by Glenda Diana
Grandmother nodded her head.
"When?"
"Soon," grandmother whispered. "Very soon."
Tears welled up in Arysa's eyes and she fought to hold them back. "If I were to find a place to shelter you, would you go?"
Grandmother came to her feet and approached Arysa. "Why do you find it so hard to accept what must be?" she asked, laying her hand on her granddaughters arm.
"Because you taught me to go against all that I should just willingly accept, did you not? You taught me to dare the fate that had been handed to me. Are you now telling me that though you taught me these beliefs that you yourself do not believe in them?"
"What I am telling you, child, is that I have existed for sometime and termination is not that bad, not really."
"You know as well as I that termination will come only after a period of punishment. And if I am what you say, your punishment will be severe."
Her granddaughter was very smart, perhaps too smart. "I told you the High Ruler knew how I was raising you."
Arysa stared hard at her grandmother. "Aye, you did. But if my lessons were correct that means nothing, you will still have to pay the price of punishment. Do not treat me as if I am ignorant. I learned fast and I learned my lessons quite thoroughly. You can whisk it off as nothing of importance, but I know differently."
"Enough," grandmother sighed. "I will not have you worrying about me. You have things to do and not much time to do them in. I want you to focus all your powers on that and nothing else." When her granddaughter started to speak, she held up her hand. "Get some rest and we will discuss this later, all right, lovely?"
"Nay. I want to discuss it now!"
The expression on grandmother's face was one of hurt. "You will grant me my request. I do not have the strength to argue with you right now."
Arysa's anger left her as she stepped forward and embraced her grandmother. Though she wanted to make her see reason, she knew that it would be useless to press her further. She would do as her grandmother suggested, but upon arising she would make sure that they finished with this issue.
"Later," murmured Arysa. "But you will not fob me off, right?"
"Certainly not, lovely."
"Huh!" with a kiss to her grandmother's soft cheek, Arysa went down the small hallway to her room. No matter what her grandmother said she would do her best to protect her. She could do no less.
Near the small hearth in her room sat a bucket of warm water that she had placed there earlier. Stripping off her clothing she took a quick sponge bath. The pre-dawn air fluttered through her open window. She could smell the scent of rain upon its breath. Tossing the wet cloth to the side, she climbed into the crisp sheets on her bed and stretched out. She would do whatever was required to protect her grandmother even if it meant surrendering.
When Arysa awoke several hours later, she pulled her wrapper on and headed for the kitchen. The house was silent. Looking out the nearest window she smiled. Grandmother was much like her. She loved to journey out into the woods where she could release the energy that seemed to be pent up within the walls of the cabin. In the kitchen she found a large kettle of water heating over the hearth and the tub sitting in the middle of the floor. Her grandmother's thoughtfulness brought tears to her eyes.
As quickly as she could she bathed and then hurried back to her room. Brushing out her damp hair she let it flow down her back as she pulled on one of her more faded dresses. As she made her way toward the front door she grabbed a piece of fresh baked bread from the table and then went out to search for her grandmother.
An hour later panic began welling up inside her. She had searched the woods and her grandmother was nowhere to be found. Over and over she called her name only to have silence answer her. Finally she got her panic somewhat under control. Sitting down, she tried to focus all her attention on the glowing pellet of her inner music as she called forth her power. She had to find her grandmother. She could not let any harm come to her.
It took several long minutes for her focus to turn inward. She stood and removed her clothing, for it hampered her efforts. Raising her arms, she freed her powers, casting them into the woods around her. When she did not find her grandmother she sent them further out until they reached the forbidden zone.
It was dangerous to let her powers radiate too strongly, she knew this, had been warned many times by her grandmother, but it did not stop her from searching. Her vision stretched wide and far and in the end found not one trace of her grandmother. Tears fell unheeded, as she tried again. Searching every inch of the forest. It was useless ... Grandmother was gone.
Crumpling to the ground she sobbed. She had failed the one person she had sworn to never fail. She had let them take her. Early this morning she should have used her powers to cover and shield her, but instead she let the old dear brush away her worries.
A loud clap of thunder made her jump. The sky above turned dark with an approaching storm. A shiver raced down her spine as her heart began beating fiercely. This was not a storm of nature. Lightning flashed across the darkening sky making her shield her eyes. It seemed as if the ground beneath her shifted with each explosion of thunder. Impulse told her to run and hide, but hide from what? Reality told her that it would do no good ... whoever was coming knew just how to find her.
All thoughts stumbled to a stop as she covered her eyes when the bright flash of lightning blazed across the sky. When she lowered her hand it was to find an intruder standing before her.
He was a largely built man. Black hair touched his shoulders, shoulders so wide that they blocked out the shadowy branches of the trees behind him and filled her whole vision. His long thick legs were braced wide apart. His hands were fisted and resting on his hips. Tight black pants hugged his powerful legs, a black shirt covered most of his upper body except where it lay open, revealing a dark forest of curly black hair. Boots of black leather rose up over his lower legs and knees ending midway up his thighs. But it was the sight of his eyes that sent a new series of shivers down her spine. They appeared so light that she thought they were white and then they suddenly flashed with a crimson glow, causing her to scoot back away from him.
