The Flame and the Arrow

  Chapter 21

  a different living legend

  Two more days dragged by while everyone waited for the mysterious druid named Dragana to arrive. She was probably the only person alive who hadn’t been at the birthday party. Annika was no longer free to roam about the house unchaperoned, and she was locked in Talvi’s room at night. It wasn’t unpleasant by any means. The Derbedrossians were staying in the house as well, waiting for Dragana to arrive, and that meant there was a chance of bumping into Sevan. Between the angry glares from Yuri and the spiteful sneers from Sevan, Annika preferred to spend most of her free time in Talvi’s room anyway. She passed the time playing backgammon with him, reading, listening to music and being made love to over and over, which wasn’t a bad deal at all until a loud knock interrupted them on the third morning of her house arrest.

  “Dragana is here,” Finn announced from the other side of the door. “We’re going to gather in Father’s library right away, so if you’re in the middle of something, wrap it up.”

  A half hour later they filed into the library and took their seats under the rotunda around the large table with a handful of the guests from the birthday celebration. The wolves were curled up near the fireplace fast asleep, but their ears remained alert, twitching and swiveling at every abrupt sound.

  There were two people she didn’t recognize, a young man and a very, very old woman clutching a gnarled oak cane. There was a wild, untamed look to both of them, especially the man. His brown hair had been formed into narrow dreadlocks that faded to blonde towards the ends, and his skin was deeply tanned like he’d spent every day of his life surfing in the sun. He wore a goatee and his blue eyes were so pale that they were like two bright lights in contrast with his tan skin. But the ancient woman next to him was even stranger looking. Her silvery white hair was also in long, thin ropes that almost touched the floor, and her age could be measured by the amount of color that remained at the ends. The wrinkles in her face were so deep that they seemed to have been carved with a sharp knife. But when she looked up, her eyes scared Annika. They were completely white, except for the tiny black pupils. The woman wore a very plain brown robe, while the young man next to her wore the same brown colored tunic and furry boots that laced up over his knees.

  Around their necks and waists hung an array of talismans and amulets with colorful stones and magical runes inscribed in the metal. He helped the woman into a chair and sat beside her, looking around at all the books with a curious expression. Yuri walked in on Konstantin’s arm, looking content with herself. Her escort seemed less gaunt, and there was more color in his cheeks, which Annika took to mean he’d recently eaten. They sat across from the samodivi and next to Vaj, and Konstantin gave him a silent glance that made him lower his fledgling eyes in submission.

  “I’m glad all of you could make it this evening,” Ambrose said from the head of the table. “I know there are a few of you who don’t know each other very well, so I will make the introductions.” He motioned around the enormous table. “You all know my wife Althea, and my sons Finn and Talvi, my daughters Anthea and Yuri. Our dear friends Runa, Hilda, and Sariel, and her greatest granddaughter Annika. The fairies Dardis and Chivanni, my wife’s sister Gousine Derbedrossian, her husband Ishkan and their children Zaven and Sevan. Our friends from the North, Konstantin and his companion Vaj, and finally the druid Priestess Dragana and her grandson, Nikola. It’s of utmost importance to set our differences aside and put our minds together to arrive at a solution. All of us at this table have different views and different strengths, and this is precisely why I wanted as few attendants as possible. The problem is already complex enough without involving additional chatter. Konstantin, why don’t you share your thoughts on the closing of the gates between Eritähti and Earth?”

  “I would be happy to, Ambrose,” he said and stood up, brushing more invisible lint from his modern-cut jacket. “Finn, if you would be so kind.” Finn went to the wall and pulled down a giant map that measured nearly ten feet across. “We are already aware of the extent of the problem, so I am getting straight to the point,” Konstantin told them, looking quite dignified as Finn handed him a long, slender pointer. “Now…the way I see it, there is only one motive for the complete closings of the portals. It is to keep our world here pure and untouched by anything from the modern human world. But the laws of nature have always meant for our worlds to coexist. Any other arrangement is not natural. It is impossible to deny that we all benefit from humans or their inventions to some degree. Just look at the mills on your river, not to mention there are some of us who rely on humans for more…basic needs.” His eyes moved to Annika, and a cold feeling passed over her as her pulse quickened. He walked to the map and pointed to seven specific locations, which Annika recognized from her geography lesson with Finn. Then he pointed to a few other places that she assumed were the other secret portals like the samodivi cave. “The gates have been locked in this specific order, and they all now lead to a wasteland which we know nothing of,” Konstantin continued. “I am suspecting that it is a mirage…a false image meant to deter further investigation, although that is not to say we haven’t tried. I will tell you that I have seen a handful of volunteers step inside of this place…and I have yet to hear of one returning.”

