Emerald- Good and Evil

by M. D. Grimm

  “Olyvre,” Morgorth said suddenly, eyes still on the fire.

  “Yes?”

  “There’s something I should tell you.”

  Frowning, Olyvre tightened his hold on Lyli. It seemed to be an instinctive reaction. “What is it?”

  “We have a sister.”

  I wondered if Morgorth would mention Lorelei.

  Olvyre gasped. “What?”

  Morgorth proceeded to tell Olyvre about Lorelei and Matylde. He didn’t tell his brother everything, of course—not about the potion and not about his own birth. I watched Olyvre through the telling, and he seemed to absorb the information with a steadiness of character innate to him.

  “I must contact her,” he said immediately after Morgorth fell silent. “I must let her know...she has family, now.”

  I smiled, having expected nothing less from him.

  “Go slowly,” Morgorth said. “She doesn’t trust easily. She... Let me talk to her first. Let her know about you. Take it slow, Olyvre. She might not want to know any of her kin.”

  Olyvre rocked his daughter and nodded, but the set look on his face said he would try hard to earn her trust. Then he looked down at his daughter and brushed some hair from her face.

  “Morgorth? Do you think you could...is there any way to...?”

  Morgorth looked at Olyvre, puzzled. I knew what he was asking but I tried hard to stay out of their conversation. Morgorth needed to learn how to traverse the relationship with his brother alone. Watching them made me miss my own more acutely.

  “What do you want?”

  Olyvre sighed. “Is there any way to make her forget? He tossed her—tossed her—off a cliff! I don’t want her to be afraid.”

  I wondered if I was the only one who could see the pain in Morgorth’s eyes. His expression was blank, yet he clearly wanted to help but knew he couldn’t.

  “I dare not, Olyvre. Mind magick is dangerous. There are only a few who can do it, and they are far older and more skilled than me. I could cause more damage than what I would fix. I can send someone to sleep, sometimes even change a bad dream to a good one”—he’d done that to me a few times, though he never said anything—“but to erase an actual memory? That is beyond me.”

  Olyvre sighed and nodded, rocking his daughter.

  “Perhaps if you let her sleep in your bed,” I said. “She will feel secure and have no dreams.”

  Olyvre smiled at me, exhaustion in every line of his face. “I doubt I shall ever let her out of my sight again. I might need her to keep my dreams at bay.”

  I smiled, though I understood too well. It would be a long while before that duel left my mind.

  Olyvre soon retired after giving us blankets and pillows to spread across the parlor floor. Morgorth and I lay side by side, neither sleeping. He had his arms folded under his head, staring at the ceiling. I didn’t like the look on his face. I curled against him, slipping my hand over his chest. He blinked and wrapped one arm around my shoulders. I snuggled closer, listening to his heartbeat. Morgorth had looked winded after the duel but nowhere close to the exhaustion that gripped him after his fight with the necromants so many months ago. His skill and endurance were growing fast. It was extraordinary.

  I lightly kissed his cheek. “You scared me near to death.”

  Morgorth let out a long sigh. “You better get used to it. I have a feeling things like this are going to become more frequent.”

  I frowned. “What do you mean?”

  He shook his head absently. Something was on his mind and it was time he let it out. I tapped his chest.

  “Tell me.”

  He let out a frustrated sound. “I can’t explain it but...something’s coming, Aishe.”

  I swallowed hard. “I don’t understand. Something?”

  He nodded. “I’ve been thinking about this, trying to puzzle it out. Ever since I traveled to the past and learned about our link, I’ve started to see a larger plan.”

  I leaned on my elbow, looking down at his face. He still stared at the ceiling. “A plan?”

  “Think about it, Aishe. Never before have so many stones been revealed in such a short amount of time. The year’s not even over and already we have the exposure of Rambujek. Then I found out about Puejuek in Happy Valley, the ludkis discovered the amethyst and the agate, and now Ellegrech. Five stones in one year alone—two of them major stones. I don’t know for sure what Ellegrech is yet. My gut says it means something. Enfernlo agrees.”

  “You’ve spoken to Enfernlo about this? And not me?”

