Talia and Isaac

by Lorraine Margaret

  He blinked irritably, wishing they had blindfolded him too. The blood streaming from his head kept dripping into his eyes, his already distorted vision hindered by a scarlet waterfall. He wondered how bad his injury was. At least he could think clearly again – for the moment. He couldn’t believe the Lokians even had a dungeon; maybe they had foreseen this day in one of their visions and built it just to torture him. They detested him, intended to rip his body to pieces the day after the most glorious day of his life.

  Talia.

  His last memory of her was a terrible one, her ashen face, her huge, haunted turquoise eyes. Eyes he couldn’t possibly have looked into for she had been far, far too far away. But he had looked into her eyes, stared into her soul as she had stared into his. He had seen the depth of her love for him, her absolute determination to get him back. What would she do, what would she risk? Just how far would she go? He remembered her impassioned words in the great hall. I would gladly die for you, Isaac. Talia was the Lokians’ most gifted visionary, surely they wouldn’t hurt her? He would fucking kill each and every one of them if they laid a finger on her. Except, he couldn’t, he was powerless and he hated it. He was never helpless, never impotent… Good God, he would soon be permanently impotent if the Lokians carried out their terrible threat. The irony was not lost on him. Talia had threatened to castrate him with a fruit knife and now her people were planning to do it for real, but with a much more substantial weapon, he was sure. Theirs was not an idle, impassioned threat, made through heightened emotion… they meant it. They hated him that much.

  His throat rattled and his chest tightened as his body fought to take in air. He focused on his breathing again, his mind emptying, lightheaded from lack of oxygen. His arms were stretched high above his head and the ache in his shoulders twisted sickeningly in his gut. He hung against the dungeon wall for all eternity, struggling to regain control of his breath, his constricted throat and heaving chest fighting against him. The seconds passed so slowly, a lifetime spent simply fighting to stay alive. His entire body vibrated with pain and his head spun violently, but he fought to remain conscious for if he lost that battle the very worst could happen. Talia. He would not desert her. He had promised her an eternity of love, he was damned if he was going to die the day after their wedding. He focused on his new wife – her tender heart, her loving eyes – and the luminous splendour of turquoise soothed his soul. But he couldn’t control his thoughts. He was disorientated and confused, and however hard he tried to focus only on Talia, his mind would not cooperate. An eerie masochistic urge consumed it, dragging him back over the horror of the journey to the Lokians’ forest home…

  ***********

  “The natural order must be restored. Justice must take place in the mortal world in order to align with the laws of the spirit realms. Your behaviour is too barbaric to be forgiven, a crime against humanity and the spirit world alike. Such evil cannot go unpunished. You will be castrated at sunset in divine retribution for the horrors you have inflicted on pure Lokian souls. Then the mortal world and the spirit realms will be in harmony again.”

  Rowan’s bone-chilling proclamation was delivered with icy detachment, the decree of an elevated Lokian following the laws of the spirit world. A world of balance and harmony, of unity, the merging of the physical and the spiritual – a world of respect for all beings. It was a world Isaac understood a little now, thanks to Talia, a world he viewed with awe and wonder. But he couldn’t tell Rowan that. His mind was battered, his thoughts jumbled and confused. He was unable to talk, form words, answer the men’s questions – and it infuriated them. Their frustration and fear for Talia’s and Jenna’s safety quickly got the better of their higher natures…

  “Monster! Tell us what you’ve done to Jenna and Talia! Speak!”

  “Maybe he’ll start talking when we cut his sick cock off.”

  “I’ll chop it into a million pieces if he’s put it anywhere near my wife!”

  They resorted to goading him, trying to provoke a reaction he was incapable of giving. Didn’t the fools realise he couldn’t speak? Smashing him around the head with a wooden club had made sure of that. He wanted nothing more than to tell them the truth, make them listen, turn the boat around and take him back to Talia – but he couldn’t. Rowan’s demonic eyes stared menacingly into his unfocused ones, and he was powerless, viewing Jenna’s husband through a scarlet veil. Rowan was just a man, but resembled a devil, the loss and pain in his eyes creating a burning fury terrifying to behold. He would stop at nothing to get his wife back. The dripping blood in front of Isaac’s eyes revealed the truth; Rowan was a demon who lived in the fires of hell and he was taking Isaac down with him. But the blood was not part of some hallucinatory demonic vision, it was more terrible than that. It was his blood, dripping from a wound that was causing him to drift in and out of consciousness, affecting his ability to think logically, speak, even remember who he was…

  “Love… bonded… Talia.”

  He would not lose Talia. If he lost all other memories and all his sense, he would still remember Talia. She was his destiny. But his words were nonsensical to the Lokians and earned him yet another whack to the head. His eyes rolled back into his skull as his brain vibrated and escaped his control. Talia, Talia. Must remember Talia…

  He would never forget.

  “Monster! What have you done to Talia? Tell me!”

  “Let’s kill this monstrosity now, he does not deserve to live!”

  “He is a plague on this universe, his life must end.”

