by Cole Pain
“Do you want me, my desire?” he hummed into her neck.
“Yes, please.” Sass tried to say more but it took all her strength to pull him closer.
He smiled as he caressed her cheek and moved his lips to her neck. She neared the apex and remained there, almost touching, close enough not to care about anything else. All that mattered was the apex. She had to have it. She heard herself begging, pleading for him to begin. And then he did. She broke through the apex, and climbed higher and higher – soaring. There was no end.
When he tore away she was unprepared. The tingling became a searing pain. The song seemed hollow as he rose above her, face masked in shadow. She writhed on the ground, frantic.
“Please,” she whispered.
He stepped back, letting his voice fade to nothing. The pain inside her was breathtaking. She reached for him but he retreated, and when the moonlight stole over his face, his green eyes shone with rabid longing. His smooth chest heaved, muscles rippling. “I want you now,” he sang.
She nodded, unable to find the words to respond as the need welled within her.
“Will you give me all of you?”
His song began again as he engulfed her lips in his own. The song inside her was moving high, but remained just below the peak, tantalizing. She moaned in confusion.
“Can you give me your life, my love?” he sang.
She struggled to grasp his words. She clawed at him, shaking with need. She would give him anything, do anything to see how high she could go.
Something tugged at her mind, something she had to do, but she lost sight of her other aim as she allowed the magic of him to seduce her – magic. She had to do something about magic – and Ren. Ren was in trouble.
“I just need to give my father a message,” Sass said. “Then the rest of my life is yours, is ours.”
“Give your father a message?”
She pulled him closer. “Yes, just give him a message.”
“I can send you to your father,” he whispered in her ear, “if you will give me the rest of your life.”
She reached the peak. “Yes,” she mumbled. She crested the peak, rising higher and higher until she forgot everything else. Higher she went, so high her screams were silenced by her own lips as the pleasure sucked her dry of everything but breath.
When it was over, it wasn’t over. It continued as she lay shivering on the ground, clinging to the waves breaking inside her, but then the song ended and he started to laugh. The laugh was in the raspy voice she had first heard. It intensified until all the waves were pulled from her. When she was able to force her eyes open, she cowered back. The man above her was the blackened form she had first seen, only younger. He was still small but now had a more muscular build, with white-blond hair and piercing green eyes. Something was wrong. An ominous feeling inched up her spine. All feeling was gone from her limbs. Sass’s eyes moved over her body. Her skin was ashen, wrinkled – old.
He had taken her life. Maker of Fates, he had taken her life!
She rolled to her side and sobbed in the dirt. Triumphant laughter echoed around her like thundering rain. She opened her mouth to scream.
But nothing would come. All breath and life were draining from her with terrifying speed. As soon as she thought she could take no more, his laughter was gone. Sass lifted her head and found herself in front of her father’s castle. The man had kept his end of the bargain. Now she could deliver her message.
An alarm sounded as guards hovered above her, demanding she reveal herself and her purpose. She recognized Raymond, her father’s most trusted guardian and her own second father. His face was hard, but when their eyes met a flash of fear touched his strong brow.
“Reveal yourself.”
“Raymond, it’s me.” Her voice was so soft she could barely distinguish it from the other sounds around her. “Please, Raymond, take me to my father.”
Raymond’s dark eyes widened as he recognized her features. When he opened his mouth to speak, no words came. She heaved a sigh as he lifted her in his strong arms. The guards around them fell back as Raymond moved with quick, careful steps to the castle entrance.
She was tired, so very tired. She wanted to close her eyes, but she did not, knowing as soon as she yielded to sleep she would die. She had to deliver the message to her father, and then she could give up. Resting her head on Raymond’s broad shoulder, she watched the memories of childhood pass her by. She felt like crying but couldn’t. There wasn’t that much strength in her.
