by D E Boske
The elf’s words echoed in Darian’s mind for he was feeling the same things about Renlyss. She was under his skin and he couldn’t break free, nor was he sure he wanted to. He still clung desperately to the love he felt for Tynuviel and was sure he wouldn’t be able to fall in love with Reny until he let go. He wasn’t ready for that. Tynuviel would always be deeply embedded in him as she was his first love.
“Hey, are you okay?” asked Kelindril.
“Kel, I can’t seem to let go of my love for Tynuviel. I’m not even sure that I want to. We
were so close… She’s all I’ve ever wanted. I destroyed her life the moment I walked into it. I should have kept my distance, but I’ve never felt this way for a woman before and as much as it terrified me, it also excited me and I let myself believe that I could achieve happiness. I was trained by The Order; I should have known better. A Mage doesn’t deserve happiness. We are here for a purpose and that is all. Even after all the death and destruction I have caused, I still have the audacity to believe that I can have both; The Order and happiness. Maybe I’m just fooling myself.”
Kelindril was taken aback by how much Darian had said. He almost never spoke that much and it was usually to Kyler when he did. It touched the elven assassin that the Mage trusted him enough to confide in him.
“I think you’re being too hard on yourself, Darian. You didn’t destroy her life, the Dark Mage did. I’m going to be honest with you, okay? Because you deserve honesty. What happened to Tynuviel was not your fault, but if you’re going to have any chance at happiness, you’re going to have to let her go. I know it’s going to be the hardest thing you’ve ever done and I will be here for you if you need to talk, drink, or whatever. And as for happiness, you deserve it more than most. If I ever hear those words come out of your mouth again, I’m gonna kick your ass, Mage. You have a chance to build something amazing with Renlyss, Darian. Don’t let the haunted shards of your past take that from you.”
Darian put his left hand on Kelindril’s right shoulder in silent gratitude for the elf’s support. “Thanks, my friend. That means a lot to me.”
“Morning, Darian,” said Tryllia, looking him over with more than mere appreciation.
“Morning, darlin’,” he replied with that sexy smile of his.
“Do you think we could do it again?” she asked, inching closer and taking the front of his cloak in her hands, looking up at him with lustful eyes.
“I’m sorry, Tryllia, but no. I’m not interested, but thank you,” he replied graciously.
“Asshole! I should have known better than to let you inside me,” she retorted icily.
“Hey, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m with someone now and I won’t betray her.”
“Renlyss?” she asked, jealousy bubbling up within her. The Mage nodded his confirmation and she smiled.
“She’s a lucky woman, Mage.” His devastatingly handsome face distracted her, as her eyes
drifted to his lips. She remembered how he’d used them on her body, his tongue gliding over her nipples and dipping between her thighs until she clutched his hair and screamed his name. The memory of his touch sent jolts of hot need straight to her core and her eyes drank him in as he winked at her.
“Please don’t tell him about us, Darian. This has to remain between us.”
“I never discuss my affairs, babe, not to worry,” the Mage replied in his silky, smooth voice that did things to her.
“Hey Tryl, are you hungry?” asked Tryndil, snapping Tryllia violently back to the present.
“Mm, but not for food,” she said, grabbing him roughly and kissing him as she slipped her fingers inside his breeches.
“Easy, Tryl. I don’t think they want to see this,” he said, nodding at Darian and Kelindril. Darian was more than a bit turned on, knowing she was so worked up over the memory of him.
“What were you talking to Darian about anyway?” asked Tryndil, as they took their leave to find a place to be alone.
“Nothing much, you know how talkative he is,” she said with a smile and her heart clenched at the lie. Tryndil really loved her and she honestly did love him, but the Mage...
“Yeah,” he laughed, but it quickly turned to a desperate moan as she went to her knees to envelop him.
“I want you to be rough with me, Tryndil,” she said around him and he groaned as she increased the pressure.
“What’s got you so worked up today, Tryl?” he asked, using his pet name for her and she took him deeper until she felt him pulsing into her.
