“Shall I carry you to the lake to ease any soreness?” I asked, brushing an errant curl from her face.
“No.” Her voice was barely a croak, and she shook her head before continuing, “It’s a pleasant sort of soreness, I think I’ll hold on to it for a bit.” She winked at me and moved to lay on her side.
Syl and Lyros had stopped pacing and settled on the edge of the lake, both of their gazes forlorn as they looked over at us. I smiled in their direction and pulled Teagan against my chest. “We should go. They may send someone to check on you. We’ve been here for hours,” I said, sighing into her hair.
“There is no time here,” she answered. “When we walk through the mirror, not a minute will have passed.” She snuggled deeper into my arms.
“I’m sorry that you suffered for Syl’s indiscretion,” I said, finally.
“What happened?” she asked.
“One of Kharis’s pets took a swing at Syl, and Syl tackled him. Hel’r baited Syl. He bit, as he often does,” I answered. It was the truth. Syl’s hot temper had gotten more than one Mistress whipped.
“It shouldn’t be this way. None of it. If you are to stay with me, then you must know I mean to change things. You are men, not slaves. I am a woman, not your master. This land is built on logs with no notches; it will fall eventually. I intend to shake the foundation a bit. If you’d rather not be involved, I understand.” She looked at me from intelligent eyes, and I knew I was lost.
“Then, we change things together. Kharis is finished with us. We’ve done our fair share to exhaust her patience.”
“You can’t speak for them,” she said, nodding in the direction of the irritated canines.
“I can. They are my brothers, and I know their hearts. In a land ruled by Kharis, we are already dead. Might as well go out with a bang.” I pulled away reluctantly and moved to my feet, pulling Teagan with me. She winced as she stood, her cheeks heating to a beautiful shade of red.
Picking her up, I ran laughing to the lake and tossed her in. “Just in case you want a repeat performance, you should heal that soreness.”
She sputtered and gasped at the surface, slapping the surface with her hands. “I’ll get you for that!” she laughed, splashing water in my direction.
I dove in, and the fight was on. We played and splashed in the lake while the wolf and the fox made faces that showed just how embarrassed they were of my childish antics.
I couldn’t have cared less.
For the first time in my life, I felt free.
Chapter Eleven
Teagan
If Thalakar were the boring and bland one, I’d meet certain death at the hands of the other two. There was nothing but fire in the black depths of his eyes when he looked at me.
There is a volcano in Talamh na Sithe that erupts from time to time, sending lava and ash into the sky. As the lava dumped into the lands beyond and cooled, it blackened on the surface. Underneath that black crust, red hot lava still boiled and teemed. That is the heart of fiery Thalakar. His dark looks and calm exterior do an excellent job of concealing the flames beneath.
I swam a lazy circle in the lake and let its healing powers soothe the soreness between my legs and elsewhere. Thalakar accomplished what eight Fae males failed in a fraction of the time I had been under their purview. I should thank him. Now I understood the fuss and why Airmed changed from red-headed spitfire who could throw fireballs to red-headed spitfire who could throw fireballs with a smile.
I wondered if I could throw fireballs. I would have to try that.
When I could kick my legs together and swim without feeling a twinge, I stepped from the water. Syl’ta, the fox, and Lyrolas, the wolf, waited at the mouth of the path leading back to the mirror. Kar lounged against a tree watching me in the lazy heated way men excel at, ankles crossed, arms loose at his sides.
I walked to him and extended my hand. He took it, and I pulled him to his feet. “I suppose we should go; we can’t stay forever,” I sighed.
“Why not?” he asked with a crooked smile.
“I think it goes against the whole ‘change Eregion’ thing we had in mind.” I smiled back and led us to the path.
I wondered if Lyros and Syl could change back to men on their own or if they would be canines forever. That would be tough to explain. I’m sure there was a learning curve. Hopefully, they figured it out. They dropped beside us and matched their pace with mine.
