by D E Boske
“I wedged myself in pretty good, hoping it would give me an advantage so I could win. I saw Morphindinaetlus flying toward me but my foot was stuck and I… Kyler tried to save me but he was too far away. Darian cast spell after spell but he had to be careful so as not to hit me. He exhausted himself, didn’t he? Trying to save me?” she asked, looking up into Gayla’s compassionate eyes.
“Yes, he drained himself so severely that he was lost for days afterward. Although, it was probably due to your loss more than his depleted energy,” responded Gayla.
“We think he remained unconscious because that way, he didn’t have to deal with your loss. At the time, we had no idea that you were alive. When he awoke, he began planning immediately for your rescue. Delvishan came to him and advised him that you were alive. That was the first time he became animated again.”
“So, he truly was in Kiri A’ Nouell the whole time? He never left?” Tynuviel had to know. She was almost certain that it wasn’t Darian offending her, but she just had to hear someone say so. And if Gayla confirmed it then it must be true because she was so in love with the Mage that it was obvious.
“He was in shambles, Tynuviel. He came apart and flew into a rage such as I’ve never seen
before. He’s usually tightly controlled and in command of his emotions but when he thought he lost you… It was a terrifying sight. Kyler was with him most times and even Kyler had a hard time calming him down. Honestly, I don’t know how Kyler was able to put up with him. He was unbearable. He never left this forest, Tynuviel. He spent every waking moment planning your rescue. He was ready to come the next day but Kyler wouldn’t let him. Darian was ready to give his life for you, Tynuviel. I’ve never seen him so devoted to someone and it’s kinda’ weird.
“Kyler told him that he needed to wait to ensure a good outcome. Many stepped forward
to join the battle for your freedom. Darian is a very moving, passionate speaker and he had many willing to give their lives that you would return safely home. Please, go on,” Gayla urged. She recognized that the beautiful elf needed to talk to someone about this and the fact that it was herself that she spoke to was… Fitting. They both loved the Mage and had no reason to help the other and yet, here they were.
“The dragon wrenched me out of the tree, snapping my ankle in the process, as his claws sliced deep into my body. My lifeblood poured freely from the raw wounds as he carried me away to his lair. I had no idea why the dragon would bother but it soon became crystal clear,” she shuddered as she remembered the flight to Ancient Mountain.
“I was so cold… I lost so much blood, Gayla. I… woke hours later to find that my wounds had been bound and I was on the mend. The dragon came to me and talked to me, filling my head with lies. He showed me visions of Darian with other women and I didn’t believe it at first. I was sure that Darian loved me. But then he started to tell me things that I knew were true because Darian himself had told me. The dragon is wily, Gayla. He blends truth with lies and you cannot know the difference. I began to believe him after a time, I have no idea how long I was there but it felt like forever.
“Then one day, Darian came to see me and I was thrilled! I begged him to take me home but he didn’t. He wasn’t concerned about me or how I was doing, nor did he try to free me from my shackles. Instead, he raped me. I will never forget the stench rolling off him, it was enough to make me vomit,” informed Tynuviel.
“What do you mean? Darian doesn’t reek, Tynuviel. He bathes every day. What… what did he smell like?”
“He… he smelled like he hadn’t bathed in a while. I should have known better because Darian never smelled bad. He always smells so… mmm. I’m so stupid! I made a grave error and now… Now it’s too late. Darian has moved on, Gayla. What will I do?”
“You cannot believe that, Tynuviel. He loves you, always has. You think he would move on so quickly?”
“I don’t know. Maybe? He told me before he left that he would never darken my doorstep
again. And he hasn’t. I fear that I’ve lost him for good.
“I was tortured and raped until I just had nothing left of myself. I began to believe everything the dragon said to me because so much of it was the truth. I just couldn’t decipher the lies
because I really don’t know Darian all that well.”
