Out of Darkness: Cirenthian Chronicles (Erotic Fantasy) Book 1

by D. R. Rosier

  Jace growled, “Spill what you know.”

  The guard sneered but otherwise stayed silent.

  Jace grabbed the guys hand and bent back his thumb, the man screamed from the nerve pinch.

  Jace said, “Talk, or I’ll cut it off next time.”

  The guy was breathing fast, “I was just following orders. Mage Danson wanted the elf bitch dead, as well as the foreign mage. I don’t know why, I don’t know his plans. All I know is he considers them a threat to some plans of his. It should have been simple, we had a mole in the camp, and the archers were just a distraction.

  “We waited for the perfect time to ambush from behind, but he found us.”

  The guard looked at me as he said that last part.

  Jace asked, “Was Danson the only mage in on this plot?”

  The soldier shrugged, “They’re mages. I just do my job. They’re always scheming and backstabbing each other, though to be honest I’ve never seen them go as far as assassination before. I imagine he wasn’t acting on his own, but as for who else could be involved I’ve no idea.”

  Jace asked, “Anyone else have a question?”

  There was no point; I could tell he was being truthful. His heartbeat, his scent, all indicated it. I shook my head. No one else did either.

  Jace pulled them out of the wagon and slit their throats right there in front of us.

  I felt Sienna tense against me for a moment, and then she leaned against me. We spent some time getting the road clear of corpses, both human and horse. Niol was well enough to drive, Sienna also volunteered. Jace took the last wagon.

  Henry said, “Alright, let’s move out, luckily we hit Star’s Cove today, although it will be a little later than we had planned.”

  Jace had me on point, and Ari on rear guard. I guess he would have the middle from the wagon seat. I was searching with my magic, but a lot of my mind was turning over what just happened. I’d been a mage for less than two weeks, I wasn’t even halfway to the capitol yet, and already there were mages trying to kill me.

  Ari too. I was angry, but I knew I needed to direct it well and show restraint. I was really pissed though, and during the last day of our first leg of our journey, I slowly calmed down.

  I simmered with anger, held it back in abeyance, until I, or rather we, figured out who was hunting us and why. Henry called Ari and I over to his wagon after we pulled over on the outskirts of the main town, Sienna followed us over.

  Henry looked uncomfortable, “Would you accept a breach of contract if I paid you six gold coins each right now? That would cover our agreed upon price, plus the two bonus coins for battle.”

  Ari said, “You fear we will be attacked by others, perhaps even mages on the road. I won’t burden you so, the original agreement implied protection from bandits, not scheming mages.”

  I cleared my throat, “I agree. We will find another way.”

  We took the gold, gathered our belongings and horses and headed into town.

  Ari said thoughtfully, “We should just go as the three of us after a nights rest? Traveling with horses will cut the rest of our trip down to eleven or twelve days as well.”

  Sienna nodded, a hard determined look on her face, “We probably don’t have a choice, I am sure word will spread about what happened.”

  I felt a surge of relief go through me, I could tell Sienna was starting to truly care for me, beyond the lust and position, but I half believed she would have wanted to split. My life had just gotten very dangerous. Mage enemies had just crossed over from a possibility to very real.

  The town was busy this afternoon, we wanted nothing more but to get to an inn and wash up, but we needed to pick up some new clothes and buy some equipment that we’d need, now that we weren’t in a caravan anymore. We bought pans to cook in, foodstuffs, plates, silverware and all that stuff.

  We were heading toward the inn when Sienna asked, “Will you teach me to use a bow?”

  The idea of Sienna fighting scared me, but at least she hadn’t asked about learning the sword. That took years, a bow could be taught in an afternoon. Granted, she would still need a lot of practice…

  Still, what if something happened to split us up momentarily and I wasn’t there, she needed something or she’d be defenseless. I agreed reluctantly and we picked up a compact bow and some arrows.

