“Channel it,” the Seer said, breaking through his concentration. “Don’t be afraid of it. It’s a part of you. You need to learn to own it.”
Vehel let out his breath in a huff, his eyes opening again, losing the moment. “I can’t. I can’t do it.”
“Yes, you can. Now, try again.”
He centered himself again and closed his eyes. The ball of energy responded, and he focused on fixing onto the power. The magic swelled and pulsed, and he imagined it rushing from that point in the middle of his chest, down his arms and to his hands. The magic charged the tips of his fingers, making them tingle as though he’d been sitting on his hands for too long and the blood was only just returning. He knew he could push the magic out and create the image in his mind of the cavern below, could make palm trees erupt from the rock and bring butterflies into life from thin air, but only if he released the magic as he’d done before. He didn’t know how to do it while holding the energy inside himself.
The result created an internal battle. He warred against his natural instincts to dispel the magic to get it to create what he wanted, and trying to hold it inside as the Seer had instructed. His frustration built and, as it did so, he felt himself losing his ability to contain the power. Because he hadn’t been focusing, and had been trying to contain it as well, the magic was no longer clean. It spiraled and battled, and grew murky with confusion.
Vehel fought to pull the magic back in again, but it was like a dam had been lifted, and it flowed out of him like water.
“No! I lost it!” he despaired. “I’ve depleted my magic. By the Gods!” He was furious with himself. He wouldn’t be able to try again for a while now, not until his magic had grown stronger again. How many more times would this take? Would he be here for days? Weeks? While Dela and the others were just sitting around, waiting for him. Because of his turmoil, he hadn’t even managed to create anything. The rocky, dark cave he stood in, with the Seer beside him, looked exactly the same as when he had started.
“Hush,” she said softly “You are too hard on yourself. Come here.”
To his surprise, she took hold of both of his hands. Her fingers were cool wrapped around his. She closed her blind eyes, and a sudden rush of power flooded up through her hands and into his. The ball of energy at his core suddenly expanded.
He gasped and jerked his hands away. “What was that?”
A small smile touched her lips. “I replenished your magic. We can try this as many times as it needs to take.”
She was like a well of power he was able to drink from. It was an incredible feeling. Maybe he would be able to do this after all. But if he was able to do it with the Seer at his side, what would happen when he no longer had her to rely on? Again, the threads of doubt wound through him like poison ivy, and he ground his teeth and pushed them away.
No, he could do this. He had to believe. Belief was the most important thing in all of this.
“Let’s try again,” she said.
They repeated the process, and once more he lost control, the magic rushing out of him. Once more, the Seer replenished his magic. He gritted his teeth and tried again, and again.
He lost his temper and lashed out at the wall of the cavern, bruising his knuckles and leaving his ego damaged.
“That isn’t going to help anyone,” the Seer told him, though her face showed no emotion. “Especially not the girl.”
“I’m sorry.” He massaged his aching hand with the other one.
“Try again.”
That little voice in his head, that sounded so like his father’s, tried to push its way in, telling him he couldn’t do it, that he was worthless and useless, but Vehel pushed it away. This was more important than anything his father had ever said to him. Helping Dela meant more to him than anything that man had ever done, and he had a Seer beside him who believed in him, too. He needed to shrug off the chrysalis his true self had been hiding inside all these years, and emerge as the powerful Mage he’d always been.
So he did, closing his eyes and centering his ability. The power swelled inside him, and he lifted his hand, picturing the lush opulence of the cavern below him. The energy grew, and he focused on pushing it outward, but not with the full force of everything he had, but more centered, channeling it down his arm and out into the world. It wanted to break free, to burst from his control and make him use all of it and drain himself again, but he fought the feeling.
“Vehel, open your eyes.”
He was worried he’d lose control if he did, but he risked opening one eye to a slit.
A lush palm, its fronds thick and green, sprouted from the cold, hard, rocky floor. Such a thing should have been impossible, but there it was, appearing as real as any other plant he’d come across.
He released his hold on his magic, and to his delight, not only did the plant remain looking very real, but he didn’t feel as though his magic source had been depleted either. Vehel stepped forward and rubbed one of the leaves between his thumb and forefinger. Yes, it felt real, too. He’d created it out of nothing.
The Seer smiled at him, her white, blind eyes apparently not seeing him or the plant, yet still knowing what he had done.
“Well done,” she said. “Now for more.”
Chapter Nineteen
Warsgra
WARSGRA STOOD WITH his arms folded across his chest, watching Dela as she sat on the edge of the pool, her bare feet dangling in the water.
“How long do you think we’re going to be here?” she called out over her shoulder.
He hadn’t realized she’d known he was there.
He stepped forward and lowered himself down beside her. He tugged off his boots and threw them to one side so he was able to put his feet in the cool water as well. It always felt strange sitting on the ground, as though he was an overgrown child, his limbs too large to be able to fold into a comfortable position.
“I’m not sure. It depends on how long Vehel needs.”
