by Mark Eller
Inhaling deeply, the smell of determination filled him, drawing him to the nearest woman; the woman who bore a look of intense necessity. A deep frown made her expression as cold as a winter mountain stream. This was Elise, obviously She bore the regality of a queen; back straight, face grim, eyes hard. Within Dakar a deep need suddenly sprang forth, literally. His cock rose, hard and bulging with need.
Dakar grinned. Yes, he would certainly enjoy being this woman’s king and mate. A woman like this would be passionate in his arms, forceful and passionate.
Reluctantly, he moved further into the tent. Moving his attention from Elise, he examined the others, gauging their threat factor, classifying them all as either useless or of only slight use to his plans. When his focus fastened upon the man on the floor, a man who was wrapped in blankets, naked and dirty beneath, Dakar drew in a quick breath and shuddered. Dakar’s temper flared for a moment, then gradually calmed. Even without a face-full of fur and fangs, he knew the wounded man, this renegade thief, Mathew Changer. Fox had spent a month in his greedy little hands, a month of delay, a month of fuming and ranting because the dullard had nearly ruined what had taken Dakar years to plan.
A popping noise brought the god out of his reverie. He had clenched both his fists so tightly the knuckles had cracked. Silently growling, he drew in deep, long, and controlled breaths to calm his anger. Luckily for Mathew, Fox had escaped while the thief lord traveled toward Grace. Had she not escaped and eventually returned his eye, Dakar would have made what Athos did to those who displeased him look like a mild game of chess when compared against Mathew Changer’s fate. His little thief would have taught the wolf man a thing or two about pain, whether she wanted to or not.
Rigid tension slowly eased from Dakar’s body. No need to become irrational. All had worked out, and with Mathew human again Dakar might recruit him as a general when he took over Ilian.
He tucked the thought away for later as his intended turned to go.
Elise stepped to the tent flap, drew it aside, and looked out upon what was left of her army.
“Don’t go to her, Elise,” an unknown man said. “Send somebody else. She will use what you give her, and then she will kill you.”
Dakar studied the man who now climbed to his feet. He stood carefully. Blood trickled down one side of his head as he swayed unsteadily. Bulky, scarred, he appeared to be a warrior, seasoned and hard, but foolish. Not a threat.
“I know.” Elise said with something close to pity. Sadness, perhaps. A large, beefy man stepped to her side. Her personal guard maybe? No. More likely he was a hired hand or a farmer. Someone she picked up along the way? “That’s the difference between us, brother. She is willing to sacrifice her people to save herself. I will sacrifice myself to save my people.”
Dakar smiled. So, the army Elise’s father had sent, headed by Elise’s siblings, Reed and Mari, was falling apart. Brother and sister were turning on each other. Even better. Desperate times led to desperate measures and even more desperate deals. The game was in play, and he was the inside man.
When Elise finally left Dakar, trailed after her, merging himself into her shadow.
Through the filth and squalor of the pathetic rabble she had gathered, Queen Elise weaved her way among the lost, her face grim, her eyes dead. Dakar followed, patient, curious, waiting until he was sure he could draw her into his own world, silence the war without, and win over the woman within.
The queen passed between two darkened tents and Dakar solidified his form, pulling himself away from the shadows. Reaching out, he gave the barest of touches on her shoulder and stepped well back.
As expected, Elise whirled. Her weapon slashed into the space he had just occupied.
“My Queen, careful lest you kill an ally.” Dakar made his voice a soft purr, a quiet seduction. Tilting his head down, he coyly lifted his dark eyes and allowed just a touch of a smile to grace his mouth, slow and sensuous.
Instead of falling at his feet, Elise continued to stare.
Dakar sighed. Apparently, this was going to take more effort than he had expected. With a touch of power, he increased the darkness about them and drew in the shadows like a thick winter muffler, closing out the sounds of war. Considering her already displayed resistance to his charms, he didn’t want his soon to be indentured servant distracted. After assuring her attention focused only on him, he gave her a winsome smile.
Which didn’t work.
