The Morgannate: The Dregian Chronicles Book 3

by D E Boske

“I’m not afraid. Come her darlin’,” said Alvos. “I’ve got a muzzle that will fit you right,” he barked, holding out his hand.

  “No, thank you. You’re too scrawny for my taste. I prefer my men thicker where it counts,” she said, slipping her arm inside Darian’s.

  “Aw c’mon! He gave you to me,” said Alvos, glaring at his rival.

  “That would imply that he owns me, dumbass, which he does not.” The elven mage’s tone was hard, much like Darian was himself. The way she handled herself had him throbbing with need. She grabbed Darian and he groaned, needing release. She stroked him in front of them all, unashamed. She knew Darian wouldn’t care. He had nothing to be ashamed of.

  “This is what I want, Alvos and I can tell by looking at you that you cannot offer me this.” She let her hand drop to her side, quite proud of herself. Darian was in a delicate state now and he’d be begging her soon.

  Renlyss walked back to Darian’s bedroll and began to gather what they needed for the tests. She didn’t look up at him as he joined her, she merely continued with her tasks.

  “I suppose you think that was hilarious,” said the Mage, amused.

  “What’s that?”

  “Making me so damn hard I cannot walk straight,” he replied.

  “You had it coming, Mage. How dare you hand me off to someone who is clearly beneath me? I will not be treated this way by anyone, including your sorry ass,” she said hotly and it only turned him on more.

  “I was not handing you off, darlin’. I know you can take care of yourself. Alvos and I have

  always been at each other’s throats. I just wanted to see you put him in his place,” Darian said, as he began gathering the remaining items they’d need.

  She didn’t know what to say, so she remained quiet for a time. They took the items to a more secluded area in case the results were not as expected. The Gor Li’ Khan followed closely, but stayed out of the way. Renlyss set up her side and the Mage set up his and they worked for a time not saying anything.

  “You really wanted me to put him in his place?” she asked, unable to bear the silence anymore. She needed to hear his sexy voice.

  “Mmm,” said the Mage, preoccupied.

  “A warning may have been nice,” she advised.

  “Yes, but not nearly as much fun,” he winked at her.

  Asshole, she thought.

  Of a sudden, the flask that Renlyss was testing began to heat rapidly and the contents

  began to burn.

  “Run!” she exclaimed, running for cover.

  The Gor Li’ Khan surrounded them, pushing them out of harm’s way just in time. The flask exploded in a fiery burst that not only scorched the earth around it, but also the other flasks. Darian looked at the destruction in amazement.

  “What the hell did you use, babe?” he asked, slipping in the endearment, knowing she’d pick up on it.

  She flashed him a winning smile and said, “Cryvellan brandy.”

  “Strong alcohol. I’ll be damned. Why the Cryvellan brandy? I don’t have that much left.”

  “Spare nothing in testing. A very wise Mage told me that,” she said, grinning at him. “And you have plenty left.”

  “Hmm,” he commented. He doused the flames quickly and restored what he could. Some of the items had been utterly consumed by the flames and he had to admit he was impressed.

  “We need a stabilizer,” he said, as he began going through his Shryvven. He removed several small packets that he thought might work.

  “Recreate what you did and we will add a stabilizing agent so that it doesn’t explode so easily. We need to be able to travel with it.”

  Renlyss did as told and as the contents began to burn, Darian added diamond dust. It boiled over, melting the beaker and scarring the ground. The next time, he added powdered emerald and it began to snap and pop, then went still. When Darian was about to approach, it exploded in a fiery shower that would have destroyed much of their camp if not for the Mage’s quick thinking. He cast a shield around the beaker, containing the blast.

  Next, he added crystalized sugar, but it solidified and turned solid. He withdrew a pinch of faerie dust and added it to the batch Reny was working on. The mixture began to boil and fizz, rising in the glass container. Almost immediately, it settled and became a thick, dark liquid. Darian dipped a twig in the tincture and threw it away from them. It hit the shield surrounding the camp and exploded, bright lights flashing from the impact. The explosions got everyone’s attention and they were hesitant to check it out.