  “But it seemed so real,” Runa interrupted. “How can you say it’s a mirage?” The vampire set down his pointer and turned to face his audience.

  “It is my opinion, and I am not alone in my beliefs, that the only ones who would have the power to organize and the power to alter nature to such an extreme level are the druids.”

  There were more than a few breaths sharply drawn from around the table, but the old woman didn’t flinch at the apparent insult.

  “That’s impossible! How can you disrespect Dragana like that?” Ishkan bellowed. “The duty of the druids is to protect the land and teach others to do so, not to tamper with it. I would like to know where you came up with this vile theory.” Konstantin walked slowly to where the Derbedrossians were sitting, making them stiffen in their chairs.

  “From one who would know better than you.”

  “And just whom might that be?” Gousine asked through her thin lips.

  “I was invited here by Ambrose, but I was ordered to attend by Vladislav.” There was a murmur around the table that told Annika this person must be very important.

  “Vladislav?” Ishkan asked, apparently stunned. “But…he…”

  A thin voice mixed with a hissing sound spoke up in a language no one could understand. Everyone at the table turned to look at the old woman.

  “You knew all along?” Finn asked, quite taken aback, and Konstantin took his seat beside Yuri. There was a brief moment as the old woman spoke at length to her grandson. It sounded like a faint windstorm, swirling and blowing and gusting at times for emphasis. It was the strangest thing Annika had ever heard, like what the trees might sound like if they could speak.

  “What Vladislav suspected is true,” Nikola confirmed. His voice carried the essence of the moving air, but it was more of a summer breeze than a harsh winter wind. “No creature has such abilities as we do; no other being has the strength or skill to block the bridges between the worlds. But we don’t take responsibility. It’s against our teachings to alter nature like this. There can only be one explanation…” He stopped and looked at his grandmother again.

  “Pa…za…chi…” she breathed in a barely audible voice. More silence.

  “The Pazachi are a myth,” Ishkan arrogantly scoffed, and his wife nodded her head.

  “I assure you, it is no myth,” Nikola said coolly. Ishkan glared at him.

  “There is no proof that they exist!” he insisted.

  “Well, actually—” Finn began, ready to share some contradictory information, but Nikola cut him off.

  “No proof? You ask for proof?” Nikola asked. His blue eyes blazed angrily, but his voice remained calm and steady. “Tell me, Ishkan; tell me why my brother and
I were orphaned and left for my grandmother to raise. Try telling Anthea that there are no Pazachi. Then tell her where the father of her children is.” Nikola and Dragana’s icy stares were enough to shut Ishkan up for good. “The Pazachi are very real, and they have been gaining strength in their numbers.”

  “Aren’t they fairly radical?” Finn asked him.

  “The term ‘fairly’ is very kind of you to use, Finn,” Nikola answered. “Ever since humans started traveling to the heavens above and building massive weapons that could obliterate an entire city within seconds, the Pazachi have grown more and more extreme in their beliefs and larger in their numbers. I think they are afraid of how fast human technology is advancing, and of how far removed modern humans have become from the very land that sustains them. The Pazachi’s views continue to gain sympathy and support as time goes by, and this is what makes them so dangerous,” he explained.

  “But most of them are human,” Yuri stated. “How can they be so intolerant of their own race?”

  “Wouldn’t you be intolerant of a population that could destroy not only your village, but your entire forest in a matter of heartbeats? They’ve already done it to each other in the modern world. They still do to this day…every day.” Nikola’s eyes looked heartbroken as he said these things.

  “Would you care to elaborate on that?” Sevan asked with contempt from her place beside her parents.

  “I think we are all aware that modern humans have a tendency to leave nature worse for the wear after they’ve set foot on it,” Nikola said, and glanced towards Annika. “No other creature does what humans do to their environment. They poison their land, their water, their food…they even poison the air they breathe. It affects all living things, from the enormous whale to the tiny ant, and humans only grow more ignorant and disconnected from the land as time goes by. They chew down the forests that serve to clean the air, but unlike termites who only feed on dead wood, humans are indiscriminate. They are the only animal that is capable of such intelligence and yet do such asinine things. It’s only a matter of time before their species dies out. Already there is such a high level of violence and disease among them. I have heard that some of them will go as far as to cut out their stomachs when they grow too large. They’re sick; mentally and physically, and it has a ripple effect on everything around them.”

