by Logan Knight
The sprites, meanwhile, had started a game. They were trying to see how tall they could stack the berries they were gathering before the woman devoured them. They were barely able to keep up, which drove them harder. Another would return every few seconds with an armload before buzzing away again. They didn’t like to lose.
I studied Nadia as she ate. She was elegant, but there was a hint of danger behind her sweet, brown eyes. Her pale skin and sharp features made for a striking combination. Her legs were shapely, and although the priest’s robe resembled a tent over her slim form, the shape of her large breasts was unmistakable.
I tried not to make my admiring gaze obvious, but I noticed Alena watching me with an amused expression. When the elf and I met eyes, she smiled, nodded, and made an expression that made it clear she also thought the woman was attractive. I detected no hint of jealousy, and I was glad for it.
“How long have you known Reese?” Nadia asked as she studied me out of the corner of her eye.
Alena looked thoughtful for a moment as if she were working the math out in her head. “About a week, I guess,” she said.
Nadia nodded, then asked, “Are you keeping each other’s company, then?”
“If you mean what I think you mean,” Alena said with a cheerful laugh, “then yes, but we’re not exclusive. Well, I am, but that’s just because he saved my life, he’s sexy, he’s fun to ride, and I respect him. He’s a powerful mage, and I can’t imagine being with anyone else.”
“I see,” Nadia said as she examined me from the bottoms of my boots to the top of my head. Our eyes met, but instead of turning away as I’d expected her to, she held my gaze. A meaningful, unspoken message passed between us. At first, I thought I’d imagined it, until she blushed again.
As Alena got her caught up on everything we’d been through so far, I retrieved the bat-shaped amulet from my pocket. It was still completely dead—not a trace of magic left in it. We weren’t invisible to our enemies, but we weren’t lighthouses in the darkness anymore either.
I thought about keeping the amulet as a prize, or for its value in gold, but I didn’t have the means to melt it down and disguise what it used to be.
I considered bringing it back to the cave with us and storing it there until I could find a way to melt it down, but I couldn’t take the chance of it being found by a stranger. If someone stumbled across the place while we were gone, they’d find a lot of supplies they could take. They might even decide to stay there and try to claim it as their own.
But if they found an amulet, and they knew what it was, the cave would suddenly become a lot more interesting. It was something I wanted to avoid.
I searched the nearby area for a decent hiding spot and found a rotting hole in a tree. The amulet was small enough to fit into it, and when I let go, I heard a small splash. If anyone happened to find it, they would likely consider themselves lucky. They also would have no idea who’d put it there.
“Reese,” Nadia said, “how did you come to this land? You are not afraid of Ru’Hijan. You must be from far away.”
“I am,” I said, returning to my shady spot. “I am from the Kingdom of Dahan, and I came to this land with a large army. My people have been at war with the Xorian Empire for a long time. Several of my kingdom’s allies have fallen to the Xorians, and we knew our time was coming. Therefore, our king decided we should attack first. We hoped that by destroying a few Xorian cities, we could prove our might and make them think twice about invading us.”
“But you were captured,” she said. “And the others, they were part of your army?”
“Most of them,” I said.
“What happened?” Nadia asked, a look of concern clouding her face.
I sighed and gathered my thoughts for a moment. “The Xorians must have another creature or person captured—like they had you,” I said. “Whatever it is, it allowed them to infiltrate our ranks. When the battle started, it was from within. It looked like our soldiers were attacking each other. It was chaos, and by the time we figured it out, there weren’t enough of us to form a defense.
“I wanted to keep fighting, but my commander ordered us to surrender. I’m a soldier, so I followed his order.”
“The guards sometimes spoke as if I wasn’t there,” she said. “The priest would speak about many things, even though he knew I could hear him. I was nothing more than furniture to him. I was only a tool. He spoke of others like me. They were also trapped and forced to do the bidding of other priests. They were slaves—gifts from Ru’Hijan to his followers.”
“You probably know a lot that could help my people,” I said. “With the right information, Dahan might be able to turn the tide of the war. We might be able to spoil the Xorians’ advantages and give my people a chance.
“You are not my prisoner, though. You’re free to come with me or leave anytime you want. There will be no consequences from me or anyone else here if you choose to go. Do you understand that?”
Nadia looked startled and studied my face for several seconds. “I want to come with you,” she said. “You have saved me. I am alone in the world, and you are a powerful mage. You fight against those who have tormented me for most of my life. And you are handsome.”
“Realize,” I warned, “that staying with me means you might find yourself in a few dangerous situations now and then. I don’t plan on hiding from the Xorians. I mean to do some damage while I’m here. I also mean to escape and make my way back to Dahan so I can tell my generals what I’ve discovered. They’ll want to talk to you, too.”
“I understand,” she said, her expression suddenly serious. She took one of my hands in both of hers. “I am no stranger to the perils of battle, though I admit it has been a long time.”
“What do you mean?” Alena asked.
“I am—or rather, I was—a princess of the Noratari,” Nadia said. “Have you seen any of the Noratari? Do you know of them?”
