“You have been offered a chance to serve the Empress.” Tessianna continued as though the interruption hadn’t happened, though her tone of voice was tense with anger. “We have an artifact that only someone bound to a heartgem can unlock into a usable state. We’re willing to offer certain concessions to you and your people in exchange for your cooperation.”
She’s smarter than she looks. Or maybe she’s just afraid of what the Empress will do to her if she fails, here.
“What are you offering?” asked Hal.
“What am I offering…?” mused Tessianna. “That is a very good question. You’ll be allowed to leave her with your life, for starters.”
“You assume that you have enough valkyries here to kill me,” said Hal.
She did. He just hoped that she didn’t know that. The legend and mystery surrounding the heartgem gave him room to bluff. He watched Tessianna’s face careful, but she didn’t give anything away.
“On top of that,” she said, continuing. “We would have achieved our goals on the surface. I would withdraw my army to the Upper Realm and leave your land without further conflict.”
“I counted a few dozen soldiers, at most,” said Hal. “This is barely a raiding party.”
“Rest assured, we have more,” said Tessianna. “They wait in strategic positions, ready to attack your capital city. I believe that’s where your woman resides. The Maxim’s new ambassador. My forces will seize the city, capture her, and rape her.”
Hal kept his eyes on Tessianna’s, doing everything he could to get a read on her before she managed to do the same. She was serious, and worse, Hal suspected that she’d make capturing Laurel the stated goal of an attack against Meldence. He’d seen the city’s defenders, and they wouldn’t stand a chance against a few hundred valkyries.
“Keep going,” said Hal. “I believe there’s also a matter of hostages that the Empress currently has in her possession.”
Tessianna smiled, and Hal knew he’d overplayed his hand.
“Ah, yes,” she said. “Such a caring soul you are. The hostages would be released. The brother of the ambassador, along with the Ardstone girl, assuming it aligns with your will. We deal in good faith, Heart Holder. We are generous.”
Suspiciously generous. But what choice do I have?
Hal spent a few seconds making a show of considering her offer, and then nodded.
“I’ll need privacy,” he said. “Some time alone with the artifact.”
“Of course,” said Tessianna. “Eltran, retrieve the Jessa Archive from the storage chest and bring it to the Heart Holder. Zoria, lead him to one of the empty tents in the back of the camp.”
Zoria jumped slightly as Tessianna said her name, hesitating for a moment before saluting. Cadrian came with Hal without asking for anyone’s permission, but nobody stopped her. Hal waited until they were outside the tent and out of earshot before speaking in a low voice to both of them.
“If this comes to a fight, where do the two of you stand?” he asked.
Neither of them answered.
CHAPTER 18
“Master…” said Zoria. “Halrin. My friend. Please, let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Her words felt like cuts across his heart. He’d placed so much trust in Zoria in times past. Seeing her at Tessianna’s side had him feel simultaneously hopeful and discouraged, and now the discouragement was pulling ahead.
“Look around, Zoria,” said Hal. “All of these people, all this death. This is what you’re a part of! You and your fellow elves, this is what you did!”
Cadrian set a hand on his shoulder, and Hal reeled himself in. Zoria slowly shook her head.
“I wasn’t here for it,” she whispered. “I arrived with the reinforcements. Please, master. Tessianna may well be acting in good faith. Don’t do anything rash, not yet.”
“I would tend toward agreeing with her,” said Cadrian. “Spend some time with the memory crystal, first. Perhaps there is something to it that can give you more bargaining power, or a different kind of advantage.”
They reached the tent, which was barely large enough for a single person. Hal slipped inside alone, bending to will the crystal lamp on the floor into providing illumination. The two women didn’t follow him into the tent, and he was glad for it.
He knew that they had their own motivations and concerns. They both had family to think about. They both had grown up in the Upper Realm and understood its ways and culture on a level that Hal never would.
Did I make a mistake by trusting them to begin with?
It was a separate question for each of them, though in each case, he didn’t really want to consider it too deeply. It felt too much like indulging in regret. The memory crystal had been set out atop a silk square in the center of the tent, and Hal turned his attention to it as much to distract himself as to fulfill his end of the bargain.
The Jessa Archive was a perfect sphere. It was cloudy blue in color, with the faintest hint of the crystalline lattice visible on the inside. Hal lifted it up in his hand and slowly passed it back and forth, from one palm, to the other.
There was nothing about it that suggested a way of activating it, though that was the case with most crystals. He took a deep breath, and carefully reached out with his will, trying to trigger whatever mechanism that would cause it to do whatever it was supposed to do.
Nothing happened, at least not at first. Hal felt his eyes locking onto the memory crystal, attaching to it as though it had a physical pull. He reached out again, and this time, he felt something within it.
It was almost like the essence in his heartgem, but more complicated and complete. It was changing, too, shifting even as he reached out to get a sense of it. Hal felt a sudden surge of fear of the unknown, of whatever magic lay within the crystal. He tried to set it back down on the silk square.
