Talia and Isaac

by Lorraine Margaret

  She relished using his words against him and saying his name over and over again. She relished the equality it represented, an equality she had forced. Isaac. She would call him by name, speak her truth. She spoke with confidence and authority, the knowledge of her power sounding in her voice, and Isaac’s mouth dropped open in shock. Confusion and pain flooded his eyes, exposing his emotional impotency. He didn’t know how to respond, to this, to her. And the terrifying thing was that the future of Talia and Isaac hinged on his next move…

  And he moved to leave…

  She was at breaking point…

  She would not be his whore, discarded and deserted after a sound fucking against the wall. She would not be that valueless, disposable woman. She was Talia, Lokian visionary, and she had the element of surprise…

  Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she grabbed the fruit knife from the tray on the floor and strode towards him, brandishing it in his face. She instigated chaos with one devastating move but cared nothing for the gravity of the situation. She was Talia, Lokian visionary, and she was worth fighting for! She would not allow Isaac to break her.

  “Give me the knife, Talia.”

  “No! Keep away!”

  She waved her arm wildly and the knife sliced past his nose, missing it by an inch. He did not look pleased.

  “You have gone too far this time, Talia. I do not take kindly to being threatened. Put the knife down unless you mean to use it.”

  “I do!”

  She glowered into his expressionless eyes, her fury and vulnerability combining to give her unbelievable courage. She would not allow Isaac to abuse or negate her, she would not be broken by love. She had lived a life before Isaac and could live one after him. She would turn her back on the cruel vagaries of love and concentrate on developing her visionary gifts. She would become the most powerful and revered Lokian of all time.

  “Give me the knife, Wanwisa, you know you don’t want to hurt me.”

  His voice was soft, a tender caress – it was dangerous. She stared into his glittering eyes as he took one slow, insidious step closer.

  “Back! Keep back! If you touch me, I will slice off your manhood!”

  “No, Talia, you don’t want to do that, think of the pleasure my cock gives you.”

  Isaac’s voice was as calm and steady as his beautiful eyes. They stared into hers, serene and inscrutable. What did they see? She was out of control. She had stepped outside of herself and was watching as she behaved like a wild animal, stupidly and recklessly in a manner unbefitting a Lokian visionary. But she had no power to stop and didn’t care. She would not let Isaac diminish her anymore. She had endured enough and it was time to fight.

  “Back!”

  Tears sprang into her eyes. What was she doing? What would the result of this be? She had mindlessly plunged herself into an impossible situation and now she was trapped. There was no way out, no way she could win. The power and glory of her spirit could not compete with the strength and dominance of Isaac’s body. She was trapped in her king’s palace, one small Lokian alone with no one to help her. No one who cared. She was going to lose the game.

  “I will do it!”

  She sounded desperate. She felt desperate. This was futile, utter madness, poor, desperate Talia, half-crazed, driven mad by love…

  “Do you really think I’ll stand still long enough for you to saw through my cock with a fruit knife? I mean, really, Talia?”

  “Get back!”

  This was a fight she couldn’t win. Her eyes half-closed as her angel hawk called her, urging her to forsake this mortal world. It was tempting for there was nothing here for her anymore. She needed help but only Isaac could help her and he was lost, trapped in an illusion he had created, in a world of dominance and control. Her head spun as she waved the knife aimlessly, begging for mercy and understanding. It was a plea Isaac ignored. With the lethal grace and speed of a natural predator, he grabbed her arm, bending it backwards with such force that she screamed in agony. The pain in her shoulder had been nothing compared to this, the bone had surely snapped. He tore the knife from her drooping hand and flung it to the ground as pain surged through her arm, stealing her breath and sickening her stomach. She screamed again as he dragged her over to the bed and flung her face down onto it. As she scrambled to get up, he fell on top of her, his erect manhood a ruthless weapon pressing against her behind. Her vision blurred as he fumbled with his belt, his breath short and laboured against her ear.

