by Eden Redd
Blue Mage
Dark Seduction
Eden Redd
Blue Mage: A Dark Seduction © copyright 2016 Eden Redd
All Rights Reserved
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"It's a foolish thought, but it's one I will foolishly fight for until I can no longer stand!"
~Granberia (Monster Girl Quest)
***Blue Mage: Dark Seduction is book 4 in the Blue Mage Series***
Blue Mage Series
Blue Mage (Book 1)
Blue Mage: The Dead Heart (Book 2)
Blue Mage: The Witch Trial (Book 3)
One
The room was spinning. Trystan tried to focus as the dragon woman looked down at him with amused eyes. Heart beating wildly, the mage leaned a hand against the wall to steady himself. Taking deep breaths, Trystan willed himself to calm down but the process was slow as his eyes darted at the naked dragon woman.
Nia froze, unsure what she could do, if anything. The black haired woman turned her eyes to the red head and gave a sardonic leer. Black leathery wings flexed slightly as the dragon woman stepped closer to Trystan, a clawed finger out. The mage breathed in through his nose and out his mouth as the dragon woman tilted her head down to Trystan. The clawed finger touched his chin and tilted his head up so he could look into her eyes.
“You don’t look so well, Father. Maybe I should get on my knees and show you how happy I am to see you.” The dragon woman said with a hint of a giggle.
“You…you are not my child. You are a magical being made of energy inked into my skin. Freya put you there to torture me.” Trystan said with a quiver in his voice.
The dragon woman pouted. “Mother thought it would be best if I was here to protect you. She told me in a dream that you are weak and need saving. It hurts my feelings how you talk to me.”
“Tell your mother to leave me alone.” Trystan said with a defiant edge.
The dragon woman shrugged. “I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I belong to you, now and forever. Now let me ease your troubled heart. I promise to be a good girl to you. Let me play with you and help you feel better.”
Mist rolled off Trystan’s right arm. A moment later, Sylk emerged in a puff of smoke, knees bent and webbed hands in tight fists. The dragon woman stood straight up and eyed the blue siren as she took a step closer, rage etched into her brow.
“Stay away from him.” Sylk growled through gritted teeth.
The dragon woman let out a sarcastic laugh. “Or what? You will beat me into submission? I know all about you, siren. Mother made me this way so I can…..” The dragon woman stopped short when a webbed fist smashed into her jaw.
The dragon woman stumbled back, eyes wide with surprise. “You bitch!”
“Stay away or the next one won’t be a warning.” Sylk said as she stood in front of her master.
“Sylk stop. This is a hospital. We have to talk this out.” Trystan said as he stood on his own, taking his hand from the wall.
“No master. Freya made this thing to taunt you and hold power over you. I will make sure she doesn’t hurt you, ever.” Sylk said with eyes still on the dragon woman.
The dragon woman smirked as she closed her eyes and turned her head sideways, chin out. “Thing? My name is Kira you pathetic fish girl. I’m bonded to father just as you are. I wouldn’t hurt him. I’m here to protect him.”
“Master only needs one protector and that’s me.” The siren growled.
“Ha! Your master belongs to mother. We all know it. You can sprout all the nonsense you wish but I’m not going anywhere. I belong to him as much as he belongs to me and mother.”
Sylk’s eyes narrowed. “We will see about that. Master, forgive me.”
Trystan could barely make out the blur of motion. Sylk propelled herself so fast toward Kira that she had become a blue streak. Webbed hands launched a series of blurring fists at the dragon woman calling herself Kira. Kira was ready, spinning away just as Sylk’s fist was mere inches away from her face. Black scaled hands slashed outward and were blocked by blue scaled forearms. Wings flexed and moved, spinning out. Sylk back peddled but a wing engulfed her and threw the siren into a white wall. Sylk recovered, sliding to the ground and sweep kicking outward. Kira leapt into the air dodging the sweep. Sylk smirked as the dragon woman was in midair. The siren opened her mouth and screamed. A thin line of hard vibrations slammed into the dragon woman’s chest, sending her flying backwards into a wall, cracking it.
