Merlin's Kiss

by Stephanie Burke

  With a smile, she tore into the store of meat that Kerian insisted that she pack. Suddenly the cold fare tasted like ambrosia and the cool night was magical again!

  Chapter Nine

  Shala leaned over the side of her bed and proceeded to vomit up her meal, just as she had for the past three days. She whimpered as the spasms wracked her body and caused sweat to bead up on her forehead.

  "Damn that Dagon!" she whimpered as her body continued to heave.

  "Is that any kind of reception, my dear, for the father of your child?"

  As his amused voice filled the chamber, the candles began to slowly extinguish themselves, leaving the room dim but for the soft morning sun flowing in through the opened drapes at the windows.

  "Come to gloat?" she asked and again leaned over the side of the bed to spew out what was left in her stomach.

  "Charming," he drolly muttered as he fully materialized in the room and walked over to his usual chair across the room. "And I wasn't aware that I needed an invitation to visit, my pretty. After all, you are the mother of my child."

  With a negligent wave of his hand, he created a sphere of energy and sent it flying across the room to float above her bed.

  "What is it you want, Dagon?" Shala asked as she pulled herself up into a sitting position and raised one trembling hand to the mass of matted hair covering her face. She forced herself up in the tangled covers and eyed the ball of blue/white energy floating weightlessly above her.

  "Only to let you know that your beloved stepson and his mysterious woman will reach that glorious creature Gren in a matter of moments."

  He chuckled at the pitiful sight of her before continuing. "If I followed my first inclination, my dear Kerian and his lovely traveling companion would be already dead and this little conspiracy of yours would now be at an end. But I have let your," he eyed her quaking body and let out a little laugh, "considerable charms sway my decisions."

  He lazily lifted his foot and rested it on the chair that sat opposite to his and watched the sickly woman sitting in the bed glaring at him.

  "And why should I care about that wretched beast?" She carefully raised her hands and cupped the sphere of light. It pulsed within her light clasp and she felt a nurturing warmth enfold her.

  "Oh, you don't, my sweet. That is what makes you so, shall we say…attractive? But then again, Gren was never one to murder her offspring, now was she, my pretty? Hmm. You two ancients don't have a lot in common, do you? But that is not an issue, at this point. Your cooperation, my pretty, is."

  He settled back comfortably in his chair before turning to meet her curious gaze. "Can you not picture it, my lovely? What will your precious Kerian think when he discovers you fat and bloated with my child? Will he turn away from you in disgust, yet again, my sweet? What will you do then, my little pleasure puss?"

  "Damn you, Dagon!" she cried out, then quickly covered her mouth with her hands. Yelling at him was not good for her stomach. "What is your point?"

  "Why, to let you know that this whole thing could have come to a…satisfactory conclusion years ago, my dear, had you managed to seduce your beloved stepson and rule through him. But no, he rejected you and then you came crying to me. Jealousy is not a pretty thing, my dear. It ages you prematurely. And your jealousy comes with too many complications." His sarcastic voice rang clear through his amused tones.

  "Why are you here, Dagon?" she finally forced out, her face pale with the loss of color and her eyes rimmed in dark shadows. "Are you here to torment me? If so, you can go straight to hell! You can do no more to me than you already have!" She motioned to her weakened state and ravaged face. "I don't need you, Dagon!" She clapped her hands to her stomach as her agitation made it heave and convulse.

  "But who else will have you, my sweet, looking as you do?" he tutted, amused to see her vanity had been pricked as she raised hate-filled eyes to him. "I believe that your darling Kerian has found a new love interest, and that leaves you once again, crying and begging and beholden to me, my precious jewel." His laughter rang out across the room causing something inside of Shala to snap.

  Without any thought and acting on reflex, she raised her hand and a pure beam of energy shot from her palm, aimed directly at Dagon.

  Acting as if the death bolt headed in his direction didn't bother him in the least, Dagon raised one hand and Shala watched as her powerful bolt of energy was absorbed easily into his body. He turned eyes, red in his anger towards her.

