Rhuul's Flame (12 page)

She lowered her arms to grip his shoulders, but he pulled them away. “Leave them!” The rope between them hung long and loose, giving them more freedom than they’d ever had since being bound together. He pressed her wrists to the wall with the outer edge of his left wing, holding them in place.

He returned to his tantalizing torture of her breast, making her bleary-eyed with desire. When he slipped his fingers into her panties, he swore, his muscles quaking.

He rubbed and tugged every inch of her folds, finding every crevice, every sensitive spot, before rubbing her clitoris between his thumb and forefinger.

It was all she needed to crash headfirst into ecstasy. Her back went rigid and her voice failed her, robbed of air as her lungs stilled. As she crested, she felt a sharp pain in her nipple, but she was too far gone. The sensation added to her pleasure, and when Rhuul’s face filled her field of vision, she couldn’t stop her trembling.

“Do it, Lea. Share your flame with me.” He pulled his wing away while his hand yanked her underwear to the side.

She placed a palm over his heart and leaned in, sealing their lips in another kiss. It was hard to concentrate on her magic when she felt the heat of the large head of his manhood at her entrance, but she focused, extending herself into him, taking part of her essence and binding it to his soul.

The bond she formed with him was different than what she shared with Ghena. It was deeper. He’d be immune to her flames from now on, connected to her in a way no one had ever been. “I-it’s done.” She could barely breathe when she pulled back to look him over. There was a rather unique change in him. Where his head was bald before, he now had Mohawks of fire going down the center of his skull, flickering with orange and green flames. “Rhuul, you look—”

Her words were ended when he buried his face in her neck, biting and pulling the skin there. He rocked his hips into her, pushing into her in long strokes, stretching her so far she didn’t think she’d ever be able to get any wider. He flapped his wings in bursts, driving him deeper with added force.

She’d never known the fullness she felt then, each stroke dragging his skin against her most receptive areas, the ridges of his shaft finding every sensitive spot, bringing her closer to him than she thought possible. It was as if he was made to please her, specially formed with her alone in mind. “I’m going to come. F-fill me, Rhuul. Fill me with l-li-fe.”

“Lea, by the gods!” His thrusts became more insistent, frantic.

She rode high on the wave of bliss, holding on to the joining of his wings and back for dear life. Loops of carnal delight reverberated from her core to her throbbing left breast and back again in a mind-blowing circuit. She bit her lip to hold in her whimpers, and hoped and prayed nothing would interrupt the sensations she felt.

Rhuul, however, swore loudly as his hips jerked. She held on tight, luxuriating in the feel of her aftershocks. She was more than surprised when he pulled out of her, erupting against her stomach.

“Shall we try the wall I’d picked out now?” He gave her oversensitive nipple a tug and flashed a wicked grin as he gasped for air.

Sparks of pleasure filled her chest, and when she looked down, she was shocked to see a golden hoop through her sensitive nub. “Wh-what is this? When did you do this?”

“It’s how we mark our
dranaiya
.” He looked proud as he gave the metal another tug.

Are
dranaiya
mates? He’s adorned me as his life mate?
She wanted to sing praises to the earth, but she thought better of that. Instead, she allowed her thoughts to settle on the symbol shining against her skin. “I think it’s missing something.” She smiled and touched the gold with her index finger, heating it until it glowed white-hot.

“What are you doing?” There was alarm in his voice. His grip tightened protectively around her.

“You’ll see.” She reached for her magic, visualizing what she needed. “There.” She pulled her hand away and watched the wonder in Rhuul’s face. She’d etched a twisting vine design into the gold. “Can you make a little charm for it?”

Rhuul seemed more than happy to oblige and licked a line toward the hoop.

“With your hands this time.” She laughed and pushed his face away. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“No, but I like bringing you close. The way you stop breathing when you come is … Gods!” He conjured a small gold disc and attached it to the base of the ring. “Why did you want this?”

“Watch.” She touched the new addition, heating up the metal and manipulating it with her magic. This time, she shaped a pair of wings, reminiscent of his.

