Forest of Spirits

by S. J. Sanders

  His laughter was full of dark promise. “You think not? From the moment I saw you and claimed you, my mark was placed upon you that any in the forest shall recognize. Make no mistake: you are most definitely mine.” His fingers slid seductively around her ankles as he spoke. In one deft move, he pulled her legs out, stretching her out against the bed. Sliding forward, he flattened his pelvis against hers, and Diana was aware of the thick erection nestled against her belly.

  “I don’t want this,” she hissed back. “You are fooling yourself if you think I am just going to spread my legs and surrender to you at your say. I decide.”

  “Very well,” he said, his lips brushing against hers as he drew the words out, the warm pressure of his body disappearing from her own. “You will find that silvani are patient hunters, and I am lucomo of all silvani, king of all the forest kings. I am even more patient than most.” He nuzzled the sensitive place beneath her jaw. Seconds later, his tongue snaked out, caressing her pulse.

  “I think your green-haired friend might have something to say about that,” she gritted out, remembering the way the female had looked at her as if she were less than a bug to be squashed. If he was publicly claiming her, she wondered what that claim would stir up against her. “She did not look happy at my presence here.”

  “It is none of her concern,” he replied sharply. The bright glow of his eyes was so close that Diana felt into his gaze, lost within the light. “Think no further of the dryad,” he whispered as he pressed a soft kiss against her neck. “Are you sure you won’t change your mind? Your body calls out to mine. I could show you such pleasures…”

  Pressing her lips together, Diana flattened her hands against the solid, thick muscle of his chest—good gods, he had a wealth of hot muscle beneath her touch—and pushed against him. It did nothing to move him, but he did still after one last drag of his textured tongue against her skin.

  “I’m sure,” she replied with a soft gasp of pleasure. She shook her head, attempting to clear it.

  “As long as you are sure,” he chuckled.

  He pulled away, his body lost to the shadows as he slipped off of her bed. His eyes glinted with what she imagined was a look of wicked promise. “Sleep then, human.”

  “Diana,” she said. “If I am going to be here for some time, you might as well call me by my name.”

  She heard him draw in a sharp breath, followed by a whisper of a purr. “How interesting.”

  Frowning, Diana squinted into the gloom. “And what is your name?”

  He did not answer. Instead, he spun around, his body completely submersed in darkness now that he had his back to her, and she could no longer see his eyes. She wasn’t aware that he even moved until she heard receding footsteps as he stalked to the door.

  “Rest well,” he growled as he stepped through the door and closed it firmly behind him.

  She stared after him for a long moment, uncertain of what to make of the exchange. She wanted to throw herself on the door and demand that he let her out, but the memory of what touching the door did before kept her in the bed. She could hear the silvanus moving in his room, and the rustling sound of his clothes hitting the floor as he prepared for his own rest.

  The mental picture of his pale, honed body reclined in bed—his cock, thick and hard, pushing up from his pelvis—tormented her imagination and sent a surge of unwanted lust through her. Through the wall, she heard him still, and a low growl echo, stirring her blood and making her skin heat with desire. A lusty groan sounded moments later, followed by a slick sound of flesh slapping together.

  Frozen in that spot, she listened, her eyes widening further even as her pussy dripped with her increasing arousal as he grunted with every slap of his fist against what sounded like the base of his shaft. It quickened, as did his heavy grunts and snarls until at last he shouted out with an abrupt bellow of pleasure.

  It was only when everything silenced from the other room that she was able to hear her own harsh pants as her fingers (that she hadn’t remembered laying against her clit) worked the nub of flesh harder until she, too, shattered, her breathing hissing out of her as she clenched her teeth against the orgasm sizzling through her blood. Her body spent, she collapsed against the bedding, all too aware of his dark, knowing laughter as it drifted through the wall.