  "Big mistake, my beauty." His tone rang cold and strangely detached as he stared at the terrified woman on the bed.

  "Dagon…I…I didn't…"

  In a flash, he was across the room and on her bed, looming dangerously over her. "Not very smart, my precious, and here I thought that you were my best pupil." His large leathery hand reached out and gently caressed her perspiring face, a face now completely devoid of color.

  "Any student of dark magic knows the basic rules, my pet. I guess you were not paying attention."

  His hand suddenly snapped down around her throat and began to slowly tighten. "Any magic that I give you will not harm me, my pretty." His cold hard voice filled her with dread. "It will only make me stronger."

  His fingers tightened around her throat and she tore at his punishing hand, attempting to loosen his grasp and free herself from the dark possibility of an instant death. Her eyes widened in terror and she began to pant with fear as he continued to apply pressure.

  "The only reason I haven't snapped your pretty little neck like a twig is because I have a use for you. I will use your body to carry my heir and I will use the power you will inherit after I kill your uninterested lover to ease my conquering of this pitiful pile of rocks and the wretched souls who reside within. Other than that, my sweet, you mean nothing to me."

  He shook her a bit to emphasize his point, his voice as cold as a drackoon's breath.

  "And now, have I made myself clear, my precious? Do you finally understand me?" When he felt her attempts to nod in the affirmative, he quickly released her. He smiled as he let his hand wander down her chest and cup one breast, fuller now with her pregnancy. He chuckled in her angry face as he felt her nipple harden with excitement. Then he quickly pulled his hand away, as if the touch of her naked skin was too contemptible to bear.

  "Take this, my precious." He called over his shoulder as he moved away from the bed. "It wouldn't do for the peasants in this castle to discover the reason that you are puking your guts out every morning is because you carry my child."

  He raised his hand in the air and the energy sphere, which floated above the bed during their confrontation, drifted gently to rest against her chest.

  "After all, we wouldn't want anyone to know of our plans too soon, now would we, my dear? Besides, my child will grow faster than a human child. It won't be that long until she leaves your womb."

  As he spoke the lights began to rise in the room, and he slowly began to fade from view.

  Shala sat there as the ball of energy began to disappear within her body with a curious warm tingling sensation.

  "This will restore your energy, my pet." Shala sighed as she felt strength returning to her weakened body. "And it will ensure that your pathetic excuse for a body will not reject my child."

  Shala sat up with a start, concerned as that comforting warm feeling from the orb of energy began to turn into a burning stinging ache.

  "Oh yes," he added as his body disappeared leaving his glowing eyes eerily watching her. "And it will only hurt for a little while," his laughing voice declared just before all traces of his presence vanished.

  Shala's cries rang about her chamber for at least fifteen minutes.

  * * * * *

  "When will we get there?" Brieana asked as Kerian helped her down from a large boulder, one of many which seemed to litter the path they were following.

  Pulling his hand back and quickly stepping away from her, he answered, "Not long now."

  Kerian had returned to their
makeshift campsite later in the evening and went directly to sleep. No comment was made of the wonderful kiss that they shared, nor did he mention what could have happened if Zorn hadn't shown up and interrupted the burning caress.

  "Well, I for one will be happy to get there."

  She walked along behind the swiftly striding Kerian who seemed to delight in each movement, as if pushing his muscles to the point of exhaustion was an enjoyable past time.

  "Is it getting hot, or is it just me?"

  Deceptive, the heat is, my Lady, Zorn added as he gracefully spread his wings and landed lightly next to Brieana. Keeps the eggs healthy, the heat of the mountains does.

  "In that case…" Brieana began to unlace the front of the green tunic she wore, but a word from Kerian stopped her.

  "Don't, Brieana. The temperature could turn cold around the next corner at this altitude. The mountain itself holds the heat, but the winds blow cold and fierce."

  She eyed Kerian questioningly, noticing that he still wore his war-vest instead of a tunic, and raised her eyes to him for an explanation.