“An ally?” she demanded. “I don’t remember you pledging your aide to me.” Her eyes narrowed, nervous and wary, but her blade remained true and steady in front of her. “Who are you?”
Dakar lifted his head and tilted it to the side while giving her his best once over as he tried to figure this woman out. His eyes slid down her lithe frame, then up again. She was dirty, her clothing in tatters, and she only wore half her armor. Perhaps the breast plate was ripped from her body? His smile widened. Dirty or not, he saw what he needed to see. Loveliness resided beneath the woman’s wear and worry.
“My, my,” he mused, throwing an inaudible vibration into his voice while releasing an extremely faint scent. If his stunning appearance wasn’t enough, perhaps a touch of magic would help. “What beauty is this that has called me forth? How may I serve you My Queen.” He watched her shudder as his voice slid over her skin, caressing, warming, wanting, like the barest of touches from a favorite lover.
Dakar felt pleased. He’d finally found something that worked. Elise had proved to be a damned difficult woman to impress. Fortunately, once a fortress was breeched he could not be kept out.
Gasping, Elise tried to draw in air. Her blade’s tip lowered. “You are…?”
Dakar gave her a slight bow. “I am the god of the night, the shadow lord…your savior.”
Elise released a short, nervous laugh. “Well, not so sure about the last one. What news do you bring me?” Her voice remained a hoarse whisper.
Dakar expelled a slow breath of warm air. It drifted to Elise and touched upon her neck’s exposed flesh. Whimpering, she took a step forward. Desire lit like twin orbs in her eyes. They were full of lust and need, and Dakar felt pleasantly amused. From her reaction it must have been a long time since she had been touched in a pleasing manner. He took another small step toward her. Elise did not raise her blade.
“I have much news my sweet. Much news. I bring you salvation, a chance at victory. Would you be pleased with me if I could grant you this?”
Again, Dakar sent a dark breath to her. This one touched her cheek, stroked her jaw, and then trailed slowly down her throat. Elise shuddered, moaned, staggered forward a couple half steps, but stopped short of throwing herself into his arms. Closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath.
“I-I-yes.”
Dakar listened to her blood pound through her veins, beating like dozens of war drums. Her breathing had become ragged. He inhaled her need, her womanly scent of arousal, and found it…intoxicating.
“Time is of the essence, Majesty,” he said. “You are waging a losing battle against the Two yet you remain confident, in charge. I admire strong women.” Dakar took another half step closer. Almost, he could touch her. “I admire you.”
Elise blinked. Her eyes focused, and her expression firmed as her subconscious mind fought his will. “I will do what I must to protect my people and save my kingdom. Now what is it you have for me? As you stated, time is short.”
Dakar sent another breath to her. This time it lingered upon her neck, then drew slowly down to her confined breasts. A word from his lips, a mere thought, could have freed them to his view, but now was not the time. Soon though…soon.
Elise’s head tilted backward. A strangled sound issued from her throat. Dakar’s stiffened member strained against the soft, silky fabric of his trousers. So much need, hunger, raw desire…it rolled off of her in visible waves of red and black and orange. Her lust was his strength. He drew it to him, consumed it like food and water, used it to feed his power. “What is i
t you have for me...My Queen?” He whispered. Reaching out a gentle hand, Dakar lightly touched her cheek.
Gasping, Elise dropped her sword. Dakar soaked in her lust and growled low in his throat. The thought he had to wait to use her was almost unbearable, but he would wait. Nothing would keep him from his plans.
“Wh-what do you want?”
Dakar felt her desire turn to pain, to anguish, to raw need. She began to unbutton her shirt.
He moved even closer to her, until he was but a breath away and gently restrained her hand from further disrobing herself. “A kiss my queen. Just a kiss is all I ask.”
Dakar’s servant shadows twined around the two. The shadows drew them closer, pushed them together. Elise’s eyes widened as Dakar bent to meet her lips. She started to step back, but he caught her in his arms. She squirmed— and it excited him. When he came back for her after this small adventure she would his second human conquest since his return and his first claim on Yernden. Clasping her tighter, Dakar let his power seep into her body. A moment, then another, he held her before she stilled and lay soft and supple in his arms. Their bodies were wrapped in darkness.
