Krystallina's Crisis

Krystallina's Crisis by Adrianna Dane

Amber Quill Press www.amberquill.com

Copyright ©2008 by Adrianna Dane

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Krystallina's Crisis by Adrianna Dane

CONTENTS Also By Adrianna Dane CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13 Adrianna Dane Amber Quill's Rewards Program ****

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KRYSTALLINA'S CRISIS By ADRIANNA DANE **** Amber Quill Press, LLC www.amberquill.com

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Krystallina's Crisis by Adrianna Dane

Also By Adrianna Dane Breathless Peaks Carnal Carnivale Closing Time Come Into My Parlor Esmerelda's Secret The Exile: Carved In Memory The Exile: A Seductive Tale Fertility Rite Graphic Liaisons Hidden Impact If You Dare... Tempt Me Not Therapy 5

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Train Me Unicorn Craving Vampyre Falls: Animal Heat Vampyre Falls: Morganna's Sacrifice I Want Images Of Desire Immortal Treasure Jebediah's Promise Jewel Of Niveka Legend Of The Beesinger [Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 1 Leave now! Krystallina's eyelids snapped up. She wasn't certain exactly what had awakened her so abruptly, but the urgency would not abate. She scanned the darkened bedchamber. All was silent, except for the sound of deep breathing coming from the two men she was tightly sandwiched between, who still appeared lost to their dream world. Carefully, she turned to gaze at the man who had been her lord and master for the last three years. Did evil men such as him even dream? Krystallina decided she didn't even want to know if the man held darker fantasies than he exacted upon his slaves. Krystallina slipped from between the two warm bodies. She focused her thoughts to masking her movements from the two men. It was important she not disturb either of them—the large, dangerous man to the left, the powerful Underlord Kadin, ruler of the black underworld, or the one to the right, As-ya, another slave like her. As-ya appeared to sleep peacefully, probably just as exhausted as her from the activities of the night before. The underlord had chosen the two of them to entertain him last evening. If they performed to his satisfaction, he rewarded the slaves by inviting them to share his meal and his bed. If he wasn't pleased, it would mean a cold night in a wet cell without food or water and then seven days to follow 7

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with only bread and water to sustain them. It could include a session with the whip if the Master was so inclined. Last night the Master had been well pleased with his two possessions. He had used both of them in many and varied ways until he had drifted off to sleep after too much wine and more than an abundance of sex. Krystallina finally managed to disentangle her sore body from the males and black silk bedding. With caution, she tiptoed across the shiny black floor to where her clothes, what few there were, lay scattered about the room. Kadin had enjoyed her dance the night before. He had sat in his huge, golden throne chair, stroking his immense erection as she undulated and drifted across the floor, her clothes discarded here and there as her body was revealed for the Master's pleasure. Krystallina had learned the dance in her home province of Jovantu. It was meant to be a marriage dance, one designed and practiced for her intended. She shook her head, trying to break loose of the painful memories of what should have been the planned path of her life. If the caravan carrying her to her intended hadn't been attacked. If Kadin hadn't found her appetizing enough to add her to his human collection of sex slaves. The first year she had fought him to her very last breath, determined to die rather than remain his slave. But that was not in Kadin's plans, and she had paid a high price. The second year she had drawn on a strength she hadn't known she possessed and had turned her mind to outwitting the man who enslaved her. It was either that or lose her mind. And 8

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this last year, after finally managing to gain a glimpse into the underlord's thoughts—apparently without him realizing she had the power—she had given herself freely to the Master in all ways. Enough to bind with his mind and access the map to the labyrinth that represented her key to freedom. There was not time to return to the slave's quarters to find heavier clothing. She would only have one chance to break free of the underworld. Although she didn't know where the voice inside her head came from, out of instinct she knew this was the day she must make good her escape. She would have to don the seductive outfit she had worn the night before and make her best gamble for freedom. She slipped on the blood-colored corset, lacing it up the side. Then the matching transparent skirt. And, finally, she pulled on the matching ruby and emerald encrusted gold sandals. Taking a deep breath, she surveyed the tangled bodies and bedding, but saw no movement to indicate either man might be waking. Tiptoeing to the private side door Kadin's mind had revealed to her—one hidden within the framework of the stone wall—she searched for the hidden release. This was the only door in his underworld kingdom not guarded. Its presence was veiled from discovery, blending into the unblemished ebony stone facade of the wall. Encountering the hidden catch with the pad of her index finger, she pressed and the door slid open, revealing a torch lit passage beyond. Thank Goddess. Just as she stepped a 9

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foot over the threshold, a strong hand clamped down on her shoulder. She stifled a scream. Whirling around, eyes wide, fear stretching through her, she turned to face what she thought would be her imminent death. A relieved breath whooshed from her lungs when she realized it was As-ya who stood there. Krystallina grabbed his hand and yanked him into the passageway, and the door to Kadin's chamber slid closed behind them. If Kadin discovered they were both gone it would mean certain death. Slaves did not leave the master's bed without verbal permission from the underlord. Especially if they were discovered in this secret passageway, which none of them should have knowledge of. Krystallina didn't want to think what tortures could await. "What are you doing here?" she whispered. She saw the determination in his eyes. "I'm coming with you." "You can't. I could be caught and we'd both be killed. And you know it wouldn't be an easy death for either of us." "I don't care." His gaze bored into her. "You're different from the rest of us. You aren't running blind in hopes of finding the way out of the labyrinth. You know how to get out." "That's crazy. How could I possibly—" "Don't lie, Krystallina." His hand cupped the curve of her breast and then shoved down and clamped possessively over her mound. "Several of us have talked. Those of us who have had you. We know you're different. You pretend to yield, but you don't really. It's in your eyes and the way you hold your 10

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body apart from us. Oh, you respond, but there's a part of you that is distanced somehow. We've all felt it. It was only a matter of time before you'd try to escape." Krystallina wanted to rip his hand away from her body, but she knew she had to tread carefully. One wrong step and her life would either be forfeit or be turned into an even worse living hell than it already was. In her time in the underworld she had discovered there could be worse tortures than being the living slave to the dark underlord. Just thinking of the undead horde made her shiver. "We were good together, Krystallina. Better than any others he's had. Few of them get to share his bed for the night." His thick finger slipped through the slitted opening of her skirt to bury inside her pussy. He thrust it back and forth inside her narrow channel. She couldn't let this happen. Not here, not now. Kadin could awaken at any moment, and she would not allow the ingrained sexual training to take control of her. After three years in Kadin's service, it no longer took very much to arouse her body. She'd learned the hard way that Kadin could easily ascertain if she faked her responses. She'd had to find a way to force herself to respond on command so as not to be punished for her transgressions. Too many lovers, too many tricks learned to please Kadin. The virgin on her way to her marriage was now no better than a whore, climaxing at the touch of any slave the Master chose for her, even to the point of forcing her orgasm on the simple command of Kadin. 11

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Krystallina had no idea where she was going to go if she got free of this place, but fleeing the underworld was something she had to do now before she lost herself completely to the dark decadent world of the underlord. Slowing her breaths, she looked up into As-ya's eyes. His lustful gaze pinioned her as his fingers worked inside her body She was unable to control the powerful orgasm that surged through her. Trained to perform like a captured jungle cat of Jovantu, Krystallina's submission was rooted in primitive, responsive instinct. She hated what this place had made her, and was determined to loose herself from the dark, lustful province as quickly as possible. As As-ya slid his finger from inside her, she knew he would leave her no choice. Not if she wanted her freedom. "Well?" he demanded, then sucked the digit into his mouth. Habit. Every sexual act any of them performed had been branded into their psyche by Kadin. The finger popped free from his mouth. "Or do I go back in there and wake Kadin?" She lifted her head and set her jaw. Her body still quaked. "Very well. You can come with me. But if we manage to get out safely, we go our separate ways. Is that clear?" "We're good together, Krystallina. Why should we separate?" "Sex is not everything, As-ya. I don't want you. What I have become has been forced upon me, and I don't want reminders. I will start a new life." Turning away, she hurried down the corridor as quietly and quickly as possible. She sensed As-ya behind her. She could 12

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only hope they hadn't wasted too much time. She had to get out of here before she totally lost the sense of who she was, who she had been before her capture. Krystallina couldn't bear being defined as the sexual animal Kadin had made her into. She would have freedom or death. And yet maybe they both meant the same thing. Just ahead of them was the entrance to the labyrinth. She turned to look at As-ya. "Are you certain you want to come with me? It could be very dangerous." "I'm certain." Krystallina nodded and turned away to enter the unknown, hoping the map she had read in Kadin's mind was not false. [Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 2 Benjamin Sarek saw his future in the lightsmoke as he had with every full moon for the last three years. Kneeling before the glowing crystals, twirls of mist rising from their center, he observed the form of the woman dancing at the heart of the entwined misty vision. He knelt on the moist earth, surrounded by the forest of which he served as guardian, his magic magnified by the land he inhabited. He watched the woman with long, golden hair. The graceful beauty was fashioned of the stars and moon with powers yet untutored, untapped. She was a gift from the land he protected, infused with power she did not yet understand, magic that had been misunderstood, and her destined course warped from where it should have led. He'd meditated daily for the last three years in an effort to be shown why he was so restless and why the woman who tortured his visions was not with him now in flesh. Why was her location veiled from him? But tonight at last his destiny was revealed, and he understood why he'd been unable to find her. She had been transported to the underworld where his presence was barred by the laws of the Goddess. Just as the misted forest was closed to Kadin, so was the underworld closed to Sarek. But now he saw her emerge from one of the exits into the light. A man and a woman. His woman stepped into the sunlight. The two parted company and she set out on her own. The afternoon light struck her golden tresses as she strode 14

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purposefully across the land. This was the woman meant for him. Her magic and his would intertwine and protect the land with a force doubled and enhanced. He looked beyond her to the murky shadows trailing her, a snake of black smoke. She may have escaped for now, but Kadin was not going to let her go easily. The black mist tracked her as though attached to her energy. The lightsmoke started to dissolve, bleeding her image into the sky. "No," he cried out. He hadn't yet located the exact passageway from which she had emerged. Nor did he know whether the image was from the past or the future. Too little information to act upon. At the very least he needed a landmark in order to find her. "Give me a sign; show me how to reach her." But even now Goddess Night collapsed the vision, leaving Sarek in darkness, no better than he had been before. Except this time he knew his destiny and the woman were real, and yet not. It was still possible to lose her forever. It figured that Kadin would be the reason Sarek's destiny was denied him. The vision had sapped Sarek's energy as it always did. He dropped to the ground, weakness overtaking him, limp as a trampled blade of grass. He stared up at the stars in the night sky, trying to call back the message from Goddess Night. She did not speak. Was it her intent to drive him insane with temptation? To leave his thirst unquenched? He needed the woman. She was out there, alone. She needed his protection. She needed him to show her the way to their shared destiny. 15

