“Then who did?” Maya argued. “He doesn’t trust anyone. Who could have possibly gotten him to drink something drugged without him suspecting?” As the words left her mouth, Maya’s face melted. Appearing as if she were on the verge of tears, Maya pleaded, “Mom, no! Please tell me you didn’t. Please tell me you didn’t do anything this dumb.”
Lila’s silence was all the answer she needed.
“Why?” Tears welled in Maya’s eyes as she looked upon the dark, reddened eyes of her mother. Gasping she added, “Mom, please tell me you didn’t read him.”
Once again Lila’s refusal to respond confirmed her suspicions. Unable to control it any further, and with Jarod too incapacitated to scowl at her, she let the tears fall to the floor.
“Oh, Mom,” Maya cried, “I told you not to do anything stupid. You already knew his aura was dark, so why would you go digging in his mind? You had to know the kind of things you would see.”
“It’s not that,” Lila responded, kneeling beside her and wiping the tears from her eyes. “I was prepared for the worst when I invaded his memories, but nothing I could have done would have prepared me for what I found.” Grasping tightly to Maya’s shoulders, Lila pulled her close until their faces were only inches apart. “Maya, do you have any idea who and what he is?”
“Of course I do, everyone does,” Maya gasped, cringing beneath her mother’s grip. “He is the Enforcer, the right hand of the Shadows.”
“No! Maya, he is a second child, one of the cursed ones.” Lila turned and looked upon the massive man resting seemingly peacefully on the bed. “He was destined to die long ago, but his brother refused to let him die. To save him a blood bargain was made with the immortal White Queen. Now both he and his brother are doomed to live eternally in her servitude until the debt is repaid or she decides to end them. Don’t you see? As long as you are with him you will never truly be free.”
“No, no, he would have told me,” Maya argued, moving off the bed and away from her mother.
“It’s true, I have seen it. He has a brother, older than him,” Lila continued. “Together they serve the resistance, under the command of the queen. A woman more powerful than all the Shadows combined.”
“The lady with the white hair,” Maya gasped.
“You have seen her?” Lila’s eyes bulged in their sockets.
“At the clinic, with a man nearly as tall as him,” Maya whispered. “That was him, wasn’t it? His brother.”
“Yes.” Lila approached her daughter carefully. “Maya, I need to tell you something and I want you to hear me out before you argue.”
“What?” Maya asked becoming frightened by her mother’s behavior.
“You and Jarod need to go to Oasis, the place where the queen and his brother live.”
“Mom, we can’t—”
“Of course you can,” Lila snapped, clutching her tighter.
“Mom, I know you are worried, but he will watch over me, I promise I will be all right,” Maya spoke calmly, attempting to soothe her upset mother.
But Lila was beyond comforting. “No you won’t! I have seen your death!” Lila shouted, collapsing to the floor.
Seeing her mother’s distress, Maya knelt beside her and wrapped her arms around her. “Are you certain you didn’t misinterpret something, isn’t there any other possible explanation?”
“No,” Lila sobbed, “it is the only thing I can see for certain.” Taking a deep breath, Lila explained, “Maya, your destiny has become intertwined with his and I can’t see either one. The only thing I can see is that if you return to that Tower you will die.”
Before Maya could respond, a voice behind them caught their attention. “This place isn’t much on privacy, is it?”
Looking behind her, Maya was delighted so see Jarod sitting up on the side of the bed rubbing his head.
“Jarod!” Thrilled to see he was all right, Maya ran across the room and threw her arms around him, catching him off guard. She felt him tense beneath her embrace and knew he was uncomfortable being around her mother, but held on for just a minute longer enjoying the moment. She then released him and flopped down on the bed beside him, grinning from ear to ear.
Lila smiled weakly. “You two have a lot to talk about,” she stated, walking from the room. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”
Once she had left the room, Maya could feel Jarod’s rigid frame relax beside her. “Is she that scary?” she teased, collapsing backward onto the mattress.