  “Married…”

  Such an effort to say that one word, it was barely a murmur, an indecipherable grunt. It was the most magnificent word in the world, but he couldn’t do it justice. Married. To Talia.

  “Monster.”

  Something slammed into his balls, and his stomach churned as he struggled to breathe through the sickening pain. Such pain. And fury. Even in his pitiful state, he was livid. His balls were Talia’s, belonged to her, the seed for any children they might have dwelled within them. He couldn’t allow them to get damaged…

  “I don’t want to hear anymore. Let’s cut off his cock and stick it in his mouth, that’ll keep him quiet.”

  Deranged laughter from the demons who had dragged him to hell, this godforsaken place without his saviour Talia. Demons surrounded by dripping blood… and then the devil’s voice.

  “No, no more. We must not allow this monster to corrupt us and lure us away from the purity of the spirit realms. His punishment must be carried out according to the natural laws. All of our people must be present at the ceremony to witness retribution for Jenna and Talia. And we will never get our beloved women back if he bleeds to death in this boat.”

  “Do you think his court will want him back? Want Cornicunia to be ruled by an emasculated king?”

  “Married.” His voice was louder this time and the word was clear. Married – to Talia. The most heavenly state on earth.

  “You will never be married, no woman wants a eunuch for a husband, king or not.”

  More laughter from the demons, and then the devil’s voice again.

  “Are they still alive? My wife and Talia?”

  Not the devil, just a man, pain dripping from his voice. Rowan loved Jenna, worshipped her as Isaac worshipped Talia. He wished he could tell Rowan everything, had the words to make him listen. He would apologise for abducting Talia, explain how they had fallen in love and he had become bewitched by her spiritual gifts. Their king understood the mystical allure of the Lokians just as the Cornicunian people did. He meant them no harm, wished to live in peace for all eternity. With Talia. He would apologise for Michael, tell Rowan they had punished him exactly how Rowan intended to punish his king. He would tell him his wife was safe, recovering well. There was so much Isaac wanted to say for he was thinking straight again – but he couldn’t speak. He could just about keep his eyes open to stare the devil in the face.

  “Yes. Married…”

&nbs
p; He was travelling just like Talia but not to the spirit realms. He was in paradise, a world consisting only of her. Her eyes, her smile, her face. It was just like the blue dream but with Talia instead. Turquoise eyes flooded his mind and soothed his ravaged brain. There was no more pain, only a scarlet waterfall cascading into his closing eyes…

  … Turquoise. Talia. Peace. Love. Bonded for all time… Talia had found a hidden part of his mind that was impervious to pain and they were lying there together. Warm and safe on the riverbank with the swans and Epiphany soaring overhead. He was safe with Talia in turquoise for all eternity, no pain, no suffering – just Talia and love. Just turquoise and – throbbing.

  Throbbing in his head, shooting pain, agony… pulling, pushing, his feet dragging over uneven terrain. Strong, violent hands all over his body, hands that hated him and only wanted to cause more pain. Talia’s hands were gentle, loving and reverent, he was a god to his little Wanwisa, his goddess of the sea. These hands thought he was the devil incarnate.

  He was no longer safe in his mind with Talia, he was living in his body again. He felt, and all he felt was agony. Pain in his groin, hammering inside his head, every inch of his body aching, sore, throbbing… His clothes were torn to shreds, ripped from his exhausted body while he stared into Talia’s enormous turquoise eyes. Talia’s turquoise eyes – or the devil’s? The devil’s! His eyes flickered open to the horrors of the real world.

  “Well, he’s going to miss this.”

  “Yes, he will never again be able to take his pleasure in another’s pain. He will have until sunset to suffer the wait and then a lifetime without his sick manhood. It is the natural order of things, the punishment befitting the crime.”

  He was in a dungeon, standing naked in front of his tormentors, two men holding him for the others to attack. He was in the real world now. Feet slammed into his legs and balls, again and again and again, and when he refused to fall, the violence escalated. Fists smashed into his stomach and ribs, and he screwed his eyes up in agony but didn’t make a sound. They wanted their king to snivel and beg for mercy, but that would never happen. His head spun, his stomach churned and a cold sweat broke out across his body, but turquoise eyes kept him upright and urged him to stay strong. Isaac, stay strong, please, I’m coming for you. Talia was breathing with him, matching her rhythm to his, sharing his pain and begging him to wait… just a little longer. She was coming for him. She would save him with her love.

  He could bear this torture. He had no fear of his imminent castration. Talia was coming, she was near. Her breath was soft and sweet, synchronising with his, and her spirit gave his strength and resilience. His soldiers were with her. His eyes sprung open; he could see Abraham riding alongside her as vividly as if he were there! A ridiculous sense of peace descended upon his abused and battered body. Talia was coming for him.

  “Married to Talia, bonded for all time.”

  His voice resounded through the dank dungeon, loud and clear and strong, his words met with stunned eyes, open mouths and silence. Hah! He had shown them! They could destroy his body, but he could scramble their minds. Talia loved him and he loved her, and the power of that pure spiritual emotion would defeat six angry Lokians, expose their violent fury as the illusion it was.