  “Archers! Come, dunk the tips of your arrows in this mixture. Whatever you hit will die or be maimed. The fires will not be forgiving,” explained Darian.

  Kralkor was one of the first to eagerly dip his arrows into the dangerous concoction. Then one by one, the rest of the archers came forward. Kyler was last, but not because he didn’t trust the Mage. He wanted the chance to talk to him. He hadn’t seen him much lately as he and Renlyss had been spending a lot of time together.

  Nephraete urged him to leave them alone, said it would be good for the Mage and Kyler

  could see how different Darian was when he was with the elven mage. His only concern was her

  leaving him again. After all, she’d already left his friend twice and Kyler was having a hard time forgiving her.

  “Darian, can we talk?” asked Kyler, glancing at Renlyss and the Mage did not miss the look.

  “Of course,” he said, casting a shield around them and beginning to walk away from the others. The shield followed them as they walked and would allow no one else inside its barrier.

  “What’s on your mind, Kyler?”

  “How are you holding up? Are you feeling okay?”

  “I’m as good as can be expected, considering the circumstances. I feel good. I feel strong and in control for the first time in… I can’t remember. But is that really what you wanted to talk about?” asked the Mage knowingly.

  “Just be careful, Darian. I don’t want to see her hurt you again. And please don’t bother to tell me she didn’t, because I know you better than you think. Better than you give me credit for.”

  “Kyler, I… had no intention of starting things up again with her. I wanted to hurt her the way she hurt me. I wanted to maybe fall in love with someone else and show her what she missed out on. But the more time we spend together, the more I need to be with her. Of all the women I’ve been with, she knows how to handle me and that is no easy feat. She makes love to me in a way that no one else has ever done. She knows what I want, what I need, sometimes before I know myself. We actually talk and our conversations are stimulating for us both. She has a deep understanding of magic and is in a much better position to understand me because of it. It was no lie when I told her that if given the time that I could fall in love with her. I don’t know what I’m feeling right now because I’ve been through so much lately that I’m surprised I can feel anything at all.”

  Kyler was amazed at how much Darian told him. He almost never spoke this much, but the elf was glad he trusted him enough to do so.

  “All that matters, is your happiness, Darian. That’s what I care about and if you choose to be with Renlyss, then I will find it in my heart to forgive her, somehow.”

  “Thanks, my friend,” said Darian sincerely.

  “Do you think she wants to be with you?”

  “I do not think, I know she does. But I am punishing her for walking out on me. Now, she will have to beg me to take her back. I will not just give in and accept her as my consort as I did before. No, she will have to beg me, maybe on her knees too,” said Darian with a grin.

  “She deserves it,” said Kyler with a smile. The elf could see the beautiful mage was

  watching them closely. He also knew she was dying to know what they were talking about. He

  waved to her but she did not respond.

  “She’d give anything to know what we’re talking about,” said Kyler.

  “Yeah, I bet. But that’
s something she will never know.”

  “What did you two make for the arrows?” queried Kyler and the Mage gave him a devilish grin.

  “A volatile mixture that will explode on impact. It should kill or incapacitate most of what we should encounter. Those of flesh and blood anyway. Once we arrive in the Haunted Lands, nothing but magic will protect us.”

  “A comforting thought,” mused Kyler.

  Darian cancelled the shield around them and returned to his area in the camp. Renlyss was waiting for him and she held out a cup of tea. He took it with a nod of thanks and she smiled at him.

  “We work well together, Mage,” she admitted, slipping her hand into his.

  “We always have, Renlyss. We just suck at everything else,” he said softly, not looking at her.

  “I disagree, Darian. We’re good together, at everything. Yeah, we’ve had bumps and bruises along the way, but all relationships do. All couples fight and argue because everyone is unique. That doesn’t make us incompatible. It makes us who we are,” she said, moving closer to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and snuggled into him.