  “They cut out their stomachs? That can’t be true!” Hilda frowned with a look of revulsion that a few others around the table shared.

  “Yeah, it’s true,” Annika replied, feeling suddenly ashamed for being one of these detested modern humans. “It’s called gastric bypass. People do it all the time.” There was a round of horrified whispers of disbelief around the table.

  “These are but a few reasons to explain the logic behind the Pazachi’s actions,” Nikola concluded.

  “Regardless of the reason, their intolerance of the mortal realm is unacceptable,” Konstantin said. “It is not their choice to make for any of us.”

  “Can’t the Pazachi just tell them to stop what they’re doing?” Runa asked naïvely. “They could help teach the modern humans how to live closer to nature.”

  “If only it were that simple, little samodiva,” Nikola said with a bemused expression. “I think it will take more than diplomacy to stop them. They’re trained to fight to the death for their beliefs. Negotiating is not a likely option.”

  “Blood will be spilled over this,” Sariel said in a scornful tone. “The only question is how much, and whom it belongs to.”

  “We have to know where they are first,” Finn explained. “Then we can strategize.” Konstantin nodded in agreement and walked over to the map.

  “Unfortunately, since they are nomads, they could be anywhere in this general area.” His hand passed over a large body of water and made an arch to the northeast of it, covering two feet of the map. Annika didn’t know how many miles or kilometers it was, but she knew it was a lot of territory to cover.

  “I still have a hard time believing this,” Ishkan disagreed with his nose in the air. “There are too many uncertainties. And even if you’re right, that it’s the Pazachi’s fault, I certainly don’t mind cutting off interaction with humans. I’m not willing to risk traveling so far away, and for what? Destruction of our land for the sake of convenience is not the way of the elves!”

  “This mindset is exactly what has allowed the Pazachi to become so powerful,” Nikola argued.

  “Call me what you will, but I won’t risk losing life or limb fighting against them when deep down I agree with their motives.”

  “I would go myself if my children didn’t need me,” Anthea stammered, choking back her tears. “I would leave this very instant if I knew I had a chance to have Asbjorn home!” She abruptly stood and left the table, sobbing loudly as she ran out. Her mother glared at Ishkan and followed her distraught daughter out of the library.

  “I agree with Konstantin,” said Nikola. “I’m willing to seek them out to try and stop them, but I cannot do it alone and be victorious.”

  “We will accompany you in scouting their location. When we find them I’ll send word for reinforcements, if necessary,” Konstantin said, looking at Vaj for a moment. “It’s not exactly a simple matter for us to travel during daylight, but we will do what we can to restore the natural balance of our worlds.”

  “I’ll go,” Sariel volunteered without a second thought. Hilda and Runa looked at each other and nodded their heads.

  “If she’s going, then we’re going with her.”

  “Well, I’m sure we can help,” Dardis nominated herself and Chivanni. Chivanni’s eyes grew wide in surprise. He clearly hadn’t planned on volunteering, but he didn’t have time to protest. Sevan gave a sarcastic harrumph, crossing her arms haughtily.

  “So one druid, two vampires, three samodivi and a couple of fairies are going to battle against a potential army of Pazachi extremists?”

  “As of right now it’s only a scouting expedition,” Nikola reminded her.

  “Well good luck!” Sevan sneered.

  “Thank you, I’ll need it,” Zaven said quietly. His sister’s jaw dropped.

  “As will I,” Talvi volunteered right after his cousin.

  “You’ll need someone who knows the many languages of the land,” Finn advised. “Which I think qualifies me as well.”

  “What do you think, Nikola? Is that a good enough start?” Ambrose asked, stroking his short beard.

  “It’s acceptable,” he said, looking around at the volunteers. “But this journey is not to be entered into lightly. The last I heard, the Pazachi were living near the Mesoyadna Forest, beyond the Sea of Forneus.”

  “The Mesoyadna Forest?” Zaven gasped. “Aren’t those the trees that—”

  “Oh, it should be fine to travel through,” Finn said quickly. “It’s dormant this time of year.”