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He tried to lift up from the ground, but his body was too depleted and he was without strength even to raise a hand. It would be several hours before he would draw enough power from the forests to replenish his power. His eyes closed as he sank into an exhausted sleep. **** Sarek felt the hands stroking over his body. He knew the touch. "Gar, I have seen her." Sarek's voice was rough and his words slurred. Gar's strong hand wrapped around Sarek's cock stilled. "Where is she?" Sarek realized his head was cushioned in Gar's lap. His companion apprentice smoothed a hand over Sarek's chest and back down to the nest of hair surrounding his erect stalk. Sarek felt the familiar heat surge through his body as he looked up into his young companion's eyes. He saw worry expressed there. And there was something else he could not define. "I don't know. She was lost in the underworld but has escaped. I don't know yet which passage she has taken." "Goddess Night will reveal her position soon, I'm certain. You have waited so long for her arrival. It will happen just as you knew it would." Sarek reached up to cup Gar's neck and drew him down. Their lips touched and pressed together. Gar opened his mouth and Sarek slid his tongue inside. The young man had been sent to him two years ago by Goddess Night to help 16

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assuage his solitude and loneliness. A wanderer of the desert, Gar had stumbled into the misted forest, guided there by the light of the brightest star in the necklace of the Goddess. He'd come to Sarek with only his name and little memory of his past. Bloodied by some battle, horrors too many to be remembered, Sarek had taken him as an apprentice to assist him in his duties as guardian of the forest. And then Sarek had accepted him in the role of his companion. Sarek had never hidden the fact that Goddess Night would one day reveal Sarek's destined wife, and Gar had accepted the role assigned by the fates. Sarek rose to his knees facing his lover. "You knew this day would come." Gar nodded. "I knew. I do not regret the role you have allowed me, Master. Will you send me away when she arrives?" Sarek cupped the side of Gar's face. "I must allow her to decide. If she is agreeable I will keep you as companion, but she will hold the position as first wife. And this is something you must accept." Within the land it was not uncommon for a lord of the provinces to keep more than one wife and several concubines, as well as a scattering of lovers. It was Sarek's lawful right. He had not thought to do so himself, but he was now torn. He desired the woman he saw in his vision, felt the undeniable connection to her, but he also felt affection for his apprentice. And he could not send him out into the world without some preparation. It was always possible that the woman would accept Gar's role in his life. For now he set the worry aside, 17

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knowing he was getting far ahead of himself in his concerns. First he had to find her. He looked at Gar and reached into his mind. He saw the unease and he wanted to soothe the other man. No decision would be made tonight. Nothing more could be done until Goddess Night revealed the location of his intended mate. He stroked the side of Gar's face and then pulled him close. Sarek fastened his lips to his lover's, piercing into the moist chasm. He reached down between their bodies to clasp his lover's thick erection and stroked along the length, swirling a finger over the broad tip. Gar shuddered against him. "I'll take care of you, Gar. Whatever happens, you will not be abandoned." "I love you, Master. I may not know what my past contains, I may never know. But the Goddess has seen fit to send me to you, and I will do whatever is demanded of me for your happiness and well-being." Was Sarek really worthy of such sacrifice? There were times when he wasn't certain he deserved that depth of devotion. He slipped his hand up and down Gar's thickened shaft. He felt him grow larger, skin stretched tightly, liquid seeping from the slit onto his fingers. "You please me very much, Gar. Will you come for me now? Will you show me you forgive me for placing you second?" Gar bucked beneath his hands, spurting his semen into Sarek's hands. Sarek lifted a finger to his lips and tasted the salty pleasure of his devoted companion. 18

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Gar watched him through heavy-lidded, sated eyes. He licked his lips as Sarek tasted the glistening cream on his fingers. Sarek closed his eyes, savoring the taste of his lover, and then a vision burst free within his mind. His eyelids snapped open and he looked at Gar. "What is it, Master?" Sarek saw the alarm in Gar's eyes. It probably mirrored his own shock. Sarek shot to his feet. "I know where she is. I have to go to her; she's in great danger." He whirled around and raced through the clearing and down a path taking him back to his dwelling. There was no time to waste. All thoughts of passion evaporated as he sped toward his destiny. [Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 3 Krystallina forcibly parted company with As-ya. He was adamant about accompanying her, but she was just as firm about going her own way. Finally, he accepted her decision and headed in a different direction. She hadn't felt this free since Kadin had abducted her three years ago. The brand over her breast throbbed, but she hoped that distance would thwart Kadin's ability to reclaim his possession. The outfit she wore certainly wasn't conducive to long treks across unfamiliar land, but right now that was the least of her worries. Her biggest concern was getting as far away from Kadin as possible. Discovering a place where he could never find her. One thing that did concern her was knowing that if anyone saw the brand she would be returned to Kadin as quickly as possible without question. No one wanted to get on the wrong side of the powerful underlord. It didn't matter that she had been abducted and taken against her will. It wouldn't matter that he would kill her if she was returned to him, or that she'd be tortured before he did so. Glancing down, she realized the corset would never cover the brand and she'd have to find other clothing. Krystallina had never stolen anything in her life, but she had a feeling she was about to learn the art. If she wanted to stay alive and remain out of Kadin's hands, she was going to have to find clothing to disguise her. 20

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Krystallina looked around her, moving in a small circle. Closing her eyes she allowed the draw of the earth to direct her. That sense of direction was something that had been instilled inside her from—well, she didn't know exactly when it had started. It had just always been a part of who she was. She'd never told anyone, but the Goddess Earth had revealed herself to Krystallina when she'd been a very young girl. Krystallina had never understood why. None of her other sisters spoke of visions of the Goddess, nor did they seem to have the powers Krystallina possessed. Sometimes she'd seen fear shadowed in her mother's eyes. And sometimes, even her father's. Her mother had been the first wife of the Guardian of the jungle lands. Yet, Krystallina was a third daughter and shouldn't have been offered in marriage until her older sisters were wed. It was after the last incident, when Krystallina had foretold the death of her father's favorite concubine, that a hasty marriage had been arranged for her. But her journey to her betrothed had ended in disaster. She had known her father would most likely be relieved with her disappearance. Women with abilities such as hers were regarded as dangerous and unsuitable for marriage. More often than not, they were killed. She probably should consider herself lucky that her father had not done the same to her. Krystallina was certain her father never told the man she'd been bartered to of her abilities. The forests. Go to the misted forest. That voice again. It was the same one that had awoken her from her exhausted sleep. Could she afford to ignore it? 21

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She looked up at the sky and then down at the earth. For precious moments she waited for a sign. Finally she felt the draw and strode out in the direction of the strongest earth pull, attempting to leave the negative drain of the underworld behind her. Whatever this direction held, misted forest or not, it had to be better than what she left behind, even if it meant death. She wasn't quite certain which above-world province she had entered from the underworld, but the direct rays of the sun hurt her eyes after so many years below ground. It was possible she was in Syrus, the grasslands province. At least there might be some possibility of locating food and water in this region. Better here than in the desertlands. She'd been walking for what seemed like hours and was beginning to tire when she felt the first vibrations beneath her feet. A sense of dread spread through her. It couldn't be. Not so quickly. But she swung around and saw the cloud of black dust and knew immediately what caused it. Kadin's undead horde was bearing down on her much too quickly. Whirling around, she sprinted forward as a new burst of energy infused her. She would not let them take her. She would die first. Hope sprang up as she spotted the borders of the misted forest. Kadin and his horde were barred from entering the forests. At least that's what she'd heard. It was the only safe place. If she could make its borders, she might have a chance of eluding them. Though it was said that without proper permission one could be lost within the mists forever, she was more than willing to take the chance. Better to be lost inside 22

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the mystical forests than put herself back into the hands of the sadistic underlord. Pulling on a last burst of speed, she vaulted for the borders. They were distant. Too far away. An unreachable dream. She would reach them. A stitch drew at her side and Krystallina pressed her hands to the source of ache. She ignored the drawing pain. She stifled the whimpers of frustration and panic. She would not fail. And then she stumbled over a rock and crumbled to the ground, twisting her ankle. Looking up through tear-filled eyes, her gaze widened when she saw a man on a huge white stallion galloping toward her from the edge of the woods. No. She would not let them catch her. Scrambling to her feet, pushing the searing pain in her leg aside, she tried to run as the driving pain thundered up her leg and tears poured down her cheeks. The sobs of her own desperation blocked out even the thunder of the hooves chasing her. She kept her attention on the misted borderlands. Reaching with every speck of her mind to gain their safety. A steel band of flesh wrapped beneath her breasts, lifting her away from the ground. "No!" She beat at the imprisoning arm. "Let me go." She wriggled with every last bit of effort she could muster. And found it wasn't enough. "Stop fighting me tigercat unless you want to go back to Kadin. I'll drop you now if that's the case." He hoisted her up in front of him without breaking gait. The breath whooshed out of her lungs as he dragged her across his hard thighs, and 23

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she found herself gazing up into the most brilliant blue-green eyes she had ever seen. "Don't move," he commanded, "or you'll fall to your death." "I won't go back. I won't let you take me back to him." He didn't take the time to glance down at her, keeping his attention focused on his destination. "I'm not taking you back. I'm taking you to safety." Did she dare believe him? Did she have any other choice? She tried to focus her energies. To reach into his mind as she had been able to do with Kadin. But a steel gate slammed down, blocking her access. This man was not an ordinary man. That much she did sense. Was she now in worse danger than she had ever been with Kadin? And then she heard the frustrated roar of the horde as the horse she was on entered into the cool mists of the protecting forests. Had she survived one horror, only to be swallowed by another? [Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 4 Once inside the shaded protection of the misted forests, Sarek brought his mount to a halt and eased Krystallina to the ground, quickly dismounting after her. When she would have turned and run, he locked his arms around her. "You're not going anywhere. I told you that you would be safe." She struggled against his hold, but he was stronger and held her firmly within his grip. "What makes you think I'll exchange one captor for another?" He whirled her around to face him. Cupping her face, he anchored her in place, as he gazed deeply into her eyes. Her eyes narrowed to slits, but finally she stopped fighting. "I'm not going to hurt you. I know you have the power to sense good and evil. Use it." Her eyes opened to wide purple orbs. "How can you know that? Not even Kadin sensed I had ... powers of my own." "Obviously, he's not as smart as people say he is. I know you have powers, but I have them as well. Don't make me use them. Will you promise not to run if I let you go?" He watched the tumult of expressions cross her face as she tried to assess how much of a danger he was. Her expression darkened and he felt her reach inside his mind. She'd tried it once before when they were running from Kadin's horde and he'd blocked her completely. This time he 25

