by Jack Porter
I kissed her quickly, then pulled away. “And you make me very happy, Ilana. Do you really think this all has something to do with Sarina? I’m not so sure that’s correct. The sorceress said I needed to kill. Did you hear her?”
“I did.”
I felt that my growing power had more to do with the wyrm’s blood than Sarina, and now that I was awake again, I felt the bloodlust even more keenly. Was this my Hell, to eventually go mad and kill everyone who was now dear to me?
No, I would never allow that to happen, one way or the other.
“Are you sure you’re telling me everything?” the succubus asked, her eyes narrowed.
“Yes,” I lied. “I just need to work harder, that’s all. How about we go visit Syn?”
Ilana rose. “Leave your weapons here. It’s Crowmore law. I had to remove yours last night at the gates.”
34
As we headed for the gates, I noticed something. “Nya’s guard isn’t following me.”
“Should they be?” Ilana asked.
“Don’t insult my intelligence. After yesterday, I would think they would be guarding me as closely as Sarina.”
Ilana sighed. “I spoke to Nya this morning. Like me, she believes the danger with you has passed, and that after your battle and then rest, you have returned to yourself.”
“How can you possibly know that?”
“Because it is what happened before.”
I sighed. She couldn’t know that I felt my danger growing, not abating. But I still wasn’t ready to tell them anything, and now it was more due to stubbornness than anything else. What would they think when they found out I’d been withholding information? In any case, I was grateful they trusted me, as I didn’t want to be dogged by a guard as I walked the streets of Crowmore.
We passed Sarina, who turned to look at me. “Take me with you, Jon,” she said. She raised her arms, which were now bound in chains and not rope.
“Why?” I asked Ilana.
“Nya was concerned after you were weakened,” she replied. “But is it wise to take Sarina into the city?”
Walking over to the woman, I motioned for the guard to unchain her. “It might not be,” I said, “but I won’t become what Maera accused me of. I’m not a slaver.”
And anyway, I wanted to have Sarina as close to me as possible because I didn’t know if I could trust her, and I didn’t trust anyone else with her, either. If someone decided she was a threat, she could be killed before I got there. And it was well within Nya’s right to order it done.
As we walked through the city gates, which were now devoid of crows, Ilana continued our conversation. “Having a prisoner is not the same as having a slave.”
Sarina scowled at her.
“That may be correct in theory,” I said, “but in practice, I can’t help thinking they are very much alike. Anyway, there’s no reason for Sarina to stay cooped up there now that I’m feeling better.”
“And are you feeling better?” Sarina asked.
“I think so.”
“Then you better avoid Nya. I heard her saying something about wanting a word with you when you woke.”
“Fantastic.” I looked at Ilana. “After we see Syn?”
“You’re likely to find Nya and Syn together,” Ilana said.
So we walked into the city toward the inn that had been hosting the elves. Once again, I was struck at how the city streets were narrow and dirty, not at all like the elven streets below Castle Blackhold. And the buildings were taller and more cramped than those at Sarina’s village, but they looked shabbier. Overall, I wasn’t impressed until we reached the inn.
35
It was a large three-story stone building with a thatched roof, with a sign over it I couldn’t read but that had the symbol of a mug. Thinking maybe I could get something other than elven wine, I cheered up a bit until I remembered that I didn’t have any coin. I was at the mercy of the elves.
Ilana led the way into the darkened interior, and I remembered more from the evening before. Oil lamps hung sporadically from rafters, and there were two fireplaces, one on each side of the large dining area. About twenty patrons sat at the long tables, some of which were Nya’s elves. They sat apart from the humans. Or rather, the humans sat apart from them. When the humans saw me, the room grew hushed. Most of the patrons looked to be wealthy women in armor, with a few having their men with them dressed in tunics. I, however, a man, was dressed in leather and armor.
The stares didn’t stop as Ilana led the way to the stairway. In fact, once the humans spotted the succubus, every one of them gaped at her, and not in an admiring way. Their glares were full of lust but also disgust, as if they were ashamed of themselves for looking. The only woman who didn’t seem to mind Ilana’s presence was a redhead in a dark red dress standing at the back of the room.
Ilana ignored them all, however, and we went up narrow stairs to a room on the second floor. Two elven guards, part of Nya’s Royal Guard, stood outside it. They nodded when they saw us, and the female elf on the left opened the door.
The room was small, with a tiny bed that Syn’s feet hung off the end of. But she was awake, and she smiled right away when she saw us. “Jon!” she said warmly.
Nya stood there beside her, as well as another elf who had been tending Syn’s wounds.
Syn was naked. Her dark body stood out starkly against the bleached linens on the bed, and her white hair contrasted with the dark wooden walls behind her.
Nya scowled at me but nodded for us to enter. The three of us stepped inside, closing the door behind us.
“Hey,” I said, glad to finally see Syn.
Her injuries were relatively minor. She had a wound in her ribs that the healer was applying a smelly poultice to, and the way her arm was in a sling, she had either broken it or dislocated her shoulder. And then there were the burns on her body from the slave driver’s chains. Those made me angrier than all the rest, but I tried not to show it. It was over.