“Not her, but the things she says.” Jarod sighed, looking down on her. “Tell me something, is she always right or can she make mistakes?”
With her curiosity piqued, Maya sat back up. “Why? Are you worried about the whole dying in the Tower thing? Because if that’s it, don’t.”
“So it’s not true?”
“No it’s true. The problem is that she has no way of knowing when that could happen. The future readings are funny that way. You can predict what, just not when. For all we know it could happen tomorrow or one hundred years from now.”
“And what about visions from the past, could those have been misinterpreted as well?”
Maya frowned, studying Jarod’s face for any clues as to what was bothering him. “Why are you asking all this? What exactly did she tell you?”
“It’s not important,” Jarod said quietly, leaning back on his hands behind him. “It’s not like it will change anything.”
Maya rose from beside him to straddle his lap. “Why would you want to change it anyway?” she asked, pulling his face to look upon hers. “If you did, change just one minute detail of your past, it would alter every event after it leading up to this moment.” Maya smiled as she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “Which means it is very possible we would never meet.”
Jarod met her gaze and grinned, causing her heart rate to immediately double. “You make a very convincing argument.”
“Well, of course I do,” she grinned back, placing her hands on her hips, “why would you ever doubt me?”
“That I will never do,” Jarod breathed out. And before she knew what had happened, Jarod had pulled her into him, pressing his lips firmly against hers. Maya, after recovering from her initial shock, relaxed into his embrace.
They kissed furiously, taking turns giving and taking. Sometimes gently, other times forcefully, and stopping just long enough to catch a quick breath. Maya moaned and ran her hands into his thick black hair. He in turn pulled her in tighter, moving his hand carefully down her back, until it came to rest on the outside of her thigh. Slowly, he slid it underneath the hem of her silk gown, causing her to gasp.
Jarod hesitated. Breaking their kiss he gazed into her pale grey eyes, fearing he had pushed her too far.
What are you doing? she scolded herself. You have been wanting this for months, don’t chicken out now.
“Maya, I’m sorry. I just—”
“Shhh,” Maya stopped him, placing a finger to his lips. Reaching down she took ahold of the bottom of her gown and pulled it off over her head. Tossing it across the room, she sat before him, completely exposed and totally vulnerable. Jarod groaned as his eyes raked over her firm petite frame, every curve of her smooth body igniting a fire within.
Maya reached down, caught ahold of the bottom of his shirt, and pulled it over the top of his head. Then slowly and delicately she traced her finger over each of the scars decorating his chiseled chest. When their eyes met again, there was no doubt they were on the same page. Hunger burning in her eyes, Maya placed both palms against his chest, and shoved him backwards onto the mattress. Jarod failed to suppress a low moan as she proceeded to kiss every inch of that broad, rock hard torso, moving from his abs all the way back up to his lips.
Locking their lips back together, he moved his hands with purpose. Touching and caressing every curve but taking care not to be too rough on the tender skin of her back. Maya in turn ran her hands down the length of his massive torso, before coming to rest on the buckle of h
is pants. She was struggling to get it loose, when the sound of his boots being discarded behind her caused her to pull up momentarily. In a blur of movement, he flipped her underneath him, pressing his giant frame on top of hers. His lips wandered gently over the sensitive areas of her body, sending small waves of electrical currents all the way down through to her toes. She could feel his hands taking ahold of her last remaining article of clothing and just like that she was completely bare.
Once again his lips traveled back to linger above hers. “Are you certain you want to do this?” he breathed heavily.
She wondered for a moment if he would have even been able to stop if she said no, but in the end, it didn’t matter. Never had she felt the desire to have someone as badly as she did him in this moment. Locking her gaze with his she answered without a second thought, “More than you will ever know.” Then closing the gap between their lips, she ran her hands down his back to his waist and pushed his pants to the floor to join the rest of their clothing.
