by Sarah Hawke
My first instinct was to deny it, but when I opened my mouth my voice refused to cooperate.
“If any other man had realized what you were, he would have immediately turned you over to the Covenant,” Kristoff went on. “He would have turned me in, too…but Larric didn’t do either. Now why do you think that is?”
When I didn’t respond, Kristoff snorted again and stood. “Your memories told me that Larric knew this vaeyn shadow knight before he met her again at Skyfall. He brushed her off as an ‘acquaintance of circumstance,’ but I knew he was lying. He respected her. He cared for her. Despite years of fevered insistence that he loathed elves, the truth is that he’s an aeynshok, isn’t he? He secretly loves your kind.”
Kristoff swiveled around the side of his desk as his eyes narrowed dangerously. “I think he also cares about you—and after he saved you at the Infintium, you started caring for him too, didn’t you? Why else would you drag his half-dead body to an Imperial camp? Why else would you be so concerned for his health after he arrived?” He shook his head again and snickered. “Why else would you have risked sneaking out of your chambers to meet with him in the middle of the night?”
I forced myself to swallow. “I-I…”
“I can’t believe that you of all people would grow so overconfident,” Kristoff said, shaking his head. “Did you really believe you could conceal your movements from me? I taught you everything, Elara. I am your master!”
“My lord,” I mumbled out of reflex. “I have never—”
In a single smooth motion, Kristoff lunged forward and backhanded me across the face. I crumpled to the floor like an empty sack. Tears burned in my eyes and blood streamed in my mouth.
“How else have you betrayed me, I wonder?” Kristoff growled as he loomed over me. “What other secrets have you been keeping from me?”
He grabbed the collar of my dress and jerked me upwards so rapidly something in my neck popped. I flailed at him with my left hand, but he easily grabbed my wrist and wrenched it hard behind my back.
“All this time I was wrong about you,” Kristoff spat into my ear. “I thought you were loyal. I thought you appreciated all the freedoms I’ve given you. Without me, the Covenant would have burned you in a pit years ago. Without me, you’d be another useless, illiterate whore!”
With a vicious growl, he shoved me forward and bent me over his desk. I tried to wriggle free from his grasp, but I was no match for his strength. Soon both of my hands were pinned behind my back as his full weight pressed down upon me.
“You’re going to tell me everything you’ve been hiding from me, starting with whatever happened in palace last night,” Kristoff hissed. “Why did the Emperor let you go? What did you say to him?”
“M-master, please—”
“Tell me!” he demanded. “You betrayed me again, didn’t you? That’s the only reason he would have let you go. You must have told him everything about my plans!”
“I swear, I didn’t tell him anything.”
He lifted me up and slammed me against the table hard enough that it knocked the breath from my lungs. “You treacherous cunt,” he snarled. “I shouldn’t trust a word that comes from your mouth. Why would I when I could just tear the truth from your memories?”
Kristoff thrust into my mind. My meager defenses crumpled in an instant, and I shrieked in terror as he brutally and indiscriminately pilfered through my most intimate thoughts. In the span of a single heartbeat, everything was laid bare before him—Larric’s relationship with Karethys, the truth of what had happened at Lakewatch, even my growing sympathies for the Faedari rebels. I couldn’t mentally block him out or physically throw him off.
But as Emperor Lucian had reminded me, I was still Unbound. And that meant I was never truly helpless.
Calling out to the Aether, I unleashed a dissonant telepathic scream. Normally Master Kristoff’s defenses would have absorbed the brunt of the blast, but with our minds joined so completely he had relaxed his own mental barriers. The scream hit him like a truncheon across the face, and he cried out in shock and stumbled backwards. The instant his grip on my wrists faltered, I flipped around on the desk and extended my palms towards him. The Aether burned around me, and my hands erupted in a geyser of magical flame.
The bandits outside the Infintium hadn’t stood a chance against such power. Even the Inquisitor at Lakewatch hadn’t been able to defend himself against such a potent surprise attack. But whatever else he might have been, Master Kristoff was still an experienced channeler. Even as he staggered backwards he erected a shimmering, protective disc in front of him that harmlessly directed the flames aside.