“Be at peace My Queen. I am here to help you.”
Dakar sent a flood of his personal nano deep into her mind. The minute virus attacked her, vicious in its subjugation of her will, ruthless as it striped Anothosia and Trelsar’s protection from her mind. Small spasms jerked her body with each assault until her will resisted no more. Elise moaned her defeat. Hopefully, Yernden’s gods were too busy to notice the link destroyed.
Dakar’s inner flames roared to life as he sucked the last of her free will away. His tongue teased the corners of her mouth and brought forth a soft whimper. Her body was warm, firm, and delicious. Her emotions and lust rode high, so high he could almost take a physical bite out of her pent up desire. Their lips met, soft at first, and then he deepened the kiss. He sent his shadow into her body, his desire for her into her soul. The queen put her arms around him, pulled him closer. She ground her pelvis into his and then slid a leg up and around his waist. She moaned as he reached deeper, stroked her from the inside out, faster and faster. He touched her in places no other man could ever touch. Her nails dug into his flesh. Her leg locked around him tighter. He placed his hands under her ass and squeezed her firmness as he ground into her. His mouth slid to her neck. His lips locked upon an exposed area, and Dakar brought both his magic and Elise to a climax. She gasped, shuddered, and her lower body slammed into his. Dakar shouted into her neck as he gained his own release. His power recoiled, glutted, as Elise collapsed in his arms. Her limp leg dropped away from his waist.
Dakar laid her exhausted body gently on the ground. It would take several minutes for both of them to recover. He stroked her cheek and checked to make sure his mark had taken. He watched as the tiny, black phallic symbol behind her ear glowed before fading to something resembling a mole. Good, the geas was in place. Her head rolled to the side.
“What did you do to me?” she whispered. Her eyes held the sated gaze of a woman untouched for too long. A shame, really. What a waste of such a succulent body.
“Why, I have given you what you wanted. I have sealed our bargain…with a kiss.” He chuckled, low, sultry. His hand trailed down her body. Whimpering, Elise thrust her sex against his palm.
Dakar shivered. Anticipation stirred his groin again. “Dear Elise, I have temporarily given you the ability to become shadow. It will last for five days. All you have to do is think of becoming invisible and you will become one with the darkness. Your foes will find you difficult to discern. Even a sliver of shadow is enough for you to hide within. With my gift, you can slip through cracks in the walls, under doorways, through windows, or any of the other ‘tween’ places. You may also call on me once more and I will give you what assistance I am able to.”
Elise moaned when he kissed her lightly on her lips. Dakar inwardly smiled and kissed her again. The woman tasted earthy, fresh, unsoiled. He wanted her. She would be his, and each night he would drain her, feed his power with her desire. This queen provided power even greater than his Fox, although he needed to visit Fox’s thighs again once she returned to Illian. Having used her before, Fox now belonged to him even if she remained unaware.
As did Elise.
Releasing Yernden’s queen, he stood back and looked upon his future slave. “I go now Elise. You will be fine in a moment or two. We will keep our promise and fight for you and yours. In the end, Athos may discover we are here, but he will not know how to deal with us when he has so many other battles needing his attention.” Dakar smiled. “Technically, I no longer exist, and he has no idea of what I am now capable.”
He winked at her surprised expression.
“What do you mean…we?” She struggled to sit up.
Dakar chuckled. “Why, my queen, did you think I came alone and unprepared? I have my own army at my disposal. Besides, did you not call on more than one of us?”
Elise stood, staggered, and then righted herself. She closed her eyes, seeming confused. “No one reported an army to me?”
Chuckling, Dakar began to fade as the sound of running feet pounded toward the two of them. Within moments, Havlar stood before Elise wide eyed and breathless. “My queen…come quickly. Hell is attacking once more, and the dead are rising.”
