Night Cursed

by Mark Albany

  Leena was standing over a fire, looking shocked to see me. Almost as shocked as I was to see her. She had her long hair braided behind her back, and she was wearing armor with a sword hanging from her side.

  “Braks?” She hurried toward us. She stopped a few paces away from me, looking like she’d seen a ghost.

  “You have no idea how good it is to see you.” I was unable to stop a ridiculous smile from touching my lips.

  “You, too.” Her shock broke for a moment when she laughed. “We…we thought you were dead.”

  “He wasn’t dead.” Eira came out of a nearby tent, tucking her hair back into her crown. Unlike Leena, she was in the dress I associated with her. “I already knew that.”

  Kalna exited the same tent a few moments later, looking flushed and confused for a moment before her eyes found me. She shrieked, running over and jumping at me. I reacted just in time to catch her, barely managing to keep my balance. She didn’t seem to care, peppering my neck and cheeks with kisses before passionately placing one on my lips.

  “How is this possible?” Kalna asked once she recovered her composure, sliding down until her feet were back on the ground and taking a step back, grinning.

  I noted that Jule exited the same tent that Eira and Kalna had, still putting her clothes back on. I narrowed my eyes at this new development, but it wasn’t as immediately important as finding out why they thought I was dead. We could talk about their new physical relationship later.

  “I told you he wasn’t dead,” Eira repeated, looking smug.

  “You said he was gone,” Leena said to the ice woman.

  “But not dead,” Eira replied defensively. “His connection with us was gone, but my connection with the Darkness remained unchanged. He was still alive.”

  “Next time, don’t bother with the semantics. Just give us the clear-cut version.” Leena punched Eira gently on the shoulder before turning back toward me.

  I looked in her eyes, unsure what to expect when she came in closer. I shouldn’t have been surprised when she wrapped her arms around me in a hug tight enough to squeeze the breath out of my chest. I pulled her closer, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

  “Don’t you ever fucking do that to us again, do you understand?” she whispered, her voice breaking. I could feel her warm tears soaking into my shirt. I’d never seen Leena cry before. I pulled her in closer, kissing her forehead.

  “I promise,” I whispered.

  “We’ll talk to you later, Aemenasthine,” Kalna addressed the elf captain, who nodded and turned back around, presumably to return to the camp.

  Kalna pulled at our arms, dragging us toward the tent that she, Eira, and Jule had exited. Leena finally let me go halfway there but kept a hold on my hand as Kalna led us inside.

  It was larger than most of the tents we’d passed on my way in. There was room for a couple of small beds to be set up, and some small chairs around a table with a handful of maps and other papers on it.

  One of the beds was an absolute mess, I noticed. Still not the time.

  I took a seat on one of the small chairs. There were only four seats, but Eira took the opportunity to sit on my lap as Kalna, Jule, and Leena took the other chairs.

  “I missed you too, in case that wasn’t obvious.” Eira smiled, placing a light peck on my lips.

  I grinned and gave her a peck of my own. “I missed you, too.”

  “And I knew you weren’t dead,” she added.

  I nodded. “Why did the rest of you think I was dead?”

  “About an hour after you went into the tunnels, we felt the connection break.” Leena’s tone was low and somber. “You were in a lot of pain, and then nothing. It just broke. We weren’t sure what had happened to you. The tunnels were starting to cave in, and then, some massive black monster came out from where you’d been. It dug through the cave-in and broke through to the surface. We tried to go back for you, but most of the tunnels were already closed up.”

  “I’m sorry,” Eira said softly.

  “You saved our lives.” Kalna reached over to give the ice woman a light pat on her shoulder. “It was the least we could do.”