  "I am used to the changing weather here, Brieana, and you are not. Leave your tunic alone."

  If she exposes one inch of her flesh , Kerian thought to himself as he hurried along the familiar path, I will not be held responsible for my actions. Ever since he had gotten a taste of her, all he could do was hunger for more. She was an addictive drug he would do well to be rid of. She made him dream of the impossible. Maybe Gren would have some answers.

  "If you are sure, oh fierce leader," she muttered as she sped up to keep up with his long ground-eating strides.

  Almost there, we are! Zorn cried out as they passed yet another boulder, which now seemed to be landmarks for Kerian and Zorn.

  "I can't wait to meet Gren!" Brieana declared happily. "It will be nice to finally learn of my destiny."

  "And if you have no destiny?" Kerian almost angrily asked. He stopped so suddenly on the path that Brieana crashed right into his back. Suddenly he found that he wished that Gren would tell her that she wasn't special, that her destiny was to stay and mate with him. But that was an impossible dream.

  "That is a cruel thing to say, Kerian!" she hotly cried as she looked at her would-be mate. She sure hoped that Merlin knew what he was doing when he chose this man for her. "Of course I have a destiny, and Gren might be able to tell me what it is! And what do you care, anyway? You've never believed a word I said."

  "I am beginning to believe," he finally allowed with a sigh. "You are too skilled at what you do. I have never seen a woman of your small stature able to defend herself so well."

  It was true. During their time together, Kerian had begun to believe the wondrous tales that Brieana told. Raised with magic, it took little convincing to make him believe that a person could be bespelled and cast to drift asleep through time. What he was having problems believing was that this woman was meant for him.

  Brieana broke out into a wide smile at his backward compliment, but she took it as a positive sign.

  "So Gren might be able to tell me of my destiny, Kerian." She strode past him and rounded a curve in the trail. "And maybe she will tell me where my kingdom…"

  Kerian stood there, waiting for her to continue, but was met only with silence.

  "Brieana?" he called out. He turned and discovered that Zorn had disappeared too, and he began to panic.

  "Brieana!" he called out more urgently as he unsheathed his large sword and raced around the corner.

  "Brie…umph!" He ran straight into a large immovable object that bounced him back on his rear. Only his training saved him from a nasty injury as he rolled, using the momentum of the fall to turn into a neat flip that landed him on his feet. In a flash he was up and standing in his battle stance, sword held at the ready.

  Kerian? a deep voice boomed in his head.

  "Dalis?" he asked as he began to relax his battle stance and uncoiled muscles that stood flexed and ready for action. "Is that you, old friend?"

  Kerian! My brother! boomed the deep voice and Kerian looked up and up and up to see the teal face of the large drackoon that he had run into. After all of these years, to see you, is good, my brother.

  "And you, my friend!" he cried as he sheathed his sword and strode forward to the drackoon who was roughly the size of a small building.

  Your mate, this woman? he asked as he motioned with his tail at the mute and paralyzed Brieana.

  "Brieana?" Kerian called as he walked over to the still body of the dark-haired woman. "Brieana!" he called again as he snapped his fingers beside her ears.

  "Did you freeze her?" he asked Dalis as the amused Drackoon looked on at the couple standing on the trail.

  Of course not, my brother. But answer my question, you did not!

  "She is not," Kerian grumbled as he tried to awaken Brieana from her stupor.

  Regret this, do you not?

  Kerian was saved from answering by Brieana's low voice whispering, "Big. He is so big and green."

  Kerian sighed, relieved that her shock was leaving her, and began to chafe her hands. "More like a blue-green, Brieana." She nodded absently, her eyes now focused on the larger version of her beloved Zorn.

  "I have come to return something to you, my brother," Kerian said, turning away from Brieana and looking at Dalis. "Have you by chance lost a purple stomach with wings and feet?"

  Zorn! The teal drackoon sighed with long suffering patience. What now, done, has the youthling?

  "Only break the treaty by eating a few of my best chum, crippled my best runner— she is lucky to have escaped with her life—and turned my household upside down!"