“Lea…” His voice deepened, his hold even tighter. “I need you on that wall.” He lifted her as if she weighed nothing, carrying her across the cave with long strides.

She held onto the joining of his wings with a firmer grip, and that was when she noticed something different. There were strange ridges in those areas. Raised areas she hadn’t seen before. “What happened? How did you get these?” She wriggled out of his arms and moved behind him, running her fingertips against the thick scars on his skin.

“What are you doing?” When he tried to turn around, she placed a hand in the center of his back.

“I can heal these. Just hold still.” She felt her magic as it moved through her hands and into his body, but she felt something else too. She closed her eyes. The scenery around her changed, and she found herself in a room she didn’t recognize. Her wrists were tied to posts, and that was when she realized the problem.
These aren’t my hands!

She looked over her shoulder, seeing the outer curve of leathery wings and realized what was going on.
This is Rhuul. How is this happening?
When she looked past the wings, she saw a tall Eidon wearing an elaborate crown made of floating purple orbs of energy. In the center of the crown above his head was a single crystal. His clothing looked regal, each item created of leather and cloths embroidered with detailed patterns.

“Grandfather, please! I haven’t done anything wrong. Please tell him, Father!” It was Rhuul’s voice. Even though it was younger and higher in pitch, she knew it was him just as well as she knew her own name. The fear she felt inside him took her over, and she experienced his quick breaths as her own.

“The fact that you exist is an affront to all that this family is. If I must abide a
Paralta,
you will at least maintain a proper form.” The crowned Eidon nodded and a guard approached, sword in hand.

Gods, no!
Her own fear exploded, and she reached for her powers, but they weren’t there.
Don’t do this. You can’t do this to him!
The guard walked closer, taking slow steps, creating a dread in her that threatened to consume her.

“Father, please! Please tell him!” Rhuul’s voice dripped with worry. The Eidon to the right of his grandfather stared in silence, unmoving.

Protect your son! He needs you to—Rhuul!

*

“Lea? Lea, wake up!” Rhuul cradled her still body in his arms, shaking her as he called out to her. One moment she was touching his scars; the next, she was swaying on her feet, her eyes closed. Now she was unconscious, and for all intents and purposes, talking in her sleep.

“No. Don’t!”

“Don’t what? What’s happening?”
Is she entering someone else’s dream? I am not crossing this land to help another stranger.
He shook his head and continued trying to rouse her. “Open your eyes, Lea.”

“You’re his grandfather. You can’t do this!”

At those words, all of his muscles stiffened. A tremor started in the tips of his wings, moving through the bones and resonating in his chest. “Lea, you need to wake up now.” He had no idea how it happened, but there could only be one explanation. The changes in her occurred when she tried to heal his scars, and now she was pleading with his grandfather.

He’d never shared that memory with anyone, but he wasn’t angry about her seeing it. His entire focus was on bringing her out of it, wanting to protect her from the experience. “Come on.” He shook her a bit harder, his heart thumping like an angry fist.

“Please help him. Please! How can you just sit there? Why would you allow this to…?” She was silent and eerily still. When he looked at her chest, it was unmoving, her entire body limp.

“Lea!” He cradled her closer still, feeling himself teeter somewhere on the edge of hysteria.

“Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!” She convulsed in his grasp, screaming nonstop.

“Gods! Why can’t I wake her? Tell me what to do, Lea.” He’d pushed the majority of the events of his childhood into a deep corner of his mind. It was the only way to stop the nightmares. It was what he needed to do to be strong. Seeing Lea feel his pain, the look of anguish on her face, the sound of her pleas on his behalf, it pulled at those concealed memories, teasing them back to the surface. This time, the fear wasn’t for himself. “How do I stop this?”

Lea continued to scream. Her cries were pure agony, sending stabs of pain through his heart. He held her closer, whispering to her. “Let it go, Lea. You have to come back.”

She didn’t respond. Her voice began to crack. Steam poured from her eyes in continuous plumes.

“Please wake up.” He’d never known a fear so powerful, and it wasn’t for himself.