His arm didn’t move. His breathing, likewise, was becoming rhythmic and even. Panic surged through him for a moment. It reminded him of a few times when he’d been dreaming and thought he’d woken, only to realize that his body was still frozen. That sensation usually wore off after a few seconds. He wasn’t sure if what he was currently experiencing had a similar limitation.
The crystal began to glow, and the tent surrounding Hal seemed to slowly pull and contort inward. It didn’t feel like the tent was collapsing. It felt like reality was turning inside out, with the memory crystal as its focal point.
It felt like he was falling forward, tumbling head over heels, the speed of it building to dizzying levels. Everything Hal could see blurred together, replaced with a kaleidoscope of pink and blue fractals that filled the entirety of his vision. He tried to scream, but the instant he opened his mouth, it felt like his breath was being torn from his body.
More than just his breath. Something vital, something that made him who he was. Hal felt himself land, sensation returning to his body and limbs. He opened his eyes and hurriedly pulled himself to his feet.
He was somewhere else, somewhere that defied conventional description. The ground beneath him was a platform of opaque blue material that didn’t feel like glass, crystal, metal, or anything else that Hal could put a name to.
It extended as far as he could see in any direction, which was no more than about fifty feet, due to the pink, billowing clouds which shrouded most of his view. Crystals were littered across the platform and in some cases, arranged, one turned on its side, while smaller ones placed to its left and right, making a table in chairs. Or two which had been placed parallel to each other, with the space in between filled with the pink cloud substance.
Hal turned in a circle, looking at the rest of the mysterious realm he’d been pulled into. He focused his attention on a large crystal which protruded from the platform at an upright angle. It was clear, and there was someone inside of it.
He moved in closer and felt his jaw drop open in surprise. A naked woman was contained within a crystal about the size of a large coffin. She looked human, given
her relatively average size, but she had ears that were more like an elf’s, though not like any he’d encountered. Instead of jutting straight up, they were more like scythes, curling outward and down.
She looked to be around thirty, older than elves usually appeared, though he knew it would be a mistake to think that to be her true age. Hal found it surprisingly hard to ignore the fact the was naked. She was well-endowed, with pale skin and black hair that ran almost down to her waist. He glanced down at himself and realized that he, too, was unclothed, nude except for his heartgem and the cord that it hung from around his neck.
This is bizarre. What am I supposed to do, exactly?
He approached the imprisoned woman slowly, stopping as he came within reach of the crystal coffin. The clear crystal encasing her looked thin, and Hal reached out to tap on it after a moment of consideration.
“Hello?” he said. “Are you… Jessa?”
The woman’s eyes snapped open. Her irises were purple, and she looked at Hal with an intensity that made him feel defenseless, and more naked than he already was.
“You dare enter my realm?” asked the woman. Her voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, and it set Hal on edge, like the sound of glass shattering. “Why do you believe you have the right to disturb me?”
She pushed forward, her body briefly flashing with light as she passed through the crystal coffin as though it wasn’t even there. Hal took a step back, feeling an irrational fear take hold of him.
I’m in her realm, and at her mercy.
“I’m… the Heart Holder,” Hal said. He would have said more, but it was hard to focus, the woman’s presence overwhelming his emotions in an unnatural way.
The woman, who Hal was now sure was Jessa, smiled at him.
“Show me,” she said.
Hal wasn’t sure what she meant by that. He waited a few seconds, hoping she’d give him a better idea of what she expected. When Jessa remained silent, Hal reached into his heartgem, feeling for the essence within it.
The sensation was altered. The heartgem wasn’t limited to the essence stores he’d filled it with. It felt like reaching into a bag with a hole in it, reaching past the usual limit and touching a reservoir of essence that was not his own.
The rules of the realm were different. Hal knew without needing to be told that he could cast any of his spells without needing an elemental catalyst. The catalysts were a part of the fabric of the realm, fire, water, wind, earth, and nature, all woven into the very space he was moving through.
He lifted his hand into the air, pulled from the ambient essence of the realm, and released a Flame Blast straight up. The spell seemed small, almost meager. Jessa watched, her arms folded out of judgment, rather than to cover her nudity.
“Cast it on me,” said Jessa. “I must know you.”
Hal hesitated, wondering if she was serious. Her expression was almost arrogant in the way it was set, but there was a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes. He shifted his aim, focusing his passion, reaching out to his ruby essence along with the ambient essence of the realm, and cast Flame Blast in her direction.
The fireball struck Jessa in the chest. She shuddered and fell to one knee. Hal winced, unsure of what to do. Jessa’s breathing was shallow and uneven, and her chest and breasts heaved up and down. He stared at her and had a sudden realization.
I don’t think she’s in pain…
“Mmm…” moaned Jessa. “Interesting. Now it is your turn. Would you like to know more of who I am? Of who I was?”
Hal didn’t get a chance to answer. He could feel the ambient essence of the realm shifting as Jessa channeled it, preparing to respond with her own spell.
CHAPTER 19
She moved faster than Hal had been expecting, casting a fire spell not dissimilar to his own Flame Blast, only with a larger projectile. He couldn’t get out of the way in time and settled on lifting his arms up to block the flames as they exploded against him.
