Deragan Sword Prophecy: Book 02 - Meladrom

by Rosemary Lynch

  He was tall and muscular and wore black leather trousers, with a white short-sleeved tunic and leather wrist bands that reached to his elbows. His hair was short and dark, his eyes the deepest green and he was by all accounts an extremely attractive man. It threw her completely, and she found it hard to believe someone who looked, as he did could be so evil.

  “Put it on,” he ordered, the sharpness in his tone soon bringing her back to the reality of the danger she was in. There was a long moment of silence as she stared at him. Disbelief and anger shaded her eyes, and she folded her fingers together to stop them trembling. She shook her head at him defiantly. He took a step towards her, tears streaming from her eyes she moved a step back from him, only to find her way blocked by a chair.

  “Put it on or I will do it for you.” His voice was calm and steady, but it still scared her to death.

  “Will you turn around?” she asked in a shaky whisper. He remained.

  “No,” his reply was firm. Her hands moved down to her side, twitching as she thought desperately of what to do. Her magic was powerful maybe she would have a chance against him. His eyes flickered down to her side at the movement.

  “Do not try and use your magic in here, it will not work, my Fortress is protected, the only person who can use their power in here is me.” She looked at him hesitantly. “I see you do not believe me?” He took a step towards her opening his arms wide. “Go on then give it your best shot, strike me down if you can, I will not move or use my powers against you.”

  Trembling she stared at him, knowing full well that it was going to be a futile attempt, but she still had to try. Raising her hands towards him, she shook as she pulled on her power calling the strongest spell she could think of from her mind. He smiled, as he waited, not in the least bit concerned. With all her strength, she released her power, but nothing happened. Her heart almost stopping dead, her hands dropped to her sides. In here, in this Fortress she was powerless, a mere mortal. She was at his mercy.

  He lowered his arms, his bottom jaw tightened, as he grew angry.

  “Now put the dress on.”

  She bit on her lip hesitating. His eyebrows rose at her expectantly. Taking a deep breath, she took off her soaking wet cloak throwing it to the floor. Slowly she began to unlace her tunic but her hands were shaking so hard that she struggled. Pulling the wet tunic over her head, she threw it to the ground. Underneath she wore a three quarter length shear silken camisole. She took off her boots, and then slipped of her trousers. Bending down she picked up the dress.

  “All of it,” he said, sounding slightly amused. She stopped, looking at him angrily. He took a step towards her.

  “All right!” she snapped, shouting angrily back at him. A small twitch of an amused smile showed on his lips.

  “Bastard,” she muttered under her breath as she pulled her camisole over her head. He swallowed, his eyes wide, as he stared at her nakedness, at the firmness of her breasts, her narrow waist and long toned legs. As quickly as she could she pulled the dress over her head covering herself whilst trying to ignore his persistent stare.

  She struggled to reach the corset ties at the back with her hands. He walked towards her, glancing sideways at him, she watched him approach.

  “Here let me,” he offered gently. Knowing she had no choice, she turned her back to him. Standing behind her, he was so close that she could feel his breath on her neck, she tried to swallow, but it stuck in her throat. Gemini lifted his hand and swept away her long dark wet hair from her back. He stared at her soft pale skin and then with one finger he ran it slowly down her spine. She shivered as goose bumps rippled all over her body. He grinned at the reaction he had caused; pulling the ribbons on the dress tight he began threading them through the eyelets, finally tying it into a bow.

  Arweyn stood ridged to the spot, too afraid to move. Pulling her hair back, he then grasped her shoulders and spun her around to face him. His eyes wandered all over her face.

  “It is no wonder that he kept you hidden from me all those years ago, it is a shame for you that he was not able to do the same this time.”

  “He will come for me,” she promised in a whisper. Gemini raised an expectant eyebrow at her as he ran his hand through her hair.

  “I know,” his reply was short. He lifted a thumb to her bloodied swollen lip and wiped it. “I am sorry one of my men struck you. He will be severely punished.” Walking away from her, he stopped at a table, where placed on top was a crystal decanter full of red wine. Taking the stopper off, he poured the wine into two silver goblets. Returning to her, he offered her one.

