by D E Boske
The Mage finished casting and in his mind’s eye, he soared backward along the arrow’s path to the origin point.
“Brandiel… go left thirty yards. The attack is coming from the third floor, near the tower,” Darian sent his thought to the newly promoted elf and saw his direction change at once. Brandiel was a good elf and Darian respected him. The rest of the Gor Li’ Khan surrounded the Mage, ready to protect him when the shield gave way. It was only a matter of time.
Darian’s eyes had a dark gleam to them that was semi-frightening. The Dark Magic took possession of the Mage and he relinquished control eagerly. A little too eagerly, Kelindril thought, but there was nothing he could do.
Brandiel took the coral stairs two at a time and flew up the walkway to the tower. He skidded to a halt as the spell died out and the ethereal bow disappeared.
“Get back to Darian, it’s a trap!” yelled Brandiel, wasting no time. He ran down the stairs as fast as he could and the others followed, determined to escape the immediate threat.
Darian! It’s a trap! Brandiel’s thought crashed into the Mage’s consciousness and he was quick to cast a shield around them just in time as an ear shattering explosion showered them with shattered bits of colored coral. The impact catapulted Brandiel down a flight of stairs, but his elvish heritage kept him on his feet and running.
Thelarki and a force of his Gor Li’ Khan came bursting out of the castle to see what was amiss. The elven king scowled at the Mage but quickly replaced it with a feigned look of worry.
“Are you alright?” asked Thelarki worriedly, but Kelindril knew the king well enough to know that he was upset none of them sustained injuries.
“Yes, we’re fine, Thelarki,” said Darian, with an obvious edge to his voice.
“That is good. Do you know what happened?” continued Thelarki, unaware that the Mage had called his bluff. Darian tucked this bit of knowledge away for later use and pretended to give a shit.
“No, by the time Brandiel made it up there, the spell expired but he was wise to know it
was a trap and was able to warn the rest of us,” advised Darian, touching the king’s arm.
Thelarki’s eyes traveled down to the Mage’s long, slender fingers then back to his eyes.
Darian removed his hand and smiled apologetically and Thelarki wiped his sleeve off and
straightened his clothing as if the Mage were a filthy beggar. Darian filed this away as well, smirking inwardly at the vain king.
“That is good,” said Thelarki.
“Darian! What happened? Are you alright?” Nephraete ran into Darian’s arms, hugging him ferociously.
“I’m fine, little seer.” The Mage’s voice was soft and sexy and the seer inhaled his scent as she clung to him. Thelarki cleared his throat but Nephraete ignored him and continued hugging Darian. It felt good to be in his arms and she blushed in spite of herself.
“Unhand my daughter!” Thelarki commanded and Darian’s eyes darkened dangerously.
“I will not tolerate your rudeness, Thelarki,” said Darian, voice low and menacing, as he continued to hold Nephraete tightly against him.
Kyler came running down the stairs and could tell in a glance that things were not going well between Thelarki and Darian. It was evident in the Mage’s stance, so stiff and formal, as if he were waiting to spring into action at any given moment. Kyler supposed he was, too. Nephraete was comforting the Mage, holding him tightly, cheek pressed against his chest. On second glance, Kyler saw that Darian was comforting Nephraete, his friend’s hands running over her back as he whispered to her.
Kyler marveled that he was not jealous of his friend’s contact with his lover. In fact, he felt she was safe with Darian. Kyler could tell that Darian wasn’t even interested in Nephraete, he was merely holding her and it dawned on Kyler how much Renlyss had changed the promiscuous Mage.
Kyler remembered how jealous he’d been of Darian and how afraid he’d been that Darian would steal Nephraete away from him. Now, he was merely comforting her as a good friend would. Renlyss came down the stairs to Darian’s side and at once, he broke contact with the seer to envelop Renlyss in his arms. Darian brought his lips to Renlyss’s, his hands cupping her ass as he deepened the kiss. Kyler didn’t think he’d ever seen his friend so happy and content. Not even with his sister.