  “Yes, but still…” Zaven trailed off, looking like he regretted his decision.

  “I don’t care,” Sariel said loudly. “I’m not afraid!”

  “But Sariel, we’ve never been that far,” Hilda tried to reason. “The Sea of Forneus? The Mesoyadna Forest?” Sariel gave her daughter a fearless shrug of dismissal.

  “If we were to travel to the Dark Horse, we could contact a paladin who would be willing to fight by our side,” Konstantin suggested.

  “It wouldn’t be the honorable Justinian, would it?” Nikola asked him. Konstantin’s eyebrows raised in interest.

  “Why, yes, it would. You know of him?”

  “You could say that,” Nikola smiled softly at his grandmother, who smiled back. “He would be an extremely valuable asset to us, if you know how to locate him. I haven’t seen him in years. But we must leave as soon as possible. Time is working against us.”

  “What’s the Dark Horse?” Annika whispered to Finn.

  “The Dark Horse is a very old tavern farther up North where Konstantin is from,” he explained. “It sits directly below another gate…another portal that opens
up to Bucharest, which is directly south of Transylvania. That’s why so much of vampire lore stems from there. As you’d expect, it’s a popular place for vampires from both worlds to gather.”

  “Okay, but what about me?” Annika asked him. “What am I going to do? Just hang out here and wait for you guys to come back?”

  “You would be safer here, it’s true,” Ambrose told her gently. “But I’ve already told you that you didn’t end up here by accident. It’s more than ironic that you are trapped between the two worlds. I believe it’s your destiny to go on this journey, and I’m not the only one.”

  “Just who else are you talking about?” Sevan screeched. “She won’t last a week!”

  “That, my dear niece, is between Annika and the one who told her.” Ambrose said. Talvi squeezed her right hand again, pressing her fingers against her large diamond ring. She remembered sitting in the hot spring, and the dark, magnificent and mysterious creature that had spoken to her without a voice for her words. You are here because Fate invited you. You cannot go back the way you came. I suggest you go forward instead. Annika lowered her eyes before anyone could read her thoughts. She’d been under the impression that the unicorn meant she had to finish her journey home, not travel even farther away than she was now. But what if going on this trip was the only way for her to do so?

  “Right…right,” she said softly.

  “You’ll be in good hands,” Ambrose assured her.

  “You already are,” Talvi whispered in her ear, and squeezed her hand again.

  “We can leave tomorrow,” Konstantin decided. “It is a little more than two week’s travel north to the Dark Horse, where we must speak with Justinian.” There was silence again around the table.

  “That’s it? That’s it? We’re just going to send our children off in less than a day?” Gousine said, growing hysterical. “I forbid you to go Zaven! I forbid it! Do you hear me?” Her husband helped her from the table and led her out of the room, but her son ignored her. Zaven’s face was like stone as he let his mother’s hysterics fall on deaf and pointed ears. Sevan rushed to follow them, giving him the worst look she could manage, which was quite appalling. When they were done with their melodramatic exit, Zaven sighed and rolled his eyes.

  “I swear, I was born into the wrong family,” he lamented.

  “Don’t say that, Zaven,” Ambrose said warmly. “You are my nephew. You are definitely in the right family.” Zaven smiled a little and ran his hand through his short blond hair.

  “Well, we need to get packing, don’t we?” Finn urged the others. “I suppose we’ll be up all night gathering supplies and whatnot.”

  “We can help you with that,” Dardis said cheerfully. “We’ll take care of the food, but we need to get started right away.” She shrank into her original tiny hummingbird size along with Chivanni, and the two of them flitted to the kitchen. The samodivi, Annika and Talvi ran up to his room where the bundles of wood had sat for days untouched. For hours they did nothing but whittle the branches into arrows and listen to music. As she cut the wood with long strokes, Sariel looked giddy for the first time since she’d smoked the pixie-dust laced tobacco. They worked late into the night, and when they came downstairs for a snack, they were nearly clobbered with a bowl of rising bread dough floating through the air.

  “What the heck is going on?” Annika asked, amazed.

  “We’re cooking, silly!” Chivanni exclaimed. “We’ve got to eat on this trip, so we might as well bring as much as we can.”

  “How are you doing that?” she asked in wonder, and dodged a row of apples that had come up from the cellar and landed in a basket on the counter. “Is it pixie dust?”