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opened himself just enough for her to sense his purpose was not to harm her. Sarek felt her relax. "All right. Let me go. I promise I won't try to run. At least for now," she amended. He loosened his grip and took a step back. Something about her kept him from removing himself too far away. Maybe it was her full, lush lips that begged to be kissed. Or her creamy, pale complexion. His visions seemed a colorless comparison to the rebellious woman now standing before him. Finally, Krystallina stepped away from him. "Exactly who are you and how did you happen to come to my aid?" She certainly was no cowering female. His cock throbbed to full mast. He sensed her intelligence, her fearlessness. Any less of a woman would have succumbed to Kadin's dominance long ago. "I am Sarek." He saw understanding and then disbelief mirrored in her eyes. "You can't possibly be the Sarek." He nodded. "Guardian of the misted forest." "Master Magician Sarek?" "The same." Her face paled, going a shade whiter than it already was. She wove slightly. He was afraid she was going to faint and moved quickly to catch her before she fell. He lowered her to the ground as her eyelids fluttered and then opened. "When was the last time you ate?" "I don't recall. I had other things on my mind." 26

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Once he assured himself that she was sound enough to release her, he rose and walked back to his horse and dragged out a blanket and a canteen. He returned to her, handed her the canteen, and spread the blanket. "We'll camp here tonight." "Before going where?" "Back to my home. Neither Kadin nor the horde would dare trespass onto protected land. You will be safe." He returned to the horse and began to remove the items they would need for the night. Once the saddle and bridle were removed, he sent the horse galloping off into the forests. They were safe inside the boundaries now. He would call for his mount's return in the morning. The forest would provide sustenance. All he had to do was ask and it would be provided. "Do you know how to prepare a fire?" "You mean gather wood? Certainly." He turned back to look at her. "No, that's not what I mean. How much do you know about your powers?" She looked at him and one delicate brow rose. "Apparently, less than you seem to know. I've never really used them. At least not before I was taken by Kadin. The most I've been able to do is access thoughts, see into the future a bit. But even then I have to really concentrate." "And he never realized what you were doing?" She shook her head. "I was careful. I managed to decipher the map to the labyrinth, which is how I escaped. Why did you save me, Sarek? I'm nothing to you." "I wouldn't say that." He turned back to her and dropped a copper pot on the ground. "I'll show you how to create a safe27

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fire so we can enjoy a good meal tonight. It looks like you could use one." He walked back to the saddlebags, pulled out a brown caftan, and tossed it to her. "That should serve you better than what you're wearing. The forest gets cold at night; you might want to change." Krystallina rose to her feet and looked around, then limped toward some thick bushes. "Don't think about disappearing on me," Sarek called after her. "I'll have no problem finding you. You know nothing of my woods; you'd only get lost." She turned back to give him a narrowed look. "I can take care of myself. I've done so thus far. I could find my way out." "Not before I found you. And I wouldn't hesitate to punish you for disobeying me. There are still dangers in the forest. Bottomless bogs and living vines and trees like you've never encountered before. Until you have mastered your powers and the forest has accepted you, I wouldn't advise trying to command what you don't understand." She didn't answer him and stalked through the bushes until she was hidden from view. At least she tried to stalk. That limp seemed to be giving her some problems. He'd take care of that when she returned. Sarek had to smile. He liked her fight. Even after time spent in Kadin's kingdom, the underlord obviously hadn't beaten the spirit from her. While she was changing, he bent to the task of building camp. He could have easily gotten them back to his home tonight, but he wanted to spend time with her alone, to get to know her before introducing her to his companion apprentice 28

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and the other apprentices in his household. Gar understood the destiny prescribed and his place in it. But Sarek had a feeling Krystallina wouldn't have a clue as to where her future lay. None of what Sarek knew had obviously been revealed to Krystallina. His attention was diverted as Krystallina walked back into the clearing now engulfed in one of his robes. She lifted the hem high in order to walk without tripping. The garment had been made for his measurements, not those of a slight woman. "Now will you tell me how you happened to leave the forest and be in the right place at the right time?" He took the bundle of clothing she had clutched under her arm and tossed them into the fire. "Goddess Night revealed you to me in a vision. Sit down and let me take care of that swollen ankle for you." She gave him another mutinous look before finally dropping down. He knelt in front of her. As he rubbed his hands together, generating the heat of his magic, she lifted the hem of the caftan to reveal her foot and ankle. Sarek tried to focus on his task, but the hint of tantalizing flesh was very tempting. He gripped the swollen ankle and concentrated. Closing his eyes, he felt the healing heat radiate through her skin. One hand slid up the curve of her calf. So soft and silky. Within moments his hand found its way to her knee. He opened his eyes and his gaze met hers as his hand slid beneath the cloth to stroke along her well-defined thigh. He watched her expression grow heavy with passion. He knew 29

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she would accept him now if he so desired. He could smell her arousal. If he were to touch her pussy right now, he knew he would find the silky folds coated with her cream. Sarek released her leg as though it were on fire and rose to his feet, pivoting away. If he wasn't looking at her maybe he could get himself under control. By the Goddess he did want her, but first she needed to understand her reason for being here. "Why me?" Her husky voice pulled him from his lusty thoughts and he turned back to her. She was now standing, her thoughts shielded, just as her body was. Thank Goddess for that caftan or he wasn't sure he could control himself. This was the tricky part. How did he explain her position in his life without sending her hightailing into the forest? She'd been enslaved by Kadin. Sarek doubted she would react kindly to being chained to another man, even if it was as equals. And even if they had been soulmates in another life. "You know you have powers unlike other women. You must have realized you were different than others in your homeland." Her gaze shifted away from him and her expression tightened. "Yes, I did. And so did my father. He got rid of me as quickly as he could. I think he thought if he arranged a marriage for me, he wouldn't have to think about the strangeness of his daughter and how I had come to be born." Sarek cupped her cheek. She jerked away and lifted her chin. "I don't need your pity, oh great one." 30

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Goddess, she was magnificent. He did not want to tame her, but he did ache to possess her. "It isn't pity I offer." He stepped toward her. "You were created through the grace of Goddess Night; your father should have recognized such a priceless gift. You are here for a reason, Krystallina. And be assured, I will not squander the gift of the Goddess." Her expression turned wary. "Exactly what are you saying?" "You are to become my wife, Krystallina. You and I together will forge a strong enough bond to control Kadin's growing powers and contain him. Together we will protect the forests and create a safe haven for the Aestivali. Be thankful he never realized the precious gem he harbored in his kingdom." "You can't be serious. The Aestivali have all been exterminated. Everyone knows that. You can't save something that hasn't existed for eons. And I'm not going to be anyone's wife. And certainly not yours." She took another step away from him. He saw it before she even thought it. And then she was gone in the blink of an eye, running away fast as an antelope, fleeing from her destiny. He had apparently healed that ankle a bit too soon. Foolish woman. Hadn't he warned her? [Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 5 Krystallina's instincts were always getting her in trouble and this time would be no exception. She had no idea where she was or where she was going. An overwhelming, claustrophobic panic had gripped her at Sarek's words and there was no way she was turning back. There was the undeniable feeling she was caught between two powerful entities, both of them determined to crush her will. And she was just as determined not to let either of them destroy her. Past trees, splashing through puddles, branches whipped at her face, her arms, blinding her, and she just kept on running. Nothing would stop her from getting away from the men who wanted to own her, each for their own purposes. And then she stepped into something that she thought was a puddle and the ground imprisoned her leg, refusing to let go. The more she struggled, the tighter the grip. "No," she screamed as she twisted around to look frantically over her shoulder. She tugged and tugged at her foot, but only found herself sinking deeper and deeper into the ground. She leaned forward and reached down to claw at the earth and attempt to pry her ankle free. Suddenly there was a great tug and she toppled forward into quicksand-like liquid. Her whole body was rapidly consumed by the sucking, gritty material. Using every last bit of her strength, she broke through the surface, gasping for air, and grabbed onto a thick tree root clutching it with both hands. Something beneath the 32

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ground yanked at her leg attempting to draw her beneath the quagmire. "Help me," she cried out. "Someone help me." A hard yank on her leg submerged her below the surface. Hand over hand, muscles screaming, she managed to drag herself up far enough to where her head was above the silty, cloying liquid. She was now blinded, could barely breath, and didn't dare open her mouth, knowing the mud would pour down her throat. But she did hear the crackle of branches indicating someone was close by. Coughing up muck, gasping for breath, determined to make one last attempt, she tried pulling herself up with all her might to call for help. Just as she was about to scream, the liquid surged and her mouth and throat were clogged by the grainy sludge. "Hold on," a male voice said. All she could do was nod as she clung to the broad tree roots, choking on the mud filling her mouth. She heard a mumble of foreign words she didn't recognize. A firm hand gripped her wrist, just as the draw on her leg disappeared. With speed and strength that left her breathless, she was yanked from the deadly quicksand. Landing sprawled on the firm ground, coughing up gritty mud, she drew in clean, sweet oxygen. She couldn't believe she was alive. It was long moments before she managed to turn over and wipe some of the wet sludge from her eyes and found herself staring up into yet another handsome stranger's eyes. She tried to speak, but found her throat wasn't yet working right. The man knelt next to her, pulled out a cloth 33