When her screams ceased, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. He watched her face, her eyelids fluttering. He was more than happy to see her pain free; he was in awe.
She screamed for help on my behalf. She begged my grandfather not to hurt me.
No one had ever stood up for him for any reason. Not only had Lea pleaded for his safety, her words were filled with emotion. He lifted his wings and sank to the floor with her in his arms. She remained so still, he placed his palm on her chest, searching for the beat of her heart inside. It felt so small, but it was strong, insistent.

Even as he marveled at the strength of his feelings for her, the voice of doubt managed to sneak into his thoughts. Now that she’d seen one of his most painful memories, what would she think of him? Would she treat him differently? The very idea of it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Rhuul!” Her eyes popped open, the flames within swirling with turbulence.

“I’m here, Lea. Are you—”

“He had no right.” Her voice was different, filled with malice. She levitated out of his grasp. The flames of her hair crept down the sides of her face, making their way over her chest and arms.

“Lea, what are you doing?”

She didn’t answer. She lifted a flaming hand to her chest and pulled out a ball of fire. It elongated, revealing the earth stone. A second stone appeared, then a third.

“You’re making a—” A flash of light blinded him in an instant. When his vision cleared, Lea floated above him, her arms outstretched. He stood, securing his pants in the process. They weren’t in the cave anymore. One glance told him all he needed to know, and the sound of the next voice confirmed it.

“What are you doing here,
Paralta
?”

Lea’s flames quaked as she pointed at Iethro, his grandfather, ruler of Karn. “You don’t get to speak again, monster!” A column of fire rushed out of her hand, surrounding the Eidon ruler. “You will die for what you’ve done!”

Chapter 8

Never in her life had Avalea felt such fury, nor such intense animosity. There was only one thought on her mind: the complete and utter destruction of Rhuul’s grandfather. “You are pure evil, and you will pay!” She turned to the Eidon, who entered the room from a side door. “You will explain why you failed him as a father before you share the same fate.”

“Guards! Kill her!” The voice came from an Eidon in ornate armor. He was of no concern. She’d chosen her targets.

“You will not touch her!” Rhuul brought out his swords and stood beside her.

“Your swords … Your head … What has happened to you?” It was Rhuul’s father who spoke, but he ignored him.

At the mention of his swords, she glanced at the blades, finding them coated in flames. When the guards advanced, she created a fiery enclosure, keeping Rhuul and his family encased. There was no way to penetrate the prison of fire, and that suited her just fine. “Do you feel helpless, Iethro? Are you afraid to be at the mercy of someone else’s whim?”

“Stop this at once, y-you—”

“Don’t you dare call her an abomination.” Rhuul turned to face the inferno that roiled around the ruler.

“You are the abomination! You ordered his wings cut off. You mutilated your grandson. He was just a child!” She could feel tears straining to break free, but she held them back, pushed the sadness aside to fully embrace her rage. “You deserve to suffer and die.”

She directed the flames, making them close in around Iethro.

“No! Stop!” the ruler of Karn cried out in desperation.

“Didn’t he scream for you to stop? Didn’t he plead with you? You will receive the same mercy you showed him.” She had no reservations. This man would die today by her hands.

“Lea, stop.” It was Rhuul’s voice, but she couldn’t believe the words.

“You’d have me spare him? After what he did to you?” She turned to look at him, a jolt of surprise seeping into her ire. “I can destroy him right now and put a stop to his hatred.”

“And you’d regret it for the rest of your life.” He transferred the sword in his right hand to his left and took hold of her wrist. “This isn’t you, Lea. You told me killing wasn’t the only way. When you lost control with the
sekti
, it tore you up inside. How will you feel if you go through with this?”

“He hurt you. Family is supposed to protect you and he betrayed that. They both did. Didn’t you tell me sometimes we have to do what we have to do?”

“To defend ourselves, remember? Make no mistake, I despise him, but I don’t want his blood on your hands. I know you’re angry, but you can’t let it consume you. Think, Lea. This isn’t what you really want.”

He was right. As much as it pained her to leave Iethro breathing, Rhuul’s words were true. She was more than willing to take a life in the heat of the moment, but what about the aftermath? The charred bodies of the
sekti
still stalked her conscience, accusing her, shaming her.