  “No!” Dardis choked, “It’s fairy dust! Pixie dust could never cooperate the way fairy dust does.”

  “Okay then, I’ll just grab a quick bite and get out of here,” she replied, and plucked an apple out of the air.

  “Finn’s in the stable with Zaven and Nikola getting the horses ready,” Chivanni said before Talvi could ask. “He told me to tell you not to worry about Ghassan. He’s taking care of him for you.”

  “Brilliant,” said Talvi. “It appears that everything is accounted for, but I need to pack a few more things before I go to bed. We’ll see you two in the morning.”

  “It nearly is morning, you ding-a-ling!” Dardis laughed. Talvi looked out the window and sure enough, the sky was beginning to turn blue with the approach of dawn.

  “I guess I’ll see you in a few hours, then,” he said, and he led Annika up the maze of stairs to his chambers.

  Back in his room, the faint light tinged the walls with a blue hue. He locked the door shut and all they heard were the birds outside singing to greet the approaching sunrise. She let Talvi guide her to the window by the bed, but rather than climbing under the covers, he abruptly reached around her body and pulled her back against his chest. Suddenly all that mattered was the strength with which he held her, as though he never wanted to let her go. He nuzzled into her neck, making her forget all about the serious atmosphere of the meeting and all that was said about humans disrupting nature so severely that the Pazachi had closed the portals between the two worlds. He held her for a long time, slightly swaying back and forth, and she couldn’t imagine feeling safer than she did right at that moment.

  “I suppose it’s going to be a long time before we’re alone together,” she said quietly.

  “Mmm hmm,” he hummed. He reached his hands down and untied her pants.

  “You’re insatiable. I used to hate that whole refractory period thing, but you’re making me start to wish that elves had it,” she joked.

  “I do have a tendency to overindulge,” he admitted, nibbling on her ear. “I should exercise more restraint.” She felt her blood pressure rise as he rested his hands inside her pants and slid them down a few inches.

  “I thought you said you were going to exercise more restraint,” she scolded, to which he only laughed a little under his breath.

  “No…I only said that I should.”

  Annika felt her body react in anticipation of his next move, shuddering when he didn’t stop caressing her.

  “I don’t know if I can do that again. I’m still in recovery.”

  “Perhaps I’ve been too rough with you,” he suggested, and let his fingers dance over her hips. “You’d tell me if I was, wouldn’t you?”

  “I’d definitely let you know. I’m just not used to having this much sex.”

  “Better get used to it,” murmured near her ear. She felt her blood pressure rise as he rested his hands inside her pants and slid them down a few inches. “Will you at least let me undress you for bed?”

  “Yes,” she whispered. She watched as he untied the closure at the front of her shirt and cupped her breasts through the fabric, then pushed it up her body and over her head. He knelt down behind her and gently kissed down the length of her back. He slid her pants down a little more, kissing her hipbone, and then the other. He slowly rose to his feet, covering every inch of her exposed skin with gentle kisses from her hips to her neck, until her sore body began to ache and grow warm. He stepped in front of her and knelt down again, holding her close as he brushed his cheek against her nipples before carefully taking each one in his mouth. Her fingers curled around his hair as she closed her eyes, relishing his soft kisses and warm tongue on her skin. His hands coaxed her pants down a few more inches while he ran the tip of his nose between her breasts, down to her navel, and further still until he stopped at the soft bit of fluff. He inhaled her scent of arousal deep into his lungs, and exhaled the hot air through his mouth and onto her skin, making her tremble.

  “Are you certain you want to go to sleep?” he asked with mischievous and dark expression. “I’m not very tired.”

  “Me neither,” Annika said with a grin, yanking her pants up. “Where’s that blindfold you used on me when you first brought me to town?” When she turned around Talvi’s eyes were filled with intrigue. He immed
iately went to his desk, digging around his piles of papers until he found the green sash. He was about to use it on Annika again, but she snatched it out of his hands.

  “It’s not for me. It’s for you,” she gloated. Talvi’s eyes narrowed as he shook his head.

  “I don’t play that version of our game.”

  “I thought you weren’t tired,” she pouted. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

  “No. Now give me the sash.”

  “No,” she said, digging in her heels. Talvi lifted a brow and grinned.

  “If you keep misbehaving, I’m going to have to punish you.”