With nothing left between them, Maya wrapped her legs around his waist and in that moment, their bodies became one. A flood of ecstasy rushed through her as her body arched to meet his. Jarod moved slowly, deliberately, being sure to keep his weight carefully lifted so as not to crush her. He showered her with smooth, delicate kisses while his rough hands searched every inch of her silky smooth skin. Maya moaned beneath him, feeling him moving against her, with her. Then it was her turn. She placed her hands on his chest and he didn’t resist as she rolled him onto his back. Sitting astride him, she ran her small hands aggressively over the rippling muscles of his chest and abdomen, her whole body tingling with pleasure.
“Feed, Maya,” he groaned, his hands encompassing her waist.
Eyes closed, she tried to argue, “Jarod … I can’t …”
“Do it,” he growled. Pushing hard into her, he sent a wave of endorphins surging into her system and before she realized what she had done. Maya sank her teeth deep into his neck. Jarod suppressed the urge to yell out; instead he grit his teeth as she continued to move on top of him in tune with each draw of blood she pulled from him. He allowed her to have her fill, before flipping himself back on top of her.
“Do you trust me?” he asked, eyes glowing red.
“Yes,” she answered, her whole body trembling with nervous energy. Slowly he lowered his head to the small of her neck, and she tensed as he kissed it gently. “I won’t hurt you,” he whispered just below her ear.
“I know,” she responded. She closed her eyes and covered her mouth to suppress a scream as he sank his teeth deep into her neck. It wasn’t a scream of pain, but quite the opposite. She recalled the smirk on Aziel’s face the day she told them she had asked Jarod to bite her for pleasure. No doubt he knew exactly what she was talking about. However, as Jarod continued to drink, their bodies moving together, all thoughts of the Shadows and that cursed Tower vanished.
They were like any other couple in the world taking the time to enjoy the other’s company. And as they had both reached their peak, as Jarod released her from his bite, sweat beading on their foreheads, Maya knew there was no turning back. Exhausted and full, Jarod collapsed beside her on the bed. There they lay side by side, staring blankly at the ceiling, listening to the other’s heavy breathing.
“We just broke one of their biggest rules,” Maya sighed once her mind was able to grasp what they had done. “What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to run,” he breathed quietly.
“Run?” Maya repeated, facing him. It wasn’t the response she had expected. Especially coming from the man who had told her numerous times that running was suicide. “Where will we go?”
Jarod sat up on the side of the bed and looked down on her naked frame. She was breathtaking to behold and she was his. And as she stood from the bed, smiling at him, teasing him as she redressed, he realized that she alone was all he cared about and he would do anything he had to do to keep her safe. His mind drifted back to the conversation he had during the night with her mother and of her prediction of Maya’s death in the Tower, and he knew what he needed to do.
Looking back at her, she was aglow with his blood coursing through her veins, healing her starving body. Many of the bruises that had covered her arms had already all but vanished. Feeling even more confident in his resolve to protect her and keep her healthy, he answered, “We are going to pay a visit to your friends and my brother … we are going to go to Oasis.”
Epilogue
The sun had ascended high into the afternoon sky by the time Mallok began his daily stroll along the winding trials of the palace garden. It was absolutely gorgeous this time of year, and he took advantage of every opportunity he was afforded to roam its length. Taking in a deep breath of fresh air, Mallok released it slowly as he turned and walked through a large bush cut into the shape of an archway. Upon entering the secluded section on the other side, his senses were immediately filled with the colors and smells of hundreds of roses in full bloom around him. This was his favorite part of the entire garden; something about it just made him feel relaxed and comfortable.
“Good afternoon, your majesty,” a young mother said passing by, bowing her head.
“Apteroon magesti,” echoed her young daughter, a lovely blonde headed child with emerald green eyes. She couldn’t be more than two years of age.
“Afternoon, ladies,” he replied, nodding slightly.