  “Too far, Talia, you have pushed me too far.”

  “No! Please, no!”

  This wasn’t the fierce passion of their earlier coupling, this was a brutal assault. She was distraught, dry and unaroused. If Isaac took her now, he would destroy their love, destroy her. Was her soul really destined to die in the blue room? She struggled underneath him as he unbuttoned his trousers, but she could barely move. Panic rose in her chest, stealing her breath, and the stabbing pain in her arm made her head spin. This was torture. Her body was nothing but a vessel for suffering and pain, and it was about to get even worse. The most terrible thing of all was about to happen. She had learnt the truth about the rooms of torture in the most horrific way possible…

  The rooms of torture existed. She was in one now.

  Isaac pushed her legs apart with his as she stilled underneath him, accepting the death of her soul. He murmured in her ear, whispering her name, over and over, but she was no longer Talia. Lokian visionaries were not treated this way. The spectres had returned to Isaac’s palace, their wailing and moaning filling the blue room, as tortured and tormented as her. They shared her agony, expressed her pain with the screams of wild animals slowly being tortured to death. Her heart stopped beating as the sound resonated powerfully inside her head.

  The sound was inside her head. It came from her. It was the sound of her belief in love being destroyed, a sound of horror and despair.

  “Don’t you want to fuck, Talia? Is that what all this noise is about?”

  The dry humour in Isaac’s voice shocked her into silence. It was twisted and perverse, her king deranged, driven mad by love. He had stilled above her, his weight pressing her down into the bed, his rock-hard erection a hideous sexual threat. He held her arms above her head and fire burned through her tortured tendons, the pain making her catch her breath. She was dizzy. She whimpered as her spinning mind began to drift, eager to escape to the spirit realms, but Isaac’s lips brushed against her hair, jolting her back. Isaac. She would stay here with Isaac and fight for their love. As she quietened, he rolled off her, pulled her into his arms and their eyes met.

  She was safe.

  She melted into the reassuring warmth of his body and wept pitifully against his chest.

  “Hush now, Talia, hush, I am not going to hurt you. But if you ever threaten me again, I will punish you hard.”

  It was too soon for Isaac to embrace her with his love. He was still afraid, still playing his game. She snuffled as he held her tightly against his chest, and her eyes closed gratefully. No more fighting, no more pain. She was ashamed of her behaviour and wondered how it had come to this, a pure Lokian visionary driven mad by love…

  Isaac stoically endured her weeping, clinging and snuffling, and whispered endearments as he caressed her injured arm. He laid her down, covered her naked body with a blanket and stretched out beside her. She felt his gaze on her face but kept her eyes firmly closed, uncertain how to proceed from here. Isaac’s fingertips stroked over her eyelids, a silent request she instantly obeyed. As her eyes opened, they stared into sky blue pools muddied by suffering and torment. She couldn’t gauge what he was thinking or feeling, she only saw his pain or maybe it was her pain reflected in his eyes. This trauma had played havoc with her intuition, disturbed the calm spirituality necessary to attune to another being’s psychological waves. Her angel hawk called her, his cries agitated and distressed, begging her to fly with him to freedom – but she resisted. She would not escape to the tranquillity of
the spirit realms, she would stay in the blue room with Isaac and battle this out.

  ***********

  He didn’t know what to do. He had hated every moment of their argument especially the wisdom of her impassioned words. Talia’s intelligence and intuition were terrifying yet he adored them as he adored her. But he didn’t know how to communicate with a woman of such splendour and had resorted to the methods of a brute, exploited her tender nature and pushed her so far she snapped. His beautiful, serene Talia had become a desperate, crazed creature, intent only on keeping him in this room. It had been all too reminiscent of their first traumatic night together, had he learnt nothing at all? He had watched her disintegrate, lose all control and reason, become frantic, distressed and confused – but he had ignored the soul-deep ache of his empathy and asserted the only power he had. Physical dominance… her poor injured arm… He shuddered. Her anger and passion had sexually aroused him, a dangerous thing when his fury matched hers. He had lost control and almost taken her against her will, lusting after a repeat of their earlier passionate encounter, but Talia had not wanted that this time. How could she? He had threatened to abandon her, treated her like a whore, and physically assaulted her. He shuddered again, a cold chill travelling down his spine. They had been so close to disaster; for a terrible moment Talia had thought he was capable of a hideous crime – and truth was he had been. He had lost all empathy and control and become a wild animal, governed by lust, unable to tell the difference between consensual rough coupling and rape. His game had gone so badly wrong.