  Chapter 9

  Diana woke with golden sunlight pouring through one window whose shutters had been thrown wide open. She groaned and threw an arm over her eyes. Who had done such a thing? She knew damn well that when the trolls left, those windows were closed. Rolling to her side, she squinted against the light. A startled gasp left her as she came face to face with the lucomo crouched at the foot of her bed. His strange white eyes she would have believed to be blind if she had seen eyes such as those on any human.

  She had no doubt that this wasn’t the case. She was aware of his eyes roving over her, watching her every movement down to the tiniest twitch. There was nothing that she could do that he wouldn’t see and be fully aware of. His freaky gray pupils expanded. The speculative pinch to his brows and lips made her even more uncomfortable. She cleared her throat as she brushed the sleep-tangled mess of her hair fully out of her face.

  “What did you say you are… a silvani?” she asked conversationally. Anything to get him to stop staring at her so disconcertingly.

  “Silvanus,” he corrected in a bland tone as he straightened and dropped silently to the floor. “That would be the singular term, although at times there are those who call me silvani because I am the first of all silvani, and others who merely call me Silvanus for similar reasons. It truly varies and, in the end, is inconsequential.”

  “And they are all here?”

  He arched a pale eyebrow and smirked. “Don’t be absurd. Why would they be? They all have their own territories, typically at the edges of the Eternal Forest where it intersects with your world. They concern themselves with keeping the forest healthy and the wildlife propagating. It would be ridiculous to keep them all here at my court. It gets bad enough with all the nymphs that like to make themselves at home here.”

  Diana wondered just what it was about nymphs that he didn’t care for.

  “We have much to do today,” he said brusquely. “Follow me. I will show you where you can attend to your needs.”

  The lucomo strode out the door, leaving her with little choice other than to follow him so she wouldn’t be left behind. She was glad that she did within minutes of leaving exiting through his room. Nothing looked familiar, although she had been observant the night before. The general layout seemed to be the same, but it was like someone had gone over it with a large brush, altering textures, colors, and the plant life that clung to the large stone walls. She was even certain that she saw a few new branches of hallways that she didn’t recall seeing before.

  She came close to losing him twice when she became distracted staring at a wall that moved before her eyes, and only glanced up in time to catch a glimpse of his tail as he rounded a corner. Diana sure as hell didn’t want to get lost in a place that seemed to change on a whim, whose halls were prowled by impossible and dangerous creatures. The lucomo wasn’t exactly the epitome of safety, but she decided to stay with the monster she knew rather than take her chances with the monsters she did not.

  Diana grunted in frustration and sprinted after him. To her surprise, he had gotten far ahead in the short amount of time, but he looked at her sidelong, one eyebrow going up in silent mockery that she was slightly out of breath. She was tempted to scowl at him but smoothed out her expression, determined not to appear ruffled by his rudeness.

  She made sure to keep pace with him. Concentrating on her steps, she was surprised when he stopped without a word. It took her a moment to realize that the lucomo was no longer with her. Frowning, she turned back and glanced at him and discovered the silvanus standing beside a narrow entrance. His lips were ticking up at the corners, and Diana felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. She hated the fact that s
he was caught trying too hard, and his smile was all the more knowing and condescending for it.

  Gritting her teeth, she turned on her heel and slunk back to him, conscious of the fact that her face burned hotter the closer she got to him. She was certain that, by the time she stepped past him into the chamber, she was beet red right up to the roots of her hair.

  “I will be waiting out here for you,” he called in after her. “There are two running streams. The one on the right you cleanse yourself in, and the one on the left you relieve yourself in. Creatures that live at the depository consume and convert wastes into nutrients for the palace grounds. Be certain that you use the correct spring.”

  “Got it,” she mumbled.

  Although her tone was sour, she was rather impressed. Whatever the Eternal Forest was, it appeared to operate in a sustainable manner. It seemed that whatever magic and creatures existed in this world were far superior to human technology that had failed to be even a fraction as clean.