She glanced up at him, her small chin angled to one side. “And what about Orergon? Where is he?”
“Brooding back in the sleeping area.”
Her teeth dug into her lower lip, and he tried not to stare. “Do you think he’s all right?”
Warsgra shrugged. “No idea. I think you’re closer to him than I am.” He paused and then asked, “That’s what the two of you were talking about the other night, wasn’t it?”
A pink blush rose to her cheeks, and she glanced away. “Not quite, though it was that night I first sensed something might be troubling him.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “This whole ‘he’s carrying death inside him’ thing.”
She nodded. “He sensed something was wrong after Vehel had brought him back. I’m still not sure what it means, and neither is he.”
“It would be good if the Seer wasn’t so vague.”
Her smile widened. “Very true.”
Warsgra scrubbed his hand across his beard. “A part of me wonders where I fit into all of this.”
Dela frowned and twisted to face him. “What do you mean?”
“Orergon is carrying some kind of paranormal darkness inside him. Vehel can do magic, and you can communicate with dragons. So, where’s my place in all of this? Or am I just here for the muscle?”
Dela playfully smacked him on the arm. “You’re enough just as you are. You don’t need any magical ability to make you special.”
They both smiled, gazing into each other’s eyes, and a frission of electricity passed between them.
They were alone—well, as alone as it was possible to be here, with the Seer and her all-seeing ways—but Warsgra was perfectly aware that neither Vehel nor Orergon was in the vicinity. And he was sitting here, beside a beautiful, amazing woman, her eyes shining in the reflection of the pool, her skin glowing, her long hair falling down her back. He couldn’t help but be drawn to her. Warsgra was a man who was used to getting what he wanted, but things were different with her. It wasn’t what he wanted that w
as important. No, he wanted for her to want him.
“Do you think it’s true,” he said as softly as his deep tone would allow him, “what the Seer said about us all ruling?”
She gave a tiny shrug and shook her head. “I have no idea.”
“Because if it were true, it would mean you would choose all of us. Not just one. Not a favorite.”
A smile touched her perfect lips. “I don’t have a favorite.”
“But you’ve kissed Vehel, and Orergon, too. I saw you the other night.”
She pouted, a cheeky twinkle in her eye. “Are you feeling left out, War?”
She’d never shortened his name before, and he liked how it sounded on her lips. “Not left out, exactly ... I just wanted to make sure you felt the same way I did.”
“I never imagined a big Norc like you worried about feelings.”
She was teasing him, flirting with him. And had he imagined things, or had she edged a little closer, leaning into his space, her shoulders back slightly so her breasts pushed forward? He felt himself respond, hardening in that way only a man could.
“Things are different with you, Dela. I’m different with you.”
She stared up into his eyes, that small smile lighting her face. “Good,” she said, and then she leaned up and placed her lips to his.
The touch of her kiss fired everything that made him a man. With a growl, he swept his arms around her waist and twisted them both around so she was lying on the ground, and he was above her. He deepened the kiss, his tongue meeting with hers, so they danced together, exploring each other’s mouths. She wrapped her legs around his hips, her bare feet still wet from the pool. With the little he wore, he knew it would be easy for her to see how badly he wanted her. Her breasts pressed against his bare chest, and as he reached up to cup the mound beneath her vest top, she moaned in response. His thumb found her hardened nipple, and he rolled it, so she arched her back up to meet him.
She felt so different than a Norc woman. Everything about her was different, from her size, and shape, to the way she smelled. She was like something exotic to him, and he didn’t think he’d ever get enough of her. He couldn’t imagine going back to only taking the Norc women again, even though they’d been more than enthusiastic. It was as though he’d tasted the sweetest of nectars, and now everything else was spoiled to him.
Tall palms and trees with hanging fruit surrounded them, hiding them with their fronds. Large insects with iridescent, brightly colored wings darted overhead, and in the pool there was a splash as a fish leaped for a fly.
Warsgra wanted her. Needed her. All else faded into the background.
He reached between them to rid her of her leather pants, and she let him know it was what she wanted by helping him, too, lifting her hips and helping to kick them away. The simple cotton underwear she wore did little to hide her intimate folds, and he pushed his hand down again, brushing over her mound and then slipping beneath the waistband. He met her wet heat, and she groaned again and lifted her hips to him. He paused kissing her for a moment to look down into her eyes. They burned with desire as she stared back up at him, her chest lifting with every breath.
“Is this okay?” he asked, and she nodded.
“Yes, War. Keep going. Don’t stop now.”
She reached for him, too, her small hand delving beneath the leather he wore at his waist. Her hand met with his hardness, and he sucked in a breath as her fingers surrounded him and started to move. A groan escaped his throat, and he lowered his forehead to hers, his eyes slipping shut as he focused on her movements. Then her other hand went to the tie which kept the leather together at his hips, and deftly she undid it and threw the loincloth to one side.