  Finally done with the shopping, we went to the inn and got two separate rooms. As soon as I closed the door Sienna started a bath and stripped off her clothes. I followed her lead and stripped down. I still had dried blood from this morning caked into my skin and I couldn’t wait to get it off.

  We got into the tub together. I washed her gently while she washed me. It was impossible to touch her soft skin and feel her hands on me and not respond. By the time we were done and climbing out I had an aching hard on. Sienna melded her body to mine. She was a little breathless and her heart was racing with desire.

  I brushed my lips softly against hers and then looked into her eyes while our breath mixed. It had only been a little less than two weeks, but I could see the love in her eyes and I’d no doubt she could see mine. Some might say it was the adrenaline, or our bodies’ response to mortal peril. But I knew the truth, the attack hadn’t made a difference in how I felt, it simply forced me to admit the truth to myself.

  What I felt now was far beyond physical attraction, lust, or simple chemistry. She had strength of character, and she was so very strong and stubborn. Yet, she was soft, beautiful, and pliant in my arms… She was mine, but I was also hers.

  Our lips came back together and I moaned at the soft feel of hers against mine. My world shrunk down to one focus, this amazing young woman in my arms. We teasingly brushed out tongues together and across each other’s lips as we slowly kissed. I led her over to the bed and laid her down. I tweaked one of her nipples gently, and then ran my hand down her body. She was wet, and I could smell her sweet arousal as her moist and swollen labia opened for my questing finger.

  Her hands traced lines of fire along my back and around to my chest.

  Sienna said huskily, “I need you in me, please.”

  I pulled her legs apart gently and lined myself up. It wasn’t the time to tease her. Besides, her voice had been full of longing and deep need already.

  I slid into the tight wet friction of her welcoming body. Her core tightened down when I was all the way in as if to make sure I couldn’t leave her body’s embrace. We moved our bodies together slowly as if savoring every sensation and blissful movement while our eyes met and locked, captivated by each other’s.

  She made soft whimpering sounds between her hurried breaths as her body trembled and my manhood was squeezed and massaged, a rush of her honey wet our inner thighs. The scent of her, her touch, the sweet sounds that left her lips… it all drove me to pleasure her over and over again.

  I’m not sure how long we made love, or how many times Sienna’s nubile and supple body trembled beneath mine. I was completely lost to everything but her and the feeling of our love making, until her body took me into blissful ecstasy and claimed my seed.

  As we laid there in each other’s arms I felt a little guilty. I had told Sienna almost everything about me, except one thing. Things were too serious between us now to hold such a big secret.

  I said tentatively, “I have to tell you something. There is one thing you don’t know about me and it is rather… a big thing.”

  She lifted her head off my chest and looked at me. She didn’t say anything so I continued, explaining what I was. Mostly human, but enchanted to never age or die. I told her that if, when, this became general knowledge that I’d most likely be hunted by some mages. Living forever unless killed would be a big temptation.

  She was a bit white faced when she asked, “Why now, why are you telling me now?”

  I replied in a soft voice, “Because I love you. Because you can’t truly be mine until you knew it all. Now you do. I only waited so long because… the goddess told me to keep it a sec
ret.”

  As I saw her face change from confusion to anger, I retracted my thought from days ago that I wanted to see her angry before making any decisions.

  She got up and started to get dressed…

  I asked, “Going somewhere?”

  She scowled at me and her voice was scolding, “To get dinner for the jackass I’m in love with, it’s my job after all, and it will get you out of my sight for a while.”

  Huh. As she slammed the door I thought that our talk had gone better than I believed it would. I could take being a jackass along with her being in love with me. I didn’t exactly like her being angry at me, but a small part of me thought she was sexy as hell being so.

  She came back up ten minutes later with a stuffed tray, more than she usually brought. My confusion was resolved a moment later when Ari glided into the room gracefully from behind her, shutting the door. It took my brain a few seconds to catch up, and I pulled the bed linens over my legs and around my waist.

