and stood, her radiance fading. He struggled to his feet and checked his laptop in his backpack. No dents or dings.

  “Everything in one piece?”

  He shrugged. “I guess so. How much farther?”

  “Good. We’re almost there. Now, stay close and be careful. The crevice is rather tight.”

  She ran her hand along the impenetrable cave wall, then suddenly slipped out of sight. Ethan followed her lead and sighed with relief as he found the narrow opening. Holding his breath, he squeezed through, then gasped.

  A chamber, glowing bright as day with the light of torches. Open chests filled with gold, silver and bronze jewelry, clustered in the room. Lengths of material in royal purple, buttery yellow and scarlet spilled from some of the wooden trunks. A huge copper cauldron bubbling on an open cooking fire emitted a succulent aroma.

  A tall, well-muscled man with sun-colored hair pulled back into a braid stood center stage. His eyes were blue, like Brigid’s. His gaze was direct and fierce. He radiated godlike power. Ethan dropped to his knees and bowed his head.

  Dagda stood before him.

  “Arise, my friend and welcome. ‘Tis good to see you after all these many years.” He spoke in the same ancient dialect as Brigid, but Ethan had no trouble comprehending him.

  Slowly, he rose to his feet and replied with ease in the same tongue. “I don’t know why you call me ‘old friend’ though I would be honored to be considered one.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I can’t believe I’m in the presence of Dagda the Good.” He turned to Brigid. “Is this some sort of mind game you’ve been playing with me, woman? How can I believe this is really happening?”

  Dagda answered instead, clasping Ethan’s right hand. “Do you not know whose spirit you shelter? Has it slumbered within you for too long? Uaithne, try to remember.”

  Uaithne. Ethan closed his eyes as memories filtered through his mind. His grandfather telling him a tale of honor and duty, of loyalty and enduring fortitude, of love gained and lost. Of a secret family heritage that must remain hidden until the time was right. “Something. I remember something, but it’s all hazy. It dances away from me when I try to capture it.”

  Dagda smiled and went to a corner of the rough-hewn chamber, returning with a triangle-shaped object covered by a woven cloth embossed with intricate spiral designs outlined in gold. “Here. Ceol Mhor.” He handed the bundle over to him. “Perhaps a tune for your memories to dance to.”

  Ethan sat upon a low, three-legged stool and unveiled the offering. An exquisitely carved harp lay in his arms. He looked up at Dagda. “It’s beautiful. I wish I knew how to play it.”

  “Ah, but you do. Go ahead. Strike the harp. It’s in tune.”

  Ethan ran his fingers along the strings. They vibrated against his skin, begging him to touch them again. He selected a few notes and plucked them with a crisp motion. A welcoming melody thrummed through the air. His fingers moved once more with a will of their own, it seemed. Images filled his head. He fought at Dagda’s side, his harp slung over his back. Another scene. He played a tune that made the grown men around him weep. Another vision. He strummed a slumber song for twelve stalwart men who were slaughtered as they lay helpless thanks to his melody.

  And he strummed a love song for a woman who lay naked in his arms in the May moonlight. Brigid. They swam together in a secluded pond and made love on the grassy banks. Moonlight glinted on her skin like diamonds. He licked each precious gem from her silky flesh. His cock ached to sink into her moist pussy.

  His hands fell from the strings and the music died.

  Christ. Was he the fabled harper of Dagda? Was he Brigid’s lover?

  He looked at the woman gazing at him. Her beauty blazed brighter than all the riches in the cave. Another memory rose before him of her eyes filled with tears and his heart ached. He couldn’t bear the thought of her crying again. “How can I help you, Brigid? How can I atone for allowing the deaths of those brave men?”

  Dagda replied for her. “By helping us to stop the bastard who ordered the slaughter and sought my death and who seeks endless power.”

  Ethan nodded. There were huge gaps in his knowledge. He didn’t know the meaning behind the visions he had had when he played an instrument that he had never held before. He could only believe his gut instinct and it told him to trust the godlike pair who stood before him. “Tell me what you want me to do.”

  Chapter Five

  29th April—Midnight

&nbs
p; “All the lights are on. Gabe must be awake.”

  Brigid spoke in hushed tones to Ethan who hovered behind her. They had crept up to the cottage’s back door that abutted the forest edge. Skirting around the front of Dagda’s Cave, they avoided the Warrior Cave site members and awkward questions by any guard.

