“Watch me, Talia.”
He raised the flask to his delectable lips and she watched his throat work as the water flowed down it. She was safe. She bit her lip and tried to move her arm free of the blanket, but it was trapped in the swaddling’s tight embrace. She scowled ferociously, her eyes fixed on the flask. Isaac chuckled, his sky blue eyes as warm as sunshine on a midsummer’s day.
“Would you like some more, Talia?”
She nodded. “Yes, please, Your Majesty.”
“What a polite little visionary you are,” he murmured as he held the flask to her lips. She sucked hard and drank far too fast, draining it completely. As the liquid reached her empty stomach, it churned violently and the sickening pain in her shoulder attacked again. She moaned, yearning for an end to her physical discomfort.
“Are you hungry, Talia?”
He used her name constantly, affirming her worth. He wasn’t treating her like a slave or an object, she wasn’t just a toy to him. Or was she? Was she simply a precious acquisition, an esteemed Lokian visionary to be added to his collection of treasured things? To be enslaved to his will. What did he want to achieve from her capture? Her people had done nothing wrong, peaceful and insular they had no interest in gaining power over the citizens of Cornicunia, but Isaac thought they did. His fear and mistrust lurked behind his sky blue orbs, haunting him and her. He was determined to destroy her Lokian gifts with the brute force of his masculinity.
“Breathe, Talia, and answer my question.”
She sucked in a huge lungful of air and stared deep into his eyes. He had said she could only do that if he gave her permission but now she was doing it all the time. She was victorious.
“Yes, Your Majesty, I am hungry but I… my shoulder hurts.”
It was an understatement for the pain was so sickening she could think of little else. It was dulling her mind and her senses, making her more vulnerable than ever.
“Your shoulder?” Isaac narrowed his eyes, the warmth in them retreating as his mouth set in a disapproving line. “Talia, do not play games with me. I haven’t hurt you. Playing games to attempt to win my sympathy will not work. I am impervious to the manipulations of the feminine mind.”
She was furious. The feminine mind? She was not part of a collective of women, she was Talia, Lokian visionary!
“Your Majesty, I was not intimating you caused my injury. Indeed, I know very well you did not. I told you because the pain is causing a sickness in my stomach and I don’t think I will be able to eat.”
The coldness left his eyes, the dark cloud disappearing to reveal the warmth of his compassion. It was wonderful to feel the sunshine again.
“You need to eat, Talia. Tell me what caused your injury.”
She swallowed. “Your soldiers, Your Majesty. They wrenched my arm when they captured me.”
Her voice was calm and steady, but Isaac’s eyes transformed into cold, hard sapphires, glittering with a malevolent fury that made her catch her breath. She would never be safe with this mercurial man, must never relax in his presence. She must always be alert, watchful for an imminent shift in his emotions, for he felt deeply and intensely and did not attempt to hide or control his feelings. For good or ill, Isaac exposed himself completely. Even as she shrank from his smouldering anger, she was strangely excited by this thought.
Isaac ran his hand over his head as he stared at her cowering against the pillows. She pushed herself down into them, trying to appear as small and inoffensive as possible. He shook his head, and his tense shoulders dropped, his eyes glinting with some unfathomable emotion.
“You will never be hurt again, Talia, I promise. Come here.”
He gestured imperiously, ordering his slave to submit to his will. He was a dominant man and sexually depraved, a fact made evident by the looming presence of the cage. Still, she did as she was told and shuffled forwards in her blanket. He nodded, the softness returning to his eyes.
“Good little visionary, good. I will have food brought for you, and while it is being prepared, I will attempt to ease your pain.”
She gaped like a fool. What was he going to do with her?
His glittering eyes remained fixed on hers as he stood and pulled at a long tasselled rope above the bedside table. A resounding ring echoed throughout the room, the peals loud and insistent. Within seconds there was a faint tap on the door.
“Enter!”
Katrina appeared, her soft brown eyes widening when they saw Talia on the bed.
“A little light supper, please, Katrina, some bread, cheese and anything else you think Talia might enjoy.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Katrina’s eyes swept over Talia, evaluating her condition. She was an attractive woman, only a little older than Talia, her chestnut curls prettily framing her heart-shaped face.
“Is there anything wrong, Katrina?”
Isaac’s lips twitched with amusement as Katrina shook her head.
“No, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Isaac smiled at Katrina as she scurried away, clearly nonplussed by Talia’s presence in the royal bedroom. As soon as she had left, Isaac stalked towards the bed, his eyes glinting, his lips curved in a predatory smile.
“Let’s get you ready for your supper, Talia.”
To her chagrin, she was cowering. His kindness unsettled her for she could not decide if it was genuine or a cruelly manipulative act. Was he masquerading as a man and not a monster, planning to attack when she had been lulled into a false sense of security? She trembled as he slid onto the bed beside her.
“Come here, Talia.”
He gestured impatiently, but she froze, fear sweeping through her veins.
“Come, Talia, come to me. It is your choice, I will not force you. You must learn to trust me, trust will be the basis of everything we experience together. You are my slave, but you will always have a choice.”
She blinked at him, confusion curdling her already addled mind. A slave had no will of her own. Yet he was offering her choice… or was he?