Kira slid down to her scaled feet, a crazy look in her eyes. “Now you’ve done it.”
The dragon woman opened her mouth and a stream of green fire burst forth. Sylk spun away as the fire struck the wall and partially melted it. The siren closed the distance as Kira closed her mouth. She ducked down and brought a webbed fist up. Kira took the hit to the jaw but she was ready for it. The dragon woman’s head turned slightly but a black scaled hand reached out and grabbed the siren by the throat. Sylk struggled as claws clamped onto her neck. The siren was about to scream until Kira tightened her grip. The blue siren struggled to pull in air, taking her scaled arms and slamming down on Kira’s arm. The dragon woman held fast and stared amused at the struggling siren.
“Father doesn’t need two familiars.” Kira said with an evil glint in her eye.
Big strong furry hands took hold of Kira’s arm. The dragon woman turned to see Red Fang wrapping fingers around the black scaled arm and squeezing. Kira held fast as the red wolf man continued to squeeze with one hand and take hold of her fingers around Sylk’s throat. Kira grunted as her hand was forced open and Sylk fell to her knees. The black dragon woman turned her attention to Red Fang and spit out green fire. Red Fang’s wolfish head took the blast full on but did not let go. A moment passed and the wolf familiar’s eyes went wide as strength drained from his muscles. Kira smiled as Red Fang let go and fell to one knee, red fur singed and smoked.
“You thought I just spit fire. Mother thought of everything. I’m inked from a rare poison dragon. I burn with toxic fire. Put your hands on me again and I will make sure you never use them again.”
Kira looked to Nia who dropped to her knees and threw her arms around Red Fang’s thick shoulders. “Keep your beast in line.”
The dragon woman turned her attention to Sylk just as the siren was standing up. “Now where was I?”
Trystan moved in front of Sylk with his arms out. “Enough!”
Kira looked to Trystan and bowed her head. “I’m sorry Father but she started it.”
“I don’t care. This stops now!” Trystan raised his voice.
“But Father…..” Kira whined.
“Stop! This is a lot for all of us to take in. You two will not fight, ever. Do you understand?”
Trystan could barely control his rage as it flared. The situation moved beyond bizarre but he had to put a stop to it. The mage had no idea if Kira would listen to him. The dragon woman kept her head bowed but shot Sylk a dirty look. The siren stuck out her tongue. Red Fang and Nia were already getting to their feet when the door burst open with several healers and a magistrate.
“What’s going on in here?” The magistrate commanded an answer.
Trystan turned to the magistrate and bowed his head. “I’m sorry. My new familiar is still getting used to being bonded to my skin.”
The magistrate turned his meaty neck and head to the cracked wall and then back to Trystan. “You will have to pay for the damages.”
Trystan nodded. “I understand. Who should I conta
ct to pay for fixing the wall?”
A healer huffed. “Don’t bother. Parts of the hospital were damaged from the slimes. They are going to get it fixed anyway but you should leave if your familiar is being difficult.”
Trystan nodded to the healer. “I will. I’m sorry for the disturbance.”
The healers left the room but the magistrate stayed and eyed Trystan with a disapproving glare. The mage turned to Sylk and Kira. Without a word, the two familiars bowed their heads, turned to mist and returned to his skin. Red Fang stayed by his mistress’s side as Nia sat on the edge of bed.
Trystan walked over to her and took her hands into his. “I’m sorry this happened. You should rest. I will be by tomorrow.”
Nia looked up with one green eye and one white eye. “It’s okay. We should have known that Freya would try something like this. She is such an evil bitch.”
“I need to sort this out. I promise to be back every day until you can come home.”
Nia nodded. “I shouldn’t be here long. Call me when you get a chance.”
