“Maybe?”
Abraham sighed. “Maybe. She is a Lokian, sensitive, intuitive, governed by spirituality, you’re lucky this didn’t happen earlier – or perhaps…” Abraham narrowed his wise eyes. “Perhaps it wasn’t luck, perhaps you treated her kindly and she decided to stay with you. I don’t believe you have told me the entire truth, Isaac. Whatever has just happened between you has caused this and it must have been bad. Put it right.”
Isaac’s mouth dropped open. Talia decided she liked Abraham, he was not afraid to tell his king the truth.
“Won’t come back, won’t be a whore.”
The men were suddenly silent.
“Talia? Sweetheart, can you hear me?”
“Of course. Not a whore.”
“Of course? She heard everything we said, Abraham! Talia, sweetheart, if you can hear me then know this, you are not a whore.”
“Isaac, what did you do to her?”
“What did I do to her? Thanks a lot, Abra, what do you think I did for God’s sake? You know how I feel about her.”
“How?”
Both men stared at her. She blinked as they sat on the bed, Isaac as close to her as he could without actually sitting on her, Abraham alongside him.
“Talia? Sweetheart? What do you need to know?”
“How do you feel about me?”
“You heard everything.”
“Of course.”
Isaac sighed, confusion clouding the spectacular something in his eyes. “But… you were in your trance, we couldn’t get you to come back.”
He was deflecting attention away from her question. Her voice was small but firm.
“No. How do you feel about me?”
Abraham’s face broke into an enormous smile. “I think you’d better answer Talia’s question, Isaac. I wouldn’t argue with that tone of voice.”
Isaac glared at his friend for a second, and then smiled wryly. “Right as usual, Abra. But this conversation is for me and Talia alone. Yes?”
Isaac’s voice was soft, he did not want to offend his friend. It was adorable.
“Yes, of course. Talia, it has been wonderful to meet you. I hope we will talk properly soon.” Abraham smiled, his chocolate-coloured eyes warm and soft. “Good luck with our errant king, I think you’ll need it.”
She nodded, smiling back at this handsome man with the soul of a disciple, as spiritual as a Lokian elder. Isaac raised an eyebrow as Abraham took her hand and gently brushed his lips against it. Her smile grew wider; in Abraham she had found a kindred spirit.
“Alright.” Isaac blew out a long breath, his eyes moving from his friend to her and back again. He narrowed his eyes at Abraham, who chuckled and strode from the room, leaving her alone with her captor.
Isaac stared at her for a long moment, his eyes unfathomable, before pulling his boots off and slipping, fully clothed, under the sheets with her. She stared gravely into his eyes. She had returned from the spirit realms for this conversation and she expected answers.
“How do you feel about me?”
No Your Majesty, not even an Isaac; she was determined to get straight to the point. Isaac sighed heavily.
“Talia, you must know how I feel. We have a special… connection… I’ve never experienced anything like it… I… Oh, good God!”
He ran his fingers through his tousled hair, his eyes wild and agitated. She was transfixed. He was so genuine, his words passionate and sincere, but she couldn’t allow herself to trust again, he would destroy her…
“Talia? No! Not again!”
She blinked and shook her head. Isaac’s eyes were wet. Wet! All thoughts of self-preservation cast aside, she drew him into her arms, intent only on comforting him. She stroked his hair and ran her lips tenderly over his cheekbones, popping her tongue out to catch the moisture there.
“Don’t leave me again, Talia, please, promise me you won’t.”
“No, not until you answer my question.”
“I did.”
He pouted like a petulant child. She wanted to laugh but felt sure he wouldn’t appreciate that.
“No, you really didn’t.”
He ran his fingers through his hair again. “I don’t know how I…”
Despair curled around her heart as Isaac stopped talking and shook his head. She couldn’t bear it if he retreated from her now.
“You don’t know how you feel?”
“No, I do… I don’t know how… how to say it.”
The vulnerability in his eyes said it for him. This was difficult for her all-powerful king.
“Please, Talia, promise me you will never retreat into your trance again.”
“I can’t, Your Majesty, I have to protect myself.”
“There is nothing to protect yourself from.”
There was such conviction in his voice, such certainty in his eyes. He understood so little.
“I have to protect myself from my feelings for you, Your Majesty,” she whispered, taking a leap of faith despite her better judgement. “I have been blessed with many spiritual gifts but I am just a woman. Lokians are a sensitive, emotional people; we are attuned to our spirits and those of others. We are not equipped to deal with the cruelties and manipulations of the mortal world, and we do not play games. It is why we live a solitary life away from the chatter of society. Please understand, I have to protect myself or you will harm me and my spiritual gifts. My soul is too sensitive to be treated the way you treated it earlier – it needs tender care.”
His eyes widened, the spectacular something open and exposed, bared as never before.
“I want all of you, Talia. I want to take care of you, nurture your gifts. They are incredible – you are incredible. I will do everything I can to make you feel safe so you feel able to trust me and stay with me in this world. I don’t want you to escape to the spirit realms, I want all of you, all that you are.”
She closed her exhausted eyes, desperately trying to still her spinning mind.