  Morgorth finally looked at me, his eyes tired and weary. He rubbed my cheek. “Baby, I’m telling you now. I had to mull it over and get the perceptive of a creature closer to the Mother.”

  I tried to swallow that and it tasted bitter.

  “There’s more, Aishe, if you’re willing to hear it.”

  I nodded and lay my head back on his chest. “Tell me.”

  “When I was with your tribe, in the past, I saw a vision of the Hunter.”

  I gaped and rose again to look at his face. He smiled slightly.

  “Yeah, shocked me, too. It was right before Drasyln revealed herself and that final battle happened. To be honest, I was provoking the Mother. I was tired, frustrated, trying to get some reaction from her.” He paused, swallowed. “Then the wind just knocked me down, and I look over my shoulder, and I saw...him. A big, dark figure with antlers. He pointed a finger back toward your tribe and said, ‘Go to them.’ I ran back and discovered Drasyln. He guided me, Aishe. He helped me, just like the Mother did.”

  He covered his eyes with his hand, rubbing them. “I just don’t fucking get it. I know in my gut something’s coming, and I can’t shake the feeling I’m a part of it. A big part of it. Is that just arrogance, though?”

  I considered him and what he told me. “It makes sense, Morgorth. Maybe... maybe we have your destiny all wrong.”

  “What?”

  “Numbers have power in magick, right? You’re the seventh son of a seventh son, meaning you’re destined to be a powerful mage. But you’re also the third one to be born, yes? Isn’t the number three the Mother’s number?”

  Morgorth lowered his hand and eyed me. “Someone’s been reading my books on magick.”

  “Knowledge is power,” I said, unashamed. “You said that.”

  “Yes.” He rolled his eyes. “Uzzie drilled that into my head from day one. But sometimes it’s just a big, fat burden.”

  “Morgorth.” I gripped his chin and turned his face so he met my eyes. “Maybe Nanthar and Kierthak turned out so rotten because they didn’t have the right numbers associated with them. The Mother and the Hunter have visited you and helped you. Maybe you’re different. Maybe you’re supposed to be different.”

  He narrowed his eyes, considering my words. “Maybe,” he said softly. “I think the other mages are feeling something as well. They’re becoming twitchier, looking at me sideways. I’ve seen more of them in the past year than I have in the years before now. I mean, they’ve always spat on me, but now they seem to be actively trying to destroy me, thinking I’m a part of what’s coming.”

  “Or making sure you don’t join whatever it is.”

  He nodded.

  “Maybe Master Ulezander knows more,” I said.

  Morgorth snorted. “Probably does. He knows a lot. He knew about all this”—he waved his hand to indicate his past—“and he never once fucking told me. Bastard.”

  “Were you ready to know?”

  He blew out a breath. “No, guess not.” He paused. “But I trusted him. I hate secrets.”

  I laid back down, holding him tightly. The rain continued to pour, the fire continued to crackle, offering a pleasant glow to the room. I began to drift when my mind hit upon something he’d said and banished my sleep.

  “You said something about a plan, something you discovered while you were with my tribe. What did you mean by that?”

  He was silent for so long, I thought he’d gone t
o sleep. Then he spoke, quietly. “Choices and destiny, Aishe. We are meant to be together, you were always right about that. The Mother wanted us together for a reason. She created Drasyln the way she was so she would steal the agate and travel to the past, allowing me to hitch a ride. She made choices, but were they actually her destiny? I made choices, you made choices, but were they really choices or by the Mother’s design? Is she a puppet master or does she simply nudge us in the best direction? Does she weave a tapestry of stories with a pattern so irresistible we can’t help but follow it, our choices influenced by it? And, fuck, what does she want from me?”

  Morgorth pounded his fist into the floor as I felt his magick pulse inside him. I rose on my elbow and stroked his cheek, kissing the other.

  “Easy, Morgorth. You need to calm down.” His talk of choices, destiny, patterns, was rather overwhelmingly confusing. Had this been on his mind ever since he time traveled? No wonder he’d been on edge for so long and why everything happening now weighed him down so much.