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and wiped the muck from her face. He then offered her a leather flask and she drank the cool, cleansing water, quenching her parched throat. "Who are you?" she asked as she handed back the flask. He looked down at her with blue eyes as quiet and calm as the still waters of a Jovantu river, and she felt herself falling into them. Somehow his manner calmed her even though she had no idea who he was or why she should seem to trust him not to hurt her. "My name is Gar and we need to get you out of these ruined garments. You don't want to become ill." "I—" The thought remained unfinished as she allowed him to lift her into his arms and carry her through the forests until they came to the banks of a sparkling river. Carefully, he set her on her feet and she allowed him to remove her clothing, her own strength not quite what it should be. Why was she so calm? What was it about him that made her offer no resistance to his attentions? She looked him over and realized his clothing was as dirty as her own after carrying her through the woods. "I've ruined your clothes as well," she said softly. He looked down and smiled. "I believe you have. Well, we'll take care of that." To her shock, he pulled off his boots and tossed them aside. He then pushed down his trousers and shrugged out of his shirt. He was left standing there as nude as she was. She couldn't help staring at him. The man had a gorgeous physique and, unlike the ghostly complexions of the men in the underworld, his skin was golden, exuding warmth and vitality. His smile was gentle and open. Her gaze 34

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was drawn to his cock which rose thick and enticing from a silky, black nest of curling hair. For the first time her passions were not harnessed with dread at the thought of touching a man. She felt unexpected desire and wasn't quite certain what to do about it. She wanted to reach out to touch him, to explore him with her new-found freedom. Before she could act upon her thoughts, he again lifted her into his arms strode toward the river. When he'd reached a deep enough part of the water, he slowly sank down with her spread across his lap. His hard penis jutted against her hip. He cupped some water and trickled it over her breasts. "It's warm," she said with surprise. She'd expected the sparkling water to be ice cold. He smiled and she found herself entranced by the full sensuality of his mouth and wondered what he would taste like. She was awed by the feeling that she truly wanted to be touched by a man. She wanted to feel his hands stroking her body and his hard cock pressing between her lips to bury inside her vagina. What had come over her? But again her mind wandered off as she sank into his embrace and allowed him liberties she never could have imagined, actually wanting him. He lowered her into the water until all but her face was submerged, steadied by his strong arms. He washed her hair with one hand as his muscled thighs and one arm anchored her to him. "Relax, little one. You've been through a great deal. I'll take care of you. Please allow me to do this for you." 35

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His voice was calm and mesmerizing and she found herself relaxing completely in his arms, all thoughts of where and whom she'd been running from flitted away beneath his attentions. And then something nudged into her mind. She wanted to fight the intrusion. "No," he said. "Just relax. You are meant to be here. He has waited a long time. I know he frightened you. He's not used to women. He's used to everyone doing as he commands without question." Gar's hands continued to stroke her body, soothing her with his hands, his voice like thick cream, drenching her with his words. It was as though she were floating on a billowy cloud. "Open yourself, honored one. I feel your energy; you are safe here." His hands explored her body beneath the water and Krystallina moaned softly as his fingers encouraged her to spread her thighs. She allowed his thick fingers to stroke over her engorged pussy lips. And then a finger brushed across her clit, another slipped inside her channel. She shuddered and climaxed, arching against his hand as her mind and body opened wide and the presence she'd felt lingering pushed inside her mind. She struggled to push the man entering her thoughts out, to close herself off from his intrusion, but it was no use. Gar's hands stroked and soothed and her passions flared, throbbing sensations that couldn't be ignored. The man in her mind beckoned to her and, within her mind, she followed. He led 36

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her toward a glowing fire, past it and toward a hut. He was as naked as she and Gar were, his body bronzed and beautiful, muscles rippling, dark hair flowing down his back, a shock of white cut the dense night of his locks. She should be afraid. She should flee from him as she'd done before, but this time something stopped her. Was it the hands stroking her body toward mindless passion? Or was it something else? Sarek held back a flap and motioned for her to precede him. She felt no fear in her mind and stepped inside the hut. Why wasn't she afraid? Why didn't she run? It didn't matter because she knew somewhere deep down that she must be here. That her destiny would be revealed inside this hut. And though in some sense she knew it wasn't real, that her body had somehow been separated from her mind, that one man was using his hands on her body, and another had laid claim to her mind, there was something buried inside herself that said this was the place she had been running to all along. [Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 6 Gar was the anchor of Sarek's household. And unlike Sarek, who had spent far too many years in the Misted Forest at the command of Goddess Night, Gar still retained some civility and understanding of human nature. If not for Sarek's companion-apprentice, the woman would already be lost to Sarek. He had watched Gar with Krystallina, hidden from view just beyond the river's edge. He marveled at how his soothing hands had calmed the startled woman who had run from Sarek in panic. His own fault. He should have reached for her mind, tried to soothe her fears before confronting her with something he should have known would frighten her. She had recently come from Kadin's hand. Had he really expected her to fall at his feet in thankfulness for saving her from the horde? Krystallina was not a weak woman or Goddess Night would not have sent her to Sarek. But just like the wild animals of the forest, it took a quiet and steady hand to woo her. As Gar soothed and stroked her body, Sarek entered her mind, drawing forth the image of the spirit hut and guiding her to it. As Sarek poured water over the hot stones at the center of the hut and steam rose, he studied her. Her stance was guarded, fingers clenching and unclenching as she hovered nearby, her image made ethereal by the swirling strands of vapor rising between them. 38

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His gaze traced over her body, noting her flushed skin from the heightened sexual desire, her dusky nipples tightly beaded, the hint of silky cream glistening on her smooth, bare mound, lips puffy, pink clitoris, wet and teasing him from beneath the hood of her femininity. Sarek's cock was hard and throbbing, eager for the mating to be consummated. But ritual must be followed. He reined in his desire and, dropping to the ground, legs crossed, he waved a hand toward the other side of the steaming rocks. "Sit. We'll talk." After a moment's hesitation she sank down to the earth. His attention was riveted on her mound, watching as her lips opened like the bloom of a flower to reveal the inner pink petals and her clit rising like a tiny penis, needy and wanting, just as his own erection was eager to feel her surrounding him. Gar was the one touching her, raising her desires to a summit of fiery need that would be almost unquenchable by the time Sarek melded with her to perform the Janusvarian Coupling of Amak. He'd only read of it and he wasn't even certain a twinned crisis could be induced by such an act. The fact that she had opened her mind to him gave him some measure of hope for success. That and the mirror of reactions surging in her mind, a flow of responses to Gar's caresses. "This isn't real." He blinked at her words and quirked a raven-dark brow refocusing on her expression. "Isn't it? Why do you say that?" A misty sheen coated her perfect flesh. His gaze caught the angry brand above her breast. He frowned. 39

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Kadin's mark. Again his attention stuttered as she lifted a fluttery hand to cover the mark, as she realized what he'd been staring at. "No," she said, a look of confusion spreading across her face. "I'm not here with you. I'm somewhere else. At least my body is." "We are mind melded." Sarek couldn't be certain she would understand the concept of a true mind meld even though she said she'd been inside Kadin's mind. "Mind meld." She looked at him. "Am I in your head, or are you in mine?" He really was pleased with her quick intelligence. He smiled. "I have come to you. It seemed appropriate." He saw her jerk and a glazed look entered her expression. More cream coated her thighs, the inner folds of her labia blushed an even deeper fuchsia. To his gaze, her opening pulsed, beckoning him to her. It was all he could do to resist the signals of her body. Her scent rose, mingling with the steam, settling over his body, his pores drawing her mist inside him. Sarek thought it had to be one of the most mystical and yet sensual moments he'd ever experienced. He quickly turned his attention to dipping the clay cup into the bucket of water and steaming it over the hot rocks, hoping the veil of vapor would hide his rising need from her eyes. Pre-ejaculate leaked from the slit in his penis, liquid that coated his thick rod, preparing him for her. "How is this happening? Why?" She was curious about everything. He wanted to take the time to explain each minute detail. But he wanted her in his arms when he did it. 40

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"You have been led here by Goddess Night. She has formed your destiny. Have you never felt different from your people?" "Yes. My parents always branded me a changeling child. Not one of their own. I think my father sent me off for marriage as quickly as he could without breaking traditions." Her head dipped down and she stared into the hot orange coals beneath the metal grate holding the steaming rocks. "I made them uncomfortable, but I couldn't help that I could do things none of the others could." He wanted to cradle her in his arms, but the time was not right. Not just yet. "Our people. Those of the misted forests have been hunted by others on the planet. The others fear our kind and have attempted to destroy us. We are Aestivali, people of the earth, a part of the world around us. But we have been forced to hide amongst those of other cultures on the planet, scattered to the four corners. Until now." She looked at him, her eyes wide. "But that's not possible. I was born in Jovantu. I'm not Aestivali." "But your soul is old. You were born into a body that would not have lived without your essence. It was your time to be reborn. It's why you have not felt a part of that world, why you have felt persecuted. In another life you were probably executed for being Aestivali. Do you really not understand the difference? No normal woman could have endured slavery in Kadin's realm. No other woman could have escaped." "I-I don't know—" She shook her head and he felt her disbelief, but he also felt the sense of understanding begin to light her way. 41

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He leaned forward and grasped her hand, making the first connection. "Our souls were joined in another life. One we cannot recall in this incarnation. But nevertheless it is true. Goddess Night shines her light for us and shows us our path. I am the current guardian of the misted forests, known as a master magician, still feared by many for the gifts bestowed by Goddess Night. The Goddess has seen fit to finally reunite us. Will you deny her, Krystallina? Will you deny your true calling? Your destiny?" He saw the cloudy uncertainty in her eyes and then they began to clear. As she looked at him, her fingers tightened on his. "I'm afraid to trust you. I've spent so many years protecting myself. I want to believe what you say, it makes so much sense. But why did she wait until now? Why did she let me suffer at the hands of the cruel underlord if she had this wonderful destiny in mind for me?" [Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 7 It was the oddest feeling, like she was in two different places at the same time. She was holding a conversation with Sarek, could feel his strong fingers clasping hers, but she could also feel Gar stroking her body, lifting her, and carrying her from the water. She felt him lay her on the soft, cool grass, his hands never leaving her, drawing her sexual passions higher and higher, yet not allowing her to climax. It felt like her body was wound so tightly she wanted to scream. She looked at Sarek, who had risen to his knees and was drawing her up and past the steaming stones to face him, a mere hint of humid, dripping space between them. At the same time she felt Gar spread her legs, and she experienced the hint of cool air curling between her pulsing labia, teasing at her clit. And here, in this place with Sarek, she spread her legs and felt the moist, hard heat of his stiff rod press between her wet lips. It was as though she were two people experiencing a myriad of emotions, all arousing. Every inch of her body was bathed in desire, every corner of her mind suffused with the need to couple. But with which man? The one stroking her body, or the one seducing her mind? Sarek's head dipped closer and Krystallina could almost feel his breath touching her. Her lips parted. "Do you know the Tenets of Amak?" he whispered against her mouth. She caught his breath and swallowed his taste, finding it pleasant. And she wanted more. 43