“You have all of me, Your Majesty, I have already given myself to you. Just, please… be gentle with me.”
Her eyes would not reopen, her mind unwilling to stay in the present or retreat to the spirit realms. It needed to shut down. This was all too much… too much love, too soon – and she was fighting for it alone. Isaac’s words were heartfelt but could he really fulfil their promise? Could he be honest and open and fulfil their love? As the blue room slipped away from her, she felt his hand on her hair, and the last thing she heard were two fervent words.
“I promise.”
***********
He was watching her sleep and praying for a miracle. He had replayed their conversation in his head over and over and over again, focusing on her every word, every infinitesimal flicker of her turquoise eyes. Talia wasn’t afraid, she had told her truth. You have all of me, Your Majesty, I have already given myself to you. They were the most wonderful words he had ever heard, but he had hurt her and now she felt the need to protect herself. He would not allow his barbaric behaviour to destroy the magic between them. Talia had bravely admitted her feelings and appealed to his finer nature, and he would not let her down. He would take care of her, adapt his game for it was too rigid and harsh for her sensitive nature. Lokians did not play games. What stupendous information that was! We are not equipped to deal with the cruelties and manipulations of the mortal world, and we do not play games. It is why we live a solitary life away from the chatter of society. Her words had been heartfelt, and all the answers to his many questions lay within them, reinforcing what he had learnt out by the river. There was nothing to fear from Talia’s people despite their spiritual powers, they were innocents without guile. Like Darren… There was much to be said for a simple village life removed from the corruption and scheming of society.
“Please forgive me, Isaac, I did a terrible thing earlier. I wasn’t thinking straight but there is no excuse for my behaviour. I should never have threatened you. I am so sorry, please forgive me.”
Talia’s eyes had opened and she was begging his forgiveness for a crime he had forced her to commit.
“There is nothing to forgive, Wanwisa, I behaved like a monster and put you in an intolerable situation. And I want you to know I would never force you to couple with me, I thought…” He could barely speak the lump in his throat was so big. He angrily swallowed it down, desperate to say what needed to be said. Talia stroked his arm as she waited for him to continue, his forgiving little goddess of the sea. “I thought sex would solve everything that had gone wrong between us and I thought you felt the same. I was stupid, insensitive… I would never hurt you, everything went so badly wrong. Thank God, I stopped before…” He shook his head as tears pushed hard behind his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Talia, please forgive me.”
She nodded immediately, her smile radiant, forgiving his transgressions so gracefully. He pulled her against him, relishing the acquiescence of her body as it yielded to his. His prayers had been answered; Talia’s trust and affection were miraculously intact. Yet what had happened could not be brushed aside, there were many difficult words still to be said.
“We both lost control for a while, but neither of us did what we threatened to do. I know you would never hurt me, Isaac.”
The certainty in her voice thrilled him.
“Never.”
She nestled into him, rubbing her face against his neck. He never wanted to leave the blue room again.
“This is not going to be easy, Talia, we are two very different people.”
“I know.” She bit her lip and stared straight into his besotted eyes. “Are… aren’t you angry with me at all?”
Her voice was sweet and gentle, awed by his forgiveness. He shook his head. “No, Wanwisa, I knew you wouldn’t hurt me too.”
They trusted each other despite their captor/captive relationship. That alone was a miracle.
“I would never have used that knife, I… I don’t know what I was doing, I wasn’t thinking, I…”
Her face flushed, and he smiled at the memory of her crazed behaviour, tiny Talia brandishing the fruit knife at him! He laughed out loud.
“Your Majesty?”
The expression on her face was enchanting – she was clearly worried he had lost his mind. Which he had. To her…
“You threatened to castrate me with a fruit knife, Talia, that is very bad behaviour indeed. I cannot even begin to imagine a punishment severe enough for such a crime.”
She peered cautiously at him from underneath her eyelashes and smiled the tiniest of smiles. “I have always been too impulsive, Your Majesty, governed by my emotions. It is my greatest failing,” she said sadly, which only caused him to laugh louder than ever.
“I can tolerate impulsiveness, Wanwisa. I will gladly endure anything other than you disappearing into a trance again. That, I cannot bear.”
“I have decided to stay in this mortal world and fight for all I believe in,” she whispered, her voice and eyes solemn and sincere. He stroked her wild hair back from her tear-stained face, his heart aching at her splendour.
“I love your spirit, Talia, you should fight for all you believe in, but not in the blue room.”
Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “Am I allowed to threaten you with a fruit knife in your bedroom, Your Majesty?”
He chuckled at her impudence. “I would rather that little escapade did not happen again. I meant it when I said I didn’t take kindly to being threatened…” he paused, unsure if he was angry, irritated, amused or love-struck… or all four at once. He decided it was all four and smiled into her worried eyes. “It’s alright, Talia, I’m more amused than angry, but I really shouldn’t be.”
“I know. And I am truly sorry, Your Majesty, if that means anything at all.”
He brushed his lips against her forehead. “It means everything, Talia, but if you were a man, things would have turned out very differently.”
If it had been a man brandishing a knife at him that man would be dead now. He watched that knowledge dawn in Talia’s regretful eyes.