  I thought I finally understood the conflicts and confusion he lived with every day. I knew where I belonged, but he really didn’t know where he belonged. I knew who I was, but he was still questioning himself.

  His arms came around me as I gently kissed him again and again. They were light, gentle kisses, meant to comfort and banish his worries. He let me comfort him and that pleased me. I ran my fingers through his hair as I pushed my tongue into his mouth. I swallowed his moan even as I slipped my leg over his, pressing my encased erection against his hip. I needed friction to alleviate some of the pressure. I was conscious of the small girl in the house, meaning our lovemaking had to be of the more...conservative kind.

  Morgorth’s hands slipped under my tunic, his flesh touching mine. I shivered and kissed him harder, realizing I needed this connection. The duel had shaken me. I wondered if I would ever grow used to seeing such a sight. Was Morgorth right? Were these sorts of duels and battles going to become more frequent?

  Mother forbid.

  Morgorth’s hand snuck into my leggings, gripped me. I groaned, pulling away slightly. His eyes flashed open, a fiery amber, and his hand, strong and sure, stroked me vigorously. I kissed his neck, panting, my muscles tightening, quivering. His rhythm never once slackened, never once slowed. His other hand gripped my hair, pulling my head back. His mouth slammed into mine even as his hand heated. I felt a small portion of his magick flood into me and I came, hard. I felt as though I exploded and since his mouth was still on mine, he swallowed my shout. I collapsed, gasping, shaking, loving him with every inhale and exhale. He turned on his side and held me close, held me tight. I felt him flick his hand and suddenly the mess in my pants disappeared. I chuckled. When strength returned to my arms, I wrapped myself around him.

  “I love giving you pleasure,” Morgorth whispered. I opened my eyes. “I want to and need to give you pleasure, above and beyond receiving it.”

  I smiled, feeling warm all over, my heart nothing but a pile of mush. Touched, I lifted my head, kissed his chin.

  “I feel the same,” I said, my voice slightly hoarse. Then I loosened my hold on him and shifted, descending below the blankets.

  He grunted. “Aishe—hell.”

  Quick as a flash, I had his trousers open and his slightly softened erection in my hands. I would have him hard and throbbing in no time. He needed to give me pleasure? Well, I felt the same need. I devoured him, locking my lips around his shaft. His body jerked, trembled, and squirmed. I smiled slightly, my mouth and hands never still. I brought him up, close to the brink. His hands gripped the blankets above my head but he never tried to stop me. Why would he?

  I heard his struggle to contain his groans of pleasures. He didn’t always succeed. Although I didn’t have magick to ignite his senses the way he did with me, I had my own talents. By the time I gave him release, he was begging for it. I let out my own groan when the evidence of his climax squirted into my mouth. I swallowed, I licked, then I climbed up his body, soon straddling him, looking down at his face. I knew my smile was smug.

  Morgorth was sweaty, panting, and his eyes narrowed when they opened. “You’re too good at that.”

  I grinned. “It’s really amazing what I can do without magick, isn’t it?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You want me to stop using magick during sex?”

  I leaned down, gave him a quick kiss. “If you do, I might have to hurt you.”

  He chuckled rather breathlessly. I rolled off him, and he scooted me around so my back pressed against his chest. I happily snuggled into the curve of his body and grabbed his hand, tucking it underneath my chin. He kissed my shoulder.

  “I love you, dialen.”

  My eyes closed and already nearly asleep, I smiled. “I love you, mage.”

  ***

  Lyli woke us up in the morning. She did this by running barefoot across the wooden floors and jumping on us with a squeal. I had to grab Morgorth’s hand to keep him from blasting the poor child into the wall. To his credit, he recovered quickly and sat up as I did.

  “Morning! Morning!” she sang, her dark eyes bright with joy. Then she wrapped her little arms around my neck and gave me a noisy kiss on the cheek. She treated Morgorth the same way, much to his obvious terror, then bounded out of the room with the singsongy words of “Breakfast is ready!”

  Morgorth exhaled loudly and met my eyes. “And you want more than one of those?”

  I laughed. It pleased me to see her so joyful, especially after the terror of yesterday.