“Impossible…” he breathed when my assault finally faltered. His eyes widened in horror behind his Aetheric shield. “I never taught you…how could you have learned that technique?”
In between frantic gasps for breath, I bit down on my lip and unleashed another assault. Once again the flaming torrent failed to penetrate his barrier, but this time the residual splash ignited portions of the carpet and ceiling. By the time I finally collapsed backwards in exhaustion a choking cloud of smoke had begun filling the air.
“Triad forgive me,” Kristoff stammered. “I should have known you couldn’t be controlled. I should have killed you at the first sign of disobedience!”
He lunged forward and grabbed me by the throat. I tried to fight him off, but I was too weak. I tried to conjure another burst of flame, but I was too exhausted. I was completely helpless…and I knew I was going to die.
“You were supposed to be my weapon!” he roared as he flung me off the desk and held me in the air. “You were supposed to be my vengeance! You are a slave! And I am your master!”
His grip tightened until I couldn’t breathe. I continued flailing helplessly at his arm as I slowly asphyxiated…
And then door behind us abruptly burst open. A red haze clouded my vision, but I caught a glimpse of a lone figure striding forward into the room, a heavy crossbow in hand. At first I assumed it was one of the guards coming to rescue Kristoff from the spreading fire…but then I recognized the slender frame and long blonde hair.
“Astanya?” Kristoff gasped. “What are you—?”
Before he could finish the sentence, Astanya lifted the weapon and fired. The pressure on my neck suddenly released, and I collapsed to the floor in a gasping heap. I coughed and clutched at my throat as I watched Master Kristoff frantically try to regain his balance despite the bolt jutting out of his shoulder.
“You stupid bitch!” he growled. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
His hands crackled with magic, and he pointed at her as if he were about to blast her to cinders—
But he was already too late. Astanya charged across the room with the speed and fury of a lightning bolt, and just before she reached him she twisted her body sideways and kicked him squarely in the chest. He flew backwards and crashed into his desk hard enough to scatter its contents across the floor. He wheezed in pain and attempted to recover, but when he tried to stand Astanya flipped behind him and kicked out the back of his knees.
“Lle n’harwa aeyn au!”
Before I could move—before I even realized what was happening—she wrenched back his head and promptly slit his throat.
My mouth dropped open in a silent scream as he toppled to the floor. In between breathless gurgles Master Kristoff glanced up at me one last time, eyes wide in horror, before he collapsed into a pool of his own blood.
“We must leave,” Astanya said, tossing the knife aside. She strode over and offered me her hand. “Come on.”
“What…” I breathed, trembling. “How?”
“The Faedari have been watching you for some time, Netharine. I will explain later, but right now I need to get you to safety.”
My head continued shaking, but she didn’t give me time to think. She grabbed my hand and hoisted me to my feet with surprising strength. I barely even recognized her—this wasn’t the same meek, fragile
woman I’d shared a room with. She moved with the unwavering, fluid grace of a hardened warrior.
“You’re free, Elara,” Astanya told me, her blue eyes were warm and determined all at once. “No human will ever give you orders again.”
I coughed again as the smoke filled my nostrils, and I glanced down to Master Kristoff’s unmoving body. He was staring off into the nothingness, his face permanently frozen in terror.
He hadn’t been wrong earlier. He was the only reason I’d evaded the Covenant. He was the only reason I’d learned to control my abilities. He had given me everything, and in return I had betrayed him.
And yet looking down upon his corpse, I didn’t feel even the slightest pang of guilt.
“We need to leave,” Astanya repeated. “We have to get out of Sanctum before they catch us.”
“The Covenant took Larric,” I whispered. “I can’t leave without him.”
“We won’t,” she vowed, smiling and squeezing my hand. “You have my word.”
To Be Concluded
The Elf Slave Series will conclude with Unleashed.
If you are interested in more hardcore fantasy erotica, you may enjoy my Dark Elf Fantasies series starting with Web of the Spider Queen.
