Deragan Sword Prophecy: Book 02 - Meladrom

by Rosemary Lynch

  “Dead, well that can easily be arranged,” he muttered darkly. “Once I have his sword.”

  “I would have to see it,” she whispered, swallowing in revulsion at her own words.

  “You want to watch me kill your husband?” he remarked surprised. She nodded.

  “I do find you attractive Gemini. You, you are a strong and powerful man I can see that.” A slight twitch of a smile appeared on his lips. “It is just I made my choice and I am bonded to Kainan for life and I will not break that vow willingly, if you choose to take me,” she turned away from him for a moment. Reaching forward he turned her face back around to him, her eyes met his.

  “There is nothing I can do, but I will always be thinking of Kainan, of my King.” His muscle tensed at her words, they sounded bitter to his ears. He was the King, the Lord of these lands. She lifted her hand showing him the mark. “You see we are connected together in a magical bonding, and until one of us dies we cannot be free to love another. I will always be thinking of him.” He ran a finger across the mark, frowning puzzled. He had never seen anything like it.

  “You do not have to watch,” he said kindly. She shook her head.

  “Yes I do, I will not believe you killed him yourself, unless I see your power against his for myself. Otherwise to me he will always be the most powerful man, ever.” It hurt her desperately to say such things about her husband, but she already understood the way Gemini’s mind worked. He liked power, he wanted to be the most powerful man in this world, and she knew the only man that stood in his way was her husband.

  He ran a hand across her breast and down to her navel. He wanted her so much, what was it about this woman. Why did it matter so much to him that she was his and only his, he just could not stand the thought of her lying there thinking of him while he made love to her. It had never bothered him before not in the slightest, he could not have cared less about any of the women he had taken, but her, he could just not take her like this, he just could not do it. The strangest feeling pulled at his heart and it made him unable to think straight, he had never felt anything like it before and he really did not know how to deal with it. His piercing green eyes gazed at her.

  “If I do as you ask, if I bring him here and show you that I alone can defeat him that I am more powerful than he, will you be mine willingly?” She nodded.

  “Yes Gemini,” she whispered. He grinned inwardly, he had never had a woman love him because she wanted too, always he had taken what he wanted. For once in his long and torturous life, he wanted to feel loved back.

  He nodded his head slightly in thought. Abruptly got off her and picked up his clothes.

  “Then I shall wait, for now,” he said, heading towards the door. He looked back at her. “Goodnight. You may have this chamber as your private quarters.” She stared in amazement that what she had said had actually worked. She pulled the fur skin over herself.

  “Thank you,” she called after him. He glanced back over his shoulder and looked at her, giving her a gentle smile. He was about to walk away, when he hesitated. Turning he walked back to her. She shook, had he changed his mind? He leaned towards her cupping her face in his hand he kissed her. She closed her eyes at his kiss. Opening them, she saw him smiling at her.

  “I have enjoyed this evening Arweyn, Queen of Malgar.” Then he turned and walked away.

  She sat for a moment listening until she heard the door of the chamber close. She let out an almighty sigh and shook her head as relief swept through her. He must really have fallen for her and believed her every word. Wrapping the fur around herself, she walked out of the bedchamber and locked the main door. For now she had managed to trick him, how long he would fall for it she did not know, long enough for her husband to get to her she hoped.

  Gemini closed the door behind him and smiled, he had charmed her, she had actually fallen for him, and as much as he wanted, her now, his blackened heart would not allow him. This woman, he wanted to love properly, and most of all he wanted to feel it in return. Feeling love was something, he had never experienced, and for a brief moment as he had kissed her, he had felt a part of her, return his affections. He smiled, as much as he knew she did not want too, she had returned it. He had felt it. He was a hard cruel man and all that knew him knew him to be this way. No woman came to his bedchamber willingly, he had always taken what he wanted, and until now that had been enough. He had felt a touch of love and he wanted more. Grinning he marched, still naked, clothes tucked under his arm down the long corridor to another chamber. He turned to one of the guards that watched the endless corridors day in day out.