For now.
“How are you, Syn?” I asked.
“I’ve been better,” she said wryly. “But I’ve also been much, much worse. Her Grace was just filling me in on recent events. Sounds like I’ve missed a lot of the action.”
“I’m glad we found you,” I said.
“As am I,” Ilana said, smiling.
Our greetings were cut short as Nya finished catching Syn up on the battle. When she got to the part where I beheaded Maera, Syn frowned.
“What did the sorceress look like?” she asked.
That hadn’t been the question I was expecting.
“Dark hair, pale skin, red eyes, and very young,” Nya said. “For someone to have risen in the Wraith King’s ranks as highly as she had, she was very young indeed.”
My insides squirmed a little. “How young would you say she was?” I asked, not because I wanted to know, but because I needed to.
“Twelve,” Nya said, “Maybe thirteen.”
“Shit,” I said in a sudden wave of guilt. I had murdered a child.
Syn sat up suddenly with a look of shock on her face. “That was not the sorceress,” she said quickly.
“What?” Nya asked sharply.
“The sorceress Maera is older than that. She does have dark hair, red eyes, and pale skin, but she looks more like Jon’s age or older. Jon,” Syn said, looking at me, “you didn’t kill the sorceress.”
“Then who did I kill?” I asked, feeling queasy.
“You killed her apprentice. Which means Maera must have given the girl her cloak sometime before the attack. I wouldn’t know. I had a hard time seeing much of anything with that troll leading us around.”
Nya looked at me, and I stared at Syn, horrified. This was getting worse all the time. “I killed a child… for no reason?” I barely choked out the words.
Syn shook her head, and her braids shook with it. “The child was pure evil. I saw it myself on as we traveled. When she arrived with the sorceress, the apprentice killed a
Hellhound, ate its heart, and then force-fed its eyes to one of the human slaves that had journeyed with her. Then, after the slave choked it down, the apprentice dug out the slave’s eyes herself. Purely for amusement. And all the while, Maera laughed as if it was their favorite form of entertainment. I had a feeling we would have been subjected to the same treatment, but we were not human male, like the slave. And Maera was waiting for Nya and Jon, so she needed us alive as bait. And then, I think she planned to sell us on the auction block.”
While Syn had been talking, I had felt sick. But when she finished, I was angry. “The same slaver’s auction they led Sarina’s people to?”
“Yes,” Sarina answered. “There is only one in the Slavers’ Bowl—Blackwharf.”
Syn looked at Sarina. “Have you been there?”
Sarina shook her head. “No, but my people were taken there. At least, the ones that were not granted the mercy of death. And my High Priestess is there, as well. I am hopeful, anyway. Although if she is also dead, I hope she was allowed to die with some dignity, and that they didn’t throw her body to the Hellhounds.”
Nya gestured toward the door. “A word, Jon.”
I nodded, then looked at Ilana.
“I’ll keep Syn company,” the succubus said.
Nya looked at Sarina. “You may stay outside the room with my guard for now. Are you feeling well?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Sarina did look brighter than she had for some days. Maybe she was truly healing from all her wounds. Or maybe it was the prospect of staying in one place for a day or two. I was looking forward to that myself.
But before that, I had to face Nya’s wrath.
I followed the elf along the hall to another door, where she ushered me into a room without ceremony. I registered that this one was like Syn’s, but with a fire in the fireplace.
“Nya,” I began, “I’m really sorry—”
But I didn’t get anything else out before she pushed me up against the door and kissed me hard on the mouth.
36
It was a nice turn of events, and I responded to Nya’s kiss with my own.
“I hate how you’ve made me feel,” she mumbled between kisses. Then, she pushed me back and stared into my face.
“How is that?” I asked.
“You took control away from me. In front of my archers.”
“I know. It was wrong. Please forgive me?”
Nya’s hands moved to the laces on my pants, and she slowly undid them.
“Nya?” I asked.
“I’m thinking about it,” she said.
But instead of raging at me, Nya slipped her hand into my loosened pants and grabbed my balls.
“Fuck,” I panted.
She squeezed, stopping just before bringing pain. “Don’t ever disrespect me that way again, Jon-man. Do you understand?”
“I understand. I do.” I planted a kiss on her lips.
When Nya loosened her grip on my balls, I grabbed her hair and spun us around, and her back hit the door with a loud bang. “Now,” I said, “how about I make you lose control a little bit more? Is that what you want?”
With my right hand still in her hair, my left hand went up under her leather shirt, finding her breast. Nya moaned.
“Tell me,” I said. “Tell me what you want.” The fire in my body was raging like an inferno, and I could barely contain it. Now that the battle was over, I had what was becoming my customary urge to fuck. So I buried my face in her neck, planting kisses and sucking on her perfect skin.
“I ought to have you flogged,” she said breathlessly. “In public.” Despite her words, her hand went to my dick, which was hard and ready for her.
I took my hand away from her breast and went to her pants, which I roughly tore down her hips. “So flog me,” I said, “but wait until after this, so you can add to your grievances.”
Nya moaned when my fingers found her entrance. “Jon, I’m seri— oh!”