Raymond bent and opened the door to her father’s study. She turned her head in time to see her father rising from his chair, surprised at the interruption without announcement. She loved her father with every fiber of her being. He was tall and strong, with gentle brown eyes that lit like the dawn whenever she entered the room. The beard he had grown the past year suited him well. It gave him a powerful appearance while softening the lines of his face. Sass felt Raymond draw a breath to speak, but nothing came. A drop of moisture fell on Sass’s cheek, but she barely felt it. She felt very little of anything.
When Raymond stopped before of the king, Sass felt a sense of dignity rise inside her. She hadn’t failed her brother. She hadn’t failed Ren. She had reached her father, and now everything would be all right.
Bostic’s face drained of color.
“Sass?” His voice was soft. If she hadn’t been looking directly at him she may have been unable to make out her name.
Bostic took her from Raymond and sat down. He brushed the hair away from her face and smiled down at her, a silent tear trickling down his check.
“Oh, Sass, my precious, my gorgeous, what’s happened to you?”
Sass fought the urge to tell him all the things she had neglected to tell him over the years: how much she loved him, how much she admired him, and how much each day she had spent with him meant to her. But she couldn’t. With each breath she took she drew closer to death. The longer she delayed the less she could reveal.
“Father, I don’t have much time. I must tell you why I’ve come. Ren’s in trouble. Valor said he murdered Wyrick. Valor has taken over Stardom. When I fled the castle was in chaos. Ren’s men were captured or killed, and other lands were joining in the fight. Magic has been reborn, Papa, but Ren is the one to trust. Don’t believe anyone who says otherwise. I, your only daughter, am telling you to trust in your only son who is still fighting for Ren, and me, who now dies for him. I love you, Father. I love you more than anything I’ve ever known.”
Bostic screamed his daughter’s name as her eyelids slipped closed.
“I love you too, Sass, my puppet.” Bostic rocked his lifeless daughter back and forth. “I love you too.”
Chapter 12
“She’s waking, Bane,” Similian thought, careful not to disturb the other presence inside him. He didn’t want her to be frightened. He wanted her to like him. She had a beautiful soul, like Mezuzah. He was glad he had flown over nine centuries to meet Mezuzah, although he would never admit that to the Bane.
“Don’t scare her. Let her approach us,” the Bane thought in reply.
“Where am I?” The girl’s voice was soft yet strong. The dragon liked it. He liked it multiples better than the lying Bane’s voice.
“You’re in Similian the Vicious Silver Dragon!” Sim declared, almost too loudly. He shuddered, hoping he hadn’t scared her. He knew he could be frightening. After all, he was the most ferocious beast in existence.
“Similian,”the Bane chastised. “Don’t try to claim her. Although I didn’t foresee it, she will be critical to the quest. Until I know her role you mustn’t let her begin to merge with you. Child, you must fight for who you are.”
Sim felt the turmoil inside the girl’s presence. He knew her thoughts. She was thinking about the man who had saved her individuality by merging her body with her spirit, the one Sim found himself almost liking, the one who had looked at him with no fear or desire to kill. Sim had never had anyone look at him like that, with the respect
he deserved.
The girl tried to make her body move as she remembered her life. The dragon knew she couldn’t move because she was in him now, but the action of her trying to leave shook him with discomfort. The Bane never tried to leave, so Sim had never known the feeling, but it was extremely unpleasant.
“Be still, child. Don’t fight,” the Bane silently commanded. “You must use your energy to remember your identity or you’ll be forever lost inside Similian. The man who sent your body in after you saved you, but that’s all he can do. You must do the rest. If you don’t fight to remember, you’ll become the dragon. Tell me about yourself. If you begin to forget, I’ll remind you.”
The girl was silent for a short time. “How do you remember then?”
“I have the Quy. It helps me remember. You have nothing to help you.”
The girl shifted. Similian could feel her determination. “I have my faith.”
Sim almost chuckled. He knew he liked her. She was already defying the Bane.
“I hope it’s enough, my dear. I hope it’s enough.”
Sim scowled. The Bane never gave encouraging words, only harped on the negative. The Bane thought he knew everything and never missed an opportunity to speak his mind. Sim growled. He wouldn’t allow the Bane to discourage the girl.