“Your Majesty… Please… May I ask what will happen if I choose not to do as you say?”
His eyes were calm and soft as if he had anticipated her question.
“I will persevere until you do. Trusting me will only result in good things, Talia. Once you make the choice to give yourself to me, you will realise that very quickly.”
“My shoulder… you will ease the pain?”
He raised his eyebrows. “I will increase it if you do not address me correctly.”
She swallowed, unsure if she was imagining the playful twinkle in his eyes. He reached out to brush a stray strand of hair away from her face. “I meant what I just said, Talia, I will punish you if you are disrespectful, but I will never hurt you. I know you do not understand this distinction yet, but you soon will. Tonight you do not need to worry about such things. Tonight we will consummate our union. Once I have made you mine it will be easier for you to adapt and accept your new circumstances. This is your life now and the sooner you embrace it, the happier you will be. Tomorrow we will begin your training, and you will learn how to behave and how to please me.”
Her mind was reeling. What was this cruelty? Isaac would treat her with kindness and respect tonight, talk to her as if she was a valued person, but in the morning he would revert to depravity and humiliation. She was unable to stop tears from flooding her eyes.
“Your Majesty, I would rather experience the truth from the start. It is cruelty of a most perverse nature to play with my emotions as you intend to do.”
His responding glower made her shrink back into the pillows.
“Play with you, Talia? That is exactly what I intend to do but not in the cruel manner you imply. I am going to initiate you gently, ensure you are comfortable experiencing intimacy with me before we progress with your training. It will be one small step at a time for both of us as we learn about each other. I want your trust in all things, Talia, and I cannot scare
or force you into giving that trust. It must be won.”
…
“Talia? Talia, come back, don’t be scared. Let go of your preconceptions and trust me, that is the only thing you have to do. I will do the rest, I promise. Come back.”
Her head was fuzzy, the pain in her shoulder excruciating. Her angel hawk was circling overhead, calling her to fly with him to freedom, to the spirit realms, away from earthly fear and pain…
“Aah.”
“Trust me.”
Isaac’s mouth was in her hair, his hand on her shoulder. He had pulled the blanket away from her body and his fingers were moving deep into her tense muscles as if he was searching for a truth he knew was hiding there.
“Where were you, Talia? You looked at me without seeing me.”
There was wonder and awe in his eyes, and she felt a surge of feminine power. He knew this was her Lokian gift. Isaac feared her ability to escape the mortal world and travel to mystical realms he did not understand. He felt threatened by the most peaceful and benevolent of things, a magical delight that was winning the hearts and minds of his people. This all stemmed from his fear of losing his royal power and status… meaningless, material things when she had the spiritual blessing of her angel hawk. She felt sorry for Isaac, he was spiritually illiterate. She blinked up at him, compassion burning in her heart. She would teach him.
“You are such a sensitive creature, a most delightful challenge.”
“I am not a challenge, I am a person.”
“What you are is disrespectful, Talia. You need to remember to address me correctly at all times,” he murmured as he nuzzled her hair. Despite the reprimand, she felt cherished and safe as the power of the colour blue vibrated peacefully between them, summer skies and serene seas beckoning.
“Your Majesty, I am sorry, please forgive me, I… that hurts.”
“I know, I know, give me time.”
Time. He wanted time in all things… one step at a time he had said. Yet she would be intimate with him tonight, a man she had just met. It was overwhelming. Could she really accept her new life as his sex slave? If she was not to be dehumanised and abused, could she learn to accept some level of debasement? She didn’t know what this would entail, what he would do to her or expect her to do. The unknown was terrifying.
“I’m scared… of the unknown between us,” she whispered. “Your Majesty,” she added hastily as he moved his mouth from her hair.
“Beautifully expressed, Talia, but ask yourself how unknown will it really be? One step at a time, remember? Surely that is not so daunting, this is all just as unknown to me.”
“No, Your Majesty,” she gasped as the pain in her shoulder caused the sickness to twist in her stomach. “It is not. You know what you intend to do with me.”
He smiled, a genuine smile that caused his eyes to sparkle and crinkle at the edges. “I know the practicalities, Talia, that is all. Everything else is a mystery to me as it is to you. We will create our reality together; it will be an organic and unique thing. I have no idea what will happen when we begin your training tomorrow.”
She narrowed her eyes, and his sky blue orbs glinted dangerously.
“Speak, Talia, do not narrow your eyes at me. Ask me questions if you like, say all you have to say tonight, for tomorrow I will enforce rules for your behaviour and you will have to earn such privileges.”
His words should have made her weep but she did as he asked. If this was her last chance to speak she would take it.
“I believe His Majesty is attempting to win my trust by expressing his uncertainty regarding our union. His Majesty is very clever, it almost worked.”
He threw his head back and roared with laughter. It was surreal and unsettling to imagine this communicative equal becoming a domineering sexual despot at dawn.
“Not so clever if it only almost worked. You excite me, Talia. Training you will be a challenge unlike any other.”
Her heart quivered and sank into the bowels of despair. “It will be no challenge at all, Your Majesty, if I am forced to follow rules of behaviour and subjugated to your will. You hold all the power as you very well know.”