“No one does, Tynuviel. He keeps himself closely guarded and doesn’t let anyone near. Except for you, that is. You’re the only one that I’ve seen get so close to him. I’ve seen the way he talks to you and it’s so…” They both drifted into an uneasy silence until Tynuviel broke it, her
voice pained and soft.
“After a while, I stopped fighting because it was useless. He was too strong for me and I couldn’t fight him off. He laughed whenever I tried and just cast a spell to bind my limbs.”
“Is there anything you can remember about that monster? Anything that would help to identify him?” asked Gayla.
“He looked exactly like Darian. Except…” Tynuviel drifted off as she looked inward to her memories of those dark days.
“What is it, Tynuviel? I can tell that you thought of something,” prodded Gayla.
“The Staff of Power. My attacker did not have it. Probably because it cannot be duplicated, though I would need Darian to confirm my suspicions, if he’d even talk to me now.”
“Well, that’s something. Anything else you can remember? I know this must be hard, Tynuviel, but it may help us find out who did this to you. Close your eyes and go back to that time and place and concentrate on him. Remember the way he spoke? Was it0 Darian’s voice, or his own?” Tynuviel hesitated in telling her the killing blow but in the name of healing, she forged ahead.
“Um, Darian already knows who did it, Gayla,” Tynuviel confessed, acid fighting its way up her throat, but she would not give herself over to it.
“What? Who?” Gayla asked, shocked.
“Raschel.” Gayla nearly fainted.
“But, Raschel went with Darian…”
“Exactly! I still cannot understand why Darian did not exact punishment.”
“What did he say?” asked Gayla, horrified.
“Before or after I hit him?” asked Tynuviel, every bit the elvish princess that she was.
“Both?” responded Gayla with a grin.
“He told me that Raschel was just as much a victim of the Dark Mage as I was and that he had no knowledge of what he was responsible for. It pissed me off that Darian chose him over me and made me feel like I didn’t matter to him.”
“Did you ever tell this to Darian?” asked Gayla, reasonably certain that Tynuviel hadn’t.
“He said he loved me; shouldn’t he know? Why should I have to tell him? It’s obvious, isn’t it?”
“To us it is. But men are stupid, Tynuviel. Even ones as brilliant as Darian cannot fully understand the inner workings of the female mind. When he returns, you must tell him how this has affected you,” advised Gayla. “Only then will he comprehend how he hurt you.”
“Okay, I will, though I am not sure it will do much good.”
“Why do you say that?” asked Gayla.
“Darian informed me that a ward was placed deep inside me. The same kind of ward that is placed inside Mages to ensure their good behavior,” said Tynuviel.
“What?” asked Gayla, outraged and a bit sick to her stomach. “That is low, even for The Order.” Gayla was upset, she couldn’t believe a Mage would dare to be so bold.
“That was when he told me he would never bother me again. It is because of this ill placed ward that I cannot be in his presence for long. The ward keeps me from loving him the way I used to. Whenever I feel anything toward him, the ward reminds me how I loathe him. I am filled with revulsion in his presence and I cannot stomach the sight of him,” Tynuviel choked out.
“Oh Tynuviel! I’m so sorry this happened to you both,” said Gayla, wrapping the tiny elf in her arms and holding her as she cried.
“I’ve lost him, I know I have.
He will find another who is able to give him what I cannot,” Tynuviel sobbed.
“He’s let me go and I’ll forever be alone. For the ward doesn’t discriminate. Any male I attempt intimate contact with makes me ill at east, angry even. Tireniel… tried to kiss me and I… ran. I couldn’t stand to be near him. How can I live like this, Gayla?”
“This should not be! I had no idea The Order even used wards in their Mages! Darian never spoke to me of Order matters, though it doesn’t surprise me in the least. The Order is very demanding of their Mages. They’re extremely strict, cruel, and mean. But they do dole out rewards when they believe a Mage or student has performed admirably. And Darian, well, The Order blessed him with the best rewards and the most hideous of punishments I’ve ever seen inflicted. His punishments were harsher because they expected more of him, I believe. This is all supposition on my part since we never spoke of Order events.”