The girl began telling the Bane about herself. Sim listened with interest as he flew above the treetops, steering for the lake below. Although he disliked the Bane, the Bane had instructed him to open himself for the girl. Sim scowled. He had to give the Bane a small piece of credit. Without the Bane he wouldn’t have known what was happening, and the girl would have been lost. His silver skin naturally absorbed all magic. He had to consciously open his pores to allow magic inside him. He never thought he would open himself up again after his experience with the Bane, but he had liked the girl immediately, and some part of him also liked this Ren. Although the pain on Ren’s face as he held the girl confused Sim – there was no wound on the man, nothing that should have caused any pain – his look caused Sim’s intrigue to stir. And that, more so than the Bane’s warning, compelled him to allow the girl inside.
Normally, magic was directed at him for evil, so Sim had never associated it with good. He scowled again. The Bane hadn’t improved his opinion of magic, but Aidan may. Sim heaved a sigh. He supposed the Bane did have his uses.
“Will I ever be whole again?” Aidan’s voice was hesitant, worried. Sim felt a stab of jealousy. He didn’t want Aidan to want out. She was what he had been looking for when he foolishly allowed the Bane inside. Sim knew Aidan would become comfortable in his darkness, but he sensed her resisting his warmth. She wanted to help this Ren. Sim didn’t understand it. He was powerful and humans weren’t. They let their emotions interfere with life.
“You’re whole now, my child. You just exist in another time and space. One day, in the not so distant future, you could be released from the dragon, but you must hold onto you.”
“It’s much better to be Sim the Silver!” Sim internally roared.
“Hush, Similian, let the child be.”
Similian growled deep in his throat. He didn’t like it when the Bane chastised him. The Bane had no right to chastise him. Sim thought again about roasted Bane. The Bane didn’t think he was serious, but he was.
“Sim?” Aidan thought.
“Yes, dear heart.” Sim liked the fact she called him Sim and not Similian like the Bane. The Bane used his formal title to stay distanced from him. The girl used Sim. Similian smiled, even though it came out a sneer.
“Where am I inside you?”
Sim bristled with pride. “You’re everywhere inside me.”
“Then why can’t I see?”
The question took Sim off guard. Why couldn’t she see? He had never considered it before. He supposed it was because he didn’t direct her to see. “Would you like to see?”
“I would like to see Ren.”
“I don’t see him,” Sim thought, disappointed.
The Bane had never asked to see anything, but Sim could feel the Bane’s power in his eyes, somehow telling the Bane what occurred, even in sleep. Sim scowled. If the Bane was going to be rude enough to share his body, he could try to be a friend. Now Aidan wanted to see, but she wanted to see the reason she wanted out.
“Then I would like to see what you see.”
Sim’s heart leapt with her words. He snickered. He had learned snickering from the Bane. He liked snickering.
“Then focus inward but outward at the same time. Focus everything, every strength, on one spot inside you. Tell me when you have done so.”
Aidan released a satisfied breath. “I’ve done so.”
“Now, with that focus reach out. Put your strength into something that exists in another point in time.”
Sim felt Aidan’s strength soaring through him. She landed in his eyes and looked with him as he flew over the lake. He began to circle and made a point to look around so Aidan could appreciate the entire view. She laughed. Sim couldn’t help doing the same as they looked out of the same eyes – it almost tickled. As he landed by the lake, he barked a greeting to the other dragons. His mate rolled on her back in a submissive, yet attractive stance. The missing scales on her neck marked her as the dragon that loved the same human Aidan loved. Sim gurgled an affectionate greeting.
“Is that your mate?”
Sim snickered. “Yes. I have named her Mezuzah.”
“Mezuzah?”
“She has great faith. Mezuzah means faith.”
“Why does she have great faith?”
Sim hesitated, unsure if he should tell Aidan. “She believes in the kindness of man.”
“Then she’s Ren’s dragon.”
“I know.” Sim sighed, jealous of Ren once again.
“You’d like Ren, Sim.”