He didn’t feel pain. Rather, for an instant, his thoughts were somewhere else, doing and experiencing something else. He couldn’t see the full extent of it, but he was aroused, and completely captivated by his own sexual urges. He could see Jessa standing across from him on the platform. He could also see her in her mind’s eye, her legs spread, her breasts heaving.
This is the essence behind each spell.
Hal reacted more out of reflex than intention. He cast Flame Blast again at Jessa. He watched as she all but walked into it, shuddering as the flames made harmless contact. Her hand went to her crotch and she buckled to her knees. Hal was already moving toward her, somewhat unsure of what was about to happen.
“Yes…” whispered Jessa. “Your heart is made for passion. Raw, and lustful.”
She stood to her feet slowly, jutting her chin out at him. Hal watched as she extended her hand and knew that she was about to cast a fire spell on him. He almost shivered with anticipation.
He felt her this time, her thoughts and her passion. She was riding a man, chasing her climax, and she was also betraying someone she loved. She was doing it solely for pleasure, and it made the intensity of the moment all the sharper. She would be loyal, and faithful, after this one time. After just one more time.
Hal was already casting Flame Blast again. Jessa was moving toward him, a tiny smile on her face. The spell hit her, and this time, she let out a soft coo of pleasure, biting her lower lip and touching herself openly.
“Mmm…” hummed Jessa. “And so strong. You know a little. But do you know enough? Would you try?”
They were close to each other now, only a few feet apart. Hal only managed to stay where he was by a force of will. He was naked, fully aroused, and she was right there, taunting him with her intense eyes. He wanted her, even though he knew it was either a test or a trap.
“What are you doing?” asked Hal. He was surprised by the strength he managed to put into his voice.
“What are you doing?” Jessa took a step closer to him.
“Is this some kind of game?” asked Hal.
“Would you like to play with me?” asked Jessa.
She let her hands settle on his shoulders. The instant her fingers made contact, the same passion Hal had felt from her spell surged into him. He gritted his teeth and took her by the waist, unsure if he was fighting back or playing into her hands.
He kissed her, and her lips moved eagerly against his, sending another burst of pleasure through him. Hal’s hands moved over her naked body aggressively, pawing across her, though the majority of his attention was on her buttocks and breasts.
There was a presence to her that went so far beyond her beauty, or her nudity, or even the intimidation factor of being in her realm. The glimpses of the essence behind her fire magic had given him an insight into who she was, almost as though she was an old lover who’d walked back into his life.
Jessa had been bad in all the best and worst kinds of ways. Jessa knew passion and desire on a level that made Hal’s forays into romance and ruby magic look like child’s pretend. And Jessa was naked and standing against him, letting him poke his hard cock against her navel.
“What are you…?” whispered Hal.
Jessa had a secretive smirk on her face, as though she’d lived a thousand lives, and yet still knew of no pleasure better than a quick, intense romp with a practiced partner. She took hold of Hal’s shaft in her hand and pressed her breasts against his shoulder, breathing against his neck as she slowly stroked him off.
“I am a crystal ghost,” whispered Jessa. “I’ve lived in seclusion for a very long time. Am I more than you can handle?”
Hal twisted, pulling her against him and kissing her. Jessa wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned back slightly. He took her by her thighs and lifted her into the air, feeling her weight as less than it had probably been in life.
The angle didn’t quite work, and he was too impatient to try more than once. He started lowering Jessa down toward the platform. One of the pink clouds f
ormed behind her, before he could, coalescing until it was thick enough to seem almost solid. Jessa leaned back on her, and it supported her, proving that it was.
The amazement Hal felt at the trick was only a side-note compared to his pressing, pounding lust. He climbed on after her and pulled Jessa’s legs open. She took a handful of his hair and angled his face down to kiss her.
As Hal’s lips met hers, he felt a flash of heat. She’d used another fire spell on him, and with it came another burst of pure, unfiltered lust. He saw her sitting on a man’s lap, her skirt hiding the dirtiness of what was happening underneath. They were in public, and she was again, being unfaithful. Younger this time, rocking back and forth, the man fondling her breasts and grinning as she tried to keep her expression serene.
Hal groaned as he pushed forward, feeling as though he was already at his bursting point. He slid his shaft into Jessa, hearing her take a sharp inhalation of breath at the moment of penetration. He was aroused, but he was also angry at her manipulations. And here she was, presenting her body to him to take out his frustration as he pleased.
He started off at a harsh, punishing pace. Each thrust shifted her body on the cloud, which released tiny pink puffs of whatever substance it was made of into the air. Jessa rocked her hips up to move with him, her breasts moving in time with their rhythm.
There was something about the encounter that made him feel wary, beyond the already mystical circumstances. There was a layer underneath Jessa’s willingness and enthusiasm. She was testing him, but why or for what, Hal wasn’t sure he knew.
How far can I push her?
He used his right hand to channel another Flame Blast, launching the spell against one of her buttocks, though he knew that it didn’t matter where it made contact. Jessa’s body tensed, and she let out a squeal. Hal pressed himself down on her, kissing her neck and letting his shaft slide upward a little.
Eternal Palace (Sexcraft Chronicles Book 4) Page 10