His lips found her again, their tongues lashing as their desire built. Frantic, almost angry kisses. He pulled off her underwear and settled between her thighs. He’d made sure he’d aroused her enough, aware of the difference in their size. But she was slick and wet, and when he added another finger, and then a third, she stretched perfectly around him. He would be gentle with her and take things slowly. The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt her.
She still had hold of his cock, and she pulled him toward her, to where his hand blocked the way. “Now, War,” she gasped, “I want you now.”
Her feet were back around his hips, her heels pressing into the taut muscles of his ass. He slipped his finger from her body then nudged his hips forward. He groaned as her wetness encircled the head of his cock, and his mind swam as he edged deeper, feeling her holding him tight. The little sounds she made were the sweetest, sexiest thing he’d ever heard, and he almost lost his control there and then.
“More, War. I can take it.”
He shunted in farther, and she gave a little cry. He froze, unsure if it was pleasure or pain, but when she bucked her hips in frustration, he figured it was most likely a combination of both and moved deeper. They found their rhythm, moving together, slowly at first, but then building faster. He wanted to give every piece of himself to her, and for her to know that.
His orgasm was close, but he wanted her to know. He slowed his movements and laced his hand in her hair, using his hold on her to tilt her head, so he could look straight into her eyes.
“I’ve never felt this way about a woman before, Dela,” he growled. “I’m yours, whatever happens next. I’m not asking you to choose, only that you’ll have me. I’ll be by your side. I’ll protect you with my life.”
He could see by the way her gaze searched his that she felt the same way. “I’ll have you, War. Of course, I’ll have you.” And she lifted her head, her lips finding his again, her mouth opening, tongues seeking.
That was all the reply Warsgra needed. He gave in to his desires, and his hips slammed into hers, losing himself in the pleasures of her body.
Chapter Twenty
Dela
HAD SHE EVER FELT SAFER than when she was lying in Warsgra’s arms?
Aware of the Seer more than the other two, even though she was supposed to be blind, they washed off together at the waterfall and quickly dressed again. They went back to where Dela had previously been sitting with her feet in the water, and sat side by side. She leaned into him and placed her head on his shoulder. His arm sneaked around her waist, pulling her in closer so her hip pressed against his.
Dela gave a sigh of contentment. The feeling of having a full stomach, rested, somewhere safe, was alien to her. She knew it wasn’t something that could be permanent, but a small part of her wished it were.
Maybe this was how life could be after everything was done.
Movement came from behind them, and they turned in unison to see Orergon approach. Orergon dropped to the ground beside Dela and joined them in bathing their feet in the pool.
She leaned in and kissed Orergon, too, his lips warm and soft, testing how it felt to have one man sitting on one side of her, and another on the other.
The Moerian blinked at her in surprise. “What was that for?”
“No reason. I just missed you. How are you feeling?”
He nodded, frowning down as he looked at the ground in contemplation. “Like I want to get out of here.”
“Why?” It was her turn to be surprised. Only a moment earlier, she’d been contemplating how peaceful it was here, and how she wasn’t sure she even wanted to leave, though she knew they’d have to eventually.
He shook his head. “It’s hard to explain, but it feels like there’s something wrong about this place. About the Seer, too.”
She sat up straighter. “The Seer is helping us. Do you think we shouldn’t trust her?”
He pushed a hand through his hair. “I’m not sure. This all just feels ... wrong somehow.”
Warsgra leaned in to join the conversation. “Should we be worried about Vehel?”
“No, I’m sure he’s fine. This is the whole reason we came here, isn’t it? We sought out the Seer, not the other way around.”
Dela reached out and squeezed Orergon’s
hand. “I’m sure things will be fine.”
“You’re probably right. Just stay alert.”
A wave of guilt swept over her. They hadn’t been alert not long ago. Anything could have happened, and she and Warsgra wouldn’t have known anything about it. The only thing they’d been alert for then had been each other’s bodies. Had Orergon seen them together? Not that he had any more hold over her than either of the others, but she didn’t want him to think she’d chosen Warsgra over him, because it didn’t feel that way at all. They were a team, the four of them. This was how it was meant to be.
“Hey!” The shout made them all look up.
Vehel came striding toward them through the trees, his light blue eyes bright with elation.
Dela smiled at his return and jumped to her feet. “How did it go?
“Good. Great in fact.”
“So are we ready to leave?”
The Seer’s voice came from behind him. “He’s not ready yet. He needs more time to build his abilities.”
Doubt settled in her stomach like a rock. “How much more time? The human army is marching. We need to get out there.”
“Leaving before you’re all ready would be a mistake.”
Dela didn’t like being told what to do, but what choice did they have? They were relying on Vehel’s magic to transport them to Anthoinia. If he wasn’t strong enough yet, they’d have to do the journey by foot, and that could take weeks, and they might not even survive it.
She turned to the Elvish prince. “What do you think, Vehel?”
Chronicles of the Four: The Complete Series Page 35