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Her gaze met his and she was pulled into the fathomless depths of the blue-green, undulating sea of his eyes. Even in the moist heat of this hut, her lips felt dry, and she traced her tongue over their fleshy, parched surface. Like a springing feline he captured her tongue with his mouth, sucking it deep into the chasm, chaining her to him. Her gaze widened and then her lashes fluttered closed. She was aware of Gar's mouth against hers and her body reacted, just as in her mind she clung to Sarek. How could this be happening? How could she be responding in body and mind to two different men? She arched her hips, needing connection, needing to be filled, but which one of them would breach her entrance? Which of them would have her? Sarek broke the kiss and looked down at her, his gaze hot and demanding. "The Tenets. Have you read them?" "Y-yes. It was required before I left Jovantu. Obedience, Acquisition, and Acceptance." "Are you willing to abide by the laws of Amak?" He curled his arm around her waist, drawing her closer. His cock pressed deeper between the seam of her engorged lips. "Sarek." The words were a breath of pleading. "You must answer me, Krystallina." "I'm not like the women of my tribe. I don't know if I can follow the Tenets. My life has been very different. I will not have a master. I have come too far." He bent her to him and she felt the will to yield to him overwhelm her as his cock frictioned between her sensitive 44

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lips. "Do you think I would be as cruel as Kadin? Do you think I would do you harm?" Her instincts told her she could trust him. But did she dare trust that instinct? "I want to trust you." "Your father would have given you in marriage to a man you didn't know. Would that have been better? Someone who had no idea of your special gifts and would have looked at you as something evil. Is that what you want?" He hugged her closer. "You are my mate. It has been so for lives past and will be so in lives future. Will you deny your destiny? Look into my mind. See the truth." As she did as Sarek suggested, she felt Gar open her and the tip of his cock pressed at her opening. Krystallina saw the truth of Sarek's words. She had no choice but to trust him. It was her destiny. She thrust her hips, wanting Gar inside her, wanting Sarek inside her. Needing them both to fill her. "Yes, Sarek. Yes, I will give myself to you. Please. Do it now." Her eyes flashed open as she first felt Gar penetrate, opening her, her vagina sheathing him inside her. And then she looked into Sarek's dark, mysterious eyes as his cock breached her inner core. It was the most amazing sensation she'd ever experienced. She was being fucked by two men, both of them inside her pussy. One using her body as the other seduced her mind. She felt them move in synchronized rhythm. As one retreated, the other pressed forward. Faster, deeper, swirling and surging, withdrawing and entering as she pressed herself to their bodies, opened herself to their pleasure. 45

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A guttural cry escaped her throat as she wound her arms around each of them, pressing her body to theirs, felt them expand and harden. Gar's semen spurted inside her first, brushing the root of his penis against her stiff clitoris, sending her into climax. But it was Sarek's release, his driving surge, burying himself completely, pressing deep that broke the bounds of earth and sent her hurdling into space, free of all the ties of her earthbound self. Two men climaxing within her body at the same time drove her to the edge of sanity as her body climaxed in unison to them both. The pleasure consumed her like a tidal wave, flinging her against their passion, sucking her into the vortex, spitting her into the stratosphere where she floated among glowing bodies of energy, pulsing with her own light, never wanting to return to a weighted body that only imprisoned her spirit within it. It was too much and yet more than she could ever have imagined. Twinned in intensity, doubled in pleasure, her mind and body finally folded beneath the magnified desire until all bonds to her human form were utterly destroyed. There was no past, no present, no future that mattered more than the blistering crisis of this demanding possession. She folded beneath both Gar and Sarek, their arms and bodies the only things supporting her. Mind separated from body, yet fused so completely that all sensation melded and bound her indelibly to both men in all ways. And then her mind shattered as the sparkling ebony chasm of complete and total surrender enfolded her and she knew no more. 46

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[Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 8 Sarek felt her begin to stir next to him. He had returned to his body and quickly joined Gar and Krystallina. He was still awed by what had taken place the previous day. She had slept through the afternoon and into the night and he had begun to worry that it had been too much too soon. It still shocked him at how complete and satisfying the Janusvarian Coupling had been. The three of them— Krystallina, Gar, and Sarek were now irrevocably bound together in a way that could never be severed. Krystallina might not understand what had occurred until she was tutored in the Tenets of the Aestivali Amak, which was really quite different from the known texts of Amak as applied by the people of other tribes. There was much more intensity and more intricate couplings within the Aestivali text, such as what had occurred the previous day. He pulled her closer against his bare chest. Gar rose up behind her, his intent gaze connecting with Sarek's. Sarek lifted a hand and cupped his jaw, stroking a finger along his roughened cheek. Gar offered him a ghost of a smile, nodded and then carefully rose from the rustic bed they had made beneath the trees next to the river. Sarek was thankful to Goddess Night for the presence of the stable companion-apprentice she had provided. Without him, things might have gone differently for the coupling with the woman who would be his wife and mate. Would Krystallina be able to accept the role that Gar held in Sarek's 48

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household on a permanent basis? Right now she was still a bit off center and allowed emotion and passion to sweep her along the surging rivers of desire. But in the light of day, would she assert her wifely right of denial of Sarek's companion in her household? He looked down at her as she snuggled closer to his body, curving and accepting him in ways he hadn't anticipated quite so quickly. Gar had been the one to smooth the path for him. Sarek really had no extensive experience with women such as Krystallina. He had been called to the forest when still a young man of the body in this incarnation. So although not a virgin, he'd not spent a great deal of time becoming intimately acquainted with the females of the tribe where he grew up. His household in the misted forests was made up of men, many of them apprentices still gaining knowledge to go out in the world to rescue others of the Aestivalian tribe bloodline. Their people had waited for this moment for thousands of years. And now, finally, the time was right, if Krystallina would accept her destiny to help lead their people. If all went as it should, then the Aestivali tribe could again reveal itself and come home where they belonged. They would no longer need to hide. Sarek's mentor had never married and, the times being as they were, few Aestivalian soul survivors were rooted from the safety of human tribes to be returned to the misted forests where their true natures could be unveiled and nurtured. But the time had come to begin the process in earnest. Krystallina was the first woman to be revealed and 49

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directed toward her true homeland. But Sarek had hopes that she would not be the last. Krystallina's thigh shifted between his own and he felt his cock stir in response. Already her gifts were rising to the surface and they had yet to perform the final earth ritual—her rebonding with the misted forests. Once that was accomplished she would be safe from Kadin, protected not only by Sarek and his apprentices, but by the very forest itself. She would be succored and nurtured by the earth from which her soul had once sprung. Sarek leaned down to brush his lips across the soft, pale skin of her cheek. Her lashes fluttered and she opened her eyes. Something deeply rooted inside him recognized her scent and her touch and he responded to it without restraint. In fact, he reveled in her soft, female body and was determined to become reacquainted with every inch of her flesh. Carefully he rolled her onto her back and pushed down the covers. The golden morning sunlight filtered through the branches caressing her skin. He stroked his fingertips over the enticing mounds of her full breasts, swirling the tip of his index finger lightly over the tip of a peaked nipple. Her soft sigh spun through him. Her thighs parted, an offering he was not going to turn down. He levered himself over her, blotting out the warmth of the sun, and she curled her arms around his neck. "How can I possibly want to feel you inside me again? Last night was so ... so..." 50

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He lightly brushed her lips, then pushed his tongue between them. She eagerly sucked at it, a passionate growl rising from her throat as she arched toward him. His cock found a snug home between her wet lips and he rubbed against her opening, his erection brushing against her stiff little clit. "Your little bud of pleasure had me mesmerized last night." She wiggled her hips, causing him to groan. "Does it still have your attention?" He smiled, then began to move down her body, nipping and licking a silken trail all the way down to her smooth entrance. Sarek looked up at her as his tongue flicked over the bud of pink flesh, then sank into her pussy. Her cry of pleasure and her hands twined in his hair egged him on. The taste of her was sweet and wild, lush with life. Her passionate cream tasted of defiance and tenderness, and he lapped at it with the greed of a miser who would not waste a drop of her precious nectar. "Sarek. Sarek, please." He sucked her bud into his mouth and buried a finger inside her cunt. Her hips plunged and her cream spilled, drenching him with her pleasure. After licking the last drops, he rose over her and pressed the tip of his stiff penis at her opening. He was surprised yet again, as he felt her fragile fingers wrap around him and guide him inside. A deep thrust and he buried himself in her slippery channel

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"Yes, Sarek. Oh, yes. I didn't know ... I've never felt like this before. I've never truly given myself freely to anyone before." Tears glittered on her lashes, like the dew on lush grass in early dawn. He licked them away, tasting the salty sweetness. They tasted of happiness and desire, not even a dash of regret in their flavor. He thrust his hips. "Because we are meant to be together, Krystallina. Always and forever. Our souls have always been joined in the eyes of the Goddess." Sarek felt her pulse beneath him as he lifted her hips and buried himself to the root, spilling his seed into her womb. Supporting himself above her, he simply gazed down at her, unable to find the strength to pull from inside her welcoming slick heat. He wanted to stay like this forever. He brushed a lock of hair back from her face. "What happens now?" she asked, stroking her hands across his chest, swirling the tip of a finger over the defined contours of his pectoral muscles. With regret, he slid from inside her and dropped down next to her. A shadow fell across them and he looked up to find Gar standing over them with two cups of steaming liquid. He held them out and Sarek accepted them. He was a bit ashamed that he'd completely forgotten Gar was nearby, his whole attention totally immersed in the pleasure of Krystallina. "Thank you, Gar," she said. She smiled up at Sarek's companion-apprentice and to Sarek's eyes he saw not a hint of shadow in the open welcoming look and gesture. 52