  All he thought about was laying her down, sliding her breeches down and easing inside of her. He desperately wanted to hear her moan his name again. Well that and other things she

  whispered to him when he was satisfying her.

  Damn it! Stay focused! He couldn’t think straight anymore with her so near. The way she stroked him in front of everyone really made him want to take her now. He noticed Tryllia watching him and he winked at her. She smiled at him and returned her attention to Tryndil.

  “Don’t you agree?” she queried when he did not respond.

  “Hmm?” He knew he was being rude, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t remember what the hell she’d said and honestly didn’t care. His dick was so hard it hurt and all he wanted was to…

  “Darian,” she whispered, as her hand slid between his legs, massaging his ego until he was ready to burst. Of course, she stopped before the finale, which only frustrated him more. He wanted to bend her over right now and show her the error of her ways.

  Tryllia just shook her head, unable to believe Renlyss. If she wasn’t careful, she’d drive Darian into another woman’s bed. Hopefully hers. There was only so much teasing a man could

  take. And Darian did not seem the type to take it for long.

  “Renlyss, what do you think you’re doing?” the Mage asked, once he was able to speak.

  “I’m sorry, did you not like it?” she asked, flashing him a wicked grin.

  “Not the ending, no,” he replied.

  “Me either. I’m used to a more satisfying, explosive finish with you. Tsk, tsk,” she said, looking up at him longingly.

  “I could make that happen, babe,” he whispered, lips close to hers.

  He didn’t follow through though and now she was frustrated. He smiled knowingly at her as she clenched her thighs together. She wanted him so bad, but wouldn’t allow him to win, even if he probably deserved it. His eyes traveled slowly down her body, pausing at her lips. He licked his lips, as he looked at hers and it had the desired effect. She squirmed where she sat, creating delicious friction where she needed it. His eyes moved down to her breasts and he could see her nipples pressing through the cloth. He made a sound of pleasure that was barely audible, but she heard it and it made her ease forward reaching for him.

  At the last second, he pulled away and stood. Her eyes were glazed over and she didn’t comprehend what happened yet. She shook her head and looked up at him, frowning in annoyance. His smile was dazzling and her heart clenched the same time as her thighs and he flashed her a knowing smile.

  Asshole, she thought. He was winning. She was ready to throw herself at him and let him have his way with her. She didn’t know how much longer she could resist the temptation. And she didn’t even remember why it was so important anymore.

  24

  The night was deep and dark, everything was silent, but he couldn’t rest. Ru Nay’ Sha continued to evade him. He rose to take a walk and Kelindril followed him closely.

  “Kel, I cannot get her out of my mind,” said the Mage, sounding frustrated.

  “Why do you both continue with these tortuous games when it’s obvious you’d both rather be doing other things?”

  “I will not go to her. I will make her come to me. She will beg me to take her back or I won’t even consider it. Not after how she’s treated me. I never gave her a reason to fear me, Kel. Never. I’ve taken care of her and been completely honest with her. That’s something I’ve never really done before.”

  “Someone approaches,” Kelindril warned.

  “Make yourself scarce, Kel. I need her,” commanded Darian. The Mage’s shock was complete when Tryllia came into view. He’d been sure Renlyss had followed him out here.

  Tryllia didn’t see him right away and began stretching. She bent over, touching her toes, giving him an excellent view of her sweet ass. She then lifted her left leg above her shoulder and Darian was nearly drooling, but he remained still. She turned around and yelped in surprise as her eyes came to rest on the Mage.

  “Enjoying the show?” she asked, looking him over slowly.

  “Every bit as much as you enjoy watching me every morning, darlin’.” He winked at her and started back to his bedroll, but she stopped him.

  “Are you with Renlyss, Darian?” she breathed.

  “No, not anymore,” he said truthfully.

  “Well then, I do not feel guilty about doing this,” she whispered, as she moved closer to him. He’d refused her before, but with all the flirting and teasing, she didn’t think he’d refuse her now. Besides, his circumstances had changed dramatically since then. She kissed him, sliding her hand lower, but he broke off the kiss and removed her hands.

