Collection of Older Works

Faethfully Yours: Twenty-Seven

With a half bow, Kala’el whisked through the circle, leaving me alone. There was no way I wouldn’t choose. I would rather close my eyes and blindly point, in turn forfeiting my life before being left to the mercy of Kala'el. But I didn’t tell him that. Not yet at least.

Slowly spinning and taking it all in, single words shot through my mind.  Identical. Impossible. Indistinguishable.  Interchangeable. The circle of hooded figures was all these things and more.  How on earth would I ever choose the right one? Out of all the words going through my head, there was one clearly reserved for me…Screwed.

Pacing the circle slowly before them all, I took a moment at each figure, hoping…praying. Ivan’s scent filled my nostrils at each one, Identical, Interchangeable. Not allowed to touch them, I neared them hoping one would flinch since Ivan tended to shift away whenever I displayed any affection. No one flinched—Impossible, Indistinguishable.

Stepping back, I thought over all things Ivan. He was an anomaly I had yet to understand but of one thing I was sure. He suffered from the same sickness we all deal with at some point in our lives. Had he not experienced it a few times with Kheelan and Jaime? Whether of love or of simple possessiveness, he'd experienced it. It was the primal energy running through the veins of anyone with a shred of feeling for another person, the single most powerful of all emotions—jealousy.

It was a long shot but it was all I had before randomly pulling down someone’s hood. I would forfeit my life but all be damned if I would turn into Kala’el’s new toy.

Turning, I reached out to Kala’el, the look in my eyes leaving room for no interpretation.

He raised a brow. “What are you up to, Halfling?” his voice slid out slow and curious. Coming toward me with a victorious air, he slid my hand into his and jerked me toward him. “Are you giving up?”

His royal Essence sat back in his throne, the same victory plaguing his movements.

Looking back to Kala’el, I braced. “You said you would teach me things Ivan never did and that together we would be the ultimate power. Your offer is tempting.”

Kala’el neared my mouth. I flinched back. “But…before I make my choice, I want a see what you can offer.”  Surprise flicked over his face as well as raw desire. My heart in my throat, I prayed I was doing the right thing. But I’d cast my net…there was no turning back. “Kiss me and teach me.” I breathed, my body arching into his, reacting to his nearness. "Show me these things you spoke of."

With blistering wickedness, his gaze darkened. The intense blue of his eyes froze over to the blackness of unknown depths, like sinking to the ocean floor only to discover that you were only falling deeper. My stomach churned, begging me leave but there was no leaving. There was finding Ivan or death.

Kala’el’s glamour expanded astronomically, dangerously. Like looking straight to the sun, he flared blinding me for a slight moment. Recovering, I lowered my hands that shielded my eyes to find him saturated in full glamour, in pure castigating light. His skin glowed in luring waves while his hair lashed around him like thousands of gold rods whipping the surrounding air for the cruelest of crimes. For a second, while looking directly at him, I could have sworn I heard the faintest of songs calling my name…

 A sweeping arrogance radiated from him. To his eyes, he was a supreme being existing only to bring me pleasure.  And sadly to my eyes in that moment, he was. He was beauty, perfection. He was going to give it all he had to make me want to stay there with him. Damn, it was a gamble. I could fall into his kiss and never return. I didn’t know what secrets his lips held, what power he had. If what he looked like now was any indication as to what his mouth was to offer, I was done for.