“You are a kind and forgiving man, Isaac, as well as a powerful one. I will never abuse your sensitivity and compassion, I promise.”
She was staring at him as if he were an angel and not the devil. Somehow he had turned the situation around and all he wanted was to reaffirm their connection with a fuck. Had she recovered enough for that? She was a sensitive, emotional woman who had escaped to another world when he upset her – but now she was curling her warm little hand around his cock. He raised his eyebrows.
“Talia?”
Mindreading was clearly another of her many talents. He groaned as she stroked his cock through his trousers, her caress gentle and soothing. And arousing… His cock stiffened and jerked under her touch, and he caught his breath.
“Your Majesty, your manhood… calms me, makes me feel safe, secure.”
“Oh, Wanwisa.”
He brushed his lips over her hair and she snuggled deeper into him, making him forget his urgent need to fuck. She gazed up at him, her eyes enormous.
“You like that, Your Majesty?”
He raised his eyebrows again. “Like it? Do you really have to ask, Wanwisa?”
She giggled as his swollen cock jumped in her hand. “I… After what happened earlier, I thought you might not want me to touch your manhood.”
Just as he thought, so sensitive… and about his feelings too.
“No, it is exactly what I want. Your words of praise had quite an erotic effect on me.”
Talia’s turquoise eyes glowed as she slipped her hand inside his shirt and peace descended upon his troubled soul. What was this magic they cast on each other? Her touch healed him, soothed his spirit. He closed his eyes, willing this perfect moment to never end.
“Would you like to fuck, Isaac?” she whispered sweetly into his mouth, inviting him to indulge in pleasure. It was wondrous after the horror of such a short time ago. If they could attain this shift of emotion and mood so swiftly, surely they could overcome anything together?
“Talia,” he murmured as his lips found hers and they began another journey to paradise…
His heart pounded as she helped him undress, eager for their union and full of trust. As soon as he was naked, they fell into each other’s warm embrace, breathing deeply with relief. They were craving the same thing, the simple, profound peace of skin against skin, the comfort only your beloved’s naked body could bring. It was strangely non-sexual and yet intensely arousing. He felt no urge to climax, just an all-encompassing need to be inside his little visionary. They clung to each other, their mouths moving together, their connection flowing effortlessly between them. He was lost, changing, becoming a new man. What was Talia doing to him? He was still himself, only… more. Much more. Talia gave so much and he would give in return.
He eased his cock inside of her as they kissed, her hands in his hair, her legs curling up around his waist.
“I… Talia,” he whispered uselessly, unable to articulate what he was feeling.
“I know,” she whispered without hesitation, and he felt impotent, despite the hardness of his cock. Why didn’t he have the words? Talia understood, knew what he wanted to say and knew he couldn’t express it. Her turquoise eyes conveyed so much, her emotions shifting visibly within them. He could read them, sense her feelings, was miraculously attuned to her. This was the wonder of the magic he and Talia shared, and at this moment it was perfect, their understanding absolute.
“I see you, Talia,” he murmured, scrabbling around for a valid expression of his emotions, something that would tell her how profoundly he adored her without needing to say those three terrifying, much overused words. “I see your emotions, I feel them. We are connected in some mysterious way I don’t understand.”
“I do,” she gasped as he thrust deep inside her, his head spinning with the intensity of it. “We were destined to be together. It’s so very rare… Isaac!” Her tight little cunt contracted hard around hi
s cock as she moaned into his open mouth. “So many people never experience this connection of spirits. It’s so rare, we are blessed, Isaac, I…”
“Talia, I…”
His life shattered around him when he climaxed for his spirit climaxed too. The illusions of the world disappeared and he saw the simple truth. He was bonded to Talia, she was his destiny. She moved her hands from his hair to stroke his back and his head spun violently, his mind disorientated without the connection to her life force, those mystical fingers that penetrated his skull. This was the Lokian magic that had won his peoples’ hearts and it was terrifying. This was the power Talia had. Somehow he had to be open and honest with her yet still remain strong – but how? The more he let his defences down, the stronger her hold over him would become. Her magic was spiritual and benevolent but powerful and terrifying too…
He still had to win the game, but it was getting harder and harder to care about that. And Talia was trembling underneath him, her eyes glazed and euphoric – she was vulnerable too. Together they could make their world a paradise – or send each other plummeting into the depths of hell…
“I feel so fucking weak.”
There was strategy in his confession; only an all-powerful, conquering king would admit his vulnerabilities – this was the clever way to win the game. But Talia’s happiness meant more to him than victory; he was fighting to keep the joyful light in her eyes.
“I know, it is the same for me.” Her eyes shone as she cupped her hands around his head, cradling his fevered mind. “This contact will help us both. Our energies have flowed into each other’s bodies and if we separate too soon we will feel disorientated and confused. We have become one and need to maintain our unity for a little longer, come down slowly from our spiritual heights.”
We need to maintain our unity forever, Wanwisa. He stared at her glowing face as he cradled her head too. We will feel disorientated and confused. We. Not just you, Isaac, we. They closed their eyes in unison, and her peace and power flowed into his body. This tiny woman gave him strength.
Talia and Isaac Page 24