“What did you speak of?” Tynuviel couldn’t help asking even though the very thought of Darian being intimate with another woman caused her heartache.
“Darian is a very attentive lover and he would speak quietly to me as he made love to me. His pillow talk is unbelievable! Other than that, it was only small talk, nothing deeply personal, for him anyway. For me, he wanted to know everything about me but wouldn’t reciprocate, so I never felt like I really knew him. I don’t even know his favorite color. But I can tell you his favorite
sexual positions and everything he likes in bed.”
“Like?” Tynuviel prompted, smiling unexpectedly. She really liked Gayla, she was sweet and caring. Even though Tynuviel knew she should hate her, she didn’t. They’d both experienced similar atrocities and she felt closer to Gayla than anyone else lately. Tynuviel felt that Gayla was in the unique position to understand her and everything she’d been through better than anyone else.
“Well, he really likes the woman on top because that leaves his hands free to play with
her breasts, ass, and anything else he can get his hungry hands on. Oh, he can be so playfully dirty,” Gayla laughed as she spoke, her eyes looking inward, remembering her affair with Darian.
“He also likes to switch positions frequently so he can penetrate you at different angles. Some of them are mmmmm, deep and so pleasurable.”
“What is his favorite position?” asked Tynuviel, unable to help herself.
“Hmm, it’s a toss-up between the woman on top and him taking you from behind while on your knees. Although, he does really like to stand and hold you while he makes love to you so… good. Um, he also likes it on his side. He’ll place you in front of him and play with your breasts as he thrusts into you. This is one of my favorites,” Gayla chuckled.
“Does he like, um…,” Tynuviel was unsure how to ask what she wanted to know.
“What, Tynuviel? What do you want to know? You can ask me anything. You know that, right?”
“I just… I’m not sure how to ask this?”
“Just blurt it out. I think we’re beyond dainty girl talk at this point, don’t you?” They both laughed and agreed.
“Does he like to give as much as he receives?” asked Tynuviel, pointing to her heated core.
Gayla smiled in recognition, “Oh, yes! He loves the taste of women and spends hours sometimes just licking and tasting until you’re so exhausted from orgasms you beg him to stop.”
“I have a hard time believing I could ever be tired of that!” Tynuviel chortled.
“Trust me, I thought so too at first. The pleasure is so extreme that it drains you, ya know? Darian never leaves a woman unsatisfied. He makes certain that she reaches climax at least twice before he gives in.”
Tynuviel’s eyes were wide with lust. “What’s the most you’ve had with him in one session?”
“Five, I believe,” said Gayla, appearing as if she were back in the moment and taking count.
“Five!” Tynuviel exclaimed. “I think the most I’ve had is two and it’s a struggle.”
“It won’t be with Darian, trust me. He is a skilled lover and knows what a woman wants. He’s the best I’ve ever had,” said Gayla.
Tynuviel’s body came alive at the thought of sexual contact. It had been months since she’d had sex and she wanted it. Needed it. But every time she thought about it too much, the ward went to work, making her angry and sick. She hated what they did to her but didn’t know
what to do about it.
“What happened just now? I saw myriad emotions flitting across your face, Tynuviel.”
“Talking about Darian this way excites and thrills me and I want him so badly right now.
But then almost immediately, the ward begins working and all I feel is anger and revulsion. I
just… I don’t know how to fight this thing,” Tynuviel’s voice cracked with unshed tears. She fought to keep them back and Gayla understood that battle all too well.
“Have you asked Darian about it?”
“Actually, he told me that I had to break through the ward on my own. He said that he couldn’t do it because he could end up killing me. He told me to look deep inside and I would find it tightly wound around my inner being. And it’s there, Gayla. I meditated and found it; a milky white orb hovering deep inside me, connected to my brain stem. I tried for days to break its hold on me but I was unable to do so. It’s strong, probably due to all the hatred and sorrow I’ve fed it.”
