Demon Stone

by D E Boske

  “I’m rubbing off on you. I am not--by any means--a people person,” the Mage admitted.

  “No! Really?” replied Kryndale in as serious a tone as he could manage.

  “See, sarcasm goes a long way Kryndale.”

  “I know, it’s your close companion.” For a split second, Kryndale was certain he’d overstepped himself with the Mage.

  “I’ll drink to that,” said Darian, pulling a flask from a pocket in his Shryvven.

  He drank deep then handed it to the elf. Kryndale accepted it, drinking deep so as not to offend Darian. The liquid burned its way down his throat and he resisted the urge to cough. He did not want to give the Mage the upper hand. It was not Nykessa as he’d thought, but an expensive brandy.

  “So Darian, what was it like for you in Piri-Tuma? I’ve heard stories of the female companionship they provide.”

  “At one time, I was happy there. What man wouldn’t be? I had my choice of hundreds, maybe thousands of girls and I tasted them all before I left.”

  “All of them Darian? C’mon, how could you? Are you telling me you’ve been with that many women?”

  “Because of my high rank, I am given what I want when I want it. If I want five girls at once, all I have to do is say so. And believe me, I’ve done it many times. All that and so much more.”

  “But after a while, doesn’t it get boring?” asked Kryndale, not knowing what to make of the Mage’s honesty. Truth or boast?

  “If it does, than you’re obviously not doing it right. Every month or so I would choose different girls. And I’m never boastful. I speak the truth.” It took Kryndale a moment to realize Darian had answered a question he had not even asked aloud.

  “How is it possible for you to be with Tynuviel? Will you be happy with only her?”

  “It seems I am to be the Shangmarrum and Delvishan grants me her love. Long ago, high-ranking Mages took consorts. It has not been this way in far too long.”

  “But will you be happy with only her?” pushed Kryndale.

  “More than you know. Why do you even care?” asked Darian.

  Damn he felt good! He hadn’t felt this good in a while now. But he knew it wouldn’t last. The Dark Magic would come back with renewed fury. He must learn to control what was within him. To learn to master it. In order to do that…

  He didn’t want to voice it aloud, but he suspected he would need to learn Dark Magic if he was to defeat the Dark Mage and control what was growing within him. Without it… he held little hope that he would be able to best him with just his Order magic. He might be the most powerful Mage in The Order right now, but the Dark Mage had one huge advantage. Dark Magic.

  There was another obstacle. Where would he be able to learn Dark Magic? The Order thought they eradicated it. Obviously, they hadn’t or the Dark Mage wouldn’t exist. He wasn’t sure Delvishan would approve of his thoughts lately. But if he were to survive this, he felt certain that Dark Magic was the key. He needed to learn to control the monster within so that it would never swallow him whole as it almost had.

  Now that he knew what had been wrong, it should have been fairly obvious to him. He was being hard on himself he knew. How could he have known? He’d never been in contact with Dark Magic before he was tortured with it. When they came for him in Mogan Dar… he’d felt a disturbance. A disruption in the Magical Weave that alerted him to the danger…

  “Darian? Where’d you go just now? You were miles away from here.”

  “Traveling down memory lane.”

  Kryndale snorted. “On a few of our excursions, I saw some of the Mages abusing the girls. They hit them, kicked them, you name it. You are not that kind of man I hope. You do not seem that way to me,” observed the Gor Li’ Khan leader.

  “No. I never hit them, even when they deserved it. I have a tendency to spoil my women, which emboldens them to do things they shouldn’t.”

  “Like?” Kryndale wanted to know. He couldn’t believe the Mage was being so forthcoming with him.

  “You want a story, do you?” asked Darian, with a smile.

  “I’d love one, to tell the truth Darian,” he responded honestly.

  “Here’s one for you. I had two regular girls that I kept close before Gayla. You see, because of my high rank, I am allowed to choose any of them to attend to only me. And I get first choice on the floor, which has the Mages hating me for it. Clarissa is a fiery redhead and Denay a dark brunette. Some nights I would call for them both. Some nights I preferred one or the other. It depended on my mood.