  “Aren’t you with Tryndil?” he asked, stepping away from her.

  “So?” she practically whined.

  “Don’t you love him?” he persisted.

  “Yes, but…”

  “So, you want to use me for your pleasure?”

  “Oh yes, please,” she breathed. He didn’t move and she was growing frustrated. She wanted him and the nearer he was, the more extreme her need became, overriding all else.

  She backed him into a tree and he groaned at his folly. Though if he was being honest with himself, he was not at all upset. Her lips found his and he didn’t resist her advances. She was an adult, knew what she wanted, and wasn’t afraid of the consequences of her actions. Her lips were hungry and took him by force. Her tongue licked his lips, tasting him and driving him mad with desire.

  His hands went to her breasts, gently massaging and she moaned as his tongue slowly explored her mouth, her nipples going rigid from his touch. He felt her hand begging for entrance to his breeches and it wasn’t long before she gained access to him. She gave a lustful groan as her small hands closed around him. He gave a sigh of pleasure and deepened the kiss.

  The Mage was fast, he’d already removed her shirt and she had no recollection of that happening. His lips closed around her left nipple, sucking softly, eliciting soft moans of pleasure from her. She kissed his bare chest, softly biting him. When had his shirt come off?

  His fingers were working their way inside her breeches and she gasped as he found what he’d been craving. Her slick wetness assisted his finger’s intrusion and she arched her back and began to move with him. His mouth closed around hers, taming her loud moans. There was no need, he’d cast a ward of silence around them. She could be as loud as she wanted.

  He tugged her panties down as he slid down her body. She opened herself to him and he took what she greedily offered. His lips softly sucked her swollen lips, his tongue darting in and out, paying special attention where needed.

  She’d never felt intense pleasure like this before and she understood why so many women gave themselves to the Mage with no promises or regrets. It wasn’t long before she was arching her back and pressing her core to his
hungry mouth. She pushed him down, relieving him of the last scraps of clothing and looked at him in awe. He was glorious and she couldn’t wait to impale herself on him.

  He lay back, letting her take the lead. He didn’t mind when women wanted control. He was more than happy to relinquish it if they knew what they were doing.

  His hands rested on her hips as she leaned forward to kiss him. Her lips drank him down, tasting his need. She inched her way down his chest, planting soft kisses as she roamed. Her lips

  closed around him and he sighed in contentment, his fingers tangling in her hair.

  Renlyss awoke abruptly. Had she heard something? No, the Weave was vibrating with

  raw energy that she could feel in her bones. She rose quickly, intent on rousing Darian, but to her surprise, he was not there. The Gor Li’ Khan were nowhere to be found, but she knew they were close by because they were loyal to the Mage.

  The elven mage noticed that the rest of the camp was either asleep or deep in Ru Nay’ Sha and she began to suspect something was off. Walking farther away from the camp, the Weave’s power began to increase. The vibrations nearly knocking her from her feet. She followed the pull on the Weave until she came to a secluded spot where she saw…

  Tryllia grasped the base and ran her tongue over him, making the Mage groan in need. Her lips worked him over, making him rigid. He gave her no warning for she needed none and her lips milked him dry.

  He took control then because he needed to and she did not fight him. He hovered over her, sensing Renlyss watching, and eased inside Tryllia, filling her totally and completely. She wrapped her legs around the Mage’s waist and met each of his thrusts with one of her own. He lifted her left leg with his right arm, hooking the back of her knee over his forearm and plunged deep inside her, making her scream his name and claw his back. The pleasure was too intense and the overwhelming feeling of fullness that he gave her made her practically weep with joy. He made a slight adjustment and began stroking a spot within her that Tryndil had a hard time finding, but one that Darian seemed to find with ease. Within moments, lights exploded behind her eyes, blinding her in a world of pleasure she’d never known before and Darian wasn’t far behind her.