“I don’t care about Eregion. I care about you. I believed all women were devils without redeeming qualities until I met you. I fear Kharis will destroy you before we have a chance to find out what our lives could be.” He stopped and gripped my shoulders, giving me the smallest of shakes.
“She will not. We will gather those around us who think and feel the way we do, and then we fight to defeat her and her supporters. Already, with our combined magics, we are ahead of this game, but we must wait and change the hearts and minds of the people around us, or all will be lost. A kingdom of four would be dull indeed,” I said, watching understanding fill his dark eyes.
“You are wise,” he said, kneeling before me.
“Stop that. Get up. It is the right thing to do, and we’ll succeed if we garner the support of others. Come; let us go.” I took his hand and held it in mine.
We strolled the path looking at flowers as we passed. Tiny, brightly colored birds dove into them at speeds faster than the eye could see, and we marveled, even the canines. Syl tried to catch one with his teeth, and I laughed as the bird hovered in front of his snout chittering angrily before dashing away.
Dani said that time passed once we left the meadow, so I hurried my steps in case, as Kar suggested, someone came to check on me. It wouldn’t do to be caught stepping through the glass.
Lyros whined when we reached the mirror. We could see that the room beyond was empty, but it might not be for long. I stepped through and was nearly knocked to the ground by the large white wolf as he jumped in front of me. Whether he was acting as guardian or afraid of being left behind, I can’t say. In the air, he was a magnificent animal, but where his paws touched the ground, a man rose.
The same happened with Syl; I caught a flash of the black fur streaking his back, then the man stumbled forward as his momentum carried him. He caught himself on the wall and swore, turning with a flash of blue eyes in time to see Kar glide through the silver with the lithe grace of a cat.
“I was hoping you’d hop through as a toad,” Lyros said, narrowing his eyes and glaring at Kar.
“Sorry, brother, no such luck,” Kar replied, grabbing a towel and heading toward the bathing room.
A knock at the door stopped him. It stopped us all. With a flash, Lyros threw a dressing gown at me. Catching it, I wrapped it around myself moving to answer. I waited until the Trio had found coverings for themselves as well to open it. They had come through the glass in fur and landed in nothing.
I mourned the fact that I hadn’t the time to check them out more thoroughly as I cracked the door, placing my foot behind it so it could not open further.
“Teagan. Please. I didn’t know that the lash would injure you so. Let me in; I need to see to your wounds.” Pameline stood at the door, her face creased with concern.
“I’m fine, Pameline. There’s no need. My Trio has seen to me already.” I moved to close the door, and she placed her fingers in the crack so my only option was to leave the door open or close her fingers in it.
“Please, Teagan. I didn’t know. I’ve never given so many lashes, and to fail would have caused another to step forward and deliver them. I tried my best to be kind; I had no idea the lash would flay you. Syl’ta,” she said, turning her imploring gaze on him. “You know I am not cruel,” she finished.
“You have always been fair, Pameline,” he said, using her name and causing her to inhale sharply. I guessed we would see if my earlier impression of her rang true.
Could she be a friend? Better yet, could she be an ally?
“The
n ask Teagan to let me in.” Pameline removed her fingers from the door. I could close it and be done or open it and see where we stood.
I opened the door.
She rushed in, closed the door behind her, and leaned against it. “I brought salves to take the sting out and creams to help it scar faster. I can offer nothing else,” she said, walking to me. She held her hands forward so I could see was not armed. Her pockets bulged and clinked as glass bottles rattled with each step.
“Let me see your wounds, Teagan.”
“That’s unnecessary, Pameline.” I countered, pulling my gown tighter.
“Show her,” Kar said, moving to stand behind me. “Let her see.”
I paused, took a deep breath, and opened the robe, letting it drop.
Her startled cry broke the silence.
She tried to say many things, but the only word that came out was, “How?”
“The Goddess healed me,” I answered. “I could have healed the lashes on my own, but not the iron poisoning.” I closed the dressing gown, belting it again.