  “Over time, I guess they began to lose interest in me. Clarissa was the first. I am not stupid and had noticed her lack of interest. I remember one night, I called them both to me. Clarissa liked to strip in front of me. She eased me down into a chair dancing in front of me as she removed her clothes. Denay was already naked on the bed, watching her.

  “But Clarissa climbed into bed and they began kissing and touching.” Kryndale cleared his throat. He

  couldn’t believe what he was hearing!

  “Well, they were making love right in front of me. I wasn’t about to be left out, but every time I tried to get involved, Clarissa would just push me away. It was clear she wanted nothing more to do with me. Of course, after watching them for half an hour, you know what I must have been feeling. I tried one last time, but she became furious and slapped me.

  “For this, I could have had her beaten, but that is not my way. So I threw her out of my room. Denay was more than willing to have me, begging for my forgiveness. From then on, I called on them one at a time only.

  “One night they were both sick.” He emphasized the word sick with finger quotes. “So I called the Summoner requesting another girl be brought to me. That’s when I met Gayla. I released the other two from my service and sent them back to work the floor. I thought it was a much better punishment than beating them.”

  “What a life you live Darian. I cannot imagine walking in your shoes.”

  “You’d never make it, Kryndale. Sorry. Not to be cruel, but you’d never survive.

  The things that I saw, the tests I had to pass… Most never make it past being a journeyman. Most never attain the rank of Master or Mage. Of those that make it to be Masters, very few make it to be a Mage. The tests that we are made to endure are beyond harsh. They are dark and terrible, utterly terrifying and designed to kill.”

  Kryndale merely nodded, a shiver racing down his spine at the Mage’s tone. For what could he reply to that? He had a brief glimpse into Darian’s world. A part of it was erotic and arousing. The other, dark and mysterious.

  They arrived in Darian’s tower, close to his study. The door was closed and locked. Kyler took Nephraete in his arms, kissing her as he put his hands on her bottom, pulling her near. They made their way to the room he’d given them before. Though they were alone, they closed and locked the door.

  She felt wild, untamed and she wanted him desperately. She pushed him down, kissing his chest and touching him gently. He moaned softly, trying to get up, but she pushed him back. Her lips were soft, warm, and her tongue caressed him to a fever pitch. She’d never done that before, but he quickly decided he didn’t want her to stop. She aroused him in ways he never thought possible.

  He sat up, his lips claiming hers as he kissed her deeply. Pushing her down, he quickly took control of the situation. His lips caressed her breasts as he trailed kisses down her body. She cried out when his tongue probed her, gently teasing. He made her feel so good, but she wanted it to last. She grabbed his hair in her hand and raised her aching core to his lips.

  He braced himself, holding her hands in his own. When he entered her, she moaned softly. They moved together as one. She rolled him over onto his back, taking him deep inside her. She cried out from the pleasure she felt as her hips ground into his.

  She wasn’t sure how much longer they would be able to hang on. Her hips rose and fell in time with him. He put his hands to either side of her waist, arching his back as they bot
h lost control. It was strong, powerful and addictive. She wanted more.

  He made love to her again and she let him take control now. This time, her pleasure was so strong she swore her toes curled. Afterwards, they lay exhausted in each other’s arms.

  “I love you Nephraete.”

  “I love you too Kyler.”

  “I think Calisha was going to intervene if I hadn’t done something,” Kyler admitted.

  “He was. He already told me he would.”

  “What?” he asked, shocked. “Wasn’t he going to give me more time?”

  “No. He thought you had more than enough to deal with the situation. He believes that you should trust in me to know that I would never betray you.”

  “I do. It’s just… to see you kissing Darian like that… it just made me mad. I didn’t understand that you weren’t kissing him just to kiss him, that you were actually pulling something out of him.”