  “You always get your way,” she said, crossing her arms. “If you don’t want to play with me on our last night alone together, I’ll go sleep in my room downstairs. Or…you can let me have my way for a change.”

  Annika knew that Talvi was stubborn, but she also knew that he was even less enthusiastic about the idea of having no privacy in the near future. To her pleasant surprise, he sighed in defeat and took a step towards her.

  “Fine, then. I’ll give it a go. What would you have me do?”

  “Take off your shirt.” He seemed a little unsure what to make of her intentions. “I mean it. Take it off.” Surprised, he did as he was told. “Now sit down.” He obediently sat down at his desk and she stood behind him, tying on the blindfold.

  “What is this? What are you up to?” But she didn’t answer him. Instead she noiselessly picked up the rope from the bundles of wood.

  “Put your hands together behind your back,” she instructed.

  “You are not tying me up.”

  “You’ve done it to me; now it’s my turn,” she explained. “Besides, you were just saying that you need to learn some restraint. Let me help you.”

  “Annika, really…” he protested. “You don’t know what you’re doing…or what you’re asking.”

  “Yes I do. It’ll be fun. Wait and see.”

  “It would be more fun if I could see all the things I’m about to do to you,” he replied with a wry grin, yet he put his hands behind his back. Annika tied the rope around one wrist, and then the other, pulling them tightly together. She unbuckled his boots and took off his socks, then made him stand up and turn in a circle half a dozen times.

  “This is ridiculous. You’re going to make me dizzy,” he complained.

  “That’s the point. You can’t get away if you don’t know where you are.” She led him around the room to further disorient him, ending up next to the bedpost.

  She carefully removed his belt and looped it around the post, and then swiftly ran it between his hands, pulling the buckle tight and knotting it before he knew what she’d done. He jerked his hands to pull away but it was of no use. She stepped back, admiring her handiwork.

  “You are in so much trouble when I break free!” he hissed.

  “Go ahead and try.” She challenged him. “Really, I want to see if you can.” He lurched forward and pulled his wrists against the rope, but nothing happened. He wasn’t going anywhere. When he realized this, the tolerant look on his face shifted to one that reflected his heated frustration. “It looks like you’re the one who’s in trouble now,” she laughed, and kissed his chest while running her fingernails lightly over his skin. Her tongue made its way from his neck to his navel while she unfastened the top button of his pants. She stood up to bring her lips near his mouth, but she wouldn’t return his attempted kisses. Instead she caressed his chest up and down, brushing her breasts against him. His breath shuddered every time she unfastened another button of his pants. She knelt down and exhaled her hot breath through the clothing, making him toss his head in torment.

  She stepped away and observed him for a minute or two. His black hair fell over the blindfold and he seemed to be drowning in his own desire. She felt her body growing more and more aroused just by watching him, knowing that he was suffering exactly the way she’d intended. He twisted his head again, searching for a noise, or any sound at all to tell him where she’d gone.

  “Where are you? Annika, come back and untie me at once!” She tiptoed in front of him and gave his nipples firm biting kisses as her hand rubbed over his thighs. She could feel him growing ready for her underneath her fingertips, and she finished unbuttoning his pants. She pulled them down just enough to reach her hand in and free his eager sex, stroking it with both of her hands.

  “Come now, Annika—let me go! I’ve had enough of this nonsense!”

  “You like it and you know it. You’re just mad because I’m better at it than you.”

  “Annika, I mean it,” he warned. “If you don’t let me go right now, you’ll be sorry.”

  “If you don’t be quiet I won’t let you go at all,” she threatened playfully. “I’ll go back to my other room and leave you here to call for help.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Don’t test me. If I leave, who do you think is going to let you loose?”