  “Fetch me a woman,” he ordered sharply. The guard nodded, turned about, and ran off back down the long corridor. Gemini opened the large wooden door to another chamber, and entered, slamming it shut behind him.

  Returning to the bedchamber, she climbed into the huge bed, covering herself with the furs. She was so tired that she could not even mull over what had happened that day, or think any more about her plan to take the Gameron sword. In fact just moments after her head hit the soft downy pillows, she was asleep.

  Her mind began to dream, she began to escape Gemini’s fortress floating away to their special place under the great willow by the circle, and she breathed deep. There he was, her husband waiting for her under the weeping branches of the great tree.

  “Kainan,” she cried aloud in her sleep.

  Gemini returned at midnight. His magic would have taken full hold of her by now. He turned the handle, but she had locked it. He smiled, as if that was going to stop him. Raising his hand to where he knew the bolt would be he commanded.

  “Open.” Waving his hand across the door, the bolt on the other side moved, and it slid open. He tried the door once more and it opened with ease. He entered the chamber, quietly closing the door behind him and re-bolting it. He walked silently into the bedchamber, moving over to the bed. He smiled as he watched her sleeping. Taking off all his clothes, he slipped into the bed next to her. Covering himself with the furs, he moved in closer until he could feel his bare skin against hers.

  “Kainan,” she cried again, frantically aloud. Her eyes still firmly shut in deep sleep.

  “I am here my love.” She heard the voice say gently and lovingly and in her mind, she saw him, her husband, his arms held out to her.

  “Kainan I am scared, hold me please,” she begged. She felt two strong arms take hold of her, pulling her in close. His skin felt warm against hers, as she nuzzled into his chest and listened to the comforting sound of his steady heartbeat.

  “I love you,” she whispered, her eyes still closed deep in sleep. Her left hand began gently caressing his chest, his firm muscles rippling under the tips of her fingers as his chest rose and fell rapidly. The voice stuttered for a moment before replying.

  “I, I love you too.” He began stroking her back with his free hand, her skin felt so soft beneath his fingers. She nuzzled into him even tighter, moving her left leg over him. “Please do not leave me, do not let me go,” she cried, grasping hold of him.

  “Shush, it is alright,” the voice whispered gently. “You are safe, I am here now.” His free hand ran across her shoulder, down her arm, across her breast and down to her hip, where he sighed as he held her. The magic had worked. Still deep in sleep she believed her husband held her. She had no idea nor would she remember that it was he, Gemini, who was holding her, comforting her. He smiled his heart pounding; as he felt what it was like to have someone hold and love you, as if you were the only being in the entire world that mattered.

  Gemini felt moved beyond words, his evil heart ached with uncertainty and confusion. For him to be lying next to a beautiful woman, their naked bodies entwined together and not feel the need to take her that just to be holding each other was enough was beyond anything he had ever experienced before and the feeling consumed him, so much so that he wanted more.

  He smiled, when he killed her husband this is how it would always be, how he would always feel.
Except of course that she would be calling his name she would be calling for Gemini. His chest rose and fell with satisfaction as he nuzzled his face into her hair, kissing her gently. He would lie here tonight, the spell would not break until first light before that he would be gone and she would never know.

  Fourteen ~ Kailan

  “Twelve dragon riders against a sky full of black dragons,” Kaleb remarked, turning to the King. “Do you not think we will be somewhat disadvantaged?” Kainan nodded. They sat within a small cave sheltering from the rain. They had left the edge of the forest and the place from where Gemini’s dragon had taken Arweyn. Kainan had marched his small party through the trees and back the way they had come.

  “I know Kaleb and you are not under any pressure to go up. If you do not wish to ride that is your free will, I will not think any less of you.” Kaleb shook his head.