“So am I. About this.”
In no time, she was wet and ready, tugging at my shirt, trying to take it off. I let her because I couldn’t wait to feel her breasts against my bare skin. I practically ripped off the rest of her clothes as well, and then pushed her back up against the door. “Tell me what you want,” I repeated, pressing my body to hers. “I love it when you tell me.”
Nya’s blue eyes were lit with desire. “Fuck me,” she said. “Now.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Nya was tall and limber, so I hooked her leg over my arm and entered her that way. There wasn’t much romance at this point, nor were there words spoken beyond the occasional moan of encouragement, but our bodies knew what to do. I thrust in and out of her, banging her against the door every time, knowing that anyone in the hall or nearby rooms could hear us. But that only drove me a bit wilder. In a moment, we were both heaving, and I pulled out of her to lead her toward the bed. There, I pushed the elf onto her back and jumped on top of her.
With a twist of her body and a well-placed leg, she turned me over, fighting me for the top. But the bed was too small, so we toppled right off the side. I landed on my back on the wooden planks of the floor, and Nya straddled my hips. Then she sat down on me and began to ride with her hands on my chest.
I wasn’t going to object, so I grabbed her hips and held on as the pressure built, watching her breasts bounce with her body. It didn’t take long. She came first with a gasp. Pulling her toward me so that her breasts touched my chest, I then grabbed her hips again and began thrusting hard and fast. And then, my own climax washed over me.
We lay on the floor for a bit, too spent to get up. Nya relaxed into me, laying her head on my chest, her golden hair tickling my face. “I always want to come find you after a battle,” she said.
I chuckled. “Me too. You should do that more often. But I thought you were angry with me this time.”
She propped herself up on my chest. “I still am.”
“Noted.” I brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Are you still going to flog me?”
“Perhaps. Although maybe in private now instead of public.”
“What can I do to change your mind?”
Nya grinned devilishly, and for a moment, I was reminded of Ilana. “I can think of a few things,” she said. “If anyone asks, though, I severely reprimanded you.”
Sitting up with her still in my lap, I kissed her and smiled. “I’m certain that’s what everyone thought was happening a few minutes ago when we were against the door. Should I act injured? Chastened?”
“Contrition would be appreciated, but I don’t know if you can do that, Jon.”
“I’ll try. And Nya,” I said, cupping her chin, “I really am sorry for causing you more trouble.”
The elf leaned forward and bit my lip, sucking on it suggestively. Then, she ran her hands up and down my chest. “If you are who I think you are,” she said finally, “then the trouble is worth it.”
I sighed, wishing she hadn’t reminded me of the Prophecy or any of our other mysteries, but after a few more minutes, I was able to think about something else entirely.
37
Nya and I had just finished round two—on the bed this time—and were resting up for a round three when someone knocked on the door. “Your Grace?”
“Enter,” Nya said, raising her head off my chest.
Never mind that we were both naked.
A tall, muscular elf with dark hair entered the room—one of Nya’s guard, Teniel. She took in everything at a glance but didn’t act at all surprised to find us in bed. Nya sat up, her body in full view.
Again, I wasn’t going to complain.
“Yes, Teniel?” Nya asked.
“Your Grace,” Teniel said, “there’s a problem downstairs with the local humans.”
Nya at once stood from the bed and began untangling her clothes from mine. “Tell me,” she said.
I got up and began getting dressed, but Nya’s clothes were shredded. I guess
I had been a bit overzealous when I pulled her out of them.
“Some of the humans came in and began insisting that the succubus leave,” Teniel said. “When the Royal Guard stood in their way, they threatened violence.”
As soon as I’d heard the word ‘succubus,’ I hurried to finish dressing. Since I didn’t have my armor or weapons, I’d have to make do without them.
Nya shook her head. “Seven curses on them all.” She held her tattered pants in her hands. There wasn’t going to be any saving them. “Can’t we have a moment’s peace? Did the scouts return yet from looking for the sorceress Maera?”
“Not yet, Your Grace,” Teniel said.
As I left the room, I heard Nya say, “Damn you, Jon. Teniel, get me some new clothes. I don’t care where they come from.”
I turned as I was closing the door and smirked at Nya. She had a frown on her face but still a glint of mischief in her eye.
I shut the door and hurried down the stairs, careful to tread softly so that no one would hear me coming.
When I arrived in the common room, I found a standoff. The elves and the humans had squared off against each other from behind opposite ends of the dining area. Their faces were stony.
The barkeep stood behind a counter, her face frozen in agony at what was obviously turning into a row. As she kept her eyes on the two factions, she began storing things from the counter underneath it, I assumed to prevent anything from being smashed.
I’d seen the Royal Guard in battle, and my money would have been on them in a bar fight, but the humans that were there weren’t all the same ones that had been sitting at the tables when I’d gone upstairs. The humans that had since entered were brawny, burly women and men. They looked like they swung axes or wrestled bulls for a living. And there were more of them than of the elves. All in all, without weapons, and if you didn’t take magic into account, the fight might have been evenly matched.
Ilana had been standing next to the line of elves, and when she saw me, she motioned for me to go away.