  “It amuses me to think that he is my great nephew, and that it should be my brother’s grandson who will try and destroy me.” Arweyn took the goblet but said nothing. Raising his other hand to her face, he gently touched her cheek with his knuckles. She trembled. “You are a very beautiful woman Arweyn Queen of Malgar, much younger than I had thought you to be. Tell me about yourself.” She blanked him and said nothing, her eyes looking downward to the floor. He stood back abruptly.

  “You know this is going to get very boring if I am the only one doing all the talking,” he said sharply.

  She scowled angrily and swallowing the feeling of dread churning inside of her, her head snapped up to his, her eyes wide as she glared at him.

  “Well what do you expect? You kidnapped me I am not here for a social function am I!” she yelled before she could stop herself. He twitched a smile, ignoring her icy glare.

  “No you are not,” he answered firmly stepping up close to her, his face now inches from hers. “So tell me where did he hide all your people, how did he do it? Where have you been?” He stared into her hazel eyes and quietly he whispered as he lifted her chin. “Does he have the Deragan sword?”

  Arweyn’s eyes locked on to his green eyes, they were hypnotising, and she found herself unable to resist him. Gemini’s heart pounded unexpectedly as he gazed into her dark hazel eyes. Moving his hand to her cheek, he lowered his mouth, his lips brushing hers he kissed her. She felt dizzy and her heart began thumping furiously. As he deepened the kiss, she closed her eyes, giving into it. Her right hand, where the dragon entwined with the unicorn, began pulsating hard. Opening her eyes abruptly as she pulled back to her senses, panic overwhelmed her. One of his hands held her back whilst his other grasped the back of her head. She shoved him back hard. As his eyes sprung open, she threw her goblet of wine in his face.

  “No I will never tell you anything!” she screamed at him, backing away. Gemini stumbled as the wine went into his eyes. He had been enjoying that kiss a little too much and it caught him off guard. Staring at her for a moment, he said nothing but calmly turned around and walked away from her, entering another room at the rear. A few moments later, he re-emerged wiping his face with a towel. She found his calmness terrifying, unpredictable, and unexpected and watched him fearfully as he walked back to the table and poured another goblet of wine. Walking back to her he offered her the goblet.

  “Perhaps this time you will drink it?” he suggested, raising an amused eyebrow at her. She really did not know what to do, as she had expected him to hit her or worse. Her shaking hand took it from him.

  “Come and sit by the fire and warm up,” he offered, walking towards the couch by the fire. Hesitating she looked at the door, but she knew she would have no chance of escape not without her magic. She would have to bide her time and play his games until Kainan came for her. She drank back all the wine hoping that it would give her courage she needed; taking a deep breath she walked over to the fire and sat down on the couch beside him. For a while, Gemini studied her, she amused him. No there was something more, his approach would have to be different with her. She was not like the other women he had had, and in five hundred years, he had had plenty.

  She was elegant, beautiful, and quite clearly intelligent, and something about her pulled at his dark lonely heart. For sure he could take her if he wanted too, as he had done with all the others, but
for some reason he was not sure if he wanted too...Yet. She was a challenge and that thrilled him. If he could manipulate her and get her to like him maybe, fall for him, he knew that would crush Kainan more than anything, it would destroy him. He smiled to himself as he added some more wood to the fire.

  “Do you think me an evil man?” he asked unexpectedly as she stared into the low flames of the fire; she turned, glancing at him briefly before shrugging her shoulders and refocusing on the fire. Clasping her hands together she placed them in her lap to stop them shaking. Sitting down next to her, he grasped at a cushion and hugged it into his chest. “Maybe I am,” he glanced sideways at her looking for a response, but she did not move. “I have always wanted power and wealth. My twin took that away from me. As the first born he had everything.”

  “And that gives you the right to murder people and destroy their homes?” she snapped angrily at him, her eyes glancing slightly towards him. He shook his head.