  The springs were easy to differentiate from each other, outside of being on opposite walls. The spring for cleaning was the purest water she had ever seen, whereas the water for relieving herself had a greenish hue. She suspected it was recycled wastewater, but it was odorless. On closer inspection, she was certain that the color was due to a heavy concentration of plankton floating in the water tumbling down the side of the wall.

  After relieving her bladder, she turned to the clear spring and eyed it. It wasn’t big enough to submerge herself in. She wondered if there were a bathing pool elsewhere. At least she could sponge bathe. There was a small tower nearby with piles of clean towels. She imagined that it was a common room used by all those who dwelled within the palace, and was grateful that the lucomo was standing just outside. She felt certain that he wouldn’t allow anyone to enter while she was occupying the room.

  Or, at least, she hoped that was the case.

  Grabbing a small towel, she stripped off her gear and the thick clothes she wore for hunting and ran the towel under the pleasantly warm water. If she wasn’t mistaken, the water felt like it came up from a hot spring. It even had the slight sulfur smell she associated with them. Thank the gods it wasn’t cold water. She didn’t know what the limit was on conveniences in this world, but she was grateful that bathing in frigid water wasn’t something that she was going to have to immediately face. At least not while she was in the palace. Though she bemoaned the lack of a tub, she made quick work of washing herself, and grimaced as the cloth turned gray from all the grime she washed away.

  Humming a tune, she scrubbed herself clean. She hated to put the dirty clothes back on, but was conscious of the fact that the lucomo was waiting impatiently outside of door by the irate growls he let out every now and then. She wasn’t sure if they were directed at her or someone attempting to access the cleaning room, but she rushed through dressing and hurried out all the same.

  His eyes ran over her, and he stepped away from the wall he had been leaning against. His tail snapping behind him as he glowered at a peculiar male with a flat face and oversized pointed ears. The male offered a bow before darting into the room she had just departed.

  Well, that explained the growling.

  Shoving her hands in her pockets, she trailed at his side. “So, what now?”

  “Now we visit the armory and get you some decent gear rather than the scrap you are wearing,” he retorted with another critical glance her way.

  Diana bristled. “What is wrong with what I have? I picked everything out to be durable and to camouflage as well as possible with the forest.”

  “They won’t protect you in the Eternal Forest.”

  “You do realize that if you just return me home, you will be saving yourself a great deal of trouble,” she advised softly.

  The silvanus scowled at her so fiercely that she wished she could take back the observation. Eyes narrowed, he shook his head. “You know very well that isn’t possible. I have already told you as much. Whether you like it or not, you are stuck here. You might as well make the best of it and tolerate receiving the gift of gear that few others among your kind would ever have access to. There are many who would covet armor and weapons crafted by the orc tribes and the aelven kingdoms.”

  “Are you suggesting I am being ungracious?” she sputtered in shock.

  “I would say so, yes,” he growled. “You know already that you won’t be permitted to leave, and instead of inquiring about what you will receive, you protest and attempt to manipulate like a child. Perhaps it would be best to just allow you to go as you are and see how you fare and how well your current belongings protect you against the forest.”

  Diana flinched, aware that he had a point. “I had to try,” she muttered.

  “Perhaps,” he said. “It is a flaw of your species, that you try to wager and bargain to keep whatever few miserable hours of life that you possess. You don’t have the centuries to learn better or to suffer without the respite of death.”

  Her curiosity was piqued by the gruff words, but she didn’t have the nerve to question him further. Instead, she shrugged and stared at the stone walls of the palace, watching the peculiar pod-like bulges light up at their approach.

  “I guess I just don’t understand why I am necessary. Why can’t I just go home and forget all of this existed?”

  He frowned at her. “Because this is a threat that spills into your world. Can you so easily dismiss it when you were allotted by fate to protect your world?”

  “It is not something I wanted. I was happy with my quiet life,” she said.