"Come to me."
His voice vibrated through her like the echoing of the thunder. She shook her head and moved back yet again. "Where is my grandmother?" she managed to whisper.
"The old one has been seen to. Now, come to me."
Anger tingled to life within her. "The old one?" she mumbled.
"Don't!"
The rest of Arysa's words died upon her lips.
"We have not the time to argue! Come to me now!"
When she would have moved back yet again, she stopped. His eyes turned a darker hue of red and then all functions within her froze. She could not move. He had used his powers, making movement impossible. Within three strides he reached her. Grabbing her by the upper arms, he lifted her and slung her over his shoulder. It felt as though she was trapped inside a body of stone, staring out helpless to do naught.
A giant black beast snorted out puffs of white smoke, as his huge hooves pawed at the ground. Standing her in front of him, the man pulled a thick black cloak from the horse's back and draped it over her nakedness. In one fluid move he mounted his horse, then pulled her onto his lap. The cloak was pulled so that it engulfed her in total blackness.
Chapter Eighteen
Arysa was not sure how long they rode or where they went. At long last the thunderous sound of the horse's hoofs began slowing. Had they reached their destination then? She could only hope so. She would have to free her powers from the spell in which they were now entrapped if she wanted to protect herself.
Lifting her to his shoulder, the man dismounted. A wave a fear shot through her. It was the not knowing where she was or what was to come that frightened her. Though fear was not something that her people admitted to, her grandmother had taught that a reasonable amount of fear was required in order to think clearly and accurately. In eighteen years
this was the first time she had ever doubted her grandmother's wisdom.
She heard the sound of a door opening. The sweet smell of spices teased her nostrils. The sound of his boots clicked against what sounded like stone. If she had thought that he would release her right away, she was mistaken. Several minutes later he finally put her down. She could hear him moving away from her. Slowly the feeling of immobilization fell from her. She pulled the cloak from around her face and looked around. Whatever dark image her mind had conjured up dropped from her suddenly when she found herself in a garden. The soft scent of wild flowers filled the night air.
Her captor was nowhere to be seen. Turning, her gaze moved over the large gray outline of a building in front of her. Was this his home? Casting her willy-nilly thoughts away, she turned her thoughts inward. She had to use her powers, sparingly, hoping he wouldn't detect her wakeful state. She concentrated on the glow deep within her and then stopped. Gritting her teeth, she glanced down at the cloak that covered her. In order to let her powers flow freely she was going to have to remove the blasted thing. She hesitated for only a moment longer and then coming to her feet, she let the cloak fall away. Though she hated the very thought of being caught in such a state of undress again, there was nothing she could do. Much to her disgust and embarrassment, he had already seen her naked.
Slowly she began to move to the song of power swelling within her as she gently probed the area around her. The fortress was cold, as if nothing lived within its walls. A shiver quivered down her spine. As carefully as she could, she probed deeper. When she could find nothing, she began probing the area around her. The white mist of night danced along the rim of her powers filling her with its softness. Her brows came downward when her powers reached a wall in which it could not breech. Again she tried to move past it only to find the effort a waste of valuable time.
Then she felt another presence. Its power was moving close to her. The music in her lowered, as the gentle touch of the stranger's powers moved over her. She fell to her knees as a tingling awareness budded to life inside her, stirring her deep yearnings to life. She increased her own level of music trying to ward off the probe.
A low growl undulated through the white mist that moved in on the night wind, surrounding her within its cocoon. She searched the area until she detected the stranger. Her breath caught as he moved within sight. It was he ... her captor. Again, she was held immobile as she took in the size of him. He was such a tall, muscular man. The only men she had ever been around were the ancient tutors that had instructed her and none of them could be compared to this one.
He was dressed differently now. His chest was bare only the thick pelt of black hair covered his broad expanse. His long powerful legs were covered with the same black hairs. A loincloth of black and silver covered his most intimate part. Arms that were wide and thick hung at his sides. She noticed that his fingers were long and elegant as they clenched and unclenched at his side. It seemed as though all of him was colored rich golden brown attesting to hours spent beneath the sun.
She moved back to sit on her heels as she kept her gaze trained on him. His eyes moved over her leaving fire in their wake. Moisture pooled in her woman's core. She was experiencing new and strange feeling that she had never felt before. It was frightening and yet it was exciting. She licked her dry lips. Her predator watched, as his eyes seemed to glow brighter.
She felt as if a binding had been placed around her whole being and that she was slowly being pulled toward the stranger. Her logical and realistic side of nature battled against this unknown feeling of entrapment. Yet the rash and free side of her was surrendering quite willingly.
The heat of his eyes was burned away all thoughts, all battles, making her a submissive mass that was yielding, surrendering and begging to be captured. All her life she had tried her best to hold tight to the reins of her cravings, her desires and her hunger, but now within just a few beats of her heart she could feel the reins slipping from her grasp, sliding free from her tight hold.