“I’ve heard of them,” Alena said, a pained expression on her face. “But I heard they’re gone. There aren’t any more. Haven’t been for a long time.”
Nadia stared at her feet for a moment. “I did not expect we would find them,” she admitted. “The men and women Noratari were all warriors. We were trained to fight from the moment we could walk. Find me a pair of blades, and I will fight alongside you both. That and what I have learned should provide an adequate benefit for your small army. I will be an asset to you. I promise.” She rubbed the thumb of one hand against the back of her other and stared at me with wide, beautiful eyes.
“I believe you,” I said.
Nadia stood and approached me with outstretched arms.
I accepted her embrace and wrapped my arms over her shoulders. She entwined hers around my waist. Nadia held me tightly, pressing her slim frame and large breasts against me. I savored the moment and knew I’d made the right choice. She was a warrior who knew secrets the priest had believed would never be exposed. She was also beautiful.
A few sprites in a nearby tree sighed in pleasure. They were lying on their tiny bellies, chins resting on their palms, staring at us with contented smiles.
Nadia smelled wonderful, and the breeze blew a few of her hairs across my face, tickling my nose and beard. A moment later she loosened her grip, and we parted.
“We should keep moving,” I said. “It will be dark by the time we make it to the hideout.”
“They cannot track you anymore,” Nadia said, resting a hand on my chest.
“I know,” I replied, “but there are things more dangerous in these woods than humans.”
As we followed Alena through the forest, I thought of more I wanted to ask.
“From the stories my grandmother told me,” I said, picking my words carefully, “vampires are nothing to be trifled with. I’ve heard many legends about them, but I’m not sure which are true. I have questions—things I need to know.”
“I will answer any questions you have,” Nadia said.
“My grandmoth
er told me vampires are allergic to garlic,” I said. “It burns them. Is that true?”
She laughed, and I found the sound of it, and the way her eyes danced, delightful.
“I love garlic,” she said. “I used to eat so much, I was afraid I was going to reek of it. No, I have no desire to avoid garlic.”
“And,” Alena added, “there was garlic in the dried meat she was eating. We’d know if there was a problem.”
“That meat was delightful, by the way,” Nadia said. “I believe it was the best dried meat I have ever had.”
“Thank you,” Alena said. “I made it myself. It’s my recipe.” Alena beamed at Nadia.
“Ask more, please,” Nadia said to me. “I am amused.”
“Okay, then,” I said. “Grandmother also said vampires could turn into bats.”
Nadia laughed loudly and nearly tripped over a small stone. “I do not know,” she admitted. “Let us all discover this together.”
She stopped, clenched her fists, closed her eyes, and squeezed her eyelids tightly together. Then she opened them, inspected her arms, and shrugged. “It does not appear I can,” she said. Then she and Alena both laughed. The sprites joined them.
I noticed Nadia’s teeth. They were beautiful, bright, and straight. Also, none of them resembled fangs. It appeared my grandmother didn’t know as much about vampires as she had claimed.
“I have a question,” Alena said over her shoulder. “How were you captured?”
“When the armies of Xoria invaded the lands of my people,” Nadia explained, “many of us traveled to meet them in battle. Although I knew how to fight, I was assigned to stay within our village with many others. We were to repel our enemy’s attack if it came.
“Our small army must have been defeated, though, because the Xorians arrived the next morning. A man—a mage, I think—in black robes found me in my home. I attacked him, but he used magic to cause me to grow weak and fall to the floor. He spent a long time and said many frightening words over me as he held his hands near my face.” Then she turned to me and added, “There were marks on his hands, somewhat like yours.”
Nadia wrapped her arm around my waist, and I laid mine over her shoulders. When she rested her head against my chest, several sprites sighed loudly and began flitting around us. I gently shooed them away.
“It has been a long time since I’ve been out in the fresh air,” Nadia said.
Alena glanced at us over her shoulder, then looked again, smiling. “I guess it’s been a long time for a lot of things,” she said with a small laugh.
I began to wonder how much stored-up lust a woman could have after a possible thousand years away from men. The question was partially answered when her hand slipped into the waistband of my trousers and she squeezed my butt.
We arrived at the cave just after sunset. Like the last time, Alena went in first to make sure the coast was clear. We followed her in a few seconds later.
Nadia held her arms close to her body with her hands clenched under her chin as she inspected the ceiling. “Is it safe?” she asked.
“Perfectly,” Alena said. “I’ve been staying here for years. It’s as safe as a castle. In fact, it’s probably safer because nobody knows it exists.”
Nadia nodded and started walking slowly around the interior perimeter. “It’s lovely,” she said a moment later. “Thank you.”
Most of the sprites had remained outside and were scouting the nearby forest for berries, edible mushrooms, and other foods to satisfy their little appetites. A few, however, were perched around the cave, watching Nadia and me with obvious expectation.
When Nadia turned around again, we locked eyes. She had the look of someone who’d come to a decision and was desperately trying to hold herself back from it—not because she wanted to, but because she thought she had to.
“Ooo,” the sprites who’d remained in the cave whispered in unison.
“Hey,” Alena said to them. “Let’s help the others find something to eat.”