  Ethan’s harp hung behind him encased in its elaborate cover. It clung to him as if it were alive. It called to him and his fingers itched to play it again. He placed his hand on Brigid’s arm as she started to rise. “He may not be awake even if the lights are on. Let’s not barge in on him, my bright love.”

  He spoke in the ancient language and the words came unbidden to his lips. He and Brigid had been lovers. He still found it difficult to believe he was a member of the Terran race, but the more he played his harp, the more memories returned to him and some of the most intimate moments between him and Brigid. Did she remember them, too?

  Even if she did, she was married and out of his reach.

  Brigid sighed and the soft sound caught his attention. “Don’t call me that. You can’t, even though…” She stopped.

  “Even though your body yearns for me?” His voice turned even more melodious, his soft accent caressing her. He drew closer to her back, his breath warm on her neck. “Remember that first time?” He pressed his groin against her backside, the sheer gown she wore only a thin barrier against his rising cock. He ran his hand down her arm and she shivered. His lips brushed her skin and his tongue darted out and tasted her salty sweetness. “I took you in the forest by the pond. Remember?”

  She pulled away from him. “Stop! I can’t. Please, Ethan, I just want to forget. We have to talk to Gabe. No matter how we do it, he’s going to be overwhelmed. Let’s just get it over with. We still need to bring him to the campsite and try to make sense out of everything.” She shook her head. “And I haven’t the slightest idea how he’s going to react when he finds out I’m a…”

  “Terran?” Ethan’s lips twitched.

  “He’s so logically minded. He’s a lawyer. He doesn’t believe in anything he can’t find in a law book. He’s so knowledgeable, so warm and affectionate…”

  “Yeah, he’s a great guy. I’d like to meet him some day.”

  “Smart ass.” She paused. “Let me go first.”

  “Fine.”

  Brigid stealthily opened the back door and stepped into the galley kitchen.

  The overwhelming silence lay like a thick blanket. Through the open bedroom door she could see Gabe laying on his back, his arm flung over his eyes, still wearing the clothes from the picnic. His shoes lay helter-skelter by the bed. She crept closer and laid a gentle hand on his arm. “Gabe, it’s me Brigid. I’m home, darling.”

  His hand shot out, grabbing hers and he sat up and opened his eyes. “Brigid, my God, Brigid.” He pulled her down to him on the bed and she fell into his arms. His mouth covered hers and he ran his hands up and down her body, trying to convince himself that she was really there. “Where did he find you? Where’s Lord Nolen?”

  Brigid pulled away and pushed back a lock of Gabe’s hair from his forehead. She looked fondly at him for a moment before answering. “Lord Nolen didn’t find me; someone else did and I’d like you to meet the man who came with me.”

  *

  As she got up from the bed, her gown snagged on his watch and her strange apparel finally registered on his weary mind. “What happened to your clothes?”

  “Let me bring in Ethan and I’ll tell you everything you need to know. Wait just a moment.”

  Gabe sat on the side of the bed and shoved his feet into his shoes. He ran his hands through his hair and rubbed the grit from his eyes. Why hadn’t Lord Nolen called? Should he call him? Before he could decide, Brigid returned with a fellow who looked vaguely familiar.

  “Gabe, this is Ethan Clark.”

  “The archeologist who found those mummies we heard about. I thought I recognized you.”

  “Well, to be precise, I didn’t actually find them. I’m just investigating them. But that’s not important now. What is important is what Brigid plans to tell you.”

  Gabe stood and gripped her, his fingers biting into her arms. “What the hell happened to you? I’ve been going out of my mind. This entire day has been insane!”

  “Please calm down, darling. Let’s go into the parlor. I’ll tell you everything there.”

  *

  Brigid’s mind raced. How could she convince Gabe that she wasn’t crazy when a tiny part of herself still needed convincing? She paced the length of the parlor, gathering her thoughts, finally halting in front of him. “First, let me set your mind at ease. The men who grabbed me didn’t really hurt me that badly.”

  “They didn’t … rape you?”

  “No. They didn’t touch me that way.”

  “How did you escape them? Did Professor Clark help you? Where are your clothes? Where the hell were you? We had dogs tracking you; they couldn’t find your scent.”

  “Gabe, I hope you’ll believe what I’m going to tell you, though I can barely believe it myself. Please don’t ask any questions till I’m finished.”