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She sat up, apparently not the least bit embarrassed by the situation she found herself in at the moment. Naked and beautiful. She sipped at the fragrant tea. Sarek watched the interplay between the two of them and was pleased. What he didn't want in his household was friction between his future wife and his companion. They were both important to his life and there must be harmony. Yet he was still surprised at how quickly that harmony surged into being. "Master, I think a bath and then a return to the household would be wise." Gar's glance slid to Krystallina. "Preparation for the ... tonight ... should begin." Krystallina looked up. "Tonight? What's tonight?" Sarek nodded and rose to his feet. He helped Krystallina up. "Tonight, at the full moon you will complete the final ritual." "And that would be?" "The ritual of your bonding with the earth." [Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 9 If Krystallina had been the shy maiden she'd started out as so long ago, she'd have been embarrassed by the very lustful looks in the eyes of the two naked men who guided her back to the rushing water of the river. But she was no longer that untutored virgin on the way to a marriage arranged by her father. Glancing down, she caught the image of the brand emblazoned above her breast marking her as a sex slave belonging to Kadin. How could one be embarrassed by two attentive men such as Sarek and Gar after being the plaything of the evil underlord who'd made her perform before legions of his followers? A thick finger was placed beneath her chin, forcing her to look at Sarek. "You no longer belong to Kadin. The brand is a mark of your courage." Her stomach twisted into a knot. "He won't leave it at that. He'll come after me. Kadin isn't the sort of man who likes to lose." Sarek guided her into the water. The three of them waded away from the bank until the surging water reached just above Krystallina's waist. Sarek cupped his hands and sluiced water over her breasts as Gar did the same to her back. "Even Kadin cannot break the laws of Goddess Night. He is not allowed to enter the misted forest. He would suffer greatly if he attempted to do so. Nor may his undead hordes enter." 54

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Krystallina grabbed his wrist, making him look at her. "Are you certain? I'm so afraid I'll wake up and find myself back in the underworld. If that happened, I'd never have another chance to escape." "That will not occur. Especially once the ceremony is completed tonight." "Why then? What will happen?" He lifted her against his chest. "We'll talk of it later. Right now," he slid her along his body and she felt the rigidness of his desire rising yet again. And her own arousal flared to life. She felt Gar's hands support her buttocks. Once her legs where anchored around Sarek's waist, Gar's hands sifted over her buttocks and a finger traced along her crack, swirling over the entrance to her anus. She sucked in a breath as Sarek's cock was guided by an unseen hand to the opening of her pussy. Sarek thrust and anchored inside her as Gar's finger penetrated her anus. She gasped at the double invasion. "What I experienced last night—" Her voice came out breathy and then she groaned with pleasure as Gar started to move his finger inside her narrow channel. "Oh, stars, what he's doing to me now." Sarek looked into her eyes as he began to move her up and down his slippery shaft. "Last night was the first bonding of mind and body." "But you were both inside my pussy. I don't understand how that happened." "Gar is my companion in all ways. You will be my wife in all ways. The Goddess demanded the Janusvarian Coupling, providing you with the twinned crisis. If the twinned crisis had 55

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not resulted, the bonding would not have been completed. And you might not have accepted Gar in the way I had hoped." He looked deeply into her eyes. "Do you accept Gar?" She felt Gar add a second finger to the first, widening her channel, and dark and delicious sensations ran through her. Unlike anything she'd experienced at the underlord's hands. Those scenes of intercourse had been to mollify the underlord, to perform at his direction, like animals, or be disciplined appropriately. She'd learned to submit and accomplished it skillfully until there'd come a time when she could no longer tell the difference between acting the part and actually experiencing an orgasm culled from pleasure. It was then she'd known she had to escape, before she was completely consumed by the part she was required to play. But this, what she experienced now, was truly the act of pleasure and enjoyment. She wanted to be with these men and to give them pleasure in return. "You want me to accept him as well, don't you? Not just as your lover, but my lover, too. He's like my father's concubines, except he's a man." Sarek nodded as Gar added another finger, burying them both inside her channel, searing her with this erotic penetration as Sarek filled her pussy with his long girth. "Will you allow it, Krystallina? Will you accept him as your companion and lover as well?" "You ask this now? I took him into my body last night. Didn't that tell you something?" Sarek pulled out and plunged deep once again, causing her to quiver with delight. 56

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"Gar," she screamed. "Put your cock inside me. I want to feel both of you. I never thought it was possible to want this, to actually ask for it, but I want both of you. I want to feel you coming inside me. Together. This time while my body and mind are in one place at the same time." "Yes, Mistress. As you wish." Mistress? Well, she guessed that's what she was going to be if she actually agreed to be Sarek's wife and the head of his household. And then all thought left her brain as sensations reared. The head of Gar's cock began to slowly penetrate her anus bit by bit, moving past the tight ring of muscle and burying inside her. Sarek stilled his movements, allowing her time to adjust. Krystallina inhaled deeply, trying to acclimate to the presence of the two seductive men possessing her body. It wasn't the same as the night before, but it was exquisite to feel them filling her. Gar pushed in carefully until he was lodged inside her. For the first time in her life, instead of trying to forget that two men claimed her body, she wanted to enjoy the sensations that flooded through her. These men both wanted to care for her, to give her pleasure, not just to perform a baser act, but to raise the moment to a level of spiritual conjoining, to meld with her in body. To give and receive pleasure in all its glorious aspects. Then they began to move, in alternating rhythm. Gar's hand curled around, and he began to stroke at her clitoris, driving her higher and higher as they fucked. She shattered as first Sarek came and then Gar cried out with his climax. 57

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They clung together as their energies entwined, binding them as one, and she thought she might never know a moment more perfect than this. How could she have gone from the depths of the underworld one moment and within the space of a day found herself in paradise? Did she dare allow herself to wake up? To accept that this ecstasy was truly her destiny? [Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 10 That evening Sarek watched Krystallina walk toward him. The shimmer of the silk fern-green sarong swayed with the luxurious movement of her body. The silky material hugged her form, leaving one satiny shoulder bare, and clung lovingly to every lush curve. He understood why Kadin wanted her because Sarek experienced the same desire from just the twenty-four hours, more or less, that he had spent in her company. He would give his last breath to protect her from any evil that would attempt to wrest her from him. Krystallina reached his side and he took her hands in his, raising them to his lips. "You are ready for the final ritual?" Her eyes were clear and she looked well rested. While she'd slept Sarek had spent time in the temple in deep contemplation, calling upon his training. Would this last ritual frighten her? Experiencing the environment they lived in so intimately, to become one with the world around her, was not for the weak. "I expect I'm as ready as I ever will be." "You realize once this communion takes place, you will not be able to leave the misted forests. At least for any long period of time. We are guardians of this territory and as such you will be forever linked to this land in ways you may not truly understand until the ceremony is complete. And then it will be too late to turn back." She turned to look at him and he saw a bit of rebellious challenge in her eyes. He had to admit that he admired her 59

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spark. She would never have made it as far as she had if it hadn't been for her Aestivali spirit. "And what would happen if I left after the ceremony is completed?" "You would find that over time your energy would be drained. Just as before, your powers would be diminished, leaving you vulnerable and unable to defend yourself against attack." She straightened her shoulders and her up thrust breasts taunted him. He was surprised at how much pleasure he took in her delicate femininity. "I've managed thus far. Even the great underlord couldn't keep me enslaved. And I didn't really have any powers then, now did I?" Sarek had the greatest urge to forget the communion ritual and take her deep into the forest to make love to her. He wanted her all to himself, even if it was only for a short time. Once the midnight ritual was completed, she would become as much of the forest and the earth as he was. He had to wonder what it was like to not be weighed down by the responsibility of guardianship to the land. To be truly free. He forced those rebellious thoughts away. "Once the communion is complete, I think you will understand better the ties to the land." He gripped her arms and yanked her close. She surprised him by reaching for the ties of his pants and unlacing them with nimble fingers. He held his breath and looked deeply into her eyes. His own reflection, the dark desire of lust, was mirrored back at him. 60

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"You want me now," she said in a sultry, deep voice. Her hand wrapped around his stiff prick. He couldn't let this happen. But he couldn't lie to her either. "Yes, I want you." He lowered a hand and peeled her fingers from around his penis. "But we can't do this now." She tilted her head. "Why not?" "Tonight you will become the bride of the forest. I will not take what belongs to another. Not tonight." One of her winged golden eyebrows arched. "Bride? I thought I was to be your bride." He smiled. Nothing was quite so simple for the Aestivali. "Does your father not have more than one wife? For those of Aestivali heritage one is always wedded to the land and to the man, or woman, who is soulmate. We have dual natures, and you will discover how much so as you learn more of your ancestry." Sarek released her, stuffed his painful erection back into his pants, and re-laced them. He glanced up at the sky and noticed the bright moon high above, almost in position. He took Krystallina's hand. "It's time." "You won't tell me more?" she asked as she accompanied him into the shadowy forest. "You will know. You will understand. Goddess Night will guide you." He turned to her, cupping her face, and kissed her. "When it is completed, you will return to me. Will you trust me in this?" "I'm not certain I have a choice. I should be running as fast as I can to get away from you, but there's still this sense, this something inside me, that tells me this is where I belong. 61

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That if I leave it will be the worst mistake of my life. Much as my instinct told me when the time was right to escape from Kadin. It seems I don't have a choice but to stay." "Then come with me. Everything has been prepared." "You won't leave me, will you?" Her fingers tightened on his hand. He squeezed back. "I won't be far away. Once I've prepared you, you will remain. The Goddess will take care of you." He led her a short distance down the path. Gar had already made all the preparations and there was a circle of tall, white pillar candles. Within their midst to one side was a gigantic, ancient tree with trailing branches and vibrant green vines twirling and cascading around and up over the thick, smooth, tanned trunk. The Matanda tree was an ancient and mystical tree, the only one in the forest. At least that Sarek had ever found. Matanda were rather a shy species, so it really wasn't a surprise that only one had revealed itself to the Aestivali magician. Verdant, feathery ferns had been spread all over the ground. Sarek and Krystallina stopped just outside the sacred circle. "You will need to disrobe," he said to her. "You cannot enter the sacred circle with more covering you than your flesh." Krystallina hesitated only slightly before unwinding the green silk from around her body. Sarek took the cloth and folded it across his arms. "Walk to the center of the circle and face away from the Matanda and close your eyes." 62