“Similian the Vicious wouldn’t like Ren.” Sim lied, wanting to rid the girl of her need to escape him. He leaned forward and nudged Mezuzah. She gurgled with pleasure. Sim puffed out his chest so she could admire his attractive features. Mezuzah’s mate had died years ago, and although most dragons never chose another mate, Mezuzah had reconsidered. After all, Sim was a silver.
“Then you’re losing a good friend.”
Sim felt Aidan retract inside him. He heaved a sigh, wondering why he would want a man as a friend. Sim could tell he had upset Aidan, and although he didn’t want her to be upset, he also wanted her to stay with him. He was lonely. Sim thought of Ren. He knew the man liked him, but dragons didn’t have human friends. Sim glanced at Mezuzah and heaved a sigh. Mezuzah was a strong dragon. No dragon had told her she was weak for trusting a human. Maybe he could have a human friend on the outside. After all, it was the same human Mezuzah trusted, and it may make Mezuzah like him more than she already did. He decided he would be honest with the girl.
“I did find myself liking him. He isn’t like others.”
Aidan stirred a little. “No, he isn’t.” She paused. “Can we go on another flight? I want to see the places you like to go … and I’d like to see Stardom again.”
Sim stopped eating, surprised. The Bane had never been interested in what he liked to do. Sim puffed his chest out further. This day was going well. Even though he knew the girl wanted to fly to Stardom to see Ren, Sim decided he would take her. Besides, Ren was probably being held inside. He had seen Ren surrounded by guards before he flew off. Although he had hurled fire over the men pursuing Ren, it wasn’t enough to stop them all. Ren couldn’t have escaped.
Mezuzah licked Sim’s face. Sim gurgled with pleasure and licked her back. Yes, this day was going well.
“Yes, dear heart. I’ll fly high and fast … although the Bane will be highly agitated.” Sim spread his large wings and took to the air.
“Why will he be agitated?”
“He hates it when I fly fast. He says it disturbs his plan-forming.”
“Where is the Bane?”
Sim sighed. “Asleep. He’s always asleep.”
- - -
Ramie leaned against the railing of the boat. The sun’s rays were just beginning to kiss the deep cerulean water, causing the tips of the waves to dance around the hull. They had sailed far into the Neoteric Sea. At times the upper sails dipped to drink the water as opposing currents threatened to capsize the ship. Ramie barely noticed. His eyes were locked on the misty atmosphere leagues away – the ten winds.
Most ship’s crews refused to sail out far enough to catch the current of the winds, but this time Ramie had paid their price, and then some. The winds’ current could help them reach the Divi River in a mere day, not the weeks it would have taken in normal waters.
His advisors had warned against it, and all had called him mad, but Ramie hadn’t listened. Somehow he knew the Maker’s fates were with him. He knew they would make it through the winds’ currents. He just knew.
The misty panel of water rose before him like a sheet of ice. He felt its power and heard its roar. No one knew exactly what the ten winds were, or why, or how they existed, but as close as anyone could tell the ten winds were a thick wall of water rising from the seas to the heavens: a waterfall, no doubt, but one that had no rock or mountain to tumble from. The wall of water had been named the ten winds because of the gusts existing the closer you steered toward it. The winds came from everywhere: north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest, up, down, everywhere. No ship could survive the winds, and no ship could sail into the ten winds’ depths and ever sail out again.
Ramie’s ship was only close enough to catch the beginning of the currents. The ship’s crew had to be careful not to steer too far into the winds and keep a tight grip on the controls. If the crew released the wheel the ship would spin into the deadly currents and every person on board would perish.
The ten winds surrounded the Lands, encompassing them in a wall of water. Ramie had often wondered if some sort of magic had put the winds there, but when magic was reborn and nothing had changed he doubted his theory. The ten winds were the ten winds, magic or no magic.
Only marauders or occasional bards ventured into the winds’ outlying currents. Ramie was sure no king had ever tried. He wondered if he would hear a song about his journey in the future. A small smile lit his face. Fraul would tease him unmercifully if a bard ever sang his name.