  “No but at the time I was angry and I wanted revenge. My brother was weak and easily taken.” He leaned towards her, and taking a strand of her hair, he twiddled it in his fingers. She flinched returning her eyes to the flames of the fire.

  “You know when I left Earth and came here I had a son.” She shook her head at him.

  “How could I possibly know that?” she whispered. Letting go of her hair he rubbed his nose.

  “You wouldn’t.” He threw the cushion down. “I gave it all to him, Albion, and my armies. I thought I had trained him well, to be against magic and the gifted.” He pulled a knee onto the sofa and leaned back towards her. “He was not an immortal, there being no more dragons on Earth for him to make a pact with. For thirty years, I raised him whilst at the same time searching for Elrone the wizard, searching for the portal where he had taken the Deragan Sword and the rest of his freaks. Then one Spring I found it, I found the portal to Malgar. Not only did I find were Elrone had taken his freaks, I also found dragons and your great city of Malgar. In the time, I was away, building this Fortress and creating my black dragons ready to attack your city, my son reconsidered. He did not want to bond with a dragon, he did not want to become immortal and live forever.” He moved in even closer to her, and lifting her chin with his finger, he turned her gaze towards him. She stared motionless as his green eyes bored into her.

  “Do you know why he did not want this?” She shook her head. “Because he said he had fallen in love.” Releasing her, he sat back abruptly. “Fallen in love…” he repeated quietly, staring at her as she turned her back on him. “I never could understand it. How could he fall in love in a blink of an eye?” Until now, he thought as he looked at her. She tried to swallow but her mouth was dry.

  “What did you do?” she dared to ask, turning and looking at him.

  “Do? I didn’t kill him if that’s what you mean,” he replied, staring back at her. “If he wanted to be an idiot, well that was down to him. I had too much going on here. Besides Earth bored me, I had had enough of it anyway. So I left him the Gameron Sword for protection and let him get on with it.” Standing up he walked over to the table and re-filled their goblets with wine. Promptly returning he sat back down, offering her one. As much as she did not want to play into his hands, she accepted the drink.

  “Do you know what happened?” She shook her head as she sipped the wine. He breathed deep as he remembered. For a moment, she actually thought she saw a look of remorse in his eyes. “He left everything, his castle, his people, and his lands and came back through the portal to find me, to bring me back the Gameron Sword. She had betrayed him, left him for another and it broke his heart. He had given up. Lost in battle and fatally wounded he struggled here to me, dying.” Scrunching his nose, he scratched his neck, and expression grew pained. “He died a week later.” She suddenly felt she wanted to say she was sorry. She found it so hard when she looked at him to believe who and what he really was.

  “What was his name?” she asked in a whisper. As he looked at her, their eyes met and he thought his heart would stop, he smiled.

  “Arthur. You see my anger at losing my son brought my wrath upon your people. My son was different to me. He ruled Albion with great strength and power without being cruel and …” he hesitated. “Evil if you like, there was nothing bad about my son and he did not deserve to die like that.”

  “And his mother?” she enquired.

  “She died at his birth,” he said, matter of fact.

  “I am sorry.”

  “Do not be, she meant nothing to me.” Arweyn stared at him shocked.

  “You think me cruel and harsh?” He raised his eyebrows at her.

  “It is not my place to think anything about you,” she replied sharply, looking back down.

  “The dragon’s blood that seeps through my veins has made me this way.”

  “Then stop taking it!” she snapped at him.

  “I cannot.”

  “Why not?” she asked.

  “I will die.” Then he laughed. “I would shrivel up like a five hundred year old corpse.” Arweyn screwed her nose up in disgust.

  “Not a pleasant thought,” he added soberly. “I’m not ready to die, I haven’t finished what I started,” he said darkly.

  “Finished what?” she asked.

  “I want the Deragan Sword.” She stared at him angrily. “I want Kainan. I want my brother’s line eradicated.” She moved herself to the edge of the sofa away from him. He stared at her as she moved. He had gone too far. Standing up he looked into the fireplace, placing a hand on the mantle he leaned into it.