His fingers moved deep into her shoulder muscles, harsh and unrelenting, and she cried out in pain. The spectacular something burst unguarded into his eyes, but there was also irritation there. “You must learn to listen, Talia, tomorrow, it will be vital. As I told you earlier you will always have a choice. If you don’t choose to obey me, I am powerless. My challenge is to persuade you to trust me and willingly do everything I ask of you.”
He wanted to seduce her with his sensual skills, corrupt a pure, gifted Lokian. Did he plan to enact the same ritual with all Lokian women? Would he have the women of his court seduce and ensnare the Lokian men? It was so ridiculous a thought it could be plausible, but she sensed he would tell her no more tonight. His eyes were becoming colder by the second and she did not want to antagonise him. Conversation would prepare her for her fate, whatever it was to be. She had to try to forge some kind of bond with him for the union of their bodies was looming ominously in her mind. She needed his empathetic, tender eyes to guide her through their intimacy, not these cold, distant ones. She wanted warmth to burn brightly between them even though she was mad to think of such a thing. Isaac was her captor, not her lover; he wanted to discover her Lokian secrets, not share her innermost thoughts and dreams. Yet they shared the spiritual energy of the colour blue and the spectacular something in his eyes was there because of her. Confusion washed over her again, and she could not stop her thoughts from entering the universe.
“Will you take me to the blue room tomorrow, Your Majesty?”
His reluctance to discuss it was haunting her. Blue, her spiritual colour and their shared energy… It was not an accident. There was no such thing as coincidence, all Lokians knew that. This was pertinent, profound even. Blue room. She needed to know why he had taken her there, it was achingly relevant, a vital clue to understanding this man.
“I will not discuss what I intend to do with you tomorrow, Talia. Tonight you may say whatever you need to say but on this I am immovable.”
She set her jaw as determinedly as he set his and saw him repress the smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth. His eyes were warm again so she was bold.
“You said I could ask you anything, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, but I didn’t say I would answer everything you asked. If you know what to expect from your training it will detract from its impact. I told you, this is all about trust. If you are unprepared for what will happen you will have to learn to trust me.”
She stared boldly into his unfathomable eyes. The pain in her shoulder was easing as his skilled fingers manipulated her muscles. Isaac was easing her pain. Surely that was a good sign for the future? Or did it mean nothing at all? Was he merely keeping her calm to ensure the success of his mission tonight, copulation with the Lokian visionary?
“Everything I do and say tonight will inform how you train me, won’t it, Your Majesty?”
He was no longer trying to restrain his smirk. He clearly found her entertaining so why did he want to control her? Why did she need this training? It wouldn’t help him learn her spiritual secrets, it made no sense at all. She had never felt more confused. He brushed his fingers over her shoulder, the teasing caress a portent of things to come. Her body betrayed her spirit’s attraction to her captor, trembling with sweet anticipation, not dread. Her sex softened, became warm and wet and heavy. Isaac’s attentions were not unwelcome to her…
“You are too clever for your own good, Talia.”
She bit her lip. “If I anger you, Your Majesty… you can make tomorrow truly terrible for me.”
He rolled his eyes in good-natured exasperation. “Your training is not intended to be a terrible experience, a thing for you to dread. You are approaching this all wrong, Talia. Listen to what I am saying, this is all about trust.”
“All about control,” she whispered, and his
strong fingers thrust into her muscles, unforgiving and brutal. Her words had hit a nerve and the pain was her punishment for displeasing him. This was her life now…
“Ah! That hurts.”
“Relinquishing control… that is what this is about, Talia. That is real trust. And that is what I want from you.”
“Why do you desire this so deeply, Your Majesty? You have me under your control. Why does it matter if I give myself freely to you?”
He raised his eyebrows. “You are breathtakingly clever, Talia. I’m sure you can work it out for yourself.”
She took a shaky breath, the air refusing to reach her straining lungs.
“I am the most gifted of Lokian visionaries, and if you win my trust you gain understanding of my people, how our minds work.” Her voice was tiny but she knew it was the truth.
He held her away from him and stared deep into her eyes.
“Yes, that’s it, Talia, what other reason could there be?”
The Cage
He refused to allow her to feed herself, ordering her to open her mouth, treating her like a recalcitrant child. A precious child. He fed her bread and cheese as his words hung ominously over them, heightening the tension in the room. What other reason could there be? It was not a rhetorical question. Isaac was inviting her to analyse his intentions and examine the machinations of his mysterious mind, but she was incapable of logical thought. He had scrambled her brain, muddled her intuition and spiritual awareness until she could no longer decipher fiction from truth. Why was her new master tenderly feeding her by hand? Surely this was not normal captor/captive behaviour even in his strange world? It must all be part of his evil plan. Isaac craved her absolute trust and the simple nurturing act of feeding her bonded them on a primal level. He was sating her appetite, ensuring her most essential needs were met. Treating her like a precious child. What did it mean? If he wanted to assert his power, he could make her eat and drink disgusting things or force her to… that would happen later. The sudden lump in her throat made it impossible to swallow.
Talia and Isaac Page 3