Trystan took a long soulful look at Nia. He could tell she was hurting in more ways than one. Knowing that she is permanently blind in one eye and seeing a familiar that looked like Freya except mixed with a dragon, only seemed to make everything that much darker. Nia let go of Trystan’s hands and turned from him, pulling the white sheet over her legs. Red Fang stayed by her side, a furry clawed hand stroking her long lustrous hair.
Trystan’s heart sagged in his chest as he turned away and walked out. The magistrate closed the door behind him and watched as the blue mage walked down the hall to the elevators. Shadowy thoughts plagued the mage’s mind as he stepped into the elevator and the doors closed.
The mage pondered, wondering what he would do next. The city had taken a beating and everyone he knew would be helping in the reconstruction. The mage’s thoughts quickly turned to Gwen. The ink witch would know more since the black oval inked into his skin finally turned into Kira.
Trystan cursed Freya under his breath as the elevator doors opened. Stepping out, he walked toward the exit while contemplating how he was going to fix so many shattered lives, including his own.
Two
Trystan walked along a dilapidated street. The slimes caused swaths of destruction and Stukarr citizens worked to reclaim their home. The mage watched as people piled rubble into the streets from damaged homes and buildings. Student mages assisted with reconstruction by fusing stone back into cracked buildings while others firmed up structures from the base up. The sky was clear as the city breathed a relieved sigh, happy that the current threat was over.
The mage walked along. He would be in there too, helping and doing what he could but the Headmaster and Headmistress were clear that he had to rest. Diving into Bella and fusing with her mana pathways nearly burned out the mage. It would take weeks for him to recover fully. Trystan often became dizzy and had to sit down from time to time. They worried that if he exerted himself that he could cause some permanent harm to himself. So on the mage walked, feeling helpless and nonproductive.
Stepping on broken glass, the mage looked up to see a tilted sign hanging by one chain. The ink shop stood, sandwiched between two cracked buildings. It didn’t look too worse for wear. The sign needed fixing and the main window was shattered to pieces. Inside, the mage could hear the sound of sweeping.
Trystan took a deep breath and took hold of the door handle. As soon as the door opened, the top hinge broke and the door nearly came down on the weakened mage. The bottom hinge held so the door merely tilted over the mage, threatening to flatten him. Gwen held a broom in her hands, sweeping up broken glass and debris from the floor when she heard the door. Looking up, the ink witch felt her eyes water as she stared at Trystan’s smiling face.
Gwen leaned the broom against the counter and nearly rushed him. Arms wide, she took hold and hugged him close. Trystan returned the hug, taking in her scent and warmth. Gwen felt her shoulder tremble slightly and broke the embrace. Looking away, she tried to wipe away the tears and retain her composure.
“How are you feeling?” Gwen asked as she strained to keep her voice from breaking.
“I’m getting better day by day. How are you?” Trystan eyed her with concern.
“You know, cleaning up and trying to piece everything back together. The shop has been open but no one is coming in for familiars yet. I think when the college reopens, business should pick up. Right now I just keep coming across more broken glass and dust.”
Trystan looked around the shop. At first it looked fine to him but the longer he stared, the more he could see broken glass in corners and a layer of dust on book shelves. The counter looked fine until Trystan noticed the big crack. The leather plush chairs had tape covering parts that were sliced open. Gwen walked back to her broom and picked it up. The witch started to sweep again, almost oblivious to Trystan’s presence.
Trystan walked over to Gwen and took hold of the broom. He leaned it against the counter and looked into Gwen’s blue eyes. The ink witch stared back, eyes still wet as she seemed to fight some internal dialogue. When Trystan touched her hips, the witch threw her face into his neck, sobbing. The mage held her close, letting her let it out. Gwen trembled in his arms, holding the mage and never wanting to let go.
“I’m sorry I brought you into this mess.” Gwen sobbed. “If I left Bella at the ruins then none of this would have happened.”
“No one is blaming you, especially me. There was no way any of us could know this would happen.” Trystan said, trying to comfort her.