  "Zorn is not that bad!" Brieana left her stupor to defend her friend. "He has taught me a lot about this place when I was lost and alone!"

  Ignoring their conversation, Dalis cried out in a booming voice, Zorn!

  Brieana immediately clapped both arms around her ears as if she could stop the echoing voice rattling around in her mind.

  Zorn! he cried again.

  "Stop it!" Brieana cried as she struggled to get used to this new drack voice inside her head.

  Understand me, you can? Dalis's surprised voice spoke much softer inside her head.

  "Yes!" Brieana answered as she peeked through her cradling arms. "And he wasn't that bad. You might have scared him to the next island."

  The Woman of Legend! the drackoon voice sighed in her mind as he looked in awe at Brieana.

  Here I am, father, Zorn appeared finally, looking dejected as he stared up at his father with great sad eyes.

  Trouble, you cause, know you? his father asked, a smoldering look on his face. Kerian almost felt a shaft of pity for the youthling, but that was quickly dropped as he answered.

  The Woman of Legend, found her, I have!

  "The what?" Kerian demanded as he looked between Dalis and Zorn. That was the second time that he had heard that particular title and it was causing him considerable unease.

  The Woman of Legend, my brother. Get her to Gren, we must. Foretold, it is, that when the Woman of Legend appears, darkness great will follow.

  The word darkness caught Kerian's attention and Brieana saw a fission of shock cross his usually patrician face.

  "What about the dark, Dalis?" he asked, an unusual note in his voice.

  Explain later, I will. Get her to Gren, we must! Zorn, to wing!

  "Gren?" Brieana asked, almost excitedly.

  My mate, Lady. Hurry, we must.

  Turning towards Kerian, Dalis lowered his body so that his friend could scramble onto his back. If Dalis was offering to fly them to the heart of the coven grounds, this situation had to be dire. The great drackoon co-leader never allowed anyone on his back.

  Hurry, my brother, he urged Kerian and called to his youthling, We fly, Zorn. To wing!

  "Brieana, you ride with me!" he commanded as he settled himself carefully on Dalis's back, settling his feet so that they would not interfere with Dalis's massive wing
span. That done, he turned and reached a large hand down to her.

  "But…I…" Brieana struggled to hide her fear of her first conscious flight on the back of a drackoon. She knew that something important was happening because of everyone's reactions to her speaking drack, but she was still deathly afraid to fly. To her, it was unnatural.

  "You fly with me Brieana," he said as his amber eyes bored into her very soul. "I will take care of you."

  Kerian looked deeply into her eyes as he made that statement and Brieana got the feeling that he was speaking about more than just caring for her during this flight. She looked at his hand, so strong and able, and knew that if she took it, she was risking more than a ride on a drack.

  Finally, she reached out and took that large hand with her smaller one and knew that they were making unspoken plans for the future. Kerian would protect her, fight with her, support her, no matter what. She was willing to take the chance.

  "I trust you," she said and she was quickly settled in front of her reluctant mate.

  They both knew then and there, right at that moment, that between the two of them, something special had begun.

  Chapter Ten

  "I am flying! I cannot believe I am flying!"

  Despite the urgency of their trip, Brieana marveled at the speed at which they traveled. Feeling safe with Kerian's warm arms surrounding her, she settled back and watched the passing scenery, trying to contain her excitement.

  Kerian understood exactly how she felt. As a small boy, when he was first granted a ride on Gren's back, he had cried tears of happiness. He had felt buoyant, a lightness that he had never before felt. Even now, with the wind whipping through his hair, his platinum locks waving behind them like a flag, he couldn't resist turning his face into the wind and delighting in its chilled kiss as they raced across the rocky land.

  He fought the urge to raise both hands in the air and cry out his joy to the world, like some untrained youth, because he knew that his actions would frighten Brieana.

  He sighed softly as she nestled closer to the heat that his body provided and inhaled her special scent. She still smelled of wildflowers and fresh morning dew.