  Breakfast was enjoyable, the four of us sitting around the table. Olyvre sure knew how to cook. I greatly enjoyed the eggs, steak, and rolls.

  “Do we have you to thank for this morning’s wakeup alert?” Morgorth eyed Olyvre.

  Olyvre smiled. “I only asked her to wake up her uncles. The how was her decision.”

  Uncles. I was touched. I looked at Lyli where she sat across from me humming softly, her little feet swinging back and forth under the table.

  Morgorth grunted and shoved a buttered roll into his mouth.

  “Morgorth, are we safe?” Olyvre asked after a moment’s pause. “You left the mage alive. He could seek revenge.”

  Olyvre spoke softly but I doubted Lyli much cared what the adults talked about. She was currently making designs with her spoon in her oatmeal.

  “He won’t. Not against you.”

  “But—”

  Morgorth met his eyes. “He won’t, Olyvre.” His voice was cool, confident. “He and I had a little chat on that mountain. Consider yourself and Lyli off-limits.”

  Olyvre blinked. He looked at me and I nodded. Olyvre looked at his daughter who caught his eye and smiled sweetly. Olvyre reached over and gently smoothed a hand down her hair. I realized I wasn’t the only one watching. Morgorth, though his eyes remained flat, observed the interactions. I know they touched him as they did me.

  “But what of the Council of Mages?” Olvyre asked a moment later.

  “What of them?”

  “Well...I thought mage duels were to the death, and you left him alive. Not only that, but he’s an elder and you’re a....”

  Morgorth had been about to take a drink from his goblet but set it down and looked fully at his brother. “I’m a what?”

  Olyvre swallowed hard. He paled slightly but his gaze never flinched. “A dark mage.”

  Morgorth smiled slightly. It wasn’t a pleasant smile. “Yes, I am. But dark mage or not, it was an elder who broke the rules. I’ll deal with the council, Olyvre. They aren’t your concern.”

  Olyvre nodded, but he still looked apprehensive.

  “If you must be worried about something, be worried about our father,” Morgorth said. “He’s still loose out there.

  “How do you plan to find him?” Olyvre asked.

  I took a drink from my goblet, watching Morgorth closely.

  “I won’t,” Morgorth said simply. “I’ll let him find me.”

  I frowned. “You’ll l
et him spring the trap?”

  Morgorth shook his head. “No. I think I know what his game is now. And I think he’s about to play his next hand very soon.”

  As if on cue there was a frantic knock at the front door. I blinked as Morgorth smiled darkly. Olyvre looked confused.

  “Olyvre, please! Open the door!”

  I didn’t recognize the voice but apparently Olvyre and Morgorth did. Olyvre shot to his feet and walked quickly to the front door. Morgorth stood far more slowly and met my eyes before jerking his head toward Lyli. I nodded.

  Morgorth strode toward the door as I gently lifted Lyli into my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck, her trust absolute.

  “Who’s at the door, Uncle?” she chirped.

  My heart squeezed. “I don’t know, sweetheart, let’s go see.”

  When Olyvre opened the door, a ragged, starved-looking man fell across the threshold. His hair was long and greasy, his clothes rags, his skin a pale, shiny white. He gasped for breath as he crawled farther into the house. I instantly looked at Morgorth, but his face was hard, unreadable. His eyes blank.

  “Derkun!” Olyvre gasped and shut the door before kneeling next to the male.

  “Who...?” I asked.

  “Our second eldest brother,” Morgorth said in a cool, detached voice. “The one who always wished he was first-born, and the one who followed our father on his hunt for a stone of power.”

  I now understood what Morgorth meant by saying his father would make the next move. If Derkun had been with their father, then he was here by design.

  “Morgorth, look at him.” Olyvre gripped Derkun’s shoulders. “Does he look like he’s been traveling with Father of his own free will? If indeed, he’s been with Father at all?”

  “Looks can be deceiving, Olyvre,” Morgorth said heartlessly, his arms crossed over his chest.

  I stayed back, Lyli in my arms. I tried to keep her from seeing and pressed her head to my chest, but she squirmed, too interested in what was going on.