“I don’t. I don’t understand.” She moved to the settee and sank onto it.
I went to the sofa, my Trio followed. In front of another warrior, they should be on their knees, but they sat, surrounding me with quiet strength.
“Pameline, I am Daoine Sidhe, as are you. As is every Eruhini. We are The Goddess’s people. I was born with magic that was weakened by a sick land, but your land is strong, and my magic returned. The tattoos bloomed on my skin the first time my bare feet touched Eregion soil.”
“And that is where your healing power lies? The tattoos?” she asked.
“No, they are where all my power lies, Pameline,” I said, catching her dark eyes with mine. I wasn’t going to tell her anything more specific than that. Should she not be an ally, but an enemy, I would give her no knowledge that could weaken me.
“If I am Daoine Sidhe, as you say, where is my magic?” she asked. “I have none.” She sat back and took me in. Kar’s hand rested idly on my back. Syl had reclined and placed his ankle on the opposite knee, and Lyros perched forward, hands clasped between his knees.
We were not the picture of Eregion normalcy, and I knew that. Pameline knew it too.
“Where is your homeland?” I asked. “You aren’t from Eregion any more than I am.” I leaned back into Kar and watched her eyes flicker between us.
“I am Gwyllion,” she answered, her eyes finally resting on mine.
“Of course, you are; I should have known.” I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. Her large, almond-shaped eyes set wider apart than the average Fae and were topped with heavy brows. Sharply pointed ears poked from her thick, yellow hair. Erhu ears pointed as well, but subtly so.
She was large and heavily muscled. Where I had curves with my muscle, she was all muscle. I should have guessed her origin from the start. As one of The Eight, I took classes on everything, including ancestry and heritage. The Gwyllion are mentioned in our Origins story. They are a mysterious sister race from beyond the dark mountains.
“You are Daoine Sidhe, same as the Erhus, same as the Fae. Ask your Goddess where your power is, and perhaps you will find it,” I said, gently.
“She’s real? Not some tale?” she asked, leaning forward to match Lyros.
“She is real. I have seen her. We have all seen her,” Syl’ta said, taking my free hand in his. He lifted his other hand, and blue flames raced up his arms, following the lines of his tattoos. My brothers and I are also Daoine Sidhe. We are men, not beasts. Things were not always as they are, Pameline. I don’t remember those days, but I believe in them.
“You’re going to unleash a storm, Teagan. If they can’t chain you, they will kill you.” She tilted her head to the ceiling and blinked rapidly. “You and any that stand with you.”
“Then don’t stand with me, but don’t stand against me,” I said.
She tilted her face back to mine and held my eyes. “It’s a good thing I like storms, Teagan Rilynoquar, First Fist, Second Blade, and Third Anvil. You should work on bettering that last one.” She winked at me. She was the First Anvil, she would know.
“Kharis will come. She sent me first, but she will follow. What are your plans?” She asked, pulling the salves from her pockets and setting them on the low table between us.
“I have none. Not yet,” I said as a knock sounded on my door.
My Trio sank to their knees with a disgruntled sigh. Pameline stood, but I stayed seated. The door opened, and Kharis swept through, ringed by the two smaller females that often attended her.
“Teagan, are you well?” she asked, taking in the position of my men. It was obvious they dropped from the sofa to their knees. The salves sat untouched. And Pameline shifted on her feet.
“Already healed, My Queen,” I answered, knowing it would be impossible to hide it. Word would spread, and questions would be asked. “I was just complimenting Pameline on her use of the lash.”
“Healed?” Kharis said, her eyes narrowing.
There would be no talk of sisterhood and Goddesses with Kharis. She was the problem. Her mind had changed this place all those years ago, and there would be no changing it. “I’m Fae, Kharis. I heal.”
“That’s wonderful to hear, Teagan,” she said, recovering quickly. “I came to see if you changed your mind about this Trio. I can take them and issue you another so that this type of thing doesn’t happen again. Surely you recognize your mistake in choosing them. It can be remedied.” She walked to a tall backed chair that resembled a throne and sat, her attendants standing to either side of her.