Thelarki cleared his throat but Darian ignored him. He would show the ignorant king that he could not manipulate or control a Mage of The Order.
“Mm babe, what you do to me,” Darian mumbled and Renlyss giggled, eliciting a soft moan from her lover.
“I must go, but shouldn’t be long. Kelindril, you make certain she’s safe, understand?” said Darian, eyes glittering dangerously.
“Of course, it’s already done, Darian,” replied Kelindril.
Thelarki watched the interaction between the wicked elf and the Mage. He could tell Kelindril respected Darian and vice versa. He’d never seen Kelindril so animated or care so much
when the elf was in service to him. It pissed him off that Kelindril betrayed Kaleika Bay, leaving
her service to work for a Mage of The Order.
Kelindril was Thelarki’s secret weapon; his most powerful one. He hated giving the elf up but he couldn’t exactly force the issue right now. Not yet anyway. But Darian was mistaken if he thought that the king would allow Kelindril to leave with him. Thelarki had been in power for millennia and he knew how to handle every one he encountered. And a Mage of The Order would be no different. Everyone had a weakness, something they wanted or secretly desired. Thelarki just needed to find out what it was that Darian wanted and present it to him or show him how to attain it. Once done, the Mage would be indebted to him and Kaleika Bay and Thelarki would take control of Darian.
Darian nearly laughed aloud at the elven king’s thoughts. He kept his face blank so that Thelarki would not know he was aware of his foolhardy plans. That Thelarki honestly believes that he can control me is laughable, Darian thought. I’ll give him the challenge of a lifetime. Darian smiled inwardly and passed instruction on to Kelindril, who glanced in Darian’s direction, as if he were checking for threats. Thelarki would be none the wiser as he thought himself too intelligent to fall victim to such a scandal.
Kelindril itched to put the Mage’s plan in place but everything in its own time. The elf couldn’t wait to see the surprise on his former master’s face when Thelarki realized that Darian bested him. It took every ounce of the elf’s self-discipline to keep his mouth shut.
Kelindril saw Thelarki’s face turn dark red from anger and knew from experience that he was about to explode. Kelindril imagined the King’s head exploding in a shower of gore as if one of Kryskil’s exploding arrows had hit it.
“Kelindril, let’s go,” ordered Darian and Kyler and Nephraete fell into step with them.
“It’s not safe to be near me right now, Kyler. You’d do well to keep your distance,” advised the Mage.
“Noted and ignored,” responded the elf prince and Darian scowled in annoyance.
“You didn’t think I was gonna’ let you walk out of here without me, did you?”
“I guess not,” said Darian, sighing in mock irritation.
“Where have you been? I haven’t seen you in a few days,” stated Kyler and Darian’s silvery
grey orbs turned dark with doubt.
Darian didn’t like to have doubts about his friends. Especially one that had been with him
since the beginning of this crazy ride. But at the same time, Kyler was in the perfect position to be the Khav Li’ Ohk. Darian tried to dismiss the notion but couldn’t. He wasn’t sure if it was Delvishan trying to warn him in some way or not but he just couldn’t ignore the alarm going off in his head right at this moment and he hated himself for it.
“Darian, what’s going on? I get the feeling that you’ve been avoiding me but not sure why.
Have I done something to offend you? Have I hurt your feelings? Don’t lie to me either, Mag
e. I want the truth,” said Kyler, looking to Kelindril who shrugged his shoulders and looked away, basically confirming that something was amiss.
“Nah,” said the Mage unconvincingly. “I’ve just been busy, that’s all.”
“Doing what exactly? We’re kind of trapped here, Darian. Have you found out why?”
“No.” His one-word, short clipped answer had the forest elf on edge.
“Tell me what’s bothering you, Darian,” urged Kyler and once more Darian felt a sickening sense of urgency befall him. When Darian didn’t immediately respond, Kyler knew what had the Mage so befuddled.