  Talia’s slender shoulders were shaking, her eyes desolate and confused. He stroked her hair, still at a loss as to what to say or do. As long as he lived he would never forget her wails of anguish and terror, a divine expression of suffering and pain. His perfect little visionary had transformed into a supernatural being, all the agony humankind had ever felt present in that sound. And she had made it because of him. He was evil, the devil incarnate. He had to make things right between them, atone for his sins. Talia was a gifted visionary with awe-inspiring powers but she was also a small, vulnerable woman with only her captor to rely on. Him. If he was ever to truly win her trust, he had to prove himself worthy. No more blundering around like a Neanderthal, it was time for honesty, time for him to dare to trust her in return. He was terrified. Talia could use her frightening intelligence and magical gifts to destroy him. Would she do that? He wouldn’t blame her if she did. He was fragile at the moment, his dominance and control more tenuous than they had ever been. He was no match for a terrifyingly talented little visionary – she could destroy her king so easily, topple his kingdom with one disapproving frown. He loved her too much… and she threatened his power. Their conversation by the river, the things she had experienced, the things she could do… He gritted his teeth as he stared into her fathomless turquoise eyes. He was lost. His little goddess of the sea was a fucking miracle and he was just a king.

  “Calm down now, Wanwisa, relax,” he murmured, staring intently into her eyes. It was devastating to see the damage he had caused but at least she hadn’t travelled to the spirit realms. She had stayed with him. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, I’m sorry.”

  He reached for her injured arm, and she flinched, snatching it away. His heart contracted; he wanted her to tremble with desire and longing, not fear and pain.

  “Let me help you, please, Talia. I promise I won’t hurt you.”

  He continued to stare into her eyes, willing her to see his adoration and trust him despite everything he had done. Her eyes widened, and she bit her lip as she offered him her arm.

  “Please, Your Majesty…”

  “Trust me, Talia, please let me try to ease your pain.”

  Her eyes begged for mercy, but she nodded, and he acted fast, moving his fingers deep into the pulled muscle, firmly manipulating her arm. She screamed out, but the sound ended abruptly as she collapsed against his chest, a lifeless, tormented doll. His heart pounded as he held her away from him, steeling himself for the worst. Her exquisite turquoise eyes were unfocused, staring unseeingly into space. Looking right through him as if he weren’t there. He had inflicted far, far too much pain, and Talia had used her Lokian magic to escape to a place where he couldn’t torment her anymore. She had gone somewhere magical and left him alone, deserted him as he had threatened to desert her. Now he knew the agony she had felt. Talia had left him, was no longer in the blue room – she had journeyed to the spirit realms…

  ***********

  She had done everything Isaac had asked her to do. She had embraced her training, fulfilled his every desire and trusted him against all reason – but it was not enough. Isaac was still playing his game. Something had shifted inside of her, a barely perceptible change that could alter the course of their relationship forever. Her love for Isaac could never be destroyed but she was protecting herself now. No one else would do it, especially him. She drew sky blue veils around the throbbing scarlet passion of her heart, ensuring the depth of her love for Isaac would never be revealed. Her unrequited yearnings would remain hidden, a secret until the end of time. Isaac held her close, laid her down, wrapped cool, soft sheets around her, but his tenderness was a lie. It was just another cruel illusion of the mortal world. Isaac would not nurture her, he would destroy her.

  “Talia?”