This series takes place in the world of Obsidian, a dark fantasy universe based on the wonderful Godswar Saga by Jennifer Vale (used with permission!). I highly recommend you check out her books, starting with Ascendancy.
For updates about new releases, subscribe to the Sarah Hawke Fan Newsletter by sending an email to [email protected] with the subject line “Subscribe.” You can also support me on Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/hawkenovels
Appendix
~Dramatis Personae~
The House of Kristoff
Elara: Faeyn female, avenari slave
Gabriel Kristoff: human male, Grand Duke of Glorinfel
Larric Aresi: human male, Kristoff’s bodyguard
Astanya: Faeyn female, avenari slave
The Imperial Court
Lucian Patravian III: human male, Emperor of the Veshari Empire
General Antoine Torelius: human male, High General of the Imperial Legion
Legate Maxos: human male, adjutant to General Torelius
~The Imperial Provinces~
Abenwreath: Also known as “the Wreath,” Abenwreath curls around the central province of Veshar and is known for its vast fields and farms.
Glorinfel: Once the ancestral home of the near-extinct dwarves, Glorinfel is a snowy, mountainous region in northeast Calhara.
Korvale: Also known as “the Vale,” Korvale is a fiercely independent province almost completely isolated from the rest of the Empire by vast mountain ranges.
Rivani: A warm, tropical province, Rivani is the center of power for the Covenant and the most important trade center in the Empire.
Sorthaal: Once the ancestral home of the Faeyn, Sorthaal is a sprawling mass of forests and hills known for its natural beauty.
Veshar: The central province of Calhara is home to Sanctum, the imperial capital and the home of the Emperor and the Imperial Legion.
~Terms~
Aeynshok: slang for “elf-lover,” considered a grave insult
Artificers: the lowest caste of Bound channelers who create enchanted armor and weapons for the Legion.
Bound: The vast majority of channelers in the Empire are granted their powers in a Covenant ritual that binds them to the “Godstone,” a crystal said to house the souls of the Triad. Through the stone, these “Bound” channelers are able to touch and manipulate the Aether, but the Covenant is capable of severing this connection at any time.
Calhara: The second largest continent in the world of Obsidian, Calhara is under near total control of the Veshari Empire.
Channeler: The all-purpose name for someone who has the ability to manipulate the Aether.
Covenant: The central religious organization in the Empire. They control and regulate the use of the Aether.
Faeyn: the name for the fair-skinned elves who once ruled most of Calhara. The seat of their empire was Sorthaal, now an imperial province.
Hierophant: The highest-ranking priest in the Covenant. Her power rivals that of the Emperor.
Inquisitors: The chief enforcers of the Covenant. The Inquisitors’ primary purpose is to root out and destroy Unbound.
Levinthian: The holy text of the Covenant.
Numen: A large country within Torsia known for its fine silks and berries. The Numense reject the rule of the Triad and instead worship their immortal leader known only as the “Shadow King” to outsiders.
Sanctus Veshar: The founder of the Empire and conqueror of Calhara. The Covenant preaches that Veshar ascended to godhood along with his wife and his top lieutenant. Together they make up the Triad.
Sorthaal Highlands: The ancient home of the Faeyn, now an imperial province under the rule of Duke Darian Arland.
Sulinor: The home of the Vaeyn located in the far northeastern corner of Calhara.
Talisham: A country located in the scorching desert region of Torsia and ruled by a powerful theocracy under the leadership of the Pah.
Tel Bator: Legion soldiers trained to channel the Aether.
Unbound: A few rare individuals are born with the ability to channel Aether without being bonded to the Godstone. They are known as Unbound, and they are hunted and executed by the Covenant whenever they are found. Elves of all ethnicities are slightly more likely than humans to possess this ability, and it is incredibly rare in the other sentient races.
Vaeyn: the name for the gray-skinned elves of Sulinor. They are among the last free elves in the entire world, and the Covenant has long branded them demon-worshippers and heretics.
About the Author
Sarah Hawke is a thirty-something aspiring spinster with two cats, a horse, and a car that can technically still get her from place to place. She loves the cold, hates the heat, and desperately watches anything made by Joss Whedon for fear it will get cancelled.