  “You know my King that is not an option. I am a dragon rider and I will ride alongside the others. I was just making a point. What is your plan?” Kainan smiled at his resolve and then turned to the others.

  “All of you have a choice. I will not command any of you to go up. It will be dangerous there is no doubt. It is your choice.” The others all looked at each other, then back at the King. Martock the Elf stepped forward.

  “I speak for the Elves my King and we ride with you.” The others nodded.

  “Us too my King,” Morgana said, speaking on behalf of the Groundlings.

  The young King nodded gratefully. The time had now come to make a stand against the tyrant Gemini, the Dark Lord that plagued the Earth and their world of Malgar. He will not be allowed to destroy their lands and take his people and longer.

  He knelt down to the ground and the others followed suit, fanning out in a circle. Using a stick Kainan cleared the ground back to the bare earth.

  “In the centre of the main courtyard is a well.” He looked up at his listeners before continuing. He drew a line back through the Parneer Mountains, back to the Tamara Lake and finally to Ophidian.

  “Ophidian the great water-dragon knows these underground lakes and rivers, like I know the back of my hand. The well drops down into a vast underground clear water lake. Gemini gets all his water from here.” He poked the stick on the drawing of the well. “While you await the dragons, I am going back to Ophidian. He will take me through the vast underground network of rivers to Gemini’s underground water supply. We shall time it precisely. You will attack the dark Fortress, giving me the cover I need to get from the well and into the Fortress.” He stabbed the stick down hard on a hastily scratch out drawing of the Fortress.”

  Amerdril shook his head. “No,” he said sharply, shaking his head. Kainan hands froze on the stick as he turned to him.

  “What do you mean ‘no’ Amerdril?”

  “You are not going into that fortress alone, it is crazy. I am your protector and I will come with you.” The young King shook his head at him.

  “No Amerdril you are not. I will be going in alone. We need all of you to ride the dragons.”

  “My King please, your plan once inside is madness.” Amerdril insisted. The elf woman Sharelle’s beautiful features sharpened.

  “What plan once you are inside?” she asked, her tone forceful. Both the young King’s eyebrows rose simultaneously and he took a breath.

  “He wants to get captured, that is his plan,” Amerdril interrupted sharply. It had to be the most ridiculous plan he had ever heard. What warrior, what King would purposely want the enemy to capture them, an enemy that would not hesitate in destroying him and thereby destroying his people, and leaving them frozen in time forever?

  “Amerdril,” Kainan said with a frown. His protector scowled back at him. Turning back to his waiting audience the young King confirmed. “He is right. My plan is to get into the Fortress and be captured so that I am taken straight to Gemini.” The others looked at him as if he were mad, before glancing silently at one and other. Destran spoke first.

  “My King I am sorry but that does not sound like a good plan.”

  “Precisely, that is what I have been trying to tell him,” Amerdril moaned, throwing his hands up into the air in frustration. Kainan bit on his lower lip.

  “How can you be so sure that you will even get as far as Gemini? His men will strike you down as soon as they see you and take the Deragan sword straight to Gemini. Then he will have both swords and there will be no hope left. Our families will never be re-woken they will stay statues for ever.” There was a touch of grief in Destran’s voice. Kainan sighed he knew Destran had family, a wife and children frozen in time. So did many of them.

  Kainan shook his head. “No Destran, they will not be able to take my sword for a start, I have enchanted it. Anyone who tries to take the sword forcefully from me will burn. Their flesh will fall from their hands like melting snow. Secondly, I know my wife, and I know she will make it so that Gemini must kill me himself. He will want me captured and brought to him. He will want the pleasure of the kill, of taking everything from me, my wife, my Sword, my Empire. He will want to gloat before he kills me, he will want me to see how powerful he is.” The others looked on in silence, in the King’s face they could see the torture he felt as he spoke the words of his wife.

  “It is my only chance of getting the two swords in the same room at the same time. It will be my only chance of re-uniting the twin swords and killing Gemini.” Amerdril shook his head.