  She would go to the spirit realms and never return, be true to her Lokian nature.

  “Talia? Come back to me, my beautiful little visionary, come back.”

  No… not yet… not ever… I was determined to stay with you, Isaac, determined to fight, but you forced me to leave. There is too much pain in your world, in your eyes – too much pain in my soul – so I will stay in the spirit realms where I belong.

  “Talia? Please, my little Wanwisa, please, come back to me.”

  You call me Wanwisa, your little goddess from the sea, as if you worship me. But you want to change me and enslave me to your will. I will never submit to you, Isaac. I am Talia, Lokian visionary, I do not belong in your world of illusions. I belong in the spirit realms.

  “Fuck, I’m getting Abraham.”

  That’s right, go, and let me enjoy the holy peace of my spirit. Your love is destructive and unnatural… It is not blessed by the spirit realms. I see the truth now. I see beyond the illusions of your world and understand what life and love are meant to be. I am flying… dreaming of a better world…

  ***********

  “Talia? My name is Abraham, I am Isaac’s friend and advisor. I am so very pleased to meet you at last. How are you feeling, my sweet?”

  Abraham… such a gentle, concerned voice… such kindness in your soul… there is something holy about you, something pure and good. I’m pleased to meet you too, pleased to meet anyone at all, the corridors are always empty here. But I’m sorry, I can’t talk to you. It is too complicated in your world for a sensitive, love-struck Lokian like me.

  “What happened, Isaac?”

  The cool sheets were eased back over her bare shoulders the instant they slipped down.

  “Nothing… well, we fucked… and then we had a disagreement… but she was fine, Abra, really. Talia’s arm was hurting so I manipulated the muscle and then she screamed and disappeared into a Lokian trance. She is in the spirit realms, I’m sure of it. Do you know how we can bring her back, Abra? Similar mystical states are experienced in the Christian faith, yes? This has happened before but only for minutes, this time she’s been gone so long. Too long. What if she never comes back? Fuck! She promised me she wouldn’t do this again.”

  Isaac was babbling, wasn’t giving his friend a chance to speak. He was scared; she was always scaring him.

  “I’m not sure Talia’s choosing to do this, Isaac, I think she’s traumatised. Her mind may have retreated to protect itself from harm.”

  “Yes, I know, but… She told me all about her powers, she can choose to do this at any time. She has complete control of her mind, can perform miracles we can’t even begin to und
erstand. She’s choosing to do this, Abra, I know she is.”

  I am, but he made me do it. Abraham, your king is a demon – he does not respect true love. He has fractured my heart, and I must stay in the spirit realms before those fractures turn into permanent, irreparable breaks.

  “Talia? Can you hear me, my sweet?”

  Isaac stared at Abraham as his friend said her name. Abraham was handsome, with hair the colour of dusty straw and kind brown eyes like Katrina’s. Christian faith. Abraham had been a priest of some kind in the past, a holy man… he was still a man of faith, she could feel it emanating from his pores. It was part of him like her faith was part of her. His brow was furrowed, his eyes clouded with concern. For her.

  “She’ll be fine, won’t she? This is just a Lokian trance. She will come back, won’t she, Abra?”

  “Mmm, I’ve heard Lokians can remain in a state of deep meditation for days.”

  Days? Hah! Oh, Abraham, I could tell you some things, I have done this for weeks before… The most gifted of her people could remain in their trances for months, slow their bodies to such an extent they required no physical nourishment, relying on the sustenance of the soul. Meditation? It was hibernation. Isaac’s fingers gently tipped up her chin until her eyes met his intense ones.

  “Talia?”

  Can’t do it, can’t trust you with my heart, don’t touch me, please, you’ll break me…

  “What should I do, Abra?”

  “You can’t force her out of this, Isaac, like you said, her people are highly skilled at controlling their minds and we know Talia is the most gifted of them all. She has been ripped away from all she loves and enslaved to you. She needs kindness and understanding, maybe then she’ll come back.”