  Practically fuming, Talvi gritted his teeth, not wanting to find out. Annika walked away again and let her pants fall to the floor, then tiptoed over to where her shoes from the party still lay on the floor. She slipped them on and walked around the room slowly, watching as Talvi’s ears followed the hollow sound her heels made as they struck the stone floor. A couple minutes went by and he didn’t say anything, so she snuck up and took him into her mouth, sucking hard. He threw his head back in pleasure, groaning as he pushed his hips towards her face. She pulled his pants down to the floor, helping him step out of them. With one hand she reached down and covered her finger in her own moisture, then dragged it across his bottom lip. At once he lunged forward, but she’d already stepped back beyond his reach. He licked his lips and moaned as she kissed his face. His mouth sought hers again, but she wouldn’t kiss him just yet. He sighed plaintively as she licked a wet trail down his chest and stomach until she reached the black curls that tickled her nose. She knelt in front of him again to taste his hard flesh. She bathed him in wet kisses, then pressed the organ against her cheek. The blood was coursing fast underneath the delicate skin, and she sat back on her knees to look up at him. His nostrils were flaring, his chest was heaving, but he was silent and subservient. She put her mouth close to his protruding flesh once again, watching it quiver in response to her warm breath. She began to pity his anguish, so she rose to her feet and removed the blindfold. Talvi’s eyes were brimming with lust as he examined her naked body, clad only in shoes and her ring. He still said nothing, and was promptly rewarded with a sultry kiss.

  Annika stepped backwards to sit on his bed, watching as Talvi climbed onto the corner and sat on his knees, but he could only lean down a little before the bedpost stopped him. He glared at the canopy and curtain rods that had him trapped in place, then drew in his breath as if he was about to ask her a question. Annika pressed her forefinger against her lips and shook her head, then smiled. Lying on her back directly in front of him, she put her shoes against his chest, capturing his length between her thighs, and then squeezed until he whimpered.

  “I told you to be quiet,” she reminded him. Her legs spread apart and fell to the mattress, revealing herself for him to see her drenched in dew. With one arm behind her head, she let her other hand wander up and down her body until it slipped between her legs. Her hips rolled from side to side into the sheets as she touched herself while he watched in stunned silence. She dipped her fingers into her hot folds and brought them to her mouth, sucking them clean. A look of madness crept into his eyes, and his lips parted just enough to reveal clenched teeth. He strained even harder against the rope, which was beginning to cut into his wrists. She covered her hand in her abundant wetness again and spread it onto the tip of his sex, then sat up and licked it off of him slowly. He tossed his head to one side, and then to the other, boiling over with sexual frustration. The look of pain in his face was proof that he had endured enough torture, and was deserving of his reward. Annika got up and reached behind him to unfasten the buckle, letting th
e belt fall with a ‘clink’ to the floor and untied the knots around his hands.

  “Might I have a word with you?” he asked, rubbing his raw wrists and looking at her with the same intense, half-crazed expression.

  “Sure,” she grinned. “I’m really impressed with how well you listened to me.”

  “I warned you,” he said in a low voice, reaching down for the belt. Holding it in one hand, he pushed her down forcefully to the bed and flipped her onto her stomach with rough hands pressing against her back. She winced, expecting the sting of the belt to come any second, but then she yelped as she was filled with the hard beast that she’d so ruthlessly teased. He thrust deep into her moist, snug body only a handful of times before piercing the air with a fierce roar. She tried to roll over, but he held her down with one hand as he pulled out of her.

  “You’re not getting away with what you’ve done to me that easily,” Talvi panted. “No…that would be far too charitable of me. I’m going to teach you a lesson you’ll never, ever forget.”

  He let the leather smack her firmly on the ass. Before she could protest, there came another smart blow, followed by another. It didn’t hurt as much as it burned, and it excited her to know that she was being punished for the state she had put him in. He struck her again, caressing her backside with his tender hand before continuing. With each snap of the belt and touch of his hand, she grew more and more feverish.

  “Do you think you can behave if I release you?” he asked in his velvety voice.

  “Yes! I’ll be good!” she promised. His fingers reached between her legs, gathering as much of their combined fluids onto them as he could. He rubbed it onto the flesh that was now a rosy shade of pink from the leather strap. The cooling sensation it produced made her skin tingle in relief.

  “I don’t think you can behave.” He let the belt fly again, hitting her wet skin, and she flinched at how much it stung. Her back arched as she writhed under his strong hands. Again he dipped his fingers into her flood of arousal, massaging her as her hips rose and fell on his hand in anguish.

  “Well, naughty girl? Have you learnt your lesson?”

  “Yes!” she whimpered.

  “Then tell me…what have I taught you?” She fumbled through her mind for an answer that Talvi would approve of.

  “I learned that it pays to misbehave.”