“I’m rather fond of them already, Kharis. My decision stands.” I wanted to touch them, but in touching them now, it cheapened them. They were not pets or possessions and had free will within these walls, as promised during our first conversation. Instead, I rested my hands in my lap to keep them still. “I like a bit of fire with my ice,” I said with a wink.
“Then, you shall have it.” She rose to her feet, and her attendants stepped back. “Come Pameline, leave Teagan to rest,” she said, closing the door behind them as they left.
With a sigh, I sat back. “It will start now, plan, or no.”
“What will start?” Lyros asked.
“The storm,” Syl’ta, and I answered simultaneously.
“Despite our time in the mirror, or perhaps because of it,” he said, casting a dark glare at Kar. “It’s been a long day. I, for one, think Teagan should rest. We all should rest.”
“Syl’s right,” I said, watching as looks of astonishment swept their faces. “I’m going to clean off,” I said, stealing the shower from Kar, who had headed there when the first knock sounded.
Leaving the door open, I adjusted the nozzles, still marveling at the fact hot water shot from the walls on demand.
Stepping in, I turned my back to the water and picked up the bottle of a special mixture I used to keep my curls supple and tamed, massaging it into my hair.
“I’m drawn to you.” I opened my eyes to see Lyros standing there; his fist clenched at his sides and his towel on the floor.
I stepped back, inviting him in. “I’m not shy, Lyros. I want to touch you, may I?” I asked, watching him tilt his head in thought.
“No one has asked me that before,” he said. His accent deepened, and his face held questions.
The Eruhini language is hard and has edges sharper than any blade. It was similar enough that I learned it quickly, but when the accent deepens, it can be more challenging to understand.
“You can say no.” I picked up the soap and began to sponge myself while he watched.
“I don’t understand any of this,” he said, moving deeper into the large stone shower.
“Neither do I. How can we? It’s crazy,” I said, dropping the sponge then moving to rinse the soap from my skin.
“Yes,” he said.
He stepped to me and reached his hand to my face. Hooded gray eyes looked at me with confusi
on.
“How can I trust this? You could still follow Kharis,” he said.
I threw my head back and laughed. “No, Lyrolas. The die is cast. I have faith in my Goddess, and if she wants the Eruhini people back, she will get them, by my sword, she will get them.” I stepped into him and covered the hand touching my face with my own.
On my tiptoes, I reached his lips, kissing them. I trailed my fingers down his sides, feeling the bumps pleasure causes rise. I brought them back up in slow, teasing motions. His breath caught, I slipped my tongue deeper into his mouth and tasted him. He was sweet, like one Ari’s cakes, I dipped my tongue in and groaned at the feel of his velvet tongue on mine.
“Have you ever been pleased by a woman?” I asked, against his lips. His eyes narrowed on mine, and he pulled away.
“I’ve spent my seed. We all have,” he said, once again looking confused.
“That’s not what I mean, Lyros.” I pushed him backward until the backs of his knees hit the stone bench.
He sat back, and I followed him down, settling between his thighs; my head came to his middle section. Leaning up, I ran my tongue down his neck and across his shoulder. I kissed the flesh at the base of his neck and trailed my kisses lower.
I took the ring piercing his nipple in my mouth and softly sucked it, causing his chest to rumble. Trailing my hands up his back, I licked over to the other nipple and sucked it harder, taking the ring in my teeth and pulling it carefully. Pressing in closer, I felt his cock rise against my stomach, and I gripped it in my hand, sliding up until I reached the bar at his crown. I pulled it ever so slightly, and he melted against me.
We had classes on sexuality. As the last eight females to be born, we were expected to please our mates and bear them children. Somehow, despite generations of barrenness, we were blamed before we could even experience sex. I knew the ins and outs of a cock long before I ever saw one in person. I wondered if my Trios’ training and mine were all that dissimilar.
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