  “I know and I’m sorry. Believe me, I wouldn’t have done it were it not absolutely necessary.”

  “That bad huh?” he joked, immediately regretting the words. He really wanted to know who she thought was a better kisser, but was afraid of the answer. He needed to know how he measured up against his best friend. That was just asking for trouble though.

  She only confirmed his fears when she replied, “No comment.”

  Dammit! He thought. Does he have to be better than everybody at everything? He felt a surge of jealousy towards Darian. He knew Nephraete was just doing what she needed to do, but could he say the same for Darian? From his perspective, he could see the Mage was enjoying it. This made him angry all over again. He tried to remind himself that Darian hadn’t been himself in weeks. But could he really believe him? Darian had lied to him so many times before. Why not now as well? Especially considering it was Nephraete he’d been kissing.

  “What’s wrong Kyler?” asked the seer. She could feel the intensity of raw emotion pouring from the elf prince.

  “Darian’s lied to me before. I know he has. He says he hasn’t been himself in weeks, but I know he wanted to make love to you. He says he would never betray me like that, but I have to wonder if he lies.”

  “Kyler, I know you’re angry and upset, but he’s your best friend. If you don’t trust him, how can you be friends?”

  “It’s just the way he’s been acting recently. Like with Nereina. I know he had sex with her. Why? If he loves Tynuviel, how could he hurt her like that? He claims that at the time there was little hope for him and my sister. He thought it best to make a clean break. If he’s not supposed to have sex with human women, then why does he? There are so many things I will never understand about him because he won’t let me. Trust is the foundation of any relationship. He’s like a brother to me and…”

  “Kyler, he won’t betray you or Tynuviel. I could feel the changes in him as I drew out more of the darkness in him. You must understand what he’s been going through and I know at times it’s hard. He doesn’t help matters by keeping secrets from you. Believe me, his heart is true to you and to Tynuviel. The Dark Magic that I pulled from him was responsible for the changes in him. He has not been himself in a while now. You trust me, don’t you? I would not lie to you Kyler.”

  In answer, he kissed her, short, sweet kisses that became longer and deeper. His tongue teased hers as he ran his fingers up her thigh. She moaned at his touch, growling in pleasure as he made love to her again. She knew he needed her as much as she needed him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he groaned as he arched his back. He responded to her needs, giving her what she wanted. Somehow, he just knew what she needed.

  He turned her onto her belly, gently taking her by the hips and drawing her to him. When he penetrated her, she cried out, biting her lip. He was so strong, but he had surprising control. She could feel her muscles begin to tighten around him with each thrust of his hips. She felt the ecstasy inside her building with the hardness of him. Then she could not contain it anymore. She howled in pleasure, nearly blacking out from the force of it. She could feel the intensity of his pleasure as he let go. He groaned as his movements slowed to a stop.

  They lay in each other’s arms for a while before he rose to get the bath started. After the bath, he cleaned their clothes so they could get dressed.

  “Kyler, this was wonderful,” she said, as she kissed his lips.

  “Careful, that’s how these things get started.” He kissed her back and she giggled. “We should get going.”

  “Yeah,” she replied wistfully, glancing at the bed one last time.

  “Surely there must have been some happy moments for you back in Mogan Dar,” said Kryndale.

  “Happy? No. Content? Maybe. I realize now that I was never happy there. At the time, I just didn’t know any better.”

  “But with all those girls, how could you not be happy?”

  “Just because my dick got to see the inside of over four hundred women doesn’t make me a happy man. What it makes me is a man who had a lot of sex with great, mind bending orgasms. But I’m afraid it also makes me a twisted individual. That’s how I know I will be happy with Tynuviel. Because I love her. Honestly love her. With her, it won’t be just great sex. I will be making love to her with my whole heart. Sex with emotion and feelings is very powerful, my friend.”

  “That’s true,” said Kryndale smiling, unable to believe the Mage’s candor.

  “Did the girls ever get mad at you when you dismissed them from your service?”