“No, thank you,” one said.
“We’re fine,” another agreed.
“I said let’s go,” Alena growled.
The sprites turned to her and frowned. “Make me,” one challenged.
Alena was on him in a flash. She grabbed all three of them, stuffing two in one pocket and one in the other before smiling at Nadia and me.
“I think you two need some alone time,” she said. “I’ll keep them busy for a while. Take your time.”
“Let me out!” a muffled voice said from one pocket.
“I’m fine,” said another. “It’s warm in here.”
I watched Alena crawl from the cave and checked to make sure the blanket was still on the ground, then I turned to Nadia. She was breathing heavily, facing me with her arms at her sides. It looked like she didn’t know how to begin, so I decided to help her.
First, I stroked her cheek with my hand and gently kissed her mouth. Her tongue found my lips, my teeth, and explored my mouth with urgency.
She ran her fingers through my hair and over my ears, causing tingles to run down the back of my neck and spine. She massaged my head, neck, and ears as her kisses became desperate and frantic.
I caressed the back of her head then found the cloth she’d used to bind her hair and untied it. When I did, I felt her lips curl into a smile, and her kisses became even more frantic. She pressed her hips into mine and ground herself against my throbbing manhood. I found myself shaking with pleasure and anticipation.
I slipped my hands under her arms and gently brushed my fingers against her huge, soft breasts. Then I began to bunch her robe in my hands, lifting it from her legs.
She stopped kissing me for a moment and opened her eyes. There was no mistaking the lust. When she raised her arms above her head, I pulled the robe off her and tossed it aside.
When I started to untie my trousers, she pulled my hands away, dropped to her knees, and began doing it herself. While she worked, I ran my fingers through her hair, admiring the length and silkiness, and was surprised when I felt warmth, wetness, and suction.
I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation for a minute, then gently stopped her. When I scooped her up, she started kissing my neck, ear, and shoulder.
I’d barely laid her down on the blanket when she wrapped her legs around my hips, twisted her pelvis to find the right angle, and raised herself against me, forcing me into her warm depths over and over again. She gasped with pleasure, cried out with her passion, and moaned when I lowered myself upon her.
Her hands explored my body as she kissed my lips, nose, and chin. When she found herself reaching climax, she slipped her hands under my arms, grabbed my ass, and pulled me into her, encouraging me to thrust harder.
No sprites interrupted us, even when our pleasure exploded, and I was certain the sound of our shared climax could be heard outside the cave.
I lifted some of my weight from her but didn’t disengage right away. I wanted to enjoy it as long as possible.
“How I missed that,” she whispered. “Alena was right. You are wonderful in bed.”
“So are you,” I whispered before kissing her beautiful lips. Then I rolled from her and lay down at her side. I slowly caressed the soft hair between her legs, her stomach, and her smooth breasts.
Life was perfect for about thirty more seconds before the sound of an argument rose from outside. I quickly scrambled into my clothes as Nadia slipped her robe back on. We’d barely dressed when a sprite buzzed inside, Alena hot on her heels.
“Sorry,” Alena said.
“I have news from Silverwind,” the sprite said. There was an urgency to her little voice, which caused me a bit of concern.
“What is it?” I asked.
“There’s an army on the move,” she said, “a Xorian army. It’s bigger than huge! We’re leaving! We have to go back home! Silverwind says thanks for the fun, but we have to disappear.”
With that, she buzzed out of the cave.
; Both women stared at me with concerned looks on their faces.
“What do we do?” Alena asked.
While I was imprisoned, the priest told me that forces were preparing to invade the Kingdom of Dahan, my home. I wondered if the army that had spooked Silverwind was the one the priest had spoken of.
“We take a look,” I said. “Pack quickly and bring some rope. I have a feeling we’ll need it.”
13
I was thankful Alena had collected so many supplies in her cave. We had enough to last each of us two weeks or longer, except for water. But there were enough fresh streams nearby for us to fill our waterskins and quench our thirst.
For a moment, I regretted not having the sprites with us, but they’d made a wise move. They’d been hunted for a long time and had only exposed their presence to help me defeat the priest. By returning to hiding, they would avoid further detection; they’d live to fight another day.
The sprites, however, hadn’t bothered to tell us where the army was coming from, or which direction it was going. But if it was the army the priest had promised was being sent to destroy the Kingdom of Dahan, the only way they could get there was by ship.
“Besides the harbor near the fortress,” I said to Alena, “are there any others nearby?”
“There’s one at Korsk,” she said, “but it would take us several days to get there.”
“And where could the army march from if it was headed to the nearest harbor?”
She thought for a moment before answering. “An army big enough to scare the sprites? Probably from Stormbreak to the north. They’ve got a pretty big army there. It’s supposed to protect us from some mysterious army hiding in the hills to the northwest.”
“It makes sense,” I said. “They’ve got to be coming from the north. No competent commander would march his army any further than necessary. There will be twisted ankles, falls, and bugs on the way. All of those can sap any army’s strength and reduce their effectiveness. How many roads are there between Stormbreak and the port?”