  “Arweyn I never understood my son.” He turned and looked at her. “I never understood how he could fall in love in an instant and give up everything.” She swallowed as he walked towards her. “Yet there is something about you that I have never felt before, and to be honest I am somewhat confused by it.” He stood over her, looking down. Arweyn’s eyes met his and he commanded her gaze.

  “It is not your people that I have wanted all these years. It is the sword and Kainan that I have waited for. Yet strangely today I find myself wanting more.” Turning his back, he walked back to the fireplace. She sighed with relief as he leant both hands on the mantle. “Arweyn I will succeed. I will be the most powerful King Malgar has ever known.” He looked at her over his shoulder. “Consider this. If you were to become my Queen I will spare your people.” He turned to her. “I will give you anything you desire, there will be nothing that you would want for, even immortality.”

  She sat in shock contemplating his words. He knelt down in front of her at eye level. Grabbing the back of her head, he forced a kiss on her. Taken by surprise she resisted, but then as he deepened the kiss, she relaxed and he felt it, gently releasing her in response. Her head was in turmoil. He had fallen for her and if she was smart, she could use this to her advantage, but only if she could keep in control, it may give her the opportunity to take the Gameron Sword away from him.

  Breaking away from her, he smiled. “Give it some thought. I will leave you now to rest. There is a bed in there should you wish to sleep.” He pointed to the room he had gone into earlier to get a towel. “Should you wish to bathe, ring the bell and my servants will fill it for you.” He turned to leave and then stopped. “I would not recommend that you leave this room. My men are rogues. I will be back at sunset and we shall eat together.” With that, he left.

  She sunk her head into her hands. What had she gotten herself into it was utter madness. This tyrant, this Dark Lord had in the short time that she had been here fallen in love with her. He was going to want more from her, and that scared her to death. She had to think of a way to stop him without arousing suspicion. Standing up she walked over to what was obviously his personal bedchamber. Inside was a large golden bed, covered in furs. She nosed about, flicking through his wardrobe. He certainly had fine clothes, she flicked open a wooden box on top a chest of drawers, and raised an eyebrow as it contained fine jewellery. She dropped the lid probably someone else’s. Sh
e wandered over to the bed, and ran her hand across the furs. She was tired, but she did not want to sleep in his bed. The bath was huge and she did not envy the poor servants that would have to fill that. She felt chilled to the bone and tempted by his offer of a bath. What if he came back early and found her in the bath, she walked over to the door there was a lock on it. Perhaps she could ask the servants questions, find out more about him, more about the Fortress and its protection against magic. She had plenty of time before sunset. Walking out of the bedchamber her hand hovered over the bell. She pulled it. It made no sound, so she waited. In moments, there was a knock at the door. Finding it unlocked, she opened it.

  “Can I help you with something my Lady?” a young woman asked. Smiling at her, she nodded.

  “Yes please, if it is not too much trouble your master said that I may take a bath?” She bowed her head.

  “Of course my Lady, I shall be as quick as possible.”

  “Thank you,” Arweyn replied and watched as the young woman hurried off back down the corridor. She stepped out looking up and down. It was not even worth the effort of trying to escape. She had no idea where she was, or how deep within the Fortress she was. She wondered where he had gone, what he was doing. A guard caught her eye. He was huge and scary and as he looked straight at her she quickly rushed back into the room, shutting the door and locking it behind her.

  Wandering around the room she looked at the portraits that were hanging on the wall, she stopped at one. It was of a young man. He looked similar to Gemini but had longer hair, Arthur possibly? He was certainly as attractive as his father was. Another portrait was of a young woman, she was dark the same as Gemini, with piercing green eyes like his. She frowned at the resemblance, she was so similar she could have easily been a sister or even a daughter, but he had not mentioned anyone other than his son. Interrupted by a knock at the door, she opened it to find an army of servants with buckets of hot water. Opening the door fully, she let them in. There were ten of them, all young men and women, nine of them carried buckets of hot water, and the tenth had an armful of clothes. Stopping in front of her the young man lifted them slightly offering them to her.