by M. D. Grimm
He nodded. "I don't like feeling this way, Aishe. I'll work on it."
I smiled. "Good." I paused. "I wonder what these trees will be like."
"What?"
"Their personality." I packed the earth into a small mound. "I've noticed that all your trees have life in them. More than other forests. Was it that way before you came?"
"They had... some life that allowed them to interact." Morgorth stood, wiping his hands on his trousers. "But I planted some crystals around the perimeter, and inside Vorgoroth, that stimulated their... well, brains, for lack of a better name for it."
I stood and wiped my hands together, flecks of dirt falling to the ground. "You gave them intelligence."
He glanced at me. "Yep."
I smiled. Despite his initial intention of seeking isolation by moving to this territory all those years ago, he seemed to go out of his way to find creatures to interact with. The wichtln, the truls, Happy Valley, and now the trees. He'd never wanted to be alone; he just wanted to stop being persecuted by the mages.
Walking over to Morgorth, I wrapped my arm around his waist and looked at the six mounds that indicated the location of the seeds.
"Thank you, my love."
Morgorth gripped my hand, which rested on his hip. "They'll grow strong. And fast. The crystals will not only protect the seeds and aid their intelligence. I made it so they also speed up the growth. That way, we can see the trees reach adulthood before we're dead."
I closed my eyes, turning my head to kiss his temple. He pressed closer to me. My need for him grew fast inside me until I felt I might burst if I didn't have him soon. I felt his own need for me grow as he turned his head, his face tilted up in invitation. I kissed him eagerly, cupping his face, his bristles scratching my palm. He hadn't shaved in a couple of days, and I found myself liking the rough look on him. Sweet sensations pulsed through me as we pressed close, our heat warming not just our own bodies but the air around us, the snow underneath us. It had been far too long since I'd last touched him. Since I'd last felt his naked body against mine.
Since it had just been us.
Morgorth pulled back, just enough to move his lips. "Let's take this inside."
I claimed his mouth again, not wanting to give even that much up. But I nodded. His arms tightened around me before we were suddenly speeding through the air. I opened my eyes when he pulled his mouth away from mine, but instead of seeing our surroundings speed past us in a blur, all I saw were my mate's eyes. His were glowing their usual magickal amber. I wrapped my legs around his waist before promptly attacking his neck, licking, sucking. He shuddered.
"Dammit, Aishe!" he growled. "You're going to kill me."
I chuckled. Then my tongue found the very sensitive spot behind my mate's left ear, and he didn't just shudder this time; I felt him grow harder where his groin pressed against me.
We reached the landing and untangled our limbs before running to the front doors. Morgorth said a word in a hoarse voice, and the doors flew open, the cold wind following us. With another word the doors swung shut, booming throughout Geheimnis.
Desperate, frantic, I grabbed him from behind and started ravaging his neck again, my hands shooting down and cupping his groin. Morgorth gasped.
"My love, hurry," I whispered.
He wrapped his arms around me from behind before murmuring a word, putting on his magick speed once more. Before I knew it we were in our bedroom. Morgorth shoved away from me, and started unbuckling his jacket. My lust-fueled brain told me that was a good idea, so I started yanking off my tunic.
"How do you want it?" he asked as he tossed off his jacket and began on his boots. My mind short-circuited for a moment when I gazed at his pale chest, his amber nipples. The scars that scored his skin. I wanted to trace them with my tongue.
"I don't care." And I honestly didn't. I just wanted us both naked and pressed together, and to have nothing else matter but simple sensation and pleasure.
It seemed to take ages, but we were finally naked and my heart leapt when we came together again. His hands roamed over my body, making me tremble, making my muscles tense and stretch. I allowed my own hands to wander, to feel and touch. My fingers bumped over his spine, grazed over his scars. Morgorth trembled against me, as much in desperate need as myself. And all the while our mouths never parted, our tongues never ceasing to dance.