He waited for them to pass before continuing on his way. Looking around, Mallok couldn’t help but notice there seemed to be an unusually large number of people out this afternoon. He nodded again as several more people passed and casually addressed him. But no one disturbed him beyond the normal formalities, for which he was grateful. After all, this was supposed to be his time to himself. His time to be alone with his thoughts and permitted, for a least a little while, to remember what it was like before he had thousands of lives dependent on him.
He continued winding his way through the roses until a gazebo came into view up ahead. Inside, a young couple stood, so wrapped up in each other, they were completely oblivious to anything and everything else going on around them. Stopping where he was, he stood for a while watching as they continued making their affections for each other very obvious. It seemed the young man was telling the lady a tale, and from the looks of his expressions and flamboyant hand gestures, it was definitely being exaggerated in some areas. Perhaps he was detailing to her the inner workings and upmost importance of his position inside the palace. Or maybe he was just reliving some youthful adventure in which he was the hero, coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress just in the nick of time. Whichever it was, the young lady played her part well. With one hand on her chest, she oooed and ahhhed at all the appropriate points, feeding confidence to the ego of her young suitor.
“Your majesty, your majesty,” a child’s voice called out to him, breaking his attention away from the young lovers. Scanning the distance, Mallok spotted a young boy, no older than eight, running toward him from the other side of the gazebo. He dashed up the stairs and down the other side of the wooden structure, nearly knocking the young couple over. The young man managed to regain his balance and shouted angrily after the child, until his eyes fell on Mallok. Turning pale, the young man bowed at the waist. Mallok waved him off and watched as he led the young lady away by her hand.
“Your majesty,” the child breathed, stopping a few feet away, “we are so glad you are here. Can you help us out with our lesson today?”
“We?” Mallok asked, creasing his brow.
“Henry!” Mrs. Brendall, the palace teacher, appeared running down the same trail Henry had just come from. Behind her a pack of about ten kids followed close behind all shouting and laughing.
“Mrs. Brendall,” Mallok laughed as she doubled over to catch her breath, “it seems your charges are getting away from you.”
“Forgive me, your majesty,” Mrs. Brendall gasped. “Henry gets rambunctious. I am afraid I must ad
mit he feels a bit more than I can handle sometimes.”
“Is that so?” Mallok knelt down to put himself eye to eye with the troublesome student. “Tell me, Henry, how can I be of assistance to your lesson today?”
“Well,” Henry started, staring over his shoulder at the displeased face of Mrs. Brendall, “she says that fire elementals are not as useful as the other elementals and that we are only good for destruction and war. But I know that isn’t true, it can’t be. We have a greater purpose than just destroying and killing, don’t we?”
“Now that is a serious debate, isn’t it?” Mallok responded, searching the ground around him. Spotting a decaying piece of wood laying off to the side he walked over and picked it up. Then taking a seat on a concrete bench, he called the students to gather around.
“Does everyone see this piece of wood?”
“Yes, your majesty,” the class rang out in unison.
“Good, now can anyone name which rare group of our people has been blessed with the gift of being able to manipulate this piece of wood and other plant material?”
“The botany elementals,” chimed a red headed girl in the back.
“Of course.” He nodded, acting as if she had reminded him of a long forgotten truth. Pinching the rotting wood between his thumb and forefinger, Mallok concentrated on turning the lifeless piece of wood into a living branch budding with green leaves and cherry blossoms. He then held the branch up for them to see and all the kids clapped. “But even though this branch has been brought back using the power of botany; can it stay alive this way?”
“No, it needs to be planted and watered,” several children cried out.
“Very good,” Mallok agreed. “So it is safe to say our elemental powers of earth and water are just as important to this branch as the botanical power that created it, correct?”
“Yes, your majesty,” the children answered once again.
“And the air too your majesty!” a particularly exuberant little girl shouted from the back, as she proceeded to jumped up and down waving her hand. “Even the plants need air to breath.”
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