  I still felt a little uncomfortable with nothing covering my upper body, but Ari seemed unconcerned. They both walked over and sat on the bed, putting the tray between. Sienna wasn’t looking at me, and Ari didn’t seem to notice she was along as a shield and she obviously had no issues with my state of dress.

  I picked up what looked like a chicken sandwich and took a bite.

  Sienna said in a cold formal voice, “Does dinner meet with your approval mage Marcus?”

  Fuck… Really? She had a right to be pissed but… That wasn’t right was it? I knew we were in some no man’s land where she was between employee and wife after I told her how I felt. Throwing that in my face pissed me off, was she saying that was all there was between us now?

  I stood and started dressing, I could be fairly level headed but now I was pissed. Yeah, I’d kept a secret from her, but I’d trusted her with it as well, not to mention my heart. She was probably entitled to lash out, but that didn’t mean I liked it one bit, or that it didn’t hurt.

  Ari asked, “Where are you going?”

  I answered her, my voice sounded detached, “Out for a run, before someone says something that can’t be taken back.”

  I could swear I heard her sob just before the door slammed, but I kept going… We could talk about it after we both cooled off.

  Chapter 9

  The run cooled my head before I made it very far out of town. I didn’t see any other option but what I had done, waiting until the right time. But what I had told her was no small thing. I still thought leaving was the best idea to let cool heads prevail later. I may have been old but my years as a vampire were different.

  There was blood. That was the focus, the hunger. I’d never fallen in love in all those years, and this body was so different, so alive. It had come with tiredness, pain, and now ridiculously sharp emotions. Still, I wasn’t a weak man either, I had disciplined my blood hunger, and it didn’t take all that long to get my emotions back in perspective.

  I turned around and made my way back to the inn, considering what I needed to do but patience seemed to be the only answer. I opened the door to our room and walked in. Ari sat with her legs crossed on the bed, she gestured at the food and I joined her.

  Ari said evenly, “I do not like this, but I was asked to give you a message. Sienna said she had thinking to do and like you didn’t want to toss hurtful words, I am allowing her to spend the night in my room.”

  I said guiltily, “I’m sorry you were dragged into it.”

  I picked up my partly eaten sandwich; it was cold but not too bad.

  Ari asked curiously, “What happened, will you share it? I can see the deep love she has for you, and it confuses me how she is acting. Humans are so… strange.”

  I shrugged, considering it for a moment. I was close friends with Ari. She was my teacher, a loyal friend, and I had been painfully honest about everything else in my life. If I was honest with myself, I probably felt more than friendship for her. Sometimes I thought I read something in her eyes too, but it was probably my imagination.

  I really didn’t need to be thinking about that now though, not with Sienna in the other room crying when I’d much rather be… what? Marrying her at the local chapel to the goddess? I sighed out loud; Ari was just looking at me patiently.

  I had to admit though, it was one thing I was afraid to tell her. Not because I feared she would betray me, but because over the last two weeks I’d learned how much the Elves respect nature in all ways.

  My immortality was far from natural, I was afraid she would see me like an abomination.

  I still hadn’t consciously decided when I opened my mouth and started talking. It was easy, I had told her so many other stories trying to keep some balance in our friendship. It all just flowed out. When I finished I looked up into her silver eyes and saw nothing but compassion and acceptance there.

  It was a relief. Maybe without the passionate love that Sienna and I shared, it wasn’t as shocking as I thought it would be.

  She put out a hand toward my face, “May I,” she asked tentatively.

  I nodded and she touched my skin. I felt her magic enter my body. Not elemental magic, her personal magic. The same magic we would use to search through and detect our elements and what was inside them.

  She said, “Curious, I can feel it. It is so complex, almost sentient. That is why blood transfers worked on your world. It seems to want to spread. Perhaps if you ran a stream of magic through it, you could pass it on that easily. I can also see why Sienna is so confused.”