  “By the time we reached the surface, there was a battle in progress between the monsters and a massive Trelan force that gathered, some following our trail and the Neurians’ path” Leena continued. “The big black thing was tearing through them all at will, and we decided to let them fight each other while we made our escape. Toad had disappeared, but our packs were still there. We grabbed them and left. Once we were back on the plain, there were still a lot of Trelan troops down in the farmlands, and it looked like they were in the middle of a battle as well. We pushed to join whoever was fighting the Trelans and were only a little surprised when we saw that it was the Neurians, along with our elf friends. Eira was able to summon up her ice monster—”

  “Ice beast,” Eira corrected softly.

  “Ice beast,” Leena acknowledged, showing that there had obviously been some discussion about what it should be called. “And it helped to break the Trelan lines. We’ve had them on the run ever since. We didn’t know where to find you, or if you were even still alive, and it just seemed to be the logical choice. We were here to keep our homeland safe from the Trelans, and—”

  “You don’t need to defend your actions to me, Leena,” I kept my eyes down. “You all did what you had to do to stay alive.”

  “Staying on that topic,” Kalna broke in. “How did you manage to survive? We thought we’d lost—” She broke off, clearing her throat quickly before continuing. “We thought you were lost.”

  I nodded. They were all looking at me, waiting for an explanation. Now that the connection was broken, they couldn’t look into my mind or know what I was feeling. Even so, they had to know me well enough to see that what I was about to say was difficult, and they waited patiently for me to speak.

  “I’m not sure about the precise details,” I started, closing my eyes so I didn’t have to see the looks on their faces. “I lost control when I was facing Vasara. There was another, outside influence, but the short version is… well, that black monster that dug you out of the tunnels? That was me, I suspect. Or rather, the Darkness in full possession of my body.”

  I kept my eyes shut, expecting yelling and disgust from them. I was used to having our connection to communicate, but now it was just all silence, and my imagination wasn’t giving me a good version of events. I finally opened my eyes. Leena was leaning back in her chair, her face unreadable. Eira didn’t seem to mind. Jule looked confused, but Kalna had an odd smile on her lips.

  “I’m not sure what I did, precisely,” I continued in a soft, shaky voice. “When I woke up, I was deep inside the tunnels. They honeycomb that mountain, by the way. It took me a few hours to make my way back to the temple, and when I got there, there was nothing left. Everyone and everything there was dead, except for Toad. When I woke up, I was covered in blood, and there are things I remember doing…” My voice trailed off as my mind went back to how I’d killed Vasara. There had been a sensation of euphoria, like I had been draining all of the power that she’d absorbed from the pool. I had enjoyed it. Well, Legent had enjoyed it, but there had been a small part of me that had liked seeing her get what was coming to her.

  My mind went back to the dreams I’d had while Legent had its fun. More and more, I was coming to terms with the fact that it hadn’t been a dream, but rather something else. Like one of Eira’s visions.

  I looked up to see Leena staring me down, hard. She knew me well enough and for long enough that she didn’t need some mental bridge to know I was hiding something from her.

  Kalna still looked rather… well, aroused by what I’d done. She’d once been an assassin, a person whose job it was to end lives coldly and professionally. She had come a long way since then, but the core instincts remained, apparently.

  “Why are you telling us this, Braks?” Leena asked.

  “I saw what can happen when I l
ose control completely. It wasn’t that I wasn’t in control. It was that my body, or whatever it had become, wasn’t mine anymore. The Darkness was the host, and I was just a passenger.”

  Not too much fun, is it? I don’t know what you’re complaining about anyway. I did more damage to the Trelan army than you ever could, and even when you were out of control, I thought I would do you the favor of leaving your…pets…alive.

  I flinched as I felt the presence vibrating against my consciousness. Leena noticed, and there was a sour look on her face when I turned toward her.

  “You can learn to control it,” Eira said, playing with my hair. “I know you can. And when you do…”

  “What about until then? What happens if it takes over again, and suddenly, there aren’t just Trelans and monsters around to kill?”

  “We’ll deal with it, Braks,” Leena replied softly. She still looked suspicious, knowing that I was keeping something from them, but she was content with letting it go. For the moment.