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"How long will this last?" "As long as necessary," was his simple reply. "When it is finished, you will come home to me. And then you will understand." "I'm taking your word for it, Sarek." "Your trust will not be misplaced. When you are ready, simply follow the path back to the compound. I will be waiting." He stepped away from her. She turned and walked to the center of the circle. Her hands at her sides, Sarek saw her take a deep breath and then she closed her eyes. Setting the cloth on the ground, he straightened and raised his hands. With a wave, all of the candles flared to golden, glittering life simultaneously. With one last look at Krystallina, he turned and left the clearing. In his wake he heard the steady beating of the drums, like a heartbeat of the earth, throbbing with intensity, calling forth Goddess Night. [Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 11 At first the beating of the drums took Krystallina by surprise. Of course, she hadn't known what to expect. And then long moments later she felt the beating of her own heart slow to matching the throbbing rhythm of the thundering drumbeats. The sound seemed to fill the air and her body began to pulse in response. She felt the heat of her blood rushing through her veins. Cream dripped from her pussy and her clitoris engorged. Her breaths increased and her nipples screwed into tightly knotted pinpoints of sensitivity. The cool night air had, at some point, turned hot and clinging. She jumped when she felt something curl around her ankles, cool and silky, tightening. She tried to kick it away, to break the hold, but she couldn't do it. It felt like vines, but the strength was more like a rope that bound her. And then more vines curled around her wrists and another at her neck. Her hands were drawn behind her back and bound there. Slowly, she was reeled backward. She stepped cautiously until she felt the smooth bark of the Matanda tree at her back. The vines encircling her ankles pulled outward, forcing her to shift her legs apart. More vines twined around her thighs and stroked upward to curl around her breasts. Leaves teased at her sensitive nipples, and she found herself thrusting her hips, seeking relief. The pressure of desire built to a crescendo inside her, throbbing as the drums grew louder, until she was completely surrounded and filled with the 64

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sounds of the forest. The whisper of the wind flayed her skin, causing a whirlwind of sensation. "What's happening?" She couldn't help but voice the words, the fear, the knowledge that something inside her was changing. It was elemental, an understanding inside her mind and her body, as though she were being forced to attune her physical and mental rhythms to that of the forest. A violin string being wound tighter and tighter, strummed until the pitch was exactly perfect, completely balanced. With the vine at her neck holding her anchored to the tree, she couldn't move her head. She felt the sensual caress of the vines as they covered and twined around her body, more and more vines joining the first, and then she felt something else. A wispy presence began to tease at her pussy lips, feathering her slit and twirling over her clit. It swept back and forth and then another, more solid presence slowly penetrated her vagina. Thick and hard, smooth like the bark of the tree she was imprisoned against, it was wide enough to stretch and fill her, nubbed enough to enflame her passion to the brink of explosion and yet no more. It withdrew and then thrust deep, again and again. Hardly realizing the music of the wind had altered, it now sounded like humming, a steady deep pitch that vibrated through her body and down into her vagina. She felt it through the element that was fucking her and she screamed as she came. So hard, so beautiful. She shuddered and came again and again, spilling her cream onto the object embedded inside her channel. The 65

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bindings at her wrists loosened and she was lifted high off the ground, cradled by the vines. She felt the ground melt away and the moon seemed to come closer and closer. The wind whispered again, words she now understood with clarity. The whispers welcomed her, vowed to protect her, to cherish her, to accept her as a part of the forests. With a final sigh she gave herself to the land, dedicated herself to serve and to guard. The object inside her began to vibrate again, pressing against her clitoris, sending her soaring. Released from her body, she flew toward the moon. A quick glance over her shoulder and she saw herself cradled in the branches of the Matanda tree, a slick, smooth branch pressed tightly against her crevice. She was bound to it completely as the vines and branches practically mummified her body. Only her face was visible, eyes closed, hair trailing, she was an offering. The limbs lifting to the Goddess supported her, made her a part of its ancient heritage, yet a supplicant and a living sacrifice to the Goddess above. She was as one with the earth and the sky and knew a sense of glorious wholeness and purpose she had never known existed. Krystallina turned and flew upward. Suddenly everything seemed so very clear. Everything that had gone before, the trials and tribulations she had suffered had all served to temper her for her true purpose, to bring her to this moment of oneness with the earth. It wasn't just sounds she heard, it was voices all around her. They had attuned her to their pitch to listen and serve, to give and to receive. 66

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She screamed as another powerful orgasm ripped through her. She was of the earth, formed from it, and would return to it to be resurrected again and again and again, her soul a seed that would sprout and give life. Communion and renewal, time and time again. This was her purpose. And to learn and to teach, to guard what was precious, and to love. She closed her eyes and allowed the land to claim her completely. She smelled the living vines as they curled around her lovingly. She scented cedar and pine. Even the river gurgled and laughed, telling Krystallina how much she enjoyed her visit earlier in the day. Along with the two fine males. It invited her to come and play within its welcoming depths. It liked touching her, stroking across her naked flesh, surging between her thighs, mingling with her cream. "Visit me again," it called. Krystallina was so overpowered by the welcome of the forests when up until that point in her life she had been used and hidden, feared and enslaved. Yet here, in this moment, she felt nothing but cherished. She knew she had purpose and would find acceptance. She had no desire to ever leave its loving arms again. Sarek had been so right. It was as though a veil had been pulled aside, a notch fit into the correct hole, and she was home, exactly where she belonged. She was a part of the forests, of the trees and the earth, and here she would be nurtured and would grow. She would be loved. And she would love without reservation. This was her destiny. [Back to Table of Contents] 67

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CHAPTER 12 Krystallina awoke slowly and found she was still in the circle, covered in a blanket of green ferns, a pillow of soft, fragrant leaves beneath her head. She stretched and, for the first time, a sense of true peace filled her. She rose to her feet and when she looked around it was as though it was a different world from what it had been the night before. Before she'd entered the circle. Before she'd mated with the earth. Before she'd accepted Sarek and Gar. She spun in a circle, the sunlight bathing her in rich gold, warming her skin. It kissed her good morning, and she reveled in the passion of nature. "Sarek," she whispered. "He's waiting for you," was the answer from the trees. How had she never understood their language before? It was so absolutely clear now. As she left the circle, after donning the sarong that Sarek had left behind, she turned down the path. Leaves and vines reached out to caress her as she walked past. Echoes of morning welcomes surrounded her and she smiled. An offer of succulent, juicy berries to feed her, a trickle of water cascading through the vines to soothe her thirst. There was so much warmth in their voices, in their words. And then she stilled as she felt a shadow pass over her, and had to listen closely as the words of the earth turned frantic. 68

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"There is danger, danger. Go quickly." Ferns pushed against her legs, tree branches and vines pressing against her, forcing her forward, urgency in their touch. But then she heard a loud gasp and a high, piercing scream. Pain vibrated through her as something connected with her head, and she crumbled to the ground. Hazy with pain, she rolled onto her back, the loud protest of the forest filling her ears. She gazed up into the triumphant expression of a familiar face. She cringed as he reached out to grab her arm and yank her to her feet. "The underlord is going to reward me handsomely for this." "As-ya, what are you doing?" To her ears her words were slurred. Her head throbbed from where As-ya had hit her. "I thought you were traveling in the opposite direction." She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. He whirled her around and tied her arms with a rope, then pushed her to the ground and did the same to her ankles before tossing her over his shoulder and loping off in the opposite direction from Sarek's compound. His hand caressed her buttocks. "I've been watching you, Krystallina. You've never shown that kind of enthusiasm for our underlord, or for me for that matter when we've fucked. No wonder Kadin wanted to find out exactly what kind of powers you had." Krystallina heard the moans of the forest as As-ya forced his way through, breaking branches, tearing out ferns. It broke her heart to hear their death cries. She kicked at As-ya, 69

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hoping to land a lucky connection with something vital. He grabbed her legs and anchored them to his chest. She heard him chuckle. "Still feisty. Kadin has promised me limitless wealth to bring you back. I've been watching you. He gave me a potion to mask my thoughts and purpose from this place and my presence from the magician. You never realized that he let you go on purpose, did you? You were such a fool, Krystallina, and now he'll make you pay." "No, As-ya, you don't understand. I can't leave here." A crack split the air as a tall tree dropped in front of them, attempting to bar their path. As-ya fell as he tried to sidestep the massive tree, tripped up by vines strung across the path. Krystallina heard the death throes and her heart broke. When As-ya fell, she rolled away from him. Anger and rage filled her mind and suddenly she was free of the ropes as they burst into flame and fell away. She scrambled to her feet and turned her thoughts to As-ya. Traitor! "After everything Kadin did to us you would do this? You would make me go back to him knowing what he'd do to me?" As-ya pulled to his feet and started toward her. Whirling her hands angrily in front of her and pointing in his direction, she was as shocked as As-ya when a bolt of bright lightning erupted from her fingertips, tossing him back onto the ground, slamming him against the broad trunk of a tree. His eyelids fluttered downward and his head flopped to the side. The strength of the attack knocked her backward 70

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and onto the ground. She blinked and glanced quickly at Asya. Had she killed him? She knelt there and looked down at her hands with awe. What had happened to her last night that gave her this kind of power? That certainly had never happened before. "The Goddess bestowed upon you your birthright," the wind answered back. "But how? I didn't feel a thing. Should I have experienced some surge of energy or something?" Again, she looked at the unconscious As-ya. She never would have expected such a thing. Vines wrapped around his arms and legs shackling him to the ground. He wasn't going anywhere until Krystallina allowed it. She gazed up at the trees. "Thank you. Without your help, he might have accomplished what he came here for." "Never," the trees whispered back. "He'd never have been allowed to find his way out of the forest. We will always protect you, Krystallina. Always." Suddenly two men burst from the trees and Krystallina stumbled backward. Her heart thumped until she recognized them. With a sigh of relief she held up a hand. "It's all right." Sarek rushed to her and helped her to her feet. "The forest warned us of danger. We came as quickly as we could." With her cradled within his arms, he turned and glared at the fallen man. "Who is he?" As-ya was slowly coming around and he opened his eyes and groaned. "What did you do to me?" 71