Then Morgorth began to push me toward the bed. I went, excitement building like magma in a volcano. The back of my legs hit the bed, and I let myself fall backward. Morgorth came with me, draped over me, his entire body touching mine. I pressed my fingers into his back, his skin nearly burning me. His mouth trailed down my neck, my chest. Though I wanted his mouth back on mine, I also enjoyed what he was currently doing. He sucked one of my nipples, bringing a blast of sensation to my groin. I hardened painfully.
"Morgorth." I gripped his hair, tangling my fingers in his dark locks. He continued his descent. His mouth left a heated trail as my need only continued to build. I wanted release. I had to have it.
When his tongue slid across my torso, I found myself horribly impatient. I shoved his head down to my throbbing erection, and he just laughed. Laughed. I scowled down at him. He grinned at me.
Then his hand gripped the base of my shaft before his hot, wet mouth enclosed my tip, sucking gently. My spine arched as pleasure spiraled through my body. My blood heated to an unbearable temperature, my muscles tightening in shock.
His talented mouth brought me to the brink, but he didn't have the decency to give me release. He pulled back. I cursed, rather breathlessly. Then he flipped me over and with strong hands, pulled my ass to the edge of the bed, so only my upper half lay on it.
That was fine. I liked it. I looked over my shoulder just as I felt cool liquid slicked across my entrance. His fingers probed me, and I pushed back against them. We both knew he had to go slowly. It had actually been a while since I'd been the bottom. But it was so hard to be patient when my entire being throbbed with desire and demanded satisfaction.
When Morgorth had three fingers inside me, he curled them, brushing against my inner walls. I gasped, clenching the blankets in a death grip. Moaning, I moved my trembling hips, wanting everything he offered.
I suddenly felt his heat press against my back, his other hand brushing away my hair. He kissed the back of my neck.
"You really are stunning."
My laugh was slightly breathless, but I managed to turn my head, meeting his gaze. His eyes were still glowing; this sort of activity always brought his magick to the surface.
"Show me how stunning I am." My smile was pure invitation.
His eyes sparked, and his grin was slightly wicked as he stood and removed his fingers. I had to watch as he slowly began to enter me. I have to admit, he'd gotten better at this. Not that he was ever bad, not in my opinion. But his confidence had certainly grown after we'd done this a few times. After he finally wrapped his head around the idea that I wanted to have sex with him, wherever, whenever. There would never be a time I didn't.
I just wanted him. Now and forever.
I moved with him as he pushed completely inside me. The burning delighted me, and the stretching exhilarated me. He began slowly as always, but then sped up, his hands digging into my hips. I loved his grunts, his gasps for breath. I reached underneath myself, stroking my erection and closing my eyes, allowing pleasure to overtake every thought.
I loved him inside me. It was the first real fantasy I ever had of us together. I had wanted him to claim me, to dominate. It was only when I grew older that I wanted to be the one to dominate. And now I could do both. Each had their different delights, different kinds of pleasure. But all were satisfying.
I turned my head and saw that he was watching me. His mouth was open, his eyes intent on my body. Then his eyes found mine, and what I saw in them actually made me come. I gasped in surprise as my muscles seized, as my ass tightened around Morgorth's shaft. He grunted in surprise as well, and
in a heartbeat I felt wetness inside me. His release pulsed through me as my own claimed my body.
Then he fell on top of me, shoving me into the bed. I smiled since I had no strength to laugh. I managed to find his hand, squeezing it.
"Welcome home," I murmured.
Morgorth squeezed my hand back. "We're not done yet."
I blinked in surprise before my smile widened and I closed my eyes.
Good. I was always up for more.
Chapter Sixteen
The next two weeks were filled with training and little sleep. We'd come to an understanding, he and I, and that knowledge kept my energy up. When Morgorth wasn't training with Master Ulezander, he was training in hand-to-hand combat with me. He was getting a lot better at it, but more often than not, our training would descend into another activity that would make us equally sweaty. I was more than happy to be a vital part of his training. He barely slept, but I don't think he minded too much. He seemed eager to complete his training and to see Master Ulezander on his way. I had to admit, so did I.