“Takasha! You think I’m the one that betrayed you! Darian, I… Whatever I say will just add to your suspicion, so I won’t even bother telling you I’m innocent. For what else would a guilty person say, except that they’re innocent? I cannot imagine how this is tearing you apart, my friend. But I will not desert you when you need me the most. I will never leave your side and we will find this Shahk Tay’ Lova together and make him pay!” Kyler said angrily.
Darian nearly smiled at the elf’s words but the situation was far too serious for jokes. Kyler usually didn’t speak so in front of Nephraete, which showed how irritated he was with the whole thing. Darian was fairly certain that Kyler had nothing to do with any of this but needed to be sure. Renlyss was having his child and he would take no chances with his growing family.
“Where are we going?” asked Kyler.
“The human towns. We need to secure passage on a ship and I get the feeling Thelarki is behind the delay.”
“You think he’s that foolish? That he would interfere with a Mage of The Order’s plans?”
“Yeah, I do,” responded Darian, glancing at his friend.
“Well shit,” said Kyler.
“Indeed,” said the Mage. He didn’t reveal Thelarki’s plans as he wasn’t sure who he could trust with that knowledge. It seemed whenever he thought he was ahead the Dark Mage was already well up his ass and it pissed him off.
“My father can be extremely ignorant sometimes, Darian,” commented the seer. “He’s been in power for so long that I believe he’s forgotten where he came from. Once my mother died, he changed and became this… this… abomination! I think she was his conscience, his true north?” she said, looking up into the Mage’s gorgeous face and becoming lost in his eyes. He was hypnotically beautiful, every inch of him. Her eyes slid over his muscled form, stopping below the belt. She didn’t feel sorry about it, either, though she knew she should.
Glimpses of fevered skin, hard muscle, and lusty kisses assaulted her brain and she had to take back control before Kyler noticed. Nephraete took a breath and glanced at Darian who
appeared not to notice her turmoil.
His lips burned hers as memories floated to the surface but never clear enough to firmly grab onto. His body was sleek and hard, muscled and firm, and he felt so… damn good. The memories were cloudy and unfocused, almost as if she were surfacing from some fevered dream. But… her body yearned for his to fill hers as if it remembered his touch. But… that just wasn’t possible. Was it? The only one she’d ever been with is Kyler. But even as she told herself that, she doubted it were true, for the shadowy lover filling her and making her scream was none other than Darian, her lover’s best friend.
She nearly went tumbling down the staircase carved out of the jutting rock bordering the ocean and separating land from water. Kyler gripped her arm and yanked her back from certain death.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked worriedly.
“Hmm?” she asked distractedly.
“Are you okay?” Kyler repeated, concerned.
“What? Er yes, I’m fine, Kyler. I just… kind of got lost in my head. I’m sorry,” she said, not quite lying. Darian looked back at her and she shivered as her body remembered his addictive touch. The sensation of him moving inside her was too much to bear and she very nearly mewled in need. Her panties were soaked and she had the unmistakable urge to plant a heated kiss on the Mage’s lips.
Darian felt the roiling emotions emanating off the seer and looked back to see if she was okay and saw… dawning recognition. Memories surfacing. Memories that should never see the light of day. That could ruin everything and he was not about to let that happen. He knew she wouldn’t want that either but could he take the chance?
What is it, little seer? His words echoed inside her head, his voice throwing into stark reality the raw sexual attraction they’d experienced. Everything became clear with the sound of his voice. His whispered words as he made love to her. Her profession of love to him. How he held her against the wall as he moved within her.
Oh no! What have we done? She replied without meaning to.
Silence, little seer! We will talk later, understand? Don’t force my hand here. I don’t want to hurt you, Nephraete…
Would he actually hurt me? She thought and became troubled when she couldn’t say for sure. The memories of their lovemaking where he was gentle and loving stood in stark contrast to him threatening her with bodily harm, not pleasure. She frowned in sorrow because she wanted to revisit their affair and this caused her distress because she was in love with Kyler. But
Darian Brade had power over her, as he did every woman he met.