“Do you love Darian?” asked Gayla.
“I do, more than anything. My rational side knows he’d never hurt me, but the irrational side, the one that was raped and tortured, she won’t listen to reason. She wants more than a pound of flesh in payment."
“Have you tried recently to break its hold? Perhaps it may come easier now that he’s gone and your love is strong?”
“Maybe,” Tynuviel responded, but didn’t sound sure.
After Gayla left, Tynuviel meditated and found the ward to be far bigger than it was when she originally began. Damn it! How was she to break through this thing? How had Darian done it? He was an accomplished Mage and far stronger than any elven mage she knew, so it made sense that he’d be able to break its hold. Showoff! She thought and smiled, picturing his beautiful face and the smile that he seemed to only share with her.
Tynuviel attacked the ward furiously, angry at what they’d been through. They’d both lost much and she knew that was exactly what the Dark Mage wanted. She should be with Darian right now, holding him, kissing him, making love to him. Once more, she felt the ward rise to the forefront and she shoved it back aggressively. Before her astonished eyes, it grew smaller. Barely discernible, but it was to her and that was all she needed to see. It was possible and she would do it. She was not about to let the Dark Mage win. She lost everything on that dark day and she was tired of being sick and tired.
Her only hope was that she’d be able to break the powerful hold before her love returned because once he was back in the elven forest, she planned on throwing herself at him and ignoring the discomfort caused by the ward. She wondered if her nearness would damage the ward if she could stomach being near him for a while. She felt a surge of hope and spent the rest of the night fighting what was within her.
Just before dawn graced the elven homeland, Tynuviel collapsed from exhaustion, the
softness of her bed warm and inviting, calling to her. She had no idea how it happened or even that it was possible to do so, but somehow in her dreamlike state, she reached out to Darian.
“Tynuviel? Are you okay? What’s wrong?” The concern in his voice touched her deeply and she could see his face so clearly, as if he was right beside her. She’d never done this before.
“Nothing… I… how is this possible?” That was not what she wanted to say dammit! She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, but before she could get the words out, her throat closed as the ward blocked her from speaking.
“It shouldn’t be possible, Tynuviel.” His use of her full name cut her deeply and she took a full measure of h
im now; his wild unkempt hair, he was naked, at least from all she could see and she tried to see it all! How she missed him.
“Only a Mage should be able to reach me so. I allowed the communication because I felt your presence. Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, concerned, but not like he used to be. He was a bit detached and she supposed she deserved that. She told him she never wanted to see him again…
“I’ve been fighting the ward. I found it, Darian. It’s so much bigger than it was in the beginning! I… it’s hard but I haven’t given up. I am trying to take back control but the ward is strong.”
“That’s because of all the energy you’ve fed it, Tynuviel. Keep fighting and don’t give up.
You’re stronger than any woman I’ve ever known. You can beat this and still have a chance at a
normal life. I am happy that you’re fighting it. They’ve taken so much away from you… I’m sorry,
Tynuviel. If I could take it all back, I would. I hope you know that.”
“I do,” she said as tears slid down her cheeks. She’d lost him. He wasn’t acting like he was still in love with her. He was acting like she was a mere acquaintance. Takasha! She wasn’t prepared for the grief that filled her at this realization.
“Take care of yourself, Tynuviel. We can talk more once I return, if you like.”
“Darian, I…” she tried to tell him how she loved him but once more the ward intercepted her words.
“Yes?” He sounded almost impatient with her and it cut her deeply.
“Nothing,” she croaked out.
“I must go.” He severed the connection abruptly and it was like a punch to the gut, knocking her off balance. She felt like she was falling backward but she was in her bed, the darkness surrounding her like a sound proof blanket.
47
Darian sat up, alone in the darkness, contemplating how Ty had been able to contact him. Only an Order Mage or a powerful elven mage like Renlyss should be able to do this. How had the daughter of Kiri A’ Nouell been able to make contact?