  I took a deep breath, trying to find a way to relax. I felt wound up, ready for a fight, ready for them to attack me for what I’d done. When there was nothing but support, or no direct confrontation anyway, I was relieved, but also felt foolish for having doubted them.

  “For now, though, I think you need a bath,” Eira smiled, running her fingers through my hair some more. “We’ve all had a few very long days, and you could use some relaxation.”

  “Out of curiosity,” Kalna broke in. “When did you come to? Wake up, I mean.”

  “Oh.” I paused to think about it. “It’s hard to really tell, but it was sometime last night, I think. Why? How long was I gone for?”

  “Five days,” Leena answered quickly, pushing herself up from her seat. “We thought you were dead for five days.”

  I nodded. “I’m so sorry.”

  The icy look on her face melted as she came over to where I was seated. She placed a kiss on my cheek. “It wasn’t your fault, Braks. But you owe me a great deal, and I will collect. For now, though, Eira is right. You do need a bath. I’ll send someone to fill a tub for you.”

  “You’ll send someone?” I asked.

  She grinned cheekily in response. “Indeed. I’ve taken up a position of some command over the past couple of days.”

  I nodded. It sounded about right for her.

  “We have some duties to attend to in the meanwhile,” Leena said. “Enjoy your bath, Braks.”

  Leena wasn’t lying when she said she was now in a position of command in the Neurian army. Less than ten minutes after they left the tent, a handful of men arrived with a heavy wooden tub. They filled it with warm water, as well as providing soap and a brush to use while I was in there.

  I waited a few moments after they left, still bemused by the fact that they had brought all of it without even asking me any questions, but the fact remained that after the cold and the horrors of what had happened over the past few days, I could use a warm bath.

  I slipped into the water, closing my eyes as my body submerged. I remained there for a few long minutes. The sensation of almost weightlessness that I felt while in the water reminded me of the time in that void place. Of course, the sounds of an army outside, crackling fires, and all that lifted the illusion, but I couldn’t help but think about it.

  It was a while before I started washing. The water cooled rather quickly, and it wasn’t long before I could feel a shiver that told me it was time to get out of the wooden tub. I pulled myself over the edge, looking around for something to dry off with. It took me longer than I cared to admit to realize that there was someone else in the tent, holding a towel.

  It was Jule. She had been standing quietly near the entrance of the tent, and I could see her clearly enjoying the show of me standing naked and wet in plain view. And at this moment, there was really no point in covering myself up.

  “Would you hand me that, please?” I extended my hand. “I don’t feel like putting clothes on while I’m still wet.”

  She didn’t say anything, only nodded as she came closer. She looked like she was in a bit of a trance as she extended the towel to me. I started drying myself off, and she got even closer, tentatively reaching out to run her fingers over my shoulders.

  Again, I didn’t feel quite up to the task of stopping her. It was pleasant to feel her gentle touch on my bare skin, something I could use at this point.

  I flicked the towel over my shoulder and turned to fully face her. She quickly tried to retract her hand, but I caught it by the wrist before she could pull away. I tugged her closer, running my fingers over her forearm as she gazed into my eyes, looking almost awed and terrified.

  “What are you doing, Jule?” I asked in a soft, intimate voice.

  She was more than a foot shorter than me, and much slimmer as well. I couldn’t imagine how she felt, being this close to me while I was naked and still wet from the bath. I honestly had no clue.

  “I’m not sure if you know,” she finally answered, her voice tentative as she stopped trying to move away. She let her free hand run up my chest to pull the towel from where I’d left it, gently starting to dry me off herself. “While you were away, Kalna, Eira, and Leena took me… well, they brought me into their bed. Leena was a bit more reluctant than the others, but it made me wonder. They are such amazing women, and I was rather curious about what could make them care for you so much. They didn’t speak of it much, but I still wondered. In a moment alone, I wanted to feel it for myself.”

