The Elfmaid's Curse (The Elfmaid Trilogy Book 1)
Page 33
"They were right," Danica said through clenched teeth. "I paid a terrible price because of that, too. It took all these months to get this body into proper condition."
Talar's eyes looked her up and down, sizing her up. She didn't like the way he was looking at her, either. At first it was scorn, that changed to something resembling impressed. Finally, his expression was calculating.
"Then use it to help me," he said, his face suddenly lighting up. "You can save my sister and your people in the process."
She didn't like the fact that he wasn't giving any consideration to returning her rightful body. Her eyes started burning, belly clench. It looked like she was going to have to kill her body. Destroy her only hope. Remain a woman, for a very, very long time. As an elf, Danica could live hundreds of years longer.
"Ha! That's rich," Danica said. She glanced at Cat, who was grimacing. Had she come to the same conclusion? "Tonight, you will either return my body or die in it."
Those were the hardest words she'd ever spoken. Talar didn't look like he believed her, though. He looked more like a man who just discovered a wonderful surprise.
"I have a better way — "
"No!"
"Danica, hear him out," Cat said. "If you kill him, all your efforts will have been in vain."
She looked at the big black woman in horror. Didn't Cat understand? Eyes burning, she tightened her grip on the hilt and ground her teeth. First, she would not cry, and second, Talar would die.
"Yes, she's right," Talar said quickly as Danica prepared to thrust. "Just as you have your priorities, I have mine. Neither of us was willing to compromise. I'm willing now."
"Compromise?" Danica repeated, not liking the sound of it. "What kind of compromise? Right off, it sounds like you get everything you want and I compromise everything I want."
"I need you to rescue my sister from Ayesha's allies in the Amazon Empire. You will need to stay in that body to go there," he said. "Monique is a High Sorceress, maybe even more powerful than myself. With her added power by my side I can then defeat Ayesha."
Danica's eyes narrowed.
"Take your body back and go save her yourself!"
"I can't, damn you. I'm all that's holding the alliance together right now. It will crumble before Ayesha's forces within a week if I, if Talar, vanishes. You are not a mage, so you cannot take over this body and continue to lead them. I have to do it. There is no other way. You have to go."
"Why should I help you?"
She knew what his answer would be, but could she believe him?
"For your body."
She closed her eyes, feeling as if her body and mind would explode. She was listening to him! She was seriously considering helping him! All on the slim hope of him willingly give her body back.
She almost choked on the words. "You'll return it?"
"If you save my sister." When she only scowled at him, he added, "If I gave it back now, then the alliance would fall apart and Ayesha would win. I would die. So your threats to kill me are meaningless. Death by your hand is infinitely preferable to dying by Ayesha's hand."
Studying his face, she tried to see if he could be trusted. So far, nothing he'd done gave her any confidence. Talar said he was fighting for good, but what he did to her was decidedly evil. As evil as anything Danica had ever seen.
"He's trying to save your people, Danica," Cat said. She sounded so reasonable, but Cat desperately wanted her little world to be as calm and conflict free as possible. "Even Ayesha admitted that. Strange as it may seem, I believe he is one of the good guys. Maybe Maag really did send us here to help him."
"Then we need to redefine good and evil," she snapped.
Talar took a deep breath, dropped his sword, and stood straight. He looked Danica in the eyes, held her gaze a long moment, and then gave her the most contemptuous look.
"Go ahead, murder me. I won't stop you. Do it."
Murder? Danica was horrified. He was trying to make her the bad one there. It wasn't murder, but justice!
"Defend yourself!" Danica cried, giving him enough room to pick up the sword.
"No."
She and Cat shared a look. Neither knew what to do.
"Bastard! I'll kill you anyway," she said. "At least die like a man."
"You have three choices," he said. "Murder me in cold blood, or join with me and rescue my sister, or just leave and remain an elfmaid for the rest of your life."
Danica staggered against a wall, wearily holding herself up with one hand. This was not what she had expected. He had found her weakness, knowing her sense of honor wouldn't allow her to cut him down in cold blood. Worse still, she had sustained herself in the belief that Talar was this terribly evil being, and now she found out he wasn't so bloody evil after all. He wasn't particularly nice, but he was at least on the right side of a nasty mage war. Cat was right, he was trying to save her people, but the idea of helping him made her nauseous. Still, was she more important than her people?
"If...If we go rescue your sister from the Amazon Empire, then you will return my body?" she asked, throat so tight it hurt.
"Yes!" Talar said, flashing a victorious smile.
His joy sickened her. She scowled at him, so wanting to kill him right then and there. She knew it would feel really, really good to kill him, to watch that smug smile fade, and the life in his eyes slowly go away. Then she would be the evil one, cursed to remain in that elfmaid's body the rest of her life.
"I agree," she whispered, unable to look him in the eye.
Cat nodded once, and then averted her eyes. Danica looked to the unmerciful heavens. She lost. Talar won for all practical purposes.
"Since you are now part of my alliance, I will need your oaths of loyalty," Talar said, his arrogance starting to return. "And no watered down oaths either."
Both women looked at him in utter disgust.
"I'll swear no allegiance to you," Danica said, Cat nodding her agreement. "I don't care whose side you're on."
"Without your oaths, I cannot allow you to be a part of this alliance," he said. "If you are to help me, then you have to swear an oath to serve me, as I am the leader. It is the only way I can trust you."
Danica could see this new development only as insult upon injury. Not only had she let the slimy cur keep her body, but now she was being forced to swear to serve him. Still shaken from her recent magical battle, she was unable to sort out her options. She couldn't see any way to force him to trade bodies against his will, and if she left now she would give up any hope of ever being Danic of Drakehorn again. She still couldn't just walk away when her people were in danger.
"Cat?" she said. "What should I do?"
"We have no choice," she said, so softly Danica barely heard her.
"The Gods hate me," Danica said. She hung her head a long moment. "Bandu, what have I done to deserve this?"
"You're oath," Talar said, sounding impatient.
Raising her head proudly, refusing to let him see the anguish she felt, Danica said, "I swear to serve you in rescuing your bloody sister, in return for you trading bodies with me afterwards. This I swear on my honor, the honor of my House, and the honor of my Ancestors."
Talar nodded with a satisfied grin, while Cat gawked at her in open astonishment.
"Cat?" he asked.
At Danica's nod, she said hesitantly, "I swear on my honor to serve you to the best of my abilities until me and Danica have fulfilled your demands."
"Excellent." He looked at them with a cold glint in his eyes, his faint smile doing nothing to comfort them. "Now I can trust you."
The look in his eyes sent a chill through Danica. Had he found something in their oaths to use against them? In the end, after they rescued his sorcerous sister, would he kill them anyway? Could a wizard be trusted? What about his sister? Who held her, and were they also mages? Considering how things turned out here, could they really expect to do better against other mages?
Only they were oath bound to se
rve him. Worse, they had no real binding promises from him, and she was afraid to ask him to swear an oath to return her body. If he refused, there would be nothing she could do about it. She would still have to serve him, for she had sworn it. Danica didn't like any of it, but she didn't see any options other than rescuing the missing sorceress and pray all turned out well.
Bitterly, she glanced heavenward, I hope the stupid gods are happy.
Turning to the wizard, and trying to keep the bitterness and resentment out of her voice, Danica said, "Tells us all you know about the Amazon Empire, Ayesha's forces inside the Empire, and how to find your sister."
THE END
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The Elfmaid Trilogy:
The Elfmaid's Curse
Into Lands Forbidden
Way of the Warrior (coming soon)
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
The End