  “It still sounds fool-hardy. There is too much room for error.” Kainan rose to his feet, standing tall. The others followed his lead. He shook his head at them.

  “There is no other way. We have fourteen dragons and eleven riders. He has hundreds and is a master of black magic. He has created creatures of unknown evil that stalk across the plains killing the descendants of the Empire who chose to flee into the mountains rather than frozen in time. We need to strike at the heart, I must get into the Fortress and kill Gemini, it is the only way. When he is dead the rest of his evil creations will die too.”

  “What about his army of men, they will not die with him?” Sharelle added. The young King nodded.

  “No Sharelle they will not. However, they will no longer have a powerful leader to follow, and I will have the twin sword, the ultimate power will be mine. They will yield, believe me,” he said with insistence.

  “My King, what if they just kill you!”

  “Amerdril they will not. Gemini will want that honour. He will want his men to see how powerful he is.”

  “What if he threatens to kill the Queen if you do not surrender?” Kainan swallowed hard at the thought. “He will not have a reason too. I will have already surrendered to him, and I will strike when we are within the same room.”

  “How will you get the sword from him if he is so powerful?” Destran asked.

  “My wife,” he replied with a smile.

  “The Queen, how will she….”

  “She just will, I know,” he cut him off. “Now that is enough talk. I have made my plan and that is how it is to be. We shall rest tonight and at first light, you will all travel to the Barerock Gorge, and I will call the dragons to meet you there. I will continue on back to Ophidian. The depth of the Gorge should hide you from Gemini long enough for me to reach the well. There I will instruct Meladrom and you will strike, giving me the time I need.” The others nodded.

  “How long do you need?” Amerdril asked.

  “First light on the third day,” Kainan replied. There was silence for a moment and then a round of nodding heads. Kainan breathed deep and nodded back.

  They ate quietly, thinking. To them all it did not feel like five hundred years later it just felt like a few days since their last attack on the black dragons. Even Kainan now felt familiar with everyone around him, and knew what each one of them, was capable of; he had very brief moments of doubt, but now as he watched them all chatter between themselves, he just knew they could do it. They were the best of the best. They had held his city for months against Gem
ini they were the best dragon riders ever. He sat quietly.

  “Meladrom can you hear me?” There was silence for a moment and Kainan was just about to call again.

  “I hear you my King are you in place, are our riders awake?” Kainan sighed relieved at the sound of Meladrom voice.

  “Yes Meladrom my friend. The riders are awake and I remember the last few months of that time.”

  “Do you remember me?” he asked. Kainan smiled and chuckled.

  “Especially you my friend, I am sorry that I did not remember you in the beginning.”

  “It was expected my King. The Queen, has she had her memories returned?” Kainan’s heart felt wretched as he sent his thoughts to Meladrom.

  “It went horribly wrong Meladrom. A black dragon took Arweyn. She is… is being held by Gemini.” Meladrom fell silent.

  “I am so sorry,” he finally said sadly.

  “I will get her back,” Kainan said defiantly. “And I will kill the bastard.”

  “When you do you want us there?”

  “Come tomorrow to Barerock Gorge. The others will meet you there. It should be deep enough to hide you from Gemini. I am going back to Ophidian. He will take me through the underground water systems, which will bring me up in the well in the heart of Gemini’s fortress. First light on the third day you and the other dragons and their riders will strike, giving me the cover I need to get into the Fortress where I shall allow myself to be captured and taken to Gemini.” Meladrom fell silent for a while.

  “Are you sure being captured is the right move?” he finally asked.

  “Yes Meladrom I am. It is the only way to get close to Gemini. His men will not kill me, he will want that pleasure.”

  “Then I and my fellow dragons will be there. Tell Amerdril Galtec is looking forward to seeing him.”

  “I will Meladrom. Take care and I will contact you first light in three days.”

  “Take care Kainan, be safe.” The connection was gone.