Nephraete watched the Mage with Renlyss and how he treated her. His hand ran over her back lovingly, then strayed to run his fingers through her soft hair, then down to fondle her ass as they walked. The seer looked on a bit jealously, Kyler never touched her that way in public. Why not?
“What’s wrong?” Kyler asked her, as they walked behind the Mage and his consort.
“Why don’t you touch me like that?” she blurted, then turned red with the fires of her embarrassment.
“What?” he turned a questioning eye on her. “I didn’t think you wanted me to, Nephraete. Do you want me to ravish you right here?” he asked, perplexed by her reaction. Kyler glanced at the Gor Li’ Khan, but they paid them no mind.
“I… I’m sorry, Kyler. I don’t know what’s wrong with me today,” she said, taking his hand. He cupped her chin and kissed her, as his hands went to her breasts, lightly pinching her nipples. She moaned into his mouth and he grinned, deepening the kiss. He grabbed her ass, pulling her into him so she could feel how hard he was for her.
Darian grinned at the display, enjoying the effect he had on his friend’s girl and shook his head in amusement.
“Darian, it seems some things are coming to light that are better left in the past,” warned Kelindril cryptically.
“I’m aware, Kel and I’ll handle it, if it comes to that,” the Mage responded, giving him a pointed look.
“You would actually hurt her, Darian?” asked Kelindril, shocked.
“I don’t want to, no. But I cannot allow that out in the open and you know it,” Darian’s shield was put in place quickly and efficiently and Renlyss looked at her lover questioningly but he ignored her.
“I thought you took her memories?” tried Kelindril, not liking the way this conversation was going. He really liked Nephraete and didn’t want to see her hurt.
“I did and I’m puzzled as to why it hasn’t worked with her. She’s the only one whose memories have surfaced once I’ve danced in their consciousness,” said Darian and his words chilled Kelindril because the elf was certain he’d done it countless times.
Has he done it to me? Would I even know? Thought Kelindril.
“Do you have any idea why it hasn’t worked?” he asked instead.
“I have a few thoughts on the matter, yes,” answered the Mage.
“Sometimes, I really want to stab the shit out of you,” said Kelindril, not quite joking. The Mage raised an eyebrow but said nothing and released the shield around them.
“What do you think that was about?” asked Kyler, looking at Nephraete.
“I’m sure I don’t know,” she replied.
Kyler let it go, even though it seemed like something was bothering her. He gently squeezed
her hand to assure her that he was there with her and fell silent, as he attempted to listen to Darian’s whispered words to the Gor Li’ Khan. His sharp ears picked up their words and he remained quiet, only interjecting his opinion when he felt it was necessary.
“Kel, what do you think we’ll find in the human town?” the Mage motioned for Kyler and Nephraete to join them.
“Most likely, it will be friendly, Darian. They cannot afford to piss us off. The idea of Thelarki and the Gor Li’ Khan terrify them and we can use this to our advantage,” stated Kelindril.
“Good. I will lead the conversation but I want you close by for intimidation’s sake. If needed, of course,” the Mage replied.
“You may not need us, Mage. You can be pretty intimidating all by yourself,” said Kelindril and Darian laughed.
“Is that so?” he asked, his eyes twinkling in amusement.
Nephraete stared at Darian’s luscious lips, recalling them all over her body as he licked, kissed, and sucked every inch of exposed skin. The way he made her feel as he parted her thighs and brought his tongue to bear was deliciously naughty and she was having a hard time concentrating on the conversation.
“Are you okay?” asked Renlyss, touching the seer’s arm.
Renlyss’s touch inspired a powerful vision, which gripped the tiny seer in its grasp. Nephraete spiraled into Renlyss, delving inside the beautiful elf and seeing the life growing within her. Darian’s child! She saw the child, a boy, grow up in the elven forest, as he learned the ways of the elves and Mages. He was handsome, like his father and he was growing up strong and sure.
Hunter, the human boy that Darian had taken for his own, was close by as they hunted a deer. Hunter nocked an arrow and let it fly, taking the deer between the eyes and felling the animal. A round of applause went up from the elves. Under their tutelage, Hunter was learning