“Damn, Tryl,” he croaked, his voice harsh and raw.
She dragged him farther until she found what looked to be the perfect spot. In truth, she didn’t care if anyone saw them. She needed him inside her soon or she would burst. She pushed his breeches past his hips and pulled him to the ground. His lips blazed a searing trail across her skin and she felt him getting hard for her. His hands were hard at work, easing her breeches down until she kicked them off along with her boots. He paused only long enough to get himself
free of his clothes and speared into her, as she howled in delight.
Tryndil always gave her what she wanted and never batted an eye when she wanted control. Now was one of those times. She pushed him down and climbed on top of him, kissing him as his fingers found her slick center. He guided himself into her and she took it from there. Her hips met his with bruising force and he tilted her back just enough so that he hit her trigger button. He felt her tighten around him and he grabbed her hips, forcing her down atop him until lights exploded behind her eyes and she was screaming his name.
Tryndil pushed her onto her knees and took her by force. The pressure that he created was unlike anything he’d ever done before and she loved it. He angled her ass up higher and she felt him stroking her where he’d always struggled to find before, but now he’d found it twice… She didn’t care how so long as he never forgot where it was. He grabbed her neck, gently squeezing as he plunged into her and once more, she clamped down around him, milking him as he
gave into the pleasure.
“Marry me,” he whispered, as he tumbled to the earth beside her. Sweat dampened his brow, but he was no less handsome for it.
“Yes!” she cried, throwing her arms around his neck. He pulled out a ring from the pocket of his discarded breeches, and placed it on her finger.
“That was supposed to be way more romantic,” he said apologetically.
She had tears in her eyes as she replied, “Tryndil, it was perfect! Where did you learn that?” she asked, already suspecting.
“Darian,” he said, grinning. “I asked him for help and he was more than willing to assist. Was it ok?”
“Ok? Are you kidding? Tryndil, that was mmm so good,” she cooed, kissing him softly.
Darian was there when Rohn opened his eyes. The late afternoon light was softly fading into evening’s shadows as the elf’s eyes fluttered open.
“What happened?” he croaked, throat dry from lack of water.
“I was hoping you could help to shed more light on that. Did you see your attacker, Rohn?” asked the Mage, looking him over carefully.
“No, I got hit from behind. I heard… a strange noise like… a cloak sweeping aside foliage, a soft clicking, and then blackness,” the elf admitted.
“How long have I been out?” he asked, wincing as he tried to sit up, but Darian held him down.
“Three days and you must remain still. You had severe head trauma, Rohn.”
“Thank you, Darian.” In answer to the Mage’s questioning gaze, he said, “For healing me.”
“Your welcome. I need you to rest for now. It’s important that you remain calm. Rohn, is there anything else you can remember? Any other sounds or a smell maybe? Anything that would help us find this Tral Nay’ Ya?”
“No, I… wait! I can remember smelling sulfur just before…” Rohn closed his eyes to aid his concentration and take him back to that night.
“I felt something evil, b
ut couldn’t see anything. It looked like shadows dancing through the trees, but when I tried to focus, it disappeared. Then the smell of sulfur burned my nose and I heard a swishing sound off to the left of me. I… I turned at the sound and that’s when I heard a soft clicking. I heard what sounded like an intake of breath and then nothing… I’m sorry, Darian.”
“Don’t be. You’ve just helped me to confirm what I already knew; there is a Dark Mage
among us. The smell of sulfur is the summoning of a demon, the swishing sound or rush of air is
the portal opening. The clicking sound…” Darian pulled free the Staff of Power and commanded it to full height.
“That’s it! That’s the sound!” Rohn exclaimed, upon hearing the Staff of Power growing.
“Did he speak at all? Did you hear a voice that you recognized?” Darian knew he was grasping at straws, but straws were all he had.
“No, nothing like that,” Rohn admitted, confirming Darian’s worst fears.
“Rest now, Rohn. You will be under twenty-four-hour guard until you are better.”
“Do you think they’ll attempt to finish what they started?”