  What?

  The mortal world was an illusion with no power to hurt him. Everything designed to seduce and deceive, everything except Talia. All that mattered was turquoise eyes. His mind spun, unable to process his epiphany and fight the fog threatening to consume it at the same time. His mind was damaged and he was mad.

  Talia. Talia would save him. There was nothing to fear. He threw back his head and laughed in the faces of the wide-eyed demons tormenting him. Talia would save him. It was safe to let his ravaged mind and body close down…

  ***********

  So here he was, chained to the dungeon walls; they must have done that while he was unconscious. He was naked, and there was a dull ache in his balls, but it was bearable. There was a sickening burn in his stomach and sharp, shooting pain in his ribcage, but he would survive. Blood was still trickling into his eyes, but he could think clearly now. He was imprisoned and defenceless, strung against the dungeon wall, but he was stronger than he had ever been before. Talia loved him and was coming for him, she was close now. He sucked in a shallow breath as her physical proximity washed over him. So close. His wilted cock sprung eagerly to life, and he gloried in the sure spiritual knowledge of Talia.

  She was here.

  There were sounds of distant shouting, pounding of hundreds of approaching hooves. His army. Talia’s army. Talia mounted on Assisi, his brave, fearless stallion carrying his brave, fearless wife. Epiphany circled overhead, calling them to share a lifetime of journeys to the spirit realms. His swollen cock throbbed as his mouth curved upwards into a bloody smile.

  “Talia.”

  Talia Arrives

  Get Isaac back.

  She was no longer connected to the world, only Isaac. Talia had transformed and she was unrecognisable. The old Talia loved nature, the new one couldn’t care less. She didn’t relish the beauty of the changing landscape, the lush grassland becoming dense with tall trees as they approached her forest home. She didn’t bask in the radiant rays of the summer sun and revel in the warmth burning relentlessly down on her skin. She didn’t appreciate the gentle, caressing breeze that so kindly refreshed the body on oppressive days like these, didn’t marvel at Cornicunia’s extreme, erratic climate. The old Talia would have found these things miraculous and enchanting but to new Talia they meant nothing at all. Nothing moved or excited her for she was merely existing, her senses and emotions numbed by fear and loss. Her only thought was of Isaac. Get Isaac back.

  She focused on remaining calm and reassuring Isaac with her steady breathing. Their souls were interconnected, if she panicked, so would he. Hope was the only thing keeping his heart beating, keeping the breath going in and out of his abused body. She would fulfil his faith in her. She could not allow his pain and confusion to muddy her gifts and distract her from the magic of the spirit realms. The only way she could help Isaac was by becoming stronger and more powerful than ever before. She would bring clarity to his confused mind, bless his body with her healing breath, use the connection of their spirits to reassure and comfort him. It would be so easy to give in to grief, her human fear of loss and pain, but that would wreak havoc on her body and ravage her soul. Isaac needed her strength, her spiritual abilities. Over and over she repeated her silent mantra to distract her from her fragile human fears. Get Isaac back. It was the most basic mantra she had ever used and the most important. She would transcend mortal life and take Isaac to the spirit realms so his soul could endure the suffering of his body. She had been created with only this purpose in mind, her body a vessel keeping her spirit safe for him. It was destined to be this way. One body, one spirit, for eternity and beyond. She shuddered. She could feel Isaac moving inside of her as if he were doing so now, her sex clenching around his manhood, embracing its destiny, and the closer she rode to him the more intense it became…

  The Lokian village was nestled deep within the forest, embraced by the beauty of the natural world. There were over two hundred tiny stone huts that shared one enormous thatched roof and were interconnected by maze-like passageways that would cause a stranger’s head to spin. Her people had built their home around forty-four tall trees, one of which was rooted inside Talia’s hut. The trees erupted out of the thatched roof in a celebratory explosion of verdant leaves, their thick branches intertwining protectively over the village as if thanking the Lokians for leaving them untouched. The result was paradise, a sight to make even the most world-weary soul catch their breath in awe. The first glimpse of her beloved home touched her as never before, and the essence of the spirit realms surged through her body, sending a shiver of delight through her soul. Her sex clenched as it shared Isaac’s joy and relief, his manhood engorging and hardening in response to her arrival. An untimely, eupho
ric burst of sexual pleasure coursed through her body, and she could not deny it or push it aside. Her body and soul vibrated with desire. She yearned to fling herself from Assisi and writhe on the forest floor, bring herself to sexual and spiritual climax.

  And then she saw what was awaiting them in the clearing up ahead and all thoughts of ecstasy disintegrated…

  She pulled herself together and harnessed all the power of her visionary soul.

  She was going to need it.

  Abraham blew out a long, hard breath as they slowed to a trot. His eyes fixed on hers as he held his hand high above his head, signalling the men to stop.

  It was quite a welcoming party.

  The Lokian men were on horseback, headed by Rowan. A group of powerful young visionaries, warriors of the spirit, proud and dignified, an imposing sight.

  And they were not alone…