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Krystallina jutted her chin. "No more than you deserved." She turned to Sarek. "He's from the underlord. He came to take me back to him." She saw the storm forming in Sarek's gaze. As though mirroring his emotions, the sky above them churned with thick, black bloated clouds. She placed a hand on his arm and attempted to quell his anger. "It's all right. The forest protected me." Sarek's angry gaze scoured the forests. "How did he get in here?" he demanded of the vegetation. To Krystallina the whole area seemed to droop beneath Sarek's anger. "It wasn't their fault," she rushed to assure Sarek. "As-ya said Kadin gave him some potion so he could penetrate the forest and no one would realize he was here or his reason for being here." She felt Sarek's muscles relax beneath her grip on his forearm. "Kadin." He spit out the word as though it left a bitter taste in his mouth. "I should have known. He couldn't come here himself so he sent one of his human minions." He turned to look at Gar, who hovered over As-ya in case he tried to escape. "Get him out of here." Sarek then turned and glared at As-ya. "Tell your ... master, if he ever tries to communicate with my woman again, he'll be sorry. He tries to cross the line again and he will have the wrath of the Goddess to deal with. Now get out of my forest." Sarek gripped Krystallina's arm and pulled her along the path. She stumbled after him. Finally gaining some purchase, 72

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she dug her heels in and forced him to stop. He swung around to face her. "There's something you're not telling me isn't there? I want to know what it is." Something flickered in his eyes and then dimmed. "Later. I want to get you back to the compound so I can look at that bump on your head. Don't argue with me. Not now." Silently she followed him back to the compound. Instinct warned her that now was not the time to push him. The time would come when she would find out what he was hiding. And besides, her head really did hurt. [Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 13 It seemed too quiet after everything she'd been through. From her enslavement by Kadin to her communion with the environment, and her formal joining with Sarek not hours ago, and finally her formal acceptance of Sarek's companion Gar, into her life. Now, in the silence of eventide, a week after her twin marriage to the environment and to Sarek, it was like she was only now coming out of a nightmare that had turned into somewhat of a dream come true. How was it she had stepped so seamlessly from one into the other? She cupped her breast through the silken material of her dress. Somewhere in the midst of all that had taken place, the brand above her breast had vanished as though it had never been. She had spent so much time hating the mark and trying not to look at it, that when she had peered into the mirror the other day, she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw it no longer marred her skin. Each day Sarek had tutored her on harnessing her new powers. And each night she had spent blissful hours in his and Gar's arms. Their fiery passion knew no limits and burned brighter with each coupling among them. The shared intimacy was so much more than she had ever experienced, and she was so afraid it would disappear. Yet something else still worried her. And tonight she meant to find the answers once and for all. Sarek was in a meeting with several of his apprentices, the first of the men who would be sent out to seek the location of 74

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others of the Aestivali bloodline. Humans like herself, who sheltered the soul of an ancient one. And as each one returned to the mystical forest, their tribe would again arise to defend their land and to be nurtured and protected by it. She sensed Sarek's presence before he entered the courtyard and rose to greet him, offering him a goblet of wine. "I've been waiting for you." He sighed and then drank the wine. "You want the answers I promised you." "I think I've been rather patient, don't you?" He nodded. "True. I wanted..." "Is it so bad, what you have to tell me?" Her voice lowered. "What links you to the underlord? I sensed something, although I don't quite know what it meant. You closed your mind too quickly. The whole forest seemed to reflect your wrath. And some element of fear as well." Sarek took both her hands in his and guided her toward a bench where they sat. She waited as patiently as she could as he gazed off into the distance. "In another incarnation Kadin and I shared the same parents." Shock reverberated through her. "He's your brother?" His gaze captured hers. "In a manner of speaking, you might say that. The current body his soul is nurtured in is not my brother. He is my enemy." "As-ya said Kadin let me go on purpose. That he knew I had powers." Sarek nodded. "I'm not surprised. He wagered and lost this time. He would have used your powers against me. He has 75

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always coveted the forest and its secrets. He never wanted to protect it as our people are destined to do. He wanted to possess it and its powers. He went so far as to cause the death of one of the early protectors and thus was banished for good. He found his way into the underworld and has ruled that province ever since." "I never realized. I never would have expected it. The two of you are so different." She gripped his hands. "He knew what I am, didn't he? All this time he knew I was Aestivali." "I would say that he probably did. He wanted to use you to wound me. By mating with you, my soulmate, it would strengthen my abilities to protect the forest. Enslaving the woman he knew was my soulmate was a game to him. But he wanted more. That's why he let you escape. If you were taken from me after the mating, the wound to the forest and me would be unrecoverable. And it could not be rectified until a reincarnation occurred, which would leave the forest vulnerable to him. I don't think he counted on your strength. You saved not only yourself, but the forest." He pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. "And me." "I don't think that's quite the way it was. You are the one who saved me from the hordes." His arms tightened around her. "I think they were simply meant to force you to me at a quicker pace. I'm not certain you were really in any danger from them. At least not then." "We can't ever know that, can we?" She stroked his arm, then, unable to help herself, she slipped her hand inside the front of his pants to grasp his cock. It was hard and hot and so ready for her attentions. 76

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"You have saved my life, Sarek. In so many ways. I-I feel reborn, and so blessed." He unlaced the front of his pants and released his erection. She straddled his lap, then positioned the broad knob of his cock at her opening. "And what assignment did you give Gar this evening?" Sarek smiled as he planted his hands on her flared hips, pressing downward. "I wanted you to myself tonight. No distractions." Once fully seated inside her, he curled a fist in her hair and bared her neck. His lips traveled a heated path along the column, making her shudder. He had such a delicious mouth. Her stomach twisted and surged, her pussy gulped greedily at his member, sucking and coating him with her juices, until he was sliding easily in and out of her entrance. "So you've given him a task to accomplish." She rode him slowly, undulating and grinding her hips, pressing his erection against her clit, feeling the rising pulse of pleasure, knowing she was close, so very close. "He is to study the Aestivali Amak and design a new position." Krystallina's breaths grew uneven as she lifted and then sank back onto the thick stalk of Sarek's erection. "A new position? Better than the Janusvarian Coupling?" Sarek peeled down the front of her dress, baring her breasts. His hands cupped each full mound, kneading them and driving her higher. "Just for you, beloved. Only for you." 77

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She splintered as her climax washed through her. "Oh, stars, Sarek. Hold me, hold me tight. Don't ever let me go." His arms wrapped around her, shackling her to him, and she had never felt more cherished. "Never, soulmate. You are finally home and right where you belong." She smiled and rested her head against the very spot made for her. Just above Sarek's heart. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Krystallina's Crisis by Adrianna Dane

Adrianna Dane Theresa Gallup uses the pen names of Tess Maynard and Adrianna Dane. Theresa has been writing since the age of 10. A legal secretary for 30 years, she is currently working on another erotic romance, as well as a full-length romantic mystery/suspense. She has been married for 30 years and has three grown children (a daughter and twin sons), and is a new grandmother. Writing as Tess Maynard, her first published short story appeared in the ezine, The Whispering Forest, in January of 2004. Writing as Adrianna Dane, where adding sensual heat to romance is her motto, Esmerelda's Secret was her first foray into the erotic romance genre. Having traveled and lived from the East Coast to the West Coast, Theresa receives inspiration for her stories from a variety of sources, including music and poetry, and her tastes are eclectic. For more information about current projects, visit Theresa's web sites at: www.tessmaynard.com or www.adriannadane.com. **** Don't miss Eluria's Enforcer, by Adrianna Dane, available at AmberHeat.com!

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Krystallina's Crisis by Adrianna Dane

Devon Andromeda, a Nanus-altered Argadian Enforcer of the First Level, is assigned the mission to hunt down and eliminate Eluria Zydon, a rebel leader, who also happens to be the daughter of an Elite Tribunal Commander. Enforcers are altered and trained as assassins who retain no memories, or humanoid emotions that would hamper their purpose. Aggression is the only emotion unblocked in an Enforcer; the Tribunal directs their existence. Eluria Zydon's life is filled with more than enough memories and emotions for both Devon and her. She lives with the guilt of past injustice and her life has been dedicated to finding the cure to set Devon and those like him free. It is a payment she prays will also free her soul once and for all from her tormenting past. Confrontation on the lifeless planet, Serdion, will change them both forever. An explosion delivers Devon into Eluria's hands. An experimental drug opens the floodgates to Devon's emotions ... and his memory. The first emotion he faces, and must learn to control, is desire. Eluria has been trained as a Twilight Companion and has the knowledge to help him harness his passions. Will he accept her help? Or is his only intent to complete his mission—her termination? **** Don't miss Surrender's Edge, by Pepper Espinoza, available at Amber-Allure.com!

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Krystallina's Crisis by Adrianna Dane

Geoffrey Kirk has been in love with his best friend, Nash, since almost the moment they met. Convinced that Nash would never return his feelings, he forced himself to move on, and fell for his assistant, Sunny. Despite his strong feelings, he never acted on them, and when he discovered Sunny and Nash together, he thought he lost his chance for happiness forever. Until Sunny and Nash make it clear that he hasn't lost anything ... and he still has a great deal to gain... **** Don't miss Soul Obsession by Amy Wolff-Sorter, available at AmberQuill.com! A story blazing with reluctant passion, bitter betrayal, ghostly retribution and the battle for a man's very soul... A brilliant businessman... Daniel Grogan is at the top of his game as he prepares to marry a wealthy socialite. But something goes wrong on his wedding day and his path takes a crazy turn toward strange visions of mountains and oceans, and a growing obsession about a woman he's never met face to face. A rebellious rabbi... Peggy Witwater entered the rabbinate to serve her people. When congregational politics deal her a vicious blow, she fights the tide of change while trying to help Daniel; not realizing her actions could ignite her own deeply buried obsessions. 81

Krystallina's Crisis by Adrianna Dane

Passion and vengeance from beyond the grave... As the two are drawn toward one another, they fall under the shadow of a vengeful spirit who will stop at nothing to claim Daniel. To win the battle for his soul, Daniel must acknowledge past wrongs, or risk falling into an eternal—and fatal—enchantment. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Krystallina's Crisis by Adrianna Dane

Amber Quill's Rewards Program For every ten books bought, receive one free! Visit all three of Amber Quill's web sites for our very latest releases!! **** AMBER HEAT EROTICA Gimme Fever!! Steamy, sensual genre fiction... www.AmberHeat.com **** AMBER ALLURE Where love is blind to gender... www.Amber-Allure.com **** 83

Krystallina's Crisis by Adrianna Dane

AMBER QUILL PRESS, LLC Quality Books, Print And Electronic Genre fiction at its best! www.AmberQuill.com

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