“I don’t know. That’s what scares me.”
Kryndale was never far from Rohn’s side. He’d make sure Thelarki’s son was safe.
“Darian, wait,” called Rohn weakly.
“Yes?” said the Mage, turning back at the sound of the elf’s voice.
“I want to be part of your personal guard,” he confessed, looking the young Mage in the eye. That confession halted Darian in his tracks. He’d never expected Rohn to give up his post as a Knight of Shorlan. Kryndale gasped in surprise at Rohn’s words.
“Are you sure, Rohn?” asked Darian quietly. He was stunned, but wouldn’t let it show.
“I’m sure, Darian,” he replied without blinking.
“We’ll talk more when you are better. I have a list of requirements that you must be willing to follow without question. I know this will not be a problem for you,” said the Mage, leaving Rohn to his thoughts.
Rohn felt an incredible bond with Darian and he wasn’t sure if it was because the Mage had healed him. He had no other explanation, but in retrospect, he’d felt drawn to Darian since
the moment he met him.
“Kelindril, assign at least one guard to Rohn. He’s your new recruit,” advised the Mage.
“What?” said Kelindril, shocked that Thelarki’s son would walk away from the Knights of
Shorlan. A Gor Li’ Khan’s word was an oath of service and Kelindril knew Rohn swore an oath to the Knights that would not be easily broken. But the Gor Li’ Khan leader also knew that Darian was a powerful magnet.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been more shocked,” said Kryndale quietly, for Kelindril’s ears alone.
“What prompted this, do you think?” asked Kelindril, looking at Kryndale.
“Not sure. Could it be the healing?” asked Kryndale.
“I don’t think so. I’ve seen Darian heal others who have not displayed this behavior,” said Kelindril.
“Maybe he just wants to remain close to Nephraete.”
“Maybe,” replied Kryndale, not sounding convinced. “Tansher will not be pleased.”
“Hmm,” replied Kelindril, noncommittally.
“So, you and Kylee?” prompted Kryndale, surprised when his old friend didn’t flinch.
“I really like her, Kryndale,” he admitted.
“Good for you!” Kryndale exclaimed softly.
“I’m not sure that it is. I’m scared out of my mind, Kryndale.”
“I know, Kelindril, but she is not Elyssa. I can see she really cares for you.”
“So did Elyssa.”
“How do you feel when you’re with her?”
“Like I can do anything. I cannot seem to control myself, either. I kissed her the other night. I don’t even know how it happened.”
“How did you feel with Elyssa?” persisted Kryndale.
“Like I was never good enough. She’d make snide comments sometimes, but I just ignored it, I guess. It got worse just before she left. We started to argue more, but I thought it stemmed from my absences. How could I be so stupid? It was right before me the whole time. I’ve let her control me for too long, Kryndale. All this fear and loathing tightens my chest like a vise, but it is not that easy to let go of. I’ve held it close to my heart for so long that it is now a part of me.”
“Kylee will help to free you from it, I think.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” said Kelindril quietly.
In the morning, Rohn awoke and saw that Brandiel and Stilhan were watching over him. He tried to rise, but Brandiel held him down.
“Darian said not to get up yet. He wants to check on you himself,” advised the Gor Li’ Khan. A few minutes later, the young Mage approached Rohn with breakfast and sat down next
to him.
“Thank you, Darian,” he said, accepting the plate of eggs, cheese, bacon, and fruit.
“You’re welcome. How are you feeling?”
“A little sore and tired, but otherwise, I’m alright. Thank you for everything you’ve done.”
“It was my pleasure, Rohn. Have you ever seen your sister angry? It’s a frightening sight.”
Rohn laughed weakly, and groaned in pain, as his unused muscles screamed at him.
“I want to talk to you about your requirements, Darian.”
“There’ll be plenty of time for that when you’re better,” the Mage responded.
“I want to talk about it now,” said Rohn, finishing the food and placing the empty plate on the ground.
“Rohn, are you sure you want to do this?”