This was my home. He'd finally accepted that fact. Those seeds were my proof. And I at last accepted that I couldn't have done anything to save my tribe. Not only because the Mother had written it, but because had I been with my tribe, I would have died with them. The battle with the mage allowed me to finally understand and accept my tribe's fate, and I felt a large weight lifted off my shoulders. It was time for a fresh start, a new life, without the weight of the past.
Morgorth finally accepted that I didn't need him to hover over me. I could handle myself, even against a mage of a high level. But I had to remember not to be reckless. For him. For us.
For the whole damn world.
The day finally came when his final test arrived. He had passed all his lessons, and now he had to use everything he'd learned in a duel with Master Ulezander.
"I'm going to throw up," he admitted to me as we came close to the open field south of Vorgoroth where it would take place.
I smiled and rubbed his back. "Don't be silly. You have a stronger stomach than that."
He rubbed his stomach. "I don't think so."
"You'll do great. I've seen you train, Morgorth. You're a master at magick."
He smiled at me. He did look a little pale -- well, more than usual, anyway. "Shows how much you know."
I chuckled and kissed him lightly. "Just keep taking deep breaths."
He nodded. We entered the field, and Master Ulezander was already there. He had taken off his heavy robes and seemed to be stretching as we approached him. He smiled. He was thinner than I had expected. I'd never seen him without all his robes.
The sun beat down on us, melting some of the snow. The temperature was still obscenely cold, but I doubted either of them would notice after they got started.
"Good morning," Master Ulezander said politely. "Aishe, would you mind staying close to the tree line? I wouldn't want you to get hit with a rogue spell."
I nodded. "I don't fancy being hit with one either. I will happily stay away from you mad mages."
Morgorth smiled like I'd wanted him to. I touched his hand lightly before walking back to the trees. Morgorth took off his heavy coat before undoing the top two latches of his jacket. Master Ulezander took several steps away from him, and then they faced off. They bowed to each other. Then it began.
I've never seen so many bright colors before. It was like a dancing, dangerous rainbow. Spells flew through the air, and both mages seemed equally matched. That surprised me. Master Ulezander had many more years of practicing magick, and he was an Elder of the Council. But he never seemed to get anything past Morgorth. I began to notice that my mate's defensive gestures were similar to those in hand-to-hand. Whenever he was shielding against a spell, it was like he was shielding against a punch. I felt absurdly proud.
They began to use the elements. Air. Fire. Earth. Water. The ground heaved, water fell from the sky, snow melted, the wind howled. Morgorth was lifted off his feet by a blast but he turned the wind to his advantage, swinging around the gale, causing his mentor to move around, to shift his stance. Morgorth then buckled the earth, and Master Ulezander nearly fell. I realized I was clasping my hands very hard in front of me, but I couldn't relieve the pressure; I was too engrossed in the battle.
While Master Ulezander was steady, Morgorth was quick. They complimented each other well. Morgorth's stance had improved dramatically, and when his mentor shot a large flame of fire at him, Morgorth managed to shield against it and his feet never moved. He didn't skid across the ground at all. He stayed firm. I wanted to cheer.
It wasn't just visual stimulation that kept me intrigued, however. Some spells made sounds: the fire roared, the rain hissed, the wind howled, and the earth groaned and cracked. Some spells made sounds I'd never heard before, while others were strangely silent. As the battle progressed, Morgorth began to shout his words of magick, and I realized Master Ulezander was now murmuring them, his mouth forming the words instead of saying them in his head.
That meant both of them were getting tired. They were losing the concentrative power needed to form words in their head to activate their magick. I couldn't say when the battle turned to Morgorth's favor, but it did. I was suddenly watching my mate shoot fireball after fireball at his mentor's shield. The fire was white, roaring with the ferocity of payshtha fire. Master Ulezander's feet skidded across the ground. I could see him trying to ready a spell to counter Morgorth's, but my mate seemed to anticipate it, and after shooting another fireball, he caused the ground to give one last violent shake. To my astonishment, Master Ulezander was thrown off his feet.