“I’m sorry. I’m not normally like this. I see the destruction and I think…..” Gwen trailed off.
“The city will be fine. We will rebuild and move on.” Trystan smiled.
Gwen pulled slightly from the mage and looked into his eyes. “No….you don’t understand. It’s not about the city.” Gwen paused for a moment. “I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.”
Trystan grew quiet, eyes on his friend.
Gwen continued. “After my husband left, I promised I would never love again. It hurt too much to go through something like that again.” Gwen pressed her hand to Trystan’s cheek. “Then you walked in and I knew something was there.” Gwen wiped away a tear. “You were drunk and babbling on. I worked on you, inking Sylk into your skin, trying to concentrate but you began talking about your dreams.”
Trystan listened. Thinking back to their first meeting, he knew very little of what actually happened. Gwen gave him something to calm his nerves but the night was a blur. He didn’t remember anything except walking into the shop and then waking up at home.
“Nia had fallen asleep in a chair and I continued to work. You talked about how you loved reading and searching for knowledge. How sad you were for living your life in Sapphire Cove. You wanted to see and experience the world. It was endearing to see such excitement in your eyes. I had to admit that it sparked something I haven’t felt in a long time.”
Gwen broke away from Trystan and walked over to one of the chairs. She sat down and stared at the floor, eyes lost to a memory. “Then you leaned in and kissed me.”
Trystan’s brow shot up in surprise. “I did?”
Gwen gave a small smile. “Yes. It was quick but the face you made when you sank back into the chair, it looked like something you had been hiding finally woke up. I went back to work, thinking that you were simply drunk and carefree. When I was done, I took one of my maps and wrote my request down. I placed it in your jacket and I woke Nia. She took you by the arm and pulled you to your feet. She was ready to pay but I told her it was on the house. Since you were travelling by horse to Stukarr, I felt you two may need all the coin you had.”
Gwen leaned back in the chair. “I tried to not think about you or how I felt when you kissed me. I thought I was being foolish for having such a strong reaction. But the more I thought about you, the deeper the feelings were. I tried to keep tabs on you using scry spells. When you were hurt in th
e forest, I came to you and healed you from your dreams. It was the only way I could send my mana to you.”
“Is that why you came to Stukarr?” Trystan asked.
Gwen looked to him. “I came for many reasons but one of them was about you. I had to know it was real. I couldn’t go on not knowing.”
Trystan stepped closer. “Now that you know?”
Gwen felt her heart skip a beat. “Now I cannot picture my life without you. I know you love Nia but I am happy to know what we have is special. Even if we simply remain friends, I’m happy knowing you Trystan.”
Trystan took her hands and pulled her to her feet. Gwen felt open and exposed as Trystan gazed into her eyes. A long second passed before Trystan pulled the witch close and kissed her. Gwen melted into Trystan’s embrace, tongues touching and playing. The heat between them rose and both could feel a feverish internal stir.
When they parted, Trystan smiled. “I feel it too. I cannot go on without you in my life. My relationship with Nia is still forming but she is not bothered by us spending time together.”
Gwen looked down and put her hand to the mage’s chest. “Maybe not now but sometime in the future you may have to choose. You are both young and exploring your boundaries. Nia may decide she wants you all to herself. If I was her, I would want that too.”
“Is that what you want?”
Gwen gave a faint smile. “I want you but I can share you. I want you to know that.”
Trystan let out a small sigh. “I want you and Nia. Is that selfish of me?”
“No, you have a big heart.” Gwen smiled.
“Big enough to love two women and a demanding familiar?”
Gwen nodded. “Has Sylk made her intentions clear?”
“She has. It seems like you already knew that.”
“In the beginning, Sylk and I would meet in dreams. I wanted to make sure she was going to a good master. Sylk knew the instant her ink touched your skin that she was in love. She spent much of our dream time together talking about you. She barely knew you and already she was in love.”