“Absolutely!”
“Because there’s no turning back once I accept and you hear my terms,” the Mage warned.
“I’m Gor Li’ Khan, Darian. I don’t walk away from anything.” Rohn realized how foolish that sounded after the words had left his mouth. After all, he was walking away from the Knights of Shorlan.
“May I ask you something?” asked the young Mage. He chose to ignore the obvious response and ask a question instead. After all, it wouldn’t do to belittle Rohn.
“Sure.”
“Why, Rohn? Why do you want to be a part of my personal guard? Why are you willing to walk away from the Knights of Shorlan? How can I be sure you won’t tire of your new job?”
Rohn looked thoughtful for long moments before finally answering. “I fled my home and left my sister behind because I could not face what Thelarki was forcing us to do. Working for him was toxic to my soul and I couldn’t live with what I’d done. I left without looking back.”
Darian noticed Kelindril become stiffly alert at Rohn’s words and guessed that the elf wasn’t happy with Rohn’s revelations.
“Al-Dan-Tir has been my home for more than a decade, but I never felt at home there. Since the moment I met you, I’ve felt drawn to you and I cannot explain why. I feel like I belong with you. For the first time in a very long time, I feel that sense of peace that only comes from being at home. And I feel it every time I’m in your presence. I want my life and my work to have meaning and purpose, Darian. And I know they will, working for you. I finally feel like redemption is possible and not just some elusive fairy tale that hopeless people cling to.”
“My first requirement is that anything you see or hear in your service to me shall not be repeated to anyone outside my personal guard, on pain of death. My privacy is of the utmost importance to me,” he said, watching Rohn’s expression carefully for any signs of disagreement
or hesitation, but found none.
“Agreed,” said Rohn. “I understand that as a Mage of The Order, your privacy is critical and that there is much I will never know about you for your safety as much as The Order’s.”
“Second, your loyalty is to me and me alone. Not Kaleika Bay, not Al-Dan-Tir, not even Kiri A’ Nouell. Understand?”
“I do,” agreed Rohn.
“I do not trust easily, Rohn. Do not make me sorry. Betrayal is unforgivable. You will welcome death before I am finished with you if you are found guilty.”
“I will never betray you, Mage. I’d slit my own throat first.”
“You shall have a generous wage and once we are back home, days off, too.”
“Thank you, Darian!” said Rohn, shocked at the Mage’s words.
“Don’t thank me. You will earn it and then some,” chuckled Darian. “If you ever suspect
treachery, no matter who it is, bring it to my attention immediately. Never fear of harsh reprisal for doing your job. Remember, it is expected of you. Also, you will protect Renlyss and Hunter as you do me. She is my consort and he is our son.”
“You have my word, Darian,” said the elf seriously.
“Kelindril is in charge. Do you have a problem with that?”
“Of course not. We will work well together.”
“See that you do. Rest now, Rohn and welcome,” said the young Mage with a heartfelt smile. He tucked a small purse into the elf’s hands and left him to rest.
The days flew by as Rohn got stronger and Kelindril began to train him. No further attempts were made on Rohn’s life and Darian became perplexed by this. Why go to all the trouble of almost killing him only to let him live and protect the target? There was a reason, he was sure.
One night, as they sat around the campfire talking, Koryn approached Darian and asked if he could sit and the Mage nodded his acceptance.
“Darian, would you accept a human into your flock? I can promise that I am hard working and loyal. Rohn can vouch for me,” began Koryn and now Darian was flabbergasted.
What the hell is going on? He thought.
“Koryn, why would you desire this? You would have to make your home in the elven forest and I’m guessing you do not know the elven tongue?”
“I know you respect honesty, so here goes. Rohn is my only family and with him gone, there is nothing for me in Al-Dan-Tir. I do not know elvish and I realize this is a huge drawback,” he looked down, crestfallen. He knew Darian would never accept him for two reasons: he was human and he could not speak the elven tongue. Suddenly, he felt extremely foolish for even coming over to speak with the young Mage.