  I said softly, “I know it must be a shock, but…”

  Ari snorted interrupting me, “You are thinking of it like a betrayal, a large secret you held until she loved you too much to leave. You would be wrong. She is asking herself how will it work if you can’t grow old together, can I have children with him, will he even remember me when I die, or am I simply a plaything for a blink of an eye from his point of view? Am I just one woman in a line of unending women? Will he still hold me and stare at me with love when I am old and wrinkled, and he still young, sexy, and handsome?”

  She stopped there and blushed, realizing what she said. I almost teased her about it; she thought I was sexy and handsome? But I held back, she was trying to be helpful after all. Even if we did get together, she was the representative of her kingdom, which would make it extremely complicated. I also wasn’t even sure what Elf and human relationships were thought of, or even if they ever happened.

  I said, “I guess I wasn’t thinking about all that. She is so strong it didn’t occur to me she would be insecure at all, I just thought she’d be pissed I hadn’t told her sooner.”

  Ari said, “Now you know. As long as I got you alone, let’s do a lesson, then I’ll go back to my room and keep Sienna company. I like her by the way, I fully approve of her for you.”

  I grinned, “I’m glad you do. I have to go pick up one more thing before the stores close, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  I went off to pick up that last minute item. Even haggling the thing had cost me and I hoped it would be worth it. Ari looked as if she hadn’t even moved since I left. I also had to consider that Ari just gave me a clue on how to pass on my immortality, is that something I should do? I wanted to of course, the idea of having Sienna forever was very appealing, but was it right? What if it didn’t work, what if it killed her because she had no magic of her own.

  Some people died on Earth during the blood transfer, I had no reason to believe it would be different here. Perhaps if I waited until the end of her life it would be worth the risk. Now wasn’t really the time to think of it. I couldn’t believe it, but perhaps she would decide she didn’t want to stay with me on the morrow.

  I’d had more than my share of serious thoughts for the day…

  I sat on the bed with a twinkle in my eye, “You’re stunningly beautiful by the way,” I winked.

  She gaped at me and I smiled, “Really, probably the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life, an
d you even know now how long that’s been. I just thought you should know what I thought since, well, I know you think I’m all sexy and handsome,” I teased.

  She blushed, “Really? Most humans are put off by the silver hair and eyes.”

  I shrugged, “The first time I saw your hair was when you were doing a sword dance. It was lit up in the moonlight, quite beautiful. I’ll admit your eyes were beautiful, if startling at first, but I got over that fast. Now stop fishing for compliments and teach me something,” I finished in faux annoyance.

  She pouted up at me through her eyelashes; I had to firmly remind myself the woman I loved was in the next room and very upset with me at the moment.

  She gave a longsuffering sigh, “Fine, but I have a lot of other features you haven’t praised yet.”

  Yes, like her long graceful neck, adorable nose, pouty lips, and her petite but shapely body, and the exotic beauty her sculpted upswept ears gave her overall appearance.

  Hmm, I bet I could get away with quoting Shakespeare here, all original lines. I shook my head.

  “So what’s next my lovely teacher?”

  I was so going to hell. I was in here flirting with Ari, maybe I should go next door and see how she’s doing. It was within the bounds of this society to start a relationship with Ari, and I was starting to realize she wouldn’t be averse to it, but only after I spoke with Sienna. Things were to unsettled right now.

  Ari said, “You are doing okay for a beginner, but I want you to be able to monitor your internal magic. After that I won’t have to so closely supervise when you practice. Based on the last few days, I figured it will take you about twenty four hours to regain your magic from three fourths empty. You should never go below that if you can avoid it.

  “Once you get a sense of it, I would suggest never going below half when you practice, or use it for non-critical things. You never know when another mage will take a stab at you, and you don’t want to be anywhere near empty then. I’m only saying go down to a quarter for now so you can get a feel for it.”