  He withdrew his fingers and flipped her onto her back, studying her with an unprecedented intensity. He didn’t say it, but she knew she’d given him the right answer. His eyes were dark and blazing as he pulled her knees apart, gripping them with his powerful hands. With her shoes still on, he spread her legs as wide as they could go and thrust himself deep into her. She cried out as he filled her again and again. With each motion the weight of his body shoved her farther from the edge of the bed until she was about to fall off the other side. Undaunted, he picked her up while still inside of her and carried her over to the window. He pressed her against the wall beside it, furiously driving into her flesh with his own, but he could not be satisfied.

  He turned to the right, smiled devilishly, and turned back to her. She searched for what he’d found so amusing and saw a gorgeous creature looking back at her in the reflection of a large standing mirror. His arms lifted a small woman by her thighs, keeping her little black heeled shoes curled around his torso. She watched him glide steadily in and out of her body, captivated by their movements. He picked her up again and carried her to the rug in front of the mirror, then set her down on her hands and knees. He pulled her thighs apart again and with his hands on her hips, he backed her up onto his rigid organ. She looked up into the mirror, admiring her lover’s smooth, flat stomach and his sleek, muscular arms. His hand wandered up her back, passing between her shoulder blades. Gathering a large handful of her hair, he pulled her towards him slowly until she had risen to her knees. She watched as he caressed her breasts, exhaling his heated breath into her ear as they moved in harmony with each other. His fingers made their way around her hip and gently nudged her clitoris. She felt the tension building, but he abruptly ceased his thrusting and lay still inside of her. He held Annika tight, gazing at their reflection.

  “What are you doing? Why did you stop?”

  “Shhh, let me enjoy you.” With his other hand occupied, Talvi ran his nails up and down her skin, pinching her nipples and cupping her curves. He began to move in and out of her again, excruciatingly slow. Her head rested on his shoulder as his fingers sent waves of pleasure through her body, culminating in the tidal wave she’d been waiting for. He clutched her tight as her pleasure released his own. His eyes closed while he buried himself deep inside her in an attempt to meld their bodies into one perfect union, crying softly into her ear. Together they sank to the rug to catch their breath, with Talvi still nestled deep inside of her.

  “It’s such a pity that we didn’t meet sooner,” he said before nuzzling into her neck. “Think of all the time that was wasted.”

  “It’s probably a good thing we didn’t meet sooner,” Annika said with a yawn. “I’d be dead from sleep deprivation.”

  He let her go and went to the window sill, squinting at the last rays of sunlight that pierced through the trees.

  “Did I do something wrong?”

  “No, you didn’t do anything,” he said quietly. “I just don’t want to risk sounding trite. It would be an insult to a creature so exquisite as yourself.”

  “Just say it, Talvi.”

  “It’s difficult for me to find the words,” he excused, biting his lip. He was still fixated on the sun’s orange light now spilling over the treetops.

  “What would sound trite?” she asked. He turned his blue-green eyes to her.

  “I…I…” he stammered. “I want you to kiss me.” She sidled up next to him and stroked his hair, eyeing him curiously. He enveloped her in his arms once more and as their lips met, she saw them dancing together, and she saw the top of her head resting on his chest through his eyes. Her body was filled with a sweet joy; she felt a deep love for that girl with her head on his chest. She felt suddenly nauseated to see herself caught in the spell of the vampire from the desert. A rage she hadn’t felt before rose up in her and she saw his arms ripping her from the clutches of the hungry monster. She jerked her head away from his.

  “Is that how you felt the other night?” she asked. “It really upset you to see me with Vaj, didn’t it?” There was no other explanation for the vision from his point of view.

  “Yes, only more than you’ll ever know.” She took his hand and coaxed him to the bed. She pulled the heavy velvet curtains around them to block the sunlight and tucked the blankets around them, resting her head in the crook of his arm. “I’ve never been possessive, or even jealous of anyone,” he went on, caressing her shoulder as he spoke. “Well, perhaps a little, but nothing like what you do to me. I couldn’t bear it if…I just feel a, a duty to protect you…it’s a very primal sensation. I’ve never felt like this before about anyone, or anything, especially in such a short period of time. I worry that it comes off as sounding trite.”

  “I don’t think it does at all.” She got the feeling he wanted to say more, but she didn’t want to hear it. She didn’t want him actually loving her, not when she was leaving. Amazing chemistry was one thing, but another long term relationship was not part of her future plans.

  “I have you right now,” he said before he closed his eyes. “If you think about it, perhaps that’s all that really matters.”