  I nodded, trying to fight the feeling of arousal spreading through my body. “I had my suspicions, but thank you for your honesty. I—” The feeling of her hands running over my bare skin was distracting me more than a little. “I don’t know what I did to make them care for me so much. I just care for them a great deal right back. It might have something to do with the fact that we fought and risked our lives together for something we all believed in.”

  “That’s what we’ve been doing ever since I joined the four of you.” She smiled, pressing a kiss to the right side of my chest.

  “I know, and don’t think for a moment that I don’t appreciate your help.” My voice took on a low, throaty quality. “It’s just that we’ve been betrayed by someone before. I know that it’s irrational, but I have some difficulty in trusting anyone new.”

  Jule nodded, still close enough that I could feel her breath on my chest. “What about Leena, Kalna, and Eira? You trust them, don’t you?”

  I nodded. “With my life.”

  “They have learned to trust me.” She looked up into my eyes. “Do you think you can do the same?”

  I smiled. She did make a good point, and right now, there weren’t many logical thoughts in my mind. My hands came up to thread through Jule’s short hair, and I tilted her head up so I could press my lips to hers. My intention was to be gentle, but as I felt her reaching up to wrap her arms around my neck, I saw that she had other thoughts on her mind.

  She kissed me back hungrily, almost breathlessly, pushing her body into mine as she boldly let her hands explore.

  A rush of cold air swept into the tent, causing me to look up from kissing Jule. Kalna had entered with Eira and Leena in her wake. All three were smiling as Jule quickly took a step back.

  “I’m sorry, Kalna,” she said, blushing furiously. “I don’t—”

  “No apologies, lovely.” Kalna smiled. She walked over to me with a sultry look in her eye. “In all honesty, I was wondering why you and he didn’t come together sooner. We tried to invite you to join us before.”

  I nodded, remembering that night in the abandoned hut.

  Kalna kissed my lips as her fingers tangled in Jule’s hair. “The connection is broken, Braks,” she reminded me softly. “I think it’s about damn time we rectified that, don’t you?”

  I nodded, somehow lacking the will to actually pronounce words. Jule kissed down my chest and stomach. Eira had slipped out of her dress and had moved over to help Leena out of her armor.

&nb
sp; “I can’t think of a better way to fix that than with a nice, long fuck,” Kalna murmured, whispering that last word heavily in my ear.

  Jule dropped to her knees in front of me, her hands bold now, finding my growing cock and stroking it. She licked at the shaft as she watched it grow.

  Whatever misgivings I’d had before were gone. June was one of us, a part of the team. An asset, and a damn sexy one at that.

  My right hand drifted down to grip the back of Jule’s head encouragingly. My other hand circled around Kalna’s neck, pulling her closer so I could kiss her with a hungry, needful passion.

  “Gods, I’ve missed you.” I meant all of them, and I could already feel a hint of connection with Leena and Eira. Leena was undressed now, but instead of coming over to join us, Eira guided her over to one of the beds, looking over her shoulder at me with an unspoken invitation to join them when I was ready.

  Kalna placed her hands on my temples, and I felt the cool, delicious presence of her mind melding with mine once more. I moaned softly, suddenly realizing that Jule was part of the connection too.

  Kalna smiled. “Mmm, yes, she is delicious. In more ways than one, I’ll have you know.”

  “I’ll have to—” I started but lost all concept of what I was going to say as the petite Jule eagerly wrapped her lips around my fully-erect cock. “I’ll have to taste for myself.”

  Jule started bobbing her head on my shaft. Kalna nodded and gently nibbled at my neck and shoulder. “Agreed. Though I think you should let her do the tasting for now. Through our connection, I’ve been able to sense her need for this. Oh, and there were a few books in that library of hers that had tricks even I had no concept of before. You’re in for a treat.”

  I nodded in agreement. It was difficult to focus. Kalna’s hands ran over my body, grabbing at my ass with one while the other slipped between Jule and myself, pushing the woman’s clothes out of the way to show off her breasts. They weren’t too large, but they were perfectly shaped. Her hard nipples rubbed against my thighs as she guided herself to take me deeper.