  “Of course. None of them wanted to leave me. I do not hit them, nor do I condone such behavior. A woman will give you your heart’s desire, if you but show her love and respect. There is no need for hitting or abuse.”

  “I agree. Did you ever take any of them against their will?” the elf pressed.

  “Only Clarissa because she made me very angry. She had the nerve to slap me knowing I could have had her punished severely. She was there to do whatever I wanted. She has no right to refuse a Mage. None of the girls do. Then to treat me the way she did after I had been so good to her. The next time I called her to me, we fought. She hit me hard so I slapped her across the face. The dress she wore I had bought for her. It was Al-Dan-Tir silk that cost me four gold pieces. I ripped it off of her and threw her down on the bed.

  “I took from her that which she was required to give. But, I did not force myself on her. No. I made her want me again. I used my magic to get her hot and willing. She begged me to take her and I did. The explosion that ensued left her weak and giddy. When I was done with her, I threw her out and never called on her again.”

  Kryndale’s ears burned with the pictures Darian’s words created. He was hot and flushed. He could not believe the Mage spent good gold on those women. Four gold pieces on a dress! And then to have her treat him so, he could understand why Darian had done what he did.

  “I despise men who take a woman against her will. There are so many willing women, why force yourself on one who is not interested?” responded Kryndale.

  “I despise those bastards too. They never stop to think maybe they have too small of a package to please her. You see, women want the whole package Kryndale. Size really does matter. Girth is what satisfies them, but they won’t tell you. Oh no, you have to figure that out on your own. And if you don’t measure up, then you better hope you know how to use your tongue!”

  Kryndale was aghast at the Mage’s words. He’d never thought of any of those things before. He couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

  Shaz listened to what the Mage and the Gor Li’ Khan were talking about. The pictures the Mage’s words evoked gave him a hard on. Two women making love right in front of him. Holy crap! He’d love a bit of that action. He wasn’t sure he believed the Mage had sex with all those women. C’mon, over four hundred? How old was he anyway? He looked incredibly young. But so do the elves.

  Shaz had found that one of the few ways you could get an idea of how old they were was to look at their

  eyes. The
age could sometimes be seen there.

  He spent four gold pieces on a damn dress for a whore? Was he nuts? She should have felt lucky since Darian didn’t believe in hitting women. Then refusing his advances? If he were Darian, he would have taken her against her will. After all, they were there to service the Mage’s needs. He would have made her do some serious lip service. Shaz was distracted for several moments as his mind wandered.

  Then he heard them talking about size, but he knew he had no worries there.

  Kyler gripped the red stone in his hand and called the Mage. A dark portal opened before them and they stepped through to the dwarven tunnels.

  Kryndale looked hot and flushed to Kyler and Shaz appeared lost in thought. What had been going on here while they were gone? Kyler quickly decided that he did not care. The time he spent with Nephraete was far more enjoyable.

  He held her hand in his as he returned the stone to his friend. “Thank you, Darian.”

  “You’re most welcome. I trust you found everything you needed?” he queried.

  “Oh yes,” Kyler replied with a smile. “What’s going on, Darian?” he asked quietly.

  “Nothing, why?” Darian responded, a little too quickly for Kyler’s taste.

  “Why is Kryndale flushed and feverish looking? And what’s up with Shaz? You weren’t hostile to them were you?”

  “Not at all. I did not even speak to Shaz. I only talked to Kryndale. You think he looks hot?” Darian asked, with a smirk.

  “Not like that you gump!” said Kyler, laughing. “Never mind, I probably don’t want to know.”

  “Probably not. Although…” Darian let it go.

  When Kryndale saw Nephraete, his breath caught in his throat. She looked so beautiful. Her silver hair she wore pulled back into a ponytail. The tunic she wore was dark blue, her breeches, a soft beige. They fit her well, hugging her curves and leaving little to the imagination. He sighed to himself, wishing things had turned out differently.