Elise paled. She looked at the spot where Dakar had been. Her eyes, frightened, unsure, tried to focus on Dakar’s uncertain shadow. “What have you done?” she whispered to him
His smile broadening, Dakar turned to watch the excitement. Twin lights of fire burned a moment in the darkness as he brought up a chill breeze, sending his voice to only her. “No my queen, what have you done?”
* * * *
Dakar smiled, gloated, wicked and triumphant. The woman would not fully remember what he had done to her. She would only remember she now had a way to regain her kingdom. Matters were going well. The queen was his. Yernden would soon follow and then…Anothosia. Before this was over he would make the fake goddess his personal slave…his concubine. He would fuck Ano in public in front of all her faithful; he would humiliate her in ways she had never dreamed. He would soil anything sacred to her. He would convert her temples into places of dark pleasure, filled with lust, desire, and wonton behavior.
Anothosia would pay for his banishment…and so would the other gods. Trelsar— her precious so called adopted father— he would make Trelsar watch as Dakar satisfied his depraved wants upon his daughter. Vengeance would be his, and Dakar swore he would enjoy every minute of it.
Clothed in shadows, he strode through the battlefield unseen and unchallenged. He had fed well from Elise. The energy he sucked from her was heady and strong as it pounded through his body. Shadows swirled and leapt about him in a frenzied dance, filled with more strength than he had managed for thousands of years. Dakar walked up a steep hill where the others waited and stopped beside his accomplices. He sighed, deep, satisfied, and complete.
“Woo hoo!” Unsheathing her weapon, Dulce gutted a demon in mid flight. Its innards flew from its body and splattered the earth before them. “That’s twenty-three of those little buggers I’ve gutted. Another notch for me! Damn how I love this nifty little sword Throm made.” She raised her sword high and gave a cry of glory to the heavens. Her power streaked across the darkened sky, expressing itself as thick bolts of lightning which painted the darkened field in surreal colors of black and white. To Dakar, the scene looked as if someone’s worst nightmare had escaped from their head and now ran rampant beside everybody else’s nightmares. All about the battlefield several dismembered bodies rose and fought while random bouts of lightening struck hellkind, lighting them up like living bonfires. Their burned flesh sizzled and flamed, orange, red, and green.
Dakar gazed upon the bloodthirsty Trouble. He admired the tight fitting leather trappings she had fashioned for herself, almost like leather ribbon wrapped about her body, barely covering the necessities. He liked the outfit. Reac
hing out, he let his hand trail up one of her ass cheeks, then over to the other while static electricity from her power gave him pleasurable shocks. “My Dear, you do have such wonderful…assets.”
The redheaded vixen turned and winked at him. Her eyes were twin storms, dark and lightning kissed; all trace of amber gone. “And you know just how to put those assets to good use, don’t you lover?” She grabbed him roughly by the back of his queue and tore the leather binding from his hair. Strands of darkness flowed from their prison to fall about his shoulders in a wave of inky silk. Grasping his hair in one hand, she pulled him to her and rubbed her near nakedness against his silky clothes. Her electricity merged with his shadows, sending trills of excitement through his being.
“I did so miss you while you were gone.” She wrapped a leg about his waist and nipped at his ear. “This little bit of action is only a skirmish so how about a quickie?”
Dakar’s groin stirred— became rock hard, something of a pleasing habit of late. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her full, red lips, deep and penetrating. He gasped when Dulce’s power flowed into his body A memory of the kiss he shared with Elise popped into his head, and he wondered how would it feel to hold her like this, flesh against flesh, rolling in satin sheets, sweat drenching their hungry bodies? Shuddering, Dakar broke the kiss, pulled mostly away, and gave Dulce a boyish smile.
“You do tempt me, darling, but we are in the middle of a battlefield, and I gave my word we would help them. Me fucking you might be wildly entertaining to both the humans and hellborn. I know it would entertain me if I could watch, but I don’t see any of our enemies falling over dead because of it.”
Laughing, Dulce let him go. “Fine. It’s back to hacking, slashing, and frying then.” She smiled and turned to Erlmene. “Why don’t you animate the hellborn, too? Watching them fight their own could be so much fun.”