I gasped. The great mage landed hard on his back. Morgorth hit his mentor's shield again with a strange green goo that tried to melt through it. Master Ulezander vanished the shield with a hiss of pain. Then, before I could blink, and before Master Ulezander could utter a word, the grass of the field lengthened into ropes similar to the vines of Geheimnis's walls, looping around his wrists and ankles before twining around his mouth. This all happened too quickly for me to comprehend what I was looking at.
I realized I was jogging toward them. Fear made me move. I had to stop Morgorth. There was something wrong. Something was horribly wrong. He was going to kill his teacher!
Morgorth shot forward, and around his hand a fire burned, one as bright as the sun. But then he froze.
I got a closer look at his face, and I could see the shock that, I was sure, mirrored my own. Morgorth had been like a mage possessed. It was like he'd forgotten who he was fighting, why he was fighting. He'd been so intent on winning... on killing.
I skidded to a stop, my heart pounding. "Morgorth."
My mate blinked rapidly, and I could see the shock in his eyes give way to horror. The fire around his hand disappeared. He stumbled backward, hissing a word, cutting his arms through the air. The vines let his mentor go. The great mage slowly sat up; wincing like the old man he now appeared to be. He rubbed his wrists, looking at Morgorth, considering him. My mate's face had turned ashen, his eyes wide, his breathing uneven.
"Congratulations, Morgorth. You passed."
My mate said nothing. He was visibly shaking. He slowly straightened, then abruptly gave a curt bow before turning on his heel and striding away. I had the impression he wanted to run, but managed to control himself.
"Morgorth--" I called after him.
"Aishe, wait," Master Ulezander called me back, holding up a hand.
I stopped in my pursuit and just watched as Morgorth crossed the clearing before disappearing among the trees, never once looking back.
I stood next to Master Ulezander, and we were silent for several tense moments.
"What happened?" I asked finally. I had a sense about what had just occurred, but I needed to make sure I understood everything.
Master Ulezander rubbed the back of his neck. He sighed quietly. "You saw. He beat me."
"But, you took it easy on him, didn't..." I trailed off as I looked
at him. He had an eyebrow raised, and he was looking at me with disappointment. "You didn't throw the match."
The truth settled on me like a thick cloud.
He shook his head. "If I had it would show a lack of respect for both parties. The point of this final exam was for him to use all he has learned and to use it skillfully. He did."
"But... you are so much older than him, aren't you?"
He smiled. "Indeed, I am."
"He shouldn't have beaten you. He's told me that... power isn't everything, that skill is more important. He's admitted that he has a lot of power but is still developing his skill. You are more skilled."
"Not anymore, it would seem."
I swallowed hard. I looked in the direction that Morgorth had disappeared in.
"That scared him," I whispered. "He knows your power, your skill, and he just beat you, fairly." I shook my head. "I could hardly believe that myself. He seems to be scared of his own power."
"He is."
I looked at him.
"Has he told you about how his power came to him?"
I frowned. "He called it to him. When he was seven."
Master Ulezander met my eyes. "Exactly. That is impossible, Aishe."
I blinked. "Surely someone..."
I saw the truth in the mage's eyes. "It's impossible, Aishe. It should never have happened, and he knows it. A mage may be born with magick inside him, but it does not manifest until puberty. It is not fully formed until then. When Morgorth reached for his magick, he should not have found it because it should not have been mature. But it was there, fully formed, only waiting for puberty. And, not only that, when Morgorth reached for it, yanked it to the surface... It should have killed him."
I didn't know how much more of this I could handle. "But it didn't."
He nodded. "But it didn't. Not only did he find it, call it -- he used it. He used it with only minor side effects. And, just recently, he fought two necromantic armies with little or no help from outside elements. All that magick came from inside him. He is a true wonder."