  “Such things are never asked for,” he said, a note of sadness to his voice as he seemed to be lost in his thoughts. He shook his head and looked over at her solemnly. “When they come, one must either rise to the occasion or be no better than that which would destroy our worlds. Refusing to act when you have the power to do so is just as evil. As I said before, the oracle did not foresee your purpose in the things to come, just that you have an important part to play. I prefer to hope that your presence is meant as a blessing rather than a curse.”

  Silence fell between them as she followed him through the labyrinth of the palace until they came to a pair of heavy wooden doors. Diana hated that his words struck a chord within her. She couldn’t disagree with him. Human history had proved that point many times over. Although she hated that it took away her choices, she resolved to at least try to help. She didn’t know why she had been dumped in the Eternal Forest, but the thought that it might have been to harm their worlds was too painful to consider.

  She stepped back to give the lucomo room as he reached forward, gripped the ring handle on one door, and pulled. It was seemingly effortless, but Diana wasn’t fooled. She could hear the groan of the hinges and walls as the massive door was pulled open. Revealed within were armor and weapons that seemed to almost glow on their own accord from the small amount of sunlight filtering into the room.

  Aware that she was openly gawking, Diana followed the silvanus within. He didn’t slow nor pause at any of the impressive displays as they made their way deeper into the room. At long last, he drew up short by a set of black-dyed leathers. With nimble fingers, he untied them from the mannequin base and draped them piece by piece over his shoulder.

  Turning to her, he swept a critical gaze over her. “Strip,” he commanded.

  Diana balked. She wasn’t exactly prudish, but she didn’t make a habit out of stripping in front of men she didn’t know. Not even men who were more spirit or fae.

  His eyebrows raised. “Do you require assistance?”

  She swallowed and shook her head. Obviously if she didn’t get on the ball and do it, he was of the mind to do it for her. Which would be worse: undressing under her own power or being stripped by the silvanus looming in front of her?

  A loud sigh filled the room as he looked up at the ceiling. “I forgot. Human modesty,” he grunted. “I will keep my gaze on the ceiling until you finish.”

  Letting out a rel
ieved breath, Diana hastily stripped off her gear and clothing. She hadn’t even seen him pick up the soft leather pants and woven green tunic until he offered them to her. The pants were a little large on her frame, obviously designed for a male or a larger species on whom they would have been skintight. That said, it still managed to be snug at her hips. Diana folded up the ends and stuffed them into her boots.

  The tunic, however, was surprisingly comfortable and flattering as it draped elegantly to her mid-thigh, but it did little to hide the fact that she lacked a bra. Diana tried not to think of the way her boobs jiggled and her nipples pebbled under the soft fabric.

  Her last good bra bit the dust a few weeks ago, and she had not yet been able to find a suitable replacement in her size. Who knew that one of the more trying difficulties she would experience in a post-apocalyptic world was trying to find underwear that fit? Her big breasts made it even harder, and the pickings were even starting to get slim on panties.

  “Okay, I am decent,” she mumbled.

  “Are you now?” he purred. There was a mischievous glint in his eye as he lowered his head and his eyes immediately fell upon her.

  He didn’t wait for a response. With a satisfied noise in the back of his throat, his eyes took her in. With a snap of his wrist, he opened and immediately wrapped a wide belt around her waist and the upper part of her hips. She really had no idea what the official names for every piece of armor were. Her time with the SCA had been some time ago and, even then, being able to identify armor by the correct names had never had been a priority since she hadn’t bothered with most of it, but she did her best to be aware of everything he was strapping onto her so that she would be able to correctly put it back without assistance.

  She recognized the leather vest that he laced around her chest, which was followed by a skirt-type piece that protected her thighs, and greaves fastened around her calves. Bracers protected her forearms, and another set that covered most of her upper arms followed them. They were heavy, studded with metal spikes in some places, such as on her upper arms. The larger pieces that protected her shoulders possessed some exceptional metalwork, but she found with a few stretches that she still possessed her full range of movement.