Silence hung heavy between the distance that separated them ... filled with words not spoken with the tongue, but with the eyes. Unfelt touches that caressed and teased and aroused. The longer they stared at one another the more intense and stimulated each of them became.
He took a step forward and her breath hissed from her in a moan that spoke more clearly than any words could have. Her body was becoming overheated, over-sensitive, with an almost painful stimulated longing. Bowing her head and breaking the eye contact between them she gave one more futile grasp to gain control of her being. It was useless, for even though she was not looking at him, she could feel his gaze upon her and her body shuddered to life more fully.
Raising her head she met his gaze again. Beads of moisture from the white mist clung to her body making it glisten in the silvery shadow cast by the moon. Her breasts felt heavy, her nipples hardened as a warm breeze stroked over them. The ache in the center of her being throbbed to life, making her whimper softly.
Without thought she laid back, her eyes pleading to him for something, she knew not what. Dry leaves and twigs dug into her skin. The smell of wet earth gave her a sense of comfort. Her hips raised slightly when she felt the burning gaze upon her. Her hands dug into the wet dirt. A blazing heat started at her channel and then moved inward with an intensity that brought another cry from her lips. She withered beneath it, trying not to escape as she consumed more and more, letting it fill all of her. Capturing it and holding it within her power. Wanting it to never cease even as she felt each fragment of herself breaking apart into thousands of tiny nerve endings that suddenly burst into a fiery eruption.
Arysa felt herself floating back on the gentle breeze. Her body still shivered and trembled at the power he had used on her. Though her powers were strong, his had been much stronger. She waited hoping the trembling would soon stop. Given the chance, she knew her embarrassment would soon rise up and enfold her within its embrace. She was not going to let that happen. This man, whoever he was, might have more strength in his power, but he had failed to hide one important factor from her ... he desired her.
She could still feel his gaze upon her. With a soft sigh, she stretched her arms up above her and then slowly opened her eyes to meet his gaze. He had one major flaw, she thought as she slowly sat up. His desire would be his downfall. Ever so slowly she moved onto her knees, her eyes never leaving his. He looked like a statue carved in stone. His jaw was clenched tight and the muscles in his arms and legs were taut with restraint.
If he was the one that she had been promised to since before her birth, why was he using restraint? Why did he not just take what, to his mind, was his? Pushing her thoughts aside, she moved into position. Her long black hair was draped down her back and several strands fell over her shoulders to drag upon the ground. On all fours she moved slowly toward him.
"It won't work."
Arysa paused at the sound of his words. His voice was deep with a sensuous linger to it. She moved closer, stopping when she reached his bare feet and then sat back on her heels. Her gaze moved over him. Moonlight danced on his dark hair, turning several strands to a silvery blue. Dark swarthy skin was stretched tautly over his finely chiseled face. Thick black brows accented his vibrant light blue eyes. His nose was slightly long and wide, high cheekbones slashed their way across both sides of his face. His lips were thin and yet there was a hint of sensuality to them.
Her gaze lowered, as she continued her slow inspection of him. Though she had tried to hold her expression emotionless, she knew she had failed when she reached that one certain part of him for her eyes had widened slightly before she caught her own reaction. If there had been even a niggling of doubt about his desire for her it was now laid to rest. Never had she seen such blatant desire before. The material of his loincloth was stretched tightly over the hard bulge of him.
Swallowing, she let her gaze move down over his long muscular legs until she reached his feet. An over powering sense of
strength seemed to radiate from him. Standing before her only two words filtered through her mind ... dark and dangerous. And there was something else that she could not ignore no matter how she tried ... the craving in him was like a siren calling out to her.
She shivered again. Fighting down her sudden feeling of fright, she tentatively reached out with both hands, laying them against the warm skin of his legs. The black hair prickled her palms even as the heat of his skin seemed to burn. The muscles beneath her hands jerked in response to her touch giving her a dram of courage to continue.
"Arysa, it won't work," he stated again, as he clenched his teeth.
The use of her name stilled her hands. She looked up at him.
"You cannot turn my desire for you against me."
Her hands dropped to her lap. She shook her head, not so much in denying his words as in surprise. How had he known what she was about? Was she so transparent? And just how had he known her name? Anger quickly came to the forefront of her emotions. Her back arched as a growling purr whispered past her lips. She sprang forward in her attack only to find that he was prepared for such a move. His arms closed around her, pinning them to her side and leaving her feet dangling in the air. When she tried to deliver a painful blow to his male region she found herself falling backward. Her back hit the ground and then she was trapped beneath his heavy weight.
"You will listen to me."
"Nay!" she shouted, fighting to get free from his hold. "You, bastard! Give my grandmother to me!"
The scrape of her nails against his back made him howl out in pain. With very little effort he trapped her hands down once again. "You're a slippery one and your claws are like razors." He knew that his hold would not last long, not with the way she was fighting him. He stared down into her face and let his power begin radiating from him.
Arysa knew what was going to happen. "No!" she withered, trying to get free before he could stun her with his power.