  She knelt in front of him and he took her hand and kissed it. “I thought I’d lost you. You’re my life, Bridge. I’ll listen to whatever you have to say.”

  Taking a deep breath, she began her tale. Gabe’s eyes opened wider and wider as she regaled him with all that had happened to her in the space of less than twenty-four hours.

  “And so you see, Lord Nolen is actually an evil Terran who plans on delivering some sort of monumental sacrifice to Ba’al to ensure his power and immortality. It’s up to me to stop him. Ethan and the three warriors have allied with me, but I need your help, too.” She paused. “Do you believe me?”

  Gabe smiled. “Of course, how could I not when I’m a Terran, too. I’m a Protector like those brave men in the cave. You became my ward when KOTE assigned you to my care those fifteen years ago. What you told me cleared up many things.”

  “KOTE?” Brigid and Ethan echoed their confusion. “You’re a Terran, too?”

  Gabe’s smile turned into a grin. “Dagda told you of the origin of the ancient Terrans, but he’s only aware of what happened here in Ireland. I’ll get you up to speed later.” He paused. “So, water and fire, eh, Bridge? Have you tried controlling either of your elements?”

  She nodded. “Fire, it’s the weaker of the two so I thought I’d start small.”

  Gabe nodded his approval. “That’s what would have happened if you’d been able to go through formal training, but the journal urged us to keep your origin secret until…”

  “Journal? You have the journal?”

  “Yes, well, actually Claire Galliardi has it back in the States.”

  “Dagda said I was the only one who could decipher it. There’s more information in it that could be helpful.”

  Gabe shook his head. “It’ll have to wait. I don’t feel comfortable asking her to send it to us here. I’ll call Macklin and…”

  “No!” Ethan’s voice was sharp. “He may be under Nolen’s control.”

  Gabe nodded. “You’re right. We can’t take a chance that Nolen hasn’t gotten to him. I thought something was wrong with how I reacted to Nolen. Damn! He’s seen your picture, Brigid. I think he’s suspicious. He asked me a hell of a lot of questions.”

  Ethan cut in. “We can’t let him get near her. He’ll know her for who she is.”

  Brigid cleared her throat. “Excuse me, but we still need to find out what he’s planned without rousing his suspicions.”

  “He should have called me when he didn’t find you. He must have decided to let me sleep till morning.” Gabe smiled grimly. “If he has any suspicions about you, he must be going crazy since you seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth.”

  Brigid nodded. “Good. He’ll be off-balance. We can get to the warriors and make plans.”

  Gabe shook his head. “Not unless you can get us there without revealing your
presence.”

  Ethan spoke quietly. “Dagda told us that the search had ended for the night. He can sense when Nolen is … active. And when we left the cave, I felt no evil in the wind. I think we’re safe … at least for a little while.”

  “Your element must be air, Uaithne.” Gabe paused. “May I call you by your Terran name?”

  “I don’t know that I feel like a Terran and Ethan’s been my name since my granny dandled me on her knee.”

  “Ethan, then.” He grinned, breaking the suddenly somber moment. “We’d better get a move on. Dawn is only a few hours away.”

  * * * *

  “I’m telling you. She will not return. ‘Tis getting late.” Torc gestured to the star-filled sky and scowled ferociously at Cull.

  “’Tis still dark. She swore she would come back. A goddess wouldn’t lie.”

  Ma’an spat into the dust. “Gods do nothing but lie, Cull. ‘Tis their nature.”

  “Not her. She’ll be back any moment.”

  “If she hasn’t returned by dawn’s light, we’ll move out. We’ll find Nimhnach ourselves and kill the dirty bastard.”

  “Control yourself, Torc,” Ma’an urged. “’Twill do no good to let your anger sway your judgment.”

  Cull looked toward the edge of the campsite and raised his hand. “Quiet. I hear her.”

  “You’re hearing things, is what it is.” Torc shook his head. “For a smart man, you are far too trusting.”

  “Far more than you, Torc Flatnose.”

  Brigid’s voice cut across the glade. She came with two others, men dressed like the dead man. One carried what appeared to be a harp over his shoulder. Torc and the others gaped. Brigid glowed like a beacon. The red-hot color vied for and won majesty over the cool light of the moon. The flames enveloped her body but didn’t consume it. She now wore the proper garb of a goddess—a pure, white linen gown—and carried a bow and a quiver of arrows upon her back.

  The three men fell upon their faces and groveled before her.